Eddie Carmichael (edasich) wrote in disorderic, @ 2017-12-17 01:55:00 |
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Eddie tried to keep his knee from bouncing as he and Alicia sat in the tasteful, calming waiting room. The sounds of a gentle brook filled the room. The chairs were more comfortable than anything Eddie had in his entire flat, and he couldn't help but feel out of place here. Inviting Alicia was a whim decision, but her excitement was infectious, and up until the moment they arrived, Eddie was looking forward to the day. Now as they sat and waited, he couldn't help but second-guess himself. "I guess we got a here a little early, sorry," he said, filling the not-quite silence in the room and planting bouncing foot as firmly as he could. “That’s okay!” She said, flashing him a grin, her excitement undamped. She’d spent the last few days trying to prepare herself for their trip to the spa, which had mostly involved daydreaming about what would almost certainly happen afterward. Or at least what she hoped would happen. Her gaze drifted to his knee and she leaned a bit closer to ask, ducking in conspiratorially, “Are you nervous?” "Nervous, me?" Eddie laughed a little too hard as his knee started bouncing again. "I don't know the meaning of the word. Besides, what is there to be nervous about? This is meant to be relaxing, right?" A tiny woman with the largest eyes Eddie had ever seen floated into the room. Her voice had a calming, possibly charms-enhanced quality to it. "Eddie. Alicia. We're so blessed you could join us here today. If you're ready to begin, we'll start with hand massages and manicures. Please follow me to begin your journey." Eddie glanced at Alicia, forcing himself not to laugh when he caught her eye. "Shall we?" “Yes!” She jumped out of her chair and waited until he’d done the same to follow the woman to their new seats. Having done this before, Alicia automatically presented her hands to the woman sitting across from her. She angled a grin at Eddie. “We should probably get something festive.” Eddie followed Alicia's lead, offering his hand. "Natural and polish-free is festive," he said. He wasn't sure what they would do in a manicure without actually polishing his nails, but they must do something, right? Make his cuticles look nice, or something? "What are you going to do?" “Can’t go wrong with red before Christmas,” she answered, glancing down at her hand as the technician began working. “Even if it’ll probably all come off the first time I try polishing my broom.” Eddie smirked. "I didn't realize that was such a danger of broom-polishing," he said. "Red's a nice colour for you." “Broom polish will take the paint off practically anything,” she said matter-of-factly. A beat later, she caught the eye of the woman across from Eddie and grinned. “I think we should match.” "I'm not doing polish," Eddie said, his joking tone from earlier evaporating. That wasn't an option -- not with Christmas Eve at the Malfoys so soon, not even as a joke. His glance asked--told--her to drop it. The grin slid off Alicia’s face when she looked at him. “I was joking,” she said before dropping her eyes back to her hands. “It’s not like it’s permanent or anything.” And a bit of guilt washed over Eddie then; not enough to change his mind, but enough at least to try to lighten things. "Hey, I already let you talk me into leg waxing," he said with a forced lightness. "I've got to draw the line somewhere." The laugh Alicia answered him with sounded a little hollow. “I didn’t really expect you to go through with that. It’s a lot worse than nail polish.” "I'm very brave and tough, it'll be fine." The manicurist glanced at Eddie skeptically, but didn't say anything. Then, after a moment, softer, "Red is a really good colour on you." “So, it’s going to be warm when they put it on you,” Alicia explained while waiting for the process to begin. “And from there, it’s basically just ripping off a bandaid. Nice and quick!” But as seasoned as she sounded, Alicia hated waxing and wasn’t entirely sure why she’d not only agreed to this, but talked him into doing it with her. When the aesthetician began spreading a thin layer of wax down her shin, she thrust her arm out toward Eddie. “Hold my hand! It’s the secret to making it hurt less.” "That sounds fake, but it's worth a try." Eddie took her hand, and for a moment, he forgot why they were even there. He thought about Alicia often, lately. He thought about how this trip might rekindle things for them. He thought about her legs, and even about holding her hand. He thought about-- Nothing at all, as an inhuman yelp escaped him as the first strip of wax was pulled from his leg. "What the fuck!" Alicia tilted her head back to laugh, but the rip of wax being removed from her leg cut her off. She swallowed her own yelp, her hand going tight around Eddie’s. When she caught her breath, her laugh returned. “I was going to dare you to get a Brazilian after this but I think we’ll be lucky to make it through this much.” Through Eddie's clenched teeth, he bemoaned, "There are curses that hurt less than this." “Yeah, but —” She drew in a hissed breath as the second strip of wax came off. Loosening her grip on Eddie’s hand, she tried to make a smooth recovery. “Those don’t leave your legs hairless for three weeks.” "Hairless or skinless?" Eddie asked. "Because right now I'm not sure which way this is--eugh--going." “Don’t worry,” she said. “They have a lotion for that.” "This was a terrible mistake." The wide-eyed woman reappeared seemingly out of nowhere. "It looks like you survived the waxing parlor! Well done, both of you. You probably feel like whole new people." "Something like that," Eddie said, biting his tongue to keep from saying something worse. "Please follow me. We'll be heading next to the masks room, where you'll be treated to the finest mud masks." She rattled on for a moment about the quality and origin of the mud, though Eddie couldn't say he was paying much attention until she added, "You know, you two make such a lovely couple." Eddie stiffened at the word and the implications that came with it. It was what he wanted, wasn't it? Except… "Oh, yeah, no, we're not a couple," he sputtered uncharacteristically. "She's just … I won this thing at a party and she … we're just friends." It wasn’t the word ‘couple’ that made Alicia stiffen, but the word ‘friends’. She’d known they weren’t a couple, of course, and this probably wasn’t some kind of date, but she’d thought — “Yeah,” she hastened to add and forced a smile as she glanced at Eddie. She was supposed to be relaxing, not reading into every little thing he said. “We’re just friends.” “Well, alright, ‘just friends’,” the woman said with a teasing grin as she showed them through another door. “Here’s where I leave you. Enjoy those masks!” Eddie sighed at the woman's tease (why were adults always like that?) but settled in quickly enough to the new room. A mask would be nothing compared to their last experience, right? "Sorry about that," he said to Alicia. "I didn't realize I set us up for like a couples thing or whatever." “Oh, it’s fine,” she said with a shrug. Leaning back in her chair, she let her eyes drift to the ceiling, as if she might find a way to change the subject written there. When a thought finally occurred to her, she turned to him with a smirk. “It’s too bad, though. Would’ve been kind of fun to play along.” Eddie studied Alicia for a moment. And suddenly trepidation, not longing, filled him. He imagined the paths things would take if they got together. Would Lestrange, who'd already mentioned 'marrying up' in one of their few conversations, take extra notice of Alicia if she were dating Eddie? Would Lestrange's friends? Lucius Malfoy was her boss now. What would that mean for her career, for her safety? And even if all that were fine, Alicia had made her feelings about the children of Death Eaters clear. If they got together, he would tell her the truth. And if she knew the truth, she would break up with him. How could she not? Eddie couldn't have both Alicia and Lestrange. And he was stuck with Lestrange, whether he wanted to be or not. (And he did want to be, even when it scared him.) He shouldn't have brought her here. This was a mistake. He broke eye contact, trying to make a joke of his words, but not quite succeeding. "Nah, we'd never pull it off. Us as a couple? Who would believe that?" Confusion flashed across Alicia’s face as she asked, “What’s so hard to believe about us as a couple?” But before she could hear his answer, a woman appeared with a bowl full of a lumpy green mixture to slather on their faces. Alicia struggled to smile at them while a dozen more questions flooded her thoughts. Had she done something wrong? Had he changed his mind about her? Was he just nervous? Did he think she wasn’t interested? Had she been wrong about it all along? And if so, how had she been so wrong? But by the time they’d both had their faces covered in gunk and were alone again, hers had hardened enough that she could barely move her mouth. Her questions would have to wait. The lunch menu at the spa was deceptively simple. Salads, wraps, healthy vegetables and trendy spices. Eddie picked something with ingredients he mostly recognized, though he wasn't really hungry. If anything, he was tired and just about done with the spa day. They started out with fruit and yogurt, which Eddie swirled in the bowl with his spoon. "So…" he said, filling in the silence that fell between them when the server left their table. "Are you having fun?" Eddie’s voice interrupted a train of thought Alicia was entertaining for at least the tenth time, and it took her a moment to process his question. Once she did, she flashed him a smile. “Yeah!” She sounded more sure of it than she was.. “Thanks for inviting me.” "Hey, thank the Gamps," Eddie said, passing the praise (or blame). "We'd not be here without those weirdos." “Whaaaat? The Gamps?” Alicia feigned shock, bringing a hand to her chest. “They’re completely normal.” "Their party was Titanic themed. And they gave away burial plots as a door prize." “Everyone remembers the iconic Christmas scene from Titanic,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand while she tried not to laugh. “And burial plots are completely normal things to give out as prizes.” "Actually, speaking of plots," Eddie said, considering, "We should probably make sure nothing at this spa will kill us." “You don’t think this is just a ruse, do you?” She raised her eyebrows. “Just a clever way to drum up business?” "Everything they do is a clever way to drum up business. Ah, well. Here goes." He took a spoonful of the dish in front of him and raised it as if in a toast. "If this yogurt ends me, remember me fondly." “That won’t be hard,” she said, watching him with a grin that was decidedly fond. But his comments from earlier weren’t far from her mind and when she remembered them, she dropped her gaze to own dish. She cleared her throat before she asked, “What about you? Are you having fun?” "Sure," Eddie replied immediately, before actually giving the question much thought. "Well. The waxing was rough, but that's over, right? The worst is behind us?" “I hope so,” she said. “This next bit is supposed to be the most relaxing.” "Well," he said, "As somebody who is constantly relaxed at all times, I'm expecting to melt right into the table." “Constantly relaxed is definitely now I’d describe you,” she said with a brief laugh. She took another spoonful of yogurt and propped her elbow on the table. “I’m definitely looking for peak relaxation.” The rest of their food arrived, and after a few minutes of relative quiet while they ate, Eddie took a deep breath. He didn't want to start this conversation, so he went about it in as roundabout way as he could. "I don't know why I was worried this was going to be weird. Aside from the whole spas are kind of weird to begin with part." “Spas are kind of weird,” Alicia agreed. She pushed some healthy looking thing around on her plate and considered him for a short moment before she asked, “You thought this was going to be weird, though? Like, us hanging out?” Eddie's eyes found his plate as well, not sure he quite wanted to see her reaction. He felt a pit in his gut, but he'd spent the whole mask thinking about it, and he needed to find a way to close the door with Alicia, before things went any further. No matter how much further he actually wanted things to go. "Just, you know, because of the whole exes thing." “Oh,” she said. Sitting back in her chair, her eyebrows furrowed, she continued, “I kind of thought — I mean — has it been awkward for you? Us talking again and stuff?” "No, I don't mean -- it's been good. Like, talking. I'm glad we're mates. It's just--" Eddie didn't want to hurt her, no matter how this happened. But maybe it was too late for that. "A spa is just, you know, different than just talking. So I wasn't sure, I guess." “Right.” Alicia nodded slowly, struggling slightly to keep her tone light and casual. “And you didn’t want me to get, like, the wrong idea?” The thing was, of course, that when he asked, it wasn't the wrong idea at all. He wasn't thinking, then. "I guess … yeah, basically." “That makes sense.” Alicia bit her lip and swallowed around the lump of disappointment in her throat. She tried not to think about how embarrassing it would be when her friends asked how her day had been, especially since she’d been so sure things would go her way. With a smile that couldn’t quite pass, she added, “Don’t have to worry, though. I’ve definitely got it. And I’m glad we can still be friends.” "Yeah," Eddie said, relieved and disappointed all at once. He finished what was left of his lunch in a couple of bites. The silence was, inevitably, awkward. "So, massages next, then. That'll be neat." “Yeah! And super relaxing!” Her voice had gone a bit higher than usual. She didn’t want to let on that she was upset, at least not where he could see it. So she stood up abruptly, dropping a napkin on top of her half-cleared plate. “Hey, so, you know what? I’ll catch up with you there. I just need to go, you know, do a lady thing first.” "Is it getting your legs waxed?" Eddie asked, falling into a familiar tease that probably wasn't fair to her. "Because I think I proved today that that isn't just a lady thing." “You’re totally right! You’ve completely smashed at least three gender stereotypes by coming here today, and it’s not even because your girlfriend dragged you because I’m not your girlfriend!” She gave him a brief and unfortunately sarcastic round of applause. “Well done, you!” And there it was. Eddie's smile dropped along with his eyes. "Right," he said quietly. "Alicia, I--" He couldn't quite bring himself to tell her he was sorry. "I'll see you over there." Alicia didn’t know how much time had passed since she’d disappeared from lunch. She’d thought about staying there forever, or at least until he’d have no choice but to give up on her joining him. She’d thought about leaving — Eddie could handle a massage on his own — but she was determined not to let some stupid rejection completely ruin a free day at the spa. This was supposed to have been fun and relaxing and so far, it’d barely been either. But maybe it was still salvageable. At least a massage would give her a chance to try it on her own. Maybe then she could stop herself from questioning every instinct she’d had towards him or wondering why he hadn’t said something sooner. Fortunately, after a face mask, there was no mascara for her to smear. But there was also no way to hide the red rims of her eyes when she finally emerged to meet him. She’d decided she just wasn’t going to mention it. She cleared her throat as she approached him. “Ready for a massage, then?” "I'm ready if you are," Eddie said. He pretended not to notice that she'd been crying. (A stab of guilt came with that, both for causing it and for not knowing how to respond to it.) Still, they were almost late for their next session, so now wasn't the time to dwell, he justified. The large-eyed woman led them to a room with two massage tables and it didn't strike Eddie until just that moment that, like everything else in the day, they'd be expected to do this part together, too. He swore under his breath. "Listen, can we, um… I mean, we're not actually together, can we--" “We’d like separate rooms,” Alicia chimed in, her stomach sinking as her eyes swept over the room. “That would be the most relaxing thing for us right now.” “Oh, I’m terribly sorry!” The woman wrung her hands. “The holidays are very busy and we’re fully booked for the day.” She scanned the room in search of a solution. “Maybe we can hang a sheet across the middle to give you both a bit more privacy.” Eddie looked over to Alicia. There didn't seem to be much of an option here, besides one of them leaving altogether, which he didn't want. "Yeah, sure, that's fine," he said, needing to get out of the moment. Soon, a sheer curtain that did not offer nearly enough privacy was hung between their massage tables. Eddie could see Alicia's figure outlined through the sheet, and for a moment he wanted to take it all back, to apologize and explain and see what happened. But then he came to his senses and turned to face the wall to offer Alicia the privacy the sheet wouldn't as they both undressed. Alicia glanced over her shoulder just once to make sure he wasn’t looking before shedding her clothes and donning a robe in record time. She tried not to think about Eddie doing the same thing on the other side of the room. But try as she might to let it go, the awkwardness was still thick when their massage therapists arrived. And Alicia learned quickly that if there was one thing the sheet did more ineffectively than blocking their view of each other, it was blocking their ability to hear each other. By the time their massages began, she was sure she had more tension in her shoulders than she’d had in her entire body when they’d first entered the spa. “Try to relax,” her therapist gentle coaxed. “I’m trying,” Alicia muttered through the opening in the cushion around her face. On the other side of the sheet, Eddie's masseuse was dealing with a similar problem. "I'm sensing a lot of tension here," he said, gently kneading below Eddie's neck. "No shit," came Eddie's murmured reply. This was not how the day was supposed to go. |