log; cormac & darius Who: Cormac & Darius What: Talkin' 'bout bitches and moving in together <3~ Where: Cormac's Clinic. When: Backdated: Saturday, 6/21 Rating: PG-13 because language, yay Status: Complete
Had it been any other subject, Cormac would have met Darius in one of their usual locales. For now, however, he invited the man into his home, upstairs in the kitchen. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Ridley was out with her friends for the evening. They’d closed the clinic and she’d wandered off, probably to the library or something. Thanks to the help he’d hired through Cian, he had a peace of mind when it came to thinking of her where-a-bouts.
He’d already eaten and he hoped Darius had to, even though the housekeeper had made some extra food in case Ridley got the munchies. She was obsessed with the idea that the girl was far too thin. Cormac assured her, as a physician, that the girl was fine and did not need to be stuffed like a chicken for roast. He’d pulled out two glasses and already had the wine bottle open, allowing the beverage to breath. There was a bowl of fruits to snack on along with cheeses. He’d found that surprise waiting for him.
There was so much they needed to discussed that he’d been too busy to address. There was Audrey. There was Ridley. There was stuff about Emily, and of course asking after his best friend’s mother.
Everything sucked, and nothing ever felt like it might be happy again. Though, that feeling had been a long time coming Darius suspected. Regardless, Cormac’s invite felt like a god send of sorts, and Darius had been quick to accept. After his shift, a quick goodbye had been said and the white mage headed for the other man’s place, not even really making time to stop anywhere, other than to grab a quick sandwich for dinner.
Thankfully, by the time he found himself on Cormac’s doorstep, the sandwich was mostly gone, and knocking was easy. Well, at least he had that small thing to appreciate cause fuck all knew something had to be easy lately with all the bullshit that was going on.
“You here?” Darius gave a call, as he tried to glance through the nearest window he could find without much luck. Sure Cormac had invited him over, but… It didn’t mean the other man couldn’t have gotten distracted with something too.
Cormac heard the knock on the side door and went to open it for Darius. “Hey,” he greeted before heading further back into his home. Back up the stairs he went, fully expecting his friend to follow. “We’ve got quite a bit to catch up on,” he said turning into the kitchen where the small table sat. While the clinic was big, his home was modest. Three bedrooms (the last turned into an office), a den which was a lab, a kitchen, and something that looked like a sitting room. He never used it personally, but there were books in there. “I caught up with Lady Alys at her engagement party forever ago,” he told him, before sitting down and pouring his wine.
“And I caught up with Audrey a few days ago,” he said pouring Darius’ a glass. “Why.” There was no lilt to put the single word in the form of a question. It was a simple statement. Why would anyone subject themselves to that girl. She wasn’t bad to look at, but she wasn’t really all that bright either. He had to reevaluate that thought when he remembered she was carrying on two completely separate lives.
“Yeah we do.” Darius readily agreed with the assessment at hand. Though, when Cormac broached some nobles name it threw him for a minute. Who the fuck? Darius’ brow wrinkled with thought as he tried to place why the hell Cormac would be bringing up some random noble to him - a noble that sounded familiar but he couldn’t quite place - right now.
Frowning he couldn’t help the creases that ran around his mouth. “Yeah?” Then came the ‘why, and Darius couldn’t help being a little more confused at the statement instead of a question. “Why what, man?” Eyes watched as the glass was filled before Darius picked it up, taking a whiff of the liquid before sipping at the contents to give it a taste.
Did. She. Not. Tell. Him.
Cormac stared a moment as no recognition floated across Darius’ face until Audrey’s name was spoken. She hadn’t told him everything. “I..” While Audrey was a solid acquaintance due to his time over at the Sapphire House, the truth was, he’d known Darius a lot longer and actually held him a lot higher on the latter. Bros before hos and all that. “So, you don’t know who she’s married to?” He looked genuinely confused. “At all. You know nothing?” Then squinted. “What do you know about her? She’s the woman who was driving you crazy, right? We’re on the same girl?”
“Oh.” His voice lowered a moment, the crinkle of his forehead deepening before disappearing altogether as Darius shifted back into his sheet, taking up a more comfortable position. “I know she married some dude for her money.” The names finally clicked in place again, he was just so used to calling her Audrey though… “And I know the name thing, I just…” He frowned. “I’ve never called her that, so I forget. Especially, with all the crazy ass names nobles have that I have to deal with on any given day. Besides, it just sounds weird, she’s Audrey, always has been.” The frown stuck, and Darius lifted up his drink taking another sip. If this was what Cormac wanted to talk about, then he was gonna need to have a lot more booze in him before long.
“Oh.” Cormac’s tone was completely different. His brows snapped up at the mention of marrying a guy for her own money. “That explains why she was acting so upset when I asked her if she was being harassed into marrying the guy,” he said thoughtfully, before adding. “He’s an idiot by the way.” Basil Norwood was an idiot. He didn’t know just how far into it that Darius had gotten. He’d met Basil in another persona altogether many a times. It was a wonder people in this city got by as well as they did with being as stupid as they were.
“She forced her way into my home the other night demanding I fix your relationship. Naturally, I extricated myself and my assistant from the clinic and stayed at Emily’s. Her parents weren’t thrilled but Ridley did enjoy the look of the place.” Then he took another sip before adding. “She’s moving in here soon, by the way. In case you see her wandering around on her lonesome off hours while I’m not here.” He was going to have a ward. It felt weird to say. Why did he get one of those again?
“Yeah, well, not so many people know so, gotta keep it on the down low..” Darius gave a shrug, indicating for Cormac to keep quiet about it too with what he’d just said. “I don’t know anything about the guy other than that, and your assessment on his intelligence.” A beat as he bit back the urge to say whoever the guy was he was a complete d-bag, but… At this point, Audrey had made her decision months ago. That was her problem now.
The sudden exclamation regarding Audrey’s actions caused Darius’ forehead to crinkle up once again. “I……” There were no words for something like this, there really weren’t. Sighing heavily, Darius let his limbs fall down to his side. “What the fuck man? What is it with- Wait… A kid?” More specifically the one he’d offered to help with her white magicks spells specifically. “Huh. Well, guess I might be on your doorstep more often then.” Darius rolled his shoulders absently as he reached for his wine on the table again. “Think she wants me to tutor her or something. Along with that Glass chick. Haven’t spoken to either of them a lot lately, but guess they both need help with casting.” Which, of course, Cormac couldn’t really assist with even if he wanted to. It was pretty unfortunate really.
“Hey, did you ever figure out how to turn spells in to potions?” Darius thought he briefly recalled some absent mutterings about it but… Honestly, his memory was pretty fuzzy there.
Cormac let out a sigh as he changed the subject. “Are you with her or aren’t you? She believes she can somehow fix what you have and she won’t leave me alone about it,” he explained. “Asked me at her engagement party if you were coming. Then shows up here in the middle of the night. I was lucky Emily wasn’t here to--” He cut himself off. Saying Emily was mocking his pain would be out of character for the woman. She was very careful about what she did in front of other people and he wasn’t about to ruin that for her.
“Why don’t you move in too? We’ll make a party of it.” Not like he was getting much privacy with that ridiculous cat milling about the house. He was lucky he wasn’t allergic. “But really. You’ve gotta do something about that woman.”
Darius couldn’t help the face he made next, something between frustrated, offended, and disgusted all at once. “No.” The word was hard, firm. “She’s fucking married, I’m not getting involved with that.” Admittedly, he’d made some pretty fucking dumb mistakes in the past few months regarding her but… “I”m not gonna be her affair. I told her that.” He took moment, looking rather disgruntled before reaching for his wine once again with a frown. “I told her we could talk about whatever - if anything is left - when she’s not married anymore.“ Or at least he thought he had… Hadn’t he…?
Though the sudden invite for Darius to move in caused the man to look confused before a chuckle was let out. “You’re fucking with me right man?”
There were too many variables for Cormac to consider when there was the mention of her not being married anymore. The fact that it was even an option was a thing. So she’d just gotten married for the money and had no interest in actually staying married and had planned to be with Darius when it was all over? “No, I’m not fucking with you, man,” he said, not voicing his thoughts. This was all far too convoluted for him to really consider.
He didn’t know if he’d be staying in the clinic very long if he and Ems were getting married soon. Then again, he’d have to move Ridley with them. Then Ridley had that creature. That thing. While most people might find kittens endearing, it would undoubtedly end up running over all of his stuff, knocking things over and the like. Animals.
“Huh.” Darius’ fingers tapped against his glass of wine, seeming to consider the situation at hand. The tower - while mostly rebuilt - still felt like some sort of mess. Though admittedly, it was - in some ways - his mess. He’d lived there for years now, almost a decade, and had grown to appreciate the space that was afforded to him free of charge other than continued guild service, but… It would be kinda nice to not have to walk out his door and run into half a dozen other mages… Or scholars, or…. Whoever. And then the mess the guild had been involved in lately…
“What would you want for me living here?” The question held no malice, or ill intent, just a sincere curiosity as to what the cost of moving into Cormac’s place would be, because well… It sure as hell couldn’t be free, right?
“Just take the fucking offer or don’t.” He rolled his eyes. He was getting weird and soft and he wasn’t sure why he’d actually asked the man in to live there. Work there yes. That would be a highly profitable endeavor. He would not deny that women did find him attractive (as well as some males). He’d bring in increased revenue, or at least more clientele.
He sighed. “Within the past year, I have found myself overwhelmed more than once. I could use an extra hand to help with patients that come in. As I deal more with potions than actual magic, you could help me manage and also expand my services, offering my regulars a whole new range of healing options that are quicker.” He then shrugged. “Ridley will get there eventually, but,” He shrugged. “I’ve known you longer.” It was also an excuse to remove him from the tower, a place where ridiculous people tended to picket the front nowadays.
“You could just try it out for a month or so?”
“Hey, no need to get snippy man, I’m just trying to sort out the details.” A half frown rose, it wasn’t that he didn’t like the offer, or wasn’t interested in it, just… Everyone needed the fucking details before they made potentially life changing decisions. Listening to Cormac carry on about what he was thinking, and what it could do for the clinic, Darius’ head bobbed along, more to show he was still listening than to actually confirm anything or not.
“A month or so?” The words were parroted with a fair amount of consideration behind them before he fell silent again, considering the whole situation even more. The mess with the tower, and the Sage had left things way more rocky than he was honestly comfortable with as of late, and…
“Sure.” A firm nod this time was given, a confirmation. “Yeah.” A beat. “I can give it a try.” He wasn’t getting any younger and besides, maybe it’d help to make his Ma stop worrying quite so much too.
“Good. I’ll have the housekeeper make up another room for you. And mind the cat thing,” Cormac said making a face.
“Alright.” Came an instant, almost natural response, though at the addition to what was said Darius’ forehead wrinkled. “Cat thing…?” What the hell was going on here now?
“Ridley’s got a cat. Hope you’re not allergic.” That announced, he refilled Darius’ glass. They had many other things to discuss as he now realized. Ridley hadn’t lived as an independent adult as Darius had. They’d also have to talk about “houseguests”, but that, he’d decided, could wait for another time.