Dave Dillard (ex_constantl762) wrote in forgotten_gods, @ 2008-07-01 00:28:00 |
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Entry tags: | david dillard, ganymede |
who: Dill and Ganymede
when: Mid-Tuesday
where: A phone call
Ganymede had been a positive recluse since the Incident with Dill. (That was all he could call it, that was the only thing that didn't twist in his gut like a blade.) He went to work, he came home, he read his books and went to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat. The fact remained, however, that he still had Dill's books, still had that little piece of him, and Ganymede didn't know if it was better to hold on hard or give it away. So he opted to crawl out of his solitude to do the logical thing--call Dill and see if he wanted them back. A quick dial of his cell phone, and he waited breathlessly for Dill to pick up, not sure if he even would.
Dill, on the other hand, didn't have the convenience of godhood to prevent him from being forced to socialize. The Library staff, despite being a hive of bookworms and the studious, was also prone to spreading gossip like wildfire, and the fact that the romantically-hopeless David Dillard had been spotted passionately kissing anyone had become the story of the week. Poor Sally in Children's Fiction had come down with a cold that seemed to manifest itself whenever Dill entered a room, but she was the only one who actually left him alone. As far as his coworkers were concerned, it was a miracle. He ducked behind a bookcase to avoid Jan as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and opened it without a thought to looking to see who'd called. "This is Dill. Hello?" He asked in an uncharacteristically absent manner, peering around the corner to make sure his boss had gone.
"I didn't think you'd pick up," Ganymede said, the words just tumbling out of his mouth before he could think about them and he swore. "Shit. I'm sorry. It's. uh, it's Dorian and I just...I...how are you?"
"Dorian. Hi." Dill's mouth went dry suddenly and he nearly dropped the phone, his voice coming out in something akin to a squeak. He slipped back behind the bookcase and began to seek somewhere with more privacy. He really wasn't supposed to be using the phone in the library, but if anyone asked, he'd say it was an emergency. It was, really, he'd wanted to talk to Dorian but he hadn't managed to think of what to say. "I'm alright." He said softly and added, for an explanation, "I'm at work." Quickly, he continued, "I can talk, though."
Ganymede frowned a little. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother."
'I always want to talk to you.' Was Dill's immediate thought, but he wasn't going to voice that, considering what all had happened. Instead, he replied, "No, I'm sure- I was just avoiding someone-" A pause followed, and an awkward one, at that. "Are you doing alright?"
"Me?" Ganymede asked, surprised. "I'm fine. Really. Sweet of you to ask, though." He huffed a little laugh. "This is delightfully awkward, isn't it?"
"A little." Dill admitted with a nervous laugh. It was awkward, yes, but usually he never got a call back, so this was good, right? "I mean. A lot, yes. But it's good to talk to you."
"I didn't mean to drop off the face of the map," Ganymede said, something like an apology. "I just...needed to...do things. I mean...I have no idea what I mean." He sighed and shook his head. "Let's pretend I actually know how to be charming, hmm? This is not shaping up to be one of my better days."
"It's okay," Dill replied, "I didn't really know what to say -uh - anyway." With his reaction - well, it was almost insulting, wasn't it? How could he face Dorian knowing what he'd done? "I'm not doing so hot myself, but I - I did want to call you. I mean, eventually. I guess."
"It's okay, don't worry about it. You didn't have to call. I mean, only if you wanted to. I just thought...I still have your books and I know they're precious to you, and I'd feel lousy keeping them when they're meaningful," Ganymede tried to explain, feeling tongue-tied.
"Oh." Dill said quietly. Had Dorian only called to return the books? "Did you read them?"
"I did, I really loved them," Ganymede told him, excitement catching fire in his voice. "I really, really loved them and the ideas. I just...I guess I wanted to...be a dork about that, mostly."
Dill smiled softly, but he was still hesitant, "Did you-" He began to ask, paused, took in a breath, let it out, and then continued, "Did you still want to talk? About the books, I mean."
Ganymede smiled, and it was audible in his voice. "I'd really love to."
"Great." Dill said, and it came out in a rush. "So would I."
"Sometime soon, maybe?" Ganymede suggested.
"Today?" Dill asked quickly, "I mean, if it's alright-"
"No, I'd like that, today's good. What's your schedule like?" Ganymede asked, thinking through when he needed to be at work himself, but he figured he could call in some favors if needed be.
"I get out at eight thirty." Dill replied, he usually stayed at work long after he was obligated to do so, but for once he really, really just wanted to leave.
Ganymede smiled. "I have happy hour, but that's about when I'm done. Do you want to meet up somewhere, get a bite to eat, maybe?"
He had a sandwich packed but, hell, it would be nice to have a meal with company other than the TV. "Yeah, let's do that." Lord, he hadn't been out in a long while, "What do you like?"
"Anything, I'm flexible. You like spicy food? Curry or something?" Ganymede suggested. "Helps keep you cool when you eat hot food."
"It has been beastly, hasn't it?" Dill asked with a laugh. He was slightly apprehensive - not about having dinner with a man he'd had a one night stand with - but because he was never all that adventurous with what he ate. Kate had been into exotic stuff - maybe. He named an indian place on his side of town, it wasn't exactly upscale, but some of his coworkers frequented it and seemed to like it. "Sound good?"