Aidan Turner (whisperisashout) wrote in genome_project, @ 2010-04-10 21:55:00 |
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Current mood: | distressed |
Who: Aidan and Ethan
Where: Ethan's house
When: Saturday evening (almost immediately after Evan's party)
What: After party comforting
Rating: Low (though there are some swears)
Status: Complete
The distance between Evan and Ethan’s house wasn’t infantissimal. It wasn’t exactly a stones throw either but Aidan wouldn’t quite remember how he got to where he was at that moment: standing outside Ethan’s apartment block with his thumb on the call button to be let up.
He’d texted ahead to let Ethan know he was coming over, but he wasn’t entirely sure how he thought landing on the guy that single-handedly turned him into an idiot would help in this situation, but he needed to talk to someone and Ethan was the person that Aidan trusted (probably unwisely) most after Max himself and that was something worth noting, he supposed.
He rubbed his other hand over his face and through his hair. He forgot that it was styled and grimaced at the feeling of wax against his palm before he rubbed it against his thigh.
He chewed on his lip and tapped his toes against the floor. The noises around him were louder than usual, like his already sensitive senses had decided that now was the best of times to malfunction. The roaring of an engine as it drove past him and Aidan felt the sound like someone had driven a spike into his brain through his ear.
Holy shit.
He pressed his knuckles into his temple and took a slow breath as he waited for Ethan to answer his phone or arrive to let him in. He felt sick, couldn’t get the smell of blood out of his nostrils, like it had stuck there.
He hoped Max was okay, he was really worried about him, not sleeping for such a long time was of course going to end up with him collapsing, but- Aidan’s shoulders hunched up protectively. He was still wearing his fitted jeans and jacket, having actually made an effort to go to Evan’s housewarming party. It was a shame it had ended in the way that it had.
Come on Ethan...
Ethan had been working a late shift so he'd been talking to customers as Evan's party kicked off and continued throughout the night, cursing his shitty luck. Little did he know that he'd probably had a lucky escape considering what had happened at the party.
He'd received Aidan's text on the way home and had nearly called the other man, but thought better of it. Whatever it was obviously needed speaking about in person so he'd just shot a text back telling Aidan it was okay for him to swing in.
Thankfully he had some time before Aidan turned up, which meant he had a shower and changed out of his worksmart clothes into comfortable clothes that consisted of jeans, t-shirt and bare feet.
When the buzzer went, Ethan crossed over and pressed his thumb against the button. "Aidan, if that's you, come on up. I'll put the kettle on."
Aidan just breathed out a sigh of relief saying into the speaker "I'm on my way" before he was hurrying up the stairs and towards Ethan's apartment. He took the stairs rather than the elevator, mainly because it looked a little bit like he might plummet to his death if he got into it. Plummeting to his death was the last thing he needed today.
The sound of his footsteps on the staircase echoed painfully around his head and he felt in his bag for his painkillers, hand closing around the box. He wasn't supposed to take them because he'd been drinking, but he figured it was better to take them than not.
He tapped gently on Ethan's door when he stopped outside it, fidgeting from foot to foot in the hallway. He could hear the sound of water boiling inside Ethan's apartment, and the person on the floor below was watching TV, some movie with explosions and car chases. Aidan swallowed and closed his eyes, trying to block all the sounds and smells out. Too much.
Ethan set the cups out and then turned away from the kettle when there was a knock at his door. "Coming," he shouted as he headed out of the kitchen. Aidan would probably be able to hear Ethan's footsteps no matter how light they were because Ethan had wooden floors.
He undid his locks and pulled the door opening, concern instantly furrowing his brow. "Aidan, you look- You okay?"
Aidan's eyes opened when the door opened, blinking up at Ethan for a minute before he nodded. "I- uh-" he rubbed the back of his head, trying to ignore the explosions coming from the room downstairs. He swallowed and just lifted his shoulders. "Can I come in?"
He wiggled his fingers and decided he could wait for a couple more minutes before he went diving for the blessed pain relief. He rubbed at his temple. He wondered if it was obvious that he had a horrific headache.
"Max collapsed." It kind of exploded out of him before he could stop it. "At Evan's party."
"Yeah, sure." Ethan stepped out of the way so Aidan could come in, closing the door after the other man. He looked, well, he looked freaked out. Really freaked out. Something must have happened at Evan's party, but what? Did Evan have a makeshift locker that he tried to shove Aidan into?
The mention of Max instantly caused Ethan's eyes to widened. "What? Why? Is he okay?" Okay, wow, that was a lot of questions all at once. "Shit," he muttered a second later as he closed the distance and placed a hand on Aidan's shoulder.
"What happened?"
Aidan turned his head and, after a second, all but faceplanted into Ethan's chest. He took a deep breath in, letting that scent wipe out the memory of the blood that hadn't gone away since the party. He closed his eyes and just stood there for a minute before he leaned back and looked up at Ethan. "The paramedics came to the- they came to take him to the hospital 'cause he cracked his head on the sink." He leaned forward again, resting his head against Ethan's collarbone.
He realised that Ethan hadn't invited him into his personal space, but Aidan hoped that he wouldn't mind. He kind of just needed a hug.
Ethan blinked as Aidan faceplanted into him, but it didn't take him very long to wrap his arms around the other man. Clearly he needed a hug. "Hey," he muttered. "It's alright." Ethan was still for a moment before he lifted a hand and squeezed the back of Aidan's neck before sure enough there were fingers running through short strands of dark hair.
Max had collapsed? He was in hospital? Jesus.
"He'll be alright," Ethan said reassuringly. "He's in the best place right now."
At the feeling of fingers in his hair, the tiniest of shivers ran down Aidan's spine. He wet his lower lip and just breathed slowly. "I- Yeah, I know. It's just- if I hadn't heard him then it woulda been so much worse, I think." He swallowed and tried to relax, but not so much that he gave away just how good Ethan's fingers in his hair felt.
Damn his sensitive skin. Each movement was sending goosebumps and ripples down his spine. "God, this evening was fucked up." Aidan hardly ever swore, only when he felt like everything was out of his control.
"You heard him?" Ethan asked, clearly surprised. "Was there no music at this party?" He rubbed his thumb across the back of Aidan's neck and kept the other man close, figuring the physical contact might help, especially after what had happened at the party.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, it sounds pretty fucked up to me."
"Yeah, the music was really loud," Aidan said with a nod, tipping his head into the touch to the back of his neck. He swallowed again and wet his lower lip. "But I still heard him fall. And I- he cracked his head open. And I knew from outside the door." He squeezed his eyes shut and curled one hand in Ethan's shirt. He knew he should extract himself.
Ethan frowned, recalling a conversation he'd had with Luke about the younger man's ability to push things with mind. Not to mention his own unique ability to attract staples, trashcans and other annoying metallic things. "It's okay," he murmured as he continued his ministrations and just kept his grip steady and firm around Aidan. "Sounds like it's a good thing you heard it, Aidan. If you hadn't then Max could have been lying there for ages."
"Yeah, and then there would have been more blood. God, I hate the way it smells." Aidan grumbled as he all but melted into Ethan's hands. He wet his lower lip again and leaned back finally, rubbing a hand over his forehead and swallowing up at Ethan. "Sorry- I- how was work?"
He figured he'd talked about himself enough. He shuffled his converse-clad feet. There was a slight flush to his cheeks, just from the ministrations because- yeah, sensitive skin. Sensitive skin!
Ethan leaned back to take a proper look at Aidan, shaking his head a second later. "Work is completely irrelevant right now. You sound like you need to talk more than I do about the assholes on the phone. I'm used to those."
"Do you still want that coffee?" He asked, squeezing the back of Aidan's neck for good measure before he stepped back and let the other man have some space.
Aidan closed his eyes and nodded, leaning into the touch against the back of his neck again before he rubbed the space where Ethan's hand had been. "Yes, please." He needed to take his painkillers, his head felt like it was about to split open and it was all getting way too much.
He swallowed and lifted a shoulder, "I'm just worried about Max. I mean, he's- there's something really wrong with him."
Ethan gestured for Aidan to follow him through to the kitchen where he started making himself and Aidan a cup of coffee. "Yeah," he agreed with a nod of his head. "I know he's been off lately, but you know what Max is like when you ask him about himself. He finds ways to change the subject."
"You want any sugar?" Ethan asked, rummaging it out of the nearby cupboard.
"I know, he's sneaky like that." Aidan walked over and leaned his hip against the counter a little way away from Ethan. His eyes roamed over the walls and the art that was lining them, appreciating the aesthetic. "Are all these yours?" he asked.
He tipped his head when he saw the cupboard open out of the corner of his eye. "Uh, yeah, three please."
Ethan looked up apparently unaware that Aidan had been looking at his art and he just gave a small blush and a deep chuckle. "Uh yeah, most of them. Not my greatest stuff." He shrugged and added sugar to the coffee he was making for Aidan before he handed it over, figuring the other man could add his own milk.
"So, the ambulance took him away? Did they say anything before they did."
Aidan caught the slight blush and he ducked his head to smother his grin because that? That was adorable. Ethan shouldn't be adorable, he was way too hot to be adorable. "They're really good," he said quietly. His bag was put on the counter. He wandered closer to take a closer look at one of them, bright colours catching his attention before he turned on his heel and headed back towards the counter to collect his coffee.
"They didn't, just that he needed to go because he was unconscious." Aidan held the coffee for a moment and took a couple of sips before he put it down again on the counter. "And that they'd let him- well, they'd let his sister and his parents know. And y'know... Evan, I guess. Someone'll let the rest of us know."
He swallowed and reached for his bag, hand sliding inside and pulling out the small pill bottle, tapping two pills out into his hand before he put it back. He knocked them back with a mouthful of scalding hot coffee.
Ethan rubbed at the back of his neck as he made up his own coffee, leaning a hip against the counter as he took the first sip from his cup. "Thanks," he said with a smile. "Glad you like them." His folks certainly didn't, but whatever.
He lifted an eyebrow as Aidan knocked back a couple pills. "Those are a lot of pills, you feeling okay?"
"Headache." Aidan muttered before he swallowed another mouthful of coffee. He wet his lower lip and looked at Ethan. "I'm fine." It was a lie, but he could deal with it. He took a breath, let his senses get swamped by the smell of coffee. He rubbed at his temple before he pushed two fingers into the tense muscles at the base of his skull.
He was about to say something else when the volume of the TV downstairs suddenly leapt up and he winced a little, hand tightening around the cup. Shit. That hurt. He wondered if he could take another painkiller. No, probably not, he'd already taken over the doseage for today. Not smart but hey. "The pictures are good."
Ethan watched Aidan closely and lifted an eyebrow as he seemed to be in considerable pain. "I think you should lie down, you look kind of pale." Ethan placed his cup down and walked over, placing a hand on the small of Aidan's back.
"C'mon." Ethan encouraged Aidan in the direction of the living room. "You should sit down."
Aidan followed kind of by route because Ethan's hand was warm and his head did hurt and he felt more than a little overwhelmed. "I don't need to lie down," he said quietly, "Promise. I'm just- Sore head. I get them all the time."
He'd just about managed to put his coffee down before he was being led away. "Sorry- I- this wasn't what was supposed to happen tonight."
"It's been a stressful night," Ethan pointed out as he settled Aidan on his couch, his very comfortable couch. "Your friend collapsed, not something that's easy to forget." He was pretty sure he had some blankets somewhere and a spare pillow as he didn't think Aidan going home tonight was a great idea, not when he looked like shit.
Ethan waited a few moments before he decided to voice that, "You should stay here tonight. I'd rather you stay here than go home and feel like shit by yourself."
Aidan blinked stupidly at Ethan for a couple of seconds before his nose wrinkled in confusion. "Really? I'm- I mean I can get- I could get home okay..." But the couch was completely comfortable. He sank into it and against the back, resting his head in his hands. "Only if it won't be a problem, though, me crashing here."
He glanced at Ethan out of the corner of his eye, offered him a small smile before he leaned over so that he was leaning against Ethan. Personal space? What was that? "I'll be sucky company, though."
"It won't," Ethan said with a shake of his head. "I don't have work tomorrow and I've got no plans." He lifted an eyebrow when Aidan leaned against him and against all better judgement he wrapped an arm around the other man's shoulder, shifting so Aidan could rest better against him.
He wasn't entirely sure what to do with his hand so just settled for resting it against the back of Aidan's neck, absently stroking his thumb back and forth along the short hairs and tanned skin.
"It's alright if you're sucky company, you've had a rough night."
Despite his attempts not to, Aidan made a tiny sound with the brush of Ethan's thumb against the back of his neck. His skin was crazy sensitive at the moment, and that wasn't helping. It was very distracting. He wet his lower lip. "No plans at all?" he asked, a little surprised, tipping his head up a little to look at Ethan.
His painkillers were kicking in, making his headache ease, and he felt all loose-limbed. He rested his head on Ethan's shoulder. Considering Ethan had put his arm around Aidan, he figured the other man didn't mind the intrusion into his personal space. He hoped.
"Still, rough night or not, it's not much of an excuse for being crappy company." He laughed softly. "Thanks, Ethan. 'm sorry for just landing on you. Didn't know where else to go."
Ethan's black lined eye slid towards Aidan when he made that sound and he filed it away, for future reference, nothing else. "None," he shared with a casual lift of his shoulders. "Figured seeing as I just worked a ten hour shift I should take some timeout at home, with my cat, who I'm pretty sure hates me for not being around a lot."
He cleared his thoat and just squeezed the back of Aidan's neck. "Don't worry about it. It's cool."
Aidan had spotted cat-hairs on the floor and around, wondered where the animal was. If he focused, he'd probably be able to find it, but he wasn't going to try something that might counteract the nice buzz he was getting from his pain meds. "Long day," he sympathised. He didn't often work shifts that long. He could do if he'd gone into the city instead of staying on the island after he'd finished his internship. He could have worked anywhere.
"What's your cat called?"
"Sheba," Ethan answered. "She's black and certainly acts like she owns the place." He scratched at his jaw and stretched his long legs out, resting his feet on the nearby coffee table. "Had her for a couple years now."
Aidan chuckled, settling somewhere between resting back into the couch and against Ethan's side. Ethan was warm and comfortable and he smelt nice. "Good name for a cat," he agreed, "particularly if she acts like a queen." He tipped his head, "I saw black hairs, wondered if they were the cat's. Don't know whose else they might be, considering..." He wrinkled his nose, shutting himself up before he spoke further and said something truly stupid.
Ethan lifted an eyebrow. "Do I even want to know where that train of thought was going?" He cast a look over his shoulder, catching sight of green eyes staring at them from around the corner of the studio door. "Ah, should have known she'd be in there. She has a weird fascination with my paintbrushes."
"Probably not," Aidan confided with a small smile before he shifted to have a look at the cat. "She's gorgeous," he offered honestly because she was. Beautiful and sleek, kind of like what Aidan imagined Ethan would look like as a cat, except he kind of imagined that cat!Ethan would roll around in glitter too.
He lifted an eyebrow. "Your paintbrushes?" he asked, wondering if he really wanted to ask. "She what...chews on them?"
Ethan nodded his head. "Yeah, she has a thing for my more expensive brushes. It's like she knows they cost money. Right pain in the ass." He glared in his cat's general direction and all she did was sit down and clean her paws.
"Anyways I should probably find you some blankets and a pillow."
Aidan blinked up at Ethan again. "Maybs she's just trying to tell you she wants your attention," he suggested before he shifted a little, rubbing his hand over his eyes. It was still weird to get used to not wearing his glasses all the time.
"Uh, yeah, sleeping is a good idea. Told you I'd be crappy company." He shot Ethan a smile, warm and a little sleepy. "Thanks for letting me crash."
Ethan returned the smile with one of his own. "Don't mention it, anything for a friend." And with that said he was up and off the couch, wandering over to a nearby cupboard. He had people crash on his couch on a frequent basis so he had himself a supply of fresh blankets and pillows, meaning it was easy to rummage them out for Aidan. They probably even smelt like the detergent and softener Ethan used on all his laundry.
"Here," he muttered as he came back to the couch with them. "Make yourself at home, bathroom is down the hall and to the right. If you get hungry or thirsty during the night just help yourself to whatever's in the fridge."
Aidan took the blankets and the pillow and rubbed his hand over his face again. "Cool, thanks Ethan." he smiled. The smell of detergent was a little overpowering, but it was nice rather than the stuffy detergent that his mother always washed her stuff with. He bent to undo his shoes and then curled his legs up underneath himself.
The couch was more than large enough for Aidan, probably not for Ethan's taller friends, but Aidan fitted on the length comfortably. Sometimes there were benefits to being shorter than the average guy. "Will do, I- I appreciate this."
Ethan rubbed at the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't mention. Just get some sleep, alright?" He lingered for a moment before he turned on his heel and headed in the direction of the bedroom, hoping that Max would be okay.
Wasn't often his friends went and collapsed.
Ethan called Sheba's name and sure enough the black cat trotted into the bedroom after him, small bell jingling as she did.