Arran Higgs (silverbroom) wrote in lazarustheic, @ 2017-09-07 13:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: arran higgs, character: chloe pucey, character: max davies, character: terence higgs |
who ? Arran and Terence Higgs, Chloe Pucey, Max Davies.
when ? Thursday 7th September, late night.
where ? Kings' College, Cambridge.
what ? A rescue mission.
warnings ? Recreational drug use.
status ? Completed in gdocs.
Chloe's journal messages had mostly seemed random as fuck, so Arran assumed she was drunk, which went some way to explaining why she needed him to meet her in Cambridge, rather than just apparating herself home. Presumably Max was with her, and while Arran could probably handle two drunk adults just fine, he didn't really want to have to handle a drunken Max. So, since Chloe had asked for Terence, Arran decided to drop by his house first to make sure he'd seen the message. He flooed in, saving his apparition energy for getting to Cambridge and back, and was greeted energetically by Kit Kat. "Hello," he said, bending to ruffle the fluffy ears.
When he looked up, his brother was watching him and Arran grinned. "So I think your boyfriend's drunk," he informed him. "He and Chloe went to that debating society reunion, and Chloe's been sending me random messages about how white the ceiling is, and then the last one was addressed to both of us and said we needed to meet them at King's College. So either Max is drunk with her, or she wants to wake up in your bed again." Hopefully the former, which Arran also thought was the more likely of the two. "You want to come rescue them? You might need shoes."
--
Higgs had known that Max was out at his uni reunion. In turn, Higgs had had a dinner with Siobhan, the plan had been to spend time with her until she'd received an emergency owl asking her to come into work. Very apologetically - even though Higgs assured her she really didn't have to apologise - Siobhan had excused herself to go to work and Higgs settled down with a book, only looking up when Arran appeared in his house. "Yes," Higgs laughed at Arran's comment how he'd need shoes if they were to rescue Max and Chloe. Rescue from what, Higgs had no idea, but presumably nothing more serious than mild drunkenness.
Once he had found shoes, and assured Kitkat that he could play with Arran later (like another day), Higgs found where in Cambridge they could apparate to (there were a surprisingly large amount of magical/Muggle pubs). Once they got there, Higgs looked around. "King's College," he repeated. "That's the massive church thing, isn't it?" Higgs asked referring to the building at the heart of Cambridge before starting to walk towards where he could see the tower in the distance.
"Arran!" Higgs heard Chloe shout before he spotted her and then laughed at the mad waving that she was doing towards them from one of the benches. "You're here!" Chloe added almost surprised once they approached. "We got pizza," she informed them, standing up to kiss Arran.
Looking at Max, Higgs grinned. "You having a nice evening, Max?" Higgs asked with some amusement.
--
Max had been telling Chloe about the history of Merlin College, in between bites of pizza, when she suddenly shouted and Max looked up, smiling as he spotted the Higgs brothers walking towards them. Carefully, he put the pizza box to one side on the bench and the stood up. Arran had wrapped both arms around Chloe and was laughingly telling her that they were here, and that Higgs had helped him find the right place. Max turned his attention to Higgs, who looked warm and solid and Max nodded, then frowned.
"I wasn't," he said. It felt like a very, very long time ago that he hadn't been having a good time, like when you walked into a play in daylight and came out again and it was evening. "But Chloe helped, with her drugs. They worked better than wine." Max had had a lot of wine, but he hadn't really felt any of the effects of it. "And then she listened to me talk about buttons." That had been nice, too. "And now you're here," he added. That, perhaps, was the nicest bit of all. Max didn't think he'd had anyone to come rescue him from being drunk (or high) before.
Beside him, Max heard Arran ask, "Drugs?" He didn't sound annoyed, just amused. Max hoped he hadn't got Chloe into trouble. Or himself. Higgs was a Hitwizard, after all. "Do you have to arrest us?" He was confident that Hitwizards did not deal with possession charges.
--
The choice between Arran and pizza was very difficult, Chloe felt. So in the end, she settled for taking Arran's hand, linking their fingers together, and eating pizza with her other hand. She nodded when Max said that she'd given him drugs and then listened about buttons. "Buttons were very interesting," she confirmed with a nod and Terence gave a soft laugh. "It's hard to tell which one of you has been the bad influence on the other," Higgs teased giving Max another smile.
"I'm not going to arrest you," Terence assured Max with a laugh. "What sort of drugs?" He asked raising an eyebrow at Chloe who was half way through another bite of pizza and gave him a wide look, unsure whether to answer or to eat more and then opting for the food. "I see," Terence shook his head. "Right, come on then, lets go home," he said and Chloe nodded happily looking up at Arran. "Buttons are super interesting," she informed him.
--
Arran laughed at Chloe's wide-eyed non-response to Terence's question. He'd never seen her high before. He hadn't, honestly, seen many people high, probably because most of his friends were pro athletes where drug testing actually could be a thing. "I doubt that," he informed her, sure he wouldn't find buttons interesting, even if Choe told him about them. "No offence," he added, glancing briefly at Max who was the kind of person who did find buttons interesting, regardless of drug intake.
Terence's suggestion to go home was a good one, and there seemed to be enough pizzas for them to share, if Max wanted to take some home too. "We'll take this box," he said, sliding it off the bench and leaving the second box behind for Max and Terence. "Ready to go home?" he asked Chloe. "Whose home?" Max asked, looking confusedly between the three of them. "Good question," Arran said, chuckling. "Between us we've got, what, four? Chloe and I can go to Chloe's." He would leave the decision of which home Max went to up to Terence.
--
Honestly, Higgs was quite surprised that Max had taken drugs. He didn't actually think that Chloe was bad influence on Max, so he couldn't imagine her having made Max take drugs. The fact that Max said he hadn't had a nice time until Chloe had suggested it went a long way to attest for it, Higgs felt. "I'm glad your evening improved," Higgs said honestly and then laughed at how Arran said that buttons weren't interesting. Higgs wasn't sure he disagreed.
"I'm going to take Max to his house," Higgs decided. "He's got two fluffy kittens to play with there," he added with a grin before turning back to Max. "Siobhan got called into work," he explained. "But the kittens are home and they'll be extra fluffy now that you're high," Higgs promised Max and Chloe 'ooh'ed. "Rock! I can fluff Rock!" She informed Arran happily. "Take me home to fluff the fluff!" Chloe added dramatically, making Higgs laugh.
--
Max wasn't offended that Arran didn't think buttons were interesting, but before he could say so he was distracted by the thought of Kallie and Klutz, and how they would be extra fluffy now. "Like the lights," he said, looking at Chloe and not realising no one else would have any idea what he was talking about, but the kittens would be fluffier for him, just like the lights had been brighter for Chloe. He nodded, taking a step closer to Higgs so he could apparate them home. "You'll come too?" he asked. "You're better company than kittens." The kittens were great, but they couldn't talk about military history, or expectations, or any of the things he talked about with Higgs.
Arran laughed, and Max could see him tug her closer to his body so that he could apparate them. "Night, Chloe," Max said, since she seemed about to disappear, and Max wouldn't want to forget his manners. "Thanks for making the party not so uncomfortable."
--
"Like the lights," Chloe confirmed with a nod. "But nice not confusing," she corrected with a frown. Because things being fluffy always felt nice, bright lights and sometimes-scratchy jumpers did not. "Pyjamas!" Chloe said giving Arran a wide eyed look. Pyjamas would be so comfy! Chloe did wave goodbye to Max and Terence and then carried on telling Arran how nice pyjamas were and how duvets were soft and Max has said so, too, and did Arran know that not all husbands knitted.
Once they got to her flat, Chloe started pulling all her clothes off in order to put on her pyjamas. "Are you making me an engagement blanket? Max said maybe you are but I said we're married already," Chloe commented crawling in bed and then looking around. "Where's Rock?" She asked fluffing the pillows. "Did you tell me if you can do taxes? Do you do taxes? Max looks after his and Siobhan's accounts because he's better and she does... not that. Max said that married people divide responsibilities basing on who's better at what," Chloe explained. "So I said that you can do grocery shopping because the lights are so bright for me and Max said that they're the same brightness for everyone but I told them they're not and then he agreed."
--
Arran shook his head at Terence, seeing as he was the only one there who seemed likely to understand, and said goodnight before he took Chloe home, dropping the box of pizza on the bed and watching as Chloe stripped off all her clothes. "I'm glad you waited until we were alone to do that," he commented, before using his wand to summon two glasses and some juice from the kitchen. He handed one to Chloe, not sure if drinking before bed was as useful for drugs as it was for alcohol, but figuring that it couldn't hurt - and Chloe always liked juice. "I'm making blankets to throw away," he reminded Chloe, kicking off his shoes and changing into pyjamas of his own before he settled beside her on the bed, reaching for the pizza. "And then blankets for Gemma. You got a wedding ring, you don't get an engagement blanket too."
Rock, probably smelling pizza, appeared in the doorway with an excited squeak. He bounced up towards Arran, who gently diverted him towards Chloe. "Go on," he said. "She wants to stroke you because you're fluffy." Rock hummed, and seemed to shiver all over as if that would make him fluffier. "Do I need to do taxes?" Arran asked. He was pretty sure he'd never done anything very special to be taxed correctly. "I think the team just takes care of it." He nodded as he listened to Chloe's explanation, which did make slightly more sense than her journal comments had. "I can do groceries," he agreed. "And you can do dinner parties."
--
Chloe pouted when Arran said she didn't get an engagement blanket because she'd gotten a ring. She did also look down at the said ring, a smile settling against her lips. It was a very nice ring. "Rock!" Chloe exclaimed happily when the ball of fluff appeared in her lap, running her fingers over his fur and pushing the pizza box away so she could settle comfortable into the pillows, fluffing Rock, pleased with how he vibrated against her hands.
It made sense that Arran didn't have to do taxes, Chloe didn't really either, apart from when she took on cases not through her company but that almost never happened. "I can do dinner parties," Chloe confirmed happily. "Max said I was very good at picking wine, so that could be my job. And something else. What else am I better at than you? You're great at all the things," Chloe proclaimed with a sigh and then gave Arran a very happy smile, pleased that she'd married someone who was so good at things.
--
After helping himself to a slice of pizza, Arran let the box fall to the floor beside the bed. He'd deal with it tomorrow. For now, he watched Chloe pet Rock, eating his pizza in quick bites. He washed it down with juice then settled against the pillows beside her. "I can't believe you got Max high," he observed, chuckling. "How? Why?" He wondered if he could tell Roger. He was obviously going to have to tell Roger. "You're better than me at loads of things," Arran said, feeling it was true. "Getting me out of trouble. Knowing what to do about feelings. Reminding me not to buy orange shit for people who don't like orange shit." These were all, clearly, very important wifely duties.
He smiled, pleased Chloe thought he was good at all the things, even if Arran was confident the reality was much more equal. "So what's my job?" he asked. "Apart from making shit blankets." As far as Arran knew, Chloe couldn't even make bad blankets, so evidently the provision of blankets was his job. "And rescuing you from parties."
--
Chloe laughed when Arran said he couldn't believe Chloe had gotten Max high, because she found it quite an achievement, too. "I took him to a house party, someone offered me weed, I shared it with Max," Chloe said to answer Arran's 'how'. "I used to do it with my friends back at uni, but Max never had," she explained. "I think it helped him relax," Chloe commented honestly. "He wasn't very comfortable at the party beforehand. I think it's hard for him to be reminded of how all-about-appearances university used to be." Or rather the people at uni, hence why they still felt like that.
"Is getting you out of trouble my job then?" Chloe laughed. "I'm not sure I do always know what to do about feelings," she added, though, Chloe did have to admit that she probably was better at it than Arran. "The grocery shopping," Chloe replied, thinking that she already had said that but maybe not. "And juice bringing!" She added reaching to take a sip of her juice, making a far too satisfied of a noise at the taste. "Rock providing," she added petting Rock happily. "The rescuing was very good," Chloe informed Arran giving him a smile. "Max and I agreed that we've done very well." They had agreed on that and Chloe was also very sure they were right.
--
The 'how' was not very exciting, and Arran couldn't help but feel there ought to have been more to it. It was Max. He'd always frowned at Roger and Arran doing anything they weren't allowed to, and the two of them had never gotten into drugs together. On the other hand, Max was an adult, and Arran had no desire to be like Max, or seem like Max, in disapproving. He didn't really disapprove, just thought it was weird. "What about you?" Arran asked. "Were you not comfortable?" He assumed Chloe's motivation for getting high didn't need to be that, and might just be 'why not?', but he knew the last couple of weeks had been stressful, with the ADHD and everything.
"Yes," Arran said, because getting him out of trouble was definitely something Chloe was excellent at. "Even though I'm trying not to get in trouble." He doubted he'd always succeed, so it was good to know Chloe (and Terence) would be there if and when he didn't. "You know more often than I do," Arran pointed out. "No one knows what to do all the time." Except maybe Terence, but Arran knew his brother would dispute that. Chloe's list of jobs all seemed like things Arran could do, so he nodded, happy that Chloe's expectations weren't more than he could handle. "I've also done very well," he assured Chloe, leaning in to press a kiss to her shoulder.
--
Chloe shook her head at Arran's question. "I was always better at not caring what others would make of me." Given, that was probably due to the fact that Chloe often had forgotten to care and by the time she remembered it was no longer important. "I think I mostly took the drugs now because it reminded me of being at uni," she explained. "It's not something I really have the time to do normally." Which was maybe a shame, but Chloe hardly felt like she was missing out. "But as a thing to do at a party, it's quite nice."
Putting her juice down, Chloe half laid down so she could both pet Rock, somewhat cuddling him against her, and watch Arran. "You have," Chloe nodded. "I'm pretty great." Given, with what had happened in the past few weeks, Chloe felt more like she wasn't than she was, but right now, Chloe felt very content in being great for Arran. "And Terence has done well, too," he added. "Max is very sweet. He said he likes talking to me." Chloe always enjoyed compliments, but especially from Max because it did sometimes feel like Chloe couldn't tell whether Max even wanted to be friends with her. She felt like he definitely had tonight, and not just because she'd had drugs.
--
Arran was glad that Chloe hadn't been uncomfortable, that she'd just taken the drugs for fun. It wasn't something he'd ever had the opportunity to do, but he couldn't mind that when it meant he got to play quidditch for a career. "I'm glad you had a nice time," he said, shuffling down onto the bed, Rock giving a happy hum as he was cuddled between them.
"You are excellent," Arran corrected, smirking. He did definitely think he'd done better than his brother, but he was hardly going to say so. Besides, Terence probably felt he'd done better, not because he didn't like Chloe but just because he wouldn't want to date her (or be married to her). "I'm glad Terence is happy," he said, because he was. And if Max and Siobhan made him happy, then Arran supposed he was pleased he'd ended up with them. "And you said buttons were interesting," Arran pointed out, amused. "I'm sure that made Max's evening."
--
"Very nice time," Chloe nodded, reaching out to run her hand over Arran's arm, though he was a lot less fluffy than Rock, he still felt very nice. Soft. And warm. "Even better time now," she said giving Arran a grin. "Me, you, little fluffy Rock." At the mention of his name, Rock gave a loud squeak and Chloe matched it with a giggle.
Being excellent was even better than being great and Chloe's smile widened at Arran. "Buttons are very interesting," Chloe informed Arran seriously, before she was distracted by Arran saying that Chloe's interest in buttons would've made Max's evening. "Do you think so? I hope so! He really didn't look like he was having fun. I'm glad your brother came to pick him up, he was much more interested in that than the people we were meeting at the party. I am also glad you picked me up," Chloe promised. "I saw Evan at the party. Oh, I should've said bye." Chloe hadn't said 'bye' to anyone though, finding it too bothersome at the time.
--
It was good to hear that Chloe was having an even better time with Arran than she'd had at her party, and Arran grinned, pushing past Rock so that he could kiss the spot just under Chloe's ear. He might have been inclined to push Rock out of the bed, if Chloe hadn't been so obviously delighted by him. Her giggles were endearing, and Arran laughed - more at her than at Rock. "I am also having an even better time now," he promised. "Though nan was babysitting me very well. She sent home cake."
Which Chloe could eat tomorrow.
He was glad Chloe got distracted before she could tell him what about buttons was so interested, though he was starting to suspect he'd inevitably hear at some point. "I'm sure he was very glad to talk to you about buttons," Arran confirmed. "Why did he go if he didn't want to meet Cambridge debate type people?" he asked, though he didn't really expect Chloe to answer. She couldn't, presumably, read Max's mind. "I guess you are a Cambridge debate type person." He smiled when Chloe said she'd seen Evan. "I'm sure he won't mind that you didn't," he promised.
--
The kiss felt extra nice right now and Chloe gave a happy hum, which then turned into a slightly more excited noise at the mention of cake. She would've suggested to have cake now, but she was also really quite comfortable, the blanket feeling a lovely heavy, Rock being a delightful fluff against Chloe's finger and everything about Arran. It did, she felt, outweigh cake.
"I don't think he realised how different he'd feel. We haven't had a reunion in about three years?" Or something, Chloe was never very good at telling time. "Good," Chloe nodded at Arran's promise that Evan wouldn't mind. "Are we sharing the cost of your house renovations?" Chloe asked, her mind having gone back to wondering what duties her and Arran would split and then remembering how Max had said he managed his and Siobhan's accounts. Chloe and Arran didn't have a joint account but maybe they were meant to?
--
Arran hummed at that, wondering whether he would feel uncomfortable with some of the people he'd gone to school with now. He had, he felt, changed a lot in three years. Mostly in the last year, but also somewhat from how the whole Cariad-and-Roger situation had played out. He didn't think he would feel uncomfortable with people he hadn't seen in a while, but then he also hadn't seen them because they weren't very close friends. Maybe he'd feel awkward around Cariad, but since he had no intention of spending time around Cariad, that seemed unimportant. "Hopefully he's enjoying fluffy kittens now," Arran said. Fluffy kittens would, surely, fix everything?
The question surprised him, and Arran shook his head. "I hadn't planned on asking you to contribute," he said. "I can afford it." He'd made a budget, and told Evan what that budget was, and they could do all the important things on that budget, so he didn't need extra. "It's still ours," he added, since he felt like his house was partly Chloe's now, without any need to change the financial situation. "I'm still not going to do anything you'd hate." Not that Chloe really seemed to have any things she definitely didn't want Arran to do.
--
"Kittens!" Chloe exclaimed happily and then ruffled Rock who sort of cat-liked purred, but mostly just hummed. "Not as fluffy as Rock," Chloe assured both Rock and Arran. "He is the fluffiest," she added and then ruffled Rock again, giving another giggle at just how fluffy Rock was. He felt really good. "Do you think he knows he's fluffy?" Chloe wondered. "Like do we just feel pleasantly smooth to him?" Rock seemed very pleased with her and Arran, but then did he think one of them was smoother than the other? (Chloe would win that, definitely.)
It made sense to her that Arran hadn't thought about having Chloe contribute, because she was sure she wouldn't have thought of it if she was doing her flat up. "I can, though," Chloe said fairly. "Would you like me to? Like if it's ours, then we should both cover the costs?" It seemed logical, but Chloe did also know that money wasn't really a struggle for Arran (it wasn't for her either, but Arran still probably earned more).
--
"Yes," Arran answered, because he was certain Rock did know he was fluffy. "We tell him all the time," he pointed out. Rock probably knew anyway, but he definitely knew from Arran and Chloe repeatedly using the word to and about him. "Maybe we're pleasantly smooth to him too." He ran his fingers up Chloe's arm, which was, indeed, pleasantly smooth. Much more so than Arran was, he was sure, but Chloe didn't seem to mind that. "He'll be fluffier than all the other puffskeins." He'd suggest they condition him again, but his house really had got very wet last time.
Arran had no objection to sharing the costs with Chloe, because she was right that if it belonged to both of them, it probably made sense. "We can talk about it when you're not high," Arran teased. He didn't think it would actually change Chloe's decision, but it still seemed sensible to make sure they had a conversation about it while she was sober. "But yes, sure. It can be our first big married people expense. Apart from the honeymoon. And the wedding."
--
"I hope he goes 'so smooth' the same way I go 'so fluffy' at him," Chloe decided, her petting of Rock having slowed as he seemed to have fallen asleep between the two of them, now humming very slowly. "Are we now puffskein groomers?" Probably not after giving Rock one pampering.
Talking about this when Chloe wasn't stoned was probably a pretty good suggestion, even if she didn't imagine she'd change her mind on it. Carefully not to disturb Rock, Chloe leaned in closer so she could kiss Arran. "And all the juice," she told him after pulling back. "Don't forget all the juice we spend money on," Chloe teased. It was really her fault they spent so much money on juice but juice was yummy so how could they not.
--
Arran cupped Chloe's cheek as she came closer to kiss him. "So smooth," he murmured at her obligingly. She was very smooth, and very smiley. "I love you," he added, since that was also true. "Are we going to let him sleep in the bed tonight?" Arran was a little worried he might roll over in his sleep and squish Rock, so he'd probably move him to his own bedroom in a minute. "I'll bet there are puffskein groomers," he said. "But they probably don't get everything as wet as we did."
He laughed, making Rock squeak, as Chloe reminded him about all the juice. "True," he said. "My juice budget has gone up a lot since I married you." And before that, really. It wasn't something Arran minded, not when it made Chloe so happy.
--
"I love you, too," Chloe sighed happily because she did. Arran was lovely and he'd come to pick her up and been so nice about everything. He was a very excellent husband even if he mystery knitted ugly blankets. The reminder of the blanket made Chloe look at her wedding ring again and she smiled feeling that it was definitely better than an engagement blanket.
Arran's laugh was very pleasant and it almost distracted Chloe from the earlier question but Rock's squeak did make her shake her head. "No, he can't sleep here," she said. Chloe didn't think either her or Arran slept calmly enough to have Rock sleep with them. "Juice is very important," Chloe added because it was.
--
"Alright, I'll take him to his room," Arran offered, dragging himself out of the comfortable bed and scooping Rock up in one arm. "And bring you more juice," he added, though he did wonder whether Chloe would still be awake herself when he returned. It didn't really matter if she wasn't, because she'd be awake tomorrow. "Because I know how important juice is," he teased.
He paused at the side of the bed, smiling. "You look very comfy in your pyjamas." Chloe did, and Arran really did love her just as much in pyjamas as he did in nothing at all. "Come on Rock, bedtime for you. And maybe bedtime for Chloe." He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow to see if she thought she was ready to sleep.