Eston Knight (![]() ![]() @ 2009-04-26 12:54:00 |
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Entry tags: | eston knight, pip whitfield |
Eston & Pip
Who: Eston & Pip
What: Drinking, talking
Where: Duck and dog
When: Sunday Night
Rating: Language
Status: Complete!
In the corner booth of the duck and dog, Eston took up a good portion of the table, leaving little invitation for anyone to come by and ask him if they could join him. Gruelling over musical notes, he occasionally nursed on a beer that was emptied, then replaced, emptied and replaced again. No one spoke to him and he maintained an air of aggression without saying a word or making any eye contact. The music was loud, people were laughing and the world seemed to pass him by from his dark spot in the corner.
Of course, Pip wasn't fazed by Eston's aggressive act, and when he saw the man, he decided to wander over. He had been out to drinks with a few people who were on board who had seen him in The Lion King back when he started out in New York, and he had begun to think it was a bit late and should head back. Trystan knew he could talk the ears off of fans, so he wasn't worried about his husband worrying, but it was more like he just felt like going home. However, seeing Eston, sitting alone, Pip had to wander over, sitting down across from the man.
"Don't you look foreboding this evening."
"Mmm," he replied evenly. "It keeps the nattering idiots at bay," he said, not bothering to look up. Of course, Pip would come. It was just his way, even when he knew Eston was not up for entertaining. "Aren't you suppose to be home?"
"Out for drinks with friends," Pip shrugged a shoulder, and had a sip of his own drink, a martini, "What about you? Just out for a brood?" He smiled slightly as he relaxed back in the seat, looking the man over. There had been enough time since he saw the man last that he could relax around him.
"Doing what Musicians do," he looked up finally and set his pencil down, offering a brief smile. "Writing music. I assumed you wanted me to stay away from you, but you're here?" He sighed, lifting his hand to rub his forehead. It was one of those moments where bullshit was far from him and all that was left was the shell of a man who had lost his luster decades ago.
"Was here with a few people, saw you," Pip shrugged, "Thought I'd come over and say hello. Could leave you alone," He offered, sipping his drink as he raised his eyebrows.
"No, please, stay." He nodded, leaning back into his seat and picked up his beer to take a drink of it. "You know when I came here, I thought it was bloody Karma biting me in the ass when you walked back into my life, then I realized you were married and fate has this particular way of slapping me in the face..." he rolled his hand in a gesture, taking another drink of his beer, then setting it side. "And here we are."
"Hey, maybe me being married is karma. You know, the bad kind? You should be familiar with it," Pip crossed his legs, "You never showed signs of wanting me back before I left," He pointed out.
"When a man gives you a lead, you don't strangle him with it," Eston replied.
"Oh, I missed your being clever when drunk," Pip smirked a bit and shrugged his shoulders, "What would have happened if I wasn't married, Eston? You'd find the same things wrong with me you do now."
"I'm not broodening, if that's what you think," he quipped. "What I was saying was that I wasn't ready to see you so soon. The sex was good, but then, you have plenty of that with your husband, so you aren't starved for it, as you like to say."
"That's true," Pip finished his martini, "So, what? You're saying that you are sad that we couldn't have some meaningless sex after you adjusted to seeing me? I thought we were trying to be friends."
"We are, but it's not always about you Philip. I thought you might want to know, clear the air, if we're going to be friends. A blast from the past is not always a good thing," he remarked drily. "In this case, I think I've managed well."
Pip scoffed, "And what, you think I was rejoicing to see you on board? You act like you were the only one thrown by use being put back together like this."
"I know what you felt then and I know what you felt there--" He scoffed, waving his hand dismissively throwing what he was going to say aside. "Why do we always talk about this? There's no bloody closure between us. There's always what if and whys, hurt and blame. You blame me for a lot, I know."
"Oh, as if you don't blame me for anything," Pip laughed lightly, "We are equally to blame, I know that. Well aware. I just don't think you blame yourself at all."
"C'mon, of course I blame myself," Eston rolled his eyes in good humour, hooking his finger into the mouth of the beer bottle. "You bloody well know as well as I that our rift started when you left for rehab."
"Yeah, of course," Pip nodded, "So, my bad there, I get it. I don't know. I wish we could have worked past that."
"I suppose we're working past it now, aren’t we?" he asked, tipping his beer on the corner of the bottle and lazily drawing circles with it.
"Towards friendship, yeah," Pip agreed, looking at Eston for a moment, pausing before going on, "So, how are you doing, anyway?" He was trying to be nice, giving them a chance.
Eston was trying too but it was a real struggle because he was clearly getting down to the bottle way too fast. "Oh you know me, ol' dog I am, screwin' whatever bloody well moves," or gave him the time of day lately. "Writin' music. Screwin' some more. You?" he asked.
Pip laughed, "About the same, I guess, though I tend to only screw one thing that moves, being Trystan," He shrugged, motioning to a waitress that he wanted another drink, "How are things going with your new singer?"
"Hm? Oh, That," Eston leaned forward, placing both elbows on the table and waved off that part of the conversation, not answering. "So many singers on board. Everyone wants to be a singer." Except Eston. He was a song writer, music writer with no lyrics. He enjoyed the notes rather than the words. "Mm and yours?"
Pip shook his head with a faint smile. Of course Eston wouldn't talk about it. He shrugged, "Vi's a great girl. Very friendly, quick on the uptake," He nodded, "I like her."
"You like everyone," he said, though it was a fond accusation. He was trying very hard not to be bitter and difficult, polishing off the rest of his bottle, if only to keep his big mouth shut. The empty was placed at the end of the table and he knew the waitress would fill him back up, if only to keep his tab going. "And Trystan?" Another conversation to struggle by.
"I do," Pip grinned a bit, and the waitress did come by to give him his martini and to get Eston's empty, Pip giving her a smile in thanks, "And Trystan is fine, just fine. Works been busy. That time of the year or something. I don't know anything about accounting, frankly, but that he does it a lot and he does it well," A nod, "How are you getting on with Fabian? Still fussing over the foreign roommate?"
He smiled. "Oh Fabian? He still hates me, I think. but you know I never do anything to change that." He shrugged, waving away that part of the conversation too. There were some people he didn't want to talk about, or that if he talked about them, there was a faint fondness he may allow to slip and certainly, Eston couldn't allow that to happen.
"I think you did something to provoke that, though," Pip shook his head, "Should give him a chance," He left it at that, sipping his new drink and looking Eston over, "So. What else have you been up to?"
He shrugged to the giving his roommate a chance. He knew he should but he didn't. Maybe he would but only because Pip had said something and that was it. "This is it," he gestured around him. "Bloody boat's boring as hell. Perfect for cooping someone up and making him sit down to write. You? Or should I keep that to myself, knowing your time's spent with your husband." He didn't tell Philip that he'd spent a lot of his time high. There was no point in getting lectures.
"Har har. I do other things besides spend time with Trystan. I have a few friends on board who I go out for drinks with, have dinner with, you know. I'm just as social as ever," Pip gave Eston a look that clearly said 'come off it', having a drink of his martini, "Seeing the sights, doing my show, doing interviews via the phone with a few places for my video and album press."
Eston, as always, seemed disinterested in what Pip was doing socially, if only because his social life had come to a complete halt and only left more time to do lines after work, during, before. It seemed unlikely that he'd ever enjoy anything without a hit or two, especially now when clearly his writing in music had failed him. "Yes, I saw your video. I'm sure you're pleased." It all seemed very face value, what they were doing, but then, could he blame them? They were trying harder to be friendly and keep things even rather than where things could possibly lead, which was heated, passionate and often resulting in either one or the other being clearly unhappy. If only because they didn't have any way to channel their current situation. Adaptability seemed not to be in his vocabulary lately.
"This is all very boring," Eston said, waving his hand about. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, especially when he was getting drunk. Which would be now.
Pip raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Well, if that wasn't the gayest thing you've ever done. 'This is all very boring'," Pip mocked before laughing, relaxed even in this facade. He'd rather this than fighting, because fighting hurt more than faking.
"Oh piss off. No really," Eston barked. This was not what he wanted and whatever for? Pip wasn't his problem anymore, the sober bastard had everything, didn't he? And here was Eston, his dark and dreary past. Like hell he needed another fake relationship in his life. "Well, do forgive me," he said, standing and abruptly rolling his papers up. "But I seem to have to go shampoo my hair. Because as smashing as this bloody game is that we're playing, it is damn well bullshit."
Pip scowled. He didn't want to end this on a bad note. "Eston. Please," He stood up slightly, hand going to the man's arm, "I'm sorry, okay? I was just taking the piss. Sorry. Come on. Sit down. Sit."
"FUCK--" Eston snapped his arm away, jerked it as though he was ready to backhand Pip. "--off" he said quieter, and lowered his hand, fastening it around his music sheets like a life line. "You've got your prince. you've got your castle. Live your fairy tale but bloody well leave this ol' wolf alone." Eston turned away, heading out of the bar and waving to the waitress. She nodded, knowing he would be back to pay his tab and pick up another one the next night.