InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "OH NOES! WHERE'S MAH BODY?!"

August Summers (looktome) wrote in light_of_may,
@ 2012-02-18 22:44:00

Entry tags:

2009-08-30, august, venus

oh, my heart it breaks every step i take
Who: August and Venus
Where: Sunny's Diner
When: Noonish

August had been looking forward to a meal with Venus since she had emailed him to make sure he was okay. Really any occasion where he got to spend time alone with her was cause for excitement, but today, more than any other, he desperately needed a lift in his spirits. No matter what Venus had said, or how insistently Farren had assured him, August still felt like the casualties his pack suffered had been his fault. No, he hadn't placed those bombs on the bridge or detonated them, but he had encouraged all his pack to be present. Were it not for their obedience and loyalty to him, there would not be so many hurt or dead. And August knew in his heart that those still missing were not coming back. Every time he had gathered the pack in the past two days, visited the families of the missing, looking at their faces made his conscience heavy. He had failed to protect them and was that not his sole purpose as an alpha? But his exterior had remained strong. He couldn't afford to look as weak and broken up about the matter as he felt. To those that looked up to him, he would be the definition of secure and put together, but he would never forget and he would never forgive himself.

Sunny's Diner was one of his favorite places to eat. He loved the familiar feel of it and it was rare that a week passed without him stopping by at least twice to grab meal. Most of the staff knew him by name and had his order's memorized. Even without his frequent visist to the place, August would have managed to make acquaintances there. He was good with people and loved talking to them.

"Hey, August. Just you today?" Eliza, the hostess, smiled brightly at him as she always did. She was young, barely twenty, and he had a feeling that she would give anything for him to ask her out on a date. It wasn't bravado or any sense of inflated ego, but experience that convinced him as such. You didn't stumble over youself the way Eliza did around him when you were only interested in being friendly.

"Actually, I'm meeting Venus for lunch. So a table for two please." August offered the girl a warm smile when he saw her own expression drop just the slightest. Other than his sisters, Venus was the only other woman he met for lunch here. Obviously, Eliza wasn't a big fan of an other woman he wasn't related to. Don't worry Eliza, he thought bitterly, she's just my future sister-in-law. He gave her a wink as he took a seat, which seemed to restore her mood to its former brilliance. August was early. He usually was when he met with Venus. As natural as their relationship was, it took a great deal of preparation on his part to steel himself for their interactions. Usually this consisted of imagining that the two of them were on a date, what that would be like to be in a relationship with her, and then furiously scolding himself for allowing his mind to go to such places. August was looking out the window, deep in the throws of this back and forth, when the sound of someone's approach pulled him out of his thoughts. Truly, her scent had announced her arrival the moment she set foot through the door.

"About time," he said with a smirk. "I was beginning to think you stood me up." As he always did, regardless of her reaction, August rose to give Venus a hug -- which was much too brief for his liking -- and pull out the chair for her.

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balancingvenus
2012-02-25 01:41 am UTC (link)

Venus had been given a few days off from work to recover, and she'd had the intention of actually, you know, relaxing. And then she woke up in the morning and went into work anyway. She couldn't help it. She just was not the sort of person who could take time out for themselves when there was chaos around her. There was stuff to be done, and by God, she was going to do it. If her boss gave her grief at work, she'd leave - and just go to the bombing sight and volunteer. That had not happened, however. And it was because she had gone into work that she was almost late for her lunch with August. As she pushed open the door she saw Eliza shoot her a gloomy look, but she didn't look as annoyed at her presence as usual. Perhaps because, despite the wonderful Hepburn frames she was sporting, Venus was not looking her best. Her black eye had gone down, but her skin was still a terrible shade of yellow. Most of her injuries she'd been able to heal or accelerate enough, but there was no hiding the stitched gash in her arm. At least, not without sweating to death in the summer heat.

"The roads in town," Venus said to August, sighing heavily, "are a mess." Understandably so, considering there was a good block that was just... pretty much non-existant now. She hugged him tightly and took her seat, offering a smile as she noticed Eliza staring again. Venus resisted the urge to wave her off. "That girl is a dog with a bone," she murmured, shaking her head. "She does know I'm engaged to your brother, right?" Then she grinned. "Someday I gotta come in here in the center of a Summers twin sandwich to see her head explode." Okay, maybe not the best joke in the light of recent circumstances, but she needed humor to keep her sane right now.

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looktome
2012-02-25 07:35 pm UTC (link)

August's smirk widened into a full smile at Venus's side comment. A part of him wanted to ask if she was jealous, if it bothered her even in the least that other women had the habit of drooling over him when he walked into a room. But the mention of his brother only reminded him that, of course, that wasn't possible. Trent looked exactly like him, so she was used to that kind of behavior, and even when jaws dropped at the sight of him, he only had eyes for Venus. So did August, for all that it mattered. He swallowed down the acrid taste that had built in his mouth at the thought of sharing his lunch with the two of them together. "Have some sympathy for the poor girl. I mean really, who could see all of this," August stretched out, presenting himself with a ridiculous look on his face, "and not melt into a puddle. You're just lucky that rock on your finger makes you immune." A wink followed the remark.

He was just about to ask how Venus was feeling when he was cut off by the approach of the waitress. "Hey August," the girl's tone was sheepish as she addressed him, though it remained the same when she greeted Venus. He had only seen her in the restaurant a handful of times; she was new and incredibly shy from what August had seen. "What would you two like today?"

"I'll have the special, sweetheart, and for the lovely lady..." August tilted his head toward Venus for her to give her order. When all that had been taken care, he turned his attention back to the woman across from him. "You feel like taking those shades off, or am I going to have to keep thinking you're making faces at me. Not that that's unusual, but I'd at least like to see them." The smile on his face dropped slightly as he reached out to the arm that had the gash going down it. He was careful not to touch the actual wound, but instead gently grabbed her wrist below it. "A few stitches, huh?" His hand lingered a moment before he pulled it back to his side of the table. "You feeling okay?"

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balancingvenus
2012-02-26 12:19 am UTC (link)

Oh, those Summers boys. More than once Venus had wished she had gone to high school in Scarlet Oak, just for the sake of seeing what they had been like in those days. Grinning back at August, Venus briefly slipped her ring off of her finger and waited with an expectant look on her face. "No puddles," she observed. "I'm not even sweating, pup." She slipped her ring back on her finger as the waitress neared. She tried not to smirk at her behavior. Another member of his fanclub? "Burger and fries. With everything." Every couple of years she went vegetarian, and even managed to go vegan for a whole year once - mainly just to shut Willow up. She believed in the lifestyle... but... well, she was weak. She liked food. You couldn't be mated to a werewolf and completely avoid meat, so why torture herself? Lovely excuse, that.

Venus sighed and pulled her sunglasses off, and stuck her tongue out at August for good measure. Make-up covered the majority of the bruising around her nose, and a good deal of the discoloration around her eye, but make-up could do nothing for the puffiness. "Thirty-six," she answered with a grim smile. "My first war wound. It's actually not bothering me. I've got spells to accelerate the healing and take care of any pain or itching or swelling. Probably help with the scar, too. I think these will be ready to come out in a couple of days." Even in the air-conditioned diner, the touch of a were always felt so warm to Venus. It was one of those little marvels she never really got over. "Speaking of... I know most would refuse it, but make sure you tell people in the pack that I can boost their healing. I know you guys already have super special shiny healing powers and all, but I'm willing to be used here." Venus paused to wink at him. "I am not above buying favor points with magical remedies."

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looktome
2012-02-29 10:38 pm UTC (link)

He shrugged his shoulders, his face showing his accepted defeat. "You can't blame a guy for trying." August gave his best attempt at keeping his face from taking on a grim tone as he looked over Venus's bruised face. Her mocking, silly face did help him manage a small smile though. "Stunning, really." His tone was jokingly sarcastic, but he meant it. In all the years that he had known Venus, he couldn't image a single moment when she didn't manage to take his breath away with how beautiful she was.

There was tension amongst the pack when it came to Venus and Trent. August would never admit it out loud or to himself, but it was due in large part to him. He was the one that gave the final say for what was right and wrong, what would be accepted and what wouldn't, and he had been the one to disapprove of their relationship. It was easy to pass it off as his unwavering opinion that wolves should stick to their own kind, at least when it came to mating, but there was more to it than that. Dating Venus had been one thing, choosing her for a mate had been unforgivable. Any chance he got, August's mind went to places, dark places, where he would rather they didn't. He didn't want to hate his brother, but jealousy made it hard not to. Because of this, because of his adamant disapproval of their relationship, there were those in his pack that would refuse Venus's help on the sheer principle that it was Venus offering it. "Favor, huh?" August smiled warmly. He would never tell her to her face that it was his fault she needed to win favor points in the first place. "I'll be sure to tell them. I'm sure it couldn't hurt to have you come by a meeting soon." It was a hefty invitation. August didn't make it a habit of inviting non-pack members to their meetings; in fact, Venus had been the only person.

He paused a moment. "How's Trent doing? I mean, I know he's fine but..." A long time ago, probably around the time that Trent and Venus started dating, the two brothers stopped talking to each other about anything beyond the superficial. Maybe they had never really been that close to begin with, but that didn't stop him from wondering what was going through his head from time to time. August wasn't sure what made him want to know now; whether it was an earnest desire to make sure he was okay, or a suspicion that Trent would have handled things differently if he had been Alpha.

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balancingvenus
2012-03-02 01:18 am UTC (link)

Rationally, Venus knew that August could make things easier for her within the pack. They were close friends, she need only ask for him to give everyone a good word now and again. The idea had occurred to her, but it was always dismissed. She didn't want to be accepted because everyone had been ordered to do so. She wanted to earn her place within the pack. A few years ago, she would have said it was easily possible. Now she wasn't so sure, but she wasn't willing to give up. She also knew that it was a big deal for August to offer the invitation, and there was no mistaking the gratitude on her face. "You know I would be there," she said.

She made a face as August trailed off, and lightly nudged his leg with the tip of her foot. "He's your brother, doofus. Has it never occurred to you to ask him? There's this crazy things the kids are doing nowadays. It's called talking." Venus knew that Trent and August weren't close, and frankly, it was still difficult to understand. She was close with both of them, she saw them both all the time... how did they manage to not cross paths with each other more often? Of course, the alpha status was secretly something of a sore spot for Trent, but Venus was incredibly close with her family. It was hard to understand siblings with a superficial relationship. She never in a million years would have guessed that she was the catalyst of their suffering relationship. "He's worried. He wants to be there for everyone all the time, and can't be. He wants to protect everyone, all the time, and can't. Kind of like this other furbag I know. Oh, what a coincidence. They're twins."

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looktome
2012-03-06 04:30 pm UTC (link)

"Well that would be too easy now, wouldn't it?" It was really a curious thing, the relationship between August and Trent. He had met other twins before and they were so close they were practically attached to the hip. The thought of trailing behind Trent, of dressing in the same clothes and having similar mannerisms made him shudder. It may have been fun when they were younger to fool people into thinking that they were one another, but the last thing that he wanted to do was imitate his brother. Maybe it would be worth it. Venus seems to like him so much. August smiled, more at his ridiculous thought than anything else. Despite his feelings, he couldn't deny that he felt a void there sometimes. He had often laughed in the faces of people who said that twins were two-halves of a whole, but there were times he felt the emptiness that he supposed was meant to be filled with Trent's presence. Instead of seeking his brother, however, August had filled with his other siblings -- specifically Farren.

His smile tightened slightly. It could have easily been interpreted as a wry smile in response to Venus's teasing, but for August, it was more of a grimace. He didn't like thinking that Trent cared the same way he did about the pack. Things were easier when he could believe that he was selfish and that pack matters were far from the top on his list of concerns. Maybe it was just the recent tragedy that had caused Trent to feel this way... "Regular bleeding hearts us Summers boys are. Too bad there aren't more of us." August let his chuckle slowly fade as he paused for a moment to study the silverware next to his hand. He fiddled with the cheap napkin as he spoke again. "He making sure to take good care of you?" Sure, it was just a question, asked from one friend to another about their relationship. Certainly not the only way that August could probe into how the two of them were getting along.

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balancingvenus
2012-04-24 02:27 am UTC (link)

"That is too bad," Venus agreed eagerly. "I have a better track record with the Summers boys." Sort of. Kyle didn't want her dead, at least. That was a step up from most of their sisters. Someone at the 'mood widows' party that had been thrown at the U of M last month had told her that female wolves could be extremely territorial over the men in their pack, even if they weren't mates or even the alpha female. Venus liked to hope it was something simple as that. It would be a lot easier to accept than 'your personality sucks, you're not good enough, go die in a fire.' Yeah, definite improvement.

"He takes great care of me," Venus confirmed, even ignoring the need to insist that she didn't need to be taken care of. She could let it slide once in a while. She knew how wolves were about it. "After we left the hospital he went to check in with the pack, and I went to go see my mom and my sister... later on he came to my place and stayed there." It would have been so much easier if she could have just swallowed her pride and moved in with him already. The idea still made her hesitate. Wouldn't that irritate his family even more?

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looktome
2012-05-08 09:44 pm UTC (link)

"You know how girls are," August said, tilting his head to the side as he studied Venus. "Just one of you is harder to win over than twenty men, nevermind wolves." If there was something that August could say to smooth things over between Venus and his sisters, he would. He knew they could be intimidating, to put it as simply and nicely as possible, but Venus was not a weak woman either. If there was anyone that could win them over in time, it was her.

One thing that August knew how to do and do well was keeping his feeling close to his chest. The last thing he wanted was for Venus to suffer in any way, but it pained him to hear that Trent was keeping her happy -- especially when he felt that he was the one that could make her the happiest of all. He didn't like thinking about the fact that his brother was mated to the only woman he had ever loved; dwelling on the fact on made him feel ill. The only thing he could do was push the thought as far out of his mind as possible. Sometimes he managed to succeed, other times weren't so easy. "Good," he said with a firm nod. Thankfully, the waitress returned with their food, saving him from grasping for the next thing to say. He offered her a warm smile and thanks before she left again. He lifted up his fork and shoveled in a few bites of food into his mouth before he spoke again. "I really am glad that you're okay," August was being serious, but his voice was held its usual upbeat tone that he used when he spoke to Venus.

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