Tobias Davidson (para_tu_amor) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2010-02-02 00:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-07-02 |
Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time
Who: Tobias Davidson and Mark Gardner
Where: Tobias' house to start
When: Early evening until god knows when XD
What: I believe the only proper phrase to use here is, "Boys will be boys."
No one would ever claim summer school was difficult work; the hours were a little shorter than the normal school day Tobias was used to, but that left him with more time on his hands to do... something. Jonathan was out for the evening, as Tobias had returned home to a note on the table saying his son had gone to a friend's. Having faith that his son would be home in time for curfew, later now that Jonathan was a teenager and mostly a responsible one at that, that left Tobias with several options.
One, there was a matter of finding something for dinner, and as he'd taken the last of the Chinese to work that likely meant ordering out. And then there was the matter of finding a way to pass the evening, alone. Idly he spun his wedding band around his finger again, feeling that itch in the back of his skull, the one that said, Start looking. You know you can find her. Here, here, the trail starts here, in this house. It was the same place he and Athena purchased together, not long after Jonathan was born. The same one she'd abandoned ten years ago, and Tobias had never known why.
Stop it, Toby. This isn't going to get you anywhere.
With a sigh, he let his hand drop, leaving the ring alone for now. He had to go to work in the morning and that meant he couldn't start a cross-country trek tonight. Who knew if he'd even recognize where Athena was? Tonight, before he slept, he'd look for her. Just briefly, just to see where she was, if she was all right.
Tobias was looking over take out menus, spreading them out over the small center island of his kitchen, contemplating if he should get Thai or Mexican when there was a knock at the door. One of Jonathan's friends, maybe? Curious, he went over to see who it was.
He was feeling antsy, the tickle to get up and move, do something, go somewhere was getting stronger. Mark had spent too much time sitting around his house, milling around the hospital and generally being still. Which had never sat well with him, even when he was a child he was always off trying to get into some sort of mischief or shenanigans, he'd always longed for adventure. Now that he was an adult, that feeling had only intensified with the idea that he could up and move if he felt like it. Although Mark could pack up and leave town if he wanted, it was the people that made him stay. His little patients at the hospital and friends he'd made in Scarlet Oak, he couldn't leave them behind. Not yet anyway, if the time was right and he felt he could move on, then he would. That moment wasn't now though.
Right now, Mark wanted to dance or run, move in some capacity that wasn't just walking around his apartment, his office, the hospital. With that thought it mind he hopped into his car and drove aimlessly, trying to think of something he could do. Turning sharply and nearly right into another car, Mark laughed and then yelled an apology before speeding through streets and making his way to a very familiar house. It had been a while since he'd last talked to Tobias but he knew the other man would be at home, probably eating horrible food and watching TV or something equally as unproductive.
With a huge grin, Mark parked the car wildly on the side of the street and ran up to the door. He knocked and waited, bound and determined to force his friend outside, because the guy spent way too much time in his house. "Toby! Buddy! We're going to do something, grab your coat," he said, slapping him on the shoulder and grinning like a mad man.
Tobias' guess was wrong - Mark had decided to stop by. Perhaps the other man might have called, but Tobias never really paid attention to his cell phone while he was at work and he hadn't checked for messages or anything once he got home. It wasn't unlike Mark to just swing by unannounced and decide they were going to do something, which, granted, Tobias desperately needed at the moment.
"Hey!" He hardly had time to blink before that grin registered with him. "I see you're in a good mood. What are you thinking?" At times like these it was best to just go with the flow and see what happened, guaranteed the night would be interesting, and it had been a long while since Tobias could say that. He reached behind him to pluck a leather jacket off the coatrack by the door; he was dressed nice enough from work for whatever scheme or plan Mark had come up with. "My only request is that it involves food at some point."
There certainly was a slight wickedness to the grin on Mark's face, the one that said he wanted to have fun and get into a little trouble tonight. "Nothing in particular," he said a little too innocently, trying to arise suspicion in the other man. Mark didn't really have a set plan in mind for them, but he knew it would involve Ann Arbor and most likely a lot of drinks. Or it might not involve anything alcohol at all, you never really knew when it came to Mark. He did what ever struck his fancy, what he thought would be the most fun. Sometimes that was alcohol, sometimes not.
"Oh, food is for the weak... but I suppose we could squeeze it in somewhere," he said with amusement scrawled across his features as he stepped back and hopped down the stairs. "You have work tomorrow, right?" Mark turned to look at Toby with a quizzical expression, trying to figure out where they could go. Chicago was out, on a good day they could get there in 3 hours but he was pretty sure that wasn't doable with Toby needing to go to work tomorrow and al. Detroit though... that could work and with that Mark grinned again, jumping back into his car and letting it rumble to life.
That look, it meant trouble. One would think that, with what he'd been through and a 15-year-old son at home, Tobias would have gotten most of that out of his system by now. But then again, he had a friend like Mark, and Tobias never knew quite what to expect from him. "Dios mio," he muttered under his breath, "this should be interesting. Let me leave Jonathan a note." It was quick and simple: Gone out for a bit, will be back before morning. Dad. Jonathan would likely think he'd gone searching again, but this time that wasn't the case, for once.
"Work," he confirmed, "though I don't think my first class is until 9. Summer school, you know, someone has to be there to teach it." And unfortunately Spanish wasn't the easiest class for everyone to pass. Not all the students coming back were Tobias' and he tried hard to get them to pass regardless. Heading out to Mark's car, he shot his friend another look, curious again. "And by food I mean more than peanuts at some dive bar somewhere, I hope you know that. Just where are we going, anyway?" There were few people who could get Tobias to just go out and enjoy himself for a while, but Mark was one of them. Maybe something was up and he just needed a night off from everything, working in a hospital could do that to a man.
"Of course, of course!" he shouted back to Toby as he watched him run back into the house to write his son a note. The kid was already 15 and it sort of amazed Mark that he was so big, the first time he'd met Jonathan and Toby was when the kid was about 10 and Toby had brought him into the emergency room. Strange twist of fate that Mark happened to be there helping out with the over flow that day, but he'd taken a liking to Toby immediately. Mark didn't like getting bogged down in the strangeness of making friends with another man, when he thought someone was interesting Mark made it a point to make friends with them. Male or female, it didn't really matter, just so long as they were interesting.
Mark made a noise of protest, he would have much preferred that Toby be free for an all night shenanigans deal. It had been a while since he'd last been to Chicago and he always got into something crazy when he was there. Detroit would have to do, or there was always Monroe. Right on the banks of Lake Erie, he could go for a swim or even a boat ride. Not that he owned a boat but that was just a technicality. "Hey, those peanuts have come in handy before, mate," he said, mock offence in his voice. "Alright, if you're going to cry about it we can stop at some place in Ann Arbor," he added, pointedly ignoring Toby's question. The real reason Mark was so worked up and energetic was because, through the magic of Facebook (not!) he'd learned that Tara, ex-love of his life and queen bitch, was getting married. He had known for a few weeks, had let the idea fester in his mind until it was eventually funnelled into a large burst of energy and general hyperactivity in him.
Tobias, too, remembered the first time he'd met Mark. The emergency room wasn't the place to meet friends, but Jonathan had broken his leg climbing a tree - "Why couldn't my power be to float or fly or something?" his son had asked, thinking telekinesis wasn't going to help him with anything. Worried out of his mind, he'd taken the kid to the hospital, and Mark helped patch him up. Since then they'd kept in touch and become friends over the years, something Tobias was grateful for. It was a reminder that there was something else waiting for him besides the neverending search for his wife.
Hell, if Mark needed all night shenanigans one of these days, he just had to tell Tobias and they could arrange something, just not on a school night. Of course, shenanigans with Tobias might well end up on a cross country trek with little explanation for where they were going besides, "I think she's over in this direction," but Mark might be up for that too. "Just stopping in Ann Arbor?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "So where else are you planning on going? Or should I just shut up and enjoy the ride?" Maybe something was up with Mark after all, by the end of the night Tobias made a point to find out what it might be.
It wasn't surprising that Mark had ended up getting along with Toby, he had a sort of talent for making good friends. For the most part it had been that way his entire life, with the exception of Tara who had not only left Mark in a strange country alone, but also broke his heart in the process. As he waited in the car, Mark tried hard not to think about Tara and the fact that he still seemed to miss her every day. Turning up the music so it was blaring, Mark tried to get lost in his excitement for the shenanigans he was going to be getting into tonight because it seemed the only thing to take his mind off how angry and hurt he was.
There was a lot Mark would do and if Tobias was going to drag him across the country looking for someone then he'd probably go with little to no questions. Mainly because Toby did the same for him on many occasions. Mark gave Toby a sly smile and just started up the car, the music cutting off momentarily before he whipped out of his haphazard parking spot and raced down the street. "Can't tell you, mate. I don't want to ruin the surprise," he laughed. "Shut up and enjoy the ride sounds about right to me."
Tobias knew a little of how Mark came to the States, and what happened with Tara, though it wasn't a subject they talked about often. Just like how Athena wasn't a subject they talked about, though Mark was well aware of the fact that Tobias was still married. If Mark asked them to, he could probably track down where the woman was, if he had something to focus on to do it, but sometimes that kind of thing was best left alone. Given how successful he'd been at tracking Athena all these years, maybe he wouldn't be so successful to begin with.
So Tobias drew a deep breath, leaned back in his seat, and held on to the tiny bar above the passenger's side door, the one Jonathan once referred to as the "oh shit" handle. With Mark's driving, sometimes you needed to hold on tight. "Did you have to work today?" he asked, making conversation.
Being men it wasn't in their nature to speak openly of their past or feelings, but they did mention it passingly over the years, enough to collect a basic outline of each mans life. For them to form a bond, to understand each other in some quiet way, that was never acknowledge but was always understood was there.
Glancing over at his friend and at the look on his face, Mark laughed loudly. "Oh come on, I'm not that bad!" he said as he removed his hands from the wheel to gesture. As if this would somehow prove his point. "Nah, yesterday, today and tomorrow off, mate. Then it's back to the grind. How 'bout you, how are things down at the kid prison?" Mark laughed at his own little joke, he had pretty much hated high school and was more then excited when he was finally free. The fact that Tobias worked at one seemed to amused Mark endlessly.
What kind of friends would they be if they didn't have some knowledge of each other's lives? Sometimes things were best left unsaid and Tobias, at least, knew when to leave certain things alone. Except when it came to Athena, that he could never, ever convince himself to let go.
Tobias reached over and smacked Mark on the arm. "Keep your eyes on the road, won't you?" he said, laughing. "And the kid prison feels more like prison to them now, what with it being summer and all. I'm determined to get them to pass Spanish even if it kills them." Sometimes it was hard for him to understand why some kids had so much trouble with it, as languages always came easily to him, thanks to his fae blood. "I'm so jealous of your time off, though. I'll have a few weeks between the end of summer school and the start of the official year to catch up, though."
When Tobias smacked his arm, Mark couldn't help but laugh again. "Alright, fine, if you're going to get abusive..." he teased, doing his best to look like a struck dog. Although he drove wildly on occasion, Mark had yet to be in accident which he attributed to his sharper than average senses. Not to mention he was a bit of a car whisperer and knew exactly what his baby was capable of. "I haven't been in school for so long, sometimes I forget about summer vacay," he said thoughtfully, the only part of high school he missed. He envied those little buggers and their two month vacation. "You're so sweet, they have no choice!" Mark reached over and made to pinch Toby's cheek, just to be annoying. He laughed again, swerving slightly on the road and straightening out rather quickly.
"Nah, you really shouldn't, mate." Mark made a sharp turn on to the highway and gunned it. "This is the first time I've had off iiin, three weeks? Yeah, that sounds about right." Truthfully he had done it himself, after he'd learned about Tara and the poor bastard who decided to marry her.
"Hey!" Tobias swatted Mark's hand away, figuring the pinch was just payback for smacking him on the arm. Fair was fair in that respect. "And it's not me being abusive, it's keeping you focused - don't look at me like that," he said, whatever he was going to say next was lost in his chuckles. "Trust me, I'm well aware of summer vacation. Jonathan's enjoying his last summer where he'll be without a job." And Tobias was well aware that having a job with so much time off meant there were more opportunities for him to try and look for Athena, if he got a strong enough lead on her. Mark was one of the few people he knew who might not talk him out of going, but ask him why they hadn't left yet. A potent combination, when it came down to it.
Feeling the way Mark took that turn, and the way he gunned it afterward, Tobias knew that letting Mark drive might have been a bad idea. Who knew where they were going to end up? That's right, Mark refused to tell him. "Three weeks?" He whistled under his breath. "Lo siento, mi amigo. That's harsh. We'll make up for lost time now."
Mark was feeling giddy, thoroughly enjoying himself and more than a little excited about his yet unknown adventure. There was always an element of the unknown that was so exhilarating for him, that gave him slight rush of adrenaline. He was practically vibrating in his seat as he cruised down the highway, one hand on the steering wheel and looking more relaxed than he felt. "Oh, that's right!" Mark turned to Toby with a smile. "He's going to be 16 soon... That makes me feel old." He laughed, shaking his head. Although he was already almost 40, Mark felt no where near his age and rarely acted it. He was never one to think of age though or let it hold him back in anyway.
"Sometimes it's hard to tear myself away though," he said, a sudden soberness in his voice. It could get hard for Mark, to have to watch all his children suffer. One day they'd be like any other child, the next they would be bedridden and suddenly so much more fragile looking. If he wasn't such an eternal optimist, it would probably break his heart beyond repair. "They actually forced me to take a break," Mark laughed, but it sounded a little hollow. Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts from his head and launched into a particularly naughty story about a night nurse he had a run in with.
"That makes you feel old? Hell, I remember when he was born. I look at him and I can't believe he's in high school already." Then again there was much of the last few years that Tobias couldn't believe. The fact that he'd raised Jonathan more or less by himself, that he was happy and healthy and somewhat normal, was something to be proud of. He was aware that Mark had a couple years on him, but that age gap wasn't one he thought about often. Tobias' 40th birthday would come for him, soon enough.
He nodded, understanding completely. Tobias worked with kids too, though not in life or death situations like Mark did. Failing Spanish wouldn't really ruin your life, though not graduating from high school might. "A few days' break might do you some good. Can't let you get run down, won't be able to help anyone that way." Pot calling the kettle black, right there, but Tobias wasn't going to say so out loud. The topic switched to something much lighter, and all Toby could do was chuckle. Oh of course Mark would find the naughty nurse. Was this what Tobias missed out on by not being single?
Grimacing slightly, Mark thought about having kids and then watching them grow up. That probably would make him feel old, at present he felt much younger than his 39 years. Which he was kind of glad of, he didn't need to be reminded of his age, not when Tara was off getting married. Shaking his head he tried to forget her face and the way his heart still seemed to be in pieces. It had already been years, if anything it was more the slight to his ego that still stung.
Mark nodded his agreement with Tobias, he knew he could run himself dry sometimes. t' what made him so damn good at what he did. He was eerily silent for the first time since he hauled Toby out of his house and on the road. Mark took a deep breath, trying to forget the smiling little faces and everything else that seemed to weigh on him all the time. "I know and that is why I'm dragging you to Monro-- oh damn, and it was supposed to be a surprise too!" Mark grinned wickedly at Toby, he should be scared. Very, very scared.
"You really need to find yourself a woman Davidson, get your own naughty nurse...even if it's for one night." Mark said, slipping back into his carefree tone when his dirty little tale was over. "How long has it been anyway?" He was joking of course, just trying to get his friend to sigh, roll his eyes and possible smack his arm again. There was something fun about bothering people.
No one liked getting old, or growing up. Tobias could remember his younger years clearly, a time when he'd been happy, ready to take on the world. He wasn't that man anymore. Or, rather, that young man was buried somewhere deep within him, crushed since his wife disappeared. He didn't know when it might resurface, if ever. For Jonathan's sake, he just tried to keep himself together as much as he could. Jonathan deserved that much from him.
"Monroe?" he asked, glancing over at Mark over in the driver's seat. "We're going to Monroe? Seriously?" This wasn't going to end well, Tobias could already tell that, just from the look in Mark's eyes. This was either going to be the most awesome thing that happened to him all summer, or they were going to wind up in jail trying to come up with the bail money. It could go either way.
Unfortunately for Mark, that wasn't really a question you ever wanted to ask Tobias Davidson. He brought up his left hand, staring down at his wedding band, and spun it on his finger. All it would take was a few minutes of concentration, and he could find where Athena was. Hell, maybe he could even convince Mark to help him get to wherever she might be. "Ten years," he murmured. "And I just need to find one woman. The one I lost." As far as he was concerned, he was still married, which meant no one-night stands for him. The idea of it didn't sit right with him, either.
Snapping his fingers half-heartedly he smiled wickedly at Toby, pretending to be upset with a huge grin on his face just really wasn't working. "Well... maybe. I haven't really decided yet," Another grin that said he was just out looking for trouble. "Lets get some grub first, I'm staaarving!"
It wasn't a subject he broached often with Tobias, but sometimes when he got caught up in his own excitement he forgot his tact and let stupid things slip. Immediately he regretted his words and shifted in his seat, damn. Just like him to get so self involved and forget about Toby and his wife. He was pretty sure he had a wife, but he wasn't 100% on her whereabouts or what happened. "You'll find her, mate." he said quietly, unsure of what else to say. Mark clapped him on the back, a sympathetic and apologetic smile on his face. The silence settled over them and Mark was feeling progressively worse, parking the car outside one of his favourite restaurants in Ann Arbour. "Can we forget my misstep?" He killed the engine and looked at Toby earnestly. Deciding that he wasn't going to let his big mouth ruin the night. "Lets forget our women for one night and have fun, yeah?"
"See? Now you're hungry." Tobias was trying to make his voice sound light and he almost, almost succeeded. Better to focus on the thought of going out, of doing something besides spending another night in his house with the temptation that was looking for Athena, again. Mark was good for distractions, always had been.
Deep down, he knew Mark didn't mean to bring it up. That it was a mistake and that, like any friend, Mark just wanted the best for him. Maybe he really should give up on the woman and just let her go - anyone else would have, by now. But Tobias couldn't bring himself to do it. Not knowing what vows he had made and what Athena meant to him. What the baby she'd carried meant to him. "I hope so," he murmured, very softly. He touched his wedding band again, feeling that itch in the back of his skull. She was south of here. Mark was taking them in the wrong direction, Tobias just knew that. After a few long moments, he shook his head, as if to clear it. No. He wasn't searching tonight. He could ignore his finder abilities for the sake of hanging out with a friend. "Yeah, consider it forgotten. Guys' night out. Just what we need."
As a sort of favour, Mark decided to ignore the tone of Toby's voice. It was his fault breaching a subject that was better left untouched, maybe if they'd known his wife and understood a little more, but from where Mark was standing he had no idea. Didn't want to push things like that. "You got it in my head! Now all I can think about is food." Which was half true, he really did want food and he couldn't stop thinking about it, but a large part of his head was still caught up in Tara.
It wasn't like he didn't want to try and help his friend, he just didn't want to push him away and completely fuck up an awesome friendship. One day he would, try and talk to him about it, but that just wasn't today. The silence was cut thick with Mark's guilt, he didn't want to ruin the night and he definitely didn't want to be the reason that Toby disappeared for a few days. Beaming he nodded his head and let his playful and restless mindset return. "Great, and sorry again, mate. Now. Lets get somethin' to eat!" With that, he climbed out of the car and practically ran to the restaurant. It was a small Italian place that had the best bolognese sauce he'd had since the last time he was in Italy.
Food was a much, much safer topic of conversation in Tobias' opinion, and one he was glad to stick with. "To think, my biggest decision before you showed up was what take out place I was going to order from. This is a better choice by far." And he meant that. Tobias considered Mark to be a close friend, one he didn't always get to hang out with because of their schedules, and he trusted the man to take his mind off everything else going on - or not going on - in his life.
Tobias wasn't stupid - yes, the topic of Athena would someday come up and it wouldn't be brushed off as easily as it was tonight. And when it did, Tobias hoped he'd be able to explain everything to Mark without freaking out - or slipping into his powers. Until it happened, he wasn't sure how he'd react. For now, he saw the Italian restaurant outside the car and managed a smile. "Done and done," he said, voice a little warmer now. It was easier to be playful when he could hear the shift in Mark's voice. "Have you been to this place before?" he asked, climbing out of the car.
Groaning he grimaced at Tobias, shuddering dramatically. "You seriously need to stop eating that rubbish," pulling another face of disgust. "It's not good for you!" The only time Mark got take-out was when he was sick and couldn't cook for himself. Then of course there were the few restaurants he frequented, but he always made sure that everything was fresh and healthy. He wasn't a health nut, but he watched what he consumed when it came to processed foods.
He was ready for it, or at least was trying to ready himself for when the time came. Mark was trying to slowly ease into it, make sure Tobias didn't hit him. Although he was pretty sure that wouldn't happen, you never know sometimes. People could be surprsing. "Oh yeah, loads of times!" looking back at Tobias, he grinned. "It's got the greatest bolognese sauce I've had since Italy!" Holding the door open for Toby, he followed him in and greeted the owner.
As promised the food was great and Mark ate up quickly, more out of anticipation to get into some shenanigans than ravenous hunger. Waiting for Toby was near torture, but when he was done and the bill paid he shot out back to his car and revved it up. Speeding down the highway in search of the exit to Monroe, they were going for a boat ride tonight.
Tobias just laughed, shaking his head. Leave it to Mark to tell him he wasn't eating right, though it was just one item on a long list of things Tobias was likely messing up with in his life. As long as it got him through to the next day, he supposed that was what counted, even if crappy Chinese food would catch up to him after a while.
This restaurant, however, surprised him - the food was amazing, and it had been a long time since he'd had an alfredo sauce this good. It didn't take him long to wolf all of it down - hey, he was still a guy, and a hungry one at that - and the next thing Tobias knew he and Mark were back in the car, speeding down the road again. Though he hadn't forgotten the fact that they'd been talking about Athena earlier, he never forgot anything when it came to her, there was a smile on his face now, and he was more relaxed than he had been before. This was the kind of night Tobias needed every once in a while, some good old fashioned shenanigans.
As they took the exit for Monroe, he cast a glance over at his friend. "So. Are we getting close to where we're going, yet?"
With a grin he glanced sideways at Toby and stayed purposefully silent. He'd tell him when they got there, Toby already knew they were heading to Monroe, which was already way too much information. "Ah, nothing to worry yourself about, mate!" Mark finally said, still smiling wickedly. It didn't take long for them to hit Monroe and all he had to do was find his way to the docks and as they got closer he got more and more excited. Mark could feel his skin vibrate and his heart pick up speed, it was always so much fun getting into trouble and stealing a boat was definitely getting into trouble.
Parking the car a few blocks from the shore, he got out wordlessly and motioned for Toby to follow him. The trick to borrowing a boat without the owner knowing, was to find one that was farther away from road, not in too much light and most importantly; was easy to hotwire. Creeping along the dock, Mark found the perfect boat and confidently walked up to it and hopped on. He didn't want Toby to know he didn't own a boat until they were already on the water. "Here we are, now the only question: Detroit or Toledo? Or, anywhere we damn well please?"
The fact that Mark wasn't anything would make any man in their right mind worry. Granted, normally, Tobias would argue that they were both getting too old to get into this kind of shenanigans.... but his life was so boring as it was. A few moments of freedom, of doing the unexpected, would be good for him. Otherwise, he would have spent tonight munching on crappy take out and feeling sorry for himself, again. Good friends like Mark ensured that didn't have to happen.
It never crossed his mind, however, that they'd actually be stealing a boat, or that the boat they were on wasn't Mark's to begin with. He got out of the car, a little perplexed by why they'd parked so far away, but still followed Mark out to the dock and onto the boat. It wasn't Tobias' first time in such a craft, sure, but it wasn't like he really knew how to operate one, either. "You want to go out for a sail now?" he asked, chuckling to himself. "How long will it take for us to get to Detroit from here, anyway?"
This talk of 'being too old' was something Mark detested. In his mind nobody was ever 'too old' to do something, anything that they wanted. They just got bogged down in this twisted idea society had set up that at a certain age you were supposed to settle down and get boring. Mark wouldn't let that happen not to him and not to Tobias, if he could help it. This type of fun, it kept you young and happy, he liked to think it kept you free. As long as you weren't doing it to run away from something, then this behaviour was fine.
"Of course, don't you love the water? I prefer the ocean, but this'll do." Fiddling underneath the dash of the boat, a pretty little speed boat, he tried to find the two wires that would make this baby go 'vroom!'. "I dunno, not long I don't think." He wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around them, which is why he missed the woman on the end of the dock watching. "Hello?" she called. "Do I know you?" That was what caught Mark's attention. "Um, yes. I think so, I'm Jack. From the bar." he said, his accent suddenly gone. She looked suspiciously at Mark and he knew then that he was in trouble. Grasping around for wires desperately, he kept a smile on his face pulling out a paper clip and doing a little fast magic, he started the boat. "Have a pleasant night!" He called at the woman, who realized she'd just witnessed someones boat being stolen.
"Um, so I don't own this boat." he said with a big grin. "This is property of..." searching around he found the registration. "Sal Jones? We'll bring it back though. I promise." They might not be able to leave it exactly where they left it now but he wasn't interested in stealing the poor guys boat.
Tobias, in his mind, had done what he was supposed to - married young, started a family, had the house with the white picket fence and all of that, but it was gone now. He had a great deal more freedom than he normally allowed himself to experience, so maybe just one night of this wouldn't be a bad idea at all. He was only 36, he wasn't dead yet, so there was no reason to treat himself like his life was over already. Even if sometimes that's what it feels like.
"I never really have a chance to go out on the water, ever," Tobias pointed out. He was watching Mark work when the woman's voice caught him off guard, and the expression on Toby's face was something akin to a deer in the headlights. It was in that moment he realized that, hello, Mark was hotwiring the boat they were going to use to get to Detroit or wherever Mark planned on taking them. To top it off, the loss of his accent and the lying about his name being Jack and Tobias' eyes about fell out of his head.
It was, in that moment, Toby was grateful he was a finder, and not a telepath like his sister Selena, because he did not want to know what was going on in that woman's head right now, and how potentially screwed they were.
"I gathered that, yeah," he said, still a little incredulous. "You do realize she's probably calling the cops on us right now, right?"
There were many things Mark should have been feeling at that moment, guilty, repentant, scared and even a little ashamed, but he wasn't. He had a huge grin plastered across his face as he pushed the boat as fast as it could go, just barely suppressing a howl of excitement as the wind whipped through his hair. This was freeing, exciting, it made him feel alive, like he'd been asleep and was woken by the rev of the boat engine. Mark laughed, the only way he could think of releasing all the pent up emotion.
"Yeah, but we'll be long gone by the time they get here." He said, his smile evident in his voice. "Besides, we're bringing the thing back. Maybe not exactly where we left, but Sal won't be out a boat." The electricity of the moment ran through him, sent waves of adrenaline through his body and this time he didn't refrain from letting out a whoop. "Come on, Tobes! D'ya wanna give it a shot?!"
It may have seemed a little callous and reckless and even a little childish, but Mark firmly believed that people needed excitement like this. As long as it didn't harm anyone, then you were in the clear and he didn't think he was harming anyone.
Mark at least seemed to be having a good time with all of this and Tobias forced himself to relax a little, sitting down in a nearby seat as the boat took off towards the horizon. First things first, he was never telling his son what he'd gone out and done tonight, nor was he going to think about this situation in the presence of his telepathic sister. The last thing he needed was a lecture from Selena about being a good example for his son, when Tobias already knew he'd failed somewhat in that department.
For now, he just shook his head at Mark's laugh, running a hand over his hair as he looked out over the water. "You're gonna have to forgive me, this is my first time doing anything like this," he said, watching Mark behind the wheel. Knowing they'd bring the boat back did make him feel a little better. The thought of getting caught, however... yeah, no, that didn't help much. But it was already said and done, and there wasn't much he could do about it now.
He waved off Mark's offer to drive, "Nah, i'm good. Think I'll sit back here for a bit, watch the scenery." And stay on the lookout in case the police somehow did find them.
This night probably wouldn't be talked about anytime soon, maybe in a few months, but strictly speaking, it probably wasn't a good idea to broadcast he stole a boat the day after he did it. For now, he'd keep this moment between him and Toby. Mark wasn't exactly proud of stealing a boat, he was technically a theif right now, but damn if it wasn't exhilarating, which was all he wanted for this night. His head was all caught up in Tara and her marriage, how the wounds that healed broken flared up at the idea of her with someone else, someone she would consider marriage for. This excitement he needed for himself, to clear his head and deal with what he was feeling in a calm mind not caught up in the past.
So taking a deep breath, he let the wind awaken the wild animal in him and let out another howl of enthusiastic joy about the whole thing. "I know," he laughed, looking at Tobias with a mischievous glint in his eye. "But there's a first time for everything, mate!" The thought of getting caught hadn't entered Mark's mind just yet, he was too engrossed in the current adrenaline of stealing the damn thing.
"Aw, but it's fun!" There was an air of childishness about him, like he was back on the playground in grade 2. He felt bouncy and light, if he ever got home tonight he was going to sleep soundly, which was always a plus in Mark's book.
Tobias wasn't the kind of guy who was going to go around announcing what they did tonight, no. Maybe it would be a story for when Jonathan was older, but until then, this would be a secret between him and Mark, a moment when he acted much younger than his actual age. Mark was probably right, he needed this. Needed the breath of fresh air that being out on the water gave him, even with the burn of the adrenaline still in his veins. He'd worry about being caught later.
It was, something he realized in retrospect, the first time in a while where the first thought on his mind wasn't about his wife, or his loneliness, or of going to find her when he got home. No, Tobias was thinking about not getting caught, that his friend might be legit crazy, and how insane this all was. And that was something to be grateful for, something he'd tell Mark at some other point in time.
"And I wouldn't want to steal your fun!" he called back, letting a bit of a smile come to his face. Okay, so this was fun, even Tobias could admit that.
Shrugging his shoulders as Tobias refused yet again he smiled. "Your loss mate, let me know when you do and I'll hand the wheel over." Where Mark was currently headed, he didn't know but he picked a direction that he thought was Detroit and pushed the boat as fast as it could go. He was mildly surprised when Detroit did in fact show up in front of him and jumping out he pulled Toby to the nearest bar, ordering himself and his friend a drink. Downing drink after drink, it took Mark a while to feel the buzz of alcohol in his system, but when he did it was on to the next place and so on until the Were Dingo was properly drunk.
Fumbling over himself he tried to pick up women, but his slur was enough to turn them off and perhaps that was for the best. Eventually he stumbled to the dock where he'd left the boat and very drunkenly turned it on, driving drunk on the water wasn't nearly as bad as driving drunk on a the road, right? Either way, Mark did it and it may have taken a little longer then before but he got them to Munroe and that was the point. Shoving the keys into Toby's hand he mumbled something about him driving and promptly fell asleep in the passenger seat.