Eli Pride is Elizabeth Bennet (hybristic) wrote in musingslogs, @ 2011-04-23 01:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | elizabeth bennet, piers knight, viola |
Who: Eli, Preston, Shiloh
What: A drive to the airport
Where: Eli's car, airport
When: Backdated to Monday
Warnings: None
It was just past nine when Shiloh made his way down to the lobby of Bathos, a carry-on bag slung over one shoulder, a wheeled suitcase dragged behind him. He had to admit that a ride to the airport beat having to deal with parking or a cab to get there, better yet that it wasn’t some stranger even though his relationship with Eli was barely touching acquaintances. Sitting down heavily on one of the benches in the lobby, Shiloh pulled out his phone, doing a last-minute rundown on the to-do list he had made on his phone. Apartment was locked. Passport was in his carry-on. Tickets in the carry-on. Money had been exchanged. And he was pretty sure he packed enough clothes to last a week. Now it was just the waiting game and the long flight to mainland China.
Shoving his phone back in his pocket, Shiloh leaned back, folding his hands behind his head, trying to find some relaxation in the few moments he had to himself. It seemed forever ago that he had got the tickets for the trip, and here it was, only hours away. But it would be good to get away, to get his mind off things. Shiloh just hoped it had the same effect on his brother.
Preston was a business traveler, and he was hard-pressed, when packing, a sensible twenty-four hours previous, to find some weather-appropriate clothing that was not a suit and a tie. He’d been to China--well, Beijing--before, and he had a little book for translations, walking shoes he’d hardly ever used, and an e-reader for the trip. His luggage was a sickeningly sensible matching suitcase set, one small and one large, and they stacked neatly as they rolled behind him in the lobby. His own to-do list was in his jacket pocket, crossed off in succession. He looked worried.
Preston was convinced that something horrible was going to happen in his absence. This mess with the masks--he had almost sent Brandon flowers on Anton’s behalf, and then decided against it at the last minute. It would do Brandon little good and potentially great harm to Anton. He still felt guilty about it. He smiled to see Shiloh, though. “Hi.”
Eyes opened as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, giving Preston a smile as he approached. “Try not to look too excited about everything, Pres,” Shiloh joked, unfolding his arms and pushing the sleeve of his shirt up, glancing at the watch around one wrist. “Eli said he’d be ‘round about 9:30. I hope you don’t mind that I called him for a ride.” Stretching his arms above his head, Shiloh got up to his feet, thumbing at his phone once more to double check his list. He was mostly unaware of the worries Preston had about leaving for the week, but then, Shiloh wasn’t nearly as involved as his brother was in goings on. He had his own little world at the museum, and then Poe, and the latter didn’t seem to want attention, and the former could be taken care of by his associates. So all in all, he was leaving with a light heart.
Preston was rubbing a spot on his forehead, trying not to come up with scenarios of catastrophe; Anton putting together a machine that created a swirling vortex of light above the lab tower, Poe getting jumped and injured again without anyone there to heal him, Blake breaking the boy’s heart, Arrow deciding to blackmail him into helping, Eli deciding to never talk to him again. He pushed open the door and brushed at the to-do list in one pocket for reassurance, and then his satellite-connected phone in the other pocket.
Eli was already outside, the car engine running. He climbed out when he saw them, and he walked around and opened the back and front doors with a sleepy smile. “There’s coffee inside for both of you,” he said, referring to the warm cups that were sitting on the dash, steam coming from them. “They’re meant to apologize for my poor morning driving,” he explained, his gaze lingered on Preston a moment longer than was polite. It was odd, seeing them together, where their differences and similarities were so noticeable. In the end, he made a thoughtful sound and walked back around to the trunk and opened it for them, so they could put their suitcases inside. “No second thoughts?” he asked them both, but the question was clearly intended for Preston.
Shiloh was just behind Preston as he left the building, pulling his own suitcase behind him. A smile of thanks was given to Eli at the mention of coffee, his suitcase hauled up and into the trunk a moment later. His carry-on joining it seconds later, Shiloh pushed a hand back through his hair. “I’m sure your morning driving is fine,” he said easily, giving Eli a smile before tipping his head towards his brother in a ‘cheer him up’ sort of gesture. Shiloh then excused himself, sliding in to the backseat of Eli’s car, snatching up one of the steaming cups of coffee to wake himself up a bit more, leaving the pair to chat for a moment.
Preston, though used to having people hoist things around for him, lifted his suitcase and pushed it into the trunk. "No, we're going," Preston confirmed, still looking troubled about the idea but glancing over at the back of Shiloh's head. "You said you'd call me if anything went wrong, right?" he asked, anxious, brushing his fingers on the end of Eli's sleeve with unconscious familiarity.
Eli glanced down at the fingers on his sleeve, and then he looked back at Preston’s face. “I swear it,” he said, closing the trunk and then motioning to the still-open passenger’s door. He was in the car a few seconds later, waiting for Preston to close his door and take his coffee, and then he was driving onto the busy road. “Shiloh, you’ll have to keep your brother from worrying overly much. It is not a task I envy you,” he said with a fond smile in Preston’s direction, then a glance in the rearview. “What is on the itinerary?” he asked, easily navigating the morning traffic.
“Isn’t worrying a part-time job for Preston?” Shiloh commented from the backseat, half his coffee already drained, the caffeine doing its job in waking him up quite a bit. “But I’ll do my best. If anything, I’ll keep him distracted enough that he won’t have the time nor energy to worry.” The elder brother let out a laugh at that, settling into the seat as he glanced out the window.
“Quite a few things, actually. Some of the palaces in the city, the zoo, the Great Wall. I’ve got a list of things I’d like for us to hit, and then anything Preston’s interested in.” He gave a nudge to the passenger seat with the toe of one foot. “Is there anything you’re looking forward to, Pres?” Shiloh realised that he had been taking charge of things, and for a moment, there was a flash of guilt. A part of him was still concerned that this was going to turn out horribly for some reason.
Preston, who drank so much bad (and good) coffee that caffeine was a mandatory part of his bloodstream, sipped cautiously and settled into the front seat as some of the tension went out of him. He looked back with a brotherly scowl at the kick from the backseat and said, "I haven't ever seen the Great Wall. Anton generally has a full schedule when we go..." For business, at least in Preston's case, and a great deal of partying in Anton's. "This is good, Eli," he said, actually tasting the coffee for the first time. "It needs some clove, though." Smile.
“It does not need any blasted cloves,” Eli said emphatically. “You will take photographs for me, won’t you? You know how fond I am of images,” he reminded Preston, before looking back at Shiloh. “If you manage to exhaust him sufficiently that he does not worry, you’ll need to pass along the secret once you return,” he said, an easy smile on his lips. “And do break your schedule. We can’t have you being like Anton,” he teased, glancing over at Preston again as he pulled into the drop-off lane at the airport.
“Cloves?” Shiloh raised an eyebrow at that, shaking his head as he tipped back another drink. “I think I’m with Eli on that one, Preston. Cloves very unnecessary.” Chuckling, he turned his attention back towards Eli, giving him a nod of his head. “You’ll get an immediate phone call if it happens. I do believe it will be a moment worth documenting immediately.” Another laugh as he looked over towards the sidewalk beside the airport, his eyes widening just a little before he finished off the rest of his coffee. “And now we begin the lovely waiting and checking in game at the airport. My least favourite part of traveling, I must say.”
Opening the door, Shiloh eased out of the car, stretching his arms over his head and turning his face towards the sky. Despite the promise of annoyance in security at the airport, he was starting to get excited. Invigorated at the thought of traveling. It was going to be a good trip, one way or another.
Eli put the car into park, and he went around and opened the trunk, pulling the bags out and setting them on the curb for the two men. “Have a good journey,” he said, closing the trunk as he spoke. “I’ll be in touch should something go amiss. Do try not to worry overmuch,” he said, knowing Preston would worry regardless.
Preston took a last gulp of his coffee and then stepped out onto the busy sidewalk, taking in a familiar breath of car and jet exhaust. It was good to be traveling, and it made him feel productive right up until he remembered it was a vacation. He walked past Shiloh, who was stretching, and gave him an idle poke in the ribs as he stretched and made it too easy. “Thanks for the ride,” he told Eli, pulling the bag a little farther off the curb and smiling at Eli. He wanted to hug him or something but he wasn’t sure how to do it, so he just stood there and looked awkward.
There was a yelp at the poke to his ribs, stretch interrupted as he lowered his arms and gave Preston a look. Rolling his eyes, Shiloh moved back to take hold of their luggage, slinging his carry-on over his shoulder. “Go on. Say goodbye to one another,” he said with a wave of his hand, turning to head into the terminal. Pausing, he glanced back over his shoulder towards the pair. “And yes. Thank you for the ride, Eli. We appreciate it.” And then the elder brother disappeared into the terminal, leaving the pair alone for those last few moments.
“Why do I feel like we’ve been left alone with an order to snog?” Eli asked, the smile on his lips a genuine one. He reached for Preston’s hand, and he squeezed his fingers and pressed lips to the corner of his mouth quickly. “Enjoy China, love.”
Preston thought that maybe it was his proximity to Eli that made Shiloh nervous, as he seemed to go out of his way to leave them alone a lot. The kiss, casual as it was, surprised and embarrassed him a great deal, and even though he looked self-consciously from side to side to see if anyone was watching, he also squeezed Eli’s hand in return. “Bye.”
Eli smiled, blue eyes going warm with it, and then he let go Preston’s hand and climbed back in the car, giving the man a lingering look out the window before driving off.