Brie had been doing her best not to think too hard on the Greek situation. In fact, she'd forced her attention on the plants for a while before making her way to see Aidan. That man, infuriating as he was at times, tugged too hard on her heartstrings for her to leave him alone to his own devices. Not to mention she wanted to see for herself that he was doing alright. She even made a point to stop and get him some proper, non-pudding food.
Hospitals were nowhere near her favorite place to be, so she made a point to walk quickly through the halls until she found his room. There was a small sigh before she knocked and stepped into the room, checking to see if anyone else was in the room before stepping inside. It took her a moment, but she did her best impression of a mom-look as she walked over to Aidan. "If you ever scare me like that again....I swear you're going to be in so much trouble." And there was the mom-voice.
It wasn't long before the natural desire to fuss over him took over and she set the food down on one of the tables, pushing his hair off his forehead. "You're a mess, Aidan. Utterly pathetic." And yet still attractive, but she wouldn't say so. She was doing her best to keep his ego in check. "And I brought food. It contains zero pudding, plenty of vegetables, and other food groups. I won't have you eating junk food on my watch, mister."
Hospitals were incredibly boring once one was awake. He knew they weren't meant to be fun in the first place but this was really difficult now. Menelaus had tried to wander off once but, being in wheelchair, he was easily carted back.
There was instant perking up at the sound of Brie's voice, like a puppy who heard the doorbell ring. The doorbell meant good things. It always had to mean good things. At least he didn't yap at her. Instead, he soaked up the attention, the kind that he only got when he was down in Texas and his sister-in-law was around. Outside of her and Mona, there was no one who'd ever really come close to mothering him. All the girls before Helen had fussed but then there had been the sex and he was pretty sure the sex was what they wanted more. ...and so had he.
"I'll try my best to never put any of you through that again. That slender guy just managed to get me by surprise." He wouldn't deny admiring that last move but he wouldn't deny wanting to punch the guy for it as well. Eagerly, he eyeballed the things she'd brought. "Tell me there's something in there that'll make the veggies seem tolerable. A little salt? Butter?"
Smiling a little, Brie shook her head. "You'd better try or else. And it seems like he got you good...but nevermind that. No point in talking about the past." His words about the food made her laugh before she started to pull out the food. "Yes. A little salt, but not too much, you monster. And you'll enjoy every single bite." She paused for a moment before adding, "And no complaint or I'll pinch you."
She probably wouldn't actually pinch him and if she did, it wouldn't be hard. She sighed. "Plus, the mac and cheese is probably not all that healthy." She'd just liked the idea of mac and cheese. Another smile. "Do you want to eat now or later?"
There was a point to not discussing what couldn't be changed and, even more so, there was food. Menelaus had always liked food. He could remember vividly how he and his brothers practically devoured a week's worth of food within a couple of days time. They had growing boys, yes, but they also had been something like beasts. None of them even came close to standing under six foot two and he knew for a fact his eldest brother was probably the muscular of them all.
He held up his hands in surrender. "I will enjoy every bite as long as I get a little salt on there. And did you say mac and cheese?" Who could not love mac and cheese? It was criminal to snub the stuff. It was so...cheesy. He shot her an odd look, as if she was crazy to ask the question she had. "Now. Definitely now."
"You're such a troublemaker." Brie's brothers had been similar to Aidan and his brothers when they were younger. There was a chance they hadn't changed much, but she didn't mind. She was sure her mother didn't mind either whenever they visited, seeing as they'd stayed closer to home than she did. "And I did say mac and cheese. I figured you'd like it. I guessed a lot on this."
The look made her laugh again and she handed him the plastic utensils. "I got some chicken, too. I don't know if you like it...but...I couldn't leave it out since I was trying to give you a balanced meal." Pulling over a chair, she sat next to the bed. "Now eat and tell me all about your boring life as a hospital loafer." She laughed before reaching down to pull out a small potted plant with a red flower. "I didn't want to over exert you," she teased, putting it down next to her until he was done eating. Then she could put it on the table. "I almost brought you a cactus seeing as they're really simple to look after, but then I didn't want you to hurt yourself..."
He held up a finger before any eating was to begin. "I am an adorable troublemaker and you won't find another like me. But I'm not going to argue that point too hard since I have mac and cheese. Won't mind the chicken either." As long as it had some good flavours going, he'd survive it just fine.
Menelaus caught sight of the little pot before it disappeared from view and smiled fondly. She'd brought him the little plant after all. It was nice and it'd rather cheered up the whole place. "You know, we had cacti in Texas. Never hurt myself on one of those big ones so a little one probably won't damage me too bad."
"Adorable indeed," she said, making a point to sound unimpressed. It was true, though. He was adorable and she didn't think there was a point to looking for anyone like him because she wouldn't find one. "You are one of a kind, though." That much she could admit to. She hadn't gone out of her way to make any of the food overly healthy...it just wouldn't be heaped in fat or too much salt. She was looking out for him after all.
"Then I guess I should have brought you something prickly to give you a visual of my love for you. It will prick your fingers." She almost giggled at that. She wasn't particularly prickly and she knew it better than anyone else. In fact, she was really far more like the plant she'd brought him. It took a little to get her to cactus stage.
A pout was feigned at her but the food became a distraction and he did dig in for a bit there, enjoying himself. He'd even admit, after he was done, that it was better than pudding. And that was a high, high compliment considering how attached he'd become to the stuff.
As for the prickly, one brow as lifted as a forkful of delicious cheesy goodness hovered near his mouth. He knew her nature fairly well himself. "Your love for me is mushy and sweet. It's like jello with fruit in it. Topped with whipped cream and cherries." Ugh, that sounded so good. Why did he do this to himself?
Brie snorted lightly before shaking her head. "My love sounds pretty delicious, doesn't it?" And that made her smirk a little because she had a feeling he was thinking about just that sort of snack right now. "Pity you don't have any of that." Because she had to poke at him a little. He'd gone and gotten himself killed and maybe they were just friends, but it had still been upsetting. It wasn't his fault, of course, but...she allowed herself occasional (albeit quiet) irrational thoughts.
Still, even as she tried to stare him down like any good mothering type would, she couldn't help but agree with that assessment. "I suppose you have a point, though. I'm not very prickly. I'm entirely unprickly except for a few occasions."
She was the devil for knowing him that well. And reminding him how much he lacked what he craved. Several forkfuls of mac-n-cheese were shoveled into his mouth with the grace of grouch. His poor belly. No jello for it.
Catching that very maternal stare that almost made him feel like he should apologize (thought he didn't quite know for what), he swallowed what was in his mouth. "And those few occasions you have good reason, if I may say so myself." Was he buttering her up a little? Maybe. He was curious if something sweet did sit in the bags she brought.
There was a moment of triumph and Brie couldn't help but gloat about it for a minute. Once that minute was over, however, she returned to her normal self, nose wrinkling at the way Aidan shoveled food in his mouth. "You're a little piggy," she commented, laughing a little.
His words made her smile just a little. "Keep 'em coming." She did, in fact, have a sweet snack hiding in her bags but she was going to give off the illusion that she'd done no such thing until such a time as he'd proven that he deserved to have it. Which would involve eating his dinner...and probably some more compliments.
"I've heard that before," he said without any evident injury to his pride as he eyed the quickly disappearing meal. "Boys don't grow any other way, for the record. You should know that."
Pondering on how else to stroke her ego, the edge of the fork tapped against his lip. "But even when you're prickly, you're irresistible. And anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool." Another tap of the fork. "Also, your hair looks like fire in the sunlight?"
"I'm sure you did." There was a slight laugh as she looked between him and the food. "Believe me, I'm well aware of the way boys grow." Which could really be taken a few ways. She kept her expression neutral, wondering idly how Aidan would take it. This was more for her own amusement than anything else.
She arched an eyebrow as he went on, nearly laughing again. "When you're right, you're right," she commented. Not that she thought much about whether or not she was irresistible or how her hair looked in the sunlight, but...he was trying. "Finish up your dinner and I might have something extra for you." Which was supposed to mean the cookies. "You may owe me many compliments for bringing them for you, too...because goodness knows you don't deserve them."
Both his brows rose rather high at that sentence and darling Aidan was wondering just what she meant by that. It was odd to think of a friend like Brie...well. In such a way with boys. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to think about that. It was weird. It was like thinking of Mona like that.
The remaining of his meal was polished off easily enough, the hope of sweetness luring him in well. And when he was done, he leaned back with a happy, near-sated sigh. "I may never go near pudding against after that. So what does my honesty earn me? And I deserve everything, Brie." A finger was pointed right at her nose and then wiggled. "Everything including what you have left in the bag."
Brie covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from dissolving into a fit of giggles. His expression was just too priceless. Honestly, she hadn't been with all that many guys but it had happened before. She just didn't really talk about it. It was worth leaving the interpretation open for that facial expression.
Once Aidan leaned back, Brie offered him a smile before reaching into her bag to pull out a couple cookies for him and one for herself. She could indulge every so often in sweets. She held them out to him. "Exactly what you asked for, Aidan. Even if you were a petulant ass." At that, she reached over to tweak his nose. "But since you're so cute, how could I resist?" There. He could have a compliment, too. Just the one.
Girls could be so mean. And he'd always known that. He was married to Helen, after all (they were married, they would always be married and maybe he ought to fix it so it was legal...). But Helen was something else. She was the one person he would likely cast away all others for. He'd crumble before her and pin her down at the same time, casting authority over her that they both knew was both strength and weakness with him. For her, he was a wretchedly selfish man, abandoning his good qualities for the arms of a woman has horrible as he was.
There, recognition of his cuteness and a nose-tweaking. He felt his ego swell back to its normal size and his tummy appreciatively growl at the sight of the sweet. Taking them, he offered one a big bite but enjoyed it opposed to just chomping it to bits and swallowing it right away. "Mmmm. Heaven."
Brie smiled a touch, shaking her head as she leaned back in her chair to eat her own cookie. "Only the best for you." And it was true enough. Maybe he made her occasionally want to throw something at him (which would honestly be something light), but he was her friend and she didn't know what she'd do if they weren't. The community would have seemed a lot more intimidating. "But you're fairly easy to impress..."
"Are you saying what you choose and make isn't impressive enough?" he asked her, one cookie shaken at her lightly. "Because I'd argue heavily in your favour. Every time. And as long as you kept providing the goods."
That earned another smile. "I suppose I didn't put much actual thought into it besides what I was sure I'd include. I did sort of rush a little." She glanced down briefly. "As long as you behave yourself, I'll keep providing them for you."
A hand was raised. "I'll behave as best as I can, ma'am. It may not be much, if I'm honest, but I'll try. I mean, where else am I going to get mothering like this?" Not from Helen. Never from Helen.
"Doesn't your girlfriend do this?" Unless she didn't. That idea sounded a bit sad but she didn't know their relationship or how it worked. "I still can't believe no one's done this before."
"Isabel's pretty bad at mothering," he told her honestly. "She...well. She can do a lot of things but she's never going to be mother of the year or anything like that, you know? Some people have it and some don't." Menelaus grew quiet a moment. "She does better if she doesn't have to directly take care of them."
Brie arched an eyebrow slightly before returning to somewhere more neutral. "Mother of the year is a difficult position to get. I don't even think the winner could say they were perfect, just better than every other mother for whatever small reason there is." Leaning forward, she lightly ruffled Aidan's hair. "Then I'll be the mothering force in your life."
Ahh, hair ruffling. He felt positively puppy-ish (and he could definitively live with that). "I'll be grateful for it the best way I can." And he would. He was so far from really good and perfect but he could be grateful and could try, especially for someone like Brie. "But while you've got your hand in my hair, could you massage my poor head? For your favourite pal?"
"You'd better be." His question made her roll her eyes, but she complied anyway. "One of these days, that's not going to work. I'm not sure when...but one day." Likely not true, but it was perfectly okay to pretend.
The happiest of sighs left him as he nearly went limp with joy. This was perfect. "I'll deal with it when that day comes." Menelaus doubted it would but putting it off until that possible occurrence sounded like a good plan.