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Tweak says, "I. AM. CANADIAN. "

King Richard the Lionheart (lioncoeur) wrote in nevermore_logs,
@ 2024-12-30 01:46:00

Entry tags:

alexander the great, richard the lionheart, wrath

WHO: Richard the Lionheart, Alexander the Great, Wrath
WHEN: Sunday afternoon
WHERE: A Park
WHAT: Chattin
WARNINGS: Iunno lol

To say Richard was nervous was an understatement. When Wrath had told him that Alexander wanted to talk, he had felt a mixture of relief and terror. It meant his ex-husband wanted to see him, but it also meant he had to do the talking part. He had to explain why he had run. How the hell was he supposed to do that?

He had spent the morning driving George absolutely crazy. He had insisted on attending mass, and George had gone with him. He had been fidgety and restless the entire time, and it hadn't stopped when they had arrived back to George's place. By noon, he was fairly sure his best friend was ready to murder him and he was glad when Wrath showed up and told him it was time. She also told him to 'calm his fucking tits' which at least snapped him out of it a little. And it had made George laugh, which was always nice to see.

But now he was sitting in a park at a picnic table, bundled into a winter coat, and feeling like an absolute idiot. "What if I fuck it up?" he hissed to Wrath.

"I mean. More than you already fucked everything up? Don't think it's possible, there Richard." Which was Wrath's way of being supportive, and it did make Richard smile.

"Well. Good point," he said, tapping his fingers against the wood of the table. Oh god, he wished the ground would swallow him up.

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kingofmacedon
2024-12-29 10:31 pm UTC (link)

It took Alex three tries to get himself out the door. His mind knew this needed to happen, it was just getting his body on board with the program. He sighed in exasperation at himself, bundled up, and headed out into the cold.

The drive didn't take long, and he sat in the parking lot for probably longer than he needed to, head resting against the steering wheel. Nothing was going to happen unless he actually got out of the car.

Finally, he exited the car and buttoned his coat, heading into the park proper. He spotted Richard's hair before anything else, and headed toward the picnic tables. "It's colder than a witch's tit," he said, in lieu of greeting.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-30 11:34 am UTC (link)
	Wrath snorted at Alex's greeting, and the corner of Richard's lips raised in a threat of a smile. "Hello, Alexander," he said, his voice warm but...scared? "Will you sit with us?" "We saved you the best side of the table," Wrath said, making shit up on the fly. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-30 01:22 pm UTC (link)
	"Ah, thank you," Alex answered, taking a seat opposite the pair of them. "Hello as well, I'm just hating the cold, as per usual. Still not used to it." He leaned his elbows on the table, fingers laced together to support his chin. "So," he said, after a moment or two of silence. "Here we are." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-30 02:21 pm UTC (link)
	Richard squirmed a little, already. God, this was awful. "You look really good," he said, that comment slipping out without his permission. He winced and then said, "how- How have you been?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-30 02:36 pm UTC (link)
	Alex raised an eyebrow, but chose not to poke at that particular comment. "I've been alright, I suppose," he answered. "Still working for the Army, even though they don't listen to me. How about you?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-30 11:41 pm UTC (link)
	Richard made a face at that, "I had to get out," he admitted. "Before the next administration takes over. It was bad enough last time." Then he got quieter and he said, "it's really good to see you." He had not actually answered Alex's question at all. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-30 11:51 pm UTC (link)
	"Understandable," Alex sighed. "I like what I do enough to want to keep trying, but I told them I reserve the right to quit whenever I feel like it." "Thanks," he said softly. "I don't know if I can say the same right now, but I'm sure your family is glad you're back." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-31 12:42 am UTC (link)
	The honestly caused another one of those slight smiles, and Richard couldn't help but be charmed by it. Then one laugh escaped him and he shook his head, "you remember who my brother is, right? He is very much not glad." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-31 01:03 am UTC (link)
	"I mean yes, but I figured even he could calm himself down a little to see you for Christmas." Alex laughed, remembering how John had been over the times that he'd met him. "Hopefully related: is your mother still well?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lioncoeur
2024-12-31 01:10 am UTC (link)

"He did manage it actually, I was proud of him," Richard admitted. "But I think only because I got him some kind of extravagant art thing." Richard didn't care about overly expensive things these days, but John still did. "And my mother is very well, thank you for asking. She's thrilled, at least, that I'm back."

"Okay, but why were you a pussy?" Wrath asked, cutting through all the small talk because she was bored.

Richard couldn't even be angry with her. "Er- Well that's a rather...complicated question."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-31 01:20 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, that sounds about right," Alex agreed with a chuckle. "Good, I'm glad. She reminds me a bit of my own mother, and it's probably for the best that the two of them never met. New York might have been divided up by now." He smothered a snort as Wrath spoke up. "Perhaps she was more straightforward than me, but I'm wondering the same thing." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-31 03:31 am UTC (link)
	Richard blew a harsh breath out and then he leaned forward on the table. "I...got scared," he admitted. "I'm not proud of myself. In fact I'm- I'm pretty embarrassed- Alex," he sighed, "you know things were...difficult. And I got scared and left instead of staying to fix it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-31 04:00 am UTC (link)
	"They were, and I won't sit here and say I was an innocent party," Alex answered. "But to just up and leave, and you didn't even tell me why. We were supposed to be able to tell each other anything. Us against the world. Etc. If you had needed time to yourself, that would have been fine, just...keep me in the loop." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

lioncoeur
2024-12-31 04:30 am UTC (link)

"No, I-" Richard's breath got shaky then and he shook his head. "I got scared because I had been- I was with Philip," he explained, "for years, and things got- Things got bad, Alex. We were fighting and next thing I know, he has me taken captive. He joined forces with my brother to try to take my kingdom. I panicked. Here I was with another king, and- I ran before it could get bad like it had with Philip."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

kingofmacedon
2024-12-31 04:45 am UTC (link)

Alex felt his resolve crack a little. He understood how politics worked, the games men played and the things they did to grab and hold onto power. He'd seen the broken lives and lands laid waste to. That much, he could wrap his head around.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he said softly. "And I know it's easy, in hindsight, to sit here and say I wouldn't have done that. It's harder in the moment to deal with emotions. So I guess...I know your fear was real and valid. I just wish we could have talked it out.'

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2024-12-31 04:49 am UTC (link)
	"So do I," Richard breathed. "We were fighting but we- We had a good thing. I was the one who fucked up. I hyperfocused on how one of my past relationships had ended, and I reacted like you were Philip. But you're not Philip. And thank god for that." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	kingofmacedon 2024-12-31 05:05 am UTC (link)
	"We were, and you're right, we did." Alex sighed, resting his chin in one hand. "I know I can be bull headed and I hate to listen sometimes, but I mean...I would break myself in half for you. But I also know that trauma and past pain can manifest itself in all sorts of shitty ways." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	lioncoeur 2025-01-04 03:11 am UTC (link)
	"No, you-" Richard sighed and he shook his head, "it wasn't you, it was both of us," he said gently. "And I got scared, and instead of talking it out, I just acted on it. I'm sorry, Alex. I never should have done that to you. I've been regretting it for years." (Reply to this) (Parent)