Thomas Julian Kemp (asterismos) wrote in nevermore_past, @ 2013-08-10 06:42:00 |
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Current mood: | good |
WHO: Charlotte and Thomas Kemp
WHAT: Going to Thomas for help
WHEN: Ninish years ago
WHERE: Thomas' old apartment
WARNINGS:
Thomas wouldn't know for years just how hard it was for Charlotte to come to him for help. It involved dealing with old feelings of loathing and abandonment as well as swallowing an awful lot of personal pride. All he knew was that he was relieved she actually knew to come to him in the first place. Which was why he didn't hesitate at all, upon seeing her on the other side of his apartment door. "Come in, Red. Just don't be too loud, Jamie's asleep."
He worried about Charlotte the entire time she took to walk from his front door over to the sofa. When she collapsed onto it, he went to sit opposite her in his favourite chair. To say they had never really been close was an understatement, but ever since his son had been born nearly a decade ago now, he had been trying to make his previously terrible attitude up to his family. Charlotte was proving to be the most stubborn person to reconcile with, but she was here now, regardless.
"Are you alright?" he said right off the bat, and then he felt badly about assuming she had to be here for help. He was not, however, wrong. And while it would still be months before she finally told him the dark secrets of her marriage, small favours did lay a groundwork.
Charlotte twirled her red hair around her fingers, trying desperately not to look directly at Thomas. "Lane's at work," she said in non-committal fashion.
"O-okay?" Thomas didn't like his sister's husband at all, but he wouldn't have minded a visit from both of them. So he didn't understand why Lane being at work meant her presence in his apartment. Especially at nine in the evening.
"He's working out of state," Charlotte lied, toeing her shoes off so she could pull her legs up to her chest. "Just for a few days."
Thomas would have assumed if she wanted company, she would have gone to visit their parents or their sister Anna, but he wasn't going to complain. "Well you can stay here for a few days if you want. The couch folds out and Jamie will be thrilled.
He watched her nod slowly and his forehead creased in worry. "Is there something else, Char?"
"Hmm? Oh, uhm-" At that she started chewing on her nails. "Not really. Just...he left and there's no money in our account and I'm sick of eating ramen. We have tons of it! I just don't want to see another noodle for a long time."
Thomas' face twisted in sympathy and he didn't hesitate to rise and head into the kitchen. He understood that feeling, though back when times had been tougher he would have fought tooth and nail to have 'tons' of ramen. Still, he was hardly going to tell Charlotte to suck it up. He was pretty sure if he had to face eating a diet of only ramen now, he would cry. "Well that's easy to fix. He said with no shortness of pride!" Thomas grinned at her as she just smiled weakly back. "Sorry. Come here, guide my kitchen search."
He was too busy rifling through cupboards to notice the ginger way Charlotte rose from the sofa. By the time he turned to look at her, she was standing beside him and he looped an arm around her shoulders. "It's nice to see you, Red," he said, planting a kiss on her hair. "What about chicken burritos?"
"Sounds awesome, actually," she said, her voice sounding like it had a little more life to it now.
"Great! I'll whip some up. And you can eat while we watch a movie? Help me ignore grading papers? You know, they don't tell you just how much homework you have to do as a teacher," he rambled. "I'm half tempted to just give them all B minuses and call it a day."
"I'd like that, Tommy." All she really cared about was being away from Lane while he was throwing things around the house. Thomas didn't know her well enough to ask questions, whereas her mother or Anna would have known something was up right away. "If I fall asleep, just leave me on the couch?"
"Sure, sweetheart," Thomas said, pleased as punch that they were going to spend time together.
If he had only known why.