Cristobal Rodriguez ♦ Coyote (coyoti) wrote in paxletalelogs, @ 2017-04-01 23:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | ares, coyote |
the lost art of keeping a secret
Who: Chris & a mysterious phone call, then Daniel.
What: Following the gifts, Chris makes a phone call and Daniel hears part of it.
Where: Pax exterior.
When: Late morning April 1.
Surely like many in the apartment complex, Chris was surprised to find a box outside his door. Surely unlike many in the apartment complex, Chris had very specific reasons to be suspicious of unwarranted packages popping up. He was dressed and headed on his way out; one neatly polished shoe had nearly kicked the extravagantly wrapped box, but he had stopped himself before going that far.
Chris glanced up and down the hallway, as though this might reveal the culprit, but of course there was no other information to be found. There were other boxes in front of the occupied units on his floor, making him feel only slightly reassured that he was not alone in whatever was happening. After some marked hesitation, he stooped as best he was able, collected his box, and took it back inside.
Lifting away the lid revealed a wireless microphone, battered and clearly used, which made his stomach drop out before he reached out with a tentative hand and flipped it over to see the "COMEDY STORE" sticker underneath. A joke? Clearly it wasn't actually in use, but he wouldn't have been surprised were his apartment actually bugged. He glanced around, suddenly paranoid about having had that conversation with Kal in his kitchen the week before.
He put the microphone back in the box, nearly lost amid voluminous tissue paper, and headed outside. His keys, wallet, and phone were all already in strategically placed pockets in his suit jacket, and he had a very particular person to call.
He made it to the elevator without interruption, and down to the lobby; Stephan had started to say hello, but Chris brushed past him without saying a word, leaving the concierge confused and slightly offended. Chris did not care; he continued out across the parking lot, until he was on the far edge of the complex's small square of Los Angeles city soil, inside a cluster of pine trees more native to the state than the symbolic palm.
Despite a slight breeze, it was still early enough that traffic and beach activity were at a minimum, so Chris dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number from memory. It rang and rang, for too long of a time, until Chris thought he'd be better off hanging up and calling back; but then whomever was on the other line finally answered.
A refined, cultured, masculine voice spoke carefully but with no small amount of annoyance into Chris's ear. "You assured me this number would only be used for emergencies, Mr. Rodriguez."
"This is a fuckin' emergency," Chris replied, his voice hot and low. "Or at least one I consider an emergency. Are you fucking bugging the apartments?"
"You got my gift."
"I did, and I don't appreciate not getting a heads up about it."
The voice on the other end paused, and Chris could picture the deprecating look on the man's face. "You had to look as shocked as the rest of the other tenants, Mr. Rodriguez. How are you supposed to blend in if you're not subject to the same circumstances as they?"
"You didn't fucking answer my question."
A dry laugh. "No, the apartments are not bugged."
"So why...?"
"We'll all wait to find out, won't we? Don't you like surprises, Cristobal?" The voice's tongue moved effortlessly over his given name, and Chris gritted his teeth. He made to speak, but was immediately cut off, which he knew was perfectly on purpose. This time, all amusement was gone. "Don't call me again. You know the rules of our engagement, and I won't forgive a second breach."
Chris glanced up to see a handful of people coming together on the beach across the street from him to start up an early morning volley ball game. Rafe would likely be hitting the same surf with his board, shortly; maybe Kal too. He felt his stomach twist, and swallowed.
He turned back to the apartment complex, and his stomach dropped out completely when he saw Daniel heading toward him across the parking lot. He looked vaguely annoyed, but his expression brightened significantly at the sight of his neighbor.
"Hey, man. What's, uh, what's all this?" Daniel gestured to the entirety of the picture in front of him: Chris, well dressed and lingering in a copse of trees, his cell phone in his hand. "You need to make a booty call, y'know you don't have to come outside to do it. I'm right downstairs." He slid his hands neatly into the pockets of his black basketball shorts. In spite of his small, quiet laugh, there was a glimmer of real suspicion in his gaze.
Chris moved a half-hearted smile over his face, and turned back to the phone pressed to his ear.
"Understood." Without waiting to see if his reply was heard, or if the person on the other end would close the call before he did, Chris hit the 'end call' button and looked back to Daniel, his hip moving sharply enough to make that smile into a grimace as he tried to play off Daniel's concern.
"And how many times I gotta reassure you that I'm not sleeping around when I have your sexy ass to look at?" Though they were outside, he felt slightly comfortable in moving closer to the other man, an attempt to dissuade Daniel from asking further questions.oh
"See, you say that…" Daniel tried for a wider smile, but it only fell flat. His teeth worried at the inside of his cheek as he thought. After a moment he cleared his throat, taking another step to close the distance between them. "So. Work calls?" A small furrow marred his brow. "Everything okay?"
"It's fine," Chris replied in a not terribly convincing tone, a hand reaching out to pluck at Daniel's shirt. "Nothing to worry about," which was usually a red flag that there was something. He turned the conversation on Daniel. "You headed to work out? Basketball? Whatever it is, I wish I had time to stick around and watch. You're hot when you work up a sweat."
"Mmhm. Now I know you're tryin' to distract me. And for now…" He pressed a finger into Chris's sternum, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "I think I'm gonna let it work. I was goin' for a run, and then I'm headin' in to the gym. I'm hopin' I'll see your boy Kal in there. He's a great spotter, y'know. You should join us some time."
His hand paused, Daniel's shirt stretched taut a half inch from his abs. He desperately wanted to intercede, ask how the two had already come across each other, what Kal had been telling Daniel, but now was neither the time nor the place. Instead, he settled for letting the fabric pull his hand against Daniel's stomach, head shaking as he kept the careful smile on his face.
"Maybe another time. But you guys go have fun." In a quick and surprising show of affection, he leaned forward and pecked Daniel on the lips; then he dropped his hand to his side and moved around Daniel, seeking out his vehicle.