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Tweak says, "I like chocolate milk"

Phillip Wolfe | Phobos (inclinedfear) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-10-10 16:22:00

Entry tags:

erebos, phobos

Well, this is awkward.
Who: Rylee and Elias
What: Considering how their last meeting went, I can't even imagine how this one will go.
Where: Mailboxes!
When: Today! Why not?

The weekend had been stressful enough, what with Rylee being arrested for the first time in his life, but he and Charlie had still managed to end it on a good note. They were happy, she wasn't upset that he had lost his temper, and she had mentioned something about plans for Halloween. They were doing well and Rylee had little doubt that their relationship was going anywhere but in a good direction.

With the Columbus Day weekend, the museum had been packed with tourists, particularly families, and Rylee couldn't manage to get a full three day weekend. Opting to go in on Monday so that his Saturday and Sunday were free; the day had moved along quickly and soon enough Rylee was home.

Dressed in his typical work clothes of dress pants and a button down shirt, Rylee was eager to get home and kick off his dress shoes but first he paused at the mailboxes to retrieve the mail he hadn't gotten for the past week. Bills and junk mail were expected. There was a small package which Rylee opened and peeked through: a letter from his mother with a birthday card she instructed Rylee to give to Charlie. With a small smile, Rylee tucked the envelopes and turned to the last one with an address label of the USMC; probably something to do with the end of Rylee's inactive service coming up the following year.

Turning on his heel, Rylee took a step in the direction of the elevator, his mind already going through his plans for the evening. Cleaning up his desk area, seeing what books on mythology he had to bring back to the library, followed by take out food that Charlie was going to grab and tv watching with her for the rest of the night. Then his eye caught the movement of someone else in the lobby which gave him pause. Looking up, Rylee noticed Charlie's... friend... Elias walking towards him and immediately he felt his jaw tighten as he attempted to smile at him in greeting.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-11 03:34 am UTC (link)

Columbus Day.

DynTek was closed. One of the benefits of being the leader of Network Security was that he was never officially on call. The long weekend was his, and he had spent both Saturday and Sunday with his mother. Both days, she hadn't recognized him -- but he'd stayed anyway in the hopes that she'd remember him later, remember his visits, and know that she wasn't alone.

Today was a free day - one of a very few he'd had, recently - and he was relieved to have a break. Keys in pocket, phone in one hand, Elias headed down the stairs and then into the lobby to check his mail from Saturday before starting his errands. As he walked, he recognized that boy from Charlie's apartment. Rylee, his name was, and he was an odd one. But Charlie clearly cared for him, which made him important.

Plus, there was his involvement in Elias' investigation of Pax. There was also that to think about as Elias weighed whether to simply say hello in passing or to try to stop the boy altogether. He went with the latter.

"Rylee," he said as he approached. But as he got closer, he slowed his steps, clearly looking to have a longer conversation. His phone went into his suit jacket pocket and he extended his now-free hand in the offer of a formal greeting. "How have you been?"

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inclinedfear
2011-10-11 12:14 pm UTC (link)

Rylee swallowed and shifted his mail under his arm. Reaching out, he took Elias' hand and firmly shook it. "Elias," Rylee replied with a nod. "I'm doing all right."

He blinked and stood up a little straighter. He wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to one-up this man. But he went along with it. It was a rarity that Rylee felt this level of confidence around someone, even if, at times (or at least, the last time they had met), Rylee felt awkward due to the subject matter. The subject matter of which Elias would surely be gleeful over to hear but Rylee was not willing to tell. He was barely capable of discussing all that had happened recently with Charlie and Samuel let alone this man.

"How are you doing? Are you enjoying your holiday weekend? Or did you get stuck working part of it like I did?" Rylee smiled at that, he really didn't mind working at the museum. He certainly was doing what he loved. But he would prefer to just lay around watching television with Charlie. Still, despite work, he had plans to do exactly what he wished in the near future.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-13 02:26 am UTC (link)

Elias' handshakes were always strong. Uncompromising. But Elias did not recall Rylee to be as assertive as the boy's handshake now suggested. An eyebrow lifted slightly, then went higher when the kid started making conversation. It wasn't more than the standard polite drivel, but it was more than was expected -- and he seemed almost comfortable speaking, too. This was not the mealy-mouthed, sweaty-palmed, over-blustery child he'd met at Charlie's doorstep. It felt almost as if Elias were meeting a different person.

He grinned, despite himself -- despite the fact that grins never quite looked right on his face. If Rylee really were like this, then perhaps it wasn't so bad that he was around Charlie, that they were close friends. And, Elias reminded himself, he'd shown himself to care about Charlie's safety, too. That was also a mark in Rylee's favor.

"Being a Director has its advantages," he answered quietly enough. But his voice always seemed to carry an authority about it, as if he were turning the words into servants. His voice made him stand out, whether he wanted it or not. "I spent the weekend with my family. I don't think you ever mentioned where you worked. It must not be an office job, if they had you working the weekend?"

In truth, he was truly curious about the boy. If Charlie found value in his friendship, then Elias wanted to know what it was about him that was so valued. The answers lie in the questions.

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inclinedfear
2011-10-13 03:20 am UTC (link)

Nearly anyone, good or bad, could ask Rylee that question and still receive a grin from the blond. And grin he did. Rylee was lucky to be doing what he loved; while the Marines had a certain level of excitement that he certainly did not find at the museum, he loved history most and was happy to work with it every day.

"I'm a junior curator at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. I also do some volunteer work with Costa Mesa Historical Society." Rylee smiled at Elias and gripped his mail with both hands. "I'm coming fromt he Museum though. I had the rest of the weekend off but I worked today."

Thus far, this meeting was going much better than it had the first time the two had met. Rylee was happy with life and had, quite possibly, everything he wanted. Charlie was his, he was happy with where he lived, his mother was happy with Rylee's life and therefore not giving unwanted suggestions; really, Rylee couldn't ask for more. He was able to face Elias with more confidence and less fear. Of course he still felt a little nervous, but it seemed that since Rylee moved into the apartment he had really made progress in controlling his fears.

"It's nice that your family is nearby and you can see them," Rylee tacked on and shifted his weight on his feet. No, he still wasn't entirely comfortable around Elias, but at the very least he felt comfortable enough to meet the man's gaze. There was just something about him that was unnerving.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-17 01:52 am UTC (link)

Both eyebrows went up. A junior curator? That was a surprise. But the kid talked about it with such passion that it was difficult not to admire. For most his age, jobs were jobs -- a means of support, but nothing else. Rylee had apparently chosen to make a career of his, however, and although there was rarely a lot of money in the field he chose, he had a heart for it. That paid far greater rewards than the monetary gain. Elias approved.

Drawing a breath and letting it out, he nodded to Rylee's statement. "It is," he agreed. "I came here because of family. Family is... paramount to me." Clearing his throat, Elias stared over the younger man's shoulder, then pressed his lips together tightly. "I am sorry to mention this," Elias finally said, realizing that there was no simple or easy way to tackle the thing that was troubling him. "But you seem an entirely different person from the one that I met outside Charlie's door."

And he'd seen the same transformation from Ms. Karin Shepherd -- although hers was but for an instant. This place was strange indeed. He left his statement hanging, a question without an inquiry.

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inclinedfear
2011-10-17 02:28 am UTC (link)

"Family is something very important," Rylee replied with a soft smile. He thought of his own family; his father dead and gone, his mother back in Missouri, and Charlie... who was here with him. She was just as much family as his parents.

His attention slipped back to Elias and his smile faded. He paused for a moment, taking in Elias' comment and considered what had changed. Well, for one thing, he was now dating Charlie. That had made every day a bit better and he did feel much more confident. Overall, he was happy. Really happy. Elias didn't seem to be quite as much of a threat anymore. Still, his cheeks showed the faintest tint of a change in color as he nearly slipped back into his more natural character.

"Talking about the black out wasn't one of my favorite topics. I'd rather forget it ever happened," Rylee replied with a more quiet voice that nearly admitted his shyness. He paused for a moment, considering if it all should be out in the open, then realized he didn't care. He felt some excitement in the idea of telling this man who wanted to be a part of Charlie's life what exactly had transpired since their last meeting. "Charlie and I are dating now... I'm pretty happy about that. So maybe that has something to do with my character."

Rylee looked up at Elias and held his gaze in a near challenge for him to openly dislike he and Charlie's relationship. He felt defiant, that he would date who he pleased, and he wasn't quite sure why he felt this way to a man he knew nearly nothing about.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-17 03:26 am UTC (link)

Every ounce of expression slid off Elias' face.

The seconds dragged on in silence after Rylee stopped talking. Elias held the younger man's gaze fiercely - no turning away, no brief and uncomfortable flickering, no compromise. Behind his ice green eyes, Elias was dealing with a staggering amount of fury -- the kind that would make him a fool and turn Rylee into an enemy. Something strong and violent stirred in his chest, and under all of it ran an overwhelming desire to protect Charlie.

Love was rough on its sufferers. He knew this too well. And his instinct about Charlie said that the girl had suffered enough. But then, Elias could also remember how Brigetta empowered him, made him stronger and bolder. And perhaps the change that he went through when he was with her was not unlike the one that he now marked in Rylee. Perhaps they were the same.

In some regards.

In a very small way.

Perhaps.

But if this little whelp thought he was going to use Charlie and throw her away, if he thought he was going to hurt her in any way, Elias had a number of creative methods to revenge the girl on him.

In the thickening silence, Elias heard his knuckles cracking under the pressure of his fists at his sides. The wild desire to couple that sound with the cracking of Rylee's jaw jerked his right fist forward a fraction of an inch before Elias called himself back under control.

This fury made no sense. He had no designs or desire for Charlie. He hardly knew her at all. And, if memory served, Charlie and Rylee had known each other for a very long time. He shouldn't be so concerned, and the anger was misplaced. He couldn't make logical sense of it. Like so many other things he'd felt recently...

At last, he spoke - and when he did, the timbre of his voice had deepened considerably without his command or awareness -- as if someone else were speaking through him, an ancient and unmitigated force:

"Treat her well."

It was an undeniable command.

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inclinedfear
2011-10-17 12:15 pm UTC (link)

Rylee had been trying very hard to remain pleasant and nice. Really. But Elias' final comment caused Rylee's eyebrows to raise. He was telling him to treat Charlie well? He didn't even know the couple. He knew nothing. And for him to make this comment was, in a way, a comment directed to his distrust of Rylee. Surely that was it.

Maybe Charlie was also bringing out the feistiness of Rylee because he was quickly growing angry rather than anxious. Taking a determined step forward, he looked Elias directly in his eyes, his hand gripping the mail Rylee had just picked up.

"I plan on treating her well, Elias," Rylee growled. "In fact, I've treated her as well as I possibly could over the fifteen years we've known one another. I think I know her well enough to keep her happy."

He took another step forward, not intending on starting a physical fight but his anger drove him to make these steps, threatening or not. "And how well do you know her, Elias? Do you know her well enough to judge her choice in boyfriends? I think not. You feel you can meet her then just waltz into her apartment with an assortment of devices to protect her? Then you don't know her at all. She hates when people assume she is weak and I am sure she is a hell of a lot stronger than you'll ever be.

"I have always been there for her. Always. She has been my best friend since we were fourteen. We've experienced nearly everything together. We learned to drive together, we graduated together, she would visit me at my college and stay with us while she was on leave, she came to my college graduation, she was there when I joined the Marines, and we were together in Iraq. I have adored her and have wanted to be with her since I was a teenager. I've never mistreated her and I don't intend to."

Rylee clenched his jaw and took a step back, giving a disapproving shake of his head he lifted the mail in his hand. "Do you even know her birthday is coming up? I have a card from my mother for Charlie. She's like family to my mother and I. She is family. And if you feel that family is paramount than you'll understand how important Charlie is to me."

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the__dark__one
2011-10-18 04:10 am UTC (link)

Throughout the boy's tirade, Elias remained the same stony presence as before -- unmoving and unmovable, still and strong and unyielding. When Rylee stepped up, and then did it again, Elias relinquished no ground in response. Rylee's voice was loud enough now to rebound off the wall behind Elias and back again -- not quite an echo, but something like it. Never once did Elias let his eyes leave the kid. It wasn't wariness that kept him so attentive. It was something far more meaningful.

The kid was right about a great many of the things he snarled. Elias didn't know much about Charlie. He didn't know she was a veteran, didn't know she was an ex-Marine, didn't know that she was celebrating her birthday. And Rylee was right that it was presumptuous of him to have tried to secure Charlie's apartment. So much about Charlie was unknown. But one thing he did know - without understanding - was that she was very important to him. It was disturbing, when he thought about it, or at least it should have been. But where alarm should have lived instead there was a sense of right. He couldn't explain it.

When Rylee stepped back again, when Rylee stopped his speech, Elias stayed silent. He was processing, weighing the words, weighing the actions, weighing everything. The appertaining anger to Rylee's outburst was washed away wholly by the process. Strong and illogical outbreaks of emotion typically made it far easier for him to detach emotionally from the situation and analyze it instead. It had always been the way he handled such things, and he was wholly unaware of how unnerving it seemed. Logic was the highest king in Elias' mind -- or, it had been, until Charlie appeared in his office building.

Charlie. It was Charlie's birthday.

Immediately, Elias flat-out grinned.

"I had no idea," he answered truthfully. Rather than look offended, he actually seemed to be pleased. The pleasure colored the remainder of his analysis. The boy was passionate enough to stand up for Charlie, to defend them to Elias. And that strength was admirable. If he was true to his word, then Charlie was indeed in good hands, and although Elias struggled briefly with the idea of someone else watching after Charlie, he was mollified that it was an ex-Marine. And an old family friend.

This was acceptable.

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inclinedfear
2011-10-18 12:39 pm UTC (link)

Rylee blinked, his jaw growing lax as he stared at Elias. What? After his little outburst, Rylee half expected Elias to yell back, stomp off (a classic Charlie reaction), or at least glower. But to have Elias grinning at him was something that Rylee had most definitely not expected.

The smile had been something Rylee had not been prepared for and in return, he only stood there with a look of brief confusion before he lowered his hand that was containing his mail and slipped his free hand into his dress pants pocket. He observed Elias for a moment with one raised eyebrow before licking his lips and shuffling lightly on his feet. "No idea?" was all Rylee could ask.

Elias had no idea of what? Hopefully that Charlie meant so much to Rylee. Hopefully that he had been misjudging them. Rylee knew very well that he didn't have to explain himself to this man. The man barely knew Rylee or Charlie and the last time Rylee checked, he was an adult and could make decisions for himself, and yet Rylee felt that he had to explain himself to Elias and he needed his approval. Although, even if Elias didn't give his approval it wouldn't stop Rylee from dating Charlie. Come hell or high water, Rylee wasn't going anywhere until Charlie wanted him gone.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-19 03:09 am UTC (link)

"About all of it, son," Elias said -- and almost fondly. Almost. "Especially about how you really felt about her. And that it was her birthday. I don't expect she's one to enjoy a great to-do -- yes? But I'd like to get the day right, at least. When is it?"

The more Elias considered Rylee's previous reaction, the better he liked him for Charlie. The girl was a firecracker and wouldn't do well with a weakling. But Rylee had just shown that, when push came to shove, he was not weak. Perhaps brash. Perhaps too easy to anger. But not weak. An ex-Marine to boot -- perhaps there was true strength in him.

And tenacity. If there were those two things, coupled with sincere caring for Charlie, then... Yes. Yes, Elias was most pleased with this thought. If it bore out, then he would next have to remind Charlie to be kind to the lad.

His lips curved again into that smile that seemed so very strange on his typically stoic face. Charlie probably wouldn't like that, either.

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inclinedfear
2011-10-19 12:03 pm UTC (link)

Rylee blinked again and realized his mouth was hanging open. He paused for a moment, letting silence appear and stretch between the two men, then he let out a short breath and relaxed his shoulders.

"Um, her birthday is on Halloween..." he began cautiously, still waiting for Elias to turn harsh and judgmental. "And no, she doesn't like big to-do's. She's pretty low key with just about everything and she really doesn't like attention placed on her. She'd probably kill me if I ever threw her a surprise birthday party."

Rylee bit at the inside of his cheek, wrinkling his brow momentarily as he looked at Elias. It was still hard to believe Elias had gone from general chilly dislike to openly seeming happy that Rylee and Charlie had become a couple. Elias calling Rylee son had been completely looked over. Not once did he find it strange or even second guess it. "But... yeah... that's pretty much how I feel about her. She's my best friend and I hope she always will be." Despite the strangeness of the current situation, saying this brought a smile to Rylee's lips, he typically found it hard not to smile when talking about Charlie and his feelings for her.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-21 03:28 am UTC (link)

Rylee's surprise was still written on his entire person. All right, Elias could grant him that. It seemed logical enough to Elias that his response would be what it was, but of course Rylee could not have understood the connections that he himself had drawn in his own mind. There was just cause to be pleased -- but Elias opted not to share those reasons. Chances are, Rylee wouldn't quite understand them.

Truth: Elias didn't understand his connection with Charlie, either. But there was one. There was one, and Elias was pretty certain that it wasn't one-sided. He and Charlie were virtual strangers, but Elias knew -- knew -- that the girl tolerated things from Elias that she would never have tolerated from anyone else. And as for himself, he found that the only person who ever drew so much protectiveness out of him before was his own mother (and then, only when she became ill). Charlie was certainly not his mother and decidedly hale and healthy. No, none of their dynamic made logical sense. But his response to Rylee's reaction did.

"October 31st. I may have guessed that. Well, Rylee, I wish you two all the best. If you feel that strongly for her, then it's obvious that you'll do whatever you need to do to keep her happy. I suppose, in love, that's the best we can hope for. But fair warning -- I'll be on her side when you have arguments."

He smirked a bit, only half-joking.

"And so, when will you be taking her out for her birthday? I don't want to interfere, so I'd like to pick a day that won't accidentally run into your plans."

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inclinedfear
2011-10-21 12:43 pm UTC (link)

"Thank you, Elias," Rylee replied with a thankful nod. "Really, it... it means a lot. And I completely understand if you side with her. She's your friend. I have friends here who would likely take my side as well so it's only fair."

Rylee shrugged slightly, taking on his more shy stance once more as the heat of the moment passed. "It seems that whenever she and I plan stuff it goes really wrong. I was just going to celebrate her birthday with her at my apartment, probably in the evening. Get her dinner and give her her present. So... I suppose Halloween is out. At least the late afternoon and evening. But really, she'll kill me if you do anything extravagant. Good intentions or not, she'll kill me."

Rylee tapped his mail into his open palm and thought for a moment before flicking his blue eyes to Elias once more. "I should go, she and I have plans for the evening. Just so you know? Any type of destructive weapon is something she likes...that and food. I think she would be ecstatic if someone were to get her a coupon book for a fast food joint. But... it was nice seeing you, Elias, really."

Once more, Rylee was truthful. The awkward meeting they had at Charlie's apartment was still in Rylee's mind and in comparison, this was a fantastic conversation, the flaring of anger aside. He felt like they were playing for the same team, to make Charlie happy, and that Elias wasn't a threat. This was good, Rylee could handle that.

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the__dark__one
2011-10-22 11:25 pm UTC (link)

"Indeed," he agreed, as Rylee seemed to return to the same boy he met outside Charlie's apartment -- although there was still a confidence under it. Elias hoped that he retained it.

"I won't make a big deal of it," he assured Rylee. In truth, Elias typically did make his gifts rather extravagant -- but now he knew better. "Thanks for the heads up. Have a good night, Rylee, and pass my best to Charlie."

As he stepped away and toward his mailbox, his eyebrows raised and lowered as he thought about how interesting that meeting had just gone. It wasn't often that he changed his mind about someone -- but he was fairly certain he'd just changed his mind about Rylee. Interesting, indeed.

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