Who: Andrew Kirke & Evan Potter. What: Evan is Andrew's Designated Apparater. Where: Outside a muggle bar, then home. When: Monday 5th December, evening.
Monday evenings were Evan’s debating evenings. They started at six, doing some speaker training, going onto members’ motions and then concluding with a debate proper. Evan liked that it gave him a structure to his Monday evenings, but mostly, he just enjoyed that he got to argue about politics and social affairs and a variety of other things, whether in proposition or opposition of a motion. It was great fun and whilst Evan did find quite a few of the people there utter twats, he had to admit that they could argue well. Usually, after the meetings, Evan went to the pub, where mostly it was just more arguing but drunken. Today, though, Evan had said he couldn’t go, because reasons. Evan’s reasons were the fact that he didn’t want to accidentally drink too much to apparate, since he was Andrew’s designated apparator. It was much easier to just go home and read whilst Andrew sent him a message.
Evan had expected to probably fall asleep before that happened, so he’d set a spell on his journal to ping loudly when a ward came through. What Evan hadn’t quite expected was for that ping to go off whilst he was still sat in the living room with a mug of tea and a book at eleven pm. The ward, or as much as Evan could gather from it, involved some level of ‘drunk’ and ‘thanks’ and maybe a drawing of a cat, but Evan wasn’t quite sure. He was rather glad he had asked Andrew for what pub they were going to before they had gone out.
Apparating to a park nearby (because parks were pretty good Muggle places to apparate to), it didn’t take Evan long to reach the pub, smiling when he spotted Andrew waiting outside. He couldn’t spot Byron and Elise, so presumably they’d already gone home or were still inside. Either way, Evan assumed they had other means of getting home. “Hey,” Evan greeted, pressing a kiss against Andrew’s lips once he reached him, before scrunching his nose up. “You taste like purple,” he informed Andrew.
--
Byron had offered to wait with Andrew until Evan arrived, but as Elise had proceeded to complain about feeling dizzy, Andrew had waved them both away with thanks and goodbyes. Leaning against a wall to wait for Evan, Andrew unbuttoned his jacket. The warming charms had been just right on it when he left the house, but now it felt sweltering. The breeze blowing outside the pub didn’t even feel cold. He grinned when he saw a figure approaching, waving enthusiastically even before he was close enough to be sure it was Evan.
“Hey,” he said, stepping away from the wall and swaying slightly before leaning against Evan instead. He grinned when Evan announced he tasted like purple. “How many stars do you give me?” he asked. Presumably, if he tasted purple it was because of one of the cocktails (even though none of them had been purple). It only seemed fair that Evan have to rate it too. “D’you want to come in?” he asked, gesturing to the pub. “They do a cocktail called Bad Luck, and it’s red.” He ran a hand down Evan’s arm, linking their fingers without actually moving away from where he was using Evan as an impromptu support. “Did you like my drawing?” he added.
--
“Fifteen and one quarter,” Evan replied almost automatically, not quite sure out of how many stars he was to rate Andrew’s purpleness, but figuring that fifteen and a quarter was probably about right on whatever scale. When Andrew asked if Evan wanted to come in, in the same breath informing him there were red cocktails, Evan laughed, giving a shake of his head. “No, I think we should probably go home instead,” he assured Andrew, pulling him in closer. “You’re very warm,” Evan commented, sliding his hand under Andrew’s jacket and around to press his palm against Andrew’s back, before offering another kiss.
Taking a step back, Evan grinned. “Yes, a masterpiece,” he confirmed when Andrew asked if he had liked the drawing that may or may not have been of a cat. “I’ll make sure to pin it on the fridge with some magnets,” he assured with some amusement, reaching down to take Andrew’s hand so he could start leading them towards the park, where apparation would be safe from Muggle eyes.
--
Beaming at the high rating - a whole five a quarter stars more than there were - Andrew was easily lead away from the pub by Evan. “Okay,” he agreed. “Home.” The prospect of home, either of their homes, and Evan was just as tempting as going back into the pub to drink more. Maybe more tempting. “I feel warm,” he agreed. “S’nice. Cosy.” He let Evan lead the way towards the park, looking up at the night sky. There weren’t many stars to see, not in the middle of a city throwing up loads of light pollution. “I give you all the stars,” he commented, squeezing Evan’s hand. Evan was much better than any of the cocktails, and Andrew had given those stars out of ten - Evan deserved loads more.
“How?” Andrew asked, frowning. “If you rip it out of your journal, will it disappear?” Andrew couldn’t remember whether he’d intended to ward the journal to Evan, or if he had even tried, let alone whether or not he’d succeeded. “Which fridge?” Not that it really mattered, but Aisling would probably find it more amusing than Ron would. “How was arguing with people?” he added, since that’s what Evan had been doing all evening.
--
Evan gave a soft laugh and squeezed Andrew’s hand when Andrew told him that he could have all the stars. “Thank you,” he offered with amusement, pulling Andrew in closer so he could press a quick kiss against his cheek as they walked. “I think I can probably spell it to be copied,” Evan commented when Andrew asked how he’d get the drawing out of the journal. Evan was sure it couldn’t be that difficult, though, perhaps Andrew was right in that it run the risk of disappearing if Evan didn’t make sure to spell it first. It would be a great shame to lose Andrew’s drawing of maybe-cat. “My fridge?” Evan added slightly less sure. He hadn’t really thought of his or Andrew’s, and rather their, which was silly because they didn’t share a fridge.
“Arguing with people was lots of fun,” Evan told Andrew with another grin. “How was drinking with your brother and sister?” He asked as they entered the park. Andrew didn’t seem very distressed, if anything, he mostly just seemed a bit drunk and rather chatty, neither of which Evan felt were problematic right now. Quite adorable, really.
--
Andrew nodded. They could copy the drawing - or Evan could, because Andrew wasn’t sure he could remember the spell for that. He used it all the time, of course, to copy sheet music for the band and for his students, but right now he just could not remember how it worked. “Or I could just draw you another one,” he offered, “on proper paper.” He wasn’t sleepy. It was still early. Andrew frowned. “Do you want to get a drink before we go home?” he asked, forgetting that Evan had already responded to such a query.
“It was good, I think,” Andrew said. He pressed himself more closely against Evan, seeking neither warmth nor support but just wanting to be close. “They’re so nice.” It should be a good thing, of course, but Andrew didn’t know what to say when Byron and Elise were nice to him. “Am I nice?” Andrew asked. He thought he was. He’d never doubted it before, and he didn’t really doubt it now - he just didn’t have anything as nice and supportive and sensitive to say as Byron and Elise.
--
“You could draw me another one,” Evan confirmed with a nod, happily pulling Andrew in closer when he leaned in. “We can pin all your drawings of maybe-cats on the fridge,” he assured with amusement. When Andrew (again) asked if Evan wanted to get a drink before they went home, Evan shook his head. “No,” he replied. “But there’s some beer at home if you want that,” he informed Andrew as they walked towards one of the darker parts of the park, where it’d be safe to apparate home. “And I can have tea,” Evan added with a small smirk.
He was glad when Andrew confirmed what he had presumed - that the evening had gone well. As for Elise and Byron being nice, Evan gave a soft laugh. He didn’t know Byron but Elise had always seemed nice enough. He wasn’t quite sure how Andrew was quantifying nice there. “I think you’re nice,” Evan replied, the only opinion he could really provide.
Looking around and deciding that they were safe enough to apparate, Evan pulled out his wand, drawing in Andrew’s closer so the transportation would be easier and safer, with a quick pop, they went from standing in the park to standing in Evan’s living room. After pressing a quick kiss against Andrew’s lips, Evan took a step back. “Do you want a beer, then?” He asked before frowning slightly. “Will mixing it with purple make you feel ill?” Because Evan certainly wanted to avoid that.
--
“Cats?” Andrew asked, first baffled and then crestfallen. “You thought it was a cat?” He pouted, though his feelings were assuaged by how close Evan drew him to apparate. “It was a guitar,” he said, just as Evan transported them to his flat. The apparition made his stomach feel like it was flying out of his body, first to one side and then the other. He shuddered when Evan mentioned the combination of beer and purple. “No,” he said firmly, taking a step away from Evan just in case he was about to be sick.
He collapsed onto the nearby couch, rubbing a hand against his sternum. “Do you think I’m nice enough to Byron and Elise?” he asked, returning to the previous subject. He knew he wasn’t unpleasant to them, or at least he’d tried very hard not to be since his initial feelings had blown over. Still, he didn’t know if he was nice enough. He didn’t think he was as nice as they were, but he didn’t know what to do about it. He closed his eyes, tipping his head back against the back of the chair. “I said they could come to the cottage one day we’re there,” he told Evan. “If it’s okay with you. But I don’t know if they want to.”
--
Thankfully, the apparating ensured that Evan didn’t have to assure Andrew that his guitar (maybe-cat) was very beautiful, even if rather feline looking. When Andrew told him he didn’t want a beer and collapsed on the sofa, Evan nodded, heading for the kitchen to make himself some tea. Whilst the kettle boiled, Evan got Andrew a pint glass of water, bringing it over and leaning down to press a quick kiss against Andrew’s forehead. “I think you’re nice enough to Byron and Elise,” he told Andrew, taking a seat next to him on the sofa, reaching out to run his hand over Andrew’s shoulder and towards his neck, fingertips brushing lightly against the skin there.
“They could definitely come to the cottage one day we’re there,” Evan confirmed before smiling. “It’d be nice. We can have Christmassy food,” by which Evan mostly meant food that was shaped like Christmas. Fingers making small patterns against Andrew’s skin, Evan watched him carefully for a moment. “What makes you wonder whether you’re nice enough?” He asked. “Is it just in comparison?” Because Evan really did think Andrew was nice to Byron and Elise. A bit awkward at times, but Evan had come to learn that there were just things that made Andrew awkward and sometimes, even if Evan saw no reason for it, it took Andrew a lot of effort to get over that awkwardness. He was now better with Lily, but that had been a rather long battle in itself.
--
Andrew took the offered glass of water gratefully, sipping it slowly so he wouldn’t risk throwing up everywhere. Even while he sipped, he leaned into the gentle brushes of Evan’s fingertips. “Good,” he said softly. He trusted Evan’s opinion. Evan might be a little bit biased where Andrew was concerned, but he also would tell, and had told, Andrew if he thought he was being unfriendly. Andrew appreciated that more than he would have expected, because it meant he knew that when Evan said he was doing an okay job, he really meant it. He rested his glass against his thigh and let himself relax as Evan continued to touch him. “You help.” It was about as eloquent as Andrew was able to be just then.
“I said you’d probably be okay with it,” Andrew admitted. The way Evan had talked about the cottage, as a private and romantic and sex-filled place for the two of them, he hadn’t been completely sure, but he’d known Evan also wanted Andrew to be closer to Byron and Elise. “I don’t know. I think Elise might not want to.” He couldn’t quite remember what she’d said to give him that impression, if anything at all. “Byron thinks -” Andrew stopped, frowning. Evan and Elise were friends. Andrew didn’t want to get in the way of that. “Who’s in charge of Christmas food?” he asked, smiling. “I tried to do a proper roast once. That potatoes weren’t ready for hours.”
He hummed in agreement. It was the comparison that made him question it. “Byron’s so nice,” he repeated. “And Elise, you know.” He turned his head a little so Evan’s fingers could explore the back of his neck more. “She doesn’t have to ‘make up for’ mum. I don’t know what to say when she -”
--
The smile that appeared on Evan’s lips was instant and bright at Andrew’s words about how Evan helped. He was glad. Evan tried very hard to be helpful and was sure that he failed more often than not, so to have Andrew assure him that he was helping, or did help, that felt really nice. “I’m glad,” Evan told him, voicing his thoughts. Then, as Andrew went on to explain, Evan nodded, listening. “We’ll get some from Marks and Spencer’s and just claim we made it,” he assured Andrew when the question regarding actual food preparation arose. “I hear that’s quite an adult thing to do, too,” he teased lightly.
“What did Byron think?” Evan asked after Andrew told him that Byron was nice, going back to Andrew’s half-said comment before the Christmas food. Then when Andrew said that Elise didn’t have to make up for Andrew’s mum, Evan sighed softly. “Perhaps she’s trying to make up for your dad instead?” He offered gently. “It’s probably easier for them,” Evan suggested. “They have each other and they’re already half-siblings, so they--” There Evan gave a small shrug. “They know how to sibling,” he concluded. “I think,” Evan said shuffling closer to Andrew, so he could press a soft kiss against Andrew’s jaw, resting his head on Andrew’s shoulder after. “That maybe you’re just scared? Like how you were scared about love?” It made sense to Evan, the way Andrew was so careful about the right thing to say and the right thing to do when it came to Elise and Byron. “And you’re no longer scared about that,” he offered, unsure if that’d help, but hoping that it might.
--
The suggestion that neither of them had to work an oven (or, in Evan’s case, a hob) was a welcome one, and Andrew nodded happily in agreement. “Good plan. I hope they’ll come.” As awkward as he felt, Andrew did want to be nice, and hosting something for Elise and Byron for Christmas felt like it would be showing that he was trying. Even if Evan had to help quite a lot, probably. He opened his eyes and shifted so he could press a kiss against Evan’s lips. “We won’t tell them about all the sex,” he said. Though, if Evan really wanted to talk about their sex life to Byron and Elise, Andrew was a lot more comfortable with that than with him talking about it to Lily.
Waving away the question about Byron, Andrew focused on Evan’s thoughts on Elise. “She doesn’t have to make up for anyone,” he insisted. “She’s just her. She didn’t do anything.” And Andrew didn’t know how to react when she tried. He didn’t want her pity, which is what it had felt like tonight, talking about his mum. “I wish he’d just shut up,” Andrew added, quietly as Evan came to rest against his shoulder. He didn’t mean Byron - obviously, he doubted anyone had ever wanted Byron to shut up - but rather Douglas. He’d already complicated Andrew’s life by having a wife and a child Andrew had never known about. Why did he have to go and talk to them about Fiona as well? “Am I supposed to make up for things too?” The thought of being expected to make up for his dad only made Andrew crosser.
Evan’s voice as he continued to offer his opinions was soothing, though, and Andrew let his eyes fall closed again. Was he scared? He wasn’t afraid Byron and Elise would stop being his siblings, because whether they wanted to talk to him or not they’d still exist now that he knew about them. “Maybe,” he said. He wasn’t sure what, exactly, he was scared of. That he’d disappoint them? That he wouldn’t be any good at being a sibling? That they, too, would eventually realise he wasn’t worth bothering with. But Evan was right, Andrew had stopped being scared of loving Evan, and it had felt wonderful. “I’m not supposed to be scared,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “Do you think I’ll just stop?”
--
“I’m sure they will,” Evan assured, not really seeing why Byron and Elise wouldn’t come. Andrew’s specification that they wouldn’t tell his siblings about all the sex, made Evan laugh. “For as long as there is all the sex not to tell about,” he teased, not very seriously, since Evan truly wasn’t sure what kind of situation would lead them to not want to have all the sex.
Then, when the conversation returned to Elise and Andrew, Evan made a soft sound which he hoped sounded sympathetic. It would be lying to say that he completely got where Andrew was coming from, because Evan had no idea how he possibly could. But that didn’t mean that he didn’t want Andrew to feel better about the situation. At the question of whether Andrew, too, was expected to make up for things, Evan shook his head. “No,” he told Andrew confidently. “She just feels bad,” Evan said because he did believe that. “You’re clearly lovely and someone worth knowing and Elise probably just feels bad that your dad got to know her but didn’t do the same for you,” he explained.
As for Andrew and being scared, Evan shrugged. “Is there really a ‘supposed’ and ‘not supposed’?” He asked gently, tilting his head so he could look at Andrew better. “Yeah,” he added with a small nod. “I think it will stop,” Evan told Andrew truthfully. “It’s just making new friends, really, isn’t it?” If anything, Evan imagined that this was easier than growing up with siblings you didn’t get on with.
--
“I’m not sure Elise wants to,” Andrew said, tucking his head against Evan’s and inhaling softly. Andrew still felt warm, and Evan was warm too, but that was no reason not to be close. “And I don’t know if Byron would come if she didn’t.” He could see them without Evan, of course, but he wanted to see them with Evan as well. “You’re great,” he said. “Maybe I could invite them to the Quake Christmas. That’d be less couple-y.” He managed a smirk when Evan insisted there needed to be all the sex. “Of course,” he agreed. “Just not in front of families. ‘Cept Jim.” Because, frankly, there was little avoiding having sex in front of Jim when he could appear in a room whenever he wanted without warning. “Maybe they’ll like Jim.”
When Evan said nice things, about what Andrew deserved, it was much easier to deal with, because Andrew could just nuzzle against him, and press kisses into his hair and that was all the response Evan needed. Andrew definitely couldn’t do that with Elise. Or Byron. “I like when you’re nice,” Andrew said. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t like it when Byron and Elise did it, except that it made him feel strange and awkward. Right now, he didn’t know how to figure it out.
Andrew pouted a little when Evan tilted his head away. “It feels more difficult,” he said, honestly. Making friends with Elise would have been easy, without this. Byron might have been trickier, since he didn’t talk. Andrew yawned into Evan’s shoulder, body relaxing. Then he felt a flood of cold water against his jeans. “Shit.” He tried to jump up, and wobbled before dramatically falling back down. He’d forgotten he was holding a mostly-full glass of water until it was too late.
--
It wasn’t that Evan didn’t believe Andrew when he said that he didn’t think that Elise wanted to--something. Spend time with Andrew? Spend time with Evan? He wasn’t sure, but whichever it was, Evan was quite sure Andrew was wrong. Elise had never been anything but lovely to Evan and from the impression he got, she’d never been anything but lovely to Andrew either. Still, Evan didn’t doubt that Andrew believed what he said. “Are we very couple-y?” Evan asked instead, turning his head up so he could press a kiss against Andrew’s skin as if that would somehow illustrate the lack of couple-y-ness. Apart from the very obvious right now, Evan wasn’t sure they were terribly couple-y. Not when there were other people around, anyway. It was different with just the two of them. The suggestion that Andrew’s siblings might like Jim made Evan grin. “How could anyone not like Jim?” He asked teasingly since both of them knew the answer of that.
Evan also smiled at the assurance that he was nice but before he could tell Andrew as much, or point out that Andrew had found the whole thing between them quite difficult, too (or at least the love bit), Andrew proceeded to pour water over himself. “You’re a very clumsy drunk,” Evan informed him with a smirk, standing up and pulling out his wand to cast a quick drying charm on Andrew’s trousers. “Do you need me to put you to bed? Ensure you’re not a health hazard to yourself or your trousers?” He added amused.
--
Andrew shrugged. Evidently they were coupley enough that it was a problem - a small problem, perhaps - but Andrew wasn’t about to stop. “I always want you to come to things,” he pointed out. This was not strictly true, Andrew had no problem going out for one-on-one drinks or dinners or shopping adventures with his friends without Evan, but he did often find himself wanting to invite Evan to fun Quake things, and he always wanted Evan there when things were likely to be emotionally challenging.
The cold water had been somewhat of a shock to the system, but Andrew had still been fumbling for his own wand when Evan successfully dried the water chilling Andrew’s skin. He pouted up at Evan in what he hoped was an appealing way. If there was any time it was acceptable to be clumsy, surely it was now? But then Evan mentioned bed, and Andrew yawned again, managing to cover it with his hand this time. “Only if you come to bed with me,” he said.
--
“Yeah, I think, I can probably manage that,” Evan commented, biting his lip not to laugh at Andrew. Reaching out, Evan took Andrew’s hand, leading him towards the bedroom, turning the lights off in their wake with a flick of his wand. Once in the bedroom, Evan pulled Andrew in closer to kiss him. “You going to need help getting undressed?” He asked, this time not attempting to hide his smile as he took a step back, in order to kick his own shoes off. Once he’d pulled his own shirt off, Evan took a step back in closer, to tug on the bottom of Andrew’s shirt.
Evan did pull Andrew’s shirt off, pressing another kiss against his lips, hands sliding over Andrew’s now-bare sides. “You’re still very warm,” Evan informed Andrew, wondering if he should open a window, but opting for staying close instead, at least momentarily.
--
Andrew probably could have got undressed himself, but he wasn’t about to complain if Evan was offering. He lifted his arms to help, the settled his hands on Evan’s back as he came closer. He hummed an agreement that he was warm, too busy pressing kisses to Evan’s shoulder to reply more thoroughly. His hands were less graceful than Evan’s, but he enjoyed the feeling of Evan’s skin just as much as he did in more sober moments. He fumbled over the button of Evan’s jeans, fingers struggling to find the buttonhole. He tugged impatiently, then gave up and worked the zip down instead - which did very little to further his goal of getting the trousers off when they were still firmly buttoned around Evan’s waist.
“Stupid clothes,” Andrew muttered, moving his hands round to Evan’s arse. His wand was… somewhere, he honestly had no idea where. If he could have found it, he could have tried to alohamora the button. “Can I unlock jeans?” he asked, suddenly not sure that would be useful even if he could locate his wand.
--
Evan leaned into Andrew’s touch, shifting slightly when Andrew tried to undo his trousers and giving a small laugh at the ensuing failure. “No, you definitely cannot unlock jeans,” Evan informed him reaching down to unbutton his trousers, before then doing the same to Andrew’s since Evan doubted he’d be terribly more successful with his own. “No drunken magic near anyone’s genitals for you,” Evan said, pulling Andrew in closer as he ran his hands over Andrew’s back and down under the material of his jeans and over his arse, pushing the trousers off easily.
Walking them both towards the bed, Evan pushed Andrew so he’d land on his back, before pulling his trousers off properly, following that with kicking off his own jeans and crawling on top of Andrew. “Are you too drunk for sex?” Evan asked, leaning in to trail some kisses over Andrew’s neck, licking against Andrew’s jawbone.
--
The bed was soft, and Andrew moaned happily as Evan crawled on top of him. “No such thing,” he assured Evan, sliding his hands over his shoulders and pulling him closer, kissing Evan with more enthusiasm than agility. “Still taste purple?” he asked, between kisses. Evan tasted of tea, which was basically normal.
For all his enthusiasm, which was great, his hands seemed to move slower than he wanted, and keeping his eyes open was more of a struggle than it should be. He was just so warm, and content. He stroked Evan’s sides lazily, rocking up against him so slowly that it barely generated friction. It still felt nice, albeit more for closeness than anything else. “Love you,” he muttered into Evan’s cheek.