Gavin Lucas (viciouscircle) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2017-10-28 02:44:00 |
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Entry tags: | #september 2017, caden, caden x gavin, gavin |
Who: Caden and Gavin
What: grunt
Where: The Back Porch Pub
When: Sunday, September 10th, noon.
Warnings: Just Lucas boys being idiots
Status: Complete
Church hadn't been the same since Father Grady died so for months now Gavin had not really had that peace of mind he usually had after church. He'd always been a little more relaxed after service but he was beginning to think maybe that was a thing of the past. He was as a result no less grumpy than usual when he came back to the bar, barely sparing a word for Roxy and Aaron as he shrugged his coat off and headed to the back. They already had a few customers, the regulars who showed up as soon as they opened, but none of them needed his attention right now. He hung his coat up and nodded at Caden in a semblance of a greeting before grabbing the latest bills off his desk to go through them.
Caden had stopped going to church with his family years ago, so he had no issue whatsoever with being the only one opening up the bar on Sunday mornings. Most God fearing residents tended to do breakfast or lunch after service, so the bar was never that busy save for the alcoholics who wanted to come in and get wasted early before or during whatever football game Caden turned on. It was nice, actually, being alone in the bar for a bit, getting shit done and just enjoying the quiet. The bar would get busier as the afternoon wore on, and once Aaron showed up, Caden slipped into the back to get a final tally for their inventory order.
He looked up from the spreadsheet on the computer screen when Gavin entered the room, and Caden leaned back in his chair, lifting his arms in a stretch as he grinned. "You look like shit," he said. "Guess you weren't feelin' His Holy Spirit move through you today?"
Gavin groaned at that, tilting his head back in obvious frustration. "I got a feeling the holy spirit is nowhere near this shithole anymore," he muttered because although he was being an ass, Caden wasn't wrong. Gavin was a man of faith but that faith was getting harder and harder to cling to with every year that went by. If God had a plan then Gavin's part in that plan was - at least so far - an intensely shitty one. He left it at that and went about tearing open envelopes, fully expecting bad news whether it was prices going up or something vital going wrong somehow.
Caden was quite convinced the Holy Spirit had never been around this shithole. The Holy Spirit was Not Real. He could understand why Aaron continued to go to church. Aaron had nothing but echoes between his ears. If someone told him God was watching, and he needed to waste his mornings kneeling and standing and kneeling again to avoid the Pit, Aaron would believe them. But Gavin... Gavin had a brain, at least. Caden couldn't comprehend why his older brother continued to buy into the bullshit. "So stop going," Caden said simply, lowering his arms again and returning to the inventory spreadsheet. "If the Holy Spirit's abandoned you, why torture yourself? Can't be for communion because you can drink plenty of Christ's blood here if you feel so inclined."
"Show some respect," Gavin muttered though he doubted Caden was physically capable of doing that with anyone or anything. That was just what his little brother was like and hell if he hadn't always been that way. "Ain't nothing holy about our alcohol or this place." He meant the pub of course but it went for the whole town. Father Grady had always managed to make the church feel like a light in the dark and maybe, despite his age, James would accomplish that too. Gavin's faith had very little to do with logic and everything to do with hope. He had seen so much darkness in the world, he needed there to be light too - even if it didn't quite reach him.
That prompted Caden to look at Gavin again, his brows raised as he blinked in amused surprise. "Show some respect," he repeated, the chair squeaking as Caden turned in it to fully face his brother. "People can find God in our alcohol, if they drink enough," he said. "And I guarantee you it's a hell of a lot more fun than sitting in a stuffy church surrounded by judgmental assholes pretending to feel a certain way and livin' the opposite. How does it feel, praying for salvation then comin' here to take money from people looking to self medicate with our alcohol?" He folded his arms against his chest. "You think Father O'Shea'll come bless this place? Might make it more respectful for the Man above."
"Yappity yap," Gavin grunted. "You talk more than a woman and make even less sense." He finally looked up to meet his brother's glare, cocking a brow at him. It felt like Caden was fishing for a fight and Gavin was, as usual, not in the mood to deal with that shit. "Do you even remember what the inside of a church looks like?" He knew Caden was half right but he didn't go to the church for the other assholes there, he went for himself, for God, for any semblance of peace he could find and of course Caden wouldn't understand that. He never had.
Caden barked out a laugh, his head falling back against the chair for a moment. "Shit, Gav, scholars don't make any sense to you either." He grinned, not at all minding if Gavin thought he was itching for a fight. He wasn't. He just didn't understand why his brothers continued to cling to some man-made myth in an effort to feel better about their lives. "No, I don't remember what the inside of a church looks like," Caden said, lifting his hands toward the ceiling as if in praise. "Halle-fucking-lujah." He shifted back to the computer then, determined to get shit done before they drove each other crazy. "Get yourself a good woman, brother. Someone sweet who cooks you dinner and fucks your brains out. That'll be the closest to heaven you're gonna get."
Gavin snorted at that. Like he needed another damn woman screwing up his life more than Olivia already had. No, Gavin didn't really trust women and he didn't think he had any reason to change his mind on that. The only female individuals present in his life that he really cared about were his daughter and his little sister and even those two came with their own baggage. Roxy tried to be family but she wasn't and she really needed to get that through her skull.
"That why you're so damn happy all the time?" he said sarcastically since Caden had that very thing he was recommending and he still had a fuckton of issues to wade through.
"Just a couple reasons," Caden shot back. "I also get to sleep in on Sunday mornings." He knew he had issues, just as much as Gavin and even Aaron had, but he wasn't trying to bury them every Sunday under some false pretense of hope and faith. Which, now that they were on the subject... Caden looked up at Gavin. "Roxy told me you kicked her out of your place the other day when she tried to bring you some food." She hadn't phrased it exactly like that, but that was the gist of it, in Caden's mind. "What the fuck's wrong with you?"
Gavin looked up with a confused expression mixed with annoyance. "She what now?" he said, his expression only deepening. That was not what had happened at all but leave it to women to get things all mixed up. "I didn't kick her out," he added with a resigned sigh, tossing the remaining letters on his desk to deal with later. It was early, but he needed a drink. This Sunday, like the many Sundays before it, was not giving him any peace of mind.
"No? Think she's got a different perspective, then. What happened?" Caden figured he'd probably get the truth from Gavin, if Roxy had been lying, or fudging the truth a bit to keep him from getting any angrier. He supposed it didn't really matter now, since she agreed to stay away from Gavin's place, but Caden was a sucker for punishment, and he wanted to make sure their stories lined up. This whole 'he said, she said' bullshit got on his last nerve and just sparked his paranoia that something else was going on.
"I didn't kick her out is what happened," Gavin replied with a bit of exasperation. He would have asked Caden to tell Roxy to stop coming around if he thought she'd listen but hell if he wanted to get into all that with Caden. "She left in a huff though, who knows what's going on in her head. You know how they get, always reading shit into situations."
Well, that much was true, and Caden couldn't disagree with his brother there. Caden ran a hand over his short hair and sighed. "Yeah, well, she seemed pissed. Try to be nicer to her," he said with a shrug. Preferably Gavin and Roxy wouldn't talk at all, ever, but Caden knew that wasn't possible. Roxy wasn't going anywhere, and they also worked together. While there was no reason for Roxy to ever visit Gavin's without Caden, they could at least be civil to one another at work, or in passing. "And say thank you when she brings you food," Caden added, shooting Gavin a look. "She cooks a hell of a lot better than you do. Let your kids enjoy something edible for once when they visit."
Gavin felt some frustration building at that. Roxy was pissed? He hadn't been unreasonable at all, he'd thanked her too, hadn't he? He was pretty sure he had. If he was anything like his younger brother he'd be cursing up a storm by now but he swallowed it down and grunted wordlessly as he headed out front to get himself a beer. He popped the bottle open by the bar before he returned to the back and sat down at his desk. Their dad was already out front, the bar wasn't busy enough to avoid a conversation with him and so Gavin preferred Caden's company. "It ain't normal, Caden," he said after having a lot of time to think about it. "Ollie never brought you food, did she?" Not that Olivia had been much of a cook but she had her moments.
Caden watched Gavin disappear through the front and shook his head before he went back to work. He had finished the soda inventory order by the time Gavin returned. He didn't really expect Gavin to continue the conversation. His brother generally had to be pulled kicking and screaming into any kind of discussion, especially one about women. Caden didn't answer right away, but tapped away at the computer for another moment before he turned to look at Gavin. He hated that he still called his ex-wife Ollie. It was a nickname, and most nicknames held affection. As far as Caden was concerned, Olivia could go fuck herself. The only good thing to come out of that woman was those two kids. "Nah, she never brought me food. Don't think she liked me much," Caden said with a soft smirk. "If she tried bringing me food, I would have started to think she wanted my dick." Which... was why he wasn't fond of Roxy doing the same for Gavin. "But," he continued, "Roxy grew up in a family where they fed each other. It's how they show love or some shit like that. She probably figures you don't cook for yourself much."
Caden was right about Olivia, she had never liked Caden but then she didn't really like many people in the first place. He huffed with amused annoyance at what Caden said because that was exactly what he was talking about. People would start thinking Roxy 'wanted his dick' as Caden so eloquently put it. She was showing love to the wrong Lucas brother with her cooking. "She can drop it off at the bar," he said dismissively. "If she can't stop cooking for me." The funny thing was he didn't really want her to stop, she was a great cook and it was nice to get home cooked meals on the regular. He just didn't want her to come to the house by herself, that was all. He thought that was pretty reasonable too.
Caden shrugged a shoulder, though he was satisfied that Gavin seemed to come to the same conclusion as Caden had. It helped validate his feelings. If Gavin agreed Roxy shouldn't be dropping off food at his house, then she shouldn't. "I asked her to do that instead," Caden said. "She seemed alright with it after she pouted for a bit. "Or maybe she'll just stop cookin' for you, if she thinks you don't appreciate it." Which Caden was also okay with. Gavin was a big boy who could take care of himself. Or should be able to take care of himself. Caden wasn't always sure.
"Yeah, you never know," Gavin sighed because of course Roxy had pouted but that might be a step up from being pissed. Pouty was easier to ignore. "I doubt she'd bother if it wasn't for the kids," he added. "Does she cook for Aaron?" Aaron definitely needed someone to look after him, far more so than Gavin did. Their little brother was a mess who needed a Responsibility for Dummies manual for life and probably still couldn't grapple it even if he had one. Now that boy could do with some home cooked meals and then some.
Caden cocked a brow at the mention of Aaron. He snorted softly. "Yeah, of course she does. But that's 'cause Aaron just happens to show up when we're about to eat dinner. I don't know that she's ever taken him food, though. Why bother when he invites himself over all the damn time? That asshole needs a girlfriend." Aaron's girlfriends never lasted very long. Either they realized they couldn't fix him, or he couldn't keep his dick in his pants and they dumped his ass. But it was nice for the rest of the family when he had a female distraction because then he wasn't so dependent on everyone else. "Maybe Rox just figures you won't admit if you need some help. Not saying you do," Caden added with a shrug. "But she's a woman. I don't pretend to know how the fuck they think."
It was things like this that made Gavin glad he didn't live in Seaview Village like his brothers. He loved those assholes, sure, but he also liked his peace and quiet. Having Aaron over all the damn time was not something that sounded appealing, he already saw enough of him at work. "I don't know either," he sighed. Unlike his brothers, he hadn't been with many women and Olivia had been manipulative and crazy so she wasn't the best example. "It's the hormones, drives them a little batty," he added although 'a lot' was probably more accurate. "You never know what's gonna set them off."
Caden lifted his brows in agreement as he finished up the inventory. "Well, you not bein' appreciative of her cookin' set her off," Caden said, grinning with amusement now as he glanced at Gavin. "Careful around Roxy. She's got a temper." And yes, he was well aware of how that was the epitome of him calling the kettle black, but it was the truth. Gavin couldn't handle a woman like Roxy, Caden knew that to be certain. "Even the sweet ones, man... they've all got claws. You just have to know how to maneuver around them." Unfortunately, Gavin hadn't been able to, and now he was stuck with two kids and a crazy ex.
Gavin groaned quietly. He had been too young and too stoned to maneuver around Olivia, too trusting too. She had been fun and they had been close. He had confided in her about things he didn't normally talk about and she had understood and related. He wasn't sure he could have 'maneuvered' around her even if he hadn't been stoned and traumatized at the time. And then she got pregnant and to this day he still didn't really want to consider how that happened even if everyone knew she'd gone about it behind his back. It was hard to think that his little girl would one day be a crazy hormonal monster of a woman just like her mother, just like every other woman. She was so sweet and smart now while her big brother was every bit as crazy as the rest of the family. It was a damn good thing that Caden had had a vasectomy. They really didn't need more Lucases in the world. "You tell your crazy girlfriend that I do appreciate her cooking," he muttered though he wasn't sure how to tell Roxy 'kindly' that he didn't appreciate her hanging around his house.
He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, Gav, I’ll let her know. She’ll be thrilled.” Honestly, it had been such a pain in the ass that Caden wasn’t sure if Roxy would ever bring leftovers around to Gavin again. If the kids needed to eat, fuck, Caden would order them a pizza if his big brother didn’t know how to do it. “How’re things at home, anyway? You been seeing the kids a lot?” Gavin didn’t talk about Caden’s niece or nephew often, but that was okay. Caden didn’t know the first thing about his niece, just because she was so young and he barely knew how to navigate around his own baby sister, who was now a young woman. Caden got on well with Jasper, and his nephew came around Caden’s often enough to smoke or have a beer. Not that Caden mentioned that much to Gavin. Jasper was still only eighteen, after all.
"They drop by from time to time," Gavin replied and he honestly wasn't sure how to navigate around his little girl either. She was smart and headstrong and caring - like an alien creature he was somehow responsible for. He'd always been awkward around his little sister and now his own daughter put most of the work into maintaining a relationship between them. At least Jasper made sense to him, even if it was in an uncomfortably familiar way. Amelia was just... strange. "Amelia wants a big family thing on Thanksgiving," he added. "She's as bad as Roxy, wanting to take care of everyone." Except his girl would probably grow out of it.
Caden wasn't sure he liked the sound of a 'big family thing' on Thanksgiving. What did that even mean? Gavin and Olivia under the same roof, sharing a meal? Caden's parents? Caden? He wasn't big on family holidays, for obvious reasons. Thanksgiving, especially, seemed to disintegrate into arguments, and the occasional punch being thrown, once enough beer had been consumed. "That doesn't sound like my idea of a good time," Caden said. "But hey, at least your kid hasn't become her mother yet. You're gonna have your hands full if that ever happens." It seemed pretty inevitable, but hey, there was always a sliver of hope there that Amelia might be smarter than the rest of them and get the fuck out when she could.
It didn't sound like a good idea to Gavin either and he winced at Caden's words since they were pretty much echoing his own thoughts for once. "I don't know," he muttered though he'd considered maybe doing a thing with his brothers and Roxy, just to indulge his daughter. It would be painful no matter who showed up. "I guess she just wants to be with you and Roxy, Aaron, Jasper." Even without their parents, it would be a miserable affair. If Amelia wanted a happy family dinner she'd be better off just eating with Aaron and Roxy. Which would be Weird. "Hell, maybe her grandma." He sighed at that and scratched his head. Holidays were hellscapes he wanted to avoid.
"Do we have to figure it out right now?" Caden asked with a sigh. "It's fucking September. We got two months until holiday shit." He supposed if it was just the five of them, he could tolerate it. Adding his mom into the mix was pushing it, but it was better than including their old man. Then again, he doubted his mom would do anything without him. "Inventory order is done. It'll be here Wednesday morning. I'll get Aaron in here to unload everything." Physical labor was more or less all their brother was really good for if they wanted shit to run smoothly. Caden stood from the desk. "Since you're here, I'm going to go out and get a coffee."
It was fucking September and Gavin knew it was stupidly early to be planning anything at all, but Amelia liked planning and he didn't like saying no to her. If he said yes now and then didn't follow through she would never forget it. "Get out of here," he muttered, not adverse to a little peace and quiet with Caden gone. If Aaron didn't come back there to ramble at him anyway.