3.31.08 Monday Who: Duncan and Adora Where: Duncan's apt When: Monday evening What: Adora "renovated" her apt.
Duncan was vacuuming when Adora returned from her mystery errand. He had barely heard the door. He killed the power when he heard the second knock to yell "OPEN!" and then unplugged the vacuum and rolled it into the other room.
"Are you hungry?" he called from the other room. His footsteps grew louder as he approached and popped back into his living room. He saw her then, for the first time.
"....Oh."
---
Adora would have probably just walked in instead of knocking, but, well, she wasn't exactly in the best of moods, and she assumed the door would have been locked. She heard him shout, though, then took a deep breath before finally opening the door and slipping inside. Her clothes were peppered in clay dust, all that was really left of the ceramics littering the floor of her apartment.
She didn't see Duncan at first, and wasn't exactly looking forward to when he would see her... given that even Charlie hadn't been all too thrilled to see the destruction she had committed.
"Um..." Adora cleared her throat, trying to ignore the gnawing and nervous knot in her stomach. "I think I should probably take a shower..."
----
He stared at her like she had gained extra limbs.
"What... what happened to you? Where have you been?"
----
"Um... My apartment..." Adora reached up to wiped her face, smudging the wet clay dust already stuck to her cheeks. "I was..." She cleared her throat, feeling a lump in her throat that she was trying very hard to push down. She'd already cried enough today. "Feeling the urge to... redecorate. With a broom. A little... creative change."
----
He gawked at her with a furroed brow, head tilting, and then slowly understanding seemed to dawn. His features smoothed out and he wiped his palms on his jeans front.
"I just put new towels out," he said, and his smile was extremely sad.
----
Adora chuckled a little, taking a deep breath and clearing her throat again, staring at the ceiling for a minute. "I... yeah, then... I should... um..." Adora stopped herself, reaching up to run a hand through her hair, grimacing at all the dust. "Y'know, it's funny... Charlie saw me sitting there just... bashing the shit out of this... this stupid bowl I made... And y'know, he stopped me and I just... just couldn't help but think 'why? Why can't I just... blow it all to hell?'"
Adora slowly took a few steps closer, starting to unbutton the blouse she wore, not really thinking it through. "None of this feels like it matters right now."
----
Duncan looked away from her, as if searching for something else to clean. "I'm sorry, Adora," he said, sounding sincere. He snuck a furtive glance up to her face, keeping it there, and sounded delicate. "You could take a bath, if you like," he suggested, before looking away again.
----
With another sniff and a look to Duncan that he probably missed, Adora nodded, taking a long, deep breath. "That's a good idea... yeah... I'm..." Adora headed towards the bathroom in a bit of a tired stupor. "Bath sounds good..." She made her way towards the bathroom and stripped off her shirt before reaching down to turn on the hot water and sit on the edge of the tub for a moment.
----
By the time Adora left the bathroom, the living room had been set up with TV trays and dinner was cooking. There was nothing particular on television -- just a very bad stand up comedian -- but the remote was sitting on the coffee table regardless.
Napkins, silverware, and two drinking glasses were set up on each tray in front of the sofa. Clattering sounds of cooking came from the kitchen.
--- The bath had certainly done her well. She had needed to relax and soak and let all the tension wash out of her body along with the water and clay and dirt. When she finally got out of the shower, she'd wrapped herself in a big, fluffy towel and walked back out to the living room. She glanced around at the sight and sounds of Duncan making dinner, and gave a little smile. For some reason, that made her feel better.
Adora took a small detour to go into the bedroom and put on a nightgown before heading back into the living room. "Duncan? What are you making?" She asked, popping her head into the kitchen.
---
Duncan smiled over at her, eyebrows high. "Ehm... macaroni and cheese... and hot dogs. But, ehm, it's a triple cheese mix, and technically, these are gourmet hotdogs, so it's not as ... " --- here he hummed the first few bars of 'Dueling Banjos' --- "..you know, as it sounds. You can put whatever you like on. I had that channel on because in a few minutes, Robin Hood: Men in Tights starts."
---
"We will be watching Men In Tights." Adora said with finality, as if that made the most sense in the world out of anything. "And... gourmet hot dogs? Those exist?" Adora slipped into the kitchen, walking closer to him and glancing over his shoulder at the food. "Is this real mac and cheese, as opposed to in the box stuff?"
---
"Correct. Sliced the cheese myself." He glanced over at the Nathan's package. "Perhaps I was creatively extrapolating about the hotdogs," he said, smirking a little before giving her a once over.
"Comfortable? I feel over dressed for dinner."
---
"Well, the homemade real macaroni and cheese completely excuses any exaggeration you may have done on the hot dogs." Adora could tell that he was looking her over, and she felt her stomach give her a little gnawing sensation. Not the kind that meant she was hungry for mac and cheese, and that... didn't sit well with her. She'd gone over a week and a half since her last feeding, since she hadn't fed since the week before the miscarriage. But... she couldn't even bring herself to think about it.
"I'm comfortable. And don't feel over dressed, I just didn't have the ambition to ruin my comfiness with pants."
---
He chuckled and stirred the pasta. "By all means, don't let me ruin your comfort." He twisted aroudn to open his fridge, bringing out a large bowl of salad. "Go sit down," he said, holding the bowl out, "but bring that with you. I'll be in in a moment."
---
"Oh!" Adora chuckled as she suddenly had a bowl of salad in front of her, and she took it with a saucy grin. "All right then. I will be waiting. With salad in tow." Adora spun slowly and chuckled, heading back into the living room with the bowl of salad. She took a seat on the couch once she'd put the bowl down and leaned back, turning up the TV a little as the opening credits to Men in Tights began. This was good. Mindless movie, mindless dinner, being with a good friend, and... not thinking about anything or anyone. She needed it.
---
What Duncan lacked in genuine gourmet he made up for with intricate swirls of ketchup and mustard. He delivered both their plates with the aplomb and grace of someone who had worked in a restaurant at some point. When he took a seat beside her he was rested... and starving.
"If you're still hungry, let me know," he said, picking up a hot dog with washed fingers. He scooted forward on the sofa, loathe at the idea of spilling anything on his carpet.
---
"I will let you know." Adora laughed as she looked over the plate of food and plucked up her own hot dog. Adora moved forward on the sofa as well so she could eat, and took a bite of hot dog happily. She was trying to figure out how it was that something as simple as a hot dog could cheer her up. "Y'know..." Adora said in between bites, casting manners aside so she could simply be herself. "Every time I eat hot dogs, it makes me think of New York Yankees games."
---
"At least it doesn't make you think of the actual Yankee players," he said, without missing a beat, before taking a big forkful of mac n' cheese.
---
"Mmm, no, it doesn't." Adora chuckled, reaching over and whacking him in the arm with her free hand, before taking another bite of her hot dog. She was going to run out hot dog before long. "Although, given that we're talking about hot dogs, I'm sure I could think of something sufficiently dirty if you give me enough time."
----
"I'll have still made the joke first, though, so that will take away some of your cred." He snickered into his fist before taking his own bite of dog. He took a sip of his water and almost choked when the film made him chuckle.
"I've seen this dozens of times but it still makes me laugh on occasion."
---
"Oh, I can quote it." Adora giggled a little, then paused as she watched the film, muttering along with the hilarious German nanny. As she took a bite of mac and cheese, she found herself watching Duncan... and... not the movie. And for some reason, that didn't really bother her or even hit her that she was doing it.
----
Duncan continued eating and watching for a few moments, until he realized his peripheral vision contained Adora's face. He turned to look at her mid-bite, a bit of melted cheese at the corner of his mouth. He lifted his eyebrows and brushed his tongue over his lips, but missed the cheese anyway.
"Mmm?"
----
"I..." Wow, good job, Adora. Completely distracted to the worst degree and she didn't even have a good excuse prepared. Thankfully, him eating provided a good one. "You..." She reached out, her finger gently running against his jaw for a moment. "Have cheese escaping." Adora wiped the cheese off of his mouth and onto his lip before sitting back again and going back to her own food.
---
His stomach churned, and he blamed the hot dogs. "Sorry," he said, reaching for his napkin to wipe his now immaculate face. "Is it good? I haven't really bothered making macaroni and cheese from scratch since the invention of Kraft."
---
"It's good, it's really good." Adora smiled, glad for a topic of conversation while she took another bite of macaroni. "I like it from scratch. Kraft mac and cheese does kind of have it moments, though. For example, at 3 AM, it makes an awesome snack food while you're watching movies." Adora polished off the last of her hot dog and nearly choked on it with laughter as the infamous Cary Elwes Robin Hood went 'Unlike other Robin Hoods, I can speak with an English accent.'
---
"Poor Kevin Costner," he said, dipping the last nite of hot dog into his mac n' cheese before taking a bite.
---
"Oh, but, to be fair, he should never have been given the role if he couldn't bother to have an accent. It's a British legend." Adora laughed and sat back with some salad and mac and cheese on her plate, munching quietly.
----
"Perhaps he was making a thespian statement against all the British actors who refuse to veil their accent despite playing non-English parts," he said, pointedly, licking crumbs off his upper lip.
---
"That's a ridiculous thespian statement, if I do say so myself." She let her head fall back against the back cushion of the couch and pulled her legs up some so she could curl up a little. "I agree that all you silly Brits should at least attempt an American accent if you're going to be playing an American, but Robin Hood is an icon. That's like playing John D. Rockefeller and having a Scottish accent."
---
"..'All you silly Brits?' " he asked, smirking and giving her the eye.
--- "Yes." Adora paused for a moment at the expression he was giving her. "Oh my god, wow, I just got the most evil eye I think I've ever seen out of you."
---
He chuckled, his expression melting into amusement. "Teasing. I agree with you. Like Rockefeller with a Scottish accent, or Hamlet being played by... oh.. I don't know.. Ethan Hawke. OH WAIT! A moron already did that!"
---
Adora couldn't help but laugh at that, and she nodded in agreement. Melodramatic, sorrowful agreement. "You're right, you're right... kind of like how Sean Connery could be playing a German nazi and somehow... he's still Scottish." Adora gave him a sly wink. "At least I know that you can mask your brogue. Which makes it all the more fun when it slips out."
---
"I don't mask it so much as it's on the back burner until I'm too riled, and then the .. burners go on," he said, awkwardly continuing with the metaphor with a grin and a wink.
---
Adora giggled, popping a black olive into her mouth from the salad with a smile. "Are you... complaining that I know how to fire you up?"
---
"Not just you. Other people manage to annoy me too." He leaned away from her, bracing.
---
"Ooooh, thanks. Thanks a lot!" Adora snapped, reaching out and trying to swat him, only to miss. "Way to be ungrateful for all the attention I've given you. And belive me, you got preferential treatment, too!"
---
"Jeez, if this is preferential treatment I'd hate to talk to your enemies!" He lifted his empty plate and started piling his napkin and silverware.
---
Adora crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pout to end all pouts. "Well, then, fine... be that way."
---
"D'aaaaaaw," he said, reaching for her plate. "Are you done?"
---
"Yes, I'm done." Adora said, letting him take her plate, but not without substantial pouting. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't like me anymore."
---
"Oh really? Would I buy apple pie and ice cream for someone I didn't like?" he asked, piling dishes to bring them into the kitchen to wash. He'd have to make a return trip for the salad bowl.
---
"You bought ice cream and apple pie?" Adora perked up some and turned to watch him leave. "I suppose I can forgive you if you bought those..."
----
He laughed from inside the kitchen. "Let me do the dishes,and I'll bring some out." When he returned he went straight for their drinking glasses and the salad bowl.
---
"I could help..." Adora offered, even though she knew she probably should just shut up and sit down without incident. She did at least grab her glass and hang onto it so he couldn't steal it, given that she still had water in it.
---
"You don't have to," he said, looking at her. Normally he would tell her to sit down and relax, but now... now he thought it important she didn't feel like an invaild. If she offered to do dishes, he was going to allow her to do them. "I don't want to put you to work. I just hate leaving dishes if I have the time to do them."
---
"Well, I can put myself to work." Adora stood up gingerly, feeling a little bit of a twinge, but god, it felt much better today than she did yesterday. "You made dinner, the least I could do is help with the clean-up." Adora headed with him to the kitchen, but now with an express purpose.
---
Duncan let her do as much as she pleased, glad he had made the right move in allowing her to help out. As she cleaned he started putting together their desserts. He pulled the lid off the vanilla ice cream and held up the scooper. With his other hand he snapped his fingers and muttered something under his breath. It was more of a gargle than anything, but nevertheless it created a small flame hovering above his palm. He held the scooper in the flame for a moment, then shook his hand to put the tiny spark out.
"One scoop, or two?" he asked, pushing the metal scooper into the ice cream.
---
The dishes were so horribly domestic, and it was reminding Adora why she normally used paper or plastic disposable plates when she was alone. Nevertheless, she took care of the dishes and sat there humming to herself until she heard Duncan ask her something. "Hm? Oh, let's go with one today. I don't want to risk upsetting my stomach, considering I haven't had ice cream in at least a week." Adora turned to look at Duncan as she wiped her hands clean. "Wow. Over a week. How am I still alive?"
---
"If you need a defibrillator afterward you may be out of luck," he informed her, handing her one plate with a singular scoop. The double-scooped plate was his, though he wondered if he'd end up sharing.
Who are you kidding.
---
"No, I think I'll be all right. It won't be cardiac arrest. It'll be my stomach eating itself and shouting at me that I'm a horrible person for not giving it ice cream." Adora took a few steps over to him, taking the plate and a spoon happily. "Thank you. You may have just saved my life."
---
Duncan's journey toward his sofa slowed, and he looked at her, smiling softly, then continued to his ass-groove on the couch. When Adora sat beside him he lifted his arms, bowl included, and cleared his throat. "Here, lift 'em up." Her legs. He was clearing space on his lap for them.
---
It took her a second to figure out where Duncan was going with this, but when she did, she couldn't help but grin and move so she could move into position for him, as it were. She wasn't quite sure why he'd done it, but... she wasn't going to look at gift horse in the mouth. Adora relaxed on the couch after a few moments of squirming and getting comfortable, and ate her apple pie and ice cream in silence, except for the near constant snickering or giggling under her breath at the movie.
---
Duncan finished his dessert and leaned back to relax, his hands resting on her ankles gently. He did not rub, squeeze, or do anything further than simply rest his hands there, nestling back into the sofa. This was.. relaxing. He was so relaxed, in fact, that in short time his head had lolled back and he was snoring.
---
Duncan wasn't the only one relaxed, and Adora had wound up being along the same line of thought as he was. Once she'd finished eating and put her bowl down, she'd leaned back against the cushion of the couch and dozed off for a little while. The end credits to the movie crescendo'd at some point and woke her up again, though, which made Adora realize that they had both dozed off. Adora slowly and painstakingly began to pull her legs away from his lap, hoping that she wouldn't wake him up.
---
Fat chance. Duncan woke with a start, always a light sleeper, and looked over to her in horror. "Oh God, did I fall asleep?"
---
Adora chuckled a little, looking at him like he was being ridiculous. Which... y'know, he was. "That's okay, I dozed off, too. I was just going to move some." Adora slid her legs off of him, then moved over towards him on the couch and snuggled right up to him, remote in hand. "To do this."
---
He looked down at the empty bowls of ice cream. If they stayed there, the ice cream was going to harden and stick to the ceramic, which would make them all the harder to clean later. They would have to soak, which meant they would sit in the sink for hours.
"Ahh," he said, when she moved against him. He looked down at the top of her head as his arms automatically snaked itself around her. The credits were squished with a commercial to one side of the screen, and he forgot about the bowls altogether.
"Put whatever you want on."
---
"Mmmmkay..." Adora was practically purring as she nestled up against him. If there was one thing that she liked about Duncan, it was that he was comfortable. His mannerisms, their friendship, the whole thing felt... comfortable. Adora yawned a little, flipping channels until she finally paused on another movie, and she couldn't help but smirk. "Don Pedro of Aragon..." Adora yawned again in mid-quote. "Comes this night to Messina." What better a film to watch than Much Ado About Nothing. She knew she could easily doze off to that. If she didn't keep quoting it.
----
You've got to be kidding me, he thought, but his fingers brushed hers as he removed the remote and set it aside.
It worked. Despite the bowls on the coffee table, it all worked.