Friday September 6th 2019
Who: Garret and Rorie What: Drinks and putting an interesting spin on Rorie's life Where: Steakhouse in Danvers When: Evening Rating: PG 13
Nervous was an understatement. All of Friday, Rorie worked and couldn't stop thinking about the drink he was going to have with Garret. He got off at 3 that day because he was meeting Mandy half way to drop Eileen off for the weekend. Next weekend, Eileen was staying with either Wesley or Mandy again. It was all up in the air at the moment, so he had that as well. He needed a good run. Getting back from dropping Eileen off, he went to work out for an hour to try and work his nerves out. It helped and coming back to the apartment and taking a hot shower helped even more. He would have to keep his cool if he didn't want to freak Garret out. It had been so long though and he was wondering what this meant, but for the last 20 minutes before he had to go meet Garret, Rorie meditated. He'd do it every night with Eileen and it helped with her power control.
Taking deep breaths and letting them out, he calmed himself and centered himself before he went and got dressed. He'd dug around his closet before the shower and picked out his clothes, an old tee that used to be loose on him that now stretched across his now broader chest. It was his skeleton tee, the one that he'd worn with Garret numerous times, portraying the bones of the human anatomy. A pair of jeans that he thought fit nicely. Not too baggy and not too tight. Slipping on a pair of converse he used for just running out real quick, still full of holes slightly, he felt he was ready. He'd let his hair be as it swayed in a slight breeze like a bird's downy coat. His phone and wallet and keys were all in his pockets as he headed out to meet Garret, feeling a bit more sturdy.
It was amazing how much thought Garret was putting into not putting thought into this outing. He didn't want to give himself any ideas, and he didn't want to accidentally give Rorie any ideas about what tonight meant. They were just friends, and that's all they could ever be, and he was going to be sure to make that clear. Mostly for himself.
So he had only put on a grey tee shirt and a nice pair of jeans, not making any effort to be handsome. He even sat on the floor with Pais and rubbed his ears a little before stepping into his boots and heading out to the parking lot. This would be fine. It might even be fun.
Shrugging into his jacket as he walked out into the night air, Garret meandered over to his new car and sat on its hood, sitting cross legged and watching the sky start to darken. He could do this. It would be fine.
--- Rorie almost felt like the same raggedy kid that Garret had picked up 11 years ago. It was strange how that happened, but he brushed it off. Garret had already said that he didn't want to seduce him or try to make up. He was just a friend and that's a blessing that he went that far. Still though, Garret was the one that left and he made that clear. There shouldn't be anything happening to say otherwise.
Walking into the parking lot, he was looking for a fast, sleek looking car. What he found instead was Garret sitting on the hood of a minivan. It was almost laughable if he weren't so confused by it. The vehicle and man were a contradiction to each other that it made Rorie's head hurt a bit. Rusty red hair hung in his face a bit with still damp ends as he walked over to Garret. "Hi," he said looking the van over and looking back at Garret. "So this is your new ride?" While Garret looked good in anything, Rorie had to hide a smile at the older man's chosen outfit. It was very much Garret. The Garret Rorie knew at least. While he could be sharp looking he could still lounge around the house in jeans and a t-shirt from Walmart yelling at the X-Box with a juice box next to him.
--- Rorie looked... Well it was a good thing that Rorie was out of earshot when Garret finally saw him. He looked good. Bulked out, almost like a grown person. He looked great.
Straightening up a bit, Garret slid off the hood of the car, smiling shyly. "Yeah," he admitted. It wasn't the sleekest thing (of course it wasn't ugly either), but it worked for everyday life. "I got it a few years ago." Clearing his throat a bit, Garret shuffled his boots on the pavement. "So... um, let's go, yeah?" A sudden swarm of butterflies exploded in his stomach, making his heart thump in his chest. He shouldn't be nervous, and he refused to be nervous.
--- Nodding, Rorie looked at Garret resisting a shy smile because then that would lead to other things. At least it did in Rorie's mind. If he kept a poker face then he'd make it through the night. It could almost be conditioning. Work out enough doing the same thing over and over then it gets easier. This could be the same thing. Getting into the front seat of the van, Rorie took a moment and looked it over, took in the feel and the smells.
"Did you have a dog in here?" He asked, looking at Garret curiously. Rorie could distinctly smell dog in the van and kind of on Garret. His own great dane, Pete, had passed away nearly 6 years ago and he hadn't really had the heart to get another dog or pet for that matter besides a fish for Eileen. That lasted a month before he had to tell her that Speedy had been sent to a fish farm in California. That didn't go over well. Apparently she knew what fish farms were.
--- Settling into the diver's seat, Garret buckled himself in and started the engine, keeping focus on the car and not on the person beside him. This just felt so wrong, like he didn't belong here, like he didn't belong to even be neside Rorie. But here they were, and Rorie had wanted this.
Looking almost caught, Garret shrugged, then smiled sheepishly. "His name's Pais," he admitted. "He showed up in my car a few years ago in the middle of winter, skinny and freezing. So I fed him and told him he couldn't stay, and I was going to find out who owned him... then he just stayed." Pulling out onto the street, Garret looked over at Rorie. "So yes. I have a dog."
--- "Good name," Rorie nodded, as he listened to Garret's story about the dog. "How'd he get in the car?" He asked. He kept focus on his curiosity about the pet instead of the owner. Though, Rorie wondered if Garret was doing this much focusing on something else as well. Which quickly flew from his mind. It felt like he was almost intruding on Garret's life. Like, he was humoring him. Garret just had an air about him, even in a minivan, that he was just high class. Better than other people, not in a bad way, just like he was helping out a less fortunate person.
Rorie felt like the most unfortunate person that Garret was helping, actually. "So, where are we going?" He didn't plan on getting drunk, but he planned on drinking more than just a beer.
--- "Connie had let him in," Garret said tightly, and his voice indicated that this was all he planned on saying about it. He had grown to like Pais, but initialy he had wanted to strangle both his mother and the dog.
Resting his elbow on the window, Garret shrugged, driving casually with one hand. "I don't know. When I see somewhere nice, I'll stop. So tell me about yourself, I mean the bsic gist of things. Let's see what we can pepper up and what needs to be glossed over." If he could see this like a business meeting, he could get through it without dwelling on their history together.
--- "Ah," Rorie said. That was enough explanation. Connie was someone he couldn't figure out and he didn't plan on trying to. She was a mystery best left alone.
"Um. . . I've been working security for nearly 7 years. I was in the band for a few. I do yoga. . ." He felt like he could put himself to sleep with his own life. "I can put my feet behind my head?" Normal people didn't offer up random bits of information like putting their feet behind their head at dinner parties. Normal people talked about lawn care and schools. At least his old neighbors had and he couldn't wait to get away from them.
--- Nodding along, Garret listened to Rorie's life, already thinking of how to spin it to make it sound less dull and suburban. At the last bit, though, he laughed out loud. "Um, okay, let's file that under the 'desperate measures' category," he chuckled. "Maybe stick with just the basics for now. Leave the circus act for the second date?"
--- "It is pretty weird," Rorie nodded. "I don't really do much. I cook, I work, I watch some TV and zone out, or hang out with Eileen a bit. There's not a lot to me." At least he wasn't getting horribly upset like he used to. Rorie was quieter and more reserved because he figured it wouldn't make a difference if he had anything to say or not. No one was around to hear it.
Though, saying it out loud just made Rorie feel like Garret was right. He was was rather pathetic. His whole life was Eileen right then and he had nothing else. Resisting a groan, he let Garret take the information and see if it could work.
--- While Rorie thought that his life was stupid and his hobbies dull, Garret was concocting a million conversations in his mind. "You cook," he pointed out, turning on his blinker and making a right into a parking lot of a Texas style steakhouse. "That's something. That's a huge something. You can talk about cooking, anything interesting you've made. Talk about your favorite shows. Talk about shows you can't stand. You did security for years, you need to have at least one good story among all that. There are probably hundreds of thousands of interesting things about you, but you have no idea they're interesting. I guarantee it." Putting the car in park, Garret turned to his companion. "You've never had any idea how fascinating you are. But you are."
--- "Maybe," Rorie said softly, nodding as the car was parked. Looking at Garret as the other turned to him, he couldn't do anything but just stare for a moment. He could feel a small amount of heat start to spread across his cheeks. Nope, this wouldn't be all blushing and shy smiles. Rorie looked away for a moment. "So, what's this place? I haven't seen it before." A good change of subject as he slipped from the car.
Shutting the door, he gave a sniff and smelled meat right off the bat. Meat and sauces and people. The last one stinking up the meat. It seemed like the expensive kind of steakhouse that he was pretty sure would be eating up his money before the night was over.
After he and Garret split, money had been really tight and he'd had to sell some stuff to be able to rent the house he and Eileen lived in. That was before the security job though. He never told anyone out of embarrassment. Like half of the instruments he used to own. It was hard parting ways, almost like giving up his own kid. Following behind Garret, he went in and took the sights and sounds, waiting for the hostess to seat them.
--- The blush didn't go unnoticed, and Garret smiled softly, also looking away. He had almost forgotten the way Rorie couldn't handle a compliment, and how that made himself feel more alive, desireable.
Climbing out of the car, Garret locked the door, coming around to move alongside Rorie. "It's just a steakhouse that I come to sometimes. Sim and I do, actually. She's old enough to drink with daddy and they have good whiskey. Is this okay? I know you're not a huge meat eater, but they have a fruit platter too so I thought you'd like that. Their pineapple is always juicy and sweet, not bitter." Putting his hands into his pockets, Garret walked alongside Rorie, keeping his eyes forward. This wasn't too bad so far. It was strange, yes, but no stranger than other encounters like this. He had expected much worse by now.
--- "Yeah, it's fine," Rorie nodded. Their fruit platter would probably cost him his car title. He didn't say anything though. There wasn't a reason to because Garret would possibly see it as a way to swoop in and save him. No. There would be no saving. Not even money.
Going to the table she were showed, he took a seat and took a menu. Looking over it, the prices weren't too bad, but they weren't something to sneeze at either. Thankfully the fruit platter wasn't that bad and neither was their whiskey. a Asking for a water till the waitress came back, Rorie looked around the room and took in all the smells and sounds. The cooking meat, the clatter and scrape of dishes. If he just sat there and listened, it would all turn to white noise soon. "What are you thinking about getting?" He asked, turning to Garret as he closed his own menu.
--- Having been here plenty of times, Garret already knew the hostess, and he knew which waitess he'd be getting, and he knew what he wanted to order. But he let Rorie look over the menu for a minute anyway, and took note of the way he tried to hide the concern on his face. If there was one thing Garret could do, it was read this boy inside and out. Some things had changed about Rorie, but not that. Not even a little, apparently.
Reaching across the booth, Garret took the menu from Rorie's hands and set it at the edge of the table. "We," he clarified, "are getting the fruit platter and the spinach artichoke dip with pita chips, the best domestic beer on tap, and those breadsticks that make the ones from the Olive Garden taste like bundles of sticks." Scratching his chin, he added "And I'm paying. And that isn't up for debate."
--- "Garret," Rorie sighed. "I can pay for myself. Besides, I thought we were going Dutch since it wasn't a date." Granted, it made him feel a bit more pathetic that Garret said he would pay for things. Nearly 40 and Rorie wanted to be able to take care of himself and his daughter. It meant budgeting and cutting things out of his life that he might have wanted, but it meant they weren't in debt or behind on rent.
"You drove here. I can pay for my own meal," he insisted. At least if he put up a fight it meant he thought he could afford this place.
--- Resting his chin in his hands, Garret stared Rorie down, reading him. After a long moment, he decided that no, Rorie could not afford this place. But he wanted to, and it was going to take a lot for him to be convinced to let Garret foot this bill.
"I left you," he said firmly, trying to keep Rorie's gaze but failing after a moment. "The least I can do is buy you dinner."
--- Well then. He knew Garret was very good at getting his way, so he was only half surprised that he brought it up. There was a beat of silence before Rorie grunted, "Fine." If Garret wanted to pay for dinner, then he could pay for the stupid dinner. As well as all the beer he was going to drink. Damn it, if it wasn't on his tab then he was going to get a good buzz. Something he hadn't had in a very long time.
"What domestic do they have?" He asked, glancing at Garret again.
--- Of course Garret got his way. He didn't back down, and in this circumstance, he knew that if he twisted the right knife Rorie wouldn't even argue. Of course, the backfire was that Garret now felt like the world's biggest asshole, but that would pass eventually.
"Sam Adams, of course. A few things. You can just ask for the best and Sheila will just bring you something wonderful. She always does." Folding the corner of his napkin, Garret kept his eyes down, thinking a moment before speaking. He was trying to do more of that nowadays. "How did you meet Riley, anyway?"
--- "Can't go wrong with Sam Adams," Rorie nodded as he picked at his shirt sleeve for a moment. He kind of wished he'd brought a jacket, it was a bit on the cool side in the building, but he figured he'd warm up in a few minutes. "Uh. . . I ran into him during my rounds," Rorie said.
"He was leaving his office as I was going through his building and we just got to talking. Well he talked, I mumbled and stuttered and halfway made sentences."
--- "Hrm," Garret mused, thinking over the scenario. "So Riley approached you, made the offer. Which means that he's in charge of this outing, so you don't have to put too much effort into being entertaining. He'll ask you questions, you just answer them. It'll be that simple."
--- Smiling when Sheila finally appeared, Garret handed her the menus. "Fruit platter, two Sam Adams, artichoke dip and one of those whiskeys for my friend here. It's his first week at a new job, you know how it is." Giving Sheila a wink as she jotted a few things down and walked off, Garret turned to face Rorie, drumming his fngers on the tabletop. "Just answer things. You'll be fine."
--- Letting Garret order, Rorie picked up his own napkin and couldn't help but play with it too. "What if Finn's brought up?" He asked. "Eileen doesn't need to know anything about like what he was back then. I don't want her to. I mean. . . He and Rez didn't end on good terms, so if she accidentally brought him up, I don't want it to be awkward." It was the second major snag to this dinner.
While he loved his brother dearly, he knew that Finn wasn't the best guy sometimes. Whether it was just how he was perceived or if he really wasn't that good guy.
--- Finn was always going to be a problem in Rorie's life, a giant black spot in his past. There was no way around that. But Garret's speacialty was taking black spots and making them shiny and attractive, so that was what he was going to try to do.
"If Eileen brings him up, talk about what he's doing now. That's all you need to say. Whatever happened in the past didn't matter, so there's no point in drudging it up. I'm sure Riley won't, since he probably wants to forget as well. Besides..." Lowering his voice, Garret leaned closer to Rorie, so their conversation wasn't projected across the room. "Wasn't Finn his patient when they had sex? That's illegal, and probably something Riley won't want to recall. Just stick with the present, and keep it brief. It's a dinner party, not a seminar on life history. I'm sure you won't even talk that much about your pasts anyway." Nodding to Sheila as she dropped off their drink, Garret sipped his, savoring the flavor a moment. "Eileen is allowed to love her uncle. If anybody starts shit because of that, then they aren't worth knowing anyway."
--- Rorie nodded. Garret was right. There was no reason to drudge up the past, even if it was brought up. It was ten years and he was sure Riley and Rez moved on. They had married each other and stuff. Not that he would ever tell Finn, again so much he didn't want to be in the middle of.
Taking his drink, he sipped it a moment, dropping his head with a sigh. "I haven't had anything like this in years." Which was pretty sad, at least to him. He didn't realize how hungry he was till just sitting there and smelling everyone's food. Taking a hearty drink, he relaxed against the seat of the booth and went quiet a moment. "This is nice," he said. "Just two adults and no kids to chase or worry about. I kinda like it," he chuckled before leaning forward, setting his elbows on the table and playing with his coaster.
--- Watching Rorie, really watching him, Garret started seeing little bits of the man that he had known nine years ago. It was in his mannerisms, and the way he looked around like he almost didn't believe he was supposed to be here. It was like Garret could see a light clicking on in his head, like Rorie's brain had finally realized that yes, there was a life outside his tiny shadowed world. It reminded Garret so much of Baltimore, and that hotel room, and the way Rorie had looked when he first saw the view from their room. And the way he had looked in his vest, so grown up and mature but still like a lost little kid.
Clearing his throat, Garret sat upright and took a long drink from his glass, and had to remind himself that he wasn't getting drunk tonight. "I'm glad I didn't have that with Sim. We've always kind of been friends." Pausing, he added with a small smile, "I think she might suspect that I'm not actually her father, which makes it easier to be friends."
--- "It's hard. I mean, she lives with me during the week and sometimes the weekend if Mandy can't take her and we didn't want her staying with Wes if he had to work that weekend because we didn't want her at TJS and it. . . Was just hard. I didn't give everything up because I was all baby crazy, I gave everything up because no one else would." Taking his own drinking and quickly draining it, he tossed back the whiskey that had come around.
The news about Sim surprised him though. "What?" He blinked, the entire rest of the conversation forgotten. "You're not her bio father?"
--- Taking another sip of beer, Garret paused when Rorie asked about Sim. It had been so long, Garret had forgotten that really, not that many people knew. Come to think of it, he hadn't even told Lloyd. "Um," he said, like he could possibly stall. Wiping his mouth on his hand, he set the glass down, then shrugged. "No," he said finally. "She's not. The DNA test was negative. But I didn't want to ruin her relationship with her mother, and if she found out that her mom had been lying about her entire life, well... I didn't see the harm in it, really. Since she didn't want much from me, she might as well have a self admitted lousy father than find someone else who might be worse."
--- I actually made sense. Though, Rorie was surprised that Garret did it. He hated kids, or rather greatly disliked them. Apparently because Sim didn't want much from him, he didn't see the harm in it. Which of course kind of stung. He'd rather be a fake dad to someone who thought he was their father and didn't have to interact with them than try to be a dad to someone from the ground up. Pushing down any and all bitter feelings, he nodded. He'd moved on as best he could and this wasn't a time to drag things up.
"So, you think she might know then?" He asked as the waitress brought another beer over for him.
--- Nodding, Garret ran his finger along the rim of his glass. "Sometimes... she just says things that make me wonder. Sometimes it's something kind of flirty, which isn't terrible but if we were blood related she might not be as casual, you know what I mean? Just little things. Though it doesn't seem to bother her any." With another pause, he added "I think Mal knows, too. You know... smelling and all. But he hasn't said anything. It's not really a big deal, I guess."
--- "Yeah. I mean, if it was, she would have said something by now," Rorie nodded, sipping his beer now. Being a lycan meant he had a higher metabolism, not that he couldn't get drunk. After years of only have the one beer here and there, the effects of the whiskey and second beer were starting to be noticed. Just the relaxed feeling.
"So," he said after a moment, playing with his coaster. "Any other pointers?"
--- Once again, a lull of awkwardness was making its presence known at their evening. It was going a lot better than anticipated, though. They were actually talking, and that was more than he'd hoped for.
"Well... for starters, never shave your head. You wouldn't look right. And don't get a septum piercing, you'll look weird. Also, gray is a good color on you. And get plenty of water every day." Giving Rorie a cheeky smirk, Garret sipped his drink. "You're going to be fine, love. Don't worry so much about it."
--- "I never would," Rorie hummed. It was the closest to smiling he'd done all day. Actually, in a long time. "I can't help, but worry. It's what I do," he snorted, leaning back before taking a drink of his beer. Tapping the table a moment, he took a big breath and sighed.
"I sold them," he said simply. "I sold most of the instruments I had." Garret had mentioned in his drunken rant over the phone how Rorie had so many instruments and it was stupid he didn't play anymore. Well, there was another reason he didn't play. He didn't have anything to play anymore besides an acoustic guitar that was given to him on his last birthday by his father, Gareth.
--- Brow furrowing, Garret tried to comprehend what Rorie was telling him. He had sold his instruments. But that didn't make sense, because Rorie would never sell his instruments. He wouldn't. Something dire must have happened for him to do it, something... But of course, it occurred to Garret. Money. Without Garret, Rorie didn't have money. He had come from nothing, and when Garret left, what would he have? Nothing.
It felt like a knife in Garret's chest. "Why didn't you say something? I mean I would have... Jesus, Rorie, I wouldn't have let you be that bad off. Finn never even mentioned you were..." Sighing, his shoulders slumped. "Of course, why would you tell me. I didn't deserve to know." Still, he would have given Rorie anything if he had known he needed it.
--- "I didn't tell anyone. Not even Mandy or Finn knew. I quit the band because it wasn't making enough money to support Mandy and the baby and I was between jobs. I had to have a place to stay and I didn't want to move to Jersey to be in my Dad's basement with my kid. I did what I had to. "No one does know, well besides you now. Eileen kind of remembers. She remembers going to my Dad's a lot, but nothing else. Everyone thinks I put them in storage because my last place didn't have enough space. . . Times are hard when you're a single parent," Rorie shrugged, looking at his drink. There was always more to what Rorie did than people thought. "I didn't get a job till maybe four months after I quit the band. It was just a temp job doing security for a gated community, but it had benefits and paid decent enough. Then I got a better gig at a pharmasutical company doing nights on the weekends there and days during the week. If Mandy had Eileen, I'd do a double since I don't really need a lot of sleep."
It was the hard truth, but it wasn't just Rorie giving up everything because he was so infatuated with Eileen. He needed to because he didn't want to ask for help. Pride and embarrassment.
--- Looking at Rorie now, and hearing him talk about sacrificing for his daughter and making hard decisions, it was like Garret had no idea who this person was. The Rorie he married didn't have this level of maturity, and never needed it. But the look in his eyes, that sadness but determination that he wouldn't let himself become nothing, wouldn't be a pebble in someone's shoe any longer... That was his Rorie.
"It's like talking to a stranger while staring at an old friend," Garret said softly, smiling. "It's unbelievable how different you are, but still exactly the same. It's..." Trailing off, Garret let the sentence remain unfinished, instead taking a sip of his beer. What he wanted to say, he couldn't, so he wasn't going to. Best to leave it alone.
--- "I just. . . I didn't want Eileen to have my childhood. I didn't want her to feel left out at school because her dad couldn't afford something or he was never around. I didn't want her thinking she was a freak," Rorie said, looking at his beer before taking a big drink of it. "I figured, I at least owed you an explanation other that you just thinking I was ditching you for Eileen," Rorie shrugged.
--- With a little sigh, Garret looked down into his glass, watching the foam slowly pop. "I never thought you were 'ditching' me for Eileen," Garret said quietly. "I understood that she's your kid, and she matters more, and that's... it's what is supposed to happen. When you have a kid you drop everything to make sure they get what they need. But you just..." Shaking his head, Garret looked up. "Nevermind. This isn't really something we should be talking about. It doesn't change anything."
--- Rorie couldn't look at Garret. He was beginning to think this was a bad idea. Drudging up the past hadn't been what he wanted to do, but it had happened. It still felt like his fault that Garret left and it just. . . He really just didn't want to be there now.
Downing his drink again, a scratched his head, ruffling his hair. Rorie felt like crap, as usual. This was supposed to be about him trying to be friends with Garret and learning how to not be weird around other people. It wasn't working so far. "I'm gonna go hit the head real quick," he said, getting up and scouting out the bathroom before heading to it. It would give them both time to slap themselves mentally and get back on track instead of this slow decent into gloom.
--- "Okay," Garret said softly, thinking for a moment that Rorie might not come back and he would just leave Garret sitting here. He wouldn't blame Rorie if he did just that. Looking at his beer, he debated drinking it all down, then ordering another, as well as a scotch. But no. He wasn't going to do that. If Rorie came back, things were going to be different and he was going to brighten this evening.
The food came out just as Rorie was returning, and Garret offered him a bright smile. "I thought of something," he said, tapping the table with a finger. "You're both parents. Talk about your kids. Even if it's boring, you'll both like it because that's what parents do. And he'll probably think Eileen is amazing, and you'll probably actually be impressed by stuff his kids do. It's win win."
--- Coming back out from the bathroom after relieving himself, splashing some water on his face and shaking himself out, Rorie came back to the table and had a seat. and the food was put in front of him. It looked and smelt delicious. Grabbing a bread stick he bit into it, letting out an approving hum.
"So long as he doesn't turn into a 'My kid is the best kid ever because he's my kid,' kinda dad. I hate those guys," he said, not realizing how hungry he was as he finished his bread stick off and started on the fruit platter, controlling his urge to just inhale everything.
"This place is good," he said between bites, getting a bit of the spinach dip on the corner of his mouth.
--- This was better. This was the Rorie that Garret knew, the one he'd fallen for. How many times had Garret seen exactly this, Rorie inhaling his food like a vacuum? It was endearing, and for a long time Garret just watched him, settled back against his seat and smiling a little. "Is it?" he asked, teasing. "I couldn't tell."
--- It took a moment and cheeks full of food for Rorie to realize that Garret was just watching him. Looking up at the older man, he swallowed feeling a blush come across his cheeks as he sat back and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Been a while since I've had food that's not home made or fast food," he said, grabbing a piece of pineapple and popping it into his mouth, his lips surrounded by the bits that didn't make it in.
--- With a little chuckle, Garret poked a strawberry with his fork and brought it to his lips, biting off the tip. "It's fine," he assued the other. "I figured you'd be hungry. You always were." The fruit was sweet, as always, and Garret purred a little, happy. "Maybe some time I'll cook you something. That way you can have a homemade meal that wasn't prepared by you."
--- "You? Cook?" Rorie said before chuckling slightly, the edges of his lips turning up just slightly. "That'd be some fun. To just watch even. You take lessons or practice finally?"
Garret didn't usually cook, as far as Rorie knew. It had always been Mal and Rorie. rorie learned from Mal and then the two of them fed Garret. So, if Garret cooked, it would be interesting just to watch at least.
--- "I have the capability to cook," he said, somewhat defensively. "I just don't much like to. And I've never had too much need before. Lloyd always liked to cook, and you and Mal... It just seemed pointless to add another cook to the kitchen. But I can do it."
--- "Alright," Rorie said, holding his hands up to surrender. "What would you cook for me?" He asked, taking a slice of kiwi and biting into it, looking up at Garret. He took a drink of his beer, getting it down halfway waiting on an answer. They had tried baking together once. It wasn't very successful in the baking, more in the mess making.
--- Thinking a moment, Garret grabbed a pita chip and dabbed it into the artichoke dip. "Chicken parmesean," he decided finally. "Over linguine. It's filling, which you need, and it's fairly quick. Plus kids always like chicken, so Eileen would eat it too." And who didn't like things smothered in cheese?
--- "Eileen's not the picky so it would work. I'm pretty sure I've made that at least a dozen times for her in the past year," Rorie nodded. "Sounds good though. I like it." "Never had you cook for me before, so it would be a good turn around." Trying to think back, he was pretty sure he remembered Garret making tacos once when he was busy with school. Maybe fajitas?
--- "I suppose it will," Garret said with a small smile. This evening had started out so worrisome and stressful, but now it was just... simple. It seemed once they'd just gotten it out in the open and talked about it, and recognized that the past was a horrible and painful place to visit, they could move on and just be here now. It gave Garret hope that, maybe, this would be okay.