Vanessa Cleveland can turn invisible (filiampandora) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-08-31 01:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | nasir, vanessa cleveland |
Who: Vanessa and Nasir
When: Before he moved
Where: His apartment
Ratings: Low
What: Pizza and Netflix. AKA Tuesday night. (?)
Status: Complete when posted
Vanessa didn’t care what anybody thought about her showing up at Nasir’s apartment in her pajamas for their pizza and netflix night. She was comfortable and it wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other in their pajamas before. “So - you’re good with us ordering delivery tonight right?” she asked, settling down on the couch and making herself comfortable. “And instead of playing netflix roulette...maybe we could just watch a comedy?”
***
No qualms about PJs on Nasir’s part, since he was in his own pajamas - or at least comfy clothes, since his pajamas usually involved him wearing much less. “Delivery’s fine with me, I’m not going outside,” he said with a small grin. And then a shrug at her suggestion. “If that’s what you want, I’ll be fine with roulette if you are.” He knew what she was trying to get around, and he appreciated it, but he hated people walking on eggshells around him, which is why most people didn’t know about his past. Only the people who had to know, or who witnessed him having a moment. “Did you have any ideas or should we just close our eyes and pray?”
***
“Is that your way of saying I’m going to have to answer the door? Because I don’t care if your neighbors see my panda pajamas. Pretty sure I’ve already offended most of them somehow so them seeing in my pajamas won’t matter one way or another. When’s your last day here anyway?” Vanessa asked, giving her friend a grin of her own. She was happy for her friend - he seemed happy with Max and Max seemed like a good guy.
Vanessa’s suggestion of just picking a comedy wasn’t really because of what happened the last time although that was a part of it. It was mainly because she just needed a good laugh. To not have to think about anything too serious for a little while. Just to get to relax and destress. “I just need a good laugh,” she said shrugging. “I’m going to use the app on my phone to order. Our normal pizza and drinks?” she said pulling the app up on her phone so she could order.
“I was thinking maybe Scary Movie? Just for the stupid laughs?”
***
“At least you look cute, although I’m sure they’ve seen me in worse than this,” Nasir gestured at himself, cutoff sweats and a t-shirt he’d found at the dollar store that had some misspelled knockoff logo on it. The kind of lazy clothes that you’re normally embarrassed to be seen in, if you had dignity or your neighbors cared. No comment on offending them because he was pretty sure it was true, somehow for something he never quite understood. But they wouldn’t have to deal with the two of them much longer, so, who cared? “I have to be out by the last day of the month, so probably a few days before that.” He’d have to clean. Ugh.
Nasir nodded. At least they weren’t going to talk about it. “Sounds good to me, as do stupid laughs.” He flopped onto the couch next to her and waited for her to place the order. “So what’s up with you that you need to destress?”
***
“It’s the panda. Pandas make everything a 1000 times cuter than they would normally be. They’re magic that way,” Vanessa said with a shrug. She leaned her head on one hand as she watched him for a moment. “If you need help - I’m willing to come by when I’m off. Help pack or clean or whatever.” She really didn’t mind helping her friend out if he needed.
“Work and trying to balance everything. Dad wants me to go back to school which I wouldn’t hate but he wants me to focus just on that so he’s offering to pay for everything. ...I just...it’s still weird to me having him want to be there when I went so long without having him in my life you know?” She was trying to balance both her biological family and the foster family that had raised her. It was hard and exhausting. Also she and Rogue were having a hard time fitting her cooking lessons in with everything else at the Cafe so they weren’t going as well as she’d hoped.
***
“Maybe it’s just who’s wearing them.” Nasir smiled at her, especially at the offer. “That would...probably be helpful, yeah, I’ll need two people to get some of this stuff downstairs.” He’d already asked his neighbors if they wanted any of his furniture since it didn’t look like he’d need it any time soon, but there were still some things that hadn’t been claimed and would need to be taken out to the curb.
Nasir listened, leaning his head against the back of the couch and crossing his arms. He was kind of worried that his parents would feel the same way - that it would be strange to have him back after so long, and not necessarily in a good way. But she didn’t need to hear that right now. “Maybe he wanted to be there for you all along but wasn’t sure that he could be, and now he’s just trying to make it up?” He shrugged. “Or maybe he’s just a bastard. Only one way to find out, and along the way, a free education.” It made sense to him.
***
“I can definitely help carry boxes.” Vanessa said with a grin as she finished placing their order and put her phone down on the couch.
“He didn’t know about me until a couple years ago when I sought him out after one of his concerts out here. My biological mom is...kind of a wreck. She never even tried to tell him she’d gotten pregnant after their hookup and just turned me over to social services after realizing raising a baby was a lot of work. It was the best thing for me though - I got my foster family. Which reminds me...I need to introduce you to my little sister Anne at some point. She’s curious to meet my new best friend.”
***
Nasir grinned. “This is why you’re the best. Your free labor.”
He could understand the hesitance, even if she had sought him out. “Well he sounds like he’s trying, at least?” That was something. And more than her mom had done. “Maybe give him a chance?” Granted he had somewhat of a unique position on this kind of situation.
His grin softened to a smile. “I’d love to meet her. She’s someone important to you, after all.”
***
“I expect payment in either pizza or donuts.” Vanessa teased.
“He is trying. He and his wife are both pretty great. It’s just...weird. But...he is offering to pay for college and give me money to live on. I’d be stupid not to take him up on it wouldn’t I?” she asked, turning to look at the television to find the movie they’d agreed to. She was still listening she just wanted to have everything set up so they could start the movie when the pizza got here.
“She is. She’s my favorite little sister. We both ended up with the Coleman’s around the same time so we bonded pretty quickly.”
***
“Pizza and donuts I can do,” Nasir said, chuckling.
“I mean. I’d say that you are because that seems like a fantastic way to do things. No debt, everything taken care of, don’t have to work…” He couldn’t see any negatives about it other than the supreme awkwardness of having to deal with her father. Maybe she just didn’t trust him yet? “But it is up to you. Personally I’d take it and if he does anything weird...” He turned to look at her, a small grin playing over his lips. “You call me in and I beat him up.”
He nodded. “Then I’d be happy to meet her definitely. Anytime you want.”
***
“Pizza and donuts? You must be expecting a lot of help...Boxes only. I’m setting my limit right now,” Vanessa said. She was only half serious. She knew that he wouldn’t ask her to move anything that was super heavy. At least not by herself.
She couldn’t help but grin at that offer and lean over to give her friend a quick hug. “What all weird stuff can he do living in New York? ...Wait don’t answer that. New York can be a pretty weird place at times. I learned that when I lived there. He’s pretty normal actually. For a musician.” She said with a shrug. “But I promise I will call you if anyone tries anything weird with me.”
“I think you’ll like her. She’s a sweet girl. I’ll see when you both are free. We can do lunch at something at my house.” Neutral territory, someplace they were all three equally comfortable. And their foster parents didn’t mind Anne coming over to Vanessa’s pretty much whenever.
***
Nasir wouldn’t, but well...he also couldn’t move super heavy things by himself so. Teamwork. And then pizza and donuts for both of them afterwards. It wouldn’t be quite the same, sitting on the floor in an empty apartment having one last pizza night. He didn’t think think he’d actually miss this place, and he was definitely happy to be moving out and going to Max’s (which was much nicer, even without the stabby throne). But it was a place that he’d made his own.
“Good. Anyone at all. Like, seriously, at all.” He’d been training her but he still didn’t want her going into a fight alone. “But I’m glad that he’s normal. We could all use a dose of normal around here.”
Nasir nodded. “Sounds good. I can do that, I’m free for a few more weeks after everything’s moved, anyway.” This was going to take up a few days at least, because he knew that after a day of moving everything the only thing he was going to want to do was fall into bed. Maybe let Max rub his sore muscles for him (among other things, which V didn’t need to know about). But after that. “Let me know when she’s free? I’ll make it work.”