Who: Rick Grimes rick & Bagheera bagheera_ What: Home Delivery When: End of September. Where: Baloo & Bagheera's Home Rating: Audience Discretion is Advised Warnings: Rick thinks a lot of bad thoughts because he comes from a bad world. Possibly prying questions and awkward conversation. Status: Complete Upon Posting
~*~
In the South, people didn't talk about certain things. There wasn't an official list posted anywhere on any etiquette site. It was something people simply knew better about. Conversations which took place behind closed doors between a husband and a wife were serious business one knew better than to pry into. Rick imagined the same was true for a husband and a husband or a wife and a wife, but he was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of two people of the same sex marrying.
Rick hadn't been able to stop thinking on it until after he'd spoken with Baloo. The man had been kind enough to answer all his questions even though he'd been five kinds of awkward asking them. He'd never made Rick feel stupid or as if he were being patronized for being Southern. California might be considered an accepting place -the OC more than the rest of it- yet Rick knew people still were people with the same prejudices everywhere. There were some stereotypes one man alone would never be able to breakdown.
Thanks were in order for the man's kindness and the thanks Rick Grimes had to offer came in the form of farm fresh organic produce. He'd boxed up enough for a family of two hungry men to be used in a variety of different recipes from grilling to boiling to simple slice-and-serve. Salads weren't anything to be taken for granted in his house or at his table. He and Daryl both tried to eat healthy so the kids had a good example. It was also hard not to be appreciative of the ability to eat as well as they could when their Dreams were filled up with starvation, death, and the dead who refused to die.
Ringing the bell on the address he'd been given, Rick shifted the box of produce on his side, trying to put on a smile as he waited on someone to come to the door. He hoped it was Baloo himself, but it could be interesting to meet his husband. The man sounded fascinating. Working with wild cats? That was something his Judith would be tickled by to no end and even Carl would be impressed despite having hit that teenaged stage where nothing was impressive any longer. Rick only wanted to do right by someone who'd done right by him. He hoped he hadn't made a mistake in dropping by unannounced.
~*~
Baloo hadn’t really ever mentioned the conversation to Bagheera. Not that he’d have reason to, really, so Bagheera wasn’t expecting anyone over in the least. It was one of those rare days where he was home and his other half was … Well. Who knew where, to be honest. Probably making himself a helpful nuisance somewhere. In the absence of Baloo, Bagheera was playing with the kitten, dangling strings about. How could anything be so cute?
When the bell rang, the kitten skittered off, still uncertain of what that sudden noise could be. It was with a chuckle that Bagheera straightened out his play-rumpled appearance before going to answer the door. The man was a stranger to him, but something seemed to click in Bagheera’s head so he smiled, looking fondly exasperated.
“Let me guess, you’re here for Orson? I’m sorry to say he’s not home but - here, come in, that box looks cumbersome.” Any friend of Baloo’s was a friend of his. Bagheera stepped aside and waved the man in through the door. “I’m Rama, by the way. Before my manners completely escape me.”
~*~
"I am indeed though it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Rama. I'm Rick Grimes and I met your husband online. He's spoken quite fondly of you to me and I'm dropping by on account of his kindness to me on the network. I figured the least I could do was offer up some organic produce fresh from the Grimes Family Farm."
Rick wasn't overly burdened by the box. He was glad to be welcomed in even though he was a total stranger presenting himself up at this kind man's door as if he'd any right to on account of some internet conversation. His face flushed as he stepped inside, ducking down to pass in far enough to allow the door to be shut behind him. Rama was a striking man, visually speaking, ethnic in a way Rick hadn't anticipated. His voice was soothing even when exasperated-sounding at having to put up with drop-ins courtesy of his man's gregarious nature.
They had married in New Zealand. Rick remembered that part. He'd not asked much about how they'd wound up in the States. It was obvious from Rama's voice he hadn't grown up in the OC. Rick figured he sounded as Southern now as he'd ever been and hoped this man didn't mind a simple man offering up a simple gesture of friendship. Etiquette was different in different parts of the world. Rick had been raised with manners. His son and daughter were being raised with the same manners he'd been taught.
Instinct drove him to apologize, "On the topic of manners, I'm sorry for dropping by all of a sudden. Where I'm from, it's just natural to drop on by to say thank you to a friend for helping you out. I hope I haven't offended you."
~*~
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry much about it. It’s a rather endearing custom that I think more people ought to adopt. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rick.” Rama seemed to have no problems with the cultural difference. He was a worldly man, he’d seen just about every walk of life. He led Rick into the kitchen where he could set down the produce, then began to look through it.
“This all looks fantastic. I hope I don’t end up ruining it when I try to use it.” He laughed, and the kitten snuffled out of his hiding place to come see what was happening. It wiggled its rear and jumped at Rick’s shoelace, causing Rama to tut his tongue. “Sorry. He’s been learning how to hunt bits of string lately. I assure you he’s not as ferocious as he looks.”
~*~
Animals were easier than people the same way plants were easier on Rick's nerves than animals. He liked his solitude with the exception of close friends and family. Becoming an active member of Valarnet had opened his eyes to how many people were out there with similar situations to his own. He didn't have to go it alone. That was what he was trying to train his brain to understand. Forced isolation wasn't going to help him be the father his kids needed or the partner Daryl deserved.
"Thank you. I grow all organic. That's surplus I didn't want to go to waste since I didn't get enough orders in before the weekend Farmer's Market. I'm working on setting up a dispensary for compassionate care assistance to offer help to those with a prescription for cannabis as a medicinal means of alleviating pain. It's my passion project. People don't deserve to suffer when we've got natural options we can offer them to ease their pain."
Rick sank to his haunches to tease the kitten with a wriggle of his fingers.
"Your man shared a picture of this fierce guy here on the net. That's how I got to talking to him. I had questions about how you two had done it up legal to be together. He was kind enough to answer me even if I was prying. I come from a place where courtesy is common, but things like that are kept behind closed doors with a vow of silence in place to prevent people poking around where it ain't their business, if you know what I mean."
~*~
“That sounds like a fantastic project to be spearheading. I do love a good cause. If you ever need some sort of sponsorship or grant to help with funding, let me know. I’m sure I know a few people who’d be worth getting in touch with.” Rama worked with charities all over the place at one point or another. It was a remarkably small circle once you got into it. Word of mouth would probably get him all sorts of assistance for Rick if he wanted it.
“I, myself, am very fortunate to have progressive parents,” he said, in line with the next wave of conversation. “Most of my family is a bit strict in their ways, so I can understand what it’s like to keep one’s business to themselves. It’s a shame there’s so many parts of the world where silence is status quo. Why should anyone feel ashamed for talking about people that make them happy?” Rama shrugged, and gave Rick a smile. “I’ve never considered myself a private person. I won’t go out of my way to bring things up, but if people ask about them, then I’ll gladly answer. Orson is endearingly open. I think he balances me out that way.”
~*~
"Thank you. I will keep you in mind. We're not a non-profit, but we're going to be fair with our customers. There's something about helping people live better lives, knowing what I grow makes their pain less, knowing their family eats better from my garden, it's all good somehow."
Rick needed something good to balance out the insanity of his life at night. Every night was filled to the brim with rot until the stench of death literally choked him awake. He'd taken too many showers to count at some 2 AM or 3 AM time, trying to wash away a world he wasn't even in. Daryl understood. Rick was terrified one day so would his son, Carl, or worse yet, his daughter, Judith. The people he loved needed him to balance out the darkness of his nights by bringing as much positive light into his days as possible.
Balance was its own skill. It was hard to learn for a man as driven as Rick. He was still working on it. From the sound of things, Rama and Orson had figured it all out together somehow. It gave him hope the same could be said for him and Daryl one day.
"My people are gone now. Mostly I've only got extended family. I know there are folks who talk though. Even here. I worry what they'll say to my kids. What my kids will have to deal with because of my choices. It's refreshing to meet people who really only see a person when they look at me. At home? It's all labels and none of those are the kind I'd want my kids to hear with me in the same sentence."
~*~
“I suspect that’s the struggle with many parents.” Rama wouldn’t know. He and Orson had never even discussed the possibility of becoming parents, but he could imagine it would be tricky to navigate in a world where older views still reigned. “I think that as long as they know they come from a loving family, they’ll face most things.”
He gave Rick an encouraging smile before turning. “Would you like anything? A coffee, a tea, something else? I feel very suddenly like a terrible host. My parents would have had a full plate of food out on the table by now.”
~*~
Rick chuckled, relaxing a bit more. Some things were universal he supposed and offering a guest refreshments was as close to home as he could imagine getting. Southern households started off the list with sweet tea; Orange County homes tended to offer him ice water. It was interesting Rama had led with coffee. Rick figured it spoke to the man's work ethic since he was clearly very driven in his field. He'd been one of those men once upon a time. His work with the Sheriff's office had been important to him.
Too important though he hadn't realized that until it was too late.
"I would love a cup of coffee. I take it black. You know, most people out here? They offer ice water first. In the South? It's always sweet tea. I'm glad to meet someone who knows coffee is what the best systems run on. Being a parent is something I literally could not do without there being enough coffee in my system to make people wonder if I was trying to dilute my bloodstream. My kids are loved. I'm starting to think that's really enough even if the type of love I've found is so different from the one I imagined growing up."
~*~
“Back home, it’s always tea, too. But I prefer coffee, I think.” Rama said it like it was some sort of great secret. He grabbed the beans down from the cupboard and pulsed them through the grinder. “Some of the places I go are renowned for their coffee, I try to bring back what I can. You can buy it here, sure, but it’s never quite the same. Something I sure you understand, what with being a farmer.”
Into the French press went the coffee and two mugs were set on the counter, the press between them. “It’s the unexpected love that always gets you. I certainly never would have thought I’d settle down with a man like Orson.” He nudged a freshly poured cup of coffee towards Rick, smiling. “Thank goodness we both let ourselves entertain the possibilities of something different.”
~*~
"Feel free to bring back some of the good stuff for me and bill me for it on delivery. That smells amazing."
Rick loved good coffee. He settled for any coffee available since they'd served nothing other than sludge in the station house back in Georgia and he got the same red can here in California he'd bought in the grocery store back there for his home here, too. Habits were hard to break, especially for a man who was a creature of them. There were so many beautiful, amazing places he'd never been, things he'd never tried, for a moment, Rick envied Rama the fun of his travels.
That envy dissipated as his family -Carl and Judith and Daryl- flashed through his mind; Rick knew there was nothing out there anywhere in the world he'd want other than his family.
Taking his cup, he toasted, "To taking a chance on something different and forging new friendships, however unexpected they might be."