WHO:Birkhoff & Caleb WHEN: early Feb/mid Feb WHERE: Birkhoff's pad WHAT: Caleb & Techno see Birkhoff's new place WARNINGS: None/mild language STATUS: Complete
Caleb had yet to see Birkhoff’s new place. The holidays had been crazy. Well it was mostly just the regular snow storm, a mistletoe kiss with Hanna’s best friend (who happened to be into girls), and of course Noel Kahn’s decapitated head showing up in their bed. Thank you Orange County.
Now things were settling, there was no more snow, and Caleb couldn’t wait to see this beach house. As Caleb knocked on Birkhoff’s door, Techno barked waiting to be let in. Of course Caleb brought his dog, the little guy loved the beach.
Since the movers had largely done everything, leaving Birkhoff just his gear to unpack, almost everything was entirely done to the point where Birkhoff was dicking around on Mario Kart when he heard the door. Due to the fact that he was in a new place and he gave Kenzi a key, he figured that was Caleb.
The bark stopped him. Before he just sighed and went anyway.
“Hey.” It didn’t stop him raising the eyebrow at the four legged companion. Which, okay, not a baby and he’d coped with those at Christmas, but still. “Okay, that thing breaks anything, or pees on anything, and you are cleaning or replacing.” Stepping backwards, Birkhoff opened the door further to let both Caleb and his dog inside.
“Well hello to you too,” Caleb replied with a smirk. “Techno is behaved”. He had gotten the dog from the pound and he was already trained. Caleb had taught him a few other things too. “I figured he’d like the beach.” He stepped inside the house, Techno at his side and looked around. “So let’s see it.”
“Fine,” Birkhoff was not one for animals, but it wasn’t like he’d say no to the mutt if it was well behaved, he’d just be watching. “Hi.” See, he could be a normal human too. “See it, or see the beach?”
The beach access was basically Birkhoff’s backyard, and his backyard was a side yard that was covered in sand and had a walk on to the ocean. It didn’t suck, and it was quiet. “Living room,” Birkhoff pointed to the obvious, TV on the wall, gadgets and consoles surrounding it, games and movies in boxes around it with the usual nerd and geek collections of figures and models dotted around, “kitchen,” sort of open plan in that the kitchen extended out from the side towards the living room with just the stairs in between, it was a basic kitchen though, with Kenzi’s fun toy appliances on the counters, “upstairs are the bathrooms, bedrooms and Kenzi’s extensive wardrobe.”
Birkhoff gave Techno a look, “That means no, you cannot go up there.” His life wouldn’t be worth living if anything happened to Kenzi’s shit. “The beach is through there.” Where he already had a couple of loungers because why the fuck not, people couldn’t tell him he wasn’t getting enough vitamin fucking D.
“Both,” but more so the beach. Of course Caleb had seen a beach before but not one with private access. The beach was basically Birkhoff’s backyard. “This place is sick,” Caleb commented as he and Techno walked through the house out to the beach. There was no need to go see his girlfriend’s clothing. Although it did sound like they were pretty serious now, something Caleb would comment on later.
“Remind me to ask Tony for a raise.” Not that he didn’t like his condo with Hanna, but it would be awesome to be on the beach. Wasn’t that half the point of living in California? Caleb plopped down on one of the loungers, Techno followed suit laying on the ground next to him. “So, Kenzi keeps a wardrobe here?”
Birkhoff tended to not need to pay for things when he opted not to, his first place in Orange County wasn’t exactly legally obtained, but it wasn’t like people looked too closely at things. And even then, he had enough funds he squirreled away from his less than nice hacking days. There was a reason Kenzi kept telling him to leave the Russian’s alone.
“If anyone can afford to give a raise, it’s Stark.” Tech companies were probably the best investment at current, with all the leaps forward. But there was a little too much order to a legitimate job, so Birkhoff was fine sticking with the Agency just now. “Kenzi needs a wardrobe everywhere she goes.”
Stretching out on the second lounger, Birkhoff knocked his sunglasses down his face to settle. Probably ridiculous to lie out on a sunlounger fully dressed, but fuck it. “Besides, she’s got a baby niece at home, I’m providing a solid alternative for her ridiculously expensive and sometimes spiked clothes and shoes.”
The loungers were around to lay on right? Not just for sunbathing. Cause no way in hell was Caleb ever going to do that. That was definitely more a Hanna thing. Not that they even had those at their little condo. But hey at least they had somewhat of a yard for Techno. Complete with Noel Kahn’s head buried underneath the Ravenswood gravestone. Man, their dreams were insane.
“Oh is that what you’re doing?” Caleb asked a small smirk on his face. “Next thing I know you’ll be telling me she’s officially moved in.” Man, he was starting to sound like all his older guy friends that had teased him about living with Hanna, before he had really even considered it.
It wasn’t really like Birkhoff would mind. Sure, he was a bit of a hermit, and he did like his solitude, but he was into Kenzi badly enough to admit that having her around was not a chore in the least. She actually made him socially interact with people, and she still managed to geek the hell out with video games. He kind of thought he’d managed to get the best of both worlds.
“I don’t know if you’ve seen my girlfriend, but having her live here would in no way be a trouble.” He figured he was probably okay with it, hell, he probably sort of wanted it, but he was shit at doing the asking thing. “But she’s got that baby niece, and she’s super attached to her brother.” Seymour just shrugged a shoulder, even as he lowered a hand to scratch at the top of Caleb’s dogs head absently. “But it’s not like there isn’t room if she wants to. Besides, you have no room to talk, Mr Shacked Up. And with a dog no less.” Wasn’t a dog a trial baby? Even if the dog wasn’t technically theirs and more his.
“I just didn’t know you guys were that serious. It seems like just yesterday you were texting me about your first date,” Caleb joked although it was true. But then things went by way too fast sometimes. It also seemed like he had just moved to Orange County last week, not a year and a half ago.
“To be fair I got Techno before I asked Han to move in with me.” Technically he had decided to move into a place with a yard because of the dog, and it just made sense for Hanna to move in. They lived together for a little while the dreams not to mention she spent multiple nights a week at his place anyway.
“I suppose,” but then, for one, Birkhoff and Kenzi had known one another for a while, even if it had primarily been online for a while, and Orange County had a way of bringing people together a little more. “I think after brain surgery and her being replaced by an evil fox-thing,” and then Kenzi murdering ‘fake Kenzi’ in front of them, well, that was enough to really bring them closer. “Things have a way of moving quicker here.” And weirdly it wasn’t horrible.
Birkhoff happened to know that Kenzi was out of his league, but he wasn’t going to question that too much.
“Yes, and now you live in domestic bliss with a dog. And creepy stalker dreams. But plus side, no Spaleb.” Because Seymour had feelings on that, and it was no. No with an emphatic no.
“I can’t argue with that.” They were often put in life and death scenarios in this place. It made you not want to waste any moments. Certainly made things move after.
“Thank God.” The whole thing with Spencer was still weird for him to think about. Thankfully dream!him was back with Hanna now. Or practically back together at least. “Did I tell you Spencer is here now?” And best friends with Hanna.
There was a lot for them to be grateful for in Orange County, all fingers and limbs attached, no more evil body doubles (for now), decent weather. He could deal, that was all he was saying.
“You did not.” He could imagine it though, it seemed the a lot of people ended up with dream-mates or whatever, after all Hanna was already there. “Does this mean the other little liars are on their way?” That would be interesting to see, really. In that mostly hidden gossipy hole that Seymour was guilty of.
“Emily is here too. Not sure about Aria,” he shrugged. He’d rather have Aria here than Spencer, but that’s not how the world worked apparently. Oh well, at least it wasn’t Mona or Ali. “What about you? Anyone pop up from your dreams yet? Or are you still a lone wolf?” Not an actual wolf though, because apparently that was a thing around here.
“Man, when people start stalking and shit, at least be smarter about it this time.” At least the dreams gave a little perspective on those things. “Get good security.” Which should be a given.
Of course when it shifted to his world and people from there, Seymour just shook his head a little, “Nah, not yet. That I know of.” He figured he had enough facial recognition software going that if Niki or Mikey or even Alex showed up he’d know about it. And he was tracking any possible appearance of Percy or Amanda too, just to keep the world a safer place. “I think if and when they show up, it’ll be with some explosions.”
“That’s what Techno is for,” he joked. But of course Caleb had good security. He also had extra protection set up for Hanna’s phone. Just in case. Couldn’t be too safe, after all.
“Explosions wouldn’t really be out of place,” Caleb commented. “You might want to keep an eye out.” Although he was sure Birkhoff already had that covered. “But enough about dreams. Let’s go play some WoW.”