Miranda Pye (fashion_victim) wrote in whatprice, @ 2009-09-18 15:21:00 |
|
|||
Current mood: | worried |
Who: Augustus Pye and Miranda Pye
What: A sibling chat.
When: Friday night, September 18, 2009
Where: The back porch of Jules' house in Histon/Impington
Warnings: None really.
Status: Complete.
Gus sat up a bit straighter on the steps of the porch so that he could zip up his leather jacket to keep out the chill that was creeping into the air now that the sun was down. Luckily the whole day had been clear, allowing for them to take out the children and entertain them after school was out while the baby, Jules, and Donna were fussed over. The sky was still clear now, more stars visible in the sky than he was used to in London. It hadn't been too hard to slip away. Even with how big the house was, the presence of nine more people than usual could still be felt, especially with the stink that Aurora was making about having to share a room with Victoria and the constant search to see where Tiberius was hiding in order to get a little bit of quiet away from Terrence. It was all wonderful. Really, really wonderful. But it had gotten to that point again where it was starting to hurt. And to hurt ten times worse than the other family gatherings because Adrian's barbed words were causing the pain to cinch tighter and the hollow and loneliness to feel deeper. So, he had slipped outside like he usually did to get a bit of quiet time because it was easier to feel so utterly lost and hopeless when he was actually alone than to keep it bundled up inside with so many people about.
Hearing the door to the sitting room open, he looked over his shoulder, fully expecting it to be Penny, and froze when he saw Miranda coming towards him instead with two mugs in her hands. Composing himself slightly, he wasn't sure whether to be happy or not that it was Miranda, which made him hate the situation more because he had always been glad it was Miranda before. But now... He knew he couldn't blame Miranda for Adrian's words, but because of them, he now felt awkward around his own sister because he no longer knew what Adrian was after in seeing her. While he didn't like it, just shagging was one thing and easily excepted. But if the pureblood was leading his sister along with talk of children and marriages when there was no possibility of that between the two of them... He would have to kill Adrian for putting his sister through that sort of hurt. Breathing out a sigh, he tried to push those thoughts away as he smiled up at Miranda.
"Hey."
"Hey. Mum thought you could use some hot chocolate," Miranda said with an understanding smile as she handed the mug down to him before sitting herself on the step beside him and cradling her mug between her hands to keep them warm. "You can thank her in the morning though. Mum and Dad are winding down for the night, so we'll need to go in through the play room or the utility room when we're done freezing our arses off."
He laughed as he shook his head. "It isn't that cold yet, My. I think they're sending you off to Milan and Paris too often if you think this is freezing," he teased, even as he curled his own hands around his mug and blew on it lightly.
"May I remind you that you're not in a bloody skirt," she pointed out as she stretched a bare leg out to show her point. "Not to mention that I came straight from the shows, so I was dressed for running around and being far too hot." She groaned slightly as she leaned her head to rest on his shoulder. "Ugh, I don't even want to think of what time I'll have to get up to get back to the shows in time. I feel like I need to print out a picture of Marcus and put it somewhere I'll see often so I'll remember why driving up here was the best idea ever during fashion week rather than waiting until it's all over to see the little bundle of joy."
"I'd lend you some of my clothes, but I think we're long past the stage of being the same size," he teased as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Not to mention style. I keep remembering you whinging about wishing t-shirts and jeans were acceptable girl wear in fashion. How is the fashion whirlwind treating you so far?"
"Ugh, if I showed up wearing your clothes, I'd be on everyone's worst dressed list. No offense to your fashion sense of course, it just isn't something that a fashion designer can show up to work in." She did a dramatic shudder that had nothing to do with the cold as she leaned into his arm and took a sip of her cocoa. "It's been going pretty much par for course. New York was a circus as always. I always forget what it feels like to not be behind the curtain. Some good styles. Some horrendous ones. I've got my eyes on a few of the American models though. We'll need to talk to their agencies of course, but it would be nice to get a few of them over here for work. Especially in our designs." He groaned mentally as she looked over at him. He should have known better than to ask about work... The usual response was to of course- "And how are you doing?"
"Alright," he said with a shrug before taking a sip of his hot chocolate to give him something to do. "Business at the clinic is the usual. Thankfully slow. But then slow means no disasters have happened." He stared up at the stars, waiting for the next question. Except he hadn't realized he was waiting for the next question until one actually didn't come and silence just stretched on. His brow furrowing in worry that he had said something wrong without having known it again, he looked over at Miranda. At her critical look and arched eyebrow, his brow knit together more in worry. "What?"
"I asked how you are doing, not the clinic," she pointed out.
"What do you mean?"
Gus didn't like the look Miranda gave him before she breathed out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "You're worse than usual, Gus. You haven't been this bad since the Christmas after Amanda was born... And we know why that was," she said softly. "Has something happened? I expect a real answer, too, or I'm taking the hot chocolate away."
"Nothing's happened," he said reassuringly, sighing when Miranda still looked skeptical. "Honestly, nothing's happened. Nothing like... well... that year."
"But if it's nothing like that year, it's still something," she pointed out as she shifted to turn to face him more. "Something's got you down more than usual and I know it's not Leah and Jules because they're too busy being on a baby high to even think of ganging up against you." He made a face as Miranda reached up to take the hand over her shoulder in her own and squeeze it reassuringly, knowing what was likely coming. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
Taking in a deep breath, he pulled his arm away from Miranda and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers back around the warm mug. "I know," he said in a voice that was soft and completely exhausted. "But I can't talk to you about this. Not now." He kept his eyes focused on the mug, knowing that the words would likely worry Miranda, but not knowing how else to say it. She had a busy, stressful week ahead and would need to be working with Adrian for a full day after all.
"What's so bad that you can't talk to me about it?" she asked with a shake of her head. "You say that it's not anything like what happened with the wizarding world, but then you say something like that that makes me think something has happened that was like that or... or something happened with them possibly picking you up..."
He shook his head and breathed out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes. "It's not that. Nothing has happened in regards to that. Not that I know of. No one's watching me, no one has entered my flat, no one has approached me. Nothing. I'm telling the truth about that, honest," he said quietly before rubbing a hand over his eyes. "My... I don't want to put you in a situation where you feel you have to pick sides... I don't mean this in terms of politics or culture or anything. Just small scale friends sort of things." He wasn't going to mention that he was afraid to bring up the topic too. Not because of the chance that she would side with Adrian rather than him, but that if she did side with Adrian, it put into question even more just how much she felt for the other man.
It was quiet for a long moment and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Miranda sorting through his words. Trying to figure out the meaning. Trying to phrase the right question that might get her more information than a straightforward question. Finally, she clamped her mug between her knees as she pulled a rubber band from her jacket pocket and pulled her hair back. "Does this have to do with Penny being a bit off, too?" she asked curiously.
He couldn't help laughing as he shook his head. "Oh no. That's her own brand of social problems there. Not related at all to my mood," he reassured her before smirking. "But she may be happier if you ask her about them than me just blabbing all her woe around."
She nodded as she gave him a calculating look. "Am I allowed to guess more?" she asked warily.
He smirked wryly as he nodded. "Yes. But you're not going to get anything more than a head nod or shake. Although I'm pretty sure you can get it in one now."
"Considering that it's not family and it's not Penny and how much our social circles actually overlap, yeah, I'm pretty sure I can," she said softly before pausing a moment to take a sip of her hot chocolate and contemplate the contents of her glass. "So then, Adrian?"
He breathed out a heavy sigh as he stared at the dark liquid in his mug as well before nodding his head slowly.
"Is this bad mood involving Adrian in regards to me?"
He was about to nod before he hesitated. While she was the catalyst in the matter, she wasn't really the issue. It was more Adrian's approach and attitude to the whole matter. That he wasn't willing to lie about something that wasn't that big a deal. That he was making such a big deal out of this whole mess and by elevating everything to this higher level and taking it so seriously was crossing that line into family, but then refusing to actually be part of his family. Thinking long and hard about it, he held it hand up and wiggled it side to side in a 'so-so' hand gesture.
"Is it about your dislike of us screwing around?"
He made a face before he rolled his eyes and gave Miranda a withering look. Shaking his head, he couldn't help glaring at his mug though at the memories of Adrian's accusation on that matter.
"Your head's saying one thing, but your face is saying another," she pointed out with a jibbing lilt to her voice.
"Sorry. It's not your words I'm mad at, My." He held up his hand stop Miranda from asking whatever question had popped into her head. "And really, I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to fuck this up anymore than it's already been."
He waited for a moment, unsure if she would let it be or not. Finally, Miranda blew out a sigh and nodded. "After fashion week?"
He nodded as he smiled very softly. "After fashion week."
Seeming to be happy with this arrangement, they both looked up at the stars and Miranda moved back to lean her shoulder against Gus'. Wrapping his arm back around her, they enjoyed each other's company and the hot chocolate in silence for many minutes before Miranda let out a soft laugh.
"Was he really going to name the poor boy Severus?"
Gus laughed genuinely as he nodded. "Yup. Severus Duncan."
"Oh God. Dunkin' Pye?" she groaned as she buried her head against his shoulder. "How on earth did you talk him out of it? He wouldn't listen to you at all in regards to Tiberius."
"Penny and I told him about our potions' professor named Severus," he said with a triumphant smirk. "He would have been arrested for speeding with how quick he changed his mind after that."
He relaxed more as Miranda giggled at the situation and then looked up at him with a warm smile. "You'll have to tell me about this professor Severus. Or at least refresh my memory," she said fondly.
Rubbing his hand over his shoulder, he leaned over and brushed his lips against the top of her head. "I will, My. Tonight, Penny and I will tell you a bedtime story that will give you nightmares for weeks."