[FIN] Broken Bonds

[TawnyAngel]

Of course there was another question to follow the first.

Zevran laughed easily and sat back in his chair, but as he did so he kicked Abel's ankle lightly under the table. It might have been an accident but if it was his smile didn't waver in surprise and nor did he offer an apology. Instead he said; "In the middle of course, it should be as well balanced as I am no?" Officially it was somewhere around the middle he thought but he couldn't remember quite when at present, it wasn't something that had ever been important before. If he had known he was going to be questioned he would have slipped out when the conversation started and checked his driving licence.

"In the middle," Taavi quoted with a snort of amusement and then waved his glass vaguely at Zevran. "Is this when I ask; 'Are you deliberately not giving a straight answer?' Because I know what you'll say next; that you never give a straight anything or something like that, right?" That had to be the lead in he was going for, but he'd got there first! It was either that or Zev didn't want to admit precisely when he was another year older, some people were pretty sensitive about that especially as they moved further through their twenties... Not that he knew exactly how old Zev was but he looked sort of mid-ish twenties, and he seemed too confident to be much younger but too wild to be much older. Then again some people never grew out of it, and some people were just born confident. Bastards!  

[BlackFireKitsune]

The abrupt tap at his ankle startled him and for a brief moment Abel wondered if one of the Pokémon had run under the table... but he would've noticed or heard if one did. If Taavi had kicked him he would be apologizing profusely by now, so the taller blond settled more comfortably in his chair and stuck his foot out to hook around Zevran's ankle and sit there. He could take a hint. He also enjoyed having some sort of physical contact with the shorter blond, especially if he had any kind of excuse to do so... like reassuring him that he did indeed get the hint.

A smirk slowly spread across his face and Abel chuckled. Someone seemed a little tipsy. As he tilted his head toward Zev a little, he kept his gaze on Taavi as he said, "Uh oh, I think he's onto you. He already knows exactly what you're gonna say - but straight things can be pretty boring. Anyway," he went on, focusing more on Taavi, "when's your birthday? Isn't it March or April? I can't remember which but I'm pretty sure it's one of the two."  

[TawnyAngel]

Feeling very glad that the hint was taken Zevran rubbed his foot against Abel's and smiled briefly over at him; the expression formed little creases at the corners of his amberish eyes.

"April!" Taavi nodded. "And it's the twenty first but only just, because I was born at five past midnight. My parents always talked about that, because my dad's watch was different to the clock and he insisted that he should be the twentieth. He did not win that conversation but he'd always give me a little present on the twentieth, like a little secret between us. I always thought Mom didn't know about it but after he moved out she kept it up for the first couple of years." It hadn't been the same, he'd just never got on with his Mom easily like he had his Dad. Maybe that wasn't either of their faults, they were just very different people, and now he was older and settled and not dependant on her... Maybe things would be better. He'd like them to be better. "And I need to find a Christmas present for Mom," he added in the thoughtful tones of the mildly drunk. "Uh, yours is early in the New Year right Abel? Your birthday."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Maybe it was how much wine he'd had but he couldn't help but think Zevran's eyes looked particularly attractive tonight. Abel leaned forward to rest his cheek in his palm and his elbow on the table and aimed a fond smile at him, lingered for a moment, then chuckled and grinned at Taavi. Yes, he was definitely tipsy, possibly drunk. Probably somewhere in the middle. "April twenty first then," he repeated in an attempt to commit it to memory, or at least until he could write it down. "Or April twentieth too. A two-day birthday sounds more fun anyway. Mm," the blond hummed as he took another sip of wine rather than wait until he'd swallowed it, then once he did so he replied properly, "Yeah, in February. February sixth."  

[TawnyAngel]

"Sixth," Taavi nodded seriously, "I can remember that! Six, like six pokeballs." In that case he should start looking around for a present for Abel too, but what to get him? He couldn't think of a physical thing his friend would want, at least not at the moment, so maybe an experience? A trip somewhere or...? Well he had time to figure it out, no need to worry right now.

"I will have to remember that too," Zevran continued from where Taavi had ended with a smirk, now starting to slide his foot further up Abel's leg. "I will need to get you something suitably exciting as a gift. I am sure I can think of something you would enjoy unwrapping if I think hard about it."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Exactly," he said with a chuckle. Yep, definitely somewhere between tipsy and drunk.

He'd been about to say something else, but whatever he'd been about to say immediately vanished from his thoughts when Zevran's foot moved. Abel turned toward the shorter blond with a smirk under half-lidded eyes. "Oh, you don't have to go out of your way to get me anything special. I'm sure I'll love anything you'd give me." Oh yes, he could think of a handful of exciting things he'd love to unwrap, but not here. Definitely not with Taavi right there either.  

[TawnyAngel]

Taavi smirked over at the pair of blonds; "Oh, I bet!" he chuckled.

"Humm," Zevran made a show of biting his lip slightly, and continued to move his foot up until it rested on Abel's knee. "I am sure I can find something without going to far, but I will certainly give it some thought." What did you give people as presents? Well that was quite obvious, things they would like, but were there certain customs you had to observe? The adverts he had seen around seemed to focus on things like scents and jewellery or electronics for adults to give to one another but he didn't think Abel would especially want any of those. Maybe a gadget? But he didn't know what kind. Perhaps he would need to go off message and just... make his own decision. It wasn't a momentous one and it wasn't for him, somehow that made it a lot easier to contemplate. It didn't mean he had any ideas of course but he could easily go and look for those, and there was plenty of time yet until their December celebration.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Abel drew in a deep, silent breath to calm himself as his eyes traced the curve of Zevran's lips. Abruptly he found himself wishing Taavi wasn't there and promptly felt guilty for such a thought, but there it was. Later though, later... The taller blond made a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat as his thumb slowly slid up the side of his wine glass, "I don't think you need to go very far at all, really, but that's just me." September though... so his birthday had already passed. Oh well, he'd just have to make it up with Christmas gifts. Something for the kitchen, perhaps, but where would Zev even keep it? He didn't have a kitchen at the warehouse. Though he could just keep it here... because where else would he use it? Should he even get him anything kitchen-related when he didn't have a kitchen...? He didn't particularly mind letting Zev keep something like that here if he didn't have the space or even the need for it at his place.. Maybe a set of pots and pans? His were old and fine for his own use, but he couldn't help but think Zev would prefer a newer, better quality set. What could he get for him that would be useful at his place though...? A space heater? No, he didn't have electricity. Blankets maybe? Those were nice, but....

...oh. That would be perfect.

Abel made a mental note to text his mom later.  

[TawnyAngel]

Taavi and his couple of glasses of wine completely failed to notice of Abel was a little bit distracted. "No, you shouldn't go far, you should definitely stay here I think," he said, though his brain was now running down a different track entirely to the conversation about gifts of one kind or another. "Storm's not going to let up for ages, you can't walk in this and we've been drinking so Abel can't give you a lift. I'm sure Abel won't mind you staying with him, right Abel?" Taavi smirked again, finished off his glass of wine and reached for the bottle but then thought better of it and set his glass down on the table. "I think I've had enough wine, I don't want to feel crappy tomorrow." And he'd have to drink some water before he went to bed too, he hadn't had a lot but he didn't drink wine very often so it was probably smarter to be cautious.

Zevran grinned and turned to Abel with one eyebrow arched. "Well, what do you say Abel?" He slid just a little bit down in his chair, so that he could slide his foot a little way up Abel's thigh.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Heh; and now Taavi thought they were talking about something else. He'd have to make sure he drank some water or something before going to bed... "Nah, I wouldn't want to drive right now even if I hadn't been drinking; not in this weather," he agreed, slipping his free arm off the table to drop it into his lap so he could run his fingers over the top of Zevran's foot. "Hmm, I suppose you can spend the night," he ceded, acting as if it was some sort of difficult decision he had to make.

His sultry smirk broadened a bit as his fingers ducked down to brush against the bottom of Zev's foot in an experiment to see if he was ticklish there.  

[TawnyAngel]

When Abel's fingers brushed the bottom of his foot Zevran made a small noise of surprise which morphed into what could quite fairly be called a brief giggle as he squirmed his foot away and tried to grab Abel's fingers with his toes.

Taavi looked momentarily puzzled when Zev squeaked, but then he caught on to what might be happening - or at least who was responsible - and turned to look at Abel again. "I don't even want to know!" he said with a grin as he got to his feet. "I'm going to get water, you two... carry on with whatever you're doing."  

[BlackFireKitsune]

Aha! "Ohh, is that a ticklish spot?" Abel said, his expression morphing into a broad grin as he made to grab Zevran's foot lest it escape while his other hand ducked down under the table to continue the onslaught. Damn, even his giggling was adorable. "Go drink some water, Taavi," the taller blond added in rather distracted tones after he realized that his friend was getting up for something. Water, preferably.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Going!" Taavi replied in amused tones with a vague wave of his hand, which he didn't expect either blond noticed.

Zevran's giggle returned as Abel's second hand joined the attack. "What do you think? Do you know what I think? You are a terrible man!" he exclaimed with no sign of displeasure as he brought his other foot up to try to fend off one of the hands.  

[BlackFireKitsune]

"Guilty as charged," he replied without hesitation and without offense; his grin remained and even widened further as the other foot joined its twin. "Ah, big mistake!" As he spoke, he moved one hand from tickling to trying to grab Zev's foot. If he could hold them in the right spot, he'd still be able to tickle him a little -- on both feet, not just the one, if he could manage it.  

[TawnyAngel]

"Oh no, I am trapped!" Zevran exclaimed gleefully as he continued to not try very hard at all to escape Abel's clutches. The tickling would get too much at some point but for now he was enjoying the game.