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 Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:30 pm
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 Nathan "Nate" Klein
No place in his apartment felt safe, breakfast in the kitchen, exploring touches on the couch and eventually sweet satisfaction in the bedroom. The bathroom was the only place not tainted with a memory of the blond. Nathan walked into his room, feeling heavy with each memory the other's messages. Yes, he didn't do much of that during that night, and these days, specially yesterday or rather during earlier today. He changed into something more formal, from the sound of it, that was what the brunette was aiming for though Nathan would rather just go for something more lazy. Like watching a movie and getting drunk together. After getting dressed, Nathan reached for his phone. He had given himself some time to think about how he should respond to those messages. In the end, deciding for the truth. ' You want me to say it again? I meant all of it... I was really happy to hear your voice.' Nathan rubbed his right hand up and down his face. It was, embarrassing and shameful to admit that. He was well aware of it, but it also removed a bit of weight off of his shoulders. ' I don't know why you are so hard to forget...' If only he had met the other first. Sure, their situation would probably be the same, both of them still hiding and all... But at least, Ander wouldn't be Regina's boyfriend. It was still early to be ready for his date, but Nathan wasn't sure what to do to keep himself busy. He went into the living room, flopping down on the couch, idly reaching for the remote to turn the TV on. Choosing a random thing on Netflix, hoping it would distract him enough of just how bad he was feeling, longing to see someone that wasn't only not the current person he was sort of seeing, but also his sister's partner. |
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Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:14 pm
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 It was nice to lie down in his state, everything felt warm and nice and free of complications. If only that were true to life. Andre’s hand wandered to the bedside table on which he kept a Bluetooth speaker (mostly used to play music while he showered) and pressed the 'on' button. His head lolled to the side as he took his phone and searched through his music library for something uplifting to carry his mood. Music began to pour from the speaker, quietly at first but he fixed the volume to fill the room. He folded his arms behind his head and began to mull over how much he really needed a distraction from it all: from Nathan, from Regina, from his job. He wished he could just go back to his pitiful cheating life before he met the man at that bar, back to a time where he was still a piece of s**t but the lines weren’t so blurry.
The blonde felt around on the bed searching for his phone. He picked it up and began scrolling through the contacts to see if he could find the perfect fit for his current situation– someone casual, generous, and readily available. His eyes landed on the prize: the barista. Funny how that sounded awfully close to a bartender. He typed out a quick message to see what he was up to much later tonight and dropped his phone back on the bed. The blonde pushed himself off the mattress and headed for his closet to find something to wear to dinner, it was about to be time for him to leave and pick up the girl. The sound of an incoming text message rang through his speaker twice– once from Nathan and once from the barista. Andre read Nathan’s text first, his heart shrinking at the reply ‘I’m glad it wasn’t just the alcohol speaking… is it ******** up to say that I miss you?’ He knew the answer was an undeniable ‘yes’, and yet, the never ending pit of bad decisions was sucking him in again.
✘_____________✘_____________✘
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Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2017 5:25 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
Nathan had already watched two episodes of a show called Skin Wars when his phone went off with Andre's message. The bartender's felt both heavy and light at the same time, though it was starting to become an usual feeling whenever the blond was involved. Funny how someone in such a small time could made him feel this way. He knew that after joining the other for some drink, Nathan felt like they just.. Clicked, in a way he never had experienced before. Sure, he disliked him at first and simply wanted to mess up with the blond. Get him to end the relationship with his sister to avoid a future conflict. He had never expected the outcome. And now he was truly longing to get to know Andre more.. Despite knowing it wasn't a smart thing to want nor a possible one. ' Yes it is.. But you are already were a little sick haha... Makes me happy to hear that so I guess, I am a sick person too.. ' He most be. Nathan always though that despite everything, his moral compass was always on track. But Andre easily destroyed that.. The bartender's glance turned towards the spot on the couch the two had occupied that night. Remembering the feeling of hands on his body.. The coldness and wetness of ice.. Ugh. He needed to take a shower. After that long shower, Nathan supposed it was time to dress up and make his way to the closest liquor store to get that wine that Eric asked him to bring over. Taking his keys, wallet and phone the young man went to exit his apartment, locking the door behind him. He wasn't feeling excited about this date at all. Perhaps if he had never drunkly reached for the blond, Nathan would be looking forwards to it.. Can't think this way! I will go there and have a good time! Nathan tried to convince himself of this. He needed to push Andre out of his mind, though now it was quite evident that he couldn't. |
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Posted: Tue Nov 14, 2017 2:00 pm
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Andre pulled out a dark jacket and layered it over the long-sleeve crewneck he had chosen to wear to dinner, even though he knew Regina would want for him to wear a button-up it reminded him of work and he wanted to detach completely his weekend. A glance at his watch told him it was about time to leave the apartment. He put his wallet and keys in his pocket, and picked up to put his phone to tuck it away, but noticed he had a couple replies (none from his actual girlfriend). The blonde opened Nathan’s text message as he turned off the lights and the speaker in this room, and without replying opened the barista’s reply as he made his way out of the building to catch a cab. The night was busy, buzzing with people trying to go out for the night, but he was able to flag down a cab nonetheless.
The blonde gave them man Regina’s address and sat back, staring down at his phone screen trying to decide what to do. The moral path would be to block both numbers and proceed with the night before he got a chance to make matters worse, but the blonde knew very well that if he didn’t act on his needs he would most likely implode. Another option would be to act on his attraction to Nathan and make a mess of epic proportions that would end badly for everyone involved. Lastly, he could just hope and pray that one night with the barista could bring back the self-serving Andre that has no real feelings for anyone and forget this ever happened. ‘Cheers to being sick people’ he typed and sent to Nathan ‘it was wrong of me to text you today, I apologize. Enjoy your weekend, spend your time on better people haha’ He couldn’t help but roll his eyes at his own reply, this didn’t sound like him at the least. Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. He opened the conversation with the barista and promised to meet up with him after midnight, making his intentions obvious.
✘_____________✘_____________✘
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Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2017 10:06 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
The young man had left his apartment some time ago, and was making his way to the nearest liquor store that was probably half an hour away from him place, walking. Normally, he would just take a taxi or a bus but tonight he was in the mood for walking and he had time to spare. Nathan's phone vibrated once during the walk but he forced himself to ignore it. He had a chore to do at the moment and if he started talking with the blond again he would get distracted from the task at hand, regardless if it was something as simple as getting some wine. The second time it vibrated was when the bartender was inside the store. His fingers twitched and he almost immediately reached into his pants for his phone. He paused. There was another buzz. Perhaps Andre had something urgent to say? No. Later. Nathan wasted a good amount in the store, contemplating wines. Unable to decide between a red or a white one. Eric didn't specify what type he should bring, and the bartender didn't ask what was for dinner so he could try and find something that would go along with it, of course, with the help of the people in charge of the liquor store. Perhaps if his mind wasn't getting distracted by going back to his phone, the shopping wound have been done a bit quicker. It was only after he decided for the red wine and went to pay for it that he allowed himself to reach for his phone. Three messages, two belonged to Andre. He opened that one first and.. A soft chuckle left his lips along with that sinking feeling on his chest. Of course, he knew it that. But there was nothing he could do about the longing, he had been trying since day one. But still, being reminded of that by the blond after their brief chat.. It made the whole thing feel worse. Perhaps he was the one too hung up in this. He was nothing more than a one night stand in the blond's eyes and Andre would either continue to be 'a good boy' or move onto the next man he sees. There was nothing new in there. Nate had wished to leave it in the same terms. Still.. His free hands went to squeeze and pinch at the bridge of his nose, blue eyes closing tightly, the wine bottle tucked under his arm as he tried to blow away this burning sensation in his eyes. God, what was this feeling? ' It's alright. I started it... So, it was my fault. You too.. '. After sending that, he returned his phone into his pocket. Not feeling like even opening Eric's message right now... And started to make his way towards his date's place. |
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 10:45 pm
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Andre called Regina when he was about to reach her apartment to ask her to come downstairs– even with the warning he had to wait a few minutes for the woman to emerge from her building and hop into the cab. The ride was a one-sided conversation about the rest of her day and a petty argument she’d had with a friend over the phone, while he pretended to listen and give input but in reality he was far too distracted to focus on her story. When they reached the restaurant, their friends were already inside and waiting at the table. During dinner the blonde was quiet for the most part, blaming his lack of conversation on exhaustion even if it wasn’t entirely the case. On any other day, he’d be happy to go out and force himself to chat with the people at the table. However, today wasn’t just any day and he was still thinking about that last text he had sent Nathan: to put it shortly, he felt guilty and anxious to end the night.
A few wine glasses and a steak dinner later, the check came around and they split it evenly with Andre covering for his girlfriend. Regina was toasty and happy, giggling and leaning into him with the purple tint on her lips left behind by the Bordeaux. As they both stepped into the outside to catch another cab, she tried to coax him to come home with her and spend the night, but he had to convince her that it was best for him to have an early start tomorrow morning (which wasn’t a complete lie). Andre flagged down a cab and took her home, waiting for her to enter the building before continuing his path to his own apartment where he had asked the barista to show up thirty minutes from present time. The worst part had to be that he wasn’t even particularly excited to meet up with the young man, but even then he chose to follow through hoping it would put his needs to rest for a while.
Andre unlocked his apartment and stepped inside while looking at his phone screen and reading Nathan’s last text message for the third time tonight. He knew he wasn’t going to respond but he wanted to… so very badly. He poured some ice cold water into a glass and gulped it down in an attempt to ward of his hangover tomorrow morning, then proceeded to wash his face quickly as an indirect way to clear his mind. Time went by slowly, but finally the doorbell rang and he opened it to find a glassy-eyed barista coming to fetch the end to a night of partying.
✘_____________✘_____________✘
MonstersOfMen Hope you're feeling better! |
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:49 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
The date could had been quite fun and pleasing if he had actually felt invested in it. But his mind wasn't completely there the whole time, nor did his heart. When it was getting late, Eric suggested that he could just stay over. Normally, when the bartender was dating, he would spend at least a little more time considering that option and what it could imply before accepting, but right now... Right now he needed a distraction. Something that could erase the memories of the private time he spent with the blond. " Aah~ If you really don't mind.. " While his voice was sultry, it didn't came naturally like when he had been with the Andre. When the morning came, he was feeling bad in a different way than when he slept with Andre. It was a simply not being satisfied and it was quite annoying. Like an itch you can't scratch. Still, he forced himself to keep the thing going. The days passed and soon he had been dating the brunette for almost a month. Nathan had been in one of his free days, glad that Eric was busy so he could have some alone time, when his mother contacted him about a family dinner and how so very important was for Nathan to not miss it. Apparently, she had a big announcement to make or something like that. To be honest, he was only half listening to the woman on the phone to be really sure of the motive of the get-together. But he agreed to it nonetheless. And that was the reason why he was here, a two days after his mother called him. Back at his parents place, apparently waiting for Regina, because everyone needed to be together for this. It was then that he learned that the one with something important to say was Regina and not his mother. Nathan was feeling sick and simply wanted to leave. His mother kept going on about what could be the thing that Regina wanted to say. Apparently, her hopes where on an engagement and his father just hoped that she didn't go get pregnant. Either possibility just made his stomach turn. |
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Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2017 7:41 pm
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It all happened so fast Andre didn’t have a moment to process what was going on until he was lying in bed staring at the ceiling feeling sticky and sweaty while the barista lay passed out on the bed next to him. He’d prefer if the young man had left in the aftermath, but he also wasn’t about to put him out on the street with his level of intoxication. The experiment had failed: he now felt exactly three times as bad as he did before for cheating on his girlfriend yet again, trying something as stupid as getting over Nathan by moving on to another man, and putting the young and naïve barista in the middle of all this mess. He covered his face with one hand in shame as he tried to shake the thoughts from his head and groaned, wishing morning would come so he could shower, wash the sheets, and forget it ever happened. That night he swore to put an end to it all and focus on moving forward with Regina– she wasn’t making this complicated, this whole mess was his own doing and he was the only one capable of putting an end to it.
The next day Andre worked on clearing his phone of all the numbers that belonged to ex-hookups and even brought himself to delete Nathan’s as a measure of self-restraint. He bought new sheets, collected all his drawings and tossed them into the garbage shoot, and even flushed his weed down the toilet. He then called Regina to ask how the rest of her night was and arranged for them to have dinner together so he could have some time to pick up a present for her on his way. This was the first day of many where he made a consistent effort, setting up reminder for himself to check up on his girlfriend and diligently going through with the search for a new apartment for the both of them to move into. She was beyond ecstatic. Her moods changed for the better and her nagging subsided, supporting his theory that their relationship was strained because of him. Everything was looking uphill, so why was he so miserable?
The blonde tried his best to feign excitement when his girlfriend called up her mother to set up a dinner so they could announce their move– they had signed the lease that very morning. A heavy lethargy took over him as she spoke on the phone and persisted throughout the two days until the dinner took place. Suddenly, he was standing on the doorstep waiting for the door to open, feeling a knot in his throat and a nervousness he couldn’t quite shake. The door opened and Regina’s mother greeted them, inviting them inside. Andre handed her the wine bottle they’d brought along and threw some compliments here and there about the updated decoration of the living room and the smell of cooking that filled the place. “Could you be so kind and bring this to the kitchen? Nathan can point you to the corkscrew” why of course, Mrs. Klein, that shouldn’t be awkward at all. Placing a festive mood on his demeanor felt like coughing up a boulder. The blonde then moved to greet Regina’s father with a handshake and laughed at whatever humor he had just dropped on him before slipping towards the kitchen. He placed the wine bottle on the table and looked around trying to make an educated guess of where to find the corkscrew without having to face the pièce de résistance of all his sins in the flesh… but alas the universe has a sick sense of humor. “Hi” he uttered quietly, catching sight of the bartender looking just the same as he remembered. No, better. He felt the oxygen leave his lungs and the electric shock course through his veins, elation sinking into his brain. He blinked twice and then held out his hand for a formal greeting “good to see you” he remarked, playing the part of a near-stranger.
✘_____________✘_____________✘
MonstersOfMen So so sorry this took so long >o< |
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Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2018 6:39 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
Of course he was sent to help set up some appetizers by his mother while she was so excitedly setting the table and other details. She always tried to make things look 'nice' for when Andre came to visit, this time was no different. The bartender was arranging some meats and cheese on a wooden plate along with some grapes, not too different from what he enjoyed at the restaurant with his sister's boyfriend. When the doorbell rung, he could hear his mother's voice announce in a cheery tone " They are here! " followed by footsteps and the sound of chatting voices. It made him freeze. His breathing felt uneven and forced... Were his hands shaking? The black haired young man was struggling to keep up with the many things that were popping inside his mind along with dealing with his body. Stop shaking! He could only plea his body to listen and his mind to quiet down. He could deal with this. Of course he could. When he was younger he had been in the drama club! He could force himself to act casual as ********. " Hi " He felt warm, his mind going blank as Andre became the sole thing in it. The bartender wanted to jump and take that little greeting as an invitation to just... Talk, tease and just, take the blond man away from this place. Turning to face the older male, Nathan smiled. Despite everything, he didn't need to force himself to smile at the sight of Regina's boyfriend. Nathan however, did have to force himself to not seem too excited to see the other. Casual.Casual. I'm super chill about this. He repeated over and over as he reached for the offered hand, grasping it in his own and giving it a light shake before it returned to the bartender's side. " Same... Been a bit busy, so.. I haven't attended much of the family stuff.. Like, usual hah" He felt awkward. Nathan was struggling to remember how he acted towards Andre in the past. " So... You need a corkscrew? " He nudged towards the wine bottle in Andre's hands for a second, then promptly moved towards a nearby kitchen drawer fumbling around the contents before taking the corkscrew out, setting it over the counter. " I'm going to take the cheese and stuff to the living room.. But hey, it's good to see you again man, and see you soon in... The living room. Yeah. " Without anything more to add, he went to take a hold of the wooden plate, moving both slowly and hurriedly out of the kitchen hoping that his words sounded as bad as he thought. ********. He really needed to think of something good so he leave early. " Thank you Nate, " His mother said after he set down the plate on the living room table. " Aren't you going to say hi to your big sister? " Regina's voice followed seconds after, making his stomach turn as his blue eyes followed Regina's movements, she was getting closer to him! And with such a smile that made his blood run cold. " Of course.. How are you-- Aah--? " He was pulled into a hug.. Something that rendered him speechless. How long has it been since his sister showed any sort of affection? Instead of turning into a positive thing, the bartender could only grow more anxious. Regina... Regina was too happy. So happy that she was actually being sort of kind towards him... Why was she so damn happy? Nathan ended giving her a halfhearted hug. Lightly warping his arms back around the older woman, giving her back a pat before pulling away. " I guess, that answered my question. " ChewingGumBomb I toook ages and I feel so bad ;A; |
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2018 3:39 pm
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The touch of the warm hand on his own was unexpectedly vibrant and Andre understood he should’ve refrained from any physical contact. His grasp lingered into the handshake a little too long, his eyes remain unblinking the entire time– he guessed he must be coming across ever so tense. This realization was jarring, Nathan had barely returned his greeting but that was enough to shake his rock-solid façade and jelly him into a nervous mess. To think there were still hours to go. “I can imagine” he replied lamely to Nathan’s excuse for being absent, only after restraining from bringing up any knowledge of his work schedule. He had to remember that night never took place, and neither did the following conversations. Andre bit the inside of his cheek as he felt questions about Nathan’s life bubble inside of him: was he still working on the same place? Had he been able to get ahold of some artwork for his walls? Was he seeing anyone?
The blond looked down at the wine bottle in his hand, which he had forgotten he was grasping “right, yeah. I was told you could point me to it.” The sound of odd objects clashing filled the kitchen for a moment as the bartender dug out the corkscrew and placed it on the counter. “Thank you” bid Andre while refusing eye contact and getting down to removing the foil from the bottle, he needed to gather himself– this was pathetic. At least he could find comfort in knowing he wasn’t the only one struggling with this reunion: a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips at Nate’s endearing butchered attempt at being casual. Andre looked up with amusement and tried his best not to laugh at the awkwardness sitting thickly in the air “it’s good to see you too, Nate.”
The room felt silent. Andre took a deep breath and exhaled slowly; he’d made too many commitments to ******** it all up now. At least the cork was cooperative and popped out without putting up a fight. After tossing the bits of foil in the trash and removing the cork from the screw, the blond stepped back into the living room where everyone else was gathered. He plastered a Buddha’s smile on his face: measured, pleasant, and unassuming. It remained in place even as he caught sight of Regina wrapping her arms around her brother in an expression of affection she hadn’t seen her display in years, especially not towards the young man. Evidently, Nathan was by far the most surprised by this. It was too weird, he’d definitely be able to sniff out that this wasn’t an ordinary dinner.
The announcement. He hadn’t thought about the announcement– would Nathan be glad about it? Would he hate him for dragging his sister into something like this? Tradition dictated he should be worried about the parents’ reaction, but his mind was predictably hooked on the bartender. Andre walked past the siblings and towards the wine glasses set on the table “so… is everyone up for wine?” He asked, beginning to pour five equal amount without waiting for a response. This was a selfish endeavor, he needed to get some alcohol in his system– Regina was starting to scare him to the point he almost wished she would just snap back into her all-sass, all-spite past self. Almost.
The blond took a seat on an empty spot on the couch and watched as the girl perched up next to him, back straight, eyes gleaming with excitement. She looked at him and winked, a small gesture to let him know she wasn’t about to spill out the announcement. Regina raised her glass to kick off the cheers and the clinking of glassware rang. Some say it’s bad luck to cheer without making eye contact; his eyes lingered on a Nathan a little too long for the second time tonight. The parents were smiley despite his lukewarm presence. They liked him… rather, they liked the version of himself he put on display in their vicinity. Andre sipped his wine. The mother tried to pry Regina about the news she had promised to share tonight, but his girlfriend was adamant “not until dinner.” This only served to boost the momentum and rise the pressure inside Andre. He didn’t touch the cheese plate once, he sipped his wine and engaged in the bare minimum of conversation.
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MonstersOfMen These keep coming out very long idk what's up with that lol sorry |
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2018 3:48 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
So they or maybe it was only Regina... But, they wanted to build up surprise huh? If this was another situation the young man would most likely enjoy the build up and tease the pair about it. But they weren't in that situation. Instead if felt like a slow pain that was being dragged out, slowly festering in the bartender's own anxiety. Where they going on a romantic trip? Was Regina pregnant? Were they getting engaged? Because there was no way anything that left those pretty lips of his sister would be anything less than that... Otherwise she would go for this big reveal. It had to be something big. Oh. He was quite desperate for wine. He tried not to seem too eager or shaky when he reached for the glass of wine, while he was managing to keep a smile plastered on his face, the dark haired male was struggling to control his body actions. He felt like he seemed to on edge, unsure of how he used to move before and being awfully self aware of every action he did. Nathan deeply hoped that the wine will help smooth out his nerves as he tried to talk himself into remembering that... He was moving on... And it was far more messed up of him to be bothered by the fact that Andre was settling down and therefore could never see him again than the fact that his sister was happily waltzing into a fake relationship. Nathan took short quick sips of his wine hoping no one would notice. He had already drink a fair amount of his wine before they raised their glass in a cheer... And despite himself, found himself making eye-contact with the blond. Not able to tear his gaze away from the other until his mother clinked her glass with his own, brushing away her comment about taking the wine slower. While they made time eating the cheese as the dinner was done heating, Nathan found himself scratching at the side of his thumb with his middle finger. He was feeling anxious, it had been a while since he felt like that and this was the best way to deal with it without being too obvious. Normally, he would go with fiddling with his hair, but his mother would notice and comment on it.. So the bartender replaced that habit with the scratching. Sometimes, his hand would raise towards his hair, but he quickly caught himself and dropped it to his side, seconds later starting to scratch. Another way to deal with this would be drinking but... That would only made things worse. " Hmm?" The bartender blinked a couple of times, his face a given tale that his mind had been far away. There was a faint giggle from his mother as she patted his knee and leaned a bit closer, her voice raising faintly. " I was asking if you are finally seeing someone... Or is work still your priority?" " Ah.. Sorry, I was thinking about something.. Umm, yeah.. Kinda, have been seeing this girl for a while now... " Nathan offered a smile. That felt wrong. He didn't want Andre to hear about that despite their texts had already made a brief mention of that. " Oooh! Were you thinking about her~? " Came the awful teasing, and Nathan could only chuckle and excuse himself to go use the bathroom. He needed space. ChewingGumBomb Same here! I just can't do them shorter atm x3 But love them~ We can do a bit of time skip to the dinner/announcement~ Sorry again for the haitus! Was helping a teacher write an article! How have you been? |
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Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 7:37 pm
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The distance between his own aura and the general mood in the room was growing by the minute– as the conversation grew more vivid Andrew sank down into his seat with every second that passed to near the moment of the big reveal. In the midst of his quiet sipping, he caught an earful of Mrs. Klein hitting the head on the nail and asking her son about his love life– that caught his attention. Without diverting his gaze from Regina he listened to the exchange, reacting with a quizzical expression to the young man’s answer: a girlfriend. Right, Nate was straight as far as his parents were concerned. It shouldn’t have been a foreign concept to him as he also hid his sexuality from almost everyone he knew, but for some reason the pang of pity felt fresh in his gut. Listening to the young man having to lie to his mother was sour.
“What? I thought you said you liked it” came Regina’s voice, snapping him out of his thoughts. ”Liked what?” Andre realized he must’ve held an expression of displeasure on his face from his eves-dropping. “That new painting at the gallery we saw yesterday” she replied, brushing a hand over his forearm “you’re distracted.” He pulled his arm back unwittingly and cleared his throat before turning to confirm that he approved of the painting Regina was speaking to her father about. ”Sorry, I was thinking about work” he lied, ”it’s a great painting,” it was terrible painting ”cold but bright colors, it will brighten up any room,” which wasn’t the point of art in the first place. The father nodded his head and turned to Regina “ah, and where are you hanging this?” Regina tensed up, realizing she had just slipped and told her father about a painting that was going to stay at the gallery until they moved into their new place. Andre jumped in ”she doesn’t know yet, it was something of an impulse buy. Like I said, it was a really nice painting."
The cheese board was soon empty and the gathering migrated to the dining table, where Mrs. Klein served a table-full of food for her guests. Andre took a seat next to Regina and ate in partial silence while consciously withholding a word or even a glance from Nathan across the table. He did a good job at looking like he dove in for seconds when in reality he wasn’t able to stuff much of the food into his body due to the nerves. Time was ticking, silverware was clanking, laughter was coming and going, and plates began to empty.
It didn’t take long for Regina’s excitement to get the best of her as she sprang to her feet with her wine in hand before dessert. The table grew quiet. “Okay, I'm doing the announcement now" she commanded, gathering everyone's attention, "so… as you all know, Andre and I have been going steady for quite a while now” Mrs. Klein’s face lit up with anticipation, she probably thought they were getting engaged. “…And we’ve finally made the decision to take our relationship to the next step and therefore…” proper Regina, holding out the suspense as much as humanly possible “…we’re moving in together!” Mr. Klein exhaled deeply, probably relieved that this wasn’t a pregnancy. Mrs. Klein clapped her hands together and shot a thousand questions at her daughter. When? Two weeks from now. Where? To a condo downtown: two rooms, eighth floor, hardwood floors, and a view. How? Andre will take time off while she goes to a conference out of town. But Nate can help. Andre choked on his wine ”wait what?” Regina looked down at him from her standing position “Nate can help you with some boxes” she looked over to her younger brother “you can make time, right?”
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MonstersOfMen Lol sorry I took my own time too, I don't have as good as an excuse as you! What was the article about?? I've been alright, dealing with some things but it should be over soon hehe~ |
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Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:17 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
He perhaps spend a bit too much time inside the bathroom. But whatever, they were too mesmerised by Regina and Andre to really miss him much. Nathan took a moment to just regulate his breathing, splash some water on his face. Relax. The bartender fished out his phone, typing a quick message to Eric asking what the other was doing tonight. He would be needing the other's company to get over this whole night and specially once again try to wipe the blond's handsome face from his mind. Time for diner arrived and it was so dreadful. He limited his conversation to either his father or his mother when they weren't busy listening to whatever thing the couple were saying or rather Regina. Andre was a bit too quiet from he could vaguely recall from other dinners likes this one. Was he too troubled by being in the same room as him, that the blond wanted to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to Andre? The idea excited him though he knew it shouldn't. For most part, Nate just played around with his food until his attention was grabbed by his sister. Oh... He felt his chest tighten and a lump forming on his throat. Pleasepleasepleaseplease don't say you aren't getting married! His blue eyes went straight to Regina's ring finger and felt a bit at ease seeing that there wasn't a ring there though that didn't destroy the possibility of a marriage proposal. What came next was... Not as bad but felt just as bad as if the happy couple had announced their marriage. Moving in together? They... Were going to live together. From then on he zoned out, everything around him became a faint mumbling of in-comprehensive chatter until his name was brought up. " Hmm? Ah- " He wasn't sure what they were talking about but he guessed the safe thing was to agree. So the bartender nodded and gave a charming fake smile. " Sure, I can make time. Just remind me a day before hahah " " Thank you then! Andre can tell you how to place everything, after all he knows what I like " Regina said with a smile and a wink towards her boyfriend, her hand moving to rest on the blond's forearm and gave it a little squeeze. Nathan's smiles almost dropped for a second there after that, but he managed to hold it in place. Ah. So he was going to be helping them get their little love nest ready? Just perfect. The night moved on and the bartender was itching to go, so when an hour passed after dinner he decided he could leave without his mother nagging about it. " Sorry.. It's getting late, so I will be going.. " Nathan said as he rose from his seat, then turned his blue gaze to the couple. " But congratulations to you both~ " ChewingGumBomb Ugh! Gaia didn't told me about this quote ;w; So I just noticed now -sobs- And it was about Inclusive Schools .u. and it is alright! Hope those things you are dealing with are good tho! |
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Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:37 pm
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Painful. It was the only way to describe the passing of time until the dinner was finally over and he was free to go. The rest of the time he sat down sipping his wine and listening to Regina go on and on about the new apartment he thought about how much he’d wanted to rush after Nathan when the bartender bid his goodbyes. Nothing was said, but something about tonight felt final. It was hard to pretend like he felt nothing towards the bartender when he was filled with fear that everything had crumbled. Andre wasn’t ready to assume this was his life now– that the act had taken over and now demanded to be the reality at the cost of his true self. Who was he kidding?
The cab ride back to his apartment was silent. He had tried to convince Regina to sleep in her own bed for the night so he could have some time to himself but she was adamant on following him home. She was also adamant on trying to kiss his neck when they got upstairs, and adamant about dragging him to bed, and adamant about taking off his belt. There was no way in hell he could go through the motions tonight, though. He feigned a wine-induced headache and ducked into the bathroom to splash some water onto his face and mentally scold himself for thinking of trying to contact Nathan just to apologize about tonight.
During the next two weeks he followed a steady routine of going to work, hitting the gym, and then coming home to pack. His own place slowly began to fill with boxes as he stripped all his belongings from the walls and floors, leaving behind what could best be described as an empty cube for the movers to finish clearing. Regina called him while he lunged a duffle bag filled with essentials over his shoulder, getting ready to head to a hotel for the night. She asked about the logistics, complained about how boring the conference was and how they had skimped on the coffee, and promised to text him Nathan’s number so they could get in contact. “Call him, okay? He promised he could help” he insisted before hanging up. Andre couldn’t help but laugh, she didn’t have to tell him twice.
As soon as the text message with the bartender’s number arrived while he was checking into the hotel, he welcomed the contact back into his phone. The blonde began to draft a text message but decided to at the last minute to opt for a voice recording for reasons beyond logic. Stepping into the elevator he spoke into the receiver: “hey there, just checking to see if you’re still free to help with the move tomorrow…” he watched as the numbers on the elevator rose one by one “I should be getting the keys before noon, so if any time after that works for you that would be… great.” ‘Great’ wasn’t right– ‘potentially disastrous yet beyond amazing’ was more like it but perhaps that was too honest.
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MonstersOfMen That sounds really cool! my oh my, look at you tackling the important topics~ Things on my end are better, thankfully. Should be back on my regular posting schedule starting today smile lmk if this quote doesn't reach you either bc if gaia is being uncooperative we can come up with a ping system lmfao |
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:22 pm
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Nathan "Nate" Klein
As soon as he stepped outside the young man wasted no time in flagging out a taxi and slipping inside. Giving out Eric's address to the driver the bartender leaned heavily against the backseat, numbly looking at his phone. Eric said he was a bit busy with some work stuff but that Nathan was more than welcomed over and he eagerly took on his invitation, hell, even if Eric said he was too busy for him the bartender would still crash his place. He desperately needed some distraction and the brunette was always happy to be the center of his attention even if most of the time the bartender was just pretending that he was. Sometimes he felt really bad about it, and the though of just ending things came to mind... But then, feeling selfish that though was quickly removed and tossed away being instead replaced with the 'hope' that one day he would feel the same level of attraction Eric felt towards him or that Nathan felt for Andre. During the next weeks, Nathan was constantly feeling in that same moral dilemma. sometimes on the brim of making up his mind but then his mother, father or hell even Regina will drop comments in the family group or at gatherings about the moving-in and the bartender's resolution to try and be a good decent person as he though he used to be before the blond was blown out of the window. Nathan was preparing himself for tonight's shift when his phone vibrated with the arrival of a new message, his brow arched as he idly wondered if it was Eric, but the brunette had just send him a message wishing him a good day at work which he already replied to and well, Eric knew that Nathan never send him another text until he arrived the bar and then one when his shift was over. He picked the phone from the counter, holding his breath as soon as he saw the name 'Andre' on the screen along with the 'audio message' under it. He debated himself for a moment, should he just ignore it? Ah, no there was no way he could do that... The other's voice echoed in his room and the bartender was left feeling confused. What? It took some time but the memories of that dreadful night came back. s**t. He did agree to something back then, was it this? ******** no. Being alone with Andre? That didn't sounded like a good idea despite how eager he was feeling. And still, even if he could made some excuse up.... " Ah, heey... Yeah, tomorrow is a day off for me so, I will be there. " He paused. He could have just send a text but, he wanted the blond to hear his voice. " How about two then? I have work today so if I'm gonna be doing some lifting I wanna at least get enough sleep to recover from tonight hahah. Oh, yeah.. Just, send me the address, see you tomorrow then. " ChewingGumBomb Thank you! I'm a bit excited since I thought my thesis was just alright haha never thought she would like it that much -w- I'm glad to hear things are better! /hug/ Gaia was really troublesome on these days or maybe it's my internet (probably both) but I had to rewrite this three times :w: First off gaia eating my first post when I was working on it, then laptop died on me and didn't save, but three was the charm ahaha |
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