Welcome to Gaia! ::

He didn't have to even guess where Lewellyn was after waking up to an empty apartment, his back sore from camping out on the couch. He ran his fingers through his hair, catching a few tangled up curls with them and wincing. At least he hadn't been kicked out this time, that was a small miracle in and of itself. He drew a knee up against his chest, resting his chin atop it as he settled for waiting. Gideon knew where he had gone but he didn't have the energy to go after him. Not there, not when he knew what he was doing. "This is ******** up," he told himself, slowly getting up from the couch. He was hungry, he had work tomorrow, his father wanted to talk to him today. He'd make it way into the kitchen, poking around to find something he could make. They were running low on supplies again and he didn't get paid for another week. He tried not to think about all that as he cooked what he could.

They had been really living together for a while now, everything Gideon owned was tucked away into every inch of the place, he had even attempted to learn to cook more for the both of them. "You would think he's trying to avoid me now, huh?" he questioned the sizzling chicken. "I'd think it, too. It's better than him being angry with me still I guess." He left the pan on the stove, rummaging in the fridge until he came up with half an onion and a tomato. Those would be cut up quickly and thrown into the mix. Once it was done, he saved half. It was habit now, saving half of whatever he managed to make in case Lewellyn even felt like trying to eat that day. He went back and settled himself on the couch, balancing the plate on his knee as he fished around under the cushion for the remote.

"I'm just worried," he explained to the television as he turned it on. "I'm trying to understand, I am. I've read so much, I've probably asked way too many questions. I'm trying to be understanding of what he feels 'cause we both know I'm about as sympathetic as a rock when it comes to others. But this..." He paused, waving his fork a bit in the air before just taking a bite of his food. This was hard to define even to himself. There were just the same facts every time. Llewellyn would try at least and Gideon couldn't ask more of him but then it'd be the hospital again and he'd be furious and Gideon would either be tossed out for a few days or have to camp out on the couch until Lewellyn could look at him again. It hurt. Sometimes, and only sometimes did he envy how he used to be. Sleeping with people was easy, you didn't have to care. This? This was much harder but he couldn't blame anyone for it. He loved it, loved Lewellyn.

Gideon would finish up, getting to his feet once more to take his plate to the sink when he saw them. A pack of cigarettes and a brightly colored lighter. It took him a second to realize that they were Lewellyn's and he must have forgotten them. He sighed, placing the plate in the sink then going to get his coat. It was getting chilly outside Lewellyn would be missing his cigarettes later though, he was always forgetting them. He shrugged his coat on, shoving the carton and lighter into a pocket and heading out the door, locking up behind himself. And of course he had taken the car. Thankfully, it wasn't too long of a walk. Long enough to let him have some peace and clear his head at least.

Because his day hadn't been bad enough, right? First, some product comes up missing and he is fairly certain that one of his own men are skimming a little off the top. That was something he would have to deal with after work and he was not looking forward to it in the slightest. Second, his cousin came into his store all but demanding to be given product stronger than he normally picked up. Three, Rayne was here in the middle of the day. Normally, he would be very interested in what made him stop by because he knew what it was but, today was not a good day. Business and Rayne never mixed and usually he had a very clear rule about keeping his two businesses apart. In a perfect world, Llewellyn would have admitted that yes, maybe did not need anything right this moment and would have gone home. It would have left Rayne and him alone to enjoy some time in his office before he had to take care of unpleasant business. But as anyone knew, this was far from a perfect world. Llewellyn spoke back, just tempting Rayne and Rayne was never one to back down from anyone, even if he was asked to. The punch was the last straw, he was done.

Nicias rose to his feet, moving to step between the two as if to keep them from going at each others throats. However, he reached over to Rayne, carefully taking the gun from where he had tucked it away and pointed it at Llewellyn himself. "I think there are a few things that I need to clear up," he said calmly. "One, I do not allow my businesses to mix. You do not come into this store and ask for anything but a book. Two, when I say you are cut off, you are cut off. There is no argument to be had, nothing. Three, you do not lay a hand on what is mine. You are my cousin Llewellyn and that is your only saving grace at the moment." He motioned back to the now closed office door with his free hand. "You are going to leave now or I will put a bullet through your skull myself. Understood?"

The walk was taking longer than he honestly thought it would. Maybe it never seemed that long since they normally drove over to see Nicias together even if the man tried to tell them again and again that he didn't do his other business in the store. He always made an exception for them though, taking them into the backroom and setting them up with whatever they needed. Lately though, Gideon had taken to staying out front as Llewellyn did his business, browsing the books. Slowly, he had stopped using everything that he used to. On occasion he'd still indulge in a little high here and there but, only on nights when he didn't have work the next day. You needed to have your head clear when it came to manual labor or else you could hurt yourself or one of your coworkers. He spent most of his time now just sitting with Llewellyn when he got off on whatever he was given for the week. It was always a gamble with Nicias, you either went high or felt like you were sinking into the carpet. Gideon remained though, keeping hold of the other while he rode out the waves of the drug.

He'd continue along those thoughts, letting his mind wander further and further before coming to a stop at the blaring of a horn. It was Llewellyn outside of the store, in his car and he didn't look happy in the slightest. They had seen others come and go just like that and it could only mean one thing. Nicias had cut him off and he wondered briefly if the man had felt a little guilty. Maybe thinking that whatever he had given him last time had helped in sending the other man to the hospital. Then again, guilt and Nicias didn't seem like two things that really went together. He contemplated just continuing to walk, to pretend he hadn't seen him but he hesitated a bit more until the other finally caught sight of him. To his credit, he didn't flinch at the narrowing of eyes. Gideon just pulled his jacket in more around himself, shivering at a gust of wind that kicked up. Maybe he should just give him the cigarettes and walk back, it might be easier that way. But then Llewellyn was yelling out the window at him and he found himself moving towards the car without even really considering it.

Gideon slid into the passenger side, shutting the door as the engine in the old car finally caught, starting with a rumble. He'd buckle himself in before digging into his coat pocket and pulling out the pack of cigarettes and the lighter. "You left these on the counter," he said softly, handing them over to the other. "Thought you'd be missing them by now." Once they were taken from him, he leaned his head against the window, twisting the ring on his finger.

There absolutely was a certain amount of risk involved if you took a ride offered by Llewellyn. Normally it wasn't this bad but Gideon had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't just rushing to get home. It felt like he was trying to leave something behind and it worried him slightly. Ellyn was good at running but Gid tried to not focus on thoughts like that. Instead, he opted for gripping at his seat belt, trying to keep his eyes fixed on the door handle instead of the scenery flying past them. They'd already gotten into one wreck before, he still had the scar on his leg from it. He had to be crazy to even think about getting into a car with him again but, it was Llewellyn. His Ellyn. He'd listen to him rant to the steering wheel, wondering just exactly what went down in the bookstore today.

He'd only uncurl his fingers from the belt once they were settled safely into the driveway, the engine off. He nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement for bringing him the cigarettes, waiting for Ellyn to get the rest out of his system. It was best to let him go until he was shouted out then do some damage control. He reached over to thread his fingers with the ones on Ellyn's free hand as the other spoke up again. "Sounds like a rough day," he commented, giving that hand a squeeze. "Nicias should get over it, he hasn't been pissed at you for long before. Give him a few days I guess before going back. That gun thing sounds crazy though, thought that was only his boy who waved it around for show." The quiet just rushed back in the moment he stopped talking and it did feel strained. He had questions to ask too but he just pushed them back down. "C'mon, let's get inside, I bet you haven't slept at all since you got home."

He wasn't fighting him at least, that had to be worth something right now. Gideon didn't really think he could handle another round of Ellyn raging. It sounded like he was at least thinking a little clearer now, or maybe he was just trying to convince himself of that. Still, he grabbed the pack of cigarettes and the lighter before climbing out of the car. It was habit to hold onto them, Ellyn always misplaced them. He went on ahead of him, making only a small note of him pulling a phone out as he fumbled with his keys. He'd get the door opened up by the time Llewellyn spoke again, causing him to go still. Something burned in the pit of his stomach, pulling at parts of him that that he was still only partially aware of. There was some dim flash of a memory, something that didn't seem real. He pushed it aside, stepping inside, "Don't just stand out there," he called back over his shoulder.

He shrugged out of his jacket, hanging it up and nudging the door shut with a foot once Ellyn had made it inside. Gideon moved in behind the other, peeling off his coat as he kissed his shoulder. "Get yourself cleaned up and warm then get some sleep," he instructed gently. "Old man wants me to give him a call so I'll join you later," and here he hesitated, still not sure at what point they were at right now. He usually had to exile himself to the couch for a few days but it hadn't nearly been as long time time and he didn't want to push his luck. "If you want that is," he finished, pressing another kiss in the space right behind Ellyn's ear.

Gideon would leave him standing there, heading into the kitchen so he could get his phone off the counter.

Ellyn's own phone would chirp at him then, one new message. ::Well, look what's showed up at my doorstep again.

Gideon had grabbed his phone but had gone back into the living room to gather the dishes so he could deposit them in the sink for later. Another trip in had him folding up the blankets and laying them over the back of the couch. All neat and squared away, it made him feel a little better like nothing had gone wrong recently. Still, he waited until he heard water running before sitting at one of the stools in the kitchen, the newest stack of mail at his elbow. He'd call his old man, flipping through bills and general junk. "Yeah, hey. Calling like you wanted," he said, picking one envelope to slowly open as the voice in his ear droned one. "No. He's fine. Just the flu, got him some medicine so he just needs to rest and feel better. Yeah, I'm making sure of that too." He was looking over the letter but not even really processing what it said, just nodding absently to the voice on the line.

Across town, a man laughed, the sound breaking a bit around the underused expression. It was enough still to get a guy in the room next to him to lean back in his chair and fix him with a questioning gaze, a single slender brow raised. He waved a hand dismissively at him, focusing back on his phone. The soft 'tock' of wooden chair legs falling back against cheap linoleum let him know that his partner had gone back about his own business. :: But it's been so long. You went off to greener pastures and all, didn't take you long to knock on my door again, hm? Cheap though. I'm sure I can set you up with something, maybe better than cheap if you do a little work for me. Nothing strenuous, just a pick up and whatever you want is yours. Interested?

Gideon had his head resting on his arm as he talked, asking and answering the same questions that always came up in talks with the old man. At least he had finally given up on the whole higher education thing, he had just scraped by back in high school as it was. That, and he never did well in just one place for hours and hours a day. He'd end up zoning out more often than not. Which he seemed to be doing right now until the soft padding of feet on carpet then tile caught his ear and he glanced up briefly at Llewellyn. He smiled faintly at him, noting that he did look a little better after a nice shower. "Yeah, bye. Talk to you later," he said in a bit of a rush, hanging up the phone so he could give his full attention to his fiance. Before he could even ask if the other felt better, he spoke. Gideon stared at him a moment before lowering his gaze. "Oh...okay," he said softly, the almost smile he had going away now. He knew he pushed too soon, he just knew it and he shouldn't have been expecting anything else to happen.

He turned the phone over and over in his hands, trying to school his expression back to something more neutral, something nice and calm and accepting of this situation. He knew it took time for Ellyn to sort himself back out after these scares but Gideon was itching to touch him, to hold onto him. He drew in a breath and looked up at his boy again, shrugging. "Nothing much, just asking how you were. I told him you had the flu and that I was making sure you were taking medicine and getting plenty of rest. He was offering to loan us some funds again but told him we were fine. Other than that, it was just the normal stuff. Still thinks that Loic is seeing his boyfriend too much and Alessa has him thinking over if he should take in another kid on a temporary basis until they can get him settled elsewhere." There, that was a safe thing to tell him, just move past what had happened and it would be fine. Maybe tomorrow he'd make them breakfast and Ellyn would humor him a bit and eat. "Feel better after getting cleaned up?"