Eddie before the birthday gala....

[batteryacid]

A frequent topic of town chatter since Eddie had arrived was Ms. Dahlia Leeds's birthday gala. He had roughly half a month's notice and anything dress code appropriate was firmly out of his means. Even though Eddie was well aware, thanks to the local tailor(s), that Ms. Leeds had opened a tab for people to rent clothing for the event... he hadn't felt right doing so.

Maybe a single meeting during Parade Day was a poor justification, but just attending the party would give him a chance to speak with her more. He could apologize for getting killed when he should've had her back, for one thing, and find out more about her without the possible distortion of the gossip chain, for another.

Then Angel approached Eddie with a request to be his 'plus one' as offered in an official, personalized invitation from Dahlia to Angel... and Eddie attending the gala event became a certainty.

Eddie winced his way through the display of couture options -- listen, his formative years were spent in the United States in 1950s and early 1960s, there were some Very Definite ideas of masculinity that got shoved down his throat -- just absolutely not used to all the fanciness and frilliness available in menswear as well. Luckily, the shop assistant was patient, and they managed to find something appropriate yet understated.

(The darker reds, like maroon and burgundy, are some of Eddie's favorite colors to wear, and he is willing to put up with the weirdly large buttons in exchange for the shiny embroidered embellishments not taking over the entire look. And if he has to shave his legs for the tights, it's not like he's unfamiliar with the process. The things one does for bike racing...)

****

Dress code aside, a fancy party for a rich person's birthday is not unfamiliar to Eddie. Most of his experience with it has been driving celebrities to the parties of their compatriots, but Myra also has some well-off friends. When Eddie and Myra were married, he'd put in a fair number of appearances at such gatherings.

On September the 20th, Eddie took care of all his farm-related duties early in the day (including lavishing Bobbin and Thread with attention and treats so they would -- probably, maybe, hopefully -- not wander). He did all of the washing and grooming necessary to be presentable after preparing Missy for the trip to the Leeds Estate, and then set off on a leisurely pace across the island.

Eddie stops by the townhouse that Angel picked out to live in -- upon officially joining the fire brigade -- and presents him with a boutonnière of cloth flowers. The white rose buds are made of satin, and the leaf embellishments of velvet. (Being on friendly terms with the owner of a clothing shop has its perks.)

"I figured you'd like it," Eddie says to Angel, as he fastens it in place, "and it will last longer than real flowers."

Afterward, the pair swing by Grace Holloway's home since Eddie offered to give her a ride to the gala. It'll be good for Angel to have some socializing time with someone else!

****

Comments

Next Morning

[batteryacid]

Eddie wakes up stiff the next morning -- no, not like that, mostly in his back. He'll be forty next year and the human back is a scam that doesn't last nearly as long as it should. Without opening his eyes, he shifts a little -- trying and failing to find a more comfortable position.

That earns a frown, a grumble that mostly comes out of his nose, and a sigh. Then Eddie opens his eyes...

...and all of a sudden remembers that he never made it to bed last night. Because here he is, waking up draped all over the settee... and Angel.

A blush spreads across his face. He gives a little cough. "Uh... good morning."

[graveling]

"Good morning." Angel's voice is a low rumble, felt as much as it is heard, and his arm moves to lightly squeeze Eddie closer. Cuddling, unmistakably.

[batteryacid]

Oh.

Angel isn't upset with Eddie for falling asleep on him. Angel doesn't mind.

A soft smile curls Eddie's mouth at that realization, and he moves his arms to wrap around Angel in a proper hug. The guilt is silent -- silenced? -- for once and Eddie feels a relief in taking the comfort as offered.

"I'm glad you're still here," he says, voice soft and still a little scratchy with sleep.

[graveling]

"You'd have woken up if I left." A pause, and then one of those classic smiles that fails to linger. "And it was. Reassuring? It was good, feeling you breathe."

His hand lifts, slowly to stroke once through Eddie's hair, testing if that's okay, if it's acceptable and allowed.

[batteryacid]

"Heh. You're strong enough that you could've carried me to my bedroom and tucked me into bed, if y' wanted."

And... it's reassuring for Eddie, knowing that Angel wanted him close.

When Angel pets his hair, there's a moment of confusion, but it fades in favor of a pleased expression. Eddie releases a breath, and murmurs, "That feels nice."

[graveling]

"Then I'll keep going."

There's a hint of laughter behind the words. Petting continues, gentle and careful. At some point after Eddie fell asleep, Angel had removed his glasses, set them on the arm of the couch. He offers them back now, with the hand not in Eddie's hair.

[batteryacid]

Eddie gives Angel an extra squeeze before releasing the hug, and he accepts the glasses back.

And he leans into the petting for a little bit longer, just enjoying the gentle touch.

"I really should get up, get changed, and doing the morning chores..." Eddie says. There's a touch of a whine in his tone, "But I don't wanna..." After a few more moments, he sighs and smiles wryly at Angel. "Time to be responsible, though."

[graveling]

"Do you want me to come do the chores with you, or to start figuring out breakfast?" Either way, he's trying to offer an incentive to get up, as much as he doesn't fucking want to do it either. The cuddling could just, you know, continue all day or something.

[batteryacid]

Eddie makes a whiny-sounding groan of protest as he thinks over those options. "Ugghhh... you're still in your fancy clothes. Maybe you ought to handle breakfast. I'll change into my work clothes and get started on chores... if I leave the chickens cooped up too long, I might be dealing with a revolt."

Eddie still lingers, cheek pressed to Angel's shoulder now, for a moment. Then he forces himself to stand and not show any regret before he goes back to his bedroom to get changed for the day ahead.

[graveling]

"Maybe I should leave a change of clothes here, in the future, so I can help out next time this happens?"

If there is a next time. He wants there to be a next time.

[batteryacid]

"If that's what you want to do for next time," Eddie answers. It's a good thought. They can't always plan for the island throwing weird shit at them, can they?

He comes back out in his work clothes, with his fancy rented clothes folded up. There's a little blood on them, and he'll explain why to the clothing store, but he doesn't want to risk cleaning the fancy fabric and ruining them with his lack of knowledge.

"I'll be as quick as I can," Eddie says to Angel. "We'll head into town when I have the morning chores done. And you can come say hi to your gal pal while I water the crops."

Angel's 'gal pal' is, in actuality, the other chicken of Eddie's farm. While Bobbin (the clothes-stealing menace) has the usual animal reaction to Angel of 'that's weird and I don't like it', Thread apparently has no problem with him. She follows him around and has been known to preen at his hair if it's in her reach.

[graveling]

"No need to rush about it."

Angel smiles though, at the mention of Thread, and levers himself off the couch--less stiff than Eddie, but like. Rigor mortis isn't entirely not a thing for him. He just hides it very well, most of the time.

He decides to visit the chickens, especially Thread, to see if there's any eggs that might become breakfast. Get some bonus affection, as if this wasn't already an overwhelming amount.

[batteryacid]

Eddie is watering the beet plants first -- they are by themselves in one fenced plot, with empty space left for the potatoes to be planted soon. (Potatoes ought not be grown next to cabbage, according to the books he's consulted, but cabbage and carrots are okay together.) He grins a little to himself when he sees Angel heading for the chicken coop.

Bobbin has the grumpiest face that a chicken can manage despite the beak, when she sees that Angel has come to collect the eggs. Thread gives Bobbin a whack with one wing and flutters happily toward Angel. She gives him a little nuzzle before chasing Bobbin out into the yard.

(When Angel comes back out with the eggs, Bobbin is scratching moodily at the ground for bugs. Thread will follow after him when he makes his way to the farmhouse.)

[graveling]

Angel smiles, watching chickens being chickens before stealing their precious, precious eggs. Eggs that will be amazing breakfast.

On his way back out of the coop, he pauses to just watch Eddie for a long moment. He can’t hold a smile long, but a deep pensive thoughtful stare is eternal. That can linger forever. Or…at least until Eddie realizes he’s being watched and Angel quickly looks away.

[batteryacid]

And eventually, Eddie does look up -- expecting a question or something -- only to tilt his head quizzically when Angel looks away.

He'll ask about it later, if he remembers. For now, chores.

He comes back to the farmhouse and washes up immediately, smiling briefly at Angel. (If asked, Eddie wouldn't even realize that he's started to mirror Angel's propensity for brief expressions -- at least around Angel himself.)

"Seems like it will be a nice day," Eddie comments, then he wonders aloud, "Do you think they'll arrange a search party tonight for those who died at the gala? Twenty-four hours later is going to be very late at night."

[graveling]

"Not sure. They probably have procedures for these kinds of things, by now. Ways they deal with it all." Five years into a crisis like this, they have to, right?

Angel brings the eggs to the kitchen. "Frying, boiling, scrambling? How we doing these? I don't think I got the skills to poach, yet."

[batteryacid]

"I'll bother someone at the Oak and Iron once we get into town." Eddie sounds sheepish as he says, "Normally I'd just question the tailors but they're probably going to be mad about the blood on my rental."

In answer to Angel's question about cooking methods, "Fried, I suppose? That's easy to turn into scrambled if the yolks break."

[graveling]

"I'll get it going."

He's humming some music that was playing at the dance the night before as he gets the pan heated and cracks eggs into it.

[batteryacid]

It takes Eddie a moment to place the song, and once he does a thoughtful expression settles on his face.

"I don't think I realized how much I missed music until last night. I'm used to all kinds of options... cassette tapes, vinyl records, radio... and I'm pretty sure there's none of that here."

[graveling]

"No, there's not. No YouTube, either. And like, I've got what I've got in my head, and I can't reproduce it. Don't play any instruments, don't really sing. I tried dancing, last night, at once point."

[batteryacid]

"You Tube is one of those future things, huh?" Eddie asks. It's more rhetorical than anything.

Eddie rests his elbow on the tabletop, and props his chin on his hand. "You danced last night, and it wasn't with me?" His tone is light and teasing, and he pulls an exaggerated pouty face too.

[graveling]

"Did you want to dance with me?" Angel turns to look at Eddie, clearly actually surprised by the idea. "If you'd said something, I would have. I think I'd have liked to dance with you. I just...you had other friends you were talking to, places to be. I didn't want to interrupt and hog your time."

[batteryacid]

Other friends that Eddie has known would not have taken him seriously (would not have picked up on the longing that even he didn't want to acknowledge there). The question from Angel startles Eddie a little -- prompts him to wonder...

Did he want to dance with Angel last night?

"Well... I didn't think you wanted to, since we sort of... wandered away from each other." Eddie glances down, keeps his eyes on the table. "We went as friends, right? But... you wouldn't have been interrupting."

[graveling]

"We went as friends." Answering the question with affirmation, but is that really all? Angel turns away, pays attention to the eggs. Adds a dash of salt.

[batteryacid]

Eddie keeps his eyes down, turning over thoughts in his head. "I was safe," he'd said to River, about Myra. But... had he been with Myra because she was safe, too? Both of them hiding behind the other in turn?

"As friends"... he has called only a handful of people 'friend', at home. But they weren't all the same kind of friend, were they? Does Angel have to be held at a distance like--

No. He refuses to even think that name. Not now.

He raises his eyes again. And addresses Angel, "Next time there's a party... if you like... I'll ask you to dance." He amends, after perhaps too long a pause, "As friends?"