getting ready for his mom to arrive." Dan thinks back. "And, fuck, I thought you were being weird because of the stupid date!" He looks down at himself. "I can't believe I bought a new shirt."
Chris takes a cautious step forward. "It's a really nice shirt, Danny…." He steps back when Dan glares at him. "Okay, too soon."
Dan doesn't want to prove Chris right by being pissy, but he also doesn't want to prove Evan right by not being pissy. And damn it, he doesn't like it when people lie to him, even if it's just for a joke. And he's not altogether comfortable with this new bond between Chris and Evan, with them having secrets together, and Chris staying at Evan's house. Okay, the guest house, and it hasn't really been used much as the love nest, so it's not like it doesn't make sense for Chris to be there. And it is really good to see Chris, and it'll be great to be living near him again….
He sighs, and nods towards a pack of bags near where Chris had been standing. "Is that your stuff?" Chris nods cautiously, as if he's worried that Dan might be about to grab it and toss it into traffic. Instead, Dan walks over and heaves one of the duffels to his shoulder. "Jesus, Chris, did you move ALL your stuff by plane? Could you not wait the four
On Deck | Kate Sherwood
days to ship it overland?"
Chris smiles cautiously. "There's more coming. We aren't all natural nomads, Dan… some of us actually accumulate belongings." He quickly ducks his head. "Not that it's not very impressive to me, the way you've managed to remove yourself from petty concerns about material goods. Certainly an attitude that I could learn from."
"Shut up, Chris." He moves to the back of the Cherokee and tries to open the hatch, only to fiind it locked. He glares at Evan, who hurries over to help. When Evan's close, Dan growls, "Just unlock it, don't fucking open it for me."
Evan nods obediently, and once the door is open, he swings Chris's bag inside and goes back for another. He wishes they were heavier, so he could burn off a little more energy with lifting them.
This time, Chris and Evan both grab bags too, and that means there are none left, which means that there's no reason to hang around the airport anymore. Dan can tell that Chris and Evan are exchanging looks behind his back, maybe even mouthing words to each other, but he tries to ignore them.
Evan slams the hatch shut and heads around to the driver's side while Dan and Chris do an awkward dance to get to the curb-side doors. Dan comes out in front, but Chris grabs his arm.
"You about done, Dan?" he asks, his voice quiet and carefully neutral.
"I'll let you know."
"Yeah, but don't make it much longer. Evan's starting to really feel bad, and he totally was just trying to give you a nice surprise." Dan pauses, then pulls his arm away and goes up to the front of the car. He thinks about making Chris sit in front so he could continue his sulk in the back, but it seems a bit too petty. His hand feels weird on the door handle,
On Deck | Kate Sherwood
and he wonders just how long it's been since he opened his own door to this vehicle.
Evan's looking straight ahead, and once the doors are shut, he keeps his voice light as he asks, "Are we ready to go?" No one objects, so he pulls out into traffic.
They drive quietly for a while, Evan concentrating perhaps more than necessary on the airport traffic. They hit a stoplight just before going out onto the highway, and Dan keeps looking forward, but his peripheral vision tells him that Evan looks over at him a little anxiously and seems about to speak, but then turns back to resolutely face front. Dan sighs. His hand creeps out almost of its own volition, reaching over to find its familiar place on Evan's thigh. The muscles there are tight, and Dan rubs a little bit. He's not sure if a thigh rub can really be apologetic, but he does his best. Evan glances over at him in surprise, but Dan just keeps looking forward, and Evan contents himself with
Chris takes a cautious step forward. "It's a really nice shirt, Danny…." He steps back when Dan glares at him. "Okay, too soon."
Dan doesn't want to prove Chris right by being pissy, but he also doesn't want to prove Evan right by not being pissy. And damn it, he doesn't like it when people lie to him, even if it's just for a joke. And he's not altogether comfortable with this new bond between Chris and Evan, with them having secrets together, and Chris staying at Evan's house. Okay, the guest house, and it hasn't really been used much as the love nest, so it's not like it doesn't make sense for Chris to be there. And it is really good to see Chris, and it'll be great to be living near him again….
He sighs, and nods towards a pack of bags near where Chris had been standing. "Is that your stuff?" Chris nods cautiously, as if he's worried that Dan might be about to grab it and toss it into traffic. Instead, Dan walks over and heaves one of the duffels to his shoulder. "Jesus, Chris, did you move ALL your stuff by plane? Could you not wait the four
On Deck | Kate Sherwood
days to ship it overland?"
Chris smiles cautiously. "There's more coming. We aren't all natural nomads, Dan… some of us actually accumulate belongings." He quickly ducks his head. "Not that it's not very impressive to me, the way you've managed to remove yourself from petty concerns about material goods. Certainly an attitude that I could learn from."
"Shut up, Chris." He moves to the back of the Cherokee and tries to open the hatch, only to fiind it locked. He glares at Evan, who hurries over to help. When Evan's close, Dan growls, "Just unlock it, don't fucking open it for me."
Evan nods obediently, and once the door is open, he swings Chris's bag inside and goes back for another. He wishes they were heavier, so he could burn off a little more energy with lifting them.
This time, Chris and Evan both grab bags too, and that means there are none left, which means that there's no reason to hang around the airport anymore. Dan can tell that Chris and Evan are exchanging looks behind his back, maybe even mouthing words to each other, but he tries to ignore them.
Evan slams the hatch shut and heads around to the driver's side while Dan and Chris do an awkward dance to get to the curb-side doors. Dan comes out in front, but Chris grabs his arm.
"You about done, Dan?" he asks, his voice quiet and carefully neutral.
"I'll let you know."
"Yeah, but don't make it much longer. Evan's starting to really feel bad, and he totally was just trying to give you a nice surprise." Dan pauses, then pulls his arm away and goes up to the front of the car. He thinks about making Chris sit in front so he could continue his sulk in the back, but it seems a bit too petty. His hand feels weird on the door handle,
On Deck | Kate Sherwood
and he wonders just how long it's been since he opened his own door to this vehicle.
Evan's looking straight ahead, and once the doors are shut, he keeps his voice light as he asks, "Are we ready to go?" No one objects, so he pulls out into traffic.
They drive quietly for a while, Evan concentrating perhaps more than necessary on the airport traffic. They hit a stoplight just before going out onto the highway, and Dan keeps looking forward, but his peripheral vision tells him that Evan looks over at him a little anxiously and seems about to speak, but then turns back to resolutely face front. Dan sighs. His hand creeps out almost of its own volition, reaching over to find its familiar place on Evan's thigh. The muscles there are tight, and Dan rubs a little bit. He's not sure if a thigh rub can really be apologetic, but he does his best. Evan glances over at him in surprise, but Dan just keeps looking forward, and Evan contents himself with
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