[NYC] Pat & Cam's birthday party

[mrpublicity]

Who: Anyone
Where: The Bondi, NYC
When: Friday Night
Follows: THIS___________________________________________________

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Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

The minute Andrew walked into the party, he was going to walk right back out again. He shouldn't be here. He didn't know anyone but Luke and Tab. Well, sure, he knew Pat and Aiden, but it was through work and they probably didn't want the paramedic who brought Pat into hospital hanging around. He also wasn't feeling much like partying. He was still on the tail end of the flu and this didn't feel like his scene, despite Luke's assurances there was Karaoke and it would be a good night.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and hovered near the door, planning to wait all of two minutes (to be polite) before turning and leaving again.

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke snuck up behind Andrew and hooked his hand in the crook of his arm. "No you don't. I know that look. I'm not letting you do a runner now you've turned up. Come on. I'll get you a Coke," he told him, smiling. "How's things?"

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

"Luke- jeez!" Andrew gasped, jumping when his arm got caught. "I shouldn't be here. I don't know anyone. I feel like a pimple on a really nice backside." He let himself be dragged off towards the bar though.

"I'm not really in the party mood," he added with a sigh.

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke put his hand over Andrew's mouth. "I'm not asking you to party. I'm asking you to have a Coke with me. I want you to meet some of my friends, and I want to know how things went with Ali. She was tight-lipped when she got back, then the baby started screaming, so she got distracted."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

Andrew peeled Luke's hand away from his mouth. "You can be a bitch when you want to me," he decided and gave his cousin a nudge in the arm. "It went fine."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke snorted and shoved Andrew onto one of the bar stools. "You aren't throwing an f word at me like that and trying to get away with it." He waved his hand at his barman. "Two Cokes please, no spiking this time, Jase. You think I can't taste Scotch in my Coke, dipstick?" he said, smirking at his employee and friend.

Jason walked away to get some glasses, flipping Luke off with his own smirk. "What's 'fine' in your language?" Luke asked, taking stool beside Andrew and returning the gesture to his barman.

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

Andrew watched the exchange and turned to Luke with a raised eyebrow. "You don't need to do that, Puke. You can have a drink. It doesn't bother me," he assured him and then leaned on the bar with laugh. "Christ, you won't let up, will you. She... poured her heart out to me, then we kissed again. And then we made out, and it may have ended with her hand down my pants. Then we just agreed to see what happens."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke's mouth dropped open. "I- wha?"

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

"Look, neither of us really know what we're doing, so we're just doing it, okay? You can lecture me all you want, but I like her, Luke. I like Jamie. If there is something there, cool. If not, I'd still like to be her friend," Andrew explained. "She needs company... and so do I. Is that really such an awful foundation for something?"

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

"No. And I was wrong to go in all heavy on her. Her heart's in the right place. I was just worried you didn't know what you were taking on. Do you? You're effectively saying that if this works out, you're willing to be the kid's father figure. Do you want that?" Luke asked, watching his cousin closely.

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

"If it came to it," Andrew murmured. Their drinks were placed on the bar in front of him, but Luke didn't break his eye contact. "I've never been a free spirit like you, Luke. I always preferred to be home or know what was on my plate. I actually wouldn't mind a quiet, content life. I'd be happy to be a father and a husband. I'm not saying this is the reason I want to see Ali. I just like her for her. The fact she has a baby is just an extra on top of that. I like her daughter and I have no aversions to the fact she's a single mum. In fact, I fucking admire her extensively for it. And I know she's probably not what seems to be my type. She's my total opposite, but maybe there is argument in that. Did you really expect to be with someone like Tab, whose brother is seriously ill with HIV? Do you think Aiden expected to be with someone disabled?"

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke had to give his head a tiny shake. "No, but it doesn't matter when you love someone," he said. "I just get worried about you. I couldn't handle seeing you so hurt again. I had no way of helping you, especially when you didn't want to be helped. If you think Ali is someone special you want to be with, then I'll totally support you, mate."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

"I couldn't get through the grief of losing Dad without numbing it. I know how stupid I was and I wish I could take it all back, Luke. I didn't want to put you through that shit, I just couldn't see anything beyond the black haze of misery I caught myself in. Even now, the accident just..." Andrew pointed to his temple. "It replays, you know. But it's okay. I guess it's part of the reason why I want to help Ali. I know how bad it feels to lose someone close to you and she was close to her friend that was killed. Very close."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke put his arm around his cousin's shoulders and gave him a hug. "Will you talk to me about it if it gets too much? Will you promise me that? Even if you wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, you can call me, you know. If you like her, mate, you should follow your heart. Do what feels right. You might just both need to tackle this in an unconventional way, but so what?"

Re: Luke & Andrew

[paramedically]

Andrew glanced at Luke and shook his head a little. "It's not easy, Luke. I mean, it's easier than it was, but I can feel the pain trying take hold of me again. I'm going to go to Dad's grave on Monday. God knows how I'll get through that, to be honest. I haven't been since before I went to England. I feel like I want a drink, but don't worry. I won't. I won't touch the stuff." He wiped some of the condensation from his glass with his thumb. "She's made me smile and laugh. She's great company. That's all I'm asking of her right now. She doesn't know if she can give any more and neither do I."

Re: Luke & Andrew

[notskywalker]

Luke nodded. "I'm happy for you, mate. I want you to be happy and it spending time with Ali and her daughter does than, all the better." He squeezed Andrew's shoulder. "Come and have Christmas Eve with us? It's not special, just a tree and a nice meals, presents. You can bring Ali."