RP: Thank You for the Music

[shh_zach]

Date: June 11th, 2005
Characters: Zacharias Smith, Wayne Hopkins
Location: River Place, Zach's Flat
Status: Private
Summary: A celebration of sorts.
Completion: Complete

Comments

[shh_wayne]

The day had been long. Of course, Wayne thought that might be due to the fact that he kept looking at his watch every few minutes, as if seven would somehow arrive faster if he did so. He was looking for having dinner with Zach. If it was strictly at a platonic level, he'd just control himself and be a good friend. If not, well, he wasn't likely to complain

[shh_zach]

Zach closed the door behind him, taking in the pressed slacks, the crisp white shirt. The silk tie. Tearing his eyes away he looked up at Wayne's face. "My first day was brilliant. You've no idea how much I enjoyed myself. I could get used to this."

"Here, let me help with that." Wayne had his hands full and Zach reached out, taking the CD player and stack of CD's from his guest. "Am I going to find an ABBA CD in this pile?" he asked, grinning over his shoulder as he turned and walked to the other side of the living room. He placed the items on a table by the couch and looked up at Wayne again.

"Kitchen's over here," he said, nodding. "I do hope you plan on feeding me well. I worked my arse off today. How was your day, by the way?"

[shh_wayne]

Zach's enthusiasm for his new job was obvious, which made Wayne grin. "So, you didn't like it at all then?" he asked innocently, glancing back to catch Zach staring at his arse. He ducked his head and smiled, resisting the urge to wiggle a bit.

"Thanks." Zach took the CD player and music from him. "Probably, but I'd suggest putting on Ella first. I'll wait until you're drunk on pasta to put on ABBA."

"Demanding whelp, aren't ya?" He laughed and went into the small kitchen, which was about the same size as his own. The flat felt smaller, though it was due to his own renovation, since he'd knocked out an entire wall. "I've got stuff to make, and, hopefully, it'll turn out well."

"My day was long, full of working and a meeting," he said, sorting everything he'd brought before looking for a pan to start cooking the pasta.

[shh_zach]

"It was fantastic. I really wanted to bring my tool belt home and just wear it around the flat, but I resisted the urge. Aren't you proud?"

He plugged in the CD player and sifted through the CDs before finding the right one. Carefully, he removed it from it's case and placed it in the CD player, fiddling with the machine until he managed to turn it on and start it playing.

The music was slow, soulful, and her voice was honeyed and sweet. Zach smiled. "Very nice," he said, walking into the kitchen. "And to answer your question, yes, I tend to be a bit demanding. I will try my best to curb that for you." He grinned and opened a cabinet, producing a large silver pan.

"This what you looking for?" he asked, handing it over. "What meeting?" He leaned against the counter and watched as Wayne moved easily around the kitchen.

[shh_wayne]

When he heard Ella, he looked towards the doorway and grinned. "Now, see, this is poetry," he said. "She takes the lyrics and makes them into something that causes your skin to tingle in all the best ways."

"Who's to say that I dislike the demanding?" Wayne asked, arching a brow and smirking slightly before he got back to work. "And, yes, that's what I was looking for. Thanks."

He filled it with water before placing it on a burner and adding the noodles. Once he put it on to heat, he turned to look in the cabinet that Zach had opened, finding an appropriate sauce pan. "I meet with a woman who oversees a Muggle association," he explained, reaching up to unknot his tie and open the top couple of buttons of his shirt before he rolled up the sleeves.

"It wasn't that long, mostly a look at a centre to see how they do things," he said. "Since we've not really had anything like this in our world before, it's a lot of research, because centres have general things in common but they're also different."

[shh_zach]

"It's lovely," he said, grabbing a few bottles of ale and opening one for each of them. "But poetry can do that too. What's you aversion to it, anyway? The music doesn't have to be handed to you. It can come from within."

Backing up to the counter, he put his hands up on the edge and pulled himself up, his feet bumping lightly against the cabinets as he took a long swallow of his ale. "So," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "you're going around meeting muggles who run muggle centres like the one you want to start up? What are you finding out? And how would one for wizards have to deviate in order to run properly?"

Wayne certainly seemed comfortable in the kitchen, contrary to him saying he didn't cook much. Zach watched with interest as he loosened his tie, his fingers itching to touch the silk material. He gripped his bottle instead, taking another drink and keeping his eyes on Wayne.

[shh_wayne]

"Oh, I don't mind poetry, I suppose. Never really had any need to learn it," he said. "'m not much for reading, after all, and music just talks to me. Maybe I'm not creative enough to have music within." He shrugged and smiled. "You can make a case for poetry later, if you want. I'm lazy and don't mind listening

[shh_zach]

"You build things, and you're starting this centre from nothing. You're creative. You're just a lazy sod when it comes to reading."

Zach listened intently, trying to take it all in. He didn't really know what muggle Community Centres did, so a Wizarding Centre might be different... but he still had no clue as to what it would do. "What's yoga?" he asked. "And what kinds of things would you do at your Centre? You must have some ideas already?"

Zach choked a bit at Wayne's last comment. "Honey?" he asked, trying not to laugh. "You're a complete smart arse, aren't you? Don't know why I didn't see it before." He cleared his throat. "And we've had this discussion dear about you licking those lips of yours, haven't we?" He took another swallow. The ale would help, it'd have to, right?

[shh_wayne]

"Yeah, I am," he agreed. "Completely lazy about that. More hands on, I suppose."

He grinned. "Yoga's this Muggle activity that's supposed to be all relaxing and shite. People move their legs above their heads and do all sorts of odd positions, supposed to make you limber," he explained. "And that's a fucking awful description."

At Zach's question, he stopped working and thought about it. "Well, off the top of my head, I'm thinking we could definitely use classes for things like household charms or common healing, the things a lot of younger people missed learning, and then some more universal offerings, like art or cooking with charms. That sort of thing. It'll really depend on volunteers and ideas, though, because a lot of what makes a centre work is community involvement, from what I can tell."

When Zach choked, he smiled smugly and winked at him. "Better to be a smart arse than a dumb arse," he pointed out. "Besides, takes one to know one, darling. And I believe that warning about my lips was only valid for that particular

[shh_zach]

"Being hands on is not a bad thing," he said, averting his eyes. "At all." Tipping his bottle up he took a few more gulps before looking back at Wayne

[shh_wayne]

"Neither am I," Wayne said firmly. "Pain doesn't interest me, especially not when pleasure feels so much better

[shh_zach]

"Luna? Luna Lovegood? I remember her. Vividly." He chuckled. "She certainly could make an impression. How is she doing? Well, I hope."

He watched as Wayne tossed everything together in the pan, half amazed that nothing was exploding. It would be if he'd been the one attempting it. "Where'd you learn to cook, anyway? I can't seem to boil water without injuring myself."

Grinning, he took another swig of his ale. "Does that mean that I get to make up rules as well? How about... I think you should wear ties more often. You look fucking fantastic in them." A pause. "And yeah, could be."

He could feel the heat from Wayne's stare as his eyes moved up his body and he had to consciously fight the urge to fidget. The blush, however, was out of his hands. He ran his hand through his hair, untangling a few more snags, and smiled at Wayne. "I'm glad you're here."

[shh_wayne]

"Yeah, that's her. I met her at a party that Ernie had recently, then ran into her at the pub. She's pretty awesome," he said with a grin. "Unique views are always great to find in this world. And she seems to be doing pretty well, working as a mediwitch

[shh_zach]

"Mediwitch, wow. That's impressive. I'd not have the patience to study that long or that hard. Nor the brainpower."

"You know, I'm damn tired of takeaway, but I still can't be arsed to learn to cook. I've been burned too many times. Quite literally," he said, grinning.

"You do." Zach nodded. "I like ties on other people. Fucking hate wearing them though. Feels like I'm being strangled." The tie hie was wearing looked soft, sleek, and Wayne looked comfortable in the clothes. And entirely sexy.

"Good," Zach said simply, looking down at his ale. "I do appreciate you coming over to cook, me being helpless in the kitchen and all. But, I seem to remember you promising me that dancing would be included with the cooking." He looked up through his eyelashes and smiled, biting his bottom lip to keep from chuckling.