Huit
Title: Things We Said Today (Pt. 8)
Pairing: C/Z, C/other
Rating: R for language
Synopsis: Digging through the layers
Zeke got out of the tobacco shop, looking to Casey who was waiting by a parking meter. “Here,” he said, tossing a pack of cigarettes Casey’s way. Casey jumped back a bit, as if Zeke had thrown him a lit stick of dynamite. “Jesus Case,” Zeke mumbled, having to chuckle as Casey bent down to pick it up.
“You didn’t have to get me a pack,” Casey said, slipping it into his pocket.
“Yea, you could just smoke mine, right?” Zeke answered, seeing a meek smile come over Casey’s lips.
“Sorry,” Casey said. Zeke grabbed the back of Casey’s neck, shaking him playfully.
“Is that your favorite word or something? Geez, stop apologizing,” Zeke told him. The smile faded on Casey’s face as the pack reemerged, Casey opening it and taking one out.
“I’m just used to saying it is all,” Casey said; Zeke’s eyebrows rose.
“Not with me, so cut it out,” he said. “C’mon, let’s go… feed ducks at Central or something,”
“Zeke, you don’t gotta hang out with me,” Casey said.
“Huh?” Zeke said, confused. Casey shrugged.
“I’m sure you have better things to do. I just needed a place to crash, you don’t have to take me around town or anything,” Casey said. Zeke rolled his eyes and groaned.
“Let’s go feed ducks. Bring your camera, maybe I’ll fall into the pond or something,” he said; he had to stop now, seeing Casey halt in his steps in the sidewalk.
“I um… I don’t have it,”
“I know… let’s go back to my place. You took it with you, right?”
“No,”
Zeke blinked a few times, moving out of the way of a small crowd walking past them. “You gotta be kidding me,” he said, trying to make his words light. “Casey Connor, the kid that may as well have had the damned thing surgically attached to himself…?”
“I don’t have it,” Casey repeated. “I just don’t,”
“God,” Zeke grumbled, running his hand through his hair. “What else is back at Jon’s?”
Casey’s eyes darted back up to Zeke; he looked panicked. “Huh?”
“We could always go back to his place, get whatever you left there,” Zeke suggested with a shrug. Casey’s head started to shake slowly, his hands going under his arms.
“No… no, I really don’t have much of anything there…”
“Um… Case? C’mon, I’ll go with you of course. You gotta get your camera back, along with whatever else. You only had a small backpack on you, there’s gotta be-“ Zeke went to say, but had to stop; Casey had suddenly turned around, walking briskly away. “Jesus… Casey??” Zeke called, walking to catch up to him. While Zeke had long strides, Casey’s quick steps still made him have to run. “Fuck, Casey! What… hold on, what’s going on?”
Casey kept walking, arms tucked even tighter under his arms, head down and eyes wide. Zeke finally got in front of him. “Hey…” he started, putting his hands to Casey’s shoulders. Fuck, the kid was shaking.
“I had to.”
Zeke couldn’t really believe what he was hearing. Casey hadn’t said one word the whole way back to the apartment; now that he was finally making explanations for the odd actions back on the street Zeke was fuming.
“Casey, c’mon… are you fucking serious?”
Casey nodded slowly, gnawing once again on his thumbnail. He put his back to the couch, crossing one leg over the other tight. “I’d stopped in at the club we went to all the time, hoping someone was there. The only one was Jack, and I didn’t know him really well. I couldn’t ask him…”
“God… Casey, seriously…”
“I needed to eat, Zeke!” Casey said, getting defensive.
“So you hock your camera??” Zeke blurted. Casey blinked hard, looking morose.
“It was the only thing I’d managed to grab before… I left.”
“Left.” Zeke said, biting his lower lip as Casey nodded in reply. “You just walked out, said ‘see ya’? I fucking doubt that, Case. I really do,”
“Doubt all you like…”
“He fucking kicked you out on the streets, just say it.” Zeke spat out. He didn’t care the look Casey gave him now, his hand leaving his mouth and eyes glaring to Zeke. “Just say it,”
“Yea, he kicked me out.” Casey admitted softly, the fire still flaring in his eyes as he spoke.
“Wow, great fucking boyfriend. So I guess I had good reason to worry when I’d gotten your message,”
“You had nothing to worry about. He took me back a few days later,” Casey said, standing up and going over to the window. Zeke laughed wryly, crossing his arms.
“Well let’s call the Pope, have the fucker sainted,”
“Don’t call him names, all right? I deserved it,”
“DESERVED… Casey, what the hell?” Zeke said, aghast. “I don’t fucking care WHAT you did! He doesn’t have the right to toss you out with nothing! He wants to break up with you, fine, but-“
“We didn’t break up, Zeke,” Casey said, voice strained as he leaned over the windowsill. “We just… took a small break. That’s all.”
Zeke’s eyes went to stare at the ceiling. “And where exactly did you go during this fucking ‘break’?”
“Don’t be sarcastic, please.”
“Well, where?” Zeke asked again, looking back to Casey. Casey made a slow shrug, shoulders hunching once again, head lowered.
“I found some friends eventually, after the first night,”
“How many nights before you went back?”
“Three… four maybe,”
“You had a place to stay those nights, besides the… Casey, I mean…” Zeke said, feeling defeated inside. He walked over and sat on the boxes next to the window, putting his head back on the wall and looking at Casey’s profile. “Look, I’m not… trying to be a pain in the ass here. I’m really not. But I’m getting more and more worried the more I HEAR what’s been going on the last few months. You’re my friend, do you get that?”
“Yes,” Casey replied in a whisper, eyes staring outside.
“You’ve just changed, it seems- from the way I knew you. Not in a good way either. I come into the city, hoping you’re all right, and you honestly don’t seem to be. Talk to me here, tell me otherwise, whatever, just as long as it’s the truth.” Zeke pleaded. Casey’s eyes closed.
“I’m all right.”
“No you’re not.”
“If you’re not going to believe me, then I won’t say another word.”
Zeke swallowed, feeling angry again. God, this was hard, and it shouldn’t have had to be. “Fine. Whatever.” He said in reply, standing up. “I guess if I just wanted to toss you out I could, I’d be justified,”
Casey’s head whipped around, eyes opened wide again. “What?”
“You heard. If this loving boyfriend of yours has every right, then who the fuck am I to be-“
“Zeke… please don’t,” Casey said; his eyes shook with sudden tears, fingers trembling. Zeke blinked and shook his head.
“Casey, I’m not really going to do that. I was just saying…”
“Please don’t, please don’t ‘just say’, don’t say it. Please.”
Okay… this was getting really strange. Casey was outright crying now, a shaking hand wiping the tears from his cheek. “Hey,” Zeke said, putting a hand out to Casey’s shoulder. He kneaded it as Casey began sobbing, both hands at his face now. “Hey…” Zeke repeated, pulling Casey over to him. He took him in a strong embrace, cradling Casey’s small form in his arms. Casey’s own unfolded and held him back, fingers clenching at Zeke’s t-shirt.
“I’ll do anything. I really will, just don’t put me out. Okay? Okay?”
Zeke swallowed, not knowing what to say or do. He could feel Casey’s fingers pull the t-shirt from his jeans, fingertips finding the flesh of his waist. They curled there, making Zeke stop breathing. What… what the hell was Casey doing? He pulled back, moving Casey away from him, still holding his shoulders and trying to smile. “I’m not, all right? Geez… you really like overreacting,”
Casey didn’t say anything; he looked away, wiping one side of his face with his hand. Zeke gave him one last squeeze before letting him go. “God, let me find you some tissues before you drown BOTH of us,” he said. Casey smiled a little as Zeke left to walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Fuck, he needed a minute.
He’d do anything. Zeke didn’t want to think on what ‘anything’ was.
Pairing: C/Z, C/other
Rating: R for language
Synopsis: Digging through the layers
Zeke got out of the tobacco shop, looking to Casey who was waiting by a parking meter. “Here,” he said, tossing a pack of cigarettes Casey’s way. Casey jumped back a bit, as if Zeke had thrown him a lit stick of dynamite. “Jesus Case,” Zeke mumbled, having to chuckle as Casey bent down to pick it up.
“You didn’t have to get me a pack,” Casey said, slipping it into his pocket.
“Yea, you could just smoke mine, right?” Zeke answered, seeing a meek smile come over Casey’s lips.
“Sorry,” Casey said. Zeke grabbed the back of Casey’s neck, shaking him playfully.
“Is that your favorite word or something? Geez, stop apologizing,” Zeke told him. The smile faded on Casey’s face as the pack reemerged, Casey opening it and taking one out.
“I’m just used to saying it is all,” Casey said; Zeke’s eyebrows rose.
“Not with me, so cut it out,” he said. “C’mon, let’s go… feed ducks at Central or something,”
“Zeke, you don’t gotta hang out with me,” Casey said.
“Huh?” Zeke said, confused. Casey shrugged.
“I’m sure you have better things to do. I just needed a place to crash, you don’t have to take me around town or anything,” Casey said. Zeke rolled his eyes and groaned.
“Let’s go feed ducks. Bring your camera, maybe I’ll fall into the pond or something,” he said; he had to stop now, seeing Casey halt in his steps in the sidewalk.
“I um… I don’t have it,”
“I know… let’s go back to my place. You took it with you, right?”
“No,”
Zeke blinked a few times, moving out of the way of a small crowd walking past them. “You gotta be kidding me,” he said, trying to make his words light. “Casey Connor, the kid that may as well have had the damned thing surgically attached to himself…?”
“I don’t have it,” Casey repeated. “I just don’t,”
“God,” Zeke grumbled, running his hand through his hair. “What else is back at Jon’s?”
Casey’s eyes darted back up to Zeke; he looked panicked. “Huh?”
“We could always go back to his place, get whatever you left there,” Zeke suggested with a shrug. Casey’s head started to shake slowly, his hands going under his arms.
“No… no, I really don’t have much of anything there…”
“Um… Case? C’mon, I’ll go with you of course. You gotta get your camera back, along with whatever else. You only had a small backpack on you, there’s gotta be-“ Zeke went to say, but had to stop; Casey had suddenly turned around, walking briskly away. “Jesus… Casey??” Zeke called, walking to catch up to him. While Zeke had long strides, Casey’s quick steps still made him have to run. “Fuck, Casey! What… hold on, what’s going on?”
Casey kept walking, arms tucked even tighter under his arms, head down and eyes wide. Zeke finally got in front of him. “Hey…” he started, putting his hands to Casey’s shoulders. Fuck, the kid was shaking.
“I had to.”
Zeke couldn’t really believe what he was hearing. Casey hadn’t said one word the whole way back to the apartment; now that he was finally making explanations for the odd actions back on the street Zeke was fuming.
“Casey, c’mon… are you fucking serious?”
Casey nodded slowly, gnawing once again on his thumbnail. He put his back to the couch, crossing one leg over the other tight. “I’d stopped in at the club we went to all the time, hoping someone was there. The only one was Jack, and I didn’t know him really well. I couldn’t ask him…”
“God… Casey, seriously…”
“I needed to eat, Zeke!” Casey said, getting defensive.
“So you hock your camera??” Zeke blurted. Casey blinked hard, looking morose.
“It was the only thing I’d managed to grab before… I left.”
“Left.” Zeke said, biting his lower lip as Casey nodded in reply. “You just walked out, said ‘see ya’? I fucking doubt that, Case. I really do,”
“Doubt all you like…”
“He fucking kicked you out on the streets, just say it.” Zeke spat out. He didn’t care the look Casey gave him now, his hand leaving his mouth and eyes glaring to Zeke. “Just say it,”
“Yea, he kicked me out.” Casey admitted softly, the fire still flaring in his eyes as he spoke.
“Wow, great fucking boyfriend. So I guess I had good reason to worry when I’d gotten your message,”
“You had nothing to worry about. He took me back a few days later,” Casey said, standing up and going over to the window. Zeke laughed wryly, crossing his arms.
“Well let’s call the Pope, have the fucker sainted,”
“Don’t call him names, all right? I deserved it,”
“DESERVED… Casey, what the hell?” Zeke said, aghast. “I don’t fucking care WHAT you did! He doesn’t have the right to toss you out with nothing! He wants to break up with you, fine, but-“
“We didn’t break up, Zeke,” Casey said, voice strained as he leaned over the windowsill. “We just… took a small break. That’s all.”
Zeke’s eyes went to stare at the ceiling. “And where exactly did you go during this fucking ‘break’?”
“Don’t be sarcastic, please.”
“Well, where?” Zeke asked again, looking back to Casey. Casey made a slow shrug, shoulders hunching once again, head lowered.
“I found some friends eventually, after the first night,”
“How many nights before you went back?”
“Three… four maybe,”
“You had a place to stay those nights, besides the… Casey, I mean…” Zeke said, feeling defeated inside. He walked over and sat on the boxes next to the window, putting his head back on the wall and looking at Casey’s profile. “Look, I’m not… trying to be a pain in the ass here. I’m really not. But I’m getting more and more worried the more I HEAR what’s been going on the last few months. You’re my friend, do you get that?”
“Yes,” Casey replied in a whisper, eyes staring outside.
“You’ve just changed, it seems- from the way I knew you. Not in a good way either. I come into the city, hoping you’re all right, and you honestly don’t seem to be. Talk to me here, tell me otherwise, whatever, just as long as it’s the truth.” Zeke pleaded. Casey’s eyes closed.
“I’m all right.”
“No you’re not.”
“If you’re not going to believe me, then I won’t say another word.”
Zeke swallowed, feeling angry again. God, this was hard, and it shouldn’t have had to be. “Fine. Whatever.” He said in reply, standing up. “I guess if I just wanted to toss you out I could, I’d be justified,”
Casey’s head whipped around, eyes opened wide again. “What?”
“You heard. If this loving boyfriend of yours has every right, then who the fuck am I to be-“
“Zeke… please don’t,” Casey said; his eyes shook with sudden tears, fingers trembling. Zeke blinked and shook his head.
“Casey, I’m not really going to do that. I was just saying…”
“Please don’t, please don’t ‘just say’, don’t say it. Please.”
Okay… this was getting really strange. Casey was outright crying now, a shaking hand wiping the tears from his cheek. “Hey,” Zeke said, putting a hand out to Casey’s shoulder. He kneaded it as Casey began sobbing, both hands at his face now. “Hey…” Zeke repeated, pulling Casey over to him. He took him in a strong embrace, cradling Casey’s small form in his arms. Casey’s own unfolded and held him back, fingers clenching at Zeke’s t-shirt.
“I’ll do anything. I really will, just don’t put me out. Okay? Okay?”
Zeke swallowed, not knowing what to say or do. He could feel Casey’s fingers pull the t-shirt from his jeans, fingertips finding the flesh of his waist. They curled there, making Zeke stop breathing. What… what the hell was Casey doing? He pulled back, moving Casey away from him, still holding his shoulders and trying to smile. “I’m not, all right? Geez… you really like overreacting,”
Casey didn’t say anything; he looked away, wiping one side of his face with his hand. Zeke gave him one last squeeze before letting him go. “God, let me find you some tissues before you drown BOTH of us,” he said. Casey smiled a little as Zeke left to walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Fuck, he needed a minute.
He’d do anything. Zeke didn’t want to think on what ‘anything’ was.