It's been a while....

[simplepuzzle]

 It's been five years since Chuck left. Left his home, left his dad, left his dog, left Raleigh. 

And he hasn't looked back.

Because if he looked back he'd have to think about what he's left behind and if he thinks about it he'd have to do something about it. But it didn't work and they tried, they tried so hard. And it didn't make a damn bit of difference, so Chuck...throws himself into school. And he tries. 

Occasionally, he tries to date. A girl here, a guy there. Every time he tries to make an effort at a relationship it ends with a lot of anger. Chuck's not really good at this. Nothing's compared to Raleigh, and Chuck's not sure he'll ever have something like it again. And he refuses to settle. 
Love isn't everything. Chuck focuses on school. It's okay. 

And he's good. He's really good. That and the occasional one night stand satisfies him. 

And then he gets a call from Herc. Yancy's been in an accident. He's broken a few limbs, and he hasn't woken up. Herc isn't saying he should come back, and Chuck's been staring at Raleigh's number when Mako calls him. 
He needs you. 
Come home. 

Comments

[unbreachable]

He smiles and gets up, then without thinking, reaches and gives Chuck's arm a squeeze before taking his coffee mug and going back to his room so he can put some real pants on.

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck doesn't know what to do about that. Like the pet name.

It's why he's staying with Herc and not Raleigh. He wants to help Raleigh, be there for him, but he can't let Raleigh fall into a domesticity that neither of them can keep.

[unbreachable]

He dresses quickly, gets himself together and reminds himself not to touch Chuck like that, because Chuck isn't his to touch.

No matter what he wants anymore.

He comes back out, fully clothed and hair damp - he took the worlds fastest shower ever.

[simplepuzzle]

It's not that it's--

They're so complicated. No matter what they both feel.

The sandwich is about done by time he gets out and Chuck's just sticking the frying pan in the sink to soak.

[unbreachable]

Incredibly so, though Raleigh might still hope, after all this time, that maybe they can uncomplicate things.

He comes back out to a ready made sandwich that he is going to basically inhale, though -- it's damn good and exactly what he needed and wanted.

[simplepuzzle]

Maybe after Raleigh's in a healthier headspace.

It's super basic but sometimes you just need fried bread in butter and melted Swiss. "Let me know when you're ready."

[unbreachable]

He polishes off his lunch and nods, wiping his hands on his pants.

"I'm ready."

He hates that Chuck had to leave, but also gets it.

Doesn't mean he likes it.

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck needs to go hang out at Herc's and see Mako and suss out what he's really doing here. What he can do here.

Obviously he cares about Raleigh, that's why he came, and he never stopped, and when someone you care about is going through something like this you don't just leave them.

He'll drop Raleigh off at the hospital again after making sure he'll call Chuck with anything.

[unbreachable]

When Chuck drops him off, Raleigh leans over and hugs him before getting out if the car and going back inside. He promises to call if he needs anything and one ups the request by telling him if anything changes, he will let him know that, too.

With a fresh shower, a night in his own bed, two good meals in him, he looks and feels much better.

He goes up to Yancy's room, tells him everything that happened, that Chuck showed up, he's here and Raleigh doesn't feel quite so lost at the moment. He still doesn't know what to do without Yancy but he's slightly more grounded.

It's a long day but -- at the end of it, he calls Chuck, casually asks if he wants to grab dinner somewhere, he could use the distraction.

[simplepuzzle]

No but like that's a huge fucking leap, that Raleigh's leaving the hospital and under his own power and choice so of course Chuck's not going to turn him down.

Chuck hasn't been here for more than a weekend or a week since he...left, so he takes the opportunity to walk around a little.

But yeah dinner sounds great, he'd love to.

[unbreachable]

There's a newer place that's on the other side of the small town - Raleigh asks if Chuck wants Raleigh to pick him up or if he wants to meet him there.

It's not a date. Of course it isn't.

[simplepuzzle]

It's not a date because they haven't talked about it and it's not.

It's Chuck spending time with his....former....person. Who they both agreed with they couldn't be friends with again. So they really shouldn't go out for more meals.

.....Chuck picks Raleigh up at seven.

[unbreachable]

Yeah it's probably not the best thing to do but Raleigh can't help but want to lean on him, on the person he's most familiar with and was the closest to the longest after Yancy. Jaz is out of the country on scholarship and can't get back, but calls every day and so Raleigh's just...

Been alone.

Chuck shows up and Raleigh gets in and he looks pretty good; well rested, tired maybe, but still pink cheeked and he's showered and shaved and dressed himself properly in jeans and a navy sweater.

So there's that.

"Hey."

[simplepuzzle]

"You look better."

...that was weird to say. But he does, he looks less tired and he looks less frantic and most importantly he's the one actually asking to leave to hospital.

"Any change?"

[unbreachable]

"Thanks."

He takes no offense to that, at least.

"No. Not yet." He twists his hands in his lap and leans back against his seat, closing his eyes for a moment. "The place is on the other side of town. It's new. I thought you might like it."

[simplepuzzle]

"Good."

He'll start driving, watching Raleigh from the corner of his eyes. "All right. Thanks."

....they've already gone through what's happened to them in the past five years so Chuck's not really sure what to talk about.

[unbreachable]

Raleigh doesn't either.

"So," he says casually, like this is no big deal at all, "seeing anyone?"

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck wasn't expecting that question. Which is why the car swerves a little bit.

"I--" he thought they had both silently agreed to not bring up personal relationships. "Sort of."

Which--isn't a lie. Completely.

[unbreachable]

"Whoa -- sorry." He holds his hands up, jeez Chuck -- calm down. No car accidents, okay -- he's already been in one of those and his brother is in a coma because of it.

"Just curious."

It sucks. It really fucking sucks to hear and Raleigh kind of hates himself a lot for asking it and he sort of feels a little sick, but -- at least now he knows not to try anything.

[simplepuzzle]

"Shit--sorry." Yeah, the car accident. Chuck slows a little, running his hand over his hair.

"You?"

He hasn't really been dating, but he's slept with someone a couple times a week in the past month. And he's pretty cool.

...and they already proved that he and Raleigh don't work. They can't try again, Chuck isn't staying and Raleigh's emotionally vulnerable over Yancy. It doesn't matter if they're single, if they're still feeling anything. In fact, residual feelings just enforce the fact that they shouldn't try it again. For some reason.

[unbreachable]

"No. Not anymore."

It -- never worked. He could never find anyone that satisfied him in all of the ways that Chuck had, so he'd just given up. Everything ended badly, nothing worked out and it always wound up being his fault.

A guy gets tired of that.

He shrugs, smiles genuinely and warmly at him because Chuck really deserves the best, and stretches his arms over his head (though he winces a little, that left shoulder really hurts sometimes).

"Hope it works out for you, man. Oh, make your next left."

[simplepuzzle]

"Sorry," he makes the next left as requested, fingers drumming on the steering wheel, nervous and awkward.

Chuck's quiet as they approach the restaurant. He could tell Raleigh his dating history, go into how instead of moving on or moving past anything, he kept looking for something that wasn't there. That wasn't Raleigh. And he'd get impatient and they'd get annoyed or angry or hurt and it just never worked.

"I mean," he starts, voice casual like none of it matters. "I'm not really looking for a serious thing."

And he shouldn't have said that, should let Raleigh believe that he's moved on, that there's nothing there any more.

[unbreachable]

Raleigh's pretty quiet too, looking out of the window, arms folded loosely over his chest, though he's still favoring that one on the left. It got fucked up pretty bad in the wreck, though he doesn't need surgery. For now.

That, though -- that makes Raleigh's brow furrow, because he's not sure what...to think of that but, well.

Chuck's seeing someone, and that's enough for him.

"Yeah, me either," he responds, tilting his head back. "I've got a lot going on." With Yancy and all.

[simplepuzzle]

He's noticed him favoring it, but isn't sure he should mention it. If Raleigh looks to be overusing it, or to be in some intense pain, he might.

"Yes."

And it's awkward now. "This it?"

[unbreachable]

"Yeah, this is it."

It's not too fancy, not too diner-ish. It's somewhere in the middle; reasonable food, a nice bar on the other side, overlooking the river. There's a live band playing, people laughing and having cocktails, but it's not that audible or distracting once they're inside.

"It's kind of a cool place, right?"