simplepuzzle: (exuent pursued by a bear)
simplepuzzle ([personal profile] simplepuzzle) wrote2013-12-26 09:26 pm

It's been a while....

 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. 
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm sorry!" Raleigh explodes, flinging his arms out on either side of him in exasperation.

"I fucked up! I'm sorry! I don't know what else you want me to say!" Because it is his fault, it is and nothing Chuck says is going to change that, or fix it.

"I told you, I wont-- call you again and I'll tell Herc and Mako to leave you alone when it comes to me, too. They should've never told you what was going on."
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 05:24 am (UTC)(link)

They're already broken up, Chuck.

"What do you want, Chuck?"

Raleigh's anger is starting to melt away and he's starting to wilt.

"You've gotta -- tell me what you fucking want."

Chuck's not going to his car alone. Raleigh is following him.

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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
He doesn't expect Chuck to let him in the car, but he opens the door and Raleigh stares at it, uncomprehending for a moment before he slides in, shutting it behind him.

He waits for Chuck to get in before saying anything else.

"Why? Because Mako and Herc told you to come?"
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 05:58 am (UTC)(link)
He sort of leans forward on his knees, resting his face in his palms.

"If I could take it back, I would," he mutters.

He feels like he's being blamed all over again and he just --

"Take me to the hospital. Please."

Even if Yancy's in a coma, he's gotta see him. Talk to him, even if he can't respond.
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)

It feels like Chuck's blaming him.

It's your fault we broke up--

The words ring in his head and he just -- wants to get out of the car and he should've taken a cab.

"There's a McDonald's on the way." It's muttered, and he looks away, out the window.

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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Raleigh is so tired and emotionally drained he doesn't want to argue.

"Subway."

Is a sub acceptable? He can eat half now, half later.
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)

He makes himself get up, get out of the car and goes inside to get something to eat. He comes out with a turkey sub for himself, chips, as well as Chuck's favorite, because neither of them had eaten at the actual restaurant.

"Can eat it later, if you want."

He sets the bag in the backseat, leans back in his seat and drags his palm over his face.

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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)

...Fucking hell.

He wants Chuck back so badly it hurts and if this keeps up he's going to do the worst thing in the world and fucking cry and there's no way he wants to do that in front of Chuck.

"It should be me," he agrees hollowly, feeling sick, feeling nauseated. "I was driving, it should -- be me."

He'd rather it be him. If he could trade places, make a bargain with the devil for his soul, he'd do it. He'd do anything for Yancy to get up, to be fine, to walk away.

Chuck pulls up and Raleigh's glad, because he's on the verge of losing his shit and he feels like throwing up, just a little. He'll have to eat his Subway later because right now, his stomach is all upside down and twisted up.

"Wish -- you could be here." Is all he says, before he pushes the door open and goes to get out.

Edited 2013-12-31 15:46 (UTC)
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2013-12-31 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)

"I was driving." It was his fault, his fault.

"You can't though. You're just -- going to leave again."

He wants Chuck to hold him, he wants Chuck to make him stop being stupid. He wants help from him, but he can't -- let Chuck in. Not when he knows he's gonna leave, knows that there's someone back in Chuck's new, fancy life (that Raleigh isn't part of) that he's fucking around with, that he's sort of seeing.

He just -- can't. He can't let himself get too comfortable with him now, only to have what was left of his heart ripped out of his chest when Chuck inevitably left again.

"Yeah, thanks."

He's not gonna call, though. Not after tonight.

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[personal profile] unbreachable 2014-01-01 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Raleigh doesn't call Chuck; he has to foce himself not to do it, not to text him. It takes a conscious effort to not pick up the phone and just send him random texts over nothing, like he used to do.

Instead, radio silence.

Raleigh dives into taking care of things, finances and mortgages and whatever else Yancy had going on. He empties his savings account paying off any debt Yancy may have had to avoid debt collecters calling and trying to take Yancy's assets. When - when - Yancy wakes up, he wants him in perfect financial condition (even if he knows Yancy will kick his ass when he finds out everything Raleigh's done but he won't argue long because they both know if the situation were reversed, Yancy'd do the same for him).

He needs a break from that though and --- the tree is going to be lit soon and Raleigh goes every year and meets up with the people he knows frmo around the small town (almost everyone; he's a friendly man, a social being even if he hasn't really let anyone in after Chuck) and he knows that he's going to get peppered with a thousand questions and well meaning wishes and it's going ot be awkward and painful but he goes anyway.

He's holding heavily spiked cider, surrounded by smiling faces and people hugging him and it takes a monumental effort to break away and duck to the back of the crowd, hands a little shaky.
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2014-01-01 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Raleigh would never do that, never ask for that.

He pushes out of the crowd of people, shivers when the cold hits him and gulps at his cider, ignoring the temperature of it in favor of getting the alcohol into his system. It helps a little, sends a warm twinge through him but it's still really cold outside, there's snow sticking to the ground and there's a little bit in the air if you looked close enough; tiny, white flakes that reflect the Christmas lights that hang all around the area.

A few land in his drink, but he drinks it anyway.

He looks up, meets Chuck's eyes and the surprise registers - Chuck hates this and Raleigh hadn't...expected to see him here, especially standing a few short feet away.

"...Hey."
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2014-01-01 07:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe. But how easily would Chuck just accept help if offered?

"I come every year," he says, glancing over at the tree and closing the distance between them so they're not talking over three feet of awkward open space. "Tradition."

Chuck should know. He'd remember. Raleigh dragged Chuck every year, made him suffer in the cold with him, listened to his grumpiness about it. The memory makes him smile briefly.
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[personal profile] unbreachable 2014-01-01 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, he's been with Yancy. He just -- needed to get out.

...He'd been with Yancy a lot, really. After the fight he'd sort of collapsed into the chair by the bed and told him everything, poured his heart out and cried, begged Yancy to wake up and be better, but -- no response.

Please man, I need you.

"Figured I'd keep with tradition." He doesn't come close, just close enough to talk without looking crazy awkward about it. And Chuck -- Jesus, you're reading way too much into that. Raleigh never said he didn't want Chuck around or want anything to do with him.

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