| In which PJ rips Stark a new asshole. Sorta. |
[Sep. 20th, 2011|02:14 am] |
[ Current. Stark and NPC PJ Ransone have a chat. Follows this. Players Only. ]
Alex goes off to bed shortly after they finish eating, and PJ says, “That’s probably a good idea, cause you still look like shit.” Alex flips him off and closes the door to the bedroom. Stark, always the neat-freak, a trait he inherited from his mom, gathers up the three dishes and drops them into the sink. He goes back into the living room to collect the take out cartons and deposits them on the kitchen counter before he goes to work washing their plates.
He doesn’t notice PJ glaring a hole in his back. Doesn’t notice when PJ gets tired of that, and starts rolling a joint instead. Doesn’t even notice the creaking of the window as PJ crawls out onto the fire escape. Stark is lost in his own domestic little world, washing dishes and putting away whatever’s left of their dinner.
When he finally dries off his hands and walks back into the living room, he realizes the question he’s asked PJ twice now isn’t just falling on deaf ears but, in fact, no ears at all. He takes a moment to survey the situation. The door to PJ’s room is still open, so he hadn’t gone to bed. PJ’s grinder, rolling papers, and an empty dime bag are sitting on the coffee table. It doesn’t take much figuring out from there.
Stark climbs out onto the fire escape, and immediately regrets not putting on a sweater first. It’s freaking cold out here. PJ is sitting on one of the steps leading up to the next floor. He is wearing a black zip-up hoodie and his black sock hat, and just grins smugly when Stark shivers and starts rubbing his hands up and down his arms to keep warm. He takes one more hit of the joint he’s been smoking before offering it to Stark.
Just about ninety-nine percent of the time PJ offers Stark marijuana, Stark turns it down. Tonight he reaches out, takes the joint, and takes a long pull. PJ laughs, and the two sit there in silence for several long minutes, passing the joint back and forth.
“You know I’m pissed at you,” PJ says finally around a lungful of smoke. He looks up at the sky, blows the smoke straight towards the rooftops.
Stark rolls his eyes, and chuckles softly. PJ was always pissed at him for some thing or another. Hell, PJ was always pissed at everyone. “And what did I do this time?” Stark asks with an exaggerated sigh.
“You can’t just fuck with him like that,” PJ replies without pause, and there’s no hint of humor in his voice.
Stark just blinks. He wasn’t really aware of having had anything he expected PJ to say, until now, and that is definitely not it. “What?”
“With Alex,” PJ says. He stands up, and passes Stark the joint, which probably means there’s a tirade coming. “You can’t just fuck with him like that. He'll latch right onto you. You know how bad he is with break ups, you of all fucking people should know that, ya jackass, and you can’t just be all…” PJ makes a wild gesture that doesn’t really clarify anything at all. “And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about,” he continues, “cause I saw that look you gave him. I’ve seen it before, buddy, and that’s how this shit starts with you two. And you better stow that shit right fucking now. I mean it. You said it yourself, you blew your chance, brother. Now you two're finally back on good terms, and you want to start the whole miserable cycle all over again?”
“I know,” Stark says softly.
“Because I was the one who had to sit between you two on the flight back from Africa, remember that? I'm not doing that shit again. Besides, man, you think it would have rocked the boat back then? Dude, now? He’s like Hollywood’s new golden boy. Their very own Nordic god. There’s no way you’d keep it quiet, and those fuckers will eat you alive and spit out your bones. Not to mention--”
“I know,” Stark repeats, cutting him off. “You’re right.”
“So then what the fuck was that in there?”
PJ is looking at him with wide eyes, clearly waiting for an explanation that Stark can’t give. Stark breathes a heavy sigh. Everything PJ is saying is the truth. It didn't matter that some fire inside Stark was relit the minute the words We broke up tumbled from Alex's lips. The reasons Stark had for his own break up with Alex were still present; if anything, they were even more prevalent now than they were at the time.
And Alex was indeed a shooting star right now. Stark couldn't, no, he wouldn't do anything to jeapordize that. His own feelings and regrets, be damned.
Stark looks over at PJ with a small, rueful smile. "Consider it stowed," he replies.
PJ looks at him long and hard for several beats, then cracks a smile of his own.
"Good," he says, slinging an arm around Stark's shoulders, letting his friend know he feels for him, despite his words. "And you better not be lying, either, cause I've grown pretty fond of you this past year and a half, and I'd hate to have to kill you."
[ Feedback is welcomed. All comments are screened. ] |
|
|
