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[backtrack? No. He was tempted to lie about it only he was sure Anthony would check. All he had to do was to keep the school from finding out. His class group was one of the rowdier ones and they might not want someone who they thought was fragile trying to teach them ruddy Shakespeare.

Anyway, it was fine. It would all work out. He couldn't go anyway until this Different thing was over and then what was there to worry about?

Weariness dogged him to the deli. He was so tired he just ordered two club sandwiches to forego the effort of thinking. Then, food and crisps in hand, he headed back to the flat, and up seven flights of bloody stairs.

He was smart on the landing, taking time to catch his breath and will away the pounding of his heart. Cold sweat had broken on his head and neck which he wiped away.

He rearranged his features as he got to the flat and pushed back in, gratified to find that nothing had much changed.]

Feel better?

[he dropped their lunch on the coffee table and himself on the sofa before his legs gave out on him]

Almost human again.

[ He had done a little straightening, just to fix up the bed he had messed up and to recollect his shoes... and make a fresh pot of coffee. That and the aspirin had done wonders for his poor head. Just as it seemed the pills had done wonders for Alec. He wasn't even winded after having come up all of those stairs?? That was actually impressive! Maybe he was more fit than he looked?

Anthony poured Alec a fresh cup and topped his own up, before taking a seat next to his cousin on the lopsided sofa. There was an art to sitting on this thing without getting jabbed in the rear but he found a comfortable angle. ]

Made some coffee.

[ He said as if that needed saying. ]

How was the walk?

The usual. Traffic everywhere. Everything covered in dirt and grime. The deli was packed to the gills.

[he took a sip of the coffee and found it good, then opened his crisps, staring into them with sleep rough behind his eyes]

Why choose this city of all places?

[ Anthony meanwhile tucked into the sandwich, folding back the paper wrapping and taking a bite old bite of club. It was so big he couldn't answer that right away. ]

I like big cities. There is always something going on, movies to see, theatrical productions... you can museum if you want to, appreciate some art. Their bars are next to none in this city. You been to any of the secret ones yet?

[ He took another bite but this one was smaller this time so he could talk around it. ]

But, I didn't really chose New York. I took a trip up here for New Years, just to see the ball drop, and ran right into Lilith. That was the end of that. Ended up staying at her place for a few years until I earned enough to move out. Once I got that director's job I was set.

You really hate it here?

[it was cute, Anthony's enthusiasm and zest for life. There was no wonder why he was the baby of the family, the little shit that got away with everything. How could you not let him when he wanted so much.

Alec let out a sigh that might also have been a laugh, resting his head against the back of the couch]

We seem to run into each other here. [here's hoping the trend doesn't continue]

Yeah but I hate it everywhere. At least the company's not too bad here. [a smirk]

New York's a huge place... you wouldn't think things would actually go down like in Home Alone, you turn around and Marv and Harry are staring down at you.

[ And yet it had been a lot like that. It wasn't even like they had similar interests and would therefore be more likely to frequent the same joints making running into each other more likely.

Anthony looked to his cousin, surprised really that he would say that after... the drunk sobbing... the bracelet disagreement... the failed dinner... But, he too smirked. It was nice. ]

Family, like you said. We need to look out for each other.

[a rough chuckle like sandpaper]

I have no idea what you're referencing. [he doesn't watch movies much.

But the words touch him. They really do. It was as if there was a sudden connection where there hadn't been. Or maybe he'd just gotten it.]

We do...

[he lets himself lean against Anthony a little, the weariness pulling at him.]

Now if we can find a way no to kill each other in the meantime, maybe we'll make something.

Sequel to an epic Christmas movie. We'll have to watch them both some time.

[ Around the holidays naturally when they were all together to celebrate another year, new beginnings... It was odd to feel that warm connection developing between them. Maybe it had always been there but hidden under all those layers of rivalry and competition. Having those layers fall away was wonderful. He needed family right now. ]

Baby steps. We put away the knives first and the rest will follow.

[he's not sure about that phrasing at all. A movie that could be described as epic usually wasn't one worth seeing in his experience. Then again he hadn't watched a movie since '09 so what did he know.

He'd watch them though for Anthony's sake if nothing else]

Guess you're right. [a faint smirk] And if all else fails, there's always the duck pond.

[ In this case epic referred less to the length or depth of the story which might have made any other movie difficult to get into and more to the hilarious and painful ways those two thieves got what they deserved while a Christmas story played out around them.

Right now, snuggled up beside his far too uptight cousin, that feeling of familial closeness the movie portrayed felt very dear. ]

Tch!

[ Anthony snickered under the dismissive noise. ]

We could try feeding them instead of bathing with them?

Going to feed the ducks? That's a new one. Better watch out for the swans... [he yawns a bit and slides lower on the sofa] They'll take a bite right out of you if you're not careful.

Why not? I like ducks.

[ He frowned, recalling the one that had made a nest of his head during the pond incident. ]

Most of the time. And swans are alright... as long as you stay well clear of them. Pretty sure they could take a grown man down.

[ It was plain for even some one deeply engrossed in their sandwich eating to see Alec was fading. Poor guy, must have been a rough night on the sofa. Too many springs poking him in all the wrong places. ]

You could head to the other room, get all tucked into your bed instead of trying to sleep on this thing. I can clean up this mess.

[a short laugh that's more like a hum. He wants to say something along the lines of Anthony being a duck. But the only thing he can manage is:]

M'fine.

[before listing to the side. If his head ends up on Anthony's shoulder, well, feel free to move it]

[ He could hear it now like echoes from their shared past. All the coos of 'look how cute they are', 'such sweet little angels', and the dreaded, 'I just want to pinch their cheeks,' that had always previously inspired some form of retribution. An insult as grievous as laying a head against his shoulder would have been enough for a punch in the arm at the very least or one of his monster under the bed vampire bites.

Alec looked so tired... He had fallen asleep without even finishing his meal. Anthony grabbed the sandwich before it could take a tumble onto the floor and frowned, as best he could at that mussy head of hair while he wrapped the remaining bit of bread and meat up for later. Sleeping on the sofa must have been rough but given that Alec was so worn Anthony began to entertain doubts. Maybe those stairs had been rougher on him than he had said. Were the pills as effective as Alec had claimed? Maybe he wasn't sleeping much either. Had there been other memories beyond the horrific finding the girl in the water dream? Anthony felt a stirring of deep concern and settled himself to staying right there on the uncomfortable sofa with the heavy cousin shaped blanket over his arm while he finished his own meal. Maybe he could find a remote to get his mind off some of these worries, if Alec wasn't sitting on it. ]

Fine, right. Just take your nap then.

[ And hopefully you will feel better when you wake up. ]

[a couple hours later he jerks awake to the sound of screeching tires and gunshots. He stares, blinking blearily into the middle distance, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. The sounds are not out of place in New York but he's uncommonly warm, his stomach is empty and there is a spring poking him in the lower back.]

Wh' happened?

[ Anthony was jostled when his head-shaped pillow moved and he blinked the sleep from his eyes as he tried to discover where the fire was. ]

Huh? Wha.. do you mean what happened?

[ He had not been asleep at all! Not for a minute! It might have looked like it in the way he stared blurry eyed at his cousin or squinted at the TV to try and discover what show was on. ]

Is that Fast and Furious?

I've no bloody idea. [he straightened and stretched, rubbing the kink out of his neck. Then stared at his cousin, a bit surprised]

You stayed? [more screeching and he winced]

Where's the bloody remote.

What do you meant I stayed...-- Well, I'm here aren't I?

[ Way to ask a question with an obvious answer! The remote one was far more challenging as he looked to the arm of the sofa where he was sure the thing had been only to find it must have wandered off. ]

It has to be around here some where. Maybe between the cushions? They always end up between the cushions.

Assumed you had a life. [a wry joke. He can't find it so he looks about on the floor and sees that it's slipped under the table. A place where he's not up to reaching right now. With a sigh he leans back, watching the goings on]

Do you actually watch this....chaos?

Shit!

[ Anthony's phone was in his hand in an instant, sending a text off to Grace. Some thing along the lines of, 'Not dead or with a secret girlfriend, at Alec's place. Still. More later.' ]

I do have a life, but I've slept through most of it today.

[ He hit send on the phone and looked back to the screen. Car cashes, gun fights, people making impossibly crazy jumps and not dying, this was awesome! ]

Are you kidding? This is a great movie! What do you do, sit around listening to NPR all day?

[ Which brought another question to mind! Anthony placed an elbow onto the back of the sofa and turned enough to stare at Alec. ]

Do you ever even go out? What do you do for fun?

[he raises his eyebrows at the sudden text]

You might want to actually go home to your fiance-- Girlfriend. [he unwrapped his sandwich and bit into it, leaning back into the corner of the couch]

I grade and grade and grade more. Or if I'm not doing that I'm at one shelter or another. In the summer when I'm bored out of my mind, I read. [but not anything Anthony would be interested in. He watched pointedly as, in the movie, some men got out of cars and started a proverbial dick waving contest with each other]

There's nothing great about it.

[ The term wasn't given more than a head bobs worth of protest. ]

It'll be fine. She's met us, she knows how crazy we all are.

[ The rest earned Alec an upturned nose. ]

Real party animal you are. Don't you ever want to get out, take in a show? I know, I could take you to one of those underground clubs some time. They are more than just drinks and loud music, some of them have amazing food too.

And of course this movie is great. Hot women.

[ He said as a chick in a tight skirt slid out of the Ferrari. She draped herself over one of the muscular men's arm. ]

Hot guys.

[ The two men having a quarrel decided to settle their trouble with a race. ]

Hot cars. Gotta love the fast cars, what's not to love about a Ferrari?

No. Not a show. Not a movie. Not a club. Don't you ever get a trapped feeling? Like, you're sitting there and you have no choice but to watch the show. You can't walk about or read a book or anything. And what if it's a bad show or you don't like the actors? And as for clubs the last thing I want to see is young people being intimate on the dance floor. If I wanted that I'd watch this. [he gestured to the tv]

A bit sexist, isn't it?

[he's not even going to touch the Ferrari because what does he know?]

No...

[ The word was said in a long drawn out way like he couldn't understand feeling trapped at a theater at all. Trapped in other ways, by family or obligation... or doing what was right, sure. ]

If a show sucks you can just get up and leave. Its not like they glue you to the seat. And usually you are too smashed or dancing too much in a club to care what other people or doing. Nah, clubs and theaters are not where you feel trapped. There isn't any place that's freer.

[ He floated another plan, something simpler that wouldn't have a crowd around to bother anyone. ]

Private room? They have those. Then it would be just you, me and whoever else we decided to invite.

[ Anthony sat back and watched the movie a little longer. ]

Nah, I don't think so. She's a better driver than those two anyway.

That just sounds tawdry like we're paying for some...weird services. No, just... just live your life and have your fun and I'll... I don't know... Get by...

Anyway you're not forced to sit, but what if you're in a middle row and have to get by everyone?

[he shakes his head and folds his arms]

They are breaking so many traffic laws.