churbooseanon (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
churbooseanon) wrote2014-11-23 08:51 am
churbooseanon) wrote2014-11-23 08:51 am
Long Distance Relationship (a Partings and Reunions side story)
Fic request by saereneth: A promp for your consideration: Alexa making sure to stay up to Skype with her brother while he is in Australia. Some poor graduate student has gotten dragged along as well, maybe they could get beers so Alex doesn't have to be completely alone?
Long Distance Relationship
“So what’s it looking like tomorrow?”
Alex rolls his eyes, groans, and shoots a dirty look at his camera, and Alexa has to chuckle at his expression. If looks could kill she’s pretty sure she would be having a heart attack right at that moment.
“It is fucking five in the morning. I don’t have time for your bullshit cheeriness,” Alex snaps and all Alexa could do was laugh at him. There was nothing quite like that time first thing in the morning when her twin’s true colors came out. When he wasn’t that sweet, accommodating, gentle, kind sort of guy that people walked all over. His temper flared in the mornings on par with hers, and it was fun to be the target of it when he couldn’t fling pillows at her head.
“Maybe there, but it’s about one in the afternoon here. Yesterday afternoon,” Alexa openly laughs, and watches her brother grimace in a familiar way. “Ouch, someone went out drinking last night, didn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Alex sighs, and she watches as he gets to his feet and shuffles away from the camera into somewhere else in his hotel room, probably to find aspirin. “Went out last night with Jimmy. His girlfriend called to break up with him.”
“Ouch,” Alexa answers, wincing a little. “The girlfriend he yacks your ears off talking about every day?”
“And every night,” Alex confirms. “As if his is the only relationship ever in the world, and as if he’s the only one ever to have their life on hold for someone. Speaking of…”
She hopes that he can’t see the screen from wherever he’s gotten to, because she can see the way she winces in the picture of her in the corner. There were things you just couldn’t do long distance. Like breaking up with someone. Like telling your twin brother who was absolutely smitten with their neighbor that had started dating an asshole…
“Speaking of what?”
“David,” Alex groans, appearing back in front of the screen with a steaming mug of what had to be shitty hotel coffee. “Speaking of David…”
“I don’t remember starting a conversation about David,” Alexa smiles playfully.
Alex rolls his eyes, and then winces. “How is David?”
“You know, the only thing I ever ask Connie about when I see her is how David is. How did you know?”
“Seriously can’t you just listen to me for half a moment?”
Alexa sighs and leans back in her desk chair and looks up at the ceiling. She should be out there in the gym, working with her students. Should be training her new instructor, should be having lunch with Connie. Instead she’s here, in the dark of her office, because it’s the only time she can get to sit there and hear her brother’s voice. See his face.
She hates it when he’s gone. She hates it when his job takes him out of the country, and hates it even more when it puts them in awkward places like this. Where it’s five in the morning with him and one in the afternoon for her, and this is the only time they can find to talk.
“David,” she says at last, looking down at him. “David is… doing better I think. He’s fitting in better at the cafe. There’s… a new guy in town making moves on Daniel, and David seems to go out drinking with him sometimes? I think it happened because the guy sits there at the cafe a lot, waiting for Daniel. Military guy that just got back. He seems to be doing David some good.”
“And his ex?”
That was a topic Alexa hated bringing up with her girlfriend. “Alright, that… is touchier. Connie says he tried calling her recently. She chewed him out. That’s really all I’ve got.”
“Alright. I…”
There’s a knock at his door and Alex groans. “I’ve got to take a shower. That will be Jimmy to complain about his headache. Talk later?”
“Later,” she agrees softly. “Have a good day, bro.”
“Yeah,” he smiles wearily and Alexa sighs as the screen goes dark.
Ten days left and she doesn’t know what to do with herself anymore.
Long Distance Relationship
“So what’s it looking like tomorrow?”
Alex rolls his eyes, groans, and shoots a dirty look at his camera, and Alexa has to chuckle at his expression. If looks could kill she’s pretty sure she would be having a heart attack right at that moment.
“It is fucking five in the morning. I don’t have time for your bullshit cheeriness,” Alex snaps and all Alexa could do was laugh at him. There was nothing quite like that time first thing in the morning when her twin’s true colors came out. When he wasn’t that sweet, accommodating, gentle, kind sort of guy that people walked all over. His temper flared in the mornings on par with hers, and it was fun to be the target of it when he couldn’t fling pillows at her head.
“Maybe there, but it’s about one in the afternoon here. Yesterday afternoon,” Alexa openly laughs, and watches her brother grimace in a familiar way. “Ouch, someone went out drinking last night, didn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Alex sighs, and she watches as he gets to his feet and shuffles away from the camera into somewhere else in his hotel room, probably to find aspirin. “Went out last night with Jimmy. His girlfriend called to break up with him.”
“Ouch,” Alexa answers, wincing a little. “The girlfriend he yacks your ears off talking about every day?”
“And every night,” Alex confirms. “As if his is the only relationship ever in the world, and as if he’s the only one ever to have their life on hold for someone. Speaking of…”
She hopes that he can’t see the screen from wherever he’s gotten to, because she can see the way she winces in the picture of her in the corner. There were things you just couldn’t do long distance. Like breaking up with someone. Like telling your twin brother who was absolutely smitten with their neighbor that had started dating an asshole…
“Speaking of what?”
“David,” Alex groans, appearing back in front of the screen with a steaming mug of what had to be shitty hotel coffee. “Speaking of David…”
“I don’t remember starting a conversation about David,” Alexa smiles playfully.
Alex rolls his eyes, and then winces. “How is David?”
“You know, the only thing I ever ask Connie about when I see her is how David is. How did you know?”
“Seriously can’t you just listen to me for half a moment?”
Alexa sighs and leans back in her desk chair and looks up at the ceiling. She should be out there in the gym, working with her students. Should be training her new instructor, should be having lunch with Connie. Instead she’s here, in the dark of her office, because it’s the only time she can get to sit there and hear her brother’s voice. See his face.
She hates it when he’s gone. She hates it when his job takes him out of the country, and hates it even more when it puts them in awkward places like this. Where it’s five in the morning with him and one in the afternoon for her, and this is the only time they can find to talk.
“David,” she says at last, looking down at him. “David is… doing better I think. He’s fitting in better at the cafe. There’s… a new guy in town making moves on Daniel, and David seems to go out drinking with him sometimes? I think it happened because the guy sits there at the cafe a lot, waiting for Daniel. Military guy that just got back. He seems to be doing David some good.”
“And his ex?”
That was a topic Alexa hated bringing up with her girlfriend. “Alright, that… is touchier. Connie says he tried calling her recently. She chewed him out. That’s really all I’ve got.”
“Alright. I…”
There’s a knock at his door and Alex groans. “I’ve got to take a shower. That will be Jimmy to complain about his headache. Talk later?”
“Later,” she agrees softly. “Have a good day, bro.”
“Yeah,” he smiles wearily and Alexa sighs as the screen goes dark.
Ten days left and she doesn’t know what to do with herself anymore.