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The trip to visit Daire's folks had gone better than expected, even with the surprises. There was pie, and when the pie was devoured before they even left the motel, another pie was provided to take home with them. That pie didn't last long either. It'd been a couple of days since getting back and Daire had gone back to work at the 8-Ball and the community center, but there was a weight that seems to have been lifted, one that had been settled deep in his shoulders since those first letters had come. Now, he seemed, more at peace.
Tonight, he sits in the window, with one foot out on the fire-escape and the other on the windowsill, strumming his guitar, playing a few quiet songs as he looks out over the narrow Mutant Town alley. Every so often, someone shouts out the open window, making a request. If he knows it, he actually plays it, grinning a little bit.
Stepping into the apartment, Josh glances around and smiles when his eyes fall on Daire. He's not gold, so apparently the latest shift at the center didn't need any healing— or whatever did show up might have been minor enough that he could Doctor it up. He heads over and lays his hands on Daire's shoulder, squeezing by way of greeting, and saying softly, "You have fans." The grin is in his voice, even if its not seen since he's behind and all. "How was work?"
Daire leans back into those hands on his shoulders, far enough back that he can lay his head back on Josh's with a grin at him, though he finishes off the last few notes of the song before he lets it fade out and sets the guitar down inside the apartment. "Work was quiet enough that I got to play for a little while tonight." He grins out the window and says, "Nobody's told me to stop yet, so I'm going to take it as a compliment." Green eyes sparkle brightly. "Looks like there were no major traumas tonight?" he asks.
"Who would tell you to stop? Crazy people." Since Daire leans back against him, he lets his hands slide down over Daire's chest and give a sort of hug. Josh nods his head then, "Yeah, nothing major. A couple minor cuts from some stupid kids who got into a fight, I gave them stitches and decided it'd be better for them to remember the ow so they would learn the lesson. Sometimes people need to heal up on their own and don't deserve a shortcut."
Daire chuckles and says, "Well, people who like to sleep I suppose, or people who don't like music." He grins at the sort of hug and then he leans up again. He climbs out of the window and back into the apartment, though he leaves it open for the nice breeze from outside. He then chuckles and says, "Yeah, not all problems require the special fixes. Sometimes the old fashioned way is the right choice. And you're still a Doctor as well as a Healer." Practicing or otherwise be damned. He sits on the inside of the windowsill.
Stepping back to let Daire in, Josh pffts, "Anyone who doesn't like music has no soul; they likely don't sleep, they look for victims to feed from." He grins, and steps in again to take a seat on the other edge of the windowsill, even if its a little cramped. Still. He bumps Daire's shuolder, "I don't let the going gold thing bug me when it comes to serious injuries, but if all it is is a laceration… if I'm not already gold, it just limits what I'm able to do the next day, and I was going to take you out to lunch."
Cramped or not, there's enough room for the both of them. Daire bumps shoulders then shifts his arm back to loop it around Josh, giving him a little squeeze. "That's creepy. I'm glad that our neighbors are not vampires. Though I never thought to test for that by playing guitar." He grins, fangs showing in that white smile. "I know you don't. And I don't care what color you are, but I do like the idea of going out for lunch." He grins again. "Where are we going? Have you got a plan already? Or is it a surprise?"
"They might be ghouls, or fairies, or goblins, or pookas, or.." Josh flashes a grin, leaning against Daire's shoulder, "I hadn't gotten that far into a plan, since I couldn't know if someone had an emergency or anything today until I went home…and really there's no telling someone won't call in an hour screaming and crying. Me and plans? Don't work out very well. So I wing things. What's your favorite type of food, though?"
Daire smirks and says, "Sure, they could be sentient man-sized cockroaches. Have you seen some of the vermin in that alley?" But he's totally kidding. Mostly. Totally. Mostly… "I know," he says with a little smile. "I know that something could crop up any time and an emergency might need to be dealt with. I knew what I was getting into when I started seeing you." There's no regrets there. "You don't remember?" he looks shocked, both eyebrows raising, but he's totally teasing. "Steak, a good steak of some sort, is one of the best things ever.. or chinese food leftovers. Because the leftovers are always better."
With that, Josh grins, and pulls himself away, and heads to the kitchen. He tugs open the fridge, and pulls out… a couple boxes of chinese, and some chopsticks. He comes over, and tugs the boxes open at the counter, then finishes heading to Daire> Daire gets the mongolian beef, he gets the orange chicken, but once he sets down next to Daire, both are really in reach. Both are full, too. Yes, Josh remembered! "I can make certain plans, like ordering chinese yesterday and hiding it behind stuff, so it can sit in the fridge waiting to ripen to goodness, so we can eat in together tonight, with the leftovers." He smiles, his expression warm.
Daire watches as Josh heads over toward the kitchen curiously. Then both brows raise a little when previously undiscovered chinese food comes out of the fridge. And then when chopsticks are produced and the containers are brought over, and there is even mongolian beef and orange chicken, his eyes grow even wider. "Wow, you really did remember," like down to two of his favorites, even. He takes a pair of chopsticks, and leans over and presses a kiss to Josh's cheek before he murmurs, "You. There are many reasons that I love you, and this is one of them." He then reaches over to grab a bite out of Josh's container with a flash of a grin. "Best plans."
After he gets a kiss on the cheek, while his food is stolen, Josh leans over to return a kiss to Daire's cheek, grinning, "Hey, what can I say? You have provably excellent taste." He helps himself to a sprig of broccoli from Daire's food, and pops it into his mouth, chewing. Its still a little crunchy! Its good chinese. "But I shall attempt for a good steak lunch tomorrow. Medium rare, obviously, we are not monsters, but blackened for me at least. For me a steak without a potato is a missed opportunity. And…" He stabs his chopsticks into his food, reaches with his thus freed hand down to squeeze Daire's knee, "I love you too."
"I do," Daire agrees with a little sidelong grin as he pops that stolen bit of chicken into his mouth, giving a little "Mnnnn" as the outside is still a bit crunchy and not all soggy either. Good stuff. "Mmnn steak with good mashed potatoes, or a loaded baked potato, or even thick cut steak fries… and yes, medium rare is excellent." He pokes his chopsticks into his own container so that he can reach down and give Josh's hand a squeeze. The smile that blooms on his lips is soft, warm, and he ducks his head a little bit. Then he takes up his chopsticks again and digs into the mongolian beef.
"All of these work for me." Josh says piously, because any sort of potato works for him, and he adds, "Even potato salad. If its a *real good* potato salad, that's almost even preferred." He sounds wistful, but then plops an orange chicken chunk into his mouth and chews, but at the ducking head he tilts, leading his head against Daire's shoulder, "Don't hide, Dai. I like the smile, and if I wasn't hungry, I'd be kissing it very seriously, but I am hungry, so that's for later. But no ducking."
"Oh.. real good potato salad is the best," Daire says, as though he couldn't believe he'd forgotten potato salad, "Scalloped potatoes are good too, potatoes au gratin.. I almost feel like we need a potato a day sort of thing going on there." He laughs just a bit and then continues to poke through the mongolian beef, grabbing a bite of meat, then a bite of vegetable, then a bite of meat. When Josh rests his head against his shoulder, he tips his own head to rest it against Josh's. Not even really conscious that he id it, he says quietly, "Okay. No ducking. Though I am taking you up on those kisses after dinner." He then straightens up a bit so that he isn't eating over Josh.
Josh can't help but laughing softly, "There *should* be a national potato day." He enjoys the mutual leaning, but when straightening is a thing, he does it too, and noms some chinese, "We must not forget potato soup, and… it is a list without end." He nods then and turns his head to Daire to grin, "I accept your reservations for the kisses after, and acknowledge receipt. They will be yours."