2007-04-07: Rebuilding

Starring:

Cass_icon.gif Lachlan_icon.gif

Summary: In an effort to start rebuilding, Lachlan and Cass go out by staying in. They fall asleep on the couch. It's progress.

Date It Happened: April 7th, 2007

Rebuilding


Enlightenment Books; then Cass' Apartment

For some reason, Cass has been getting a lot of flowers lately. The rose from Lachlan the other day, and today she got a small cluster of gerber daises sent to the store with a get well card from Benjamin. As for the getting well part, the woman's sporting a flesh colored band-aid across her cheek but for the most part doesn't seem any the worse for wear. The poor woman is starting to get used to bullets and shooting. Or, well, not used to it, but gets over it a lot faster than before. As for the note that went with the rose from before, Cass finally did give Lachlan a call and agreed to meet him at the store for plans to be determined. Bonnie is in the backroom with the owner, curled up under the desk while the woman arranges roses and daises together.

It's in a chipper sort of mood that Lachlan enters Enlightenment Books and slips to the back room. He gives a soft knock on the door to announce his presence (though Bonnie's lifting her head and starting to wag like a maniac might be a clue) before opening it and peeking in. A smile is offered to Cass — a bright, optimistic expression. "Hey." The Scotsman enters without needing an invitation, intercepting an excited Bonnie in the process. The dog is given a broad grin and a rough ruffling about the head and neck — but it doesn't last too long. Lachlan's spotted that bandage, and his joy gives way to concern. "Wha' happened?"

As she's mostly expecting the knock, Cass smiles when she sees Bonnie's enthusiastic response. That can only be one person. Even if it's an ichy spot on her cheek, the woman has mostly forgotten about the band aid. She automatically raises a hand to her cheek when Lachlan looks concerned and asks about it. "Oh! Um, nothing, really." Just explosions in a tunnel and gang wars erupting in front of her. "Crazy story," she tries to shift the topic off of something she knows that he's going to be worried about. "So, ready?"

Knowing Cass, the 'uh, nothing, really' could be one of two things: she slipped and hit her face on something, or she was involved in some crazy freak accident involving carnage, explosions, and gunplay. There's always gunplay. Lachlan straightens from his lavishment upon Bonnie and peers at the bookstore owner with a small, inquisitive frown, but he doesn't leave the question hanging: "Yeah, ready if ye are." But … but that band-aid is going to bother him /all night/, and he peers at it. "D'ye cut yerself shavin' 'r somethin'?" Humor fixes it.

Unfortunately, Lachlan is right. It's always either one of those two things with Cass. Clumsiness or gunplay. And this time it's the latter. But, judging by the way he reacted to the burglary, she doesn't really want the whole worried factor to come up when they're trying to fix things and act somewhat normal again. "Ready." Snatching up her purse and a lighter jacket, she makes for the door and out onto the street. "So, do we know what we're doing yet? Movie? Food? Movie plus food together? I kind of like the idea of grabbing some Chinese food and just renting a movie." She rolls her eyes at the joke, but smiles slightly. "Yes. It was a shaving accident. Because I have such problems with scruff."

Without hesitation, Lachlan follows after Cass, taking the opportunity of her momentary need to grab her things to clip a leash onto Bonnie's collar. The mutt follows along happily with the two humans as they step out onto the sidewalk and start off on their journey of (hopefully) no gunplay and no running-into-things. "S'fine with me," the Scotsman utters. Truthfully, he's not feeling up to running out to a public place right now. Best to work on things in private until he's sure that it won't explode into a mess, like the /last/ two times he's been with Cass in public. He brings up a hand to rub at his own scruffy jaw at the mention of shaving, grinning. "Yeah, I've got tha' pro'lem. Damn stuff doesna wanna go 'way." Of course, he's never made any real efforts to /make/ it go away.

So far, Cass has no plans on causing a scene in public. But the events of the last couple of days has also made it so that she kind of just wants to vegetate with some sesame chicken, some egg rolls and a cheesy movie. "Good good. Any kind of movie you're in the mood for?" Steering Lachlan in the direction of the subway (no more taxis for a little while) and her apartment, she smiles. "Yeah. But I like your scruff. It suits you."

Yeah?" Lachlan beams when his scruff is complimented. Really, it's not so much a desire to look sexy as it is a laziness when it comes to shaving that keeps him so fuzzy, but now? Now it's /sexy/. /Ha/. He alters his stride to bump lightly into Cass' side, adding a small and gentle jab with his elbow to heighten the effect. "I like m'scruff on ye too. Suits ye." Gringringrin. Just because he screwed up once doesn't mean he can't be himself now.

Cass snickers at that. "Oh you think so?" While things aren't exactly back to normal for Cass, it's hard for her to be pouty angry at him. It just doesn't have the same effect as it does with other men. When she's bumped into, she doesn't exactly go flying, but her course is definitely jarred. Oh, they're playing like that, are they? Using the momentum in walking back, she bumps right back against him. Two can play at that game, Mr. Deatley!

"Yeah." Lachlan /does/ think so. He thinks his scruff suits Cass /really well/. (Maybe he's biased). When he's bumped, it's not very hard, it really isn't. However, he hams it up real well: immediately dropping Bonnie's leash, he goes stumbling to the side, slams into the side of a nearby building, staggers in a circle in the middle of the sidewalk, then does a somewhat clumsy (but successful!) somersault. He winds up sprawling on his back on the pavement, and Bonnie pads over to snuffle at his face curiously, puzzled. Wh-what did Master just /do/?

Bonnie isn't the only one confused. Though Cass can tell that Lachlan is hamming it up, she's certainly not prepared for him to pull a somersault out of nowhere. Scooping up Bonnie's leash, she hustles over to where the Scot is laid up on the sidewalk. Raising an eyebrow, she puts her hands on her hips and just stares at him. "Show off." However, she's got a half-smile on her face to show that she definitely found it somewhat amusing. Looking up and down the sidewalk where people are wondering why there's someone sprawled out on the sidewalk, she laughs and holds out a hand to help him up. "Come on. Up with you."

Grin. Lachlan remains lying where he is for a few moments before he finally accepts Cass' hand and hauls himself back onto his feet. "Yeah, well, ye like it." She totally does. /Totally/. After a moment's hesitation, he moves as though to drape his arm over her shoulders, but it's certainly a friendly gesture and hardly suggestive. "Anyway, wha' movie're we gonna get? No' one o' those BBC ol' English wha'evers." Lachlan can't stomach anything vaguely Jane Austen or Shakespeare; the characters in those things don't speak /English/.

"Especially the part where you landed flat on your back," Cass grins. Because she it's still fun to tease him. In fact it's even /more/ fun to tease him. While she stiffens slightly at the arm draping over her, it's only for a moment and then she returns to normal. It's nothing suggestive and so it's okay for now. The grin gets a little more mischievous at Lachlan's suggestions. "Oh no. We're definitely getting Pride and Prejudice. The BBC version. Six Hours of Jane Austen majesty. Plus, Colin Firth gets his white shirt wet." Wider grin. "Don't worry. We won't finish all of it tonight."

There are not enough sexy ladies in the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice to make it /nearly/ worth those six hours for Lachlan, though of course he doesn't /know/ that because he hasn't /seen/ it. It just took the mention of "BBC" and some context to tell the Scotsman that, no, this is /unacceptable/. He huffs and starts to pull away from Cass. "Fuck tha'. No' unless yer plannin' ta snog me durin' the whole bloody thing." He's got standards.

Oh no, no no, that is quite the point to watching Pride and Prejudice. Cass is not in the practice of letting Lachlan ogle more sexy women in front of her. While she's not actually serious about renting Pride and Prejudice - she's already seen it enough times herself - it's funny to goad Lachlan about it. "Oh really now? Well, I'm a reasonable woman. I can settle for the newer Pride and Prejudice."

Lachlan lets his arm drop from Cass' shoulders and tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans, peering at her with a raised eyebrow. "Wha's the diff'rence?" Answer: there isn't one. They're both One Of Those Movies Where Everybody Speaks Gibberish For Four Hours And Somehow People Are Supposed To Find It Intriguing.

But there is a difference! Cass laughs and shakes her head. "Well, one is only two hours. Plus, it has Keira Knightley." She raises an eyebrow. "But, actually, Lucky Number Slevin just came out on DVD and I was kind of interested in seeing that." Yes, she /was/ only joking before. Plus, it's got action and intrigue. Something to satisfy both Lachlan and Cass. "I've got a weakness for heist movies."

Oh. Well. That's /different/. Keira Knightley makes everything better. Lachlan frowns in obvious consideration of this new piece of information, but then Cass suggests a movie that doesn't /require/ any thinking on his part, and he perks right up. "Tha's great, then. Can pick it up onna way back ta yer place, swing by a Chinese place fer somethin' ta eat." Excellent plan. This way, Bonnie doesn't have to be left home either. Lachlan gets a date with two of his favorite girls from his two favorite species!

"Good good. I like this plan." Cass has grown quite fond of Bonnie during this time and doesn't like the idea of her sitting all alone. After all, the dog has been spoiled enough to be sleeping on the bed with Cass and even given some table scraps when she's been extra good (which Cass deems as most of the time). "No cooking, no need for movie tickets. We can just chill out on the couch and not worry about anything exploding." Not that has been a problem with her lately. Really.

Physically or verbally? Lachlan takes it to mean the latter and lightly bumps into Cass once more. "Yeah." He's proud of himself, and it's somewhat apparent. He's not had a drop of liquor outside of his own apartment, and he's not been alone with another woman since the last explosion. Oh yes, the Scotsman is /quite/ pleased with himself. See? He can do it, if he puts his mind to it.

In due time, the movie and food are acquired and vegetating on the couch happens. Food is eaten and mostly empty cartons line up on the coffee table like little soldiers. As intriguing and actiony as the film is, however, Lachlan's been working himself to the bone with job-hunting, not-drinking, and not-fornicating. By the time the credits start to roll, it is apparent that he might have missed a few parts: his chin is resting on his chest, his eyes are closed, and there are the faintest beginnings of a snore working their way up from the back of his throat. Bonnie half-lays in his lap with a hand on her head and, if there's a Cass nearby, she's likely got an arm around her shoulders too.

Though seated on the couch, Cass is fine with remaining sitting next to him without leaning much against him throughout the movie. However, she's worked herself ragged just as much with coming up with lists and ideas on how to help Peter with his abilities. Plus, she has a bookstore to run still and she's not about to let it go under while she owns it. All of this put together with tunnels exploding in front of her the night before makes for one sleepy bookstore owner. As the movie starts to wrap up, she's slowly and reluctantly falling asleep. She tries to stop it, but it's an uphill battle. Once the credits are rolling, she's fully leaning against Lachlan with her head against his shoulder as a pillow, half-asleep. A hand rests lightly on Bonnie's back.

Those allusions to a snore grow less and less ethereal and more and more a reality until there's finally one loud "SNNNNGGK!" It's enough to startle Lachlan a bit; his head snaps upward, though not fully, and his eyes remain closed. Partially conscious, he tightens his grip around Cass' shoulders and slumps his head to the side to rest his cheek atop the bookstore owner's skull, where he is more than happy to continue snoozing, judging by the deep and contented sigh he emits. Mmmngh, comfy. Bonnie is startled by the sudden noise as well and jerks a bit, ears swiveling back, then forward. She, too, shifts positions, sprawling out on her side across both laps and half-closing her eyes. Happy dog.

While Cass is starting to fall asleep, she's not quite there yet. The starting and the snore are enough to jerk her awake with a start. Whups! Wait, she didn't mean to fall asleep. She missed the end of the movie! Plus, she's here snuggling with Lachlan on the couch when she /should/ be denying him cuddles and whatever! But, she's comfortable and tired. Plus, there's the whole dog factor involved now. Move and Bonnie has to move. And it's not fair to punish the dog for Lachlan's actions. Hmm. Well. Shifting a little to get more comfortable, she sighs and rests her head back down against Lachlan. If you can't beat 'em.

Quite truthfully, Lachlan is totally unaware that he's getting cuddles. He's too far gone to notice. Bonnie, at least, appreciates Cass' decision not to move and even wags her tail a little, though it's likely more because Cass woke up and seemed to move a bit than it is a reaction to any mental decisions that were made. It's not long before sleeping sitting up becomes rather uncomfortable for Lachlan, however. One can only sleep this way for so long, and the lack of laying down rouses him from his dozing state. He lifts his head and blinks blearily down at Cass, then Bonnie, then back again, trying to figure out the mechanics of laying down when he's being snuggled by a dog and a woman — and having flunked pre-algebra, he doesn't have any super-knowledge of physics to help him out either. Alas.

It's not so long that Cass is completely asleep while sitting up. Really, she can sleep in just about any position should she have sufficient support. The shifting in positions rouses her just enough to shift with some incoherent mumbling. She's tired and comfortable. She's got a dog blanket and a human pillow, after all. Without knowing the mental dilemma Lachlan is going through, she starts to drift off again.

Oh! Cass is moving! Cass is making noise! Cass is awake! For a brief moment, hope is sparked! — And then quickly extinguished. Cass is /not/ awake. She's just being /tricky/. Lachlan frowns, then decides that he's just on his own where this is concerned. With a sigh, he makes a decision and slowwwwwwwly starts to lean away from Cass, though his arm remains around her shoulders, so she'll likely be pulled along with him. At the same time, he half-twists to put his back toward the arm of the couch rather than his opposite shoulder and, though he does his very best not to do so, his legs have to move a little bit to accommodate (because his hips are just not made out of rubber). Bonnie is therefore slightly disturbed and lifts her head to peer mournfully at the Scotsman. /Hey/.

Cass is not tricksy! She's sleepy! There is a difference. The movements Lachlan make aren't enough to completely rouse her and as she's mostly asleep, she's pretty pliable to his pulling. In fact, as he starts to move her one way, she automatically swings her legs up onto the couch, shifting a bit when Bonnie is already disturbed. Can two people and a dog fit on the couch without anyone falling off? It's certainly an experiment they will be trying!

Aha, /success/! Lachlan peers down at Cass, surprised that he managed, then glances at Bonnie still sprawled across his lap. With Cass' lap completely out of the way, the dog has little choice but to hop off the couch, which allows the Scotsman to also bring his legs up. Ahhhh, comfort. He clicks his tongue quietly and pats what little open space remains of the couch cushions on his opposite side. The dog hops up to squish in there and is supported by his free arm. Indeed, two full-grown people and a half-grown dog /can/ fit on a couch without everyone falling off. Just how long this will last is anyone's guess. Thus contentedly sandwiched, Lachlan rolls his head to the side and closes his eyes again. At least there's the assurance that he won't be too hungover to get himself out of the apartment in the morning.

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