Lie To Me (Attn: Alexander)
It had been a mad impulse. Something suggested by one of his assistants, a nice young man who ran the office during the day. But Eiryk really hoped the lighter, more whimsical atmosphere of the miniature golf course would keep Alexander from getting -too- upset with him.
Lord knew the man had a right to be. Alexander had asked him out twice, and it did sound like fun one was a day hike and the other had been a farmer's market. Something about teaching Eiryk to not burn down his place. But both had been daylight activities. While Eiryk could be awake during daylight hours, he could not be out and about, and once he was out he was -out- near nothing roused him. He'd even missed one or two of Alexander's calls. He could sort of hear the phone but only once had he been able to wake enough to answer it, and even then it had been too late, the call had been disconnected by the time he managed to pick it up.
Still, Alexander kept forgiving him. Which probably had something to do with the fact that he wouldn't ask Eiryk over. They always wound up out doing something or at his place. Eiryk couldn't even get an address to send Alexander flowers. They were both frustrated, but each enjoyed the others company too much to give up. But Eiryk could see where this was going to be an uphill battle, if nothing else -he- was running out of excuses. And it certainly wasn't helping the trust factor because Alexander was still holding off...
But Eiryk was -determined- to make this work.
As they walked to the first tee with balls and clubs in hand, Eiryk some how managed to trip over the putter and right into Alexander.
"I think that means you go first."Â?
"I haven't closed any doors," he gently pointed out. "I've opened several. But you refuse to walk through them."
How could this go anywhere if Eiryk continued to evade the topic of spending time with Alex on Alex's terms? Alex didn't consider himself a particularly demanding date but if Eiryk didn't want to do those things he should really just come out and say so.
"You know, if you don't like doing the things I do you can just tell me. We can work on it. I'll find something else we can do."
Alex was willing. He wished Eiryk would just be honest about it, really. He didn't know what Eiryk wanted out of this. It was ironic that Eiryk was the one asking him not to close any doors when Eiryk was the one with the seemingly completely one-track mind.
It was a fair point and Eiryk tried to squirm his way out of it.
He really didn't want to do this. Not here, not now. What he wanted to do was take Alexander home and make this whole mess go away.
"I want to, it just... but yes let's find some thing else. So long as we spend the time together that's all that matters."Â?
That and that the time spent not be during the day. Why couldn't he just say that?! Why wasn't there one good solid reason for him not to be available during the day?
"All right. Windows first," he agreed, still willing to work on things. "Meet me tomorrow morning. We'll go to the preserve. You can show me your boat."
Eiryk had mentioned sailing on several occasions. Alex knew he owned a boat. He'd expressed interest in sailing together and Alex thought it sounded like fun. Maybe if they could mix what Alex liked with something Eiryk enjoyed, it would make a good compromise.
"I'd love to do both. But maybe we could go out in the evening... about eightish?"Â?
Please, please, please say yes. He prayed. If Alexander was willing to compromise a bit more this would be fine. He would have dodged a bullet.
"There won't be enough light left," he pointed out, dismayed. "How about five? We can watch the sun set."
That notion was appealing. Alex would love to feel the waves under them, watching the skyline over the ocean in the evening. Why Eiryk couldn't even compromise, though, was killing him. Was it so hard to give a little?
It pained him to say it, but there was just no getting around it.
"I just can't make it that early."Â?
His eyes pleaded, begged, and other wise entreated Alexander to understand, to take him on faith, to trust this was something beyond his control.
"I want to... I really do. I just.. ... I can't."Â?
Alex released Eiryk's hand, shoving his back into the pocket of his jeans. "I see."
Shot down again. Sure, Eiryk was willing to compromise. As long as that compromise was entirely on his terms and therefore no compromise at all. "Can't and won't are completely different," Alex said. He never raised his voice. It wasn't really in him to be argumentative.
It was time to go home, to literally walk away. He didn't want to. Alex wanted to stay and work this out, but a relationship wasn't about haggling. He couldn't make all the compromise and all the sacrifice. This was so very out of character for Eiryk too. Alex had come to know the blonde as a caring and friendly person. Yet Alex had practically begged him and he wouldn't yield.
"I guess I'll see you then," he said, feeling miserable and mislead. At least he'd never lied to Eiryk. He'd been honest about, well, almost everything. Except for his address, but that seemed like a small matter now. Would it have changed anything?
He reached out to Eiryk once more, ran his hand through the sunny-blonde hair, and leaned down to kiss him poiltely on the cheek. "I'll talk to you soon."
No promises, no commitments. Maybe that was best. Alex had some serious thinking to do. It was hard to do - very hard. But he turned away and walked down the street heading for his own apartment.
((ooc: Alex out))
Eiryk didn't remember his last relationship with a human being this hard, then again he hadn't liked that guy as much. Alexander was something special and he knew it.
"Can't. Really. I can't."Â?
He said some time after Alexander had walked away. He felt sort of hollow right now and he had very little faith Alexander would seek him out any time soon no matter what he said. Did this mean they were broken up?
Apparently he did go back to the towers at some point, he just didn't remember doing it.
((OOC... Eiryk out too))