Solo performance

In this chapter we learn about teenagers’ relationships to their old dads, stupid ways to kill oneself and that even cynical people have a romantic side to them.

Disclaimer: Not mine, not true!

Notes: Sorry for the delay, but I was suffering from a major block. Forgive me? Please take the time to leave me a short comment on this!!


9. The art of drowning


Karl’s POV:

Isn’t it funny how some things can change our lives sometimes? Everything seems to be alright: Your kid is healthy, you are successfull in your job, you have a partner who loves you, the sky is blue and the sun is shining, flowers and baby kittens everywhere.

And then something happens. Something surprising that doesn’t fit into your perfect little world, something you didn’t want to happen, but it happened anyway. After being together with you for more than two years your partner leaves you. And from one day to the next nothing seems to be important to you anymore. Fancy clothes, jewellery, your playstation – what do you need thoose for? These things we build our lives upon, do they hold us when all we want to do is cry? Do they enrich our lives in any way?

It is funny how everything that matters to me now seems to fill a small suitcase and a backpack. Some clothes, a book, one or two CDs, my diary and of course my toothbrush. For may be the hundredth time I check if I have forgotten anything. My tickets, my passport...

With a deep sigh I let myself fall back on the sofa and switch the television on, wanting to fill my brain with something stupid and mindless. Anything if it keeps me from thinking. The plane that will bring me to Australia will leave in the morning. I didn’t want to fly to London to visit Craig and Marton before checking on Dave one last time...


~*~


“I heard you were to the movies with Molly yesterday night...” Viggo mumbled without looking up to Henry from his newspaper. “I’m glad that you and the girls get along so well...”

“Hmmm...” Henry nodded. “They’re nice.”

“Or a little more than nice?” Viggo teased his son with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Dad!” Henry groaned and stood up to put some more cereals into the milk in his bowl.

“Ok, ok!” Viggo lifted his hands up in defeat. “But you must admit that they’re cute...”

“Dad!” Henry exclaimed as he sat down again.

Viggo sighed and put down his newspaper. “Ok...teenagers don’t talk to their old dads abput girls...” he mused aloud, brushing some blond strands back that were hanging in front of his eyes. “You know when I was young going to the cinema with a girl meant...”

Henry rolled his eyes. “Shut up, dad! Next thing you tell me is how they discovered fire in your youth...” he grumbled.

Viggo jerked back with a grimace. “Ouch! That hurt.... You know, I’m not that old...”

Henry didn’t answer as suddenly the door was opened and Sean entered the kitchen.

Henry smiled when he saw his father jumping up happily. At least Viggo didn’t act like a fossil. Now as he was wrapping his arms around Sean abd kissing the other man noisily on his mouth, he rather seemed like a lovesick 20-year-old...

~*~


Dave’s POV:

Rain is washing over the aching skin of my face, the salty tang of blood filling my mouth where I have bitten my lip. Stormy wind pulls on my tangled hair and the ground seems to shake under my body. Suddenly fragments of a voice fill the air, ripped apart by the storm and when I turn my head I can see Jared standing on the veranda, waving at me.

“What the fuck are you doing out there, Davie?” Jared calls, his voice sounding worried. “Come in! You must be soaking wet!”

I shake my head distinctively. “No!” I yell back.

Jared frowns and with unsure movements he stalks out into the rain. “Then I will come out to you,” he decides and I can tell by his voice that it won’t help to argue with him, Jared can be the most thickheaded person one can imagine at times. With a deep sigh I close my eyes, only opening them again as suddenly the rain stops pouring down on me.

Jared is leaning over me, something like amusement flickering in the impossible depths of his blue eyes. “There are easier ways to drown oneself, you know?” he jokes, but I would be a fool to think it was meant in a funny way.

“Does it matter?” I ask, surprised how sad and tired my own voice suddenly sounds.

He frowns, not really knowing what to think of my comment. “Well, it does to me...” he finally says. “What happened?”

I blink as tiny droplets of water are falling down to my face from his long, dark hair. “They just told mme today that I stand a snowball’s chance in hell to see Eliza in the next ten years if Kate doesn’t allow me to visit my daughter,” I whisper hoarsely, burying my fingernails in the palms of my hands as again anger threatens to wash all over me.

Jared grimaces slightly and shifts a little. He is in pain once again, shouldn’t be outside here in the cold rain. “Dying of hypothermia or whatever will not change anything,” he reminds me and moves to lay down next to me on the wet grass.

“Jared! Go in!” I growl in a commanding voice. “You shouldn’t have come out here in the first place! You’ll catch a cold.”

“I won’t go anywhere without you,” he grins coldly, knowing exactly how I will react.

“Fuck you, Jared!” I bark as I jump up and lift his shivering body into my arms, heading for the house as quickly as I can while I keep mumbling over trecherous best friends.

“Why couldn’t you just let me die out there?” I ask him after making sure he’s warm and dry again. “I’m so tired, Jared. Why can’t you let me sleep?” I sigh, raking my fingers through my short hair.

He grins cheekily and snuggled deeper under the blankets I’ve wrapped around his lean body. “You know...” he mutters. “For some odd reason I care about you...”


~*~


“Fuck you, Sinclair,” Harry growled, sipping at his glass of whiskey. “That shouldn’t be so difficult...” Again his hand reached out to grab the phone and call Karl, to apologise for his stupid behaviour, when suddenly the doorbell rang. “Who the fuck?!” Harry cursed and and walked the few steps to the door, ripping it open much more aggressively than necessary. “What...” he trailed off when he saw who was standing in front of the door. “Karl...” he whispered, the hard look in his eyes softening immeditaly. “I just wanted to call you...”

“Really?” Karl asked, the corners of his mouth twitching nervously. “Well, I’ve got soem stuff here that belongs to you and I thought...” He ahnded Harry the small bag. “I thought that maybe you’d need it...”

Harry looked from the bag to Karl. “Thank you. Um...don’t you want to come in for a moment?” he asked tenderly.

Karl’s feet were itching to leave the doorway and follow Harry into the small house he knew so well, but he shook his head. “No. I just...” He pointed at the bag.

“I see...” Harry nodded, a wave of disappointment washing through his body. “So you just wanted to return my stuff to me...”

Karl smiled nervously, his eyes trying to avoid contact with his former lover’s gaze. “No,” he finally admitted. “The real rason why I’ve come tonight is...” He cleared his throat. “I’m leaving for Australia tomorrow and then for London,” Karl whispered, finally able to meet the probing look of Harry’s caramel eyes. “I wanted to say goodbye...”

Harry swallowed, not wanting to believe what he had just heard. “How long will you be gone?”

Karl shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know... A few months? A year?” Again Karl looked at his feet, only hearing Harry’s sharp intake of breath.

“One year? That’s a very long time... I’ll miss you,” Harry said after a while, trying to block out the pain about Karl leaving the country. “What do I say? I already miss you,” he breathed with a sad little smile. “There are so many things I’ve always wanted to tell you, but never did...”

“As for example?” Karl asked quietly, but Harry only shook his head.

“No. It’s...it’s nothing. Not important at all...”

“I would like to hear it though...”

Harry’s voice shook slightly as he started to speak reluctantly. “Iut’s just that I’ve always loved waking up in your arms, feeling secure and loved. That you always grill the steaks till they are pitch-black for fear that they’re still bloody inside and I love you for it. That I’ve always wished for us to get old and grey together, well, I’m both of that already... That I...I...” Harry took in a shivering breath. “I don’t think that I ever told you, but I love you. “You’re the person I want to spend my life with and I...” Harry laughed softly. “I really should shut up now before I embarass myself completely in front of you...” he finished and turned to walk back into the house. “Sorry,” Harry whispered, his voice breaking as a single tear rolled down his cheek. “I’ll leave now. Goodbye, Karl... Greet whomever you are going to visit in London...”

Karl stood ther as if he was paralysed for a moment, but then a warm smile spread on his face and he walked after Harry, wrapping his strong arms around the other man. “You aren’t going anywhere,” he breathed into Harry’s ear. “I knew there was a fucking romantic hidden in some forgotten corner of your heart,” he teased Harry.

Harry’s shoulders started shaking with relief and he turned around to face Karl. “I will remember to show that side of me more often if that’ll make you stay with me,” he promised, but suddenly his face darkened again.

“What’s wrong?” Karl asked worriedly.

“Your flight...” Harry mumbled. “I just got you back, but you’re going to leave me again in less than a day...” he trailed off when Karl started laughing heartily. “That’s not funny!” Harry growled.

“I only booked the flight to be not reminded of you every day, stupid,” Karl explained and kissed Harry softly. “This whole fucking island makes me think of you and I had to get away from that.” He searched Harry’s gaze. “But now that I have you back I don’t need to run anymore...”

Tbc...

Liked it? Please tell me what you think of it! Gotta get back to my piece of cake, it's my granddad's b-day. Did I mention that I hate cake? Sugar makes me sick these days. Anybody who wants my strawberry-cake?