resilience

tzaretti: 😎

tzaretti: Guess I’m ancient now or some shit. #happybirthdaytome

“I know,” she cooed, nodding as she listened to him. “Nope he don’t-every year at all the holidays I catch him on TV and he’s still funny. Hey maybe in the fall or something I can take you and you’ll love it as much as I do?” Cecily offered. 

“Same! All the holidays ones are the best. They never get old.” Talan nodded, right before her offer before New York. “I bet I’ll love it, I’m not really a planning sort of person and I’ll have to ask my other tour guide too,, but why the fall? Is it the best there?”

Replacing her laugh with an innocent smile, she tried to figure out how to help him. Strange as the idea might be, Eden couldn’t imagine Talan being a bad pet owner. “Well, why don’t we go in there and try asking them. Though, maybe leave out the part about your apartment…” She might think the guys could manage, but if he was trying to avoid a lecture it probably wasn’t the best idea to mention where he called home. “They’re professionals, right? And it’s not illegal to have the little guy, so they should be able to answer your questions if all you’re doing is just trying to keep him alive and happy.”

Well, now that Eden was present and he had solid backing, Talan didn’t feel as stubbornly against heading into the office. Plus, maybe they’d only have to go up the front desk and not have to deal with going through a whole vet and potential, annoying lecturing ordeal? He couldn’t help but grin at her, accepting the offer. “Ok. Deal. I mean, man, what I really would do without you, huh?” Talan nudged her shoulder, starting to now foot back towards the main door again. “Thank you. Hell, we may not know what we’re doing exactly, but we’re trying though and do like this little dude. That’s what counts, right?”

She nodded as she pulled out her phone to show him her Crocker Spaniel Peanut. “Here’s my angelface,” Cecily cooed as she showed him the photo. “And you’ll love New York, trust me,” she said with a chuckle. “And thank you, that’s what my cousin said when I named her.”

“Aww, you’ve got a good one.” Talan grinned down at the picture she displayed on her phone. “Love dogs. They’re the best. But, baby chicks are pretty cool too. --- I don’t doubt it. Always wanted to go there, and if I have been there before, don’t remember.” He shook his head. “Nice. Yeah, Charlie Brown never gets old.”

“I did, it came up on my activity thing and I got far too excited. Actually, that’s a lie, I was so shocked I think I actually dropped my phone.” Smiling, Maddie couldn’t hide her happiness for her friends. The instagram follow may be small to some people, but Maddie knew what it meant for Sawyer and Talan. “You missed a trick though, she wasn’t following me for a couple of months so I stole her phone and did it for her.” Looking back down at the chick, Maddie cocked her head to one side. It looked calm enough and from what she knew of animals when they were scared or in distress, they made some kind of commotion. “I think so, if Meeko doesn’t like someone she goes nuts so maybe this is good?” Nodding, the brunette brushed her back before carefully slipping the lead’s handle onto her friend’s hand. “Don’t let her wander to far and do not put the lead down. She’s sneaky and runs off if she feels it because she likes the adventure.” Carefully taking the chick in her hands, Maddie cringed as it chirped. “Ssh, you’re alright.” Holding the scarf to her chest and keeping her arms as still as possible so the bird calmed, Maddie nodded. “But feel free to pick her up and give her a cuddle. She hates me right now for the vet visit.” Making her way inside, Maddie quickly grabbed her vet in between his appointments to ask about the chick. After a few minutes, she made her way back out to Talan. “Hey, so the professional opinion is to not keep it, but if you want to, it’s basic google advice. She’ll go nuts for worms and lettuce, don’t feed her too much bread and she’ll need a bowl of water, she’ll know what to do.” Still holding onto the bundle scarf, Maddie smiled at Talan. “Going to become a chick dad or are you stealing my dog?”

“Yeah, I was there with her. I saw the whole thing. Knew she wanted to push that follow button for so long.” Talan smirked, yet genuine happiness shown through upon his stance. It was those small, significant things that needed to be remembered, how much progress they were actually making in retrospect. As much as he joked around, Talan really did want what he and Sawyer had to work, and to have Maddie as a support in that since practically the start, it meant a lot. There just was an underlying fear that’d he’d made some significant cracks in where their relationship currently stood, but that wasn’t Maddie’s battle this time. And Talan didn’t intend on bringing her into it. Just for once, he was trying to do things right when it came to genuine feelings. Talan’s jaw dropped at the following revelation, shaking his head. “You mean she unfollowed me after that? Then you had to follow me again for her?” He clicked his tongue. However, the pressing matter had at hand remained on the baby animal still in Talan’s possession. “Ok. I’m taking your word for that. You know more about having pets than me.” He nodded, gently taking the lead for his friend’s dog as Maddie now had been handed over the chick. “Got it, boss!” Talan nodded with a thumbs ass while watching Maddie disappear, Meeko proceeding to sniff nearby grass patches. While waiting, he bent down to give her dog a pat, attempting to play catch with a stick until noticing the brunette returned, a frown instantly appeared on his face. “Knew it. --- Ok. Uh, do I have to just scoop worms up myself for -- Wait. Her?” His eyes widened. “It’s a girl?” Oops. “I don’t know where else to give it a good, lasting home.” Talan sighed. “I want to be both. Keep the chick and your dog. -- why doesn’t Meeko like fetch with me though?”

       At first Asher goes in to fist bump Talan, only pausing half way as he throws the cigarette to the floor, stepping on it with his foot before reaching forth to pull the brunet into a bro hug. “We gotta seal the bro moment the right way, roomie.” Ash never really called himself a lucky guy, not anymore. But, in his lifetime he happened to run across things he didn’t feel he deserved, and thus considered himself lucky. Talan was one of those things. “Or unless hell freezes over and Sawyer decides she wants to move in with you or vice versa. Fuck.. what will I do then? What will I do without you?!”

When the cigarettes were thrown to the ground, that’s when anyone would know this friendship between the two was more real than fucking anything. It hadn’t even occurred to Talan that he didn’t even properly light his, the primary concern being if Asher had been ok, To him, the guy was truthfully the most real, stand-up dude he’d ever met. “Come in here, man.” He immediately patted Asher’s shoulders just as they met for their bromance embrace. As the guy continued, Talan couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “Dude, you know Sawyer and I are pretty much doing that. We’d work it out, just like we do now. No ditching, man.” 

She shook her head. “Nope, I left it in New York with my brother Charles and his family, and I go home sometimes to see her. But I would love to bring her here when I go back home when I get a vacation-then you’ll meet my angelface of a dog, Peanut  And true story, I didn’t name her that, my niece did because she loved Peanuts at the time.” 

Upon her answer, Talan smacked his chest softly. “Damn. You had me there for a minute. I thought you really had to leave him behind for good. It’s cool she’s with your bro. You get pics?” He asked before instantly grinning. “I’m down. I’m holding you and my roommate to that guided New York trip. --- That’s an awesome name. Reminds me of the Charlie Brown dudes, they’re legit. I’m a fan.”

       “—Then again, she sorta scares me,” Indi laughs, remembering the brief run in at some other event. The girl was certainly.. intimidating, to say the least. “Maybe.” A teasing grin formed on her features, eyes crinkling with amusement before handing over the bottle of Goose to the other to make a drink. “Here, go for it. You seem like an expert. —And well, we’ve gotta try to rival that party. Not sure it’s possible though, considering the storm and how.. wild it got. Also, you can’t really get lost in this apartment block, so..”

“I know, isn’t she great?” Talan instantly remarked in return, used to the reaction, but it didn’t phase him. “So, what’d you get? Death stare? That’s the usual, no worries.” He gave a wave of his hand. “Well then damn, now you’re going to be the one turning me in, huh?” He teased, enthusiastically nodding as he gently grabbed the bottle from her and started grabbing sodas down the line upon the counter. “This is going to the best birthday drink you’ve ever had. — Yeah, that was crazy. Didn’t even seem real, like some Day After Tomorrow shit.” 

       Sawyer was dumbfounded, knowing she just shouldn’t’ve asked but also.. needing that clarification from him. This was all foreign to her. But it was also like her to just focus on the negative and ignore all the good until that one little negative thing, in her eyes, was figured out. She lacked the ability to trust others easily, and it seemed those who tried to prove themselves to her would often face her skepticism. Pressing her lips together and clenching her jaw, her hazel eyes zoned in on his own, narrowing slightly. “All I’m fucking asking for is for you to explain what the hell you want from me. You say you want me to prove it to you, and I’m asking how.. and all you’re focusing on is the apparent fact that I’m questioning us?!”

“Well, can you blame me for you freaking me the fuck out there with that?! After all I just told you, of course it’s enough for me, Sawyer!” Talan retaliated, chest still heavy. Holy shit was he not one o dwell usually, but that question had his mind reeling. “Us is enough for me.” He stated in a bit more softer tone through a released breath. More than anything he remained insistent on defying odds. They had a number of opposing views, but wasn’t the clashing what had intrigued them from the very beginning? “It’s enough for you too, isn’t it?” Talan breathlessly asked. “And..I already explained what I want! You! Just...try to let me in when something is clearly wrong. Also..” Talan took a few steps even closer, pointing towards himself for emphasis. “Tell me how I can prove it too?”