The Sword of Damocles -Morgan-

[Darryl Bond]

"Hey, Morgan! he...yeah I know, I'm sorry about that. But, man, you wanna come over for dinner tonight? We gotta a lot...a lot to talk about, man. I'll cook the steaks, yeah. And there will be booze. Okay, thanks, see you then."

So Darryl was nervous, no scratch that he was worried. He'd never in a million years think he'd be having this problem, but that didn't change the fact that he...well had the problem. And he needed to talk to someone about it. But who in the world could he talk to? Morgan was his first choice and his last choice simultaneously. He wanted to know what Morgan thought, but he didn't at the same time.

Lite Brite knew him more than anyone, and his opinion was something very important to him. And it was probably the only opinion that could really...offend him or something like that. Darryl also missed the familiar face and company of his friend. He had spent the past two days working up the nerve to talk to him, and then spent a few hours trying to dial his number. He finally did it, and hearing his voice calmed him down enough to get his point across, and now he had to clean up the house and cook the food, or at least get it started.

It actually didn't take him as long as he thought it would to clean the house, which left him about an hour of sitting on the couch, running to the kitchen to check on the stuff in the fridge, just to make sure it was all there. It was always there where he left it, so he'd return to the couch, only to go back and check on the fridge again. He became too restless after another fifteen minutes so he decided to get started on the dinner, at least he could get the salad and vegetables out of the way. He set the coals on fire in the grill and went back in, arranging the center piece and then rearranged it. He moved on to tossing the salad a couple of times before he took a break of freaking out and sat back down.

He looked casually from movie poster to movie poster. The director names and production companies were low budget and strictly D or even F list. The actors in the movies weren't famous. Yet. Darryl was in all of them--which was why they were on his walls. He sighed wistfully, he missed that life, but he really enjoyed his role as a teacher. He wasn't sure he wanted to go back to it any time soon, he had became accustomed to this easy life. Well, sorta. He glanced at the clock and wished the night was over already.

[Morgan Tonaya]

Hearing Darryl’s voice over the phone seemed strangely alien, since now it seemed he only talked to his mother and Jake via telephone these days, but it was a welcome surprise. His face lit up at the sound of Polly’s voice, thought it fell again when Darryl dropped the “lots to talk about” line. That was never, ever good. In any context. Though he looked rather worried, his voice assured Darryl brightly that he’d be there.

At least now he had an excuse to talk to Darryl about Jake. Boy wouldn’t that be fun. Or maybe it would. Hell, Darryl was his best friend. He might be a little squicked out, but if anyone was going to accept him (and Jake) it was going to be Polly. While he remained slightly nervous, he was no longer worried about it. James had eased many of his fears of whatever he had with Jake…at this point it was just a matter of coming out with it.

Morgan paused slightly in his thought. Was he coming out? What was he coming out from? He couldn’t really say he was in the closet because he hardly considered himself gay…His mind reeled with the confusing semantics of sexual orientation. Darryl, I’m seeing a dude would just have to suffice. Shrugging his shoulders at himself in a small mirror by the door, Morgan stepped outside to make the walk to Darryl’s place.

Granted, Pilot Ridge was not very big, but the walk was what one could consider “long.” It gave Morgan time to collect himself, think about his words a little bit. Besides, if he got lazy when the night was through he could always get Polly to drive him home…or crash…or whatever. Darryl had never been uptight enough to require a plan of any kind, and Morgan was certainly free-spirited enough to get over it.

He knocked gently on Darryl’s door when he finally arrived, thankful for the opportunity to stop walking. It was getting darker…He hated to be outside in the darkness. “Olly olly oxen-free!” He called against the door, smiling despite his nerves.

[Darryl Bond]

Vegetables and salad were done. The drinks were chilling in the fridge and now Darryl was just waiting for Morgan to arrive. He might have started to pace a dent in the floor, and because of that, it was a big indication that he needed to calm down. It was Morgan, so he'd understand. Right? He had too. They were best friends. Understanding was part of why they were such good friends. Right? That had to be it, because well, Darryl wasn't really sure if he could keep all this just to himself. He needed a bit of advice from someone he trusted.

It was sad how small that list of people were, and it was even sadder that Morgan was the only one on it. Darryl hadn't exactly done a good job of making good friends with his coworkers. Well. The male ones. And he had a problem with keeping the female relations platonic. He'd messed up; yes. A lot. Ok he messed up more than he ever had before. He knew that and he didn't need Morgan to confirm that (though in all likely hood he would). He just...needed his bestfriend. Hence the dinner, though Darryl still owed him for skipping out of their dinner before because of his date with Clarisse.

Oh crap. Clarisse.

Darryl groaned, his head sought out the nearest wall and fell against it. He winced from the pain and rubbed his forehead a little. The knock on the door brought him out of his funk, momentarily. Morgan was here! ...Morgan was here... Darryl walked over to the door and pulled it open, having to squint because the sun was directly in his face. "Good to see you Lite Brite, come on in." He gave his friend a hug before he waved him inside, knowing Morgans affliction towards the dark. Once they were in, the door was shut behind them and Darryl tried to figure out where to begin, because there were...several spots where he could start.

Ohkay, he chickened out, he'll make the conversation awkward later. Maybe after dinner. Or tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow was good. "How ya been?" Darryl asked curiously because he hadn't seen much of Morgan as he had thought he would once figuring out he was back at the school like him. Darryl knocked his head towards the kitchen, because he needed to put the steaks on. "Your students still giving you problems?" Bad students were hardly on Darryl's list of grievances anymore, if anything, he looked to them to distract him from the rest of the crap he'd brought on himself.

[Morgan Tonaya]

Morgan scuttled inside fairly quickly after Darryl waved him in. It was getting dark. The light was inside. That was good enough for him at this point. Plus, Polly was inside. He embraced Darryl fondly before he kicked off his shoes as rubbed his hands together. Well, there was no skirting this.

“I’ve been…uh…” He couldn’t help but smile sheepishly at the thought of admitting he was with Jake. Not because it was Jake, but just because…well frankly because Jake made him happy. It had been a while since that sort of thing. “I’ve been interesting. Seeing someone.” He said slowly, trying to segue as easily as possible. But if there was anything Morgan Tonaya didn’t have, it was social graces. He was a complete dimwit.

So when the perfect opportunity to tell Darryl about Jake came along (and then went with Darryl’s next questions)…Morgan just went with it. Scratching the back of his head in frustration, Morgan screwed up his face. “The kids? I sent them to Sean and they straightened out…sort of.” He sighed and shook his head. “There is just no hope for some kids I guess.” He grunted, then smiled fondly and clapped Darryl on the shoulder. “Were we ever like that Polly?”

[Darryl Bond]

"Seein' someone?" Darryl asked curiously, one of his eyebrows quirked. That was interesting news and he was actually a bit jealous. Darryl wished he was 'just' seeing someone. But no, that wasn't him. He couldn't just do something innocent like that. Oh no. Not Darryl. He had to make a mountain out of something so easy. Getting mad and jealous about it, however, was not what he needed to do. "Does she work at Hammel?" He asked, wondering if his friend had also gotten involved with the staff, as Darryl had.

Well, maybe not exactly like Darryl had.

"Well that's good." He said to those kids straightening out. His own bunch had relaxed since their first hiccup, and they'd been embracing the Stage a bit easier. Though he really didn't have a self-conscious one in his bunch. He grinned a bit. "I don't think so, though our teachers might say something different." He grinned again, of the fond memories. Truly, things were so much easier back then.

He knocked his head sideways and gestured towards the kitchen. "Time to get them steaks on the fire." He said before he turned, with his hands in his pockets, and made his way over to the fridge, where he took out the stakes, and then carried them onto the back patio, after he flipped on the light anyway. Once out of the patio he set the stakes on the grill. "There's beer in the fridge." He said over his shoulder, then lowered the lid on the grill. He stepped back into the kitchen and pull the door shut behind him.

[Morgan Tonaya]

Morgan remained silent for a good bit. Did she work at Hammel? Well…there was no she. And come to think of it…he didn’t really know what Jake did for a living. Something that required travel, he knew that. He made a short brain note to ask him some time as he reached into the fridge and grabbed a beer. He managed to worm off the cap using the side of the counter and took a deep breath.

“There…isn’t a she, Darryl.” He said slowly, leaning on the door and smiling stupidly. He couldn’t stop smiling despite the awkwardness of the situation. Jake just…made him that happy! He tried to wipe the dumb grin off his face, resulting in a tightness at the corner of his mouth. “His name is Jake.” He took a swig of his beer and let it sink in.

Hopefully Darryl wouldn’t judge him, but in all honesty that wasn’t Morgan’s thought. All he could think was how awesome it felt to let someone know about Jake. Anyone really. Frankly Darryl ought to feel lucky! Morgan had yet to even tell his beloved mother about his…adventurous relationship with Jake. Morgan’s eyes widened a bit at that notion: not even his mother knew about Jake. Yikes. He was turning into an awfully bad son.

After another long silence, Morgan cleared his throat, taking another drink out of the bottle. “And uh…no. He doesn’t work at Hammel.”

[Darryl Bond]

Darryl noticed the silence from Morgan, but only because he'd asked him a question. While he got his own beer out of the fridge, he popped the top off with a flourishing palm strike with the cap angled against the counter. As the cap popped off and flipped away, he reached out a hand and caught it. He grinned at himself and discarded the cap on the counter, he'd toss it later, when he was at the trash can. He sipped the beer as his eyes cast over to Morgan. He blinked at what he finally did say. It wasn't a she? He looked up to see if he was kidding, but the smile on his face told Darryl that he was thinking fondly of whoever he was seeing. And that he wasn't joking about what he said. Jake? Darryl looked down at his beer in his hand as his brain processed this new information.

Darryl gave Morgan a sidelong glance, he knew that this Jake guy was doing something right, because that stupid old smile was still on his face. Darryl took a sip and swished it around in his mouth and swallowed. "You know what? I'm glad your happy---he isn't married is he?" Darryl couldn't help but point a warning finger at Morgan. Darryl really was going to be teasing him about that until the day they were old and senile. Darryl knew that if the things he had been through the past two months hadn't occurred, he would have reacted a lot more negatively about the whole thing. But the thing was, Darryl knew there wasn't a problem with being....well gay. Adam had become a pretty good friend of his, and he liked the guy. It still kinda irked him when the guy flirted, but he could get past it for the sake of their friendship.

And because deep downed, he liked it.

However, Darryl hadn't been brave enough to admit that to himself, so on that front he was a bit jealous of Morgan, to have found someone like that he could be with. And because Darryl would probably kill--or at the most maim--to be in a steady and normal relationship. "What's he like?" Darryl asked with curiosity. And not only that, but he reached out a hand and clapped Morgan on the shoulder. Darryl just wished that his only problem was a man he was dating.

Darryl grinned a little at Morgan's tacked on statement about him not working at Hammel. "How'd ya meet him?"

[Morgan Tonaya]

Blinking, Morgan tilted his head a bit at his friend. That was…that was so easy! Morgan felt the tightness in his gut fleeing in favor of a warm relaxation. He knew Darryl wouldn’t judge him; he couldn’t believe he’d even worried in the first place! Where some people might have question their friends’ acceptance, Morgan took it for what it was, too naive to think that maybe Darryl might be lying. Thank god he wasn’t. He blushing furiously when Darryl poked his finger in his general direction. “No. He’s not. He’s definitely single…or he was I guess.” He said sheepishly. Boy he’d never live that down, would he?

Lord knew they’d grow old and senile together; Morgan could picture themselves in a nursing home with Polly wagging his finger about married women. The image made the blonde man laugh and shake his own head. “I won’t make that mistake again, Polly. I swear.” He raised his beer in his friend’s direction. “Thanks Darryl. I knew you’d…support me I guess.” He laughed a bit, taking a sip from the beer. “And I’d do the same for you.” He said, raising his eyebrows and pointing his bottle at Darryl. “Just saying…”

Morgan was a bit spacey, but Darryl was his best friend and he knew that the man wouldn’t call him over for just nothing. At least not in the voice he’d used to call. He’d sounded…tense. Something was up, but Morgan was relaxed enough to let Darryl get to spitting it out on his own time.

“Whats he like?” Morgan repeated, starting to laugh again. “Amazing? Ah…nah that doesn’t cut it.” He shook his head. “He’s…really laid back. Like a big…” Morgan gestured vaguely. “A huge cuddly puppy. I don’t know.” Morgan laughed at his own stupid characterization of the shadow manipulator. “He’s just…easy going. And funny. And smart. He’s traveled and such.” Morgan looked starry-eyed…it would have grossed out anyone who didn’t know what a hopeless romantic Morgan had always been.

Suddenly Morgan clammed up. The night that he and Jake met…well it had been interesting to say the least. He took a long swig of his beer and chose to circumvent. “He saw me playing harmonica in a bar and struck up conversation.” He said, trying to sound as final as possible. He didn’t really want to explain to his very straight (as far as he knew) best friend that Jake had grabbed his ass while giving Morgan his number. That was a detail he’d keep safe…until the mischievous Jake inevitably let it slip with his big mouth.

[Darryl Bond]

Darryl wasn't the type to lie to Morgan, one because the guy was just too nice, and too, Darryl wouldn't feel comfortable with lying to him. Even as school boys, Darryl was always telling the truth to Morgan, even in those situations where it would have been better to tell him what he wanted to hear. And in this case, Darryl was glad the actual truth wasn't something that would upset the man. Darryl really had accepted it, thanks to all the things he'd been through since he'd arrived at Hammel.

Darryl grinned along with Morgan, his thoughts were similar to his friend's. Darryl didn't doubt that the two of them would be in the same home together, where they'd act like the children--don't think about children--they were on the inside. Still. "I'm just makin' sure, Lite Brite. 'S my job." Darryl told him with a tilt of his chin. Just because he enjoyed it didn't make it any less of a job. At Morgan thanking him, Darryl dropped his eyes, a little bashfully. It was sweet of him to say, but Darryl didn't think of it like that--even if that was true that he was 'supporting him'--Morgan was Darryl's best friend, and except for them not being related, Darryl really considered him a brother, and that was just how it went with your family--you accepted them. Darryl's own family weren't examples of that, however.

Darryl held back a childish, 'awwwwww,' because he didn't want to mock Morgan about his relationship, yet. Sure, he'd accepted it, but that didn't mean he was ready to treat this just like any old relationship Morgan had had before. He grinned a little, however, "That's good. I'm glad your happy. Usually when they had the relationship conversations, Darryl would ask how hot she was. But since that wasn't the case, Darryl wasn't ready to ask that particular question. He took another drink of his beer (knowing the faster he drank it, the faster he'd be done with it), he sighed a little. Morgan had gotten what was off his chest, and it hadn't resulted in a loud argument. So maybe Darryl's wouldn't either? It was definitely wishful thinking, but Darryl knew that he really did need to tell Morgan before he chickened out all together.

As Morgan recounted how they had met, a bit tight-lipped, Darryl decided he wasn't curious about it anymore. "Still playing that old thing?" Darryl asked instead with a small chuckle. Darryl was never big on instruments, but Morgan had had some interest in it back in the day. Darryl just wanted to date girls and impress them with his power. Darryl chuckled at that and then started to summon his courage. He took a drink, a bigger one than he'd taken so far and swallowed. He squared his shoulders to Morgan, his elbow against the counter, and he sighed.

"I've messed up." He confessed, though that hardly seemed to cover it. "I--er...well." He didn't know where to start. He wanted to convey how much of an accident it was, but every way he worded it in his head made him look completely guilty. "I'd asked a coworker--Midori Hawkins--over to help with my uhm..." Just tell him, Darryl. He can accept your secret hobby. "You see the flowers out front?" He kinda sounded proud of them, even if he was looking down at the tips of his toes. "She helped me plant them."

Okay, there, you made it this far, only a little farther now. "Then we went inside, to take a break 'cause the sun was really hot." Breath, Darryl. "Aaaand we started drinking." How many times have you told that to someone as part of an explanation? Too many to count. Darryl ran his fingers through his hair as he was beginning to lose his nerve. "'Nd you know how that goes." Darryl said with a shaky laugh as he glanced up at Morgan. He ducked his eyes in shame of what he was going to say.

"She's pregnant." If felt like something stabbed his tongue as he spoke and he rubbed his face, to relax somewhat. He then peeked up at Morgan, his shoulders were already tightening in a wince.

[Morgan Tonaya]

At Darryl’s sheepish acceptance of his thanks, Morgan smacked the other man on the back of his shoulder. “God we’re losers.” He laughed, finding endearing humor in their disgustingly affectionate relationship. Brothers: they certainly were, and they certainly had been. Which was why Darryl’s evasion of the real reason he’d called him over tonight made him so uncomfortable. His small talk was more disconcerting than the speed with which he was downing his beer. Morgan shrugged, defending his harmonica in the best way he knew how.

“I met Jake through it. It must be a good luck charm.”
Then he could see it coming. Darryl adjusted…adjusted in the way he had when he gave him the talk about how bad it was to be with a married woman. It was that kind of talk. Morgan’s face twitched a bit, settling into a more serious mask to reflect the mood Darryl had set. That was a big drink, after all. Morgan set down his own beer, leaving it in favor of listening to exactly what Darryl wanted to say.

Morgan’s eyebrows raised a bit. I’ve messed up was rarely the best way to start a kind of confession unless you were doing it in church…and then it started with forgive me Father for I have sinned. Clearing his throat, the blond nodded encouragingly, saying nothing until the story was done. He didn’t know Midori very well, but last he could remember she wasn’t dating anyone…unless that Eli librarian counted.

The fact that Darryl gardened was the least of their problems. Morgan blinked. Pregnant. That was like a curse word among unmarried men…but as usual the actual meaning of Darryl’s speech was lost on Morgan. “You’re dating a pregnant woman? Is the father okay with that?” He asked, looking a little concerned for Darryl’s well being. If Morgan had a woman carrying his child, he definitely wouldn’t let her see other men. Let alone drink. Oh god…drinking.
Morgan looked sternly at his friend. “I can’t believe you let a pregnant woman drink, Darryl.” He chided.

Oh Morgan…poor, poor stupid Morgan.

[Darryl Bond]

His shoulders slowly unwound from the tense, almost-wince he was in. His face was blank for a moment before he leaned sideways on the counter, his palm holding him up. It totally went straight over Morgan's head. He should have seen that coming. Darryl knew very well that Morgan wasn't good at connecting the dots without a map, a compass, and a legend. "I'd never let a pregnant woman drink," Darryl clarified first, only to prolong actually explaining it.

Darryl let out a deep sigh, his head started to shake back and forth. "She wasn't pregnant. Not then." He said, putting emphasis on it. He drew in another deep breath and worked up his courage again. "Morgan, I'm the father." Lord willing, Morgan would understand that, Darryl honestly couldn't think of a clearer way of saying it, unless he said something asshole-ish like 'we fucked, and now she's knocked up' or something like that. Darryl wasn't mad, so he wouldn't paint that picture for his friend. Of course, he wished he hadn't actually had to say it so flat out like that, it made it all the more real.

He then look down and whined, "but I'm not ready to be a father, but I hafta be, and this all just sucks and I know she doesn't want nothing to do with me, but I can't not be there for our--" Darryl cut himself off because he sounded amazingly like a baby himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose and discreetly rubbed the almost-tears at the corners of his eyes, that was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He took a drink to give him a distraction, because that yeasty taste and smell was hard to ignore, before he looked back at Morgan. "I just...I dunno. I feel so alone now." Not that that was anyone's fault but himself. He was very sure that when Clarisse found out, she'd rip him a new breathing hole. Not that he didn't deserve it.

He hung his head again, his lower back was pressed against the counter. "This just sucks."

[Morgan Tonaya]

Clarity crept into Morgan’s mind like a pool of molasses. Slow…but sure. It clicked for Morgan just before Darryl said it. She wasn’t pregnant then because Darryl got her pregnant. Hearing him say it was just the nail in the coffin. Morgan just let out a very long, very shocked breath. His first instinct was to be elated for his friend bringing a child into the world, but he knew better. He and Midori weren’t seeing each other at all, let alone dating long enough to want to make a baby. For all intents and purposes…this baby was an accident.

He gripped his beer tightly before setting it on the counter. Darryl had been around when Morgan was growing up, and knew that he’d gotten some teasing for ‘not having a Dad.’ It wasn’t much, but it was memorable. He bit his lip and sighed again. He wouldn’t wish fatherlessness on his worst enemy, but then again he wouldn’t wish unplanned parenthood on anyone either. Morgan was deep in thought, and looked remarkably stern. Rare was the occasion that his face looked so stony, but this one merited the look.

This just sucks. Darryl had said, like he had through break ups in high school. Like he had for a math test, or when he didn’t get the lead part in their glory days. Like somehow this about his loss.

Frankly, Morgan was a little mad.

There wasn’t much he could do though, since voicing how mad he was wouldn’t make things better. Instead he moved to stand square in front of Darryl, laying his hand on his shoulder and squeezing it firmly. “Look, I won’t say I’m not disappointed in the way you’re reacting to this, but the one thing you’re not is alone.” He explained, ducking his head to look in Darryl’s eyes. “You’ve always got me. And Ma. You know that.” He said, giving his friend a little shake. “And like it or not…you’ve got Midori.”

Morgan was pretty sure Darryl did not want to hear about how he was stuck with Midori, but it was a fact. “I mean…if anyone besides that baby needs you its…its her.” He shrugged. “You’ve heard Ma talk about how frightening it was being a student carrying me…imagine being Midori. A recruiter. A shape shifter. She probably can’t use her powers and she doesn’t know who she can and can’t tell.” He let go of Darryl and crossed his arms over his waist.
“Clearly neither of you two is ready for this but…You’ve got to stick together. Even just as teammates…not necessarily partners.”

Morgan sounded surprisingly wise in this matter, but he was really just hopefully. Darryl couldn’t back down on this. He was man enough--He wouldn’t

Darryl and Midori were linked by two things now: fear and an umbilical cord

[Darryl Bond]

Believe it or not, but the main reason why Darryl doesn't even consider not being there an option, is because he knows how hard it was for Morgan, and the problems he had with it. Darryl doesn't want the child to be fatherless, but Darryl is also pretty sure he'd make a horrible dad. Which was why he said this sucks. Darryl isn't father material, he knows that, and Midori probably knows that too. He knows she doesn't want him there, much less need him--but he was responsible for it therefor he had to be there, as the father figure. Right?

Darryl could see that he'd made Morgan mad, somehow, and he wasn't terribly sure what the guy was angry about. He took a drink in the meantime and sighed when Morgan finally did start talking to him. "I don't plan on just...deserting, guy, you gotta know that. And I know I'm not really alone," He said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. He did plan on seeing Elaine about this....soon. He knew it'd be a lot harder to tell her than it was to tell Morgan (though she'd probably just be able smell it on him). She might hit him too. "And Midori...I really do want to be there for her. And as cute as she is....we really are complete opposites. I don't really know how we're going to get along, but I'm not going anywhere, and I wanna help her anyway that I can. I'm to scared to go into the Library at Hammel, but I have been reading books about parenting.....ok, I've thought about it! I'm going this weekend, honest. I don't want the kid to think of me as being a horrible father, or anything. I don't want to be like yours--or mind. I'm just freaking out about it. I wouldn't want me as a father." Darryl spoke with flailing hands and shrugging shoulders.

He was glad, however, that Morgan didn't blatantly scold him or hit him or anything. He liked nothing that Morgan didn't hate him for this mistake, and his words of wisdom did ring true to him. Midori and himself were partners now, and they'd raise the child to the best of their abilities. He just wanted his side of the raising to be good, and right, and he really hoped he could accomplish that.

"Oh, and uhm..." Darryl scratched the back of his head. "I sorta went on a date. With a guy." As much as Darryl thought differently, it really could be considered a date. He'd more or less dragged Adam to the bar, drank heavily with him, played a very competitive game of Truth or Dare, and stumbled home with the guy. There was no proof indicating that they...did anything, other than the one kiss at the bar (it was a dare!), but they did wake up cuddling together. Since then, Darryl has more or less excepted that happened, but he'd been too...hesitant to 'test' those waters any further, much to Adam's dismay (he's actually told him as much).

[Morgan Tonaya]

Morgan squinted at Darryl, pursing his lips. “Are you changing the subject to avoid facing this?” He accused, though he simply let the question hang, frankly glad for a new subject. Even if it was so…oddly familiar. What on earth?! Did they share a dating life or something?! Clearly not, seeing as Morgan hadn’t knocked anyone up recently. Despite his desire to stay on the subject of the baby, Morgan knew that Darryl needed to take his mind off of it before he could get his mind on it.

It made little sense, but Morgan knew it did in the context of Darryl’s personality. He’d know the other man long enough to know that distracting him was often the best way to get him to focus. That was Darryl: Full of contradictions.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Morgan gave an expectant look. “well…What’s his name?” Morgan prompted. “And what the hell if a sorta date? Is it anything like the sorta date you sorta went on with Midori?” he asked, feeling no guilt about the thinly veiled jab in Darryl’s direction.

Let him live it down? Not until he stopped being a sissy about it.


[OoC: Short. T-T Sorry </3]

[Darryl Bond]

"Change the subject? Me? Lite Brite, I am appalled." Darryl put a hand to his chest and scoffed like he really was offended, because he honestly did want to get his thoughts off of the depressing future where he let everyone down because of who he was. However, he dropped the act because changing the subject was what he wanted.

"His name is Adam. He's a power trainer at the school. I met him in the staff lounge...and he was just really sad and depressed about some relationship problems of his." It wasn't Darryl's place to air out that dirty laundry so he just spoke vaguely about it. "So, me being the kind sumaritan, took the guy out for drinks. We hung out in the bar, got to know each other, drank too much. Started playing Truth or Dare." In their history together, Darryl and Morgan had done some stupid things. Several of those things could be blamed on a game of Truth or Dare. Darryl just wouldn't quit, and wouldn't let Morgan quit either. "And then we stumbled home together."

Ok, so it didn't sound so bad like that, however Darryl had left the kiss out, and the cuddling. Darryl sighed at Morgan's teasing and he figured now the two of them had something to beat each other over the head with until they were senile. Morgan's mistake with a married woman, and Darryl's dating problem(s). He chuckled a little to himself. "I haven't actually told anyone about Adam," besides talk to Adam himself, Darryl has tried his best to not think about it. "I dunno, I'm just confused about it." Up until recently, Darryl would have easily named himself homophobic, as would anyone else that knew Darryl at all. However....it was different now. He wasn't so put off or offended as he had once been about the entire deal anymore, but more intimidated and just all around confused. Like if you stuck a third grader in a senior science class.

"Gah!" The exclamation was followed by him throwing back his head and finishing off his beer. He shook his head in distaste of the brew, complete with wagging tongue, before he shuffled out side to check on the steaks. After a few pokes, he flipped them over and then settled the lid back down. Once inside, he got himself another beer and leaned against the counter, content to just hold the bottle instead of open it.