2020-03-21 - Hangovers Suck

The next morning. Around 10 am with storm clouds rumbling outside. It's dim in the apartment, but it is not quiet. It hadn't been exactly noisy either. Kailey-Fiona had arrived with her key and let herself in. Closing the door as any normal or reasonable person would. Her eyes had swept the place and then over to the bed. Followed by an eye-roll and turning away to the kitchenette. From the now-loaded fridge she pulled eggs, bacon, and green onions. The freezer has pre-cut hashbrowns. The cubs, not shredded, but without the peppers and onions. All these are bundled out, along with two cast iron pans and a bowl. She starts making bacon.

Kailey-Fiona is not purposefully banging or being loud. As the bacon sizzles she comes over and takes a picture of it all. The sprawl. The mattresside. It'll be good for Kailey-Kailey later. Look at this mess. Is this really what she wants. Fiona even goes so far as to come up and lightly nudge one large foot. "Hmph. You stink," She mutters, before turning back to her bacon. Fishing it out of the pan before adding onions and, oh wait, sliced mushrooms? A whole other set of smells begins to fill the apartment and overwhelm the Everett-drunk-funk.

Her reply is not promptly returned, but there is a reply never-the-less. The double-meaning of her words is, perhaps, not lost on whichever animal brain controls the lump leaning on the carcass of the bed. The bared arm lifts, and fingers curl. Save one.

Thus saluted, his arm drops back to the mattress and for a while longer, he continues not to move. Right up until either moving sounds like a good idea, or the smells she's making cause the rise of a pained bemoan to echo from under the comforter, and then turn into a childish irritated beef. Like a theater's curtain parting, his other arm waves the blanket off his head and even the dim light causes him to squint his eyes under the ebony halo of epic bed head. He sits, stunned, for a few slow blinks, before looking up to the stove, beady-eyed, wondering in his brain, loudly.

Kailey-Fiona is focused on her sauteeing and starting the hashbrows. Adjusting the heat she turns and begins to quickly chop a few stalks of green onion. These are then added to the pan. The groans and movement are mostly. Ignored. Right up until Everett sits up and actually looks at her. Then she spares him a glance. "Wow. You actually woke up," She comments dryly, giving the mushroom and onion mix and quick toss. Then she starts cracking eggs into the bowl to whisk together. "On a scale of one to fuck you, how bad's the head?" Eggs ready she opens the fridge and pulls an odwalla out to drink.

The opening isn't missed.
"Fuck you," he croaks with delivery as dry as his throat. Shucking off the blanket a little more, he glances down and notices the body he was slouched against. The reaction, if any, is kept internal, before he slowly stands, looks down and kicks off the comforter, using a portion of the unsteady bed on the unfinished frame for support. And then he sinks down to a knee. If he's going to say anything about the burning, it's quiet, and in a range not meant for human ears.

Instead, he unties his boots, because he's still wearing them. Something squishes when he steps out of the right one, and again when he steps out of the left. Oh yeah. That's him. There's an accusatory look given to the body snatcher while wet socks pad towards the dresser, slowly opening the three drawers he needs. Socks, pants, shirt and underwear. Then he pads towards the bathroom ducking under the doorframe. And once past the breech, pulls the flowery curtain closed.
Suddenly. Hurriedly. The curtain form of slamming a door that isn't a door. But a curtain. With pleasant flowers.

"Ah, good!" Kailey-Fiona says with much cheer and cruel slant of her brow. "Ah, fuck," And she turns to do her best to save the hashbrows. Well, the charcoal won't hurt right? But onwards she goes with the cooking. The eggs are poured into the mushroom and onions. As he gets up and fetches his garments she looks away from cooking and over at him. One brow raised as he goes sullenly to the bathroom. "I suggest a shower before dressing. Unless you want everyone to think you're a liquor store of course," She calls snidely through the curtain. A hiss has her turning back, shifting her omlet with a spatula to get the gooey goodness all around and distributed.

That was the plan; a shower. But now, facing the mirror in the bathroom, staring at his wild, unkempt hair'd self in the mirror, a portion of him. A large portion of him... the majority of him, wants to skip it. Just to spite her. It.

His mirror-self glances to the side with open distrust. And then. Mockingly pantomimes whiny speech. Everett would never, but that mirror-self, he's definitely hungover and childish enough. That guy's a jerk. Dropping his clean clothes on the counter with a heavy sigh at his fellow, Everett turns around and turns the shower on, testing the heat and pressure until it feels like it may make good on a promise to scold the flesh off his back. Before the goon starts to undress he turns around to look around the small room, longingly looking away from the bathtub.

Yes. Spite. Anger. Give it all to her. Kailey-Fiona just smirks when nothing answers her but the sound of the shower. She continues along with her cooking. Nothing else is burned. But as Everett tries to avoid pleasant, recent, memories she is beginning to sing. The sound of music softly playing might be heard over the water. Mostly it is just her voice, though. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up hiiiiiiigh. There's a land that I heard of, once in a lullabye," It is much softer, more drawn out, than the one from Oz. "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies aaaare bluuuuuuue. And the dreams that your dare to dream really do come true." It's kind of a sad rendition really.

Wet be-socked feet lift, then fall sans the wet socks which drop to the ground once collected in the pair with a drenched shlurp sound, together. Belt undone, the pants before he wiggles out of damp denim, having to pull at the bottom cuff in order to get it to stop sticking to his calf before summerly dropped to the ground with a thud, his wallet still attached with the chain. As steam begins to pool out of the bathtub and on to the floor, his black boxer-briefs join the pants and finally, army green tee shirt.

As dressed as the day he started disappointing his parents, Everett glances into the mirror, fingering old scars. Then flexing his pecs seemingly randomly, not realizing he's doing it to the singing if done to its normal pace. Before he turns around to look at his back, he collects his matted nest of hair and looks at the face looking back at him, considering it for a few seconds, before he murmurs to himself, "And fuck you too." Once he's checked himself over and made sure he hasn't stiches to mark a missing kidney (this is Gray Harbor, after all), only then does Everett pull the shower curtain aside and step in, letting the water wet, and purify with fire, his chest.

"Someday I'll wish upon a star. Wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where trouble melts like lemon drops, way above the chimney tops. That's where you'll fiiiiiiind meeeeee," Kailey's voice is a sweet and soaring as ever. Filling the apartment above the sound of the shower. But all too soon her song is over and she doesn't start up again.

The omlette made she transfers hash browns to a plate and then tops it with that. There's even cheese atop that omlette. And it is huge. Surely there is no way she can eat something that big. She used five eggs at least. But she is sitting at the window with this monstrosity and a fork. Wait...no. Two forks? Is this a test?

Music plays from her phone resting on the table. Something with a faint dancy beat, because her shoulders are moving and swaying as she chews. Eyes out the window and distant.

He's in the shower for a long time. Long past food cooking, past the song being finished. If it wasn't that the hot water serves both restaurant and the loft, he might have been there past the water turning cold and well into him growing gills. Long enough to have to splash the water up to his face, because when you're this tall, standard shower faucets don't come at your height. Long enough to wet his hair, shampoo, conditioner, rinse and even repeat. Just like it says on the bottle. When it's this long, there's a whole regiment.

But eventually, the shower does turn off. The steam recedes. And he hates himself a little less. Just a smidge. New clothes, dry socks, at least for the time being. Transferring his possessions into his new personage. It's a good thing he doesn't really have anywhere to be in the morning. When the curtain pulls back, there's a quick look around from accusatory eyes until he spots her and just as summary, dismisses. With wet hair slicked back, his trek takes him back to his boots which he kneels and starts putting on.

Kailey glances up and over when Everett steps out. Eyes sweeping him up and down with an analytical edge. "Good," She says, sounding pleased before she puts the loaded fork into her mouth. There is still a lot of omlette over potatoes left. "So...still want to keep us or should I pack shit up and hand you those keys back?" She asks casually, returning to her food.

Not a word.
He switches feet, putting the other boot on, more hurriedly than the other and when he stands, then there's a look at her. A double take to look at the kitchen counter before Everett goes to it and picks his Brando-style leather jacket from the counter and holds it up to inspect it, front and back. Then inside. Before slipping it on. He didn't come back up to get it last night before he left.

Then there's a couple of steps, towards the new table, as he pats the pockets down, taking an inventory of the items in the many pockets by feel. Lighter, cigarettes, Mona Lisa, gold bullion, private jet. Then there's dubiety when he looks back at her, and takes her in, his hands poised mid-pat-down. It lasts for a few seconds.

His paws come down, and his first stop is to the cutlery drawer. There may be an extra fork on the plate, but he gets his own before he approaches, a tiny trident for the little devil.

Kailey seems to have mostly had her fill of the massive thing. She sits back, snagging an extra piece of bacon between two fingers, and nibbles it. She doesn't says anything though. Just watches him with a faintly remote expression, one brow slightly raised. She waits till he is mid-chew before she asks in an almost gentle tone, "So does Lyric know you got two women pregnant yet? Probably not huh?" She takes a sip of her juice, seemingly innocent.

Holding the bite, and fork with his lips, Everett pats his back pockets, his front pockets, and then his leather jacket pockets looking for his phone. Last he saw it it was left on the counter downstairs. Lee might have grabbed it. She might have. His green eyes narrow while he looks to the left, not mad. Miffed.

He just got that thing.
Remember the residue? Fuckin' thing.

Without the phone he can't just slide it over to her before she rips another hole in his pants. Instead, he shrugs his right shoulder and retrieves the fork from his mouth before using the edge of his fork to cut off another piece, and shake off the potatoes before stuffing his gob again, looking up into her eyes, before looking outside, squinting and slanting his head away from the window.

Kailey leans back in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest. Staring up at him as he pats himself down. "Oh. Your phone?" And she pulls it out of her bra. Again. Wiggling it before handing it over with that same little smirk riding her lips. "Mmmmm...shouldn't leave your toys laying around." Then she sets it on the table.

As he eats she stares. Not with any hunger but a sort of fascination. Gray-green eyes narrowed faintly the whole while. Finally, "Good?" Her eyes fall to the plate and back.

Looking at his phone, Everett stares accusatorial, pausing while chewing. He also hasn't taking the plate, leaving it where she's left it too.

It's a long pause. But, slowly, he returns to animation, tapping the fork he retrieved against his lower lip, and his square jaw returning to masticate. Torn between taking it back, and what will undoubtedly be the warmth of HER breasts. The question brings his greens eyes up to her, snapped from weighing the pros and cons, brows lifted. Mouth opens, evidence of his chewing on his tongue, then his mouth closes. Now caught with a different quandary.
He didn't deliver his knee jerk reply. With an exhale, Everett nods his head thrice before he cuts a third bite off, once more careful to avoid starch, and cups his free hand under the fork before adding it to his mouth. Three bites, and he's done, turning around and squishing his way to the kitchen sink. Along the way, picking up his phone to tuck into his pocket.

Kailey doesn't smirk when he acknowledges her likes the food. Instead leaving the phone on the table and standing up to go over to the frame. Still sitting there and waiting to be finished. With the screwdriver ever so helpfully stabbed where it won't be missed.

Legs folds and she sits by the frame and pulls the tool free and goes back to finishing putting in the last screws. "So again she asked, what do you want to do with me now?" There's no innuendo there. No inflection. Not even a glance at him. "Also, got any duct tape up here?"

The questions, whether intended to or not, cause Everett to pause, and lift his head as his head space goes to dark replies first. Then he smirks to the cupboards. Oh, the replies, the many. So many replies. The second question causes him to turn his shoulders and torso to look at her direction and considers.

Because now he's going to have to use words, as much as he's stone faced and silent when first meeting people. And in this situation. Facing the sink again, Everett plunks the cellphone from his pocket and resists the urge to smell it.
tac-tac-tac WHOOSH

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : make your own kidnapping kit. but, no. just because of what you did, doesn't mean i want her gone

Kailey lets the silence stretch for almost ten seconds of time. And in that time she is able to get the screws into the frame. That is when her back pocket sounds like a roll of thunder. She pulls it out with an annoyed glance in his direction. Thumbprint unlocks and she is peering at the text.

"Oh. This'll be fun," She mutters before spinning on her butt on the floor. She texts something back. A picture. Of her cleavage. An older one because she doesn't take a picture then. "You mutilated the fucking mattress, asshat. I'm trying to fix shit. Duh."

Kun-chunk-dunk, kun.
When his cellphone tings it's reply, he's already holding the phone, his green eyes narrowed with a pleased smirk while he looks to his left. Not near enough to see her, but he could hear her working, and that's something off his list, and then her mutter. Anything that makes her mutter, seems to make him happy.

Then he looks down at cleavage. A slit second for his brain to realize what he's looking at and then, whose he's looking at. A spontaneous arm thrash causes his phone to fly from his hands. His hands move to try to catch it, swiping in the air, but the smartphone hits the sink and rolls around before he manages to collect it again and hold the phone to his chest like he's going to get caught with a dirty image on it by the teacher and be sent to the principal's office.

Ferrous tac-tac-tacing follows, WHOOSH
Then he turns around and smirks at her, unimpressed, reaching back to hold the edge of the counter behind him.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : very fucking funny, ass. i'm going out to get a new one

(TXT to Everett) Kailey : Actually, it was boobs.

Kailey lets out a bark of a laugh, only the one, as Everett's phone drops noisily into the sink only seconds after her text. Then she is moving over to the poor mattress, phone tucked into boobage, and is trying to pull it up off the floor and lean it against the wall. She is obviously struggling with it as she says, grunting, "A new one? Really?" That is actual surprise in her voice and she pauses, shoulder bracing, to stare at him. "It's...fixable. Just need to patch it up a bit...are you gonna get a bargain bin or, like, a real mattress?" He may be not talking to her, but apparently the reverse is not true.

The mattress slips and falls back onto the floor, her jumping back with a little squeek. THUD Hopefully Ian wasn't doing anything delicate downstairs...

I think it's a little after ten. Maybe eleven after Everett's epic long shower. So that's Lee down there, casting a look up at the soft sound that occurs above him. And, of course, he doesn't know anything is amiss. Just the Parlor Shoppe gossip about the way the boss greeted this one in the dining room, and how there's the occasional noise from up there. Also, Everett's not hanging out down there with them, doing the menial work. And he DID agree to close up last night, but didn't.
All in all, the less rules the better and no boss within eye's stare, the better. Lee goes back to work.

The other person that reacts to the thud, however soft it might be is Everett who, manages to hold on at her voice, thus far. But the THUD of the mattress makes the big man wince and turn his head down before rolling his fingertips over his temples slowly to try to ease the stabbing pain back into a dull throbbing. When he does, he feeds Fiona a death glare while getting out his phone again.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : stop fucking with that. yes really a new one. with a box spring. i looked online, they deliver and take the old stuff away. besides, that is the bargain bin one and you know how many woman i've slept with on that one? i don't want kailey to be on that one.

After the tac-tac-tac, he thinks for a second, looks up from his screen across the room to her. A little pay back? And resumes typing.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : also, when i moved in, i think i saw two rats humping on it

Kailey glares at the mattress in annoyance before her chest thunders again. "Wow, you are such a petulent child," She says with a sigh, fishing it out and looking at the screen. Annoyance turns to mild surprise and then her nose wrinkles.

"You know...shit like that don't help, jerk," She says before turning away and walking back to the table. She flops down, chair scraping, and crosses her arms to level a look on Everett. Studying the tall and angry man. "Tell me. What do you even -like- about me. Her. Us that isn't sexual? Anything?" A brow quirks and she crosses one leg over the other.

She calls him a child as his demeanor chills and he proves it, by sticking out the tip of his tongue at her. Maybe even while she's reading, but probably caught when looking back up. Though he isn't inclined to move from the sink, he croaks out, "Wha--" and then stops, his eyes squinting closed while he looks intensely like he wishes he hadn't said even that little. Clearing his throat by way of a rolling growl, Everett pulls out his phone again, then looks down at it, and her.

His fingers thumb the on-screen buttons for a while, indicating this is going to be a long reply.

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : i'm just being honest. mostly. one of us can. as for HER, i remember thinking that she was just kinda annoying at first. [...] always around and stuff. i actually didn't even see-see her until the day i fell asleep after a night of drinking and came home wet. she and someone else thought i'd fallen into the ocean, remember?

(TXT to Kailey) Everett : and i borrowed her hair-dryer to dry my hair. that's what i first noticed her. saw her paintings. how talent she is. how much she sees and knows. how friendly she is, to just let me borrow that. [...] but i was in such a shitty place i didn't want to pull her into it with me

With that last little text, he looks up from his phone. He's not mad anymore. There's only room for remorse behind the hangover.

Kailey is staring and doesn't even care that she is. Leaning back she pushes the window open to let some air in. It's cool and smells of rain. While she waits for him to finish typing she sighs and picks up her phone. Looking at it expectantly till it dings.

Then her face schools into something neutral. Eyes flicking to read quickly the words that took longer to type. Then she looks up from her phone at him. And her gray-green eyes meet army green ones. "Yeah. I remember..." Her voice is only faintly distant. Is that a smile trying to form on those full lips? "Then ya shoved it down your pants."

Everett smiles too, at the memory. He doesn't move his fingers when he replies, his head tilts down until his chin almost touches his chest and a strand of his long silky hair slides over his leather jacket, to caress his front.

"I was flirtin'."
With a soft whisper, the right side of his mouth pulls, a cocky smirk. He drops the phone to his side, even though his own voice is like fingers down a chalkboard, he keeps going, taking casual steps towards the open window and the woman near it. "I remember there was another woman there too, and I've seen her since, but I remember then that she, that Kailey, just surprised me in that moment. How unabashed she was with my teasing about being able to look up and see me in the shower. And her quick, witty reply."

His smile fades, and he stops, turns, and takes a step away. "But I'm broken."

Lips part barely, as if Kailey was going to say something, but nothing comes out. The twitch at the corner of her lips sustained into the faintest smile. There is a touch of blush rising on those sculpted cheekbones. Quickly she looks down and away. The sudden pounding of her heart strong in her ears.

Still...
She hears him and...

"Stop it," Kailey whispers very softly and crossed arms turn to squeezing arms. Hugging herself more than just looking moody. "You don't get to do that..."

"Do what," he croaks out his question, before looking to the kitchen sink tap. Suddenly a better idea, a distraction grips him and he opens the cup cupboard, leaving his phone on the counter, to pull a beer mug from, of course, and half fills it from the sink before draining it messily, dropping a few drops on his green shirt. While he almost drains the glass, Everett takes a breath, "Ah!" before he refills it to the half-way line again. "Say I'm broken, Fiona? Look around. Everything I love dies," he tells her, even as she's to blame for some of it, she's brought that much on herself.

Heavy boots squish across the room before he pulls the flowery curtain aside, opens the medicine cabinet and pulls out the product placement headache relief. Glass goes down long enough for him to pop the cap off, and shake a couple pills in his empty paw, then into his mouth, chased by the rest of his water, equally carelessly.

Taking the medicine, and not for the first time, Everett leans on the dividing wall between the loft and the bathroom, his head in the open room, for reasons that might be more comfortable. He peers back to Fiona and rolls his jaw, "Do. You think she like liked me then too?"

Kailey is suddenly seeming small. Bravado melting slowly away like an ice cube left on the counter. Her eyes are down and focused on the floor. The jerking of that foot increases for a moment and then stills. "No...make me feel," Says the quiet voice again. There is a shadow of grumpiness. An edge clinging to reality.

As he moves those eyes glance up but she otherwise could be playing statue. They track him to the bathroom. To taking the medicine. And when he emerges she meets his gaze only for a few seconds before the drop away.

Seconds pass and she is quiet. It almost seems like she won't answer when, "Oh...yes," The words are drawn out and spoken tenderly, emphasizing them in all their simplicity. "Like a magnet you were and I the lead...she...us..." Confusion trails the end of her words and Kailey shakes her head, as if trying to dislodge something. Erratic. Finally movement other than eyes and lips at least.

"You? Feel?" He draws breath and while those words were not exactly spoken with contempt, the surprise in the context is just as fake. Of course she feels; even he knows that. "You're keeping her from me," he makes the observation, raising his hand to follow the grain of the wood on the doorjamb as he rests his head on it. "So this is your pain now too," he adds in a whisper. "Knowing how she feels about me. Knowing how I feel about her. And you're getting in the way." He remembers something else and lifts his head whilst dropping his arm, looking pointedly at the body snatcher, "I remember when she first came here and her hair." It's the same as it is now, but.

He shrugs a massive shoulder, "I didn't think it was real. Those colors, how," he pauses to give them the right word. "Vivacious they were. I had just gone from seeing my dead girlfriend and in walks this woman, while she wasn't her twin, there were so many similarities." He grins across the room, "Do you remember what I did? The first time I touched her?" He gently snort-laughs, "Any normal person would have hit me and never came back. But she's just the right amount of not right, isn't she?"

Not quite the same. The colors are faded and need renewal. Muted dark pastels of one vibrant royal purple and bubblegum pink with neon magenta. And she reaches up to tuck a strand of it behind one ear. "I don't know how you feel. Neither does she. You won't let us see and we can't trust your words," The words are losing inflection. Sounding hollow and distant.

When he continues Kailey stays quiet. Looking off into a middle-distance just to Everett's right. Lips twitch but she seems like she's being drawn away from being here. His question is met with silence again for a few heartbeats.

Kailey blinks and her jade-green eyes return to his. "Huh?" They're out of focus.

He knows of what she speaks. She wants to go poking around in his head, to go looking through the Candyman's treasure pile, and the idea makes him frown. Sickly, perverse. One day maybe she'll know why he doesn't want anyone up in that squishy noggin' of his, but for now that secret belongs to him and a few others who are far too unreachable to communicate. "I know," he offers that small concession. "I've been guarded. Especially with," he pauses, "that word. Something happened and I don't like using it anymore, that's why I like her alternative. Like like." His gaze returns to the wood grain with a grin, "It's so ...juvenile and at the same time, I know what she means and she was supposed to know what I mean."

She asks her interjection, and Everett assumes it's for clarification, still grinning when he recalls, "When I saw her, ordering all that stuff. I mean. There was a mountainous order. I kinda thought she wasn't going to be able to pay for it all. Not because she looked poor, but because she was ordering, like. Damn near everything. Like she just discovered food or something. There was no way she was going to be able to eat it all. Just. No way." With a soft chuckle, he continues to tell the doorjamb, depressing his thumbnail gently, "and so I gave her that little poke in the arm, just to make sure she's real, 'cuz that's what someone did to me. First time we touched, I guess. Right downstairs."

Kailey was still hugging herself. Now one hand lifts to rub at her upper arm. That spot where he touched her. Then the smile. Small at first and confused as she blinks a few more times. "I didn't plan to eat it all. Some was for midnight weed munchies in my van," She says in a dreamy voice, shoulders slumping. Legs uncrossing. "Why are we talking about this again?"

"Oh, well," Everett thinks about it, "I'm not sure how much of that would have survived until midnight." He gives her a glance, and then frowns. The hand making the dent in the wooden doorframe comes out to point at her while he accuses, "But you're not making any midnight munchies anymore, right?" The same hand comes down and makes a half-circle over his stomach, "you're smoking for two now."

He shrugs then, "Smoking too much now," he murmurs before adding at his normal pitch, "You asked, and we just sort of got off on the topic, of if I like anything about her that isn't sexual." He pulls away from the doorway, putting the lid back on the pills and leaving them out before closing the cabinet and picking up his mug. Crossing the loft, the mug is put in the sink with his fork. "There are tons of things I like about her, things that you'll never get or understand, especially if you think that's all she is to me, or if that's what any of them are," he adds upon turning around.

And sees. Something. His head tilts, the way a puppy does when it sees your lips are flappin', but not a lick of those noises are making any sense. Were he a cartoon, a large question mark would be drawn over his head. His army green eyes narrow, perplexed. "Wha. Kailey?" he asks, with suspicion. And distrust.

Kailey blinks at the pointing finger and sits up straight, "No! I stopped awhile ago when I found out?" She speaks uncertainly. And keeps blinking. Leaf-green eyes try and focus on him and she winds up frowning. Though still she tries to smile. It's meek. "Uhhm...." She starts to say something and thens tops when he continues.

When he asks her name Kailey blinks at him. The smile is twitching now as she looks around the room. Hands rub at the top of her jeans and she rocks forward and back slightly. "Ev..." When she looks at him her eyes are shiney and bright green. "I...I'm really foggy. Who are we talking about? Did...did I...I did something bad...?" Her voice is still distant, wavering. She looks like a girl coming down from a bad trip. Not sure what is real and what is dream and what is something else.

He continues to look at her for a moment more. Then, scoffs and the right side of his mouth twitches with a quick smile. From the sink to the window, he closes the distance quick and wraps his beefy arms around her. Pulling her tightly to his broad chest, the gorilla threatens to snuff the life out of her even before the pearls of laughter rip out of his mouth. "Oh god. Oh, thank, fucking god!" Her questions don't really matter to him at the moment. All that matters is some semi-balance of normality with her has returned.

"No. No, baby." A torn dishevelled bed, "no, <u>you</u> haven't done anything wrong." If he means to or not, that underscore escapes his lips. He hugs her like he hasn't seen her in almost two days.

"MMmrmph," Kailey is pulled against that hard chest with no resistance. Her legs almost give before she catches herself. Everything she does seems slow. Like it takes her a moment to realize she is being hugged and return it. But her arms do lift and slide about his torso in turn, weakly though. "What day is it?" She asks after his reassurance. Almost as if she doesn't hear him. "I'm sorry. I...am not all here...quite. Everythings fuzzy." She takes a breath and turns to look up at him owl-eyed. "Nooo...I know something happened...like a nightmare. I can't catch it."

When she pulls back enough to breathe, Everett moves aside, his arms rearranging to best help her to one of the dining room (he has a dining room!) chairs. Even if she doesn't sit, he kneels and puts his left hand on her knee and right on the back of the chair while looking up at her with deep concern. "No, it's true. You didn't do anything. You just." and there he pauses from unsureness. "I told you something, and you went away for a bit." He closes his eyes and rises his brows, a little self-soothing for the throbbing that's still going on behind his orbs. "It doesn't matter. I'm just. ... really glad you're here. I missed you so much."

Kailey is sat right back down in her seat and it's almost a lifeless flop. As he talks she frowns. Trying to focus on his face the way a drunk person does. When there are more than one. Except that is not the case here. "Don't sugar coat it, baby. That's bad for me. That's what Tammy said. Face it because it was part of you. Whether it's a want you part with-" She pauses and frowns. "No...wait...I don't remember." And her next breath is deep, rocking her whole body as if inflating.

"It does matter...I -do- remember what you told me...before," Kailey says and her voice is sad. "Did I physically hurt anyone? You?" Her eyes pop back open and focus on him, her hands moving quicker to clumsily stroke his hair.

"No." His answer is quick, and assuring, as is meant the squeeze of her knee when she strokes his hair. The squeeze turns into a light stroking before his brows knot together and be explains his negative reply, "you didn't hurt anyone." A shake of his head, "She. She didn't hurt anyone. She threatened to. She stabbed into my brain once, but that's because I tried to grab her, so that's my fault. She'd warned me not to."

He doesn't say what Fiona did, because he chokes back a laugh, "God, I'm so happy to see you." Falling from one to both knees, his big hands go to hold her cheeks, "Look. Look at me. I love you." He says the words slowly, purposefully. "I love you, so much, you have no idea now much. The words have not been invented for me to tell you how much I love you and," he smiles softly, humor filled, "and I really hate Fiona. That lady is the C-word."

Kailey lets out a sigh. The kind of someone who has heard expected news that is still disappointing. "Well...that's something," She says with a pained smile. "Ev I-" And then he is moving and cupping her face with those massive hands. Those vibrant green eyes go a little wide. Then wider as he continues. Her hands still in his hair, gently holding a black strand between her fingers.

The smile that blossoms is not quite shy. Anxious and yet hopeful. "Ev..." She breathes his name out with a little shake of her head. Happy and sad and still a bit confused. There's a little laugh at Fiona but there is pain in it. "Oh. Oh honey...I know...she's awful." Oh how she knows. Tears hover unshed at the corners of her eyes. Swallowing hard she then licks her lips and says softly, "Do you mean it?"

Because of how she's worded it, Everett gets the advantage of saying something funny. And his soft smile widens, as soon as he recognizes this fact. "Yes," he nods vehemently, his hair tugging in her fingers, "I really mean it. She is THE C-word!" He exclaims this statement, eyes wide to go with his grin.

His own hands fall to her knee and fold over each other while he gives her a second to realize what he's done, and then gives the answer she wants, "Yeah, baby. I really love you. I have, I think, since the day you came when you heard I was sick, to nurse me to health. Honest." A paw rises to give the boy scout salute: pinkie held down by thumb, his other fingers rigid. Dropping his hand back on top the other, Everett leans up to nuzzle his cheek with hers then burrows his mouth into crook of her neck before his arms wrap around her again. A fierce hug.

Blink. Then Kailey is giggling and shaking her head. Hands coming up to cover her lips though not hide the sound. But they soon drop when he gets serious and the hand in his hair falls to cover the one on her knee. Briefly. Before he is close. Oh so close. Breath hot on her neck and making her shiver.

"Ev, I..." Kailey's arms move to wrap around him though she can't hold him nearly as time. "I love you too...I dunno when it really struck. I mean, you made quite the first impression...and second. I just wanted to make you happy." A long pause and then she says more softly, a whisper against his ear. "But I fucked that up...or she did. Whatever...I need to find a new therapist Ev. Okay? I can't...I don't...how did you make it stop?"

"Shh," he murmurs softly, still nuzzling, still moving his mouth around the hollow between neck and shoulder. Just a minute more, longer. Then he mutters against her skin, "You smell so good. You do make me happy. And she was doing such mean things, like eating bananas and cream really slowly at me." With a sniff, Everett places a tender kiss where he nuzzles and then pulls his head back so he can look at her properly. "She did. I know that wasn't you, nobody will be able to convince me of that. I know," he flippantly gestures with his left hand, returning the hand to her cheek, "she's a part of you, she has your memories, but she's a different person to me. She's cruel in ways you aren't. She ruined pants I like. Also," he glances towards the bed, that word he says, lingering like he's about to make a confession, "she destroyed the bed too?"

Then, yes, he grins with his eyebrows raised and hopeful. See? Grade A liar. He comes clean quickly, "It might have been me, actually. I was going to start my day, actually, a little late. Working out, buying a new bed, doing some shopping for baby doctors, that kind of thing. I'd rather do that with you, then without." He glances down at her lips, "Mmme?" and looks up again, curious, "I thought you finally fought through."

Kailey giggles when he says she smells good and turns to kiss the side of his head. "Well, should I avoid eating those around you for now? And...I can try and replace the pants? I'm sorry about that. What else do I need to apologize for? Actually...no, wait to tell me. Tell me now and I'll forget. Shit's still fuzzy," And then she reaches up to rub at her face.

"Mmmmm, a bed?" She looks at it and frowns. "Why would..." Kailey looks at Everett and sees that expression and smirks. Reaching up to flick his nose gently with a glittery nail. "Okay...well...we can talk about doctors in a minute. But yes, you. It was black and dark. And then it was like...being so deep asleep, but someone is calling your name. Or talking about you and it catches your attention and starts to wake you? I still don't feel all awake."

"NO! I mean. No... you can eat those around me anytime. You can. Fiona's crazy, excuse the expression, baby. But there's one thing I like about her." He pauses, and smiles fondly, "She looks a lot like you. It was crazy hard not waking up with you with me. And worse having someone that looked like you, teasing me. But if you feel like having a banana. Orrr... maybe licking an ice cream cone? I wouldn't mind that," he says, non-plussed at the end.

Shaking his head, he adds, "But don't worry about the pants. We can get more at the Big and Tall and Thuggish store. It's not that bad and she only tore the pocket out," so much for not talking about what she did. Then, not talking about what caused it, maybe. At least. Until that letter arrives in the mail. He wrinkles his nose at the flick, "I did try calling your name, but that only seemed to irritate her and not work. Um. I'll say one thing for her, though," he murmurs looking past her lips. His first two fingers snake down her throat into the dog collar, careful of her Adam's apple because Everett's knowledge of the female anatomy ends mostly with erogenous zones. He gives the collar a soft tug, "I like the way she dresses," he murmurs lewdly.

Kailey quirks a brow but just smirks. "Ice cream later I think," She promises. This time reaching out to stroke that broad nose. "Oh...Ripped the pocket?" She cringes and then leans forward. Resting her brow against his. "Yeah calling my name isn't gonna do squat. But whatever you did do worked. I dunno. But good job?" She giggles and it really seems like she is tired.

Tug. Tug.

A blush touches her cheeks. "Yeah...well. I haven't worn this for awhile cause sometimes it chaffes. You like it? Heh...I actually have a lot more punky stuff in my van."

The pull becomes harder. Singular and insistent as he pulls her closer and leans in to meet her half-way. "I like you. What you wear," his voice drops to gain that sultry edge, "or not wear," before returning to normal, "doesn't matter. I just like it." Then he brings her the remainder of the way, slanting his head slightly, gently reintroducing his lips to hers. His fingers slip away, only for his hand to return, felt cupped at the nape of her neck.

Everett pulls just a hair's width away to whisper, "She also fixed the bed frame," leaving the big, fat, dirty hint floundering right there, in the air while he returns for a second helping of that delectable bottom lip.