crucio (crucio) wrote in cwf,
@ 2010-06-18 02:26:00

open to varick
Losing Cameron was hard, and most days it was still very hard, but being with Varick definitely helped Shannon to cope. Being safe at the haven was also helping, and the wolves there were simply amazing. He'd gotten to meet Aubrey, another fox, and Cady as well. It was nice to be so accepted. Sure, there were some wolves that were grumpy - like Pirate and Felix - but they weren't ever outwardly rude to Shannon. And it'd been nice to make clothes for Aryk, Vance, and Basil.

Varick was planning on opening a law firm in the area, so he'd been especially busy. Though everyone was insisting they weren't staying for the long haul, Shannon was starting to wonder if maybe they were. It seemed like everyone was settling well enough. Varick said that once Kingston was ready, they'd venture out on their own but what did that mean for Varick's law firm if he was opening one up? Shannon supposed Varick could take it anywhere he wanted.

The Portland pack had taken up residence in an empty house on the property. It was just a few of them, so the house was more than enough room. Shannon was busy sitting indian style on the bed and hand sewing a seam that had torn in one of Varick's nicer suit jackets. He had the headphones of his iPhone on and was humming quietly to Incubus while he worked. Varick had been gone all day, and the suit jacket Shannon was working on had been the one he'd wanted to wear but couldn't because of the busted seam.

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-19 11:14 pm UTC (link)

Varick smiled a little and the words kind of turned him on. "Did you?" he angled his head back just a little so that he could look down at Shannon. He wanted to know why he liked hearing that so much, why it went down and settled in his stomach, making him warm. Maybe it just felt good to know that Shannon wanted more than just a reminder of Cameron.

"I remember when Cameron and I went on a vacation one Summer. You stayed home and about a week into it, I kept telling him that he smelled funny. He just smelled, wrong somehow. And finally, he told me it was because he didn't have the smell of you on him."

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crucio
2010-06-19 11:37 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, I did," Shannon said with a smile, and when he heard the story about the vacation he laughed a little bit and pressed his face against the front of Varick's shirt. "I guess we always were together, well, most of the time. Or with you," he said before he pulled back to brush a kiss to Varick's jaw.

He moved to sit back down on the bed, then, and put his chin in his hands as we watched the other man in adoration. He missed Cameron so much, but having Varick made life easier. More beareable. And Varick made Shannon very, very happy.

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-20 12:19 am UTC (link)

Now they both had to deal with the absence of Cameron's scent. It had been long enough where most of the traces of the fox had faded.

Shrugging out of his shirt, he hung it up. Pants came next and he hung those up, keeping things nice and neat like he liked. "I didn't like being away from you all day, but I have to admit that I enjoyed being back at work. It felt almost normal for a little while."

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	crucio 2010-06-20 01:06 am UTC (link)
	Shannon liked watching Varick undress. Even before, when Varick was with Cameron, he'd liked it though he'd never dare to admit it. It'd made him feel so incredibly guilty, but he didn't feel that way anymore. "Everyone says it'll get easier, but I'm never really sure," he said after a moment. "Are you hungry? Louisa invited us over for dinner." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-20 01:18 am UTC (link)

When things had first started out, Varick had been sure that all of the people who said it would get easier had never lost anyone close to them. But as time passed, the aching really had dulled a little. Though he was certain that if it hadn't been for Shannon, things would have been a million times worse.

He tugged on some jeans and a plain white tshirt when Shannon mentioned dinner at someone else's house. "Sure, let's head over." He was getting much better about being social and he didn't interpret everyone's looks as looks of pity anymore.

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	crucio 2010-06-20 02:24 am UTC (link)
	Shannon got to his feet and moved to snag his flip flops so that he could slip them on. Usually he was much more stylish than that, but it was an evening for relaxing. "I wonder what they're having," he said as he took a hold of Varick's hand to lead the way out of the room and downstairs. "I haven't really eaten today. I always forget, it's terrible." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

impotentwaffle
2010-06-20 03:02 am UTC (link)

He squeezed Shannon's hand a little more tightly when he heard that he'd forgotten to eat. Sure, foxes weren't as ravenous as wolves could be, but he knew that the man needed to eat--even humans needed to eat. "I'm going to get you a watch with an alarm on it so that it beeps at regular intervals. That way, it'll remind you to eat when I can't." He didn't like the idea of being at work all day and have poor little Shannon not eating.

When they got to the house where the New Orleans pack was staying, Louisa greeted them at the door. "Oh good, you did come!" She looked pleased with that. The Portland pack intrigued her, piqued her sense of solidarity with the fact that they had suffered a tyrannical sort of leader as well.

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crucio
2010-06-20 03:06 am UTC (link)

A soft laugh escaped Shannon's lips at the idea of an alarm reminding him when to eat, though he supposed it would be helpful. His eating habits had only gotten worse when Cameron had died, and if it wouldn't have been for Varick making sure he ate Shannon was sure he would have starved himself to death.

When Louisa opened the door and greeted them, Shannon smiled in return. He really liked Louisa a lot, and it showed by how relaxed he felt around her.

"Hi, thanks for inviting us," he told her, "I think Kingston is coming, too."

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-20 11:12 pm UTC (link)

Louisa brightened even more. "Good! Even better." She really wanted to take him under her wing and it showed by the way she'd instantly took to mothering him. None of her own wolves really allowed too much mothering. Vance had been sweet though and he seemed okay with her doting sometimes, though Pirate often grumbled at her about it.

"Pirate's at work tonight and Sterling went out--well I suppose he's sort of working as well." She laughed a little and led them into the kitchen where she was cooking some stir fry.

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crucio
2010-06-21 12:42 am UTC (link)

The house smelled amazing, and Shannon offered Varick a little smile as he followed Louisa inside and to the kitchen. Vance was there, helping, and making some fried rice and potstickers. It was cute to see the two cooking together.

"Hello," he greeted happily.

"Hi," Shannon said back, "I'd offer help but I'd probably burn something," he told the two with a smile.

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-21 08:45 am UTC (link)

Varick smiled at Vance. The whole scene was very domstic and he liked the feel of having a slice of that back. It felt like a pack and Varick had missed that. Slipping a hand around Shannon's waist, he stood close to him, quietly observing the meal preparations.

Louisa had grown used to Varick's silent nature. His presence was large, but he often went long periods with no talking. "You're the quietest lawyer I know," she teased him before beaming at Vance. "This child makes the best pot stickers the world over. I don't know what we did without him." She used the word 'child' lovingly.

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crucio
2010-06-21 08:52 am UTC (link)

Shannon smiled softly at Louisa's teasing, and he lifted an arm up to bend it at the elbow so that his fingers could brush againt the side of Varick's neck.

"He's not as quiet as you think, he's just fooling you right now," he told her.

At Louisa's praise, Vance smiled and beamed happily. He was making a lot of potstickers, knowing how everyone's appetites were, and wanting to save some for Pirate for when he got off of work.

"The potstickers are easy, it's mixing the sauce that goes with it that's hard," he said, "You have to get everything just right or it's terrible."

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-21 09:21 am UTC (link)

Louisa smirked. "And the only reason he knows how terrible it is is because he tried to teach me once." She turned the stove down, just to keep the vegetables and the meat warm while Vance finished up.

Quirking a brow at the two of them, she shook her head. "You two go so well together." She knew the situation, obviously, but she couldn't imagine the man with anyone else, not even a twin.

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crucio
2010-06-21 09:28 am UTC (link)

Vance let out a little laugh as he went back to work, adjusting his apron that Pirate teased him about all of the time.

Shannon was watching as Vance worked, though his attention shifted to Louisa when she commented on him and Varick. His cheeks went a little bit pink, and he smiled shyly.

"Thank you," he mumbled as he heard a knock on the door. "That's probably Kingston."

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-21 11:29 pm UTC (link)

Varick always loved the way Shannon looked when he blushed. Cameron never got nearly so embarrassed by things and he thought it was just the cutest thing. Unable to help himself, he dipped down and kissed the pink of Shannon's cheek before he stood up straight and went to answer the door. He wouldn't usually make such a move on someone else's territory, but if it was Kingston, Varick considered anything to do with the boy his territory.

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crucio
2010-06-22 01:24 am UTC (link)

Shannon smiled and turned his head to catch the corner of Varick's mouth in a quick kiss before he let the older man go so that he could go answer the door. Shannon's gaze swept back to Louisa who was stirring the contents of the pan she had on the stove.

"It's probably King," he said softly. "Can I help set the table, at least?" he asked, his smile growing, "I can at least do that right, I promise."

Kingston had two pies from Mabel's in his hands, one apple and one banana. He figured he could at least bring something to contribute, the trick was getting an apple one for Hunter and the wolves at the main house or else he was sure Hunter would have smelled it a mile away. When Varick opened the door, he smiled.

"Hey," he greeted. "I was hoping you and Shan would come."

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-22 02:30 am UTC (link)

"Of course. I trust you." She dug in the drawers and took out a handful of silverware and tugged some place settings out of the cupboards. All of it had been furnished before them and the dishes were mismatched. Of course, Louisa didn't mind. Hodge-podge was just her style.

Varick took a deep breath of the pies. "Ah, I get the feeling I should have brought something. Wine maybe." Varick very much liked wine, especially since he could drink copious amounts with not many ill effects.

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crucio
2010-06-22 02:42 am UTC (link)

Shannon set to work with getting the silverware and plates on the table, then he went to fetch the glasses. He wasn't sure what everyone was having to drink, but Vance gave him a pitcher of sweet tea a moment later so he didn't have to worry about it too much.

"I bet this sweet tea will be the best sweet tea I've ever had," he said with a grin.

"We have some at the house, you can go fetch a bottle if you like," Kingston said as he slipped inside and shook his hair out of his eyes. "D'you notice how much easier it is for Shannon to get drunk than us? Foxes have it so much easier," he smirked, meaning not only when it came to metabolisms but to shifting as well.

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-22 03:20 am UTC (link)

"I'm sure drunkeness had everything to do with me ever having a chance with Cameron in the first place." He knew better than to believe that was true, but he had taken them wine tasting a few times and gotten Cam toasted. He left to go back to the house to get some.

Louisa looked up and put her hand on her hip. "Hey, kiddo," she said warmly. The term was the gentlest of tactics to reaffirm everyone's place. To Louisa, such subtleties were important because she'd come from a life for which she'd had to fight viciously. Richard's rule had only come to an end because she'd stood up to him with ferocity and now she was always reaffirming her place in the pack with tiny things like that.

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crucio
2010-06-22 03:35 am UTC (link)

"We both know that's not true, he and Shannon both had crushes on you the moment they saw you," Kingston told Varick, calling over his shoulder with a faint smirk.

Once he was in the dining room, he put the pies down on the table and glanced up at Louisa with a nod of his head. Kingston could smile around his own pack, but around others it was harder. He often looked much too serious.

"Hello, Louisa," he greeted, "I brought some dessert and I thinK Varick went to fetch some wine."

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-25 03:23 am UTC (link)

Louisa looked at him and sighed with a small shake of her head. Gesturing to his shoulders, she tutted a little. "Weight of the world right there. You know, now is the time to just relax, enjoy what you can. We're all safe here. That's a luxury you and I aren't exactly used to." She grinned and dished up the stir fry into a serving bowl.

She headed into the dining room to set the bowl on the table. By the time she returned to the kitchen, Varick was back with the wine.

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crucio
2010-06-25 03:18 pm UTC (link)

There was a lot about Louisa that Kingston could relate to. He looked up to her quite a bit, and it was nice to have her and Hunter around to learn things from. His father had been a good man, but he hadn't been strong enough to keep the pack together. To keep things structured. He was learning that from Hunter, and from Louisa he was learning how to rebuild when a pack suffered great losses. It was good to not feel so alone.

With a knowing smile in her direction, he went to wash his hands up and then took a seat at the table. He figured Pirate was at work, and he'd seen Sterling in town, so he wasn't sure who all was going to eat with them. If it was just Louisa and Vance, that as just fine.

When Varick came back in with the wine, Vance snagged a few glasses for the adults, then took a seat as well. Shannon reached over to brush a quick kiss to Varick's jaw before he got settled in his chair as well.

"What time's Pirate suppose to be home?" Vance asked Louisa.

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impotentwaffle
2010-06-25 11:22 pm UTC (link)

Varick scooted his chair closer to Shannon's, slipping a hand under the table to hold the other's. Louisa thought it was cute and it made her think of Marlena. The girl was always so tired and she'd stopped being able to come down to dinner a long time ago. Each shift made her weaker and Louisa had been searching for people to help her, but had come up short.

Glancing up at Pirate, she thought about the answer for a moment. "A few hours, I suspect. He doesn't stay late at work anymore, now that you're around." It was true, Pirate used to pull extra shifts. He reasoned that the pack needed money and if he could contribute, then he was going to do all he could. Really, Louisa knew it was Pirate's way of guarding himself from getting close to anyone.

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maybe andrew can help marlena :[ and his dad?

crucio
2010-06-26 03:28 am UTC (link)

When Louisa said that bit about Pirate, Vance couldn't help but smile shyly. He was part of the Cold Water pack because of Vaughn, but it was obvious that he felt more at home with Pirate and the New Orlean's pack. He practically lived with Pirate in his room, now.

As everyone started to dish food out, Kingston poured some wine for himself, Varick, Louisa, and Shannon. He settled back into his seat for a sip, then took a bite of the stirfry.

"Wow, this is really good," he said once he'd chewed and swallowed. "One thing I never got to be good at was cooking."

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Haha, I don't know if Trace even plays her anymore, but yes!

impotentwaffle
2010-06-26 04:24 am UTC (link)

"That's for sure," Varick quipped without really thinking about the people he was with. That was a good sign though, that he felt comfortable enough making little jokes. He looked immediately shy though and poked a fork into a pea pod, pushing it around on his plate, staring at it intently.

Louisa smirked. "Vance is brilliant. You know how many amazing culinary schools there are in New Orleans? He'd fit in there so nicely." Not that she was trying to lure him away from the Seattle area--oh no, of course not.