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[ s i c k ] “Try this,’ Eli said, shoving the pierogi in Chas' mouth before Chas had the chance to look his way. “Fuck,’ Chas said, laughing and wiping at the mess he'd made by spitting it back out almost immediately. “Warn somebody.’ Eli laughed, sticking his fork in another pierogi and holding it up in front of Chas' face. “Just try it.’ Chas sighed and bent forward, letting Eli gently place it on his tongue, closing his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. “Needs salt.’ Eli nodded. “That's what I thought too.’ Chas bent forward, grabbing onto Eli's leg for leverage as he reached the salt off of the coffee table. Handing it to Eli he turned his gaze back to the television. Eli shifted his leg and hooked it over Chas' as he leaned back on the couch, lazily shoving two pierogi's in his mouth at once. Chas laughed and shook his head. “You are the laziest person I know. Can't even sit up to eat.’ Eli grinned at him, reaching up and running his fingers through Chas' hair. “That's why I'm good for you.’ Chas wound the last of the spaghetti around his fork and placed it carefully in his mouth, not one drop of sauce getting on his chin. Bending forward as he chewed he sat the to-go box down on the table and leaned back again, resting his hands on Eli's leg and gently massaging it. “Dennis Miller is funny,’ he said. “I mean, it's a news show, yeah, but… he's funny.’ “Which is odd for a comedian,’ Eli said with a soft smile as he leaned forward and sat his box next to Chas'. Chas rolled his eyes, delivering a mock glare in Eli's direction. “Shut up.’ “Chas,’ Eli said, reaching over and grabbing his sleeve, tugging lightly. “You're too far away.’ Chas laughed and let him pull him closer to him, Eli wrapping his long arms around him and resting his cheek against Chas'. If someone had told Chas he'd be in this kind of situation with Eli Cash three months ago he would have probably socked them in the jaw. He didn't want to think of himself as having been homophobic, but he'd been so tightly wound three months ago that it might would have been his knee-jerk reaction. His hands rose to clasp onto Eli's forearms and he closed his eyes, resting his head into the crook of Eli's neck. “I think Mother is starting to suspect I've found myself someone.’ Eli laughed. “Well the kids have been spending just about every other weekend there for the past 2 months, Chas,’ he said softly, his breath tickling Chas' ear. “The woman's not oblivious.’ “She didn't ask, though,’ Chas continued. “She just gave me this little smile and told me to have fun.’ Eli bent his head and kissed Chas' throat, his arms tightening around him. “Does that worry you?’ Chas shrugged, sighing softly. “I don't know,’ he said finally. “I think she's content with the fact that I seem happy.’ Eli smiled into Chas' neck and lifted his lips to his ear. “And are you?’ Chas smiled, twisting his body so he could look at Eli. “For once, yes,’ he said. “I am.’ Eli's lips had just barely brushed Chas' when there was a knock at the door. Sighing he pulled back and gave Chas a melancholy look. “Should I ignore that?’ Chas started to reply but the knocking turned more persistent and he sighed. “I don't think you can.’ Eli stood and walked slowly to the front of his apartment, frowning when he saw Margot's distorted face through the misshapen glass of his door. Opening the door only halfway he stuck his head out. “What,’ he asked curtly. She sniffed lightly, holding her head high and her face expressionless. “Can I come in?’ “No,’ he said. “Oh, Eli,’ she said exasperatedly, physically pushing past him into his foyer. “Margot,’ he said, a slight panic rising in his chest. “I think I told you no.’ She rolled her eyes, turning to face him. “I heard you were fucking someone new,’ she said abruptly, frowning at him. He stood there, his heart in his throat, and watched as Chas' face appeared behind Margot, his face white as a ghost. “What,’ he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Yeah,’ she said, nodding. “You should be more careful, tabloids and all.’ His eyes narrowed. “And what of this person I've been seeing? What concern of it is yours?’ “Is it true,’ she asked, her voice low. “Is it really a guy?’ His eyes narrowed even further as he tried to figure out if she knew more than what she was saying. “I still say what concern of it is yours?’ She wrinkled her nose, peering around her. “I didn't know you were gay,’ she said, her nose wrinkling further. “Margot,’ he said, frustrated. He still held the door open behind him. “Get the fuck out.’ “Well I think that's sick,’ she hissed at him. “Oh,’ he questioned, laughing at her. “Do you? That's wonderful, coming from you.’ She narrowed her eyes at him. “Shut your mouth.’ “Eli's gay, which is so much more disgusting than you using me for sex and companionship, despite the fact you knew how I felt for you,’ he spat out, letting go of the door and advancing on her. “Which is so much more disgusting than you being in love with your brother.’ The slap was loud and stung, but all it did was make him laugh more. “You don't even know,’ she whispered, leaning towards him. “You have no idea what you're talking about.’ “Neither do you,’ Chas said, shocking them both as he stepped out from the den. Eli had almost forgotten he was even there. “What the…’ Margot paused, looking at Eli before turning back to look at Chas. “What the hell are *you* doing here?’ Chas leaned against the wall, took a deep breath, and crossed his arms. “I'm the guy Eli's been fucking, as you so eloquently put it.’ Eli's jaw dropped and he had to feel behind him for something to hold onto. He and Chas had argued idly over whether or not to tell anyone about the, specifically Chas' kids. Chas had always been more reluctant to let anyone in on the relationship, but Eli had usually wound up agreeing with him. For Chas to willingly admit to Margot, without any real cause to, literally took Eli's brain and turned it into chaos. “What,’ Margot breathed out, the color draining from her already translucent face. “Why are you here, Margot,’ he asked, frowning at her. “What business is it of yours if Eli is seeing anyone, much less whether if it's a girl or a guy?’ “When mother hears of this,’ she started, pointing a finger at Chas. “You're going to humiliate her…’ Chas rolled his eyes at her. “Don't turn this around on her, Margot,’ he said with a smirk. “Your reaction is your reaction, but don't bring Mother in this.’ “Does she know,’ she asked, hugging her arms to her chest, pulling her coat tight against her body as if she were cold. Chas looked past her to Eli, smiling softly. “You're the first we've told,’ he said, looking back at her. His voice was harder when he continued. “And you're not going to tell her.’ “Chas,’ Margot said softly, stepping forward and reaching out a hand as if to rest it on his arm. When he flinched back she let her hand dangle in the air for a moment before dropping it to her side. “I know you're confused, and you've been really upset since Rachael died, but…’ “This isn't about Rachael,’ he said, looking at her, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “Maybe you used him for your own purposes, but I'm not.’ She stepped back as if she'd been stung and Eli thought maybe that had hurt her worse than the very physical slap she'd delivered to him minutes before. “Don't talk to me like that.’ Chas laughed, shaking his head. “Margot, you're a very manipulative person. A manipulative, vindictive, and self-serving person,’ he said, almost sounding as if he felt sorry for her. “If you don't want to have that pointed out to you, don't barge into someone's home unannounced when they've told you you're not welcome.’ “I just can't believe you're sneaking around behind everyone's backs with Eli Cash,’ she said in a tone of wonder. “It doesn't make sense, it's not like you, Chas.’ “I'm not sneaking,’ he said, frowning at her. “I just haven't brought it up, and no one has bothered to ask.’ She continued as if he hadn't spoken. “Lying to everyone, just so you can screw around with Eli…’ He held up a finger, walking towards her. She cowered back slightly when he reached her, her eyes wide with surprise. “I'm not screwing around with him,’ he said in a dark tone. “I love him.’ Eli sat down on the floor without much notice of anything else. He didn't notice Chas and Margot turn to look at him, and he didn't notice that he was sitting with his leg at an unnatural angle. All he knew was that Chas had just come out to his sister and confessed his love for Eli for the first time in the same breath. Chas licked his lips, turning his back on Margot as he faced Eli. “I love you,’ he said softly, smiling at Eli's shocked expression. “I meant to say it sooner, and in better conditions than this… but I've never been good at doing things in a timely fashion.’ “That's okay,’ Eli said dumbly, wondering if he was smiling as widely as he thought he was. “It's sick,’ Margot said again, walking briskly over to Eli and past him to the door. “Margot,’ Chas said in a nonchalant tone. “The last thing I'm concerned with is what you consider sick.’ She frowned at him as he reached out to help Eli up, wrinkling her nose as he smiled fondly at him. “I won't tell Mother, but I suggest you do before the tabloids get a picture of your face.’ “Did you mean it,’ Eli asked after the door shut behind Margot. Chas nodded, reaching up and winding his left hand in Eli's too-long hair. “Do I say things I don't mean?’ Eli's smile widened then, he was sure of it. “No,’ he said with a shake of the head. “Then I guess I did,’ Chas answered, leaning forward and kissing him. |