Its a Nice Night (OPEN)

He could get very used to Alex having this much leisure time. Granted the circumstances sucked for him, but Eiryk did like not having to compete with the shop. Part of Eiryk wondered how Alexander would feel about being a kept man. The other part knew he wouldn't take that well. At least not this early in the relationship.

They'd driven down to the strip, on the pretense of Eiryk wanting to look for somethings for the studio. He needed some art work and knew there was a new gallery opening. He also needed supplies for his Christmas card. His conversation with Alexander about Thanksgiving had made him take stock of things and he was shocked how low things were. He also needed a 'sheep' ton (hahahaha) of raw wool. Eiryk had it in his head to make a blanket for Alex for Christmas and that meant he needed wool to die and spin and knit. How he was going to do all this without Alex knowing was an interesting question, but he'd improvise.

At any rate, he had a half-hearted mental shopping list, but mostly he just wanted an excuse to walk hand in hand with Alexander for a while.

Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex wasn't entirely sure what he and Eiryk were shopping for. Supplies. For Christmas. Christmas was over a month away. And Christmas gave Alex about as many warm fuzzies as Thanksgiving. Although he had to admit he was actually looking forward to Thanksgiving now, realizing he was going to be spending it with Eiryk and not anywhere near his family. Was that sad? It might be.

"When you say 'illumination' you're not talking about lights and such, are you," he said. Eiryk had used the words several times now and Alex was only just beginning to associate it with some sort of art technique. "What is it, exactly?"

He knew little about Eiryk's hobbies and he wanted to know more. On top of that, he didn't have the foggiest idea what to get Eiryk for Christmas and felt certain that Eiryk already had everything planned out. What did you buy for your rich boyfriend? They'd never really discussed money; it was an uncomfortable topic. Alexander was clearly broke (well, in debt, even, after his disaster) and Eiryk was clearly the opposite. It remained an unspoken awkwardness between the two of them.

Alex took a keen interest in the things that seemed to catch Eiryk's eye as they walked along the strip, trying to come up with some sort of idea that would suit Eiryk's tastes. In the meantime it was easy to enjoy his company, and an evening spent disassociating himself from the many phone calls and negotiations and plans and repairs he'd been making. Even for just a few hours it was a relief.
Eiryk 13 years ago
He chuckled slightly at his lover. The art was a bit out dated and he knew it. So he didn't hold it against Alex that he didn't know what illumination was. He wouldn't have held it against Alex if the man didn't know what a wheel was, but that was besides the point.

The evening was a bit chilly but Eiryk didn't really notice. Other than the chill it was bright and crisp and clear and blessedly free of the swarms of holiday shoppers that would eventually try and take over.


"No. Although, I do need light fixtures for the bathrooms at that hotel. It has been problematic."Â?

Actually the lights hadn't been the issue the stupid owner had. The man kept changing his mind and it was messing with the vision. Eiryk was considering tossing the contract back in the owner's face. He wouldn't, he didn't give up on things, but he was considering it.

"You've seen old manuscripts and the like? And that piece in my dinning room. It is just very fancy illustrations."Â?

And a hobby of his. It was a bit of an odd hobby so Eiryk wasn't going to just out and out flaunt it. He was still trying to play human.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex clearly recalled the picture Eiryk was referring to. He hadn't been snooping around, not really, but he'd taken a few minutes one night on a second or third date to wander the apartment and look at the things Eiryk surrounded himself with. His books, his artwork... things like that always gave more information about what kind of person you were hanging out with, and Alex had wanted to know. The picture in the dining room was impressive.

"You did that one yourself?" That was what Eiryk was implying. Alex let his eyes grow wide. "By hand, really? So that's how you're doing your Christmas cards?"

How come Alex didn't have cool and interesting hobbies like that? He really needed to get out more. "How did you ever get into that?"
Eiryk 13 years ago
"Er..."Â?

Eiryk answered smoothly. He hadn't expected Alex to jump to that conclusion, no mater how correct it was. It wasn't signed or dated or anything. Thank god it wasn't dated! He'd done that piece not terribly long after he'd been turned. Oh! And that was brilliant half truth.

"That one is actually an antique. But that is the general idea. I only do a handful of my cards that way, just folks very close to me. It is too time consuming to mange everyone that way."Â?

Of course Alex would be getting one of them and Kem and Aishe had very quickly made their way on to that list. Not just for what they'd done for Alex either. Eiryk found the couple very easy to like and Kem was one of the few people he knew that appreciated coffee as much as he did. Other than that only Pak and Angus and Ines stayed on the list from year to year.

"It was sort of an accident. I had a rather religious education and that was one of the skills they taught us."Â?

Because the printing press hadn't been invented and everything had to be done by hand. But he left that bit out.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
"I can imagine. It must take forever. I can't wait to see how you do it," Alex said, immediately enthusiastic.

"Religious education huh?" Eiryk had never actually mentioned that before. It gave Alex pause for thought.

He generally didn't consider himself religious. It was difficult to do so when your entire greek orthodox family is convinced you're traveling down a path of sin and so on and so forth. Sending you religious texts at Christmas.


"I'd never have guessed."

He didn't say anything else on the topic; Eiryk didn't come across as overly religious and if he was, he sure kept it to himself. That was fine with Alex, who was understandably skeptical on the matter and didn't much care who the people he knew worshiped as long as they kept it to themselves.


"So you need what kind of materials?" He had no idea what Eiryk would need to perform this skill of his. Colored pencils? Crayola crayons? Magic markers? Obviously none of the above, so what did someone illuminate with?

He waited for Eiryk's response intently as they walked, has hand tucked into Eiryk's, curious and interested. Maybe it was a little bit 'fanboy' of him, but Eiryk could have told him his hobbies were underwater basket weaving and labeling his socks, and Alex would have loved it.
Eiryk 13 years ago
Enthusiasm was typically his MO. Eiryk found it both unexpected and very appealing in Alex. He was just so cute. He laughed a little.

"You're welcome to watch. I'll even teach you if you'd like but I warn you it isn't much more interesting that watching paint dry."Â?

Sometimes literally, you had to wait for the paint to dry before you could do the next layer.

Alex seemed to be somewhat apprehensive about his religious background and Eiryk quickly pulled the other man to him and kissed his cheek.


"Neither would I. It wasn't really planned it was just the best education I could get at the time."Â?

As in no one but the monks was literate unless they were stupidly wealthy. That was something Eiryk was very glad had changed over the years. Education should be accessible to every one.

"Well my brushes are still in good shape mostly I need the parchment and some gold leaf. I'm not sure if I want to try the liquid leaf or not. That can get... messy and it just isn't traditional."Â?

Although he'd had an image or two of Alex wearing the liquid leaf and was more interested in it than he had been.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
"Oh. I don't know," Alex said dubiously. "I'm not a very good artist. Not drawing, anyway. I can whittle. A bit." He shrugged. "Not much to do in West Virginia except drink and play with knives. I wouldn't want to mess up any of your stuff."

And he was likely to. Artist, Alex was not.

Eiryk's quick kiss made him smile. He hadn't really thought anything of the religion thing. He got a little squirrel-y around die hard fanatics was all. His family had done a good job of turning him off to most forms of organized religion (another thing to thank the folks for when he was feeling spiteful). He was just as happy to let the topic drop.


"Gold leaf, isn't that tough to work with? I've seen it on TV." Design shows, paint shows, even applied to humans as form of art. It looked like a pain in the ass to Alex.
Eiryk 13 years ago
"Well no one starts out good. You should see some of my first attempts. But, more importantly I think I should see some of this whittling."Â?

Maybe he should get Alex a nice set of carving tools for Christmas as well. If he really enjoyed it.

"Besides,"Â? He teased, "you'd be messing up your own stuff not mine."Â?

If Alex really wanted to learn Eiryk would teach him. They could start slow, tracing things, and just practicing inking over the sketches. Rome wasn't built in a day. It had taken him years before being allowed to do a piece from beginning to end.

He let religion drift to the wayside. That was fine with Eiryk. He was rather open minded on the subject. He'd started out with traditional Scandinavian beliefs, then been press ganged into life in a monastery and those beliefs and then traveled the world. So Eiryk both believed all religions and none of them at the same time. Hell even Angus, grouchy old vampire he was, though he continued to live a monastic life, changed denominations as it suited him.


"It can be a down right pain in the ass."Â? Eiryk agreed. "Gloves and brushes and lots of patience. The liquid is considerably easier to use but..."Â?

Eiryk shrugged. He didn't like it as much. While the look was very similar you didn't get the same feel. It was likely he was the only one who could tell or who thought that thought.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex laughed. "No, of course not. Baby steps. Starting out too strong gets you injured. Well, maybe not so much in illumination but it's definitely the case in yoga."

Eiryk's interest in whittling was slightly more a topic for concern. "I don't really have anything to show you," he said. "I haven't done it since I lived in West Virginia, really, and even then I wasn't any good. I told you - there's nothing to do there but, blah blah blah." He waved his free hand vaguely. "There's less to do there if you're not interested in the girls."

He shrugged at Eiryk. Alexander was aware that he was about as exciting and interesting as instant oatmeal. Eiryk would determine this for himself soon enough.

They reached the little art supply store that was tucked between two larger shops on the strip and Alex looked up at it.
"First stop?"

He smiled at Eiryk and wondered if they'd have been spending so much time together if his shop hadn't spontaneously exploded. Previously they'd managed to see each other every few days but since Alex was staying with Eiryk for the time being, they'd spent most of the last two evenings together. How long would it take to fix Alex's store? And he couldn't help but be slightly curious whether or not they'd tire of each others' company by then.
Eiryk 13 years ago
"I'll have you know I have a permanent ink stain on a perfectly good shirt because I started out too big!"Â?

Eiryk said with mock indignation. He was determined to make illumination an exciting and dangerous hobby.

Alex's protest brought a raised eyebrow. The boy was far too modest, he was sure. Besides he -must- have a hobby or three. Everyone did. He only said 'mmmmhmmmm'.


"So what I'm getting out of this is that Alex is all work and no play. And if we continue down that thought... I'm your second job?"Â?

It was hard not to laugh at that idea. This 'job' was illegal in most states, but it was good work if you could find it. He was clearly teasing Alex and while he did manage not to laugh he couldn't hide an extremely bright, cheerful, warm smile. Playfully he tugged Alexander to him, intent on just sort of bumping into his shoulder. But miscalculated and wound up stumbling sideways a step or two right into a store front. Eiryk, however, had a pinball like quality about him and just bounced back.

Oh look an art store. He didn't know this one was here. Maybe he'd get lucky... no wait that was later tonight when they went home. Maybe he'd find what he was looking for here.


"I think this will make a good first stop."Â?

Eiryk went to open the door for Alex and wound up hitting himself in the face with it. That was a new low, even for him. Eiryk sighed, shook his head and followed Alex in hoping not too many people had witnessed that.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex nodded at Eiryk with mock solemnity. "I'm amazed you survived," he said, lips twitching up into a smile. Eiryk panicked when his shoes weren't polished. An ink stain on a shirt was liable to cause an aneurysm.

"Not hardly," he defended himself, knowing Eiryk was still teasing. "Yoga and Tai Chi are 'play,' I just get paid to teach them too!" He shook his head. "And you... you're pretty much my new hobby. See how sad I am? It's okay to feel bad for me now. And maybe try to cheer me up later."

He wasn't surprised when Eiryk's playful tug turned into a stumble. As the blond staggered past and then rebounded off the side of the building they were about to go in, he slung his arm out and served as a net, gathering Eiryk in before he could do himself (or anyone else on the street) any harm.

"Only you could actually trip over the store," he pointed out, heading through the open door and tactfully ignoring the muffled thump behind him.

Once inside the art store all Alex could see was the potential for disaster. It was a small shop, walls and aisles packed with materials, every inch of sales floor utilized. Not a very safe environment when one's boyfriend was a disaster magnet.

Alex spent most of his time trying to play the odds and predict where the greatest risk lay in any situation. Subtly, trying not to let Eiryk notice lest he feel bad, Alex began running interference. As Eiryk traveled up and down the aisles Alex surreptitiously moved items and blocked fragile displays, trying not to appear too obvious.
Eiryk 13 years ago
Eiryk rolled his eyes playfully, the king of the smart ass, yet sexy, tee shirt would never understand. And he loved him for it.

"I think I liked being a job better than a hobby. I'm going to have to think on this. But I think... I just -think- I might be able to cheer you up."Â?

It was perfectly innocent, or it should have been. But some how Eiryk managed to make it sound very suggestive. Probably because it was.

He snorted a bit.


"At least I found it."Â?

Of course the calligraphy supplies, were at the very back of the store. Eiryk ambled slowly, and very carefully, letting Alex lead the way. Maybe this one advantage to big modern chain stores better, nice wide aisles. A shame he liked these little places better.

He did stumble once, but some how managed to stumble into Alex rather than the shelving. Eiryk really didn't want to buy the store. More important it earned Alex a discreet grab.


"Ha! I meant to do that."Â?

As he recovered from the stumble, and the grab, he picked up a package of gold leaf. Eiryk spent a few minutes debating between a brand or two but wound up buying three packages and a bottle of the liquid leaf and a new brush for it as well along with the paper he needed. He we ready to leave but wondered if Alex wanted or needed anything.

"Anything for you?"Â?
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
"No no, see, if you were a job I'd have to do you every day," Alex paused. "Okay that part doesn't sound so bad. But eventually I'd get burned out, and I'd start calling in sick, and then I'd want vacation at awkward times, and then you'd just fire me."

He grinned at Eiryk. "Hobby is way better. When you're a hobby I look forward to every chance I get to do you," he paused again. "Also true, by the way, and it's never enough, leaves me wanting more, and you can't fire me!"

The rest of the shopping trip through the art store went by in a blur and Alex had to be honest with himself, he didn't pay too much attention to anything except that he was enjoying getting between Eiryk and accidents, and was apparently supposed to answer some sort of question.

"Huh? I'm still back on the part where I was doing you. Recreationally."
Eiryk 13 years ago
Eiryk's jaw hit the ground so hard he was sure the 'thump' was audible. Had sweet, shy reserved little Alex just said that? Yes, yes he had and dear god it was hot.

Not caring who was watching, if any one was, he pulled Alex into his arms and half kissed half tried to devourer him.


"I like that part. A lot. You really should spend more time on your hobbies, they are relaxing good for your mental health."Â?

Absently he paid for the things he'd picked up, not even sure what was in his hands any more but the items were replaced with a bag. Eiryk possessively put an arm around Alexander's waist and pulled him out of the little shop.

"What were we doing now? Going home right? Movie? Bed time?"Â?

He asked with naked longing.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans, proud to have found some way to silence Eiryk that didn't involve knocking his socks off with a killer blowjob. Not that that part was bad at all, but it was awkward and somewhat difficult to pull off in public.

He felt his face grow hot as Eiryk attempted to eat his face right there in the art store... he gave as good as he got, of course, but he did open his eyes and wave his hands at the skinny girl behind the register... go find something to do for thirty seconds besides stare, for cryin' out loud.

As they made their way out of the store Alex couldn't help but laugh.
"You needed lights for something, remember?"

He didn't mean to torment Eiryk, but Instant-Gratification Man could wait until he'd at least accomplished what he set out to do. Alex was determined not to distract Eiryk (too much) from his original goal.
Eiryk 13 years ago
"Huh what?"Â?

He was rather fixated on the home and bed idea and had totally forgotten anything else outside of Alex.

He felt Alexander's arm around his waist but it wasn't until they were outside and the cold air hit him in the face that Eiryk could think at all.


"You are -so- going to pay for this later."Â?

Eiryk threatened lazily as they walked down the street. OK why else had they come out? No... he wasn't looking for the lights tonight. He was off tonight (his assistant had bitched about it but well he was the boss).

"No... I think... there is a gallery a few blocks over. A new water color artist got a showing and I was thinking of using some of her work in a few projects. Sound like a plan?"Â?

He started off in the right direction, still attached to Alex.

"Or we could go to the movies."Â?

Persistent was cute right?
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alex just smiled softly and snuggled Eiryk next to him against the chill of the wind.

"Art gallery, sure," he said agreeably. He didn't really care where they went. It was just nice to be out and enjoying the evening. It gave Alex something to do besides worry about his store.

As they walked he leaned down and pressed another kiss to Eiryk's lips, not caring who saw.
"Movie later. Back home. At your place, rather."

Eiryk kept referring to it as 'home' which it was, for him. Alex didn't want to get into the habit of doing the same. That was not only presumptuous but arrogant. He was Eiryk's guest. Somewhat long-term, but still a guest. And he was moving back into his apartment an out of Eiryk's hair as soon as he had running water.

"After we walk some more. Cool air is good for you, same as hobbies," Alex said with a grin.
Eiryk 13 years ago
"Home."Â?

Eiryk gently corrected/confirmed. He knew Alex was going to move back into the store once things were fit for human habitation, but until then his apartment was home. Even after that he hoped Alex would regard it as home. Maybe a home away from home but a home nonetheless.

He would have been happy to indulge in a make out session here and now, but if Alex could tease so could he. Well, he could after a second or two, a little more kissing and something resembling a growl.


"So are cold showers and I don't see you suggesting one of those."Â?

If he'd stop to think about it Eiryk was a little surprised exactly how open they were being about their relationship. Even now as they walked toward the gallery they were touching. Either holding hands or arms around each others waist or trying to kiss the other one breathless. At least no one was giving them a hard time about it. He appreciated that.

"You realize when we get back I'm finding the longest most terrible movie ever made and you're actually going to have to watching it and pretend to enjoy it."Â?

Huh, Titanic might fit the bill there.
Alex Aristos 13 years ago
Alexander just smiled at Eiryk and nodded his agreement. He wasn't sure Eiryk's apartment could ever be home no matter how much the other insisted. Their respective living areas represented the perfect picture of the differences between them; Eiryk's apartment was polished, posh, and full of things Alex was terrified to touch. Conversely, Alexander's apartment was run down and full of things you could get dirty or chipped without fear of ruining an heirloom of some sort.

It didn't really matter though, when he was kissed like that. Right in the middle of the street. After having been completely pounced-on in the art store. If it ever became relevant, he and Eiryk would find a way to suit their styles to each other.

Alex's warm brown eyes crinkled a little at the corners as he grinned at Eiryk.
"We could give it a shot but I really don't think we'd get the desired result."

The following threat was greeted with a little snort.
"Great, so we're watching Gone with the Wind?"
Eiryk 13 years ago
"Aside from the fact that Vivian Leigh -never- should have played Scarlet there is nothing wrong with that movie!"Â?

Eiryk protested. He rather liked Gone With The Wind. Granted it got a bit long there in the middle and the whole bit with the Civil War was dull but the first and last third of the movie was quite entertaining. Or maybe he just liked the costumes. He wasn't going to try and sort it out now.

Instead he just tugged Alex in the direction of the gallery.


"You know just for that you might not get any tonight."Â?

Like that was going to happen. Alex could probably read volume R of the encyclopedia and Eiryk would think it was stupidly hot and tackle him. OK, so where Alex was concerned he was extremely easy and a bit of a push over. So what.

"I was thinking more like Titanic or The Way We Were."Â?

Eiryk continued like he hadn't just threatened Alex.