2015.08.27 - Mending Fences

*Aiden tries to be a human being.*

August 24, 2015

Beacon Hills

The first day of school finally ended, and miraculously, no one was seriously maimed or killed (with the exception of a sink in the boys' room). Aiden Carver doesn't go directly home from school though. Maybe he took Kay up on her offer to race their motorcycles, and maybe they grabbed a bite somewhere in town. Whatever the reason, it's just after seven before he finally enters the house, tossing his keys in a small dish on a table beside the door, dropping his backpack, leather jacket, and helmet on a nearby chair, then sauntering further into the house. "Yo, anyone home?" he calls, running fingers through his helmet-flattened hair.

Grey Dunbar had spent the last couple of hours moving his stuff by hand to Liam's and is now just here grabbing the last of it, walking out of the guest room with the last bag on his shoulder he calls out, "Just me, clearing out though", stepping into the living room he gives Aiden a nod in greeting of sorts.

Aiden Carver's eyes widen, both brows shooting up. "Dude, you don't have to go anywhere. I told you that. Ethan and Liam told me about your whole fucked up situation, and I don't want to be the asshole who put you out on the street. There's plenty of room here and no reason we can't get along."

"Actually I do, social services have me listed as under the care of Liam's folks, if they do a spot visit and I'm living elsewhere it'll throw up red flags, so I'm moving there", Grey shrugs, "Plus honestly as much as you say we can, you can't stand me".

Aiden Carver shuts his eyes, taking a long breath in through his nose, then letting it out slowly. "I'm sorry," he says, almost as though the words are physically painful to him. Opening his eyes again, he adds, "I don't dislike you. I just...I don't like anyone right now. You just found your brother, didn't even know he existed. So you don't feel it yet, that longing. The feeling like part of you is missing, an important part you can't live without. I'm just on edge, and I lash out at everyone. It's not personal, I promise. I'm just an ass most of the time, and moreso right now."

Grey Dunbar raises an eyebrow, "My mom just disappeared, no trace whatsoever, that was my entire life collapsed, home gone, no family hell I found out I'm not even hu... humanly able to deal with all that, so I get you're sorry but you're not the only one feeling like they lost something".

"I get that," Aiden says, stepping forward. "I do, I get it. I lost both my parents, too. Whole extended family, actually. All I've got left is Ethan, like you have Liam. And I don't know Liam, but if my brother's crazy about him, he must be a pretty good guy, so you're lucky. You haven't just lost something, you've *found* something."

Grey Dunbar nods, "Liam's awesome, I came here to find my dad, some family and I found Liam instead and he's exactly that, family but it doesn't mean I've forgotten the loss, it goes deep and it will take a while, you should know that with your family".

Aiden Carver nods as well. "I do know that, yeah. Me and Ethan, we lost a lot, and it's taken a long time to get past it. Not over it, I don't think you ever really get over it. But you do get past it. You move on and remember to live again. I think that's you need, dude. To remember how to live. Have some fun, make some friends. Laugh. I know you don't feel like laughing right now, but it helps."

Grey Dunbar nods, "Laughing is coming up, I'm working on getting past coping first", he was making friends, at the same lunch Aiden pointed out he doesn't fit in but still Aiden said sorry so he doesn't bring it up, "Anyway, I've been told the sullen look works on me".

Aiden Carver looks Grey up and down, then shrugs. "You'd hafta ask Ethan about that. I'm not really good at figuring out which look works and which doesn't. Just another of the many talents that Ethan soaked up all of in the womb. Fashion sense, the ability to not piss everyone off every time he speaks, being able to cook like a professional chef." He shrugs again and lets out a breath, then suddenly grins. "On the other hand, I can fit six hard-boiled eggs in my mouth at once."

Grey Dunbar hmms, "I don't know if thats impressive or discusting, somewhere in the middle I guess, what event lead to finding that out", he frowns trying to think of a single time someone would need to put six hard-boiled eggs in their mouth...

Aiden Carver's brows draw together as he thinks back for a few moments. "A dare in seventh grade. I won, but ended up puking my guts out half an hour later. Haven't been able to look at an Easter egg since. But we learned one thing that day: Nature has a sence of humor." He flashes that cocky grin again. "Ethan got the gag reflex."

Grey Dunbar shakes his head, "My brother's boyfriend and his twin's gag reflex or lack of is a little TMI, but good to see you have a talent you're proud of and a trick your brother can't do but probably wants", he looks around, "When's he due back? schools started".

Aiden Carver gives a slight shrug of one shoulder, but it's clear his muscles have become a bit more tense. "Not sure. He's doing a sort of independent study thing out of state right now. I'm actually planning to go up and see him this weekend. Liam too, I guess. They're still in that puppylove stage, where every moment apart is torture. You know how it is."

Grey Dunbar shakes his head, "No I don't, I've never really dated before, my mom had this rule about not going out after dark, something about not understanding the dangers lurking out there and I've never really known how to talk to people like that".

Aiden Carver blinks a few times, clearly surprised by the response. "You're what, fifteen? And you've never even been on a date? Where did you live, South LA? I mean, c'mon, how dangerous could it have been that you couldn't even take a girl to a movie? Or even a chaperoned school dance?"

Grey Dunbar sighs, "You'd be surprised", there is no further elaberation on that, "It was just my mom's rules and like I said, not exactly well versed in talking in a dating sense".

Aiden Carver's eyes go distant for a long moment. "Guess I could say the same thing. I don't really date. I hook up. Sometimes it lasts a week or a month, but it's not really dating." He sighs and gives his head a small shake. "But I guess that you're not in Dangerville anymore, you'll be able to start figuring out how to talk in a dating sense."

Grey Dunbar shrugs, "Maybe, for now I just need to focus on passing my classes, don't wanna mess up there", he's got this odd disire to be more than just adverage this time round, "I mean if it happens it happens right? Seeing someone should be natural?"

Aiden Carver crosses his arms over his chest, leaning one shoulder against the wall. "Natural, maybe. But not easy. Trust me, kid, nothing about girls is ever easy. You saw how I crashed and burned with Eve at lunch today, and she was practically a sure thing. Hell, no practically about it. She'd been mentally peeling off my clothes from the first moment she laid eyes on me. And I screwed it up royally with a few snippy remarks. Take it from me: the real dangers aren't out there in the dark. They're in tight sweaters and miniskirts and batting eyes. Navigating girls is a minefield."

Grey Dunbar sighs, "From the sounds of all that, I think I'd rather take the minefield", he looks at Aiden, "If you were looking to impress Eve you went about it the wrong way, one you paid too much attention to Kay and you emplied she didn't need brains cause she's pretty, show her how to lock pick and shower some attention, she'll come around pretty quickly", bad at date talk yes, good at reading people? definatly.

Aiden Carver shakes his head. "Nah, too much work. Besides, Kay was more interesting, somehow. I dunno why, I just liked her better." He gives a shrug of one shoulder. "It's not like I was setting out to get either of them. Eve's the one who had the agenda. I just wanted to eat lunch, ya know? Kay wanted to talk motorcycles, which I like, and all Eve could go on about was lockpicking, which I'm not even good at. I snapped a credit card in half breaking into my own house. What was I supposed to teach her?" He sighs again, shaking his head. "But I guess the lockpicking thing was just part of the ploy, right? Pretend to be all interested in something she thought I was good at, get me to teach it to her, so we spend time together, and I just didn't see it at the time. See what I mean? A minefield. One wrong step and BOOM! Show's over."

Grey Dunbar nods, "Advice taken, girls crazy, avoid unless sure", he suddenly remembers and pulls a key out of his pocket, "Nearly forgot to give this back, gives you a spare so definatly no need to break anymore credit cards".

Aiden Carver chuckles, reaching for the key. "Thanks. You really don't hafta go, you know. I mean, I know you're anxious to live with your brother and all. That's something I can definitely relate to. I just don't want you leaving because I've been a dick."

Grey Dunbar shakes his head, "I'm leaving because social services will expect me to be living at Liam's, they'd think something was up if I was found to be living here and might send me back to LA".

Aiden Carver can't help but chuckle a bit. "Maybe, but probably not. Your brother's good friend's with the sheriff's son. Stilinski, remember? If they put their minds to it, they'd find a way to keep you here, if that's what you wanted. Honestly, sometimes I think there's nothing they can't do, if they put their devious minds to it. Hey, want a lift over to Liam's place? Which I guess is your place now. No sense in walking all that way. That all you've got?" He nods toward the bag Grey's been holding, completely unaware of how much more Ethan had bought him just days ago.

Grey Dunbar nods, "This is the last of it, moved the other stuff before and sure I could do with a lift as you're offering, saves me a walk", still not too comfortable walking around after dark, he's heard one too many howls round here at night.

Aiden Carver nods then, heading back to the entry hall and pulling a second helmet from the top shelf of the closet. "Always keep a spare," he says, tossing the helmet toward Grey, then grabbing his own, along with the jacket and keys. He pauses at the front door, suddenly frowning. "Hey, you didn't meet Scott McCall at school today, did you?"

Grey Dunbar catches the helmet and is just putting it on when Aiden asked his question, "Nope, as far as I know he wasn't in school today, heard that Finstock guy mention it".

Aiden Carver frowns, his brows drawing together. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Oh well, probably see him tomorrow." And with that, he opens the door and heads outside to his waiting motorcycle.