Sitcom AU

[keenly]

TESSA SULLIVAN

Texty text about background, career, hopes and dreams.

QUOTES, SONG LYRICS, WITTY THINGS, OR WHATEVER GO HERE

I WILL NEVER KNOW THE WAY IT FEELS TO BE JUST ANYONE

BENEDICT ARTEMIZIO

Texty text about background, career, hopes and dreams.

COLIN ANJU KEANE

Nursing student, future registered nurse. From Toronto, grew up in foster care etc etc will flesh this out

IT SEEMS THE VOICES IN MY HEAD I SELDOM GET TO CHOOSE

QUOTES, SONG LYRICS, WITTY THINGS, OR WHATEVER GO HERE

ALEX AGIAD

Texty text about background, career, hopes and dreams.

Comments

[altusimperius]

Benedict is upside-down on the seat of the couch, the blunt in his mouth and his long legs draped over the back. He doesn't really understand baking, or why anyone cares this much about it, but he weathers the experience because Colin and Tessa seem to enjoy it.
"Why don't they all just," he muses, and lets the thought drift off as he exhales smoke, finishing the sentence in his head.

[keenly]

"They do," Colin replies to Bene as if he read his mind. "I mean, I understand getting bummed if you accidentally kill your yeast or your souffle doesn't rise, but at the same time, you will bake bread again. Like, a lot. And it'll be amazing basically every time."

[sulahnan]

"You say that, but remember that time I tried to make bread?" It's probably an attempt better forgotten; hardtack would've been more palatable.

[altusimperius]

"I do," is Bene's contribution, his brow knitting in a distant, tormented expression. He Remembers.

[keenly]

"That's exactly what I mean," Colin says, raising a finger. "You tried once, you killed the yeast, you used too much salt, and you gave up. If you tried again, you'd have a do-over on all three things."

[sulahnan]

"Yeah but there's no guarantee it'll be amazing, is what I'm saying. Like, it could be inedible again."

Tessa makes an exaggerated sound of effort as she gets up to take her bowl to the sink. Halfway there, her phone begins to vibrate where it sits, half-wedged between the arm of the sofa and the cushion. She doesn't hear it, but it's happening.

"It could be raw on the outside and charred in the middle or something."

[altusimperius]

The cushion around Bene's head is vibrating, and he angles it to look in annoyance, then reaches over to dig it out.

"Buzz," he announces, setting it on their coffee table, where its vibrations are much louder.
If he looks at the caller ID he'll be obligated to care who it is, and he values these last few ignorant seconds far too much.

[keenly]

Colin pauses the show to allow for some quiet as she answers the phone.

[sulahnan]

"Ugh, fine," As if the boys alerting her that her phone is ringing makes her obligated to answer it. She trots back over after leaving her bowl to soak and frowns at the caller ID--or lack thereof.

"Hello?" Tessa frowns, then let's out a little scoff. "Yeah, that's me."

Never one to take a phone call standing still, she starts to fidget, first twirling the drawstring on her hoodie, then slowly pacing from the living room to the kitchen and back. That lasts only as long as it takes the caller to identify themselves, because when they get to the heart of the matter, Tessa stops.

"He... he did? Oh. Um, yeah just... text me the address, I can come meet you. Sure. Tomorrow's probably better... Right, heh. Okay. Yep. Th-uh, thanks for... letting me know. Bye."

The call disconnects, and she pulls the phone away from her ear to stare at it like she's trying to figure out whether or not it's real.

"That was um...Kass. Alex's sister."

[altusimperius]

"And?"

Bene's tone isn't unkind, but he's watching Tessa expectantly from where he remains upside-down, curious now about the nature of the phone call. He doesn't like Alexios, per se, but Tessa's a lot more fun when she's not beside herself with worry about him.

[keenly]

Colin gives Bene a distracted thump on his arm, wide eyes never leaving Tessa's face

[altusimperius]

A mouthed 'ow' and a lazy swat back are the extent of Bene's response.

[sulahnan]

"He's in rehab."

Saying it makes it actually sink in, maybe not fully, but enough that the last two months of getting over it fly right out the window and she clamps a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to keep the emotions in.

That fucking piece of shit, Alexios. Just like him to actually do what she asks and not say anything.

[keenly]

Colin's jaw drops. Two months of hating on this guy for being a piece of garbage who hurt his best friend, and it turned out the man went to rehab.

"Did...did she say why? Was he arrested, or...?"

Or did he go there for Tessa?

[altusimperius]

"That's... good?"

It's a guess, and Bene looks to Colin and back to Athessa, trying to get a decent read on the situation.

[sulahnan]

Tessa laughs once through the sudden onset of tears. "Yeah. Yeah, it's good. It's really good," she says, sniffling grossly and sopping up her gross feelings on the sleeve of her hoodie.

"She didn't want to tell me everything over the phone so we're gonna meet up sometime tomorrow, but she said he asked--well, told, but he had her take him to check in."

[keenly]

A smile spreads across Colin's face, but he's not sure how much of it he feels. Tessa was just starting to move on from this guy, it seemed, after he'd broken her heart. What's bringing him back going to do for her?

He grabs a box of tissues and passes it to her before leaning in to give her a hug.

[altusimperius]

This elicits a smile from Bene as well, though he lets Colin do the caretaking, and simply rights himself on the couch so he can look at her properly.

"Crybaby," he says with affection, "just don't let him fuck you over this time."

[sulahnan]

"Well excuse me for being emotional--" she says at Bene with affectionate sarcasm while she grabs a fistful of tissues. It's how they communicate. "--about my stupid boyfriend actually giving a shit."

That's not a word she's ever used. She doesn't seem to notice, though, too busy getting a very necessary hug from Colin and throwing the box of tissues at Benedict. It's not like she could keep using the casual fuck-buddy label anyway, with this spectacle of feelings she's got going on.

[keenly]

Colin's eyebrows shoot up at the admission. Tessa doesn't admit things. His cautious smile turns proud.

"He really went to rehab for you," he says as it sinks in. "It's good he knows you deserve that."

[altusimperius]

Ever the athlete, Bene reaches for the tissue box just in time for it to smack out of his hand and onto the floor. Fortunately, he's gangly enough that he can just strain for it by sprawling over the couch, and rights it on the table again.

[sulahnan]

She lets out a laugh, desperately relieved, and says: "He chose me."

Which was a mistake, because as soon as she says it, she realizes that it's basically all she's ever wanted. For someone to choose her instead of leaving. It hits her like a really heavy thing that hits really fast and really hard and squeezes more tears out of her. The feelings are too much to handle. Relief, elation, worry, grief, and more.

It's too vulnerable to be crying and hugging Colin in an otherwise silent room with Benedict just being Benedict on the couch, though. So Tessa reaches her arms out in the direction of the couch and shuffles herself and Colin closer.

"Ben. Hug."

[keenly]

"Ben, hug," Colin says in a rather more authoritative tone than hers, offering a hand to help him get up.

[altusimperius]

Unable to resist a direct command of this magnitude, Benedict unfolds himself from the couch and takes Colin's hand, coming over to enfold them both in his skinny arms.

[sulahnan]

There aren't enough hugs in the world, and that includes group hugs. Tessa moves to hook one arm around Bene and hug both him and Colin at the same time, giving them a good squeeze for the appropriate amount of time that a hug should last. When she breaks away, it's with an accomplished sigh and she scrubs her face on her sleeve again.

"Ugh, crying is the worst," she sniffles. Her eyes well up again. Fucking hell, she feels too much.