riverviewlogs | [semi-open] ✪ may your smile shine on, don't be scared

[As much as he pretends to be kind of stupid and oblivious, Taako knows almost immediately that something isn't right, and he's already on his feet by the time Eddie's explanation finally comes.]

Are you stuck, my man? 'Cause that's what you get for using those fucking things. [Despite the carelessness of the words, he follows it up immediately with:] Where ya at?

[It probably shouldn't be so startling when Taako immediately picks up on the situation, and asks if he needs to come get him. It had been a joke, the way Eddie said it, he was trying to be a little silly. Usually it works, a smile and a joke, to mask when he's feeling uncomfortable. Hell, it had worked after he was rescued from that little room under STAR Labs.

It's kind of stupid, but Eddie's not used to people noticing when things are wrong with him.]

Yeah...haha, I should've known better, but I got stuck in one of the stairwells a few days ago so I thought, you know, at least the elevator is glass and you can see out. Stupid.

[A little laugh, and then.]

I think I'm somewhere between the third and second floor.

Not having much luck, huh?

[The sound from the Taako's end of the line changes a little, the tell-tale sign of someone with the phone tucked between their ear and shoulder, since he's in the process of grabbing the umbra staff and heading out the door.]

Stand against uhhh, the far wall? That'll do, stand against the far wall! Like away from the door.

[There's a reason for this.]

Really, really am not.

[Eddie can tell from the ambient sound and the way Taako is talking that he's on his way already, and really, he shouldn't be surprised. The last time he'd been trapped somewhere, they'd been looking for him. They had been. It might've taken them a long time, but it wasn't because they weren't looking. It's just that Taako has more information than they'd had, not that somehow a person he met like three weeks ago cares more about getting him out than his own fiancée and all his closest friends.

Nope.]

Alright. Um.

[Scooting back into the furthest corner of the elevator, he hunches down, because he has a pretty clear idea of what Taako's about to do.]

Are you seriously going to blow up the door?

Nope!

[That's the last thing Eddie's getting from the other end of the phone, before Taako hangs up.

And appears in front of Eddie, looking incredibly dashing in fucking galaxy print leggings and a sweater that's easily five sizes too big for him. He blinks a little rapidly - teleportation is always a bit weird - then smiles, holding out a hand for Eddie to take.]

Sometimes violence isn't the answer, especially when I think they'd make me pay for damages.

[It isn't an explosion, but Eddie still jumps a little, blue eyes going wide as Taako basically appears directly in front of him, and Eddie isn't sure if he imagined the pop or not.]

Whoa.

[It's partly because of the teleporting, and partly because Taako is leggy and wearing tights with galaxies on them and a massive sweater. Carrying his magic umbrella.

Maybe it's partly because of the intense swell of emotion, relief and fondness, mostly, and how much he feels like he shouldn't be this emotional over such a mundane situation. (When did magical teleporting and leggy elven wizards smiling at him become mundane?)

Abruptly, he laughs, a little shaky, and reaches out to take Taako's hand.]

You know, I don't think they'd have a leg to stand on. Aren't big buildings like this supposed to have backup generators or something?

I know, I know.

[He's pretty damn amazing and he knows it, but right now the ego is really just for show, and he's mostly relieved that Eddie isn't hurt or anything, considering the edge of nerves he picked up on.]

And I mean, I can totally blow it up if you want, for revenge, you know? But maybe you should just tell me where you wanna go.

[He could just port them back to Eddie's room, but maybe he wants to go somewhere else. Taako's a wizard, not a mind reader, and if he's using up spell slots they might as well have some fun with it.]

[For a moment, Eddie's gathering himself, licking his lips a bit nervously, still uncomfortable in the stalled-out elevator. Squaring his shoulders a little, he takes a shaky breath, his fingers brushing against Taako's palm. The tension isn't gone from him, and maybe he's not hurt, but he's definitely not at his best either.]

Honestly, I don't know where I want to go. Somewhere that's not here or my apartment. Outside, or, you know. Somewhere with more room.

[Almost as soon as it's out of his mouth, he winces a little, because that makes it so obvious, and Eddie doesn't really like admitting when things are wrong. He'd rather just move past it and smile, especially when it's something as ridiculous as being uncomfortable in confined places.]

You know, and maybe coffee or beer.

[Taako's hand is calloused but gentle when he finishes off the gesture that Eddie started, loosely tangling their fingers together because even though physical contact isn't needed for this spell, he figures it'll help.]

I know just the place.

[And with that, they're gone.

They reappear somewhere in a quieter part of the city, a rooftop bar that's more garden than anything. It's early enough in the afternoon that the couches are mostly empty, though a few patrons do cast a glance at the two men who just showed up in seemingly out of nowhere. The whole place has a bit of a rustic vibe going on, but Taako liked the cider they gave him last time he was here, and he thought having the open sky would be good.

He's not... great at this; he can recognize when people are uncomfortable and usually figure out what the issue is, but the step that comes after, being reassuring or comforting? It's not his strong point.

But he's trying.]

[For some reason, he wasn't expecting the way Taako touches his hand and tangles their fingers together. It seems very gentle, for someone he's just met recently, surprisingly touching, reassuring. Exhaling heavily, he lets out a little of the tension, and when Taako says he knows the place, Eddie squeezes his eyes shut for a moment.

The teleporting experience is not really what he was expecting. He'd kind of figured it would be like getting squeezed, or that he'd have to move through something, but instead, the two of them are just suddenly standing in the middle of a rooftop lounge or restaurant. It's under the open sky, and there are plants everywhere. Tilting his head back, Eddie looks up at the sky and smiles a little, gives Taako's hand a squeeze and then lets go of it, a little regretfully.]

Perfect.

[Licking his lips again, he glances over at Taako, and even if the elf has always seemed like the type to joke off emotions, Eddie finds himself compelled to say something. So he does, quickly.]

Sorry for freaking out a little. I'm not a big fan of being trapped places. Bad experiences. Thanks for the rescue.

[A little breath, and he tries to put on a joking tone.]

So, handsome, can I buy you a drink?

Everyone's got their shit, don't sweat it.

[Eddie's assumption is mostly right, about joking off emotions and anything that gets a little too close to genuine, but he's not being dismissive at least. Small spaces don't really bother Taako; but there are other things that would put him in the same state Eddie is in.

But the last thing he'd want to do is talk about it, and with the way Eddie moves on quickly, Taako assumes he's the same way.]

You sure can, flattery will get you everywhere. [At least with him.] They've got a great uh, cider? Pear cider, I hadn't tried it before but I'm into it.

[Taako lets it go, just lets it slide right by, and for a moment, Eddie is almost shocked. Not because it slid by, so much, but because of how. The easy way Taako brushes it off, without even the slightest hint that being scared or feeling the way he feels makes Eddie less. Less masculine or less interesting or less worthy of attention.

In fact, he's smiling and talking about getting a drink with him.

Paradoxically, it makes Eddie feel like, maybe, after a drink, he could talk about it. So he licks his lips again, takes a deep breath and grins, holds his elbow out so Taako can take his arm if he likes.]

Pear cider is one of my favourites. I mean, you can't beat a good old-fashioned apple cider, but pear is pretty close.

[After heading up to the bar and paying for both their drinks, Eddie heads over to one of the tables, tucked among a few small trees and a wall covered in lush vines with alien flowers on them, pulls a chair out for Taako before settling in himself.]

Damn, this place is really nice.

[He takes that offered arm, letting Eddie lead him over to the bar to pick up their drinks, batting his eyelashes at the bartender who gives him a bit of a look for the outfit he's wearing. He could use a spell to change how it looks, but he doesn't care enough.

He's happy to just claim a seat at the table Eddie picks out, propping his elbows up on the table so he can rest his chin in his hands.]

Isn't it just? I mean, you shouldn't be surprised, I do have great taste.

[Frankly, Eddie's glad Taako doesn't change - the outfit he's in is girly, but pretty cute, honestly. Eddie likes it, in a weird, alternative kind of way. Eddie settles into the chair opposite Taako, watching as he leans his chin in his hands.]

I don't know about that. You do call me handsome.

[It's a lame joke, a lame dig at himself, but Eddie isn't totally recovered from being stuck in the elevator yet. His heart is still going a bit too fast, his breath coming a little hard. But with Taako looking cute at the table, it's a little easier to push it down. Keep it in check.]

I hope I didn't interrupt anything important when I called.

Nope, nuh uh, the self doubt train stops at Taako station and you're getting the fuck off, I won't have a word of it.

[His tone is light, joking, but that's because he figures it's the best way to get his point across without making a big deal out of it or inviting too much discussion of things like feelings.]

I don't just call anyone handsome and frankly I think you saved me, my brain was starting to leak outta my ears with all that reading.

[For a moment, Eddie is completely caught off-guard. It isn't that he completely buys into his own self-deprecation, though it's really only half-joking. Mostly, it's that he's not used to people calling him out on it, completely rejecting it, refusing to allow him to go there. It shows on his face, his mouth falling slightly open, his blue eyes widening a little.]

I...what?

[It sounds a little stupid, but it's all he can get out, so instead of continuing, he shakes his head and glances downward, licks his lips a little nervously. Usually, when he's self-deprecating, people don't take it seriously, don't realize that it comes from being used to being overlooked and chosen over. Eddie has never quite gotten used to being conventionally attractive.]

Well. I'm glad I got to save you then, just like you saved me.

[Taako has found that just steam-rolling over people's issues is the best way to handle them, because usually it means they're too caught off guard to actually delve into a conversation about it, and he doesn't have to feel like a complete asshole for letting whatever it is drag on. Everyone wins.]

We're regular fucking heroes over here. And damsels, I guess? At the same time, that for sure works out somehow.

[He's an idiot.]

[For a moment, Eddie manages to keep a straight face, and then his lips twitch, he looks down, holds his breath and licks his lips anxiously again.]

Hero. Right.

[His voice cracks a little bit, and he exhales shakily, and maybe if he hadn't been stuck in the elevator, if he hadn't been dwelling on all the time spent under STAR Labs, it might not have hit home quite so much.]

I'm not a hero, believe me. Maybe a damsel. [A soft laugh.] It's really funny how the stupidest things can get you, you know?

[Oh okay they're talking about it, that sure is a thing that can happen.]

Bubbale, I couldn't cook for fucking years without getting the shakes. Whatever's, uh, whatever you've got going on is fine. Who gives a shit if you're not down with small spaces, you know?

[He doesn't mean in the who cares about your problems way, but in a things are allowed to be scary kinda way.]

Doesn't make you any less of whatever the fuck you wanna be.

[Whether that's a hero or not.]

[It's stupid, to talk about it, honestly. It's a stupid idea, and the moment Taako stumbles over his words a little while he's responding, Eddie immediately regrets bringing it up again. For a moment, he's quiet, fiddling with his drink, making sure the bottom of the glass is dead center on the coaster, watching the little bubbles make their way up through the cider.

But Taako is being reassuring, awkward or not, and for a moment, Eddie feels strange and vulnerable and a little overwhelmed. Biting at the inside of his lip, he hesitates, eyes flicking up to Taako. It feels like it's been a really long time since someone addressed his issues instead of dismissing them, awkward as it might be, and he's caught somewhere between feeling uncomfortable and almost painfully grateful.]

I was kidnapped. For a couple weeks, almost. The guy tied me to a chair and I was stuck in a small room. I only got out a few days before I died and ended up here. I'm not used to small spaces anymore, but, you know, it'll get better.

[Shrugging awkwardly, he takes a sip of his cider, and smiles at Taako a little, hesitant.]

Thanks.

[Well, shit.

Taako is willing to admit that he's dealt with some pretty messed up shit and lived through it, and not just when he was with the Bureau, there had been plenty of bad things before that, but he's never been kidnapped and tied to a fucking chair for weeks. He's a little lost for words, not sure what to say that can really make any of that better, but not stupid enough to miss that it means something that Eddie's opening up? To him?

Why do people think he's any good at this, because he's not. Until the Bureau he was never around anyone long enough for them to tell him this sorta shit.]

You're welcome? [He laughs, but it's a little unsure, a little awkward.] Not entirely sure what I did, unless we're still talking the rescue, in which case, duh. [The good thing about being the sort of person who talks a lot is that it's perfectly acceptable to ramble a bit while trying to figure out what the hell to say.] Dying's pretty rough, though, right? I super never want to do that again. [Nope, still not right.] I'm, uh, shit. I'm sorry, about happened. That fucking sucks, man.

[He tried so hard and got so far and in the end totally screwed it up anyway.]

[For a few long moments, he's completely silent, awkwardly so, and he immediately and desperately regrets having said a thing. It's a strange line to walk between opening up because Taako is the one he called to rescue him from the elevator, and keeping his cool because they don't actually know each other all that well, and he feels like he's completely fallen to the wrong end of the line.

Especially when Taako suddenly sounds so awkward and uncertain, then rambles about the rescue before commenting about dying. Dancing around the topic like he doesn't quite know how to settle on it. It's a little reassuring that Taako seems to want to help, but Eddie still finds himself almost painfully embarrassed.]

Yeah, of course I meant for the rescue. And, you know, for not immediately jumping up and running for the nearest exit when I overshared. [A wan smile, but he takes a deep breath before moving on, glancing down at his drink.] You've died?

[In the interest of not addressing the point about running away, since it really was tempting and he feels like kind of a dick for even considering it, Taako leaps on the chance to discuss much palatable topics.

Like dying.]

Buncha times, if I'm being honest. There was this whole thing with like, a time loop and a giant worm? Kinda lost track of how many times we got killed, most of 'em Magnus' fault cause he kept blowing us the fuck up. And there's another eight times I don't fucking remember, but according to the grim reaper they happened.

[It's all said so casually, which is either a front or Taako is just really chill about the sheer number of times he's died.

It's the latter.]

[Eddie might not be anywhere near the type of person who would run away from someone in distress, but he also completely understands people who do. He's been a cop long enough to have heard a lot of terrible stuff, and so he thinks he's pretty prepared to listen to almost anything.

That particular conception, however, is seriously challenged when Taako starts talking about his deaths, though. Casually, almost off-handed, like it doesn't matter, he describes being trapped somewhere and killed over and over, by a giant worm or being blown up, and having forgotten other times he died.]

Oh my god.

[The expression on Eddie's face is horrified, and he's almost completely forgotten his own distress (its so much easier to focus on someone else's problems instead of his own).]

That's awful. Are you okay?

Oh, uh...

[He's a little caught off guard by the sheer amount of concern, because it was just a thing that happened, something to get through in order to recover a relic, and really, Refuge was way better than Wonderland.

And unlike Eddie, he didn't stay dead.]

It's cool? I mean, it was-- it hurt like hell or whatever but not for very long before we reset. Just another day at work, ya know?

[semi-open] ✪ may your smile shine on, don't be scared

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