Awkward

Gage keeps his eyes out the window for most of the ride to his apartment, engaging only in some surface smalltalk. By the time they are parked and Sapphire is asking him about tonight though, he was feeling even more badly for being grouchy with her.

"Yeah... five o'clock will work." He nods and unbuckles his seatbelt, ready to exit but he pauses.

Turning back to her, he gives her a look of apology. "Sorry I snapped at you. Guess it was just a long night at work." Leaning over, he gives her cheek a tender kiss. "See you tonight and... I promise to be in a better mood." He muster up a smile for her and gives her cheek another quick kiss before getting out of the car.

Waving as she backs out of the lot, he finally turns and heads inside, his walk a little heavier today.


The prospect of hanging up on Quinn brings a wry grin to Axel's face. Sighing, he turns and reaches around Jess to take the bagels out of the toaster. "Here... at least you can go ahead and eat. I'll toast mine next."

Fingering the number again, his stomach churns. But finally his thumb begins to hit the buttons on the phone. Pacing in a small circle, he hears the ringing and waits. His eyes drift to Jess again. He was sorry that he was distracted and not giving her his full attention like usual, but he was glad she was here too.


Quinn jumps as his cell phone goes off. He'd just started to doze. Grabbing the phone from the nightstand, he looks at the screen. Unknown. His heart skips a beat. It could be anybody... it could be a wrong number... But somehow he knew it was not.

Sitting up on the bed, he waits for a couple more rings before finally answering. "Hello?"


Axel stops his pacing dead in his tracks. It had been seven years, but the voice hadn't changed much. His mouth goes dry and his pulse quickens as he tries to find his own voice. "Quinn?"

Quinn blinks. It was Axel. He'd actually called. "Yeah..." His response wasn't quite as strong as he'd intended. "Axel?"

"Yeah." Axel throws Jess a quick glance. He'd never felt so vulnerable around her before. "You... wanted me to call?"

Quinn swallows hard and stands up to start pacing the hotel room. "I... ran across a girl... your girlfriend? Saw the dogtags and, um..." Well, what did he really want? Why had he wanted Axel to call him in the first place? Now he felt stupid.

Axel waits as the pause drags on and he starts walking in a circle again, tucking his free hand in his jeans pocket. "She said you'd be in town a couple days."

"Right. Just... passing through."

"Oh."

Quinn cringes a little. This was not going well. He couldn't remember a time he'd felt so awkward. Still pacing, he tucks one hand in his pocket. "So you... live around here?"

"Yeah." Axel wasn't sure how much information he wanted to give out. The tone of Quinn's voice didn't sound threatening but who knew what his motives were? He stops pacing and looks to Jess again as if begging for help, but knowing she could do nothing. "Do you... want to get together?" He shrugs lamely, not having thought of asking that and he waits for Quinn's response while still looking at Jess.

Quinn stops at his window and looks out again, surprised by the question. The last time they'd spoken, they'd disowned each other. Quinn had walked away - turned his back on his brother. And now that brother wanted to see him? A pang in the bottom of Quinn's heart warned him that perhaps it was him all along that had had the biggest problem with the relationship. "Um..." He stalls. He wanted to say no. And then he thinks of Anastasia. He recalls her words about reasons, and he recalls his agreeing that God had His hand in this. If Quinn said no now, he'd never find out what the plan had been. "Sure."

Axel blinks. His brother wanted to see him? After believing the charges against him? After turning his back? After rejecting him and cutting all ties? Now he wasn't so sure this was a good idea. But he'd already asked. He had to follow through. "Okay..." He racks his brain for a location.

Quinn seems to read his mind. "I was at a coffee shop last night... the Coffee Bean?"

"Yeah I know where it is." Axel figures it was as good a place as any. Public but quiet. "When?"

"Um..." Now it was Quinn's turn to think. Now? Later? Tomorrow? "Lunch?"

Axel hesitates. His stomach was already off the way it was. "I... that might not-"

"-be a good idea," Quinn finishes for him, nodding. His stomach didn't feel so hot right now and if anything went wrong, it would just be a waste of money and effort. A faint, wry grin creases his lips as he remembers when they'd used to finish each other's sentences all the time. "Ten o'clock?"

"Sure." Axel didn't even know why he was agreeing.

"Okay."

"Okay."

The pause was so awkward someone could see it with their eyes. Quinn makes the first move to end the call. "See you later then."

"Yeah, okay."

"Bye."

"Bye." Axel hits the end button on the phone and just stares at it for a moment before looking back at Jess. "Ten o'clock..." He swallows hard. "I don't know if I can do this."