moondance

“ you say that like you didn’t earn anything out of that?” Gavin replied with a smile as he looked over to his brother in law. He would never disrespect his sister by calling her a prize but it was clear that following Aylin around at those parties had paid off. Sure things were always complicated but that didn't mean they would always be that way. @aricohenx

"i learnt how to smoke a blunt or two ten minutes before a class without my lecturer noticing i was high." ari mirrors his grin back towards his brother in law. "that and i somehow managed to get your sister to date me. how i managed that, no clue." ari was a lot lankier, had what his friends deemed 'nerdy' glasses and just didn't really stand out from the crowd. it was only till after he graduated ari began to bulk up.

starter @aurorabaystarter – any bar.

"—hey, it's not over. best out of three." ari grins, slapping the rim of the pool table several times. ari was so close, he wasn't ready to give up on his non existent tittle at the bar.

"I suppose at some point the old uncle will take my money for me, especially when a couple nights get a little painful on the back." He hadn't actually bought a new mattress since he moved into Aurora Bay, and back then he was still a little bit of a party animal, completely different to where he was now. Maybe the mattress wasn't exactly what he needed but maybe by buying one, he would symbolize exactly what he needed, a fresh start.

"what the hell are you sleeping on right now?" ari rests his arm on the handle of his ore, comfortably resting his weight, "rocks? cough up the cash or you'll feel like an old man before you become one" ari owed the decent mattress he and aylin bought for the somewhat decent spine he still had bordering close to forty. ari waits with his kayak, already in his swim shorts already somewhat saturated by sea spray. "i'm regretting suggesting this already." his focus sits on the water lapping the shore, pausing before stepping in. "fuck, its freezing." ari doesn't want to chicken out too early, so the man sinks his body under water for a moment, forcing his body to adjust to the temperature.

“ honestly me too. I had done my share of partying but most of it had been more about making industry connections verses all of that “he also had done his share of drinking recently too but that had to do more with his situation verses partying. “ that makes it sound like one of us is going to back out which is not gonna happen thankfully? But yeah, we’re making a go of everything “ @aricohenx

"i wish i had a more productive reason like that." ari snorts humorously, shaking his head at his own self. "i was a scrawny kid in a state that leaned very much in college town that was very fond of recreations activities, that followed your sister around in parties like a lost puppy that didn't have the guts to ask her out." that last part he didn't mind so much, he certainly gained a lot of confidence when finally trying to win aylin's affections back then.

"They won't get me to buy a new mattress any time soon, I'll live in my corner office before they get a chance to even think about conning me into buying a new one." Perhaps that was the wrong tone to live in at this time, but he didn't want to be a materialistic sell out who used up his money on shit that didn't matter. "I think I'm going to be putting in a petition to the university. I want a bedazzled sign now. Maybe you'll start a movement and we'll all be sporting bedazzled names." It was a thought, he could imagine all the professors getting mad that fake jewels were being glued to their office doors. "I tell you what, if you're brave enough, I'll go in with you. Could probably use a bit of a way to clear my thoughts."

"you gotta give in to uncle sam at some point and just buy the damn mattress." ari could of cried at the price tag the pimple-faced teen at the mattress store quoted him when he first moved into the aurora bay home with aylin. but after several years ari still had an operational spine unlike most men his age — so maybe pubescent low wage worker touting the marketing lines for the mattress was right the whole time. "actors and singers get one, why not us?" he lifts his ore up into the air, and pushes the handle back down into sand as if he was making some grand statement. "great. i'll look like somewhat less of a whimp when we both inevitable chicken out after a few minutes in the cold."

"Should've started with that. Maybe you'd have gotten me out here sooner." Delilah called teasingly, hands up in her hair to tighten her ponytail before locking the door behind her.

"sorry." he offers a sheepish smile, reaching back to scratch at the nape of his neck. "i wasn't expecting it to be this cold when i woke up this morning." rookie mistake. he notes to pay better attention to the forecast next time he plans to drag delilah out of the comfort of her home. turning on his heels he begins the walk in the direction of town, falling in line with his friends step, rubbing his forearm to keep in the warmth. "i'm done with winter. it's fun and gimmicky in the holidays but now i'm dying for a semblance of heat."

“ I think that sort of thing only happens when there’s a communal bowl. If not then I’m clearly getting old now too” Gavin replied with humor to his voice. In a lot of ways he felt old because he had been living a much slower life the last few years and he while he didn’t miss the chaos. He missed the music. “ we’ve finally talked about things between us. Turns out im an oblivious idiot who didn’t realize she was in love with me since we were teenagers. But the good thing is I felt the same way about her, despite my lack of awareness. “ @aricohenx

"it's been a long time since i've been at a party with a communal bowl." his party times in the late 90's and early 00's seemed like a complete world away. now he was a single light beer kind of man, had he become the person the young version of him never wanted to be? ari gins, happy to see that things seemed to be going well in gavin's life, "that's great. so you guys are going to follow through?" he didn't want to suggest they had to be in a relationship immediately, feelings were often so complicated. "regardless, i'm happy for you."

"Well, that's not to say I don't have a little corner of my office set up just in case I get burnt out and need to take a nap in the middle of the day, you know sometimes I just need that moment to refresh and reset. Man, they cheaped out on you, no bedazzled sign? It's a crime." Charley put a few things away that he had used today, locking them up. "You're telling me. I'd rather it wouldn't freeze me. Just coming in, the water is beautiful today, no matter how cold."

"corporate america has a chokehold when you're napping in your office on an office chair and not your nice mattress." ari may laugh at the notion, but he plans to never let the elusive charm of centring his focus on work ever happen again. hence why he'd taken himself out onto the water on this fine afternoon. "i still want a bedazzled sign on my office door. i feel rather left out on that one." when he eventually found himself a home office space, ari planned to never go to an office again unless it was detrimental. "i'm trying to psych myself up to at least take one dunk. y'know, clear out the cobwebs."

Gavin knew he had no place to discuss relationship matter with anyone. Every single woman in his life was a complicated relationship that he was trying to navigate without anyone ever getting hurt. He had his ex, the mother of his child and, his best friend who was the love of his life. To say things were messy was an understatement. He was just hoping he’d figure it all out before he screwed it up. But he still wanted to be there for Aylin when it came to her situation but also wanted to be there for Ari if he needed support. “ I’ve spent over half my life with Aylin and I will never know the full story but that is part of just growing up the way we did, I think. There’s stuff I never told her but I know we still understand one another even if we don’t talk about it. “ he noted. It was complicated sometimes when you’re in an environment when all of you came from some sort of adoption story. We all had loved before and after and we’d only be able to know so much. “ then have those hard conversations. Don’t they say the only way around a problem is through it?” @aricohenx

complicated love was the trope the men seemed to share. and maybe that might of been the only reason gavin didn't get on his soap box about ari as much as the man expected. with age the two men still had so much to learn in life, coming up from their own hurdles and trying to get back on their feet. "that's fair, but if she and i don't talk then there won't be an understanding to build on in the first place." he explains, with a gentle wince, letting his head fall from side to side. ari couldn't force aylin to tell him how she felt. "we do, but i always feel like there's so much she omits. not blaming her or anything, i just want to know what's going on so i can work out how to make her feel better."

“ you never know. Some of those drinks are kind of strong tonight. I gotta always be on my toes with people. Besides I’m not the only tall, guy with long dark hair here so who knows what people are thinking “ he added shaking his head. He also didn’t want anyone trying to kiss him unless they were one specific person and so far he hadn’t seen her yet.

"i don't know if i've become an irrational old man with age, but i'm scared of kids spiking the punch and me ending up on the floor." however the last time ari had ever experienced such was house parties in the early 2000's, the absurd fear had never left him. "by the sound of it maybe we both need to start thinking positive thoughts." an amused dances across ari's features. "how is she?" he asks, mindlessly scratching at his own stuble, ari had fallen so out of the loop when it came to gavin and juliet.

Charley at least was glad to see a familiar face on this particular jaunt. This meant no weird introductions and trying to get a conversation flowing. "Oh, you haven't seen my bed set up in the corner of the staff room? Charley's Corner is emblazoned on the wall even." He let out half a chuckle, checking his gauges before looking back up. "How's the water today?"

"you joke but when i worked overseas i had actually had a camping bed set up in my office during the busy weeks, it was super depressing to look at." one of many reasons ari made the decision to come home, most of them involved missing his wife. "i didn't even get a bedazzled sign." a lazy smile hangs of ari's lips, piercing his ore into the sand for it to stand up vertically. "beautiful. if i wouldn't freeze to death out there i would of jumped in." it was awfully tempting, though. "you been out yet?"

Location: Near the Lighthouse With: Anyone @aurorabaystarter

ari glances up at the familiar man, pulling his kayak along the softer sand towards the water. "i don't know man, when i was little i completely believed my teachers lived in the staff room." with grin and a shrug, ari sits the green kayak down, the release of tension from it's weight puts his arm at ease.