#harshwinterstorm

( @harshwinterstorm )

@harshwinterstorm

The dinner was nothing fancy at all. In fact, it had been pulled out together from gathering all the ingredients he had left in his fridge. All the vegetables he had left with some pasta and sauce. He also chopped some bacon in it. It didn’t turn out all bad. He finished setting up the table for two, hopping that the smell was reaching the corridor, so Mrs. Anderson would know that his niece was really coming over for dinner. He was not proud to stand on the old lady on the last minute, but was also glad that he would have a break from his ‘good Samaritan’ life style and do something to himself.

Of course, he was happy to have Xanthe around, yet, he wished this had happened in better circumstances. Rod made a vow to himself, though: he would not mention Jimmy. If this name made all the way to the dinner table, it would be Xanthe to bring it up. Not Rod. As far as angry and frustrated he felt for not addressing to the matter, his niece had the right have at least one good evening. He was there to offer her the support Leah could sometimes found hard to give. As the door rang he repeated his vows to himself one more time: he would not bring Jimmy up in the conversation.

“Hey, glad to have you here. Please don’t mind the mess. I would not have time to clean it and fix us supper.” at his place he would not wear his shades, and his clothes also helped giving him a very easy going appearance, something somewhat out his character. But contradicting his words, his apartment was all neat, as it would usually be. Nothing more, and nothing less. He leaned over in a whispering voice. “Mrs. Anderson is probably watching you from her peephole.”

( @harshwinterstorm​ )

It had been a very long month. Paul had lost a lot of weight. He had almost given up hope on ever seeing Chase again. He knew the time was going to come that he needed to check himself into a hospital. Xanthe couldn’t baby him forever, but he hadn’t done it yet. The phone had rang and he was out the door, at the hospital, and at Chase’s side. He was back. His baby was back. 

A couple of hours of sitting at the hospital and Paul had driven to The Attic. He really wasn’t in the mood for the music. His nerves were on edge and he just in general felt like crap after all his stressing and worrying. He walked inside though, fidgeting with the sleeves on his hoodie. He stepped up to the bar and leaned against it. “I need to see Xanthe..” He told the first person he saw and looked around, waiting for her. 

Paul had let himself in just as she said. He then walked over and laid across her couch. He tossed his arm over his eyes and yawned a bit. She said she would be here in ten minutes, but he highly doubted it. If she was just getting off work, she would be here in more like thirty minutes probably. They always seemed to love finding extra tasks for her. He wasn’t completely asleep, but he was at least in a nice relaxed state when he heard the door open. “Hey...” He said, peaking out from under his arm. He rocked himself upright, grabbing to the couch cushion as all the blood rushed back to his head. “I have news.” He grinned slightly. “I was going to text, but I was a little preoccupied. And I thought it would go better in person.”

Paul: Are you home?

Paul: Are you at work?

Paul stepped up and slid onto a bar stool. He was hoping that Xanthe’s schedule hadn’t changed too much and that she would be here. He hadn’t seen her in a while, but he was hoping to maybe steal her once she got off. He sat and picked at the cut on his hand. When he saw the shadow cast across him, he smiled softly and looked up. “Just a cherry coke... and you after you get off.” 

Paul shifted his book bag onto his shoulder, reaching into his pocket to fiddle for his keys. He slipped the key into the lock before turning it and shoving the door open. Obviously he hadn’t been home by the fact that only one of the five locks on the door was latched. As soon as the door came open, Cerberus was immediately running and jumping for him. He chuckled slightly, nearly falling back. “Whoa, man, whoa...” He let his book bag slide off his shoulders and he made the dog step forward so he could close the door. He looked up as Xanthe appeared and he gave an almost ashamed smile. As soon as they had gotten him to the hospital and calmed down, she was the one he called to take care of the dogs. “Thanks for this...” He said in a small voice.