* 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆 .

tw: infidelity, neglect, pregnancy.

it had always been something they had been forced to differ on : even when they were younger jaden would spend hours with his pierced nose shoved up against the glass of forbidden planet , planning out everything he would buy if he was ever lucky enough to win the lottery . a lot of things had changed since jaden and his high-school boyfriend had parted ways , but that wasn’t one of them . the male gestured towards the figure , a wave of his hand fuelled by feigned nonchalance . “ i gotta keep dreamin’ . there’s no way i’n getting my hands on him , no matter how desperate i get . hookin’ up the wifi in the homes of old ladies doesn’t pay too great . “ eyes focused on the green juice , then on the expression of the other , “ what you doing all the way out here , anyway ?? “ 

zeke liked to think that their differences are what brought the two of them closer together back in the day, even if he didn’t really know who he was at the time and didn’t felt nearly as much passion for pretty much anything as jaden did. but it was nice and somewhat amusing to see that things hadn’t changed much, and that brings a smile to his lips. “shit. but why’re those toys so damn expensive, though? people spend loads of money on stuff like that for what purpose exactly?” he shakes his head, the whole concept seemed absolutely insane for someone that didn’t have much money at all growing up. zeke takes another sip of his juice and hums. “i’m on my way to the station. saw you droolin’ over there and needed to see what it was about.”

the storm had calmed down but the electricity had been down for hours now with no hopes of it coming back any time soon. zeke had already ventured outside to drop his daughter off at someone’s house and called his, uh, boyfriend? lover? he still wasn’t sure what exactly to call gunner but he knew that he cared about the male, letting his worries show when he asked if he could stop by at his place. he just needed to see him. the door opens and zeke’s giving the other a small lopsided grin, leaning forward to press his lips against his, a hand rested onto gunner’s cheek. “hope it’s okay i stopped by.” voice wavers with a bit of uncertainty as he pulls back slightly. “just needed to make sure you were all good.”

it was just zeke’s luck that a storm would hit roswell on the same week as he had flew his daughter in from new york city to spend time with her—what a whole goddamned disaster. luckily for him, things hadn’t been as bad on his end and since it wasn’t safe for anyone to be outside, he wasn’t called into work and was able to keep the little one safe. still, as soon as it was okay to be outside in order to help, zeke was there after dropping anais somewhere with one of his siblings. head cocks to the side as the firefighter sees someone approaching him, dropping whatever he was looking at to focus on them instead. “hey, can i help you find anythin’ or are you here to volunteer, too?”

it was strange , really , not being forced to turn in the other direction and run away when they caught sight of their brother . they were so used to ducking behind cars or changing their trajectory to avoid walking alongside somebody that shared their second name — although their relationship was much like a patchwork quilt of hasty repairs and threadbare edges it was coming together , and out of the many siblings it was safe to say sparrow’s relationship with zeke was the strongest . “ you mean anything ?? “ they questioned , neglecting to return their greeting and instead morphing into that irritating younger sibling that they always had been , and would continue to be even in their adulthood , “ ‘cus i am pretty hungry . “ 

“yeah, that is exactly what i just said, you dummy.” in the same way sparrow went right back into their younger sibling ways as soon as they could, the same applied to zeke and his older brother ways. it was actually nice to be able to talk with a family member without feeling like he was walking on eggshells, just waiting for a fight to break out. at least sparrow had already gotten their own lashing out at him—or so he thinks. he opens the door and gives way for them to walk inside, following right behind and finding a booth for them to sit together. “so, what’s it gonna be?” zeke questions as he opens up the menu, humming at the options. 

“yeah, but you can’t wait too long - you gotta go when she’s young enough to enjoy the princess party,” gunner grinned, one of his eyebrows quirking up as he spoke. “and, i mean… it’s probably a pretty safe bet that you’d wanna take her when she was a teenager, too. old enough to enjoy the cool rides, at least.” he’d never been to disney himself - his family had never struggled for money, but they’d never done anything to spend more time together than absolutely necessary, so family vacations were out of the question - but it’d been one of those places he’d always thought sounded like fun. the offer hung on the tip of his tongue - the idea of taking a vacation to florida to experience the happiest place on earth, - but he held it in. he hadn’t even met the other male’s daughter yet, so an offer of a vacation was definitely out of the question just now. the other male enjoying the wine he’d picked out had a grin spreading over the male’s face, head nodding just a touch. “yeah, uh-” he glanced towards the waiter, ordering some sort of surf and turf meal he’d been eying since he’d opened the menu, before turning back towards zeke after he’d given his own. “i’ve gotta admit, i haven’t been on many vacations myself. it’s… i don’t know. going someplace new alone has never been an idea that appealed to me. i’ve always wanted them to be experiences i shared with other people, and i’ve never really had anyone to go with, so…” he gave a small, sheepish grin. “well. other than a few weeks on a yacht in europe, but i’d sort of been bullied into that one by someone i knew, because he called me a stick in the mud for never accepting his offers of going places for new years. somehow ibiza was the compromise for that.”

the thought that he had the means to actually take his little girl to disney world to experience things he never even thought were possible when he was a kid himself makes zeke’s heart warm. there’s the twinge of jealousy that his inner child feels but his daughter’s happiness was all that mattered to him now. so he ends up agreeing with gunner, a small chuckle as he nods his head. “no, you’re completely right. maybe when, uh, things on my end slow down a bit i can take her there. but it’s definitely on my list of things i want her to experience, don’t worry.” he feels guilty even thinking about such a thing when his mom’s health was still something to worry about but the other male didn’t knew that, they both didn’t know a lot of things about each other’s lives but that was the exact point of their current dinner. to discuss the future of whatever they were having. he leans forward lightly as he listens, a little grin of his own when gunner admits to never having anyone to go on vacations with him. “well, money had always played a huge part in why i never went on vacations—and then anais was born, i had a little person to care for. i also never had anyone to go with, didn’t really make sense to me to go all by myself.” he chuckles, closing his eyes for a moment as his nose scrunches up. “but ibiza, huh? sounds like that would be fun.” zeke comments, taking a small sip of his wine.

Spruce shrugged, but they appreciated it nonetheless, they turned to Zeke and offered a tiny smile. “Okay, I lied, I’m not okay,” they said. Something about their sibling made them feel less inclined to fight back. But in a different way from how they had acted to Sparrow. They felt bad about that. “I still might have overreacted.”

zeke’s lips curve into a small smile in return, feeling somewhat honored that they chose to share the truth with him instead of brushing it off again. made him feel like there was something to be saved in their relationship. “don’t know what the conversation was about but when it comes to him? doubt that you overreacted.” he shrugs. “d’ya wanna... grab a coffee or somethin’? we don’t have to talk ‘bout this, but it might help make you feel a little better.” he offers. it was the least he could do.

location: the wild pony

open to anyone!

it’s totally fine for bryce to flirt with a pretty lady while on the job, right? employee rights or whatever. nonetheless, they have to shift their attention when a customer pops up. “hello, what drink can i get for you?” if he sounds a little bitchy, don’t take it personally. he’s just unenthusiastic about customer service on principle, but really, shouldn’t we all be?

          the wild pony definitely wasn’t the first choice when zeke needed a drink or two but after a long shift, he just didn’t feel like making the long way down to the other bar in town. and so he settles for the dingy place that smelled like nothing but cheap beer, sweat and desperation. “don’t you look just chirpy tonight?” he teases as he rests his elbows onto the sticky counter, playful smile on his lips. “i’m feelin’ adventurous tonight. surprise me?”

location: forbidden planet !

status: open with @roswellstarters

he stared through the tempered glass like a child at the zoo . the action figure — a twelve inch standing plastic model of ‘ cyclops ‘ from x-men — stared back at him through that moulded-on mask , almost taunting the male who could never afford it , not in a million years . clearing his throat and turning , the male realised he hadn’t been alone : another patron had been watching his pathetic yearning , his silent prayers . nonchalant , or as nonchalant as he could be , he gestured towards the case . “ pretty cool , huh ?? “ 

          sipping on his green juice on the way to the fire station, zeke stops in his tracks and cocks his head to the side when he notices the figure of jaden in a trance-like state, enamored by something in the window display of the store. smirk creeps up on the sides of his lips when the other looks in his direction, “that stare down looked intense.” he moves closer to see what exactly had the male looking like that. “i guess? i’ve never cared much for things like that.” zeke shrugs, eyes falling back on jaden. “so, you gonna take him home or just dream ‘bout it, cowboy?”

           being back at their childhood ‘home’ was something her never quite got used to . the amount of fights . their father’s voice raised ,  cutting through the thin walls . loud enough to peel off the tacky , 70′s wallpaper . dissolve a layer of sheetrock . and even as little ears tried their best not to hear it , attempting to fill nights by drowning our the arguments , there came a point where everything got too loud . even know , as emmett stepped into that trailer to visit ( despite his own only being a few down the lane way ) it was all still too loud . ❝ rough , huh ?? ❞ he pipes up , she wasn’t in the best of states . hand digs through the pocket of his hoodie and tosses a lighter gently at the older male . ❝ just don’t steal it . and don’t smoke next to the window . ❞ as if that was going to help anything now .

          “yeah...” he breathes out, hand catching the lighter in the air. seeing his poor mother in such a state wasn’t easy and it had him wondering if things would’ve been different if he had returned home earlier. but what was even the point in beating himself up over things he couldn’t change anymore? all zeke could really do was stick by her side now, take her to appointments, be there for her. he lights the cigarette, stepping away from the trailer as he nods. “no, i know.” he tosses the lighter back at emmett. “i should quit smokin’. don’t know why i still do.” it’s what he always says whenever there’s a nicotine stick between his fingers. but does he actually goes through with it? the answer’s obvious. he clears his throat, blue hues squinting in the distance before they land back on his brother. “so, uh, ma said you in a band or somethin’...” he starts, trying to clear up the air between the two. “is that right?”

Spruce didn’t want to look at Zeke at first, trying to think of all these reasons why they didn’t have to talk about it. They didn’t share blood, their father wasn’t his. But that would be unfair in regards of the situation. They did share that father, they did experience his presence long enough, Spruce for much longer. They swallowed. “I’m okay,” they lied. “I know… I probably overreacted.”

          with his biological father in his life now, a male figure that actually cared and tried to help him in any way he could, it was hard for zeke not to imagine what his life would’ve been like if he had grown up with him instead. but this wasn’t about him, it was about spruce. they weren’t blood related, and that was hardly important for zeke anyways, but they still had grown up under the same roof, together. and they’d always be his younger sibling, even if there was a palpable distance between them nowadays, he still cared. “’s okay. we don’t have to talk ‘bout it but you also don’t have to lie to me.” he shrugs lightly, but a shake of his head follows. “sorry... i didn’t mean to, like, snoop into your private life ‘cause that’s actually none of my business.” 

gunner gives a small nod of his head as he picks up the wine list from the table, eyes skimming over it as he weighs what he knows about each bottle on the list in his mind to make a decision - and it only takes him a moment, before the waiter is walking over and he’s requesting a bottle of a cabernet sauvignon, and then focusing back on wyatt again, his grin a bit wider now. he was confident in his choice, at least, and was almost excited to see if the other male actually enjoyed it as much as he thought he would. “was new york the only place you ever went?” he finds himself asking, head cocking to the side just a touch. “or did you go other places, too? took vacations?” he likes the fact that wyatt is mentioning his daughter - while gunner knows next to nothing about kids, he knows better than to think he’d ever get anywhere with the other male without getting to know his daughter. without her liking him, one day down the line when wyatt introduces them. or at least, he hopes the other male will - if tonight goes well, at least. “please tell me you’ve taken her to disney world, at least. or that might have to be tacked on to the list of future vacations.” 

          “i lived in los angeles for a couple of years before i found my way to new york but i’m afraid i wasn’t able to see much outside of that.” zeke always dreamt of traveling around the globe, and that’s something he’s sure all of his siblings had thought about too. he’d been lucky that he was able to make it out of roswell and see a little more of land than the town he’d been born in but there had never been enough time or money for him to see more. his lips upturn into a smile at gunner’s words, pleasantly surprised by that. though zeke hadn’t dated much since she was born, there still was the fear of introducing someone to anais and them choosing to not stick around. she was still too young and he worried that she’d grow attached too quickly and be let down. but he’d be lying if the thought of introducing gunner to her hadn’t crossed his mind yet. what could he say? the man was special. “i’m afraid i haven’t gotten the chance to do that yet.” he chuckles. “but she’s still five so that’s my excuse. i want her to remember somethin’ like that, ya know?” he says as he smiles at the waiter when their wine is served and he takes a small sip, a pleased smile on his lips. “oh wow, gunner, this is really good. you might actually make a wine man out of me tonight.” zeke praises. “do you want to, uh, order dinner yet?” 

          some days were tougher than others when paying his mom a visit. zeke already hated being stuck in the very same trailer he had grown up in, where he’d experienced some pretty bad things back in his childhood, but the air was heavier now. he excuses himself from his mom’s side, hand digging through the pockets of his jeans while trying to find his pack of cigarettes as he steps out. there, he finds his younger brother, a quick nod of his head in emmett’s direction. “hey, you got a lighter?” he wonders as he continues to pat through his outfit. it wasn’t ideal for a man of his profession to be a smoker but old habits die hard. “think i might’ve lost mine somewhere.”

          morning jogs around the block with his dogs always seem like a good idea until ripley catches sight of a squirrel and starts dashing away, causing zeke to speed up his pace to try and stop her. luckily, something else catches her attention and the dog is stopping her pursue to make her way towards a woman instead. “ripley, no. leave her alone.” he reprimands firmly and she obeys, sitting down with her tail wagging around wildly. “i’m so sorry, ma’am—” he starts to apologize, knowing not everyone was fond of having a pitbull come in their direction even if zeke’s were actually the sweetest pets, and that’s when he realizes said ma’am is actually his older sister. well, she was practically a stranger to him nowadays. when was even the last time they held an actual conversation with each other? was she even aware of the fact he had a mini me running around? “oh, um.” he takes a more firm hold onto ripley’s leash, clearing his throat. “sorry, i didn’t notice that it was you. you, uh, you live ‘round here too?” zeke presses his lips together, not even sure of why he’s trying to make small talk. he supposes it would be worse to run away in the opposite direction.