Chapter 2
Simon sighed as he leaned back against the wall of the hallway and rubbed his temple. He took a deep breath calming himself down, this was getting annoying. Soap rarely left that room, other then to get water, eat a meal, sometimes talk to ivy and play with her for a moment or use the washroom. He rarely even came to bed, most nights staying up laying sleepless and staring blankly at the ceiling and listening to the muffled noises of whatever the tv was playing.
Ghost worried about him. Worried to much about him to the point that’s all he had been thinking about the last week. Unable to focus unless he knew soap ate, drank and at least slept a little bit. He sighed again and pushed himself off the wall and walked back over to where he’d left Gary and Ivy alone.
"Gary, I promise he'll co-" ghost stopped what he was saying as he walked into the living room, the sight he saw had his heart melting. Roach laying on the floor in the small, but big enough to fit Gary, pillow fort he and ivy had made together. He was curled up in a blanket with ivy laying tucked into his chest as if he was shielding the little girl from some sort of danger.
The movie they were watching earlier was still playing in the background, nearing its end. It was some sort of child's movie that he hadn't paid much mind to while he was out there with them.
He assumed it was some sort of Disney movie about an animal, like Bambi. Ivy was really interested in animals at the moment. Most of her room filled with stuffed animals of animals and paper with crayon scribbles that showed the form of some sort of forest creature that ivy had in her mind at the time. She was a good artist for her age, roach would tell her, getting giggles and hand flaps in return. She wasn’t great with talking even though most kids her age are, they try her best with her. Even though they’re not great teachers since only two of them can talk(easily) and she clings to Gary.
Simon Walks Back around the couch to enter the open kitchen again, walking around the island and returning to what he was doing before. Just cutting up some fruit to put away until Monday. Fruit that would be put into a small container and into ivy’s bag for when she’d leave for daycare.(I HATE DAYCARES OMG,, I HAD TO WORK AT ONE FOR A SUMMER AND I WAS REGEHSHFUDJRHUFUCUCUC thank you for coming to my ted talk, back to this shitty writing.) He smiled to himself at the thought of Gary’s sad expression every time they had to drop her off for the day.
It was a mix of fruits ones they all liked. Blueberries, strawberries and pineapple. Well, Gary didn’t like blueberries. He said they’re to squishy and the texture makes him physically cringe at the thought of swallowing it.(me fr I still eat them though.)
He cut them up and crouched down to open the cupboards door. Reaching inside and pulling out a medium sized clear glass bowl with a purple plastic top. Simon opened the container and placed it down on the counter, grabbing his knife and the cutting board to scrap them into the container for later. He closed it up and placed the cutting board and knife in the sink before Turing to the fridge. His smile quickly faded as he noticed the almost empty bottle of scotch hidden in the back of the bottom of the fridge.
John had told them he quit drinking.
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MacTavish stood and backed away from his desk, cheeks stained with old tears as he looked at his desk. Looked at how it showed that he’d been neglecting it and himself. How dirty it looked.
Maybe Simon was right. He needs to get his shit together and be there for his lovers and his child.
He sighed and approached his desk away. Grabbing at all the pencils and brushes, slamming them into an already drawer and forcing it shut. That’ll do for now. He grabs the random books and puts them back in there places on the unorganized shelves, glaring at the dust that’s been collected overtime.
He needs to clean badly.
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And clean he did, he cleaned and cleaned even when he didn’t need to he just kept sweeping, swiping, spraying. Getting rid of things that weren’t even there as if he was trying to remove something. Like he was trying to remove someone. The memory of someone. The memory of who he used to be.
John grabbed at his hair for a moment after he put down the old rag he’d been aggressive scrubbing at his desk with. He ran his fingers through his hair, exhaling a shaky breath through his mouth.
He glared over at the flashing digital clock on the shelf. Almost midnight.
Maybe he should join his partners in bed.
MacTavish left the room. Walking down the hallway and up the stairs.
He walked to their shared room. Hand resting on the door handle as he thought. And oh he though, words and actions of disappointment and rejection flew through his mind at lightning speed as he imagined what might happen.
He shook his head and took a deep breath as he turned the door handle.
He expected to see Gary and Simon laying together passed and maskless. Peaceful looking like they normally did.
But this was different, a different scene.
Gary wearing his mask, cradling a sobbing Simon and holding back his own tears. Simon had been talking about him.
He didn’t open the door all the way and part of him wanted him to just close the door again and run away.
But he didn’t.