it's called 'vintage' darling

[simplepuzzle]

 

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For unbreachable

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck's been moved around for as long as he can remember. He thinks he lived in Australia longest, and then when his mother died his dad after WWII picked them up and just took them wherever his whim took him.

That's what it seemed to Chuck, at least, and Herc hasn't done anything to make him think otherwise. They lived with Herc's best friend for a while, which was all right, he had an adopted daughter 'round Chuck's age and she was all right for a girl. That was the second longest Chuck remembers staying anywhere; he thinks leaving had something to do with the kind of stuff people said about all of them together. Maybe it had something to do with the fights Chuck and Mako would get into with some of the other kids over that.

Chuck works with his hands; cars mostly, but he learned bikes and trucks and any sort of mechanical thing that can get fixed with two hands and time and attention. There's a peace in the working, and a satisfaction when it's finished and working.

He's never gotten along too well with people long-term. Since he's rarely around enough for it to matter, he stopped caring a while ago what people would think of him and the sort of stuff he likes to do. The kind of music he listens to. The sort of person he wants to fuck.

He knows that the town they're in now is somewhere around where Mako's settled with whatever lucky son of a bitch married her, but he hasn't made any effort to go see her yet. He's not sure she wants to see him. He and Herc are renting out a garage and fixing cars for a while, sleeping in the apartment above it.

[unbreachable]

He's going to have to go see them. Mako's intent on keeping their little 'family' together as much as possible - mostly because out of all of them - her husband, Chuck, Herc, her father - no one has much real family left.

So what if they're a little cobbled together? Family isn't always blood relatives.

Mako's invited them to dinner, along with her father and Raleigh's sister, who politely declines in lieu of her studies. Jaz is in school, studying - of all things - to be a biologist. Mako secretly wishes she could do something like that, but her cards were stacked differently in this life.

Raleigh helps her cook and together they end up with a nice enough meal, now they just need their guests.

[simplepuzzle]

As far as Chuck's concerned, his family consists of him and Max. Maybe Mako, in that he'd fight any son of a bitch who says a word against his sister, but they don't exactly get along. Only family's allowed to talk shit about each other.

But he's there on her front stoop, next to Herc and uncomfortable in a suit and tie like what's appropriate for dinner.

....he tugs on his too-tight collar with his fingers while Herc elbows him and mutters at him to leave it alone.

[unbreachable]

Of course, Chuck.

Mako opens the door and smiles at them both, moving away to let them both in. Her husband is in the kitchen (an odd place for him to be, but then again she married an odd man), putting the finishing touches on the h'ordeuvres.

[simplepuzzle]

"Got someone who wants you to boss him around eh? Good find, Mako," Chuck says, hugging her tightly.

That at least gets him a little more interested in meeting her husband.

[unbreachable]

Mako smiles in the way that she does and hugs him back, dipping her head before letting them both in. She exchanges a brief embrace with Chuck's father before escorting them into the living room where Stacker is already waiting.

Then she needs to go check on her little oddball husband and make sure he hasn't burned the kitchen down.

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck and Stacker aren't really the hug-each-other sort of relationship so they exchange nods before Chuck goes to get a drink.

He's not really a cocktail man but anyone can add gin and tonic.

[unbreachable]

It's a classic for a reason.

Eventually Mako comes out and Raleigh's trailing after her, holding a tray and coming to set it on the table. Herc and Stacker are chatting and Raleigh comes over to Chuck to offer him something to snack on.

[simplepuzzle]

Chuck straightens with his drink, meeting Raleigh's gaze square on.

"So," he says, looking Raleigh up and down with a calculating gaze. "You're the guy who convinced Mako to marry him."

......well done Mako.

[unbreachable]

"I...well. I guess."

He's a little thrown by the accent, a pulse of color rushing to his cheeks.

"I like to think it was a mutual agreement.."

[simplepuzzle]

That's interesting.

Chuck sticks his hand out for Raleigh to shake. "Chuck Hansen. Good to meet you."

[unbreachable]

"Raleigh Becket."

He shifts the tray to shake Chuck's hand and offers a small smile. He's all in black, hair perfectly styled, shoes nice and shiny. Pretty typical attire for the time, though he's pretty polished because of the occasion.

[simplepuzzle]

"Good to finally meet you."

Yeah, there's a bit of extra shine to the man Chuck could do without.

[unbreachable]

Luckily for Raleigh, it's not you he's trying to impress.

"Good to meet you, too."

He smiles, and offers the tray.

"Snack?"

[simplepuzzle]

No? Who, then?

Chuck eyes the tray with a wrinkled nose and shakes his head. "Nah."

[unbreachable]

Herc? Stacker especially. He's still trying to win the man over.

He managed to get him to agree to the marriage At least, so there's that.

"Alright," he says, giving Chuck a look that lingers before turning to go offer the tray around.

[simplepuzzle]

Stacker's a hard man to win the approval of. Chuck's still trying.

Well not so much 'trying' as 'hasn't yet'.

And that...is an interesting look. Chuck's gaze follows Raleigh as he pulls away, a little bit more calculating than it had been a moment ago.

[unbreachable]

Well. Chuck's a good looking guy. Raleigh noticed.

He clears his throat and wanders off to offer snacks to Herc, Stacker and Mako, who are chit chatting by the mini bar, an open bottle of gin beside them.

Backwards relationship.

[simplepuzzle]

But he shouldn't because he's married. To Chuck's sister sort of.

....and it's no fair for a guy who looks like that to tie himself down if he's not gonna enjoy it.

[unbreachable]

He's married not dead, y'know. And he isn't -- he won't betray her. She's good to him and he wants to be good to her.

And he's just doing what's compliant with the times. You don't -- just come out. He can't. He'd probably wind up dead ina gutter somewhere.

[simplepuzzle]

Whatever. Whatever.

Chuck keeps a close eye on Raleigh through the pre-dinner munches.

[unbreachable]

Ngh. Why're you staaaaring at him like that. He keeps accidentally meeting Chuck's eye and turning pink and looking back down at his food. Jesus.

[simplepuzzle]

This is hilarious.

Like, not entirely, because this is a few people's lives happening here that Raleigh can't seem to focus on enough to control himself, but it's kind of funny.

Dinner's about as awkward, but they're more occupied by the food, at least.

[unbreachable]

Not so much hilarious.

Raleigh can't help it that Chuck's a good looking guy. He also feels like a douchebag for noticing but his preferences have always been...skewed.

Not like he can talk about it.

But at least dinner is slightly less awkward in that there is now a way to keep mouths busy and Chuck isn't sitting by Raleigh, so there's that.

[simplepuzzle]

Once dinner's over and Chuck's been the good brother and helped Mako bring the dishes in he's going to disappear in the back yard for a smoke. He knows Stacker and Mako don't, and Herc never does around Stacker, but he holds up his pack and raises an eyebrow at Raleigh if he wants to join him.