Moving Daze (Tag: Rave)

[Devon Eckes]

Timeline: June 10-12

Devon Eckes stood in the kitchen of his new apartment, loading dishes that had never been used straight from their boxes into the dishwasher. All the windows where open because the equally new furniture that had been lugged up three flights of stairs by grim faced moving guys smelled like chemicals. Outside the busy street was full of noise that wafted in with the heat and smell of flowers and he mused the path that brought him there.

He'd only been back from Hadley for a week, and apparently from the conversation he'd over heard between his parents a week was too long for their social comfort.

Devon had been outside the study windows in a lounge chair, working on some lyrics when he heard their voices coming from the room beyond.

"Things just started to really lay down and now he's back." His mother had stated flatly.

"The kid graduated, what did you expect, for them to keep him there?" Stan, his father, asked testily. Devon could fully imagine him standing there with a glass of scotch in his hand, although he couldn't see him.

"A year wasn't long enough. Someone's already asked, and reporters..." She let the word trail off.

"I know, I know. We should have planned ahead." Stan sighed. "There's always college, in fact, I think he mentioned something about it."

"Out of state, hopefully. We'll have to fund him living off campus, though."

"Why? Dorms were good enough for you and I."

"Darling," Evie said, which is a word she only used when her husband was really vexing her. "Didn't you listen to anything anyone has said these last two, three years? Putting Devon in a place where drugs, sex and booze are freely available, in fact, exspected...We might as well just publicly flog him for the six o'clock news. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

Devon cringed at the low opinion they had of him. Funny how they once thought so highly of him, their golden child, and now he was something to be swept under the rug.

"Fine." His father had said bitterly.

Right after dinner she'd approached him, wineglass in hand, a seemingly causal interlude except he could count on one hand how many times she'd ever actually been to his room before.

"Can I have a moment of your time?" She asked, her hair perfect in an up-do and her raw silk suit very out of place of his packing/unpacking chaos.

"Sure, come on in." He pushed his long wavy brown hair back out of his face and gestured to a chair he'd cleaned off for her before she'd even come up the stairs. "Let's do this quick and painless for both of OK?" He asked.

He handed her a folder. "Here's where I want to go, and a list of rentals I thought would work for me. They're two bedrooms, because I figure it'd be good to have a roommate rather than living on my own. Less free time on my hands."

A tightness around her lips was the only betrayal of her emotions as she flipped through the pages. "You overheard." She said after a moment.

"I was in the yard." He confessed. "And I agree. I don't really want to be here either. That's why I haven't really called any of my old friends except Chuck. It'd be too hard, and I don't want to stir all that up again after I spent the last year working it all out."

She almost smiled at him. "That's very sensible of you. All right, we'll fly down, you and I, and get you set up and then come back and you can drive back down afterwords. I want to make sure you're settled."

It was so out of the norm for her that he was deeply shocked, but obeying her was deeply ingrained so he hadn't said anything. They spent a weekend looking at places before he found one he thought would suit.

"These old buildings, they built to last, and just like soundproofing, you can't hear anything from anybody except through the windows..." The landlord pounded a fist against the wall. "Solid. Built in 1938. Nice old neighborhood too, nice folks all the way around the block."

There were windows on two sides of the apartment, the bay windows over looking 167th with a view of the bakery on the other side of the street, and the side windows overlooking Green and the Walgreen's.

While he was filling out the paperwork his mother was on her cell arranging for cleaners to come in and re-clean the place (Which seemed to offend the landlord a little, but, Devon just rolled his eyes and mouthed 'mothers' and the old guy had winked and nodded knowingly), utilities to be turned on and checked in with his little sister.

"Oh, good, good. No, go ahead and tell your father. He'll say no, but, it's not up to him and you'd never be able to keep that excitement bottled up. All right." She snapped the phone closed. "Your sister has been accepted to La Guardia." She glanced at the landlord. "All done there?"

"Just need the deposit and such..." He said.

She held out her hand and looked over the paperwork and then took out her checkbook. "There you go, thank you."

Dismissed he left and his mother turned to him in the empty rooms. "Here's how it is; Your sister and I are moving to New York, and your father isn't invited. In fact, your father is about to discover we are getting a divorce. I've just paid for a years rent, and there's a few other things you'll need I'll be taking care of. Your sisters will receive equal gifts before I start proceedings to make the allotment of estate easier."

"Oh." Devon stood stunned. If ever there was a dysfunctional marriage, it was his parents, but they ran it more like a business partnership than anything else. "OK." He said finally. After all, it didn't really effect him anymore.

"Good boy. Let's get you some furniture and then back home so you can pack up." She left the room and he realized that this whole weekend was less about him, and more about her to do list. She'd neatly crossed him off, now.

He flipped on the dishwasher and looked around his new home. There was only two things missing, and Amy was still in jail...but the other was only a phone call away.

He dialed the phone and leaned back against the counter. "Rave, we're set. Come home, oh, and hey, bring food. The cupboard is bare, man. Let me give you the address..."

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[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

It had been a while since they had last seen Devon, was the last day of Hadley when Rave had made sure not to stay longer than he had to. That was about a month ago now, they had of course kept in contact by phone but Rave had made it clear that he didn't want to stay around longer than he had to. Besides, his father would most likely try to get him if he didn't show up at home in Britain.

Rave had even gotten his father's business card to use while working for him. He had agreed to learn business but deliver things here or there for his father's bloody business. He didn't like it, quite frankly he hated it.. but, it meant he didn't have to be in Britain and close to his dad so that was good. Not to mention, he didn't have a reason to live in the streets either and that was about the only thing he was grateful for. Of course he took advantage of it, he made sure he stayed on the luxurious hotels and of course made sure he lived a good life.

"Sweet man, I'll be theah in a few 'owahs, yeah? I'll ge' on tha fi'st train ovah.."

He hung up and went down to the lobby with his bags already packed, as they always were. Just as he had opened his mail from his mail box he had rented for an entire week until he got the card, he went to the register and ended it since he didn't want any more mail, sure, he had stayed in Salem for a while but he had let his father believe he was still at the school but the mail got delivered from the post office to Salem instead and to the hotel he was currently staying at. He paid for the rest of the mailbox service for the rest of the month and left with three single letters in his hand along with his guitars on his back and his trunk in his other hand. One with the credit card in, one from Devon and the third one from Juliet telling her phone number.

He tore the envelope up that he got from his dad and skimmed the letter in there but didn't really note what it said before he looked at the card. AMEX, one of his dad's "back up" platinum cards. There were no doubt several million if he knew his father right. He never really thought he'd get more to move around with on it, but apparently his father had given him several thousand dollars to move around with.

The free internet and his own laptop had served well to deliver updates and what not to his father instead of talking to him and giving him a snail mail address to lock him at. No, it had been smarter to let the man believe he still lived close by to the school so he could just go there and get the mail.


"fuckin' brilliant"

Rave mused and headed straight to the bank and asked to get 10.000 dollars out right away and in hand. He was of course smart enough to take the amount of money that didn't give more questions than what he could answer with something like 'I'm going to buy a car, guy wanted it cash'.

He left the bank 10K richer and instantly went to buy a train ticket from Salem to Ashland, 176 fuckin' dollars but it was worth it. Once he got on the train, he flicked his phone up again and sent a text message to Devon.

Yo man, I'll b at the station around 4:30pm. I'll get 2 a store on my way to the complex. Leave the door open, I'm fuckin' frustrated and I need sum release, peace1

He flicked the phone shut again, sighed and placed the bag with the money in his lap and the guitars over it while holding the handles on it. What was in his bag he didn't care if he lost but he was sure as hell not going to loose 9824 fucking dollars just because he fell asleep on a train, nor was he going to loose his custom guitars over it either!

- - -two hours later - - -

"Next stop, Ashland"

"hn?!"

He blinked and looked up, he had apparently fallen asleep. Rave was there, he was finally there! This was where his new life would start and, along with a good friend too, perhaps even two of them.

Rave got off the train and took a few steps down the platform and inhaled the air while looking around before following the stream of people towards the exit.

The simplest way was to take a cab, which he also did and made the driver wait while he dived into a food store, tossed some needed basic food into two bags, paid for it and came back before he told the man to go on to 167th street.

Somehow he managed to get his two bags and the trunk up to the door and rang the doorbell before he basically opened the door and walked inside. The number on the door matched the number he had and if it was wrong, well... he'd just have to give some old granny a banana and be on with it he supposed.

" 'oney, I'm 'ome!"

He called with quite an amount of irony while tossing the trunk on the floor and managed to put the grocery bags on a table not too far away from the door which he had kicked shut behind him.

"Yo man, ya 'ome?!"

He called out while making sure the grocery bags would stay where he left them and not fall to the floor and make him clean up a mess.

[Devon Eckes]

"Yeah, in here." Devon was in his room unpacking, the unmade bed littered with bits and bobs of a life lived at home...very little of which had ever made it to Hadley where he'd only taken the basics. His high school jacket hung on a back of a chair, his keyboard leaned against the wall as did his guitar case. A box of just photos was under the window and a basketball was perched on the lampshade.

He came to the doorway and leaned against it, arms crossed, and watched Rave look around the room. "Good news is, my mom paid for all this. Bad news is, she didn't see any reason to buy you a bed. So, to soften the blow I gave you the larger bedroom. Is that food?" When last Rave had seen him he'd had longish brown hair that tended to flop in his face in waves, but all that was gone now, shaved wickedly short. And his clothes had improved from the ragged jeans and shirts he'd worn at Hadley; still comfortable, but more stylish.

He pushed himself up off the door-frame and gave Rave a rough hug and a light forehead to forehead bump where a girl might have given a kiss in greeting and went to gather up the bags and haul them to the kitchen. As he started to put them away, talked over his shoulder. "This is my parting gift from my parents, and I am officially kicked out of the nest. When the rent and tuition run out, I'm totally on my own. I guess I'll need to get a job."

He paused and looked at Rave more closely. "How did it go with your father, does he know you've left yet?"

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave turned around just as he got the food bags to stay still on the small table and looked his friend and former school-roommate over for a second before he gave a light grin.

"Great ta see yoah again, man"

He said just before the guy told about his mom paying for it all for a year forward he nodded and gave thumbs up and in turn showing off a silver ring with black flames swirling in the middle of it.

"Yeah, et is. And, I think I can affo'd my own bed.. got about 9K in mah pocket at tha moment.."

He said with a smirk while Devon walked up towards him and the bags of food. Rave was clothed in black worn jeans that snug his legs neatly, still wore his worn military boots and a black t-shirt with a few sculls on beneath his black leather coat.

Around his neck hung two thick silver chains, one looking mostly like barbed whire, the other one that was a bit longer than the first, just being a big fat chain, matching the one he wore around his left wrist. His right wrist having a large black leather band around it with viking looking patterns burned into it. And, of course his hair looked the same as before, bleached platinum blond but along with it, he had painted his fingernails black.

Rave returned the hug and patted his friend on the back. He was about to attempt a kiss but Devon had been too focused on the food so he just let it go for now.

The guitars remained on his back and the clothing bag was picked up just before he walked around to inspect the place, spotting Devon's bed and all the stuff shattered on it he couldn't help but chuckle at it. It looked just the same as it had when he unpacked at Hadley's Institute for troubled Youth, a place the two had shared for a year of "torture" due to the lack of other places to go.

"Mh... I think I can live with tha big bedroom. Suits meh well"

He said in his broad british accent and placed the bag on the floor before he removed the guitars from his back and placed them carefully along a wall.

"Looks like I need a bit moah than onleh a bed tho... like a nightstand, lamps, drawahs.. like... an entiah room, yeah..?"

He said and walked back to the kitchen and to Devon and leaned on the door post while watching Dev unpack the last of the groceries.

"Mh... nice pa'hting gift then."

He smirked and folded his arms over his chest, followed by a snort.

"Oh... I think 'e might find out soonah ohr latah... Just like 'e will realize he's missin' about 10K on his business card."

He said and shrugged.

[Devon Eckes]

"Are you serious?" Devon looked surprised. "That's like, a fourth of the median income of a family of four, I think..."

Rave had gotten the basics, mostly, but not the basic basics...like salt and pepper. Still...it was more than they'd had before. Rave looked different with all his flash on and Devon shouldn't feel awkward around him at all, but he did. He blamed the change in circumstances and figured he'd get over it quickly.

"Yeah, well, you always had more stuff than I did and liked to spread it out." He flashed a dimpled grin over his shoulder as she put the eggs and milk in the fridge, dimples flashing. "We can take care of that tomorrow though, unless you want to have it delivered tomorrow. We can hit the Rent-a-Center after dinner."

"Mh... nice pa'hting gift then." Rave commented on their rent free status.

"Well, that's a yes and a no. My Mother told me that they're getting a divorce, he doesn't know yet. Knowing them, the estate could be locked up for years while they battle it out. So, she's set me up a bit of cushion, but after that I'll be really totally on my own. If I want to get my degree I'll have to pay for the rest of it myself."

He cracked open two of the beers Rave had brought with everything else and handled one to Rave. "A toast! To breaking away! And, our first drink together!" He laughed and tipped the bottle up for a swig.

As if adding his own bit of the toast Rave shrugged and said "Oh... I think 'e might find out soonah ohr latah... Just like 'e will realize he's missin' about 10K on his business card."

This made Devon laugh and he had to lean forward so he wouldn't spew beer all over himself. "You what?"

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave smirked and shrugged his shoulders while still leaning on the doorframe now holding the beer in his hand.

"doesn't mattah.. I still go' tha money...an tha' means I'm free ta do wha' I want. tha' fuckin' apeshit can't do anythin' ta me from Britan anyway.."

He said and took a good few drinks from the beer in one swing before lowering the bottle to his waist with his arm bent a bit. His black studdet belt made a slight clink when the bottle hit one of the studs.

"I don't 'ave a lo' now tho... left most of it behind.. Stuff I didn't need..."

He said and took another drink from the beer bottle and nodded. He didn't feel like bothering about ordering things he hadn't seen and he could sleep in Devon's bed anyway no matter if the guy protested or not.

"mmh... I wish my parents would ge' a devo'se... would be good fo' 'em..."

He mumbled then shrugged somewhat at his own comments then tilted his head somewhat before he walked over to the small table where Devon stood and placed the beer bottle on it while ending up standing close to his old roommate.

"and... I don't feel like gettin' into orderin' stuff ovah the net at tha moment... no' ta mention I'd get caught on wheah I am an' my dad would come rushin' in an' beat me ta a pulp most probableh.."

He said and took another step towards Devon while looking him right into the eyes. He could sense that Devon was a bit round up and he wanted to change that right away. Just because it had been a month since they last saw each other, it didn't mean that anything had changed...except for the fact he was now wearing the jewellery he wasn't allowed to wear back in the institute, and the fact that Devon had gotten a hair cut.

"Love tha 'air cut.."

He said and smiled, running a hand through it just to feel the texture of it, if it was still as soft as it had been even though it was shorter now, he wasn't disappointed.

"..come 'ere..."

Rave said softly and placed his right hand on Devon's left hip and gently pulled him towards him, his left hand now resting on the back of Devon's neck and just below his ear.

"I've missed yoah.."

He said softly and leaned in closer, hoping that Devon would grant him a kiss, if not... well, things would probably be quite awkward but he did hope that their deal was still valid even though they ended the year at the institute.

[Devon Eckes]

It seemed that his time back in contact with his father had hardened him again, even if they hadn't seen each other face to face yet.

"I forget you're not from around here sometimes. We got all this at a place that rents entire room sets or by the piece, or you can buy it out right. They deliver it and haul it up the stairs for you, you just come by, pick it out and fill out the paperwork and your done." He grinned again. "Unless you want to haul up some second hand shit up the three flights by yourself, because I'm not volunteering."

He saw the change in Rave, the way he looked at him, the shift of his body...it was familiar. "You should probably get all new log ons and email." He suggested. "And a prepaid credit card, so he can't track you. Your name isn't on the lease or anything, so...as long as you...spend...your money...wisely..." He trailed off as Rave came close to him.

"Love tha 'air cut.." Rave said, touching him, running his hand over his head, pulling him closer. "..come 'ere...I've missed yoah.."

Devon sighed and leaned forward, but instead of a kiss he buried his face in the collar of Rave's coat breathing in the scent of the boy in front of him. Before it had all been convenience and happenstance. A way to make it through. Now it was a real choice, in the real world. He closed his eyes and sighed, his arms hanging still at his sides, one holding the beer.

He straightened and look Rave in the eye. "It has to still be just between us..." He said firmly. "We can't, won't be a couple or anything like that. And when Amy comes, it's up to her how my life goes from that point forward."

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave actually welcomed the head on his sholuder and more than what he would ever allow himself to acknowledge. He ended up holding Devon in a warm hug instead and of course took the chance of discretely inhaling his scent when being so close.

"I'd want ta own my stuff, no' rent et... yoah shou'd know I'm no' from 'ere... et's no' like my accen't can 'ide et very well.."

He teased in a soft tone just before Devon looked up at him again. Storm blue eyes met his dark ones. This guy really cared about him, didn't he? Otherwise he wouldn't give suggestions on what to do and how to make sure he was hiding himself propperly from his father.

"hn... I know. No change in tha deal, fine by me. Aftah all, Dunn think my rep wou'd do any good if people sta'ted talkin' about me bein' gay when I'm bi.."

He gave a slight smirk.

"When Amy comes, she'd hafta fight me fo' yoah one way or anotha... yoah worr'eh too much.."

Rave added as the smirk changed to a teasing smirk almost asking if he'd ever 'shut the hell up' and once he did, the blond took his chance and placed his lips against his friend's. A month without body touch like this was bad enough.

Sure, he'd been with random girls here and there but a simple shag-and-dump was never as pleasing to the heart as actually having feeling in it. He broke the soft kiss again but remained forehead to forehead when he whispered.

"Like I said... I missed yoah.."

Rave let their lips meet again, this time aiming for a deeper kiss than only one on the lips, somewhat asking for permission by flicking his tongue out over Devon's lower lip before nibbling it, pulling his friend closer both by hip and by neck.

[Devon Eckes]

"No, see..." Devon sighed, he was going to say something else, but decided to go with the furniture topic. "You can buy it, new. That's where all this stuff came from."

"When Amy comes, she'd hafta fight me fo' yoah one way or anotha..." Rave said.

"You'd lose." Devon said flatly, wanting there to be no misunderstanding between them. "If she says you have to go, you'll have to go. If she says to carry on, then we can. If she wants to sleep with you to punish me, " His eyes flicked away and then back again. "I'll take the punishment. Even if you said no her saying it would be punishment." He swallowed hard and looked down, there being only a few inches between them now.

"Yoah worr'eh too much.."

Rave's kiss was a question, a request, a promise. As humble as Devon had ever seen him, Rave pressed his forehead to his and repeated himself. "Like I said... I missed yoah.." There was a tone in his voice, raw under the bravado that asked "Please don't reject me. I'm not strong enough yet for that." that melted Devon's resolve.

When Rave kissed him again Devon reached out his hand to set the beer on the counter and held the other boy gently and submitted himself to answering "It's all right, I'm here." with his body, if not the words.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

"Depends on wha' I do... dunnit..?"

He whispered while taking a breath but before Devon was even able to take an inhale to answer, his lips met his again to prevent him from speaking at all.

Once Devon's arms came around Rave's form he relaxed, he hadn't even realized he had tensed up while approaching his old school roommate, now to be roommate again. But one thing he did hope for was to sleep in his bed next to him even if it was only for tonight.

Rave's nightmares had returned and tenfold but that wasn't something he'd tell about but hopefully if he could just have something he could call 'safe' -- which in this case would be Devon; close to him, he could maybe sleep a bit better?

He hadn't even realized that he'd closed his eyes when he kissed once Devon had wrapped his arms around him but in all honesty, he had and it felt good. Some part of him was kind of fighting not to spark a feeling for the guy, another screamed for it. On the other hand, he wasn't sure what he felt... except for need. The need for someone to be there, someone he could trust.

All his friends were back in London and no one was around here except Devon and that was someone he really did see as his best friend due to what they had been over during the time at Hadley institute.

Rave slowly broke the soft kiss, it had been an entire month since he had tasted Devon and to be honest, he didn't want to be without that even though the deal was only to 'let pressure out' between the two, and to do so in secret. He found himself still standing with his head against Devon's forehead still when he slowly opened his eyes again and realizing they were still standing chest against chest.

He licked his lips and swallowed before he cleared his thought somewhat and looked up and into Devon's eyes for a second, if he was about to say something Rave would cut him off.

"so... wanna grab a pizza? My treat.. aftah all, yoah ahr the reason why I'm 'ere at tha moment anyway.. Least I can do except for buyin' the food."

He said and gave a light grin and backed away and headed out to the hallway and towards the door. He wanted to explore the city a bit before they closed and they only had one and a half hours before that happened.

"Yoah 'ave a cahr yet? I'll drive"

He said while running a hand through his bleach blond hair to make sure the straightened waxed and hair sprayed curls stayed as straight as possible.

[Devon Eckes]

Devon leaned against the counter and caught his breath while Rave chatted and walked away from him.

He'd hoped that Rave, once away from both the school and his father, would find a stride in the world that wouldn't require so much from him. But the kisses had ended that hope. He didn't think that Rave was doing it to have power or control over him, but because the other boy hadn't gotten far enough along in his healing to not need a crutch. Rave needed him, even if he wouldn't say it out loud.

Devon gnawed on his lower lip, head hanging down, staring at the floor. Maybe if Juliet came, the two of them would team up again...be a couple. Yeah, he could see that. Rave and Juliet, him and Amy. Maybe even take the other apartment on the same floor...

"Huh?" He caught what Rave was saying as he primped. "Yeah, I have a car, but we don't need it. There's a good place right around the corner I wanted you to check out anyway, called the Blue Heron. It's got open mic night and stuff, and I thought maybe we could perform there sometime. Together or separately."

He stood up straighter and crossed the room to a set of hooks nailed by the door. "Here's your set of keys. The biggest is for the front door, the little one is for the mail box. The intercom to buzz someone in is right here, though half the time someone has it blocked open, so...yeah." He shrugged and tossed the keys at the blonde.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

It took a while before Devon followed him out in the hallway and that was enough for him to feel that something was wrong, had he done something that stepped over any lines now? He hadn't done anything different now than what was on Hadley but perhaps Devon had seen it differently?

Rave bit the inside of his lower lip just as Devon appeared in the hallway as well, Rave had just grabbed the door to pretend he was on his way out instead of stopping for a moment to think of how his friend had reacted to the kiss. There was something underlying in it but he couldn't quite tell what it was at the moment.

"Cool"

He said and grabbed the keys in one hand when they came flying in the air. He gave them a glance and saw the door number on it on a small plack on the keyring beside the keys on it.

"..mmh.. open mic?"

He asked and looked up to meet Devon's eyes, hiding his own inner turmoil for the moment. He just had a feeling that something was going down he just couldn't tell what it was, he just had a bad feeling but... maybe it was the fact that he had just stolen 10 thousand dollars from his dad that was the deal as well. He shrugged it off.

"let's go then, wha' ahr we waitin' fohr eh?"

Rave said, flipped the keys into his leather coat pocket and headed outside and down the stairs right away. He had enough money on him in the wallet to go around but he wasn't going to be stupid about them. He knew very well he would need to keep them for as long as possible.


"so, wha' way is this... 'eron place, I 'avent eaten all day."

He said and turned around and looked up at Devon still on the stairs while he stood just down the street where it ended.

"come on, I wanna check out my rivals on tha stage!"

He grinned with a michevious grin on his face.

[Devon Eckes]

The two of them jogged down the three flights of stairs, the smell of cooking and muted voices from TV's behind closed door echoing at each landing but not beyond. As the landlord said, the old building was pretty much soundproof. On the ground floor the brass mailboxes were embedded into the wall and the street door was indeed blocked open by a moving box.

"Hum, looks like someone else is moving in." Devon commented. As they came out onto the street the bakery was just pulling in the tables, earlier than the night before because the dusk was over cast and it looked like it might rain. The bright lights of the Walgreen's shone out through their windows however.

"Remind me to stop there are on the way home, if we're back before ten. We've got shakers, but no salt and pepper, and only one roll of TP." Devon nodded towards the drugstore, but then turned his back on it to walk down the block.

(Exit to the Blue Heron)