(no subject)

[bloodyrockgod]

This is not the worst Charlie's ever been hungover. It's not even in the top ten.

No, it's not the hangover that's caused him to be at the piano, playing a half-hearted warmup and then, forlornly:

Ev'ry time we say goodbye
I die a little,
ev'ry time we say goodbye
I wonder why a little,
why the gods above me
who must be in the know
think so little of me
they allow you to go.
When you're near
there's such an air
of spring about it,
I can hear a lark somewhere
begin to sing about it,
there's no love song finer,
but how strange the change
from major to minor...
ev'ry time we say goodbye.
Ev'ry single time
we say goodbye.

It's not the hangover at all.

Comments

[qsilver-md.livejournal.com]

Kevin is watching him from a nearby couch, worriedly.

[ooc: about to run out for a few hours, but I wanted to get a tag in for slowtime]

[bloodyrockgod]

Charlie waves. Or rather raises his hand in acknowledgement. "Hey."



[ooc: slowtime's fine.]

[qsilver-md.livejournal.com]

Kevin returns the gesture.

"Hey. How're you doing?"

[bloodyrockgod]

"Been better," Charlie says honestly.

[qsilver-md.livejournal.com]

Kevin nods. He understands, as far as he can.

[bloodyrockgod]

"Yourself? Is your head behaving after last night's indulgence?"

[qsilver-md.livejournal.com]

"As well as you'd expect. I had coffee, though, so I'm good."

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

"Charlie?

A mildly sleepy vampire who nonetheless notices something amiss.

"Something the matter?"

[bloodyrockgod]

Charlie stops playing to hug him. "Hi, Nicky.

"Yes. Something is. Many things are."

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

Nick doesn't mind the hug, certainly, but he is concerned. He wraps his arms around Charlie in return and doesn't quite let go.

"Care to talk about it?"

[bloodyrockgod]

Charlie shakes his head. "Just hold me for a bit first?"

[eternal-boy.livejournal.com]

He nods, eyes wide and worried, and holds Charlie close.

"Okay."

He doesn't ask, just picks up Charlie like he weighed nothing at all and deposites them both on the couches before running a soothing hand through his hair.

[bloodyrockgod]

Normally the picking-up-and-carrying-around would get some kind of comment, but Charlie just clings.

After a few minutes he says in a low voice, "My boyfriend went psychotic last night and we had to send him home. And I miss him so much it hurts and--and I don't know what I'm going to do when he comes home. I don't want to be afraid of him. I love him. And normally he's--he's perfect--I just--" He resumes clinging. It's easier than talking.

[csi-catherine.livejournal.com]

Catherine's listening. And anxious.

"What's up?" she asks, as gently as possible.

[bloodyrockgod]

He tries to smile. "Hi.

"Um. Well. My boyfriend's . . . not doing so well. We had to send him home last night for some medical attention and . . . yeah."

[csi-catherine.livejournal.com]

"What happened?" Her face pales slightly.

[bloodyrockgod]

He sighs. "He's got this gland implanted in his head that makes him invisible. Only too much of it makes him go insane--psychotic, really--so he's supposed to get these injections regularly to keep the--whatever-it-is from building up too much. Only he forgot this week.

"So last night he flipped out."

There are finger-shaped bruises on Charlie's neck to show how flipped out he got.

[csi-catherine.livejournal.com]

Catherine notices them, goes paler, but doesn't comment. "He'll be okay, though? He's got his medication now?"

[bloodyrockgod]

"I think so. I hope so."

[theprettiestone.livejournal.com]

Alex comes in from the House of Arch and listens to Charlie for a moment, looking worried.

"Charlie?"

[bloodyrockgod]

He turns. "Alex. Hey. Haven't seen you for a while."

[theprettiestone.livejournal.com]

"I've been a bit reclusive lately, yeah." He offers Charlie a worried-looking half-smile. "You okay?"

[bloodyrockgod]

He sighs. "No. No, not really. Just some . . . stuff. It just keeps piling up, yeah?"

[theprettiestone.livejournal.com]

"I know exactly what you mean. Do you... well, if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."

[bloodyrockgod]

Charlie runs his fingers up and down the keyboard.

He says quietly, "My boyfriend almost killed me last night. I--I nearly goaded him into it. He's not violent normally, he's got--well, he's got a medical thing that sets him off if he doesn't take medication to prevent it--but--Christ. I don't know where to start."

There are visible finger-shaped bruises on his neck.