beyoncepadthai | i'll have what she's having

Entry tags:

! gathering

i'll have what she's having

So, Mindy's last birthday went uncharacteristically uncelebrated. Of course, she shopped and drank and all of that, but this year she's more than in a partying mood and has more than enough invitees to put something on without seeming like a total loser.

Deciding to mix things up, Mindy's rented out a cool seat-reclining, wine and dine theater at High Street mall, splurged on snacks and booze and arranged for a viewing of her favorite film. Of course there are a bunch of cool new releases she could let her guests enjoy, but it's her birthday, and this is one way she can force everyone she knows to watch the wonder that is literally anything Nora Ephron.

She can hear Danny's whining already, and she couldn't care less.

What she can't help but care about is what Danny once said to her back in New York, his cruel reminder to her that she wasn't getting any younger, the promise of a hot husband and adorable children ticking away. She's all the more conscious of it this week, especially after freaking out momentarily thinking that Luke might have already moved on.

The right decision or not, a real relationship or not, it's one more shot at a future that she's managed to screw up.

Hence, the alcohol. Dressed to impress, Mindy arrives early to get her start on a super strong and super fruity cocktail while she waits for her first guests to turn up.

[Set to the night of the 20th of June at one of the fancier theaters at High Street Mall. From 8-ish cocktails (+ beer and wine) and finger food will be served in the bar area, and then the movie (viewable on YT, if you are so inclined) will be starting at 8:30. Tag Mindy, tag around, before or after the film. ENJOY.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Luke hadn't thought even for a second to get dressed in anything other than jeans and a henley, one of his flannel jackets thrown over it, and when he sees Mindy he immediately feels like he should have known better. She looks great and he looks like he hadn't bothered to try, which is painfully true. Not because he doesn't want to try for anyone, but Luke has just been exactly who he is for such a long time that he struggles with pushing himself out of his comfort zone. This is practically a uniform by now and he frowns down at himself, feeling under dressed and out of place.

That he's nervous to begin with about having brought Reid with him makes him feel even worse about his choice of clothing. It's a stupid thing to focus on, but now that he's decided he should have dressed better, it's the only thing he can think about.

It isn't as if it's a date. They're just friends. But he's brought his just friend to the birthday of a former just friend he'd been sleeping with and he suddenly has no idea when his supposed love life got so strange. It's even more stupid to think Reid is looking at this as anything other than a friendly get together and Luke huffs out a sigh and wonders how much beer it might take to get him drunk.

Reid has absolutely no clue how to dress for a movie and cocktails birthday night. The last time he'd attended a birthday party, it'd been for Henry's fifth and he's almost one hundred percent sure that his five-year-old godson hadn't cared even in the slightest what he'd been wearing. His wardrobe in Darrow hasn't changed from what he wears back home, all button-ups and ties and vests and cardigans, and he thinks it might look odd if he tries to dress up too much; but he keeps doing this, keeps adjusting and re-adjusting his collar and tie before he leaves the apartment to meet Luke and for what? He continues to have no clue.

It's easier when they meet up, as it always seems to be. Luke had jokingly told him that he's been told he's comforting, that he had a soothing voice, and Reid had answered in the affirmative but without any playfulness intended. He's nervous each time they make plans together, mostly because he's been trying desperately to resist the feelings that go beyond friendly affection and couldn't possibly be returned, but when Luke smiles and says hello, something in him relaxes.

Of course, his nerves skyrocket again once they reach the party, and it isn't until he's avoided a number of bodily collisions and grabbed himself a glass of sparkling cider, which he's learned is a good enough beverage to hold to avoid questions of why he isn't drinking something stronger, that he manages to huff a sheepish sigh of relief as he returns to Luke's side.

"You were right," he says, glancing around at the crowd with an arched brow as he takes a sip of his cider. "She is popular. My birthdays at home were limited to a max of about eight people."

It doesn't make sense for him to feel both so nervous and so completely at ease around one person, but somehow Reid manages to inspire both feelings in him at once. Having a beer in his hands makes it all a little easier, it gives him something to do other than awkwardly shove his hands in his pockets and wonder if he's talking too much or too little. He wonders if people are staring at them, if it's as obvious to anyone else how much he likes Reid, because he feels painfully obvious. Since meeting Rae the other week he's been thinking about it, considering what it means to have seen someone with Jocelyn's face and still be able to be here with Reid and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's not thinking of him as simply a friend. She isn't Jocelyn, he's not so delusional as to think that, but it had been a bit of a shock to see her face. It had certainly stirred things up, made him wonder what he's really doing here, and while he doesn't know the full answer to that questions, he's established one thing for certain: he's tired of waiting on someone who will never love him. Someone who isn't even here. It's alright for him to be thinking of someone else and it's alright for him to want something more.

Wanting something more from a person who likely only thinks of him as a friend doesn't quite seem to be in line with his sudden sense of empowerment, but at least it's something resembling a step in the right direction. Now if only he could manage to relax about it. If nothing else, Reid is his friend and Luke doesn't want to do anything to endanger that in any way. If that means he has to keep his feelings to himself, then that's something he's willing to do.

"My last birthday involved Simon and Clary insisting I wasn't old without me ever saying that I felt old," he answers with a small smile, remembering that day. His birthday is actually coming up soon, but he can't imagine doing anything remotely like this and expects he'll most likely spend the day alone in the store. It isn't that he's adverse to celebrating, but he remembers his last birthday so clearly, the way Simon had looked at him all wide-eyed behind his glasses and said, You're really not that old, you know that, right? And until that moment he hadn't felt particularly old, but he supposes to a pair of fourteen-year-olds, thirty-seven seems practically ancient. "And an ice cream cake that had a clown on it. I have a feeling they forgot to get me a cake and it was the last one in the store."

Not that he had really minded. He hadn't expected anything at all. The fact that they had remembered, that they'd gone out of their way for him, bought him a card and a book they thought he'd like, then run out for the cake when they realized they'd overlooked that part, it had all meant a lot to him and he smiles just thinking about it. "I can't remember the last time I had a real party, though. I might have been only a teenager." But Shadowhunter birthdays were never celebrated in the same manner. They were warriors before they were ever children and while Amatis had done her best, he'd never had parents to give him gifts or make the day special for him. The only person to ever throw him a party had been Valentine. And that isn't a thought Luke wants to dwell on, not tonight.

"When is it?"

It's not very tactful but then again, tact isn't what Reid would say is necessarily his strongest suit in the first place. His mind tends to work too quickly to really consider the consequences of a particular question or comment and sometimes, that does end up working in his favor but right now, he's too aware of himself and how warm his cheeks are having asked when Luke's birthday is. He doesn't have any plans to do anything with the information, at least not until he determines whether the date has passed yet or not, but he knows it sounds nosy. People don't like nosy.

Then again, Luke had invited him to this party after weeks of getting to know the way he operates so maybe it isn't such a terrible thing.

"Your birthday, I mean," Reid quickly continues, though he's sure Luke has understood that well enough. "I had the opposite experience with the team when mine would come along, I was always the baby of the group." JJ is only a little over a year older than him but that had never seemed to matter. He's suspected for quite some time that it has to do with his hair, though he hasn't been able to prove it. "Every year, I'd get a little cake, sometimes with a ridiculous hat, and I'd blow out the candles even though I would keep explaining that doing that started as a German tradition in the 1700s and really doesn't have any significance at all other than to commemorate each year of life but the thing is, it'd almost always be after solving a case so it just seemed... I don't know. Secondary, I guess."

He's not bitter about that, which he hopes is clear enough by his casual tone and shrug, it's just the truth.

"I'll be thirty-five this year, and I'm not going to have anyone reminding me that no matter how much older I get, I'm still the youngest." Reid pauses then, his shoulders dropping slightly as the corners of his lips twitch into a sad smile. "Now that I say it, I'm realizing how much I think I might actually miss it."

For a long time, knowing that the team had looked at him that way, like the baby brother who always needed protecting, had bothered him in some small way. It hadn't been offensive but at the same time, there'd been a part of him that felt that much more pressure to be better, whether it be in the field or out of it. The things that have happened to him over the years, things that he's barely scratched the surface of with Luke and is so worried will make this man that he's come to care about so dizzyingly quickly want to turn around without another word, they've all made it difficult to say that he's fine; but that had, in a way, also been a nice safety net. If he'd fallen, his team would be there to pick him back up.

He observes Luke for a moment, maybe even for a best too long, sipping thoughtfully on his cider before nodding just slightly to himself. Reid has decided it already, he'd decided it on the first day they'd met, but it seems important to confirm it with himself again. He trusts Luke. Maybe it'll work against him or get him hurt somehow one day, but he doesn't care. Reid trusts him and given the fact that he can't say that about a single other person in this town, he thinks that's a pretty remarkable to realize.

"July twelfth," he says, then smiles as he looks over at Reid, the expression bordering on shy. "So if it's a party this impressive you're planning, you might want to get started on it." It's a joke, of course, because not only would he not know quite what to do with a party with this many people being thrown in his honour, he would never expect anyone to throw one for him, let alone Reid, a man he's really only just met a month ago. And yet he rather likes the idea that someone here knows when his birthday is. It's not the sort of thing that's ever really come up in conversation with anyone else and while he knows he has friends like Derek or Caroline who might go out of their way to find out when it is, it's too soon for anyone to really find out and do anything about it. Which suits him just fine. He's never done well being the centre of attention and even having to speak to the Clave on behalf of his pack had always been rather difficult. He's good at it, there's no doubt, but that's very different than having a party focused entirely on him.

"I'll be thirty-eight," he says. "So if you like, I can remind you that you're younger than I am. When is your birthday?" It feels like information he should have, especially now that Reid knows when his is. He's only ever really celebrated Clary and Simon's birthdays, though there was a period of several years when he had bought gifts for Jocelyn, only to eventually have her gently ask him not to. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate them, she had said, but that she knew the store was struggling. She didn't feel comfortable accepting gifts from him when she knew the money could be used better in other ways.

She had never seemed to mind much when he spoiled Clary, however, so he knows that hadn't been the real reason. But he had allowed her to have it, as he had allowed her to have many things. As she had allowed him to have his issues as well. He had told Clary once that love often isn't enough and it's only now, with time and a bit of distance, he's realizing just how true that is. Loving Jocelyn, knowing she loved him in return, though not the way he wanted, it had seemed like enough for a very long time. The more time he spends away from her, however, the more he realizes how unhealthy the expectations he'd placed on her had been.

If he ever sees her again, he has a lot to apologize for.

"I don't expect a cake or candles," he says a second later, looking over at Reid in time to catch him watching, and his cheeks suddenly feel awfully warm. "I'm not sure at what point it just becomes a little sad, but trying to fit thirty-eight candles on a cake just seems like it might be a recipe for disaster."

"The pressure's on," Reid answers, his tone serious but his smile teasing. He knows Luke wouldn't actually expect anything at all, but the truth is that the wheels are already turning in his mind. He wouldn't even know where to begin when it comes to throwing something extravagant like this. He'd have no idea who to invite or what to set up for beverages and food or anything quite like that, and it's true that he's a genius but rarely is he in top social form so parties, just in general, aren't things he often worries about.

Granted, the fact that he does want to do something for Luke when the day is barely a month away makes him cross an arm tightly over his chest, not at all because he wants to close himself off to his friend but because it only serves to remind him of how absurdly attached he's grown to someone he's only known for a matter of weeks. When he falls, he falls quickly, that's just who he is. It doesn't happen often and when it comes down to it, he's hardly ever aware that anyone is flirting with him at all unless someone points it out to him; but there have been moments, just flashes, when they've exchanged texts or noticed Luke's eyes on him that Reid has let himself imagine what could happen if they both threw caution to the wind. That, however, is not who he is. Impulsive as he may be once in awhile when he's out in the field or on the verge of solving a case, it's much different than letting himself get too close to someone he might just lose. Especially in a city like Darrow, the risk is so high and the odds simply not in his favor.

But then again, he thinks, smiling softly when Luke turns to look at him, sometimes the risk is worth it.

"The cake is actually non-negotiable," Reid continues, shrugging again as if to apologize, though he's very clearly not sorry. "I pour tons of sugar into my coffee every morning, it's my lifeline, so you're going to have to deal with sharing at least half of what I find for you." The last time he'd made plans like this with someone outside of the team, real plans that he fully intends on following through with, had been when he and Maeve had finally agreed to meet. It seems like ages ago now and that hadn't worked out like either of them have wanted; but maybe this could be different. Even if they only ever stay friends, which would be more than satisfactory for Reid, he thinks this could be different.

"And if you could keep reminding me of that, it'd be very much appreciated until it isn't. Mine is October fourteenth. Which is actually one of the most common birth dates because conception can usually be narrowed down to New Year's Eve." He blinks, wrinkling his nose and giving of a slight shake of his head. "Probably not information you needed, but I accepted a long time ago that what most people consider useless bits of trivia is what I excel in contributing to casual conversation."

A corner of his mouth turns up again, almost mischievously. "I think you're right about the candles, though. At the point of thirty-eight candles, I think it just becomes a fire hazard."

Luke smiles when Reid says he'll have to share half of whatever he finds and he thinks that will suit him just fine. He takes a sip of his beer to give himself time to recover, to give himself a chance to rein in the grin that he feels threatening. Now and then he's thought about what his birthday might be like here, how it might feel to celebrate without Clary and Jocelyn, and he knows he never would have really celebrated on his own. The day would have come and gone, he would have at least acknowledged it, but there wouldn't be any cake. There wouldn't be any celebration, there would have only been a quiet day in the store without thinking about it much at all simply because it wouldn't have been the same. Without them, the day just would have been a little darker and it isn't that Reid completely undoes the sadness that comes with being without them, but he thinks about being brought cake, he thinks about someone -- no, not just someone, but this someone in particular -- coming to wish him a happy birthday and suddenly he's thinking the day might not be so quiet and difficult to get through after all. It won't be the same by any means, but something doesn't have to be the same as it was before to be enjoyable. That there's the possibility his birthday might still be something worth looking forward to is more than enough.

"The cake is non-negotiable, alright," he agrees when he swallows his sip of beer. "I think can probably make do with a day like that." That grin he's been trying to hold back threatens to break free again when Reid tells him just how common his birthdate is and the reason why. It's not something he's ever given much thought to himself, maybe at least in part because he doesn't have many memories of either of his parents. He understands at some point they were married, they were happy. At some point they were in love and wanted to have a family, but he has barely any memories of his father at all, had been too young to remember much of his death. The same goes for his mother, given that she had left him and Amatis when he'd been only five years old. Logically he knows there was a point at which his parents would have been very much looking forward to a happy family, but the idea of that seems to foreign to him that he almost can't quite comprehend it.

"I've never given that much thought," he admits, cocking his head slightly. "It makes sense. I imagine October in general is fairly popular, given the whole month of December often being one big celebration." He wonders what that would have been like, having a family on holidays, being able to wake up on Christmas morning to breakfast and presents and parents who were present. At least partly. He knows Reid's life has been far from perfect, but Luke thinks he would have been happy if at least one of his parents had stayed. He does his best not to spend much time dwelling on it because he can't do anything about it now, but it's difficult not to resent his mother for the choice she made. "I'm fairly certain I was an accident. Sometimes I wonder if my mother already knew she wasn't cut out to be a parent before I was born. You think that's the sort of thing one might realize with their first child."

That isn't what he wants to be thinking about, though. Not now. Not at a party for someone he considers a good friend, not when he's here with Reid, someone he's found himself growing quite attached to. He laughs when Reid says the number of candles on his birthday cake might be considered a fire hazard and his nose wrinkles slightly before he shrugs, as if he's unable to deny the allegation. "We wouldn't want to be responsible for burning anything down," he agrees. "Especially if that something were my store. I'm not sure I've been open long enough for them to believe it wasn't arson."

He remembers asking his mom once years ago whether she'd ever wanted more children, whether he might have had a sibling or two if Will Reid had stuck around. "Why mess with perfection?" had been her answer, and it'd made Reid smile in the moment but reflecting on it later, when he'd no longer been influenced by the blind compassion and love that always overcomes him when he visits his mom, he'd come to the understanding that it wouldn't have been a viable option for her or Will. Her illness hadn't made her a poor mother, not even an incompetent one, but Reid's high IQ had been an anomaly; having another child likely wouldn't have resulted in a mind quite the same any sibling he might have had could have found it much harder to navigate through life than he had.

Reid wouldn't say he'd been coddled, there are a lot of paths he'd had to figure out for himself, a lot of tough decisions he'd had to make once he'd been old enough to make them; but his mother had stilled loved him. She does love him and probably hasn't accepted that he's gone if anyone from the team has tried to tell her that, and as distressing as that thought is, it still makes him smile.

"You know, I don't think I was supposed to be around either," Reid admits, and that's fine. It doesn't upset him. "My mom, she's-- Well, my dad probably wasn't keen on raising a kid with a woman whose schizophrenic episodes were growing increasingly consistent. I was still pretty young when she stopped being wiling to get out of the house. Even out of bed." He hasn't let himself linger on it too much, but he knows that being here could have been so much more dangerous for his own mind than it's ended up so far. It could have triggered something in him, the break he's been genuinely fearing for close to twenty years now, and that fear runs more deeply even than the addiction.

He takes a moment to swirl his cider around in his glass, glad that he hadn't raised any eyebrows when he'd asked for it at the bar. Reid had told Luke that they should talk about the reason he doesn't drink alcohol in person, and he finds that he wants to because that means trust, that means giving Luke a piece of himself as his friend had given him out at the amusement park, but he hasn't found the right moment yet. Whatever it is, this certainly isn't it, here at a birthday party where everyone is having a good time, and he is, too.

Tonight, Luke doesn't have to be the werewolf and Reid doesn't need to be the recovering drug addict. In fact, most of the times they've gotten together, these details have taken a backseat, in spite of the fact that neither of them are really the type to be ashamed of their own identities. They are who they are, they're both acceptant of that, and that's part of why Reid thinks he's so drawn to Luke. Granted, it wouldn't be difficult to admit that the man is also incredibly good-looking, but he's been trying to keep thoughts like that at bay.

Trying. Whether or not he's been succeeding is an entirely different story altogether.

"Anyway, let's try not to burn your store down," he says, returning to the reality that is Luke by his side at a party he would have otherwise never have attended. "I've grown really fond of it. Which is surely the best reason you should keep it up and running, the guy you've known for a month likes it a lot."

Even now, all these years later, Luke still doesn't know why his mother chose to become an Iron Sister. Male Shadowhunters aren't allowed contact with the Iron Sisters and even female Shadowhunters are granted an audience rarely. Amatis could have gone, but Luke knows there wouldn't have been a satisfactory answer for either of them if she had been allowed to see their mother at all, which is doubtful. Cleophas is barely a memory at all and while there are times he wishes he could know, while he would love to be able to see her and ask her what was so wrong with her family that she couldn't bear to stay with them, there's no point in dwelling on it. He has vague, disjointed memories of what she looked like, the way she used to wear her dark hair bound in two long brains, but he knows being an Iron Sister changes women physically in the same way becoming a Silent Brother and he's certain he wouldn't recognize his mother now even if he was able to see her. He also knows she would be disgusted by what he is and that she'll live much longer than he'll ever hope to. While not immortal, the Iron Sisters live significantly longer than regular Shadowhunters.

One day he'll be able to say this all to Reid and the thought pleases him. Knowing he'll be able to tell him more about his life, knowing he'll be able to share the details of who he was before moving to Manhattan, that makes him feel good about their friendship. There are others in Darrow who know about him, but he's had a difficult time explaining the details and he likes to think if he and Reid were to sit down and have coffee one day, he'll be able to start at the beginning. It's a long story and he knows there are parts of it that are complicated, but if there's anyone who'll listen, anyone who'll just let him tell his story from beginning to end, he knows it'll be Reid. And while they've really only spent a few evenings together at this point, he's certain of this. He's certain Reid will be willing to listen, especially after the night at the amusement park when he'd managed to accept that Luke is a werewolf. Perhaps it hadn't come easily to him, but he hadn't run. He had let Luke explain. That means a lot.

"I think that sounds like a fair reason to keep the store running," he says with a smile, looking down at his beer for a moment and trying to hide how easy it is for Reid to make him smile like that. He would never describe himself as a particularly unhappy man, but it's been a long time since he'd been anything resembling at peace. He's done is best, he's lived his life as happily as he's been able, but having to hide who he was from some of the people he loved the most has left a mark. He'd never liked having to lie to Clary, but he had done it because he loves Jocelyn and because she had asked him to. Being able to have them both in his life had been a fair exchange for that, he thinks, and he knows he'd never have traded it for the world, but this is easier. Being able to look his friends in the eye and know they know the truth about him and haven't asked him to leave means the world to him.

"I'm glad you like it," he continues. "I was actually thinking... I found a copy of a La Strada the other day and I had to buy it. It's not the sort of movie I think most of my friends would like to watch with me. It's in Italian, but it's subtitled, of course and I'm realizing now that you won't need the subtitles, will you?" he asks, lifting his head to smile at Reid almost without thinking. "You would just understand the Italian, wouldn't you?" It's not a language Luke speaks himself, but he's always loved Italian film and he's excited about the prospect of being able to share it with someone. Clary would watch old horror movies with him and he loves her for that, but he's looking forward to being able to have Reid over. "Anyway, I thought you might like to come watch it with me at some point."

There are plenty of things Reid would have said his teammates wouldn't have been interested in doing with him. Watching foreign films had definitely been one of those things, though Emily had humored him every so often and joined him at the art-house cinema, though Reid thinks that she'd done it more as a sort of study on him than because she'd actually wanted to see the movie. She'd made an effort, Emily, to figure him out, to treat him the way he wanted to be treated. He'd felt comfortable telling her about things he couldn't tell the others, like the migraines and the fears he'd had about choosing the wrong path in life. These are things that he thinks could tell Luke about now, which is something he can admit rather than run from because all that means is that Reid trusts him.

They've already more than established that, he thinks, and considering Luke had explained his affliction to him in the amusement park, Reid doesn't doubt that it goes both ways. Granted, Luke hadn't had much of a choice at that point, but even so, Reid hadn't walked away. He supposes he could have written it off as a delusion, a trick of his mind that he'd have to justify to himself over and over again before really believing it, but if he's honest, he's glad that he knows the truth. It's an enormous part of who Luke is and of what's shaped Luke's life, and Reid wants to get to know it all. He doesn't want Luke to feel like he needs to hide anything of himself, even if it's a bit hypocritical considering all he hasn't admitted about his own life.

It's just that he keeps telling himself that there has to be a better time. Tomorrow or the day after, next week or next month, there's bound to be a better time to tell Luke about the time he'd been drugged and tortured, turned into an addict thanks to the good intentions of a suffering victim, and it's especially true of tonight. They're at a birthday party for someone Reid doesn't even know so to bring something like that up would likely result in them leaving for somewhere quieter, somewhere without an audience, and Reid wouldn't want to pull Luke away from his friend's celebration.

Well... there's a part of him that does, yes, but he's willing to acknowledge that it's a very selfish part of him that usually doesn't rear its ugly head unless he's especially grouchy or frustrated.

He realizes then that he's supposed to have made a reply by now but instead, he's just been standing here, staring blankly at Luke with his glass of cider help halfway to his lips, and Reid lets out a sharp, sheepish laugh as he lowers the glass. "I'd love to watch it with you," he says, trying his best not to sound too eager but at the same thinking that he's failed spectacularly. "And yes, I'd maybe understand the Italian, but have you seen it? It's so simple in its deliverance but still so powerful, and it was actually the first to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Film."

This is gushing. Rambling. At this point, Reid is used to someone telling him so, interrupting him so he won't waste anyone else's time, but Luke, as usual, seems content to listen to him speak. It's not that his teammates had actively gone out of their way to silence him, he knows that's never really been their intention, but more and more often lately, he'd started to wait until addressed to voice what was in his head out loud. Of course, he'd occasionally get the frustrated question of why he hadn't already spoken up but tensions are high on cases and besides, there's no pleasing everyone all the time.

Still, that's what has him feeling that much more appreciative of Luke and his patience, and he ducks his head to hide his burgeoning grin. "So yes, I'd love to, if I haven't made that overtly obvious by now."

The smile Luke gives Reid is somehow both shy and excited at once. It isn't that he expected Reid to decline his invitation, it's been made fairly clear by the both of them that they enjoy spending time together and there's nothing about having someone over to watch a movie that blatantly suggests anything more than friendship, but Luke knows his intentions aren't entirely pure. There's still a big part of him that's terrified of any kind of rejection, a part that worries maybe he'll never work up enough courage to tell Reid what he's feeling lately, but if nothing else, he really does want to remain friends. So for the time being he thinks he can work on that, he can offer Reid his friendship and hope the same is offered to him in return. Anything else will take time and patience and probably a lot of work on Luke's part simply so that he might acknowledge and accept there's the possibility of his affections being returned.

But this probably isn't the best place to be thinking about it. Despite the fact that he and Mindy have long since ended whatever physical relationship they had, he knows they're still working toward being friends. He's fairly certain he and Mindy weren't meant to be together either way, he knows for a fact there's someone else out there, someone else she cares about and while he has his suspicions about who that might be he doesn't have any proof. He wants her to be happy, he wants to be friends with her, but he knows that might not be the sort of thing that happens overnight. They wanted different things and he knows it's better that they ended what was going on between them, but it's still a bit of an awkward situation. To be here with someone he thinks he's well on his way to developing feelings for, especially since Mindy had expressed what he thinks is a bit of concern when he had asked if he would be alright for him to bring a friend, is truly all a little strange. Luke has no idea what he's really doing here. This isn't a situation he knows how to read, his lack of experience never more obvious than in situations like this. Not that he's often been in situations like this.

"Great," he says. "I'm looking forward to that." He's looking forward to it more than he really knows how to say without coming across as strange or far too eager. For a second he considers who he might ask advice of for a situation like this and he realizes he truly has no idea. Derek's lost the person he cares about most in the world, so Luke can't imagine asking him what one does when they're interested in someone who might look at them as only a friend. He thinks he might be able to ask Mindy, but not yet. Maybe in a few weeks, when they've had more time to work out who they are as friend. Caroline is far too young, it would feel a little like asking Clary for advice and that just feels a little strange to him. Molly might just be his best bet, but even she is a little young.

In Manhattan he really wouldn't have had anyone to ask either. Maybe if he had he wouldn't have balked at pursuing Alaric. Maybe he wouldn't be quite so confused now.

The lights in the lobby dim slightly and Luke looks up, then back at Reid. "I think that means we're supposed to take our seats," he says and for a second he almost offers Reid his arm. It's instinct, something he's done countless times for Jocelyn or Clary without even thinking. His arm jerks and then he drops his hand, glad he's still holding his beer in his other hand, because he's certain he would otherwise look more awkward than he's ever looked before and he's still trying to avoid that for the most part. Reid doesn't need to be walked into the theatre and Luke glances down at his boots as he walks beside him into the theatre, wondering if Reid had noticed the strange, jerky motion he'd made with his arm.

There's a fair number of people attending the party, but not nearly enough to fill the theatre and Luke finds some seats off to the side, away from most of the other party goers. He doesn't really intent on talking through the movie, but he wants the option to be able to lean over and speak to Reid without disturbing anyone else, even though he's sure he won't be the only one talking. "Are these alright?" he asks, looking at Reid.

They walk side-by-side into the theater in silence, Luke staring at his shoes and seemingly refusing to look up at him and Reid wondering what on earth had caused the sudden jolt of his friend's arm and whether he'd done something terribly wrong in the few seconds between standing still and walking. He's glad the theater is already dim when they step inside because it helps to hide the way his brows knit and the corners of his lips turn downward into a confused frown.

The only thing he can think of that might have shifted the mood is that maybe he'd sounded a little too eager about watching La Strada in the near future, though he'd tried very hard to keep his voice and expression neutral; then again, Luke is a werewolf, he has senses that are heightened that allow him to tune into things Reid can't so maybe that's it. Maybe Luke had noticed the quickening of Reid's heartbeat or felt a blast of heat that Reid had felt in his cheeks at the idea of watching a movie with Luke alone, in the comfort of Luke's apartment. Even thinking about it now makes his pulse pick up, and he lets out a long, silent exhale as he urges himself to regain some sense of control lest Luke decide he'd rather sit somewhere else altogether.

But then, he thinks, Luke had said he was looking forward to it. He'd seemed happy that Reid had agreed, and Reid can't forget the smile that had just been on his face. There'd been something so sweet about it, almost shy, and Reid recognizes it because he's caught himself with the same one every so often as he passes by a mirror or a window and realizes that yes, as is becoming more and more common, he'd been thinking about Luke. This feels almost like the high school crush he'd never had and somehow so much more at the same time because they're two grown men who are very capable of running their own lives but Reid thinks that in the future, if he finds out they've been feeling the same way for each other all this time, he'll feel very foolish for missing it.

Then again, profilers are notorious for not being able to profile themselves or those too close to them, so it wouldn't necessarily surprise Reid either. The things is, he's an enormous fan of the facts and right now, the only fact he has is that Luke considers him a friend. It's a very nice fact to know, of course, but Reid desperately wants to know if there could be more between them one day. This is neither the time nor place to ask, though, which he reminds himself of as Luke leads them to a pair of seats far off to the side.

He pauses, blinking at the seats then looking toward a few that are still available toward the center, where the rest of the attendees of the party have gathered, and he stops himself just before he's about to ask if Luke's sure he doesn't want to sit closer to everyone else or have a better view of the screen. Reid bites down on his bottom lip, studying Luke for just a few seconds before breaking out into a smile and nodding, foregoing all worries that Luke might be upset with him in that moment because as far as he's concerned, the movie will be far more enjoyable this way. He's never seen When Harry Met Sally and it seems that tonight, that won't necessarily be rectified.

Somehow, he doesn't think either of them will mind finding a distraction in each other.

Sinking into his seat, he's suddenly very aware of just how physically close this put him to Reid, the heat that practically pours off him and there are very few times in Luke's life when he finds being a werewolf actually difficult, but this is turning out to be one of them. Reid is just so close and he's so warm and Luke can smell him. It doesn't make sense, it shouldn't be so difficult for him to just shut it out of his sense, but he can't seem to manage it. He'd spent years around Jocelyn without having her scent affect him like this and he can only assume he must have grown used to it after all that time. But this is new, Reid is new, and as Luke finally relaxes into his seat he feels like he's surrounded by him all without even touching him the slightest bit.

It's absurd. And it's impossible. And he isn't sure how he's supposed to sit next to this man in a dark movie theatre for the next hour and a half without giving in to the sorts of impulses he hasn't felt in years. It makes him feel immature, like he's traveled back to a time when his hands would grow damp at the thought of being close to someone he liked, when sitting next to someone like this was more than enough to make him nervous. And he finds he kind of likes it, too. He might be nervous and he might feel a little like the next ninety minutes will be torture, but he's going to enjoy it all. Every last minute of being this close to Reid feels like something special.

He shouldn't do it, but he leans over slightly, his shoulder brushing against Reid's in the dark as the lights far. "Have you seen this before?" he asks and he's only asking to say something, to be able to carry on a conversation when he knows he should be keeping himself quiet. Other people are going to want to enjoy the movie and aren't going to want to hear him talking, but he finds he can't help himself. He doesn't want any of their conversation to end just yet.

"Clary and I used to watch movies like this on Sunday afternoons when her mother was busy," he continues, still taking care not to speak too loudly, still leaning closer to Reid. He doesn't know why he's doing this to himself, moving closer still when he should just be pulling away, giving them both some space, but he can't seem to help it. It's like he's being drawn in, like something in Reid is pulling a part of him closer and Luke thinks of what it would be like to just give in to it.

But he doesn't. Not now.

"Old horror movies, too," he says, then huffs out a soft laugh. "Black and white movies from the thirties and forties. I loved those afternoons."

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-07 06:06 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-07 20:11 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-08 08:29 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-08 16:53 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-13 04:56 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-13 20:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-19 19:41 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-20 16:57 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-23 08:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-24 13:56 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

youfeelluckypunk - 2015-07-28 06:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

notaretriever - 2015-07-28 16:20 (UTC) - Expand

Momentarily freaking out thinking that Luke had already moved on had been one of Mindy's lower points of pride, but she's totally, totally over it by now. Well, okay, she can't help but glance around to see who he's brought along, if for some reason he was lying to her and has brought some crazy bangable blonde.

Which is dumb. They weren't an item, she's done away with all rights to jealousy.

Regardless, she's glad he's made it, even if she's not sure whether When Harry Met Sally is going to be his (or his friend's) kind of thing. They won't be alone in that if it's the case, but it's her birthday and she'll make all of her nearest and dearest cry with her over Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal if she wants to, goddammit.

"Hey!" she greets him, grinning broadly. "You made it. I was worried I'd maybe scared you off."

Luke isn't sure what Mindy thinks she could possibly do to scare him off anything, let alone her birthday party given what she's seen him do, but he smiles all the same and shakes his head. Being a werewolf isn't something he's going to talk about in a crowded, public area like this, but she'll know what he's referring to when he says, "You would think I'd be the one scaring you off with everything you've seen."

Maybe it's strange that her presence should relax him, but it does. She's always been easy to talk to, even when things hadn't exactly gone as well as he might have hoped. They've always communicated fairly well, even when Luke wasn't being as honest with either of them as he should have been.

"Happy Birthday," he tells her. "This is quite the party. I like it. I don't think I've ever had anything like this." Parties in Alicante had been far more extravagant than this, but they had never been thrown for an individual. Shadowhunters had never really been allowed to think of themselves as individuals.

Mindy's pretty sure that her personality is way more terrifying than any lycanthropy, at least that's the impression she's gotten for most of her adolescent-to-adult life. She just grins and winks at the comment, though, still kind of thrilled that she's in on his little (or kind of insanely huge) secret.

"Thank you," she says, glancing around at the bar to take in what he says. It's not completely overwhelmed with people, which she likes, because in those kinds of situations it's next to impossible to be heard and if there's one basic need she has, it's that. "I thought I'd mix it up. I basically never have time to go to an actual movie theater these days, so. Where's that, uh, friend you were talking about?"

She glances around, looking for an unfamiliar face.

The second she asks about his friend, Luke feels himself getting nervous all over again and he wonders if that's visible in his expression. His gaze darts around, looking for Reid in the crowd that's gathered and then he nods toward the bar when he spots him there, presumably getting another glass of cider. In that moment, Luke can't help but think how different they look, Reid in his button down and tie, Luke in jeans and flannel. Given his fashion choices, how well put together he looks at all times, Reid is really much more suited to someone like Mindy, someone who makes the effort and goes out of her way to look beautiful. At the thought, he feels a little flash of fear, because wouldn't that just be his luck? To bring the man he suspects he might be developing feelings for to Mindy's party only to have the two of them hit it off in a way Luke could never hope for.

"He's over there by the bar," he tells her, figuring she'll recognize Reid simply because he's clearly the one person she hasn't invited. He stands out, too. His height, the way he looks around like he's just the slightest bit uncomfortable. He isn't familiar with anyone here except Luke and when he meets his gaze, Luke smiles slightly, unable to help himself. This doesn't make any sense, the way his heart beats a little faster, the way he throat suddenly feels dry, and he's just very glad no one else in this room is a werewolf -- that he knows of -- or they would easily be able to pick up on these minute changes in him.

Edited 2015-06-13 15:08 (UTC)

Mindy glances over and, sure enough, there he is. She almost feels a little guilty that she didn't let more people invite significant others or plus ones or whatever, but none of them asked and most of her friends who are in relationships are, well, dating one another.

"Oh, cool," she says, nodding. She's no longer concerned about a fictitious hot blonde girl, but Luke is acting a little awkward. Maybe he just needs a drink, though. "Any chance he's a Nora Ephron fan?"

It's a long shot, but it would also be pretty cool if there we people who were genuinely excited to see her film beside Mindy and maybe Elle.

"You know, I never thought to ask," Luke admits with a soft, nervous laugh. "Does it count if I am?" Maybe he wouldn't call himself a fan, but he's seen all these movies with Clary, usually on rainy Sunday afternoons when Jocelyn had wanted some time alone to paint and those are good memories. Some of his favourites. If nothing else, movies with Meg Ryan will kind of always have a special meaning to him.

"I think he's glad to have been invited," he says. "It really is a great party. He asked if he should bring a gift, too, and while I told him he didn't need to worry about it, I can't promise he listened."

Luke didn't listen to her either and he withdraws a little package from inside his jacket to offer her. It's sort of a joke gift, but it's also something he went out of his way to find, a tiny wolf carved out of stone with delicate gold patterns drawn around the eye. It's pretty and he thinks it would fit well in her apartment, but it's more than just that.

"It totally counts if you are," Mindy says, smiling and nodding in spite of the part of herself that totally hates that she let a guy who is not only crazy bangeable, crazy nice but also willing to watch anything Meg Ryan go.

God, she's the worst kind of self-destructive. She could have been event planning in Austin with Casey and married in another world.

"You didn't have to get me something!" she says, eyeing the gift like that's totally not the case, taking it into her hands. While it is true that she is materialistic as hell, she's mostly just happy to have her friends all here. Presents are like the cherry on top, or something. "But I'm so glad you did. Do you want me to open it now? May I open it now?"

"I remember, you told me," Luke says with a smile. "You also told me to include the receipt, which I have decidedly not done. I've chosen to ignore most of your advice in regards to the gift, actually." But he's always been good at gifts. It's the sort of thing that's come easy to come, putting a little thought into it and finding something that's particular to the person he's giving the gift, too.

Of course, most of the gifts he's purchased over the years have been for Clary.

"Go ahead and open it," he says, still smiling, taking on a faintly teasing tone. "I hope you like it because if you don't, you're stuck with it anyway."

"That is quite the risk you're taking," Mindy says, eyebrows lifting at the comment though her smile is still firmly planted, too.

Some of the best gifts she's ever gotten haven't had a price tag, anyway. Of course the first thing that comes to mind is Danny's dance for her at Christmas, how he'd taken something that had annoyed him so much about her and turned it into something he knew she'd love.

She forces the memory down, carefully unwrapping the gift. "Oh my god," she gasps. "I love it. I know exactly where I'll put it, too."

Her voice drops to a whisper, then. "Can this, like, ward off demons, or something?"

Her question startles a laugh out of him and he shakes his head, grinning. "No, I don't know much in the way of magic, unfortunately. And I don't know of any warlocks in Darrow who might be able to do something like that for you." They have to exist, he's sure they're just a little more quiet than someone like Magnus Bane, but he's also not prepared to go asking around. Not yet anyway. That's the sort of connection that he's sure will be useful someday.

Especially given how often he's getting into fights lately. All because he's looking around for a simple cup.

"I thought it was pretty," he says, looking at the wolf in her hands. "And a bit of an inside joke."

"It's so pretty," Mindy says, and she means it, too. She's not really any good at feigning liking things, something that gets her in hot water more than she cares for. But it's such a sweet gesture, a far cry from what Mindy usually feels about her exes.

She thinks that she and Luke are going to be just friends again just fine, and if that's not an evolution on her part, she doesn't know what the hell is.

"And I love jokes that exclude others," she teases lightly, then leans to kiss his cheek. "So thank you."

"You're welcome," Luke says, feeling awfully pleased with himself. For a moment he'd really wondered if getting Mindy a gift without a receipt had been a mistake, but he knows she would appreciate a personalized gift more than she might let on via text or around people she doesn't know all that well. While their physical relationship may have ended, given the time they spent together, given the intimate nature of it, even the things Luke had said to her when they were ending, he thinks he's not wrong in saying they've grown close.

"I thought you might particularly appreciate that aspect of it," he continues, his smile widening into a grin. "You're the only one here who knows. Well, no, Reid knows. I accidentally showed him."