christmas eve will find me (rp for fortheportfolio)

[the_vigilante]

To say that renovating the Bunker has been an experience would be an understatement.

They've been lucky, to a certain degree, Aiden thinks, in having Blume come before them and lay the groundwork, figuring out the backbone of the convoluted plumbing and electrical necessary to keeping everything working when the whole thing moves, and the fact Ray actually knows what he's doing where he doesn't, but it's still taken time. He and Ray have still had to stop and rethink on more than one occasion, had to work something out with Nudle's help, a hundred different windows open on the big screen in the heart of the Bunker, or either one of them just calling it quits, period, for a few days, to go about their daily lives. It's been a challenge, all, but they're making progress. The bathroom is finished, with a working shower, now, and the kitchen's coming along. He and Ray have finished one section of the cabinet work, and there's a full-sized fridge and microwave, and --

Well, happy with it or not, it takes Aiden until Christmas fucking Eve to realize that a turkey's not going to fit in the microwave, no matter how impressive it is, and that, in lieu of presents, none of them really in need of anything, he was going to cook and he needs to figure something out. And that's how the Bunker ends up with an electric range, set up in the middle of the would-be kitchen, that as far as Aiden could drag it on his own, and there no real place for it, in between the counter tops, yet. He'll apologize for it later, if he has to, he'll make Ray help him move it. For now, however, it's not in the way of the fridge or the path up to it, and it's not like there's anyone around to pass judgement, at the moment, anyway, so there it stays. He's more concerned with the groceries he still needs.

He heads out again, that in mind. When he returns sometime later, it's with a bag of groceries under one arm and a twenty pound turkey, overkill for the three of them but what he's used to buying, this time of year, under the other. He heads for the haphazard kitchen, either way, planning on setting them down and then going back out for the couple of other bags he still has, out in the car.

Comments

[fortheportfolio]

When Aiden went out to get groceries, neither Ray nor Clara were around. Now that he's back, Ray has appeared - and has discovered their newest addition. He's standing in front of it with a beer, trying to figure out when, exactly, it managed to find its way into the bunker.

At the sound of the elevator opening, he glances back over his shoulder and then returns to studying the oven. When it's clear that he won't have to yell for Aiden to hear him, he speaks. "So, uh. I'm guessing this was your doing and Santa didn't come early."

[the_vigilante]

Aiden has the good sense to look confused, whether or not Ray actually looks at him long enough to take in the expression. Still, it's part and parcel for the joke, as he answers, "I thought you brought it in."

Never mind the fact that he's the one standing here, holding groceries.

[fortheportfolio]

"Nah. Learned my lesson doing it myself with that refrigerator. Thing was a pain in the ass." He takes another drink of his beer. "Guess Santa really did come, then. Shoulda left out some cookies."

Ray turns and sets his beer down. "You need a hand, there?"

[the_vigilante]

"Bet you still could -- maybe he'll be back," Aiden answers. He definitely wouldn't say no, if Ray wanted to leave some laying around, regardless of the fact that he bought the ingredients to make a little more involved dessert. Either way, though, "But yeah, I could use a hand. There's still some stuff down in the car."

Or he could pass the turkey off on Ray, which he tries to, holding it out to him to take.

[fortheportfolio]

Ray snorts, the implied request obvious, there. He will get you cookies, Aiden.

He reaches out to take the turkey from him. "This going in the fridge or you gonna need it out?"

He figures this is all to be prepared and eaten relatively soon.

[the_vigilante]

Aiden glances at the fridge, then his phone, pulled briefly from his pocket after he passes the bird off to Ray. When it disappears again, he answers, "Leave it out. I'm gonna start getting it ready to go in the oven, once we've got everything inside."

Setting the other bag down on the nearest flat surface, he turns to head in that direction, speaking of. "You can put the vegetables in the fridge, when we get 'em up here, though." It'll take him a little longer to get to those.

[fortheportfolio]

Ray sets the turkey down on the counter. "Right," he agrees simply. "So what is on this menu of yours?"

[the_vigilante]

"Turkey," Aiden starts, despite the fact that that's more than a little obvious, at this point. "Stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots." he pauses, glancing back at Ray as they head for the doors, and pops one shoulder in a shrug. "I thought I'd make apple pie, for dessert."

He could do a fruit cake, too, but no one actually likes fruit cake.

[fortheportfolio]

Ray narrows his eyes at him at that, though Aiden goes on before Ray can call him out for being a smart ass.

"I'm gonna have to change into my fat pants," Ray returns once Aiden finishes his recitation. Yeah, he definitely approves.

[the_vigilante]

Aiden snorts, glancing back at him as he opens the door to the elevator, something very vaguely embarrassed behind his eyes. He knows how Ray actually meant that, but, "I might've gone a little overboard."

With how much food he brought back, with how much food he's planning to cook.

[fortheportfolio]

"I was wondering if you'd forgotten it's just the three of us." He pauses a beat. "Though I'm also a little surprised there was this much left on the shelves, considering how everybody around here makes like a Biblical plague this time of year."

[the_vigilante]

"I fought an old lady off with a stick," Aiden answers, shrugging. It's really hard to tell if he's being serious or not. Probably not, all things considered, but his poker face is legendary. It helps, too, that he doesn't look back at Ray, this time.

"I'm kinda used to cooking for more than just three people, though," he continues after a beat, dimming his own mood, anyway. He was used to cooking for four, even if Jacks and Lena could have counted as one for as little as they actually ate. He always made too much food for them, too.

[fortheportfolio]

Ray snorts softly at Aiden's response - and then sobers, expression saddening. He didn't mean to bring up unpleasantries. "Well, the good news is I can pack it away with the best of them." He pauses a beat. "And if we're really drowning in it, maybe we can foist it off on Frewer and his buddies, assuming they don't all assume we're trying to poison them."

[the_vigilante]

"Might not be a bad idea," Aiden decides after a moment. It'll be good to feed the homeless, down in hobotown, just for the sake of feeding them. It's also a tactically sound move, beyond, their treatment of the people in the tent city across the bridge the potential difference between fixers or Blume finding them or not, whether or not the homeless will lie for them. It's not like they're not going to have plenty of leftovers, either way.

"Should've thought to grab some of those syrafoam takeout boxes, too," he adds, part under his breath and mostly to himself, after a beat.

[fortheportfolio]

"We'll work something out," Ray returns. Worst comes to worst they can just haul it out there in the serving dishes and replace them later. "Unless you wanna give your girlfriend a call and see if she can pick something up on her way in."

He figures Clara will be turning up anytime, since the afternoon's winding down.

[the_vigilante]

Aiden makes a face at Ray, not fond of him calling Clara his girlfriend, regardless of how true it is. People who use people's girlfriend's against them are the only people that actually use the word in lieu for a name, when they know it, and while he knows Ray won't, it's still makes him bristle. Add in the fact that they haven't really defined what this is, anyway, and --

He shakes his head a little, dismissing it, and once the elevator has found itself firmly on the ground again, reaches for his phone. Unlocking the screen, he pulls Clara's number up on his screen and hits send, then presses the phone to his ear. If nothing else, he should at least ask Clara to come home, if she wasn't planning on it.

[openyourworld]

Ray makes a face back at him, confused as to what his problem is. It's not like it's not the truth as far as he can tell, and it's not like he plans on doing anything nefarious with that information.

Clara answers quickly enough. "Hi," she says warmly. "I'm on my way to the bunker."

[the_vigilante]

Blame Damien and him referring to Clara as his 'fucking girlfriend' right before telling him he'd set the Club on her. It's a bad association, a fresh one. It's also something of a moot point, as his sourness fades the second Clara answers the phone.

"Hey," he echoes, before, "Think I can get you to pick something up, on the way back?"

[openyourworld]

"Of course," she answers. "What do you need?"

The traffic noise dies down a little as she slows down, prepared to change destinations depending on where he needs her to go.

[the_vigilante]

"Some of those styrofoam takeout boxes," he answers. A pause follows, and then, since he knows that probably raises more questions than it answers, he tells her, "It'll make sense, when you get here."

[openyourworld]

That does, in fact, pose some new questions, and she sounds a little confused when she responds. She's just going to take his word for it, though. "Okay. I can probably find some. Is there anything else?"

[the_vigilante]

"We need anything else?" Aiden asks, pulling his mouth away from the receiver a bit so it's clear that he's addressing Ray, not Clara. He thinks he has everything he needs, but if Clara's going to be picking up a few things already, now would be the time for Ray to suggest anything he wants along the way.

[fortheportfolio]

"Uh..." Ray begins thoughtfully. "'f'you want anything to drink besides beer or water?"

Wine, maybe? Or punch or whatever people drink at Christmas.

[the_vigilante]

Aiden hums, and then, to Clara, suggests, "Think you can grab a bottle of wine? Something white, maybe?" He wouldn't mind something a little fancier than beer.

[openyourworld]

"Wine and take-out boxes. I'll get them and be right there."

It'll probably take her longer to get the boxes than the wine, but she'll be there soon with both.

"See you both soon."