OOM: The latest with Mary Anne

[latino_menace]

Ramon is quiet when he walks into the house. He feels like he's done something wrong, even though he technically hasn't. Not wrong in that he toyed with Mary Anne a bit to get her to tell the truth for once - wrong because the conversation happened at all. Knowing how hurt Random was after he'd kissed her, it feels slightly off for him to talk to her about the situation. Almost as if he's been unfaithful, somehow, especially given that she showed him what might have been.

But he hasn't, and wouldn't - but he still feels the need to tell Random what happened. In a minute though. Right now, he's just leaning his back against the front door and pausing to try and get some of the tension out of him. He has a vague notion that something might just snap if the day carries on like this.

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[latino_menace]

'Yeah. It'll be OK.'

Ramon's wide awake now, his brain working over what's going to happen tomorrow. It's the perfect distraction from all the personal shit, and all the stuff he hsn't said.

'Go to sleep Random, you're tired. I might get up and work a bit but I'll be quiet.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'm just drowsy."

His eyes are still closed though.

"Talk to me for a bit? Just. Talk."

[latino_menace]

'What about?'

Anything, he assumes. So he casts around for a moment and figures people are as good a place as any to start.

'I met an old woman who's kind of like Raven. Goddess-legend thing, you know? She told me how to make applemash whiskey. It's good stuff.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Want to try some together later?"

He could stand to make whiskey with Ramon, for an afternoon. That'd be a nice way to pass the time.

[latino_menace]

'We could. But it'd have to be in a diffrent shadow, where it's hot.'

He chuckles and kisses his cheek fondly.

'Good thing about being with you, we won't have to wait six months for it to be ready. Walk us forward and we can have it in a few hours.'

That'd be awesome, he thinks. That stuff had rocked.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Whatever you like."

Just keep holding him like this and telling him things.

"We'll get to it later. Maybe have some on hand for Christmas. 's coming soon. Our second Christmas together."

[latino_menace]

'Yeah.'

Ramon smiles. He'd been thinking about Christmas the other day. He likes it, as a rule, and last year had been nice. Apart from Martin's visit on the day itself. That had been excruciating.

'What do you want to do for it? Spend it here, or somewhere else?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I want to spend it back in Columbia."

He sighs, happily, and settles his head so it's on Ramon's shoulder.

"We can afford a day a year."

[latino_menace]

'With Martin?'

He flinches and...no.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"If..."

Oh.



So that's how it is.

Random falls silent.

[latino_menace]

'No. No you don't...I don't mean I don't want him with us.'

He doesn't, but that isn't what he'd meant. He shakes his head to try and get rid of the shock that idea had caused.

'I'm sorry. But he can't go there yet. That's where...' he stops, and swallows.

'He's too young for it.'

It had been Emanuel's home, most of his life. He can't see Martin there, enjoying what his son can't.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Okay."

He doesn't let himself pull away from Ramon, because that'd be blatant and cruel, and he needs this to be alright for him, really he does.

"Haven, then. We can set up the tree, and..."

Everything, yes. It doesn't matter. He's alright with this.

Right.

[latino_menace]

And then he remembers that he's Ramon Salazar and nothing bothers him and you know what? It's fine.

'No, lets go there. I want to go home anyway. It'll be alright.'

His voice sounds tired, but not too resigned. He doesn't want to guilt Random out of not going.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"We'll talk about it later," says Random in the tone that means he isn't going. No matter what.

"When we're more awake."

[latino_menace]

And Ramon is just as sure that they are. And he really does want to go home. It would be stupid, he thinks, to pass up the opportunity to go back to Columbia just because of the child.

'Alright.'

Pause, while he wonders if he can sleep yet. No. It's still early.

'What do you want to get him?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"He gets one present from us, and one present from Santa, and then whoever else thinks of him. We're not spoiling him. I think, at his age, it should be a trike."

Martin + wheels = far too cute.

[latino_menace]

Ramon turns his head to look at him properly with a look of intense disbelief.

'One present from us and one from Santa?

...you do know how much money we have, don't you?'

He doesn't like Martin that much. But to him, two presents for your son at Christmas isn't much short of cruelty.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Then we'll donate the spare to Shepherds of Good Hope or something. My family has a dreadful tendancy to see what they want and think they deserve it. So do you, sometimes, baby. The little one needs to understand that we do love him, and will get him some things, but he needs to work for the luxuries."

Don't get him wrong. They will be very good Christmas presents. But.

"The Christmas season is about giving, and sharing. I don't want him thinking it's about money. If he comes away knowing I'm happiest with a mug with 'daddy' misspelled on it that he puts effort into rather than the fanciest thing he could buy, then I've done my job."

[latino_menace]

Ramon makes a mental note to buy a mug that Martin can misspell his name on for Random. He'll make sure he gets some good things as well, but that one goes on the list.

'It's not about 'deserving',' he says, although it totally is. 'It's about affording. How's he going to feel when he sees that I've bought you a heap of presents and he's only got two to open?'

He has the dreadful feeling that Random's going to stop him buying things now, and that makes his heart sink. He thinks the best way he knows to show love is to buy expensive presents, which is why Random gets whatever he wants, even if it's just mentioned in passing on a whim one day and then forgotten about.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I think you know the answer to that."

He kisses the nearest bit of skin.

"Just one, lover. Santa doesn't come for grown ups. I promise, Ramon, we'll do alright by each other. Just, one thing at a time, and let you mean it rather than just think it's easy, okay? Why don't you ask Martin what he wants from Santa for Christmas, love, then it can be nice and big and you can spoil him for it. Speaking of which, what would you like?"

[latino_menace]

He lets out a breath and its rather obviously disappointed. But then it occurs to him that he can just give Random one present on the day and keep a pile of them for the night, after Martin's gone to bed. That'd work.

'I always mean the things I give you. I seriously hope you haven't been under the impression that I don't.'

Because that would bother him more than he would like to show. So he's not showing it now, just smiling and kissing him gently.

'I know what I want. And it won't cost you a thing.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Ramon."

Seriously.

"I know you mean it, I'd just rather you remembered that we have thousands of years to buy gifts, so one thing at a time might be best. I just want one gift, and I'd rather it was a mug to make me laugh, or a tshirt with 'kiss me, I speak spanish' or something. That means 'I love you' not 'we have money.' I know what I'm getting you, I think."

[latino_menace]

'Yeah? What is it?'

He's not looking at him because fuckit, has he been doing this wrong for two years as well and Random only just now told him? His jaw clenches slightly and he reaches for a cigarette to hide it.

'They all mean 'I love you'. It's not about money.'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"We have a little one now, though."

He traces a finger down Ramon's jaw.

"Who we need to teach that money isn't important, no matter how much I love having sex in new cars with you."

[latino_menace]

'Fine,' he says, tonelessly. He thinks money is important, so he's not about to start cheering at the prospect of less extravagance for the sake of the kid.

'So, what do you want?'