Family (Pigeon x Nikaanut)

[Kotorichan]

My character:

Name: Ryan Batule

Age: 24

 

Ryan is about 190cm, he has dark brown hair and hazel eyes. His skin is light brown and he has bright and intricate geometric tattoos all over the left side of his body. He is lean but fairly muscular because he goes to the gym regularly.

 

He works as a tattoo artist and actually runs his own shop with a few friends. He also occasionally does art on commission and has gotten pretty well known so he has enough money.

 

Ryan is optimistic and laid back. His apartment is usually a mess of art supplies although he does try to clean every once in awhile. He's very friendly and romantic but often doesn't know when to give his partner space since he's almost always full of energy.

[nikaanuk]

It felt weird to come back here after all these years. Johnson's shop was now closed, they opened a cafe there, but the old church with its playground were still there. Nate watched the city moving slowly outside the window. It felt bitterly sweet to be back here, this time on his own. A return he imagined would be much worse.

He turned his gaze to see the little girl sitting on his lap, she had brown hair and brown eyes, she was chewing her plushie elephant's trunk, looking outside.

 

The driver stopped in front of a small motel, Nate thanked him and started to get out with the girl and their bags.

"Don't run away!" He called when she walked slowly to the nearest lawn to pick some grass.

He paid for the taxi, took their bags and walked to the girl. She was murmuring something to Kate - the elephant.

"Get up, Alice, we're going to see the room."

She grabbed his finger and followed him slowly inside the motel.

It was a surprise to see a familiar face behind the reception desk. Nate smiled at old Mrs Summers and came closer.

"Nathaniel Cornell..." she smiled. "Are you visiting? And who is the little one here?"

"I'm movig in actually" Nate explained with a smile. "And this is Alice."

Mrs Summers went out from behind the desk and crouched in front of the girl.

"Hello there, little one. Who's this?" She asked pointing at the purple plushie.

"Kate" Alice explained.

"Kate is a very beautiful elephant." The woman said and then looked at Nate, getting up slowly. "Do you have something?" She asked. "A flat at least?"

"No, not yet. I need to find something."

She nodded and returned behind the desk.

"I'll see what we can do for you. For now I can give you room. Would you like to have a big room?" She asked Alice smiling at her again, before turning to her computer. "Let's see..."

[Kotorichan]

It was late afternoon when Ryan got off work. His morning had been packed with appointments for various tattoos but he was finally done. After a day like that he always felt tired but satisfied. The art he did would stay with a person for the rest of his life and he always put a huge amount of effort into each piece. The idea of going home and cooking himself a meal felt like too much after the day, so instead the man made his way to a nearby diner. It was a place he often went to because the food was cheap but decent.

 

Ryan got a seat in the corner and glanced over the menu before pulling out his sketchbook to doodle. The diner wasn't too busy despite it being dinner time, probably because it was a weekday. The other people looked like they were there for the same reason as Ryan. People who just wanted to eat and be left alone.

 

The waitress came over with a tired smile. "Hello, how are you today? Can I get something started for you?"

 

"I'm good, I'll just have a burger and a chocolate milkshake" Ryan gave her a bright smile, the energy coming off as almost flirtatious.

 

The young woman nodded and left the table.

 

Ryan sighed and pulled a pencil out of his backpack. After taking another glance around the diner he began to sketch one of the people sitting at a table across from him. It was always interesting to draw people he saw in public but he had to make sure not to stare at anyone too much.

 

The young man hummed softly as he waited for his food. As he drew his mind wandered to his high school boyfriend, Nate. It always made him sad to thing of his old sweetheart. Even though he had dated other people he had never actually met anyone that he liked as much as Nate. But it had been years since he had heard from the other man, it was completely hopeless.

[nikaanuk]

In the late afternoon Nate took Alice to show her the playground; it brought memories, they would all play here, he and his friends from school, this is when he and Ryan would come when they were younger... He smiled at Alice and sat her on a swing. They changed it a bit, the swings were new, there was more wood and less metal around. He liked it here.

Another familiar face showed around, he smiled and waved, the young woman looked at him surprised but smiled back. She pointed at the phone she had in he hand and he nodded.

He knew he'd meet her soon again. Pauline was one of them in the highschool, he was sure she'll want to talk to him.

"Come darling, we are going to eat" he said and her face dropped.

"Swing!" she demanded and so he stopped her and crouched in front of her.

"We are going to eat a dinner now, then we will take a bath with your strawberry bubble bath, okay? And I will read you something."

She pouted but let him put herself down. He took her hand and walked towards the centre of the town to see if there's any restaurant he remembered still open.

[Kotorichan]

The waitress brought Ryan his food after just a few minutes. She gave a surprised smile at the sight of his sketchbook. "Oh, you're an artist?"

Ryan smiled back and moved the sketchbook out of the way so that it wouldn't get dirty. "Yeah, I usually do tattoos but I like drawing people too"

"That's amazing, I always wish I learned how to draw" She gave a wistful sigh and set the food down in front of him.

"It's never too late to start"

"I guess that's true" The young woman laughed softly. "Well, enjoy your meal"

Ryan thanked her and turned back to his food. He took a bite of his burger and closed his eyes for a moment. Sometimes he wondered if the price of the food was just an excuse for coming here. Back in high school he would go to his diner with Nate. No one they knew ever came here so they would sit in the corner booth and hold hands, it was the most public they had ever been. Since then the diner had switched owners, the menu, name, and location were all the same. But the food wasn't as good, the restaurant wasn't as clean, and the staff wasn't as friendly. The whole mood was so different that Ryan often wondered if he had just imagined all those dates.

 

He set down his burger and wiped his fingers on a napkin before pulling his sketchbook closer. He began to absentmindedly sketch Nate from memory.

[nikaanuk]

In the middle of the town was a nice looking restaurant but before Nate came inside, he stopped, looking at the old building sqeezed between two taller, one was bank and the other one was shop with clothes. The smaller building was once a cafe, now shut, with its windows nailed. He remembered that once they were supposed to meet there but then his parents found out and grounded him. This was one of the last times when they were going for a date. In few weeks he moved out.

Alice pulled his hand so he looked at her and smiled. Maybe he should open this thing again? For a moment the idea appeared cystal clear in his head, small tables, ice cream, families with children... He smiled and took Alice in his arms.

"Come on, darling, let's see if they have chicken nuggets, right?"

She smiled at him and touched his nose.

"Nose..."

"Yes, indeed. And were is an ear?" he asked and came inside the restaurant.

It was new, fancy place, he didn't quite like it but decided not to get prejudiced agains the place. He took a table at the window and sat Alice down on his lap.

Here at least he didn't know the people, he looked around but except of a couple of teenagers and two men discussing bussiness the place was empty. He kissed Alice's head and when the waitress came to them, he ordered a meal.

 

They ate the supper and finished with small dessert. Then they came back to the motel and Nate put Alice to bed. He read her Little Mermind and when she finally fell asleep, he just sat down with his laptop, looking for any funds to buy the cafe. He tried not to think about the town around him, the people going out maybe. Since Alice was born, he didn't have much time for himself. Around midnight he went to sleep, feeling a bit older than he was.

[Kotorichan]

Ryan took his time finishing his food and paying his bill. He left the diner and returned to his messy apartment. He had lived there since he moved out of his parent's house. It had been something he put off for a few years since he thought Nate might return and look for him. But it had never happened so he had found his own place.

 

The walls were all covered with intricate murals that Ryan had painted. They were all in watercolor paints so the man would wash them off and then paint something else whenever he felt the inspiration. He had long since accepted that he wouldn't be getting his deposit back.

 

He didn't go to sleep until around midnight, knowing that he didn't have any appointments the next day.

 

Around noon he rolled out of bed and prepared for his day. He was determined to go buy groceries so he could actually cook for himself. Of course he almost never got around to cooking anything more complicated than pasta, but he could dream.

 

It was almost 1pm when he got out of his apartment and headed to the grocery store, still a bit groggy.

[nikaanuk]

Alice used to wake up around seven so Nate had very early start. They went out to eat breakfast and then walked around the city a bit. He took her to the cinema for an animated film and then they returned to the motel for the nap. He had like an hour to himself, when he could try and find a small flat, he has sold his car and got enough money to live through first month, he needed a job as well. When Alice woke up, he took her to eat lunch in park - they bought a yogurt and an apple and then, a little after the midday they went to the playground. Alice to dig in the sandpit, Nate to stand near her to keep his eye on her.

 

He wondered what will happen if he fails, what if he can't find a job? She didn't even understand what was going on. He was fully responsible for her... that scared him again a little.

[Kotorichan]

Ryan slowly made his way to the grocery store, trying to think of some meals that he would actually cook throughout the week. Nothing was coming to him so he decided to take the scenic route through a park. It was the same park that he used to spend time with Nate as children, and even sometimes as teenagers.

 

His mind left food behind to think about Nate instead, noticing all the things that had stayed the same, and all the things that had changed since they spent time here. It felt like that was a lifetime ago. He paused for a moment when he reached the playground, this was probably the part that changed the most.

 

The man turned away so that no one would accuse him of watching the children. Just as he was about to leave he froze. There was a familiar face among the parents on the benches, one that made Ryan's heart drop. He couldn't be sure, it had been too many years, but still... "Nate...?"

[nikaanuk]

Nate stepped back to make more room for children to play, Alice would come to him to show him what she has found or that Kate was dirty so he didn't have to stand by her.

He moved back to the bench and when he heard his name he looked up. What he saw, made him freeze.

"Ryan...?" He whispered.

He didn't think about him, not daring, not wanting to. Partly he expected Ryan would leave the town. Partly he didn't know what to expect.

He swallowed and smiled weakly, suddenly feeling panic. What will he think about Alice? Did he betray him? How could he when they didn't see each other in almost six years? Not sure whst to say Nate stared at Ryan.

[Kotorichan]

Ryan tried to force back his shock, why would Nate be here? After all these years... "H-hey, it's been awhile" He stammered, forcing a grin. He tugged the edge of his sleeve down to hide the tattoos on his arm, suddenly feeling self conscious. Once again his gaze wandered to the children on the playground. Could one of them be Nate's..? If Nate had a kid then Ryan couldn't talk about the past. He couldn't even ask what had happened all those years ago.

 

"Uh, how've you been? Are you moving back here?" He knew that he shouldn't try to get too close, he might just end up causing problems for the other man. Ryan pushed his hands into his pockets, hoping that his face didn't give away his feelings of longing. He wanted to go back to the way they once where, but that was probably impossible...

[nikaanuk]

Nate smiled a little. After first shock he couldn't help but smile seeing Ryan again. He looked good, Nate took a good look, then his gaze returned to his face.

"I'm fine. I moved in... yesterday actually... You still live here?"

He wanted to ask about so many things at once but that would be rude. He wanted to know if Ryan was seeing someone. If he was seeing a woman... But /he/ had no right to ask...

He wanted to, and was afraid of, introduce Alice to Ryan. He didn't want to hurt him but he was so proud of his daugher...

[Kotorichan]

"Yeah... Never moved away" Ryan laughed nervously. He knew he couldn't tell Nate that he had stayed because he wanted this very moment to happen. "I ended up starting a little business with a couple friends so now I can't really leave that behind..."

 

He wanted so badly to step forward and hug the other man tightly. He wanted to say how badly he missed him. But he couldn't, not now and maybe not ever.

 

"Uh... Are you busy right now? We could maybe grab some lunch or something and catch up?" Ryan silently prayed that it wouldn't sound like a date, he didn't want to scare Nate away. "I mean, you don't have to of course. You probably still have a lot of moving-in to do"

[nikaanuk]

Nate laughed - his way to cope with stressful situations - and shook his head. "No, I am not, actually. I... well, I still didn't find a flat, I'm looking for something. I... would love to join just.... let me grab one more thing..." He said and turned to the playground.

Alice was digging a hole, using a stick. Not wanting to think about Ryan's face or his reaction - wasn't this throwing at him too much? - he walked to her and crouched in front of her.

 

"Darling, I want you to meet someone, okay?"

 

The girl looked up at him and nodded, getting up and taking the elephant with her.

Holding her hand Nate came bach, searching Ryan's face for whatever he could find there.

 

"This is my friend, Ryan." He said looking at Alice with a nervous smile. "And this is my daghter... Alice" he added quietly.

 

Alice looked at the stranger for a moment and then held the dirty elephant for him to see.

 

"Kate" she introduced the plushie.

[Kotorichan]

For a split second Ryan's face was a picture of shock and despair. He felt like he knew as soon as he met Nate in the playground, but somehow seeing the little girl made him feel like his world was crumbling. He only showed it for a moment before bringing back a cheerful smile and crouching down so he was on the same level as Alice.

 

"Hi there Alice, Hi there Kate, its nice to meet you both" He said cheerfully. "Your dad and I used to be friends when we were kids, we played here a lot" he nodded towards the playground. "What do you think? Is it nice here?"

 

Ryan wasn't really used to dealing with kids, the tattoo shop had a strict no children policy for obvious reasons. But he had a nephew who was a little older than Alice, so he a vague idea of what to do.

[nikaanuk]

Alice nodded solemnly.

"It's nice" she said. "But I have it at home" she added and hugged Kate.

 

Nate watched them together and he could almost feel tears in his eyes. He knew that they were probably done now, he and Ryan. There was little chance they could be together... The idea of being with him again and the awareness that it will never happen, made him wince.

 

"It's not our lunch time" he said, making an effort to smile. "But we could eat some fruit, right?" he placed his hand on Alice's head and she looked up at him.

 

"An apple. Kate wants apple."

 

Nate looked at his friend. "What do you say? Do you have apples somewhere?"

[Kotorichan]

"Um, I don't have any with me or back at my place..." Ryan paused for thought, he didn't want to just take them to the crappy grocery store he usually bought things at. "Oh! There's a farmer's market nearby today, do you want to walk over there and get a snack?" He suggested, brightening at the thought. It was just about two blocks away, he never went there for shopping because it was too pricey but it would be perfect for getting some nice fruit.

 

He looked at Alice with a smile. "Are you okay with walking a little bit to get an apple?"

[nikaanuk]

Alice nodded smiling at Ryan. She handed him the elephant.

 

"No, darling, we can't ask Ryan to carry Kate" he said taking it from her.

 

She hugged the toy to avoid her father taking it from her.

 

"No!" she protested ad reached it to Ryan again.

[Kotorichan]

Ryan laughed softly and gently took the elephant. "I'd be honored to carry Kate for you" He stood up straight again, cradling the elephant in one arm. "Come on, I'll show you the way" He started to walk towards the farmer's market, making sure not to walk too fast so that he wouldn't leave the other two behind.

[nikaanuk]

Nate smiled at his back and then followed after him.

"What business you have, if you don't mind me asking?" he said, trying to sound neutral. The subject should be fine to be discussed, it wouldn't bring anything personal between them. "I was thinking about opening again the old cafe" he admitted. And okay, maybe that brought personal stuff, but Ryan could easily ignore it.

[Kotorichan]

"Oh... Well, it's a a tattoo parlor" Ryan laughed softly. "Remember how I used to really love art? Well, I ended up getting into tattoos and stuff and I met a few people while doing my training... So we all got together and started our own place. It's actually gotten pretty popular." He tried not thinking about the memories they had in the old cafe. "Well... Let me know if there's anything I can do to help with that... And uh..." He glanced at Alice for a moment before looking back to Nate. "I have a bunch of tattoos so I'll wear long sleeves around Alice, some people are bothered by that kind of stuff..."

[nikaanuk]

"Oh, but I would love to see them!" Nate said too enthusiastically even for his own ears. "I doubt Alice would be bothered. As long as you don't have anything pornographic tattoed on your hands I am fine with it. Just don't be surprised if she wants to draw something too on your skin" he laughed.

Alice looked at them and smiled as they were talking about her. Nate took her in his arms so they could be going a little faster. "I think you will like it, darling" he said to her and she giggled and touched his nose. "Yes, that's a nose. Who else have a nose?" he asked and she pointed at Ryan, reaching to touch his nose too.

[Kotorichan]

"Oh no, of course not" Ryan laughed at the idea. "I just have some geometric stuff" He moved a little closer to allow Alice to touch his nose before pulling away again.. "Are you learning some words?" He asked, unzipping his sweatshirt and pulling it off. He was careful to keep Kate safe in his arms as he removed the sweatshirt.

 

"See?" He held out his left arm which had a sleeve of geometric flower and bird tattoos in bright colors. "It goes all the way up on my back and chest, but you can get the idea from just this" The man smiled at Alice, unsure of how she would react to the ink all over his body.

[nikaanuk]

"They are beautiful!" Nate said, moving a bit closer to see them. "Look, darling, Ryan has his arms coloured."

 

The girl reached to touch one of the flowers and smiled. Then she reached to take Kate in her arms and hugged to Nate.

 

"So this is all about her and being interested" Nate chuckled and smiled at Ryan. "They are really beautiful, you should never hide them" he added. "I'd be very proud of them."

 

He kissed Alice's head. "And yes, she has this thing about noses. They told me it's just a small fixation and that it will pass. Maybe it's because of Kate."

[Kotorichan]

Ryan blushed deeply at the compliments. "Uh, thanks... I just know that a lot of parents get p-" He cut himself off from saying something that might not be appropriate. "uh, get upset, if their kids see a guy with tattoos. So I cover them when I'm around little kids" He tied his jacket around his waist.

 

"Well, Kate does have a beautiful nose" He smiled at Alice and then looked back at Nate. "If you ever want a tattoo just let me know and I can get you a discount" Ryan looked away quickly, trying not to think about running his hands over the other's bare skin. He quickly cleared his throat and tried to refocus. "So, uh, where are you staying? Do you have an apartment?"