Bone Diggers - Chapter Forty Seven

Loading... Chapter Forty Seven

Andreah wasn't sure how long she slept, but by the light that had snuck its way past her curtains, she guessed it was afternoon. Oversleeping wasn't her biggest surprise. No, that could be explained by overdoing it last night, and not setting an alarm clock. It was a fact that Owen was still in bed, lying with an arm over his eyes.

Andreah called his name, and his arm moved back, fingers lingering over his eyes before he turned to look over. The slow ease suggested he'd been awake, or near enough. She simply stared for a second longer until Owen elegantly broke the silence. "What?"

She shook her head, burying her nose into the pillow. Her eyes flickered back up a second later. "Hi."

"Hey," Owen grinned. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." Andreah sat up as if to test her statement. When that went well, she swung her feet over the bed. Seeming pleased, she glanced over to Owen again. "Thank you, again."

Owen propped himself on up his elbows. "Not a problem. Don't give me too much credit, I didn't do all that much. You seemed to have it once we got you home."

Andreah's face tightened around her nose, reminiscent of a rabbit. She wasn't sure why he was downplaying things, or if he really didn't feel troubled. "Well, anyways. I'm going to take a shower. I don't think I'll be fully human until I do."

"Wait," Owen called. "What happened last night?"

She swayed on her feet as if she didn't understand the question fully. "I overdid it. Thought that was painfully obvious."

Owen waited. Giving her time to confess more details she didn't want to give. The silence stretched out to an impolite length. "Right. I'm just glad you feel better."

Andreah went off to the bathroom. By the time Owen got up, he could hear the shower running. He glanced at the door and the line of light from under it. Why were some drug users annoyingly boastful about what they took while others skipped over it entirely?

Another curiosity was how plain her bedroom was. It was awfully simple compared to the mess of her living room. The fanciest thing about it was a swoop chair with her jacket from last night over the back. He didn't want to be nosy, but not knowing what drug she was using was dangerous if a situation like this came up again. He picked the jacket up and checked the various pockets. There were two in front, one across the bust, and in another, tucked inside, his fingers caught something plastic.

He pulled out a tiny zip lock bag with several pastel pills, and placed the jacket back down to get a closer look. Ecstasy. Now that connected the dots of her party behavior.

The door creaked, and Owen tucked his hands behind him. Andreah stood at the bathroom doorway, dry, and wearing nothing but a towel.

"Did you want to take a shower with me?" she asked.

His surprise shifted into a sly smile. "I'm going to pass. I was told that sort of nonsense past 12 only meant one thing."

"I meant AM," Andreah laughed.

"Plus, did you forget there's that reunion panel today?

"Oh shit," Andreah said, as glanced across the room to the alarm clock. "I'll hurry. Then we can swing by your place if you want to change before heading to fnVR."

They got to the office a little late, but it didn't matter because a large enough buffer was built into the schedule. Owen was going through the footage that was cut for time or content to prepare. He didn't want to accidentally reference a scene or tell an inside joke that, to the audience who didn't watch live, didn't exist. His feet were up on the desk, blocking a bottom corner of the screen.

He'd watched himself play before, but had always been around others at the time. It always made it too awkward to actually pay attention. Being alone and watching was jarring. It was, and wasn't, him.

"Wait a minute." Owen said, and swung his feet off the desk to lean in. "Why isn't this included?"

Owen replayed a deleted scene from before his reunion with Amilia. He thought it happened while he was in Paris, but he couldn't remember for sure. No matter where it happened, he considered it important.

"I love her like I love you," Daniel said. He held Lance's unwavering glance, and had for the whole conversation. "After I felt something for you, I thought everything I knew was wrong. That love would never be this all-consuming thing I was lead to believe it was. And that was fine. That was wonderful, freeing even. I was able to be honest, and open for once. But this...I don't have words for." Daniel sighed, and leaned his head on Lance's shoulder. "This hurts."

Lance turned to kiss the top of Daniel's head. "I know it does, and that's a part of life."

"C'est la vie," Daniel said.

Lance smiled. Daniel didn't see it, but he could hear it in the way Lance exhaled. "Somehow when you say it always sounds so—" He lifted a hand, trying to think of the word. "'Oh well' sounding. C'est la vie. That's life. The enjoyment, and the pain. It's all a part of living. You don't have to pretend it doesn't feel the way it feels."

Daniel lifted his head and caught a kiss like one might a cold. Effortlessly and with a shiver. "Thank you, amant."

"For what?"

"Being you."

Owen stared at the screen with his jaw hanging. Why did they cut this? Was that...not okay?

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about your mom showing up," Andreah said, from her spot across the room.

"What?" It took Owen a moment to realize that hadn't been the rudest comment ever, and notice a newspaper in her hands. Someone thought it would be interesting to interview his father. It wasn't. Owen's face scrunched up. "My mom isn't dead."

"Oh, I, I thought..." Andreah stammered, before shaking her head. "Never mind. I'm a mess still, and that was so out of line."

"Thought what?" Owen prompted, when she didn't fill in the blank, he did. "That because Daniel's mother died, mine did too? The real world isn't so simple, and there are plenty of ways to lose someone."

Chris walked in with a pile of wires and mics that drew Owen's attention far more. "Whatever, I have more important things to talk about," he said, and was out if his seat before she had the chance to say anything.

"Hi, I had a question," Owen said.

"I'm doing this because Carmen is out of the office," Chris said, while sorting the wires.

Owen laughed a little, bridging the awkwardness like it was a scripted joke. "That wasn't my question. There was a Daniel and Lance scene that was cut. Why?"

"The test group reported it took away from the moment between Daniel and Amilia. I believe they cited it being too close and distracted from the 'end game'." Chris turned to Owen, with a ready mic, but stopped wiring at his paled expression. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Owen said, a bit too fast for his liking. "That's fine, thank you."

Chris finished up and went over to Andreah. Her expression stayed with Owen. She wished to go over and comfort him, but was stuck as fnVR got them ready.

They sat in front of the cameras, and an aid touched up Andreah's hair that had been braided to one side. Owen again caught a glimpse of the little heart behind her ear. She glanced over to Owen, giving him a slight smile before adjusting the mic they'd given her.

Since there was no one physically interviewing them, they got to skip the intros. Instead they watched a small screen of the live broadcast studio as they went into the details. On cue, they smiled and said hi before falling right into questions.

"Through all the drama and loss, it seems we've come full circle with Amilia. What does her homecoming really mean to Daniel?" the man asked, who's name Owen had already forgotten. Andreah looked at Owen waiting for him to lead.

"It's a second chance for her to lead the life she might have wanted before," he explained. "She's no longer held down by her family or any rules."

"But what about between Daniel and her?" the interviewer insisted.

Owen shifted, thinking of the rude comments made by the guy yesterday. Andreah picked up on it.

"They both have a lot to rebuild. And I think they both want to help each other through that process. It's going to take time, but there is love still there." Andreah said, finally giving them something of the reply they wanted.

"Are you concerned that Amilia coming back is going to strain Daniel's and Lance's relationship again?"

"No. I'm not concerned with that," Owen answered, leaving no room for anyone else to answer for him this time.

The interviewer looked down at their papers before trying again with the same question. "Because Lance has been there for Daniel this entire time and has always disliked Amilia. How will her being back be okay with Lance?"

"Lance knows how much Amilia means to Daniel," Andreah said, "They both matter. And I know that Lance is just as understanding as Daniel is."

Owen leaned forward ready to pick up right after her. "You need to understand, first off, that Lance and Amilia are not pitted against each other. Sure, Lance doesn't support some of her choices. But that's because he cares for both of their safety. It's not like he's going to be annoyed she's alive. That would be fucked up," Owen said without pause. He noticed their handlers tense.

"Alright, so, was Chloe added to avoid a love triangle?" the interviewer went on, despite the obvious annoyance Owen was feeling.

"Chloe wasn't added, and Dance doesn't work in a traditional sense for different reasons. No one came between them." Owen answered, without second thought.

"Dance? Is that your, like, ship name for them?" The reporter asked. Owen paused at the question, unsure if this was some trap he was going to fall into. "What's the ship name for Daniel and Amilia?"

"Um," Owen glanced at a cup of water on the table that he didn't notice until now. "I've never thought of one."

"That's because they're so cute, they don't need one," Andreah said, playing to the reporters. She glanced over at Owen with a camera ready smile. "Right?"

"Right," Owen repeated. Only able to keep his tone neutral by looking back at her.

"Everyone's excited that Amilia has come back. Definitely no one more so than myself," Andreah added.

"Just in time to defend her relationship with Daniel, too," the reporter joked.

Andreah opened her mouth, but Owen was quicker. "Seriously? That's fucking rich," Owen interrupted. "You make it sound like I'm just making things up. You could look up my first year of play that apparently fnVR doesn't want to reference. I'll tell you a story; Daniel wakes up in a familiar bed he never slept in before. He feels awkward, but currently no one is sharing it with him, so had some space to collect his thoughts. Daniel wandered out to the kitchen where he spots Lance making tea. Nervous, and desperate to say something, Daniel asks what last night makes them. He says, "Well, the technical word for it is amant." Daniel by this point knows a handful of French words, but not that one. Now, I was a great researcher. Do your job as reporters and look it up."

Owen gave the stunned newscaster a second, which was used to sit stunned as Owen's fingers impatiently thumped against the table. "I would have had the answer by now. It's French for lover. If you are curious how the scene ended. Daniel, and I, actually, stood there blushing as Lance handed Daniel the cup of tea. I hate that word in English because I don't know how people mean it, but I grew to love the way that word sounds when he says it. If you think for a second that the present takes away from that, or that the past takes away from the present with Amilia, you're dead fucking wrong. Look, I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted, but it's my story. Stuff I needed to be reminded of. These characters did that for me and I won't have you boil that down into...shipping discourse." Owen ripped the mic that was nested along his collar. "You know what? Fuck this. Interview over."

Andreah ended up wide eyed as she watched Owen leave. She swallowed hard before looking back at the camera. The interviewer also took a few seconds before recovering as well. "Okay, so maybe we can expand on some more questions."

"I...don't think this interview is going to go any further. I'm sorry," Andreah interrupted, before getting up from her seat right as the feed cut. She walked off to find Owen. She had her mic half removed before finding him in the makeshift green room. Andreah took a moment before fully entering the room. "Owen, are you okay?"

"No. Nothing is okay right now." He snapped, rolling his hands up into fists.

Andreah couldn't find words for a while until finally something clicked. "You're bisexual, aren't you?"

"Wow, you think?"

"Please hate me for the things I meant to do, and not the ones I didn't," she pleaded, which threw Owen off.

He closed his eyes before standing up straight, breathing in deeply as he looked at her. "I don't hate you, but I do hate the fact that I'm in love with you right now."

Andreah's jaw moved like she was looking for a quick response, but nothing came out. Her eyes bounced between trying to meet his and avoiding his gaze all at the same time. She was so obviously thrown that Owen wasn't sure she'd be able to talk.

"We need you to come back and close this up for us," Chris called from behind the closed door. This seemed to kick her into gear, even though it was the opposite of what Owen needed right now.

"I need to go," Andreah said.

"Some things never change."

"Really, are you going to be okay?"

"Just go," Owen sighed. "Or stay. Just don't linger."

Owen could hear her even though she had left. He couldn't tell what was going on exactly, but by her tone, she could have been telling off the interviewer. Chris' voice followed hers and was trying to keep his tone even. After a few moments, Owen turned to see her coming back into the room. She took her time to calmly close the door before turning towards him. In only a few paces, she closed the gap.

His eyes were closed by time he was pushed against the wall. Hands hovering, fingers flexing, before they settled to rest on her lower back. Her kisses were short, and almost sloppy in their transitions from one to another. Each brought a desperate urgency that couldn't wait.

"I wanted to do that earlier. I should have." Andreah's eyes remained transfixed on his lips, as if debating if she'd silence herself by kissing again. Instead, they flickered up to meet his. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like being you wasn't okay. You're a goddamn car wreck of everything that is right in the world. And I love it."

"I...uh." Owen's hands pulled tighter around her like it was all he could do to hang on for the moment. "Don't know what to say to that."

"I think you said your piece."

Owen pulled his hands up to nurse a headache that threatened to come back at the mention of that interview. "I clearly need to stop."

"No, it was good," she reassured. Owen raised a brow in disbelief. She capitulated.

"Okay, maybe not corporate good. But I told Chris he could shove that bullshit." She breathed in before resting her forehead against his. "I'm sorry you were put through that."

"I'm sorry your moment was stepped on."

She shrugged. "I like this moment better."