Cultured Spirit

A/N: Thanks for all the positive feedback! Hope you guys enjoy the next installment.

--

Tuesday afternoon brought forth an assembly which Ian easily evaded going to. Hearing twelve of his teachers go on about the importance of graduating wasn’t something he was really too keen to experience. He was dead sure of what he would be doing after graduation – moving in with his dad and going to school in Georgia. He already had his travel bags picked out.
Instead, he sat on his mom’s favourite couch eating a cold bowl of ravioli. The remote control was lounging unsteadily between the fingers not currently clutching his fork as he flipped through the channels. Next to him was a notepad and pencil crayon – he couldn’t find a pen at the time – which occasionally jotted down a stray idea.

He suddenly smirked and crossed it off. “He’d never go for that.”

“Go for what?”

Ian sighed, turning the T.V off and turned to Derek. He’d known the guy since middle school, though they’d gone to different high schools. Of course, the only reason for that was the fact Derek was sent to a private school after his dad caught him doing cocaine. Three years later a clean Derek still had a hard time getting his parents to trust him.

“Go back to sleep,” Ian muttered, though grinned a bit as Derek sat next to him and turned the T.V back on.

“When I go back to Cedars next week, you’re going to miss me,” he insisted, stealing Ian’s ravioli. “And you’re going to regret casting me aside for some play.”

“Uh-huh.” Though Ian was secretly glad Derek was back for a while. He could talk about the play and Daniel without having Adeline somehow enter the conversation like it did with Ryan.

“So how’s that girl you’re smitten with? Her dad still hating on you?”

Scratch that.

Ian shook his head, picking up his pencil crayon and twirled it between his fingers. “Nah, man. I’m over that shit.”

Derek sent Ian an unconvinced look, but let it go.

“What about you? Has Jamie given it up yet?” Ian smirked as Derek immediately went red.

“Dude! You know how I hate when you and Ry go on about Jamie. She’s not like that tramp Melissa.”

Ian snickered. “Is that a no?”

Relenting, Derek let out a long sigh. “Nope.” He seemed to have taken over Ian’s ravioli, munching on it slowly.

Ian smirked. “Okay, Daniel’s coming over tonight and all I’ve written down so far is the phone number for some blender infomercial and an idea I know he’ll hate.”

“What do you think he’ll hate? Come on, give the guy a chance, he’s probably not as much of a killjoy as you say he is.”

Ian raised his brows, before crossing it an extra time. “Let’s just say he’s a believer of fully clothed women.”

Derek snorted.

--

“Why aren’t you coming again?” Ryan asked Ian insistently, standing against Derek’s car.

Derek started the ignition and stuck his head out one of the open windows. “Play shit.” He said flatly.

Ian sent Derek a glare. “It’s just to get on my mom’s good side. She’s into Film, you know that, and I might get her to lift my new eight o’clock curfew if she likes Daniel enough.”

“This play thing is crap,” Ryan said sympathetically as he shoved himself into the open passenger’s seat.

“Sure is. I heard this guy’s real dull.” Derek added while berating Ryan for spilling some of his coke on the seat.

Ian ran a hand through his hair, almost long enough to break his coach’s rules and leave him doing double the laps until Christmas. “Yeah, yeah. Just get out of here.” He stepped back, allowing the two to pull out of his driveway. Derek honked a few times, probably to get Ian in shit with the neighbours and he rolled his eyes.

It was only half hour later that a new car pulled into the driveway. A smooth Volvo that Ian recognized at once – Adeline and Daniel mostly drove it to school. Of course, someone as agonizingly beautiful as Adeline had to have a car to match.

Almost hoping that Adeline would emerge from the door, her hair still messily shoved underneath a cap with the school’s logo stitched into its side like it was that morning, he tried not to look disappointed when Daniel landed on his lawn instead. He looked awkward and out of place and Ian opened his front door, mustering a smile.

“Over here.”

Daniel shoved his fringe away from his eyes looking nervous as he complied. “Hey.”

Ian had to admit Daniel was kind of endearing to watch as he shoved his hands into the sleeves of his sweater. The sentiment ended when he eyed the inside of Ian’s house with a wrinkled nose.

“What? Not a fan of hardwood floors?”

Daniel smiled a bit, bending down to untie his shoes – who did that? – and slipped them off. “No, that’s not it. I just expected you lived more… frat like.”

Ian snorted and raised his palms. “Hey, if it was up to me…”

Daniel’s eyes continued to roam around the entrance hall and Ian uncomfortably nudged him toward the living room. “My mom’s not home for a while. I know you’re dying to meet her, but you’re going to have to wait.”

Shrugging, Daniel unzipped his sweater and hung it on the staircase banister carefully. Feeling evil, Ian snatched it up at once.

“Dude! We don’t keep the jackets there… where are your manners?”

Looking completely shocked, Daniel opened his mouth to apologize but couldn’t seem to get the words out. Wow, social skill disorder or what?

Ian couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face as he tossed the jacket carelessly onto the staircase. “Relax. I was joking – I’ll remember to not do that around you anymore.”

Of course, Daniel decidedly gave Ian the silent treatment until he saw the crayon smudged sheet of paper. “You’ve been working on the play?” The smaller boy actually seemed really delighted and Ian shrugged embarrassedly.

“Tried to anyway,” he mumbled.

Daniel set the page back onto the coffee table, looking small and would have looked really frightened if it weren’t for the big smile stretched over his face. “I was really cynical about this. I thought you’d be gone when I got here, but guess I was wrong.”

Ian snorted. “Yeah. You were. I make sure I tell people before I bail on them.” He sent Daniel a joking smile before walking toward the kitchen. “Thirsty?”

“Mm,” He was preoccupied and Ian craned his neck to see with what. “You have a brother?”

He was staring at an old picture, at least six years old. That was how long it’d been since a family picture had been taken.

“Oh yeah. He’s only five there, he’s ten now.”

Daniel smiled a bit. “I wish I had a brother. He’s cute.”

“You have a sister – a twin, in fact. Plus, Noah lives in Georgia.” Ian shrugged, gesturing to the kitchen and trying to prompt Daniel into making a choice. “Orange juice? Pepsi?” He smirked. “Vodka?”

Daniel pried his eyes away from the photograph long enough to look scandalized. Ian laughed. “I’m joking.”

“Once again, not funny.” Daniel huffed, picking up the picture and staring at it too intently. None of Ian’s normal visitors did that. “I guess he lives with your dad then?”

Ian was brought back to the living room, carrying two tall glasses of iced tea, by Daniel’s question. He had to remember Daniel had a tendency to be blunt – no one was ever so up front about his parents divorce. He wasn’t bothered by it anymore, but he supposed it was polite to not bring it up.

“Uh, yeah. He’s coming up next year to live with my mom though, once I graduate.” Ian passed Daniel his drink and he held it with both his hands.

They drank in a semi-comfortable silence, Daniel being extremely careful not to spill on the beige sofas and Ian watching the clock tick by slowly.

“You swam really well against Shep last week.” Daniel said suddenly, catching Ian’s gaze.

“Huh? Oh.” Ian smiled. “I didn’t know you came to watch.”

“Yeah, Adeline dragged me along. She’s always really insistent about coming to the competitions.”

For a second, Ian thought the reason was him… then he remembered Riley. He visibly deflated. “Oh.”

The conversation didn’t seem to be going the way Daniel hoped because he looked alarmed at Ian’s reaction. “I mean, she didn’t physically drag me. I was actually very thrilled I went -”

Ian smirked, “What are you talking about?”

Daniel flushed. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you were offended – you know what?” the boy cut himself off, looking humiliated. “Nevermind. Nothing. This iced tea is really good, did you make it?”

Finding the embarrassment funny, Ian chided Daniel some more. “You mean in the two seconds I was in the kitchen? No.”

Tugging at his fringe pathetically, Daniel set his glass down. “Oh, right. Well, it’s really good.” He finished lamely.

Ian laughed, pulling his feet up and reaching for the remote. “You can tell my mom that when you meet her.”

“Right.” Daniel was flushed as he followed Ian’s example, pulling his feet up in a guarded position.

“You’re allowed to relax.” Ian said, holding back a yawn. “You said you were over at a friend’s house before; just act here like you did there.”

For some reason, Daniel blushed. Ian quirked an eyebrow. “Are we speaking about a lady friend here?”

“What! No!” Daniel wriggled his toes uncomfortably. “I met this guy online a while ago. It’s easier to talk to him because of it.”

Ian tried not to laugh or snort or do anything else that would embarrass Daniel further. “RPG games?” He inquired.

“Something like that.” Daniel murmured back, staring intently at the television. Ian had to marvel for a few moments at how different he and Adeline really were. He had a feeling that if Riley wasn’t in the picture and Adeline was in Daniel’s place on the sofa, they’d be doing some roleplaying themselves.

Of course, he had to remind himself Adeline seemed very virtuous. It was the mantra he was repeating to himself over and over to try and deter him from his attraction. Sometimes, he even convinced himself enough to almost feel sorry for Riley.

“That’s cool.” He said instead, elbowing Daniel in a way he hoped was friendly. Daniel sent him an unsure smile back.

It took a few more careful prods but soon Daniel was grinning and they were huddled close together looking over a long list of ideas for the play. The T.V was shut off a while ago and their iced tea glasses refilled three times and sitting empty on the coffee table when Ian’s mom unlocked the front door. Daniel’s head shot up, hitting Ian’s, when the noise reached his ears.

Ian swore, rubbing his temple as Daniel apologized with wide eyes. “Oh! Where do you keep your ice packs? First Aid kit?”

“First Aid kit?” Ms. Hadley’s voice traveled into the living room, accompanied by her frame a few seconds later. “Who’s hurt?”

“No one, no one.” Ian muttered, pushing Daniel away with a shake of his head and standing up to take Daniel’s sweater from his mom’s outstretched hand. “Mom, meet Daniel. You guys will be best friends, I’m sure.” He said dryly, skipping over to the closet to hang the sweater.

“Hello, Ms. Hadley.”

Ian stuck his head into the living room, surprised. It seemed when Daniel was around adults, he was perfectly normal. Charming sounding, even.

“Hello, Daniel.” Ian’s mom still sounded skeptical about him. A few minutes later after Daniel’s absurdly polite mannerisms and polished appearance changed that instantly.

“Why hasn’t Ian brought you over sooner? If I had known he had a friend into film AND iced tea, I’d have called you up myself.”

That line itself made Ian hide his face in his hands. “Mom…” he whined. “Can’t you guys just talk about the play and leave it at that. I wasn’t serious about you becoming best friends.”

Daniel smirked, crossing his legs. “Ian tells me you took film studies, in America no less.”

Ms. Hadley beamed. “Oh, yes. Ontario isn’t really the right place to get serious about this type of thing. America offers so much more.”

Ian wandered away, letting them get acquainted. He had three texts from Derek explaining how much Ryan stunk at bowling and wondering if the play was doing any better. He peered into the living room, watching his mom pull out a few materials she had gathered and a fat orange hi-liter.

“Doing just fine.” He smiled slightly to himself.

A few hours later Daniel left the house with a thick notepad and his mother’s love.

--

“Aw, damn. You are not blowing me off again for that dweeb.” After a couple of days passing normally, Ian met Ryan Friday morning after his swim practice. He was still soaking, his hair dripping down his cheek and his feet bare.
“You know I’d rather be at your house tonight with some other Erica, but I’ve already committed.”

Ryan shoved his skateboard under his arm as a teacher passed by. “When has that ever stopped you before?”

Ian made a face. Truthfully, he was looking forward to meeting Daniel at the mall as they were going to go search for a few props for his newly forming script. It was already turning out to be tons better and Daniel seemed to be really excited – there was no way Ian could blow off a beaming Dautry. Twice, anyway.

“Derek’s only in town for a couple of days. Latch yourself onto him.” Ian grinned, shaking his hair out and slipping on his shoes.

Before Ryan could reply, Daniel showed up at Ian’s side.

“Er, Ian? Cowen wants to see us before homeroom.”

Ryan sighed, shrugging. “Alright, man. See you in Bio.” He smiled slightly at Daniel before turning around and running down the hall.

“Cowen? What does she want?”

Daniel smirked, looking way too pleased. “I lied.”

Ian blinked, his expression confused. “Okay.”

Rolling his eyes, Daniel tugged Ian’s larger hand with his own. It was mostly soft, Ian noted, except for rough calluses at the pads of his fingers. “Idiot. I mean, Cowen doesn’t want to see us… I just needed to get you alone so I could tell you – we’re ditching!”

His brown eyes were glinting furiously with delight and Ian snickered. Daniel looked put out at once.

“What?”

“You don’t have to go all ninja on me, Daniel.” Ian smirked. “I ditch all the time. So, what do you have in mind?”

Daniel made a face. “Well, I was thinking the arcade.”

“I’m surprised! I was expecting you to say the library.”

The shorter boy nudged Ian with a slender arm. “Whatever.”

“Whatever yourself, dragon slayer.”

Daniel turned bright red and Ian could almost feel his regret about sharing his secret love of fantasy PC games. “Whatever.” He repeated sourly, pushing open the school doors and laughing as Ian swore about his rapidly freezing hair.