What Goes Around Comes Around

Beers and Bruises

There is a man asleep on my couch.
Oh, I knew he was there of course, but still, there's a man asleep on my couch.
I've not had a man sleep on my couch since college, when Nate and I fight it's me who ends up sleeping on the couch.

The issue isn't that he's there, the issue is I have a guest coming round in approximately ten minutes and I don't want to wake him. For such a grumpy man he looks so at peace when he sleeps and I just can't bring myself to wake him.

I head back to my bedroom to finish getting dressed, just in time for my guest to arrive. And for me to not hear.

"Charms there's a man in your house!" "Who in the fuck are you? Who in the fuck is Charms?" Oh good. What a good start to the day. I yank my top on over my head, dread to think of what it's done to my hair and head into the living room.

Gage is standing in front of the door, pretty much blocking it entirely. Deacon is on his tiptoes trying to see inside the house. "Deacon this is Gage, Gage this is Deacon. Dee used to do my hair and makeup and Gage is... head of security?" Gage looks him up and down, but let's him inside. Deacon is a hugger, and it's nice, actually. I don't remember the last time I properly hugged someone. "What the fuck happened to your face?" I shrug, "tripped, you know me. Just tell me what I can do to fix it."

Gage looks very unhappy to have been woken up. "This guy does your hair and shit? He's got a wig on." I can't help but laugh. "Charms where do you find them? The people you surround yourself with are brutes," "then what does that make you, Dee?" "Your number one fan!"

He steers me to sit down at the counter, "is it that bad?" Gage and Deacon both looked at me, then exchanged a glance. Deacon chose to respond first with, "have you looked in a mirror today?" "No," Gage frowned and moved his way over to the fridge, "good. Don't."

I gasp and press my fingers to the corner of my mouth. It's sore. Deacon groans and rolls his eyes, "gangbangers. Charms ignore him. I've seen you in worse states," "wow, thanks Dee, that makes me feel so much better."

I hear the kettle be put on to boil behind me. "Oh Gage, hang on honey, I'll do that," "No," "alright." Deacon looked at me and grinned, "polite, I like him already," "Deacon hush- Ow!" Deacon retracted his hands from my face, and Gage had obviously shot him a look. He held up both hands, "hey, calm down big guy. I'm not hurting her." "You just did." I groaned, loudly, "shut up the pair of you. Deacon, my makeup is in the gold bag on top of my dresser. Scoot." Gage stood in front of me, holding out a cup of tea. I did not trust an American to make a good cup of tea, even less so Gage. "Thank you-," "how are y'feelin'?"

You can't help but smile, he's a secret softie I'm telling you. "I'm alright. A little sore but-..." Oh my God he's touching my face. Why is he touching my face?

He hooks his fingers beneath my chin and tilts my face up. And now he's far too close to me. So close I can feel his breath. God what the fuck is wrong with me. "I told you it weren't gonna look great. I didn't mean t'upset you, though." I shake my head, and why the hell does he think he's allowed to run his thumb along my lip like that. "You didn't." He nodded, turning my face to the side, before finally (thank God) letting go. "Why does he call you charms?"

Deacon came back in that moment, with my makeup bag under his arm, and an ice pack he must've grabbed from the freezer in the utility room. "Because she's a lucky charm." I shake my head, "nonsense. I was, mm, failing my class in college, and I managed to talk the staff out of telling my parents. Our professor called me charmer and it stuck," Deacon squealed, "she's also a lucky charm. Rub her nose for good luck," "nobody thinks that." "Nobody rubs your nose but me."