CLOSED STARTER: @berkeleys
LOCATION: the berkeley’s patio
TIME: sad boi hours almost midnight
This wasn’t the first time he’d sullied a relationship for Julian, for his career, and it won’t be the last. So why can’t he shake the sting of it this time?
Days come and go, and David keeps his head down all throughout. Wake up, emails, meetings, drink himself to sleep, repeat. The same cycle of depression that had eaten away at him directly following his divorce.
There’s also the possibility of a brewing turf war plaguing his thoughts, which in turn prompts the gnawing anxiety of Julian discovering that David’s contact with the Cartel doesn’t stop at Zuleika. Gang ties run deep and imperceptibly through the government, and the situation at hand points to why. Having a head’s up offers a huge advantage when it comes to preparation for damage control, if not outright prevention. He's on the fence about what to do – with Jakob, with Julian, and with everything. Everything seems like too much.
Somehow he finds himself seated at Julian’s outdoor dining table, nursing the bottle of beer he’d left the bar with. It’s nearly empty now, but the cold night keeps its contents chilled. David sips slowly, blank stare trained on the back door, trying to muster up the courage to get up and open it.
The courage never comes, but Julian does. Dave lifts his eyes at the sound of the door opening but remains in place, sat still aside from the rhythmic bouncing of the foot that’s propped up on his knee. A habit that appears when he’s nervous or in deep thought.
Silence stretches in the chilled air between them until David breaks it with a tired, feeble chuckle, realizing how ridiculous he must look. “Don’t mind me.” The nearly empty beer bottle is raised in display. “Was just in the neighborhood. Thought I’d stop by for a drink.”
