Tristan Kasnoff

[tristan-kasnoff]

restingsinners

“The only thing that could make this day go bad, is if I ended back in there,” He assured him. “Or you sold my bike, but I’d figure out a way to get over it.”

Darcy pulled his hand away softly. While Tristan recoiled from touch, Darcy had seemed to look for alternatives to what he had been used to at home. He either reflected on the aggression they were subjected to in any sport they’d let him in on, or he sought out the possibility of a softer alternative. It never lasted, though. Darcy seemed to only know how to handle the sting that came after skin on skin. It had been predictable, and softness came with a complexity he had no patience for. When he had gone to prison, he had been forced to get used to the varying degrees of it. In a world where their words were watched with care, gestures were important. 

Upon seeing his brother shake under his touch, he had gotten his answer. What he had dreaded for years and tried to avoid by staying in Asteria had caught up them. Darcy’s downfall wasn’t enough for their father. All it meant was one less barrier between him and Tristan. 

“You guys booking anything, or still playing out of garages?” He asked. “Maybe you’ll hit it bug and you won’t have to finish all that boring homework and crap.”

Someone has to take care of him.

That struck a cord in Darcy, and it flared up in the same way their father’s reactions seemed to catch them by surprise.

“Like he watched us?” He interrupted, the gentleness of his wavering with slight shrill. “Only time he ever watched us was to find a reason to get pissed off, blame us for some shit. He’s a grown man, Tris, you don’t owe him shit. He’s our dad. Everything he did manage to do, he had to as a parent. Don’t feel like you’re in debt to his half assed work.”

Thoughts of their father flashed through Tristan’s mind, every ounce of him was already starting to feel terrible.  All his life, their father reminded him that he was the reason their mother left that he ruined all their lives.  And here he was ruining Darcy’s first day out of the joint.  It was hard to get out of that mindset, he always viewed himself as a burden to others and often caught himself wondering why people even put up with him.

Tristan quickly nodded his head as he tried to push through the sting of salty tears forming as he tried to hold them back.  “Yeah, um we’re supposed to play at the end of the summer event and we still do practices in the garage.”  Of course, it was never Tristan’s garage.  He never invited friends over, always too frightened they might get a glimpse of his home life.  And the fact he never knew how his father would act around people.

Panic suddenly hit Tristan as he watched his brother’s reaction to his words.  Standing there, with the little bit of snow cone he had left, it started to melt and leak through the paper cone as he started to get anxious.  “I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over, “I uh, I didn’t mean to bring him up.”  As crazy as it seemed, Tristan felt an obligation to their father and it was something he couldn’t really explain.  “Can we just pretend I didn’t say anything, I um I didn’t mean to get you upset.” His free hand tapped nervously against his side waiting for a response.

[tristan-kasnoff]

delaneytucker​

“Well, just know that the first dumb girl who breaks your heart is gonna get their jaw broken by me.” She meant that too, if anyone ever hurt him and she knew about it, Laney would get herself into any amount of trouble for Tristan. He was too good of a person to let anything bad happen to him. If she had realized just how much he liked her all this time she would probably hate herself for the way she made him feel. In Laney’s mind it was never more than a simple crush. “I dunno Trissy, I just feel like this whole relationship thing ain’t for me. I really care about Jake but the idea of havin’ to be on my best behavior all the time is hard. And I’m such a fuck up that I’m bound to ruin this at some point.” She took another bite of her cookie and shook her head. While Delaney might be brimming with confidence in a lots of areas in her life, her ability to make someone happy or to deserve something good was seriously lacking.

It was sweet seeing Delaney so protective over him.  For whatever reason, he noticed he had a group of people that truly cared about his well being and oftentimes jokingly threatened anyone that wished to do him any harm.  He shook his head at the mention of his nickname, only she could call him that and get away with it.  His head perked up as he looked at her, not missing a beat he reached over to grab her hand.  “Don’t say that,” he commented.  Usually, Tristan would never say a bad word, but in this instance he gave himself a pass.  “You’re not a fuck up, you can’t say that about yourself.  Laney, you’re one of the most amazing people I know.  You’re practically perfect.”  Tristan assured her as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.  Most of the time, he tended to keep his thoughts to himself.  However, he couldn’t let Delaney think anything other than that she was a wonderful person.  He needed her to know that.

[tristan-kasnoff]

derekellisbartlett​

He felt odd talking about his sister being able to read his mind because he’d been keeping secrets from her lately. Secrets that he desperately wanted to let her in on, but wasn’t sure how to start that conversation yet. He felt like a failure. But none of that was anything he wanted to dwell on with Tristan who he really wanted to make friends with if he could. “Oh. Yeah, I was just asking because–you know just trying to get a sense of the town and stuff.” He offered, sensing that there was more to the story than he was letting on with that comment. But he didn’t expect Tristan to let him in all that so he didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable about that. “Yeah, I can’t imagine how expensive instruments would be.” He shrugged, music never really have been a huge deal to him. “The fanbase, ah, yeah I don’t really do that well with fans so I try to keep to myself but I’m not really one of the best players anyway so that helps.” Derek was much to shy for that side of being a professional hockey player. “That would be awesome! Just let me know when your next show is and I’ll be there, hopefully with Leah too.”

There were a lot of things Tristan kept to himself, because he never wanted to burden anyone with his problems.  Instead, he always tried to put on a smile for the sake of others and be as friendly as possible.  “I get it, you're new to town and everything.”  He responded.  “They can be, I got lucky with my guitar.  It used to belong to my father.”  It was one of the few things Tristan received from his dad.  Well, technically he found it in a closet and he stole it, but he wasn’t going to add that little tidbit in.  “I’m sure you’re better than you think you are and probably have a lot of fans.”  It was exciting to know his new friend wanted to come to one of the shows, Tristan of course was always shy around crowds and tended to try and fade into the background when on stage.  But he still loved it when people came out and supported the band.  “Cool!  Yeah, I’ll totally tell you.  And it would be great to meet your sister.”

[tristan-kasnoff]

landonsmith​

 Landon was glad he had bumped into Tristian today. That they had decided to do this, and that he had managed to apologize. At least to some extent. He figured he could apologize for the rest of eternity and it still would not be enough. A weak smile took shape on his lips. “Thanks Tris.” He said while the smile on his face grew wider and more genuine. He appreciated his efforts, even now as he far from deserved it. 

 “Yeah, I mean at least it is something for me to do while I look for something more permanent. I just haven’t been able to find somewhere in town that like suits.” He added with a small shrug, before snickering under his breath. “I used to be decent. At least until I started playing football.” He shrugged, which was true. After he started playing ball his grades had dropped and almost lost his chance for college. Luckily for him.. He had found a solution. “I develop software really.” He said, “Depending on the job and role, sometimes it is for companies, other times it is to improve things on their existing software.” He found it interesting and fairly easy to do. “A chocolate shake please, and um.. Some fries as well. Sound pretty nice.” 

“That makes sense, but at least you get to make your own hours right now and have some freedom in your work.”  Tristan responded hoping to find the silver lining.  It was hard to say anything to Landon about the grades and football.  Once his friend joined the sport’s team, he kind of vanished from Tristan’s life.  Of course, Tristan didn’t hold it against Landon.  High School was a difficult place to be and if you made it to the “it crowd,” it was understandable that you didn’t want someone Tristan to bring you down.  “Wow, that is super impressive.  I flip burgers, but I’m working on my degree.”

Once they placed their orders, Tristan sat there with a pleasant smile on his face.  “What do you like to do around town?  I try to hike the trails when I have time or hang out at the beach.”  He said, casually making small talk with his old friend.

[tristan-kasnoff]

restingsinners​

The man greeted Darcy, beaming, but he could see the glaze in his features. He was uncertain if it was an attitude forced by the upkeep for his business, or a genuine reaction to his return. While Darcy had been cleared of the charges regarding the fatality in the robbery, any role in that day came with red hands. However, Darcy pushed away the hesitation. He attributed it to the weariness that he had to carry in prison, reminding himself that not everything was the same as it was in there. It was funny to think six years could rewrite the way he lived his life for twenty-eight years.

He took the snow cone, indulging himself in a classic rainbow splatter of flavors. The chemical undertones were stronger than he remembered, the crunch of the ice louder in his ears. Still, Darcy had to force himself to slow down and savor it all.

“You don’t need to say sorry, Tris,” He assured him, licking his lips to keep them from staining blue. “I’m content enough just sitting in the open. I’m okay just being next to you without a damn table in between us or handcuffs. I don’t have much to say. I did the same thing over and over again until I got sick. I wanna know about you.

Softer now, Darcy put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You can stay with me, you know? I can ask if you can crash, too. You can even move in with me if you need to, Tristan. Even if you’ve handled it while I’ve been gone… You don’t have to keep doing it. We can get out. We can get away. It’s possible, even if he blamed it on me, I was able to get out of there. Do you want to get out of there?”

Tristan’s eyes lowered when he heard his brother speak, it was hard not to be sorry about something.  All his life, he felt sorry about one thing or another.  Most of the time, he was just sorry he was even born.  Not that he would ever say anything like that to Darcy.  The younger Kasnoff slowly lifted his gaze as he nodded.  “I just,” he was not sure what the right words were, he wanted his brother happy.  “Sorry,” he sighed after apologizing once again.  “Uh, I mean.  I just wanted to make sure today went well.”

There was hesitation when Darcy inquired about his life, he didn't even know where to begin.  For the most part, Tristan tried to keep his brother in the loop while he served his sentence.  “What do you want to know?  I’m more than half way to getting my degree in secondary education for English.  Um,” he started to fiddle around nervously.  When it came to talking about himself, he hated having any kind of spotlight on him.  “I uh, I still play guitar in Ollie's band.  Even write some of the music.”  He commented with a shrug.

The touch of Darcy’s hand on his shoulder caused him to flinch, years of abuse caused a jumpiness anytime someone placed their hands on him.  Tristan swallowed the lump in his throat as he quickly started shaking his head.  “I um, I don’t wanna burden you.  It is okay, I’ll be fine.  You don’t have to worry about me,” Tristan said hastily.  “Really, you don’t want me living with you.  And someone has to take care of him.”

[tristan-kasnoff]

j-scarlet​

Scarlet hadn’t meant to start liking the guy. It happened gradually until she couldn’t get him out of her mind. She knew he was special and that she was nothing in comparison to everything that Tristan would become. Tristan was always talking about how great other girls were. Scarlet wasn’t jealous of them because she knew that everyone in Tristan’s life was great, but it made her want to know if he talked like that about her to everyone else. Had anyone ever talked like that about her? She knew Oliver who was her best friend would follow something nice up with something stupid to get a laugh out of people. He meant well and she appreciated him, but Scarlet realized that she was more concerned with what the guy next to her thought. “School is lame! Don’t you want it to be summer forever?” Scarlet was dancing on the street and waved her hand for him to join her. Tristan looked like he was about to say no until he surprised her. 

“Oh dammit.” Scarlet shook her head as she looked over to Tristan who joined her out in the middle of the street. The late summer rain was beating down on them so quick that the thuds it made against the concrete created music almost as off beat as Tristan’s dance moves. He looked like such a dweeb spinning around like that, but she loved it. Scarlet hadn’t smiled like that in such a long time and seeing Tristan be brave and do something out of his comfort zone like look silly for her sake made Scarlet want to be brave, too. “Fuck it!” The blonde shook her head and closed the gap between them in a couple of quick and long strides. Her hands landed on Tristan’s cheeks and she shut her eyes as she leaned in to press her lips against his mouth. It was the first time she felt so nervous to kiss anyone, but she decided seconds before that she was done giving a fuck that night. Scarlet’s heart felt like it was about to burst and she laughed as she pulled away. “Wooooo!” She let a yell out and spun around, already soaked through to her socks. Scarlet should have stopped to consider what that kiss would do to Tristan, but the alcohol in her made her fearless until the morning. “I knew you were fun, Tris!” 

The thought of summer lasting forever seemed wonderful, if he got to spend it with her.  Tristan remained on the sidewalk for several moments, his eyes focused on the beauty before him as she twirled around in the rain as if there was not a care in the world.  He wished he had that boldness that Scarlet possessed, the woman captured his thoughts without even knowing.  Since the Fireman’s Ball, she had been occupying his thoughts and he held onto the memory of the two dancing and just how she made him feel.  Few people ever made him feel special, but that night he felt like the luckiest man in the world to have her by his side.

Words could not describe how painfully awful the view must be when Tristan spun around and tried dancing.  It made no sense, he had rhythm when it came to playing the guitar, but when it came to the rest of his body the boy was hopeless.  When he heard her say something, his eyes lifted up and before he knew it her hands were on the sides of his face and suddenly her lips crashed against his, his eyes instinctively closed and he could feel the thunderous pounding of his heart against his chest.  Never in his life had he been kissed in such a manner and he stood there completely speechless as he tried to process what just happened between them.  Standing there in the middle of the street, he was mildly shaking from the cold of the water against his skin but mostly from his nerves.  Tristan did not know what to do or how to respond, he wasn’t sure if that was just a playful kiss or if there was meaning behind it.  Scarlet was a mystery he wanted to unravel, but he had no clue on how to start.

“Scar,” his voice soft as he looked over at her living that carefree life.  He was so envious how she could just do as she pleased, he desperately wanted to reconnect their lips and have that shock of electricity run through his veins again.  Be bold, he told himself mentally as he closed the space between them, he reached for her wrist gently as she spun to draw her into him.  Usually, he is the type to ask permission before making such a move, but in the heat of the moment he went for it and his free hand lifted to brush some of her hair from her face before he leaned in to press his lips against hers.

[tristan-kasnoff]

haileydavenport

“Yay! Should we see if anyone else wants to come? I don’t see Sloane as the hiking type but maybe Ollie wants to go? I know he’s been having a tough time so maybe we should invite him too.” But really Hailey would be just as happy to spend time alone with Tristan, he just might have more fun if he had someone to talk to that could actually hear him. Most people could only enjoy her company in small doses or situations where it was easy to be quiet. “Oh well don’t get excited, it’s just one piece and it’s really not as good as the other local artists.” Whether that was true or not, she always tried to stay humble.

“For sure, I think Ollie would enjoy it.  Maybe Lucas too.”  The thought of a group of them going out and hiking sounded like a lot of fun.  Plus, Tristan always enjoyed getting photos of nature when he was out and about.  A brow rose as he mentally translated her signs and he shook his head and started to sign back, while also lipping what he was saying.  “I am sure it is great, you shouldn’t sell yourself short.”  Placing his hands down, he finished the last bit of his meal.  “Thank you again,” he signed to her, grateful she was kind enough to buy him a meal.

[tristan-kasnoff]

delaneytucker​

It was hard to say whether or not Laney would have ever dated Tristan even if he had the guts to ask her. Of course he was attractive and sweet and would have probably worshipped the ground she walked on, all things Laney liked. No, the real concern was that she already knew she would have destroyed him. She would have gotten bored of being restricted to a relationship and would have broken his heart. It was a fear she had right now with Jake, that she might get tired of commitment and want to run away from it. “No one wants to run the risk of hurting you is more like it. You make a habit of hangin’ out with those of us who can’t be trusted with hearts like yours.” She reached over and tapped his chest gently with a smile. “Well I could probably flirt my way into a free check up on it but I think I’m probably not supposed to be doin’ that now that I have a boyfriend. God that’s so weird to even say out loud. The last boyfriend I had was fuckin’ Connor in college and that ended so god damn disastrously that I wasn’t sure I was ever gonna date someone again.”

Sometimes, Tristan wondered if people viewed him in a certain light.  As someone that could not handle being hurt, which was odd given his home life.  Tristan handled a lot more than people realized, but he never would burden others with what was on his shoulders.  “If given the chance, I think I can handle it.”  Not that it mattered, Delaney was now with Jake and Scarlet was way out of his league.  Why did he tense up hearing she had a boyfriend?  Tristan knew she was seeing Jake, just a moment ago she was encouraging her to forgive the man for keeping things  from her.  Still, just the confirmation and the word boyfriend caused him to get uncomfortable.  “Uh yeah, maybe don’t flirt with them.”  He mumbled under his breath.  When she mentioned Connor, he went quiet.  He never really liked the people she dated in general, but most of it stemmed out of jealousy.  And the fact he didn’t think she had good taste, but he had to admit Jake appeared to be a decent person and he did want her happy.

[tristan-kasnoff]

bang-mingyu​

Mingyu was more than sure that this boy would tell him to delete it that his finger was already hovering over the button to do it but to his surprise, he’d agreed to letting the artist keep it. Mingyu blinked a few times before letting the camera hang at his chest again. “Mm…” He said softly, “I like to take photos and paint them later.. and draw them. I… I am always looking for some sort of inspiration to draw from. I… liked how you looked on the beach. You cannot see your face in the photo but I will likely be keeping the photo to myself and I will draw it without features that will give you away.” He said awkwardly. “but you are also allowed to tell me not to use it because it is your property until you give me the ability to use it.” Especially since he’d been caught.

Although Tristan had an eye for photography, he was not talented when it came to drawing and painting.  “Wow, that is amazing.  I have a friend who does artwork.”  In fact, the two agreed to collaborate on one date and her to draw his photos.  Tristan nodded, he still wasn’t thrilled.  However, he never wanted to hinder someone else’s artwork.  “Okay, that’s fine as long as my face isn’t there I am cool with you doing what you need.”  He softly smiled.  “Do you usually do a lot of photography?  I’m a bit of an amateur myself, but it's mostly stuff around town and nature.”

[tristan-kasnoff]

restingsinners​

As he pulled the fabric over his head, he hid the twitch of a frown on his lips. He knew why Tristan was pressing, and some part of him wished he had taken a more careful consideration with his plans. He had left him alone all this time, and who was to say what went on at home hadn’t gotten worse? Surely their father had something to say about getting caught, and without Darcy there to keep him ten steps back from Tris, he could only imagine and some part of him pushed him away from trying. 

“A couple of the good ones, I promise. They’re back from college, looking for work, and they’re willing to give their couch for some cash to pay off their rent,” He explained, hands running over his arms to feel the shirt. It was a little snug, but the material was almost comforting. “It’s good to know you have taste, Tris.”

As the shirt came down over his torso, he glanced down at the ink. He went on about a few of them to pass the time in the car, even the Mother Mary on his arm that he had yet to really make sense of himself. When they pulled into the park and the sweltering heat of summer wrapped around them, it took Darcy a moment to get out of the car. The grass, green and brown from the sun, and the breeze that whistled against the car stuck out to him more than it ever had his whole life. The pavement that was absent of the shadow of railings seemed too bright for him to look at too long. 

“Just a second,” Darcy pleaded, eyes closed as he leaned against the car. They had as much as they wanted, and that pause was what he wanted more than anything. There was no schedule to follow just yet, no one watching them but the other. He could close his eyes and not worry about what was to come. He could relax. 

Despite the disappointment of knowing Darcy would not be living with him, he was glad to know his brother still maintained friends during his time locked up and had other people to count on.  “Okay,” he softly said under his breath.  “Will I still be able to see you?  Do you need me to get your pillow from your room or anything?”  After he moved out, Tristan kept Darcy’s side of the room intact, letting him still feel connected with the older Kasnoff.

Tristan listened to his brother speak, it was nice just having the man right there beside him.  Usually, they spoke through glass using a telephone or at a round table where they could not even hug each other.  Once they pulled up, Tristan put the car in park and once they stepped outside the beaten up vehicle, he nodded at Darcy.  Sliding his hands into his pockets, he waited patiently not saying a word as he allowed his brother to have his moment.  He figured after six years, the man deserved a little break and he didn’t want to bother him.

After several moments, Tristan went up to the person.  “Hi Brad,” he greeted the man behind the small kiosk.  “Darcy is back!”  It was evident by the gleam in Tristan’s eyes how ecstatic he was to have Darcy back in the flesh.  “Get whatever you want,” he told his brother.  Before picking up Darcy, Tristan dipped into his piggy bank and retrieved some money he was saving to make sure today was perfect.  Ordering a pickle flavored snow cone, Tristan ate the flavored ice.

“Is there anything you want to do?  Go to the beach?  Check out the record store?”  There was a nervousness in the question, he didn’t want to overwhelm Darcy, but it was hard to contain his excitement.  “Are we could just ride around or something?”  With his free hand he scratched the back of his head.  “Sorry,” a common word to leave Tristan’s mouth.  He tended to be sorry about everything, always on edge about upsetting people.  “I--I uh, I’m just happy you’re here.  If I’m too much, I can take you wherever you want so you don’t have to deal with me.”

[serendipity-in-love]

[tristan-kasnoff]

restingsinners​

“With a few friends. I’ve got an apartment but my lease doesn’t start until later in the week. My parole officer’s hounding me to get on the landlord’s ass, though,” He told him, trying to ensure that his brother wouldn’t  worry about him. He had caused him enough anxiety. Darcy had even taken incentive to get everything into place before he stepped out of those doors for Tristan’s sake more than his own. He wanted to be able to give him the assistance he needed rather than let them reverse their roles. “You mean you got me something better than my old get up from the robbery? You’re a life saver, kid.”

He reached over to change his shirt, revealing more tattoos than he had six years ago and more that had stayed hidden under his uniform. He needed a way to stay entertained all that time.  

Darcy’s appetite always seemed to be the first thing to go, whether it be stress or excitement, boredom or engagement. It had been a way of survival that with time manifested into a completely different act, going against saving himself. However, there was something to be said about this moment. About this victory. Even Darcy couldn’t deny that, and he wouldn’t deny Tristan it either. There was also something to be said about the control in that moment of getting to choose want to eat, what he had the reigns over enjoying. 

“They still got that little ice cream cart in the lot by Anderson Park? The one with the snowcones?” He asked. He was still careful with his indulgence, a snow cone a notorious treat for Darcy in their youth. “If I had known I’d never get a snowcone again, I might have just been good for the rest of my life, Tris.”

“Which friends?  Where are you going to stay until the lease starts?”  Tristan tried hiding the disappointment in his tone, he was not sure why he had it in his mind that Darcy was moving back home.  But, he understood why his brother couldn’t after everything that happened between their dad and him.  And he knew it was selfish to want to keep his brother all to himself.  With a pleasant smile, he nodded.  “Yeah, I um hope everything fits.  I was kind of guessing your size.”  Most came from the thrift store in Asteria, where Tristan did a number of his shopping.  But a few of the t-shirts came from an actual name brand store, because he figured Darcy deserved something firsthand and not a hand me down.

While driving, Tristan’s eyes couldn't help but drift to the new ink on his brother.  “Did those hurt?”  He asked, wondering how it must have felt.  Especially being inside the prison.

Heading down the highway in the beaten down car, Tristan put in a cassette in the player and rolled down a window to get some air flowing as they headed to Asteria.  Conversation was light, he didn’t want to wear his brother down by asking question after question.  He figured Darcy needed a few moments to adjust and realize he was a free man.  “Yes, they still have it.  But the park is pretty torn up.  But you know how things are in Eris.”

A few hours later with small conversation sprinkled in between, they pulled up in the old neighborhood.  Tristan turned his head to look at Darcy, curious about the man’s reaction as they drove up to the park.  There weren’t any children playing on the old equipment that was spray painted.  At least there was the ice cream cart, a place where the two shared plenty of good memories.  Those rare times they managed to find a little extra cash and get a sweet treat during the summer heat.  “You ready?”  He asked as he placed the vehicle in park. 

[tristan-kasnoff]

lucas-bradley

“Only when it comes to you, buddy.” Luke joked as they got back into the car and he fiddled with his keys waiting for Tristan to tell him what he already knew his answer was. He didn’t ever wanna go home and it wasn’t Lucas’ business as to why but the whole town kind of knew in a quiet kind of way. He nodded and started to pull out of his parking spot and file into the line of people trying to get out of the drive in. He laughed softly and nodded again at the memories of how life used to be. “Last time I vandalized anything I got caught by Officer Marshall and she scared the living hell out of me. By the time she brought me home and I had to face my grandparents I thought I was going to jail.” Thankfully that wasn’t the case for him, but he realized that even mentioning jail might be insensitive to someone whose brother had been there a long time. “Anyway uh, I was thinking about something the other day, I want your opinion on it.”

“Should I be flattered?”  Usually, Tristan tended to be fairly shy with people.  Even people he knew his whole life, but being around Lucas he sometimes got out of his shell.  As they pulled out of the drive in, he chuckled at the thought of being caught by Officer Marshall.  “Dang, that sounds rough.  You know I was only kidding right?”  Tristan thought it came across, because anyone that knew him knew that he would never actually vandalize something.  Perhaps, he would stand there and watch his friend(s), but he never could find the nerve to join in.  “Oh what were you thinking about?”

[halurodeclara]

[elenaalvar-deactivated20200112]

[tristan-kasnoff]

@j-scarlet

[tristan-kasnoff]

landonsmith​

“Ah right, right..” Landon nodded slowly, feeling a bit stupid that he had not kept up to date in the town’s latest when he had been away and kept up with what had happened since he had set foot in the place. “Nah man I tell you - A good, and then I mean a real good chocolate shake is hard to come by so I get it.” He snickered. He knew all about it is it was one of his favorites as well. “Yeah I know.. Still no excuse really.. I guess I just figured I’d remain a looser forever and when I finally found something I was good at I let it change me.” He knew it was a poor excuse, but he had had time to reflect and that was how he saw it now. 

Landon offered the person who greeted them a small smile while following Tristan towards the booth, taking the seat opposite. “It seems pretty nice.” He stated, personally loving the more secret or hidden booths as it offered some privacy in the small town. “Um..” He scratched the back of his neck. Work was a subject he would have loved to discuss months ago, but now his situation was different. “I am in between jobs right now. I have been looking into doing more freelance stuff.”

“Thankfully, we’re lucky and Maggie’s has the best.”  Perhaps he was biased given he worked at the place, but there was just something about an old fashioned chocolate shake at the diner.  Tristan’s eyes swayed towards Landon and he gently placed his hand on the other’s arm.  “You were never a loser, at least not in my books.”  Of course, that might not be saying much coming from him since he tended to fade away in the background throughout most of high school. 

 In the back, Tristan nodded.  “It is nice.”  The diner happened to be his safe place, he always held fond memories there and he was able to escape a lot just by being there.  “Oh, that’s cool you’re able to do freelance.  You were always super smart when it came to computers and stuff.  What exactly is it that you do?  I think it will probably go over my head, but I would still like to know.”  When the server came, they greeted Tristan happily given they were co-workers.  “May I please have a chocolate shake?”  The server placed their hand on their hip, “let me guess Tris, you want an order of fries too?”  And that brought a smile out of him as he nodded.  “And you dear?  What are you having?”  The woman asked Landon.

[tristan-kasnoff]

restingsinners​

Too many times Darcy had rehearsed every slick remark he’d make upon seeing Tristan without a shackle to his wrist or through a wall of glass. He hadn’t realized that for so long, he’d started picturing his brother with that glare from the window casted over his face. As soon as he saw him, he embraced him tightly without a care that he’d suffocate him into his chest. So many times they had been teased about this day, one day changed to another down the line that at some point, he had acclimated to what a what if instead of when the times they spoke about his release.

As Tris pulled away, he ruffled his dark locks. A sharp intake of breath pushed back the welling in his eyes, and he scoffed. 

“You’re gonna insult me by suggesting I move back home at thirty-four? Damn, Tris, hurting my pride and I’m barely a hundred feet from the lowest part of my life,” He said, arm wrapped around his brother’s shoulders tightly as they made their way to the car. “I’ve got a couch to crash on, don’t sweat it. You can drive, get used to being my driver until I get my license back. It’s all your food good, buddy… unless you sold my bike, or Laney stole my bike.”

Although Tristan turned his head as his brother messed up his hair he had the largest grin across his face.  Just the simple act made him feel closer to Darcy, he was not used to any signs of affection back at home ever since his brother had been taken to the slammer.

“I’m sorry I just,” his blue glancing up towards Darcy and as the older Kasnoff pulled him in close, it occurred to him that his brother was only giving him a hard time.  “Where are you staying?”  Tristan knew his brother had friends, but selfishly he wanted Darcy close to him.  Six years was way too long and he didn’t want to miss out on any more time with him.  As they approached the running car, Tristan slid into the driver’s seat.  “I got you some clothes, they’re in the backseat.  Oh and some other things, I thought you would like.”  As he placed the vehicle into drive, he chuckled.  “Don’t worry, the bike is in the back of the garage.  I wouldn’t let Laney touch it.”

A rush of relief flooded over Tristan as they pulled away from the prison, putting it in the rearview mirror and never having to go back.  “Are you hungry?  Do you want to go somewhere?”  He asked softly, unsure of the proper protocol of what to do when your brother gets out of prison.