Realistic or Modern For Whom The Bell Tolls -Private-

[DamnCatsMeow]

 

[SpiralingMadness]

Eyes barely open and a twist of sheets, Grace could feel herself slowly coming to.
A gray sky with the littlest bit of sun shining poked through the only window in the unfamiliar bedroom. The last time she had partied like that, she was in Olympus with her brother and father. She went over the last few things she could remember, leaving rehearsal, going out with her friends... The man at the bar. Grace closed her eyes, silently praying to herself, before opening just the top half of the sheet, checking to see if she had let /everything/ loose last night.
She turned towards the empty bed, trying to remember his name...his face. Grace took a deep breath and pulled the sheets tighter around her, hesitantly heading towards the door. "Hello?"

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

Eric sat at his kitchen table in front of his laptop, fingers working tirelessly as he worked on the next chapter of his novel. Inspiration had struck this morning as he woke, a beautiful blonde asleep next to him. She had seemed familiar to him yet completely surreal. Taking a puff of his cigarette, he leaned back and reviewed everything he'd just written over the past three hours. As if on a cue, he could hear her stir, most likely confused based on her state the previous night. "In the kitchen." He called, standing to stretch and possibly make breakfast depending on how she handled meeting a stranger in the light of day.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

It was evident the moment she made her way out of the room, that the Grace from last night was an entirely different person from the Grace in front of him now. Her eyes scanned the walls, the furniture, forming her words and opinions before her eyes actually found him. There was a brief moment of silence as she tried to form her words, hazel eyes scanning over every inch of him, her cheeks a twinge of pink. "I'm... I'm sorry about the sheet- I couldn't find my clothes..."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

"I didn't know how long you'd be out love, so I went ahead and tossed 'em in the wash. Should be about dry now." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He had always been the monogamous type so each time he woke up with someone new in his bed, he had to question his sanity. Maybe I should stop drinking. Fuck that.

He took a better look now that she was standing in front of him, his skin pricking with familiarity. It bothered him greatly that he couldn't put his finger on her though. "Would you like some breakfast? Maybe a cuppa tea?"

 

[SpiralingMadness]

There was a gentle smile, but she made no further move, her shy trait kicked up in to high gear. Her lips pressed together and her head dropped, the curtain of blonde hair covering her embarrassed face. "Er, I-- I'm sorry, I can't remember- I don't really do this. I'm-- Grace. I would love some water... please."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

Eric exhaled, visibly relaxing. "It's perfectly okay love, I don't really do this myself. Though I can admit there's been a pattern recently." His voice trailed off with thought and worry. Admittedly he had been crushed by a break up, but that was /ages/ ago. Why was he still in this self-destructive cycle? It makes for good inspiration.
Moving swiftly, Eric provided her with a glass of cool water. "Nice to meet you Grace, again. The name's Eric Porter." He offered her a soft smile, before moving to pick up his barely lit cigarette from the ashtray and take another puff.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

"What's her name--" She paused, then shook her head. "No, I'm sorry- I shouldn't have- It's just... It's always someone, you know?"

"I've only been in the city a few weeks..." She admitted, carefully weaving her hand through the tightly pinched blankets to take the glass of water, carefully sipping from it. "You're really the first person I've met..." She took another sip, trying not to fumble over her words. "It's nice to meet you again, Eric Porter."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

"Grace..." The name swirled on his tongue, dripping with that nagging feeling. "Are you sure we haven't met before? Prior to last night, I mean." Hopping up on the counter, he sat and watched her, making sure to give her enough space if she wanted to wander the tiny London flat's kitchen.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

"I lived in New York for a little bit. North Dakota..." She shrugged her shoulders, as she moved in to the kitchen, checking out the charming flat. "I was in Greece for the summer and then I came here for school. It's really the first time I've been...I think I'd remember you if we had."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

North Dakota. That rang a bell. “My Ex was from North Dakota. Only got to visit the once, it was too bloody cold for my liking.” He shivered at the memory. It wasn’t a place he’d ever desire visiting again.
The beeping of the dryer caught his attention, pulling him from wandering too deep into thought about her. “Those would be your clothes. Second door on the right.” He nodded in the direction as he hopped off the counter, lighting another smoke.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

"I was born in Fargo." She laughed and nodded, recalling the bits of memories she had of home. "Oh god, thank you, I thought I was going to have to hold this for forever." She took off down the hall, dropping the sheet before entering the laundry room, hurrying to get dressed. "Maybe you've met my brother, Jude. We're twins. We almost look identical apart from the obvious features..."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

His heart sank into his stomach, suddenly feeling rather green and slightly dizzy. Taking a weak sit at the table, Eric put his head in his hands, sucking down his pack of Marlboros like a comforting pacifier.
He’d know those twins anywhere. What did this mean for them though? It was just a one night stand right? Then why, despite everything, did he really want to see her again?

 

[SpiralingMadness]

Grace came back out, wearing the ballet shirt and leggings, rubbing at her arms to keep warm. "I folded up the sheet for you-- I'm sorry, I just left it in... Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

“That honestly depends. I found myself in quite the predicament.” He sighed, wrestling with himself on whether to fess up. “I’ve heard of both you and your brother Ms. Bacchus...or did you take your mothers name, Alexander?”

 

[SpiralingMadness]

Grace bit her lip and raised an eyebrow, slowly rejoining him back in the kitchen. "And I guess now we know *why* you brought me back here..." She said quietly, studying his features. "And now I know why I don't remember you...I don't really use either. I like Grace. Just Grace..."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

“I didn’t recognize you, not really. When Amelia and I went our separate ways, I honestly forgot about you.” Eric laughed nervously, silently wishing his cigarette was something more soothing.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

"That's the trend of my life." She sighed, pulling her arm sleeves down over her hands. "We've all gone our separate ways, forgotten about each other..."

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

"Well, trust me love when I say, I won't be forgetting you again." He tossed her a sheepish smile, leaning back in his chair. "You must be hungry. We could grab some bunch? There is this hole-in-the-wall pub down the street that has really amazing sandwiches."

 

[SpiralingMadness]

Her cheeks quickly flushed a dark pink, a rare feat for someone like Grace, but there she took after her mother. She was insistent though on holding her head high. "Well, I--" She stammered, trying to hang on to the right words to say. "You don't think it's a bad idea?"

 

[DamnCatsMeow]

“I don’t care actually if it’s right or not. Youre a beautiful girl and you deserve brunch.” Eric flashed a genuine smile before dipping off into the bedroom to trade his sweats for jeans.

 

[SpiralingMadness]

Lips pressed together, a thin line forming as she attempted to hide the embarrassment on her face. "I guess we're going to brunch then. Should be fun.."