xp_logs | Jay & Paige, last Monday (Reply)

Paige and Jay catch up over ice cream. Their conversation briefly turns dark, but they recover. No angsting for these Guthries.

Playing foosball was not supposed to work up a sweat. Then again, playing foosball was not supposed to involve diving over the table, forcefully turning your partner’s head, or having a supply of ammo in the form of pillows by your feet, either. Making her way to the kitchen for a bottle of water as she pulled at what little of her shirt there was to pull in an attempt to cool herself, Paige supposed it all worked out.

"You're gonna make all the fellas fall on their faces if you walk around all sweaty-like," Jay said, looking up from the island where he was indulging himself with a bowl of chocolate-chip cookie dough.

“Jono needs to get back into his hand-to-hand training anyway,” Paige replied cheerfully, pulling open the ‘fridge. She gave up on creating a currant under her shirt and with one last tug let it free, grabbing her water. “Besides, I’m obviously not a source of face falling. We’re losing.”

Jay shrugged. "So what's got you all wet? Beatin' on your boyfriend again? How does he keep up?" And that didn't sound nearly as dirty in his head.

Smirking, Paige allowed herself a drink before she answered. “Mind over matter. But actually, I’m playing foosball.” She held up a hand, halting his words, as she swallowed again. “I know. It’s insane. It’s Monday and I’m not working during work hours. But I wanted a break and I hear those are healthy.”

"What did you do with mah sister?" Jay teased. "You're a lame impostor, takin' breaks and such. For foosball, of all things. Mah sister would take a study break to study somethin' else."

“I know! Seriously, who needs falling skies and bloody water as signs of the end when you have me taking breaks.” Pulling up another stool, Paige sat herself kitty-corner to her brother, dipping her finger into his treat and trying not to count the calories she’d need to burn as she popped it in her mouth. “You’re eating girl food. What’s up?”

"Eww, use a spoon. You have cooties." Jay pulled out a utensil from the drawer for Paige. "What's so girly? It's ice cream. Ice cream is gender neutral."

He was so getting The Look. If she was black it would be called the, “Please, foo’.” Look. “It’s cookie dough ice cream. Before noon. On a Monday. Come on.”

"Bobby just made it." And no, that wasn't a blush at the mention of his name. "He wanted me to try it out."

“Mmmhm,” was all she said, rummaging around with her spoon for a piece of dough. Okay, Paige didn’t buy it, but since when did she have the right to be pushy. “When did I get traded in as the favorite Guthrie? No fair.”

"Ah don't claim favorites. Mah favorite people are all outside the family, remember?" He battled her spoon for a cookie dough chunk, and happily claimed victory.

“Meanie!” Paige teased happily, grabbing the whole tub to give herself a late advantage before placing the spoon in her mouth and attempting to talk around it. “I think I’m gonna go have to slit my wrists now.”

"Those ugly square emo glasses don't look good on you, hon," he teased. "And you don't write music neither. This ain't your stereotype."

Paige’s bottom lip went out – she actually had black, square glasses afterall – but the humor of the situation somehow managed to not be too lost on her. “Fine then. I’ll go build complex rockets or space shuttles or laser guns or something suitably geeky. You’re still a meanie.”

"See? You go build WMDs, Ah write the sad mopey songs, and Bobby-" there was that blush again "-makes the snacks."

“Well, now that we’ve set that record straight...” Paige nabbed another chunk of cookie dough, pondering thoughtfully. “Got anyone you want to laser? I’ll need test subjects, after all.”

"Your lab partner?" he requested, maybe a little too quickly. Not that he was still bitter or anything. Oh no.

Flicking a look his way, Paige raised her eyebrows. “Am kind of fond of him, what with him being my closest pal and all,” she said finally, licking her spoon. “Ah don’t know what went on with y’all, but. Ah do know Ah’m envious that you managed to find such a good group of friends. Whatever it was, just forgive’im. Wait, when did Ah start slurring words? And saying Ah? Dammit.”

Jay frowned and stabbed at his ice cream. "He's an idiot with no sense of compassion and doesn't care about anyone but himself." He sighed, and then glanced at Paige out the corner of his eye. "Sorry, Ah shouldn't be takin' it out on you."

“You’re not. You’d be calling me the idiot if you were.” Leaning on her hand, Paige looked at her brother, squinting slightly as if regarding a puzzle. “He’s taken really good care of me, hon. Even when Jono wasn’t all nightlight on us. When I think about... Can’t that be enough?”

"But he hasn't taken care of me," he muttered in protest. "It's . . . he thinks Ah did somethin' wrong and that Ah'm the bad guy."

Paige smiled a little and leaned over to kiss his still slightly warm cheek. “Maybe you’re both wrong. Everyone is the hero of their own story, after all,” she said, before ruffling his hair. “That, and you’re boys. You’re bound to be dumbasses. Just figure it out for goodness sake. I’ll even ref the thumb wrestle if I have to.”

"If it were that easy, then we'd have finished this a long time ago. And Ah'd have won, too." The benefit (and one of the few) of having so many siblings and needing some method to resolve disputes.

“Of course you would, chick pea,” she cooed back at him, grinning. “Forget I ever suggested something as insane and irrational and putting aside your differences in favor of brooding with ice cream. Come on, let’s go get you a copy of ‘Pretty Woman’ and some nail polish.” Paige put her spoon down and stood up, giving him a moment of utter seriousness. “I’m sorry. You know I would fix this right now if I could.”

"You can fix everything with lasers," Jay said sagely. "That makes much more sense than just agreein' ta disagree."

Laughing, Paige stuck out her tongue. “I’m going to go finish my game. Don’t make yourself sick, now. You don’t have me to clean up your puke anymore, what with this place having more hiding spots and all.”

Jay winked at her as she walked away. "And that's why we got another brother."