Closed New Beginnings

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery had thought long and hard about this. But in the end, his mind had won out and he had packed his things. He needed to find somewhere to stay, living out of a single suitcase. After what he'd lost, he didn't really have the heart to stay in France. He had loved Paris, truly, but he just couldn't stay anymore. He had put out an add in the general area where he wanted to live, and had quickly gotten a few calls for potential flat mates. He had already seen a few, but none that had struck him on a personal level. He had one more meeting today, and his hopes weren't high. He settled into the cafe booth, sighing softly and ordering a water while he waited.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

It had been a few years since Lip had quit bartending and moved back into his dad's place. While he didn't mind bumming around the house at first, at a certain point it went from being fun to straight up pathetic. Probably around the time he officially hit his thirties. Thanks to his brother offering him a job at his surf shack (another personal low in Lip's opinion) he was finally able to save up enough money to move out and he seized the first roommate ad he saw. Truthfully he didn't care who his potential roommate could be as long as it got him out of his dad's house, but he agreed to meet up with the stranger at the cafe they suggested. It took him a moment to figure out who the stranger could be at the cafe, but thankfully it wasn't too busy so his deductive reasoning skills brought him over to a blond haired man in a booth. "Hi, Avery?" he asked for confirmation.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery looked up, smiling softly at the man. "Hello, yes," He stood, offering out his hand, his French accent still heavy. "Phillip, yes?" Avery asked before taking his seat again. He ran a hand through his hair, giving the man a small smile as he sat down. "Thank you for calling about the ad," he told the man. "Rooming with strangers is always a risk." He laughed lightly. "Why don't we have lunch, then? Get to know each other a bit and see if we can stand being down the hall every day," He offered, folding his hands beneath his chin. "I can pay for the food if you'd like,"

 

[Phillip Zanders]

As soon as man looked up and smiled at Lip, he immediately thought oh no and wanted to bolt. But the self-sabotaging part of his brain won out, as it always did, as he reached out and shook the guy's hand. "It's just Lip," he corrected as he took a seat across from him. He nodded as Avery talked about the roommate search, even though he couldn't really relate. As long as he had a place to sleep he didn't really care who he lived or got along with. It seemed to matter to Avery though so Lip put on a smile and replied, "Sure." Though at the mention of the blond paying, he immediately said, "Oh, that's nice of you, but I'm good. I can take care of myself." It didn't matter to Lip that he would barely have enough to cover the first month's rent if Avery saw him fit to be a roommate, his pride prevented him from appearing like a charity case to the man.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Oh, I insist, Phillip," he replied with a friendly smile. "Let me pay today and you can buy lunch the next time," he chuckled, sipping his water before picking up a menu. "I am not used to these foods. What is good?" He asked, peeking up to the other man and smiling. Phillip was rather pretty, with stunning eyes, but Avery was not one to test boundaries. He was a quiet man. He looked over the menu again, humming a bit as he considered.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip's mouth twitched reflexively at the sound of his full name, something he hated being called, yet the way it sounded coming from Avery with his accent kept him from saying anything. Instead he chuckled a little and begrudgingly accepted the man's offer with a small nod. "You must really need a roommate," he joked quietly. Why else would Avery offer to pay for lunch as the two got to know each other? As they made eye contact, Lip cleared his throat and looked down at the menu to distract himself. "Uh, the cobb salad I guess," he said, blurting the first thing his eyes landed on. "Actually their grilled cheese is pretty good," he said after allowing his brain to catch up with his mouth. "Not as good as mine, but still good," he commented with a small smirk.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery chose not to comment on the first statement. It would be unsavory of him to reveal how badly he needed a roommate. His lips twitched a bit in a silent smile. Something about Phillip was just drawing him in, though what it was Avery couldn't quite place. "I should have a grilled cheese then, so that I can compare them later," he chuckled lightly, setting his menu down. Once the server had taken their orders, he turned his attention to Phillip.

"Alright, it is only polite that I start. My name is Avery Lavigne," He started, stressing just a little the pronunciation of La-veen-ye. "I am twenty-six, I was born and raised in Paris." He hesitated a moment before settling on a believable story. "I came to New Zealand seeking a change of pace." He gave Phillip a small smile.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip noted how Avery didn't mention anything about him needing a roommate and it strangely made him feel better. He felt like it evened the playing field a little. He let out a small chuckle as the man implied he would be able to try Lip's cooking at some point. He supposed it was good to hear that he was still being considered as a roommate, though he made no promises about cooking for others. He kept that to himself for now so as not to blow his chances and kept his eyes on the menu to hide his smirk.

He listened as the man introduce himself and gave a small nod. He supposed now it was his turn. "I'm Lip. Zanders," he added, pointedly not using his full name again as a hint. "I just turned thirty," he said, even if 'just' meant quite a few months ago, it made him feel less old saying it that way. "I've lived in New Zealand my whole life, but I'm looking to move out of my brother's place," he lied, feeling more pathetic by the second. Not only had he never left New Zealand, but needing a roommate because you moved to an entirely different country was way cooler than needing to move out of your dad's because you had been crashing there for way too long. At least if he said it was his brother's place it would sound less pitiful. "I work at my brother's surf shack down at the harbour," he added. "What do you do?" he asked, wanting to redirect the conversation back to Avery.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery nodded slightly, he wouldn't have guessed that Phillip was four years older than he was. He smiled softly, not asking too many details about Phillip's current living arrangement or his family. He got the feeling there was more there that the man wasn't ready to discuss, and Avery wasn't the type to push. He chuckled as the question was returned to him. "Ah. I am an... interior designer," he admitted ruefully, running a hand through his wavy hair. "It's hard to get a good business just up and going, so I won't survive purely on my own," he chuckled. "I've got just enough for a down payment on an apartment, but I'll need the help after for who knows how long," he sighed.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip nodded quietly as Avery talked about his profession. Lip wasn't exactly the chatty type but even so it was nice just listening to his accent as he talked. "That's cool," he said approvingly, not that he knew anything about the profession. "I can't relate personally, but my brother started his surf shack so I understand how hard it can be to start a new business up," he said to the man. "There's nothing I like enough to struggle like that," he chuckled lightly, "but I appreciate the hustle nonetheless." He tried not to feel too embarrassed about the admission that he had no sort of passion. Soon the waiter arrived and Lip gave both their orders, since Avery had already mentioned what he was going to get. Once the waiter left he said, "So if I start paying rent, does that make me an investor?" he joked.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery listened attentively to Phillip, storing each little detail for future reference. He felt like he and Phillip would get along splendidly. He'd already decided that he would room with the man in front of him, but he felt no need to finish this lunch first. "Ah, Phillip, if every person had the passion and a dream then there would be no one left to support and encourage," he chuckled. "Passion is often overwhelming. I believe that it is something that really must be dealt with in moderation or you will burn out,"

Avery smiled as the server returned with their food. He smiled, waiting until they'd left to turn his attention back to his companion. "Ah, but Phillip, you are my first, how do you say, kiwi customer!" Avery exclaimed, his accent unintentionally stronger. "I will practice on you, no? You can judge how I decorate the flat! With your help of course, I will need your point of view to make a truly beautiful home." He chuckled.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip pursed his lips as Avery called him by his full name again. Yes, his name did sound cute with Avery's accent, but that wasn't the point. "It's just Lip, Ah-vry," he corrected again, purposely mispronouncing the man's name in retribution. "And I'm not sure I appreciate the implication that I'm a supporter," he grumbled even if Avery had meant it in jest. Though thankfully the waiter returned with their food to distract him. He hadn't gotten the grilled cheese, as he mentioned his was better, but he got a club sandwich instead. "Bon appetit," he said with a small smirk towards the French man.
He chuckled around a biteful of his sandwich and said, "Ah but you see, customer implies paying, which I will not do," a playful tone in his voice. "But you're more than welcome to decorate the place as you see fit," he added with a shrug, realizing belatedly that this meant Avery was agreeing to let him room with him.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery smiled softly, taking note of the series of little jabs and storing the information for later. He chuckled in return, shaking his head. "Technically you are paying part of rent, " He countered, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Ah, Merci mon ami, " he thanked his companion, giving him a warm smile. "So, I think I have found a flat we can look at after lunch, if you're amenable," he continued, sipping his drink.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip rolled his eyes jokingly as Avery pointed out he would be paying for rent. "Technically I'd just be paying for a roof over my head, how you decide to spend that money and decorate said roof, is totally up to you," he countered with a shrug, enjoying the back and forth. Lip had only planned on meeting up with the man just to exchange pleasantries and secure the vacancy, but it's not like he had anything else to do. Still, he pretended to check the watch on his wrist for the time as if he had a later engagement. "Sure I've got time," he said once he looked back up at the man.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery raised a brow in return. "Phillip, no," He scolded gently, folding his hands under his chin. "It shall be your home as much as it is mine. You should feel comfortable in our shared space; I will need your help very much." Avery insisted gently. They were going to be living together for who knew how long; Avery wouldn't stand for anything less than a shared living environment that embodied both of their needs and wants.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

For some reason, Lip found Avery's earnestness about his opinion on their future home endearing. He really didn't care about such things, the most he could really weigh in on was making sure the bed was comfortable, but that was more function over form. "Alright then," he threw his hands up, "but what if I'm a detriment to your vision? Don't blame me if you can't get clients later," he shrugged. "Or...consider it a challenge. What if I pick the gaudiest piece of furniture and you have to make it work," he offered with a smirk.

 

[Avery Lavigne]

Avery chuckled, eating his sandwich slowly. "I can work with whatever you give to me," he smiled, sipping his drink. Lunch passed quickly, the small talk pleasant. He made quick work of paying the bill before Phillip had the chance to, then held still a moment as he slid on his jacket. "Are you ready to go, Phillip?" Avery asked, glancing over and smiling as he straightened his sleeves.

 

[Phillip Zanders]

Lip felt a small thrill run through him at Avery's statement. "Careful, those are dangerous words," he said, a sly smile hidden behind his drink. He grumbled as Avery paid the bill, still protesting until the last moment, but nodded as he stood up to leave. "Lead the way," he said, content to follow Avery wherever he wanted to go. Depending on his self control this could end terribly or wonderfully and he wasn't quite sure which would be better for him.