Father's Bonding

[vampireglub]

"Definitely not much of a gambling man unless it's change," Jin laughed. Unlike many, Jin never saw the pleasure or benefit in betting real money. Jin worked hard day in and day out for his money ever since he got his job that he just couldn't see the appeal in just throwing it all away in just seconds. In Jin's defense, he also had his little girl to take care of which was more important than anything else in the world and he would never jeopardize his financial situation knowing that it would negatively affect his little princess.

"Oh, I'm not that talented," Jin laughed, his cheeks turning a bit pink in hearing the other's praise. "But, I also listen to a lot of my daughter's music. I've definitely listened to Love Makes the World Go Round but Aiko's big one lately has been the theme song for her favorite television show: Sofia the First. As I've previously hinted at, she's in the middle of her princess phase." Jin couldn't believe just how much his daughter loved anything to do with princesses. Jin had, admittedly, seen almost every Disney princess movie at least twenty times for Aiko and could probably sing any princess song thrown at him as he and his daughter had been listening to a Disney Princess soundtrack every time they got into a car.

"I personally like a little bit of everything," Jin stated, "I simply appreciate music, I guess." Jin could see the other get a bit red in the neck before he admitted his favorite artist. "Oh, no judgment here! I also really like Luke Bryan. I'm also a big fan of Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw when it comes to country music," Jin explained. "A bit more out there," Jin laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, "whenever I'm stressed and trying to relax I listen to jazz from the 1950s and 60s." Jin truly loved all kinds of music but for some odd reason, whenever he was feeling a bit on edge, he always turned to some of the cult classics: Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole. "There's just something about mid-century jazz that just brings me back to a clear and calm headspace," he confessed, still unsure of the exact reason himself.

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander grinned a little bit when Jin denied his claim of the other man being talented, chuckling when he saw the others cheeks turn pink "Oh please, no need to be modest Jin! Violin, Piano, and Guitar? That's talent if I've ever seen it" he stated with an amused look on his face "I could barely play the recorder back in school!" he recounted his own attempts at playing instruments and it was horrible to even think about but funny to look back on. Alexander would then laugh a little bit and nodded his head when Jin explained about his daughters love for the theme for Sofia the First "My little Ann loves that show herself, she doesn't get to watch it as often though because Ace hates it. Says it's too girly" he laughed once again at the memory of it. Ace was so fussy about his TV shows and while he didn't seem to mind other girly shows he had a particular dislike for that show of all shows.

Once they moved on to their own personal tastes he would listen to the other and nodded his head when he admitted to liking all music. How Alexander wished he could be like that, it would make choosing a song that he and his kids all liked so much easier! Of course as he confessed his personal favorite musician he could feel that redness creeping up. It was pretty embarrassing, especially when the guys in the garage teased him for it. However thankfully Jin didn't judge him for it and even admitted that he liked Luke Bryan as well which was quite a relief "Oh that's a relief, anyone I tell that too tends to tease me at least a little bit!" he chuckled a little bit before hearing the other man's favorites and a wide smile grin grew on his face "Oh my goodness I love Jason Aldean! Dirt Road Anthem is my favorite!" Jason was a solid second in terms of country artists for Alexander, both their music was just so good in his opinion!

He would then listen to the other explain that he liked to listen to Jazz to relax, specifically Jazz from the mid nineties. That was certainly an interesting thing to learn and he'd nod his head "That makes sense, Jazz especially from that time period have a quality that modern Jazz just doesn't have" he thought for a moment "Hm....not to say modern Jazz is bad, but it defiantly had more...soul back then" it was the best way he could describe it himself. He would then chuckle "Jazz isn't exactly something I love but I can't deny that enjoy listening to Fly me to the Moon and Cry me a River from time to time" he shook his head a little "Makes me feel like I'm in one of those old smokey Jazz lounges" he laughed a little bit and sipped his beer as he reclined and glanced at the score of the teams on the television for a moment. He would then turn his gaze back to Jin and gave a friendly smile "I have to say Jin, it's nice to have some real conversation. Usually I'm trying to connect with the guys in the garage, but it feels like we live in two different worlds sometimes, you know?" he explained to his new friend with a small chuckle. Alexander couldn't help but feel so much older than he actually was when he tried speaking to his crew.





(OOC: )

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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

"I couldn't have put it any better," Jin replied in response to Andrew's comment on how modern jazz has lost its soul. "Fly Me to the Moon and Cry Me a River are fabulous songs," he gave the other a smile, taking another sip of his beer. "I'd love to have a glass of Woodford reserve on the rocks while playing a round of pool in one of those old smokey jazz clubs. Maybe I'd even dance a little," Jin laughed, relaxing further into the couch and sipping his beer.

"Trust me, I know how that feels," he admitted. "Being honest, everyone at my work is so stiff and cold...none of them really understand what it's like to be a single parent either as most of the women that I work with gave up having families in order to progress their careers and as most of the men I work with have their wives stay home to take care of their kids," Jin expressed. "I guess that's why I don't really fit in at work, but I love designing and firmly believe in the company's mission to make building more sustainable and eco-friendly," he explained, his tone honestly converting his passion for his work. "I'm doing what I love though and that's the important part. Well, that and the fact that the job supports my daughter and I rather comfortably," he added, knowing that his job was keeping him financially afloat, which some single parents couldn't say as confidently as he could.

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander would let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes for a moment as a grin formed on his face before nodding his head with a grin "Now that sounds like a dream" he chuckled a little bit, that sounded like something that the both of them could go for right about now. But he supposed that cheap canned beer and a couch in a garage office was as good as they were going to get at this moment. Once Alexander admitted to Jin about his difficulty connecting with his staff he'd be a bit surprised when he stated that he understood how he felt. Alexander would then listen to how none of Jin's coworkers seemed to understand the joys and difficulties that being a single Father could be. The women were career focused while the men had stay at home wives who were the ones who took care of the kids "Jeez, you'd think the other Fathers would care to spend some time with their kids" obviously one's career was important but that didn't mean that leaving the kids to your wife was the way to do it. That was just selfish of the man. At least the women in his office didn't have such responsibilities! However a small smile grew on his face when Jin expressed how he still loved designing and how he did believe in his company's mission. Alexander would nod his head once the other also admitted that he was still doing what he loved and how it still supported Jin and his daughter comfortably "That's really good, to do what you love for work is the real dream at the end of the day" he placed his beer can aside and crossed his leg over the other, loosening his own tie a bit "I love working on cars myself, there's something so satisfying about being able to physically pick apart and make something even better than before" he would then sigh and shook his head a bit "But with running this garage I haven't been able to so much as touch a car in a long time, I still love what I do but I just I wish I could do more of the fun stuff!" he laughed a bit as he thought of the copious amounts of paperwork he needed to do on a daily basis as the owner of the store. Finally he would grin at Jin "So you said you do design? What exactly do you design? Buildings? How they look?" he took a couple shots in the dark to guess what the other man specifically did in his company, he was just plainly curious to know a bit more about the other man.





(OOC: )

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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

Jin nodded in agreement, understanding Alexander's desire to be working with cars hands-on and doing more fun things for himself. Every parent, especially single parents have a lot of responsibilities that they have to focus on, often leaving their own personal hobbies on the back burner. Jin personally had started designing an eco-friendly family home years ago when he was still with his wife, but since they separated, he hasn't had any time to work on it, let alone finish it. If he got more free time, he'd love to pick up the project again, but the chance of actually getting enough free time to rest up and still work on a hobby was slim to none nowadays.

"Oh," Jin started, "well, I specifically design buildings, mainly houses. Right now, I specifically work with urban planners to decide how certain land should be used and how we want to take advantage of the environment during the urbanization process. I also work with construction managers to talk about materials, cost, and the schedule of the build." The raven-haired man continued to explain, "the suburb I'm currently working on is focusing on conserving the environment as much as we can, so we will be keeping a large majority of the plants in the area and we will be creating two parks on each end of the suburb that will be connected by a trail, all of which will encourage natural vegetation. We also are planning to have a community garden where families can come together and grow their own fruits and vegetables. The garden will also have a rainwater collection system so the garden can be easily be watered with rainwater, cutting down on some water usage. To make things more eco-friendly, we're going to take advantage of skylights, solar panels, and recycled materials in the design of the houses, too." Jin was clearly passionate about the project he was working on, as he spoke confidently with vibrant energy. Realizing that he had been chattering on for a little while, Jin apologized, "Sorry, I could go on about my job and my current project for hours. So, tell me a bit more about your job and running the shop."

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander would lean turn to the side a bit on the couch and leaned forward as Jin began to speak about his job as a building designer. He would show a real, genuine interest in the others work as it seemed the other man grew more and more passionate about his job and speaking about different plans they had. It was cute, to see someone so enthusiastic about something, it was infectious. A small grin would grow on his face as the other man then began to talk about his current project of creating a very environmentally friendly suburb which caused him to nod his head a bit. That sounded positively lovely! But it only seemed to get better as the other man went on to explain how he'd plan for there to be a community garden which made this whole thing sound even better. Something like that was sure to allow families to do some real outdoor bonding while also collectively watching the fruits of their labor grow! It just only seemed to keep getting better though and Alexander would now just simply smile at the other man as he continued on to explain about how eco friendly the entire thing would be as well and the level of passion he spoke with made the other Father excited for him.

Alexander would then shake his head a bit and smiled at Jin after his apology for rambling "Oh no, it was extremely fascinating! You speak with so much love and passion for your work, it's quite infectious if I'm being honest" he explained to the other man to quell any possible fear he bored Alexander "It's rare to meet someone who's so truly passionate about their work!" he stated with a warm smile on his face before he would then lean back into the couch once more as he thought over the others return question "My job? Well I'm the big boss man so I have to place the orders for different car parts, not only that I also need to make sure I'm getting them from reputable sources and that I'm not being ripped off" he shook his head a bit "Hasn't happened recently but when I was greener I was taken advantage of quite a few times, but I know better now at least" he stated with a small chuckle "I keep the day to day going, I schedule my workers, hear out any requests or complaints they may have about some older equipment, sign off on their paychecks" what Alexander did was obviously much more in line with your typical pencil pushing office worker "I also take calls for when people want to come in for repairs, oil changes, and the tow trucks contact me if they have a car that needs fixing" he would then shrug his shoulders a bit "And then of course there are people like you who get into small scale car accidents and get taken to my shop to get repairs" he continued on explaining "I know a lot of repair shops will try tacking on different fees and what not, lying to people about things that don't actually need to get repaired.

So I beat it into my boys heads that we don't do that here, only what actually needs to be repaired gets repaired" he chuckled a little bit "Builds trust with the customers and turns them into regulars, of course if something does catch our attention we'll bring it up and show them what the problem is instead of just telling them, people better understand things when they're shown something" he then grew a bit more focused looking "Like one time an older woman came in because her radiator was leaking coolant, it was corrosion since it was an older car" he clarified quickly in case the other was curious "But while we were working on it, this was one of those rare times I was able to work on a car!" he quickly explained "But anyway while we were working on it I noticed her spark plugs had noticeable wear on them and even worse, were riddled with cracks!" he paused for a moment before looking at Jin once again "Spark plugs are the parts of your car that ignites the fuel and gets the car going!" he once again clarified, unaware that he had gone completely off on an unrelated tangent "So anyway I explained to her that her spark plugs were shot and needed replacing as well but she didn't understand what they were and thought I was trying to rip her off. I tried explaining to her what they did but she wasn't having it, so I quickly ran back into the storage area and grabbed some new spark plugs and showed her them and then ones in her car, she was shocked and quickly apologized once she had the visual comparison" he would chuckle a bit "Good thing too since it was probably costing her a fortune since something like that ruins your gas millage, not even to mention that it can literally blow out your car engine after a hard start!" however once he finished his story he'd blink a bit and chuckled a bit, rubbing the back of his neck "Sorry, went off on a big tangent there didn't I?" he laughed a little bit, grinning at the other man with an amused look on his face. This felt nice, just two guys hanging out and chatting about super general things and just shooting the s**t. It was refreshing.





(OOC: )

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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

Jin enjoyed how Alexander actively listened to him explain his job, turning to face him and leaning forward to show interest. It wasn't often that Jin felt this listened to, and it honestly made him happy to be able to share a piece of himself with another. Jin, while speaking, began to grow a soft smile, seeing as Alexander would attentively nod and as he began to grin when hearing about Jin's eco-friendly plans: something he was very passionate about. Jin's hope was to build sustainable homes that could help the environment flourish and bring families closer together, and Alexander's nonverbal reactions showed Jin that he understood those dreams.

Jin stopped himself after just a few minutes of talking, wanting to give the other chance to speak as well. "Exactly," he responded to the other's point, "it seems like so many people are more focused on the money they'll make nowadays rather than what they'll actually be doing and how their work is going to impact others." A lot of people who worked at the same company as Jin were this way: more passionate about the paycheck than the actual work. Jin personally thought this monetary greed sometimes came out in other people's work, as many, unlike him, were unwilling to push the boundaries, try out new things, or put in the research to improve their designs.

As Alexander began to speak of his job as the head of this car shop, Jin turned his body towards Alex, listening with a soft smile as the other spoke. Jin would nod intermittently, showing the other that he was listening, just as Alex had done earlier when Jin spoke. Jin personally had always been interested in cars, especially his little Nissan Altima. His car wasn't anything special, by any means, but it was his car and he loved that it safely and comfortably got him and his daughter around. Jin would love to someday upgrade to something a little nicer or fancier but wanted to wait until Aiko grew out of her booster seat, which would be quite a while yet. Then, at that time, Jin might look into getting the classic car of his dreams: a Pontiac Firebird. For now though, Jin was more than happy with his family car.

As Alexander went on, Jin was happy to hear him explain about his company's transparency with customers and it was nice to see that he took such good care of the people who came into his shop. Jin also appreciated Alex's willingness to show and explain things to customers who, like Jin, weren't quite as familiar with certain car parts and their functions as he was. It was great though because by explaining the parts' functions, Alex made it easy for people to understand what was wrong, what was going to be fixed, and what their money was going into, which is important as cars can be expensive to fix.

As Alexander stopped himself, as Jin had earlier, Jin responded to the other. "No need to apologize," he gave the other a smile, "as you had said earlier, it's great to hear someone be so passionate about their work." Jin, took another sip of his beer, finishing it off before he continued speaking. "Honestly, I've always been interested in cars but I never really got the time to learn about them so I really appreciate your approach. I like that you are transparent with customers like me with what's really going on with their vehicle." Jin leaned back in the couch, "and with how you run your business, it's no wonder your shop it full and keeping you busy." Jin gave a soft laugh, having built respect for Alex, as a person, and his shop in just the short time they had been talking. Jin felt truly lucky that the towing service had recommended Alex's shop and that he was getting the chance to sit down and talk with Alex.

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander couldn't agree more with Jin, while money was a very important thing in life, he couldn't help but wish that more people did things out of passion than monetary reasons. While he could completely understand wanting to do something because it paid well, he couldn't help but disagree since when you did things for money your work usually suffered and had you doing the bare minimum to get by. However soon his new friend would inquire about his work and Alexander would go on and on about his job much like Jin did only moments earlier. It was nice to have someone return the sentiment and make sure to listen very intently, nodding and smiling when appropriate to show he was actually listening. Very often it felt like Alexander was talking at people rather than with them as many of them seemed unresponsive or disinterested in conversation. So to have someone show a real and genuine interest in what he had to say only made him ramble further on as he went into his story about the older woman and her car troubles.

When he finally stopped himself he would grin a bit and felt his cheeks warm just barely when the other man pointed out what he himself had said earlier about someone being passionate about their work. He did say that, didn't he? He just wasn't used to someone acknowledging his own passion that he had for cars. It had started at a young age as his Father, while not a professional mechanic was always in the garage during his time off repairing and upgrading the family car. And once Alex was old enough he had begun helping his Dad with the car as well, it had become something the two of them bonded over with his Dad teaching him everything he needed to know about cars. His Alex and his Father had ended up both having their favorite car be the Ford XY Falcon, something the two of them both adored to pieces. His old man had eventually been able to get the car of his dreams and Alex would eventually want to get one himself, he knew his old man would be just as happy for him as Alex was on the day he got his.

Alexander would then smile a bit as he listened to the other confess that he was interested in cars and how he appreciated his approach towards open transparency to which Alex nodded "Too often Mechanics will attempt to take advantage of people's lack of mechanical knowledge, it's just wrong in my opinion" he would sigh and shake his head a little bit "While I understand that at the end of the day a mechanic needs to make money, what they do is lie and do things that are wholly unnecessary, it's practically robbery" he had always hated how mechanics had a bad name as crooks to most people and it was bad eggs like those kinds that really made things so much worse for good, honest mechanics like himself and those in his shop. He would then chuckle a little bit and nod his head "Indeed, while there are other much bigger brand name competitors in the area I manage to stay afloat and even exceed them sometimes" he gave a wide grin as he finished off his own beer "It's because they've gotten a bad rep with the locals whom they've burned more than a few times since they set up shop. It just goes to show, honesty is the best policy!" he stated with a smile as he placed the can down on the ground to be picked up later. It was then that a thought occurred to him, was it really proper though? Screw it, why not take a chance "Hey Jin, you said you haven't been out to the bar in awhile?" he began while rubbing the side of his neck a bit, an awkward smile playing at his lips "Do you wanna head to Dawson's Pub later after your car is repaired? Watch a game, relax over some good craft beer?" Dawson's was actually a really good bar, he'd been there once or twice when he was able to go out with his boys in the garage. The beer was good, the bar food was solid, and the TV's took up half a wall in certain areas of the bar "If you can't make it of course, that's fine!" it would be understandable since the other man had his little Aiko to look out for. Alex would have to call his go-to babysitter for Ann and Ace but they were always happy to see their neighbor come over to watch them.





(OOC: )

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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

Jin listened as Alex explained how some mechanics lie about problems just to thicken their own wallets. The raven-haired male could do nothing but nod in agreement. "That's honestly the whole reason why I haven't found a car shop in town that I'm 100% loyal to yet," he said. "Until now, I guess," Jin laughed lightly once again, once again expressing his appreciation of Alex's honorable character and well-managed business. He'd taken his car to a few places around town before for oil changes, filter changes, and other basic care requirements, however, he hadn't found any shop that stood out to him, hence why he was so willing to take the tow truck driver's suggestion to come here, especially as Alex's shop was willing to take on his case, with no wait, despite a complete lack of any real notice. If Jin had been forced to wait to get his car fixed, he'd have to find a rental car to use until his car got fixed, as he was completely unfamiliar with this town's metro system. Luckily for him, Alex was willing to take his car immediately so Jin didn't have to worry about such things.

As Alex began speaking of corporate and other big business service centers, Jin simply laughed again, "you far exceed any that I've been to." Jin had personally almost been scammed by one of the mechanics at the Toyota dealership's service center in town. The mechanic there had told him he had a hole in one of his tires and that it needed to be replaced immediately. Jin, being a diligent car owner, knew he hadn't been losing air in his tire and that he had just replaced all of his tires for his move down the coastline. Lucky for Jin, he knew enough to ask to see the hole in his tire, and, after seeing it, along with the health of the treads, knew that the hole could just be patched. Honestly, Jin had more than enough money to replace the tire if it was really a big problem, but in his mind, he had better things to spend his money on, seeing as the tire was practically brand new and the hole was made from a small roofing nail.

As Jin had been reminded of a negative experience with a corporate service center, the conversation turned, drawing Jin's attention back in. "O-oh yeah," he said reigning himself back in, "it's been a long time." Alex then invited him to have a drink at a nearby bar. Jin, having not been invited out in a long time, honestly could feel the smile form on his lips. "I'd love that," he responded with an earnest smile, "let me just check if Sarah and her husband are okay with Aiko staying a little later tonight." Jin excused himself just outside the office, giving Sarah another call. Sarah was more than happy to let Aiko stay and play with Nathan longer, even inviting Aiko to spend the night. Jin almost refused but understood that Sarah was trying to give him a bit of a break and a chance to get some real rest, considering what he had gone through earlier in the day. Jin took her up on the offer before he entered back into the office, taking a seat on the couch beside Alex again. "Well, I'm childless for the night so I'd love to join you."

((OOC: Just gotta say, I love how wholesome these two are.))

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander would nod his head a little bit when the other man stated that he hadn't found an auto shop that had gotten his complete loyalty yet. It only made sense really, getting burned by other garages had a habit of doing that to people. However he'd blink for a moment before a sheepish grin overtook his face "Aw gee..thanks Jin, that means a lot!" he stated a tad bashfully. He'd had a few people say things along those lines to him in the past and every single time he'd end up all bashful because of it. He just couldn't handle such sweet sentiments when stated aloud by other people. it was nice to know it but to actually hear it was another thing entirely for the mechanic. It was nice to know though that other people noticed and appreciated how he ran his business, Alex was a firm believer in the notion that if you treat someone right that they'll return the sentiment and it hadn't failed him yet with returning and loyal customers where as all those other big name garage shops couldn't hold a customer to save their lives.

Alexander would chuckle a little bit when Jin mentioned that his garage far exceeded any that he'd been too "Heh..yeah we may not have any of the fancy equipment or shiny tools that they have but what we have is actual talent and people who are passionate about their work. No need for all that fancy digital tools when what we have works perfectly, don't fix what isn't broken. Right?" he stated with a small smirk on his face. Alex would admit that he was slowly but surely upgrading his garage, his boys did let him know what tools they'd like to be able to have to work with. However since they didn't have a huge budget like the big brand name garages their upgrades could only come every once in awhile. But when they did get a fancy new tool or gadget his boys always put it to good use and made the purchase well worth it! It was just one of the many, many things he was proud of them for.

Once Alex had finally worked up the courage to ask the other man if he wanted to hang out at the local sports bar he had to admit he was a bit anxious. He wasn't really sure if the other man would be willing to due to the other man having a child of his own, Alex knew first hand that finding a babysitter on such short notice could be difficult. So when the other man smiled and stated he'd love to Alex felt a big grin form on his face, he was making a friend! A real friend who was his age and he could relate to on some level! Not like the boys in his garage who he could only talk sports with and nothing else, they were too young for him to relate with them on any other level besides that one subject. Alex would then nod his head when the other needed to make sure that Aiko's babysitters could watch her a bit longer than originally intended. While Jin excused himself from Alexander's office, Alex himself would turn his gaze back to the TV but he couldn't focus on the game playing right now. He was too excited, he hadn't gone out with friend in too long! It was sad that a man his age was so giddy over something as basic as this but when one dedicates his whole life to his kids it left very little personal time.

Once the other returned Alex's smile would widen a bit when the other stated that he'd managed to get someone to watch little Aiko. He would then nod his head and grabbed his own cell phone "Luckily my babysitter is my next door neighbor so as long as she isn't planning anything I won't have to go to my backup sitter" he had her and her husbands number on speed dial and after only a couple moments his neighbor would pick up "Hi Lindsay! Yeah I'm good, I just wanted to ask if you and DJ could pick up Ann and Ace and watch them later tonight?" he would let out an affirming noise before suddenly his cheeks flared a bright red "N..No! I'm not going out on a date!" he avoided Jin's gaze "I'm just going to the bar with a friend" there was a brief pause before Lindsay made another comment which only served to darken his cheeks even further "Yes. I do have friends Lindsay" finally she agreed, although he knew she was only dragging it out for her own amusement before wishing him to have fun. Alex would end the call and pinched the bridge of his nose "She can get a tad bit....teasing..." Alex stated with a deep sigh before looking up as the red was finally fading away "Well at least I'm going to be free and childless as well tonight!" how rare must it be for these two men to be able to do something like this, to just go out and spend time and hang out.





(OOC: )

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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

Jin 100% agreed with Alex's work sentiments and was happy to hear that people were still running trustworthy businesses. Even Jin's own company liked to charge extra little fees here and there for the designing and construction of structures, buildings, and communities. Jin personally was an honest man and couldn't imagine charging businesses and the city unnecessary fees, but that's likely why his company had separate departments for architects and sales. Even when it came down to the finalization meetings, the architects and the sales department worked as almost two wholly separate entities, excluding the estimation of material and labor costs. Jin, with his personality, was simply more cut out to be an architect than he was to be a salesperson.

After Jin re-entered the room from calling Sarah, Alex called his own babysitter. At the sight of Alex growing red in the face and the sound of his response, Jin couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't long, however, until Jin made his own realization: maybe Sarah hadn't offered him a free night due to the car accident but because she thought he met someone. Looking away shyly, Jin's own cheeks flushed pink. It wasn't necessarily an unlikely thought, especially as Sarah was always trying to set Jin up with the other moms at the daycare or at her husband's workplace. Jin had always turned her down because he wasn't really interested in dating at the time, especially a woman, after everything that happened with the divorce. Jin also never really felt as though he was ready to start the dating game again, as he hadn't dated in almost a decade now.

Jin's spiral of thoughts came to an end, as Alex responded to the phone conversation again. The raven-haired male couldn't help but laugh lightly again, bringing a hand to his lips to cover his laugh, as Alex had to state to his babysitter that he did, in fact, have friends. Just from hearing Alex's responses and being informed of Lindsay's habit of teasing him, Jin could tell that Alex's babysitter was a fun person who would likely get along with Sarah who was a bit more subtle with her verbal teasing, but whose s**t-eating grin would always give away her hidden innuendos and mental teasing.

"Well, this should be a nice, relaxing evening then," Jin smiled before further loosening his tie and taking it off to put it in his suit jacket's pocket. Jin then popped the top button on his shirt, easing into his, now literal, full day off.

((OOC: ))

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander was happy that Lindsay and DJ loved Ann and Ace as much as they did and as they put it "Babysitting those two will be practice for when we finally have our own". Which was pretty cute and true, they babysat for Alex from the time his twins were babies and had as much experience as he did honestly. Alex had ended up missing the pink that flushed across Jin's own cheeks just because he'd purposely avoided the others gaze due to his own embarrassment. Why did Lindsay always have to tease him like this? He wasn't one who could come up with witty comebacks like some people do so when she did snap him with anything he never had any comebacks and would only sputter and lose his composure like a child. It was dreadfully embarrassing to say the least but there was very little he could do about it unless he magically learnt how to be quick witted. Of course though Lindsay would tease Alex about finding a date though, he never really spoke with either her or DJ about his personal feelings. He'd never really opened up about how he had no interest in ever finding another woman in his life, despite her efforts to introduce him to different friends of hers to possibly date. She meant well but had no way of knowing that he'd never find another love ever again, he was just too busy with work and his kids to worry about his own personal life.

Nonetheless Alex's embarrassment only got slightly worse when she pointed out that he didn't have friends. She had only been sarcastic and playful when she said it but the statement was truthful. Alex really didn't have too many friends, most of the ones he did have lived in different states where life just ended up drifting them all apart. They still called when they could but generally they all led different lives and while that was good for everyone, Alex never was the social butterfly who could go out and make friends with just anyone. And then it only got worse once he became a Dad and his life revolved around his kids and then when his wife...he wasn't going to think about that. Instead he focused on Jin when he heard the others laughter her his comment which ended up causing a small grin to appear on his face when it happened. OK so maybe it was a bit funny to hear. Lindsay could certainly be a handful when she teased him but she meant well in the end and it was always funny once he got over whatever level of embarrassment.

Alexander then smiled a bit when Jin loosened his tie and took it off before proceeding to unbutton his shirt by a button "You have no idea how badly I wish I could join you in doing that" he liked how he looked in ties but dammit it felt good to loosen the tie and relax a bit "Let go run a check to see how your car is coming along, I'll be right back!" however just before he left the office he'd turn to JIn "Help yourself to any of the drinks in the mini fridge OK? Also feel free to change the channel!" he wanted Jin to be as comfortable as possible since he was still stuck in the garage owners office. Finally Alex would walk out as the sound of power tools and other gadgets were being used "How's it looking so far boys?" he'd ask, approaching the vehicle to inspect it a bit closer. The cosmetic damage on the car was still there but that was all stuff that would be fixed last as it was the easiest and least important thing to fix on the car. However the boys would inform him about their progress, so the radiator was mostly fixed but there were also some issues on the engine that still hadn't been touched. But all in all they gave a rough estimation to be another hour to an hour and a half for all the internal damage. then of course another half hour for getting the dents out of the car and then repainting it which would probably take fifteen minutes tops. So with that information he'd thank his boys before heading back to the office to see Jin "Well good news first. Your car's repairs are going smoothly" he stated before grinning "Bad news is, you're going to be stuck here with me for another two hours or so" he chuckled a little bit at his attempt at being funny, sometimes he did heir on the side of self deprecating humor but he knew that it tended to fall a bit flat sometimes.





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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

Jin laughed lightly as Alex stated that he was somewhat jealous of him for getting to dress down a bit. Since he didn't need to go to work for the day, he simply felt it would be a bit more comfortable to loosen his tie and pop the top button of his collar. "Oh trust me, I wish I could get away with just a button-down and tie," Jin responded, jealous of what seemed to be Alex's work attire. Alex's work attire was more business casual than Jin's was, as he had to be in a suit and tie five days a week. The only time Jin got to dress down was when he was visiting the construction sites of the buildings or communities he had designed and even then he had to be in business casual attire. At those times, he often dressed in a nice pair of khakis, a polo, with the required steel-toed boots and hard hat. The worst part of Jin's work attire, overall, had to be that he was supposed to wear his suit jacket at any and all meetings related to the office, which sometimes included business conferences in buildings or in the field where there was no air conditioning. Due to this, summers were often Jin's least favorite time to be called out to building restoration requests and the like, which brought him out of his cooled office and into the direct sunlight.

After their short-lived teasing back and forth about their work attire, Alexander excused himself to go check on the progress of Jin's precious car. While Alex was gone, Jin took the time to take his suit jacket off, laying it over the arm of the couch, before he began to roll up his sleeves. At the end of Jin's day, after he picked Aiko up from school, this was his favorite thing to do: to take off his suit jacket, loosen his tie, pop a collar button or two, and roll up his sleeves, especially as this type of clothing was not his personal preference. Jin, on the weekends, could often be found rocking joggers and a plain t-shirt while he chased Aiko around the house and the local park. Jin personally preferred clothes that were a bit more comfortable, but he didn't have the right to be picky when it came to what his work wanted, so his weekends were the perfect time for him to dress for himself, rather than for his work.

Once Jin had completed rolling up his sleeves, he leaned back into the couch, watching the television until Alex had come back. "How are things looking?" Jin asked, Alexander answering him promptly. As Alexander teased him, Jin let out another soft laugh before responding back. "Oh no, whatever shall I do." Jin's laugh was almost always soft, especially as it came from the back of his throat and came out as an exhale from his nose. Although his laugh wasn't the loud type that could fill a room with joy, his was the type that was always accompanied by a joyous smile that could light up a room.

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By Bi Blitz

 

[By Bi Blitz]

Alexander chuckled a little bit as he grinned at Jin, nodding his head a bit "Heh, I believe you. I couldn't imagine needing to dress up in a full suit and tie everyday!" Alex eyed the others suit and tried imagining himself wearing one to work everyday and he almost cringed at the thought. He was the boss and by all means Alexander didn't need to dress business casual but the man had to make good impressions on people as the owner. He did have to maintain a level of professionalism, he was a business owner and often times he had to collaborate with other business's in order to stay afloat. Maintaining other business's vehicles, painting them, and redesigning them were all par for the course for his Garage. Often times these things came unexpectedly and he needed to appear at least somewhat professional just in case. It would be his luck that on the day he chose to wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt he'd get a call to come in for a meeting to discuss a contract so to avoid that he needed to keep business casual at the bare minimum.

Once Alex returned from checking on the other man's car the garage owner would pause and blinked for a moment when he saw the other man had shed the jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He'd then grin a bit, pleased to see the other man settling down and getting more comfortable finally. Once the other asked about how things were going Alex would let the other know about the progress of the repairs before then slipping a bit of his own humor in there. He'd then smile more brightly when the other ended up laughing at his little joke, Alex had to admit that Jin had a very nice laugh "Probably suffer through more dreadful conversation with me. I know it's a chore but it's one you must endure" he continued a bit more, sitting back down next to Jin and laughed a bit himself. Very rarely did Alex ever outright laugh aloud, usually a deep baritone chuckle that rumbled from his chest would be heard when he laughed.

Once he was finished with his little bit of self deprecating humor Alex would smile a bit at Jin as he crossed a leg "So you said you played pool earlier, correct?" he began "Well they have some tables at Dawson's we can play on later if you want! I won't be very good but it'll be fun nonetheless" Alex explained in a rather happy tone. Usually on the rare occasions that Alex went to Dawson's he never touched the pool tables and let other people have their fun on it. Occasionally he'd stand by and watch if a few of the boys from the garage were playing. He doubted very much that Jin would have much of any challenge from Alexander but the man was still willing to play, it was all in good fun after all. And it would give the other man something to laugh about as well!





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vampireglub

 

[vampireglub]

"Oh, the more dreadful, the better," Jin teased back." "Guess you're lucky that I don't mind chores," he laughed again, clearly loosening up more around Alex. Jin liked Alex's laugh quite a bit, his was a stronger and deeper chuckle, whereas Jin's own laugh was soft, light, and somewhat breathy. Honestly, the contrast between their laughs was great, but in some way, it felt almost right to Jin, their two laughs blending together in beautiful harmony. Alex's laugh, like Jin's smile, seemed to fill the room with joy, a happy warmth filling Jin's chest as he continued to speak and joke with Alex.

The conversation then turned back from humor to regular conversation, Alex asking Jin about billiards. "Oh, yes," he replied, giving the other the affirmation that they had heard him and correctly remembered what he had said earlier. Alex then explained that the bar they were going to go to had a few tables and that Alex was willing to try to play, even if it wasn't something he was familiar with. "It will definitely be fun. Also, I wouldn't worry about how good you are, cause I'm sure I'll be mighty rusty." Jin remembered a lot about good form and tactics, but the muscle memory was all gone now that he hadn't played in a long time. In his current state, he'd be a better teacher or coach than he would be a player. "I must say, I'm really looking forward to it," he expressed, giving Alex a kind smile.

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By Bi Blitz