Late, late for a very important date (Gavin)

It had been a long day for Ed and he was very excited to finally be off the pitch, out of the office, and down in the staff locker rooms changing out of his practice robes. Today had been a rather short practice as they had a match a few days away, however, Ed had still been in early to review films, finish his portion of the scouting report, and prepare the drills for his beaters. Bludgers were, as he had recently learned, too unpredictable to use in a mid-season practice setting, so Ed had been forced to improvise. After ensuring everything was set and subsequently running the training session, Ed was worn out. Tossing his soiled robes into the bin for the elves to launder, Ed looked himself over in the mirror once and pulled his clean robes back on. With a glance at his watch, Ed bid some of the staff farewell and turned on the spot with a crack.

Where a moment before Ed had been standing in the stadium complex, now he was in the atrium of the Ministry. He had a date with Eros later tonight, and the pair of them had agreed to meet at Eros’ office rather than going from home. Making his way across the atrium toward the enchanted elevators, Ed hardly even noticed as he nearly shoulder checked a rather handsome youth who seemed to be paying nearly as little attention to what was going on around him as Ed was. Looking him over, Ed grabbed the young man by the bicep to keep him from tumbling to the floor. As he held him, Ed put on an apologetic smile, shook his head lazily, and said “I am so sorry mon ami, how clumsy of me. It has been such a long day. I should have been paying more attention to where I was walking.”

Letting go of the other man’s arm, Ed brushed off his robes and stepped back. He assumed that it would be seen as rude to nearly bowl someone over and then immediately rush off, even if he did have an impending dinner engagement. He should at least give the other man a moment to ensure he was all right. Looking back up at the other man, he spoke again “Vraiment, I am sorry. Please excuse me, where are my manners? My name is Edouard Pontmerci, of the Puddlemore United Quidditch club. I do hope that you are ok?” Ed was sure that it would take more than a shoulder to put this man off his game. He looked to be a strong young man who could handle himself accordingly. Subtly looking down at his watch, Ed realized he had a little time before he needed to be downstairs to meet Eros, so what was the harm in taking a moment to ensure that he was not seen as rude.

Green eyes rose to the clock just over his desk, time was moving so slow today. He had a set schedule these days, a nice run after work and a relaxing bath before dinner was cooked and he filled out paperwork. Gavin had fallen into a pattern that was safe and it kept the stress free from his life. Granted, the man wanted some stress in his life. The stress of his worry for another person or something important. He felt as if he was simply on autopilot. It was easy to forget to have fun when everything in his life was settled down to the very minute. His foot bounced as it did every day around this time. The Irishmen had taken more notice to his own health and the way he cared for himself. As his body bulked up he wanted to maintain it as best he could. He stayed active and as the clock rolled down to the end of his workday, Gavin gathered everything and stuffed it into his bag which was unceremoniously thrown over his shoulder. There was nothing of value...he relaxed as he saw his wand rested in the holster hanging by his jacket.

It didn't take him long to reach the atrium of the building and green eyes dropped as Gavin adjusted his bag beneath his jacket which he was preparing to zip as he felt someone collided with him, causing him to stumble just slightly. He was more startled than anything, even more so when he felt a hand on his arm, keeping him upright. "N-no. I'm sorry." He cleared his throat, rolled his shoulders and then he smiled. "I wasn't looking where I was going." He could talk to this guy for a brief moment it wouldn't kill him, that would be absurd. Insanely absurd. He could sympathize with the long day the other man spoke of, he had training early in the morning hours and his body still ached from it. Why he wanted to continue on his run before going home seemed like torture. His bag was shifted on his shoulder as the other man stepped back and Gavin adjusted his jacket just after, his robes in his bag to be washed.

He must have looked so out of place in his jogging pants and a jacket over his t-shirt with black running shoes on his feet. His hand looked combed through and as if he felt disarray a hand lifted to run his finger through the thick locks of his hair. His free hand extended to clasp the other man's in a handshake, "Gavin Raymond." His lips upturned once more as he smiled, "Auror here. Are you okay, I'm fine." As he asked Gavin looked the other man before him over before his eyes rose to land on Edouard, he had seen the man before. "I think I've seen you before, in passing." His hand made the back and forth motion as if to give his words more meaning, "I usually leave around this time and I could swear that you were here not too long ago." He sounded as if he had been watching the man in the distance or something equally unsettling. "Um...right."

He cleared his throat, "I'm sorry for running into you, really." He felt a bit uncomfortable himself now. "I always stop for a drink before I leave for the day...could I interest you in one as a small repayment for my lack awareness?" He turned to head in the direction he was headed, "The place isn't far, if you wanted?" He gave a grin, "Unless you want to raincheck because you have a meeting." His head inclined towards the elevators as he backed up towards the door.

Ed stood like a rock in the current of the hustle and bustle of the Ministry going all around him. He was used to it by now, having met Eros at work many times by this point in their relationship. If he hadn't found a job working for Puddlemore, Ed could certainly see himself working in Games and Sports doing some kind of liaising with the French or some other French speaking country. That being said, he hated the desk aspect of his job and enjoyed his time on the pitch much more than dealing with player problems, personnel management, league meetings, and scheduling. The administrivia of it all was too much to bear sometimes and at those moments, Ed found himself down the street getting a coffee or tea shortly after starting work for the day. Truth be told, he was glad that the season was ramping up and he could spend more time doing work with players rather than working on the stuff that went on behind the scenes.

Letting go of the other man's arm once it was clear he was in no danger of falling, Ed listened to his stuttered response. The near topple seemed to have flustered him a little, to have thrown him off his game. It was clear from the other man's appearance that he was something of a sporty guy. He was wearing athletic clothes rather than the robes that Ed had come to expect everyone at the Ministry to wear at all times. It was uncommon to see someone wearing something so distinctly non-magical unless they were doing some kind of work in Muggle London or elsewhere across the isle. Ed smiled reassuringly, hoping to calm the other man somewhat. After a moment or two, the other man introduced himself as Gavin an auror. Ed thought that he looked familiar, but it was hard to tell. He had met so many people in his time in England that it was hard to know who was who. Deciding it best to err on the side of caution, Ed shook his head "Desolee mon ami, I do not think that I know you. You seem familiar in a way, but I do not think that we have met."  It was always best to remain cautious with introductions, especially when they were rather a sight to behold. If he hadn't been here for his date with Eros, Ed certainly would have been interested in getting to know this boy.

Getting ready to make up an excuse to leave so he could head down to wait in Eros' office, Ed couldn't help but smile again, the young man felt bad. He wanted to make it up to him. That was nearly as absurd as possible, it was he that should be apologizing for running into Gavin, not the other way round. However, it was hardly worth arguing over who should be apologizing to whom and if the other man wanted to buy a drink, who was Ed to say no? Turning back over his shoulder to look at the continual flow of middleaged wizards from the lifts, Edouard made up his mind right then. Pulling his wand from the sleeve of his robe, Ed focused on a memory and conjured up his patronus with a wave. The silver mist taking the shape of an Occamy, Ed said to it, "Something came up, can't make it tonight, how about a rain check?" and set it off to find Eros. He could have used a flying memo, but why, when this was much simpler.

Turning his attention back to Gavin, Ed smiled and said with a slight bow towards the direction the other man had gestured, "Now that that is taken care of and I do not have a meeting anymore tonight, perhaps I can take you up on that drink?"

Gavin could agree as familiar as the other man seemed, he knew they had never met. Not officially, until this moment at least. He allowed himself to take the other man in again, watching him as he moved to send off his patronus with a message. Gavin shifted as he considered his own offer in his head. The Irishmen worried for a moment if what he had said could be taken wrong in some way. What if he ended up offending the man, which he hoped wouldn’t be the case. He had never been very good around women, more of a stuttering mess of nerves. But, he had even less success around men. He was naturally shy and at times it caused him to miss out on things.

“Great.” His bag was adjusted once more as he turned to walk towards the doors. “I hope I didn’t pull you from something important.” He looked at Edouard for a moment before he reached to push the door open, holding it open the the other man to pass through. “I always run after work.” He glanced down at his attire, “It helps me to relax, especially if I’ve been out or had training.” He lifted a hand to point at a building just a block or so down, “That’s where we are heading.” A strong hand lifted to push his hair back from his face, “You said you work for a Quidditch club?” His hands slid into the pockets of his jogging pants as his gaze watched the rise and fall of his own steps.

“Do you play or?” He glanced at Edouard before he looked out ahead of them. “I never played much before, but it’s a good game to watch.” As athletic as he was, Quidditch was not a sport he played. He had never wanted to risk getting hurt. After all, he had been a fragile youth. “I was really in the photography back in school.” He chuckled a bit,”So I avoided a broom.” His brows knitted for a moment before he moved to once more pull the door open. Another deep breath and he crossed the threshold to step into the warmly lit room.