[Game 18] Endgame

[arsgoetia]

It's early morning by the time they tidy up the house and fix the windows—leaving it as neat as they'd entered it, Tristan promises—and head out. Tristan seems to be itching to just get away from the place, though they can't return to the church, and it's now New Year's Day—so they head back across the border to the house in New York. Even Sariel comes along—albeit reluctantly—at Tristan's suggestion.

"To my understanding," Tristan says, "the kid's with Sera right now, which I'm cool with. I was a bit rough on him, so he might be sleeping it off for another little while—and like you all said, he might be a bit freaked out to see a dozen people staring at him. So let's leave him there for now. I can send you all home." He pauses.

"But if you want to come back soon . . . I can bring you back. No agenda necessary. If you don't want to come—well, let me know, and I'll try not to bring you."

Comments

[the_straight_man]

That's what the sorry was for, by the way.

Sorry.

[itouch]

Well, my face is still fine.

[the_straight_man]

Yes. Your face is gorgeous.

[sighs and tugs his shirt up to stick cold fingers against his side]

[itouch]

[jerks, sliding his hands down to grab Kieran's ass]

Why.

[the_straight_man]

Because I do too.

[itouch]

[looks unimpressed]

[the_straight_man]

[rapidly growing sense of panic under that cool exterior]

Hey, I do the tough love thing, okay? Cold hands and holy water to the face.

[itouch]

Well. You try.

[the_straight_man]

[Huffs and passes the bottle to him

even though Tristan has a bottle of his own]

[itouch]

[looks down at the two bottles]

Do I need this?

[the_straight_man]

You tell me what you need.

[itouch]

. . . you're as good at that as I am by now.

[the_straight_man]

Then spend some time enjoying the experience of passing the bottle back and forth instead of focusing on trying to intoxicate your immortal unpoisonable flesh.

[itouch]

[. . . laughs]

I wish I could say it was the thought that counts.

[the_straight_man]

[grins] You and I both know that's not how you do drunkenness.

[itouch]

I suppose not.

[the_straight_man]

[fluffs his hair lightly, leaning in to kiss him]

[itouch]

[leans up, draping his arms around him comfortably]

[the_straight_man]

[kisses him a bit]

...You know, your job really sucks lately.

[itouch]

No kidding.

[the_straight_man]

[takes the bottle back for a drink]

And you feel pretty low on chances to do things this way, too.

[itouch]

Yyyyep.

[the_straight_man]

And you're a little scared.

[itouch]

Do we need to talk about it?

[the_straight_man]

We don't have to.