sxfian-runihura:

“This is work. I’m still at work. We worked on a tourism campaign for Quebec, so it was a lot of research today.”

Then it should be simple for you to remember how work was,” he reasoned. “See? So, a tourism campaign for Quebec, huh? Research. All interesting things. By the way, this is me trying my best to be engaged in the conversation. Is it working?”

Francesca sat inside Antonio’s Pizza, enjoying a nice slice of pizza, when she saw commotion outside across the street. Her attention was drawn to it, seeing a small crowd form around two guys roughing each other up. “Oh, that doesn’t look pretty,” she noted aloud, unable to take her eyes off of the scene.

“And yet you can’t look away,” Ian said, laughing lightly. He bit into his slice of pizza and followed her line of sight. “Should we do something to stop that?”

“It’s not, but it will be easier for you to let go. Look, I’m a waste of your time, and you were right this isn’t healthy, but it’s because of me. You are a great guy, and you should be with someone who deserves to be with you, but I’m not that guy. I’m just a stupid brat, like you’ve said many times.” Rahne stepped forward, trying to hide the sadness in his own eyes as he pecked Ian’s cheek. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, and you find happiness.” 

Ian turned his cheek away from Rahne, anger making his hackles go up. “You know what? I can’t do this. I can’t just --” Sometimes Ian wondered why the fuck he even bothered opening himself up to the possibility of anything remotely happy. It wasn’t like life had shown him he was worth it. Now was no different. Of course, that was his own doing, his own brain overlooking the fact that he stuck his dick into a kid more than ten years his junior. “So this is what you do? Fuck all when things get real? So here’s looking at you, kid--that you find what you’re looking for, and happiness.’

Henry waved his hand in the air, as if he could physically remove Ian’s worried tone. He was warm, too warm – was it so damn hard to open a damn window here? “Stairs,” he muttered, limping more than usual as he moved towards the sofa. His gaze travelled, taking in what Ian had managed to do before he came. “Don’t you have any windows in here?”

“Windows! Right!” He opened the casement windows beside the sofa and a soft breeze went in. “There’s an elevator, you know. Why didn’t you use it? Sit down before you fall over. Christ,” he cursed and ran back to the bedroom. In his haste, he tripped over a box by the room and landed on the carpeted floor with a dull thud. “I’m okay!” he shouted, pulling himself up and opening his drawers to look for hand towels and a spare shirt. He walked back into the living room - with his head down now, carefully looking at where he was going. “Here you go. Dry yourself before you die, idiot.” 

Honey, I’m home

Eyes lingering on the other before they landed on the dead woman for a few seconds, Henry shrugged. “Your own accomplishment,” he said, not really realising – or caring that the words were affectionate. Affection had never been his strong suit but that wouldn’t stop him from trying. “In your imagination?” It took a split second before his gaze was back on the other, a smug smile on his lips in that all too familiar oh really-look. “Let’s talk about that for a bit, huh?”

Ian threw his head back in laughter, before standing up. “Don’t get any ideas. I theorize purely for the sake of science.” He didn’t point out how Henry avoided the question about his secrets but it itched at the back of Ian’s mind. He went over the sink to wash his hands first before putting on another pair of surgical gloves. “So was this visit purely pleasure or is there business attached to it? A gentleman like yourself shouldn’t keep this young woman waiting, you know.”

“Wow, is this just the party mood or are you always like this? I always kind of thought Holden Caulfield was a tool, but I guess that’s beside the point. Eh, it’s bleak, but in a realistic way. No, I’m sure you are.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m the life of the party. You know what, why don’t we talk about something else besides my stellar social skills? Let’s do that, yeah? Like, okay, okay, how was work?”

“You’re that integral it would fall apart after fifteen minutes without you?” She asked with a slight laugh, “What do they do when you take time off?” Vi nodded with a smile, cocking her head to the side with a smirk of agreement. “Yeah, a little bit. The country club, you ever been?” It was a position that let her see all the moments important people didn’t always want seen, she loved that part of it. “What about you?”

“Well, I’m always on call. I’m the only ME right now and they haven’t hired someone else yet. Besides, there’s not much suspicious deaths in Montreal. Perks of living in a place with low crime rate, you know?” He didn’t say anything about preferring to work than spending time not doing anything. “I can’t say I’ve ever been to the country club. It’s not really my scene,” he said uncertainly, sentence sounding a bit more like a question. “You look like you have it together, though.” 

“That’s true. There’s just no thrill there,” she responded with a small noise of consideration in the back of her throat. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t,” she grinned, admiring the ballsy attitude. 

“My lips are sealed. I’m Ian, by the way, a potential partner in crime if you’re going to rob a liquor store,” he said, offering his hand to her.

Remi just gave another grin, though this time it was far softer, “It’s fine – don’t worry about it. I won’t use it if you’re uncomfortable. But can you at least believe me that it’s a great picture?” he asked, smiling slightly as he turned to show Ian the picture.

Ian smiled gratefully and stepped towards the other man. “Is saying it’s a great picture a compliment on the subject or the photographer?” he asked teasingly as he looked at the picture. Ian burst into laughter as he saw his face eating a sandwich. “Well, it certainly looks like I love that sandwich more than anything else in the world. He turned to the other guy and grinned widely. “But to be fair it is a pretty tasty sandwich.”

Honey, I’m home

Rolling his eyes, Henry made no effort to hide his grin. Surely, it was immature, but he was yet to start caring about that. “Who else?” the question was genuine enough to surprise Henry himself.  Even though his mind moved on the second after. That he had some sort of weak spot for the other was fairly clear for anyone that knew Henry – perhaps two other people in the city. “Thank you,” he replied, a smile on his lips for a second more before he broke out in a laugh. “Can’t think that I can be very exciting in your mind at all,” he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Who else? he asked and Ian’s heart did a weird flutter and clench, like it always did when Henry’s around. “I’m flattered that I interest you enough to keep you coming back for more, Richards,” he teased. He never really thought he’d have this kind of friendship again. Easy, comforting; the way it had been back in the days with the men from his squad. 

He tilted his head to the side, subtly shaking himself from those thoughts, and said, “Well, you’re certainly adventurous in my imagination, but I never pegged you for someone who’d be into caning. Any other secrets I should know about?”