"I did." Which is new for him. He'd missed Simeon for a while, but since then, life had willfully been without many people to miss in it. "So I very cleverly got drunk."
That's a valid response to having an emotional reaction to another human being. Right? Right.
"Oh, is that what brought this on? I'm flattered. But your liver will hate me if you keep this up." She draws away, only far enough to perch on the stool beside his, though she does pull it closer first.
"I'd tell you to come to work with me but that might drive you to drink even faster. Though. Speaking of my workplace and getting drunk, because it seems those are two things that go together with alarming regularity: you now have a standing invitation to come to team-building night."
It may be a "submit him for our inspection" sort of thing. Just a little.
She'll have to give him a moment. It's not even the alcohol in his system at this point. It's just...
...words.
Because he doesn't mind, as much as he would have guessed, that she's hanging on to him. He doesn't mind that she's talking to people at work about him--that apparently he's invited to be vetted.
She nods, smiling. "Really. Joe wants to meet you. I mean--they all so. But Joe especially. Something about buying you a drink in place of a medal."
For all her fussing and dodging and acting like her editor is a thorn in her side, he's possibly the closest thing she has to a father figure in her life. She's oddly okay with having the two of them meet.
"We'll figure that out later. I'm guessing we should get you home." The water in front of him suggests so; clearly someone decided it was time to cut him off.
And apparently this is something to feel horribly grumpy over. It's also something to slump about, body lurching slightly so his head can rest on her shoulder.
"Hey, buying you gaudy ornaments is my job, remember?" She leans in just a little, the better to pull him close and cup a hand around the back of his neck as his head rests on her shoulder. "Besides. He's an old cop. No imagination. He'd buy you something really plain and you wouldn't be happy with it. Take the drink, it's a better plan."
Though maybe not just this moment. "Someone's bound to ask about our sex life," she allows, fingers drifting up into his hair. "I work with a bunch of nosy reporters, we're not escaping any such gathering without someone going there. We'll need a good story. Come home. You can tell everyone all about that time I took advantage of you being drunk and did absolutely filthy things to you."
Shameless ploy to get him off this stool? Perhaps.
The problem, of course, is that she's let him get comfortable. She's stroking through his hair and letting him rest where the whole world smells like her soap. She may never get him to move again.
"'m fairly certain you couldn't take advantage of me," he murmurs. "I live in... a fairly constant state 'f wanting t' do filthy things with you."
Damn. Time to come up with a Plan B. But in the meantime, more rubbing his neck, more letting him rest warmly against her, because it all is really quite lovely.
"Oh, Mr. Invorian. The things you say. I guess it's only fair to confess I too live in a similar state of wanting to do entirely filthy things to you on a near-constant basis."
She lets out a sympathetic hum; how sorry she is, really, to have to dash his hopes like this. What a curse it is sometimes to be so practical.
"Next time," she promises, leaning into him a little to press a kiss to the side of his neck. She stays close, and murmurs: "...can I take you home and offer you something at least as fun for being so understanding? I think that's only fair."
Plan B. (Not that she wouldn't deliver on that suggestion.)
"Yes," she declares, as if that had been the plan all along. Look, it's not at a all a bad one, as these sorts of plans go. "Yes it does. I'll even wash your hair," and that last bit is punctuated by her fingers kneading at his scalp.
"We'll go straight to the bathtub if that's what you want. "
Perfect enough to sit up for, even. He's got to use her arm for balance, briefly, as he fumbles for the glass of water. A bit more sobriety would be entirely helpful for trying to get home.
She remains near when he sits up, half expecting he'll need support of some kind. When it proves to be a grasp on her arm, she allows it, shifting that arm just a little to get her hand on his elbow to better steady him.
"No rush. " It would be better to get him a little more sober first, get some water into him. "Whenever you're ready."
Further demonstrations of perfection. She's just absolutely made of perfect. He'll tell her in a minute, when he's done gulping carefully at the water.
Or maybe he'll just hum at her. That might be more where he's at.
She can't quite divine the exact meaning of his hum. But the sound is generally happy and/or approving; she'll take it. It's not a protest or a noise of distress. Forward momentum, surely.
Her thumb rubs a little circle near his elbow. She's patient, she'll wait until he's had enough water and enough time since his last drink to be able to walk well enough.
That was clearly not the anticipated end to that sentence, not the way she lets out a slightly startled (but amused all the same) laugh.
"Do try to make it up the stairs? I'm not sure I could carry you up if you fall asleep at the bottom. Beyond that I can't complain. You put up with me not being able to undo my own coat. And singing terrible songs from movies, or we could even go back to mistaken texts about unsavory subjects. I can hardly protest you falling asleep on me."
What about him making a scene in a quiet little bar? Because he's got his own bark of a laugh to let out, but then he's got to gesture to the whole damn world to share.
She hums her agreement as she gets his arm settled around her shoulders, leaning into him a bit to help hold him up. "Totally morbid. My people are good at that." Catholics and their odd rituals.
"But yes, let's get you home. Come on. " As always, those two words are less a direction and more a prompt that they're about to start moving. She steers him slowly toward the door, patient, letting him show her how much holding up he'll need.
He likes the fact that they both say 'home' about the same place, no matter how often he slinks back to the apartment he's still paying rent on to visit his instruments. That's what's actually got him grinning as he smacks a pleased kiss against her cheek.
To be fair, he'd want to do this sober too. :|a
That's a valid response to having an emotional reaction to another human being. Right? Right.
...She could be convinced. :|a
"I'd tell you to come to work with me but that might drive you to drink even faster. Though. Speaking of my workplace and getting drunk, because it seems those are two things that go together with alarming regularity: you now have a standing invitation to come to team-building night."
It may be a "submit him for our inspection" sort of thing. Just a little.
\o/ ♥
...words.
Because he doesn't mind, as much as he would have guessed, that she's hanging on to him. He doesn't mind that she's talking to people at work about him--that apparently he's invited to be vetted.
"Really?"
Re: \o/ ♥
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And apparently this is something to feel horribly grumpy over. It's also something to slump about, body lurching slightly so his head can rest on her shoulder.
"'s he going to ask about us having sex?"
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Though maybe not just this moment. "Someone's bound to ask about our sex life," she allows, fingers drifting up into his hair. "I work with a bunch of nosy reporters, we're not escaping any such gathering without someone going there. We'll need a good story. Come home. You can tell everyone all about that time I took advantage of you being drunk and did absolutely filthy things to you."
Shameless ploy to get him off this stool? Perhaps.
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"'m fairly certain you couldn't take advantage of me," he murmurs. "I live in... a fairly constant state 'f wanting t' do filthy things with you."
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"Oh, Mr. Invorian. The things you say. I guess it's only fair to confess I too live in a similar state of wanting to do entirely filthy things to you on a near-constant basis."
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That gets a brow arched against her neck.
"Here in the bathroom near-constant?"
Which might be an interesting athletic challenge. When he was sober.
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"Yes. But that's maybe best saved for a night when I'm not holding you up? I'm otherwise not opposed to the idea."
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"Next time?"
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"Next time," she promises, leaning into him a little to press a kiss to the side of his neck. She stays close, and murmurs: "...can I take you home and offer you something at least as fun for being so understanding? I think that's only fair."
Plan B. (Not that she wouldn't deliver on that suggestion.)
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Because being warm would be nice. Being warm and with her and not having to stand up. All the things would be just lovely.
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"We'll go straight to the bathtub if that's what you want. "
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Perfect enough to sit up for, even. He's got to use her arm for balance, briefly, as he fumbles for the glass of water. A bit more sobriety would be entirely helpful for trying to get home.
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"No rush. " It would be better to get him a little more sober first, get some water into him. "Whenever you're ready."
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Or maybe he'll just hum at her. That might be more where he's at.
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Her thumb rubs a little circle near his elbow. She's patient, she'll wait until he's had enough water and enough time since his last drink to be able to walk well enough.
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Possibly while still in the tub.
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"Do try to make it up the stairs? I'm not sure I could carry you up if you fall asleep at the bottom. Beyond that I can't complain. You put up with me not being able to undo my own coat. And singing terrible songs from movies, or we could even go back to mistaken texts about unsavory subjects. I can hardly protest you falling asleep on me."
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"I'm dating a saint."
And everyone needs to know.
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"Careful. They'll make weird relics out of my fingers when I die, if you keep telling people that."
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"Morbid," he tsks, doing his best to be properly steady on his feet. "'s go home, then."
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"But yes, let's get you home. Come on. " As always, those two words are less a direction and more a prompt that they're about to start moving. She steers him slowly toward the door, patient, letting him show her how much holding up he'll need.
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He likes the fact that they both say 'home' about the same place, no matter how often he slinks back to the apartment he's still paying rent on to visit his instruments. That's what's actually got him grinning as he smacks a pleased kiss against her cheek.
"I like you."
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