milliways_bar | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Two pups inna bar, both alike in dignity, in fair Milliways where we lay our scene.

One rather mystified Capulet sitting at the bar trying to figure out what exactly one does with a milkshake.

One rather mystified Castle sitting a few barstools down trying to figure out whether The Swimming-Pool Library really counts as porn or not.

Have at either or both.

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Lee hadn't been planning to go upstairs at all until quite recently. He glances at Gorlim, looking pained.

"Gorlim--you have got to stop doing that."

Námo returns his hands to his lap, looking down at the tabletop in a wash of shame.

Gorlim... facepalms.

"Damn. I'm sorry. Christ, will one of you just slap me when I start that crap?"

"I just might," says Lee flatly, getting severely annoyed.

Námo swallows and moves from the tabletop to sit in the booth seat opposite them.

"The ring looks nice," he offers Lee weakly, though he does think the man wears it well.

Gorlim continues facepalming.

"I'm waiting," he says. "I'm sorry, you two. I don't know why I said that. Shite. Really. Namo, if you move, I'll kick your ass. I mean it."

He attempts to send through the bond to both of them a mental picture of himself with donkey ears.

Pink ones.

Lee is not amused.

"Gorlim, if you want to fix things, you can start by not talking." He holds Gorlim's gaze with narrowed eyes for a long moment.

"Shall we try this again?" He turns to Namo. "Thank you. I'll have to find a mirror and see how it looks." Back to Gorlim. "And thank you. You're good at that."

He winces.

This was definitely going to be memorable.

But he remains in his seat across from them.

"I am sorry I did not think to ask Bar for a mirror," he murmurs. Eru, he hated the feeling he had now.

"Um. How about this. I'll go get one and you two can work out between you which one gets to kick my ass, okay?"

He kisses Lee's cheek apologetically and runs to fetch a mirror from the bar.

They both hear it. Rather like a sheep bleating. He's very apologetic.

Námo raises haunted eyes to Lee.

"I am sorry," he mumbles, but... he isn't quite sure about what. "I--I am sorry this was not as pleasant as I had hoped it would be."

He rubs his eyes. They have got to find a way to break Gorlim of this. They just have to.

He reaches across the table to take Namo's hand and hold it tightly.

"It isn't your fault. I--must have said something to set him off; I don't know what. Don't look like that...please..."

He returns the grip.

"It would be nice if I could understand... could see the mines before stepping upon them." Námo sighs softly. "Perhaps he feels left out? Ignored?" He reaches for other words, some way of showing how he had not done something right again. Had his eyes lingered on Lee just a little too long? He could not help that the touch upon his ear had immediately aroused him -- anyone could touch his ear and force such a reaction from him...

The thoughts fly unguarded through his mind, there for either of them to hear if they should listen.

"It is not your fault."

I wasn't leaving him out...was I?

"Maybe I should have...I don't know..."

He hadn't been doing anything to exclude Gorlim, and neither had Namo, and they both know it, as much as they're trying to figure out what they could have done wrong. He isn't going to blame himself or let Namo blame himself.

Perhaps I should not have kissed him like that.

He looks at their joined hands.

"Will it always be like this?" he asks quietly.

"No." He's determined to be optimistic. "We just have to...reassure him, or...something."

Little bird.

His eyes remain on Lee's as he calls to Gorlim.

It does not take this long to procure a mirror from Lady Bar.

Gorlim... appears from several booths away, looking like he wants to kick himself. A lot.

"Did I mention," he mutters, "I have NO IDEA where that came from at all and it's nothing either of you did? Namo, look... see if you can find out why?"

He holds up the mirror for Lee.

"It really is SPLENDID."

Námo releases Lee's hand slowly, his fingers tingling.

"I believe you," he replies. "I do not wish to look. If you do not know, you do not know. I cannot force answers from your mind. It tends to be painful for both of us. Melkor--"

He stops and flushes.

"It does look lovely, Lee," he says instead.

"Thanks..."

He glances between the two of them. When Melkor starts getting brought up, he always feels like he should be the one disappearing and leaving them to it.

He looks up at Gorlim.

"Uh-huh."

He plops down next to Lee.

"Just one question. Lee, can medicine make you act strangely? Malcolm said it might." He looks at his brother desperately. "Could it be that?"

A sending, just to Lee.

He supposes it could, though it's a suspiciously convenient explanation and he isn't too inclined to buy it.

"It could. But Gorlim, you can't start blaming everything on the meds, all right?" He rubs his brother's shoulder. "And I wouldn't know one way or the other. I'm not a shrink. You'll have to ask Malcolm about the specifics."

He nods. "I just don't know why else... and Malcolm said it might..."

He grabs his brother suddenly into a breathlessly tight hug, eyes squeezed shut.

He hesitates.

It is a booth, Gorlim. Not much space for group hugging. I am fine over here.

But the distance in the mind-voice says differently, as much as he wishes it didn't.

He fixes him with eyes suddenly full of tears. It's three of them. ALL of them. Always. And he's dumb enough to say things that fuck up something that should have been THEIRS. All of them THREE of them.

He keeps holding on to Lee.

He squeezes Gorlim in return, rubbing his back.

He isn't angry, and doesn't sound angry, but he means it.