milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Here, let me take her," Karen says, lifting Megan out of Liam's arms.

That's his cue, of course.

Charlie doesn't even take off his tie.

BABYBROTHERPOUNCE!

Liam yelps, flailing.

"Conspiracy!"

But he's laughing.

Charlie is noogying his head.

"THAT WAS YOUR IDEA! ADMIT IT!"

"It was not!" Liam protests. "I might have encouraged her, but she brought it up first!"

"YOU ENCOURAGED HER!" he cries in near-mock-outrage.

Liam laughs, trying to pull free.

"It was my duty as an older brother!"

"TO EMBARRASS ME AND MY BOYFRIEND?"

He's not getting away just yet.

Nor will Charlie quite stop shouting.

Liam pauses to consider this. Then...

"Well. Yes. And Darien didn't look embarrassed."

This gets a roar and a renewed attack of the knuckles to Liam's scalp.

Liam squirms, and he's taller and stronger so there's really only so long this can go on.

"Admit it, it was funny! And it's not like it means anything!"

Charlie lets him go and sits back on the floor, frowning. "Not that funny," he says sulkily. "And I'd rather just not--ah, fucking hell." He rubs his eyes. "It's just not something I like being teased about, okay?"

Liam sits down too, watching him with a slightly worried edge to his smile.

"Char, it was just... nobody takes the bouquet seriously, do they?"

"No, of course not. But . . ." He sighs. "Look. You know I've never been good at the long-term--you know that. The last time somebody gave me a ring and asked me to promise him forever I panicked and slept with the first bloke who looked at me the right way.

"And Darien has been teasing me a lot lately about rings."

Liam winces.

"I didn't know that last part - how could I? It was just supposed to be a joke, but if I'd known Darien was teasing too..."

"Doesn't exactly come up in everyday conversation," Charlie says with a sigh. "'By the way, I think my boyfriend wants to propose and it scares the bejeezus out of me.'" He shakes his head.

"Exactly", Liam says, worried and wondering if he should offer to talk to Darien.

"So--I don't know. I'm probably just being hypersensitive, but--" He holds out his arms to Megan, who has decided to sit on his lap since he's right on the floor anyway. "But. Well. You know. Stuff. Complicated, grown-up stuff." He beeps Megan's nose.

"Sorry", Liam says genuinely.

He shrugs. "So many hangups," he says simply, and honks loudly when Megan beeps his nose back. "I'm not saying I don't want to be with him always . . ."

"But you don't want to have to be?" Liam asks quietly, watching his brother's face.

He looks at Liam helplessly and sighs. "Maybe."

Liam sighs, rubbing at his temples.

"Look, Char... I don't think Darien's going to force anything on you, if you don't want it. Talk to him."

"No, I know that. It's not that." He sighs again and tries to explain, "It's just that if he asks and I say no, is that going to be what ends us? If I say yes, is that going to be what ends us? Are we doomed no matter what?"

"Doomed," Megan says wisely, nodding, and Charlie beeps her nose again.

"After everything you've seen here, and outside, baby brother, are you so sure anything's going to end you?"