neutral_omens | (no subject)

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Date: January 8th, 2001
Status: Public - Adam and Brian
Setting: Brian's room and the bar
Summary: Just innocently checking in...

While Pepper was talking to Wensley, Adam decided to seek out Brian, just as he'd promised. So he headed to the room diagonally across from his own and knocked lightly on the door. "Brian?"

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"Yeah. Yeah. I guess that's true."

Thoughts were racing giddily around Brian's head now and he decided he might as well let a few out. If Adam wanted a Talk, he'd get one. "I just thought...see, I always thought, if ya like doin' something, you just keep doin' it, right? Sometimes it kinda ruins it if you stop and think. And I gotta admit...I guess I was the one 'at did that. But, I dunno, it seemed like he was likin' it, and maybe it could handle a little thinkin'. Reckon I was wrong about that, because that look on his face..."

When the sudden thought occurred to him, it was like a stone tablet from heaven smashing on his head. A blank one. "You don't think...d'you know if...he's ever kissed anyone before?"

"As long as it don't bother anyone else or yourself, that's true," Adam agreed. "But sometimes people can like somethin' and be mad at themselves for likin' it, too."

Then he smiled a little wistfully. Of course he knew, but it wasn't fair to just go saying stuff all the time if people hadn't said it to him personally. "What d'you think?" he asked softly. "Would it surprise you?"

"Mad at himself for likin' it..." Brian mused, mostly thinking aloud. "Yeah, that would be like him, wouldn't it?" Maybe me too. A little.

"What do I think? I think maybe some girl might've planted one on him, and he thought it was a joke. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. 'S'funny. He acts like he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. But it's you who really does."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Adam admitted.

Then he smiled faintly. "Wens has the weight of his world on his shoulders an' that's 'bout what he c'n handle. But his world jus' changed a whole lot, an' that's scary."

Adam tilted his head and regarded his most easy-going friend. "Yours did, too. You okay with that, Bri? Is this what you want?"

"If so, that's a shame. He ought to get proper kisses. Lots of 'em. Preferably from me. Bein' honest with you - and I don't guess you'll let me be anything else--that is what I want. A whole lot. But sometimes, y'know, if you figure there's no chance in hell you'll get what you want, sometimes it hurts less to just try an' talk yourself out of it."

"As to what he can handle, well," and here Brian's look got just a little bit sly. "Little bit of the weight shiftin' around is good for 'im. Just isn't natural to sit up that straight all the time."

Adam grinned. "I guess you jus' gotta figure out what he wants, then. If it means anythin' to you, me an' Pep like the idea of you two bein' together an awful lot. An' I dunno... I think I'd rather try for what I want, even if there's a chance I might not get it than def'nitely not get it at all."

He laughed. "Or keep his room so tidy."

"Oh, you like it do you? Have we got a peanut gallery now? That'll put Wens at ease for sure," Brian teased.

"There's a lot to be said for goin' for what you want. But there's not enough ale in the world..." He looked down for a second. "You know as well as I do that when Wens takes 'is clothes off he's prob'ly got another set on underneath."

"You'll hafta ask him when Pep's done talkin' to him," Adam retorted playfully.

He stifled a snort and tried not to imagine Wensley's underthings. He'd leave that to Brian. "Not enough ale for what?"

"You didn't! She didn't!" Brian flinched. "She did, didn't she? She would." He cringed out of sympathy for the talking-to Wens was probably getting. Brian knew he'd got off easy, considering.

"To demand my second chance, of course," Brian said ruefully. "And to get him to give me one."

"Course she did. You're lucky I had dibs. She's less likely to hit Wensley. An' he'll prob'ly jus' feed her 'til she goes away." Adam grinned. It had really been too long that the friends had been separated.

"Demand?" he repeated faintly. "You think that's the best way, Bri? I think you been friends long enough to deserve second chances no matter what."

Brian shivered. For all that she was One of the Guys, Pepper was also a Girl, and girls Knew Things. And they'd use them against you for your own good.

Some little part of him was hoping she'd work on Wensleydale real good.

"Well, not demand exactly. Just. You know. Make the case. That I did it wrong. Somehow."

"I think you're worryin' too much. I dunno how you c'n do it wrong unless he's fightin' ya and sayin' no an' stuff. Mebbe you should jus' give him some time to get used to the idea..."

"Chickenin' out midway is definitely doin' it wrong," said Brian. "Maybe if I wait long enough he'll forget that part."

Adam sighed. "You didn't chicken out," he insisted. "You'd'a gone back to it if you could, right? You jus' asked a question. 's allowed."

"Yeah, it's allowed, but he sure didn't like it much." Brian sighed. "I s'pose I got to ask it again, don't I? Or somethin' like it. We just can't go round not askin' it forever."

"Yeah," Adam agreed. "I mean, you don't hafta but that'd be even harder, I think. Sometimes we jus' gotta shake up Wensley's world for his own good. It always takes him a while to get used to new stuff. You know that. An' you can't take it pers'nal. Even if it's kissin'. Me an' Pep are okay now that we talked it all out. 'Course it might be harder to convince someone to do more kissin' than to do less, but if you both want to, even if he don't think it's 'okay' jus' yet, then you should be all right in the end."

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