heyboss | IC Inbox

I'm free right now. Come by the counseling office.

Sure, okay.

[ And he'll float in a few minutes later; he'd been home, making up some dinner for Willa before his own shift. He's never really been here before, so he'll look around curiously for a moment before heading to where Sheehan is. ]

Sheehan's got his office door ajar and peers over when the main door opens.

"In here, John," he smiles, leading him inside. It's a very traditional office. Wooden furniture. Books. Comfortable couch, which Sheehan is at, doing paperwork while listening to records play Debussy.

'Traditional' means very little to him, so he's going to take a moment to just look around and explore and listen to the music. He likes it, having listened to enough music at this point to be able to identify it as something he doesn't just finds interesting but likes.

It takes him a moment to refocus and head over to the door and make sure it's closed before he speaks.

"I heard what you said to Arthur the other day. And Arthur mentioned you were going to be... romantic. That he might return your feelings."

"Ah, yes. Well, we haven't talked about it since the breach, but that was the general sense I got."

He sets the papers to the side.

He watches Sheehan silently until he's done putting the papers to the side.

"I told him I liked you."

His tone is careful but not distant. Just... curious to see the reactions.

He smiles a bit warmly at that.

"I like you too, John. And I assume Arthur wouldn't have anything to do with me if you didn't."

He pulls a cigarette from his pocket.

"Yes. He said as much."

Just to be honest. He's still trying to figure out what he wants to say and exactly how he wants to say it. It's hard because there is an intensity of feeling paired with what he knows of Lester Sheehan; in some ways, what he's here for feels unnecessary but in others it feels incredibly necessary.

Hopefully Arthur won't be mad.

...he'll deal with it if he is. He's protecting who's important to him.

"People who care about each other, love each other... sometimes they hurt each other. I know that.
And I know that Arthur is... difficult sometimes."

Sheehan studies him for a moment. "I think I know where this is going."

He leans forward, hands folded.

"He is...well, not difficult. He's hurting. And sometimes hurt people can be...prickly. But I know what you mean. I care for him, John. I care for him when he's funny. I care for him when he's drunk. I care for him when he's prickly or difficult or angry. That doesn't change."

He's glad that his mask doesn't betray some of his skepticism at the first. The second, he agrees with. He feels the same way. But he won't be the one to tell Sheehan that there's more to it than that. Arthur will either show him or he won't. And that's between them.

"Good. But that wasn't what I was talking about."

Sometimes he wishes he had expressions. Now isn't one of those times.

"You're going to hurt him. And I understand that. It's going to happen. It's part of... people being important to one another. I want you to know that I understand that."

"Okay," he nods. "I'm- relieved you know that. I've hurt him before, I'm sure."

And Arthur has hurt him, but he doesn't care about that. Not today.

"So what is this about?"

"I wanted you to know that. So you don't... worry."

And now this is the part he's been worried about, but the part he... he has to say.

"But if you hurt him... more than that. If you're... careless with him. Or you... abandon him-" The words are measured and deliberate, right up until then and it's clear there's something that almost seems to shake the air in an unnatural way.

But then he continues in that same measured and deliberate tone. "Don't do that."

Sheehan actually shivers a little at the last part, partly because of John, but partly because of how awful it feels to even think about doing that.

"John. What I feel for Arthur - I haven't felt it before. Not with anyone at home. And I know that Arthur's life has been complicated." Arthur had told him part of it. Part of the pains and hurts and grief of his life, and he knows there's more.

"I wouldn't have said what I did, I wouldn't be working so hard to make him feel safe and wanted and loved, to fathom doing anything of the sort. But - I know you love him and he loves you, so the protection is - well, I appreciate it. It's unnecessary, but I don't mind."

"If I didn't think that was the case, I would have been much more explicit."

That was the gentle version for people he likes and trusts not to fuck it up.

Sheehan nods. Again, he appreciates it. "And how are you personally about all of this, John? I admit that I left it to Arthur, but I've been worried about it."

"He's the other half of me. As I'm the other half of him."

He's known that, and now he knows that Arthur knows it too, feels the same way. That means-

"What you are to him is different from what I am to him. As long as you understand that I'm not going anywhere, I don't have any concerns."

"Alright. But John, I want you to know something, too. I like you. I like you separately from Arthur, not only because you two are a package deal. I like you for you. And I like talking to you."

He lights his cigarette. "This whole situation is complicated. I still have Una and she's not going anywhere. Arthur has you. But as long as there's some communication, I think we'll be alright."

That has him pausing. Hmm. More complication.

"And how does Una fit into things?"

He knows how he fits into things.

"Una's with me. We've been dating for a while, but she's - " He frowns, trying to explain it. "She's not like anyone I've ever met. She pushed me to talk to Arthur. To confess my feelings. She's guiding me through this very - strange situation."

"And Arthur is aware that... you intend to be with both of them."

Sorry, Sheehan, he's learning.

"I should hope so," he says with a laugh. "I actually need to sit and talk to Arthur. We didn't have much to talk about regarding our relationship after the breach. It was - it was emotional for him. And I wasn't sure until that moment that he even wanted anything more than friendship. Or wanted to try for it. Before the breach, we had just decided that nothing would change."

Here, John decides that it isn't violating any kind of trust to say-

"He needed to see it. He was probably too scared of it before then. For many reasons."

"He told me about Faroe," he says softly. "And I know his wife died giving birth to her. I know he was in love with Parker. I know some of the hurts in his life, and I know there are more I don't know. But - I don't want to contribute to them. I didn't want to push him, so I let him go at his pace, whatever that looked like."

This is much much closer to the edge. But this was his choice. And his deal. And if Sheehan knows about both of them, then he should know this too.

"You should be careful using her name. Or speaking about his business to me."

They are what they are, but he also knows how very very seriously Arthur takes his privacy. Seriously enough that he pauses before-

"...did he tell you they're both alive?"

"I'm only telling you things I know for a fact you already know. And I know better than to bring her up, John. But we can't walk eggshells around everything."

He shakes his head at the news.

"I didn't know that." He looks away. "And I still don't."

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