"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"It was part of my deal," he says firmly. "Which is the only reason I feel like I can say anything about it. Because he told you about her. But you should know that."
Sheehan pauses a moment, thoughtful. He runs his tongue along his teeth, putting the timing together.
"That must have been the night he got blackout drunk and hit me," he says with a surprised sort of sigh. "Fuck. I asked him about that and he didn't want to answer me."
"You're not a different person because you're in a relationship with Arthur and neither am I, so I don't see what's changed there."
A pause.
"...I would appreciate if you leave some kind of indication in the outer room if you're going to fuck, however, just because I go in there and neaten up so he doesn't trip on things a lot of the time."
Sheehan doesn't sputter or skip when he gets flustered, but he does suddenly feel warm, like he's about to burn up and then fall through the floor.
He rubs his forehead with his finger, clearing his throat. "Ah, well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind, John, but I don't think we're nearly at that point yet. I don't - know if we will be."
They haven't even kissed properly!
"But respecting you in the space you share with Arthur is - well, of utmost importance."
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Re: after his talk with Arthur
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."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"And how does Una fit into things?"
He knows how he fits into things.
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Sorry, Sheehan, he's learning.
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"He needed to see it. He was probably too scared of it before then. For many reasons."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"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?"
Re: after his talk with Arthur
He shakes his head at the news.
"I didn't know that." He looks away. "And I still don't."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"That must have been the night he got blackout drunk and hit me," he says with a surprised sort of sigh. "Fuck. I asked him about that and he didn't want to answer me."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"Probably. It was the last time he was... not at his best that wasn't a death toll."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"Thanks for telling me, John," he manages to say.
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"If he gets upset, you didn't ask. I told you. Unprompted."
He's not asking you to take the heat for his choices.
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
He has no intention of throwing him under the bus for it, if it comes up, because he has no intention of it ever coming up.
Instead, he takes a drag of his cigarette and leans back. "I really do appreciate you coming here and telling me all of this, you know."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"Good. I thought it best to be... clear."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
A pause.
"I'd like to tell him. Not... the specifics, obviously. Just that we spoke. Would you be all right with that?"
Re: after his talk with Arthur
He shakes his head. "And I hope that - you and I can still talk. About things that aren't Arthur?"
Re: after his talk with Arthur
"...oh, yeah, definitely. Why wouldn't we?"
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
A pause.
"...I would appreciate if you leave some kind of indication in the outer room if you're going to fuck, however, just because I go in there and neaten up so he doesn't trip on things a lot of the time."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
He rubs his forehead with his finger, clearing his throat. "Ah, well, I'll be sure to keep that in mind, John, but I don't think we're nearly at that point yet. I don't - know if we will be."
They haven't even kissed properly!
"But respecting you in the space you share with Arthur is - well, of utmost importance."
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur
Re: after his talk with Arthur