heyboss | IC Inbox

"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."

One of the only gestures he can manage is a slow nod and he's using it here.

"Probably. It was the last time he was... not at his best that wasn't a death toll."

He leans forward and scrubs the hand holding his cigarette through his hair. "Fuck," he repeats, staring at the floor.

"Thanks for telling me, John," he manages to say.

"Of course," he says. And then, after a moment-

"If he gets upset, you didn't ask. I told you. Unprompted."

He's not asking you to take the heat for his choices.

"I don't want to put any blame on you, John," he says softly. "We went into this conversation together. I brought it up first."

"It's not about blame. It's about a decision I made. And a decision I had the right to make."

He nods. "Alright, John."

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."

Yeah, he can tell that first one. And he's wobbly hand on the second. But-

"Good. I thought it best to be... clear."

"No, that's the right thing to do," he assures him. "And I'm sure Arthur would appreciate it, if he knew. How much you care about him."

"I let him feel as much as he can stand," he says honestly, "so he has... a good idea, yes."

A pause.

"I'd like to tell him. Not... the specifics, obviously. Just that we spoke. Would you be all right with that?"

"Of course. Feel free to tell him anything you'd like."

He shakes his head. "And I hope that - you and I can still talk. About things that aren't Arthur?"

A pause, like a blink for anyone else.

"...oh, yeah, definitely. Why wouldn't we?"

"Because some people might feel awkward about it. If you don't, then forget I asked," he says with a soft laugh.

"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."

"I just figured you should know. Generally, I only avoid his space if he's asked me to. So you'll have to let me know."

That finger rubs just a touch harder and he takes a drag from his cigarette. "Alright, John, thank you. I'll let you know if it ever becomes a possibility and we'll - figure it out, I suppose."

He does get a lot of quiet amusement out of imagining Arthur's reaction to that same question, at least.

"Good. Anyway... you look like you have a headache. Want me to go?"

Sheehan gives him a genuine laugh. "You don't have to, but I should get back to my paperwork. And - it's how I show embarrassment, John. It's not a headache."

It's a small signal, but one that he is alright sharing with John.

"Okay. Well, if you'd like to come for dinner some night when I don't have a shift, we should do that. I don't know how well you know Edwin, Natalie, or Willa outside of the breach, but they're a part of our family. So you probably should."

Willa.

His chest hurts for a moment.

"Edwin and Natalie are - well, I'm not close with them, but I'd like to meet. And Willa - I haven't met her properly, but we've been talking."

If sliding notes under doors counts as talking. Sheehan thinks it does.

"So thanks. I think I will join you. Doesn't have to be dinner, either. We can play games or something else. Something we all can do."

"Maybe dinner and a movie. I'm assuming Arthur's showed you the hosting room, with the conversation pit? There's a screen that we can use in there too."

"I've seen it," he agrees. "It's very convenient, actually."

"We usually host in my room. There's more space for it."

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