Just another man in the field [1/15]

[jeongbro]

It had been a little over a week since Henry had heard from Goodnight, and he had to admit, he was a little bit worried about that. They didn't need to talk every day; it was nothing like that. But he knew that holidays could be stressful for people--they were stressful for him--and New Years had been an event. He'd heard from Goodnight after that, but his last substantial conversation had been about a week ago, and Henry was worried he might have drunk himself into a stupor.

Or worse.

So he was trying not to think of worst case scenarios on his way over to Goodnight's apartment. Worst case scenarios didn't help anyone, and especially not someone with high stress levels like Goodnight Robicheaux.

Henry reached the apartment and knocked a couple time, knuckles sharp on the door. "Mr Goodnight? You alive in there?"

He heard nothing. He waited. He knocked again. "Mr Goodnight?" Maybe if he called him by surname Goodnight would come to the door faster. Henry knew what it was like to cringe every time someone mangled your name, and Goodnight's was even more complicated than Henry's was. He was preparing to knock a third time when he heard rustling inside the apartment, and the scuttle of dog nails on the flooring. Henry put on a bright smile in anticipation of the door opening.

And open it did, but that wasn't Goodnight Robicheaux. The man standing in the door was the same height as Henry--and Goodnight--wide in the shoulders and slim in the waist, with short, wispy facial hair and ink-black hair falling to his chin. He was colored, almost to a T, in ways that Henry was familiar with, because he had the exact same coloration. Henry's smile didn't falter.

This was Billy.

Henry was just opening his mouth to say something in greeting when Billy's face transformed from vague confusion to what could only be described as the picture-definition of pissed off. Henry had never seen someone's face change so quickly. And then Billy slammed the door in his face.

Inside the apartment, Billy left his hand on the door for a moment, then turned to shout toward the bedroom. "Lucien Eugene--why is there a young Korean boy at your door?!"

Comments

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy did not look the least ways contrite. He sat in one of Goodnight's chairs, Beau curled up comfortably at his feet, and scrutinized the way that Goodnight and the boy, Henry, interacted. Henry seemed to be avoiding looking at either of them too directly.

Billy relented a little. He got up from the chair, carefully stepping over the dog and heading toward the bedroom at the other end of the flat.

Behind him, he heard Henry softly say, "I didn't think I'd be interrupting but, you know. I got nervous. You weren't around."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight smiled after Billy, utterly fond. Once Billy disappeared into the bedroom he turned his attention back to Henry and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"Sorry, son. I didn't mean to worry you. About a week ago I was coming home from errands and... Billy was there, in the park." He shook his head because the memory still seemed surreal. The snow, Billy Rocks asking some poor soul for directions, and Goodnight barely able to make his voice work. "And even if Billy is not at all apologetic I hope he didn't shake you too badly. Can I get you tea or something."

[jeongbro]

Henry breathed out a little and shook his head. He smiled at Goodnight, a little secretive and a lot relieved. "I was just concerned, old man. What if you had broken a hip? Who would take of Mercutio Beau?"

It was a playful tease that spoke of the deep concern that had lived in him as he'd headed over.

But he shook his head at Goodnight's concern. "No, no. He grilled me a little bit on where I was from and that sort of thing. You sold him short, I think, Mr Goodnight. Better not let him know that, though."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"Sold him short or just... neglected to talk much about him?" He lifted an eyebrow at Henry, then headed into the kitchen to at least start coffee for himself. "I missed him, and it wasn't easy to talk about him."

He leaned on the counter and gave Henry an apologetic look. "I am sorry for worrying you. And I'm grateful you got it in mind to come check on me. I appreciate it, even if Billy doesn't."

[assassinwithahairpin]

"Nobody said that," Billy protested, returning from changing. Now, in front of someone, he put distance between his and Goodnight's bodies, though every fiber in him wanted to make it clear to this boy that Goodnight was spoken for. It wasn't part of their routine of publicity.

He got down mugs for himself and Henry as well, giving Goodnight a bit of a look that he might not serve their guest, who had come all this way out of misguided concern.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight chuckled when he got that look. "Hush," he said, looking at him fondly as Billy got more mugs down. "And I don't know what slamming the door in someone's face says, but I don't think it's 'thank you for checking on my errant partner.'" He lifted his eyebrow at Billy. He wanted to touch him, wanted to be near him.

Even if it was safe here, it was hard not to fall into old habits once they weren't alone.

[jeongbro]

"Oh," Henry chimed in, looking a bit bashful. "No, I understand the reaction, it's alright. It's not as if it's the first door I've had slammed in my face, at any rate."

He watched the two of them, the nerves of being together but not being alone, and he felt a little guilty for intruding. Now that he knew that Goodnight was well, he thought he ought to excuse himself. But now, after his choice of phrasing, Billy was giving him a vaguely concerned look, and Henry shrugged a little, hoping he'd understand.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight just shook his head at the pair of them, noticing damn well the look Billy was giving Henry now. He lifted an eyebrow at Billy and went to retrieve the cream and sugar.

"How is your Virginian? Or have you spent the whole week worrying about an old man?"

Maybe it wasn't entirely fair to call himself old, but some days he felt it hard. He wasn't yet forty but he felt like he already had a lifetime under his belt. It didn't help that he'd started graying in his thirties, much to his dismay.

[jeongbro]

Henry snorted a little, leaning on the outside of the counter so that Goodnight and Billy would still have their space. His cheeks had gone a little pink at the quick redirection of the conversation; he breathed out a laugh.

"I took some of your advice," Henry proclaimed, "and attempted a little boldness. It's my turn to pick the date next, apparently."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight just grinned. "Oh did you now?" He looked terribly pleased with himself. "Doesn't sound so insane now, does it?" He took a moment to pour everyone a cup, making sure Henry had access to the cream and sugar so he could get the intensity of the coffee Goodnight tended to brew.

He looked at Billy. "I suggested that subtlety does not always work," he explained, lifting an eyebrow at his partner.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy said nothing to this whole exchange, but he did nudge Goodnight for the teasing. Henry was young, and Billy didn't blame him for being nervous with whoever this Virginian was.

"At least you didn't tell him to be silent for four days," he finally deadpanned, picking up his coffee and cradling it in his hands. "That's terrible advice."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"First of all, after the shock you gave me, you deserved it. And secondly, I got more information out of you in four days than I did in the months before that," he pointed out, gesturing around his mug. "So it was a damn fine tactic even if it was more or less unintentional."

Goodnight leaned against the counter next to Billy, nearly touching.

"All I said was that a faint heart never fucked a bobcat."

[jeongbro]

Henry looked at Goodnight as he said that damned phrase again, and then looked at Billy, who looked to be trying to contain his laughter at the phrase. In loaded, slightly irritated Korean, he asked Billy, "What is that even supposed to mean? Why are white people so ridiculous?"

Billy did laugh then, though he did his best to smother it in his coffee. "If I knew that, little brother, my life would have been a lot easier."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Feeling Billy's body tremble just slightly with restrained laughter - especially in his shoulders - brought a smile to his face. But Goodnight lifted his eyebrow at the exchange he didn't understand a word of.

"Oh I don't like this one bit." If Billy had wanted to talk about him back where they were from, inevitably he'd had to do it in English due to a severe lack of Koreans away from the coasts.

This, though. This could be a problem.

Still, a smirk tugged the corner of his mouth. Maybe he was entirely too pleased to see Billy and Henry getting along, even if it was probably at his expense. Still, he went on like he hadn't been interrupted by Henry's incredulity. "Don't act like you don't know what that means, Billy Rocks. Your version of courtship was a fine example. Go on, tell Henry all about it. I spared him the details."

[assassinwithahairpin]

"Now you know how I feel when you get going," Billy said, gentle but teasing. He nudged Goodnight with his elbow, face only vaguely scandalized that Goodnight had just spoken about the two of them with this young man, or maybe that Goodnight was teasing him about things.

He sipped his coffee, face mild and impassive. "I don't think that's a conversation to be had with polite company. And, in my defense, I was younger then."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"Two thirds of the company here is far from polite and the other third is a teenager that has probably heard worse, if my younger years taught me anything." He winked at poor Henry before he hid behind a sip of his coffee.

Goodnight smirked at Billy's nudging. And when he looked at him it was with nothing but adoration. God, he'd missed this man, the easy banter with him. The way Billy tried not to smile when he was amused.

[jeongbro]

Henry watched them, doctoring his coffee. He flushed a little bit at the implication of their intimacy, the teasing of it; Goodnight hadn't given him details, but he'd been awful plain about their first encounter, and Henry appreciated the attempt at discretion on Billy's behalf.

"I think I'm fine without the finer details," he said, crossing back over to the other side of the counter and trying not to watch them too intently. It was just--well. He didn't think he'd seen Goodnight this happy in the month he'd been in Darrow.

[goodnight_robicheaux]

It took Goodnight a moment to respond; he was lost in looking at Billy, everything in his expression soft and warm.

"Probably for the best," he said after Henry's comment finally sank in. He made himself look away, gazing fondly down at his coffee instead.

"Apparently his apartment is right down the hall. This place has an odd sense of humor."

[jeongbro]

As subtly as he could manage, Henry pulled his phone out of his pocket and snapped a quick picture o the two of them while Goodnight and Billy were looking at each other. He set his phone down, but Billy was already staring at him, some sort of judgment around his eyes.

"Darrow's a bit odd like that, yes," Henry said with a soft laugh. "The only other now-Darrow Korean in town lives in my building. That was a nice irony."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

"Darrow's a bit odd in more ways than I care to think about." But Goodnight supposed he should be more grateful; whatever this place was, it brought Billy back to him. When Billy put a hand on the counter, Goodnight lightly brushed his fingers before his touch fell away. Stolen moments, stolen touches. They were in a private, domestic space but they also had company.

They had been negotiating these spaces since they became close.

"Has it really been a week?" he asked at last, looking at Billy like he was appalled that they were capable of being that wrapped up in each other for so long. Goodnight hadn't thought to count days, only the minutes, seconds between every kiss or touch they'd shared since Billy arrived.

[assassinwithahairpin]

Billy wasn't entirely sure what Henry was doing over there with that little contraption of his, but he gave him a look for it nonetheless, and Henry looked, at least for the moment, apologetic. Goodnight hadn't seen. That was, maybe, for the best.

He sipped his coffee. "It was the eighth, when I got out," he said.

Helpfully, Henry chimed in, "Today is the fifteenth. So, yes. Seven whole days. What a successful reunion, no?"

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight made a face, and maybe he warmed slightly at Henry's comment. A week. Well, it had been worth it. "Successful enough to make you think I might be dead," he drawled, smiling none the less.

Mercy Beau decided at that moment to appear and sit against Henry's leg. Goodnight shook his head a bit. At least once during the week the dog had woken him from an unpleasant, anxiety-ridden dream, almost exactly at the same time Billy had rolled over to do the same.

"If I had thought it through more, I ought to have called you to take Beau out. Wouldn't have had to leave at all." He smirked behind his next sip of coffee.

[jeongbro]

Henry and Billy both groaned a little, though for two entirely separate reasons. Henry ended up laughing, unable to hear whatever it was that Billy leaned over to say into Goodnight's ear. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know what it was that Billy had said, given that he felt the need to whisper it in the first place.

"I think I'll just thank God that I didn't interrupt you two in the middle of it all. You both made a good attempt at being dressed. I'm impressed."

[goodnight_robicheaux]

Goodnight tipped his head toward Billy and whatever he said drew another smile. He nudged Billy before turning his attention back to Henry.

"I don't think either of us would have been inclined to answer the door in that case. Modesty is our virtue." He at least managed to say it without smiling too much. "You said it was up to you to plan your next date, didn't you? Don't distract me from your gossip, Henry."

[jeongbro]

"Oh, there's hardly gossip," Henry said, looking into his coffee and trying to not flush. Then--and he still didn't think it qualified as gossip--he said, "We went for a hike, and the New Years, apparently, was a second time. And he's decided that I get to pick the third. I think, before that, he and I need to have a discussion about what qualifies as a date, because I've taken him out a couple other times, but those were before he asked if he could take me out?"

Henry sighed, long suffering, and looked up at the ceiling of Goodnight's apartment. Behind him, Mercutio Beau whined softly in agreement. "Things are so much easier when it's just casual sex."