#aidanarcher

[anedendarkly]

"What's the matter with you, man? Why are you talkin' t'me like this?" Jheeze. This guy is seriously tightly wound. Sure. Fletcher can leave. It's probably for the best. "Alright. Get home safe." It was a conversation he would never have expected. Hopefully at least Fletcher would consider what he had said about being honest.

Aidan would stick with him for a while, but he couldn't put his finger on the root cause. He had come to terms with Luke the moment he had stepped foot in his life again. What was done was done. He would like to think he had the willpower to stick with his plans.

But Aidan was oil on water. Either he had already accepted things Fletcher had said years ago, or lived such a jaded goddamn life to have been emotionally arrested. If so... damn. Fletcher was envious. Jealous. But... he could be wrong. Not knowing which, if any of his hypotheses, was what had him in knots on the path home.

[anedendarkly]

Asking questions like this was not at all what he'd planned, especially not right off the bat. Fletcher only had himself to blame for asking if Aidan was going to beat him up, though.

Lips part, about to tell Fletcher he had done nothing wrong, that if he wants to be with her that's what he should do, but the rest... He didn't have to be an angel to realise what was in front of him was a man fighting his feelings.

"Oi. First of all, okay, don't project your shit onto me. Look at me. You wanna say shit like that be brave about it. I'm a lawyer I've met with people tougher than you." That was meant as a tease. Halfway. "Secondly, Luke's a kid in my eyes. Third of all, you're as transparent as an empty bottle of vodka." Aidan reached to pat Fletcher's arm. "I know... us leavin' an' comin' back was unpredictable an'... it must've been hell for you, brother. But don't punish yourself now for no damn reason. If you think people would die t'have Luke in their life why aren't you willin' t'be honest for it? Huh? If you really wanna be with your wife an' jus' be friends with Luke then you be with her proudly an' try. You didn't know if Luke would ever come back. Don't feel guilty for movin' on. If you don't wanna be with her figure that out slowly. Man I came out here t'ask for your help, not give you a lecture. I think you should've said yes t'that drink." Ha.

Fletcher was shaking his head. This was just too much at once, and the only blame he could see was Aidan himself. If he wanted a calm and serious conversation it could have been done some other time. An invitation offered then and there to see him some other time. Not that Fletcher would have shown up, but there was a way of going about things. A human pace. This was, however, the correct way to shut down a conversation.

Be brave about it? He could damn sure look him in the eyes then.

“Ya don’t fuckin’ know me. I don’t care what ya fuckin’ are. Don’t act like ya know shit. N’don’t fuckin’ pretend," he pointed to the house, "that that person in your house is beneath ya like that. Ya got years. Just a few fuckin’ years. That ain’t shit. What ya even do with em? Huh? Hide in your house starin’ out the window? Did ya do anything? What, Aidan? What ya do that’s so fuckin’ important? Fuckin’ tell me shit, brother."

Because we're the same person. "Get the fuck out my face." Now he could turn his back to the reaper. Now he could walk away.

[anedendarkly]

What? That almost made Aidan laugh. It came out more like a humorous scoff, though. Hands placed on his hips. It felt like Fletcher was comparing Aidan too much to Conor and Ronan - two brothers far more willing to fight physically. Aidan was not quite like that.

"That depends. Are ya happy? You love her? Wanna be with her?" If so, then there was no reason to kick his ass. He simply went after happiness, which everyone had a right to do. If not, then yeah, maybe Aidan would have to slap him upside the head. Causing yourself all this trouble and pain would be plain stupid, Aidan could try to rattle his brain back into place and reconnect those wires.

Oh, Christ. This was worse. He would rather five fingers across the face. How long had Aidan been planning this? The man looked like he'd had his hand on the knob the moment they crossed the street. This was just too much too quickly. No easing in. No lube whatsoever before this fuck.

Fletcher cleared his throat, still refusing to make eye contact.

"Yeah, I wanna be with her. How's your fuckin' love life? Peaches? What's new with ya? Ya know, ya got an angel in your life. Ya know how many people would die for that? Should get in there n'play nice."

[anedendarkly]

What on Earth? "Alright, brother. It's alright." Luke and Ronan had never shared what Fletcher is - and Aidan has never asked. He only knew Fletcher wasn't human. That didn't mean immortal. Even vampires could be killed... Fletcher didn't seem like a vampire, though. Although he did have that vampiric sense of mystery about him. "Oh, I heard you got hitched. Congratulations. Big weddin'? How'd you meet her?"

Fletcher looked rather dumbfounded. Bewildered. Maybe a little amused, if not outright concerned.

"Bruh, are ya, like, gonna kick my ass or somethin'?" Because the suspense was just torture at this point. Aidan had a way about him, big brother energy radiated from every pore. This only child was beside himself with what to do with it. That same energy became a protective beast, and his ex happened to be Aidan's roommate. What else was he to expect of the man but an ass whooping?

[anedendarkly]

"Oh yeah? Ro' keepin' t'himself doesn't sound like him." Not at all. Maybe he was just trying to figure himself out. "Can I ask ya suttin'? Might be a little personal maybe so if you don't wanna answer jus' tell me t'fuck off." He lowered his voice to ask, "Are you mortal? I don't really know anythin' about ya."

"Nah, don't, but there it is." Aidan had never done this before. Hadn't once sought him out after returning from Wherever with the rest of the family pack. So, stood to reason Fletcher was on alert, and that question didn't help matters. Easily taken as a pending threat.

In fact, Fletcher was going to take a step back.

"Ask me somethin' else."

[anedendarkly]

"Definitely sounds like the start to a bad joke." A hand raised, but it was gentle, just to pat and squeeze his shoulder in a friendly way. "How have things been, huh? You been catchin' up with Ro'?"

His body would be stiff to the touch, but maybe that was expected. Muscles in desperate need of relief, aching from constant clinch.

"Not really. Saw him, ya know, while back, but y'all keep t'yourselves. I keep t'myself." He shrugged, never once making eye contact.

[anedendarkly]

Right. Aidan leaned to pick his keys and jacket up where they hung on the wall. The doot shut and automatically locked behind him as he moved to walk in line with Fletcher.

"Luke didn't mention he was meeting you. How'd that happen?"

Much less walking and more standing awkwardly on the sidewalk, but if Aidan wanted to move, Fletcher would follow.

"Happenstance," he sniffed, hands remaining free out of his pockets. Just in case. "At a bar. An angel in a bar?" He made a face, a blend of gentle confusion and humor.

[anedendarkly]

"Oh... Sure." Luke glanced between the two of them. "Excuse me, then. Good night, Fletcher." A final look before he moved back Aidan and disappeared into the house.

Aidan gave him a confused look. "Why are you walking backwards?" Is he scared or something? "Want a drink? I've got a bottle of whiskey open." The discomfort wasn't felt by him. He's a bystander, after all. He's Switzerland. "Or I'll jus' take two minutes of your time."

His steps had been away from the angel, but Aidan could interpret as he liked. He had no intention of going into that house, though. Obvious enough when he didn't make a move up the driveway.

"Two minutes? Ya can have three of my time, my man." And he gestured out to the sidewalk. By all means, they could have a conversation out in the open.