Finn comes in armed with a huge but tasteful bouquet of pale lilac and pink flowers that he sets on a chair.
"Oh, Sir. It's so good to see you," he exclaims, hurrying to the hospital bed to hug William Regal gingerly around the shoulders. He sits on the edge of the bed and holds his mentor's cheek in his right hand. "When I heard the news, I flew over immediately. What did the doctors say?"
William leans his cheek into Finn's touch and then turns his head to kiss the heart of the younger man's palm. "I'm fine, dear boy. Not the first time I've been attacked by someone I trusted. The doctors tell me I'll recover in a few weeks. with proper rest."
"I'm glad." Finn studies the older man's face, a slight crease in his brow, as if to read William's mind. "Who was it?"
"It's alright, my dear. I've someone to deal with them already." William smiles, immensely comforted by Finn's presence.
It's a shame that his new protege prefers instant gratification over long-term development, but that' how it was with some people. Not everyone can be a Finn Balor.
He caresses Finn's jaw with his good hand, even though he's not fond of the beard, and then lies back against his pillows to ease the strain in his back, which is still badly bruised. Both of his legs are broken and, at his age, it will be difficult to recover fully. Thankfully, the perpetrator did not complete the job running him over a second time, not that the first hit did not already almost kill him.
To distract Finn from thoughts of vengeance, he asks, "Who came along with you? Seth? Tyler?"
"No, I asked Joe." Finn stands and goes to the door of the private ward.
Joe comes in shortly and makes a face at the flowers being left on a chair. "The least you can do is to put them in a jug."
"I wasn't thinking about the flowers," Finn retorts, though he obediently picks up the bouquet and heads for the bathroom to look for a water container.
Joe stands at the foot of the bed to look at William. His expression is inscrutable. "I'm glad you're doing better."
So much like his father. William glances at the empty chair on the right. "Thank you, Joe. Come, sit next to the bed. Easier to chat that way."
Finn returns and sets the bouquet - all stuck in a jug - on the nightstand. "Is there anything you'd like, Sir?" he asks, falling back on old patterns. It's clear he's upset by the sight of William injured and confined to a hospital bed.
"I'd like some lemon and blueberry scones, darling. There's some good ones in a shop down the street. And pop by Boots for some shea butter hand cream."
Finn smiles and kisses William on the forehead. "I'll be back in a jiffy."
The deliberate attempt to sound like an Englishman amuses William. "Go raibh maith agat, dear boy."
*
Joe watches the exchange and waits for the door to shut before he speaks. "Was it the new boy?"
"Like I said, I have people dealing with them." Regal turns his head stiffly to look at Joe. There's a softness and a warmth about his features that didn't use to be there a decade ago. "I'm glad to see you and Finn still together, Joe."
"For a given value."
"For a given value." The older man pauses, and then says, "Do you know why I sent Finn out on a simple errand?"
"You have something to tell me."
"This little incident reminds me that I still owe too much to too many people. And one of the people I owe is you."
Joe studies Regal. He has never liked the man, though he respects him for what he's achieved and admires - grudgingly - his methods in managing the vast network of informants and killers on the Grapevine. After a while, he asks, "What do you owe me?"
"An apology." Regal exhales deeply and his lined face creases with pain. "I knew your father. He was good at his job. Not on the same level as you, but Tagata Siva was still a force to fear."
"I've not heard you speak of him," Joe says, though his heart clenches briefly at his father's nickname. Dancer. Because he loved Joe's mother, who was a dancer when they met.
Regal closes his eyes and presses his lips together. "I... did not dare. Because it was partly my fault he was killed."
Joe does not comment.
"I knew there was a hit on him. I could have warned him. But... Business was business." Regal sighs and opens his eyes, which are clear. "I thought they would take him out when he was on a job, not when he was with his children."
For a brief moment Joe thinks about smothering Regal, but the latter is merely an old man now. An old man who's just been run over by a car, and someone who means a great deal to Finn.
"Business is business, after all," Joe replies.
With a small curl on his lips, Regal says, "I won't blame you if you do kill me."
"What would be the point now?" Joe chuckles quietly. "If I count the number of parents I've killed... Besides, if he didn't die, I wouldn't have become who I am now. Nor would I have the people I have now."
The older man smiles at Joe. "That's very magnanimous. Thank you."
"Nah, you're still an evil motherfucker." Joe grins. "If not for you, that Irish bastard would be a lot less of an ass."
"I thought you like that ass."
Joe snorts. "Only what I get to do to it."
The door to the ward opens and Finn walks in with a paper bag. He frowns at them quizzically when both Joe and Regal start laughing at the same time. "Do I wanna know?"
This one was set in the Playroom!verse and I really liked the idea of a Dom/sub relationship that didn't involve sex between the Dom and sub, and the idea of Finn training to be a Dom by learning exactly what subbing entails. Didn't really delve into that though, that was more of a background thing.
But I thought about Finn and Joe meeting as young men and well... Hot 🥵
