RP LOG with nychandcuffs | Shit happens
Virginia Stewart hadn't been avoiding her best friend as such. She knew exactly where U was, she just hadn't felt like having a screaming match while she was still reeling from finding out that the appendix he'd had out was still in tact and had been in danger of exploding. And now the appendix was gone. Again. Matt had been ready to turn London upside down looking for an attempted murderer because she'd been so adamant that Euan had had his appendix out. It had been what he'd told her, so why should she have doubted his word?
She had always thought that she was the one person he wouldn't lie to. It just wasn't true. He'd lie to her just like he lied to everyone else. She only hoped that he'd at least tell Gee the truth. She knew that Matt's friend was smitten with the Irishman and she couldn't blame her. She'd just rip Gee in half if she ever hurt Euan. That alone told her that she wasn't so mad at Euan that she didn't still love her best friend.
Shit happens.
She was grateful he hadn't exploded. Her track record with the men she loved coming close to doing so was getting a bit ludicrous. So far she was two for two. She'd also had to be thrown into the deep end with her new job, hit the ground running as Thomas Hunt's PI. There was a backlog of work that needed to be done for quite a few cases, and Vee had been determined to get it all done as quickly as possible. The personal explosion that had happened around her she'd tried to ignore. It wasn't her business. Tom was her employer, but when she'd spoken to Jess she couldn't not mention the information about Stuart.
That was the trouble with being an ex cop. You picked up information no matter where you went. She just chose to embrace it as a positive for her new position. It all went towards staying in London. She was just as head over heels for Matt as the day she'd taken a leap of faith and come to the city. His city. Now she just had to work on making sure Euan was happy here too, even if he'd tell her to go fuck herself.
She flopped down on his couch after he'd let her in, and made a face as she looked at him. "They all call me Virginia. Every single fucking one of them. I hate it."
"Because Vee is a huge fucking better alternative?" Euan snorted, tugging his trackpants up as he flicked the door closed and took the other end of the sofa. It was summer, and there wasn't much point in wearing much more than track pants. The only problem was, following his operation, he had lost weight and his clothes had stopped fitting neatly. It had only been the last week or so that he had been able to stomach normal food again, and as much as he hated living on all the healthy high fibre bullshit, he hadn't had a choice but to stick with it or just end up feeling shit. The pants continued to ride low on his hips and he had to keep yanking them up. It was tempting to just go naked twenty-four-seven, but the occasional people knocking on his door probably wouldn't appreciate that. "Not exactly sure why you haven't just told them to go fuck themselves."
"I want to stay employed?" she asked him as she rose her eyebrows. "And I didn't realise you had such a hatred for my name. Well, fuck you very much, Euan." She looked him over as she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and pulled her mouth to the side. "How have you been? I've never seen you look so skinny. Even after that night we both had the bad curry. I didn't think the shit would ever stop. How's Gee? Is she coping without Stuart?"
Euan smirked, shaking his head. "Then just don't tell your boss to go fuck himself, plain and simple. Fuck, I hate when you're so sensitive. I don't agree with you, you get the shits. I agree, you get the shits. Fuck you right back," he returned with a shrug. He held the waistband of his pants out a bit and peered down at the large scar on the side of his stomach. By the time they got their finger out to get him cut open, it wasn't just routine surgery anymore, and they went digging around for other shit on the chance it might not just been appendicitis after all the hype surrounding how it went down. Seems doctors' reasoning is that while he's open, go on a casual ride through his intestines to avoid opening him back up again later. It had led to a prolonged recovery on his part, and he now had two scars on his gut, about two centimeters apart from each other. "You try living for two weeks with explosive diarrhoea every time you eat. Now I know why the fucking skinny bitch models pour laxatives down their throats, and all I can say is that the bitches need straight jackets. The bad curry was like a French kiss in comparison. Coping without him? He's been gone one night, and as far as I can see, she hasn't topped herself."
"Losing a partner can be hard," Vee murmured quietly in her defense. "Maybe I should have asked how she's coping after saying goodbye. No, you love me when I'm sensitive. It keeps you on your little toes." Her gaze went to his scars, and now she could see the difference between them. The exploratory surgery hadn't turned anything up for obvious reasons, just left Euan with a permanent reminder. She kept staring for a long moment before she got up to close the gap between them and sat next to him so she could hug him tightly. "I was so scared. I honestly thought something more than exploding body parts had happened to you. I'm sorry they went digging... But I didn't know."
"No fucking shit, Sherlock," Euan snorted, quirking his eyebrow at her and then taking a sip of his bottle of water that was sitting beside a pack of smokes on the table beside him. "He's her first, she's coping like shit, and didn't want him to go. But the bloke is having a tough time and needs to do what he has to do." He sighed roughly and hugged her back, not saying anything initially. "You didn't need to know," he finally replied and met her eyes when the hug eased off. "It wouldn't have made any difference to our working relationship if you did."
Vee rest her head back against the sofa, but didn't retreat back to her corner. She stayed next to Euan as she looked at him. "I feel really sorry for him, but I get it. Sometimes it's not good things that send you running. Sometimes you have to just leave because it hurts too much to be where you are. This whole city would have to smack of Tom for him. I just hope he finds what he needs. She'll understand eventually... She's going to miss him for a long while." She frowned a little. "Fuck our working relationship. What about our personal one?"
"If he doesn't, at least he still has his parents and family to make sure he's okay," Euan reasoned as he played with the lid of the bottle. "She'll be fine when she gets a new partner and finds a niche with them. She just might never trust them as much as she did him." He held her gaze and then casually flipped her off. "What about it? Are you telling me you're shallow enough that this would have had a bearing on our personal relationship if you knew about it?"
She nodded. "It's hard to trust someone once you've already nurtured that connection to your first partner, or to one that's really been there for you. I'm not sure I ever would have lasted with another partner after you. But then, there's only one Euan Fitzpatrick, isn't there?" Vee added as she made a kissy face. Then she grinned, and flipped him off right back. "No, I'm saying it would have fucking helped in situations like these so that I don't have people believing you've already had out your fucking appendix. You're still U to me. Always will be. I don't give a fucking toss about what you did before."
Euan snapped his fingers and then pointed at her. "Exactly. So it doesn't fucking matter how I got the scar. I got it when I was a very fucking different person, one you wouldn't have even spat on. I remember the conversation well, too. Second time we fucked, no wham, bam, thank you ma'am. We were lying there, and you found it. You asked me if I had surgery, and I said aye. Because I did. They had to shove all the vital organs back in place and stitch me up after it. You asked if it was appendix and I just shrugged at you and grunted. I only technically evaded the truth, I didn't lie to you. It stopped you asking questions, and that was fine enough for me. You didn't need to know any of my past, it was safer that way."
Vee made a face, but then she just smirked. "We seemed to have done a lot of our getting to know each other after sex. Funny, that. You're still the only man I've ever had in cuffs. Matt won't go near that sort of thing. Not that I have any complaints. Things are just different with him. It's how it should be. I'm not replacing you, you're not replacing me. We're just adding other people to the mix. Finding someone we fit with, not someone we have to change for to fit with. You're too good at loop holes, Euan. Sometimes it might help you to get snagged on one once in a while."
Euan gestured down to the scar on his gut. "Snag, meet Vee. She hates being called Virginia," he said, smirking again. "Well, Brits don't like getting their weapons out unless it's really necessary. They'd rather solve shit with tea and scones, and hope the Queen will bail them the fuck out. Don't blame him for being a prude, he can't help it. He's been here long enough to lose the Irish accent, so he counts as a Londoner. At least he keeps you occupied. I might not be here long enough to keep you entertained in your spare time, unless I can fit you in to my busy cybersex schedule. Yay, internet acronyms. I can use a sideways smiley face when I come," he said sarcastically.
Vee drew her eyebrows together. "You don't think you'll stay in London? Even if he has lost the accent, he's still my Irishman. Not sure he'll appreciate you fitting me into your cybersex schedule when he'll want to use his own sideways smiley face when he comes with me. He'll probably whip out his weapon and make you explode all over again. Look at this way, you'll be considered the greatest policeman that ever lived for using more than just tea and scones to solve crimes. Your weapon will see plenty of action."
"They offered me Evans' job, but I told Gee I wouldn't take it," Euan admitted, with a small scrunching up of his nose. The job would have been ideal, considering how much he just forked out for this apartment of his, but it wouldn't have been right at the end of the day, and that was without even considering the fact he would have had no hope filling Evans' shoes in Gee's eyes. In fact, he pitied any partner than was going to come in after him. They had gotten close quickly. An awesome thing if they were partners, but fucking difficult if that ended. "Means I could end up at any CID. The big boss was even talking shoving me somewhere in the armed department because I've worked with weapons. Real weapons," he told her with a smirk. But still, couldn't resist pulling his pants down and giving her an eyeful. "But feel free to help yourself to my scones. You can't accuse me of poor hospitality."
Vee was about to hit him in the stomach when she thought better, and just reached down to flick her finger at his scones. "Yes, very hospitable. But there's no jam, or cream, and I can't possibly have scones without those. You won't take it because you don't want it, or because she asked you not to? You might be good in the armed department, but still... Doesn't mean you'll be shipped out to some one goat village with only men in it. And there are ways to keep in touch with your... Gee." Vee frowned a little. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Euan snorted in amusement. "Actually, they're more likely to shove me in a big city because I worked NYPD. I didn't take it because she didn't want me too, and I hate the fucking term girlfriend, so you can stick that up your arse and blow it out again. Isn't the whole dating thing enough without needing to give it a cutesy high school name?" He tucked himself back into his pants and adjusted his assets into a comfortable position before taking another mouthful of water. "I pity Supercop if you want to smear jam on his ballsack."
"I'd rather have him covered in chocolate, but he'll probably think it'll make a mess..." Vee's eyes glazed over briefly as she ran her tongue over her lips and entertained her fantasy for a few moments. "So what city is there? They'd be mad not to keep you in London because of the NYPD thing. But maybe without Stuart, she wouldn't turn down a transfer either. They wouldn't stop her. You could both start in a new city. Alright, so if you don't like girlfriend then what?"
"You're such a Yank," Euan said in amusement. "England is full of other cities, London is just its capital. There is no fucking way we would be granted a transfer to the same city. She puts in for a transfer, then she goes wherever the hell they choose. Not to mention how mental she would be as an ambitious DC to turn her nose up at a job in London's CID. This is where she will work her way up the quickest, there are more chances for movement. In smaller cities, the CIDs are smaller, hence more people vying for promotion. You either want promotion, or you don't. If you do, you can't get a better place than already in the epicentre of it all. As it is, Evans himself is probably facing the prospect of being landed in some pissy cop shop with nothing more to do to pass his time than eat donuts and play the bagpipes. Her name's Gee," he said pointedly.
"I look good being one," Vee returned as she fluffed her hair and pouted. "Alright, so there's other cities, just like in the States. Just not ones we learn about over in Yank School. And if you can't be guaranteed a transfer to the same place, then... I guess you will have to get used to cybersex. I can't believe it's all been shaken loose so quickly, but you can't date her and be her partner. I don't care what anyone says, it rarely works. That's why we never would have worked. We'd have killed each other. She doesn't need you stepping into Evans' shoes either. There needs to be separation. Gee... Trust you to fall for someone named Gee. Maybe I should start going by Virginia."
Euan rested his head on his hand, watching her as she spoke. It was actually a relief that someone just saw his standpoint for once. It seemed to be a rare occurrence of late. He had felt recently that all he did was try to sweettalk his way out of mindsets he believed in but no one else seemed to get. "And you wonder why I prefer being single. Case in point. A seemingly perfect relationship blows up in a massive shit explosion, and everyone around them is hit with the onslaught. For what? No one even really knows exactly what caused the shit. The bloke wasn't cheating, he slipped up on revealing a fucking part of his past that was important, for sure, but it just shows nothing is as firm as you think. Nothing is perfect. No one is fucking perfect, no matter how much they think they are. Everyone makes mistakes, and people get hurt because of it. Plain and simple. Now here I am, I can't take a perfectly reasonable position, because it would be a screwed situation, and could well end up in another city, miles away from someone I'm supposed to be dating and resorting to my own fucking hand for an orgasm. Relationships. Woo."
Virginia pointed at him. "But then you need to remember why relationships are worth it. Think about those times you've had her here when you've felt shit and how nice it is to just have someone take care of you for once. How nice it is to talk to someone after a shitty day and they just listen. Or the post-shitty day sex that comes when you just want to feel good again. And they're the only ones that can make you feel good. Or just their smiles, and how they look in a towel, or the little gestures that drive you crazy for no real reason." Vee shrugged. "You can protect yourself from relationships all you like, but when you really let yourself go in one it's... worth it. Even if there's heartbreak. It's going to suck massively for Stuart and Tom but they got to experience something amazing for a little while. I guess maybe now's the time you need to start asking yourself if you're willing to risk the distance to keep what you have with Gee."
Euan was smirking at her again and he laughed. "You're talking about yourself, love. Quit the projection shite. My relationship isn't yours. Go fuck him if you miss him that much. I don't do hearts, roses, and soap opera romantic smiles and cutesy snuggles. I'm sorry, but I don't," he said with a shrug. "And if I'm completely honest, then no. I hate fucking long distance anything. You wanted my opinion, you got it. Long distance relationship is a fucking oxymoron, and emphasis on the morons who bother with that shit."
Vee looked at him. "Then what do you want from her?"
Euan shrugged. "Fun?"
Vee gave a nod as she tucked her hands between her knees. Now that she'd been thinking about Matt she really did just want to go home and jump his lovely ass, and it was all she could do not to bounce her legs restlessly. "And she knows that?"
Euan looked at her evenly and just quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why should I be expected to bow to your concept of a relationship, and then sit here while you make me think my wants are like they originate in a freak show? Enlighten me. What is she supposed to know, Vee?"
Vee shrugged. "I don't have a concept! It wasn't like I'd ever fucking had a working relationship before. I was like you, remember? And I'm not saying they're weird. I'm just curious. You're my BFF, so you have to put up with the girl talk from time to time. That's all."
"You had a whole fucking romance novel of a description of an ideal romance!" Euan protested and shook his head, finally picking up the packet of cigarettes he had, up until now, resisted. He peeled the plastic off and had one lit up, the nicotine rushing through him and giving him an almost orgasmic rush. He dropped his head back against the sofa with a pleasured moan. "Your ideal is not my ideal, no matter how much you keep saying you were like me. Just because Gee and me aren't like you and Supercop, doesn't mean we don't make it fucking work. And fun."
Vee glanced over at Euan and watched him light up. There was a small part of her that was envious. She was a reformed smoker and in their early days she was guilty of making out with him just because she wanted to taste the cigarettes on his tongue. A lot of ex smokers didn't like the smell, or taste of cigarettes after they'd quit, but Vee was the opposite. If she couldn't smoke, she'd watch Euan enjoy it. The only reason she'd quit in the first place was some asshole ex. "Alright, alright. I'll let up. Just let me know if I have to stick hot pokers in her because she's making it not fun."
Euan smirked around the cigarette as he inhaled sharply on it again to get another rapid hit. He blew it out in a smooth stream and gestured to Vee with the cigarette. "She makes it very fun... even without always knowing it," he told her. "And you so fucking want to marry him. You want the ring and the dude who would punch a wall for you."
Vee snorted in amusement before she looked down at her hand and her empty ring finger. "I want the ring and the dude that would tip London upside on behalf of my best friend. And the man that can still want me after ostrich feather underwear disasters."
"And I take it you want the traditional storybook proposal, too?" Euan indulged on his smoke again for a few moments. "Is he the marrying kind?"
"I want it however he'd give it to me. I don't need traditional, or storybook. We've hardly been traditional or storybook contrary to what you think." Vee shifted onto her side as she tucked her feet up under her and faced him. "I don't know."
Euan blew out a few smoke rings, his eyes still on her. "Well, you're all for feminism, right? Why don't you propose to him?" He raised his eyebrows. "Hold that thought, though. Do you know anything about his family or his past?"
Vee bit her lip before she gave a small shake of her head. "Um, no. Now that you mention it..."
Euan just started to laugh and then gave her a small shove. "And you give me fucking hell about telling Gee about mine? Fuck you, bitch," he teased, but it was purely in an affectionate way. "I'm getting you a big fucking hypocrite badge that you can wear in your hypocritical glory with your pink feathers."
Vee covered her face with her hands as she tried not to giggle out of embarrassment. "Oh, shit! I can't believe it... I so suck at this. I never said I was perfect. Besides, it's do as I say and not as I do."
"Well, you can plant your lips firmly on my arse, Stewart. You guilt trip me into telling Gee my deepest and darkest, and you don't even know if he even has parents? He might be a right twisted copper. Maybe he's a drag queen by night? Or a manwhore, hanging out in the red light district? Those pants of his are awfully tight some days," Euan pointed out, milking this for all it was worth. "Maybe Brooks is his secret lover... or really his father. Supercop is a love child."
Virginia shook her head as the giggles started to turn into laughter. "No, no, he can't be! I know that much. He really is just his partner. And he doesn't have time to be a drag queen, or work the red light distract. His pants are only tight because he thinks of me. No, I know some stuff. I just can't remember it right now. The pressure's too great. We did a talk thing when he was freaking out because I hadn't told him anything."
Euan shook his head with a snort of amusement. "Forget I said anything about marriage, because you're screwed before you even launch. You can't even remember the ins and outs of a D&M. I say you gotta longgggggg way to go before he puts a ring on your finger officially. Any other rings and your fingers I do not want to fucking know about."
Vee sat up and ruffled Euan's hair before laying a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "And to think I was actually worried you'd die of exploded body parts. I take it back. You're far too much of a pain in the ass to keep around."
"So, you're just gonna top me, then? Now you're evil plans come to light. You really did poison me, didn't you?" Euan joked back and ashed his cigarette on the small crystral ashtray nearby. "You realise that I'm going to take great pride in saying this, but you so have so much more fucking work to do with him than I do with Gee. I win."
Vee raised her eyebrows as she smirked at him. "I'm going to suffocate you with my breasts. I thought it would be the way you wanted to go. It's not a competition, baby."
"Then when's the augmentation surgery, because those babies ain't gonna even make me need CPR," Euan threw back, sniggering now and shaking his head a little. It had been a long time since they had any conversations like this, and he really didn't miss her overanalysing him right now.
She grabbed at her own breasts and pushed them together before letting her legs fall open. "Maybe I'll just sit on your face then, U. Give that tongue a workout before it's lights out."
"Supercop not enough for you? I knew you'd come drooling after me again," Euan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm a taken man now, thanks to you."
Vee stuck her lip out in a pout. "I fucked myself over. Clearly it was a mistake. I can't help if the idea of you both is hot."
"I'll let you fight that little detail out with Gee. Preferably in wet t-shirts and mud, while I watch," Euan decided with a succinct nod and stubbed the cigarette out.
"Are you sure you're alright, not just feeding me bullshit?" Vee asked after a beat.
Euan picked up his lighter and started flicking it open and shut. He shrugged slightly. "I've been better... obviously. I was forced to talk about a lot of things I never wanted to revisit again. I have no fucking idea where my shit is gonna land with my job, just when I've started getting used to being in London again. So, I might take a rain check on the outright answer to that, to see what happens in a few weeks."
Vee reached out to take his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "You could always join me as a PI. Not that you've ever been a private dick."
Euan shook his head with a snort. "No, no way. I don't work for lawyers, and if we partnered up again for anything, we'd kill each other. Too much time has passed."
Vee nodded, but her expression was a little sad. "All good things must come to an end... Thanks for being the best partner a crazy Yank could ask for."
"Think you'll get back into it, if you ever get citizenship?" Euan asked her as he stilled the lighter in his hand.
Virginia sighed as she rest her head in her hand against the sofa. "Police work? No, I don't think so. You were right when we were chatting about it the first time I came here. I don't want to start at the bottom. I don't want to go back to being a uniform. This is it now. I've had my time."
Euan scrunched his nose up, not sure he could ever be anything but a detective. "So, what's it like, then? The new job."
"Good, interesting... It's not as boring as I thought. It's a lot quicker than policework believe it or not. A lot more satisfying. Less murders. Maybe not as exciting, but I still feel as if I'm getting something done." Vee smiled a little. "For some reason people are more inclined to talk to someone that works for a lawyer than a cop."
"Human nature. Can't say I blame them. A cop is never on your doorstep for a fucking cuppa. There's always something bad attached. In saying that, you don't usually need a lawyer for something that isn't creating you shit, either, or they wouldn't have the pay packets they do. So, what's the guy like to work for? He's got quite a reputation. He rarely loses a case, and Gee thinks the sun shines outta Braveheart's arse, so there must be something about them all. Haven't had much to do with them. I've had more to do with your other half than anything else," Euan added with a smirk. He still couldn't believe out of all the cops in the CID, Vee's lay had to be the one he threw up all over and showed his weakness.
Vee smirked. "Oh yes, he's been loving every single second with you. He's been full of so many stories. Well, complaints. No love lost, huh? Tom is actually really great. He's got balls. Big ones. He's not afraid to be straight with someone. Not afraid to rip them a new one, either. Although I'm still not sure I've seen him in full swing just yet. The stuff with Stuart's slowed him down for obvious reasons. He still seems to be feeling the effects of the accident. I still can't complain though."
Euan snorted and casually scratched at the wound on his stomach. Now it was just about healed, it itched like hell. Always the way with something healing. "The last time we crossed paths, I barfed on him. I doubt there is any love lost. Before that, we tried to avoid each other as much as we could. We have chalk and cheese copper strategies. In saying that, I know the bloke is a bulldog when he needs to be. Completely nicked a rapist on public TV once apparently. You bagged yourself a celebrity." He raised his eyebrows a little. "Is he even ready to be back at work?"
"Aren't you jealous? He also arrested Elvis. He just loves that limelight. There's nothing wrong with chalk and cheese. You both get the job done. You're both good at it." She gave a shake of her head. "Honestly? No. I don't think he is. He didn't exactly rush back, but his frame of mind has been... off. Not that I know him all that well. But I guess we'll see. Losing Stuart could be telling."
"Oh yeah, I'm just completely green with envy, I'm fucking Kermit. It might not be an issue anyway, I could well be out of both of your hair and polishing my cuffs in Manchester or Leeds." Euan considered the comment for a moment with a small frown. "It's hard to think much of anything when you're in pain. He was in hospital for ages. Nothing wrong with timeout. Time is probably just the last fucking shit he wants to think about right now. Time alone will just make him think of the screwed relationship."
Vee ruffled his hair again. "At least get a haircut before you disappear on us. I can't have you showing the rest of the country your unruly locks. And time at work with the woman who thought you were... Not that I blame her. I can only imagine how it must have looked to anyone that would have walked in. She did seem concerned when I told her Stuart was leaving. She even ran off after."
"I feel for her. It wasn't like she was going to fucking stick around to just make sure her boss might not be blowing her brother, right? She saw what she saw, she's not the first person make an error of judgement and she won't be the fucking last. The guy had the reputation, and it'll always stick. He used to be fine with that, probably thrived on it once. Just because he has woken up and smelt the haggis, doesn't mean everyone else is on the same page as him. If he's got the balls, he'll deal with it and just wear it, use it to his advantage. It just sucks the relationship fucked up, but even then, a lot of shit went down. Braveheart was probably just tired. He's been nursing the bloke back to health, and he gets thanked with a free porn marathon?" Euan started to play with the lighter again. "It's why I'm always straight about where I stand with that sort of thing. They like it or they can get fucked, just not by me."
"I think it was more the brother blowing Tom. Allegedly. Either way it really did seem to be a last straw, not the first. They're probably both tired, but I can understand Stuart's. He really did seem to put everything into looking after Tom. Waking up and smelling haggis is... disgusting. Just so you know. Matt knows about you. It's the only significant relationship he needs to know about. The rest were just sex. And no DVDs." Vee made a slight face. "But I wouldn't mind filming his ass."
"Never was much of a fan of the whole homemade porn shit. This is a prime example of why. Why the fuck keep evidence that someone can just rub in your face down the track? I've also got no fucking desire to watch myself fucking, either. Never a better time for a lawyer to learn that the evidence will always come back and bite you on the arse. Still, I wasn't just talking about the ex factor. I'm talking about life in general. Sometimes important past information doesn't involve fucking at all. In fact, fucking is the easy part. It's beyond that it gets messy, like the fact the lawyer wasn't just fucking someone else, he was fucking someone else of importance. That's where the shit hit the fan," Euan pointed out.
Vee nodded slowly. "Sometimes it just hits people hard. Sometimes it really is the connections we don't know existed. Jealousy is... ugly. Sometimes it's not always jealousy. It's just knowing that there was a piece missing from the puzzle and you didn't even notice the gap."
"Especially when the fucking gap should have been pointed out to you by the person who made it," Euan returned, continuing with the metaphor. "I'm not saying the bloke is a total cockhead for what he did. He's not. In fact, I hear he's a fucking fine attorney. But as soon as marriage was even on the cards in the slightest consideration, it just should have been mentioned, that's all. No harm, no foul. It would've saved a whole lot of heartache, for him especially. At the end of the day, you've still gotta have the balls to talk about the past. It ain't always easy, but if you figure you've found a perfect match in someone, it should be worth it. That's the theory, anyway."
Vee looked straight at him and held his gaze. "Is that why you told her?"
Euan just smirked. "We're not talking about me. You're the one proverbially sticking puzzle pieces up Supercop's arse."
"I really hate you sometimes," Vee replied with a grin.
Word Count |
She had always thought that she was the one person he wouldn't lie to. It just wasn't true. He'd lie to her just like he lied to everyone else. She only hoped that he'd at least tell Gee the truth. She knew that Matt's friend was smitten with the Irishman and she couldn't blame her. She'd just rip Gee in half if she ever hurt Euan. That alone told her that she wasn't so mad at Euan that she didn't still love her best friend.
Shit happens.
She was grateful he hadn't exploded. Her track record with the men she loved coming close to doing so was getting a bit ludicrous. So far she was two for two. She'd also had to be thrown into the deep end with her new job, hit the ground running as Thomas Hunt's PI. There was a backlog of work that needed to be done for quite a few cases, and Vee had been determined to get it all done as quickly as possible. The personal explosion that had happened around her she'd tried to ignore. It wasn't her business. Tom was her employer, but when she'd spoken to Jess she couldn't not mention the information about Stuart.
That was the trouble with being an ex cop. You picked up information no matter where you went. She just chose to embrace it as a positive for her new position. It all went towards staying in London. She was just as head over heels for Matt as the day she'd taken a leap of faith and come to the city. His city. Now she just had to work on making sure Euan was happy here too, even if he'd tell her to go fuck herself.
She flopped down on his couch after he'd let her in, and made a face as she looked at him. "They all call me Virginia. Every single fucking one of them. I hate it."
"Because Vee is a huge fucking better alternative?" Euan snorted, tugging his trackpants up as he flicked the door closed and took the other end of the sofa. It was summer, and there wasn't much point in wearing much more than track pants. The only problem was, following his operation, he had lost weight and his clothes had stopped fitting neatly. It had only been the last week or so that he had been able to stomach normal food again, and as much as he hated living on all the healthy high fibre bullshit, he hadn't had a choice but to stick with it or just end up feeling shit. The pants continued to ride low on his hips and he had to keep yanking them up. It was tempting to just go naked twenty-four-seven, but the occasional people knocking on his door probably wouldn't appreciate that. "Not exactly sure why you haven't just told them to go fuck themselves."
"I want to stay employed?" she asked him as she rose her eyebrows. "And I didn't realise you had such a hatred for my name. Well, fuck you very much, Euan." She looked him over as she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and pulled her mouth to the side. "How have you been? I've never seen you look so skinny. Even after that night we both had the bad curry. I didn't think the shit would ever stop. How's Gee? Is she coping without Stuart?"
Euan smirked, shaking his head. "Then just don't tell your boss to go fuck himself, plain and simple. Fuck, I hate when you're so sensitive. I don't agree with you, you get the shits. I agree, you get the shits. Fuck you right back," he returned with a shrug. He held the waistband of his pants out a bit and peered down at the large scar on the side of his stomach. By the time they got their finger out to get him cut open, it wasn't just routine surgery anymore, and they went digging around for other shit on the chance it might not just been appendicitis after all the hype surrounding how it went down. Seems doctors' reasoning is that while he's open, go on a casual ride through his intestines to avoid opening him back up again later. It had led to a prolonged recovery on his part, and he now had two scars on his gut, about two centimeters apart from each other. "You try living for two weeks with explosive diarrhoea every time you eat. Now I know why the fucking skinny bitch models pour laxatives down their throats, and all I can say is that the bitches need straight jackets. The bad curry was like a French kiss in comparison. Coping without him? He's been gone one night, and as far as I can see, she hasn't topped herself."
"Losing a partner can be hard," Vee murmured quietly in her defense. "Maybe I should have asked how she's coping after saying goodbye. No, you love me when I'm sensitive. It keeps you on your little toes." Her gaze went to his scars, and now she could see the difference between them. The exploratory surgery hadn't turned anything up for obvious reasons, just left Euan with a permanent reminder. She kept staring for a long moment before she got up to close the gap between them and sat next to him so she could hug him tightly. "I was so scared. I honestly thought something more than exploding body parts had happened to you. I'm sorry they went digging... But I didn't know."
"No fucking shit, Sherlock," Euan snorted, quirking his eyebrow at her and then taking a sip of his bottle of water that was sitting beside a pack of smokes on the table beside him. "He's her first, she's coping like shit, and didn't want him to go. But the bloke is having a tough time and needs to do what he has to do." He sighed roughly and hugged her back, not saying anything initially. "You didn't need to know," he finally replied and met her eyes when the hug eased off. "It wouldn't have made any difference to our working relationship if you did."
Vee rest her head back against the sofa, but didn't retreat back to her corner. She stayed next to Euan as she looked at him. "I feel really sorry for him, but I get it. Sometimes it's not good things that send you running. Sometimes you have to just leave because it hurts too much to be where you are. This whole city would have to smack of Tom for him. I just hope he finds what he needs. She'll understand eventually... She's going to miss him for a long while." She frowned a little. "Fuck our working relationship. What about our personal one?"
"If he doesn't, at least he still has his parents and family to make sure he's okay," Euan reasoned as he played with the lid of the bottle. "She'll be fine when she gets a new partner and finds a niche with them. She just might never trust them as much as she did him." He held her gaze and then casually flipped her off. "What about it? Are you telling me you're shallow enough that this would have had a bearing on our personal relationship if you knew about it?"
She nodded. "It's hard to trust someone once you've already nurtured that connection to your first partner, or to one that's really been there for you. I'm not sure I ever would have lasted with another partner after you. But then, there's only one Euan Fitzpatrick, isn't there?" Vee added as she made a kissy face. Then she grinned, and flipped him off right back. "No, I'm saying it would have fucking helped in situations like these so that I don't have people believing you've already had out your fucking appendix. You're still U to me. Always will be. I don't give a fucking toss about what you did before."
Euan snapped his fingers and then pointed at her. "Exactly. So it doesn't fucking matter how I got the scar. I got it when I was a very fucking different person, one you wouldn't have even spat on. I remember the conversation well, too. Second time we fucked, no wham, bam, thank you ma'am. We were lying there, and you found it. You asked me if I had surgery, and I said aye. Because I did. They had to shove all the vital organs back in place and stitch me up after it. You asked if it was appendix and I just shrugged at you and grunted. I only technically evaded the truth, I didn't lie to you. It stopped you asking questions, and that was fine enough for me. You didn't need to know any of my past, it was safer that way."
Vee made a face, but then she just smirked. "We seemed to have done a lot of our getting to know each other after sex. Funny, that. You're still the only man I've ever had in cuffs. Matt won't go near that sort of thing. Not that I have any complaints. Things are just different with him. It's how it should be. I'm not replacing you, you're not replacing me. We're just adding other people to the mix. Finding someone we fit with, not someone we have to change for to fit with. You're too good at loop holes, Euan. Sometimes it might help you to get snagged on one once in a while."
Euan gestured down to the scar on his gut. "Snag, meet Vee. She hates being called Virginia," he said, smirking again. "Well, Brits don't like getting their weapons out unless it's really necessary. They'd rather solve shit with tea and scones, and hope the Queen will bail them the fuck out. Don't blame him for being a prude, he can't help it. He's been here long enough to lose the Irish accent, so he counts as a Londoner. At least he keeps you occupied. I might not be here long enough to keep you entertained in your spare time, unless I can fit you in to my busy cybersex schedule. Yay, internet acronyms. I can use a sideways smiley face when I come," he said sarcastically.
Vee drew her eyebrows together. "You don't think you'll stay in London? Even if he has lost the accent, he's still my Irishman. Not sure he'll appreciate you fitting me into your cybersex schedule when he'll want to use his own sideways smiley face when he comes with me. He'll probably whip out his weapon and make you explode all over again. Look at this way, you'll be considered the greatest policeman that ever lived for using more than just tea and scones to solve crimes. Your weapon will see plenty of action."
"They offered me Evans' job, but I told Gee I wouldn't take it," Euan admitted, with a small scrunching up of his nose. The job would have been ideal, considering how much he just forked out for this apartment of his, but it wouldn't have been right at the end of the day, and that was without even considering the fact he would have had no hope filling Evans' shoes in Gee's eyes. In fact, he pitied any partner than was going to come in after him. They had gotten close quickly. An awesome thing if they were partners, but fucking difficult if that ended. "Means I could end up at any CID. The big boss was even talking shoving me somewhere in the armed department because I've worked with weapons. Real weapons," he told her with a smirk. But still, couldn't resist pulling his pants down and giving her an eyeful. "But feel free to help yourself to my scones. You can't accuse me of poor hospitality."
Vee was about to hit him in the stomach when she thought better, and just reached down to flick her finger at his scones. "Yes, very hospitable. But there's no jam, or cream, and I can't possibly have scones without those. You won't take it because you don't want it, or because she asked you not to? You might be good in the armed department, but still... Doesn't mean you'll be shipped out to some one goat village with only men in it. And there are ways to keep in touch with your... Gee." Vee frowned a little. "Is she your girlfriend?"
Euan snorted in amusement. "Actually, they're more likely to shove me in a big city because I worked NYPD. I didn't take it because she didn't want me too, and I hate the fucking term girlfriend, so you can stick that up your arse and blow it out again. Isn't the whole dating thing enough without needing to give it a cutesy high school name?" He tucked himself back into his pants and adjusted his assets into a comfortable position before taking another mouthful of water. "I pity Supercop if you want to smear jam on his ballsack."
"I'd rather have him covered in chocolate, but he'll probably think it'll make a mess..." Vee's eyes glazed over briefly as she ran her tongue over her lips and entertained her fantasy for a few moments. "So what city is there? They'd be mad not to keep you in London because of the NYPD thing. But maybe without Stuart, she wouldn't turn down a transfer either. They wouldn't stop her. You could both start in a new city. Alright, so if you don't like girlfriend then what?"
"You're such a Yank," Euan said in amusement. "England is full of other cities, London is just its capital. There is no fucking way we would be granted a transfer to the same city. She puts in for a transfer, then she goes wherever the hell they choose. Not to mention how mental she would be as an ambitious DC to turn her nose up at a job in London's CID. This is where she will work her way up the quickest, there are more chances for movement. In smaller cities, the CIDs are smaller, hence more people vying for promotion. You either want promotion, or you don't. If you do, you can't get a better place than already in the epicentre of it all. As it is, Evans himself is probably facing the prospect of being landed in some pissy cop shop with nothing more to do to pass his time than eat donuts and play the bagpipes. Her name's Gee," he said pointedly.
"I look good being one," Vee returned as she fluffed her hair and pouted. "Alright, so there's other cities, just like in the States. Just not ones we learn about over in Yank School. And if you can't be guaranteed a transfer to the same place, then... I guess you will have to get used to cybersex. I can't believe it's all been shaken loose so quickly, but you can't date her and be her partner. I don't care what anyone says, it rarely works. That's why we never would have worked. We'd have killed each other. She doesn't need you stepping into Evans' shoes either. There needs to be separation. Gee... Trust you to fall for someone named Gee. Maybe I should start going by Virginia."
Euan rested his head on his hand, watching her as she spoke. It was actually a relief that someone just saw his standpoint for once. It seemed to be a rare occurrence of late. He had felt recently that all he did was try to sweettalk his way out of mindsets he believed in but no one else seemed to get. "And you wonder why I prefer being single. Case in point. A seemingly perfect relationship blows up in a massive shit explosion, and everyone around them is hit with the onslaught. For what? No one even really knows exactly what caused the shit. The bloke wasn't cheating, he slipped up on revealing a fucking part of his past that was important, for sure, but it just shows nothing is as firm as you think. Nothing is perfect. No one is fucking perfect, no matter how much they think they are. Everyone makes mistakes, and people get hurt because of it. Plain and simple. Now here I am, I can't take a perfectly reasonable position, because it would be a screwed situation, and could well end up in another city, miles away from someone I'm supposed to be dating and resorting to my own fucking hand for an orgasm. Relationships. Woo."
Virginia pointed at him. "But then you need to remember why relationships are worth it. Think about those times you've had her here when you've felt shit and how nice it is to just have someone take care of you for once. How nice it is to talk to someone after a shitty day and they just listen. Or the post-shitty day sex that comes when you just want to feel good again. And they're the only ones that can make you feel good. Or just their smiles, and how they look in a towel, or the little gestures that drive you crazy for no real reason." Vee shrugged. "You can protect yourself from relationships all you like, but when you really let yourself go in one it's... worth it. Even if there's heartbreak. It's going to suck massively for Stuart and Tom but they got to experience something amazing for a little while. I guess maybe now's the time you need to start asking yourself if you're willing to risk the distance to keep what you have with Gee."
Euan was smirking at her again and he laughed. "You're talking about yourself, love. Quit the projection shite. My relationship isn't yours. Go fuck him if you miss him that much. I don't do hearts, roses, and soap opera romantic smiles and cutesy snuggles. I'm sorry, but I don't," he said with a shrug. "And if I'm completely honest, then no. I hate fucking long distance anything. You wanted my opinion, you got it. Long distance relationship is a fucking oxymoron, and emphasis on the morons who bother with that shit."
Vee looked at him. "Then what do you want from her?"
Euan shrugged. "Fun?"
Vee gave a nod as she tucked her hands between her knees. Now that she'd been thinking about Matt she really did just want to go home and jump his lovely ass, and it was all she could do not to bounce her legs restlessly. "And she knows that?"
Euan looked at her evenly and just quirked an eyebrow at her. "Why should I be expected to bow to your concept of a relationship, and then sit here while you make me think my wants are like they originate in a freak show? Enlighten me. What is she supposed to know, Vee?"
Vee shrugged. "I don't have a concept! It wasn't like I'd ever fucking had a working relationship before. I was like you, remember? And I'm not saying they're weird. I'm just curious. You're my BFF, so you have to put up with the girl talk from time to time. That's all."
"You had a whole fucking romance novel of a description of an ideal romance!" Euan protested and shook his head, finally picking up the packet of cigarettes he had, up until now, resisted. He peeled the plastic off and had one lit up, the nicotine rushing through him and giving him an almost orgasmic rush. He dropped his head back against the sofa with a pleasured moan. "Your ideal is not my ideal, no matter how much you keep saying you were like me. Just because Gee and me aren't like you and Supercop, doesn't mean we don't make it fucking work. And fun."
Vee glanced over at Euan and watched him light up. There was a small part of her that was envious. She was a reformed smoker and in their early days she was guilty of making out with him just because she wanted to taste the cigarettes on his tongue. A lot of ex smokers didn't like the smell, or taste of cigarettes after they'd quit, but Vee was the opposite. If she couldn't smoke, she'd watch Euan enjoy it. The only reason she'd quit in the first place was some asshole ex. "Alright, alright. I'll let up. Just let me know if I have to stick hot pokers in her because she's making it not fun."
Euan smirked around the cigarette as he inhaled sharply on it again to get another rapid hit. He blew it out in a smooth stream and gestured to Vee with the cigarette. "She makes it very fun... even without always knowing it," he told her. "And you so fucking want to marry him. You want the ring and the dude who would punch a wall for you."
Vee snorted in amusement before she looked down at her hand and her empty ring finger. "I want the ring and the dude that would tip London upside on behalf of my best friend. And the man that can still want me after ostrich feather underwear disasters."
"And I take it you want the traditional storybook proposal, too?" Euan indulged on his smoke again for a few moments. "Is he the marrying kind?"
"I want it however he'd give it to me. I don't need traditional, or storybook. We've hardly been traditional or storybook contrary to what you think." Vee shifted onto her side as she tucked her feet up under her and faced him. "I don't know."
Euan blew out a few smoke rings, his eyes still on her. "Well, you're all for feminism, right? Why don't you propose to him?" He raised his eyebrows. "Hold that thought, though. Do you know anything about his family or his past?"
Vee bit her lip before she gave a small shake of her head. "Um, no. Now that you mention it..."
Euan just started to laugh and then gave her a small shove. "And you give me fucking hell about telling Gee about mine? Fuck you, bitch," he teased, but it was purely in an affectionate way. "I'm getting you a big fucking hypocrite badge that you can wear in your hypocritical glory with your pink feathers."
Vee covered her face with her hands as she tried not to giggle out of embarrassment. "Oh, shit! I can't believe it... I so suck at this. I never said I was perfect. Besides, it's do as I say and not as I do."
"Well, you can plant your lips firmly on my arse, Stewart. You guilt trip me into telling Gee my deepest and darkest, and you don't even know if he even has parents? He might be a right twisted copper. Maybe he's a drag queen by night? Or a manwhore, hanging out in the red light district? Those pants of his are awfully tight some days," Euan pointed out, milking this for all it was worth. "Maybe Brooks is his secret lover... or really his father. Supercop is a love child."
Virginia shook her head as the giggles started to turn into laughter. "No, no, he can't be! I know that much. He really is just his partner. And he doesn't have time to be a drag queen, or work the red light distract. His pants are only tight because he thinks of me. No, I know some stuff. I just can't remember it right now. The pressure's too great. We did a talk thing when he was freaking out because I hadn't told him anything."
Euan shook his head with a snort of amusement. "Forget I said anything about marriage, because you're screwed before you even launch. You can't even remember the ins and outs of a D&M. I say you gotta longgggggg way to go before he puts a ring on your finger officially. Any other rings and your fingers I do not want to fucking know about."
Vee sat up and ruffled Euan's hair before laying a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "And to think I was actually worried you'd die of exploded body parts. I take it back. You're far too much of a pain in the ass to keep around."
"So, you're just gonna top me, then? Now you're evil plans come to light. You really did poison me, didn't you?" Euan joked back and ashed his cigarette on the small crystral ashtray nearby. "You realise that I'm going to take great pride in saying this, but you so have so much more fucking work to do with him than I do with Gee. I win."
Vee raised her eyebrows as she smirked at him. "I'm going to suffocate you with my breasts. I thought it would be the way you wanted to go. It's not a competition, baby."
"Then when's the augmentation surgery, because those babies ain't gonna even make me need CPR," Euan threw back, sniggering now and shaking his head a little. It had been a long time since they had any conversations like this, and he really didn't miss her overanalysing him right now.
She grabbed at her own breasts and pushed them together before letting her legs fall open. "Maybe I'll just sit on your face then, U. Give that tongue a workout before it's lights out."
"Supercop not enough for you? I knew you'd come drooling after me again," Euan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm a taken man now, thanks to you."
Vee stuck her lip out in a pout. "I fucked myself over. Clearly it was a mistake. I can't help if the idea of you both is hot."
"I'll let you fight that little detail out with Gee. Preferably in wet t-shirts and mud, while I watch," Euan decided with a succinct nod and stubbed the cigarette out.
"Are you sure you're alright, not just feeding me bullshit?" Vee asked after a beat.
Euan picked up his lighter and started flicking it open and shut. He shrugged slightly. "I've been better... obviously. I was forced to talk about a lot of things I never wanted to revisit again. I have no fucking idea where my shit is gonna land with my job, just when I've started getting used to being in London again. So, I might take a rain check on the outright answer to that, to see what happens in a few weeks."
Vee reached out to take his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. "You could always join me as a PI. Not that you've ever been a private dick."
Euan shook his head with a snort. "No, no way. I don't work for lawyers, and if we partnered up again for anything, we'd kill each other. Too much time has passed."
Vee nodded, but her expression was a little sad. "All good things must come to an end... Thanks for being the best partner a crazy Yank could ask for."
"Think you'll get back into it, if you ever get citizenship?" Euan asked her as he stilled the lighter in his hand.
Virginia sighed as she rest her head in her hand against the sofa. "Police work? No, I don't think so. You were right when we were chatting about it the first time I came here. I don't want to start at the bottom. I don't want to go back to being a uniform. This is it now. I've had my time."
Euan scrunched his nose up, not sure he could ever be anything but a detective. "So, what's it like, then? The new job."
"Good, interesting... It's not as boring as I thought. It's a lot quicker than policework believe it or not. A lot more satisfying. Less murders. Maybe not as exciting, but I still feel as if I'm getting something done." Vee smiled a little. "For some reason people are more inclined to talk to someone that works for a lawyer than a cop."
"Human nature. Can't say I blame them. A cop is never on your doorstep for a fucking cuppa. There's always something bad attached. In saying that, you don't usually need a lawyer for something that isn't creating you shit, either, or they wouldn't have the pay packets they do. So, what's the guy like to work for? He's got quite a reputation. He rarely loses a case, and Gee thinks the sun shines outta Braveheart's arse, so there must be something about them all. Haven't had much to do with them. I've had more to do with your other half than anything else," Euan added with a smirk. He still couldn't believe out of all the cops in the CID, Vee's lay had to be the one he threw up all over and showed his weakness.
Vee smirked. "Oh yes, he's been loving every single second with you. He's been full of so many stories. Well, complaints. No love lost, huh? Tom is actually really great. He's got balls. Big ones. He's not afraid to be straight with someone. Not afraid to rip them a new one, either. Although I'm still not sure I've seen him in full swing just yet. The stuff with Stuart's slowed him down for obvious reasons. He still seems to be feeling the effects of the accident. I still can't complain though."
Euan snorted and casually scratched at the wound on his stomach. Now it was just about healed, it itched like hell. Always the way with something healing. "The last time we crossed paths, I barfed on him. I doubt there is any love lost. Before that, we tried to avoid each other as much as we could. We have chalk and cheese copper strategies. In saying that, I know the bloke is a bulldog when he needs to be. Completely nicked a rapist on public TV once apparently. You bagged yourself a celebrity." He raised his eyebrows a little. "Is he even ready to be back at work?"
"Aren't you jealous? He also arrested Elvis. He just loves that limelight. There's nothing wrong with chalk and cheese. You both get the job done. You're both good at it." She gave a shake of her head. "Honestly? No. I don't think he is. He didn't exactly rush back, but his frame of mind has been... off. Not that I know him all that well. But I guess we'll see. Losing Stuart could be telling."
"Oh yeah, I'm just completely green with envy, I'm fucking Kermit. It might not be an issue anyway, I could well be out of both of your hair and polishing my cuffs in Manchester or Leeds." Euan considered the comment for a moment with a small frown. "It's hard to think much of anything when you're in pain. He was in hospital for ages. Nothing wrong with timeout. Time is probably just the last fucking shit he wants to think about right now. Time alone will just make him think of the screwed relationship."
Vee ruffled his hair again. "At least get a haircut before you disappear on us. I can't have you showing the rest of the country your unruly locks. And time at work with the woman who thought you were... Not that I blame her. I can only imagine how it must have looked to anyone that would have walked in. She did seem concerned when I told her Stuart was leaving. She even ran off after."
"I feel for her. It wasn't like she was going to fucking stick around to just make sure her boss might not be blowing her brother, right? She saw what she saw, she's not the first person make an error of judgement and she won't be the fucking last. The guy had the reputation, and it'll always stick. He used to be fine with that, probably thrived on it once. Just because he has woken up and smelt the haggis, doesn't mean everyone else is on the same page as him. If he's got the balls, he'll deal with it and just wear it, use it to his advantage. It just sucks the relationship fucked up, but even then, a lot of shit went down. Braveheart was probably just tired. He's been nursing the bloke back to health, and he gets thanked with a free porn marathon?" Euan started to play with the lighter again. "It's why I'm always straight about where I stand with that sort of thing. They like it or they can get fucked, just not by me."
"I think it was more the brother blowing Tom. Allegedly. Either way it really did seem to be a last straw, not the first. They're probably both tired, but I can understand Stuart's. He really did seem to put everything into looking after Tom. Waking up and smelling haggis is... disgusting. Just so you know. Matt knows about you. It's the only significant relationship he needs to know about. The rest were just sex. And no DVDs." Vee made a slight face. "But I wouldn't mind filming his ass."
"Never was much of a fan of the whole homemade porn shit. This is a prime example of why. Why the fuck keep evidence that someone can just rub in your face down the track? I've also got no fucking desire to watch myself fucking, either. Never a better time for a lawyer to learn that the evidence will always come back and bite you on the arse. Still, I wasn't just talking about the ex factor. I'm talking about life in general. Sometimes important past information doesn't involve fucking at all. In fact, fucking is the easy part. It's beyond that it gets messy, like the fact the lawyer wasn't just fucking someone else, he was fucking someone else of importance. That's where the shit hit the fan," Euan pointed out.
Vee nodded slowly. "Sometimes it just hits people hard. Sometimes it really is the connections we don't know existed. Jealousy is... ugly. Sometimes it's not always jealousy. It's just knowing that there was a piece missing from the puzzle and you didn't even notice the gap."
"Especially when the fucking gap should have been pointed out to you by the person who made it," Euan returned, continuing with the metaphor. "I'm not saying the bloke is a total cockhead for what he did. He's not. In fact, I hear he's a fucking fine attorney. But as soon as marriage was even on the cards in the slightest consideration, it just should have been mentioned, that's all. No harm, no foul. It would've saved a whole lot of heartache, for him especially. At the end of the day, you've still gotta have the balls to talk about the past. It ain't always easy, but if you figure you've found a perfect match in someone, it should be worth it. That's the theory, anyway."
Vee looked straight at him and held his gaze. "Is that why you told her?"
Euan just smirked. "We're not talking about me. You're the one proverbially sticking puzzle pieces up Supercop's arse."
"I really hate you sometimes," Vee replied with a grin.
Word Count |