justprompts Drinks as always
(Scotty = avg_stereotype. Used with my own permission. Picture prompt.)
It was just the two of them, late into the evening, working in the bar. Scotty kept glancing over at Larry from the section of wall he was painting. He sighed and set his roller down, before running his fingers through his hair and going behind the bar. He bent down to pull out the bottle of scotch they kept for breaks and poured two glasses. Like a cat to tuna water, Larry migrated over and sat down. He silently picked up his scotch and looked at it.
"Damn," he groaned and set it down. Scotty smirked.
"Don't feel like drinking still?"
"Shut up," Larry muttered. He pushed the scotch away, but continued to sit there.
"Does your wife know you're such an asshole sometimes?" The smirk on Scotty's lips returned. Larry only raised his eyes in a slight glare. Scotty chuckled. "Lighten up, man. So you got drunk and acted like a dumbass. What's new there?"
"Is this your idea of being a supportive friend? I've got to tell you, it could use some practice."
"Larry." Scotty shook his head and set his glass down, then leaned against the bar towards Larry. He sighed. "Why'd you do it?"
"I don't remember, really. Like I said - very drunk."
"I thought things were good here. I thought you were doin' okay. What's with..."
"I don't know," Larry answered.
"I know you miss Sam, but you don't need to keep doing this shit to yourself. You don't need to go off and get so drunk that you end up married."
"I'm not doing anything to myself, Scotty. I was having a good time with a good friend."
Scotty rolled his eyes. "And you need to stop having these fuck buddies. Didn't you learn last year how bad of an idea it is?"
"It's not like that with Pepper. We're friends before anything else."
"No," Scotty corrected slowly. "You're husband and wife before anything else." He jerked back before Larry could reach out to smack him. "Hey man, I know...I get it. You're head's all over the place. I just.." he sighed and stood up. "Never mind."
"If you have something to say, say it," Larry's eyes followed his friend. "It hasn't stopped you before."
Scotty was going to ignore it and get back to painting, but he stopped and walked back over. He looked Larry in the eye. "I'm sick of seeing what she does to you."
"Who? Pepper?"
"No. You know who."
"Stop," Larry shook his head. "That isn't what this is about."
"The fuck it isn't. She shows up here for two weeks, takes off, then not even a week later you're off in Vegas getting drunk and hitched. This is about her. It's about the shit she puts you through and how you just...take it. I thought you left New York."
Larry's hand curled into a fist slowly on top of the bar and he stared down. The one thing they hadn't really talked about since Scotty moved up there was Larry's departure from the city. Something that had really pissed Scotty off. "I did."
"I thought you left her."
"It wasn't-."
"You need to stop it. You should have left things the way you did when you left." Scotty shook his head again and brushed the ends of his hair off of his eyes. It was a bit too normal for them to be seated that way. Scotty behind the bar, Larry sitting at it - only half listening to Scotty's advice. "She's a crazy bitch and she makes you crazy. I get that for whatever reason, you care about her, but how does that help you? Really?"
"I'm not having this conversation again," Larry stood up and started to walk back to where he'd been painting.
"Cut her out."
"Cut her out?" Larry spun around in his spot and looked across the room. "Are you a mobster now?"
Scotty didn't fall for Larry's attempt of distraction humor. "Cut her from your life. For once and all."
"I'm not.." Larry shook his head and waved Scotty off, before turning to bend down and pick up his brush. As far as he was concerned the conversation was over.
"You have to."
"No, I really don't. In fact, I'm going to see her next week. I've got this thing to go to for Pepper and Cora's coming with me."
"You're shitting me, right? Zoe and I will break your legs before I let you go see her again."
"I'm quite serious. We're going to a party, we're going to have fun, and.." he gave a shrug, his back still to Scotty. "I'll give her her birthday present...we'll both go home. Won't be anything."
"Her what?"
Larry threw his brush down, quite fed up with it all, and moved across the room. He grabbed a box from under the bar and tossed it down in front of Scotty. The younger man picked it up and opened it. After studying it he looked up at Larry.
"I'm having you committed."
Larry looked back at Scotty blankly. "At least I'll be in good company."
852
It was just the two of them, late into the evening, working in the bar. Scotty kept glancing over at Larry from the section of wall he was painting. He sighed and set his roller down, before running his fingers through his hair and going behind the bar. He bent down to pull out the bottle of scotch they kept for breaks and poured two glasses. Like a cat to tuna water, Larry migrated over and sat down. He silently picked up his scotch and looked at it.
"Damn," he groaned and set it down. Scotty smirked.
"Don't feel like drinking still?"
"Shut up," Larry muttered. He pushed the scotch away, but continued to sit there.
"Does your wife know you're such an asshole sometimes?" The smirk on Scotty's lips returned. Larry only raised his eyes in a slight glare. Scotty chuckled. "Lighten up, man. So you got drunk and acted like a dumbass. What's new there?"
"Is this your idea of being a supportive friend? I've got to tell you, it could use some practice."
"Larry." Scotty shook his head and set his glass down, then leaned against the bar towards Larry. He sighed. "Why'd you do it?"
"I don't remember, really. Like I said - very drunk."
"I thought things were good here. I thought you were doin' okay. What's with..."
"I don't know," Larry answered.
"I know you miss Sam, but you don't need to keep doing this shit to yourself. You don't need to go off and get so drunk that you end up married."
"I'm not doing anything to myself, Scotty. I was having a good time with a good friend."
Scotty rolled his eyes. "And you need to stop having these fuck buddies. Didn't you learn last year how bad of an idea it is?"
"It's not like that with Pepper. We're friends before anything else."
"No," Scotty corrected slowly. "You're husband and wife before anything else." He jerked back before Larry could reach out to smack him. "Hey man, I know...I get it. You're head's all over the place. I just.." he sighed and stood up. "Never mind."
"If you have something to say, say it," Larry's eyes followed his friend. "It hasn't stopped you before."
Scotty was going to ignore it and get back to painting, but he stopped and walked back over. He looked Larry in the eye. "I'm sick of seeing what she does to you."
"Who? Pepper?"
"No. You know who."
"Stop," Larry shook his head. "That isn't what this is about."
"The fuck it isn't. She shows up here for two weeks, takes off, then not even a week later you're off in Vegas getting drunk and hitched. This is about her. It's about the shit she puts you through and how you just...take it. I thought you left New York."
Larry's hand curled into a fist slowly on top of the bar and he stared down. The one thing they hadn't really talked about since Scotty moved up there was Larry's departure from the city. Something that had really pissed Scotty off. "I did."
"I thought you left her."
"It wasn't-."
"You need to stop it. You should have left things the way you did when you left." Scotty shook his head again and brushed the ends of his hair off of his eyes. It was a bit too normal for them to be seated that way. Scotty behind the bar, Larry sitting at it - only half listening to Scotty's advice. "She's a crazy bitch and she makes you crazy. I get that for whatever reason, you care about her, but how does that help you? Really?"
"I'm not having this conversation again," Larry stood up and started to walk back to where he'd been painting.
"Cut her out."
"Cut her out?" Larry spun around in his spot and looked across the room. "Are you a mobster now?"
Scotty didn't fall for Larry's attempt of distraction humor. "Cut her from your life. For once and all."
"I'm not.." Larry shook his head and waved Scotty off, before turning to bend down and pick up his brush. As far as he was concerned the conversation was over.
"You have to."
"No, I really don't. In fact, I'm going to see her next week. I've got this thing to go to for Pepper and Cora's coming with me."
"You're shitting me, right? Zoe and I will break your legs before I let you go see her again."
"I'm quite serious. We're going to a party, we're going to have fun, and.." he gave a shrug, his back still to Scotty. "I'll give her her birthday present...we'll both go home. Won't be anything."
"Her what?"
Larry threw his brush down, quite fed up with it all, and moved across the room. He grabbed a box from under the bar and tossed it down in front of Scotty. The younger man picked it up and opened it. After studying it he looked up at Larry.
"I'm having you committed."
Larry looked back at Scotty blankly. "At least I'll be in good company."
852