just_muse_me | 1.1.2 Ingrid Bergman quote
1.1.2. “A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.” - Ingrid Bergman
Co-written with sexyinscrubs
[Simultaneous to THIS]
Pat swirled the end of his tiny umbrella in his Martini glass full of cranberry juice and lemonade. He was literally only discharged from hospital the previous day after being in for nearly two weeks. Tonight wasn’t going to be a late night but he couldn’t miss it. Chase was one of his closest friends and had been his doctor since he was diagnosed with MS. There was no question Pat was coming tonight, even if he’d have to make a disgustingly early exit from the proceedings. It was a bit of a mood dampener that he was stuck in a wheelchair, too. He could stand and walk very short distances before his legs weakened again. It was this or nothing until he recovered from the recent treatment. “So, I’m one of the unlucky bitches who can’t partake in a sharp drink or twelve tonight, but what is your excuse, darling?” he asked, blue eyes piercing Riley in question as he licked the bottom of the umbrella.
Riley’s own eyes - still bloodshot - were downcast to his untouched beer bottle. He sniggered as he glanced at Pat. “I’m still hungover. I was out last night in New York. Ever tried to ride a train with a raging hangover? I don’t recommend it,” he said. “I would’ve stayed and haunted Tab until it passed but I knew I had to be back for this. I would’ve missed it if I’d stayed in Scotland.”
“Yes, that’s another thing I want to talk to you about,” Pat said pointedly. “I thought things were back on track with Beth? What happened? I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and she told me you’d come home… alone, but that you were both okay. Are you?”
Riley pulled his lips to the side and then nodded. “Yeah, as good as we can be. I guess it won’t be something we can immediately just put behind us. I miss her. I still love her. I just don’t think we could find that whole ‘in love’ thing again. I had too much shit going on and I was still stinging over the break up. It hadn’t ever really been the same since Lachlan got shot. We parted mutually. Now I just need to get my shit together and wait for the test results. In the mean time, I’m trying to walk a bit on the wild side with Tab’s pointed coaxing. She thinks I need to stop worrying and thinking and just live. Hence the royal hangover.”
“She’s a smart lassie, your Part Two,” Pat agreed and then smirked at his friend. “Who did you shag? I’m getting an I-Just-Got-Laid vibe off you. Or is it still lingering from the goodbye shag you had with Beth?”
Riley shook his head. “There was no goodbye shag, Patto. I was so scared about hurting her with the whole HIV thing. I was completely paranoid the condom would always break. We slept together once in the whole time she was in Princeton. I cared about her too much to risk it. Which was completely fucked up, I know. There are precautions and shit like that. I just need to get over my fear with it. But… yeah… I did kind of have a thing with this bloke in a bar last night. I don’t remember much of it but I didn’t need to… you know…” He waved his hand. “So I wasn’t so uptight about it.”
“And they wonder why I prefer gay sex,” Pat mused, moving a little in his chair to the loud music. “I’m proud of you for that, darling. I know it must’ve taken a lot to even get yourself out to that bar. It’ll get easier, I promise. You know you only need to ask if you ever want a wee hand in that department, so to speak.” He met Riley’s eyes with a smile and a small wink.
Riley had been watching Chase across the room trying to coax Lachlan on to the dance floor then gave up and started doing a drunken Macarena himself with Kutner joining in a few paces away. He looked back to Pat and wet his lips. “Sure you aren’t just joking about that?” he asked.
“Never, darling,” Pat confirmed. “We always had the chemistry. Nothing wrong with friends with benefits. You’ve just never been single since,” he pointed out, curling his wrist to swirl the drink in his glass.
“I’m single now,” Riley reminded him.
Pat cleared his throat and caught Riley’s gaze again. “Yes, you are,” he agreed.
Their eyes remained locked and Riley slowly wet his lips. Pat was so familiar and comfortable, like your favourite pair of Levi’s you just didn’t ever want to give up on. Friends with benefits, gay sex, someone he trusted. Maybe it’s just what the doctor - and rocker - ordered? He leaned in and caught Pat’s lips in a gentle kiss, tasting the cranberry mixed with Pat’s standard raspberry lip gloss. It lingered until he pulled back a little and as he did, caught Lachlan watching them with a smirk from across the room.
Riley cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones in this room not drunk or high right now. What do you say? Old time’s sake?” he suggested, nodding towards the door. “I’ll even make you a coffee when we get there.”
Pat laughed and finished off his drink, upending the umbrella in the empty glass. “You really know how to treat a lady, Riley Browne,” he teased and waved his manicured hand. “Lead the way.”
drcampbell, chasemd, asinthecity & phtgrphcscot referenced with permission. Not binding on any Kutner muses.
Word Count | 929
Co-written with sexyinscrubs
[Simultaneous to THIS]
Pat swirled the end of his tiny umbrella in his Martini glass full of cranberry juice and lemonade. He was literally only discharged from hospital the previous day after being in for nearly two weeks. Tonight wasn’t going to be a late night but he couldn’t miss it. Chase was one of his closest friends and had been his doctor since he was diagnosed with MS. There was no question Pat was coming tonight, even if he’d have to make a disgustingly early exit from the proceedings. It was a bit of a mood dampener that he was stuck in a wheelchair, too. He could stand and walk very short distances before his legs weakened again. It was this or nothing until he recovered from the recent treatment. “So, I’m one of the unlucky bitches who can’t partake in a sharp drink or twelve tonight, but what is your excuse, darling?” he asked, blue eyes piercing Riley in question as he licked the bottom of the umbrella.
Riley’s own eyes - still bloodshot - were downcast to his untouched beer bottle. He sniggered as he glanced at Pat. “I’m still hungover. I was out last night in New York. Ever tried to ride a train with a raging hangover? I don’t recommend it,” he said. “I would’ve stayed and haunted Tab until it passed but I knew I had to be back for this. I would’ve missed it if I’d stayed in Scotland.”
“Yes, that’s another thing I want to talk to you about,” Pat said pointedly. “I thought things were back on track with Beth? What happened? I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and she told me you’d come home… alone, but that you were both okay. Are you?”
Riley pulled his lips to the side and then nodded. “Yeah, as good as we can be. I guess it won’t be something we can immediately just put behind us. I miss her. I still love her. I just don’t think we could find that whole ‘in love’ thing again. I had too much shit going on and I was still stinging over the break up. It hadn’t ever really been the same since Lachlan got shot. We parted mutually. Now I just need to get my shit together and wait for the test results. In the mean time, I’m trying to walk a bit on the wild side with Tab’s pointed coaxing. She thinks I need to stop worrying and thinking and just live. Hence the royal hangover.”
“She’s a smart lassie, your Part Two,” Pat agreed and then smirked at his friend. “Who did you shag? I’m getting an I-Just-Got-Laid vibe off you. Or is it still lingering from the goodbye shag you had with Beth?”
Riley shook his head. “There was no goodbye shag, Patto. I was so scared about hurting her with the whole HIV thing. I was completely paranoid the condom would always break. We slept together once in the whole time she was in Princeton. I cared about her too much to risk it. Which was completely fucked up, I know. There are precautions and shit like that. I just need to get over my fear with it. But… yeah… I did kind of have a thing with this bloke in a bar last night. I don’t remember much of it but I didn’t need to… you know…” He waved his hand. “So I wasn’t so uptight about it.”
“And they wonder why I prefer gay sex,” Pat mused, moving a little in his chair to the loud music. “I’m proud of you for that, darling. I know it must’ve taken a lot to even get yourself out to that bar. It’ll get easier, I promise. You know you only need to ask if you ever want a wee hand in that department, so to speak.” He met Riley’s eyes with a smile and a small wink.
Riley had been watching Chase across the room trying to coax Lachlan on to the dance floor then gave up and started doing a drunken Macarena himself with Kutner joining in a few paces away. He looked back to Pat and wet his lips. “Sure you aren’t just joking about that?” he asked.
“Never, darling,” Pat confirmed. “We always had the chemistry. Nothing wrong with friends with benefits. You’ve just never been single since,” he pointed out, curling his wrist to swirl the drink in his glass.
“I’m single now,” Riley reminded him.
Pat cleared his throat and caught Riley’s gaze again. “Yes, you are,” he agreed.
Their eyes remained locked and Riley slowly wet his lips. Pat was so familiar and comfortable, like your favourite pair of Levi’s you just didn’t ever want to give up on. Friends with benefits, gay sex, someone he trusted. Maybe it’s just what the doctor - and rocker - ordered? He leaned in and caught Pat’s lips in a gentle kiss, tasting the cranberry mixed with Pat’s standard raspberry lip gloss. It lingered until he pulled back a little and as he did, caught Lachlan watching them with a smirk from across the room.
Riley cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones in this room not drunk or high right now. What do you say? Old time’s sake?” he suggested, nodding towards the door. “I’ll even make you a coffee when we get there.”
Pat laughed and finished off his drink, upending the umbrella in the empty glass. “You really know how to treat a lady, Riley Browne,” he teased and waved his manicured hand. “Lead the way.”
drcampbell, chasemd, asinthecity & phtgrphcscot referenced with permission. Not binding on any Kutner muses.
Word Count | 929