LOG; i know; ANDREW + MATTHEW
In which absolutely nothing happens after the funeral. srsly.
He hadn't said much during the funeral. There wasn't much too say, and he hadn't been in the front lines to begin with. The presence of a Triad Shan Chu was making the police officers that had shown up wrinkle their noses in the first place; if he was to stand beside Andrew and act like a member of the family, it would probably do more than just that. So he'd stayed behind with Vienne, his sister more subdued than she'd seen her in years.
After it was all over, however, and they were back home, Matthew still didn't know what to say.
With the funeral over, the rest of the family would be leaving Hong Kong tomorrow -- that had been a long argument, but Andrew had been relentless, and eventually they'd had to give in.
They were leaving, he was going back to work, and...that was that.
But life still felt like anything but business as usual.
"How are you feeling?" Best question to ask, ever. Most obvious answer in the world, as well. Matthew felt fairly stupid, and reached out to take Andrew's hand to somehow cover it up.
It wasn't like Andrew wouldn't have said something just as stupid if their places were reversed.
"Pretty shitty. I wish I'd...I don't know."
It wasn't that he was blaming himself for her death, because there really was nothing he could have done. But for the weeks leading up to it, Andrew and Dana really hadn't been on the best of terms, and now -- well.
Neither did he. Nor Vienne. She had given him a sad look before going to her rooms, and he had worried for a moment because she would be alone; Siciliano had gone off to Berlin. But there was nothing he could do about that, and his sister knew he needed to be with Andrew right now.
"I'm sorry." He'd probably said it a thousand times.
Andrew gave him a weak smile -- not much of one, but he tried, at least. "I know."
It was a war and there were casualties, and while he was used to this, it had never hit Andrew like that. Which was making it particularly hard to watch.
"If there's anything..."
Andrew nodded in acknowledgment, although he couldn't really think of much Matthew could do besides what he was already doing. "Thank you."
He hadn't said much during the funeral. There wasn't much too say, and he hadn't been in the front lines to begin with. The presence of a Triad Shan Chu was making the police officers that had shown up wrinkle their noses in the first place; if he was to stand beside Andrew and act like a member of the family, it would probably do more than just that. So he'd stayed behind with Vienne, his sister more subdued than she'd seen her in years.
After it was all over, however, and they were back home, Matthew still didn't know what to say.
With the funeral over, the rest of the family would be leaving Hong Kong tomorrow -- that had been a long argument, but Andrew had been relentless, and eventually they'd had to give in.
They were leaving, he was going back to work, and...that was that.
But life still felt like anything but business as usual.
"How are you feeling?" Best question to ask, ever. Most obvious answer in the world, as well. Matthew felt fairly stupid, and reached out to take Andrew's hand to somehow cover it up.
It wasn't like Andrew wouldn't have said something just as stupid if their places were reversed.
"Pretty shitty. I wish I'd...I don't know."
It wasn't that he was blaming himself for her death, because there really was nothing he could have done. But for the weeks leading up to it, Andrew and Dana really hadn't been on the best of terms, and now -- well.
Neither did he. Nor Vienne. She had given him a sad look before going to her rooms, and he had worried for a moment because she would be alone; Siciliano had gone off to Berlin. But there was nothing he could do about that, and his sister knew he needed to be with Andrew right now.
"I'm sorry." He'd probably said it a thousand times.
Andrew gave him a weak smile -- not much of one, but he tried, at least. "I know."
It was a war and there were casualties, and while he was used to this, it had never hit Andrew like that. Which was making it particularly hard to watch.
"If there's anything..."
Andrew nodded in acknowledgment, although he couldn't really think of much Matthew could do besides what he was already doing. "Thank you."