Pay the fiddler's tune (for onceaheroine)

[with_aprice]

There had been tea, to start with, when Archie and Nick first sat down in Archie's den.  Sometime over the course of their conversation the tea had become laced with whiskey, and by the time the more mundane had been talked out and they'd gotten to the real meat of the conversation the tea as abandoned completely in favor of straight shots of

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[onceaheroine]

She heard them coming. Of course she did. Even without the enhanced hearing that came of being a slayer, she would have heard Nick caterwauling.

Honestly, her first emotion was relief, that nothing had happened. But hard on its heels was a real irritation and worry -- for him to be singing like that, Nick was absolutely pissed off his gourd. And for an injured Watcher to be out after dark and drunk enough to be making that much noise was stupidity of the highest order.

Belle stood on the front steps, and waited for them to sway their way around the corner.

[beyour_guide]

Archie was happy for Belle. He'd first met her when she was weighed so heavily with grief that even walking seemed difficult. Pity hadn't lasted long, though. He admired her, respected her, and above all worried about her. They'd worked side by side for five years, and she'd become his best friend. That she had her husband back now, the love of her life, made him happy. Never had he seen the look on her face that he saw that second day, when he'd come to check on him and she was looking at Nick with wonder and love

[with_aprice]

Walking still wasn't the easiest thing, after two weeks of daily exercises and relearning to use the cane. it reminded him of physical therapy when he'd first relearned to walk in the hospital, decades ago. Belle, he suspects, has been reading up on such things via the internet.

The fact that he's managed the trip from Archie's to home without falling, even with the support of his new friend and cane, is probably something of a miracle. He does stumble quite a bit, though, as he makes his way to the bottom of the stairs, his singing finished for now.

"It's m'wife. My wife," he repeats for emphasis. He likes the sounds of the words, that even after two weeks seem amazing to be able to say again. "'ello, love."

[onceaheroine]

Belle walks down the first few steps and sits, crossing her arms over her knees and leaning her chin on her forearms. She studies them both for a moment. "You know, I've generally subscribed to the theory that both my Watchers are... intelligent, practical, thoughtful men. Sensible, even," she muses.

[beyour_guide]

Even three sheets to the wind it's not difficult to understand what she means. Archie turns his head to Nick, and speaks in a stage whisper. "I think she's all yours, buddy. I'm going to... Home. Go. Yeah, I should go."

[with_aprice]

"That would be rude, dearie. You should come in. Have a drink. B-belle might like t' have a drink with us, aye love?" He turns to his wife, squinting his eyes as he tries to puzzle out why she's suddenly shorter. He'd had to look up to see her a minute ago, hadn't he?

He's gained a little weight in the weeks since he's been home, but he's still too thin, not quite healed, and even in the best of times shorter stature. The alcohol has hit him more than Archie with his lanky height and extra pounds.

[onceaheroine]

"Neither of you are going anywhere, with the exception of into this house," Belle announces. Her tone has that imperious edge that neither of them particularly care for, the one that's usually accompanied with the jutting of her chin.

"You're both incredibly lucky that you didn't run into something on the walk over here." They'd neither of them have put up much of a fight. "In. In now. Archibald, you're not going home tonight. Nicodemus, you're a menace to yourself. Have you even eaten since lunchtime?"

[with_aprice]

"Archibald." He sniggers, looking from Belle to Archie. "You're in for it now, mate. Full names mean she's v'ry s'rious."

[beyour_guide]

"I brought a stake." The argument in his defense is weak, though, when it takes two tries to figure out what pocket he put it in.

"'m okay for walking. Really. Don't want t' trouble you." He looks over his shoulder at Nick. "Not helping, you. Shut it or I won't help you up the stairs."

[with_aprice]

"Archie-bald brought a stake," Nick points out to Belle, because of corse that fixes everything.

"You're a good Watcher." Before Archie can react Nick plants a sloppy wet kiss on him. "You're my new best mate. Except for counting Belle, b'she's different. Special."

He turns to try and give Belle a kiss as well, but stumbles and ends up landing on the step next to her.

[onceaheroine]

"You haven't eaten, have you?" Belle purses her lips. "And no, Archie, you're not going home. You going home would be a bigger pain in my arse than you being a good boy and just coming inside already."

Honestly, Nick has twenty-nine years on her and Archie has a good fifteen, but they're both like little boys in this moment.

[beyour_guide]

"We had scones and preserves with our tea." Which had been before most of the whiskey, and there was no denying that. "But nothing more su'stantial than that. Wasn't planning this."

He wipes away the residue of the kiss, making a rare funny face, before reaching down to help Nick up with the ease of an old friend. He really liked the guy; he wasn't sure if that made this easier or harder, but at least when he was recalled to London he could rest well knowing she had a good Watcher at her back. "C'mon, you nutter. Your wife is going to murder us if we don't get inside soon."

[with_aprice]

"She wo'nt kill me. She loves me, don't you m'Belle?" He manages a sloppy kiss on Belle's mouth as well, and a bit more as his hand skims over her breast before Archie pulls him upright. The sight of the two of them clambering up the stairs together would be a youtube sensation, if anyone had been about to film it.

[onceaheroine]

"Doesn't mean I won't kill you, my darling." She rolls her eyes a little at the drunken grope -- sexy -- and leans back to watch them both struggle. Which is a little mean, but ah well.

"There's pot pie in the kitchen. You're both eating and I'm not listening to any arguments."

[beyour_guide]

"I'm going to go..." Once they're inside and Nick is standing on his own Archie gestures in the direction of the bathroom. His bladder is close to bursting, but more importantly he'd rather not be in the line of fire. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."

[with_aprice]

He heads straight for the cabinet in the kitchen where the glasses are stored. She didn't move hardly anything while he was gone, which should have been a sign, he supposes; a clue of sorts before Archie told him just how bad things had gotten. His mouth is parched, and he fills a glass with water, drains it, and fills it again.

"Your pot pie smells lovely."