(Untitled)

[simon_doctor]

"As working vacations go," he says as he closes the aircar door behind him, "that went pretty well, I thought."

His suitcases are in the back; his flight departs in three hours, giving them plenty of time to get to the spaceport.

Comments

[leftistbeanpole]

Jordie raises his eyebrows and starts the car. "Oh, did you actually do any work besides interacting with criminals?"

[leftistbeanpole]

Jordie snorts. "You were too old to enjoy it when we were in undergrad. That's why I dragged you out to do things against your will."

[simon_doctor]

"Which I greatly appreciated. Even when I complained."

Beat.

"Though maybe not while I was complaining."

[leftistbeanpole]

"You only appreciated it in hindsight," he says serenely.

[simon_doctor]

"Would it have been as much fun for you if I hadn't complained, though?"

[leftistbeanpole]

Jordie merges them onto the spur lane out to the port. "Hell yes. I did enough defense of my half-cocked ideas in class."

[simon_doctor]

"But you didn't win in class as often as you did persuading me to do something insane."

[leftistbeanpole]

Dry: "Thanks for rubbing it in."

[simon_doctor]

"Considering how often you did win in class, I'd say that speaks more highly of your persuasiveness than otherwise."

Beat.

"What was that one time, with the art festival --"

[leftistbeanpole]

"Oh, you mean the time I broke a date and used that to convince you of my seriousness?"

[simon_doctor]

"That was the one." He's grinning. "It worked, too. Once I realized you meant it."

[leftistbeanpole]

He reaches down with one hand and picks up the bottle of water in the cupholder, twisting off the top with three fingers still in the yoke. "We rescheduled. I forget the excuse I gave her."

[simon_doctor]

"Mission of mercy to save a friend's sanity?" he offers.

[leftistbeanpole]

"Tam, when your reputation with the ladies is founded on tall, dark, and only interested in one thing, is that really the best excuse to give?"

[simon_doctor]

"You don't think it would have made you seem interestingly compassionate?"

Beat.

"There's a reason I was never any good at this."

[leftistbeanpole]

Prompt: "Because you overthink it."