but oh what a year

[patrols]

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[overlaid]

( He grabbed what he grabbed, and yeah, beggars, choosers, and puppy dog faces come last.

He takes his own seat, waiting for his brother to say something. He takes a pull from the beer, glancing up at the night sky, too. )

This big wide world feels real small sometimes. ( He'd called him Mr. McNally, because everyone called him Mr. McNally. It's a parent-family member thing. ) Him being Cole's dad threw you for a loop. Honest, I thought you knew.

[morethanfaith]

[He shakes his head.]

My own fault. I never asked.

[He could have. The number of times he's taken Cole places, you would think he would have come across his parent. But maybe things happen the way they do for a reason.]

I also wouldn't have expected it to throw me for a loop. It's been almost fifteen years.

[overlaid]

The heart wants what it wants. I remember you coming back that night. And the next morning. Had to pry it out of you. You were disappointed. That line of relationship fate really took the wind out of your sails.

( He looks back down again and over to his brother. )

Maybe this is a second chance. Maybe you and him have the same line. Always have. You just can't see it.

[morethanfaith]

[Maybe.

At the same time, all his years in the matchmaking industry has had him starting to wonder. People don't seem to really want real connections anymore. They want instagram moments and the story, and the status - but no one actually wants love.

And maybe it's made him a bit of a cynic.

Not that he thinks that's what Niall wants. In fact, Niall seems to have walked away from it - or had it walk away from him. But that isn't really the question. The question is if Bradan can still look at his own relationships the same way.]

I'm not the same kid I was fifteen years ago.

[overlaid]

Trust me, Mr. McNally's not either.

( He uses his parent name to illustrate, none of them are, are they? )

Tell me, was it a good surprise? At least?

[morethanfaith]

It wasn't a bad one.

[Is it good? Remains to be seen. In some ways it was bittersweet, having the illusions of what he hoped Niall's life was like being shattered by the reality of it.

But seeing him was good. And maybe in some ways, having it be real and not a fairy tale was better.]

Might be hiring me.

[He's pretty sure it was a cover, but he doesn't want to assume.]

[overlaid]

Yeah, I doubt that, but, weirder things in this family.

( He brings the beer to his lips, looking up above again. As he swallows, he turns to his brother. )

Don't take him on. If he really wants it. Don't be his guy Friday.

[morethanfaith]

[Honestly, being his matchmaker isn't really something Bradan would mind. He'd done it before - not with Niall realizing it, but in the end, that's what it was. As much as he may have wanted, back then, at the end of the day it's about him being happy.

What he doesn't want to be is a rebound. He doesn't want to be the guy he uses to get over his husband and move on to the next real guy. He doesn't want to have him and it not be real.

Granted, that's never been the person Bradan has been. So that probably won't be much of a surprise. But it is a surprise that his brother is protesting.]

You don't think I should?

[overlaid]

No, I don't Braid. ( And you know why. He may deny himself the chance at happiness, but he shouldn't be the instrument of it. ) And I doubt he meant it in any seriousness.

[morethanfaith]

[He shrugs, taking another sip of his beer.]

Maybe not.

[If he is serious though, it would seem a little strange if Bradan wouldn't help him find love. That would invite questions, wouldn't it?]

Hannah wouldn't love me turning down the business.

[overlaid]

Hannah doesn't know your history. And, if it's about the business, then have Hannah handle it. Just don't do it yourself.

( He slips forward, foot rubbing along the gravel below. )

You deserve whatever's out there for you, and you deserve a successful business, but that way lies madness. Take it from the brother who denies himself nearly everything for the good of everyone else.

[morethanfaith]

[Bradan's shoulders slump because can he do that? Can he make an offer and divert him to someone else? Does it say more about his own feelings than he wants it to?

But he does look up at his brother and frowns.]

Did you ever ask Lauren about it?

[She was a witch, but there must be a witchy way around it, isn't there? If it's magic or a magic part of them?]

[overlaid]

It's dad's legacy. She knows it runs deep, but not how. Her best guess was it's in our blood. But, skin isn't blood, so that didn't get us far. She tried. There's no research out there. Only dad's gran was a witch. She traced that back, at least. But, that hasn't been passed down to any of us.

( That he knows of. )

[morethanfaith]

[Bradan nods slowly, because isn't that complicated. Who knows where any of their little family quirks come from? He wouldn't have been surprised if Beck has done his own digging, with the Slayers and their dusty books.

It's a shame they lost their family witch.]

Maybe Beck knows another witch we might be able to ask. See if there's a way to get around it.

[overlaid]

Yeah, maybe. ( Your brother is resigned. ) But we weren't talking about me, now, were we?

( Were we? )

Think about it, but don't overthink about it. You're way too good at that, yeah?

[morethanfaith]

[He snorts, taking another sip of his beer.]

We all have our special skills.

[He's not sure it's something he can stop, if he's honest. It's the thing that allows him to plan ahead and make sure all the bases are covered. Even without the cheat code of using his powers, you have to learn to ask the right questions to get the information you need to find a match versus seeing two people interact in a while.

Bradan is a man of exacting details who wants to make sure he has all the information. He knows how to get that information. He doesn't really know how to stop when he hits too much.]

I'll try.

[overlaid]

And mine involve nursing cats back to health and keeping physical distance from everyone else and their mother.

( And not overthinking it. It's a very simple problem with a simple solution. Everyone close to him in his life, not his family, accept his quirk of wearing gloves. It's just another piece to the Callahan puzzle.

But, now, he just bothers his brother, pointing at the open door and shaking his beer. )

You want me to tap Mr. McNally in? Tag team, you're it?

[morethanfaith]

Do not do that.

[If Niall wants to come find him, he will. He's not going to push this - or more to the point have his family pushing for him.]

But I will take another beer, if you're going in.

[overlaid]

( He pushes himself up, taking his brother's empty, smirking, but innocent.

Bradan may not believe Callahan didn't push, but, he did accidentally come face to face with Niall by the fridge. He disposes of the two empties and accepts two others from the former family friend. They share a little small talk, Niall brags about his kid and then asks about the very person he goes to find.

Callahan lets him know he's out back, outside of Bairre's study. He doesn't push or wink or nudge. Only gives him information. "But, if you're going out there, you should probably bring a full one," he only says, trying to tamp down the mischief.

Niall navigates the familiar grounds, taking a look at all the new pictures, old pictures, and everything in between. He remembers this furniture, the smell of the house. He remembers it all.

Spotting Bradan out back in one of the chairs, he steps out from the dark room into the light of the backyard.

"I have a refill for Bradan Ford," he says. )

[morethanfaith]

[Bradan looks up and nods as he takes the beer from him. He said don't nudge, but he did leave the opening. He's not annoyed that it happened, he just doesn't want it to feel like his family is manipulating the situation.]

Thanks.

[And since the other man was willing to bring it out:]

Looking for some fresh air?

[primerib]

Looking for you. You and your brother made off after dinner. He said you were back here.

( And, so here he went. )

Cole and Maeve are regaling everyone with stories of the rehearsal process.

( Cole, more than Maeve, but they're sitting closer together and Cole keeps saying, 'Right?' and she is confirming. )

You okay if I join you for some adult time?

[morethanfaith]

By all means.

[He gestures to the empty seat in front of him, before shifting so that he's sitting up more. If he's going to have an actual adult conversation, he should probably look like it.]

I'm sure Ma is taking it all in with gusto. She always wanted a child in the arts and she got Brogan.

[Which is not the same as the "arts" Catriona had in mind.]

[primerib]

( He steps out onto the gravel, getting another lay of the land. He doesn't see far into the backyard because of the late hour, but he can trace it with his mind. And probably his feet, if he wanted. He takes the unoccupied chair Callahan had been in.

He points with his bottle. )

Your ma' loves you all equally, I was told. And, I remember her being the one trying to round up the entire clan and surprise him at his Glasgow one-night only.

[morethanfaith]

Oh of course she did. But that doesn't change that she was hoping for Bob Dylan and got a rock and roll Taylor Swift.

[She also doesn't necessarily love that he's playing with fire by putting his visions in his songs but that's more of a safety concern than it is Catriona not liking his songs.

Also this is just Bradan giving his brother shit when he's not here to defend himself.]

[primerib]

Generous summation.

( He smiles behind his bottle as he settles back, tipping it, and taking another sip. )

There are all kinds of arts. Quinn's an artist, yeah? Cole's shown me some of her art. Ciara's light on her feet. Guess all the arts that skipped her kids hit her grandkids.