but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[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.

[morethanfaith]

Guess so. Probably for the best.

[Unless you count the art of figuring out which people would be best for each other.]

Though personally I think Bairre counts, at least a little. Some of those cakes are works of art.

[primerib]

They taste it, too. Miss those.

( He swung through a few times over the years for special occasions. It's probably the best dessert he's ever had made by anyone ever. )

You never had any inclination toward art?

[morethanfaith]

Making it? No.

[Bradan was also a sports kid. And occasionally an animal kid, to accompany Callahan somewhere.]

I do appreciate it, though.

[primerib]

Me too. Love abstract, you know.

( He thinks Cole's drawings are works of art, of course. )

Some might say what you do is an art in its own.

[morethanfaith]

I suppose.

[He doesn't really feel it as much, because he does cheat just a little.]

You have to really know people.

[And people are the start of all good art, one way or another.]

[primerib]

You always did get people. I loved that about you. Always had the right readings.

( Even if his reading of Charlie felt out of nowhere. )

Miss that. ( And you plays on the tip of his tongue. ) You miss university?

[morethanfaith]

Absolutely not.

[He feels much older as he says it.]

I discovered sleep in my old age and am much better for it.

[Another pause as his eyes divert up to the sky.]

Did miss some of the people, though.

[primerib]

Same.

( He settles back as his eyes find the sky and he takes another sip. )

I missed you, Ford.

[morethanfaith]

[There's a moment when his eyes linger on the sky, because if he actually makes eye contact, he's worried Niall may see more than he wants him too. No matter how much he desperately wants to see the same.

But in the end, he does tell the truth:]

Missed you too.

[primerib]

We should do something. Get together with or without the kiddos. Catch up, proper.

( if that is something he's into. )

[morethanfaith]

[He does look down at that, looking at him before nodding.]

Yeah, sounds good. Grab a beer or something.

[Just a beer. He's treading around this new start to their relationship very carefully.]

[primerib]

Yeah.

( Just a beer? Alright. So, this is like square one. He can dig it. )

Sounds good, then. Beer.

[morethanfaith]

[Look he's not going to assume about anything. They're refinding their sea legs with each other. Might as well keep it casual.]

Good. Let me know when you're free and I'll have a look at my schedule.

[primerib]

( He smirks from behind the glass. )

Oh, so your people will call my people then?