Late nights and coffee shops [open]

[second_son]

Demetri's only been back in the city for a day, but it feels like more. He's spent all of it in the makeshift town hall offices, getting the paperwork together for his proposal to the council the next night. The funding hadn't been easy to get, especially with the lack of strings that he had demanded. No oversight committee, no outside presence helping them dispense the grant money. Siren Cove business would stay just that, Siren Cove business.

There's more work to do, but he knows he should go home and get some sleep. But sleep is exactly what he doesn't want to do. With sleep comes dreams - nightmares more like it. Of all the things that have been happening in his town whilst he's been away, of everything that had happened in the months leading up to that. His brother being gone and the questions that had remained unanswered about Fabrice's attack.

He settles on setting up in a diner in the end. He has a beer at his elbow and a cooling plate of fries he's not really touched. Laptop open, he's playing with files without really making any changes or doing much work. It's a distraction more than anything, a reason to not go home.

Comments

[second_son]

“A bit of column a…” It isn’t like he’s not been a regular customer at Lara’s for years now. It’s been their secret just who he chooses to see there, and that it’s never any of the girls, but that’s something that he’s sure Bach would guess. “And a bit of column b. What do you mean, sort of? I thought that was a you are or you aren’t proposition.”

[bachjones]

"I wish you would be much bigger a bitch, man. You're just too good right now. I can never break my heart over you if you carry on like this."

He purses his lips. "I'm a bastard. Now I just know that I was born one. The scales only come from my father's side."

[second_son]

Demetri snorts at that, shaking his head at Bach's words. "Your heart isn't going to break over me, believe me. You'd have to fall for me first, wouldn't you?"

"Huh," he could only imagine that was a surprise to discover. "That must have been fun."

[bachjones]

"True. That's not something I do."

"Yeah, yes, it was." Bach sits back, scratching his sideburn. "Not only do you finally know the guy, but he also gives you some skin disease that makes some people really angry."

[second_son]

It hadn't been what he did either, until recently, but that isn't something Demetri wants to discuss. "Skin disease? That's one way of looking of it. I wouldn't say that to Lara if I were you."

[bachjones]

"Oh, oh!" He bursts into harsh laughter. "I did. Several times. Why do you think I'm here, instead of the place where I can get beer and pick up people?"

[second_son]

Demetri laughs too, trying to picture Lara's face at hearing that. "I am surprised you're even allowed in town, my friend."

[bachjones]

"Oh, this is the thing that makes you go soft on me? Because I have more stories about her screaming abuse at me."

"What is she going to do, get the police on me? I think I'm allowed to insult people. Aren't I?"

[second_son]

“I’ve known Lara a long time.” They’ve had an arrangement, and Lara has kept his secret. “No, but she might find someone to turn you into a newt.”

[bachjones]

"A what?"

He shrugs. "Is that really going to be worse than my life right now? Come on, she's busy screwing the detective's brain out, as long as I'm not in her sight she won't do anything."

[second_son]

"Newt. Small lizard? Seriously?" Demetri looks at him in utter disbelief. "You've never seen Monty Python? The Holy Grail?"

[bachjones]

"I rather see you making such a face for different reasons, to be honest. And from a different position."

He shrug-nods. "That's TV? Never really had a TV, my mother thought it would give me the wrong ideas."