darker_london | Definitions of cool (Quinn, Eamon) (Reply)

Eamon opened his front door to find his little brother standing there, grinning like a moron. Not that Eamon ever thought Quinn was a moron... "So newlyweds do come up for air?" Eamon laughed, letting Quinn inside.

"Mal's shooting his video!" Quinn said as he danced past Eamon and into his brother's flat. "And as much as I'd love to hang around and play the enraptured husband, filming a video is a lot of standing around and fucking pointing at things," Quinn said with a wink. "And you just know the second Mal and I snuck off for some on-set nookie, that would be when someone called action."

"And your action would not be the kind they meant?" Eamon laughed. "I don't blame you."

"What about you?" Quinn asked, headed for Eamon's living room. He skipped the sofa and made a beeline for the billiard table.

"I called in bored," Eamon said, sounding unamused. "I have a new buddy at work, which is nice, but it still doesn't cut down on the 'Erman, can you come fix my computer, it's broken' requests that end up being something like...they didn't turn the screen on..." Eamon sighed and he picked up a pool cue. Immediately he started to chalk it, quite viciously. Quinn straightened up from where he had been readying the pool balls and he raised his eyebrows at his brother.

"Frustrating?"

Eamon looked at what he was doing, turning the chalk to dust in his hands, and he chuckled a little, self-consciously. "You could say that."

"Why do they call you Erman?"

"Because they're lawyers and I am lowly IT. Why would they bother to learn how to pronouce my name? I get Erman and Eeemon...Eee-amun. One time I got a Stanley, but I think that guy was just really confused..." Quinn stared at his older brother until Eamon laughed. "Come on, Q. Stop fiddling with my balls, and do something about them! You're such a tease."

Quinn laughed then, and he grabbed a cue and broke, sending a striped ball into one of the corner pockets. "Stripes! And remember, I'm playing with a handicap."

Eamon pretended he had no idea what his brother was talking about as he said, "Swollen pen-"

"Eamon! No!" Quinn shook his head and then he took another shot which missed. Then he pointed at his glass eye. "No depth perception makes Quinn a bad pool player."

"Naaawwwww!" Eamon assured him before adding, "the fact that you suck makes you a bad pool player." And then he sunk three solid balls before it was Quinn's turn again.

"You know," Quinn laughed as he stepped up to the table. "You think I could have been given some kind of dashing talent like you. Instead I can quote Cicero verbatim and read classical Latin. Do you know how many women that impresses? None. It impresses none of them."

"Q, you married a rock star," Eamon took his turn because Quinn had once again missed. "And since when are you about impressing women?"

"Twenty percent of the time!" Quinn said in a mock-defensive tone. "Well...twenty percent of the past. It didn't exactly impress men either," he winked, making himself momentarily blind. "Hey, Baby. I'm not suave, or attracive, nor am I very coordinated, but I know all about Aristotle's theories on vices and virtues. Want to get nasty?!"

Eamon straightened up from his shot, leaving it untaken. "Just for the record, you're being silly, right? This isn't...actually an issue for you?"

"No," Quinn smiled then. "As if I have anything to complain about! I'm so happy, I actually feel like my chest might explode?" Quinn placed a hand over his heart and he grinned so widely he probably looked manic and he didn't even care. "I'm just saying, I'm not suave. I'm a bit of a dork. Okay...a lot of one. And now I have one eye. And you're all...Eamon Wakefield, master of cool."

Eamon snorted and he leaned down to finally take his shot, cleanly sinking another ball. "Q, I'm not that cool..."

"Eamon, you are a hacker who is now on an international blacklist," Quinn said dryly. "That's pretty cool...if not cool for your career... It's like all the cool in the family was used up on you and I got the left overs. And now...one eye. But that wasn't the lack of cool's fault..."

Eamon shrugged, but he missed the shot he lined up. "I wish you could see yourself the way others see you, Q. You're a freaking genius for starters. You're hilarious and you always approach things will good humour. And I'm pretty sure Flynn thinks you're suave. My girlfriend, whom I love, can't even stand to hear me say that to her..."

Quinn sobered immediately now that the conversation had gone from him being silly to Eamon being serious. "Eamon, Adrina's just-"

"I know," Eamon said quickly. "I really do. I know it doesn't change how she feels and I know she knows it doesn't change how I feel... I'd just like to say it once in awhile. I'm not insecure enough to need to hear it all the time, but I feel like I'm constantly supressing the way I express myself. I tell people how I feel about them. I was brought up like that. I lost my little sister, and my one consolation was that she knew how much I loved her and that I told her often. We live in pretty shitty times, I don't think anyone can deny, and I...I can't say how I feel about Adrina, because she might panic. I'm not frustrated with her. It's not her fault. I just get so upset that someone hurt her so badly that this is what happened."

Quinn listened to Eamon until he was done, and then Quinn walked over and he relieved Eamon of the pool cue. Since he had managed to sink one ball and Eamon only had two left, it was pretty clear who would have won. When Eamon's hands were free, Quinn used them to pull his brother in for a tight, clinging hug. "Eamon, she'll get there."

"I know," Eamon said, over his brother's shoulder. "I know she will, and I can wait. I'm just so scared something might happen before then..."

"Nothing will happen," Quinn said firmly. "We won't let it." Quinn was resolved on that matter. Nothing would happen to his best friend and brother.

Quinn felt Eamon's grip on his tighten a little and then Eamon said, "I'm so glad you're happy, Q."

Quinn smiled to himself, though the expression was now bittersweet with worry for Eamon. "Thank you, Eamon. I am too."