darker_london | Compromise (Deirdre, Flynn, Quinn) (Reply)

Life, the way Flynn lived it now, was often hectic and full. Where once there had been emptiness and loneliness, now he was surrounded by people he loved and he considered himself exceedingly lucky. With those people, however, came responsibility. Flynn had a husband who was still recovering from a traumatic brain injury, though he was doing much better these days than he had been for months. There were his responsibilities to Spectre's band too. Considering the fact that Flynn had had to play Spectre's parts as well as his own while they had been writing the new album, Spectre had asked him to help out with the search for a replacement label as well. There was recording and there were phone calls and there was making sure Quinn was alright and there was working at the shelter he had helped to start. All of it meant that Flynn had had very little time to spend with his best friend. He missed her.

When Deirdre arrived at his door, he was shocked to see her. He was not shocked by the eager way he pulled her into a tight hug and then slammed the door behind her with one arm so as to keep her from going away too soon. "Deirdre!" he said happily, clinging quite a bit. She was his bandmate, a fellow Irish person, and they understood each other in a way few people understood them. He was overjoyed to see her, and it showed.

Deirdre laughed over Flynn's shoulder and she waved at Quinn who was standing at the other end of the entry way looking amused. "Hi, Flynnface! Miss me, did you? Hi, Quinn! Can I borrow your husband for a little while?"

Quinn grinned at Deirdre and he nodded. "Sure thing. I was going to go study for my thesis anyway and Mal was going to pretend to not be bored in the background. He's quite accommodating, my husband."

Deirdre laughed and Flynn finally released her to turn and shake his head at his husband. "I'm never bored when you study, Quinn. If you wonder why, you should look in a mirror while you do it. Your studious face is adorable. And sometimes you read something interesting and you make shock face." Flynn demonstrated by opening his mouth wide and forming his lips into a perfect 'O'. "And your face freezes like that for several seconds and it's great." Then Flynn paused, "I'm not a creepy stalker. I don't watch you the whole ti-"

Quinn laughed while Flynn tried to dig himself out of that one, and Deirdre grabbed ahold of Flynn's hand. "Stop flirting with your husband and come pay attention to me!" she said loudly and then she pulled Flynn towards the music room which housed his housemate's amazing piano.

Deirdre sat down at the piano, poised on the edge of the bench. She brushed her fingers across the keys lovingly, and then she turned to smile at Flynn as he perched on a stool close by. "Where are my tiny twins tonight?" Flynn asked, wishing Deirdre had brought her babies with her. They were his godchildren and he loved them. He hadn't seen them in weeks.

"With their father," Deirdre said with a grin that proved she had been waiting to say that since she had set foot in the door. "Oh my god, Flynny, it's amazing. He actually wanted to spend a while night with them alone!"

The great stake he had in Deirdre's happiness was proven when Flynn actually smiled at that. He did not like Giles. Giles, in Flynn's opinion, was a stupid sleazebag only made marginally cooler because he was an illusionist and Flynn was fascinated by that. Still, Giles and Deirdre hadn't even started dating until their twins were born and Giles had broken up with the girlfriend he had cheated on by sleeping with Deirdre again. Flynn didn't hold with things like that. Deirdre deserved better. Even if she was in that happily blinded by love stage, and Flynn liked to see her smile. "And...he's going to be able to handle that?" Flynn asked, feeling intensely protective.

"I've been coaching him," Deirdre said with a grin. "He's actually really good with them. And they totally adore him. He wanted to spend a night with them alone to see how it went." Deirdre pulled her mobile out of her pocket. "And I've called him every twenty minutes so far and he doesn't sound panicked! I told him if he decides he can't do it, he can call me and I'll come relieve him of duty."

"What is he even going to do with them. Show them magic tricks? Make them disappear?" He chuckled at himself and Deirdre swatted him on the leg. Flynn didn't usually mock people, but Giles was a sore subject.

"He'd better not! I already bit him because he pulled coins out of my ear one too many times."

"You...bit your boyfriend?" It was Deirdre. Of course she did.

"In not a sexy way even," Deirdre nodded sagely. "Never pull coins out of my ears. I am not a vending machine."

Flynn laughed loudly at that. "Noted!"

"The twins are going to love him when they're older though. Kids love that stuff, don't they? Card tricks and coin tricks and disappearing people?"

"As long as he can bring you lot back," Flynn muttered.

"Well he is kind of famous for doing this stuff, Flynn," Deirdre pointed out.

"Isn't 'The Illustrious Ivan' famous for almost drowning during one of his shows as well?" Flynn asked dryly. He also felt incredibly disappointed in himself for being such a jerk about this all, but for some reason, he couldn't stop and he didn't understand why.

"Yeah, but that was totally only once. And I would remind you what happened at the Palolomattica, but I doubt you could forget it." Their band's performance at the Palalomattica in Rome had been a disaster on a much higher scale than Giles almost drowning during one of his shows.

"Good point..."

Deirdre licked her lips and then she leaned forward. "Flynn...I know you don't like him. Why? Why don't you like Giles? Because he's awesome and funny and he's nice to me. He's my children's father-"

"Which you didn't think was going to mean anything until two months ago," Flynn said suddenly and then he wished he hadn't. It was true, of course, but Deirdre looked horrified that he had said it. "I'm sorry, Deirdre-"

"No, it's...you're right. He wasn't father-material, he was 'forgetting my pain by sleeping around with boys because I'm stupid oh look I'm pregnant' material. But he's...changing."

"Is he?" Flynn asked softly. "Deirdre, I just don't trust him. I don't trust him with you. Any of you."

Deirdre smiled at Flynn and then she inched over on the piano bench. She patted the space beside her and Flynn did as she asked, moving so he was sitting beside her. Deirdre leaned sideways and she kissed his forehead before spreading her fingers over the keys. "You trust me, right?" Deirdre asked, and then she started to play. She played a slow song. Another Year by Amanda Palmer.

"Of course I do, Deirdre-"

"You're just worried for me? For Gabriel and Eiley?"

"I am." And there was more.

Deirdre nodded and she played, though she didn't sing the words. She let the music speak for itself. "Giles is mending my heart, Flynn. Losing Kait broke my heart, and Giles is sewing it back together. I know you're wary of the way things might go with him. I just...I need you two to get along. I need my best friend to at least...be able to be around my boyfriend?"

Flynn was silent for a few moments, letting the music fill the room by itself. There it was. Giles was mending her heart? Wasn't that Flynn's job? It had been when Kait first died. Maybe now...just maybe it wasn't his job anymore. And it was Giles'...Flynn better be able to be around him. As much as he didn't like it and the idea of hanging aoround Giles made Flynn feel slightly nauseated. And a little jealous, if he was being honest with himself. His jealousy at no longer being the one who would mend Deirdre's heart didn't mean he should let it get in the way of facilitating that same outcome. Flynn could step down, because the truth was that he could never be for Deirdre what Giles was. It wasn't in the cards for them. And though the jealousy still remained, at least now he understood what it was. He could overcome it.

"Alright, Deirdre," Flynn agreed, breaking through the music with his slightly ashamed tone of voice. "I'll get along with Giles. I'll be cheerful and pleasant and I'll smile and laugh at his jokes."

Deirdre smiled and she started playing more loudly. "You're a good friend, Flynnyface. You'll come around more?"

"I will," Flynn promised. "But if he hurts you I am going to drown him in his own escape tank," Flynn cautioned.

"Oh, you're totally allowed if that's the case," Deirdre laughed.

"And if he pulls a coin out of my ear, I reserve the right to pitch a hissy..."

"What if you get to keep the coin?"

Flynn hesitated and then he laughed. "Well, I suppose if I get to keep it-"

"Come on, Flynn." Deirdre finished the song and she pulled out her phone again. "Want to call to check on the twins and then play music with me? I want to practice my parts for the album! Deal?"

"Deal. I'll even feed you."

"Oooh, pizza?"

"Pizza and beer."

"It better be Guinness!" Deirdre laughed.

Flynn stood from the bench and he extended his hand to help Deirdre up. "Would I have anything else?"

And, he realised, he really wouldn't.