Drinkies! (Alisdair, Ty, and Patrick)

[symphony-muted.livejournal.com]

"Your disgusting beer!" Alisdair said, setting a Guinness in front of his friend Ty. "I think the lady at the bar liked the look of you too." Alisdair slid back into the seat opposite his friend and he glanced back over towards the bar he had just been standing at while ordering drinks. "So she either likes you, or she thinks you are my boyfriend and we're adorable together."

"People make that mistake more when you're drunk and cuddly. Do you have any idea how many birds you chase away from me because they assume you're my boyfriend?" Ty said, though he was clearly joking. Alisdair had known Ty since primary school and they had been best friends for as long as Alisdair could remember. Ty hadn't batted an eyelash when Alisdair had told him he was gay during secondary school, and he had been there for Alisdair when he had come out to his family.

"That's why I buy you the beer," Alisdair said, raising his pint glass so Ty could clink his own against it. "To make up for it. Though you could just stop dressing so well."

"Hold your tongue! How dare you!? The clothes make the man, Al, the clothes make the man. And Al, if you think beer is an appropriate substitute for sex, you clearly haven't had any in a while. Maybe I chase the blokes away just like you chase the girls away. We clearly should stop drinking together."

Alisdair chuckled and he sipped his own beer. "We are not talking about my sad sex life, Ty. We are here to celebrate my new album!"

"And celebrate we shall. While apparently ensuring that neither of us end up going home with someone."

"Ah, cheers again," Alisdair laughed and the clinked glasses a second time. "I actually invited someone else out tonight. I don't know if he'll show. He's a pianist who is going to be working on the album too."

"Do I detect the blush of attraction?" Ty said, bringing his beer glass to his lips. "You know when you blush you light up like a firework, right?"

Alisdair did know. Damn red hair. "I don't even know if this guy is interested in men, okay? He just seemed nice and if you make any rude hand gestures or do that thing where you slip him my phone number and tell him you've heard great reviews, I will kneecap you."

"I am not afraid of you," Ty informed Alisdair with a cackle. "I would say you hit like a girl, but my sisters always hit really hard. So, you hit like a Meath."

Alisdair had to admit that was true. And he wouldn't risk his hands hitting someone anyway. Though kneecapping probably wouldn't harm his fingers... "It's true, we are pathetic hitters. But we can liven up any party!"

"No argument here. So will this new album mean you can't volunteer as much?"

Alisdair spent as much time as he could volunteering at a clinic that helped Huntington's patients deal with their illness from the first symptoms through to the end. It was how he dealt with his diagnosis. His sister Jules had gone off the rails a little bit, rebelling and doing quite stupid things, and Alisdair had immediately volunteered at a clinic so he could see what he would eventually face. When he had started, his father had barely been showing any symptoms at all. Now his father's condition had worsened, but at least Alisdair knew what to expect. He had seen it all. He feared his father's death and he feared his own symptoms showing up, as well as fearing for his sisters and his own eventual decline. At least there would be no surprises. He had stared the ugly face of his illness straight on.

"It might mean I have to cut back a few hours, but I can keep going."

"I don't know how you do it, man," Ty said with a shake of his head. "I had to stop watching House because that hot, crazy chick on it has Huntington's and I didn't want to see that."

Alisdair gave Ty a brave smile. "Are you sure you didn't have to stop watching that show because it's terrible?"

"No it isn't!" Ty insisted with a laugh.

"After the first series I could predict every episode. I love Hugh Laurie, but please. If you are going to pay homage to Sherlock Holmes, do it well!"

"You are a cretin, but I like you anyway," Ty informed him.

Alisdair took a deep drink of his beer and when he looked up he spotted Patrick step through the door of the bar, looking like a lost puppy. "Ty. That guy by the door, that's the pianist."

Ty craned his neck around and then he laughed once and looked back at Alisdair. "Oh, Chuckleberry, you two would have such ginger children!"

"Do I have to give you the biology talk again?" Alisdair hissed, hoping he wasn't turning red again. That was all he needed.

"Oh come on, the idea of you raising a bunch of ginger kids with that guy is adorable! Is he...lost?"

"I think he looks a little like he might need me to find him," Alisdair grinned and he waved to Patrick who, once he had spotted Alisdair in return, looked instantly more comfortable.

"Fuck, Al, he looks like you just told him he won an academy award! Look at him. Please take him home with you!"

"Be cool!" Alisdair hissed and then he moved so Patrick could sit beside him. "Hi, Patrick, I'm glad you came!" Ty chuckled and Alisdair kicked him under the table. "This is my friend, Ty. He's kind of an arse."

"Nice to meet you!" Ty said without arguing.

"Hi," Patrick said, looking lost again. He shook Ty's hand anyway and then he glanced at the men's drinks. "I should...get something. Be right back." Patrick slipped away again and Ty wiggled his eyebrows at Alisdair.

"Berry," Alisdair whispered. "That man is exactly your type."

"I know!" Alisdair hissed. "And he has an Irish accent." Alisdair bit his lip and he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling before placing his hands over his heart. Irish accents made him weak in the knees.

"Have you been dabbling in black magic lately? Because he is kind of like someone dumped every attribute you find attractive into one man."

"Yes, I ordered him online from a witch named Destiny. Go away! Hit on girls! Get laid!" Alisdair shooed his friend.

Ty laughed loudly and when Patrick returned, he slid out of the booth. "Be back later! I'm going to go hit on girls!"

"Oh...right," Patrick said, hesitating before sliding into the seat Ty had just vacated so he could face Alisdair instead of sitting awkwardly beside him with no one opposite.

"Lemonade?" Alisdair noted Patrick wasn't drinking alcohol.

"Long story," Patrick said quietly. "I'm glad I came here though. It's...just nice to get out."

"Sometimes it is," Alisdair agreed. Patrick was so quiet and shy it almost hurt him to think about how much he wanted to take Patrick under his wing. Quiet and shy and kind of broken was his type. It usually meant he had really bad relationships that went nowhere, but it fed his need to be needed. And Patrick needed someone. It was so obvious, the man may was well had tattooed it on his forehead.

"You aren't a violent psychopath by any chance are you?" Patrick asked, looking up from his beverage.

Alisdair blinked and he licked his lips before answering honestly, since asking why Patrick had asked probably wouldn't help. "Well once I threw a pencil at a kid named Gary Connors for calling me a some sort of colourful gay slur, but usually I just channel my rage into gardening. I line up my pencils, I don't like red pens, and I abhor hot milk when it has a skin on the top because that's disgusting, but I don't think that's psychotic. Are you a violent psychopath?"

"No."

"Do you always begin conversations this way?" Alisdair asked with a grin.

Patrick laughed, finally, and it made Alisdair feel warm inside. "Not really. That's a long story too. I just thought I should probably ask."

"Have you come across many violent psychopaths?" Alisdair asked worriedly.

"Heh." Patrick sipped his lemonade and then he chewed on his lip. "So, do you play in any other bands?"

Well that was a yes if he'd ever heard one. It was almost like Patrick was in his head, picking out everything Alisdair looked for in a man. A mysterious, possibly traumatic past?! Was he trying to make Alisdair jump over the table and pull the man into his arms? Alisdair opted for drinking instead, but it wasn't easy. "Not yet, but I'm doing every audition I can. You?"

"I used to play in a pub. I'm just taking it slowly for now. I'm new to London, so I want to ease into a new place before I get too into anything. I figured Johan's album was a good start because I know him."

"Good thinking," Alisdair acknowledged.

He opened his mouth to say something else when Ty sauntered back to them and he handed Patrick a piece of paper. "Here's Chuckleberry's phone number," he said with a smile. "Word on the street is he's five stars in the sack!" Ty winked and then he patted Alisdair's hand. "I'm going to go shoot pool with that girl there. See you next week!" He leaned in to kiss Alisdair's hair and then he left again.

Alisdair and Patrick stared at each other for a moment and then Alisdair shook his head. "I am going to kill him," Alisdair informed Patrick. "But...not in a violently psychotic way," he added, just in case.

Patrick made no move to pick up the number yet, he just sat silently until Alisdair nearly resolved the tension by making a joke. Patrick lifted his eyes to meet Alisdair's and he surprised him by saying, "did he just call you Chuckleberry?"

Alisdair snorted. That hadn't actually been the word Alisdair had assumed Patrick would have focused on. "My real name is Huckleberry. I'm not joking. My parents are great, but it was like they wanted me to get punched at school. Alisdair is my middle name. It was my maternal grandfather's name and it's not heaps better. But it's not Huckleberry. I have a sister named Patchouli and a cousin named Chastity, so I'm not alone."

"Your real name is Huckleberry."

"Yes. Yes, it really is," Alisdair said and then he waited.

"I don't think Huckleberry sounds like a violent psychopath's name."

"It wouldn't sound right in the papers," Alisdair agreed. "No one would take a villain named Huckleberry seriously."

"So I think I am not afraid of you," Patrick said. He reached out and pocketed the number and Alisdair resolved to buy Ty all the beer instead of killing him. He would be content with friends, but Patrick had heard Ty say 'in the sack' and he had still pocketed the number without stipulating he wasn't interested in Alisdair in that way. Perhaps there was a chance!

He smiled warmly at Patrick and then he finished off his beer. "I'm going to go get a lemonade. Unless you don't feel like being in a bar? We could go somewhere else." It wasn't hard to leap to the conclusion that Patrick was either an alcoholic, or he had known a violently psychotic one. Or both. Somehow it didn't ring true that Patrick would be a mean drunk, but he was clearly staying away from booze for a reason.

"I'm doing okay, actually," Patrick said with a smile. "You can have beer if you want."

"I actually think the idea of the both of us sitting in this bar, drinking lemonade, is quite amusing. Do you want anything else?"

"No," Patrick said with a smile. He looked quite comfortable and that made Alisdair feel good.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

Patrick shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere." The way he said it made Alisdair feel tingly all over.