The Guys Having a Chat

Who: Mickey and Miles
Where: A bar
When: early evening

After dropping off Shoshannah, making sure she was in her place safe and promised to rest, Mickey started the truck back towards his place. His mind was a still jumbled, something that was just starting to eat at him as he spotted a familiar figure on the sidewalk. Slowing the truck down he looked out the window, glancing at the other man. “Hey there.”

Initially Miles had kept his head down when the truck had started to slow, wanting to avoid any kind of trouble. The voice had him looking up and he gave Mickey a nod. “Hey.” His first instinct was to apologise for not having been around Eily’s place to help out and for leaving Mickey in the lurch. Then he’d have to explain why and get into the whole mess again. Instead he went for the much more neutral, “Nice truck.”

Mickey slowed the vehicle to a stop, shaking his head. “Don’t lie. I know it’s a mess, but I built her back together on my own, and she runs like a top, so the rest hardly matters.” He smiled a little, shaking his head. “How are you? Haven’t seen you in a bit.”

A slight frown fell on Miles’ face. “I don’t think she’s a mess,” he said honestly. He could see that a lot of hard work had gone into it and that was what mattered. Brow furrowing, the frown began to deepen. “Yeah, you know. Things are as the always are.” Hell, Eily could have told Mickey already about their discussion. With that in mind Miles decided to keep things as vague as he could, see if Mickey brought anything up before saying too much.

Mickey looked forward, towards the street, then back towards Miles. What December had said, about how all his women were friends and those were the only people he spent time with had him considering something else. He and Shoshannah had almost talked about what was going on, but then the conversation had been neatly avoided. Maybe it would be different with Miles. Or maybe it would just be a nice change of pace. “You wanna get a drink?”

“A drink sounds good.” If only Mickey knew. Miles wasn’t really the kind of leave his problems at the bottom of a glass but taking the edge off was damn appealing. A moment to relax. Try to relax, at least.

Mickey nodded, giving Miles a smile and leaning across to open the door. “Hop in. I know an absolute dive nearby, but the drinks are strong.” This was good for him, a step forward. Sure he knew Miles through one of his female friends, but that didn’t have to mean anything.

Climbing into the truck, Miles gave him a half smile back. “Dive works for me.” A cruddy bar would be pretty fitting, definitely suit his current mood down to the ground. The promise of a strong drink helped seal the deal. “How’s it going?” he asked, not minding one bit if Mickey wanted to go into detail and provide a distraction from his own situation and the thoughts that refused to stop rolling around in his head.

He considered that, the automatic reaction of “fine” popping into his mind and almost out his mouth before he even thought about it. Maybe she was starting to rub off on him though and for once Mickey bit that answer back. “Confusing,” he settled on, glancing over at Miles. “You?”

Confusing was a word Miles could have used for himself. Amongst others. “Eh, you know,” he said, staring out of the windshield and sounded distant. After a moment he glanced over at Mickey. “What’s confusing?” Miles wasn’t going to probe and push, having had enough of that himself, but he wanted to show he was interested. Build bonds and all that.

“Not to rag on you, but I don’t know.” Mickey almost laughed, then shook his head. “The short answer it women.” He shrugged one shoulder, not sure if Miles would ask more as they pulled up in front of the bar and he killed the engine on the truck.

Women. Miles could completely understand why women would be confusing. They had a special knack for it. “What’s the long answer?” he asked as he got out of the truck. Maybe he could relate to whatever Mickey had going on. Offer a sympathetic ear.

This time Mickey did laugh and let himself out of the car, starting towards the bar, waiting for Miles to follow. It wasn’t like he went anywhere fact anyway. “Just trying to sort things out in my head I guess. You know that Eily’s got a new boyfriend?” he asked, ducking his head enough that when he looked at Miles it was out from under his curls.

Falling in step with Mickey, Miles raised an eyebrow at that little detail about Eily. It made the way she’d banged on about his own romantic entanglements almost funny. “Had no idea,” he murmured, half lost in his own thoughts for a second. “When did that happen?”

Mickey rubbed at the back of his neck, holding open the door for Miles. “Not long I guess. I just found out. We were working on the bar and she brought it up. An ex or something, they got back together.” He led the way to the bar, nodding at the people who greeted him as he passed. It wasn’t a nice place, and while he didn’t frequent it, it was easy for him to make friends with anyone, including a bar of lowlifes.

“Good for her,” Miles answered flatly. He watched the way Mickey interacted with people, how he seemed open and unfettered. Whereas Miles had gone into his default hands in pockets and head down stance, trying not to draw any attention to himself. Ally’s comment about wearing armor popped into his head. Leaning on the bar, he gestured to get the bartender’s attention. “What are you drinking?”

“Yeah of course,” Mickey said, giving in to the smile even though he’d lost the girl in the game. “She deserves to be happy.” There was another girl, dark where Eily was light, but that didn’t make the Eily issue not sting. Sitting at the bar he watched Miles, patting his friend’s shoulder. “They look like a rough crowd, but it’s better than say the Round. Don’t worry.”

“What about you?” he asked. Miles was all to aware that he was hardly one to judge how others went about their business but he still hadn’t quite gotten over his run in with Eily. And Mickey seemed like a genuinely good guy who deserved to be happy himself. Hunching his shoulders a little, Miles shook his head. “I’m not worried.” If the worst came to the worst Miles knew he could stick up for himself.

Mickey ordered them two short glasses of whiskey, opting for something stronger than a beer, especially since he’d promised Miles something strong. “What about me?” he asked as he got his drink, holding it up to Miles’.

He chinked the glass against Mickey’s then took a long sip, enjoying the warmth of the alcohol. “Don’t you deserve to be happy as well?”

Mickey shook his head as he took a sip and set the glass back down. That was the question of a lifetime wasn’t it? Flashes of December were back, soft mouth against his and he looked away from Miles. “What makes you think I’m not.”

Focusing on the glass in his hand, Miles swirled round it contents. For a moment he simply watched the way the liquid moved before getting around to answering Mickey. “Well, you liked her and she’s gone back to her old boyfriend.” He finished with a shrug, assuming that it would be reason enough for someone not to be on top of the world.

Taking another sip of his drink Mickey considered that. “That part isn’t exactly fun, but she’s happy. How am I supposed to be anything but happy for her. Seems a shitty way to be if I like her and she likes someone else.” He set his glass down then shook his head. “There’ll be someone else.” There was someone else. Maybe. That thought got a smile out of Mickey, ducking his head again.

As he finally looked up at Mickey, he watched the other man for a moment. “It all seems to roll off you.” The observation wasn’t a negative one - quite the opposite. Must have been nice to be like that. Miles, as had been kindly pointed out to him, was much more prone to brooding. “But you’re right. There’s always going to be someone else out there. You just have to find them.” Being utterly blinded by one girl never seemed to work out too well. Shame Miles was.

It wasn’t entirely the case. Things bothered Mickey plenty, but he didn’t usually show it. “Sometimes. And sometimes it’s just best to let it go. She didn’t seem hung up on me any.” He glanced over at Miles and sipped at his drink again. “I suppose you do have to find them.” Or they find you and force you into a strange way of being. Rubbing at his chin he made a face. “How’s Ally?”

“Letting go is the hard part. It’s good you can.” Miles drained some more from the glass. Sometimes it was best to let things go. An idea he’d been trying to get people to understand. It wasn’t exactly in the same context as Mickey had meant but still. Letting go was letting go. More of the drink began to disappear at the mention of that particular name and Miles found himself nodding, though he wasn’t really sure at what. Giving the impression that things rolled off of him too. “Shopping for the gala the last time I saw her.”

“We went out once, flirted a lot. We’re friends and she found someone else to fall for. We’re still friends.” Mickey shook his head, let out a sigh. “And there’s someone else.” He hated admitting it, but it explained things. When Eily had told him it was over, it had been hard, because he’d just gotten the same treatment from December. But things were different with December, even if he couldn’t explain how or what it meant, it was different. She couldn’t be determined to get rid of him after what had happened. Mickey watched Miles down a hefty amount of his drink and made a face. “Normally I’d say ‘you finally asked her out’ but from the way you’re drinking I’m going to guess no. What happened?” Mention of the gala sent his mind in other directions, but he forced himself to focus on Miles, not off somewhere else on a promise December had made that hadn’t been discussed since their fight.

“Someone else?” he repeated, making sure he didn’t sound too surprised as Mickey could have easily taken it the wrong way. Good for him that he’d already moved on. Hopefully this new girl would result in better things. With a shrug he finished off the dregs of the whiskey and set the glass down on the bar. “She’s going with someone else.” Hardly the full story but probably enough to explain the drinking away for now.

Mickey waved and ordered them each another drink as he finished off his as well. “Someone else,” he repeated shaking his head. “It’s not...I can’t explain it really, but it’s distracting from that sort of thing.” That was the best answer for what December was. He leveled his look on Miles, not letting the guy just blow it off. “Why isn’t she going with you Miles?”

“You don’t have to explain it. Not to me, anyway. But it’s good you’ve got your eye set on someone else.” And really, it was none of Miles’ business. Mickey could use him to talk to if he wanted to. If not, that was fine too. Wasn’t going to offend Miles any. Aware of the look, he gave another shrug. “To put it simply, she wouldn’t want to even if I’d asked. We’re not really... talking much. So she’s going with someone else.”

Mickey took the new drinks, sliding Miles’ towards him. “Alright, so you’re not speaking and the girl you’re clearly in love with who by the way, seemed more than smitten with you, is going out with some other guy.” He watched Miles over his glass and shook his head. “What happened? And don’t talk around it this time.”

There was a moment where Miles winced. Specifically it was when Mickey mentioned him being in love with her. It was true and hearing it out loud from someone else after what had happened was... uncomfortable. Not answering straight away, he looked up at the ceiling then towards Mickey. “I curb stomped her heart. Needless to say, she’s hardly smitten with me any more.” Miles shook his head. “But the ‘Miles is an asshole’ society is really coming on. It’ll probably have badges soon.”

Mickey was quiet, taking a sip of his drink and watching Miles. “So why on earth would you do that?” he asked after a long moment.

“She deserves better,” he said bluntly, lacking the will to try and run rings around the issue now. He was ready to be told again that it wasn’t up to him to decide what she did and didn’t deserve, did and didn’t want. But Miles gave that same answer because it was the answer. Whether anyone else saw it or not.

Mickey took a drink of his whiskey and shoo his head. “Yeah sure, she deserves some random guy and not the guy who loves her that she also really likes. That makes complete sense Miles.” He set his glass down and turned back towards his friend. “So you’re giving up then?”

Head tilted slightly to the side as if in thought, Miles gripped his glass a little tighter. “No, you’re right. I should tell her to come and be miserable with me until she withers away or gets the sense to leave and resents me even more than she does now.” He downed some more of the alcohol. At least that statement wasn’t dancing around the problem.

Mickey smiled a little and shook his head. “You’re an idiot.” He took another sip of his drink and looked down at the bar. “One, if she was miserable, she would have dumped you a long time ago. Two, even if she did leave you miserable? Then at least you’d get some of the time with her.” He took another sip of his drink. “How’d you stomp on her heart?”

He looked over at Mickey through slightly narrowed eyes. “Yes, I am an idiot. Most of the time I’m wandering around with literally no clue what I’m doing. Or half a clue on a good day. And the best part about it is no one being able to see the difference between trying to deal with that in some way and being a closed off, self indulgent fuck up.” It wasn’t a rant he’d meant to unleash on Mickey, on anyone for that matter, but Mickey ended up being the one on the receiving end. Something inside Miles had snapped for a moment, and that was the result. He knew what Mickey had meant by the idiot comment but it had let him vent. “I told her I didn’t want to be with her. Because, you know, I’m an idiot.” His tone was flat, matter of fact.

“Miles, you’re a good guy,” Mickey pointed out, smile gone as he rested a hand on Miles’ shoulder. “And no one said you were a self indulgent fuck up. And if you aren’t sure of everything, you focus on the things you are sure of. If you’re sure you care about her and act on that, you won’t fuck it up too much.” He sighed and patted Miles shoulder. “That was idiotic. You got what you wanted and you ran away from it?” Mickey shook his head and finished his drink. “You are going to that gala tomorrow. Alone. Put on something nice and go win your girl back. Tell her you’re an idiot and you’re in love with her.”

It was nice for Mickey that he had the pleasure of being so idealistic, and Miles supposed it was nice that someone was making the effort to be constructive with him. For a while Miles didn’t say anything because the first response that came into his head and very nearly into his mouth was no, he wasn’t going to do that. Even if he had been thinking about going to the gala ever since Ally had mentioned her date. So he could in that capacity. Keep an eye on her, assess the guy who wasn’t him. Maybe Ally would see it as proof he did still have some fight left in him. Hell freezing over and him going home with another slap and tail between his legs were more likely. “Are you taking your someone else?” he asked when he eventually did speak, meeting what he perceived as a challenge with one of his own.

That was the ultimate question wasn’t it? If he was going to try and coax December to going with him. He let out a sigh, considering that. Hadn’t she said at one point that she would go? When the was had escaped Mickey, if it was before the fight or after, or if that mattered given what had happened. Turning to Miles he shrugged his shoulder. “If she says yes,” he settled on finally with a smile.

“Fine. Then I’ll go.” It sounded like it was much more about making sure Mickey went through with asking this girl out than anything to do with him, or Ally. Really he just needed the excuse. Something to fall back on and make it not about Ally and what in the name of God he was going to say to her and if she’d even speak to him and who the hell her date was.