The Same Deep Water as You

Fandom: Fringe

Characters: Alternate Lincoln Lee, Alternate Frank Stanton

Rating: T

Wordcount: ~900

Summary: "Lincoln said that if you were here, he would kiss you."

Notes: In which I take a random line and twist it to impure purposes. Immediately post-"Immortality."

Lincoln finds Frank in a bar, which is a cliché but totally fair, given the circumstances. When your girlfriend of over four years-slash-brief-fiancée is pregnant and the timing matches up to when you were in North Texas working a smallpox outbreak, well, Lincoln figures a drink or five is the least of all possible destructive reactions.

His own feelings about the situation are-not relevant tonight, actually. Despite everything he's gotten to know Frank pretty well over the last few years, and Lincoln knows he's really a good guy. Nobody works for the CDC, willingly diving into disease hot zones, without a powerful altruistic streak. And more important to Lincoln, Frank had never treated Liv with anything but the utmost care and devotion. Anything less and the last few years would have been unbearable, considering-

But again, it's not about him tonight. He drops into the seat next to Frank, signaling the bartender to hit him and refill Frank's glass-high-end bourbon from the look of the bottle, good choice. Frank throws him a sidelong glance and Lincoln braces himself for the inevitable.

"Come to gloat?"

-because yeah, even a semi-saint like Frank was gonna be looking for a target to lash out at, and Lincoln had elected himself. For Frank's sake, to make sure that if he got in a fight it was with someone who could keep both of them from getting hurt. And because Liv had been crying in the hospital, even if she'd tried to wipe away the tears before Lincoln saw her. She obviously still loved Frank, even if she'd cheated on him with an unsub.

Lincoln takes a sip of the bourbon, determined to stay on target. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

That gets him a more direct look, maybe a little more surprised than Lincoln thinks he deserves. "I thought you'd be consoling Liv."

"They threw me out of the hospital," Lincoln says bluntly, and then a little more gently, "But we've been friends too, right? And you got kicked hard today." Besides, he was mad at Liv too, for reasons that had no basis in reality.

"Huh." Frank takes a healthy swallow from his refilled glass. "Yeah, I guess. Sorry."

Lincoln flaps a dismissive hand-bygones-and settles in, nodding to the bartender to keep them topped off. A couple more silent rounds later and Frank finally sighs, pushing his glass away and turning it upside down with a definitive motion, and it all comes spilling out.

"I *knew* it, I knew something was off while I was gone. She sounded distant, like she didn't know what to say to me, but she passed it off with all the craziness about Broyles being missing." Frank cradles his head in his large hands, rubbing at his eyes. "You didn't notice anything...?"

Lincoln's been working on that all afternoon. "No, swear. Charlie, either. I mean, she was shaky when she came back after her, uh, leave two months ago, but since then she's been fine."

"Fine without me," Frank says morosely. "She said yes today! When I asked her to marry me."

"Yeah, I know," Lincoln murmurs, and waits for the rest.

"And I would have- dammit, Lincoln, I would have married her anyway. That's how much of a sucker I am." Frank takes a long shaky breath. "But I asked her if she was still in love with him, the father, and she couldn't answer. If it'd just been a, a fling because she was lonely, I could've dealt with that."

"I don't think you're a sucker," Lincoln says hoarsely, unwisely. "You just love her. I get it."

Frank turns to stare at him. "Yeah, I guess you do." He eyes the overturned glass, then shakes his head. "It almost would have been easier if it was you."

And fuck, that's a low blow, but it's flattering in a way too. There's also nothing he can say that isn't self-serving agreement, so he keeps his mouth shut. After a moment Frank chuckles, the sound low and unnerving.

"While we were working the case today, Liv said you would've kissed me if I'd been there. Now you're here. Still true?"

"...Frank, don't," Lincoln manages, while his brain scrambles for a reply. "That was a- a figure of speech, man, don't-"

But Frank is leaning in now, his eyes intent. "I've heard enough about your exploits from Liv to know you're basically pansexual. I just got dumped by my girlfriend, who you also happen to be in love with, under circumstances that are probably pissing you off too. And drunk post-break up sex is definitely an option to work off all that frustration on both our parts."

All true, every word of it. Frank had been off limits and now he wasn't, technically, although Liv would probably be within rights to shoot them both. But there are better reasons than that to restrain himself, not the least being that he'd like to think he's also a good guy. Lincoln takes the last swallow from his own glass and sets it down. "Okay, come on, I'm taking you home."

Frank's eyes light up with equal parts astonishment and triumph, but Lincoln cuts off his celebratory smirk. "To *sleep.* So I can keep an eye on you. You wanna cry a little on my shoulder, that's cool too."

Frank grumbles but gets up, staggering only a little. "Lincoln, dammit, I wish-"

"Yeah," Lincoln says. "Me too."

Sigh. I actually set out to write for reals Lincoln/Frank. Ahhh, well, I can always go reread elfin's Pack fics for that. *g*