John strolled into the bar, it was dark and dingy, just how he felt inside. He walked to the bar and sat down, he was alone at the bar and glad, all he needed now was a drink.
The bar tender came up "uhh long long time no see, how's you doing boy?"
John recognised him "hey, doing shit actually. You?"
"same. I thought you'd died" he laughed, so did John
"I'm not that lucky"
"so your usual and a lot of it?"
John smiled "yes... defiantly need it today"
The bar tender smiled and got a glass set it in front of John the got a new bottle of whisky "doubles at a time?"
"as always" said John.
Glass after glass vanished, and he grew fuzzy but the pain remained.
He sat with his elbows on the bar and rubbed his face, when he heard the door open, then a hand on his shoulder, he didn't have the energy to turn
"hey John man... Come on what you doing in here? Alone? I'd of come drowned with you if you'd called" it was Frisco
"hello Lionel. How did you find me?"
"I got a call, saying you'd gone off and no GPS signal, so I knew you'd be this part of town. And I got lucky"
John just nodded and Frisco sat down
"I'm guessing you had a row with the little guy" said Frisco
"something like that"
"wanna talk about it?"
John looked up at him, trying to work out if he knew he was with Finch and not just work partners
Frisco leant into John "I know you were with him and had problems. And its cool" he moved back looked around then back to his ear "my best mate from college is... Gay"
John nodded "I can't talk yet. Drink?" offered John
"yeah I'm off the next few days" said Frisco turning to the bar.
John got him a drink and they sat just staring into space
"what did he say when he called?" suddenly asked John
"sorry" said Frisco clearly miles away
"I said what did he say when he called?" repeated John
"uh yeah, he sounded upset, said you'd rowed and he couldn't reach you. Said he was worried you'd gone complete AWOL on him, so I said I'd look for you"
"hmm... Upset... Fucking idiot... I almost smacked him one.. Till Ed got in the way.." said John feeling angry again
"who's Ed?"
"I am" came another voice, a voice John knew
He swung around on his chair, stood before him was Ed, hood up "fuck off Ed, I do not need you or your shit..." said John,
"John... What the hell?" said Frisco "that's the little
guy"
"no its not its his brother and has been Finch for the last few days. Impersonating him, fucking shit" John swung back round looking at Ed made him feel sick
"what? Come off it... Really?" said Frisco
"yes really but only at small periods of time, he needs more help but said he had to come back, and John wouldn't take him back if he wasn't changed" said Ed
John stood up but stumbled "do not blame me, you know fuck all about me, about Finch or what we had. Do not analyse me"
"I'm not, I only go by what he told me"
"one sided shit... Yeah" said John he needed to get away from Ed before he hit him
"John come on let's get outta here and go talk nice with Ed?" said Frisco grabbing Johns jacket
"why?" he demanded
"let's get in my car away from ears before we get beat, yeah?"
John looked around, lots of men were looking at them and he was in no state to fight "yeah let's" and he walked out.
Soon in the car John sat in the back sprawled out on the seat with Frisco and Ed in front.
"can we go get coffee?" asked Ed
"whatever" said John, he didn't care about anything any more
"OK" said Frisco and drove them across town.
They made small talk but John didn't listen even when he heard his name
"come on out we get" said Frisco opening the door for John
He rolled out and looked at the diner "I don't want to be here" he said unhappy
"why John? Its the diner you like" said Ed
"yeah being with Harold I do, not anyone else" he suddenly felt tearful and missed him
"but this is to help you and him, come on we can talk" said Ed arm out stretched
John nodded and walked in, he passed the booth he'd sat in earlier with Finch or was it Ed and went to another he'd never sat in before. He slid in and Ed sat opposite him, Frisco stayed stood
"sit with me" said John thinking if he was next to him he's less likely to jump and attack Ed
"you sure?" asked Frisco
"yes"
He nodded and sat down. They ordered drinks and John just sat looking out the window
"John" came eds voice
"you sound only a little different to your brother" stated John not turning
"well that's good cos I'm not Harold"
John turned "no, no your not so how did you pull this off?"
He wanted to know
"he was in my ear when I was with you, I just did as he told me to, in his words"
"so when was I with him? The actual him"
Ed sighed and looked at Frisco "he was with you last night, and this morning till you got here then he made me swap, umm... When he called the car we swapped again, when he told you how he felt leaving here that day, that was him in his own words. it was him in the car and bedroom with you... Then... Umm... Yeah I was the topless one in the garden when it all went wrong"
"your telling me" John was angry again
"he called me down to the garden, said he was going inside to find you and keep you inside, that I could rest in the garden. I was laid on topless when you came out, I jumped as expected it to be... Umm.. The house lady. Then I freaked, you run off, we thought you'd left, that's why I was in the shower. Harold was in his study crying"
"wait so you've been pretending to be Harold while he's been listening and watching, till he could manage himself? What the hell? No wonder your pissed" said Frisco
John ignored him, he needed answers "but why did you help him do all this? I don't understand" said John
"you'll have to talk to him"
"I can't face him, I feel sick"
"so is all this effort in vain? Its all gone. If you feel anything for him you will try to understand and go see him"
John just shook his head, it was so true, he did love Finch but all this was a mess, could it be repaired?
"John when we were in here, all that I did and said was what I was told to do and say, he can't do those things himself but he wants to he able to. He scared he will do something like... Reach across and hold your hands, he fears you will reject him and he will be publicly humiliated. He's scared of people but not you, it takes a lot for him to trust, it took almost a month with me for him to say your name to me. Harold loves you but he needs help and work, but not from us, he needs you"
John nodded and got out his cell, he scrolled through 'car's
"afternoon sir, require a lift?" came the young drivers voice
"yes to wherever Mr H is"
"home then sir. See you soon"
"bye" and he hung up "right let me out" he said
Lionel looked at Ed who nodded and he moved
"I'm going home... Home to love my imperfect partner and to help him" and he walked out.
The air hit him and his head spun, he was grabbed
"right I need to be sure of one thing before I let you get into any car" it was Frisco
"what's that?"
"are you going to hurt him? I don't wanna see or hear he's been hurt, ill have you firstly I will hurt you, well try then ill have you straight up for domestic violence, I don't care"
John smiled at his sincerity
"I'm not joking John I mean it"
John patted his arm "I know you are and no I don't want to hurt him. I love him, imperfections and all"
Frisco nodded
John saw Ed appear hood up again "Ed do you not wear glasses?" he asked, only just realising he'd not seen him wear any
"no I don't"
John nodded "thanks so much Ed. I'm sorry about earlier"
"its fine John" he stuck his hand out and John shook it "its forgotten. Just please love my brother"
"I will" he saw the car pulling up "gotta go. Bye"
He climbed in and waved as he shut the door.