"We need to have a talk Connor," Da sat down heavily, taking off his coat and swinging it over the back of his chair.
"What for?" Connor already knew the answer, but some small part of him wanted to drag this out as long as possible.
"Because you owe Murphy and I an explanation and if Murphy had demanded it you'd never have given it." Da lit a cigar, and Murphy snorted. "So out with it Connor, who's Diana?"
"I told ya before. She's the neighbor."
"But how the fuck do ya know her Connor, an don't give me that "I've seen her around" shit." Murphy lit a cigarette.
"She moved in a few weeks ago, and I heard her slam on the wall when we came in drunk that night and were making a lot of noise. So I tapped on the wall to make sure I wasn't hearing things, cause no one's lived in that apartment since we came here. She slammed on it again, and we just started talking."
"Talking like how?" asked Murphy, and then before Connor even said anything, "Holy shit! She's the one you've been talking to through the wall late at night isn't she?"
"Yeah," Connor opened a beer and sat down.
"I thought you were going mad? I woke up one night and you were out here in the kitchen tapping on the wall!"
"How much have you told her?" asked Da seriously.
"Just my first name, and now she knows about the two of you, but that's it. I haven't told her anything else about us."
"Are you two…." Murphy seemed suddenly uncomfortable, mostly of the idea of Connor being with a girl in any fashion.
"Our relationship is somewhat beyond what I'd called friendship, yes," said Connor, looking at the floor.
"Christ." Murphy leaned back. "This could complicate the hell out of things you know.
"I know. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before."
"Whatever Connor. She's a pretty lass and all, but seriously, something's amiss about her."
"What do ye mean, amiss?"
"I mean "not right" idiot. Something about her… I mean the way you are around her, like you aren't all yourself because you can't tell her the most important part of your life? There's a look on your face that's almost sad… and I look at her and I see the same look on her face."
"You're so fucking paranoid."
"Look Connor, I'm serious. Don't tell her about us… at least not until both Da and I are alright with it. I mean, come on, it's our asses on the line too."
"I know," Connor became quiet.
"Just know," began Da, and Murphy and Connor both became quiet. "That even if she turns out to be alright with everything we do, if your relationship grows anymore, you may have to make a choice between her and what you do. And I'm not saying that I'll hold it against you if you choose her. But remember, that it will be a difficult decision to make if it comes to that."
Murphy looked horrified at the suggestion that Connor might leave them one day, and nearly choked when he saw Connor nod his head.
It was Murphy, not Connor, who couldn't sleep that night.
