A/N: the translations were taken from rudy dot negenborn dot net / catullus / ?l=e , without breaks and with dots.

The Latin quote is from Carmen 16, third and second lines from the end... [TBC]

It was late.

Abe poured himself a shot and handed Henry the bottle. For a while, they sat together in silence.

'I talked to her parents today,' Henry said at last. 'Gave them some...closure.'

Gave them so very little.

'Do not be amazed: for you are all well,
you digest well, you fear nothing -
not fires, not severe ruin,
not wicked deeds, not plots of poison,
nor other dangerous accidents.'

His son looked over at him with some surprise.

'Going into insurance?'

'No,' he said, lying back on the sofa. 'Just in mind for Catullus. Not the best of attempts – the meter's all rough, I'll grant you... Bradley's, I think.'

'At least you didn't go all out. This time. I ain't that fluid in Latin.'

'I could use a remedial course myself,' he said modestly, and Abraham snorted.

They spent another while without words, just thinking and watching the jellyfish play in their tank.

'Although, in this particular case I think I can select a poem or two which you might recognize,' Henry began conversationally.

'Oh?'

'Ye-es, I seem to recall a volume of utterly untranslated material which went missing about...five decades ago, or even earlier...'

'Dad.' Abe was pouting.

Henry sat up and pressed a knuckle to his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

'I wonder what lines were read the most.'

'Dad.'

'Perhaps, vos, quod milia multa basiorum legistis, male me marem putatis?'

'Never!' Abe put a hand over his heart. 'Don't you know me?'

'At this point I don't know if I'd prefer you to be objecting to my choice of verse, or simply kidding, or... Yes, all right, let's drink to our acquaintance.'

'A start of a beautiful friendship and all that.'

'Well, you were a charmer, Abraham Morgan.'

'And here's to your surpassed kissing abilities.'

'He was exaggerating.'

'Oh, you don't know that.'

'It's called a hyperbole!'

'Uh-huh.'

The jellyfish shone softly, like little innocent ghosts.

'I have it somewhere,' Abe said at last.

'Keep it,' mumbled Henry, flopping down and getting comfortable. 'Just don't come running to me with a complaint that an old Roman steered you wrong.'

'Don't worry, he didn't...'

'Abraham!'

A/N: ...and in Carl Cohen's translation, read You! You read about my "many kisses"
and doubt I'm fully a man?