Coming to Grips

[Archer Keating]

"You wouldn't let me forget." He chuckled a quiet laugh. There was a lot about Chase that Archer didn't know and, even if he was told, probably wouldn't understand completely. This meant he worried .. a lot. Being assured that Chase would be okay wouldn't help. He could just do what he could and right now that meant refilling the glass once it was empty.

The question about being shot got a quick glance at Chase and then away. Memories he self-medicated to forget came back in a hurry largely because Archer was mostly sober with only a dull hang over left. He lifted a shoulder as his eyes slid back to Chase. "I don't know. It was chaos. Happened at the old place." He rubbed a hand over his face, fingers of his other hand tightening on the scotch bottle. "I was in the hospital for a few weeks but it doesn't matter now. It's done and over. I'm here." He shot a quick smile at Chase. "All alive and kicking so don't worry about it. You need to worry more about you and getting that sorry ass of yours all healed up."

He leaned back himself, head tipping to the side so that he could look at Chase while they spoke. It was really good to have him back. Archer hated the not knowing what was going on with Chase. A part of him died each day that Chase was gone; just sure that this time someone had managed a lucky shot to take him out. "Mercy's going to shit when she sees you. Hell, they all are going to be surprised. It'll be good though." He waited until Chase's glass was empty again before offering to refill it.

[Chase Benjamin]

[Archer Keating]

Archer wanted to throw his hands up then just put a pillow over Chase's face to make him shut up and just rest! He was still being all big bad-ass and Archer knew better than to say anything else about the day he got all shot up. There was a concern that Chase would force himself up to get working on a bit of smack down.

He quieted down though, a sort of calm settling over him when Chase admitted he wasn't going to go anywhere. Archer slid over closer and even leaned against Chase. "I won't tell them you're here." That would be best anyway. Let the rest think it was status quo. Nobody would question how Chase got in so Archer wouldn't have to try to lie; nothing would be unsettled. Archer whispered into Chase's ear, "Will you please just let me take care of you for those three days?"

Archer was already planning on telling the rest that he wasn't feeling the best, that he was going to just take it easy for a couple of days. Nobody would wonder about that. They knew his habits and his drinking and other medicating sometimes had him hazy for a day or so at a time. He tipped his head so he could catch Chase's eyes, blue gaze holding onto Chase's own amber eyes. He was all but begging silently.

[Chase Benjamin]

[Archer Keating]

He didn't care about anything he would have to pay for it later, he was thrilled that Chase had decided to relent and give in. He knew it was a give-in of sorts because he wasn't arguing anymore about whether it would happen. He was threatening an ass kicking once it was over. He chuckled at the threat of having his ass kicked. "Now you're just flirting."

Archer refilled Chase's glass again and then put the scotch out of reach, settling in close. "When you're finally complaining that you're hungry, I'll order pizza delivered. If you say please, I'll even order chicken wings." Now Archer was feeling a bit better, looser. He wasn't going to have to use a horse tranquilizer on Chase to get him to rest. All joking aside, he wasn't going to take this with too much joking. Archer was going to be watching Chase like a hawk.

Watching him sit there and threaten the ass kicking took Archer back to a garage years ago, his mom's place. Them all growing up and a vehicle in parts being worked on. Joking around. Archer watching his brother and Chase talk, smoke and drink. There was a pang of hurt that his brother was not still with them. But he had Chase and he had a garage. There was plenty of time to smoke and drink and work on cars.

Archer chuckled and gave a little nudge at Chase's thigh. "You remember the time you guys scored some rum and mom found out?" He never knew his mom to be that mad but she'd only been enraged because she thought the older guys were giving Archer some of the liquor.

[Chase Benjamin]

[Archer Keating]

"You're the disaster." He poked at Chase's side but carefully since he didn't want to end up with his finger poking through any holes that might be left behind. Archer hadn't seemed to think about how the place looked. It wasn't filthy but there were things left around like bottles; lots of bottles and those various types of hard liquors. Nothing was top shelf expensive. The point was drunk, not to impress anyone. There were other signs around, sure. Hell, he had some weed in plain sight but that wasn't so bad. There wasn't any powdery stuff around, just pills. The kind that put a guy down for the night when he wasn't busy having nightmares.

"Hey, food keeps a guy happy." And food came in handy when the munchies hit. But shopping was not high on the list so there was a lot of pizza delivered that got consumed here. "Don't worry, you can't get fat." He nudged at Chase again then went for the comfortable lean right in against Chase.

Talk about mom brought a grin to Archer's face. "Yeah, she yelled something fierce later but then threw up her hands and went to pray." He chuckled. "I think she ended up with a record number of hail mary's on my behalf." He rested his head against Chase and shifted a little just to get even more comfortable. One hand rested lightly on Chase's stomach, careful of the wounds. "She'd have a lecture ready; one for you and one for me."

Archer was waiting for Chase to pass out again; blood loss, alcohol and just moving around had to have taken a toll. But Chase didn't seem to be going down for the count at all. Archer admired that. He knew if he'd been in the condition Chase was, Archer would probably have already flat-lined. Hell, he had already .. twice. But the ER staff hadn't let him go. They'd worked like crazy to keep him firmly in this world instead of the next.

"How you feeling, man?"

[Chase Benjamin]

[Archer Keating]

"I'm innocent as the new fallen snow." Okay, yeah so maybe he wasn't but that's how most people saw the blond. Him and his baby face; if he kept it clean he looked easily 10 years younger than he really was and he was tired of that. Had he resorted to drugs and liquor because of that? No. That was other reasons; other things that haunted him and he couldn't cope when dry or clean.

He let the fat comment slide and instead chuckled about the mom stuff. She was something else. Always ready to take care of everyone and yet with a fiery enough temper that she didn't often get taken for a ride. His brows went up at the idea of going to see her. She might like it. Might not depending on how he'd left; admitting his own personal preferences that went against the Catholic norm. It hadn't been easy but she was his mom after all. Maybe she'd be less heart broken and more accepting. "Yeah, we can do that. Once you're fit to walk to the car yourself without looking like your one foot in the grave."

Archer figured there would be some sort of retaliation for that comment and his eyes were dancing with mischief because of it. Hearing Chase admit that hew as a little dizzy and heavy feeling confirmed to Archer that the liquor and wounds were going to keep Chase docile for at least a little while longer. He didn't fight being brought in to be face to face with Chase. He liked being close, being able to really search Chase's amber eyes and feel Chase's breath against his own lips. He tipped his head a little bit, the grin still curling his mouth up as Chase went in to rest his forehead against Archer's shoulder. "Harpy?" He shook his head and then shifted his shoulder a little to make Chase move his head some, just a little. "Don't you mean happy?" He was teasing as he tried to get Chase's head up only enough so that Archer could claim another kiss. It wasn't a little peck either. Well, the initial kiss was little. "Too late. I'm happy." And not for any other reason except that Chase was there and breathing. After that admission about happy, Archer stopped talking so he could just show Chase how happy through that kiss.