textualhealing | IC CONTACT

[Liking Jeff is like a slap in a face, that's for sure, but he doesn't ever try to hide that fact. He's perfectly content to smooth the situation and throw in a right hook seconds later, it can't be helped. Perhaps it's the lawyer in him that insists on digging and twisting and never letting things settle.

At least he listens to Will's reply, poking at his salad idly without ever actually taking a bite. It's difficult to process what he knows and what he's learning, trying to judge every piece of information that's been slowly trickle fed to him and put it all together. Each side tells a different story, but isn't that always the way? And if he truly had to trust anyone, he imagines it'd be the guy he's sharing food with rather than the paranoid meth lord filling his bank.]

So maybe he's done some shit. Maybe you have too. I sure as hell have... Did you know I killed a guy's dad? [A thoughtful squint towards Will and a slow smile that suggests maybe it's not an awful murder but it's information sharing and Will's already shared so much.] He was old as balls. Like literally must have been a hundred or something. I made him have a heart attack.

[Yes, you have sits on the tip of Will's tongue. But he knows his memory is exceptional, remarkable. He knows that it's possible Jeff forgot and is attempting to open up instead of, what? Putting himself on the same level of fucked up and dangerous that Will is perceived as by some, even if it's not Jeff?

He's stares, openly, before he takes another sip of his drink and starts back in on his food, mirroring the poking-not-yet-eating of his companion.]

How'd you do that?

[Like he's never heard this before. Brand new information that Will doesn't seem a single bit perturbed by. He isn't.]

Sneak up on him and say boo? Tell him his son knocked up some girl and refused to make an honest woman out of her?

[Tell him your dirty, masterful tactics for murder, friend.]

[Not everyone can have a memory like Will's. Especially when their name is Jeff and he's not paying attention to things about 99% of the time. That and it's literally his only murder claim to fame. Sorry, bro, we can't all be that experienced in serial killing. Jeff sure could talk about some fucked up shows and movies he's seen though!]

Shouted at him for being an asshole of a father. [There's plenty of daddy issues here. Shrug!]

What I'm getting at is I don't really care. I mean. I care about what you want me to care about, but if you tell me all this isn't important? Then that's it. Done. I'm not gonna ask any more. You're a good guy, Will, I like you. I even like Chilton for some unknown reason that I doubt I'll ever understand. [Because srsly, that dude is annoying as hell.] So maybe some of the crap you've both got up to isn't entirely above board, but you're speaking to a lawyer. I've probably been responsible for more deaths than I'd like to think about. I get people off the hook and back on the streets and maybe some of them really shouldn't be in public. Am I proud of it? Not entirely. But it's my job and I'm damn good at it, and I am proud of that.

[Will stops everything, hands frozen mid-twirl of the fork, and lets his full attention sit on Jeff. He watches, listens—an ideal student for any teacher, provided they don't mind the occasional feeling said student sees through them, aren't bothered by the way one little tilt of his head turns him from hungry for knowledge to something bordering on predatory. Whatever those little gestures mean to Jeff, he's hopeful they're never taken as threat, but for now, Jeff's the entire universe to Will Graham.

He waits a few seconds after Jeff's declaration of pride, and finally expresses something of his own. Lips pull down, he nods a bit, buying every word for how Jeff puts it out there and finding them all to be just fine. Tasteful. Tasty.]

Point taken. Very fair, and you present it well.

[He appreciates. He accepts. A+ lawyer skills on display.]

I like you, too, by the way. In case you hadn't...realized that.

[He looks down and starts in on his meal with a returned zest for actually eating. Appetite restored, thanks to Jeff Winger.]

[As a guy with plenty of experience as a teacher, Jeff can honestly say he has pretty much never had a student look at him with any kind of interest or thirst for knowledge. Such things don't exist in Community Colleges, although that might have something to do with every student and teacher slowly dying inside. Most of his students are lucky if they even get any actual lessons that don't involve watching the same few episodes of The Blue Planet over and over because teaching is so much work and effort and Jeff would rather just play on his phone and drink alcohol.

Still, Will's interest is appreciated, especially that unwavering attention on Jeff because everything should always be about Jeff. Please give him all the attention ever, friend.

Except attention that involves talking about friendship and being liked because that's so hard to know how to react to! As it stands, Jeff just smiles, something small and private and not quite the usual broad smarm grin that he reserves for lying his way through life. It's first date levels of bashful and he distracts from it by smoothly going back to his salad. Yup, just eating his food, nothing to see here.]

Thanks for lunch. I'll get it next time... [Totally good subject change, right?] If you wanna spend the rest of it with April, I can go out. I got some things to do anyway. [In case the lovebirds want to settle their differences over a desk or whatever.]

Edited 2015-09-11 10:05 (UTC)

[And this is why, even though Will isn't on the mailing list for Winger Fan: Fans at Large, Will will always consider himself a member of the Jeff Winger fan club. A member of the only club that matters, a personal one led and founded by the man himself. It's a much better connection than just talking about him to a bunch of other people.

Will won't be making any mentions about that bashful look, nope. He'll note it and keep it for later, the best portrait of Jeff to add to any memory palace, and wonder if he should have done this earlier. He'd thought they'd passed first date a while ago, but would it have been a good idea to do this earlier? Sometimes relationships were like cooking—they needed to simmer, to stew slowly, rather than be tossed on hot flame and cooked in record timing.]

No, no, you don't have to do that. I came up here for you, not her. [Will casts a glance over his shoulder at the door as he says, like she'll have just appeared there and heard him.] I'll be spending all night with her, anyway. We can spare some distance over lunch. It's not a problem.

[Dude needs his brotime, okay? He loves April and would do anything for her, but April needs time with her ladies the same as Will needs time with his gentlefellas. This is all good. But if Jeff actually has things to do that he wants to do, Will won't be too perturbed. He's assuming that's less Jeff saying he needs to go and more giving Will an out (or an in, as it were), anyway.]

[That assurance that Will's here for Jeff just keeps that smile going, even as Jeff tries to force it into something a little more confident and a little more normal for the wily lawyer image he was meant to preserve. Will was permitted to see the occasional weakness, that's what bros were for, but if word got out of Jeff actually having a heart? Then his career may end as we know it. And shut up that's totally not an over dramatic thought, he's sure it'd be true!]

Well, I'm probably gonna be out tonight anyway, so maybe give the kids some money and kick them out of the house. Give you two lovebirds an evening alone for once, you both deserve that much. [Because he totally ships it forever more, cutest couple, dokidoki, uwaaa, etcetc.] You want some wine to set the mood? I got good wine.

[Perhaps Jeff's merely getting to the stage in his life where he's realised love and him aren't likely to ever work out so he just has to settle with seeing it work for others. Maybe that's his purpose.]

[As if Will is the sort to go running his mouth to everyone and everything when there isn't an actual need for it. Jeff's secrets are safe, rest assured.]

Implying April and I can't tell what a good wine is.

[He says into his drink, words that could be taken as how dare you insult me and my wife delivered in a tone that carries none of that. It's a sweet thought, but since Will still has no idea about Jeff's wonderful cash flow, he's less inclined to take additional money stuff from him. Even if this good wine was a gift, it's still Jeff's!]

Don't worry about it. We've got our own stuff. You just enjoy your evening out and call us if you get into any trouble.

[Doesn't necessarily have to be getting arrested trouble. If Jeff goes on some blind date that turns out to be absolutely heinous fifteen minutes in, April and Will can save the day. Call crying about something or other, or just show up and be even more heinous until his date decides this is in no way worth it.

Because that's what family does for each other.]

[That is quite some offer there, friend. Agreeing to get Jeff out of trouble could involve far more than just a simple pick up. This is Jeff we're talking about after all, the guy who manages to charm and piss off all in one, who can manage to have post apocalyptic style games of paint ball and be involved in zombie outbreaks and everything in between. Will is quite the bro.]

That... might actually have to be something I take you up on. I got a native I'm meeting with for dinner but uh, she's kind of a bigger fan than I first thought. Kinda to creepy levels. Gonna give the evening a chance, sure but uh, I'm kinda concerned she's gonna drug me and lock me in her home forever.

[Being kidnapped by crazy fans isn't even fun when they're super hot. :c]

[Not on Will's watch. He understands that Jeff is, most likely, just tossing out a scenario, horsing around, isn't really thinking much about what he says with that, but Will frowns and momentarily tenses just the same. People being drugged and locked away aren't a newspaper story or movie plot to Will, he's known them. And as long as he has any say in the matter, that is a thing of the past. Or, at least, a thing for Baltimore. Not here.]

April and I could could go out for dinner nearby and you can text if you feel we need to step in. Or meet up outside after—bump into each other. She can't drug you and take you home right in front of us.

[Normal enough conversation over lunch, really, but Will means every word. He'd do whatever it took to make Jeff feel comfortable, as long as he could actually do it. Will adopts some people more than he does others, always observant and watchful of what uses they may have for later on. Uses that might be positive, uses that might be very negative, but still something useful. Jeff and he already seem to have a rather tightly knit bond, as far as Will can tell, though that doesn't mean there's any harm in strengthening it, adding on. No skin off Will's back, plenty of gain to collect. Who doesn't win?]

[Jeff would have absolutely no gauge on how to react to an actual kidnapping. It's just not something that really ever happens back home. And if it were to happen? There'd be some distant part of him waiting for the punchline to a joke he didn't get.]

Great idea. I know of an amazing place near to where I'll be eating. I'll book you both in, my treat.

[Perfectly eager to spend his money on friends, because Will is a friend. A very good friend. One that he's not always sure how he managed to get or whether he's ever really worthy of. Will picks up strays, he welcomes people, he understands and discusses. Jeff bitches and grouches and avoids all sense of responsibility.]

[Will stares at him for a moment, stops chewing to do so, with a face clearly debating this. Like there is some thin sliver of pride dwelling inside him ready to insist otherwise, April and he can cover their own dinner. But when it comes down to these two, Jeff has so much more machismo than Will, and it's not difficult to see. If Jeff is prepared to drop some cash on April and Will outside of rent and household necessities, who is he to shoot that down? Jeff can be the alpha if that means both April and Will profit from it, he'd be an idiot to flatten his ears and challenge this.]

Deal. If the night goes to hell, we can go out somewhere else and make up for it.

[Like Balls Deep. Or a crummy movie. Or pretty much anything because, yes, they're friends, and friends will be able to turn a bad night around with ease And Will can pretend it's another anniversary thing for April and he, everyone wins.]

[Will makes a wise choice in allowing the dinner reservation. Jeff doesn't ask for much and doesn't expect much in return when it comes to friends, but if he makes an offer he expects it to be accepted, or be prepared to face his passive aggressive replies at being turned down. Yes, it's much easier for all involved if Will takes the freebie dinner and thinks nothing of it, or of Jeff trying to show affection through material objects.]

I'm sure we'll think of something.

[A pause to fork a whole bunch of salad into his mouth and, muffled around a boiled egg, he settles on a small:]

Thanks.

You're welcome.

[Feels odd to say, considering Jeff is going to foot the bill for a meal between April and Will that may end up just being a lovely evening together, but. It's polite, and that's all Will really feels he can go with, however odd.

And so they had a companionable lunch without more talk of cannibalism. Many verbal smooches were given. April, of course, got an actual smooch on Will's way out. Whatever happens on double date night, Jeff will wake up to find that Will had already prepared his favorite breakfast as silent thanks. He'll even pack it up in a special container if Jeff's running late.

Lawyer at Large? More like Lover at Large. What a happy family.]

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