[For Martin]

[thewordofweb]

My palm is rubbing idly at my neck as I step out of the bedroom and make sure to close the door gently behind me as I go. Joe's gotten enthusiastic again with his mouth and it results in a mark and that would be fine if not for the fact that Malarkey and Martin most definitely don't exactly know about us. It'd be too easy to keep on with the deceit, but I'm growing more than tired of sneaking around and trying hard to get caught (or to not get caught, depending on my whim of the day).

I lean back against the door for a moment before pushing myself off it, intending to get breakfast while Joe is still in bed and I've yet to put myself together for the day. I've still got bedhead and the stubble on my cheeks to prove that I'm very much not awake.

Comments

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

Johnny rolls his eyes. "Whatever floats ya boat, Webster-- ya know, as long as ya don't take it out on me, 'cause then I'm gon' give ya a good ass-whoopin'!"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"We don't fight."

Somehow, I feel that's necessary to say because it seems like the natural assumption is to just presume that Lieb and I are as unfortunately paired as they come. "We get along, so no, I won't take anything out on you."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

A part in the back of Johnny's brain felt glad for Webster and Liebgott; he'd give it all just to have his wife with him right now-- anything to be as happy as Webster seemed as he was talking about Liebgott.

But as glad as Johnny felt, he wasn't gonna let an opportunity to bring Webster down pass him by, and he smirked, "What makes ya think ya get along? What if good ol' Lieb's jus' keepin' ya 'round for entertainment?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

At this point I ought to be used to comments like these from the other Easy men, but they still aren't ever taken happily. I press my lips together thinly and arch a brow. "I'd say six months together and a couple professions of love put me past the entertainment category. I mean, one assumes and all," I intone, a little biting in my tone.

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

No matter how hard Webster seems to try, nothing he could say would ever make Johnny regret what he'd said. He rolled his eyes.

"Maybe ya shouldn't assume too much, Harvard boy-- I been told Liebgott got a way with words, ya know, makin' people believe things that aren't there."

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

I just level a long look at Martin and shake my head. "If you're really so intent on convincing him that he doesn't want me, you can do it with him. I trust him, I believe him, and I'm the one who knows that. And I'm better with words," I say, after. Almost an afterthought.

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"Sure, ya can trust him-- just don't expect for anybody t'ah listen if ya come back cryin' 'cause he broke ya little heart."

Johnny rolled his eyes. Who knew, maybe Liebgott really was being serious, but that didn't mean Johnny was gonna pass out on the chance of trying to make Webster feel insecure.

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"Yes, sir." It's a buzz of bemusement and slight incredulity at the situation, but it's what I muster and manage a polite smile at him. "Is this really how you want to spend all your time, here?" I wonder, finally. "Baiting me, seeing what happens? Bringing some stupid feud forward from Haguenau? Even after Landsberg, this is somehow important to you?"

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"Sure, not like I got anythin' t'ah do. My best friend ain't here, neither is my wife..." As much as he hated to be showing emotion in front of Webster (well, any other kind of emotion than anger), there was the almost familiar sad and longing tone in his voice at the thought of his wife.

Johnny would never admit it - he'd rather sit down on his bayonet instead - but he envied Webster for his relationship with Liebgott. Not because Webster got to be together with Liebgott, but because he had somebody to share this place with.

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"Yes, but you have Easy. Lots of us, and not just me," I say because even if I'm trying to earn some respect, I'm not stupid enough to assume that everything is automatically going to get some kind of better. No, I know far, far better than that. "You could make new friends, too, you know."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"Well, I can't jus' drag Easy to my bed when I'm feelin' lonely, can I, Webster?" Johnny raised his eyebrow at him, adding, "Sure, already found some new friends, but that ain't the same. I'm missin' my wife, not jus' my friends."

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

I hesitate for a moment because I don't want to suggest that he cheat on her, but if it's female company he's missing, there is an answer for that. "Have you met Helen yet? She's a good friend of ours, me and Joe. I'm not saying you should go to her for sex, but female companionship is an option."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

Johnny glared at him and growled, "Woulda been a surprise if ya understood!"

He stormed away angrily, but after a few feet turned around and approached Webster again. "Ya jus' don' get it, Webster, do ya?"

Sinking against the wall, he pressed his hands to his eyes. "It's not jus' that. It's that... " He groaned.

"I miss home, I miss things that 're familiar t'ah me. I miss bein' home." Johnny admitted.

Taking a few deep breaths, he took his hands off his eyes and added, "Yeah, I met 'er. She's lovely, ain't she?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

I don't miss home and maybe that's where I differ from everyone else. My family is kind enough, but not warm enough for me to miss them. I would have liked to go back to school, but this is a suitable alternative as well. And...well, I'd never get Joe the way I do here. "You should check out the jazz club, too," I advise. "It's not home, exactly, but with a drink and the music, it's a nice escape."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"Webster, how 'boutcha stop telling me what I should do?" Johnny heaved out a sigh, rubbing his forehead.

"I jus' need somethin' t'ah do-- a job or somethin'. Think ya could help me with that instead of tryin'a givin' me some smartass advice?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"There's the IPD?" I offer, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm not sure that Martin would be best suited to teach like Joe and I have been doing. "Or the building crew. People seem to be wanting new places to live all the time and that makes for a lot of demand."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

Finally some advice Johnny could deal with, and he nodded. "Yeah, I already offered Cap'n Nix-- Lewis I'd help build the house he's makin' plans for, an' I don't think I'd mind workin' on the buildin' crew."

Seemed like a good plan to him, and he finally gave Webster some sorta well-meant smile. "How 'bout you? Whatcha work as?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"I fish for the restaurant that Joe cooks at," I offer with a hint of a genuine smile at being asked about what I do, at this seemingly genuine interest in my life. "And I taught at the school. Three courses, though the semester is over. Captain Nixon saw fit to attend my lessons on construction of the English language," I say with a wry tone. "I'm pretty sure it was to torture me."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

Snorting, he said, "I woulda gone, too-- not that I woulda been able t'ah learn anythin', but I'm sure I woulda been good at edgin' ya on."

Johnny thought about what Webster had said for a good minute before asking, "Ya still workin' on writin' a book?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

I pause at that, pressing my lips together firmly. "I don't know," I admit. "Now that I've found all the books, I'm not sure how much I could write that some future version of myself has already put down on the page. And...I don't think Joe would take kindly to me writing about sharks."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

His eyebrows furrowing, Johnny cocked his head to the side. "Whaddya mean, some future version o' ya?"

He knew Webster had always been one to say weird things, but that was definitely too weird, even for a guy like Webster.

"You really needa stop talkin' in riddles, Webster." He added, slightly shaking his head.

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"The bookshelf gives me any books I want and sometimes, it gives me finished books that I wrote," I explain and do little else but idly shrug. "So I ah...I'm not sure what the purpose in writing them to completion would be when I have copies of my articles and books here on me."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"Fuckin' bookshelf." Johnny mumbled, shaking his head. He'd heard the stories about it, had seen what the book intended on giving him-- "That thing likes fuckin' with people's minds, don't it?"

[thewordofweb.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much," I agree, trying not to focus on finding my obituary, but it's a hard thing to know. It's even worse knowing that the body was never found and that I was likely food for the fish of the sea. "I uh, I don't try and get books from there unless I have someone around to bear witness, just in case."

[peeweemartin.livejournal.com]

"I ain't gonna try at all-- I don' need any books givin' me advice on how t'ah make somebody happy who ain't even here, an' I definitely don' need books tellin' me how t'ah keep an affair secret when I don' even have one t'ah begin with." He rolled his eyes.