francis turned to nan , mouth agape before gasping , " how fucking dare you -- take that shit back. i am not ted fucking mosby. can't a guy be fucking spontaneous and propose to the woman that he loves without being compared to ted fucking mosby ? " he paused. " and if you call me ross , i'll put you in a fucking headlock. " and not the kind that she could break away like he usually did. " i'm not pushing you away , stupid. if i were pushing you away i would've just fucking eloped , dumbass. " he sighed. " i want you to , i don't know , like what the fuck i'm doing , and still hang out with me and -- i don't know , be fucking proud of me -- even if i'm your older brother. because i fucking care. but i know you , nan. i know you wanted frank around so fucking bad and even i couldn't change your mind. if he comes around please tell me , i don't need you turning up hurt or joining the cult of frank anytime soon. "

" you're not --- you got everything you ever wanted , ownership , control , --- heard you even moved into a bloody penthouse . " he could almost call her a hypocrite but he kept that bit to himself. he knew she hated he luxuries , always called him out when he demanded the best for himself and for her. he looked down at her plate then up at the bartender , giving him a look which basically said he got it covered. there was hesitation but he finally spoke up and said it's been covered , alfie then proceed to order a refill of his drink , " think of it as a present -- for all your accomplishments. " because he had noticed , he had payed attention.

" i might as well be fifty with how much you call me -- i might have to change my number. " though he had an inkling the other might still have a work around on how to find it --- or he could just bribe the chief to hand it over. the hopes did have power , influence and everything in the middle. isaac was just some detective , a good one , but nothing to be impressed with truly. " it's called -- i work on sundays and have to get up at the crack of dawn but instead i'm playing baby sitter to a grown ass man. " a bit of his accent slipping as he obviously joked with the other , motioning for him to get out of the precinct with him. he knew what this was , had isaac not been in turkiye he might have done the same but alas , the two had grown up in wildly different lights so he couldn't blame him. " i've lived enough for two life times , " maddox was unaware of who isaac really was --- to him , isaac was just a good guy and he would prefer it this way.

       even  if  she  didn't  have  a  shift  at  the  hospital  that  didn't  mean  that  lola  wasn't  working.  when  she  dipped  into  the  pizza  joint,  the  smells  and  busy  atmosphere  drawing  her  in,  it  was  to  satiate  her  hunger  between  meets.  the  last  thing  she'd  actually  expected  was  the  serendipitous  moment  of  seeing  the  detective  a  few  people  ahead  in  line.  the  brunette  could  recognize  his  height  and  profile  anywhere,  and  went  ahead  sidled  up  to  him  with  her  arms  wrapping  around  his  dangling  at  his  side.  "sorry  i'm  late.  traffic  was  a  nightmare."  in  the  act,  when  she  looked  up  at  isaac  her  brown  eyes  rolled  then  she  glanced  over  her  shoulder  as  though  she  were  indicating  the  world  outside.  "parking  was  a  nightmare.  but  yes,  i'm  still  down  for  you  to  buy  me  lunch."

isaac was thankfully off for the day knowing the next would be a longer shift so he had time to kill but no desire to do anything but rot on his couch. he could go to the foundary and take inventory on what he needed but that sounded like too much work for him. so instead he stood in line , a line that was moving a bit too slow for his liking. however , what he didn't expect was the feeling of someone moving next to him. normally he would've jerked his hand away but as he looked to his side he saw a familiar woman , lips curling into a small smile. the man nodded his head as she began a story -- the people behind him cannot help but accept. " who makes more a cop or a nurse ? " he questioned but of course he was going to buy regardless. " been busy ? "

" what do you consider big money ? like five dollars ? " harry attempted to hide the grin but it was a lost cause , his medication did make him a bit loopy and alix did always manage to make him laugh. he was honestly impressed at how she took up space in his hospital room , making use of every corner , all he could really do was watch in awe as she jumped , and twirled and did that weird thing with her hands. " wouldn't the self driving car and the robot that drives that car be counterproductive ? " he questioned , though he knew better than to question alix and her requests. " what kind of car did you want ? " that was a better question , at least for her. " you ? " he paused , pointing at her with his good hand. " you -- need to hack someone ? "

this was a new side harry didn't even think she possessed , through out the years of knowing her she always felt somewhat detached. rin only existed in his mind as someone who he could compete with , someone who tested his limits and he gladly accepted the challenge. when she was in chicago he barley thought of her , nothing but someone who he knew as a child but since her arrival in new york -- something shifted and he wondered if it was his fault. his guard dropped around her , something no one had ever managed to do and he wondered why. " you didn't say no , " he said , no snark , no egging just a simple observation. since their chance encounter at the bar , he looked forward to seeing her , hearing from her even if he could never truly bring himself to admit it. " would you have truthfully ever pictured me with a blonde friend ? " he had heard the saying -- blondes have more fun and he had learned that they did , indeed , have more fun. head turned to watch as she began to compartmentalize what was happening , with gwen and he wished he could help her but it wasn't his place. " you say quitting as if it's a bad thing --- journalism has done nothing but hurt you. " at least from what he had seen and heard. " you're not winning prizes anymore , you're working long hours , you're drinking more. " because even if she denied it , it was true. " journalism is not the problem , you just have to go about it a different way. stop reporting on people. or people you know. " however , he could be wrong , which he hated to admit , but she knew journalism more than he did. " it is my problem , " because he cared , he cared about her. " i am bored , rin -- i have nothing to do. i cannot do anything and i am bored. "

" and that's exactly who i expected my brother to marry. " someone who he could bounce off whatever empty words and promises and someone who would gladly reciprocate. at her question all harry could do was smile , " better question would be , what isn't wrong with him ? he's my parent's prized possession. " harry had always out smarted him , out performed him -- he was even taller and yet his brother was the first born , the golden boy. maybe as a child it bothered him but as he grew up , he noticed no matter what he did --- there would always be a favorite. his brother marrying someone of status just only further proved his greatness in his parent's eyes. " multimedia performance , " he repeated as if that would help him decipher what that was supposed to mean. " not entirely , " his back hurt from lying too much , his head hurt from doing too little -- he felt a little insane. " it's not healing fast enough and for once in my life i am bored. "

" that's reassuring , " he meant it despite the tone it might have come out in. the head injury not doing any wonders for the man who already had a difficulty deciphering the human psyche. gwen had been easy to decipher , she would tell him whether she was upset or content or anything in between but that's because they were eerily similar despite having different upbringings. " unfortunately , even if you did not want it. " he was still going to tell her , it was almost like a vice at that point -- to speak so explicitly on what he thought. he shook his head , " i've never been bored , i don't even know where to start. what does boredom even look like. " even as a child he was doing something , had something to do but even as he lay in the hospital -- there was nothing.

his whole life he had not thought about seeking comfort by another person , permanently. solace was usually brought on by work , alcohol , drugs and maybe another body but it'd all ben replaced by her. with her by his side he didn't feel the need to slowly wither away. instead , she provided a comfort , an unwaivering devotion he only saw in shows and read about. he almost felt as if he was dreaming but romeo wouldn't have died in his dream. " i wouldn't want you to have it either way. " she'd dealt with enough and he swore not to add more onto it. no matter how different they were he knew , deep down , there had to be a limit. he sighed , hands wiping at his face as if he could sweep the feeling away but it remained. " i don't know what i need , i don't know what i want. i don't know anything. " and he hated it. he hated not knowing what had happened and what was going to happen. " this wasn't supposed to happen , " he repeated once again. " i know you hate when i say this but if i had been there , he wouldn't have had to go back in so many times. it wouldn't have fucked up his lungs and maybe --- " he sighed , trying not to work himself up once again.

" you know we didn't have to come all the way to yale for you to just tell me you were processing everything , " no harshness in his words , just --- exhaustion. finally his hand stopped as he allowed his gaze to find hers. " i know it's a lot , he was important to you. "

" exactly , burning at the stake or exile the middles ages loved to exile evil women. " lips curled at the thought though cleo was far from evil , she just bored rather easily. he liked to think she would have been marie antionnette or part of her entourage. santiago's jaw dropped at the woman's next words as if she had just cursed him , " i would like to think i'd be clean enough not to get the plague and not die on the toilet like king george the second. " he could almost just walk away from the conversation immediately despite being entirely too amused to do so. " you do know everyone has haters , bringing up mother teresa seems a bit out of date now but --- even the most charismatic people have people who are envious of that. you remember that intern -- what was her name ? cynthia , she wanted to be your friend so bad and hated that we got close. " he always wondered what came of cynthia though looking her up seemed too much of a hassle. " it's why i mainly stay out of williamsburg -- and greenwich , " he thought they were one in the same. " you know what --- that might actually work. not that i'm telling you to do it , but having it through by the foundation might help you and me. "

"I suspect the margins are richer on a glass of Petrus." Amelia points out, and despite herself, she finally looks at him. His side profile, lit up by the bar to highlight those dark eyes, the slope of his nose. Look at him. Fuck. "But, uh, thanks." She clears her throat, trying to remain, if not neutral, then at least professional with Alfie. It's all that's left now.

" a glass you weren't going to pay for , " a habit he had that she hated , a habit other women loved but she seemed to loathe the very idea of someone else wanting to pay for any of her expenses. a small hint of amusement trailed his features but he didn't acknowledge her thanks knowing it was bound to be short lived.

" to be fair , i never ordered for you , i suggested. " in the past , he mainly let her do whatever she wanted , she wasn't someone who could be easily swayed and that was something he liked. gaze fell onto his own glass before finally allowing his gaze to fall onto her , " you'd be overpaying for grocery store wine and i know how much you hate spending money. "