Come and get your cream, peaches

[ Angst starter ] 

{ Drabble prompt: I’ll write our characters growing old together }

The cigarette burned away silently between the fingers of the dozing American as the late afternoon sun dipped through the window of the parlour. Limped footsteps sounded from the hallway as Reid entered the room in their shared home. He stopped, nudging his friend’s leg with the end of his walking cane but it was to no avail as the Yankee failed to rouse. The retired Inspector rolled his eyes and struck the other on the leg impatiently. “Jackson!”

“Gahd damn it!” Jackson straightened up and threw Reid a look, it was not the first bruise he had received from the damned walking cane.“Connor writes you.” A neatly inscribed envelope was passed into Jackson’s free hand, his other bringing the cigarette up to his lips as he opened the letter while Reid leant on his worn cane, lowering himself to sit beside the Yankee.

Tired eyes skimmed the letter, a half cocked smile marking Jackson’s face. “He ain’t coming home for a visit just yet if that’s what yer wonderin’.”

Reid tilted his head. “How so?”

“The kid’s halfway round the damned world.” Jackson grinned and passed him the letter. Reid’s puzzlement softened to a smile as he read the contents on the page.

“Oh to be young and able to travel the continents. Where did we go wrong?”

The Yankee drew on the cigarette, resting an arm behind Reid’s shoulders. “The day you decided to steal a hansom and make gallant chase after a murder suspect, if I recall correctly.”

“I was not to know of the outcome.” Reid stated, an over used reply to Jackson’s remark on the subject.

“Perhaps, but you damn well did it anyway and you got yourself crippled.” He jested, nodding toward the cane at Reid’s side.

Reid leant toward Jackson, his eyes narrowed as he played along. “I’ll have you know I am not crippled, my physician himself said so.”

“And who’s that then Reid?” Jackson smirked, flicking the ash off the end of his cigarette.

He shrugged back into the seat. “Some quack really, he could be wrong I suppose.”

The American chuckled, taking another drag on the cigarette. “Quack huh? Perhaps I better take a look.”

“If it pleases you, Captain.”

The two eyed each other before their straight faces turned into smiles, each chuckling to themselves. Jackson ran a hand through his silvering beard, Reid placing a palm on his leg.

“I am glad to have known you Jackson.”