(no subject)

[incywincyhero]

WHO: incywincyhero and secondhandwebs
WHERE: A diner in Queens.
WHEN: Last weekend, lunchtime.
WARNINGS: Parker twitchiness.
SUMMARY: Peter has some concerns about Reilly's behavior since his return, and confides in May.
FORMAT: Para, then whatevs!

Peter was tucked up in a corner booth, working his way slowly through an order of fries and his third coffee of the day as he waited for May to arrive. He couldn't help but wonder whether she would realize something was up. His invite had been an innocuous enough request for lunchtime company, but in the usual run of things, Parker Family Bonding Time happened at one of their apartments, or on patrol. Whether out of guilt, discretion, or desire for a psychological safety net, Peter couldn't have said, but given the topic he needed to broach he felt the need to set the discussion as far removed from their usual haunts as possible.

Comments

[incywincyhero]

"Ever since he came back.." He toyed with the menu, restless, but before he could continue the movement drew the attention of the server, and it was only after her departure that he resumed the conversation.

"I mean, I know getting mur -- going through what he did should grant a guy a little slack, and he's never been Mr. Congeniality to me in the first place, but ... doesn't he seem a little off to you?"

[secondhandwebs]

"Did he say something to you?"

It wasn't a direct answer, because she didn't want to give a direct one to that. Yes. Yes he had been acting weird and worrying and a whole bunch of other troubling things that didn't necessarily start with 'w.' But she was hoping it was just shock.

[incywincyhero]

"Nothing specific," Peter said, shrugging uncomfortably. "It's more that he seems ... well, a lot like we were when we first arrived, if not more so. He'd been easing up around me, acting less tense ... that's all gone out the window, and if there's a reason why he's not telling."

[secondhandwebs]

"He hasn't exactly been that open with me, either."

She looked down at her hands, then out the window. Anywhere that didn't mean she had to apprecite the full impact of what she was saying.

"I thought it was just...dying, I guess. Failing. He gets so- You know how he gets. And how hard he tries."

[incywincyhero]

"As much as he doesn't want to let on, yeah, I noticed." He takes a sip of coffee, more to fill the silence than anything else.

Reluctantly, he breaks it to add, "I don't want to point fingers when he has plenty of reason to be under the weather. I'm just not sure we can afford to ignore it."

[secondhandwebs]

"Want me to talk to him?"

Her tone was doubtful despite her desire to be optimistic about it all. Sharing time with Reilly never went well when he was the one who helped initiate it. Something like this...

Well. She could try.

[incywincyhero]

He nodded. "Would you? I think you're the only one who's got a chance of getting through to him. And let's face it," he added, with a wry smile that covered up no small amount of bitterness, "I'm about the last person he'd ever confide in."