I'll Wait - A Wrightworth Story

I'll Wait

They sat in silence and darkness for a few more minutes. They'd never been this close this casually, legs still tangled from when they'd slid down to the floor, the back of Phoenix's hand resting against Miles' knee.

After a while, Phoenix piped up. "You know, I brought you some wine... I thought I could cheer you up a bit and we could celebrate..." He chuckled. "Didn't plan to attack you. Sorry."

Miles slowly got up, offering Phoenix a hand to pull himself up.
"It's fine. We really needed that talk, huh?"

Phoenix got up and reached around Miles to open the door and fetch the bottle of wine. It was a fancy red wine with a name he couldn't pronounce.
"Yeah, we did."
He gave Miles the bottle and followed him to the couch, where he discarded his shoes and jacket and rolled up his sleeves to match Miles' level of comfortable clothing. He also loosened his tie and opened the top button of his shirt for good measure while he watched Miles disappear into the kitchen and return with a corkscrew and two wine glasses.

"What a day," Miles sighed while struggling to open the wine bottle.
The cork finally lost the struggle and gave way with a satisfying 'pop'.
He sank into the couch next to Phoenix and poured some wine into the glasses.
"I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I think we should wait a bit... to let it, uh, aerate or something." He felt like an idiot for trying to sound like he actually knew anything about wine.

Phoenix saw right through it. He didn't say anything, though, knowing very well that he didn't have a clue about wine either.

"So...", Miles started, trying to break the silence that had started to grow slightly awkward now, "how shall we celebrate? Apart from drinking?"

Phoenix hadn't thought about that. He blushed, realizing he didn't even know what Miles did for fun.
So he decided to just ask.
"I dunno, how do you normally celebrate?" He scratched the back of his head.

Miles seemed to think about this for a bit.
"I... I don't celebrate much. But... when I need to unwind, some good music or a nice TV show will do the trick." He also liked to take hot bubble baths, but he couldn't really suggest that now, could he?

"What kind of TV?" Phoenix was intrigued. "Is it reality TV? Baking shows? Talent shows?", he teased Miles. It felt so... natural, so normal, to tease him like this in a friendly way. It felt like... like they were finally friends again.

"Crime", Miles said, reaching for the remote.

"Crime?", Phoenix echoed while Miles flicked through the channels. "Don't you see enough of that at work?"

Miles had found a channel that was showing a crime show. The episode had just started.
"Yes, but... this is different. It's the side we don't usually get to see. It's exciting."

The detectives on the screen were currently examining a crime scene.
"I do this kind of stuff," Phoenix said. "Looking for clues and evidence and stuff. You just don't get to do it because the police does it for you."

"Hmm..." was all Miles had to say to that.

Phoenix remembered the wine in front of them and picked up his glass. "To teamwork," he toasted.

Miles picked up his own glass and clinked it against Phoenix's.
"To-... to teamwork."

They both took a sip from their glasses, trying not to pull a face. Neither of them were used to the taste of alcohol, even though this was just wine.

Phoenix saw Miles trying to look unbothered by the taste of fermented grapes, much like himself. He couldn't help but laugh.

And to his surprise, so did Miles. It was a small, short laugh, but it was a laugh. His eyes flickered for a moment, but then he returned his attention to the TV.

Phoenix did the same while taking another sip.

As time passed, they had both grown accustomed to the taste of alcohol again and gone through several glasses each, emptying the bottle Phoenix had brought completely.
It would have been perfectly accurate to say they were drunk.

The episode of the TV show was just ending.
"That... was such a plot twist," Miles said, focusing very hard on controlling his tongue.
"I never-... ever would have guessed it was him."

Phoenix nodded in agreement, but quickly stopped when he noticed the movement was messing with his sense of balance. But it was too late, and he tipped to the side, now only held up by Miles' shoulder pressed against his.
"Whoops," he chuckled. "Sorry."

"Nah, 's fine," Miles assured him, making no attempt to get away from Phoenix. He was warm and he smelled like hair gel and wine.
"Maybeee, we had a liiittle to much," Miles mumbled, unbothered by Phoenix letting his head fall to the side, his spiky black hair brushing against Miles' cheek.

He carefully raised his left arm, the side where Phoenix was resting on his shoulder, and stretched it out behind Phoenix on the backrest of the couch.

Phoenix snorted, his eyes half-closed. "Did we? Or was 'a little' just... already 'too much'?"

"What?" Miles furrowed his brow and turned his head slightly to look at Phoenix who was now basically snuggled up against him with his eyes screwed shut.

"I mean..." Phoenix started, "I mean, 'cause we can't take a drink. Even- even just a little... was too much. 'Cause... 'cause you said, 'a little too much', ya know?"

Miles chuckled. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the couch.
"Yeah. Funny. Funny how... 's the same with feelings 'n' stuff." He hadn't meant to say that, but it just slipped out.

"Hmm?" Phoenix yawned. "Feelings?"

Now it was too late. There was no 'forget I ever said that' or 'nevermind'.
There was just... the truth.
"Yeah. For me, I mean. I dunno about you, but I guess you're better with feelings than I am. I... 'a little' is 'too much', ya know? Because... because I'm not used to it."

"Yeah, I know. And 's okay, really," Phoenix reassured him. He sounded like he was half asleep already.
"Take your time, Miles, 's fine. I'll wait."
The last two words weren't supposed to be out loud. Phoenix's eyes flew open as he searched Miles' face for a reaction.

But Miles just smiled faintly, his eyes still closed.
"Thanks, Nick. I'll do my best."