Work Text:
Billy was sitting on the bench outside, staring at the ground. Silver, taking a breath of fresh air - he'd eschewed the roof today because there was maintenance work taking place up there - wandered over, hands in the pockets of his white coat.
"You all right?"
Billy shook his head. Silver frowned, moved to sit next to him.
"Hey. What is it?"
Billy swallowed, took a moment before he was able to form words. Silver waited, outwardly patient, but with inner turmoil. He thought about pressing his pager to use it as an excuse to leave and find more appropriate help but decided against it.
"You know I broke up with Gates."
This didn't require an answer so Silver merely nodded, letting Billy talk.
"I went to talk to the counsellor."
"That's good?" The question mark added itself without Silver planning on it. Wasn't it good? Why was Billy upset?
Billy shook his head. "She said it was my fault."
"What?"
"She said of course we broke up. Because I wasn't fucking him. I mean she didn't say fucking, but that's what she meant." Billy blinked, shrugged. He glanced over at Silver. "That it's what I should expect, for being celibate."
Silver shook his head. A counsellor was supposed to help you accept your sexuality, not make you feel guilty or ashamed of it. He'd had periods of questioning and he'd faced problems in his relationships, but at no point had things been made worse by shitty advice, let alone shitty advice from supposed professionals. It was unacceptable.
"Billy, no. She's not allowed to erase your asexuality like that anymore than she's allowed to tell someone who's gay they're delusional. You have to report her. We can go to Eleanor."
Billy eyed him suspiciously. "We?"
"I'll come with you. If you want me to."
Billy nodded. "Thank you."
Silver's pager went off of its own accord. He bit back a curse. "To be continued," he said and Billy's pager sounded too and they headed back inside.
*
"Are you sure about this?" Billy asked as they made their way towards Eleanor's office.
"Yes. Do you want her being rude to other people about their sexuality? Vulnerable people? Already suicidal patients?"
Billy shook his head.
"Well then." Silver flashed one of his "trust me I'm a doctor" smiles at Billy. "By the way, why did you and Gates split up?"
Billy shrugged. "It just wasn't working anymore. It was fine until we moved in together and then…we always seemed to be busy doing things other than being together. I wanted to save up and redecorate, or take that short cruise we'd talked about, but he didn't want to make plans, preferring to be spontaneous. I ended up doing more household chores than him because he knew if he left them I'd do them. He said I was too tidy and that after work he just wanted to relax. Lots of little things. We argued more than we talked and in the end we had to split while we were still even friends. It still hurts though. That's why I went to the counsellor."
Silver considered this for a moment. "Lots of relationships fall apart under the stress of day to day living," he said at last. "So it wasn't the physical side of things?"
"Not unless him never mopping the floor counts as physical issues."
Silver laughed. "Okay. Let's do this."
*
Eleanor was sat behind her desk, Doctor Hudson in a chair to one side. There were two chairs waiting at the front of the desk and Billy took the one furthest from Hudson, Silver gladly putting himself between the counsellor and Billy. He intended to do so metaphorically as well as physically.
"I understand you have some concerns," Eleanor began, addressing Billy.
Billy hesitated, looked to Silver, who jumped in.
"We do," Silver said. " Doctor Hudson did not listen to Billy and the issues he wanted to talk about, but instead decided to tell him why his relationship failed. Specifically she told him he should have just fucked Gates, regardless of Billy's sexuality or sex drive."
Doctor Hudson stirred, hands clasped over one knee. "I am sure I did not put it so indelicately."
"Perhaps not. But that is what you meant. Do you tell people whose same sex relationships have broken down that it's their fault for being deviants or is it only asexuals you think need to be fixed?" Silver was on a roll and being careful not to make eye contact with Eleanor. "What about bisexuals? Are we all sluts?"
"Doctor Silver," Eleanor warned, but Silver knew she was now as curious as to what Hudson would say as he was.
Hudson tipped her head. "Hyposexuality is a recognised disorder," she said, avoiding the question of other queer sexualities.
"Only where distress exists," Billy said. "The DSM-5 identifies asexuality as separate from hyposexuality. I'm not distressed about being asexual."
"But you were in distress," Hudson said.
"Because my romantic relationship ended," Billy said. "And you told me it was because I didn't let Gates have sex with me."
Hudson paused for a moment. "Relationships are built on intimacy."
"Of all kinds," Silver said. "That doesn't mean anyone is entitled to sex; or do you counsel that if a man is pressuring a woman into anal sex - or vice versa - she or he must give in to that demand?"
Eleanor frowned and leaned forward. "Doctor Hudson?"
"Of course every relationship is different."
A political rather than truthful answer.
"You told Billy he should have had sex he did not want," Silver went on. "I'm in a relationship with two people and no-one ever has any sex they don't want."
Hudson stared at him. "Two people?"
"I have a ring and everything." Silver flashed the band at her.
"That's rather unusual," Hudson said, her interest piqued.
"Possibly deviant?"
Hudson wasn't going to fall for that one. "You must find it difficult, managing multiple relationships."
"Must I?" Silver had played mind games his entire life. Hudson was no match. "I've honestly never been happier."
Eleanor cleared her throat. "I think we're getting off track. Perhaps you could wait outside, Doctor Silver."
Silver looked to Billy, who shook his head.
"I'd rather he stayed." Billy gave him a brief smile and Silver returned it.
"I know your credentials must look good on paper or you'd never have been hired," Silver said. "But honestly it would have been better if I'd taken Billy out for drinks and let him unburden himself to me, or to Miranda, than to have you question his sexuality at a time he's vulnerable."
"Miranda?" Hudson interrupted.
"Yes." Silver rubbed at his ring. "One of my two partners. Doctor Flint and our Miranda Barlow."
"Doctor Flint," Hudson repeated. "Isn't he your superior? Doesn't that breach hospital rules."
Silver shrugged. "HR know all about it and we're careful not to let the relationship interfere with our work. It's not like I'm the only one dating a co-worker. And after all you've slept with Doctor Vane at least twice."
Eleanor, who'd clearly been about to defend her allowing the relationship, switched to cold fury as she turned her gaze on Hudson. "Is that so? Doctor Bones, Doctor Silver, would you let me discuss this matter further with Dr Hudson? Alone."
Silver got to his feet, Billy already scrambling for the door. Silver shut it behind them, grinning as he heard Eleanor's quiet but threatening tone being directed at Hudson.
"How did you know about Hudson and Vane?" Billy asked as they headed off down the corridor.
"Max of course. You think I'd come to a meeting like this without ammunition?" Silver had asked Max for dirt on Hudson and she'd been back ten minutes later telling how a tipsy Hudson had cornered Vane at the Christmas party and disappeared with him shortly afterwards. Eleanor's relationship with Vane, a past sexual one and a present employer-employee one, was terribly complicated but Max was certain that Eleanor's working relationship with Hudson was fairly strained and that she would not take kindly to hearing the "keep work and romance separate" espousing Hudson had committed hypocrisy with Vane.
"I guess not." Billy thumbed the call button for the elevator. "Did you mean it?"
"Probably." To his delight Silver had barely had to lie to get what he wanted. "Which bit?"
"When you said you could've taken me out for drinks or let me talk to Miranda Barlow."
Silver rewound his spiel in his head. "Yes. Of course. We're friends, aren't we? And Miranda's great to talk to. She always knows the right questions to ask. I have personal experience of this. And Max; she's literally talked me off the roof before now. I know how lucky I am to have finally found people I can trust and who will listen to me, and who trust me in turn. You're included on both sides of that."
The elevator arrived. It was empty and they stepped inside.
"Thank you," Billy said softly, clearly moved.
Silver slipped one arm around him, reaching just above Billy’s elbows more easily than his shoulders, and giving him a squeeze before releasing him.
"And thank you for coming with me. I talk the talk, and I hand out pamphlets about sex and gender, but Hudson really upset me."
"It's sometimes easier to defend others than yourself," Silver offered.
Billy nodded and then he gave a broad smile, the first genuine one Silver had seen him give in weeks, more himself again.
*
The next day an advertisement went up to replace Doctor Hudson, who had unexpectedly resigned and was seeking employment elsewhere.
That Friday, Billy joined Silver, Flint, and Miranda at a quiet restaurant. Between the main course and dessert Silver dragged Flint off to admire the fountain outside and when Flint grew bored of that, to indulge in some first and second base action.
"You want to give Miranda time to talk to Billy," Flint said in-between kisses.
"Yes." Silver had his hands beneath Flint’s jacket and ran his hands along Flint’s spine.
"You could just say so."
"It's more fun to seduce you."
Flint did not disagree.