Chapter Text
It was well-past 1am when Joseph received the call from the local bar about a disturbance being caused. Of course, he wasn't surprised... but he hadn't been awake, either. Although Sebastian had claimed to have gone straight home after work, to finish up with some files... he had a sneaking suspicion that it was a lie of omission.
Then again, it always was.
Thanks to the barkeep's tip, Joseph knew precisely where to find him. Not his usual haunt, likely to avoid consistency... and although he detested his partner's vice with every fiber of his being, Joseph had to admit that he was crafty about it. Sometimes. It wasn't the first time that Joseph had gotten such a call, and little did Sebastian know, there was a pattern to everything.
He took a few moments to will himself into an awakened state, reaching over to his bedside table to put on his glasses, and then dutifully dragged himself out of bed. Quickly pulling on his pants, followed by a dress shirt and tie, Joseph grabbed his keys and headed out to his car. The crisp morning air helped to invigorate him, already feeling less lethargic.
It had been a while since he had to drive Sebastian home. His partner, for a time, managed his drinking habit quite admirably. Most times, the only indication of Sebastian's self-medication was the fact that he showed up at the station smelling like an ash tray and half a bar's worth of booze on his breath. Otherwise, he remained rather stoic, and always immersed himself headfirst into his work. It didn't keep Joseph from worrying about Sebastian's health, naturally... and he figured it would eventually cease...
...but it had only grown worse in recent months. His partner was getting reckless.
Driving a few miles towards Krimson's inner city didn't take long. It was a familiar road, one that he took every day down to the station. The "Good Times" tavern was located in the older sector of the city, where many of the historical buildings still stood. From what he recalled, it was one of the oldest bars in Krimson, though it had nearly been closed up several times.
Though he didn't particularly prefer the term, he couldn't deny that the place was a dive.
Pulling up and parking around the side of the building, Joseph was sure to lock his car doors. The outside of the place was in disrepair, and the neon "OPEN" sign in the window flickered and buzzed.
Once inside, Joseph took in the scenery, though his first impression wasn't the sight, but the smell. The pungent scent of cigar and cigarette smoke assaulted his nostrils, the air so thick that he could almost choke on it. At the back of the room was a billiards table and a dart board that both seemed to be collecting dust from lack of use.
The occupants of the bar consisted of a gathering of motorcyclists, what looked to be a city-slicker cowboy, and a group of elderly gentlemen in the far corner. Judging by their patriotic attire, they were veterans, perhaps. Coming to reminisce about the good old days... or perhaps to forget them entirely.
Brow knitting behind his glasses, he caught sight of Sebastian through the haze of smoke and the drone of the jukebox playing. He sat with slumped shoulders at the bar, the low-lights reflecting off the impressive collection of empty glasses in front of him.
It seemed he wasn't the only one attempting to forget... although he was easily the youngest occupant.
Making his way across the bar and passing the other tables, Joseph came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Though his reaction time was a bit slower than usual, Sebastian whipped around in his seat to face him, his dark eyes wild. Sebastian raised a hand in defense, looking remarkably angered for being bothered, before his features calmed and recognition set in. Joseph didn't flinch, but he removed his hand.
Sebastian's words were markedly slurred as he spoke, a glass of whiskey in hand.
"Joseph? What are you doing here?"
"I think you already know the answer to that."
"Finally coming to your senses and joining me?"
"I didn't come here to drink, Seb," Joseph stated calmly, noticing that the disgruntled bartender was watching them closely. "I came here for you."
Sebastian seemed to consider it for a long moment, before looking over Joseph's shoulder and fixing his gaze on the rest of the crowd.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet my partner!" he announced, as he downed the remainder of his drink. He grabbed Joseph roughly by the arm and pulled him close as he spun him around. As Joseph's keen eyes scanned the scenery, he could tell that this had been going on for quite some time, as most of the patrons seemed entirely unfazed by Sebastian's antics. One of the older men threw them an odd look, so Joseph clarified.
"His partner on the force," he said, nodding politely and offering a strained smile to the group of strangers, as all eyes were now on him. Thankfully, he was used to addressing crowds in the day-to-day, filling onlookers in on unfortunate circumstances that they were investigating. "I hate to be brief. But I'm only here to take Sebastian ho—""
Joseph's sentence trailed off into a surprised gasp, as the audible smack to his rear caused him to start. A few of the bar-goers laughed at the display, save for the elderly gentlemen who looked a bit disturbed by it, and Joseph felt warmth spread to his face. Instead, he forced himself not to react. Sebastian had a habit of not knowing his own strength, especially when he was drunk. This was no exception.
While Joseph fixed his partner with a look of disapproval, Sebastian wore a smug grin as he finally stood from his seat, wobbling badly. He wrapped an arm around Joseph's neck and leaned in close to his face, practically putting all of his weight against him. It was serious this time, hardly able to stand on his own. Joseph wavered, but instinctively wrapped an arm around Sebastian's waist to steady him. He could smell the overpowering aroma of whiskey on his hot breath as he exhaled close to his own mouth. It was so strong, he could practically taste it.
"He's kind of a killjoy," Sebastian said to no one in particular,"but he's such a good cop, I can look past that. Such a goddamned... perfect... cop."
The last was said with an obvious note of sarcasm, which Joseph instantly picked up on.
"Thank you for that," Joseph responded with a hint of frustration. "Now come on, let's go."
At that, Sebastian pushed away from him, nearly tripping over his barstool. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Sebastian, you're extremely drunk," Joseph reasoned gently, instinctively putting his hands out in case he should fall. "I'm taking you home."
"That's where you're wrong, Joseph. I'm staying right here." Sebastian clung to the barstool as if it was a flotation device, lost somewhere at sea. But Joseph already knew that he was drowning.
"You know I can't leave you here like this."
"You can if I tell you to leave me the hell alone."
He stubbornly moved to sit back down, gripping at the stool while the bartender stared. Joseph's tone became more firm as he tried to get him to come around. Everyone was still watching them as a tension lingered in the air along with the smoke.
"Sebastian, listen. You're disturbing the patrons. They know you're a cop. They called on you, and requested that—"
"Those bastards!"
Immediately, that angry streak showed through, that pain buried deep down inside of him that he tried so hard to contain. Joseph had witnessed it once or twice, and it wasn't a particularly pretty sight. Alcohol only brought his inner demons closer to the surface.
Sebastian glared directly at the bartender, opening his mouth to speak, but Joseph had a firm grip on his friend's upper-arm. If at all possible, he wanted to contain the situation by himself. There was no use getting the rest of the station involved, when Sebastian's reputation was already a much-discussed topic among their coworkers.
"Let it go, Seb," he urged. His features were stern, yet kind. "There's no need to make a scene."
"They haven't seen anything yet."
"Precisely why they don't want you here, any more than I want to be here. It's not worth risking your badge over."
That silenced him, his glazed eyes fixing on Joseph as the wheels turned and he tried to make sense of it. Inebriated as he was, Seb understood loud and clear, and his gruff demeanor was replaced with a sudden reluctant obedience.
"Fine, I'll go," he huffed, pointing a finger to Joseph's chest as he nearly toppled over. "But not because you told me to..."
"I expected nothing less," said Joseph, and then turned to the bartender. "How much does he owe you?"
"Just leave..." the man demanded. "He's been cut off."
Joseph gave a nod of acknowledgement, extending a hand to his partner. "All right, let's get out of here."
Joseph did his best to support Sebastian as he took his hand, and he allowed him to sling an arm around his neck where he gripped his wrist. While he did so, the bartender mouthed a sincere "thank you." Holding firmly around his partner's waist, they slowly made their way across the room and out the door, with Sebastian stumbling all the while.
When they arrived at Joseph's car, which took much longer than usual due to Sebastian's uneven steps, and Joseph's constant need to shift his weight against him, they paused. With a head against Joseph's shoulder as he clutched at him, Sebastian looked entirely dazed. Joseph fumbled in his pocket for his keys, the muscles of his opposite arm straining as he held him upright. Thankfully, he found them, and managed to open the passengers side and subsequently aid Sebastian into the seat.
They were both situated soon enough, but Joseph spared Sebastian the lecture on buckling his seat belt. The mood was somber enough already. His own belt fastened, they drove in silence for a time. The roads were bleak, the endless spires of skyscrapers rising out of the darkness before them. It was utterly silent as Joseph concentrated on the road ahead, the neon signs of the several establishments casting light into the car, and Sebastian stared out the window.
After a couple of miles, the silence was broken with Sebastian's hoarse tone.
"How'd they know to call you?"
"Well, it's really not the best idea to be waving your badge around—"
"Fuck you, I wasn't waving it around—"
"—or to mention me by my full name."
Though in other circumstances, it could be something to chuckle over, a cop giving himself away... there was no hint of mirth to Joseph's done. Sebastian scoffed, but said nothing more... apparently unable to argue the point. What was done, was done... and Joseph was honestly thankful for his lack of subtlety. For a moment, Joseph wondered why he'd mentioned him by name... to praise him, or to mock him in front of anyone who would listen. Somewhere in his heart, he wished it was the former.
More silence fell between them, and Sebastian reached over to flick the radio on. Joseph barely registered that music was playing, his thoughts too consumed with concern for his friend. His hands gripping the steering wheel a bit more tightly, Joseph couldn't help but let those concerns be known. He knew it was a cruel tactic... waiting until he was locked in the car with him and expressing himself like a parent would to their wayward teenager, or a spouse would to their significant other.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Seb," he said quietly. He meant it. Unsurprisingly, Sebastian was eager to brush him off.
"Why don't you mind your own business?"
"You are my business. In case you don't remember, you're my partner."
"Yeah, well that doesn't make you fucking married to me. I can take care of myself."
Sparing a glance away from the road to glance at Sebastian out of his peripheral vision, he saw that his arms were crossed over his chest. He wasn't looking at him. The deep frown creasing lines into Joseph's features couldn't have been prevented if he tried.
"Of course you can."
With a sigh of temporary defeat, fully concentrating on getting Sebastian back home, Joseph realized that it was going to be one of those nights.