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“Another drink?”
“Can I not indulge?”
James only sighed in response as Frank sat next to him, holding the glass of brandy in an almost careless manner. “You’ve already died. Give it a rest.” He utters. Frank looks at him with a near dumbfounded expression.
“I wouldn’t have to worry about dying if I’ve already perished–won’t you let me drink a little more?” Frank says through a grin, letting out some grand laugh. James only sighs.
“I will not tolerate drunkenness. If you get drunk here, I do not know you.” He says, poking him in the shoulder. Frank only laughs more at his statement, before looking up into the sky, taking a sip of his brandy and leaning back against the bench a bit.
“You wrote to me saying you were arriving with Nathaniel. Why didn’t you?” He asked him, quietly. Frank looked over at him.
“Sarah brought me.”
“Did she?” James said with some dry amusement.
“She did. And I’m surprised my letter got to you that quick. Would it have not taken longer? Months, at best?” Frank responds, peering over at him with an even further amused expression.
“They get delivered faster now, it seems.” James mutters in an almost completely deadpan manner. He leaned back onto the bench as well, looking up at the stars.
“All of the modernities of the world now and your pleasures still lie in drinking.”
“You can’t say I’m the only one, can you?”
James was silent for a moment.
“You’re right, I suppose.” He shrugged calmly and sighed.
He then watched in evident shock as Frank proceeded to drink the entire glass of brandy in one go. In just a moment, it was gone.
Frank looked at the ground absentmindedly, before snickering a bit.
“It tastes watered down. Just a bit.”
“Don’t tell me you’re getting another.”
Frank laughs a bit more, evidently becoming drunker. “A glass is too little. I’d see if I could take the entire bottle!”
“As long as I am here, you will not take the bottle.”
James said, sighing in slight disappointment, before tugging at Frank’s arm.
“Let me go…”
“No.”
James tugged him off the bench.
“Come now. We’re leaving.”
“Oh, really? What for? I could stay a while longer.” Frank utters, through slightly drunken laughter. James scoffs.
“To drink?”
Frank just looks aside. “Not just that.”
“Either way, I’d like to leave.”
“I know you would. Never one for being social, were you?” Frank says, amused.
“Never…”
Frank laughs at him a bit louder than he’s laughed the entire night.
“Enough.” He squeezes his arm slightly, evoking a slight ‘ow’ from him.
“So…unfair.”
James only sighs, still dragging him away by the arm. Despite that, a slight smile tugged at his lips, the moment he thought Frank wasn’t looking at him.
“You’re smiling.”
He was definitely looking at him.
“You don’t mean a lot of what you say, James. You don’t have to be so serious, do you?”
“Quiet.” James utters, his smile still betraying him.
It didn’t matter now.
He carried him away from the event, despite the repeated remarks, eventually managing to get him on the train.
James found himself exhausted. But maybe he’d at least try to talk to him more.
As much as he hated to say it, he was good company.