Work Text:
"-know that it's killing me."
"I wish you'd die faster; better yet go suffocate on some plaster!" He felt someone poke his shoulder as he muttered to himself. He turned towards the offender, seeing his best friend looking at him with ill-hidden annoyance.
"Howard, can you not wish death upon random singers... for five fuckin' minutes. That's all I'm asking for - five minutes! Then we can go home and you can plan to kill them however you want." This argument was common amongst the two friends. Very common.
Howard however, as always, wasn't having any of it. "You deny me this God given right, when I'm forced to hear this awful noise day and night!?"
"No Howard, I'm just asking you to postpone until we can get this dude out of the store." He shot his thumb towards a man in the beer aisle. Phillip didn't know his name, but he knew he had a boat at the docks nearby. Hopefully he didn't live in it - based on the hue of his cheeks Phillip didn't want him anywhere near the ocean currently.
Howard looked at the man... then quickly back towards his friend as he asked, "Can we not just throw him out? He'll be fine he's stout! Plus I can't even sell him beer anymore - on that the boss has been very candour."
"I know we can't legally sell him beer, but how exactly am I supposed to get him out the door, huh?"
"You can't sell me alcohol?!" The man's attention shot towards Phillip, who frowned.
"Yeah man, it's a week day after midnight. Only place you're gonna be able to get any liquor around here is the bar... or the liquor store I guess. They don't close till two, right Howard?"
His friend shrugged, then paused and quickly started to nod upon realizing that this was the perfect way to get the man to leave. Phillip barely stopped himself from pinching his nose.
"Well why didn't you say anything sooner?"
"...You've been here for over an hour. I assumed you would've been done by now." The man opened his mouth, but Phillip cut him off. "Sir if you're only here to buy alcohol then you have to leave. We need to close the store before the storm hits.... You should probably get home too, it's supposed to get bad soon."
The older man glared at them... however it seemed like luck was on their side. He stumbled out of the store with just a few muttered swears. The two of them watched him until he disappeared down a street, just to be safe.
"Thank God." Phillip stretched, then clapped his hands together. "Alright, I'm going to lock up and sweep, so can you count the register?"
"...Yeah."
"It's cold."
"I know Howard." He swore as he dropped the keys on the ground, kneeling down to pick them back up. They hadn't been out of his pocket that long and yet the chill had already settled in the small pieces of metal. Luckily Phillip was wearing gloves so it didn't effect him that badly... but he still didn't like it. He wasn't built for 20 degree weather.
As the lock turned Howard asked him, "Do you think we'll be forced to come in tomorrow? They say we're supposed to have oodles of ice and snow."
"Probably. Y'know how these sorts of stores are - they stay open no matter what."
"...Fuck."
Phillip snorted, and pocketed the keys. "Yeah that's how I feel too, dude. But hey, if someone does wipe out before our shift we might get outta it."
Another breeze cut through the area, causing them both to shiver. Howard let out a whine, "We're going to die from the cold before we get to see that! I swear, Mr. Peterson is a greedy ol' bat-."
"Howard." His friend flinched, recognizing Phillip's tone. He knew his friend felt bad, but he needed Howard to remember their previous talk.
Especially since Peterson lived right above the store. "We already struggled to find this job. I know it's not the best, but it pays the bills. Don't say something that we'll regret, please."
Howard nodded, looking down at the ground. "...Sorry."
"It's okay." The two of them turned and started to walk home. Usually they'd discuss their shift during these walks, but either the cold was draining their energy or Howard was still upset about the reprimand. Phillip figured it was the temperature - his friend kept shivering.
Another breeze cut through the street, cutting through Phillip and making him shiver as well. "God you were right. It's cold as fuck."
Howard hummed... then bumped into him with a smile. "I got an idea for how we can keep from getting colder."
Phillip was about to ask how, when suddenly he felt something wrap around his left shoulder. Turning he saw Howard's coat had been partially wrapped around him. The other half of it was wrapped around Howard who, despite shivering as badly as a chihuahua, was grinning. "Okay, now it's your turn. Together against this weather we'll stand stern!"
"Howard this isn't g-"
"It's foolproof I tell you! Nothing will go wrong - after all both of us are incredibly strong." This was not true and they both knew it. Just yesterday Howard had barely won against the apartment building's stairs after he decided to attempt to bring all their groceries in one go. It was only because of Phillip's quick thinking they hadn't lost their eggs and cheese to the cold stone tiles.
And yet, Phillip couldn't help himself. He took his coat off and covered Howard with the right side. Once his friend grabbed onto the coats, he let go and wrapped an arm around Howard. His other hand grabbed onto the left side of the jackets, pulling them closer to his body. "If we fall over because of this idea, I'm blaming you just so you know."
Howard just laughed, and together they walked as one. He wouldn't admit it later... but Phillip was warmer afterwards.
"How are finals going on your end? Your last one is on Tuesday ain't it - since you were sick on Thursday."
"Yeah..."
"Something wrong?"
"I just," Howard let out a growl and threw his arms in the air almost smacking Phillip. "He gave me another one of those pamphlets again - I swear if I see another, I'm going to flip!"
Despite his earlier complaints, he didn't seem to notice the cold that quickly filled the hole he made in their defenses. He was shaking with rage, barely keeping his voice from raising high enough to wake up their neighbors. As he lowered his arms, Phillip pulled him close and grabbed the right side.
"Again? That asshole just doesn't know when to quit." Howard hummed... but oddly didn't continue his tirade. He just took his half of the jacket back and looked down at the ground. It made Phillip frown - usually his friend would rant about how stupid the pamphlets were. He got a lot of them from people 'concerned about his future.' Yet this time, he seemed disheartened. It worried him. "Hey dont let him get you down, Howard. What's that saying... 'those who can't do it, teach?'"
"Those who can, do. Those who couldn't, teach what they knew."
"Exactly! Mr. Randell gave up on his stuff years ago - he doesn't even keep up with the latest medical journals. You, however?" Phillip bumped his shoulder into Howard's own. It caused them to stumble a bit, but it was worth it when he heard a bubble of laughter come from his best friend. He continued, "You've got so many good ideas Howard. Just you wait - once we graduate, we're going to make the world better together under Dr. Morose! I'm certain he'll recognize our talent."
"...Yeah. Yeah, you're right!" He kicked a leg forward, nearly taking them both out. "Suck it Mr. Randell - go fly a kite!!"
Phillip laughed, "Yeah, suck an egg!"
The two of them continued to laugh for a good minute... but then it hit Phillip. "Hey Howard?"
"Hmm?"
"Is that why you're so quiet tonight? Usually you'd have... a lot to say to when a customer's still in the store after twelve."
He friend looked surprised, his laughter petering off. He paused, standing in the middle of the sidewalk. "It's just..."
Howard took in a deep breath, then another. It took him a moment, but eventually he continued. "Is my rhyming really that much of an issue? So many people act like I'm poisoned down to my deepest tissue. I heard that last doctor we applied to y'know - he said people like me are slow."
Phillip hadn't known that part of his last rejection. He had noticed that Howard had taken that one much more harshly than he had most of the others; but his friend wouldn't say why. He had just thrown himself into his research, barely eating for a week before Phillip had dragged him away from it out of concern. Usually, it was the other way around.
He had felt rather conflicted about that when he'd realized it shortly after Howard started to eat. "Well he was stupid, and we were better off without his internship then. Some people are just bastards who believe they know everything when they don't. They make their own little echo chambers, and turn their noses at people that they think can't offer anything. It sucks, but we just gotta move forward. And one day you'll prove him wrong and you can make fun of him all you want."
"...Why are you allowed to call him a bastard if I'm not allowed to call our boss a bat?"
Phillip cackled, "Is that really what you got from that heartfelt speech Howard?"
"It's a fair question after your previous diktat!" He started to throw a hand up, before thinking better of it and poking his friend instead. He kept doing so until Phillip swatted him away with a laugh.
"Alright, alright I concede. Tell you what - how bout when we get home I'll make us some box cider and as I do you can complain all you want about Peterson. After that though, you can't say anything about him and I can't say shit about that doctor, 'kay?"
Howard's eyes lit up. "Deal!"
The two of them ran the rest of the way home, occasionally having to pause before they fell and dragged the other down. The two of them had each other's back after all, and tonight? That was all they needed.