Undying Friendships And Expensive Whiskey

Who: Manhattan and Brian
Where: Winchester Residence
When: Just before 9pm

Manhattan was on couch leaning back, her legs were stretched out with her feet propped up on the low table as she fiddled with her new cell phone trying to get numbers entered into the thing. Her old one had somehow wound up getting smashed to bits against the wall after an incoming call set it off that morning by someone calling at an hour no sane person should be calling. Of course the hunter having one hell of a hangover from the night before did play a bit of a part in the whole thing. And there was that tiny little fact that because she didn't check the incoming number before sending the mobile device airborne, Manhattan didn't know who called or that a message had been left for her on her old phone's voicemail.

Though he never did hear back from Manhattan, and a second call went straight to voice mail-- the phone was off, apparently-- Brian headed out to her place that night, anyway. It wasn't as if they couldn't go someplace else, if they needed to-- though just where that might be, Brian hadn't a clue. The old truck bounced along the road, muddy and even more beat-up looking than usual after the night in the woods, and pulled up to the Winchester house. At least she was definitely home; his big monster dwarfed her black truck when he parked next to her.

He hopped out, staggered a bit as the goddamn knee tried to give way under him, nearly fell as demon-cat bumped him on his way out, then grabbed the door and his cane to keep on his feet. Glaring after Torziel, who was investigating the ground in front of Manhattan's porch, he limped after him, climbed the porch steps, and knocked on the front door, expensive whiskey in his free hand.

One totalled phone equaled unexpected company. Manhattan had no way of knowing Brian was coming over. In fact she wasn't expecting company of any kind. Bryson and Dathan had taken a trip to a neighboring town to check out rumors of the supernatural variety. So it was only a natural born habit that when she heard the knock at the door and a low growl emitted from Pride when the dog got within steps of the door(there was after all a demon cat now on the premises), that Manhattan found her gun, checked to make sure the thing was loaded, before she started for the door. Her brand spanking new cell tossed to the table when she left the comfort of the couch.

"We had plans for tonight?" The question rolling from her lips as the door found its way open after the hunter peeked out the window to spy Brian on the other side, her glock tucked into the waistband of her jeans as she leaned lightly against the side of the open door's frame, a hand clamping on Pride's collar as the dog made the move to rush out onto the porch.

"Yeah, I called you this morning. I'm gueeeeessing you didn't get it." He grinned a bit.

Torziel let out a vicious yowl as he looked up and spotted Pride, arching his back and fluffing up. And given how big he was already, it just made him look huge. For a cat, anyway.

"Tor', cut it out," Brian hollered at him.

"That was you?" She questioned with a quirking of her brow at the man. "You owe me a new damn phone." She said with a bit of a smirk. Manhattan kept a secure hold on Pride's collar, the dog kept tugging against the hold on him(growling low) to try and lunge at the giant furball, as she gave a wave with her free hand to invite Brian in. And she did eye the bottle of whiskey he had brought with him.

"It okay if he just, uh, stays outside there?" Brian asked, first, as he stepped inside, jerking a thumb over his shoulder-- with the bottle-- at Torziel, who was growling and stalking back and forth on stiff legs, eyes on Pride. "Don't think bringing him in would be a good idea." He'd ask about the phone next, but the demon-cat was probably more important.

"Unless you wanna witness one hell of a fight." Manhattan tossed back. And she knew by the reaction the two were having to each other's unwelcome presence it'd be a doozy.

Manhattan waited until Brian was fully inside the house before shutting the door. She really had no qualms about leaving the non cat thing outside. She just hoped Torziel would linger around the porch and not find his way back toward the kennel area, cause that would only serve to cause one hell of a ruckus from the sledders housed back there.

"Not really," Brian said, looking around the entryway. He felt like he hadn't been over here in... god, months. Hell, he probably hadn't been. "So why do I owe you a new phone? And why the hell didn't you call me back?" He prodded her lightly with the end of the bottle.

Manhattan grinned sheepishly, lifting one hand to rub lightly at the back of her neck as the other released it grip on Pride's collar, the dog instantly making a rush for the door. Sniffing, whining and scratching at the bottom as if doing so would free him to the outside. "Heavy drinking the night before, morning after and loud noises just aren't a good mix. And why the hell were you calling at such a damn early hour of the morning." In normal circumstances the ring tone of Manhattan's phone was at an even sound level, but in the gripes of a major hangover it was like being caught between two blaring speakers. So she really had no choice but to cease the headache making noise. "The thing kind of broke into a thousand pieces."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that early," Brian laughed. Well, he didn't think it had been. It was before eight-- at least it hadn't been before six. Or before four, which it would've been if he'd had to open at the diner. He'd never call that early, though.... "Sorry about the phone, though." Witness him side-stepping the question about why he'd called so early! Though it might not even've been a question, which meant it was safe to side-step, anyway.

"Too fuckin early." She grumbled making a trail back toward the couch. "You wanna order out, cause I am so not in the mood to cook." She was fine having eaten a few short hours ago, but she wasn't sure if Brian had or if he had been expecting her to provide some sort of food for consumption.

Manhattan snatched her new cell from the table before the hunter plopped herself back down on the sofa, feet once more finding home on the tabletop.

"I ate before I came." Just before, actually. That's why he hadn't shown up directly after closing up shop at the diner. He followed her the rest of the way in and dropped down beside her. "This is just a drinking night. I wouldn't subject myself to your cooking, anyway." He elbowed her gently, teasing.

"Well, everyone can't be the superior chef you are." She teased back with a smirk. "So. Are we bottle drinking or are you gonna make me get up again to get a set of glasses." Knowing Brian Manhattan was figuring he'd opt for glasses only for the fact of seeing the reaction he knew he'd get from her for requesting that. And it wouldn't be a pleasant one.

"Exercise is good for ya," Brian said with a bigger grin. "'Sides, you don't wanna share a bottle with an old man, now, do you?" She might not be allowed to call him old, but he could call himself whatever the hell he wanted. "I might have germs or something."

"You know you're a bastard of an old man." Manhattan grumbled back. She wouldn't have made mention to his age if Brian hadn't opened the door allowing her to do so.

Walking to the kitchen, Manhattan retrieved two glasses down from one of the shelves. And once back in the living room the hunter set both down on the table none to quietly, before plopping her ass back down on the couch. "Think you can manage pouring the first round or did you want me to do that as well." She said with a smirk.

"Gimme that," Brian said with a mostly-feigned grump, snatching the glasses away from her. He set them in front of him, popped the cork with a quick tug and a little willpower, and poured them two hefty glass-fulls. Well, hefty for whiskey, it was probably two shots' worth each. "There, young lady. A little whiskey for ya."

"Always the gentleman." Manhattan giving a chuckle as she took into her possession one of the whiskey filled glasses. "To undying friendships." She said with a nod and lifting of her glass before tipping her head back to down the drink in one swallow. The glass then slammed down onto the table. It had been too damn long since they had done this, and the rest of the night looked to be on it's way toward interesting and entertaining.

"That's me, chivalrous to the end. To undying friendships," he repeated, and mimicked her. He'd be damned if he'd be outdone. Even if he had been up way to goddamn early and was running on not enough sleep. "So where's the family? They around, so we need to be quiet, or what?"

"Nah, Pops and Dathan are out of here til tomorrow morning. So, looks like it's just you and me, Kid." Manhattan grinned mischievously as a reach was made for the bottle to refill her empty glass. It do no good to leave it om the empty side for any length of time, which in translation meant she wouldn't leave it that way for anything longer then a second or two.

"Well, looks like it worked out, me comin' over, anyway," Brian grinned. "Glad I decided to. Pour me another, while you're at it." He held out his glass to her. He fully intended to tell her about Domino tonight... but he really had no idea how to broach it. Maybe more alcohol would help.

Manhattan more then happily complied with the man's wishes. The glass was filled to almost overrunning. It was try they were both going to end up totally wasted, but Manhattan was going to do her damndest to see that Brian reached that line first.

"You know there's no way I'm tossin' this back at once," Brian complained good-naturedly, trying to get the glass over to his mouth, so he could siphon some off, without spilling anything. "What're you trying to do, get me plastered within an hour?"

"Moi? Now wherever would you get an idea like that." She grinned broadly. With fingers curled around her glass Manhattan raised it up to once more down its contents before slamming the down once again on the table. It landed there with a sound thud, but one that wasn't anywhere near hard enough to put even the slightest crack in the small glass vessel.

After sucking down a few gulps, so he wasn't going to spill anything, Brian suggested, "Because you've done it before? And this is way too much alcohol for one little glass? That whiskey's not gonna last long, this way, you know. Which means...." He flashed her a grin. "You'd better have something to chase it up with."

"Oh. I've got plenty things to offer." She grinned with playful insinuation. "And there is plenty liquor in the kitchen should we out last that bottle of whiskey you brought over." And at the rate they seemed to have set their pace at Manhattan probably would be paying a visit to the kitchen to get a bottle of something that'd allow them to continue their little drinking til they puked or fell into a drunken stupor, the latter being the state that they usually ended up in.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll out-last it." Or will, if Manhattan didn't decide he was too pervy to drink with, anyway. Again, Brian realized just how little he knew about his friends' feelings on things like... dating your own sex, and all. Mya, relatively unsurprisingly, had been okay with it. Marlowe, just shocked about hearing about her older friend having a lover, to begin with, or so it seemed. Manhattan... yeah, no idea. "But you're gonna hafta cut out the innu-- in-- the sex-stuff eventually, you know." Or not, because he seriously doubted Domino would care, but hey. Opener!

"Since when did that ever have you feeling anywhere near uncomfortable, Brian?" As far as she could recall it never had before and the hunter was more then mildly curious as to what had brought about the comment he tossed out at her. Straightening up to curl her legs beneath her Manhattan looked expectantly at her friend, one of the closest ones she had in this dead end town.

"Uncomfortable, no. ... Taken, yes," Brian said, then drowned the end of that in another gulp of whiskey.

"You're taken?" Manhattan casting him a "what the hell do you mean you're taken" look. "And just when did this taking happen?" And why are you just revealing that little part of your life to me now? To say the hunter was sent to the brink of being shocked by the news would be a downright understatement of her reaction.

When was the easy part. "Couple weeks ago, or so? Since the tail end of August, though it hasn't actually been serious until Monday. We kind of... kept it quiet." For many, many reasons that all boiled down to "I'm fucking a male employee half my age!" which... yeah. Sucked to say.

"That's all I'm going to get? You're into something serious with someone and I don't even get so much as the woman's name." She said with yet another refilling of her glass. "Just, I've been seeing someone secretly for the past couple of weeks." The blonde lifted her glass to let the whiskey flow smoothly down her throat.

"Never said it was a woman," Brian muttered into his own whiskey. She was getting more information, all right, but it was coming in small bits, to see how she reacted to each one.

Ok, That so was not such a good thing to spring on Manhattan, especially when she was downing a shot of whiskey. That response caught her completely by off guard to the point where inside of the whiskey flowing smoothly down it got caught in her throat. The blonde choking on, and coughing out the liquor.

"You're fuckin seeing a guy?" She asked, after a coughing fit which got her airways cleared of the liquid obstruction, quite shocked with the whole revelation. A reaction that was easily read on her face.

Since Brian had been half-expecting that, he sat up and pounded her helpfully on the back. Once she could breathe again, he got around to answering her. "Yeah, I am." He tried pulling up a grin, though it felt tentative, at best. "Got a problem with that?"

"A problem with it, no." At least she wasn't of the thought that she did, but then Manhattan was still in a slight case of shock from the revelation. Maybe once her mind cleared of shock and the effects the whiskey was starting to have in her she might better be able to wrap her mind around the whole thing.

She had never pictured Brian with someone of the same gender, much less picturing her friend with another guy. Damn it. She needed more whiskey, and with that that the hunter proceeded to fill, and then down, another glass of it.

"Now, see, that doesn't look like not having a problem with it, to me," Brian commented, resting an elbow on his knee and his cheek on his hand, looking at her as she guzzled down more alcohol. "That kind of looks more like 'oh my god, I can't handle this'." While he was good at keeping a light and teasing sort of tone, inside he had a sinking feeling. First the hunter thing, now this-- they each apparently had secrets that could shock and upset the other.

"Well, what the hell did you expect. You can't just throw something like that out at someone and expect them to be all fine and dandy with it." She grumbled back. For Manhattan it was more that he had kept this whole relationship thing with another guy secret from her that was the main root of the trouble she was having then the actual fact that her friend was gay. Or maybe he was just bisexual with a leaning toward the more masculine gender.

This certainly was turning out to be a hell of a drinking night. Really was a good thing neither Bryson nor Dathan would be returning before the first light of the following morning.

"How exactly does one ease into something like that?" Brian asked with a lopsided grin. "I mean, I suppose I could do like I did with Mya, drop it in as the last, 'oh, by the way' after a whole long line of really shitty things that'd happened in the past week or so. But that really didn't fit so well, here. So yeah. I'm dating a guy." He couldn't address the "why didn't you tell me sooner??" part until she voiced it, unfortunately. As far as he knew, her reaction was entirely because he was apparently, at the very least, bi.

She really couldn't give an answer to that. Manhattan wasn't exactly one who had lasting relationships, her were more along the lines of one night stands. Hell, half the guys she'd hook up with while out on the road were just nameless lays.

"You still should've told me sooner." She grumped.

"One, you were out of town for a week," Brian began, not sure whether he should be feeling better or worse about this. "And it's not really something I'd want to tell you over the phone. Two, I didn't know if it would last longer than a couple nights, and why should I risk throwing away my job and my friends for a fling?" But it had lasted longer, had weathered a fight-- and a "misunderstanding" which had better not happen again-- and Domino'd stuck with him when he needed him to. So now he was risking it.

"You really think I would have done that? Severe our relationship because of your choice of a bed partner?" Ok. So maybe she wasn't handling the news in the best of ways, but she'd deal with it all. But there was nothing Brian could tell her that would ever change the status of their friendship.

"That's just it, I didn't have any idea," Brian said seriously, and chugged another few gulps of whiskey. Things were starting to get a bit fuzzy, actually, but no less serious. He was a little disappointed; it might've made things easier if things had gotten funnier. "To some people, this kind of thing is a big deal. It's happened before." Admittedly not much, seeing as this hadn't happened much, but it had. "Doesn't help matters that he's barely legal and, uh, technically an employee...."

"You're screwing one of your employees?" That had her blinking in disbelief. Another revelation she hadn't been expecting. That Brian had said the guy was barely hadn't phased her, barely meant he was of age, though probably just breaking that line. Brian couldn't get into any trouble there.

With a shake of her head Manhattan got to filling her glass again, adding more as well to Brian's to keep his tipped to almost the rim.

"I know," Brian groaned, flopping back a little into the couch-- then nearly spilling the whiskey and cursing, before sipping a bit so it wasn't so over-full and continuing. "I think I've gone insane. Fucking nuts. If life hadn't been shit, I probably never would've let him talk me into it. If I could get him a new job, I'd just fire him so there wouldn't be so much of a problem. But I like him. He's... I don't know. He's a good guy." And he'd finally gotten himself out of the habit of thinking of Domino as a kid. Mostly, anyway. Go him.

"So." A few sips of her whiskey was taken before Manhattan continued. "When do I get to meet this "good guy" of yours, and more importantly. Does he have a name or is this all a figment of your imagination." She added with a grin.

That sounded a little better, now. Brian started to relax a little again, downing a bit more of his own glass. Why was it so damn full? "Name's Domino, you might've already met him-- he was at the party. Got me the lamp." He rolled his eyes with a grin. "Long story behind that one. But if you wanna meet him more officially, we can do that, too."

"Dark hair, real good looking, and hits on anything with two legs?" Alright, so she would have been better saying 'flirts with' instead of 'hits on', but then that was Manhattan using her good tact. Could also be that the whiskey was starting to have a bit of an effect on her. Course that in no way stopped her from finishing off her glass and adding more to it. She, after all was in her own home and wasn't going to be driving anywhere in the very near future.

"That's him. We're, uh, working on the 'hitting on' part...." Sort of. Brian could handle the flirtation, he thought. Maybe. When he was not in a stressed out, generally horrible place in his life. It was what the hitting on lead to that needed some work.... He scrubbed a hand over his face, wondering, not for the first time, what the hell he was getting himself into. He needed to see Domino again soon, to get that doubting out of his head. "He's still a kid in a lot of ways, really. But he's learning."

"This is probably the first serious relationship he's ever had. So I'm sure you two have quite a few kinks to work out." Manhattan said just before finishing off her present glass of whiskey. "So, does he know you're here on a date and will be spending the night here." Of course he'd spend it in one of the guest rooms, or on the sofa they were currently on if he fell into a drunk stupor. No way in hell Manhattan was going to try dragging his inebriated ass to one of the open bedrooms, something she'd probably be wasted to even attempt should she have wanted to.

Wasn't that the truth, if Domino was to be believed.... Brian flashed her a bright grin. "This isn't a date, Man'. Two buddies gettin' together and drinking? Especially since we're probably jus' gonna pass out on the couch." He downed another good portion of the whiskey, enjoying the muted burn of it. "'Sides, you're so very completely not my type."

"Can't fault a girl for wishful thinking." She teased back with a brilliant grin of her own. "Apparently not, seeing as just who it is you've gotten yourself involved with." Manhattan wasn't anymore Brian's type then he was hers, could be why they connected so well as friends.

"So," the blonde making another reach for the bottle that was slowly dwindling down toward the bottom to fill her glass yet again. "Anything else you were planning on sharing before my mind becomes too clouded for me to remember come morning." She threw out before downing half of the glass she just poured herself.

Though he was tempted to protest that he was into girls just as much as guys, that wasn't really a conversation Brian would enjoy, or one that he thought was necessary. So he was sleeping with a man now; if that didn't work out and he found a girlfriend, instead, she'd just have to be shocked again. Instead, he just deadpanned and said, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh. Now that's funny." She cracked with an amused grin. And as needing to emphasis her words Manhattan went and slugged Brian in the shoulder. "What happen, you have a lengthy conversation with some girl that resulted in your present condition?" She snickered.

Smirking at her, he agreed, "Over the phone." Yes, he'd seen that movie, too. He'd seen a surprising number of chick flicks-- well, maybe not so surprising given who his best friend was. But still. "Amazing what talking about sandwiches and music can do, these days, y'know?"

"You can get into all sorts of trouble just by doing the most simplest of things." She smirked back with a couple sips of her whiskey. "Just don't expect me to be anywhere near when you finally give birth."

"Honestly? I doubt I'd want to be, either." Yuck. Brian refilled his own glass, this time, being very, very careful not to spill. He spilled a little, anyway, and frowned at the couple drops of alcohol wasted on the coffee table. "Fuck. You keep givin' me too much, Man', I'm already missin' the glass."

"How else am I gonna be able to have my way with you." She grinned. All right so maybe she should stop with the insinuations, but hey, she was Manhattan. It was just her nature, and not a trait she could stop with just a few words being told to her. "Besides, no way I'm getting to total wasteland first." She added with a capping of what her glass contained. She had to make room for more after all, didn't she.

Really, Brian didn't mind the innuendos so much, it was just how they were. All he'd wanted was the opening. He leaned over a bit to tip the bottle further, so she poured almost to the brim-- like she had done to him, earlier. "There, now we're even. I'm already drunker than you, so get on it, woman." Which might or might not be true. Brian could function pretty well while sloshed-- lots of experience-- so it was sometimes hard to tell.

"Now who's rushin who?" A light chuckle coming with the words. Words that had a slight slurring to them. The feeling of the alcohol starting to affect more profoundly in no way prevented the blonde from sipping(she didn't want to lose a single drop from her glass), then taking a good swallow of the whiskey sitting in her glass.

"Turnabout's fair play," Brian countered. Then he gave her a nudge with his elbow and grinned widely. "Okay, so one confirmed bachelor has a boyfriend. Now we've gotta find somebody for you." And he was in no way being serious. He just had a feeling he'd get a good reaction out of her.

"HA!" Like that would ever happen. It was highly unlikely that she'd ever cross paths with anyone who she could handle for longer then a couple days, or who'd be able to tolerate her or what she did for a living. Now purely for the sex part, there were one, maybe two guys out there who truly rocked her world, but she knew as well as anyone else that the sexual bit alone didn't make for a lasting relationship.

"Give it your best shot." She smirked. And just like Brian she was no where near serious in that comment.

"I'll have to think on it and find somebody really special," Brian teased, settling back into the couch. "Until then, getting really damn drunk sounds good, to me."

And even though he was joking, and she knew he made the remark in jest, Manhattan still gave him a "don't you dare" glaring look.

"That's the whole point of this little get together, isn't it." Manhattan then swallowed down the final contents of her glass before extended the now empty glass container out toward Brian for refilling. Partial cause she didn't want to be bothered with doing it herself at the moment, and partial to see if he'd be able to fill it without losing any over the rim of the glass.

This time Brian cheated. Willing up a little wall of solid force around the edges of her cup was a no-brainer, and when he poured, expression one of intense concentration, the whiskey splashed a little against... nothing, on its way into the glass. "There ya go."

A smile given, Manhattan leaned back into the couch, feet once more plopped up onto the table, with a nice long drink taken from her filled glass. "How much more do we have to go?" Her gaze shifting, trying to focus on the whiskey bottle to try and judge by a quick glance just how much remained inside it. She hoped there was still a fair amount in the bottle due to the fact that she was in no condition to stand and try to make it to the kitchen without stumbling into something on her way to get them something more to keep up their little drinking party for two.

"I," Brian said solemnly, "can keep going for hours. And there's what, a third of the bottle left to go?" They'd been drinking pretty quickly. And his head was definitely spinning a bit. "C'mon, don't give up on me now, Man', you know we can last longer'n this." Though considering they were drinking harder stuff than beer and wine coolers, this time, maybe not much longer.

"Who said anything about me bailing." And with that the hunter made a quick downing of what remained in her glass, and then slammed it down without a drop left on the table to make a quick refilling. "No way in hell I'm gonna let you out last me." She smirked.

"We'll see about that," Brian grinned, and he quite happily poured her another.