"Of course you are." Elijah shook his head because no he wasn't and his sigh misted the sides of his wine glass as he took a sip.
"Happily my offspring has more sense than to follow your lead," he said with a hint of amusement colouring his voice. "Come on, let's sit down."
He yoinked the bottle up by its neck and lead the way to the living room. It was a mild night outside, they could sit on the porch and watch stars climb over the river. Elijah had a pack of cigarettes outside. He indulged in the vice every now and then when he wanted to relax.
Asher did enjoy the view from Elijah's porch - it was positively pastoral sometimes. He followed the man's lead, his breath fogging in the cold of the outside.
"Nonsense, he adores me, and sense means going where the money is," Asher said, though he joked. Mike was a good kid, unlikely as any to turn to a life of crime.
Asher was still teaching him whatever skills for a life of crime that he could, though. It could be used to impress potential romantic partners later in life after all.
Elijah's ex-wife probably wouldn't have been glad to know that Mike was spending time with a con and learning skills like lock picking. Elijah had elected not to tell her about these things. Mike was a good child and maybe he would become a lock smith one day if it actually interested him.
He sat down on the swing that gave a perfect few on the river. The air was colder than the water apparently, thick wisps of mist rising from the lazy stream. He reached for the pack of cigarettes and shook out one to offer it to Asher. The wine bottle stood on the railing beside the ashtray.
"Ah, well, at least he has a good example on what not to do with his life," he said mildly.
"You're a gentleman and a scholar," Ash casually praised of Elijah, taking the offered cigarette. He had to go cold turkey when caught and the habit was mostly broken, but one or two here and there as he could beg or borrow them wouldn't hurt.
The cologne he liked, wine, cigarettes, amusing company - for a few moments he could stand there on the balcony looking over the landscape and pretend he was back to his old life again. The nostalgia for it was clear upon his face, a sort of wistful longing.
Elijah felt no regret over giving Asher more than a little bit of free reign during Christmas. They all needed a break at times and Asher had come through for the team countless times already. He had a lot riding on this. His freedom for one. Perhaps he would end up working for the bureau after he got his record clean.
"Hardly," he said with a small snort to the compliment and leaned over to offer Asher some light for his cigarette.
He wondered if they could get an apartment for Asher in the near future. He didn't need around the lock guarding, did he?
"You're in a good mood," he observed as he lit up his own cigarette, his hand cupping around the flame to protect it from any wind.
"Who doesn't love the holidays?" Ash replied, jovial tone carrying with the wind as he leaned against the railing. He bent over, cigarette at his lips to catch the offered flame and breathe in the blessed smoke for the first time in a long time. Inhale, hold, exhale.
"You seem particularly generous as well, I could say."
"Bitter people," Elijah replied and surprise, surprise, there was a little bit of bitterness in his tone of voice. He was, after all, alone for the holidays. Mike was with his mother throughout the whole season.
Well, he had Asher here, didn't he? It was definitely not the same thing as spending time with his kid.
It was obvious in the way Elijah's house had no Christmas decorations or Christmas foods on display. Nothing but the festive Christmas card of his son and his dog smiling on fridge door, attached to it with a magnet that Mike had made in school for father's day.
Yeah, sometimes Elijah was one of those bitter people.
He seemed to jolt out of his reverie as Asher pointed out that he was being generous and he snorted softly while throwing his arm on the back of the swing behind Asher's neck.
"It's a bribe," he said a little playfully. "So you'll behave over the holidays."
Asher scoffed, even as he took the (for him) open invitation to downright cuddle next to Elijah's side. It was cold out, he'd never turn down body heat, and by now it was clear that Elijah wasn't going to knife him when he wasn't looking.
"I always behave. I'm the picture of good behavior."
Asher was plenty of things, but predictable wasn't one of them. Elijah tried to remind himself of this daily and he still sometimes made the mistake of thinking he knew the other man well enough to know what he would do next.
Snuggling against his side was definitely not one of those things that he had expected. But the way their relationship went, Elijah didn't feel awkward to just let it happen, even going as far as letting his hand slide to Asher's shoulder, his thumb idly describing the subtle curve of it.
"Of course you do," he said, dry as Sahara. "How could I even forget. That's you, Asher, the Impeccable one."
The touch at his shoulder was pleasant. Truth be told, even if Asher was careful to keep himself from having any known exploitable weaknesses, the man wasn't used to being alone. He always had some form of companion - often paid, to make certain that it was very clear the business arrangement was just that - in his life before, and going without that casual touch was even more difficult to get used to than the nicotine withdrawals.
"You should be more festive. Watch a movie, at least. I'm sure Scrooged or the one with the muppets must be playing on some channel. Or that godawful cult classic one."
Elijah tapped the ashes from his cigarette straight to the porch. He'd wipe it clean another day. It was curious to see this kind of side to Asher. He wasn't pushing or playing some game, trying to gain some upper hand or find a piece of Elijah to exploit. He had just simply wanted some human contact.
Elijah wondered why it felt nice to think that he probably was the only one in the unit to know this about the con.
"I could probably unearth a Christmas music CD if you insist." Elijah hadn't just seen the point of doing any of that for himself. He wouldn't resist - much - if Asher would want to decorate or get a tree or something. It would make Elijah smile a couple of times as well.
Asher let his eyes closed as he smoked, just leaning against Elijah, enjoying the way the evening smelled and sounded and everything that became sharper without the distraction of sight.
"I do insist, the whole point of holidays is an excuse to give in to all your inner kitschy desires and have them be approved by society. When else do you get to drag a whole tree inside and cover it with glitter? They'd put you in the special classes if it wasn't for Christmas."
Elijah indulged him and let that hand slide down to Asher's arm, curling around it for a moment as he held the smaller man against his side. Then it went up again, brushed against Asher's shoulder and then down to his arm. Rinse and repeat.
Elijah watched the mist rise from the river down below. The air was definitely cold enough that it might actually freeze.
"You would enjoy all that, wouldn't you?" he said with obvious amusement and actual fondness. There was no judgement to be detected. "Most people find it exhausting."
The stroking of his arm was nice. Wholly unexpected and terribly nice. It was one thing to play chicken with Elijah, it was another thing entirely for the man to so easily offer comfort without comment.
Asher sighed, pleased.
"Well, I had an under-privileged childhood. No Christmases in the compound, I need to make up for lost time," Asher said, and while there was the return of his normal flippant tone there was still something deeply sincere about the implication that indulging in this was not something he got until adulthood.
The colder, utilitarian side of Elijah would have argued that it was all his way of making sure Asher would be hard pressed to double-cross him. But that would have been a lie. It would have been him pushing aside all the ways his heart felt content giving in with all these little ways he did. Presents, wine, tobacco and even touching.
He had no delusions about Asher. He knew the man's rap sheet better than he knew his own file. But there was that part of him that hoped that maybe if someone were to show the man some kindness, he would make amends, he would make life better for himself.
Curse his bleeding heart, but it was the reason why he paused his stroking for a moment and then looked down at Asher. "We should get a tree tomorrow. What do you say?"
"YES," Asher said, pumping his fist like his favorite sports team just scored a big win. It wasn't just part of his carefully crafted toothless persona, he did indeed love going all out for any and all holidays he had an excuse for, and Christmas was one of the big ones. He intended to push this envelope for all it was worth to see what Elijah would let him get away with as far as festivities. Maybe even eggnog.
He shook the ash from his cigarette out on the deck since that's what Eli did.
The excitement made Elijah snort out a chuckle and rub his hand up and down on Asher's arm a little more vigorously before he squeezed the smaller man against his side for a moment. A brief moment.
"And eggnog," he he said generously. It wouldn't hurt, right? That was a Christmas tradition that he actually liked.
It was nice. The warmth and contact of being so close, of Elijah being so shamelessly free with both. He always thought his son had a gentling effect on the man, but Ash had a hard time imagining Elijah doing this with his son present. Perhaps he just trusted Ash to not look a gift horse in the mouth about this while his son would no doubt blithely push forward with inquiries that only the curiosity of a child could produce.
Asher would love to hear those answers, but he liked more having this.
"Not even a bedtime set to obey with that? You are terribly generous during the Christmas season. My own personal Saint Nick."
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no subject
"Happily my offspring has more sense than to follow your lead," he said with a hint of amusement colouring his voice. "Come on, let's sit down."
He yoinked the bottle up by its neck and lead the way to the living room. It was a mild night outside, they could sit on the porch and watch stars climb over the river. Elijah had a pack of cigarettes outside. He indulged in the vice every now and then when he wanted to relax.
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"Nonsense, he adores me, and sense means going where the money is," Asher said, though he joked. Mike was a good kid, unlikely as any to turn to a life of crime.
Asher was still teaching him whatever skills for a life of crime that he could, though. It could be used to impress potential romantic partners later in life after all.
no subject
He sat down on the swing that gave a perfect few on the river. The air was colder than the water apparently, thick wisps of mist rising from the lazy stream. He reached for the pack of cigarettes and shook out one to offer it to Asher. The wine bottle stood on the railing beside the ashtray.
"Ah, well, at least he has a good example on what not to do with his life," he said mildly.
no subject
The cologne he liked, wine, cigarettes, amusing company - for a few moments he could stand there on the balcony looking over the landscape and pretend he was back to his old life again. The nostalgia for it was clear upon his face, a sort of wistful longing.
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"Hardly," he said with a small snort to the compliment and leaned over to offer Asher some light for his cigarette.
He wondered if they could get an apartment for Asher in the near future. He didn't need around the lock guarding, did he?
"You're in a good mood," he observed as he lit up his own cigarette, his hand cupping around the flame to protect it from any wind.
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"You seem particularly generous as well, I could say."
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Well, he had Asher here, didn't he? It was definitely not the same thing as spending time with his kid.
It was obvious in the way Elijah's house had no Christmas decorations or Christmas foods on display. Nothing but the festive Christmas card of his son and his dog smiling on fridge door, attached to it with a magnet that Mike had made in school for father's day.
Yeah, sometimes Elijah was one of those bitter people.
He seemed to jolt out of his reverie as Asher pointed out that he was being generous and he snorted softly while throwing his arm on the back of the swing behind Asher's neck.
"It's a bribe," he said a little playfully. "So you'll behave over the holidays."
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"I always behave. I'm the picture of good behavior."
no subject
Snuggling against his side was definitely not one of those things that he had expected. But the way their relationship went, Elijah didn't feel awkward to just let it happen, even going as far as letting his hand slide to Asher's shoulder, his thumb idly describing the subtle curve of it.
"Of course you do," he said, dry as Sahara. "How could I even forget. That's you, Asher, the Impeccable one."
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"You should be more festive. Watch a movie, at least. I'm sure Scrooged or the one with the muppets must be playing on some channel. Or that godawful cult classic one."
no subject
Elijah wondered why it felt nice to think that he probably was the only one in the unit to know this about the con.
"I could probably unearth a Christmas music CD if you insist." Elijah hadn't just seen the point of doing any of that for himself. He wouldn't resist - much - if Asher would want to decorate or get a tree or something. It would make Elijah smile a couple of times as well.
no subject
"I do insist, the whole point of holidays is an excuse to give in to all your inner kitschy desires and have them be approved by society. When else do you get to drag a whole tree inside and cover it with glitter? They'd put you in the special classes if it wasn't for Christmas."
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Elijah watched the mist rise from the river down below. The air was definitely cold enough that it might actually freeze.
"You would enjoy all that, wouldn't you?" he said with obvious amusement and actual fondness. There was no judgement to be detected. "Most people find it exhausting."
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Asher sighed, pleased.
"Well, I had an under-privileged childhood. No Christmases in the compound, I need to make up for lost time," Asher said, and while there was the return of his normal flippant tone there was still something deeply sincere about the implication that indulging in this was not something he got until adulthood.
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He had no delusions about Asher. He knew the man's rap sheet better than he knew his own file. But there was that part of him that hoped that maybe if someone were to show the man some kindness, he would make amends, he would make life better for himself.
Curse his bleeding heart, but it was the reason why he paused his stroking for a moment and then looked down at Asher. "We should get a tree tomorrow. What do you say?"
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"Can we? That would be fantastic - oh! We should get tinsel! You don't have to worry about a pet eating it. And lights, we need lights too-"
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It felt nice, having someone to share a stupid tree with. Even if that someone was forced to stay with him.
"I have a box of decorations in a closet somewhere. And what we lack, we can get." He felt weirdly warm inside, just for a silly tree.
Except it was obvious he didn't really care about the tree itself. But there was something about seeing that wide eyed and happy look on Asher's face.
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He shook the ash from his cigarette out on the deck since that's what Eli did.
"Eggnog too, right?"
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"And eggnog," he he said generously. It wouldn't hurt, right? That was a Christmas tradition that he actually liked.
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Asher would love to hear those answers, but he liked more having this.
"Not even a bedtime set to obey with that? You are terribly generous during the Christmas season. My own personal Saint Nick."