Book 5, Chapter 14: One Eye on What You Knew, One Eye on What You Do (1/3)
Title: One Eye on What You Knew, One Eye on What You Do (1/3)
Authors: kiltsandlollies and escribo
Characters: Billy, Cate
Word Count: 3,000
Summary: Out for a drink and maybe more.
Index
Note: Original text and characterization of Cate created by magickalmolly; in some chapters through this story, we’ve adapted both text and characterization, but Molly’s work happily remains the foundation for Professor Blanchett.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; the recognizable people in the story belong to themselves and have never performed the actions portrayed here. I do not know the actors nor am I associated with them in any way. If you are underage, please do not read this story. I am not making any profit from these stories, nor do I mean any harm.
An all hands staff meeting at a small university is nothing more than a sixth form student council assembly, Billy thinks to himself after the first hour of rambling agenda items. Only with better shoes and ties, and no singing.
An hour has passed since the meeting began, with little resolution reached on several points of discussion. Billy's eyes have closed twice in irritation, but he has said nothing to support either side of any of the arguments. He knows he should-at St. Andrews, a younger and considerably more hot-blooded Professor Boyd was known for standing and delivering short, vehement blasts of rhetoric in meetings, often winning his point while adding one or two more professors to a list of enemies he hadn’t been aware even existed at the time. Even if he had known how carefully he was being watched, Billy would likely still have stood and fought. But things are different now. Billy is older, and his heart and mind are engaged elsewhere; his energy has found its place now, after too many years.
Billy's eyes sweep over the room, full of professors and the odd wide-eyed teacher's assistant. From the absence of a bright, blonde head tall above the others, Billy gathers that Cate is not here, and while he can understand why she might have skived off the meeting, Billy also finds himself jealous that he hadn't found the nerve to ignore the summons himself, and nervous because he'd meant to share a drink or two with Cate this evening-had even been looking forward to it. After wasting several minutes wondering if he can actually get away with it, Billy listens for the next quick motion and seconding to occur and then uses the noisy distraction to slips out the back door of the room. The meeting this time has occupied one of the conference rooms in the science building, and so Billy stops to think before he takes a turn down the hallway that should lead him to Cate's office. He quickens his steps as he nears it, and knocks on the door politely, twice, before leaning against the wall to think some more.
It takes a moment, but then Billy's smile suddenly creases his face. He nearly trots up the creaking stairs to the laboratory rooms, and laughs when he sees light streaming from the very last room at the end of yet another hall. Billy makes his way toward the light and leans in the doorway, just watching Cate for a moment as she stands in complete concentration over a glass box containing something Billy likely wouldn't recognize until it (or they) left him dead, full of poisons Billy couldn't pronounce. With her hands stacked one on top of the other, her chin on her fingers, Cate stares intently at the two spiders in the acrylic box in front of her. One of her infamous black leather notebooks sits open on the counter, a few quick sketches and some notes filling the page. Even in this harsh light, Cate is still quite pretty, but it’s hard for Billy to not remember how much more so she is outside of this building, in cloud and sunlight, harder still to disturb her at this work, no matter how much he craves that drink.
"Involving, is it?" Billy says softly, careful not startle her.
"Come here, you have to see this," Cate says quickly, moving to Billy's side to take his hand in hers before he can reply, leading him back to the lab station where the box sits. The tug of Cate's hand is firm, her desire for Billy to see these creatures non-negotiable, apparently. Billy goes willingly, of course, murmuring something about did you still want to go and get a- until his words float away as he stares at the spiders with the same terrified fascination he once held for them as a very young child-before he learned how to read more than the children's page of the newspaper and ran indoors or up his trees, safe from unfriendly creatures both human and animal. Cate leans in again, urging Billy to do the same, and she points to the box, speaking in an animated whisper.
"These are Australian redbacks; a male and a female. I've been waiting for a week now for them to mate, and - oh, look. Look." Suspended in the delicate web stretched across several large twigs, the smaller of the two spiders makes its way closer to the larger. Cate explains in a soft voice that the smaller is the male, and that he's been circling the female for hours now, waiting for the right moment.
"It's like foreplay. But he won't approach her until she lets him know it's all right." Not looking away from the box, Cate takes up her pen and writes in her journal, just a quick note, but her pen stops when the male spider crawls under the web, upside down and right under the female.
"Foreplay." Billy raises an eyebrow, but Cate is far too involved in the little dance going on before them to notice his expression, so Billy tilts his head, moving closer to the box and smiling at the male spider. "For hours? You've got quite a constitution then, mate. And the patience of a saint."
"Those are the palps," Cate says, brushing off Billy's attempt at a joke with a little shushing gesture before she motions with her finger at the small antenna-like feelers that come from the male's head. Billy falls silent, his gaze moving first to Cate's fingers, long and keeping firm hold on her pen. Billy can see the tips of her fingers going white as she maintains her stillness, but Cate doesn’t seem to notice. When Billy looks back at her, he sees she's actually holding her breath, watching as the male spider’s feelers connect with the female, inserting themselves into her abdomen. "They're mating," Cate whispers, her eyes bright and intense in the low light of the lab. A moment later a smile stretches across her face, surprised and delighted as the female spider extends her fangs, sinking them quite viciously into the unprotected underbelly of the male.
"That was impressive. And uncomfortable," Billy laughs softly, then quiets again when Cate leans closer to the glass. Billy can believe she's waited a week for this, can see the tension leaving her shoulders, her brilliant, satisfied smile brightening her whole face, just as the female spider does something even more impressive and a lot more disturbing. Billy cannot keep down the little hiss of discomfort that rushes from between his teeth, but he forces himself to watch, knowing that at any other time he'd likely be reaching for paper towelling to get these things out of his view, if he hadn't stepped on them first.
"She’s going to t'eat him, isn’t she. Seems so unfair." Billy turns to Cate and then back to the box, his forehead creasing in thought. "I mean, I know it's just the way of nature and all that. I know he's done his job and she's had enough of him, yeah? But what if he-d'you think there's love in nature, Cate? Affection? Compassion? Or is this just propagation?" Billy stands up, stretching to relieve the slight twinge in his back from leaning down, and then he relaxes again, his smile soft. "D'you think he knew he was going to die, Cate?"
"It's beautiful ..." Cate murmurs, then laughs when she catches the expression on Billy's face. "And that's actually what we're trying to understand. The motives behind the male's sacrifice appear to be pre-determined, but it's honestly hard to tell." Cate pauses to write another note in her journal, then she sets her pen aside, straightening as Billy has done and resting her hip against the counter.
"The female will feed off of the male approximately sixty percent of the time. But every time they mate, the male always approaches the female from underneath; he instinctively assumes the submissive position. He offers her the chance to take his life-whether or not she does is up to her. But research has shown that there is a higher rate of fertilization when she does. The act itself lasts considerably longer when the male gives himself to the female completely." Cate's eyes gleam wicked in the low light of the lab, and then she moves from the counter, shrugging out of her lab coat.
"So it's better for everyone that the male spider just falls on his back?" Billy smiles, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in again to watch the spiders. "Good job, then. Go forth and sacrifice yourself. Sixty percent. It sounds like a graduation rate. This school is one enormous spider ... feeding off sixty percent of her students to keep the cheques coming in. These children roll over on their backs, never knowing if they'll survive the next four, five, eight years-" Billy stops himself, swallowing the rest of the vitriol that has suddenly risen inside him, and he stands up straight again, turning to Cate with a genuine smile. "I'm sorry. It was just such a ridiculous meeting, and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Don't mean t'take it out on your spiders." Billy looks back to the box. "Charming as they are."
"It's actually quite romantic, Bill, if you'd rather think about it that way," Cate say simply. Billy watches her move around the room checking off report lists and locking cabinets, her skirt swirling around her long legs. "The male offers up his life so that the female can have the strength she needs to survive. An unselfish act of love and sacrifice." Cate offers Billy a smile, absently shouldering the strap of her briefcase after she closes the latch with an audible click.
"I'll take your word for it," Billy says, unnervingly sharply he thinks in immediate hindsight. "I'm no authority on either of those things." When Cate's gaze softens, Billy swallows again and gestures toward the door. "Shall we go?"
Once they are outdoors, in the clear, early-evening darkness, Billy is comfortable again. Something about the shining, tidy, antiseptic laboratories makes him want to run from the science building, but with the wind around him once more, Billy's able to relax. They walk for a few moments, Billy summarizing the meeting in close to four sentences, not all of them peppered with expletives, and Cate's laughter in response echoes in the air. It's almost chilly outside, but feels perfect: the air crisp but still friendly, the light going just slightly grey, making the remaining colours glow in contrast.
They are nearing one of three pubs that lie on the near edges of campus-one Billy knows as the preferred local for professors and administration. It is homey and warm, the conversation not usually too raucous, at least not at this time of night, and the music's good, besides, and will only get better when the evening’s band gets going. The food's not that bad, either. But as they get closer and Billy's mind plays over the events of the past week, thoughts of things he’d heard second- and thirdhand recently resettle and rise, demanding his attention.
"May I ask you a question, Cate?" Billy says quietly, and at Cate's short nod, he takes a deep breath. "I know I've asked before, but-well. Dr. Stinson-this is none of my business, and I'm happy to leave off if you ask me to, but he seems to have-has he been bothering you recently, Cate? I ask because we have more than our share of bastards at this school, and he's chief among them. I'm sure you’re-capable of handling any situation that may arise, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm not concerned." Billy stops walking just as they reach the entrance to the pub, and he turns again to Cate, placing one hand on her elbow, gently. "I am your friend," he murmurs. "And I won't see you harassed."
Cate tilts her head, looking thoroughly charmed and charming at once, and she leans in to kiss Billy softly on the cheek. It is a friendly kiss, brief and soft, with no real heat to it, not even as much as the first kiss Cate bestowed on him, the night they first met-but it is a kiss nonetheless. Billy's mind runs through several different shocked responses, but before he has the chance to decide on any particular one, Cate pulls away, rubbing the stain of her lipstick off his cheek with cold fingers. Leaving no marks.
"No, he's not bothering me. Well, actually," Cate laughs, her breath making a small puff of cold air appear in front of her face as she smiles, wide and bright. "He bothers me as often as he can, but he's harmless. Truly. But thank you for asking." Cate takes hold of Billy's elbow, gently tugging on the scratchy wool of his blazer to get him to walk with her again way up the paved path to the pub, step in step.
"He's hanging upside down on his web, Bill, but he doesn't realize that mating season has long passed him by." Cate murmurs teasingly, and she releases Billy's arm when they reach the heavy oak doors. She grasps one of the brass handles and pulls the door open, stepping aside so that Billy can enter first. "Besides," Cate continues, laughing again. "If he gives me any trouble, he’ll find his soft underbelly at risk." She stabs Billy gently with a fingertip as he passes, just a teasing little nudge to his side, but it's enough to catch him by surprise. Billy's seen the predatory flash in Cate's eyes before, but this time it is tempered by good humour, and it’s almost easy for Billy to write it off as a joke.
Cate is, after all, in good form tonight-calm, not at all sharp and glassy as she sometimes appears to Billy. He feels comfortable around this Cate, even as she holds the door for him, her laughter sounding sweet to his ears. The pub is busy, but not so over-crowded that they won't be able to find a table. Billy chafes his hands together, loving the warmth, and then Cate points when she sees an empty table, slipping her other arm through the crook of Billy's elbow again. They shuffle and maneuver their way through the push of bodies and chairs, Cate smiling winningly at all they pass, and when they reach the empty corner, Cate gets the attention of the bartender before she takes her seat, asking him for two pints of Guinness. It’s not what Billy would have had in mind for them, but at this point he’s not feeling that selective; anything alcoholic and quickly delivered might do.
It's louder than usual in here tonight, and it takes a moment before Billy fully adjusts to the noise and settles in his chair. He leans forward as Cate does, the better to hear her, and finds that his shoulders and back are relaxing as they normally only do at home on his couch, in more familiar company. It’s a strange feeling to experience elsewhere, but Billy's certainly not going to argue about it. But even relaxed, Billy continues to be surprised, first by the gazes of the curious, more regular customers here moving their way, and second by Cate, who shakes off Billy’s attempt to pay for their drinks, and seems to be preparing herself for a long night of it.
"No. Put your money away, Bill. I'm paying tonight. I insist." She clinks her glass against Billy's, smiling over the foamy rim. "Well professor, lets see if you drink as well as you talk." And then Cate proceeds to down a good third of her pint in one long swallow. Setting her glass on the table again, Cate licks the foam from her lips, not unlike a cat cleaning the cream off of its whiskers. She drinks the way she drives, Billy thinks but doesn’t say as Cate knocks back a large swallow of Guinness. Confident and as if she's on a permanent dare. Instead he takes his own drink and smiles at Cate before he looks around the pub, his eyes carefully not settling on any one person or thing.
"'S nice, isn't it? Like being back in my local at St. Andrews. Only there’s no sawdust on the floor here, and the dartboard's real horsehair. And I don’t have the threat of administration stopping by for a chat hanging over me." Billy's eyes flit to a small group of professors-young ones, from the state of their hair and the sound of their laughter-crowded around the shooting line in front of the dartboard. "D'you play, Cate? I'm crap at it, complete crap. It's that precision again-that hyperfocus. I just don't have it, but I admire those who do."
Billy's attention is caught then by the sight of three young men setting up a bohdran, guitar and fiddle in the opposite corner of the room. Billy turns to Cate with an enormous smile. "Looks like another half hour and this place'll be a shambles." Billy moves even closer, until his shoulder nudges Cate's, and he speaks low and quickly in her ear. "Have you ever been here on a Thursday night before, Cate? This is where you see your peers at their highest and lowest. After four or five pints, people who haven’t got the rhythm to clap walk out of here thinking they're the second coming of John fucking Lennon."
The waitress reappears, ready to take their orders for food and more drinks, and Billy leans back again, his smile growing wider as he absently runs one hand over Cate's shoulders and back. "Let's hope we don't make such a show of it, eh?"
Authors: kiltsandlollies and escribo
Characters: Billy, Cate
Word Count: 3,000
Summary: Out for a drink and maybe more.
Index
Note: Original text and characterization of Cate created by magickalmolly; in some chapters through this story, we’ve adapted both text and characterization, but Molly’s work happily remains the foundation for Professor Blanchett.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; the recognizable people in the story belong to themselves and have never performed the actions portrayed here. I do not know the actors nor am I associated with them in any way. If you are underage, please do not read this story. I am not making any profit from these stories, nor do I mean any harm.
An all hands staff meeting at a small university is nothing more than a sixth form student council assembly, Billy thinks to himself after the first hour of rambling agenda items. Only with better shoes and ties, and no singing.
An hour has passed since the meeting began, with little resolution reached on several points of discussion. Billy's eyes have closed twice in irritation, but he has said nothing to support either side of any of the arguments. He knows he should-at St. Andrews, a younger and considerably more hot-blooded Professor Boyd was known for standing and delivering short, vehement blasts of rhetoric in meetings, often winning his point while adding one or two more professors to a list of enemies he hadn’t been aware even existed at the time. Even if he had known how carefully he was being watched, Billy would likely still have stood and fought. But things are different now. Billy is older, and his heart and mind are engaged elsewhere; his energy has found its place now, after too many years.
Billy's eyes sweep over the room, full of professors and the odd wide-eyed teacher's assistant. From the absence of a bright, blonde head tall above the others, Billy gathers that Cate is not here, and while he can understand why she might have skived off the meeting, Billy also finds himself jealous that he hadn't found the nerve to ignore the summons himself, and nervous because he'd meant to share a drink or two with Cate this evening-had even been looking forward to it. After wasting several minutes wondering if he can actually get away with it, Billy listens for the next quick motion and seconding to occur and then uses the noisy distraction to slips out the back door of the room. The meeting this time has occupied one of the conference rooms in the science building, and so Billy stops to think before he takes a turn down the hallway that should lead him to Cate's office. He quickens his steps as he nears it, and knocks on the door politely, twice, before leaning against the wall to think some more.
It takes a moment, but then Billy's smile suddenly creases his face. He nearly trots up the creaking stairs to the laboratory rooms, and laughs when he sees light streaming from the very last room at the end of yet another hall. Billy makes his way toward the light and leans in the doorway, just watching Cate for a moment as she stands in complete concentration over a glass box containing something Billy likely wouldn't recognize until it (or they) left him dead, full of poisons Billy couldn't pronounce. With her hands stacked one on top of the other, her chin on her fingers, Cate stares intently at the two spiders in the acrylic box in front of her. One of her infamous black leather notebooks sits open on the counter, a few quick sketches and some notes filling the page. Even in this harsh light, Cate is still quite pretty, but it’s hard for Billy to not remember how much more so she is outside of this building, in cloud and sunlight, harder still to disturb her at this work, no matter how much he craves that drink.
"Involving, is it?" Billy says softly, careful not startle her.
"Come here, you have to see this," Cate says quickly, moving to Billy's side to take his hand in hers before he can reply, leading him back to the lab station where the box sits. The tug of Cate's hand is firm, her desire for Billy to see these creatures non-negotiable, apparently. Billy goes willingly, of course, murmuring something about did you still want to go and get a- until his words float away as he stares at the spiders with the same terrified fascination he once held for them as a very young child-before he learned how to read more than the children's page of the newspaper and ran indoors or up his trees, safe from unfriendly creatures both human and animal. Cate leans in again, urging Billy to do the same, and she points to the box, speaking in an animated whisper.
"These are Australian redbacks; a male and a female. I've been waiting for a week now for them to mate, and - oh, look. Look." Suspended in the delicate web stretched across several large twigs, the smaller of the two spiders makes its way closer to the larger. Cate explains in a soft voice that the smaller is the male, and that he's been circling the female for hours now, waiting for the right moment.
"It's like foreplay. But he won't approach her until she lets him know it's all right." Not looking away from the box, Cate takes up her pen and writes in her journal, just a quick note, but her pen stops when the male spider crawls under the web, upside down and right under the female.
"Foreplay." Billy raises an eyebrow, but Cate is far too involved in the little dance going on before them to notice his expression, so Billy tilts his head, moving closer to the box and smiling at the male spider. "For hours? You've got quite a constitution then, mate. And the patience of a saint."
"Those are the palps," Cate says, brushing off Billy's attempt at a joke with a little shushing gesture before she motions with her finger at the small antenna-like feelers that come from the male's head. Billy falls silent, his gaze moving first to Cate's fingers, long and keeping firm hold on her pen. Billy can see the tips of her fingers going white as she maintains her stillness, but Cate doesn’t seem to notice. When Billy looks back at her, he sees she's actually holding her breath, watching as the male spider’s feelers connect with the female, inserting themselves into her abdomen. "They're mating," Cate whispers, her eyes bright and intense in the low light of the lab. A moment later a smile stretches across her face, surprised and delighted as the female spider extends her fangs, sinking them quite viciously into the unprotected underbelly of the male.
"That was impressive. And uncomfortable," Billy laughs softly, then quiets again when Cate leans closer to the glass. Billy can believe she's waited a week for this, can see the tension leaving her shoulders, her brilliant, satisfied smile brightening her whole face, just as the female spider does something even more impressive and a lot more disturbing. Billy cannot keep down the little hiss of discomfort that rushes from between his teeth, but he forces himself to watch, knowing that at any other time he'd likely be reaching for paper towelling to get these things out of his view, if he hadn't stepped on them first.
"She’s going to t'eat him, isn’t she. Seems so unfair." Billy turns to Cate and then back to the box, his forehead creasing in thought. "I mean, I know it's just the way of nature and all that. I know he's done his job and she's had enough of him, yeah? But what if he-d'you think there's love in nature, Cate? Affection? Compassion? Or is this just propagation?" Billy stands up, stretching to relieve the slight twinge in his back from leaning down, and then he relaxes again, his smile soft. "D'you think he knew he was going to die, Cate?"
"It's beautiful ..." Cate murmurs, then laughs when she catches the expression on Billy's face. "And that's actually what we're trying to understand. The motives behind the male's sacrifice appear to be pre-determined, but it's honestly hard to tell." Cate pauses to write another note in her journal, then she sets her pen aside, straightening as Billy has done and resting her hip against the counter.
"The female will feed off of the male approximately sixty percent of the time. But every time they mate, the male always approaches the female from underneath; he instinctively assumes the submissive position. He offers her the chance to take his life-whether or not she does is up to her. But research has shown that there is a higher rate of fertilization when she does. The act itself lasts considerably longer when the male gives himself to the female completely." Cate's eyes gleam wicked in the low light of the lab, and then she moves from the counter, shrugging out of her lab coat.
"So it's better for everyone that the male spider just falls on his back?" Billy smiles, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning in again to watch the spiders. "Good job, then. Go forth and sacrifice yourself. Sixty percent. It sounds like a graduation rate. This school is one enormous spider ... feeding off sixty percent of her students to keep the cheques coming in. These children roll over on their backs, never knowing if they'll survive the next four, five, eight years-" Billy stops himself, swallowing the rest of the vitriol that has suddenly risen inside him, and he stands up straight again, turning to Cate with a genuine smile. "I'm sorry. It was just such a ridiculous meeting, and I couldn't wait to get out of there. Don't mean t'take it out on your spiders." Billy looks back to the box. "Charming as they are."
"It's actually quite romantic, Bill, if you'd rather think about it that way," Cate say simply. Billy watches her move around the room checking off report lists and locking cabinets, her skirt swirling around her long legs. "The male offers up his life so that the female can have the strength she needs to survive. An unselfish act of love and sacrifice." Cate offers Billy a smile, absently shouldering the strap of her briefcase after she closes the latch with an audible click.
"I'll take your word for it," Billy says, unnervingly sharply he thinks in immediate hindsight. "I'm no authority on either of those things." When Cate's gaze softens, Billy swallows again and gestures toward the door. "Shall we go?"
Once they are outdoors, in the clear, early-evening darkness, Billy is comfortable again. Something about the shining, tidy, antiseptic laboratories makes him want to run from the science building, but with the wind around him once more, Billy's able to relax. They walk for a few moments, Billy summarizing the meeting in close to four sentences, not all of them peppered with expletives, and Cate's laughter in response echoes in the air. It's almost chilly outside, but feels perfect: the air crisp but still friendly, the light going just slightly grey, making the remaining colours glow in contrast.
They are nearing one of three pubs that lie on the near edges of campus-one Billy knows as the preferred local for professors and administration. It is homey and warm, the conversation not usually too raucous, at least not at this time of night, and the music's good, besides, and will only get better when the evening’s band gets going. The food's not that bad, either. But as they get closer and Billy's mind plays over the events of the past week, thoughts of things he’d heard second- and thirdhand recently resettle and rise, demanding his attention.
"May I ask you a question, Cate?" Billy says quietly, and at Cate's short nod, he takes a deep breath. "I know I've asked before, but-well. Dr. Stinson-this is none of my business, and I'm happy to leave off if you ask me to, but he seems to have-has he been bothering you recently, Cate? I ask because we have more than our share of bastards at this school, and he's chief among them. I'm sure you’re-capable of handling any situation that may arise, but I'm not going to lie and say I'm not concerned." Billy stops walking just as they reach the entrance to the pub, and he turns again to Cate, placing one hand on her elbow, gently. "I am your friend," he murmurs. "And I won't see you harassed."
Cate tilts her head, looking thoroughly charmed and charming at once, and she leans in to kiss Billy softly on the cheek. It is a friendly kiss, brief and soft, with no real heat to it, not even as much as the first kiss Cate bestowed on him, the night they first met-but it is a kiss nonetheless. Billy's mind runs through several different shocked responses, but before he has the chance to decide on any particular one, Cate pulls away, rubbing the stain of her lipstick off his cheek with cold fingers. Leaving no marks.
"No, he's not bothering me. Well, actually," Cate laughs, her breath making a small puff of cold air appear in front of her face as she smiles, wide and bright. "He bothers me as often as he can, but he's harmless. Truly. But thank you for asking." Cate takes hold of Billy's elbow, gently tugging on the scratchy wool of his blazer to get him to walk with her again way up the paved path to the pub, step in step.
"He's hanging upside down on his web, Bill, but he doesn't realize that mating season has long passed him by." Cate murmurs teasingly, and she releases Billy's arm when they reach the heavy oak doors. She grasps one of the brass handles and pulls the door open, stepping aside so that Billy can enter first. "Besides," Cate continues, laughing again. "If he gives me any trouble, he’ll find his soft underbelly at risk." She stabs Billy gently with a fingertip as he passes, just a teasing little nudge to his side, but it's enough to catch him by surprise. Billy's seen the predatory flash in Cate's eyes before, but this time it is tempered by good humour, and it’s almost easy for Billy to write it off as a joke.
Cate is, after all, in good form tonight-calm, not at all sharp and glassy as she sometimes appears to Billy. He feels comfortable around this Cate, even as she holds the door for him, her laughter sounding sweet to his ears. The pub is busy, but not so over-crowded that they won't be able to find a table. Billy chafes his hands together, loving the warmth, and then Cate points when she sees an empty table, slipping her other arm through the crook of Billy's elbow again. They shuffle and maneuver their way through the push of bodies and chairs, Cate smiling winningly at all they pass, and when they reach the empty corner, Cate gets the attention of the bartender before she takes her seat, asking him for two pints of Guinness. It’s not what Billy would have had in mind for them, but at this point he’s not feeling that selective; anything alcoholic and quickly delivered might do.
It's louder than usual in here tonight, and it takes a moment before Billy fully adjusts to the noise and settles in his chair. He leans forward as Cate does, the better to hear her, and finds that his shoulders and back are relaxing as they normally only do at home on his couch, in more familiar company. It’s a strange feeling to experience elsewhere, but Billy's certainly not going to argue about it. But even relaxed, Billy continues to be surprised, first by the gazes of the curious, more regular customers here moving their way, and second by Cate, who shakes off Billy’s attempt to pay for their drinks, and seems to be preparing herself for a long night of it.
"No. Put your money away, Bill. I'm paying tonight. I insist." She clinks her glass against Billy's, smiling over the foamy rim. "Well professor, lets see if you drink as well as you talk." And then Cate proceeds to down a good third of her pint in one long swallow. Setting her glass on the table again, Cate licks the foam from her lips, not unlike a cat cleaning the cream off of its whiskers. She drinks the way she drives, Billy thinks but doesn’t say as Cate knocks back a large swallow of Guinness. Confident and as if she's on a permanent dare. Instead he takes his own drink and smiles at Cate before he looks around the pub, his eyes carefully not settling on any one person or thing.
"'S nice, isn't it? Like being back in my local at St. Andrews. Only there’s no sawdust on the floor here, and the dartboard's real horsehair. And I don’t have the threat of administration stopping by for a chat hanging over me." Billy's eyes flit to a small group of professors-young ones, from the state of their hair and the sound of their laughter-crowded around the shooting line in front of the dartboard. "D'you play, Cate? I'm crap at it, complete crap. It's that precision again-that hyperfocus. I just don't have it, but I admire those who do."
Billy's attention is caught then by the sight of three young men setting up a bohdran, guitar and fiddle in the opposite corner of the room. Billy turns to Cate with an enormous smile. "Looks like another half hour and this place'll be a shambles." Billy moves even closer, until his shoulder nudges Cate's, and he speaks low and quickly in her ear. "Have you ever been here on a Thursday night before, Cate? This is where you see your peers at their highest and lowest. After four or five pints, people who haven’t got the rhythm to clap walk out of here thinking they're the second coming of John fucking Lennon."
The waitress reappears, ready to take their orders for food and more drinks, and Billy leans back again, his smile growing wider as he absently runs one hand over Cate's shoulders and back. "Let's hope we don't make such a show of it, eh?"