[For Claude]

[thecompanyman]

It hadn't been immediately that Bennet had realized the ramifications of their living environment. When Nathan had vanished, it hadn't been particularly difficult, but after Peter's wedding and Claire's...disappearance, Bennet had understood that he was now living alone with Claude

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[visibleclaude]

Claude for his part had done his best to ignore the living arrangement, telling himself that Claire was bound to come back, or Peter would get divorced or something. Though perhaps it said something that he wasn't worried about Bennet shooting him in his sleep.

Claude had been laying on his bed writing in a journal that he'd started keeping several months ago. It wasn't a diary, not as if there was anything new to write about - he was mostly jotting down memories, things that had happened to him, stories that no one would believe.

He looked up. "Ivan? Of course I remember Ivan. I knew him longer than you."

[thecompanyman]

"I always wondered what happened to him," Bennet continued on as if he hadn't heard Claude in the first place, though he took a step further into the room, both hands slid casually into his pockets. "He was a good teacher." It was a conversational topic, yes, but Bennet had been genuinely curious.

"Did you speak to him regularly?"

[visibleclaude]

"What, after? I didn't speak to anyone after, you know that."

He paused, and added, "And when I worked for the Company, I wouldn't say regularly. You know how out of contact they kept us with each other. The only person I usually had regular contact with was my partner and whoever happened to be directly above me at that time."

[thecompanyman]

Bennet arched a brow at that, recalling all too many assignments and how lonely it did get without communication with anyone. He supposed it could have been worse. He had grown to enjoy Claude's company, to carry him in his thoughts as a friend; at least, until the order had come down and he had to distance himself.

"I imagine that must have been difficult," Bennet offered, voice flat and even.