You Can Do What? (Sean)

Having been to California before, having met several people from California over the years, and having spent time with Charlie discussing his life, watching sports, and otherwise doing stereotypical “guy” activities, Sean had a notion of what California cuisine was like. Apart from more organic farming and easier vegetarian and vegan meals, there was also excellent Chinese food (although in his opinion, not better than in New York’s China town, a moot differentiation since they were in Vermont), and excellent Mexican food.

This restaurant wasn’t as good as California, surely, but it was the closest approximation available. And so he’d suggested it to Danny and had happily provided transportation. He liked Danny; he had liked him enough to take him home with him, and he wanted to continue spending time with him, although in a wholly platonic way. Even before his reconciliation with Josh, before he had begun dating Griff, there had been an emotional backlash from half the people in their shared social circle. That put a damper on more dates.

Having never had a one-night stand before, he didn’t have a standard operating procedure, or any personal experience to draw from. So he treated Danny the same way he treated any of his ex girlfriends or boyfriends, as a friend that he wanted to be around whenever the other person was available and time permitted.

Time hadn’t permitted as much as it could have, recently. Between the problems at Hammel (Claude’s resignation long before the misery that was his annual seminar), Josh’s complete withdrawal from their friendship (drunken photos taken with Danny didn’t count, and because they were drunken photos, Sean had resolved to never mention them to the short man standing next to him; that was the least he could do for his dignity), and then the time invested in the reconciliation, and then the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, he had been busy.

But there was time now, and Danny’s sheer joy at being here brought a smile to his lips; he was happy that the other man was happy. “I hope the food passes muster.”

And once they were seated, he unrolled his napkin and set it in his lap, before glancing at the drink list. He’d limit himself to one drink since he had to drive, but it would be fine. At the question, he glanced over at Danny. “I’m doing fine, although I wish we’d had a bit more summer. We need to save up all the sunlight we can for when the snow hits.”

He smiled, because he knew that Danny was happy about the prospect of seeing snow again. “As for the school...well, we have a new Headmistress, which is a bit of an adjustment. She’s perfectly competent and wholly invested in the school, but she’s a change of pace from our last Head.”

After taking another look at the wine list, he made his selection and the moved onto the regular menu. “Supper’s on me, so order whatever you want,” he said, wanting to get that out of the way. He then looked up and asked, “And how have you been?”

Considering that Sean had seen every photo sent from that night, and still had copies on his computer, he could understand why Danny would abstain from drinking. At least he had learned his lesson, something the telepath was sure that Josh had not done. Then again, drunken shenanigans were one of Josh’s favorite activities. That wasn’t enough to deter Sean from drinking, but he had a higher tolerance for liquor and was better at resisting bad decisions when drunk. Tumbles aside, as those were because he wanted them.

“It isn’t that bad,” he replied, because he knew that Danny had been excited about snow and he didn’t want to ruin that. “It’s plentiful, of course, and there are many hazy winter days so I appreciate the sun when I get it. But it’s nothing to be concerned about.” Not unless Danny had arthritis or a mobility problem.

Unfortunately, Sean couldn’t divulge too many inside tidbits about Hammel to someone who didn’t work there; even the flow of information to Josh was limited, although his partner had to hear his concerns about their new liaisons and the restructuring. This didn’t mean that Sean would remain tightlipped, only that there would be holes in the back story. “The last Head was a close friend of mine. The new Head is more no-nonsense, and it’s a new dynamic, not bad but different. She also hasn’t worked at the school for as long as the rest of us and she has to learn on the job. I’m sure she’ll get the hang of it.” They didn’t see eye-to-eye on some policy matters either, but that was Sean’s burden to bear.

“I know, but I will anyway.” Sean liked treating others to meals; he liked the courtesy and the generosity, and he also had the disposable income to make him not worry about the cost. That was what friends did.

The telepath paid close attention when Danny began to describe how work was slow, and when he mentioned Cobalt...although he said the other man was “okay,” his body language undermined the truth there; Danny hesitated, his expression had shifted, and then he shrugged. This prompted Sean to say, “I’m sorry to hear that; I hope he feels better soon.”

The question about Josh caused Sean to smile softly. “He’s doing well; now that he’s living with me, he’s eating better. And although his intern continues to be trouble, I think he learned a valuable lesson about screening applicants before hiring them.”

“You do have anti-lock brakes, don’t you?” The psychiatrist knew that most vehicles had that as a feature these days, but he didn’t know how old Danny’s car was. He also knew that because he lived in sunny California that the weather conditions were so different that he might never have given this thought, which he admitted with the four-wheel drive comment. “If you don’t, I can give you the name of my mechanic but you’ll need those installed before the first snow hits. Roads get icy and you don’t want to take the risk.”

He then shook his head in reassurance at the comment about food. “We have good disaster preparation in this town so food shouldn’t be a problem. Just pay attention to weather reports and you should be fine. Stock up when you have to but it isn’t like living in Alaska.” Thankfully. He didn’t have the physical fortitude to survive that weather.

Sean thanked the waitress and took a sip of his drink, leaning back to listen as Danny explained his prior work experience with strict employers. He didn’t need to be kept on task because he wasn’t distracted from work, but he did appreciate the encouragement. He simply hoped that these new connections with the government were temporary and minimal. “I hope so. I know that she cares about the school which is always my biggest concern.” They simply didn’t see eye-to-eye on several topics.

The telepath certainly hadn’t intended to fluster the other man, but he tried to be sincere in his dealings and he made no secret of his perceptions. “I understand, but I hope he works through it sooner rather than later.” Cobalt’s opinions aside, Sean wished no ill on the younger man.

Despite himself, the psychiatrist chuckled softly. He took no pleasure in Josh’s misery, but having had to spend years with Vincent, he had the ability to find some of the antics humorous while also empathizing. “Everything is fine, but his intern isn’t suited to legal work. He’s more suited to...being a daredevil or a stripper.”

The telepath would never move somewhere without preparing for potential weather conditions first, but that was an effect of his natural caution. When he’d moved back to Pilot Ridge those years ago, he had made sure that he had a set of studded snow tires and jumper cables. However, most people didn’t take the same precautions, and it was evident by his friend’s expression that Danny was one of the many people who didn’t. “I’ll give you my mechanic’s number tomorrow,” he promised, since he didn’t have the number with him at the moment. “You have a couple of months to get the new breaks installed and I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

The telepath agreed with Danny’s sentiment; the adage that a happy worker is a productive worker was true. For the most part he was happy with Hammel; he enjoyed his job, he got along well with his coworkers, and he adored the students, even the ones who might make him want to go into early retirement. As for the rest...well, he would see. “Here’s to your vote of confidence.”

Sean was happy to let the topic of Cobalt’s life pass for now, since it wasn’t Danny’s life and appeared to make the other man uncomfortable. Instead he smile when asked about how Vincent managed to apply for the internship. “I haven’t spoken to him about it, although I think it was on a dare or a bet.”

That was how most of Vincent’s antics began. The telepath gave the other man a smile. “For Josh’s sake I hope so, since it’s a year-long internship and it’s only been a few months so far.”

It would be a long year.

The waiter arrived to take their orders, and Sean deferred to Danny, letting him order first. He was the guest, after all.

“It doesn’t occur to everyone, so I understand,” Sean said with a nod. Thirty-three years of Josh’s acquaintance was evidence enough of that. That was why he was always happy to fill in the gaps.

“Would I? Not at all.” The psychiatrist was in his fifties and a professional; of course it would never occur to him to make a major life decision based on a dare and a potential bet, since that was how Vincent made so many of his decisions. Even when he had been Vincent’s age, he had been largely immune to peer pressure and overly cautious for his age, which would have prevented him from engaging in similar conduct. On the other hand, Sean and Vincent didn’t share the same head space. “However, that’s precisely how his intern operates, and so I’m nearly certain that’s what happened. I have no confirmation, of course, but that’s because I haven’t asked or looked into the matter. I try to avoid his intern’s thoughts.”

For good reason, the telepath didn’t make a habit of reading Vincent’s mind; life was better that way.

“We can hope that he does.” It was unlikely, given that his conduct was so deplorable; the psychiatrist had listened patiently to all venting that Josh had done since their reconciliation. Even if Vincent had been intelligent enough for law school (which was to say, to graduate which was also unlikely) he didn’t have the patience, memory, writing skills, or behavior required to last in a profession like law. But there were other options. Sean made it is hobby to find career paths that might suit Vincent when he finally graduated. There were few, but they existed.

The telepath’s food order wasn’t quite as spicy; he enjoyed spicy food fine, but he lacked the same yearnings for California-style cuisine that the shorter man had, and thus he was content with a milder choice for his meal.

“Everything is going well enough,” the telepath said with a nod, because that was true. New Hammel policies and faculty aside, life at the school was slowly returning to normal. And he was enjoying his time with Josh; what mishmashes they had could be discussed later with additional communication. “Josh and I plan to throw at least one party from here until the end of the year, so keep your calendar open.” That was added with a smile, although it was true. They did enjoy throwing parties.

“That’s a fairly common affliction,” the telepath assured him with a smile. Decades of association with Josh had taught him that it was quite possible to forget, or wholly neglect, practical considerations and still stay afloat in life. Of course, Josh required a helping hand occasionally but that was par for the course; everyone required a helping hand occasionally. “And since you’ve managed to make it this far, I don’t think anyone could fairly say you aren’t adult enough.”

It was important to be inwardly playful. Sean, for all of his responsibilities, certainly had a playful side. A sober playful side.

The telepath doubted that anyone could truly understand Vincent’s perspective, insofar as sharing it to one degree or another. That was because Vincent was...Vincent, a different entity. Psychologically, he was fairly simple to understand – he behaved according to pattern and his unpredictability was predictable - but that differed from having a kindred spirit.

However, Sean had already spent too much time today thinking about Vincent Verax. He far preferred to focus on the atmosphere of the restaurant and on his company.

“I certainly will,” he promised the other man with a nod. “You’ll be on the first round of invitations.” Danny, along with Griff, James, Chase, Riley, Ben, Cobalt, (although Sean doubted his interest in attending), Bradley, and whomever else Josh wished to invite.

The other man’s question was unexpected. Not because it wasn’t warranted in a vacuum situation, but because Sean never hid his powers; he was both comfortable with the telepathy and made no efforts to hide that aspect of himself. He had been about to respond with of course, when he stopped and reflected. Did Danny not know?

He considered how they had met, and that he hadn’t explicitly mentioned it that night or the morning after. Then there had been problems at Hammel, and Sean had been busy with Griff, and then his social circle had seemingly ignored him because of Josh’s misconception, and then there had been more problems at Hammel, followed by Sean and Josh’s reconciliation and distraction, and finally there had been Hurricane Irene. It was entirely possible this had never come up. Sean found the notion baffling since seemingly everyone was aware of his telepathy.

Except, apparently, Danny.

Sean nodded his affirmation and met the other man’s eyes. “It’s not rude.” Not considering the fact that this was the world’s worst-kept secret (excluding his past relationship with Josh), and Sean had made casual reference to it. “And yes, I can. It’s part of the telepathy.”

This time he said it outright to leave no ambiguity.

The telepath nodded and replied with a smile, “Three or four at least. This will be the last big party before the weather gets cold, I’m sure, and so Josh and I will have to comb through the list several times to make sure we invite everyone.” That was an exaggeration, albeit a slight one. Between the telepath and Josh, they knew a great number of people in Pilot Ridge, and the guest list would be large; both he and his partner wanted to make this a large house party, a barbecue befitting the end of the season.

Sean reached for his glass and took a sip. While he wasn’t listening intently to the younger man’s thoughts, he did overhear the comparison to Professor Xavier. It was a comparison that Sean had heard throughout his entire life, from the moment that his abilities had manifested. He’d heard it when he was a student at Hammel, when he was in college, on various dates, from his nephew Ryan, and from students at Hammel, most notably Emma who called him “Charles.” He took no offense, despite the falling out with his sister due to the same comparison.

“There’s no reason to apologize,” he assured Danny. The other man had never been exposed to a situation where he would have known about Sean’s telepathy. “And I don’t mind talking about it. It’s part of who I am, after all.” It simply tended to come up earlier than it had with Danny.

He took another sip from his glass and then set it aside. “And it isn’t as impressive as it sounds, I promise you.”