Misc.

urinetown? your in town???/ woooaahhh

barrel searched for lockstock in the crowd, and frowned when he couldn't find the officer. 

the lobby of the UGC building was packed, and full of officers dressed in their best UPD blue. they'd sat in black chairs, all lined up nicely definitely by some underpaid intern, and listened while caldwell b. cladwell praised them for how well they upheld the company name. of course, he didn't actually have any control over the officers, he didn't own them, but in a world where water was scarce, a drink and a pat on the back was more then enough to keep them under his thumb. 

so, there they all were, applauding diligently when medals were awarded and praise was given. there were refreshments and honest-to-god champagne afterwards. the neat rows of people turned into a swarm, and lockstock slipped out, desperate for some fresh air. there was something about being applauded for killing innocent people that made his stomach turn. 

barrel hadn't noticed when his companion ditched him. he'd been too busy trying to get a finger sandwhich with salmon and mushy cucumber before they were all gone. when he turned back he found that it was, in fact, lockstock that had vanished.

barrel searched for lockstock in the crowd, and frowned when he couldn't find the officer.

outside, lockstock undid the top button of his uniform and breathed deeply through his nose. the city had stopped smelling like well...the city. it had stopped smelling like that a long time ago, and lockstock had ceased to notice it. he was surprised to find it still light outside, the sun setting somewhere in the distance. lockstock hadn't seen an actual sunset in decades. 

he fished a small tin out of his pocket, and took out a joint. he figured it was safe enough, that no one would come out just yet, too high on being accepted by the rich for once, indulging in food and alcohol. they were all too busy celebrating violence they were convinced was ethical. there was a cloud of smoke, and the air around lockstock became hazy. a few minutes later, he was too.

the sun was still setting, and lockstock pictured the last time he'd seen the actual sun go down, while pure colour streaked across the sky. he remembered being a boy, and suddenly everything felt empty. it wasn't like anything mattered anyways, not anymore. lockstock felt stupid; immature. 

the back door latched open and lockstock fumbled with the joint, caught like a deer in headlights by...officer barrel.

oh thank god, it was just officer barrel.

"there you are, thank god, i thought you left without me." the younger man grinned. 

"you? i wouldn't dare." lockstock replied sarcastically.

"i got those sandwiches you wanted." barrel said, handing a napkin with a couple of appetizers to lockstock. lockstock laughed emptily.

"thank you, mister barrel, that's very sweet." he admitted, more genuinely than his laugh. he took the napkin, and set it on the square metal railing. lockstock's gaze lingered on the sky.

"oh shit, is that weed?" barrel pointed out after a moment of silence. he was so often so quick to the draw and yet...

"took you long enough," lockstock said, "why, do you want some?" 

he offered the joint to barrel and barrel stared at it for a moment before taking it from him. 

"have you had weed before?" lockstock asked. barrel took a drag and coughed, waving the smoke in front of his face away.

"i went to an all boys private catholic school. yes, i've had weed before." 

"is it still stuffy inside?" 

"stuffy as can be." barrel nodded. he took another drag and handed the joint back to lockstock. lockstock puffed at it for a minute, pondering.

"why did you come looking for me?" lockstock inquired.

barrel looked over at him.

"the..you wanted the sandwhiches..." 

"no actually, why did you come looking for me." 

"i don't- because i didn't know where you'd gone? i don't know what kind of answer you're looking for here."

"why does it matter where i go?" lockstock asked, perhaps somewhat bitterly. 

"i don't know, it doesn't. it's not like i have anyone else to talk to here." 

"that's not- wait, that's not true, is it?" 

"does that matter? do you have anyone else to talk to?" barrel snapped. 

they both went silent. after a while, lockstock snickered, and both men fell into a fit of laughs. 

"you don't have anyone else to talk to?" barrel giggled. 

"no," lockstock snorted, "but you don't either."

he slung his arm around barrel's shoulders and tugged him close, hugging him, and the two held each other, laughing.

"but seriously, you don't know anyone else here?" barrel asked, catching his breath. lockstock shrugged.

"no, it's not that i don't know anyone, it's just that every conversation i have is so plain. it's just cops talking to other cops about how their piece of metal is a slightly different colour because they crushed in more heads. i don't care for it." 

"then why go?"

lockstock gave him a look. 

"but you're fine talking to me?" barrel implored.

"yeah, i guess." 

"...why?"

lockstock sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"i don't know. you listen, you don't just talk at me. you talk with me. and you're easy to talk to."

for once in his life, barrel went silent. he just stared at the sky, watching the sun go down. 

"you're easy to talk to too." barrel mumbled after a long time. lockstock already knew that of course. there was no way he wasn't easy to talk to with all of the things barrel had confided in him. the amount of times he'd held the younger man, sobbing in his arms because of how absolutely distraught his job made him. 

the weed kicked in and barrel sighed, frustrated.

"hey, i love you, okay? i'm tired of not saying it to you, i love you. i don't care in what way i just need you to know that i care about you, and that i worry that you're not okay."

suddenly, barrel was no longer easy to talk to. lockstock swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded silently. the joint had fizzled out and the sky begun to cloud over, getting darker. the others would start coming out soon, going home.

"do you want a drive back home?" was all lockstock could figure out to say. barrel clenched his jaw and his face burned shamefully red. too much, too fast. just like always.

"yes, that would be nice."

-

lockstock's station wagon pulled into the parking lot of barrel's apartment complex. it was dark, and they were both just silhouettes illuminated by the street lamps.

"listen, i'm-" barrel started. lockstock stopped him.

"it's okay. it's fine. i'm not upset." he reassured. 

"i just-"

"no worries." 

barrel took the hint and shut up, swallowing his words.

fabric shifted, and the man in the drivers seat held out his hand to the man in the passengers seat. hesitantly, barrel took it. 

"i care about you too," lockstock said quietly, "it's just complicated." 

in the dark, barrel nodded.

"i get it. it is." 

"but it's easy to talk about with you." 

normally at night, barrel's apartment felt empty and foreign, with the noises from the fridge making everything feel slanted and askew. tonight, though, it felt more lived in. the small nightlight in the hall shone soft yellow light into barrel's bedroom. two men slept soundly on the bed, and somewhere on earth the sun set just for them.