The Suffering Of Fools (IJ Fanfic, Sal Vulcano X Brian Quinn)

Part 23

WARNING: MASSIVE STAR WARS TFA SPOILERS INCLUDED IN THIS CHAPTER (But you should already know; it's been out for nearly 8 months ;P)

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"I dunno man, that movie just makes me so fucking angry," Q growled as the four of them sat on the couch, with James sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Well, I'm putting it on," said Joe, snatching the case from Sal's hand and standing, "I thought it was a great movie."

"Yeah, Q. That's what happens in Star Wars: people die - just get over it already." Murray scoffed, shuffling onto Joe's seat on the sofa.

Q scowled, and stretched his leg out from where he lay curled on the seat next to him, kicking Murr back onto the floor with a light thud. "But it was Han Solo! They can't just do that - not in the way they did."

"It was a little unnecessary," Sal agreed, "but I don't think the movie was that bad, in all."

"I guess. But they made all the original characters so depressing, that's what I hated," Brian began, "I mean: Luke fucked up bad and got a whole bunch of Jedi killed; Leia is still a General, sure, but she's divorced from her husband and her brother just ditched her; and Han, fucking Han guys. His wife left him, he's lost the falcon, his son is basically Hitler, and him and Chewie are just wandering the universe in debt doing the same thing he was shit at in his 20s. That's not my Han Solo, my Han Solo would have fought for Leia, for his son - not just run away! None of what they did in the original trilogy matters: the empire are back, there's a new Death Star - fuck, even the redemption of Darth Vader doesn't even matter, coz his grandson is doing all that shit in his name. That movie is just the biggest bullshit, man."

They all looked at him.

"Well, now you've finished your little rant," Joe chuckled, "the disk's already in the drawer, and fuck me if I'm getting up again to change it."

"Ew, no!" Q cringed, "Apart from that, I thought the movie was alright, yknow?"

"For God's sake, Q, make your mind up!" James squeaked from his place on the floor, "Let's just watch the movie, OK?!"

They all settled down to watch, with the lights switched off and the room dimly lit by the late afternoon sun outside the drawn curtains.

Not long into the film, Sal's phone began to ring. Joe scrabbled for the remote, and hit pause as Murray flicked on the light, Sal pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Just take it," Joe said turning to the doorway, "I've got to make a peeps anyways."

Smiling, Sal glanced at the caller ID, and his heart sank a little. Hesitating, he pressed the decline button, and the room fell silent.

Out of the silence, James piped up, "How comes you didn't answer it?"

"Oh, uh... Cold caller," was Sal's stumbling reply, "figured it wasn't really worth it."

Murr furrowed his neat pencil eyebrows, "but the screen said it was Clarabelle."

Sal's face flushed red, as he stammered; "No, it really wasn't."

"But..." James began, before seeing Q shaking his head, eyes wide - telling him to stop - "Oh... Huh, must've been mistaken; sorry bud."

"It's OK. I'll be back in a minute," he said, leaving for a moment.

"What was that all about?" Murr whispered to Q.

"Long distance issues," he whispered quickly, "don't ask. He's a bit emotional about it."

"Ohhhh, poor guy. I feel kinda bad now."

"I wouldn't; just don't worry about it. Probably best not to tell Joe either, yeah? You know how he likes to pry."

And with that, Sal and Joe returned, and they all continued as if nothing had ever happened; except for Brian, who eyed Sal nervously across the room, wondering how long they'd be able to hide the truth from the others with his open worry written across his face.