Page 259 of Untouchable

"It's great," Harp says, swallowing hard.

“You hate it, don’t you?”

"It's complicated," Harp says, taking another mouthful and forcing it down. "It really, um, blossoms after that second sip."

“Guess what the secret ingredient is,” Gil says, his grin getting wider and more and more suspicious.

"No," Harp says, frowning. "What is it?"

“Fuck you,” Gil says. “Guess.”

"Bitters?" Harp says weakly, taking a third sip. At least his mouth is going a little more numb to the flavor.

“No,” Gil says, frowning. “I made it with love. Nah, just kidding. It’s cumin.”

That explains why it tastes at least a little like an armpit, Harp thinks.

"Yeah it's um... savory," Harp says. "Thanks for updating my stuff. Is your wrist okay?"

Gil is holding it to his chest, rubbing it absentmindedly.

“It’s so dumb, I was at a friend’s house show a few weeks ago, and we all got drunk and decided to arm wrestle—I know, I know—and since then it’s just been kind of fucked up. It’s not a big deal. I think when I was walking Gunny today though, it made it worse.”

"You should get Parker to look at it," Harp offers. "I know he'd wanna help. His knowledge of how to fix the human body is freaky."

Gil makes a face. “Am I going to have to start dating him too then?”

Harp raises an eyebrow. "I thought vapid twink wasn't your type?"

“It’s not,” Gil says airily, flexing his wrist. “I’ll tough it out.”

"Oh my God," Harp says, rolling his eyes. "Let him take a look at it, at least. It'll take two seconds."

Gil frowns.

"It's not like I'm giving you a choice," Harp says. "If you don't bring it up, you know I will."

“Why do you even care so much?” Gil says.

"If I don't worry about you, who will?" Harp says. He means it as a joke, but the minute he says it out loud, he realizes what a bleak reality it is.

“Oh, fuck you,” Gil says, but the tone isn’t as harsh as the words themselves. “I’m not completely alone. I do have friends.”

"And none of them are dating licensed massage therapists, I'd wager," Harp says. "What, are you scared he'll help you and then you'll have to treat him like a human being?"

“Christ, Harp, how did you manage to turn a comment about my wrist into a conversation about your damn boyfriend?” Gil says. Harp cocks his head, but the water of the shower is thundering upstairs.

"No need to get defensive," Harp says, holding up his hands and smiling. "If you're afraid to like him, it's okay to just admit it."

“I’m not afraid to like him,” Gil says, rolling his eyes. “I just don’t.Sorry.”

"Good, then you won't have any hangups about it when he fixes your wrist," Harp says, taking another swig of the cocktail.

The fact that it's growing on Harp as he drinks it terrifies him.

“Jesus, Harp, what is it with you and this?” Gil says, swirling his own cocktail in its glass but not taking a drink. “I’m your dumb kid brother. Why does it matter if I don’t like your boyfriend?”

"You're the only family I talk to, and Parker is the only other human I talk to with any regularity. I don't think it's so unreasonable that I want you to at least not make him the butt of every joke."

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