ironmonger | (no subject)

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He does have to go back home eventually.

But can you blame him for lingering over breakfast at the Bar so he can bask a little while longer?

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"Your son is perfectly safe in my care, by the way. I know that was your immediate first concern."

Obadiah calmly forks up some eggs.

"You're not going to kill him, too?" he says, halfway between sarcasm and a dangerous growl.

He eats his eggs before replying.

"A few months ago it seemed like I wasn't going to have a choice, but I managed to turn the situation to my advantage. I don't think it's going to come up again in the foreseeable future."

Obadiah went to some lengths to be sure of that.

Howard watches him for a few seconds.

Quietly: "Good."

Obadiah glances up at him.

"He's very attached to me. He got a bit upset when he realized how you really died, but all he needed was a little reminder."

He touches the scars on his neck.

"In a way, I suppose your shitty parenting saved his life."

...He snorts.

"God. My gift to Tony," he says, but he doesn't try to gainsay it.

Obadiah chuckles.

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it."

"I'm not."

"There's at least one version of him who comes here," Obadiah says. "He's not my Tony, but still, I imagine you could ask him. I'm sure you'll run into him eventually."

Because that's how Milliways operates. He's surprised it hasn't happened already.

"I probably should," he says, tapping his fork against his plate and staring dejectedly into his pancakes.

"He already knows everything."

So Howard won't be able to use it to alienate him from Obadiah.

"His Obadiah is dead, it's where I got the idea."

"I ought to hit you again."

Obadiah raises his eyebrows inquiringly.

"On general principle."

"Tony was glad to have the chance to help out," Obadiah says, mildly reproving. "It was important to him."

"It was important to him because he wanted to stop you killing him," Howard points out. "Even if it was a different him. I'm not letting you off the hook here."

Obadiah gives a slight shrug.

"He seems to find me preferable to his Obadiah, at any rate."

In more ways than one, and he loves that, quietly holding in reserve the one thing that would really make Howard explode.

"The dead one? Can't imagine why," he grumps.

Obadiah laughs.

"I was more willing not to try to kill him, for a start," he says. "His had already tried a couple of times before he did everyone a favor by falling into the Hellmouth."

"Ugh. Nasty way to go."

Obadiah's expression is perfectly bland.

"Makes you grateful for a nice simple car accident, doesn't it?"

"It was great," he says sweetly. "Why don't you try it next time? We can skip putting the love of your life in the passenger seat, because you're a lonely old man with a heart of solid granite."

Obadiah sips his coffee. It gives him a couple extra seconds to remind himself of several things.

"Yes, has Maria made her way here yet? Oh, don't despair, Milliways does like to pick its timing," he smiles.

Howard slides off his barstool, leaving behind one remaining bite of pancake, the remains of his fruit bowl, and an untouched glass of milk.

"I'm done here," he says flatly, turning away.

"It was nice catching up," Obadiah tells him. "I'm sure I'll see you around."

And if it's slightly flat as rejoinders go, he doesn't care, because the important thing is that he's clearly won this round. Because that's what it can be now, finally, now that he can be himself with Howard: a fight where he doesn't have to check himself and pull his punches. Howard no longer has any power over whether or not Obadiah gets what he wants.

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tookhimtoschool - 2011-08-05 00:16 (UTC) - Expand

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