Jack grabbed a stepstool and moved the bottles of whiskey and wine out of the way, finding his prize hiding in the back. He eagerly took out the bottle of vodka and hopped down. He pulled down a mug and grabbed the box of cocoa sitting beside the Lucky Charms. He contemplated fishing out a few of the marshmallows, but decided against it.

He turned on the electric kettle and poured a little vodka into his mug. He took a small sip and regretted not having anything that would go with the hint of vanilla. His cheap packet of cocoa was the best option. He had all of tomorrow to get some better juice and mixers. Maybe a bottle of schnapps.

Grabbing up his bottle of cheap vodka and the cocktail juice, he set about moving everything he'd need for that night's binge drinking to the coffee table. He returned to the kitchen just in time to avoid his water getting too hot, and mixed up his cocoa. There were clumps of unmixed powder floating on top, but he couldn't bring himself to care as he filled the rest of the mug with good vodka.

Back on the couch, he happily sat beside Kieran, holding his drink close and smiling to himself as Kieran's hand ran from one shoulder to the other. He worked on his drink as Kieran held him close. It was a wonderful end to a horrible evening. All they needed was a cozy fireplace.

All too soon, he'd finished his drink. Thoughts of Kieran's offer to look at properties with a proper fireplace buzzed through his head as two drinks began to hit him. He eyed his cheap vodka sitting on the coffee table. A kiss was placed on the shell of his ear, and he turned to quickly meet Kieran's lips. Before he could pull away, Kieran gently cupped his face with both hands.

Kieran began with sweet, slow kisses. He angled his head as he lightly nipped at Jack's lower lip and was rewarded with Jack initiating a deeper kiss. He licked into Jack's mouth and smiled at the soft gasp.

Jack's grip on his mug loosened, and it fell to the rug with a loud thump. He pulled away with a sharp gasp. "Shit! Your rug. I'm sorry!" He tried to lean down to retrieve the mug, but Kieran held him tight.

"Leave it," Kieran whispered hoarsely into Jack's ear. "It can wait."

Jack swallowed and slowly turned his face to meet Kieran's eyes. The stare boring into him was no more heated than before, but his anxiety still flared up at their position. With one leg over Kieran's lap, he could see things going very bad, very quick. Instead of being kissed, he was pulled into a tight hug. He shifted into a more comfortable position, moving to sit fully on Kieran's thighs, his knees pressing into Kieran's hips. He did his best to return the hug.

He watched the clock on the microwave as he stayed in Kieran's embrace, an arm around his waist and a hand in hair. It was comforting, but five minutes of silently being a human teddy bear was starting to get to him. "How long are we waiting?" he asked as casually as he could.

Kieran kissed the angle of Jack's jaw and loosened his hold.

"No, I mean, this is nice and all, but the kitchen's kinda boring to stare at." He also wanted to pick up the mug.

Kieran lifted his arms, hands spread. "Sit wherever you'd like, sweet thing."

Jack looked over the length of the couch, doing his best to imagine different positions that wouldn't cause a cramp or make any limbs fall asleep while giving Kieran what he needed. "Okay, uh, scoot over a little," he said, shooing Kieran away from the couch arm. He moved his pillows over and settled into the corner. He slouched down with his legs over Kieran's lap, butt pressed firmly against Kieran's thigh. He looked up as he sucked in his lower lip in uncertainty.

"This is fine, my sweet Jack," Kieran said quietly as he stroked Jack's legs.

"Okay, um…" Jack leaned over and mixed himself another drink. Kieran motioned to his own glass, and Jack grabbed it for him. He sat back and winced as Kieran downed half the glass without so much as a light cough. "How can you just knock that back?" he asked as Kieran leaned over his legs and refilled the glass with more whiskey.

"Practice. Many, many years of practice. And a willingness to drink Begg under the table," Kieran said with narrowed eyes. He took a swig as he seethed, his fingers tapping along Jack's knee.

"I think there's a stereotype here…"

"Mostly boredom and rivalry," Kieran admitted with a shrug then polished off the rest of his drink. "Followed by the occasional urge to keep up the ability."

Was this a historic can of worms Jack wanted to open? He decided that, yes, he wanted to know more. "A rival? For…? Sheep shearing?"

Kieran nodded as he stared at his empty glass. "My scar. Both his sister and, eventually, his wife were enamored with me. I considered courting his sister, but my brother got to her first," he said with a mean grin. "Bastard had to smile through the whole wedding. After, however? There were plenty of black eyes to go 'round. My father was less than thrilled."

Jack let his eyes drift away from Kieran. He couldn't begin to imagine Kieran with a black eye. Himself? "I got a black eye by opening a cabinet into my face," he said with a frown. He smiled as Kieran snorted in amusement. He looked over, and his smile turned embarrassed. "It's happened more than once."

Kieran looked at Jack in disbelief. At Jack's nod, he shook his head and reached over to lightly stroke Jack's cheek. "Do you believe it's a…newer development?"

Jack quickly shook his head. "No, I know it's all me." He thought back to his journal and notes and transcribing them from phone to paper. "The reaction's changed," he quietly admitted and nodded his head to the kitchen. "Apparently, I didn't used to get like that. I mean, the thoughts were the same, but I could keep it together better and not freak out like that."

He swallowed down a mouthful of his drink. Finally, his buzz was properly taking hold. Now he just needed to get them onto a lighter topic. He snatched up the remote from the coffee table. "Are we interested in Christmas movies or something else?"

"Anything from twenty or more years ago," Kieran said. He frowned as he dropped his eyes to Jack's knees. "Although, every decade has its cinematic failures."

Jack nodded along as he poked through the streaming options. "Ballet?" That would match Kieran's sophisticated vibe. "Maybe The Nutcracker? I've never seen it. I don't think…"

"I suppose everyone should see it at least once," Kieran replied. "It's lovely, but… I find myself wishing there was a song or two."

"Hmm… Cats?"

"I am not nearly drunk enough for that. Ask again when I've finished the bottle."

Jack glanced at the bottle in question, already a third done. "Okay, so you work on that, and we'll start with a cult classic or two," he said as he set a reminder on his phone. Maybe the night would end on a high note. Or an off-key one.