Author's Note: Hello again all! So here's the latest (random) installment of my Connor/OC/Murphy stories! Set just before Seeing Stars and Falls Like Rain. This one comes from Penelope sweet, who wanted to see the coin toss between the boys. I wanted this one done sooner, but real life kept me away from writing it.
Thanks again to everyone who reviews, faves, follows, and so forth. You guys are so awesome. And to my friends who I regularly PM with, you guys keep me going! Enjoy!
Murphy finished tugging on his shirt and picked up one of his boots from the foot of his mattress. "Where's my boot?"
Connor looked up from his own makeshift bed before going back to his paper. "Ye mean th' one in yer hand, ye fuckin' dumbass?"
"Obviously not, smartass. Me other one."
"Check yer bed," the older MacManus replied without looking up, frowning at what he was reading. Another murder; this one of a woman coming off the subway. What the fuck was wrong with the fucking world today?
"Ha!" Murphy yelled triumphantly, brandishing his missing foot ware, newly liberated from his blankets. He plopped down on his bed to pull his boots on.
"Where ye goin'?"
"Out."
"Out where?"
"Why th' hell's it matter? Yer not me Ma."
Connor looked up from his paper and raised an eyebrow. "Jesus. PMSing much there, Murph? D'ye need some Midol?"
The younger MacManus scowled, pulling hard on his laces. "Fuck you. Don't have t'answer ye all th' time, do I?"
Connor set his newspaper aside and swung his legs around to the floor so he could sit facing his brother. "What th' fuck's th' matter wit' ye? Ain't seen ye this bitchy in a while."
"Nothin'. Jus' wanna go out is all," Murphy replied, studiously avoiding his twin's eyes as he finished lacing his boots.
"Murph…"
"What?"
"Yer not doin' what I think yer gonna, are ye?"
"Depends on what ye think I'm doin'."
"Goin' t'see th' lass, are ye? She said she'd see us tomorrow night 'cause o' th' early shift."
Murphy stood smoothly before reaching for his coat. "Maybe I don't wanna wait."
Connor sighed. Impatient Murphy never listened to him when he got something in his head. "Murphy, leave it be," he said firmly.
Murphy looked up at his brother curiously. He never used his full name. And the rare times he did never bode well for the younger twin. However, being who he was, he couldn't help himself when it came to his brother. The left side of his mouth lifted in a smirk.
"Girl said we shouldn't see her because o' th' early shift. Not we couldn't see her."
Connor rolled his eyes. His brother was like a dog with a bone sometimes. He wouldn't let things go. Stubborn bastard. Of course, the same could be said about him. But he wasn't going to go into self analysis at the moment.
"Maybe she had a reason o' her own t'not see us. Either way, you respect that."
"Then why didn't she tell us?"
"I don't know. I'm not a fuckin' mind reader."
"Well, ye should be."
"Ye fuckin' idiot!" the blonde yelled, throwing a pillow at his younger half's head, who dodged it. "If she had a reason, she'd tell us."
"Yeah, but ye know she'll say anythin' t'put us first."
Connor frowned. Murphy did have a point. Their lass had a terrible habit of doing or saying anything she thought would please them. Even if it made no sense. And they'd assured her she didn't need to. He threw his hands up in frustration and pushed himself up to stand.
"How th' fuck'd we get on this? Let th' lass have this one! Ye know she's doin' it 'cause she cares."
Murphy's eyes narrowed. He knew very well their girl cared. For someone who could be so guarded, he thought she could care too much sometimes.
"Ye think I don't know that, asshole? But I'm not gonna let her walk home by herself, either," he replied, slipping into his pea coat.
The article he was reading about the murder of the woman on the subway flashed through his mind, and Connor had a moment of panic. He grabbed the back of his brother's collar as he walked by, tugging him to a stop.
"All right. Jus' calm th' fuck down. Lemme get me coat an' we'll walk 'er home. Then we'll come back here. End o' story," Connor relented, releasing his brother to reach for his own pea coat on the chair next to his bed.
Murphy turned and shoved his brother's shoulder. "Fuck no. I never invited you along. I'm goin', yer stayin'. I may or may not be back tonight. End o' fuckin' story."
Connor shoved him back. "Why th' fuck should you be th' one t'go? Maybe th' lass'd like t'see th' both o' us. Or maybe jus' me, even."
"Because it was my fuckin' idea, that's why!"
"Who says I didn't think o' it first?"
"Bullshit!" the brunette yelled, lunging for his twin. The blonde used his momentum to swing him around and pin him against the wall, wrenching his arm behind his back. He thrashed and struggled, but his twin wouldn't let him go.
"Easy there, Murph," Connor said, trying not to laugh.
"Fuck you!" Murphy responded as he tried to nail Connor in the face with the back of his head and elbow him in the guts at the same time.
The elder twin did laugh at that, and ruffled his brother's hair playfully. "Come on, brother mine. That's no way t'talk t'yer elders."
The younger twin growled and jerked his head away. "Yer not older than me!"
"'Course I am," Connor replied cheerfully.
"Fuck off."
Patting his brother on the shoulder before releasing him, Connor stepped away to root around in his pocket. "Here, I got a better idea. We'll flip for it. Winner gets t'see th' lass tonight."
Murphy grunted in annoyance, turning to face Connor. He didn't want to flip for it. They had little problem sharing their girl between the two of them. They were used to sharing things, and they were comfortable enough with it. But it was his idea to see her, and for once he didn't want to share. Call it selfish. It didn't mean they didn't deserve their own times with her. He grumbled under his breath.
"Aw, don't be like that, boyo," Connor chided his brother in Gaelic. "Ye know th' lass'd not want us t'fight over her."
"It's not fightin' over her if I beat yer ass fer stealin' my fuckin' idea," Murphy snapped back in Spanish.
Connor slapped him upside the head. "Grow th' fuck up, will ye? Jesus, it's like dealin' wit' a five year old."
"Shut th' fuck up. We gonna do this or not?"
"Yeah yeah yeah. You wanna call it?"
Murphy looked at the coin Connor held in his palm. He couldn't believe they were doing this. He couldn't remember the last time they'd settled something without a fight. Probably not since they were five. Jesus, they were whipped.
"Fine. Tails."
Connor smirked. Murphy always picked tails. Taking the quarter he managed to find, he flipped it neatly, watching it turn smoothly in the air, and caught it just as neatly before covering it with his hand.
"Winner sees th' lass?"
"Aye."
"An' may or may not be back tonight?"
"Aye."
"Loser wallows in his own misery?"
"Jus' show me th' fuckin' coin, Connor!"
"All right! Fuckin' hell…" Connor uncovered his hand and grinned at his brother before both sets of blue eyes dropped to the coin.
Tails.
Huh. Well, that backfired, he thought as his grin dropped.
"Ha! Thank ye very much, dear brudder! I shall see ye in th' mornin'!" the younger MacManus said with a smirk, rushing to the door.
"Wait a sec –"
"Don't wait up!" Murphy cried, throwing open the door to their loft and running out before Connor could finish protesting.
Connor looked at the quarter in his palm and then back at the door.
"Shit."