Knocking on Death's Door

Everett's lips part ever so slightly as he stares at Finn in shock. "Your dad-"

"Is dying. Yeah."

Finn looks jittery and his leg bounces up and down in an anxious motion. He looks behind him to see if Beau is looking at them and turns back to Everett when he sees that nothing has changed with his brother's demeanor.

Still speechless, Everett just continues to stare at him with raised brows. Finn brings his head closer to him and speaks in a hushed tone. "Beau hates our dad and I don't blame him for that, but the infirmary at the prison called and told us that dad has a cardiovascular disease. Uh-" He looks up as if the ceiling would help him recall the specific diagnosis. His memory must pull through as he seems to remember it on his own. "Advanced congestive heart failure. That's what he has," Finn supplies to an uncomfortable-looking Everett.

"I'm so sorry, Finn. That's awful to hear, but I'm honestly not sure how you're going to convince Beau to talk to him. From what he's told me, it sounds like he never wants to see that man ever again," Everett whispers back while keeping an eye on Beau's figure in the distance to make sure he isn't listening in. Finn looks disappointed at Everett's words.

"I know. Beau really hates his guts. It's just.... dad sent us a letter about his diagnosis and he seems so sad and scared. All he wants is to see us one last time and I feel like we owe it to him to show up since it's his last request. Y'know?" Finn has tears in his eyes as he explains the situation. Everett can see that Finn isn't quite as unaffected by these circumstances as he's been trying to make it seem. Genuinely feeling bad for the man, Everett tries to think of how to help him out.

After a moment of thought, Everett says, "I really think you should just be honest with Beau. He'll fight you at first about it, but maybe he'll come around after he cools down. I can try to help coax him into visiting with you as well. I just can't do anything until you say something to him first."

Finn leans in with wide eyes as he says, "What if I invite the two of you over for dinner? Instead of coming to the house, you can meet me and mom at the jail."

Everett immediately shakes his head in disproval at the idea. "Nope. Not happening—I'm not tricking Beau and I won't let you trick him either. Honesty is the only way here, Finn."

As if on cue, Beau walks back out to address them where they sit at the table. "I'm tired. Gonna head up for the night," he mumbles the announcement before making his way upstairs.

Waiting until he hears a door shut upstairs, Everett then turns back to Finn. "I'm also tired and it looks like you could use some rest as well. Let's sleep on it and then maybe you and Beau can talk sometime tomorrow. Okay?" He proposes.

"Okay," Finn echoes dejectedly before following him upstairs.

Everett notices that the door for the other guest room not currently occupied by Finn is closed, so he assumes that Beau has decided to sleep there while his brother stays with them. He is surprised when he walks into his dark room and sees Beau's form under the covers. The closed guest room door must be to make it look like that's where Beau is staying while Finn is here.

Closing the bathroom door behind him to block the light from flooding their dark bedroom, Everett brushes his teeth then changes into boxers and a T-shirt before climbing into bed next to his partner. Once he lays down, two arms pull him towards a warm chest.

"I don't understand why he wants me to go back to Columbus so bad." Beau's words muffle as he speaks into Everett's neck. The vibration causes pleasant goosebumps to appear across his body. Well.... maybe not completely pleasant. The chill running through his body could also be attributed to the guilt he feels for knowing the exact reason Beau's family needs him in Columbus.

Turning around in his arms, Everett presses their foreheads together and wraps his arms around Beau's neck. "Finn wouldn't be going to these lengths to bring you back for nothing. Maybe you should entertain him and just go to Columbus for a day," he suggests gently while rubbing soothing circles on the nape of Beau's neck.

There is a brief flash of fear in Beau's eyes before he promptly hides the emotion by resting his chin on the top of Everett's head. "Maybe." Is the last thing Beau whispers as they both fall asleep.

-

"Beau and I took off work today so we can discuss your reasoning for hunting him down yesterday." Everett looks at the two men who stare up at him like school children being lectured by their teacher. When they woke up, Everett and Beau came to an agreement that Beau would listen to Finn so long as Everett would mediate their conversation. Of course, Beau tried to insinuate that Everett should show him some favoritism over his brother, but Everett had put his foot down and said that he will play the part of impartial judge between them today.

Making meaningful eye contact with Finn, Everett can see him shift nervously. Finn knows that he needs to rip the bandaid off and be honest with Beau. Sighing, Finn looks at his brother and finally explains the situation.

"Dad is dying, Beau. He sent a letter to us and he seems so depressed. He just wants to see us one more time before he passes away."

Everett can't see Finn's hands since they're under the table, but he imagines they must be shaking considering how meek he looks under Beau's hard gaze. Speaking of Beau, he doesn't react for several moments before a venomous smile slowly begins to form on his face. Chuckling, Beau shakes his head and says, "And you want me to go visit that piece of shit? Are you serious?"

Stepping closer to the table dividing the two brothers, Everett is about to interrupt when Beau continues to speak. "Don't you remember everything he's done? Everything he did to us? Finn, there wasn't a day that went by that he didn't criticize you. He always compared you to me and my fake accomplishments that he'd make up."

Both of Beau's fists are on the table, clenched in anger and occasionally thudding against the wood below it.

"He manipulated me into thinking I was above everyone in my life. That I got straight A's, would score high on the SAT's and be given a full ride to college. He convinced himself of that and then he convinced me of that."

Beau is now standing, bent over the table and leaning towards a frightened-looking Finn. Everett subtly scoots closer to the younger brother and places a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Every time he'd create a new delusion about me, he'd use it to knock you down." Beau's eyes are watery, but no tears fall down. "He'd ask why you weren't making straight A's and why you wasted your time with track instead of a 'real sport like football'. But in reality, you were so much better than me."

Straightening his stance and crossing his arms, Beau now seems to be in self-preservation mode. Unsure of which brother he should be comforting,  Everett wishes he could just pull them into a group hug and tell them both to shut up. These Coleman's are going to be the death of him.

"You didn't have straight A's, but you never had an F or D the way that I always did. You actually won championships in track and I never got past semifinals in football. Look at you—you're in college and have goals even though you've had to deal with me and dad your entire life...."

With that being said, Beau seems to have gotten everything out of his system. Finn is still shaking slightly from what Everett can feel while holding his shoulder. "Yeah, I know what he's done. Believe it or not, I actually lived through all of that too. I don't think he's winning any dad-of-the-year awards, but he going to die and his last wish is to see us one more time. He doesn't deserve shit—I know that. I just think we need to be the adults in this situation and show face to appease him one final time." Despite Finn's clear nerves, he maintains eye contact with his older brother.

Towering over the kitchen table, Beau's eyes briefly flick over to Everett who is looking at him solemnly. He lets out a sigh before turning back to Finn. "I'm not promising anything. When are you and mom going to visit him?"

"This weekend. Saturday, sometime in the afternoon." Is the quick response he receives from Finn. Beau looks back over at his partner. "Do we have plans this weekend?" Everett shakes his head 'no' before stating, "Nope. Just the usual errands that we run, but those can obviously wait."

Beau stares at Everett for a couple of seconds as if building courage to say what he's about to say to his brother. "We'll come over Friday for dinner, stay the night and visit dad with you guys." He sees Finn's eyes fill with hope before he continues, "but we're leaving and never talking to that piece of shit again after this visit."

"Yeah, that's.... yeah." Finn tries to conceal his smile as he responds to the compromise. "I'll send you our new address. We can set up an air mattress. Mom's gonna be so happy to see you again. And honestly you too, Fowler. She's always liked you."

Everett offers a small, tired smile as he looks down at the excited young man. "I'm looking forward to seeing her as well. Your mom has always been really sweet," he says.

"She, uh, hasn't really been the same since everything happened." Finn frowns and looks a lot less chipper than he did a couple seconds ago. "After dad was arrested and Beau left.... we don't have much money and she kills herself working her two jobs to keep up with bills. She's definitely a shell of what she used to be."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Finn," Everett offers after he sees that Beau doesn't know how to respond. Silence fills the air as Finn looks down at the table and Beau looks at his brother, concern clear in his eyes. Everett decides that it's time to break the tension. "Well, why don't Beau and I give you the official tour of Sinting since we're all free today? Both of you need to change out of your pajamas and into some nice outside clothes. That means no sweatpants either—I'm looking at you, Beau."

Finn now stands close behind Beau as they make their way upstairs. Everett hears him ask, "Is he always this bossy?"

To which Beau responds, "You don't know the half of it."

-

"I don't come here often, but Beau stops in pretty much everyday," Everett informs Finn as they analyze the case of baked goods on display at the bakery. They had decided to swing by the bakery as part of their tour of Sinting for the younger brother.

"You bulking up for something? Why're you here so often?" Finn chides him.

Beau scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. "No, I just like this place—back off," he replies defensively.

"I don't remember you having much of a sweet tooth growing up, so it's just surprising hearing that you're here so often," Finn states while crossing his own arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yeah, well I don't really have one, but Everett does." Beau narrows his eyes in challenge.

Wanting to break up the tension created by the two brothers, Everett chimes in to clarify. "Beau likes to get me something from here before he comes home from work." Which is the truth. Even prior to them getting together, Beau would always buy him sweets from the little bakery in town.

"That's what grandpa would do for nana when she was alive," Finn notes. He lowers his arms so his hands now rest on his hips and raises both eyebrows higher with the statement.

Shifting from foot to foot, Beau mumbles, "And what about it?" Everett can see some red appear on the tips of Beau's ears and the apples of his cheeks. He never knew that Beau's routine was inspired by his grandparents. A small smile creeps onto Everett's face at the thought of the wholesome gesture, but he tries to mask it so Beau doesn't get more embarrassed than he already is.

"Nothing.... just an observation." Finn shrugs and turns to look back at the slices of cheesecake in the glass case.

The couple continues to take Finn around the town and shows him various spots that they frequent before ending up at the diner for lunch. They are seated quickly since the place is not very busy at the moment. Their usual waitress, Amelia, appears to take drink orders. She has recently given up on flirting with Beau when he very noticeably stopped reciprocating her advances.

"Does this place kind of remind you guys of Bernie's?" Finn asks while scanning the blue and yellow walls of the diner.

"Oh shit, I forgot about that place," Beau says as he puts his menu down in contemplation at his brother's words. Bernie's was a diner back in their hometown that they would go to all the time with their friends. After football, Beau and his team would often go to 'ole Bernie's to celebrate a hard fought game.

Everett tilts his head to the side curiously. "Is Bernie's that place by McDonald's and the sketchy dive bar?"

"The one and only," Beau replies with a smirk. Everett has noticed that his partner hasn't smiled much since Finn showed up, so he takes it as a win.

"I don't think I ever ate there," he says thoughtfully.

Finn straightens up at this and leans in as he responds, "How have you never been to Bernie's? It is a staple in Rockwell!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Everett reflects more on the diner that was heavily frequented in their hometown. He recalls that groups ranging from sports teams to the theater kids would go there after a big game or event. Supposedly, it was the hangout spot for many after homecoming and snowball as well.

"I had friends in high school, but I wasn't super close with any of them. If I remember correctly, it was usually tight knit groups of friends or teams that would go to Bernie's," Everett explains. Beau continues to study the menu, but Finn looks sympathetic at Everett's conclusion that he had just drawn.

"Well, when you and Beau come to visit we can all go out to Bernie's together. You have to try their mozzarella sticks and get a milkshake or something. It should be a requirement that all Rockwell residents, current and former, experience Bernie's," Finn declares.

Beau mocks his brother without looking up from the menu. "Ohh look at college boy over here planning shit out and using words like 'requirement'."

Rolling his eyes at the comment, Everett is well aware of the fact that this will set off another fight between the two brothers. It's difficult to go a full conversation without one of them picking on the other. Luckily, it's usually lighthearted jabs being thrown, but Everett wishes they'd cut it out for the rest of the day.

As predicted, the two men bicker back and forth until their food eventually arrives. Beau continues chirping Finn even with a mouth full of burger. Shaking his head at the crumbs spewing from his partners mouth, Everett grabs his napkin and says, "You got crumbs in your beard." He proceeds to wipe Beau's face clean.

"Thanks, snook," Beau responds naturally.

"Snook? What the fuck?" Finn laughs with his own mouth full of burger. Registering what he said, Beau freezes and a look of dread falls over his face.

Trying to smooth over the interaction, Everett jumps in with an explanation. "He calls me that as a joke sometimes," is the reasoning Everett hopes will quell Finn's chortling.

"You two really are playing into the old married couple routine. I feel like I've been hanging out with grandpa and nana again when I talk with you guys." Finn has finally calmed down from his fit of laughter and is wiping at his eyes since they started watering.

"Stop comparing us to grandpa and nana, you freak," Beau grumbles before taking a large bite of his burger. It looks like he has recovered from the momentary fear that struck him after his slip up.

"Stop acting like them then, dick," responds Finn in a deep voice that's supposed to be imitating Beau.

Everett intervenes so this doesn't turn into another round of arguing. "Will you be staying another night, Finn?" He changes the subject and notices that Beau still looks visibly irritated with his little brother.

Taking a swig of his coke, Finn lets out a loud belch and replies, "Nah. I think I'll head out after this. Gotta get back to mom at some point."

"Good," Beau says at the same time Everett responds with, "You are welcome to stay with us again any time."

Ignoring his brother, Finn turns to Everett with a wide smile on his face. "Thanks, Fowler. I'll definitely take you up on that."