[Cliff responds to the most important thing that Billy says first.]
...Water goes bad?
[This seems absurd. Water was water. It had no right to go bad. There was absolutely no reason for it to do that; completely unreasonable thing to be participating in, really. He swings around, his expressive face softening into a relieved smile.]
Yeah?
[Whether he takes it this way or not, 'soft' is Cliff's way of acknowledging certain things about Billy. Acknowledging that Billy was kind, kinder than anyone really should be. That it was this kindness that had laid the path to the friendship between them, even if it wasn't exactly Billy at first. That Billy was the one who refused to allow Cliff's self-hatred and anger to swallow him, that he always tried to bring out the good in him.
That was soft. And gently mocking though it was (this is how Men Show Affection, after all), it is an acknowledgment that Billy is a far better person than Cliff could ever hope to be. An affectionate nickname, laced in faux derision.
And it was why he wouldn't ask Billy to participate in his rage-fueled justice-seeking interrogation. Even if he could. It wasn't something Billy would do. He knew that well enough.]
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...Water goes bad?
[This seems absurd. Water was water. It had no right to go bad. There was absolutely no reason for it to do that; completely unreasonable thing to be participating in, really. He swings around, his expressive face softening into a relieved smile.]
Yeah?
[Whether he takes it this way or not, 'soft' is Cliff's way of acknowledging certain things about Billy. Acknowledging that Billy was kind, kinder than anyone really should be. That it was this kindness that had laid the path to the friendship between them, even if it wasn't exactly Billy at first. That Billy was the one who refused to allow Cliff's self-hatred and anger to swallow him, that he always tried to bring out the good in him.
That was soft. And gently mocking though it was (this is how Men Show Affection, after all), it is an acknowledgment that Billy is a far better person than Cliff could ever hope to be. An affectionate nickname, laced in faux derision.
And it was why he wouldn't ask Billy to participate in his rage-fueled justice-seeking interrogation. Even if he could. It wasn't something Billy would do. He knew that well enough.]
Thanks.
...Knew I could count on you.