[That first sentence comes so easily, and it's a huge relief. Stan doesn't honestly know what he would do if Ford had said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this awful triangle. ...Actually, that's a lie. He probably would have flipped out and made a scene and regretted it, like he always does when he's feeling particularly hurt.
Maybe Ford expects that from Stan now. He should probably be more mad that Ford wants to spend any time with him, knowing what he knows now. Not that he's happy Bill tried to murder the kids - that's still not forgivable, even without the proper memory of it.
But. He's still left with a strange, complicated thought about Bill. One that doesn't sit easily with everything else he knows now, but one that keeps him from losing his shit now.]
...You wanna hear what he told me? 'Cause I sure as hell don't know what to make of it.
[Believe it or not, Bill didn't just pop up, go "HEY I ALMOST KILLED THE KIDS!", and flee.]
He thinks you're gonna wind up like that other Ford if you keep hanging around him. The guy sent me a message about of the blue about how he doesn't make you happy, but apparently I do? It was real weird, and he kept talking about how you used to be a lot more confident, and how he keeps trying to fix that but nothing really works.
I think he's-- ugh. [He hates this. Stan doesn't even want to say it, now that he knows what Bill did. It is physically painful to sympathize with him.] He's worried about you.
[Enough gross emotions though, especially since it's not like Bill didn't do anything wrong here. Time to pitch his theory, even if it pisses Ford off or upsets him.]
But! On top of all that, he said he's gonna stay here when we leave, and I gotta be honest - I'm pretty sure that's what dropping this bomb on me was about. If I had to guess, if he really doesn't wanna graduate, then having me remember is his only way back to life. He probably figures if he tells me he was gonna murder the kids, makes me flip out, and I go running to you to demand my memory back, that he can skip all the hard junk.
[That's a lot to digest. Ford has to take a second. Bill thinks he's going to make Ford suicidally depressed? That's wrong, that's not what's happening here. It isn't Bill's fault that Ford felt the way he did last month, and Bill's doing that thing he promised not to do, which was to manage Ford's emotions!
He really thinks I can't take care of myself, huh. That's...that idea's painful.
And -- Bill hasn't given up on getting off this ship. That's not possible. Bill doesn't do that. Is Bill planning something he doesn't want Ford around for? Was this really just a gambit to get his life back? What's Bill's endgame?]
I'd bet there's a bunch of things he wants, and he figured that no matter what happened, he'd get one of them out of this.
[Stan casually tops off Ford's drink while he's processing all of that. Even if Bill sucks, it doesn't exactly make Stan happy to break this to Ford - especially since Ford just said he wants to continue having Bill in his life after the barge.]
Yeah, well. He's not getting them. That's why I wanted to hear this all from you. Now I know what happened and he got nothin' out of it!
[He definitely feels pretty good about that part! He did a clever thing for once! He dials the gloating back just a little for Ford's sake though. And only Ford's sake. Bill can suck a lemon.]
...If it makes you feel any better, I asked him if it meant he was breaking up with you and he said no? So that's something, I guess?
[Actually, Bill said "probably not" but Stan's trying his best here.]
[Ford grimaces, bracing an elbow on a table and sliding a hand up his face, under his glasses.]
He broke an agreement. He's trying to --
[Ford huffs.]
--he's trying to make decisions he thinks are best for me, without asking me what I want. I told him not to do that. I told him not to pick a fight with you!
[Because if Bill wants a fight with Stan more than he wants a future with Ford, then that future's not happening.]
I need to talk to him. If he's going to start going back on things we've decided and making moves behind my back, then I can't trust him. And if I can't trust him, then....
...Then, maybe he hasn't changed all that much after all.
[He wants to believe Ford. He really does. But this is all pretty damning. Ford can say what he wants, but this doesn't look very good. Stan's definitely not buying it, but he buys that Ford's buying it.]
Talk to him, see how that goes. And uh. ...If you need any back up, lemme know. I'm here for you, no matter what happens with that dumb triangle.
[Even if things fall apart. Even if they don't fall apart and they have to be civil. Ford's happiness and well being matter more to him than that.]
No, Stan, he has. He's just -- he's so sure that fighting you again is inevitable that he thinks giving anything different a chance is the same thing as giving you a head start!
[He quiets. The ice in Ford's drink clicks.]
He's scared, Stanley. Now that you're here, he thinks he's going to lose me.
[A long breath.]
I'll talk to him, about all of it. And -- thank you, for telling me about this. ...and for hearing me out.
[The worst part is, Ford's not totally wrong. And when Ford puts it like that...
No. Nope. He's going to put that fire out right now before it has any chance to catch. Bill tried to kill the kids. Bill is objectively terrible and Stan doesn't care that Bill has also worried about losing Ford, just like he did maybe five minutes ago.
He doesn't. Fuck Bill. If he doesn't think too hard about it, it won't matter.]
Yeah, no problem. What, you think you're the only one who's had questionable significant others you weren't sure you could trust?
[Stan doesn't even remember all of them and it's still too many for him to count!]
And, look. I can't promise I'll get along with him - especially since he's goading me here and he tried to murder the kids - but. Even if I don't trust him, I trust you. ...Even if you've got terrible taste.
[Despite what he literally just admitted about his own relationships, he still playfully takes the shot.]
[Ford laughs. He can't help it -- it's half that Stan is funny, and half out of relief. Of course Stan's had questionable exes. At least Bill hasn't tried to steal Ford's car!
He looks down at his glass.]
Ah, I should sober up before I try talking to him about anything serious. I'll need all my faculties to figure him out.
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2020-05-25 08:14 pm (UTC)Maybe Ford expects that from Stan now. He should probably be more mad that Ford wants to spend any time with him, knowing what he knows now. Not that he's happy Bill tried to murder the kids - that's still not forgivable, even without the proper memory of it.
But. He's still left with a strange, complicated thought about Bill. One that doesn't sit easily with everything else he knows now, but one that keeps him from losing his shit now.]
...You wanna hear what he told me? 'Cause I sure as hell don't know what to make of it.
[Believe it or not, Bill didn't just pop up, go "HEY I ALMOST KILLED THE KIDS!", and flee.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-25 08:41 pm (UTC)Yes. Yes he does.]
What did he say?
no subject
Date: 2020-05-25 09:16 pm (UTC)I think he's-- ugh. [He hates this. Stan doesn't even want to say it, now that he knows what Bill did. It is physically painful to sympathize with him.] He's worried about you.
[Enough gross emotions though, especially since it's not like Bill didn't do anything wrong here. Time to pitch his theory, even if it pisses Ford off or upsets him.]
But! On top of all that, he said he's gonna stay here when we leave, and I gotta be honest - I'm pretty sure that's what dropping this bomb on me was about. If I had to guess, if he really doesn't wanna graduate, then having me remember is his only way back to life. He probably figures if he tells me he was gonna murder the kids, makes me flip out, and I go running to you to demand my memory back, that he can skip all the hard junk.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 01:27 am (UTC)[That's a lot to digest. Ford has to take a second. Bill thinks he's going to make Ford suicidally depressed? That's wrong, that's not what's happening here. It isn't Bill's fault that Ford felt the way he did last month, and Bill's doing that thing he promised not to do, which was to manage Ford's emotions!
He really thinks I can't take care of myself, huh. That's...that idea's painful.
And -- Bill hasn't given up on getting off this ship. That's not possible. Bill doesn't do that. Is Bill planning something he doesn't want Ford around for? Was this really just a gambit to get his life back? What's Bill's endgame?]
I'd bet there's a bunch of things he wants, and he figured that no matter what happened, he'd get one of them out of this.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 01:44 am (UTC)Yeah, well. He's not getting them. That's why I wanted to hear this all from you. Now I know what happened and he got nothin' out of it!
[He definitely feels pretty good about that part! He did a clever thing for once! He dials the gloating back just a little for Ford's sake though. And only Ford's sake. Bill can suck a lemon.]
...If it makes you feel any better, I asked him if it meant he was breaking up with you and he said no? So that's something, I guess?
[Actually, Bill said "probably not" but Stan's trying his best here.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 01:59 am (UTC)He broke an agreement. He's trying to --
[Ford huffs.]
--he's trying to make decisions he thinks are best for me, without asking me what I want. I told him not to do that. I told him not to pick a fight with you!
[Because if Bill wants a fight with Stan more than he wants a future with Ford, then that future's not happening.]
I need to talk to him. If he's going to start going back on things we've decided and making moves behind my back, then I can't trust him. And if I can't trust him, then....
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 02:19 am (UTC)[He wants to believe Ford. He really does. But this is all pretty damning. Ford can say what he wants, but this doesn't look very good. Stan's definitely not buying it, but he buys that Ford's buying it.]
Talk to him, see how that goes. And uh. ...If you need any back up, lemme know. I'm here for you, no matter what happens with that dumb triangle.
[Even if things fall apart. Even if they don't fall apart and they have to be civil. Ford's happiness and well being matter more to him than that.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 02:46 am (UTC)[He quiets. The ice in Ford's drink clicks.]
He's scared, Stanley. Now that you're here, he thinks he's going to lose me.
[A long breath.]
I'll talk to him, about all of it. And -- thank you, for telling me about this. ...and for hearing me out.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 03:32 am (UTC)No. Nope. He's going to put that fire out right now before it has any chance to catch. Bill tried to kill the kids. Bill is objectively terrible and Stan doesn't care that Bill has also worried about losing Ford, just like he did maybe five minutes ago.
He doesn't. Fuck Bill. If he doesn't think too hard about it, it won't matter.]
Yeah, no problem. What, you think you're the only one who's had questionable significant others you weren't sure you could trust?
[Stan doesn't even remember all of them and it's still too many for him to count!]
And, look. I can't promise I'll get along with him - especially since he's goading me here and he tried to murder the kids - but. Even if I don't trust him, I trust you. ...Even if you've got terrible taste.
[Despite what he literally just admitted about his own relationships, he still playfully takes the shot.]
no subject
Date: 2020-05-26 03:02 pm (UTC)He looks down at his glass.]
Ah, I should sober up before I try talking to him about anything serious. I'll need all my faculties to figure him out.