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English
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Published:
2010-03-08
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502
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1/1
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Drunken Philosophy

Summary:

J and Daisuke discuss philosophy and alcohol after a case. Cyborg/human pre-slash. Rated for references to violence.

Work Text:

Daisuke stared at the glass, then at the bartender, apparently avoiding J's eyes. "Now there's going to be a bunch of paperwork," he muttered. "But at least I didn't waste one of Kyoko's precious bullets."

"A man's life is reduced to paperwork," said J in a musing tone.

"It's not as if I had a choice about shooting him! He was going to kill that bank teller."

J put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "I am not questioning you."

"Good," replied Daisuke, grabbing his drink. "Now let's stop talking about it."

But after a few sips he put the drink down again. "He had a girlfriend, and she has a baby. And this isn't her fault."

J remained silent.

"I told Kyoko to find some agency that could help her but I'm not sure if there is anything."

"Kyoko will do her best," said J.

"And what happens to him now? Is he in heaven or hell?"

"Are you a religious man suddenly, Daisuke?"

"Well, I want to believe there's something after death. Especially if people are ending up dead because of me. Do they all deserve hell?"

"You want that man to have a chance to repent?" asked J.

"It's not my fault if he doesn't," snapped Daisuke.

"I never said so."

"Maybe I want my own chance to repent in the afterlife," he went on.

"What if this life is the important one?" asked J.

"You don't even know," replied his partner bitterly. "You don't even have a soul."

"Does a man need a soul if he has thought?"

"Stop with the philosophy."

He removed J's hand from his shoulder and held it between his. "What's under here? Just metal."

The cyborg touched Daisuke's fingers with his other hand. "Just flesh and bone."

"You say that like it doesn't matter!"

"Very well," said J somberly. "It matters."

"You're just a bunch of electrical connections, and when it shuts off forever that's it."

J nodded, but then asked, "Do people not say that about human beings?"

"It--"

"Matters," J interrupted. "Yes."

"You're just a machine! Even that guy I killed was human."

"You've had far too much to drink, Daisuke."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry. But seriously... there are no laws against killing a cyborg."

Reaching inside Daisuke's collar, J drew out the chain, and the bullet his partner saved for him.

"And you are always ready," he said.

"That doesn't mean I want to!"

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not? Isn't that obvious?"

"Why should it be obvious?" asked J.

"Never mind." Daisuke crossed his arms on the bar and put his head down. J placed a hand gently on his back.

"A man's friend is his soul," he intoned.

"You can usually do better proverbs than that," replied his partner in a muffled voice.

"Yes," J agreed simply.

"Sometimes I wish you could get drunk."

The cyborg rubbed Daisuke's hair affectionately, just for a moment. "Sometimes, so do I."