Neither And Both

Drinking, laughing, a bit of work, minor disaster with the food in the oven, more drinking, a tiny bit of work, a takeaway, more drinking.

Then philosophy comes, lying and staring at the ceiling. Together but apart. They share careful histories, in fragmented anecdotes, cleverly edited, designed to reveal more than seemed immediately obvious, hoping the other will pick up on clues and say the right thing. The password to a kiss.

The password! Here! Now! But... too tired, too neurotic, too late, time out.

Reset.

Next time, they think... You just have to keep trying, really.

Risking lock-out.