South Attic, Monday Evening

[demonbelthazor]

After his conversation with Veronica in the stairwell, Bel eventually made his way up to the attic. He sank wearily down on the couch, his face in his hands. This day couldn't get worse, could it?

[ooc: locked to Phoebe, specific details of their conversation are nfb.]

Comments

[demonbelthazor]

"I love you, Phoebe!" Cole protested. "I don't want to shut you out."

[sensethevisions]

"See, that's the thing, Cole. The one thing I haven't doubted in the last couple of weeks is that you do love me. It's the one thing that I have been able to hold onto during this mess. Even if I was making you completely miserable, it's not in you to cheat on me." She blinked back tears, horrified that she was telling him all of this. She was really going to need to have words with Piper about spell-casting. "Lana and Piper and Veronica have all told me that maybe I should give you space, but damn it, if I give you any more space I'll be sleeping in another dorm." Again with the hating of the truth compulsion thing.

"You wouldn't let me shut you down and keep stuff from you like this," she said in a small voice. "And I don't understand!"

[demonbelthazor]

"There's just things...I need to work out myself," Cole said softly. "I don't want to shut you out. The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

[sensethevisions]

"But that's the thing, Cole, you are hurting me with this," she said quietly. "If I was saying those things to you about needing to deal with it on my own, but I was talking to your friends about it... you'd be hurt and a little growly."

[demonbelthazor]

"You're right," Cole grudgingly admitted. "I would be."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded. "I know. What are you keeping from me?"

[demonbelthazor]

"I...I have very confusing feelings about someone." Damn truth spell.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe looked at him carefully. She wasn't going to ask, she wasn't going to ask...

"Who?"

Damn it!

[demonbelthazor]

"Angel."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe stared at him for a long moment.

"As in Angel who used to be Angelus and is now off in LA?"

[demonbelthazor]

Cole nodded. "Yeah."

[sensethevisions]

"Oh." She swallowed. She tried really, really hard to leave it at that. "I'm glad it's him and not someone else."

*facepalm*

[demonbelthazor]

"Because he's so far away and not interested in me at all?" Cole said, then did a facepalm of his own.

[sensethevisions]

"Well because he's so far away that I don't have to try to compete with him."

Gah!

[demonbelthazor]

"You don't have to compete with him, sweetheart," Cole said. "I love you."

[sensethevisions]

"Yes, I know you do, but if he was here, the natural instinct of a Halliwell to claim and defend her territory comes out and I can't know what would happen." Her eyes showed her surprise at saying that and she tried to stop talking. "And why wouldn't he be interested in you?" She sounded offended.

[demonbelthazor]

"I don't think Angel would dare mess with a Halliwell," Cole chuckled. Then he sighed. "He wants Logan, not me. So it works out okay."

[sensethevisions]

"He wants Logan? Is he insane? He's been brainwashed. He needs to be de-programmed. You're a much better choice." Phoebe clamped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to keep her words safe inside.

[demonbelthazor]

Cole couldn't help but grin a little. "You're biased."

[sensethevisions]

"Well, duh! You're MY demon and so much better a choice for Angel than Logan, but I'm not letting that doofy vampire with bad taste have my demon... and why can I not shut up?" Phoebe's face was bright red.

[demonbelthazor]

"Blame your sister," Cole said. He reached over and pulled Phoebe into his arms. "My witch," he murmured.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe wrapped her arms around him. "My demon..." She was silent against him, swearing she wasn't going to talk anymore.

"Is that all that's been bothering you?"

Piper!

[demonbelthazor]

"Those two things, pretty much," he said. "Being demony and Angel."

[sensethevisions]

"You don't have to hide things like that from me, Cole."

[demonbelthazor]

"I was worried about hurting you," he said softly.