518/520, Wednesday Morning

[demonbelthazor]

Bel was wrestling with guilt. Guilt, unfortunately, currently had the upper hand.

After he'd come back from the Wastelands, he'd made his apologies to Phoebe, Angel, Isabel, Parker, Blair, Cally, Dr. Wilson and Aziraphale -- even Logan. He hadn't run into Cameron or Angela or Marty or Buffy yet at school. Nor had he mustered the courage to go visit Piper and Veronica (mainly because fast healing or not, he wasn't sure if he could handle Piper blowing him up, which seemed a decent assumption considering how he'd been greeted at the Hyperion).

Anders was more complicated. The Source had screwed with him pretty badly, and Bel himself hadn't done a good job of fixing things. And the stupid bond had let him know just how hurt Anders had been the other day. And so . . . guilt. And lots of it. He'd tossed and turned all night. Well, it would help him play dead in Forensics, at least.


[For la girlfriend, or anyone else who wants to drop by.]

Comments

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe was worried. Cole wasn't sleeping and Anders wasn't speaking to her. She wasn't sure how to deal with the latter, but the former... she knew how to try.

She turned to look at him from where she had been laying in the bed next to him.

"Cole?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Did I wake you up?" Cole said. Guiltily.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe shook her head. "No. I've been awake for a bit." She looked at him. "What's wrong?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Just . . . thinking about things," Cole said vaguely.

[sensethevisions]

"Like what?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Stuff?" Oh yes, he was being evasive boy.

[sensethevisions]

"Cole..."

Being evasive didn't work with her.

[demonbelthazor]

"Sorry," he said a little sheepishly. "Just about . . . stuff the Source did, and what he did to people."

[sensethevisions]

"Specific people... or people in general?"

[demonbelthazor]

"In general," Cole said at first, then admitted reluctantly, "Anders."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe noddedand then sat up, so she could look at him. "He's hurting..."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah," Cole said, ducking his head. "Me too. I can tell even without the bond. I, um, went to talk to him the other day."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe worried her bottom lip. "And?"

[demonbelthazor]

"He's . . . pretty upset," Cole said quietly.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe closed her eyes for a moment. "I never wanted him to be hurt."

[demonbelthazor]

"I know," Cole agreed. "Me neither. But I told him that what happened . . . wasn't going to happen again."

[sensethevisions]

And that would be Phoebe feeling guilt now.

"He must feel like we let him in... and then kicked him in the face."

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah, exactly," Cole said glumly.

[sensethevisions]

"What can we do to help him, love?" She sighed. "He has been a really good friend to me and seeing him like this..."

[demonbelthazor]

"I don't know," Cole said. "It might be best if we kept our distance for awhile."

[sensethevisions]

"That seems mean..."

[demonbelthazor]

"I know, but what else can we do?" Cole said.

[sensethevisions]

"I don't know. Ignoring him and avoiding him doesn't seem like it would help," she said sadly. "He doesn't deserve that."

[demonbelthazor]

Cole eyed Phoebe. "What, do you think we should invite him over for tea and orgy or something?"

[sensethevisions]

"Why not? He's our friend, isn't he? We'll just hide the alcohol until the orgy part of the evening as that is what gets us in trouble everytime."

[demonbelthazor]

"But he's still going to want more," Cole said.

[sensethevisions]

"Not if we treat him as a good friend and don't seek him out when we're drinking or anything like that, right?" She worried her bottom lip. "He just wants to know someone cares about himfor more than just drunken sexcapades, right?"

[demonbelthazor]

"I guess," Cole said slowly. "But -- we gotta do something about the bond first, because that's what caused . . . what happened."

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded and pointed at the bedside table. "Hand me paper and pen?"

[demonbelthazor]

Cole reached over to the table, fumbling until he found the desired items. "Going to try another spell?" he said, handing them over.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded. "I can try to focus more on this one this time."

She hunched over the pad for a few minutes, hastily writing.

[demonbelthazor]

Cole peered at the paper. "How's it going?" he asked.

[sensethevisions]

"I think I have almost got it," she said with a faint smile.

[demonbelthazor]

"Ready whenever you are," Cole said.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded and sat up straight.

What was done
Let be undone
Now that Cole is again safely home
Let his feelings be once more his own.

[demonbelthazor]

Cole waited a moment, then pinched Phoebe.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe jerked her arm away with a slight frown. "Ow?"

[demonbelthazor]

"I didn't feel that!" Cole said happily.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe tackled him. "Yes!"

[demonbelthazor]

Cole hugged Phoebe close against him. "There's only one way to be sure," he said.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nuzzled him and then nipped at his neck. "Yeah?"

[demonbelthazor]

Cole pulled her head over to his for a long kiss.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe had no problems putting her arms around him and kissing him deeply.

[demonbelthazor]

"I want us to be the only ones feeling this," Cole murmured against her lips.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe nodded. "Just you and me."

[demonbelthazor]

"As it should be," Cole said, nuzzling her neck.

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe ran her hands down his chest. "Always."