The Hyperion, Tuesday Afternoon

[demonbelthazor]

Bel still hadn't really talked to Anders since the whole turning into his alternate universe self. How they managed to not see each other while living in the same room and even sharing a bed was anybody's guess. But Bel was tired of the silence between them, so now he was laying in wait to corner Anders so they could finally talk.


[For the robot.]

Comments

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Look, you try paying attention to what's going on around you when you live with the perpetual Bob Dylan earworm. In between the Olympics, the NCAA basketball tournaments, and the excitement of spring training, Anders had been a sadly preoccupied jock of late. (It was, he thought, a preferable alternative to brooding over the whole thing, or at least a welcome distraction.) Today, he happened to be a preoccupied jock whose class for the day had been cancelled, leaving him at loose ends for the next couple of hours.

And, conveniently, walking riiiiiiiiight by Bel.

[demonbelthazor]

Who ever so casually stuck out a leg to trip Anders. That was one way of getting his attention.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Frakking ow," he said eloquently, rolling onto his back and looking up at Bel with a slightly put-out expression. "What was that for?"

(Memo on metaphorical octagonal paper to one Samuel T. Anders: just because this is your own special way of brooding doesn't mean you haven't been.)

[demonbelthazor]

"Figured it would get your attention," Bel said. "Not my fault you weren't looking where you were going."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders had no explanation for his lack of attention there. Stupid earworm. He got to his feet, tucked his hands behind his head, and sighed, taking a second or two to actually meet Bel's eyes. "What was wrong with just calling my name?"

Possibly the fact that a brick wall might be more perceptive than you've been lately, Sam.

[demonbelthazor]

"Because you've been all" -- Bel wiggled his fingers, which apparently was the universal sign for everything -- "avoidy." Not that he'd been going out of his way to find Anders because he'd been dealing with his own emo issues. Except when he was adding official checkmarks for Veronica and Lindsey on the Hyperion Boff Chart. Shhh.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

. . . sure, make Anders think for a second you were implying something about him being toast with that fingerwiggling there. OR A TOASTER. He lived with Bridge for two years, remember? Okay, thinking about being toast was slightly preferable than thinking about the Boff Chart. He was an old Fandom hand, he knew how these crazy weekends worked, but he was pretty when he was broody just a little too given over to the tendency to think too much to be able to completely blow it off.

"I know," he answered simply, leaning against the wall. He studied his hands for a moment, then took a breath. "I was doing pretty well there for a while, not thinking about all the Source stuff."

Oh, and there it was.

. . . yeah.

[demonbelthazor]

That made Bel flinch, and it took him a few moments to formulate a response. "Because I -- he" -- whatever -- "reminded you of him?" he said quietly.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Not that closely," Anders answered, "but close enough. Closer than you've been to that in a long time."

He pushed away from the wall with a frustrated exhalation of breath, tapping at his temple a little too hard with one finger. "I know you're not that guy. I know it. Doesn't keep me from remembering."

[demonbelthazor]

Bel really tried not to remember how the Source had toyed with Anders while he was in control of his body, but now that was all threatening to come flooding back. He dropped his head to his hand and looked...anywhere but at Anders. "Yeah," he said gruffly. "I get it."

He really was going to have to take off for a few days. Make things easier for Piper and Anders.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

He damn well better not, or Anders was going to have to go after him and kick his ass.

"You better not frakking be thinking of taking off," he said sternly. See? "I've been thinking about this too much, and I've had enough. We can't both be playing defense all the time, dammit. Won't get us anywhere."

[demonbelthazor]

"Then what do you want me to do?" Bel said. "You're avoiding me, Piper's still wigged out, I haven't seen Lindsey or Veronica around at all. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around here now." He stood up and began to pace agitatedly.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Prove it to me," Anders said bluntly, reaching out to grab him by the arm even though he halfway wanted to flinch away. Stupid impulse -- he knew damn well who he was dealing with, but his stupid reflexes just weren't quite convinced yet. "That you're really not that guy. I don't expect you to be the perfect hero . . . never have. I don't forget what you are. But you tell me. Show me, because I can't prove it to myself."

[demonbelthazor]

"How?" Bel said, his voice a little snarly with frustration. He didn't pull away from Anders, though. "Tell me what to do. Want me to stop a school bus full of kids from falling off a bridge? Save some nuns from a fire? Put on a mask and fly around calling myself Eclipse? Just tell me, and I'll do it."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders stared at him for several long seconds before he dropped his head and started to laugh; that was the Bel he knew and loved.

"Dumbass," he said, putting an absurd amount of affection into the word. "If you really want to do any of that, I won't stop you but if you pull that Eclipse thing this is so over and I'm throwing a tree at you. I'm here now. I'm not running. So remind me I don't have a reason to."

[demonbelthazor]

That Bel knew how to handle. "Jackass," he growled, but not with the same inflection he used when he was talking to Logan or Anakin. He yanked Anders against him so he could give him a demanding demony kiss.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

As ways to deal with relationship issues went, this was probably not the most healthy. Maybe. Anders didn't know and didn't care; he was more interested in closing his eyes, losing himself in the moment, sliding a hand up to get a rough grip on Bel's hair. He could think about it, and think himself into flinching away -- or he could answer with a growl of his own and pull them back a step or two toward the wall again.

The second option was far more immediate, and . . . let's face it, far more interesting.

[demonbelthazor]

Bel was more than happy to press Anders up against the wall. And right now he didn't give a damn they weren't in their room and anybody could walk by at any moment. Right now all that he cared about was Anders. Wall.

If Logan popped up to complain, he'd fireball him.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Hot.

. . . ahem.

"You're not him," Anders muttered half to himself, muffled against Bel's lips as the words might be.

[demonbelthazor]

No, he wasn't. Even if he did have the Source to thank for acting on his attraction to Anders. But he wasn't about to think about that and ruin the moment. No, it was much better to think about things like...grinding Anders against the wall. Yes.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Dumbass," Anders got out again as soon as he could spare the breath for a second.

Really, really hard to take that as an insult when he was tugging at Bel's clothes, though. He liked this grinding against the wall business . . .

[fh_jackass]

Logan was heading down to the office to retrieve his laptop when he spotted something he really, really didn't want to see. He made a face, then slipped away to the kitchen and returned with a bucket of water. Since some people clearly needed cooling off.

SPLASH!

[demonbelthazor]

Bel spun around with a growl, knowing before he turned who was going to be there. Phoebe would have joined in, Piper would've said something snarky, Veronica would've taken a picture. Water meant just one person. "I am going to kick your ass, Echolls!" he snarled.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Great frakking timing, Echolls," Anders spoke up from over his shoulder, less enraged and more exasperated, and with water dripping into his eyes. "Thanks for that."

[fh_jackass]

Logan shrugged. "Hey, that corner of the lobby needed watering. Not my fault you were there instead of, say, in your room."

[demonbelthazor]

"Maybe we figured you could use a few tips," Bel said, wiping his hand through his hair and flicking the water from his fingers at Logan.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Not asking how you know," Anders muttered, poking Bel in the side. "I know enough about everyone around here's personal lives as it is."

[fh_jackass]

Logan made a face. "I'd take tips from Anakin, first."

[demonbelthazor]

"Oh, like he knows anything," Bel snorted, idly poking Anders back.

[fh_jackass]

"My point, thank you," Logan said.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"I love how fast the mood changes around here," Anders grumbled, glaring from Bel to Logan and back again. "Really."

[demonbelthazor]

"You think I'm going to let this jackass stop me?" Bel said, turning back to Anders.

[fh_jackass]

"Do what you want," Logan said, tapping the bucket lazily. "Plenty of water in the kitchen."