MCA#0, Sunday evening

[needsaparrot]

After a week full of encounters, some of them less awkward than others and at least one a lot less expected than others, Xander was alone.

More specifically, he was sitting alone at the small table in his kitchen, with a beer and a box.

The tv out in the den was playing something old enough to have a laugh track and familiar enough that he wasn't really listening to it. He'd just left it on for the noise.

You'd think he'd be out there watching, since it wasn't like he was doing anything else productive, like going through the box. He was just sitting there in the kitchen, slowly sipping his beer and flipping through the first thing he'd found packed at the top of the box: a photo album.
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[OOC: for a certain returning wayfarer, yis]

Comments

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Guess it would be, with Giles showing up," Bridge says, sliding the album over so he can take a better look.

[needsaparrot]

Among other things. Xander sets the bottle on the table in front of Bridge, and moves his chair over so he can see what Bridge is looking at.

"That's Joyce," he says, pointing to the picture on the right, of a smiling woman with wavy hair, sitting on the back steps of a house. "Buffy and Dawn's mom."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I remember," Bridge says, glad to finally be able to put a face to the name. "She meant a lot to you. All of you guys."

[needsaparrot]

"Yeah, she did." Xander slides his finger across the page. "And there's Buffy and Dawn doing.... something with mac and cheese. I'm not sure that pot was ever the same again."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge snickers slightly. "I've seen Dawn's cooking. I'm not surprised."

[needsaparrot]

"I can't remember whether that was the time it burnt or the time she tried to get creative with the spicerack." Xander turns the page and pauses before flipping it all the way open, once he sees the next picture.

It's one of him sprawled on the couch, one leg up on the arm, grinning at Faith, who's propped her legs across his lap and is laughing at the camera. At Larry behind the camera, really.

"That's Faith," he says simply when he lets it fall open. NOt that Bridge wouldn't know what she looks like from the one who went here, but...yeah. He glances at Bridge, not sure of what he'll see.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"You guys look... happy," Bridge says, not sure of what to *say*. Or what to feel, really. There was the flicker of jealousy that she got to be with him while he couldn't, but also he couldn't help but be *glad* that she'd been there for him, like the version of her in his dream had promised. And then there was the fact that she'd *died* saving Xander. Well, the world, but Bridge is kind of biased and feels that Xander is the most important *part* of that world.

[needsaparrot]

"There?" Xander studies the picture and gives a small smile. "Yeah. That was after Buffy was back but before we moved. Back in the old apartment." Still glancing at Bridge, because he's still not sure how much Bridge has read of the things he said over the years. Not even sure he remembers all of it.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"She told me not to worry, that she'd catch you, in my dream," Bridge says quietly. "I'm... glad she was there. For you."

[needsaparrot]

"She was, yeah." Xander laughs. "Not that it wasn't weird. I mean, first person I ever--" Right, still stymied by that lack of a word. "--had something with after they tried to kill me..."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge nods. "I... read all the stuff you sent," he offers awkwardly.

[needsaparrot]

"There was kind of a lot," Xander says in a half-apologetic tone. "Not surprised it took a while."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I didn't mind," Bridge says. "Meant a lot, actually, that you'd still write after it'd been years and you hadn't been able to hear back."

[needsaparrot]

"Like I actually need somebody to be listening to me to keep talking?" Xander waves a hand, painfully casual considering how much he had got by on imagining exactly that, all those years. "Have you met me?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

And that earns a "bitch, please" look.

[needsaparrot]

Xander sticks out his tongue and turns the page to a picture of Faith hitting Larry over the head with a sofa-pillow. Still looking down, he admits, "It helped. Talking to you. To everybody. A lot."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Glad I could do *something*, even if I couldn't actually be there."

[needsaparrot]

"Not your fault." Even if somewhere way down there under a couple tons of rubble, Xander still wonders, well... He takes a drink. "Um. Can I ask you something?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Anything," Bridge replies.

[needsaparrot]

"When you had your dream vision thing, how much of that did you know was gonna happen?" That's not entirely what he wanted to ask, not really, but it would do.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I knew... I knew if you didn't go back, your world or reality or whatever... there probably wouldn't even be rubble left over. That if you went, I *would* see you again, though I thought it'd be six years for both of us. That you'd be hurt. That Faith would be there to catch you." Bridge says quietly.

[needsaparrot]

Xander nods slowly. "But not the details. You didn't know whether I'd pass drafting, or see a Dayplanner showing when all the apocalypses were scheduled."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge shakes his head. "No dayplanners, no."

[needsaparrot]

"Too bad - I'd've tried to see if there was some wiggle-room on the dating for caving in the Hellmouth, if I'd known," Xander says with a little smile. "Didn't mean to make your homecoming party all beer-and-emo."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge shrugs. "Didn't want to be anywhere else but with you, today."