MCA roof, Xander's workshop: Thursday night

[needsaparrot]

If Xander had a hammer - oh wait, he did.

There was some small irony in the fact that what he was hammering away at was a bookshelf, but really it was just something to pound small, sharp pieces of metal into at very high velocity and even higher volume. While wearing proper eye-protection.

*BANG*

It was helping. Really.
__
[OOC: For a specific visitor.]

Comments

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Wasn't just reading your thoughts," Bridge mumbles. "Was also... pulling certain thoughts forward, and planting his own."

[needsaparrot]

Which... makes Xander feel better about some things. And worse about others, like the sound of Bridge's voice when he says that.

"Can I kill it?" Xander asks, almost conversationally. "Or at least hit that little card a lot? I've got my own hammer and everything."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Z and I aren't exactly sure what'd happen if you did that," Bridge says. "I don't *think* it'd let him out, but it's best not to test it I think."

[needsaparrot]

He wasn't serious, except in his imagination, but he says, "Damn," anyway. Then, "I'm sorry," again.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Anyway. It wasn't *your* fault," Bridge says, unconsciously starting to cross his arms before he seems to realise what he's doing and jams his hands back in his pockets.

[needsaparrot]

"That thing hurt you, and I didn't stop it. I didn't even notice there was anything wrong."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Neither did anyone else," Bridge points out. "He was very good at covering his tracks."

[needsaparrot]

"You had your gloves off." Xander doesn't say when; he's pretty sure he doesn't need to.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Do I need to repeat the part where he was *in your head*?" Bridge says. "You didn't notice because he didn't *want* you to notice. Until it was too late."

[needsaparrot]

Xander sets his goggles down on the workbench, turning his back for a second. Then another. Then it seems like maybe he won't say it if he's actually looking, so he doesn't.

"That's not why I didn't notice."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Then why?"

[needsaparrot]

Xander does turn around, then. And gives Bridge a milder version of his bitch-please face. "That thing may've poked around in my skull and used what it found to push me around, but it didn't put it there."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I know," Bridge says softly.

[needsaparrot]

"You don't have to be possessed to mess with my head," Xander says, just as softly.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I-" It takes him a while to think of what to say to that. "I love you, you know. More than anything."

[needsaparrot]

Xander wishes he knew what to say, wishes Bridge didn't already know what he can't find words for, wishes... he even knew what he should be wishing. He gives a helpless little laugh. "Willow brought me a powerpoint presentation today. There was a pie-chart."

In Fandom, as has been pointed out by smarter people, this counts as a segue.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"No tire iron?" Bridge asks, just to make sure.

[needsaparrot]

Okay, that gets a bigger laugh. "No, but there was clip-art."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"So what did you think of the presentation?" Bridge asks.

[needsaparrot]

Xander reaches for the goggles again, just to have something to do with his hands. He toys with the elastic strap as he says, "Lots of focus on trying to convince me how great you are."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I'm just me," Bridge says, looking down at the ground.

[needsaparrot]

"Thing is I already knew that." Xander snags a stool from the workbench with his foot and slides it towards himself. "I didn't need pie charts."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I know," Bridge says again. "I mean, I saw. The way you feel about me."

[needsaparrot]

And Xander could wish that hadn't happened, but he spent most of Saturday night and Sunday doing that, when he wasn't concentrating on feeling like he should have a thermos lid thrown at him, so the novelty's mostly worn off.

"I don't know how to do this," he says instead. "The just-friends thing. I thought I did."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Me too." Bridge admits. "I mean, I *tried*. Because it's what you said you wanted," and there's an unspoken, and I'd do anything for you, there.