Room 121, Thursday, lunchtime

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander, sitting at his desk and staring intelligently into space, occasionally tapping a finger against Jeremiah's tank, is trying to decide something very important.

Food?

Nap?

Food?

Nap?

__
[For the b-word-person. Sidling towards NWS]

Comments

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander scrapes together enough presence of mind ...somehow... to sound casual when he says, "Yeah. I mean, four people max, for this kind of thing."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Blink.

Blink.

"Buh?"

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander snorts. "Just checking to see if you were paying attention."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I'm paying attention!" Bridge says defensively. And demonstrates what, exactly, he is currently paying attention to.

[soldtoarmenians]

"..."

...

"...what was the question?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I dunno, it was your question in the first place! I think. Maybe."

[soldtoarmenians]

"Something about...uh." Forget about forgetting the question; remembering how to talk is hard enough. Remembering why he even wants to remember how talk is hard enough.

Oddly, the ability to snicker in his head and be twelve over the repetition of 'hard enough' in his thoughts, is not all that hard. It's one of the few things that isn't, though.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Please..." and there's really supposed to be a full sentence there. Really. But much like Xander, he's finding that speaking is hard and... other things are too.

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander's not telepathic. Seriously. Aside from any spells he's had put on him, there is nothing psychic, magic, alien, or remotely weir-- ...well, okay, weird, yes. But human.

Still, he's pretty sure 'Please shut up and do something' was a completely accurate reading of Bridge's mind just now. So he complies.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Yep. Pretty damned accurate.

"Mmmguh," Bridge manages.

[soldtoarmenians]

So apparently that was the right something. Or possibly there's just no wrong something, at this point.

Xander tests that theory with other somethings.

Followed by a pause that is possibly frustrating but eventually helpful. Followed by still more somethings.

We could vague that up for you if you want.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

And that last something? Is apparently *the* right something. As it's enough to send Bridge over the (purely metaphorical) edge.

Then because it's only fair, Bridge does his best to return the favour.

[soldtoarmenians]

Not that that's very ha-- difficult, at this stage. Breathing, yes. The rest, no.

Actually, it's just the breathing in part that seems to be an issue. It's entirely possible that even with the shower on and Deacon Blues cranked up to annoy-the-neighbors levels, there's still a traumatized frog in the bathroom.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

...
...
...

"Y'know, I think maybe I remembered the question." Bridge manages, after a while.

[soldtoarmenians]

"...what was it?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"'Bout whether I have a workshop this afternoon. Which I do." Bridge explains. "Sex Ed, actually," he snickers.

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander looks over -- he's about recovered the energy to do that, at least -- and snorts. "Yayyy, research!"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Yeah-huh," Bridge says, with a wide grin. "Course, that means I gotta move... sometime."

[soldtoarmenians]

"And probably shower." Xander grins back. "Which I guess means you get to leave soaking wet too."

He narrows his eyes. "But not in your underwear."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"You want me to go commando?" Bridge asks, wide-eyed. Yes, he knows what Xander actually meant. But he just had to say it.

[soldtoarmenians]

Xander blinks at him, looks for a second like he's about to crack up, then his eyes narrow again. "Smartass. What would you do if I said yes?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Say 'okay'," Bridge says, starting to get up.

[soldtoarmenians]

"You're kind of awesome." Xander says this conversationally, while folding his hands behind his head and watching Bridge get up. Not that he doesn't plan to share the shower; he's just enjoying the view.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge ducks his head and blushes as he fumbles for the towel, which he then wraps around his waist 'cause... frog.

"You comin'?"

[soldtoarmenians]

"Well, not right away. I may be nineteen, but I'm still only human."

Look, there are some straight-lines that it's actually illegal to let lie there. That's one of them.