Dante (justbusiness) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2010-01-26 12:40:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | dante, roger, wesley |
Wednesday March 26th
Who: Dante, Roger and Wesley
What: Coming face to face
Where: Wes' apartment
When: Wednesday Night
Rating: R for language
This was going to be the hardest moment of his very short solitary life. It was evening, the light from the day just dying over the horizon. Dante had walked to the apartment complex, hesitating at the door for ten minutes before he'd gotten up the nerve to knock. He could hear the sounds of Family Guy coming from the living room. Shit, that meant Roger and Wesley were in there. Too late now, he'd already knocked.
Laughing at Peter and Chris Griffin's antics, Roger pushed himself up off the couch to answer the door. Wesley was already sprawled out and comfortable on the couch, no need for him to get up. Besides, it was probably just the pizza guy, and Roger was paying tonight. Still laughing, he opened the door, the smile faltering from his face just a little at the stranger on the other side. He wasn't wearing a hat or carrying a pizza, so... who was it? "Uh," he said, chuckling a little, "can I help..." And then it clicked. He looked into the man's eyes, into the crystal blue hues and saw the familiarness in them, felt the spark jump between them. Felt himself become complete. "You." Roger's face grew dark, his eyes dangerous. The two stared in silence for a moment, though it felt like it stretched on for ages. And then Roger's fist broke the silence.
The half demon threw a precise, hard right hook into Dante's jaw, cracking the bone. Dante went down from the force, landing on the pavement of the parking lot, scraping his elbows. He had expected to be hit, hadn't expected this amount of force. Roger pounced on his other half like a feral cat, fists swinging, energies charging. He was out for blood. Dante was stunned for a second, but only a second. With newfound determination, and a desire to live past the one month he'd managed to stay alive, he threw Roger off him as easily as if the other man were a rag doll. He was back up on his feet in a second, hands raised to either block a swing or make one.
Roger rolled across the pavement a few feet, leaping up onto his feet and diving for Dante. His shoulder hit the man's waist, taking them both back down, the two men of flurry of fists and grunting. Blood and spit and sweat was dripping all over as they fought. The static in the air was literally crackling, loud popping noises breaking the quiet of the neighborhood. Bolts jumped between the two men as their fists collided with one another's faces and bodies, cracking bones and splitting skin and bruises forming raw and purple.
---
Wes was happy with the blissful combination of Roger, Family Guy and pizza. Life was good. Yeah so Roger might not be completely healed yet but so long as he was there with him, breathing, happy, laughing Wes was more than content. It could have been so different, if Roger hadn't - fucking no. The healer had got himself out of that train of thought several times before and he wasn't going back down it now.
Besides, PIZZA! Of course Wes released his hold on Roger (he'd been snuggled close) so the demon could get their food. He could resume cuddles later. Unless of course Roger decided to attack the guy at the door....
Over Stewie Griffin's latest musical number Wes heard a hit, a smack on the floor and a growl... he spun around to look at the front door, Roger was gone. Holy shit what was going on? Wes leapt over the back of the sofa, speeding towards the entrance, heart hammering. Oh shit what if someone had come to take Roger away? Wesley stopped, stunned as he saw Roger and some other guy rolling around on the floor. In many instances, Wes would pause and take the sight in for later use of the image, but his priority was Roger. He sped forwards, shouting in a bid to try and break it up.
"HEY!" Though Wesley was smaller than both men, the healer had no second thoughts about trying to put himself between them, dragging Roger up by the shoulders. "Fucking STOP! Get off him!" He had no idea who he was yelling this to, the tangle of bodies practically merging into one. "Off!"
---
Roger barely heard Wesley's voice over the angry pounding of blood in his own head. As Wesley grabbed his shoulders, a pulse of electricity surged from Dante up through Roger's body, hot to either make the healer let go or kill him if he didn't.
A sharp punch beneath Dante's chin made the man's head snap back, and Roger was back on him. It was all his fault. Everything- the torment and the fear and the ruining of his life, losing his childhood home, all the strain on his mother and Wesley being hurt and losing huge pieces of his time, of his life... it all came back to Dante. Dante had nearly killed him, and now he was going to return the favor. "You son of a bitch," he hissed. "You fucking asshole!"
Something was going wrong, and panic as well as pain flared up in Dante's chest. He couldn't control his energies anymore. This was like it had been when he'd gone to see Erin, only far worse because while he could drain the electricity into the ground until the surge passed, Roger kept feeding him more. Eventually his body would overload and he'd die. He hadn't gone through all this to be put out now. Spitting blood from his mouth, Dante tried to get a hold of the half demon's flying fists. "Stop!" he cried out, pleaded, something he'd never done in a fight once in his life.
Roger scoffed. "Like hell!" Another fist, fully charged and sparking, slammed into Dante's ribs.
"You're going to kill me!"
The half demon froze, fist midair, one hand grasped around the other man's neck. He had been determined to end Dante's life, to kill him and be rid of him for good. There was enough anger boiling inside him that he could do it. Except he couldn't do it. His fist had stopped itself as soon as he'd realized that he was actually capable of ending Dante's life. Leaning back, Roger looked over the man beneath him, only now seeing that something was really wrong. Pulses of electricity kept coursing through, except he wasn't in control of them. Dante's muscled limbs contracted and jerked randomly, small blue bolts jumping from his hands to the ground, jumping between his and Roger's bodies. Knowing he'd regret it, Roger grabbed Dante's hands in his. "Give it to me," he said firmly.
Trying to focus on not frying everything within a ten foot radius, which included Wesley, Dante was just grateful Roger had stopped hitting him. It was impossible to concentrate when your fight instincts were kicking in. Eye closed, he tried breathing deeply, knowing it was already too far along to stop it. He needed to get Roger the hell off him... except Roger was taking his hands. Eyes popping open, he stared at the half demon, confused. Roger couldn't handle this much. "Are you fucking-"
"Just do it!" Roger snapped.
Dante didn't have much choice at this point.
---
Fucking hell - Wes could feel the static but wasn't prepared for the shock which knocked him off his feet. The healer stumbled backwards, the surge of electricity shaking his spine and he actually fell onto the ground with a groan. His ticker was not used to that, had probably not even recovered from the last time it got fried. His hair was almost standing on end as he struggled to sit upright, watching the fight unfolding in front of him.
Roger was going to kill this man - Wes could see it and he could feel it. He'd never seen Roger so angry, so pure with his rage before. He was so far gone that Wes could barely recognise him. Who the hell was the guy getting this beating? Wes wanted to reach out and stop Roger, stop him from beating the fuck out of him but he didn't want another shock; his body wouldn't be able to handle it right now. Something was happening between the two men brawling on the floor - or less brawling, more Roger hammering the shit out of the other.
As Wesley moved to stand, attempting to speak, he saw Roger take the other's hands. Electricity. They both hand electricity. Did that mean that...? "Fuck..." Wes stared. He couldn't keep his eyes from them. That guy was Dante... it was Dante... it was enough to make him fall to the floor again.
---
Wesley stayed ignored for the moment, the two other men practically glowing from the electricity being exchanged between them. If this didn't alarm the neighbors it would be a damn miracle. Roger gritted his teeth against what Dante was giving him, struggling to keep his breath even. It wasn't that it hurt, exactly, but it felt like he was drowning. It seemed to go on forever, nothing but waves and waves of electricity flowing through him. He tried to keep it all in, but it was too much. The pavement beneath them was cracking.
The irony of the fact that Roger was pretty much saving his life right now was not lost on Dante. He felt helpless, which made him feel angry, which only fueled his unstable currents. He needed to calm down before he killed Roger. Actually, he was impressed with how well the half demon was in control of things.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the flow of electricity stopped. Dante fell back onto the pavement, exhausted and panting. Roger stayed for a moment, letting the last of his internal currents settle, staring at the man below him. Dante was alive. He was real, actually, physically real. What had started out as an imaginary coping mechanism had become a tangible person. This was medically impossible. But Wesley had said a piece of his brain was-
Wesley. Shit. Scrambling off Dante, Roger rushed to the healer's side. He'd shocked him. How could he have done such a thing? "Wes?" he whispered, kneeling beside the man, touching his face gently. "Wes, come on, say something..."
---
Wes was just watching from the side, propping himself up on his elbows but not really over the shock of well, being shocked. Every now and then static ran up his spine and he shivered, something he did as soon as Roger touched his face. He couldn't take his eyes off the man who had collapsed onto the ground and the healer was obviously stunned. Somehow he didn't feel so good.
"Fucking hell..." Was that enough for him to say? Dante was there, in physical form, talking in his own body with his own face and his own... everything. It made sense now, the brain thing, but Wes' own wasn't functioning just yet. It must have been a hefty bolt Roger gave him.
With his mouth dry, Wes turned to face Roger. "Who... Dante...?"
---
As soon as Roger was off him Dante was sitting up, putting the heel of a palm to his forehead. Damn, Roger had really pummeled the shit out of him. Where had the kid learned to fight like that? Every bit of him ached- his chest (at least two cracked ribs), his face (bruised jaw, broken nose, split lip), his head (concussion, maybe?), his fists (from punching, his own damn fault). His body kept throbbing in angry protest. He looked over to Roger and Wes, his eyes looking them over. Wesley didn't look so hot. Not that he could be blamed. Dante's haywire pulses had knocked the guy on his ass.
Roger laughed a little when Wes spoke, just glad he was okay enough to talk. And in fact, what he said was probably the most appropriate thing for him to say. Roger was ignoring his own injuries, bleeding knuckles and bruises and a black eye. Right now what mattered was Wesley. He slipped an arm around the healer, desperate to touch him, to be holding him to make absolute sure he was alright. When Wes looked at him, searched his eyes, Roger tried as hard as he could to stay focused on the question and not just fall to bits in worry. Wes was only human after all, he couldn't handle this strain. "Yeah," he said softly, eyes never leaving the healer's. "It's him." He had known from the moment he'd looked at Dante that it was him, he'd felt it. But it made sense that Wes hadn't.
---
So that was it then. Quiet period over. Dante was back after he'd taken Roger, back into their lives, with a bang as per fucking usual. Of all the possibilities that had gone through the healer's mind for Dante's return, this wasn't it. He'd planned on hitting him, screaming at him, slamming the door in his face... if Dante even existed any more. Now he was too weak to do anything. He'd thought he was going to hate Dante on sight. But all he could do was stare at him.
"I'm gonna go inside," he said coldly, getting to his feet but not without Roger's help. His legs were still a little wibbly. He was not about to give Dante the time of day. He'd suffered enough at Roger's hands and though Wes could easily heal him up he deserved to fucking mend on his own.
---
Roger got Wesley to his feet, holding him tightly but not to tightly that he might hurt him. Unfortunately he was bleeding on the man, but they could both clean up later. In a hot shower.
Dante watched the two other men get up, himself still sitting on the cold concrete. Neither of them spared him a glance as they walked back into the apartment, happy with one another, obviously completely in love. Dante just stared after them, his heart sinking. He needed to talk to Roger, he'd come back here just for this. He was ready for any conversation except for the one that wasn't going to happen. So much depended on Roger- if Dante would go or stay, who could be in his life, what happened next. Instead his former other half just shut the door, disappearing with the man he loved into the safety of the apartment. Fuck.
Once inside, Roger led Wesley over to the couch, laying him down. 'Family Guy' was still playing pretty loudly, and Roger turned it down, putting the remote on the coffee table and bending down to stroke Wesley's cheek. He was so glad that Wesley was okay. With a sigh, Roger turned to look at the window, curtains drawn but he could almost guarantee that Dante was still out there, probably still in the same spot. Finally, he went back to the front door and opened it. Sure enough, the familiar man with a strange face was just sitting there, an odd expression on his face. He looked... scared. "Get in here," Roger said shortly, heading back inside but leaving the door open.
---
If Wes was in his right mind he might have told Roger to tell Dante to come along, but like the half demon he was still a little mad which the former alter-ego. It didn't matter he'd managed to achieve the impossible and get his own body - he'd stolen Roger away without so much as an inkling of the sheer utter hell he was about to put him through. Wesley had gone out of his mind, Roger had been lost and confused. He was recovering so well and now Dante had the damn gall to show his face around here knowing the fucking torture both Wes and Roger had gone through.
With a sigh, Wes watched Roger move. He knew what he was going to do. Dante was going to come in the apartment, Wes' apartment, oh dear fucking Christ. It was a good job he was sitting down, wobbly... he wanted to kill the fucker. But at the same time he did feel slightly bad that he'd left him outside in the lurch.
---
With a frown, Dante got to his feet and followed Roger in, tripped in the doorway because his leg muscle spasmed unexpectedly. Fucking body. He managed to grab the doorway and keep from sprawling out on the floor, though. After taking a second to be sure of his balance, Dante came inside, closing the door behind him and standing awkwardly near it. His new body was large, muscles everywhere and not an ounce of fat. He stood an inch taller than Roger, no small feat. Everything about him was gruff, rugged, imposing. Yet he felt like a tiny child in here, under the watchful gaze of Roger and Wes. Dante wondered where the vampire was, and if the skinny demon was here too. He seriously hoped not.
Roger had sat down beside Wesley again, eyes never leaving Dante. A few times he'd had dreams about this moment, about seeing Dante again, but it never went like this. Dante always looked how he used to look, like Roger. And Roger had always been merciless, not caring what happened to his own cold eyes and indifferent, cruel sneer staring back at him. But Dante didn't look like he used to, looked absolutely nothing like him. And he looked too human to hate. His eyes, though a piercing blue, were humbled and timid. "I don't even know what to say," Roger admitted.
---
Wesley was gradually regaining the use of his own body and he didn't have the excuse of not being used to it. It was weird, feeling the same as he'd done after Dante had decided to fry him to death. What was stranger, though, was the fact that Dante was here and not looking like Roger. Similar to his half-demon boyfriend, Wes was struggling to come to terms with Dante's new form. No longer was the blonde, kind-looking man but with the cold smirk and angry eyes. He was... rough. Raw.
Roger might not know what to say, but Wes had a few ideas. "I do," he said, staring at Dante. Clearly he meant business. "What could fucking possess you to come back here after everything you did to Roger? What you effectively did to me? You put both of us through hell, granted Roger suffered more, but FUCK Dante... you have some fucking nerve coming back here, beating the shit out of him, then just..." Wes growled, eyes staring into Dante's with complete fury. "What are you expecting, here?"
---
Another hiccup in the "What I Was Expecting When I Spoke to Roger" ideal Dante had in his head- Wesley wasn't part of the plan. Dante had hoped to be alone with Roger, although once he'd found out that Roger was staying mostly with Wes these days, that hope had gone out the window. And now that Wesley was here, of course he was going to do the talking. Frowning, Dante stepped further into the room, holding his arm close to his side as it twitched for a moment. Expelling tons of electricity always made him jittery.
Dante paused a minute, looking at Wes with his new and icy eyes, trying to decide what to say. He couldn't think of a damn thing, mainly because Wesley wasn't what was important right now. So he blatantly ignored the healer's questions, instead looking directly at Roger. "I know everything's fucked," he mumbled, daring another step closer. "But I'm not sorry. I'm not. Maybe I coulda told you, and maybe I coulda not been so secretive about it but the fact is, and you know it, that if anyone other then who already knew had found out, it wouldn't have happened."
Roger stared at Dante a moment, and when he spoke his tone was even, but livid. "Who else knew?"
Nox. Erin. Tad. "Me and the alchemist," Dante replied just as coolly. "That's all. If anyone else had known, they'd have tried to stop it. I can't blame 'em for it, either. I couldn't stay there, though. I was fading away and I knew it, you knew it. I..." He licked his lips, a minimal sign of how nervous he was. "I wanted to live."
Roger looked Dante over, reading his face. There was a lot going on in the other man's mind that wasn't being clear. Frowning, forgetting Wesley just a moment, Roger leaned forward a little. "So what the fuck do you want now?" he asked coldly. "You've got it. You've got your life, you've got your own body, your own mind, a piece of my brain to do whatever the fuck you want with. Go, live it, do what you want like you always did, why the fuck do you need to be around here now?" Anger was building inside him and he could feel it, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to bother stopping it. Until he saw what Dante did next.
Knowing he deserved this anger, not even bothered by it (at least that's what he told himself), Dante shrugged a little. And then he burst into tears. "Wha... fuck!" he snapped, wiping frantically at his face. Goddamn sissy emotions were running wild with him recently and he couldn't stop them. "Shit," he whispered angrily.
---
One thing about Wes, a reason why Roger had fallen for him, was that he was compassionate about his fellow human beings. And.. supernatural beings. But right now Wesley wasn't feeling anything near compassion or affection for the stranger in his living room. Even as his anger grew about Dante ignoring his questions in favour of focusing on Roger, even when Dante spontaneously burst into tears... Wes couldn't feel anything.
"Fuck this shit," he growled, scrambling to his unsteady feet and beginning to walk to his bedroom but he paused, stopping in front of Dante. "Say what you want to say. Then leave - my fucking - house," he hissed at him, before he disappeared into his bedroom, slamming the door. Yeah a small part of him was a little sad about it, berating him for behaving like he was, but he didn't care. He wanted Dante gone. He couldn't just slip back into caring for him, for having feelings. He'd betrayed every trust and faith Wes had given him, and the healer, whilst very loving, could not just forgive that. The sooner Dante left the better.
---
Roger stared at Dante, even after Wes had gotten up and yelled at him, even after the bedroom door slammed and silence filled the house again, Roger just stared. People had told him before that Dante was capable of real emotion, that the man could cry, but of course Roger had never believed it. But now he was seeing it, and even though Dante was swearing and trying to act like he wasn't crying like a six year old, they were still real tears. It was like watching a supervillain fall... your eyes couldn't believe it even though you had always prayed for it.
Dante hated crying. He hated it worse now because he couldn't even stop it, couldn't have mustered up a glare at Wesley as the man snapped in his face and stormed off. He couldn't do anything but sniffle and wipe his eyes, trying to regain composure. Roger hadn't said anything yet, not even to try and stop Wes from leaving, not to chase after him. Dante and Roger were finally alone together. Taking a deep breath, Dante looked at Roger's face, saw that the man was watching him, as though waiting. He had to say what he needed to say and get out. "I know you can't forgive me," he began, voice quiet. "And I don't want you to. I don't really care if you do. That's not the point. But there are... there are people here that... look this is your life, I know that. You belong here and I just kinda... tore through shit and made a mess of everything for you. I know it don't matter that in my own fucked up way I was just trying to protect you, and I know it don't matter what I want from all this. The reason I'm here is to ask you... I just..." Dante took another breath, feeling himself getting choked up. Now was not the time for this shit. "If you want me to leave, I will. I'll leave forever and never come back, not think twice about this place or the people here that I-" He cut himself off, not wanting to admit too much.
"People you care about." Roger could finish it for him. After all, Dante had written a message to one of those people on Roger's stomach. Obviously he'd cared enough about the girl to at least let her know he'd been thinking about her. It was a total bullshit decision Dante was giving Roger, but then again what else was new. Sure, Roger could tell him to get the hell out of here, to disappear and never come back. But Roger also knew that people cared about Dante, for reasons the half demon couldn't comprehend. There were lots of people who cared about him. So it was up to him whether or not to deny them ever seeing Dante again. Without a word, Roger got up from his seat, walking past Dante to go into Wesley's bedroom. Dante's face fell. That answered that, then.
Knocking softly, Roger opened the door just enough to peek inside. "We're leaving," he said softly. "Not sure when I'll be back."
---
Wes sat bolt upright at those words, frowning but also looking frightened. What did Roger mean? What had Dante said? Had he somehow made Roger change his mind and decide to go something else, to leave Wesley's house? They were fucking moving in together weren't they?
"What..." he said immediately, staring at Roger. He didn't care if Dante was crying or worried about what he was going to do now. He deserved that. But Wesley was so worried that Roger was choosing Dante over him that the demon now had his full attention. "Where are you going? Why?"
---
Coming into the room but leaving the door slightly open, Roger sat on the bed beside Wesley. "Back to my room, I think," he said, though he hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't really know what to think. He asked me if I wanted him to leave. And on the one hand, yeah, I do. You and I were getting along so well and I never had to worry about him ruining anything anymore. I was just getting used to it. But on the other hand... there are people here who care about him, who maybe love him. You were one of them. And sitting in there with him, just the two of us..." He took Wesley's hand in his. "I haven't felt this normal in weeks. That piece of me that's been missing, it's just there, right there, I could touch it if I wanted to. It just feels so normal. I feel normal." The word 'normal' was a relative term, since Roger's usual state of 'normal' was having an alter personality.
"I need to talk to him. Alone. I have a hundred questions and I just..." He sighed, trailing off. "I don't know if I'll be back tonight. I have a lot to think about."
---
"I..." Yeah Wesley had loved Dante, had been the one to vouch for him and defend him and pissed off Roger even to try and describe the way Dante felt. But Roger had been annoyed then, and now the tables had turned. The choice word there was 'were' - Wesley had been one of the group of people who gave a damn about Dante. Probably the one who loved him most of all. And he'd been repaid by Dante scaring the shit out of him, making his life a misery for two weeks and almost sending him to the edge of using again.
Now Roger wanted to go out for a drink. Nice and cosy. "Fine," Wes said, letting go of Roger's hand and turning away to lie on the bed, curling into himself. So Roger hadn't felt normal with Wes. Great. The healer had thought they were getting along great, the best they'd ever been. Now Dante had shown his new fucking face all that was gone.
"Leave a note if he abducts you again."
---
Roger felt the swell of annoyance rising in his chest, and that could easily turn into full blown anger any second unless he was careful. Taking a breath and a moment, he looked at Wes' body, at the back turned to him, the defensive position Wesley had taken. "Don't be like this," he said, a little shortly. "I know you're mad at him, I'm mad at him too. But this is... it's incredible, Wes. For months people told me that he was a real person, that he wasn't just some bully out to destroy my life. And I finally get to see that for myself. I finally get to talk to him like everyone else has always been able to do. And here you are, laying there with your back to me like an asshole because I want to do this."
---
Wesley sat up, not even showing an ounce of understanding right now. He knew where Roger was coming from and could see that, but to hell with it. "Yeah I'm acting like an asshole, y'know why? Because that asshole in there made my fucking life hell for two weeks. You had the chance to get to know him before, you could have taken my word for it that he was kinder than you thought when he actually showed a softer side. But no - it's taken a life threatening fucking operation in which BOTH of you could have died to actually think along the same lines as me. He put you in danger! I went out of my mind, what if you'd DIED? I would never have fucking known! He behaved exactly the fucking same as you believed him to be all these years, he broke ANY belief I had in him. So yeah you go off and try and figure out your new fucking best friend. I'll stay here, mad at him, because I am not going to forgive that man for what he did to you and to me. Doesn't matter how fucking new he is."
---
The band holding Roger's emotions in check was stretching thin. "He KILLED you, Wesley! You were literally lying on the floor dead, yet somehow you managed to forgive him, to love him. Did you forget about that?" He got up from the bed, not wanting to be next to Wes anymore. "That asshole made your life hell for two weeks, that asshole destroyed my life for thirteen fucking years!" No doubt Dante could hear them, but Roger didn't care. "Don't you fucking tell me that I should have taken your word for it, act all insulted that I couldn't. Why couldn't YOU take MY word that he wasn't capable of emotion, that he was going to do exactly what he did? You needed a 'life threatening operation' to make you think like that, huh?"
Livid, seething, vehement, Roger's fists were in tight balls at his sides, little sparks popping off them. "Maybe this isn't about YOU, you selfish dick, you ever think about that? Maybe this is about what I need. I spent two weeks being nowhere and when I woke up, I was away from you and cut to pieces and scared out of my mind! Half of me was missing! Don't you think I deserve some fucking answers about that??" Running his hands through his hair, Roger scoffed. "But oh, no, let's not think about that because poor Wesley was scared for two weeks. Wesley didn't know where I was, didn't know what had happened to me... nevermind that I didn't know where I was, I didn't know what happened to my own body. Obviously you're more important here."
---
"I forgave him because I knew he'd changed his mind about hurting me but he lost control of his powers!" Wes knew it was a thin argument but he couldn't believe how Roger was just so accepting. It felt normal now Dante was here, why not go out for a drink? Forget everything else.
Seething, Wes glared at Roger. He was quiet for a moment, considering everything he'd said. So Wes was selfish right? Fine. Then he'd continue to be so. "You see what he's doing? He's barely here ten seconds before you're beating him up, before we're fighting about him and he's fucking up our lives! But even quicker than that you forget it and wanna go make friends..." He took a breath, shaking his head. "Get out then," he hissed, "go get your fucking answers. Have a good FUCKING time. Clearly I don't mean a shit. Just go. Get out. Have FUN." Once again Dante was taking Roger away from him and Wesley didn't think he could handle that.
---
"I wasn't asking permission to go," Roger said darkly, an eerie anger creeping onto his face that Wesley would recognize immediately. "It doesn't matter if you want me to or not. I wanted to tel you know I was going so you wouldn't wonder where I was, what had happened. I don't give a fuck if you want me to go or not." The half demon was fighting a losing battle against his emotions, the rage sweeping over him easily.
"What exactly do you think is going to happen? What, you think this is a fun time, just old friends catching up? What the fuck is wrong with you? I'm not happy, you dumb shit. I'm furious, I'm angry and I haven't forgiven him. I'm never going to forgive him. I find it interesting, though, that you're so dead-set against forgiving him when you were always the first to before. You stood up for him, you defended him... sometimes, I thought you were only with me because of him. Why is it that before when we fought about him, when he was fucking up our lives, it wasn't such a big deal? Because you weren't the one angry with him? But now you are, so of course, we should cut him out, get rid of him."
Heading to the door, Roger paused a second, hand on the doorknob. "You're becoming very transparent," he said icily. "And I don't think I like what I'm finding."
---
"When I stood up for him he hadn't taken you away from me. He hadn't endangered your life. He could endanger anyone else's, mine, I wouldn't... but he took you. And he's taking you again. You're gonna have him to look after, again... and I'm..."
Wes had to tell him about his fear but it was so hard. "I lost you to him once, I can't lose you now. I don't... I don't know what I'd do if you just disappeared with him and it's terrifying me. When you were gone I thought about it a lot and how... how good we'd be without Dante. We ARE good without Dante, it was like some epiphany smacked me in the face but I never told you cause I figured he wouldn't be a problem again."
And apparently Roger saw him as transparent. Well. That gave Wes confidence. "I thought you were going," he said dully, looking anywhere but Roger.
---
If anything could break Roger's anger, it was that. He hadn't been wrong- Wesley was completely selfish. But he was selfish because all he wanted was Roger, and it seemed like he was losing that. Still standing at the door, hand on the knob, Roger listened to Wes, his expression softening. "I am going," he said quietly, turning back to Wes who seemed determined not to look at him. He waited a moment, then held up his left hand. "And I'm coming back to you. I don't wear totally gay rings for just anyone." The golden Claddagh was slipped onto his pinky (because it'd been too small for his ring finger), aquamarine stone glittering in the dim light.
"Wesley he's not stealing me. This isn't about that. You saw us fighting out there, he can't drag me anywhere. I'm going to come home to you, just maybe not tonight. I'll text you. I'll text you in an hour, and then an hour after that, before I go to bed..." He sat down beside the healer again, reaching out tentatively for him. "I'm always going to come home to you. Always."
---
Wes may have found the joke funny if he were in a lighter mood. As it was he merely looked at Roger holding it up, trying not to take it as a slight against him. When he was brooding he was far too sensitive for his own good. Couple that with being worried sick about what would transpire between them and you made for a very confused healer. It was probably shock, too. Dante had a whole new face, wasn't the person Wes knew. It was like allowing Roger out with a stranger who acted a little like the person he'd made up.
Roger was being sincere and hoping to ease Wes' mood down, that much he could tell, but it wasn't really working. There was still a deep-seated fear which made him disbelieve him slightly but now wasn't the time to show it. "Okay," he said, agreeing to whatever Roger wanted to do tonight. He might text but Wes might not text back. He planned to get very very drunk once the two had gone.
---
Roger knew the "okay" was not sincere, but he needed to do this. And when he did text Wes in an hour, and then after that, and then to say goodnight, Wesley would know that he had no reason to worry. Roger wasn't worried that Dante was going to hurt him, because he knew that he wouldn't. He was more worried that he'd have a dead body to attend to by the end of the night. Roger had questions, plenty of them, and he knew he wasn't going to like what Dante told him. "I love you," he said to the healer, a last attempt to get him to talk, to at least look at him, before he left.
---
All Wes could wonder was why the hell Dante hadn't just left them alone. He rubbed at his eyes, which felt tired and drawn. This would yet again be another week of hell during Wes' life and once again the cause would be Dante. Dante this, Dante that. It had been nice to have a break without worrying that he'd pop up someplace unexpected and cause the havoc he so liked to wreak upon people. Quiet and for the most part vanished in his head, Wes nevertheless recognised Roger's attempt and turned his head to him. He wanted to say 'I hope so'' but that would only cause more aggravation. Instead he opted to keep it short and sweet. "Love you too."