ic contact post

[countdone]

Comments

[airshow]

[ James snorts, kind of but not quite a laugh, giving him one of those scrutinizing see-I'm-not-as-dumb-as-I-act looks. ]

Good question. Why did you come?

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Because I was worried about you?

[DUH.]

[airshow]

... look, that stuff I said... that was like, half the gas side effects talking.

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Which half?

[Is it time for James to take back all the feelings talk.]

[airshow]

Uggghhhhh.

Okay, okay, look, just the half where I actually. Said it.

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Well, it's too late for you to unsay it.

[Very helpful, Piper.]

[airshow]

I just didn't wanna... y'know...

[ ugh James say it JUST FREAKING SAY IT ]

... bug you. With my stupid messed-up crap. But then you said you had problems too and, hell, I was just so relieved to hear that.

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I'm pretty sure anyone would, after...all of that.

And we're friends, James. You aren't bugging me.

[airshow]

It feels like it! God, Piper, I don't even like thinking about it, why the hell would anybody else wanna?

[ He leans back against the arm of the couch, face turned towards the ceiling. ]

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Just because it's not a pleasant thing to talk about doesn't mean you can't bring it up.

[airshow]

Can't help but notice you haven't brought it up either.

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Well, just because it doesn't bug me doesn't mean it wouldn't bug you.

[airshow]

Gee, thanks. See, this is why I don't talk about things.

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Would you want me to have talked about it?

[airshow]

I don't know!

[ It's more of a whine than anything else, and he drags both hands down his face, just to be dramatic. ]

God. See, you keep talking about how there's nothing wrong with it, but it's not like you're any more willing to share.

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It's not so much a matter of what I'm willing to do.

[Gotta continue to be stubborn and unhelpful.]

[airshow]

Asshole. I'm thinkin' I should've stayed here by myself with the infomercials.

[ Good thing his feet are conveniently located for one to nudge Piper in the stomach. ]

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Well it's your place, you can always kick me out.

[EMPHASIS ON KICK.]

[airshow]

[ The pause that follows is too awkward to be as nonchalant as he'd like. Damn it. ]

... no. Stay. C'mon. Just don't expect me to go laying any more of my cards on the table 'til you do.

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Wasn't expecting anything. We can talk, or we can not talk. It's up to you.

[airshow]

[ After a second's deliberation, he reaches for the remote and mutes the TV, because at this point he'll feel more like a coward if he doesn't say something. ]

Okay, fine. You said you'd had issues, too. What kind of issues?

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[He pauses to decide how he wants to answer this.

He doesn't have to tell him all of it now, but he might as well get some of it over with.]

Hallucinating a dead person can still talk to you kind of issues?

[airshow]

Wait, what?

[ Well that's not even a little bit what he expected. Damn it, Piper, always throwing him for a loop. He's supposed to be good at predicting people! ]

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After you died. I had to drag your body around for awhile, and...yeah.

[airshow]

[ He sits bolt upright at that, and it's a real struggle not to throw the remote at Piper's stupid ginger head. ]

"And yeah"? What the hell, Piper, you can't just "and yeah" that kind of thing like it's something anyone's got any kind of frame of reference for!