30 Angsts ficlet - "Taken Too Far"
Jul. 2nd, 2006 05:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
decadentdreamFandom: Charmed
Title: Taken Too Far
Author/Artist:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
decadentdream
Theme(s): #26 Under your skin (~surreal reality)
Pairing/Characters: Wyatt/Bianca
Rating: R (for topics of a sensitive nature)
Word Count: 1,307
Written For:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
30_angsts
It was beginning to look like a slow night at P3. Because of this Wyatt decided to be rather obliging with the staff. He decided he’d let those go home that had better places to be and who didn’t mind being paid only for the few hours they had worked. He stayed behind with the few handful that were left, enthusiastically passing the time with one of his employees and his charge over a few beers telling bad jokes.
“What do you call a man with a spade in the head?” the barman asked. He didn’t wait for answer. They all found it hilarious enough just to blurt it out themselves. “Doug. What do you call an affectionate man? Phil.”
“Oh, hey,” Wyatt said, putting the bottle down on the counter. “What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea.” The two men cracked up hysterically. Wyatt continued: “What do you call a deer with no legs and no eyes? Still no idea.”
Bianca walked over to the counter to join them. Shivering, she rubbed her arms. Wyatt turned his head to look at her and smiled.
“Come to join in the fun?” he asked. She shook her head. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m cold,” she complained. “I think we should go.”
“Baby if you wait a little while longer I’m sure a few more bodies will come in and warm up the place.”
“Oh! Oh!” Wyatt’s charge piped up. He pointed a finger at the barman. “What do you call a body floating in the water with no arms and no legs? Bob.”
Wyatt looked back to the man and smirked then turned his attention back to Bianca. She seemed resolute about leaving.
“I’m not in the mood for thumping music and sweaty bodies. I’d rather curl up under a blanket and watch a movie,” she said.
Wyatt sighed. Pulling some money from his back pocket, he slapped it down onto the counter in front of the bartender. Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out the keys and held them out to him.
“I’m going to go. Can you close up for me?” Wyatt asked.
“Sure,” the bartender agreed.
Taking one last swig from the bottle, Wyatt slid off his stool as Bianca began to walk away.
“Man, you’re whipped,” his charge said to him, shaking his head. “You’re going to leave us cause she says so?”
“Hey if I’m not nice to her, I never get to see her better side,” Wyatt said to him. The man snickered, knowing what he meant. Holding out his hand he gave Wyatt a high five as he left.
* * *
“What do you want to watch?” Wyatt asked, looking through their collection as Bianca settled herself under a blanket on the couch.
“I don’t know. Put a comedy on since you’re in the mood to laugh,” Bianca said.
“That doesn’t help me decide,” he replied.
“Okay, put on Pirates of the Caribbean then,” Bianca instructed.
Inserting the disc, Wyatt walked back towards her. “You just wanted to watch that so you could check out the sexy long-haired pirates.”
“Doesn’t stop you from being one,” Bianca said, crawling her way up his arm as he sat down and lightly pressing his nose. “We could get you a patch and one of those funny-shaped hats next Halloween.”
“Ha ha,” he said snidely. “Have you heard about the new pirate movie?”
“No.”
“It’s rated aarrggh,” Wyatt joked.
Laughing, Bianca slapped him playfully and sat back against the cushions, turning her attention to the television. The movie was three quarters of the way through when Wyatt suddenly looked up to the ceiling. Bianca lifted her head from his lap.
“What?” she asked. Looking back down at her, she saw the discouragement and irritation on his face. She frowned, knowing he’d been called. “But the movie’s not even finished.”
“I know,” he said bitterly.
Lifting herself up, she allowed him to move. Moving onto her knees she cast a saddened glance towards the television. It wasn’t like they had never seen the movie before, but it wouldn’t be as entertaining to watch without him. And she was starting to feel a little tired.
“I won’t be long,” he said as he stood.
“It’s okay. Take your time. I think I’ll go to bed,” she said.
Crawling underneath the sheets, she instantly fell asleep. Wyatt didn’t join her until some time later. He tossed and turned so much in an effort to sleep that Bianca began to stir. When she did manage to peek through heavy-lidded eyes she saw he was lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling. Finally he sat up, leaving the bedroom and heading into the kitchen. She heard him moving about, the noise of things being idly shifted. Rubbing her eyes she eventually climbed out of the bed herself and followed him out. He was staring aimlessly out the kitchen window, his hands clutching the edge of the sink. She stopped in the doorway. He looked at her, quickly averting his eyes and passing her as he made his way into the living room, dropping down onto the couch. Bianca followed him.
“What’s the matter?” she asked softly, taking a seat and sitting cross-legged in one of the armchairs. She pulled her long sleeves down over her hands, balling them up inside the material. “You look upset.”
“I can’t sleep,” Wyatt responded, staring vacantly at the edge of the coffee table in front of him.
“Do you want some tea?” Bianca offered.
“No,” he said. Quickly realizing he might be making her feel rejected, he added: “It won’t help.”
“What are you agonizing over?” she inquired. He didn’t respond. Looking down towards the floor she decided she’d try a different topic and glanced back to him. “How did it go? Before?”
“Um…” he said, wetting his lips. “I don’t know. I think I have to go to a tribunal hearing tomorrow. Today,” he corrected himself. “I don’t know. I’m still a little bit shocked.”
“Something happened?”
“My charge. He… he assaulted one of the girls at the club. Sexually assaulted.”
For the first time he glanced towards Bianca, gauging her reaction. At first she looked surprised, and then uncomfortable as the notion of what had happened began to sink in.
“Is she okay?” Bianca asked quietly.
“Well…I wouldn’t blame her for being traumatized.” He looked away despondently, emitting a sigh of dejection. “What am I teaching these kids, Bianca? It’s okay to abuse your powers like that?”
“No,” she argued, shaking her head. “He’s old enough to know better.”
“What if it had been you?” Wyatt asked suddenly. “I mean, you were there tonight, I wasn’t really paying that much attention to anything. It might have been you instead of her. Just because we left…” He paused, trying to stop himself tearing up at the thought. “I’ve let this man into our apartment, Bianca! I thought I knew him. I thought I could trust him. I thought… why couldn’t I help? If I’d stayed or… why didn’t I know?”
“You can’t look into someone’s mind and know what they’re going to do. Even if they’re sexually aggressive sometimes…” Bianca trailed off. He didn’t want explanations. He was worried. All he needed was reassurance. She moved to sit next to him, curling her legs behind her as she took his hand and interlaced her fingers between his. “He didn’t try anything on me. And even if he had, I still have ways to get myself out of that predicament without getting hurt. I’m not completely mortal. Thankfully.”
Lifting his arm around her, he pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. He wondered what kind of surreal reality he was living in. He wasn’t looking forward to talking to the Elders about this later.
Title: Taken Too Far
Author/Artist:
decadentdreamTheme(s): #26 Under your skin (~surreal reality)
Pairing/Characters: Wyatt/Bianca
Rating: R (for topics of a sensitive nature)
Word Count: 1,307
Written For:
30_angstsIt was beginning to look like a slow night at P3. Because of this Wyatt decided to be rather obliging with the staff. He decided he’d let those go home that had better places to be and who didn’t mind being paid only for the few hours they had worked. He stayed behind with the few handful that were left, enthusiastically passing the time with one of his employees and his charge over a few beers telling bad jokes.
“What do you call a man with a spade in the head?” the barman asked. He didn’t wait for answer. They all found it hilarious enough just to blurt it out themselves. “Doug. What do you call an affectionate man? Phil.”
“Oh, hey,” Wyatt said, putting the bottle down on the counter. “What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea.” The two men cracked up hysterically. Wyatt continued: “What do you call a deer with no legs and no eyes? Still no idea.”
Bianca walked over to the counter to join them. Shivering, she rubbed her arms. Wyatt turned his head to look at her and smiled.
“Come to join in the fun?” he asked. She shook her head. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m cold,” she complained. “I think we should go.”
“Baby if you wait a little while longer I’m sure a few more bodies will come in and warm up the place.”
“Oh! Oh!” Wyatt’s charge piped up. He pointed a finger at the barman. “What do you call a body floating in the water with no arms and no legs? Bob.”
Wyatt looked back to the man and smirked then turned his attention back to Bianca. She seemed resolute about leaving.
“I’m not in the mood for thumping music and sweaty bodies. I’d rather curl up under a blanket and watch a movie,” she said.
Wyatt sighed. Pulling some money from his back pocket, he slapped it down onto the counter in front of the bartender. Reaching into his other pocket he pulled out the keys and held them out to him.
“I’m going to go. Can you close up for me?” Wyatt asked.
“Sure,” the bartender agreed.
Taking one last swig from the bottle, Wyatt slid off his stool as Bianca began to walk away.
“Man, you’re whipped,” his charge said to him, shaking his head. “You’re going to leave us cause she says so?”
“Hey if I’m not nice to her, I never get to see her better side,” Wyatt said to him. The man snickered, knowing what he meant. Holding out his hand he gave Wyatt a high five as he left.
“What do you want to watch?” Wyatt asked, looking through their collection as Bianca settled herself under a blanket on the couch.
“I don’t know. Put a comedy on since you’re in the mood to laugh,” Bianca said.
“That doesn’t help me decide,” he replied.
“Okay, put on Pirates of the Caribbean then,” Bianca instructed.
Inserting the disc, Wyatt walked back towards her. “You just wanted to watch that so you could check out the sexy long-haired pirates.”
“Doesn’t stop you from being one,” Bianca said, crawling her way up his arm as he sat down and lightly pressing his nose. “We could get you a patch and one of those funny-shaped hats next Halloween.”
“Ha ha,” he said snidely. “Have you heard about the new pirate movie?”
“No.”
“It’s rated aarrggh,” Wyatt joked.
Laughing, Bianca slapped him playfully and sat back against the cushions, turning her attention to the television. The movie was three quarters of the way through when Wyatt suddenly looked up to the ceiling. Bianca lifted her head from his lap.
“What?” she asked. Looking back down at her, she saw the discouragement and irritation on his face. She frowned, knowing he’d been called. “But the movie’s not even finished.”
“I know,” he said bitterly.
Lifting herself up, she allowed him to move. Moving onto her knees she cast a saddened glance towards the television. It wasn’t like they had never seen the movie before, but it wouldn’t be as entertaining to watch without him. And she was starting to feel a little tired.
“I won’t be long,” he said as he stood.
“It’s okay. Take your time. I think I’ll go to bed,” she said.
Crawling underneath the sheets, she instantly fell asleep. Wyatt didn’t join her until some time later. He tossed and turned so much in an effort to sleep that Bianca began to stir. When she did manage to peek through heavy-lidded eyes she saw he was lying flat on his back staring at the ceiling. Finally he sat up, leaving the bedroom and heading into the kitchen. She heard him moving about, the noise of things being idly shifted. Rubbing her eyes she eventually climbed out of the bed herself and followed him out. He was staring aimlessly out the kitchen window, his hands clutching the edge of the sink. She stopped in the doorway. He looked at her, quickly averting his eyes and passing her as he made his way into the living room, dropping down onto the couch. Bianca followed him.
“What’s the matter?” she asked softly, taking a seat and sitting cross-legged in one of the armchairs. She pulled her long sleeves down over her hands, balling them up inside the material. “You look upset.”
“I can’t sleep,” Wyatt responded, staring vacantly at the edge of the coffee table in front of him.
“Do you want some tea?” Bianca offered.
“No,” he said. Quickly realizing he might be making her feel rejected, he added: “It won’t help.”
“What are you agonizing over?” she inquired. He didn’t respond. Looking down towards the floor she decided she’d try a different topic and glanced back to him. “How did it go? Before?”
“Um…” he said, wetting his lips. “I don’t know. I think I have to go to a tribunal hearing tomorrow. Today,” he corrected himself. “I don’t know. I’m still a little bit shocked.”
“Something happened?”
“My charge. He… he assaulted one of the girls at the club. Sexually assaulted.”
For the first time he glanced towards Bianca, gauging her reaction. At first she looked surprised, and then uncomfortable as the notion of what had happened began to sink in.
“Is she okay?” Bianca asked quietly.
“Well…I wouldn’t blame her for being traumatized.” He looked away despondently, emitting a sigh of dejection. “What am I teaching these kids, Bianca? It’s okay to abuse your powers like that?”
“No,” she argued, shaking her head. “He’s old enough to know better.”
“What if it had been you?” Wyatt asked suddenly. “I mean, you were there tonight, I wasn’t really paying that much attention to anything. It might have been you instead of her. Just because we left…” He paused, trying to stop himself tearing up at the thought. “I’ve let this man into our apartment, Bianca! I thought I knew him. I thought I could trust him. I thought… why couldn’t I help? If I’d stayed or… why didn’t I know?”
“You can’t look into someone’s mind and know what they’re going to do. Even if they’re sexually aggressive sometimes…” Bianca trailed off. He didn’t want explanations. He was worried. All he needed was reassurance. She moved to sit next to him, curling her legs behind her as she took his hand and interlaced her fingers between his. “He didn’t try anything on me. And even if he had, I still have ways to get myself out of that predicament without getting hurt. I’m not completely mortal. Thankfully.”
Lifting his arm around her, he pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. He wondered what kind of surreal reality he was living in. He wasn’t looking forward to talking to the Elders about this later.
