Room at the Hyperion [Saturday Night]

[bridge_carson]

Bridge is tired, frustrated, and on the verge of getting a headache as he stomps up the stairs and flung open the door to their room in the hotel. The search so far had turned up absolutely *nothing*, and Bridge didn't want to admit it, but what with Los Angeles being... considerably more crowded than Fandom, that many people in that close proximity was just overwhelming when he was trying to track someone.

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[needsaparrot]

Xander followed, closing the door a bit more gently. He unslung his carry-on bag from his shoulder and dropped it on the floor in front of one of the chairs, and himself into the chair. "We'll find her," he said.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"She's alone," Bridge mutters from where he's sprawled on one of the beds. "All those people out there, and she's *alone*."

[needsaparrot]

"So all we need to do is look for somebody lonely, depressed, and slightly psychotic." Xander nodded. "In L.A. Piece of cake."

That was possibly not the most uplifting thing he could've said, it occurred to Xander afterward with a wince.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge just scowls in response to that.

[needsaparrot]

"What I mean is, it'll be better in the morning. You're shot to hell right now, and it actually does get a little less crazy around here when the sun comes out."

This might not be Sunnydale, or his dimension, but it was close enough to both for government work. Xander had spent his fair share of time in Los Angeles at night; he knew the kind of things out there that were probably adding to the natural effect of being unshielded around so many people.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Fandom's pretty crazy," Bridge points out.

[needsaparrot]

"Less sources of it, though. Also less assorted vampires demons, and evil lawyers adding to the mix."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," Bridge admits. Grudgingly.

[needsaparrot]

"You gotta relax." Xander shrugged out of his jacket and shifted in the chair, looking across at Bridge's bed. "For now. Or you won't be any better off tomorrow."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

To say Bridge didn't immediately think of a few things *Xander* could do that would be relaxing would be kind of a lie. Instead he just sighs.

"That applies to you too."

[needsaparrot]

"Hey, I'm just the muscle and the map-carrier. You're the tracking expert." Though to say that Xander's back didn't pop when he stretched or that the other bed didn't look a lot more comfortable than this chair would also kind of be a lie.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

I still need you, Bridge wants to say. Instead, he says. "There's another bed, you know. Probably more comfortable than the chair."

[needsaparrot]

"I'm okay he--" *pop* "Okay, point."

Xander stood and stretched again, but didn't immediately head for the bed. Instead he grabbed something about the size of a shaving kit from his bag and disappeared into the bathroom for a bit.

When he returned, he shoved damp hair off his forehead, tossed the case in his bag, and sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots off.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

As soon as Xander's back, Bridge pops his head up from underneath the pillow he'd been buried under. "Hey, Xander?" he says tentatively.

[needsaparrot]

Xander finished untying his left boot and looked up, toeing them off and tucking his socks into them. "Yeah?"

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"I-" This was it. Ever since Xander'd returned, the gnawing feeling of guilt in the pit of Bridge's stomach had been growing and growing. Xander had a right to know the truth about the dream he'd had back in August. That Bridge had known all along about Xander's dimension being cut off, and how long it would be before he was back in Fandom. "I'm glad you're here," he says, with a tentative smile.

[needsaparrot]

Xander looked up and smiled, feeling a just little less tired and worried, for a second. "Me too. Not here here, y'know. But... " He said it, even if maybe it was unfair, because it needed to be said. Not like he hadn't said it to other people. Other friends. "I missed you."

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Missed you too," Bridge says. "Every day."

[needsaparrot]

Xander wasn't sure how to reply to that. It'd been ...multiply by six, carry the one....way too tired for math in his head...a lot of every days. If he hadn't stopped letting himself think about it that often, at least in that way, he'd have gone as crazy as Callisto might be.

"You should get some sleep," he answered instead, reaching for the light.

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"You too," Bridge says, resolving to tell Xander the truth- *soon*- otherwise it'd just get worse, the longer he waited.

[needsaparrot]

"Night," Xander said in the dark, and if it was possibly the weirdest thing ever to be saying that from where he was, to who he was... at least he was tired enough not to lie awake thinking about it for very long.