The Roof | Afternoon | Sunday | July 11

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

It felt like a day to get out of his room. Really, everyday felt like that but today more than others. He was getting that restless, walls closing in feeling that he tended to get every few months. It'd put him into a bad mood (though he hadn't gotten out of that from a few days ago) and made him snappy and irritable.

That, naturally, brought him to the roof and had him sprawled out on the edge of the roof, cigarette stuck between his lips, earbuds in his ears playing some raucously loud, and hand tucked underneath his head. It was warm and he'd probably get some sun but he wasn't one to burn. Benefit of coming from the Midwest where you either got sun or you moved.

At least he'd foregone walking along the ledge of the roof and probably causing a panic in a few people that didn't know him. He was being safe by contrast. Laying on the roof's ledge meant he'd have to roll over to fall instead of missing a step and falling. Completely safer.

[Roof's open. Summer is too long.]

Comments

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wesley wandered up to the roof, propping the door open so as not to get locked up there again. When he saw Alex, he walked over and asked concernedly, "Ah - is everything all right?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex didn't immediately hear Wesley because that music was loud but he did get the sense that someone else was on the roof so he glanced over. One earbud got yanked out and he asked, "What?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wes didn't want to bug Alex, but he kind of hoped he could help with the bad mood. He stammered, "Er - I - ah, I was just wondering if everything was all right."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"It's never all right, Wesley," Alex said, shrugging, "but I deal. What's up with you?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Nothing - ah, that is to say, nothing particularly noteworthy," Wesley replied. He sat down on the ground next to the ledge. "Is - is there anything I can do to help?"

Because he did kind of like Alex, and he did not want him falling off the roof.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Nope. My life is shit and then I'll die," he said, sounding resigned to that fact. "I just live it up while I'm here. And I wouldn't ask for help anyway."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wes understood feeling maudlin. Sulking and brooding were two things he was pretty familiar with, especially after this past spring. "Ah - would it be beneficial for you to talk about it?" he offered. "You wouldn't have to ask for help, just - just discuss the nature of the problem. That might be helpful."

"Alternatively, if you'd prefer, I could leave," he added.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I don't talk about it," he said, sounding amused. "I'm not a feelings type of guy but it's cute of you to offer."

Alex shook his head and tapped some ash off his cigarette. He couldn't help the sarcastic answer even if he didn't too much mind Wesley. "Having a good weekend?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough," Wes answered without any trace of trying to nag Alex to share. "My weekend's been a bit hellish, in fact, but nothing unmanageable. Are you certain you wouldn't prefer your privacy?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Nah man, it's a free roof," he said, shaking his head. "What's been hellish about your weekend? Something weird happen that I missed?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure it's nothing compared to whatever's troubling you," he offered as a disclaimer hesitantly. Then, thinking it might help Alex to hear about someone else's problems to shift focus from his own, he said resignedly, "Well, I discovered this week that I'm to take a class taught by a girl who tried to kill me in my universe. So I've spent the bulk of my weekend on the phone with my father, trying to persuade him to allow me to drop the class, but he seems to think I've earned this experience."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Well," Alex said, taking a drag from his cigarette and trying not to laugh, "I'm sure that's interesting. Why'd she try and kill you?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Possibly because she's evil," Wes answered dryly. "Or the more popular opinion is that I was so unfit a guardian to her that trying to kill me could hardly be considered an offense."

Realizing that that might have sounded a bit confusing, he hastily clarified, "I was, ah, appointed to be her Watcher, or a mentor of sorts. I was fairly incompetent, so she turned toward murder as a response to my ineptitude." He was completely resigned to this. "Perfectly reasonable," he said flatly.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

So safety conscious. As always. Effy was used to this particular sight, and probably wouldn't have worried much if he had been wandering on the edge. It was something she'd have done.

In place of dropping something on him, or any number of other ways to scare the shit out of someone who wasn't paying attention, she leaned over, one hand placed on either side of him.

And waited.

Why talk when he probably wouldn't hear her anyway.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

He didn't hear her but he sure as shit wasn't going to miss someone leaning over him. He opened his eyes and didn't say anything but he didn't really smile either.

They could have a staring contest. She'd probably win since she had more experience.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Could take a while, though. He was stubborn enough, she thought, to put up a fucking good fight.

He might not be smiling, but Effy did quirk a hint of a smirk down at him, enjoying her higher perspective here. The little things could entertain her.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

All right, her smirking meant he couldn't hold back a small one of his own. He was stubborn and he was comfortable so he thought he might do okay in a staring contest with her.

He did move to pull out one of the earbuds so he could hear her if she said anything. Didn't want to miss his victory.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Well, him taking that out was just a sign to steal it from him and duck her head closer to see what he was listening to out here.

If it was something embarrassing she could mock him for it. That was always fun.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

As if he'd get caught with something embarrassing. It was basic rock 'n roll, turned up loud and full of screaming and lots of guitar riffs. It was his kind of music.

If she made fun of him for that, he'd be likely to find something to insult her about. Payback was fun.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was about as... ragey, as she'd been expecting from him, though her eyebrows did twitch a little as she registered what she was now listening to.

It wasn't enough her kind of thing to bother holding onto, so his headphones got dropped back on his chest again a few moments later.

Still not talking yet.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex let his headphones stay on his chest and he kept looking up at her, looking inquisitive now. Maybe he wondering what she was planning, maybe he was wondering if she was going to talk.

Maybe he was just trying to goad her into saying something first. Maybe it was none of those. He wasn't talking either.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

He'd find she wasn't very goad-able. Sadly.

Not when it came to talking, anyway. But she wasn't just going to sit there and stare at him while doing nothing else. Touching was not a part of this competition so idly tapping his chin was allowed.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

No, he kind of figured she wouldn't be easily goaded into talking. And he, of course, didn't want to be the first one to talk either but there came times when he got tired of the silence.

Alex took the cigarette out from between his lips, flicked off some ash and then offered it to her. It proved a good enough diversion to keep him from talking.

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Not gonna complain if he chose that kind of distraction. Bonus to not having to pull out her own cigarettes and lighter.

Effy did stop leaning over him to quite the same degree at that point, though. No need to blow smoke in his face. Could make it form pretty little rings off the side of the roof instead.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex appreciated her foresight there. He liked the smell of cigarette smoke but not when it was blown right into his face. Of course, now he was gonna end up talking. He had no more cigarette to occupy his mouth with so he had to do something.

"Hello, Effy," he finally said, snickering. "Come to visit me and the roof?"