Haunted - Chapter 2
Title: Haunted
Chapter Title: 2 - Rewind
Pairing: Steve Gonsalves/Dave Tango
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Violence, making Steve make the worried face.
Word Count: 1491
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunters, Dave Tango or Steve Gonsalves.
Comments: Chappttterrrr 2! Grant decided to be the awkward father figure when I wasn't planning him to and if I didn't like the plotpoint he shoved in there I would have totally re-written that scene. PS. I would so want a card from Jay's kids, like, for serious.
Summary: Steve stumbles upon things he should not see, and some things are brought to light.
Steve stared. He rewound the last bit of the tape, listened again, and paused it, staring. He did that once more just to make sure it said what he thought it said. “Say that you are in love with Steve.” The computer repeated, the video showing a disembodied voice.
“So, what happened?” Jay entered the room, leaning against the doorframe. Steve turned around in his chair, still holding Tango’s hat. He’d gotten the blood out and was planning to give it back when he went to visit later that day.
“It was a poltergeist, I think.” Steve said. Jay blinked. “I know. It’s… strange to watch. He got beaten to a pulp by nothing, and then a pipe floated to the ceiling and broke the glass.” Steve turned around, muted the video and played the last section for Jay to see. “The audio is really bad, so I’m going to put it through the computer before I show you. But, hearing what I could hear, it sounded like it was in his head.”
“That’s just… wow.” Jay watched the video, worried. “And there was no one else in the room?”
“No one. I was in the van and you two were in the other building.”
“Hey guys, you figure out what did this yet?” Grant poked his head in the door.
“Steve thinks it’s a poltergeist or something of the like. Certainly paranormal.” Jay turned, hands in his pockets. “How’s Tango?”
“Awake, but barely coherent. They’ve got him on some pretty powerful stuff for the pain.” Grant stepped in, leaning against the doorframe. “On top of the beating they had to put him through surgery to fix some minor arterial tears and stop the internal bleeding. He’s also pretty much purple all over.”
“Hey, guys? I’m gonna go check on him. I’ll run the audio through the computer later.” Steve got up, taking the hat with him.
“Sure. Call us if you need anything.”
~*~
Tango sat in his bed, feeling like shit. He had an eye-patch over his black eye, bandages all over his arms and legs, and where there was skin it was purple from the bruises. He leaned against the giant pillow, exhausted. They hadn’t given him his medicine yet, either, so the pain throbbed throughout his body.
“Hey.” Steve had the door open a crack. He came in once he saw Tango had noticed him and smiled. “I got you something.” Steve then pulled a plastic horn from behind his back and put the headdress on Tango’s head. “To complete the look. Just pretend you can fly.”
“Steve.” Tango laughed, abruptly switching to coughing after a second. “I don’t want to be in a rock and roll band, though. And I’m not wearing short shorts.” Tango was smiling, though the laughing had stopped.
“You’re welcome, you Purple People Eater.” Steve pulled up a chair and sat down. There was a moment of silence. “I watched the tape.”
“I told you not to!” Tango sighed. No one listened, did they?
“We had to find out what happened to you.” Steve paused. “Was it right?”
“What does it matter?” Tango crossed his arms in bed.
“Tango… if you are… in love with me…” Steve paused, choosing his words carefully. “I need to know. I need to think about how to respond. You’re my best friend… and I don’t want to tell you things and ruin us.” He paused. “I have your hat.”
Tango reached forward and took the hat, putting it on. “You mean… if I said I did… you wouldn’t automatically say ‘no’?”
“It’s complicated.” Steve leaned forward on his arms. “You are my best friend. You’re like a brother to me. It’d be easy to take another step forward with how I feel. But I don’t know if I want to, or if you want me to. And even if I did know how I felt, I don’t think I could tell you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Tango looked a little worried.
“I’d have to choose between yes or no. If I said no, I’d break your heart. Even if I didn’t take that extra step, Tango, I care too much to break your heart like that. It’d hurt our friendship, you and me. But if I said yes… we’d really have to think about it before we did anything. TAPS has to come first. We’d have to sacrifice in order to keep working the same way. We’d have to be best friends that just happen to kiss occasionally or something.”
Tango watched Steve for a long second, fiddling with the sheets. “What would you say, right now, if I told you I was in love with you?”
“I don’t know, Tango.” Steve looked up. “I wouldn’t say no. But I can’t bring myself to say the same back… not yet. It’s a lot to get used to.” There was a small pause. “I don’t even think about guys like that, and yet… you’re different.”
“I’m not a guy?” Tango grinned. Steve laughed, leaning back.
“I hope you’re a guy or I’d be very confused.” Steve said. Tango mockingly lifted his sheets, and Steve laughed harder. Tango chuckled lightly, to avoid making his lungs hurt. “But, that’s not it. You’re a guy, but you’re not like… guys. You’re Dave Tango.” Steve smiled. “You’re my best friend… and even if we didn’t date I’d still hate to not have you by my side. You’re fun to be around.”
There was a long silence. “Does this mean you’re gay?” Steve asked, simply curious. Tango didn’t reply, instead pursing his lips and going a little pink. “It does explain the pink headphones.”
“They’re red.”
“They’re pink and you know it.”
“You’re just colorblind.” Tango chuckled, coughing more after a second. There was another long silence as each though over his own respective thoughts on the previous subject.
Finally, Tango spoke. “Steve… you’ve probably guessed by now that the apparition wasn’t lying. But let’s… think about this for a while.” He said. “Let’s make up our minds on what we want before we start taking… us… anywhere.”
“I like that plan.” Steve smiled. There was a knock on the window from one of the nurses and Steve stood. “That’s my cue. I’ll come by again tomorrow. Want me to bring you anything?”
“Real food.” Tango grinned. “Have fun watching the rest of the videos.”
“I will. You have fun with that morphine.” Steve reached out and put his hand on Tango’s shoulder, smiling. “Make sure they take care of you. Jay said his kids are making you a get well card.”
“Wow. Thanks for coming, Steve.” Tango smiled softly.
With a smile and a soft wave, Steve disappeared out the door.
~*~
“Steve.” Grant was sitting in his chair when Steve got back. “Come listen to this. I know you said the audio was garbled, and it sort of is, but this last part isn’t.” Grant lifted the headphones - Tango’s pink, er, red headphones, which had come from who knows where - to Steve. “You need to hear this.”
“I know what it says.” Steve said, staying standing. Grant paused, face going from concern to surprise to a deeper, knowing concern.
“Is it true?” Grant asked. Steve shifted, knowing what was coming.
“Yeah. I talked to Tango about it at the hospital. We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, exactly… I know I’ve got a lot to figure out, personally, and we’ve both got some things to talk about if we decided to go ahead with… us.” Steve shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Steve, you know what I think about this kind of thing between TAPS members.” Grant had a fatherly tone, like he didn’t mind that it was going down, he just minded that it was going down and it could affect the team.
“That’s what we’re going to have to talk about.” Steve took a deep breath. “I told him today, TAPS always comes first. He gets that. We just need to figure out how we’re going to separate us from the job, and what we’re going to have to sacrifice to do so.” Steve paused. “We can make it work, Grant. If he wants it… and if I decide I want it too, we can make it work.”
“You haven’t decided that yet?” Grant half-smiled. “You sound like you have.”
“I just… I think I have. I just have to make sure it’s what I really want to choose.” Steve smiled. There was a pause.
“As long as it makes you happy and you remember what I’ve said before.” Grant smiled.
“Can you not tell Jay until we decide something?” Steve asked, smiling brightly. Grant nodded.
“He’s spending some time at home with the kids for the weekend, so we won’t see him until Tuesday anyway.”
“Great.” Steve made for the door. “I’m going to head home. Call me if you need anything.”
Chapter Title: 2 - Rewind
Pairing: Steve Gonsalves/Dave Tango
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Violence, making Steve make the worried face.
Word Count: 1491
Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost Hunters, Dave Tango or Steve Gonsalves.
Comments: Chappttterrrr 2! Grant decided to be the awkward father figure when I wasn't planning him to and if I didn't like the plotpoint he shoved in there I would have totally re-written that scene. PS. I would so want a card from Jay's kids, like, for serious.
Summary: Steve stumbles upon things he should not see, and some things are brought to light.
Steve stared. He rewound the last bit of the tape, listened again, and paused it, staring. He did that once more just to make sure it said what he thought it said. “Say that you are in love with Steve.” The computer repeated, the video showing a disembodied voice.
“So, what happened?” Jay entered the room, leaning against the doorframe. Steve turned around in his chair, still holding Tango’s hat. He’d gotten the blood out and was planning to give it back when he went to visit later that day.
“It was a poltergeist, I think.” Steve said. Jay blinked. “I know. It’s… strange to watch. He got beaten to a pulp by nothing, and then a pipe floated to the ceiling and broke the glass.” Steve turned around, muted the video and played the last section for Jay to see. “The audio is really bad, so I’m going to put it through the computer before I show you. But, hearing what I could hear, it sounded like it was in his head.”
“That’s just… wow.” Jay watched the video, worried. “And there was no one else in the room?”
“No one. I was in the van and you two were in the other building.”
“Hey guys, you figure out what did this yet?” Grant poked his head in the door.
“Steve thinks it’s a poltergeist or something of the like. Certainly paranormal.” Jay turned, hands in his pockets. “How’s Tango?”
“Awake, but barely coherent. They’ve got him on some pretty powerful stuff for the pain.” Grant stepped in, leaning against the doorframe. “On top of the beating they had to put him through surgery to fix some minor arterial tears and stop the internal bleeding. He’s also pretty much purple all over.”
“Hey, guys? I’m gonna go check on him. I’ll run the audio through the computer later.” Steve got up, taking the hat with him.
“Sure. Call us if you need anything.”
~*~
Tango sat in his bed, feeling like shit. He had an eye-patch over his black eye, bandages all over his arms and legs, and where there was skin it was purple from the bruises. He leaned against the giant pillow, exhausted. They hadn’t given him his medicine yet, either, so the pain throbbed throughout his body.
“Hey.” Steve had the door open a crack. He came in once he saw Tango had noticed him and smiled. “I got you something.” Steve then pulled a plastic horn from behind his back and put the headdress on Tango’s head. “To complete the look. Just pretend you can fly.”
“Steve.” Tango laughed, abruptly switching to coughing after a second. “I don’t want to be in a rock and roll band, though. And I’m not wearing short shorts.” Tango was smiling, though the laughing had stopped.
“You’re welcome, you Purple People Eater.” Steve pulled up a chair and sat down. There was a moment of silence. “I watched the tape.”
“I told you not to!” Tango sighed. No one listened, did they?
“We had to find out what happened to you.” Steve paused. “Was it right?”
“What does it matter?” Tango crossed his arms in bed.
“Tango… if you are… in love with me…” Steve paused, choosing his words carefully. “I need to know. I need to think about how to respond. You’re my best friend… and I don’t want to tell you things and ruin us.” He paused. “I have your hat.”
Tango reached forward and took the hat, putting it on. “You mean… if I said I did… you wouldn’t automatically say ‘no’?”
“It’s complicated.” Steve leaned forward on his arms. “You are my best friend. You’re like a brother to me. It’d be easy to take another step forward with how I feel. But I don’t know if I want to, or if you want me to. And even if I did know how I felt, I don’t think I could tell you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Tango looked a little worried.
“I’d have to choose between yes or no. If I said no, I’d break your heart. Even if I didn’t take that extra step, Tango, I care too much to break your heart like that. It’d hurt our friendship, you and me. But if I said yes… we’d really have to think about it before we did anything. TAPS has to come first. We’d have to sacrifice in order to keep working the same way. We’d have to be best friends that just happen to kiss occasionally or something.”
Tango watched Steve for a long second, fiddling with the sheets. “What would you say, right now, if I told you I was in love with you?”
“I don’t know, Tango.” Steve looked up. “I wouldn’t say no. But I can’t bring myself to say the same back… not yet. It’s a lot to get used to.” There was a small pause. “I don’t even think about guys like that, and yet… you’re different.”
“I’m not a guy?” Tango grinned. Steve laughed, leaning back.
“I hope you’re a guy or I’d be very confused.” Steve said. Tango mockingly lifted his sheets, and Steve laughed harder. Tango chuckled lightly, to avoid making his lungs hurt. “But, that’s not it. You’re a guy, but you’re not like… guys. You’re Dave Tango.” Steve smiled. “You’re my best friend… and even if we didn’t date I’d still hate to not have you by my side. You’re fun to be around.”
There was a long silence. “Does this mean you’re gay?” Steve asked, simply curious. Tango didn’t reply, instead pursing his lips and going a little pink. “It does explain the pink headphones.”
“They’re red.”
“They’re pink and you know it.”
“You’re just colorblind.” Tango chuckled, coughing more after a second. There was another long silence as each though over his own respective thoughts on the previous subject.
Finally, Tango spoke. “Steve… you’ve probably guessed by now that the apparition wasn’t lying. But let’s… think about this for a while.” He said. “Let’s make up our minds on what we want before we start taking… us… anywhere.”
“I like that plan.” Steve smiled. There was a knock on the window from one of the nurses and Steve stood. “That’s my cue. I’ll come by again tomorrow. Want me to bring you anything?”
“Real food.” Tango grinned. “Have fun watching the rest of the videos.”
“I will. You have fun with that morphine.” Steve reached out and put his hand on Tango’s shoulder, smiling. “Make sure they take care of you. Jay said his kids are making you a get well card.”
“Wow. Thanks for coming, Steve.” Tango smiled softly.
With a smile and a soft wave, Steve disappeared out the door.
~*~
“Steve.” Grant was sitting in his chair when Steve got back. “Come listen to this. I know you said the audio was garbled, and it sort of is, but this last part isn’t.” Grant lifted the headphones - Tango’s pink, er, red headphones, which had come from who knows where - to Steve. “You need to hear this.”
“I know what it says.” Steve said, staying standing. Grant paused, face going from concern to surprise to a deeper, knowing concern.
“Is it true?” Grant asked. Steve shifted, knowing what was coming.
“Yeah. I talked to Tango about it at the hospital. We don’t know what we’re going to do yet, exactly… I know I’ve got a lot to figure out, personally, and we’ve both got some things to talk about if we decided to go ahead with… us.” Steve shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Steve, you know what I think about this kind of thing between TAPS members.” Grant had a fatherly tone, like he didn’t mind that it was going down, he just minded that it was going down and it could affect the team.
“That’s what we’re going to have to talk about.” Steve took a deep breath. “I told him today, TAPS always comes first. He gets that. We just need to figure out how we’re going to separate us from the job, and what we’re going to have to sacrifice to do so.” Steve paused. “We can make it work, Grant. If he wants it… and if I decide I want it too, we can make it work.”
“You haven’t decided that yet?” Grant half-smiled. “You sound like you have.”
“I just… I think I have. I just have to make sure it’s what I really want to choose.” Steve smiled. There was a pause.
“As long as it makes you happy and you remember what I’ve said before.” Grant smiled.
“Can you not tell Jay until we decide something?” Steve asked, smiling brightly. Grant nodded.
“He’s spending some time at home with the kids for the weekend, so we won’t see him until Tuesday anyway.”
“Great.” Steve made for the door. “I’m going to head home. Call me if you need anything.”