Hyperion, late Friday night [NFB]
Bel crept through the underworld, hands tight on his sword. He saw the Source standing with his back to him, arms upraised, chanting in Latin. Bel brought the sword back and prepared to strike.
The Source turned, his face hidden in the folds of his hood. "Wait," he said, pushing back the hood. Bel stared in shock at his own face.
"You don't really want to kill me, do you?" the Source said.
"But...how?" Bel stammered.
The Source lashed out, hitting Bel and knocking him to the floor. The sword flew out of his hand and into the grasp of the Source. "We're one now," he said. "I'm reborn, within you."
"I'll fight it!" Bel said. "I'll kill us both if I have to. I won't let you hurt Phoebe."
The Source smiled. "You don't have a choice." He raised the sword and stabbed it into Bel's chest.
Bel woke, crying out in pain and fear. Phoebe stirred beside him. "Cole, what's wrong?" she said, sitting up to take him in her arms.
"Nightmare," he mumbled, rubbing his forehead. The details were already slipping from his memory. Everything was a little fuzzy these days. He wished he could forget talking to Angel and finding out about him and Logan. He'd run into Callisto, too, hadn't he? And Veronica and Cameron that evening. He couldn't recall a lot of the details, though.
"Another headache?" Phoebe said, concerned, touching her hand to his temple. "You should go see James again. I'm worried."
He nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I guess I should. When we get back."
"I don't think we should wait," Phoebe insisted. "We should go back to Fandom tomorrow."
"Maybe," he agreed, then laid back down on the bed, pulling her with him. He held her close for a long moment, then planted a kiss on her head. "You trust me, right?" he said idly.
"Of course I do, love," she said, snuggling closer.
"You're the only one I can trust anymore," he said, stroking her hair gently.
She lifted her head from his shoulder, giving him an odd look. "What about Angel?" she asked.
Bel shrugged. "He's acting weird around me now," he said. "I think he's jealous that I'm human now. Or Logan's poisoning him against me. You know how he is."
Phoebe frowned. "You should talk to him, sweetheart. He's your best friend."
He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe not, anymore. He and Logan are together now, you know. And Logan hates me, so he has to choose one or the other, and I guess he has." He had to hide the smirk that was coming to his face and keep his expression saddened. "I suspect Logan's been filling his head about how evil I am. I wouldn't be surprised if he started throwing accusations at me now."
"That's not going to happen, baby," Phoebe said firmly.
"I don't know," he sighed. "Still...if they start to say anything to you, don't believe it, okay? Logan's gone at you once to hurt me, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did it again."
"There's nothing he could possibly say to me that would turn me against you," Phoebe assured him.
"I know," Bel said. "I just worry about what sort of crap he's going to pull on me next. It feels like he's taken Angel away from me; I'm not going to let him take you, too."
"Never, love," she said, gently kissing him.
"It's you and me against the world, Phoebe," he said softly. "We can only count on each other."
Phoebe nodded sleepily, and started to drift off in his arms. He watched her sleep, no longer hiding his satisfied smile. He was planting the seeds, now all he had to do was watch them grow.
[ooc: NFB, future_visions corrupted modded with permission.]
The Source turned, his face hidden in the folds of his hood. "Wait," he said, pushing back the hood. Bel stared in shock at his own face.
"You don't really want to kill me, do you?" the Source said.
"But...how?" Bel stammered.
The Source lashed out, hitting Bel and knocking him to the floor. The sword flew out of his hand and into the grasp of the Source. "We're one now," he said. "I'm reborn, within you."
"I'll fight it!" Bel said. "I'll kill us both if I have to. I won't let you hurt Phoebe."
The Source smiled. "You don't have a choice." He raised the sword and stabbed it into Bel's chest.
Bel woke, crying out in pain and fear. Phoebe stirred beside him. "Cole, what's wrong?" she said, sitting up to take him in her arms.
"Nightmare," he mumbled, rubbing his forehead. The details were already slipping from his memory. Everything was a little fuzzy these days. He wished he could forget talking to Angel and finding out about him and Logan. He'd run into Callisto, too, hadn't he? And Veronica and Cameron that evening. He couldn't recall a lot of the details, though.
"Another headache?" Phoebe said, concerned, touching her hand to his temple. "You should go see James again. I'm worried."
He nodded tiredly. "Yeah, I guess I should. When we get back."
"I don't think we should wait," Phoebe insisted. "We should go back to Fandom tomorrow."
"Maybe," he agreed, then laid back down on the bed, pulling her with him. He held her close for a long moment, then planted a kiss on her head. "You trust me, right?" he said idly.
"Of course I do, love," she said, snuggling closer.
"You're the only one I can trust anymore," he said, stroking her hair gently.
She lifted her head from his shoulder, giving him an odd look. "What about Angel?" she asked.
Bel shrugged. "He's acting weird around me now," he said. "I think he's jealous that I'm human now. Or Logan's poisoning him against me. You know how he is."
Phoebe frowned. "You should talk to him, sweetheart. He's your best friend."
He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe not, anymore. He and Logan are together now, you know. And Logan hates me, so he has to choose one or the other, and I guess he has." He had to hide the smirk that was coming to his face and keep his expression saddened. "I suspect Logan's been filling his head about how evil I am. I wouldn't be surprised if he started throwing accusations at me now."
"That's not going to happen, baby," Phoebe said firmly.
"I don't know," he sighed. "Still...if they start to say anything to you, don't believe it, okay? Logan's gone at you once to hurt me, and I wouldn't be surprised if he did it again."
"There's nothing he could possibly say to me that would turn me against you," Phoebe assured him.
"I know," Bel said. "I just worry about what sort of crap he's going to pull on me next. It feels like he's taken Angel away from me; I'm not going to let him take you, too."
"Never, love," she said, gently kissing him.
"It's you and me against the world, Phoebe," he said softly. "We can only count on each other."
Phoebe nodded sleepily, and started to drift off in his arms. He watched her sleep, no longer hiding his satisfied smile. He was planting the seeds, now all he had to do was watch them grow.
[ooc: NFB, future_visions corrupted modded with permission.]