Dollhouse: Distractions or Solace
Title: Distractions or Solace?
Author: Serialbathera
Fandom: Dollhouse
Pairings/Characters: Ivy/Topher Brink
Rating/Category: PG-13/ Angst, romance
Prompt: Writer's Choice, stack of forms
Word Count: 2475
Spoilers: May contain spoilers from Season 2 episode of “Belonging”
Summary: Topher is not sure if he could get through the day as if everything was normal, but luckily, his faithful assistant is there to help him through
Topher had lied to Ivy and told her he had a rare genetic allergy to paperwork. He figured since it was her first day, it was the only reason she did not challenge him outright. (Especially considering he changed, the name of what the allergy was called in the course of the discussion about it.)
He was actually surprised that even though it had been almost two years since she had started and the paperwork issue was one of the only ones she never really challenged him on whether that was really in her job description. When asked she would do it right away and actually get it done in an efficient manner. Much faster than Topher actually would if, he finished it.
Therefore, when he finally pulled himself out of bed, the day after they had almost lost Sierra to that crazy ex-customer, Kinnard, he was not surprised to find her working on a large stack of paperwork.
“It’s not like you to be late.” She said, looking up briefly from the paperwork.
“I forgot to set my alarm.” He answered, trying to make his voice sound normal. He wandered over to the thermos she had set out for him. He took a long sip. He had thought it would be coffee, but she had decided instead to get him hot chocolate. It was actually a pleasant surprise, as if she knew he might had frazzled nerves this morning.
Topher was hoping he could keep up the act that everything was perfectly okay most of the day. It was hard to close his eyes though without remembering that he had to help dismember a body last night.
He opened up a package of fruit snacks, and dumped the whole thing in his mouth. He would find something more to eat later, he did not think now he had the stomach for it right now.
Ivy had been watching him the whole time, her pen held a few millimeters away from the paper. “Are you okay?” She asked concerned when he had turned in her direction.
He forced himself to throw back his head and chuckle. He gave a smirk. A thought had crossed his mind. A weird question had been nagging him for days, and it seemed like it would be a better distraction. It might not actually change how he was feeling, but it might cause her to double check her actions all day.
Topher walked over to her, and knelt down at her level. He draped an arm her shoulder. “Let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you, Ivy, baby. So, I know the first day I told you I had an allergic reaction to paperwork, and I don’t date my assistants. You know both of them aren’t true. I’m just wondered why you never tried to make a move on me anyway. I mean I have to admit, I am an attractive guy. Better looking that your last boss, who I heard you came on to.”
She gave him a strained smile. She gently removed his arm, though she seemed to be hesitant about it. (It was as if she would rather he keep it there, but she needed to move it to prove a point.) “Whatever you are deflecting from, we don’t have to talk about.” She patted his cheek as one might a moron who just said something as if he had figured out the meaning of life. “I didn’t come onto my last boss.”
Ivy had made sure to make the last part have a touch of sass, as if to say they both knew that he had been deliberately making up stuff.
Ivy turned to the paperwork as if it was more important than Topher now.
He got up off the floor, and slumped into one of the chairs near by. “Do you even like me in that way?” He asked in a small sad voice. His whole face seemed to turn into a confused and forlorn look.
Maybe Topher had been wrong. He had thought she had been leaving him small subtle signs that she liked him, but respected his fake rule.
She turned her chair towards him. She gave him a small hug, before the controlling voice in her head made her sit up professionally. “I may.”
Ivy gave him a soft, sweet smile, which told Topher that he had not been wrong in his assumptions that she had a crush on him.
“Can I ask why you never acted on it?” He pulled his chair closer to her. He began to slightly spin in it out of habit.
A tinge of a blush appeared in her cheeks, and she turned back to the paper work. “Do we have to talk about this now?”
“You are my assistant; you are paid to do whatever I want.” He found himself smirking.
“I’m not your slave.” Ivy fired back with her usual fake hostility every time they started a similar discussion.
Topher had always assumed it was fake hostility; it had always seemed like playful bantering matching with a touch of disappointment on her part. Not enough disappointment for her to ever think of quitting, but enough for Ivy to deliberately bring him broken cookies ever now and then.
He stopped moving his chair, and touched the arm of her chair, gently moving it so she had to face him. “You never did because of the fetish tapes, or the fact my last assistant was fired for inappropriate activity.”
“They weren’t fetish films, and I am not air headed enough to be caught giving blow jobs to handlers when they are supposed to be on duty.” Her voice was quiet and reserved, but also filled with rage. She was somewhat embarrassed about talking about the films, but he knew she hated it even more to be lumped in with his last assistant.
(Sara really had been hired to be a pretty distraction. Ivy had been hired to really be his assistant, and to cover for him if something came up where he could not be there.)
She tried to turn from him as a small blush began to creep into her face, as she tried to hide the memory of the mistake that had brought her to the Rossum Corporation’s attention.
He had always thought she was pretty, (that was actually one of the requirements for his female assistants,) but the small blush made his heart melt a little. He was touched she cared enough to attempt to talk to him about subjects that made her uncomfortable, only because he wanted a distraction in his life.
Ivy would never talk about stuff just because he signed off on her time card. She was too intelligent to let that persuade her to do something she did not want to. Even the films she had done in grad school were really films with her dressed in skimpy clothing doing random things, and not something horrible.
The professor in charge of her thesis had threatened her with making movies with a similar looking actress and blackmailing her if she ever made it big. He was the one who had brought Ivy to Rossum’s attention. Now, that Topher thought about it the professor had tried to do the same thing Nolan Kinnard did, but instead of getting an active to play with on occasion, Topher actually had a smoking hot and intelligent assistant. He was sure if Dewitt had known Kinnard’s intentions as well as she figured out the professors, Sierra, or rather Priya, probably would have a different job than active.
He sighed softly. He still wished there was something he could have done. He was sure no one would have thought someone would constantly feed someone psychotropic drugs just so they could turn someone into an active.
Topher tried to put a soft smile on his face as he realized that Ivy was still watching him.
He almost leans over to give her a soft kiss, just to see if he could still feel anything at the moment, but she turned away from him as if reading his intentions.
“Echo should be on her way up for a treatment.” She patted his cheek in a loving manner. “Plus, I don’t want you to do something you are going to regret because you are in a melancholy mood.”
His mouth dropped open, and he was going to protest she was wrong. The truth was he wasn’t sure, if she was. He may not really have romantic feelings for Ivy, it might just be a touch of him feeling extremely lonely and confused now. He did know that he was glad he had such a good friend and assistant.
(The only reason he had forced her to do menial tasks was that he felt it was part of the process to make her a good programmer. She would not develop any bad habits, because she had to work her way up the ladder, learning Topher’s preferred method as she went along.)
He got up from the chair because Echo had stepped into the imprint room.
The day flew by quickly, so Topher didn’t really have time to think about anything other than work. He had a brief moment when Sierra came in for a treatment. He almost passed her off to Ivy, but knew that would be suspicious. Also, Boyd for some reason had been wandering in the hall, and he knew he couldn’t have it appear anything was wrong.
At seven o’clock, Ivy brought up a tray of dinner for Topher. “I think I will go downstairs and---“
Topher cut her off before she could finish. “Why don’t you get your food and come back up here?” He tried to make it sound like it was a suggestion and not a demand. Now that the imprint work was done for the day, he was not sure he wanted to be left alone even if for a minute.
Images of last night were still flashing in his head at odd moments.
She looked a bit undecided but finally said, “I guess.”
He pushed up two chairs to one of the empty tables. He wondered if he should try to look for a tablecloth to try to make things look more elegant for her. She might think it was some kind of date though.
They have shared meals before; he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. He wondered if part of it was because he just wanted to tell someone else what happened last night. He wanted someone to tell him he had made the right decision when he altered the original implant for Sierra.
He knew yesterday when he sent her out she would probably kill Nolan Kinnard. He was not sure how Boyd had seemed to know it as well, and he did not want to even ask.
Topher had decided it was only best to keep the secret, because he felt he would not like either Boyd’s wrath or disappointment. Boyd seemed to know also that Topher had not thought about any of the consequences to his actions yesterday or if he just told everyone.
Ivy came back ten minutes later with her own tray. She brought it to the table, where Topher had already sat down and was staring off into space.
“Do you think I have morals?” He asked, after she had picked up her fork.
“You have morals; your guidelines just may not be the same as other people. But you do have morals.” She took a sip of her diet soda. She seemed to know this discussion had nothing to do with this morning, but something else entirely. She patted his arm. “Can I ask why ask, or does it have something to do with whatever happened after I left last night that you won’t discuss.”
He nodded absentmindedly, and picked through the peas on his plate. “I want to tell you what happened, or someone. There are other people involved though, and I can’t. I can tell you though that last night made me realize that the tech could be used for bad purposes.”
He forced himself to take a bite of food, not paying attention to what it was he put in his mouth.
They ate in silence for what seemed like a millennium, though it was more like a minute.
Finally, she said, “The tech probably could be used to profit from some evil purpose, but you would never use it for that. Not unless you were forced. And while I don’t know the specific details of what exactly happened, I think despite returning Sierra to her original imprint, she is back with us, and not with that evil client.”
Topher laughed nervously. “Yeah, she’s back with no damage.”
“Obviously not everyone came back with lack of damage.” She gave him a concerned smile.
He nodded.
She got up from her chair, and knelt beside him. She pulled him into a tight hug.
He put his head slightly on her shoulder, leaning into her. He had told himself he wouldn’t cry anymore after all the crying he did last night, but he felt a few stray tears slip from his eyes.
She kissed the top of his hair, and hugged him tighter.
Topher sighed deeply. He had a sudden maddening need to tell her everything that happened, but he thought she might look at him differently. Hell he had been thinking of himself differently all day.
He pulled himself away from her slowly and reluctantly. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He searched her brown eyes for a few minutes, wondering what to do. “I am sure I am testing your patience,” he said slowly, “but do you think when we are finished with everything tonight, instead of going home, you can stay with me.” He realized that sounded pervy so quickly added. “You can stay in your own little room, but I don’t think I can sleep by myself tonight. Just someone being in the next room would make me feel better.”
Though he was usually the only member of his staff to use the rooms behind the imprint room, he had never noticed how creepy it felt until last night.
She gave him a warm smile. “Regardless of how you think of me, in the very least we are friends. You are not trying my patience. I don’t mind being here for you when you need me.”
“You really are the best.” He pulled her into a very tight hug.
She gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
He gave her a half smile.
She returned the smile.
Topher knelt down on the floor beside her, and then kissed her very gently on the lips.
She did not pull away, but kissed him back.
Author: Serialbathera
Fandom: Dollhouse
Pairings/Characters: Ivy/Topher Brink
Rating/Category: PG-13/ Angst, romance
Prompt: Writer's Choice, stack of forms
Word Count: 2475
Spoilers: May contain spoilers from Season 2 episode of “Belonging”
Summary: Topher is not sure if he could get through the day as if everything was normal, but luckily, his faithful assistant is there to help him through
Topher had lied to Ivy and told her he had a rare genetic allergy to paperwork. He figured since it was her first day, it was the only reason she did not challenge him outright. (Especially considering he changed, the name of what the allergy was called in the course of the discussion about it.)
He was actually surprised that even though it had been almost two years since she had started and the paperwork issue was one of the only ones she never really challenged him on whether that was really in her job description. When asked she would do it right away and actually get it done in an efficient manner. Much faster than Topher actually would if, he finished it.
Therefore, when he finally pulled himself out of bed, the day after they had almost lost Sierra to that crazy ex-customer, Kinnard, he was not surprised to find her working on a large stack of paperwork.
“It’s not like you to be late.” She said, looking up briefly from the paperwork.
“I forgot to set my alarm.” He answered, trying to make his voice sound normal. He wandered over to the thermos she had set out for him. He took a long sip. He had thought it would be coffee, but she had decided instead to get him hot chocolate. It was actually a pleasant surprise, as if she knew he might had frazzled nerves this morning.
Topher was hoping he could keep up the act that everything was perfectly okay most of the day. It was hard to close his eyes though without remembering that he had to help dismember a body last night.
He opened up a package of fruit snacks, and dumped the whole thing in his mouth. He would find something more to eat later, he did not think now he had the stomach for it right now.
Ivy had been watching him the whole time, her pen held a few millimeters away from the paper. “Are you okay?” She asked concerned when he had turned in her direction.
He forced himself to throw back his head and chuckle. He gave a smirk. A thought had crossed his mind. A weird question had been nagging him for days, and it seemed like it would be a better distraction. It might not actually change how he was feeling, but it might cause her to double check her actions all day.
Topher walked over to her, and knelt down at her level. He draped an arm her shoulder. “Let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you, Ivy, baby. So, I know the first day I told you I had an allergic reaction to paperwork, and I don’t date my assistants. You know both of them aren’t true. I’m just wondered why you never tried to make a move on me anyway. I mean I have to admit, I am an attractive guy. Better looking that your last boss, who I heard you came on to.”
She gave him a strained smile. She gently removed his arm, though she seemed to be hesitant about it. (It was as if she would rather he keep it there, but she needed to move it to prove a point.) “Whatever you are deflecting from, we don’t have to talk about.” She patted his cheek as one might a moron who just said something as if he had figured out the meaning of life. “I didn’t come onto my last boss.”
Ivy had made sure to make the last part have a touch of sass, as if to say they both knew that he had been deliberately making up stuff.
Ivy turned to the paperwork as if it was more important than Topher now.
He got up off the floor, and slumped into one of the chairs near by. “Do you even like me in that way?” He asked in a small sad voice. His whole face seemed to turn into a confused and forlorn look.
Maybe Topher had been wrong. He had thought she had been leaving him small subtle signs that she liked him, but respected his fake rule.
She turned her chair towards him. She gave him a small hug, before the controlling voice in her head made her sit up professionally. “I may.”
Ivy gave him a soft, sweet smile, which told Topher that he had not been wrong in his assumptions that she had a crush on him.
“Can I ask why you never acted on it?” He pulled his chair closer to her. He began to slightly spin in it out of habit.
A tinge of a blush appeared in her cheeks, and she turned back to the paper work. “Do we have to talk about this now?”
“You are my assistant; you are paid to do whatever I want.” He found himself smirking.
“I’m not your slave.” Ivy fired back with her usual fake hostility every time they started a similar discussion.
Topher had always assumed it was fake hostility; it had always seemed like playful bantering matching with a touch of disappointment on her part. Not enough disappointment for her to ever think of quitting, but enough for Ivy to deliberately bring him broken cookies ever now and then.
He stopped moving his chair, and touched the arm of her chair, gently moving it so she had to face him. “You never did because of the fetish tapes, or the fact my last assistant was fired for inappropriate activity.”
“They weren’t fetish films, and I am not air headed enough to be caught giving blow jobs to handlers when they are supposed to be on duty.” Her voice was quiet and reserved, but also filled with rage. She was somewhat embarrassed about talking about the films, but he knew she hated it even more to be lumped in with his last assistant.
(Sara really had been hired to be a pretty distraction. Ivy had been hired to really be his assistant, and to cover for him if something came up where he could not be there.)
She tried to turn from him as a small blush began to creep into her face, as she tried to hide the memory of the mistake that had brought her to the Rossum Corporation’s attention.
He had always thought she was pretty, (that was actually one of the requirements for his female assistants,) but the small blush made his heart melt a little. He was touched she cared enough to attempt to talk to him about subjects that made her uncomfortable, only because he wanted a distraction in his life.
Ivy would never talk about stuff just because he signed off on her time card. She was too intelligent to let that persuade her to do something she did not want to. Even the films she had done in grad school were really films with her dressed in skimpy clothing doing random things, and not something horrible.
The professor in charge of her thesis had threatened her with making movies with a similar looking actress and blackmailing her if she ever made it big. He was the one who had brought Ivy to Rossum’s attention. Now, that Topher thought about it the professor had tried to do the same thing Nolan Kinnard did, but instead of getting an active to play with on occasion, Topher actually had a smoking hot and intelligent assistant. He was sure if Dewitt had known Kinnard’s intentions as well as she figured out the professors, Sierra, or rather Priya, probably would have a different job than active.
He sighed softly. He still wished there was something he could have done. He was sure no one would have thought someone would constantly feed someone psychotropic drugs just so they could turn someone into an active.
Topher tried to put a soft smile on his face as he realized that Ivy was still watching him.
He almost leans over to give her a soft kiss, just to see if he could still feel anything at the moment, but she turned away from him as if reading his intentions.
“Echo should be on her way up for a treatment.” She patted his cheek in a loving manner. “Plus, I don’t want you to do something you are going to regret because you are in a melancholy mood.”
His mouth dropped open, and he was going to protest she was wrong. The truth was he wasn’t sure, if she was. He may not really have romantic feelings for Ivy, it might just be a touch of him feeling extremely lonely and confused now. He did know that he was glad he had such a good friend and assistant.
(The only reason he had forced her to do menial tasks was that he felt it was part of the process to make her a good programmer. She would not develop any bad habits, because she had to work her way up the ladder, learning Topher’s preferred method as she went along.)
He got up from the chair because Echo had stepped into the imprint room.
The day flew by quickly, so Topher didn’t really have time to think about anything other than work. He had a brief moment when Sierra came in for a treatment. He almost passed her off to Ivy, but knew that would be suspicious. Also, Boyd for some reason had been wandering in the hall, and he knew he couldn’t have it appear anything was wrong.
At seven o’clock, Ivy brought up a tray of dinner for Topher. “I think I will go downstairs and---“
Topher cut her off before she could finish. “Why don’t you get your food and come back up here?” He tried to make it sound like it was a suggestion and not a demand. Now that the imprint work was done for the day, he was not sure he wanted to be left alone even if for a minute.
Images of last night were still flashing in his head at odd moments.
She looked a bit undecided but finally said, “I guess.”
He pushed up two chairs to one of the empty tables. He wondered if he should try to look for a tablecloth to try to make things look more elegant for her. She might think it was some kind of date though.
They have shared meals before; he wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. He wondered if part of it was because he just wanted to tell someone else what happened last night. He wanted someone to tell him he had made the right decision when he altered the original implant for Sierra.
He knew yesterday when he sent her out she would probably kill Nolan Kinnard. He was not sure how Boyd had seemed to know it as well, and he did not want to even ask.
Topher had decided it was only best to keep the secret, because he felt he would not like either Boyd’s wrath or disappointment. Boyd seemed to know also that Topher had not thought about any of the consequences to his actions yesterday or if he just told everyone.
Ivy came back ten minutes later with her own tray. She brought it to the table, where Topher had already sat down and was staring off into space.
“Do you think I have morals?” He asked, after she had picked up her fork.
“You have morals; your guidelines just may not be the same as other people. But you do have morals.” She took a sip of her diet soda. She seemed to know this discussion had nothing to do with this morning, but something else entirely. She patted his arm. “Can I ask why ask, or does it have something to do with whatever happened after I left last night that you won’t discuss.”
He nodded absentmindedly, and picked through the peas on his plate. “I want to tell you what happened, or someone. There are other people involved though, and I can’t. I can tell you though that last night made me realize that the tech could be used for bad purposes.”
He forced himself to take a bite of food, not paying attention to what it was he put in his mouth.
They ate in silence for what seemed like a millennium, though it was more like a minute.
Finally, she said, “The tech probably could be used to profit from some evil purpose, but you would never use it for that. Not unless you were forced. And while I don’t know the specific details of what exactly happened, I think despite returning Sierra to her original imprint, she is back with us, and not with that evil client.”
Topher laughed nervously. “Yeah, she’s back with no damage.”
“Obviously not everyone came back with lack of damage.” She gave him a concerned smile.
He nodded.
She got up from her chair, and knelt beside him. She pulled him into a tight hug.
He put his head slightly on her shoulder, leaning into her. He had told himself he wouldn’t cry anymore after all the crying he did last night, but he felt a few stray tears slip from his eyes.
She kissed the top of his hair, and hugged him tighter.
Topher sighed deeply. He had a sudden maddening need to tell her everything that happened, but he thought she might look at him differently. Hell he had been thinking of himself differently all day.
He pulled himself away from her slowly and reluctantly. He forced himself to take a deep breath. He searched her brown eyes for a few minutes, wondering what to do. “I am sure I am testing your patience,” he said slowly, “but do you think when we are finished with everything tonight, instead of going home, you can stay with me.” He realized that sounded pervy so quickly added. “You can stay in your own little room, but I don’t think I can sleep by myself tonight. Just someone being in the next room would make me feel better.”
Though he was usually the only member of his staff to use the rooms behind the imprint room, he had never noticed how creepy it felt until last night.
She gave him a warm smile. “Regardless of how you think of me, in the very least we are friends. You are not trying my patience. I don’t mind being here for you when you need me.”
“You really are the best.” He pulled her into a very tight hug.
She gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek.
He gave her a half smile.
She returned the smile.
Topher knelt down on the floor beside her, and then kissed her very gently on the lips.
She did not pull away, but kissed him back.