Dollhouse: Romance found in the dark
Title: Romance found in the dark
Author: Serialbathera
Fandom: Dollhouse
Pairing/Characters: Topher Brink/Paul Ballard
Rating/Category: PG_13, Slash
Prompt: Topher/Ballard, did I fall asleep?
Spoilers: Spoilers for “The attic”
Summary: Ballard decides to confront Topher about the way they brought him back from the coma.
Word Count: 1072
Moving a pile of clothes to the floor, Paul Ballard took a precautious seat on the mattress on the floor. He would have thought that with Rossum’s budget they could at least afford Topher with a frame for his bed.
However, the scary possibility was that Topher had decorated this room himself. He thought had seen Ivy’s room once, and he had thought she had a complete bed, with box spring, frame, and a small headboard. He could be mistaken as that had been a few months ago. (He also was not sure why he had seen Ivy’s room, though if his memories were right, it probably had something to do with a mistake on the way to find Topher’s room the first time.)
If it was Topher’s idea to decorate the room like this, Ballard knew it was because he did not care much for this room. It was mainly a sleeping place. The imprint room and Topher’s office seemed more decorated to suit Topher’s eclectic taste of technology and toys.
Ballard could have had the confrontation in Topher’s office, but this place had seemed like a more personal place. He felt that whichever direction the night turned out, it would be better in here. (If the night interrupted into violence, Ballard definitely wanted the meeting here, as he had determined there were no security cameras in these back rooms.)
Ballard thought for a brief moment of stripping all his clothes and lounging on the bed naked. Since he was still unsure which thoughts in his head were real, he let the idea slip away. He did take off his suit jacket though, and laid it across the edge of the mattress.
His mind told him that on more than one occasion he had made out with Topher. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if it was true or not.
“This is stupid,” he mumbled to himself about to get up. Before he did, the door to the room opened, and Topher Brink was standing in the shadows in the doorframe.
“Oh, hi.” Topher said brightly, he was not sure, if he should be expecting Ballard to punch him in the face, or if they were going to have a friendly little chat. “I thought you were mad at me?”
He tried to chuckle playfully, so show the statement was only meant at a joke. Because he was a little nervous that Ballard was mad at him, he was not able to carry out the full effect that he wanted.
“Did I fall asleep?” Ballard replied in a dry voice. He knew well enough that that particular phrase needed to be specifically programmed, but he thought it was the shortest sentence he could use to get his point cross.
Topher slumped a little as he took a step into the room, and swung the door closed. He made his way towards the mattress in the dark. “I told you--- You aren’t-you are still the same person.”
Topher sat down next to Ballard, making sure to keep a couple centimeters between them. Topher was worried that with all his knowledge of the imprint programming, and the human brain, that he could not just easily explain to Ballard what had happened. He had a feeling that whatever he did say was going to sound wrong.
Yes, Ballard had the active architecture in his head. He was not really a doll though. He had just been upgraded a little.
A soft sigh escaped his lips, before Topher mumbled very quietly. “You would have been brain-dead otherwise.”
Topher had been going over the decision of whether what they did was right, ever since the idea came up. It was already done, and should not be reversed. They needed Ballard anyway; they did not need a vegetable. Moreover, it wasn’t as if the procedure had actually done any damage to him. He did seem cranky, but Ballard always was a little bad-tempered to begin with.)
Ballard had been tempted to watch Topher grovel. The sadness of the last statement though, had made him rethink that. Topher seemed defeated, but also in a sense, it told him that Topher really did care for him. “I guess it going to take time to process. I am not sure what has been implanted and what wasn’t.”
“Nothing was implanted. We just taught your neurons a trick. Honestly, that is all that we did.” It was a little more complicated that that, but Topher did not need to explain the whole process to him. In addition, at this point since Ballard was only concerned with them having encoded information into him, Topher figured it best not to tell him that they had to take some information out.
(It was a small fraction of his life; Ballard would never have noticed it missing. Topher had never really been sure that Ballard was in love with Echo to begin with. She had been a puzzle to him. She had been the damsel in distress that he had to save, and that was all.
However, Topher may not have really known. It was possible that Ballard had loved both Echo, and loved Topher. Topher had always thought the way Ballard looked at Echo was more looks you would give a little sister, or someone else under your protection, though.)
Ballard turned Topher’s face softly towards his, making sure to look directly in his eyes as he asked. “So, my feelings for you are real, and not some crazy joke.” He kissed Topher very softly on the lips.
Topher instinctively moved closer to Ballard. “They are hundred percent real, and not manufactured.” He gave Ballard a reassuring smile. He was unsure if he should kiss Ballard, or let him be in charge.
Topher did not have time to think much about it, because Ballard whispered, “Ok,” and pulled him into a long kiss.
Ballard wrapped his arms around Topher’s waist, and pulled him completely on top of him.
They fell back unto the mattress still kissing.
Author: Serialbathera
Fandom: Dollhouse
Pairing/Characters: Topher Brink/Paul Ballard
Rating/Category: PG_13, Slash
Prompt: Topher/Ballard, did I fall asleep?
Spoilers: Spoilers for “The attic”
Summary: Ballard decides to confront Topher about the way they brought him back from the coma.
Word Count: 1072
Moving a pile of clothes to the floor, Paul Ballard took a precautious seat on the mattress on the floor. He would have thought that with Rossum’s budget they could at least afford Topher with a frame for his bed.
However, the scary possibility was that Topher had decorated this room himself. He thought had seen Ivy’s room once, and he had thought she had a complete bed, with box spring, frame, and a small headboard. He could be mistaken as that had been a few months ago. (He also was not sure why he had seen Ivy’s room, though if his memories were right, it probably had something to do with a mistake on the way to find Topher’s room the first time.)
If it was Topher’s idea to decorate the room like this, Ballard knew it was because he did not care much for this room. It was mainly a sleeping place. The imprint room and Topher’s office seemed more decorated to suit Topher’s eclectic taste of technology and toys.
Ballard could have had the confrontation in Topher’s office, but this place had seemed like a more personal place. He felt that whichever direction the night turned out, it would be better in here. (If the night interrupted into violence, Ballard definitely wanted the meeting here, as he had determined there were no security cameras in these back rooms.)
Ballard thought for a brief moment of stripping all his clothes and lounging on the bed naked. Since he was still unsure which thoughts in his head were real, he let the idea slip away. He did take off his suit jacket though, and laid it across the edge of the mattress.
His mind told him that on more than one occasion he had made out with Topher. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if it was true or not.
“This is stupid,” he mumbled to himself about to get up. Before he did, the door to the room opened, and Topher Brink was standing in the shadows in the doorframe.
“Oh, hi.” Topher said brightly, he was not sure, if he should be expecting Ballard to punch him in the face, or if they were going to have a friendly little chat. “I thought you were mad at me?”
He tried to chuckle playfully, so show the statement was only meant at a joke. Because he was a little nervous that Ballard was mad at him, he was not able to carry out the full effect that he wanted.
“Did I fall asleep?” Ballard replied in a dry voice. He knew well enough that that particular phrase needed to be specifically programmed, but he thought it was the shortest sentence he could use to get his point cross.
Topher slumped a little as he took a step into the room, and swung the door closed. He made his way towards the mattress in the dark. “I told you--- You aren’t-you are still the same person.”
Topher sat down next to Ballard, making sure to keep a couple centimeters between them. Topher was worried that with all his knowledge of the imprint programming, and the human brain, that he could not just easily explain to Ballard what had happened. He had a feeling that whatever he did say was going to sound wrong.
Yes, Ballard had the active architecture in his head. He was not really a doll though. He had just been upgraded a little.
A soft sigh escaped his lips, before Topher mumbled very quietly. “You would have been brain-dead otherwise.”
Topher had been going over the decision of whether what they did was right, ever since the idea came up. It was already done, and should not be reversed. They needed Ballard anyway; they did not need a vegetable. Moreover, it wasn’t as if the procedure had actually done any damage to him. He did seem cranky, but Ballard always was a little bad-tempered to begin with.)
Ballard had been tempted to watch Topher grovel. The sadness of the last statement though, had made him rethink that. Topher seemed defeated, but also in a sense, it told him that Topher really did care for him. “I guess it going to take time to process. I am not sure what has been implanted and what wasn’t.”
“Nothing was implanted. We just taught your neurons a trick. Honestly, that is all that we did.” It was a little more complicated that that, but Topher did not need to explain the whole process to him. In addition, at this point since Ballard was only concerned with them having encoded information into him, Topher figured it best not to tell him that they had to take some information out.
(It was a small fraction of his life; Ballard would never have noticed it missing. Topher had never really been sure that Ballard was in love with Echo to begin with. She had been a puzzle to him. She had been the damsel in distress that he had to save, and that was all.
However, Topher may not have really known. It was possible that Ballard had loved both Echo, and loved Topher. Topher had always thought the way Ballard looked at Echo was more looks you would give a little sister, or someone else under your protection, though.)
Ballard turned Topher’s face softly towards his, making sure to look directly in his eyes as he asked. “So, my feelings for you are real, and not some crazy joke.” He kissed Topher very softly on the lips.
Topher instinctively moved closer to Ballard. “They are hundred percent real, and not manufactured.” He gave Ballard a reassuring smile. He was unsure if he should kiss Ballard, or let him be in charge.
Topher did not have time to think much about it, because Ballard whispered, “Ok,” and pulled him into a long kiss.
Ballard wrapped his arms around Topher’s waist, and pulled him completely on top of him.
They fell back unto the mattress still kissing.