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Aug. 23rd, 2005 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eliyesThe sequel to Pressing Concerns, picking up right where it left off. There was supposed to be more philosophical meat to this, but... they were too tired. Previously posted to the boostle community.
* * *
"Do you know how you're going to die, Booster?"
They stared at each other for a quiet, tense moment. Then Booster nodded.
"Tell me."
"In my sleep."
Beetle stared at him.
"That's it?" He asked, incredulous.
"That's it," Booster confirmed, nodding.
"When?"
"Beats me. Sometime when I'm sleeping. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Beetle had just smacked him. "Hopefully when I'm old and gray."
"But it could be tonight. It could have been when you were napping today!"
"Yeah, it could have. But it wasn't." Booster turned stunningly bright blue eyes on his friend. "Calm down, alright?"
"Why should I be calm when you could die any day now?" Beetle's head reeled with the possibilities. "What if you were supposed to die but Guy saved you?"
"Then Guy is a hero and he changed history. And Ri-- uh, nevermind."
"What?"
"No, nevermind."
"Booster..." Beetle growled warningly.
"Look, it doesn't bother me, okay? I mean it did, but I got over it. It's actually kind of comforting, in a way."
"How could it possibly be comforting?" Beetle waved his hands in the air.
"Because it's something I can't fight," Booster said simply. "If I were going to be killed by an enemy or in an accident or whatever, I might try to avoid it. If, for example, I were going to choke to death in a restaurant, I might never eat out again. Which would seriously put a cramp on my dating life."
"What if you die because you get sick? What if -- what if someone smothers you?"
"Then that's what will happen. I have no way of knowing. Just like you have no way of knowing how you're going to die."
"Unless you tell me."
"I won't."
"Why not."
"Because you don't really want to know. Do you? Think about it. Besides, who's to say I actually know? I never said I did."
"...You are so obnoxious."
Booster smiled. "A compliment from the master."
Ted frowned. "But Superman..."
"Yeah. About that." Booster shifted uncomfortably. "I promised I'd tell you later, and I will -- later." He raised a hand to stop Ted's objections. "Hear me out. I promise you there will be time. I won't forget. But there's really nothing we can do to stop it. I mean, it's Superman."
"Is kryptonite involved at all?"
"...Not that I know of."
"...That's scary."
"Yes. It will be," Booster said, and then his face just... closed. He refused to say any more on the subject. Eventually, Beetle gave up.
"You realize that Guy saved you, right?"
"He saved both of us."
"Yeah, but he gave you mouth-to-mouth."
"Seriously?" Booster's eyebrows shot up. Beetle nodded.
"Yes. Felt like hours."
"Wish you'd had a camera."
"We should send him a gift basket."
"-- that's really a case of beer!"
"And the thank you card is written on the back of a coupon for a decent hair cut."
"Oh yes, like you can talk! Mr. Cowl Hair."
Ted mimed a punch at Booster, and they both chuckled.
"Ted, get back in bed," a familiar female voice said sternly. Both men looked towards the door, where Black Canary was leaning, arms crossed.
"Awww, but Canary, I'm going into Booster withdrawal!" Ted pouted comicly.
"You've been pressed against him enough for a few days, I'd say," she commented dryly.
"You can't expect him to just go cold turkey," Booster joked, nonetheless pushing Beetle towards his own bed.
"Uh-huh." She didn't look impressed, and watched to make sure Ted actually got into his bed. "Take a nap, boys. Mama Canary has got her eye on you, now; no hanky-panky."
"Uh..." The nurse from earlier was standing behind the costumed heroine, looking embarrassed. The two men looked at each other and burst out laughing.
* * *
A Bwahaha! Ending. Because nothing says "we're totally secure with our masculinity" than tights-wearing straight guys joking that they're gay. Or something.
Somebody talk me out of trying to write a Boostle!&Q AU where they're all Shadowrun characters. Because Vic Sage makes too much sense as a PhysAd and I don't wanna have to figure out what Hub City would be like in the Sixth World.... *wail* I'm not even done my current 'big project'!
* * *
"Do you know how you're going to die, Booster?"
They stared at each other for a quiet, tense moment. Then Booster nodded.
"Tell me."
"In my sleep."
Beetle stared at him.
"That's it?" He asked, incredulous.
"That's it," Booster confirmed, nodding.
"When?"
"Beats me. Sometime when I'm sleeping. Ow!" He rubbed his arm where Beetle had just smacked him. "Hopefully when I'm old and gray."
"But it could be tonight. It could have been when you were napping today!"
"Yeah, it could have. But it wasn't." Booster turned stunningly bright blue eyes on his friend. "Calm down, alright?"
"Why should I be calm when you could die any day now?" Beetle's head reeled with the possibilities. "What if you were supposed to die but Guy saved you?"
"Then Guy is a hero and he changed history. And Ri-- uh, nevermind."
"What?"
"No, nevermind."
"Booster..." Beetle growled warningly.
"Look, it doesn't bother me, okay? I mean it did, but I got over it. It's actually kind of comforting, in a way."
"How could it possibly be comforting?" Beetle waved his hands in the air.
"Because it's something I can't fight," Booster said simply. "If I were going to be killed by an enemy or in an accident or whatever, I might try to avoid it. If, for example, I were going to choke to death in a restaurant, I might never eat out again. Which would seriously put a cramp on my dating life."
"What if you die because you get sick? What if -- what if someone smothers you?"
"Then that's what will happen. I have no way of knowing. Just like you have no way of knowing how you're going to die."
"Unless you tell me."
"I won't."
"Why not."
"Because you don't really want to know. Do you? Think about it. Besides, who's to say I actually know? I never said I did."
"...You are so obnoxious."
Booster smiled. "A compliment from the master."
Ted frowned. "But Superman..."
"Yeah. About that." Booster shifted uncomfortably. "I promised I'd tell you later, and I will -- later." He raised a hand to stop Ted's objections. "Hear me out. I promise you there will be time. I won't forget. But there's really nothing we can do to stop it. I mean, it's Superman."
"Is kryptonite involved at all?"
"...Not that I know of."
"...That's scary."
"Yes. It will be," Booster said, and then his face just... closed. He refused to say any more on the subject. Eventually, Beetle gave up.
"You realize that Guy saved you, right?"
"He saved both of us."
"Yeah, but he gave you mouth-to-mouth."
"Seriously?" Booster's eyebrows shot up. Beetle nodded.
"Yes. Felt like hours."
"Wish you'd had a camera."
"We should send him a gift basket."
"-- that's really a case of beer!"
"And the thank you card is written on the back of a coupon for a decent hair cut."
"Oh yes, like you can talk! Mr. Cowl Hair."
Ted mimed a punch at Booster, and they both chuckled.
"Ted, get back in bed," a familiar female voice said sternly. Both men looked towards the door, where Black Canary was leaning, arms crossed.
"Awww, but Canary, I'm going into Booster withdrawal!" Ted pouted comicly.
"You've been pressed against him enough for a few days, I'd say," she commented dryly.
"You can't expect him to just go cold turkey," Booster joked, nonetheless pushing Beetle towards his own bed.
"Uh-huh." She didn't look impressed, and watched to make sure Ted actually got into his bed. "Take a nap, boys. Mama Canary has got her eye on you, now; no hanky-panky."
"Uh..." The nurse from earlier was standing behind the costumed heroine, looking embarrassed. The two men looked at each other and burst out laughing.
* * *
A Bwahaha! Ending. Because nothing says "we're totally secure with our masculinity" than tights-wearing straight guys joking that they're gay. Or something.
Somebody talk me out of trying to write a Boostle!&Q AU where they're all Shadowrun characters. Because Vic Sage makes too much sense as a PhysAd and I don't wanna have to figure out what Hub City would be like in the Sixth World.... *wail* I'm not even done my current 'big project'!
