Victory Road IC Inbox

[neverstudied]

"Hey, this is Dr. Peter Venkman- I'm probably busy. If you're calling about something stupid done by a Dr. Egon Spengler or a Dr. Ray Stantz, I'm sorry for whatever they did. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

Comments

[neverstudied]

It's fine. I probably didn't crack my ribs again. [A beat.] Seriously, though, it just caught me off guard. 'm fine.

[He picks up the book and just kind of. Stares at the cover for a bit.]

... Thought about it, yeah. Didn't want to bother you with a bunch of shit you can't change. Wasn't sure how to bring it up, either.

[pkemeter]

[Egon glances down towards the book. He clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. After a brief pause, he says:]

I, um--I apologize if this is difficult. To talk about. Especially at such a time of night when you are usually in REM sleep.

[Another pause.]

And, ah, I find social situations difficult to navigate. But I greatly value the emotions of all of my partners, even if I cannot say what is meant to be said. [He squeezes Venkman's hand a little tighter.] I hope you understand that.

[neverstudied]

[Venkman hugs the book to his chest and leans against Egon with a sigh.]

I know, man. And I love you. A lot. [After a pause, he tilts his head up and kisses Egon on the cheek.] Thank you for listening. And, uh, trying to help me deal with... whatever this is.

[pkemeter]

[Egon runs his hand through Venkman's hair.]

Of course. I love you, as well.

[He pauses. It seems to be getting easier to express this thought out loud, despite the fact he has always struggled to convey such feelings with such imprecise and fickle words. Whether this is an effect of the dimension or the fact that he's able to spend so much time with his partners unabashedly engaging with them...

The thought is interrupted when Kö bursts back through the door, holding an entire box with cake in hand. She picks up a piece in her hand, crushes it, and then pushes it into her "face", allowing it to assimilate into the cytoplasm.]

< Dads better now? >

[Maybe she should throw books at people more often and see what they do. That can be a future experiment.]

[neverstudied]

[He hums softly, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch, his concerns momentarily forgotten.]

Love when you touch my hair. Feels good.

[Venkman's getting drowsy again.

And then, of course, Ko returns, and he starts, his eyes snapping open.]

... Yeah. Dads're better now, I think.

[pkemeter]

Does it?

[Hmm. He makes a mental note to do it more often. He ruffles Peter's hair and gently pushes a hand against his chest to encourage him to lie down.]

You should rest. It's late, and you're usually in a bad mood when you don't get at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep.

[Kö continues to stuff her face with cake. Egon scoots to the edge of the bed, then pauses.]

I'm going to put Kölliker back in her containment unit, but I will join you again momentarily. Alright?

[neverstudied]

Mhhhm.

[Venkman lies back down easily, still cradling the book to his chest. Idly, he wonders if Ko knew exactly what she was doing when she chose to throw this book at him. Probably.

They really do grow up so fast.

By the time Egon comes back, Venkman's already beginning to nod off again, his face in a pillow and the book on the nightstand.]

[pkemeter]

[Egon walks to the other room where he left the PokéBall. Kölliker willingly goes back into her containment unit, though Egon first has to prompt her to take off Ray's clothes and put them back where she found them. When he comes back, he's put on his pajamas. He carefully closes the door behind him and wanders over to his partner. Spengler brushes a stray hair from the man's face and plants a gentle kiss on his forehead before making his way to the other side of the bed.

He sits on the edge of the bed and inches towards Venkman before lying down next to him, wrapping an arm around his chest and burying his head in the space between Venkman's neck and shoulder. He doesn't exactly sleep the same amount as his partners, but that doesn't mean he won't sleep with them. Being awake leaves plenty of time to think, and that conversation has given him plenty to think about.

At this moment, however, his thoughts are clouded with only one subject, and that is how much love and adoration he feels for his partners in this dimension. He threads his free hand through Venkman's hair again, gently ruffling it and observing how it falls across his head.

The night is quiet.]