Warning - severe bed head alert. Please proceed with caution... :)
It wasn't until the afternoon that either man woke up. Van Helsing went about his usual routine as he had long grown use to the knowledge that he would be facing down monsters by nightfall. After showering and dressing, he wandered down to the kitchen to scrounge up breakfast. Before coming to Carl's house, he would have gone out for breakfast but he thought that he probably should hang around since he and Carl needed to talk about tonight. He wanted to make absolutely sure that Carl would run if things got hairy. While the blonde had agreed to it, Van Helsing wasn't convinced that the man actually meant to stick to it. So he was going to make it damn clear that there were not to be any heroics from Carl no matter what went down. At the first sign of danger, Carl's cute little ass was out the door.
He stared at the frying pan he was attempting to cook eggs in as he thought about Carl. As expected, his dreams had been all about the blonde and had left him aching and frustrated. He couldn't remember the last time he had been this attracted to anyone. Normally, he'd have made a move by now and gotten it out of his system but that just wasn't an option. Even putting aside the potential of risking Carl's help tonight, he wasn't quite certain that it would actually help.
He frowned heavily at the pan and poked at his eggs moodily. None of this was going as it should. He felt an urge, he did something about it. It was over and done with and everything went back to normal until the next time things built up to the point he needed release. It was neat and simple and it worked for him. He didn't agonize and he certainly didn't pine. The frown deepened and he poked the inoffensive eggs rather hard.
How is it Carl managed to get him doing both?
In frustration, he continued to poke the eggs, not really noticing what he was doing. He didn't like being this keyed up. Moreover, he hated the fact that the one thing that would take care of all his problems was squarely out of reach. He couldn't afford to scare Carl off, not when he needed him to work the device he had made. The whole situation was custom made to drive him out of his mind and he didn't appreciate the humor the Universe was no doubt having at his expense.
Carl wandered into the kitchen still working towards wakefulness and saw Van Helsing standing over the stove with a pan full of burning eggs that he was stabbing rather angrily with a spatula. He leaned against table as he watched the frowning man attack his now inedible eggs. He cleared his throat and said "Ah Van Helsing? I think the eggs have been beaten into submission. In fact, I think they are pretty much a loss at this point."
Van Helsing snapped back from his rather frustrated thoughts and hastily pulled the pan off the burner. Carl was right, the eggs were burnt and uneatable. He sighed in irritation and dumped the pan in the sink.
Carl could see that the dark haired man was tense and tried to make his offer in the least offensive way he could think of. "I was going to make breakfast for myself – just as easy to make it for two." He kept his tone light and casual as he wasn't quite awake enough to deal with an argument.
Van Helsing glared at Carl a moment and then looked away realizing that Carl was merely making an offer, not making fun of him. He shrugged and said "Fine. I would appear I'm a bit too distracted to be wielding cooking utensils." He moved over to the table and pulled out a chair and slumped down into it. He picked up his cup of coffee and took a drink.
Carl watched the man for a moment and then shrugged and began to gather together the fixings for eggs. Spying the coffee, he grabbed a mug and fixed himself a cup. Caffeine was definitely what he needed to wake up completely.
As Carl puttered about putting together breakfast, Van Helsing drank his coffee and watched Carl surreptitiously. Carl was rumpled and clearly not awake as he mumbled to himself. His hair stuck up in messy spikes clearly showed that Carl had not looked in the mirror yet. His just out of bed look was both maddeningly arousing and endearingly adorable and Van Helsing was hanging onto his coffee cup to prevent his hands from wandering into dangerous territory – like Carl's arse. Drinking his coffee, he once again silently cursed whoever was responsible for putting him in such close proximity to temptation. He was the first to admit he had very little restraint and being put in a position of having to behave himself was straining his admittedly limited self-control.
Carl meanwhile was completely oblivious to the battle going on behind him. The caffeine had not yet kicked in and his limited brain capacity was occupied with figuring out which pan to use and trying to find the jelly, which had somehow managed to hide itself. He had his head stuck in the fridge and was rummaging about. Finding it hiding behind a jar of mayonnaise, he straightened, a look of victory on his face. He plopped it down on the kitchen table in front of Van Helsing and turned back to the eggs.
Van Helsing found himself smiling at Carl's triumphant look. You would have thought he had found the Holy Grail in the fridge instead of the grape jelly. He felt a bit of his sour mood slipping away as there was just something so endearing about Carl's "I'm not a morning person" behavior. His normally sharp mind was still fuzzy and he had to concentrate on the little things like making sure he drank from his coffee cup and not the sugar container. And seeing him watching the eggs cook with a concentration usually used by men who disarmed bombs made him want to take the spatula out of Carl's hand and pull him into his lap for a snuggle.
Which was an alarming reaction indeed since he was NOT a snuggle kind of guy. Just another aberrant behavior brought about by Carl's proximity. Pretty soon, he'd be doing things like buying flowers and cuddling on the couch. Thinking about the extremely uncomfortable couch that still graced the living room, he smiled. Well, at least I don't have to worry about that behavior starting – at least until the new furniture gets delivered. Not even the poofiest of people could snuggle on that couch!
Toast popped and Carl stared at the toaster for a moment before thinking he should get a plate for it. Pulling one out of the cabinet, he dropped the bread onto it and wandered over to the table and put it down. He looked at Van Helsing for a moment and then mumbled, "Why are you smiling?"
Van Helsing looked up at Carl and his slightly muddled look of incomprehension almost snapped the last of Van Helsing's resolve. He wanted nothing more then to pull Carl down into his lap and kiss him until he was completely befuddled. How could someone with a serious case of bed head be so damn tempting? He shook his head and then realized Carl was still waiting for some kind of response. He put down his coffee mug and said, "You really are not a morning person, are you?" His smile became a grin at the glare he got from Carl.
"No, I'm not a morning person. I'm not really functional until my first cup of coffee kicks in." He turned his back and began poking at the eggs that were once again being punished for things they had nothing to do with. He gave them one last jab and then turned back to Van Helsing and grumbled, "Let me guess. You are one of those disgusting people who wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed." His tone dripped a kind of disgust most people would use when describing the lowest kinds of scumbags.
Van Helsing laughed and said, "No, I don't wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed. I've just been up longer then you have and had a shower to perk me up."
Carl looked down at his wrinkled t-shirt and sweats and then back at Van Helsing. "Is that your subtle way of saying I need one?" The grumpy look he gave Van Helsing was not having the desired effect on the Hunter who was grinning even wider.
"No, merely saying it's why I'm more functional then you." He picked up his mug to cover up the near chuckle that almost escaped at Carl's pouting harrumph. He made a mental note to be sure that they never tried to do anything important first thing in the morning.
Carl turned back to the eggs, which were thankfully done, and began putting them onto plates. He then carried both plates to the table and sat down after handing one to Van Helsing. He reached for his fork and realized he didn't get any. He muttered a curse and began to get up but Van Helsing waved him to sit.
"I'll get it. You just sit down and drink your coffee. I need to have your brain in working order so we can talk about the game plan for tonight." He pulled open a drawer and fished out the needed forks and knives and walked back to the table. After handing Carl his, he sat back down and began to silently eat.
Breakfast was just about finished when Carl finally decided to break the silence. "So, you wanted to talk about tonight?" He got up and refilled his coffee cup and sat back down and waiting for Van Helsing to respond.
Van Helsing put down his fork and gave Carl a quick assessing look. He seemed to be focused again – the caffeine must have finally hit his blood stream. Nodding he said, "We've got a few things I want to discuss before we get there. I don't want to have any ugly surprises happening."
Carl nodded and said, "Neither do I. The whole point of this is to make this quick and efficient. We go in, I incapacitate the gargoyles and you wipe them out. No muss, no fuss."
Van Helsing smiled a bit grimly. "Its never no muss, no fuss but I'm hoping we can keep it within an acceptable level. Now the first thing I want to make clear is that I am in charge. I'm the Hunter and what I say goes, understood?"
Carl looked at Van Helsing with raised eyebrows. "Of course you are in charge. You're the one with the sharp objects. I'm just operating the equipment." He gave Van Helsing a guileless look.
Van Helsing returned it with a skeptical one of his own. "By in charge, I mean that if I give an order, you follow it. You don't argue and you don't question it. If I tell you to get out of there, you do it. And I don't mean five minutes later, I mean right then. Am I making myself perfectly clear?" He pinned Carl with a steely look.
Carl picked up his mug and took a drink to give himself a moment. He pulled his face into a suitably obedient look and then looked at the Hunter and said "Of course. You're the boss. Jump/how high – that kind of thing." His eyes were the eyes of complete innocence.
Van Helsing listened to Carl's response and was not convinced. He growled, "Carl, I'm serious. If I tell you to get out of there, you do it. I can't be dealing with worrying about you if things get hairy. When I say to, you haul arse out of there and don't look back. I want you in the car and heading back here - I don't care what's happening. Either you agree to that, or you stay home. I'm not arguing about this with you."
Carl looked at Van Helsing and said, "No one's arguing. You are the boss. You give the orders. That's the deal. It's been the deal right from the start."
Van Helsing looked searchingly at Carl and said, "Why am I just not convinced?" He continued to look at Carl who maintained the air of one who is being thoroughly reasonable.
Carl casually picked up his coffee mug and said, "I don't know. Maybe you are just a bit paranoid. Its ok, you are not used to having a partner. It will take some time for this to feel comfortable." He drank his coffee and prayed that the poker face developed from years of high society gatherings was holding.
Van Helsing watched Carl for a few moments longer but when Carl didn't crack, he heaved a sigh and said "Fine. Then lets just get on with talking about the details. Have you got any paper around here?"
Carl shook his head and said "No. Why don't we take this into the lab? I've got a white board in there that would probably be better for this part of things." He got up and after topping off his coffee cup, headed out the door.
Van Helsing followed after Carl, still carrying the bad feeling that if push came to shove, Carl was not going to head for safety as ordered. He sighed and realized he was just going to have to make sure that push DIDN'T come to shove since it was the only way to keep Carl safe. He shook his head in disgust. Fine leader he was turning out to be when the only way he could insure his orders got followed was to not issue any.
Once in the lab, Carl erased the board and handed Van Helsing a marker. He then settled himself in a chair and waited for the Hunter to start.
Van Helsing began drawing a diagram of the abandoned building on the board. He sketched in places where the walls or floor were damaged and where there were areas of cover. Once completed, he turned back to Carl and said, "Ok, here is the layout of the house. To be honest, the plan is pretty simple. Right after sunset, we'll enter the building. We'll head up the stairs and you will proceed to this room here." He made a mark on a room about ½ way in on the second floor. "There is a pile of broken furniture that should keep you hidden from the gargoyles. They've got good sense of smell so it's not going to hide you completely but I'll be keeping them pretty occupied so they will leave you alone to deal with the bigger threat. But under no circumstances underestimate just how much they'll fight. We're in their nest and if we are really unlucky, they'll have been here long enough for there to be eggs being hatched. That will only make them fight harder. It's imperative that you stay out of sight and don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. Now how long do you think it will take before the effects of the machine kick in?
Carl looked thoughtful and said, "Some effect will be felt upon my turning it on. How much effect I can't say. It will depend on how close I came to figuring out the crippling frequency. Conservatively, I'd say that I can have them incapacitated in eight to ten minutes. But within that span of time, the gargoyles will find it progressively more difficult to move which should keep the danger to you at a minimum. Still, I would try to wait until they are completely incapacitated before you attempt to dispatch them."
Van Helsing quirked an eyebrow. "Dispatch them? You sound like something out of a swashbuckling movie. You aren't going to wear a funny hat and try to swing from anything are you?"
Carl gave him a withering look and said "No, I'll leave the daring acrobatics to you. I'm quite fine with staying behind my pile of furniture, thank you very much."
Van Helsing grinned and said, "Glad to hear it." He turned back to the board and said; "Now the biggest thing that worries me is the lack of exits. There is only the one stairwell inside and while there is a fire escape, you'd have to climb over some junk to get to it. Not the best option so it's really important that you keep an eye on the hall so that you don't get cut off from your only escape path." Once again, he gave Carl an assessing look, waiting to detect some signs of rebellion from Carl.
Van Helsing was doomed to disappointment because Carl had been trained in the trenches of high society and it would take more then a glaring look from the Hunter to get Carl to crack. He nodded as if in agreement and said "Watch the hall, don't get cut off. That's smart thinking." He looked at Van Helsing as if waiting for more instructions.
Van Helsing ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He knew Carl had no intention of doing what he asked but he couldn't find a way to get Carl to admit it and that was driving him crazy. He heaved a heavy sigh and said "Yes it is. And you being a smart guy – a genius in fact – you should appreciate doing the smart thing." He knew he was wasting his breath but he had to say it anyway. He turned back to the board and studied the layout. The plan was pretty simple. He would keep the gargoyle's attention focused on him while Carl did his thing. The hardest part was going to be getting Carl into his hiding space before the gargoyles saw him.
Turning back to Carl he said, "I'm going to lead going up the stairs and I'm going to need you to wait before coming up. I need to have the gargoyles focused on me so that you can get into position without being seen. Then you can start up your machine"
Carl's calm expression slipped for the first time. "Are you crazy? If you go in there before I've had the chance to start the process, they'll tear you apart. I've read the reports about how fierce they are when people come into their nests. I've got to have the machine started BEFORE they see you if you want to get out of this intact." He had jumped up from his chair and was standing right in front of the Hunter, stubbornness in every line.
Van Helsing felt his frustration surge and said "Well, so much for obeying my orders." He glared at Carl who wasn't backing down one inch.
Carl continued to look Van Helsing square in the eyes and said, "I wasn't aware that was an order. I thought we were discussing the plan for tonight's mission and I'm pointing out a flaw in the plan that you might have overlooked." Carl was keeping his voice reasonable but his body language screamed stubborn determination.
Van Helsing closed his eyes and counted to twenty before opening them and saying "I'm not overlooking anything. I'm the Hunter and it's my job to take the risks. Even with me distracting them, you will have a hard time getting into position without being seen. It will be impossible if you go first. Therefore we stick with the original plan. I go up and engage them while you wait a few minutes and then slip into place."
Carl shook his head. "No, you'll get torn apart long before I can get the machine working." He stared at the board for a moment while his mind ran various scenarios.
Van Helsing could see the wheels turning in Carl's head and it worried him. He knew Carl was no coward and that he was determined to be a part of all of this, even if it meant endangering himself. And that was something Van Helsing couldn't allow. He decided to pre-empt any ideas Carl might be hatching.
"Carl, you are just going to have to trust me that I can make this work. My line of work is dangerous, you know this. I've been through this before and I'll get through this too."
Carl shook his head and said, "You are injured and that means your odds dropped. " When Van Helsing looked to make a comeback, Carl cut him off quickly. "This isn't about whether or not I think you are good at what you do. I know that you are and if you were one hundred percent, I wouldn't be nearly so concerned. But you are injured and unfortunately we don't have the luxury of waiting until you are back in shape. But I think I have a compromise. What if I follow you up? If I start the machine in the stairwell, then the process will begin from the moment we both clear the stairs. That way at least I'm leveling the playing field a little bit by slowing the gargoyles down. It won't be as effective as when I'm in range but it at least gives you a fighting chance – pun not intended."
Van Helsing frowned. "That still puts you near enough for them to smell you while you are still not under cover. No – its too risky."
Carl looked at him in exasperation and said "But I'm in the stairwell. The stairs you told me to make sure I kept an eye on so I could make a run for it. If they come after me, I can just book it out of there – as you ordered." Carl said the last bit with a snide tone.
Van Helsing glared at Carl; annoyed that Carl would mock him with the fact that he had no intentions of leaving at the first sign of danger. Still, Carl was right. From there he would have the best chance of getting out of there should things get hairy. And if the machine was working as predicted, the gargoyles would be slowed down enough that Carl could make it to cover. It wasn't a great plan but no plan that involved Carl being within 20 miles of the nest was a good plan. He sighed and very grudgingly gave in. "Alright, fine. You follow me up. But you don't leave the stairwell until you see signs of them slowing down. Is that clearly understood?"
Carl wasn't exactly sure he was going to follow that order either but decided that Van Helsing's phrasing left him some wiggle room. "Yep, understood. So, it looks like we got ourselves a plan." He looked at Van Helsing with a very serious expression on his face.
Van Helsing nodded, a slight pit in his stomach over all the things that might go wrong and said, "Yeah, we've got a plan. Now all we have to do is follow it." He gave Carl one last searching look, which was completely ignored.
Carl felt a certain amount of satisfaction at having convinced Van Helsing to follow his ideas. He was determined that the Hunter would be exposed to the least amount of danger he could possibly manage. If things went according to his plans, the Hunter would come out of this with nothing worse than having worked up a sweat. He looked over at the Hunter who was staring at the board with a less then happy expression on his face. Carl knew he wasn't thrilled about having his plan challenged but then again, Van Helsing wasn't use to having to discuss his plans with anyone. This was just another aspect of partnership the man was going to need to adapt to.
Carl cleared his throat to get the other man's attention and said, "Ok, so what do we do now?"
Van Helsing turned and gave Carl a slightly grim smile. "Now we wait." He nodded to Carl and started to head out of the lab.
Carl gave Van Helsing a slightly disgruntled look and called after him "Wait" Carl caught up to him in the doorway and said "So what do you usually do while you wait?" He was feeling a bit at loose ends not usually having time on his hands. Knowing that what he was waiting around for was something pretty dangerous only added to his restlessness.
Van Helsing grinned at seeing Carl's somewhat antsy expression. He decided that a little payback was in order and so he shrugged and said in a maddeningly bored voice "Oh, I read… maybe check the latest reports. Nothing major." He leaned casually in the doorway and watched Carl's fidgets increase.
Carl heaved a sigh and said, "Read and check out reports. Sounds like what you do every day."
Van Helsing just shrugged and said, "Well, this is just another day." And with that parting shot, he pushed himself off the door frame and jauntily sauntered down the hall.
Carl watched the man walk away and heaved another frustrated sigh. Then deciding that he would have to come up with his own way of killing time, he headed back into the lab. He never did finish designing the new weapons testing range and it was as good a use of time as any. He pulled out his papers and sat down to distract himself.
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