Title: Batman
Author: BohoJules
Rating: T
Genre: Humor
Summary: Mark and Roger spend an evening alone in the loft with humorous consequences.
Notes: True story.
Batman
Cable service in the loft was touch and go on a perfect day, with perhaps eleven channels of less-than-perfect reception and another twelve of static, and the television itself was iffy; it was third hand, with antenna that had been duct taped on and speakers that occasionally went dead. It was not, at this time, a perfect night, and the only reason Mark and Roger were inside even attempting to beat the television into working order was because it was snowing, nearly a blizzard outside. Mimi was at work, busing tables down at the Life since she had quit the Cat Scratch Club, saying the hours were too long and the jobs were too stressful for someone still recovering from a month on the streets in winter a year ago, and would most likely spend the night at the closer apartment of Maureen and Joanne than attempting to trek home in the storm. Cold, alone, and going stir-crazy in the loft with nothing to do, Roger cursed and kicked the television a last time. "Fuck!"
Mark laughed, despite himself, and gestured with his beer to the seat next to him on the couch. "C'mon Rog, let's just leave it." Static wasn't his idea of a good evening either, but it beat Roger destroying the first television set they had ever had in the loft. Roger, still grumbling, snatched his own beer off the table and sat, swinging his feet onto the low coffee table and growling at the snow.
"Fuck."
They sat that way for half and hour, watching static and sipping beers and pretending they were actually enjoying themselves, when the storm lessened and the wind shifted ever so slightly. There was a moment of snow on the screen, and then the image of the original Batman series came into tremulous focus. It was fuzzy and grainy, no color and with odd lines cutting through the center of the screen, but at least they had clear sound and a storyline.
Mark settled more comfortably on the sofa. "Sweet."
They watched for a few minutes, smiling that it was so bad, but still enjoying their evening – this is what best friends did, they drank beers and sat through bad shows about comic book heroes. Finally, without looking away from the commercial that just came on, Roger broke the silence. "Who do you think is cooler, Batman or Superman?"
"Superman." Mark didn't even have to stop and think about it – apparently he had given this some thought before. "I mean, Superman can fly. He's got super-strength, x-ray vision, and Lois Lane? Totally hot."
Roger broke his gaze away from the fuzzy picture to stare at Mark, maybe in shock. "Superman? He runs around in a leotard! Come on, Mark, Batman is so much cooler. Look, look... Batman is rich, he's hot, he's got a cool car. Batman is just the best."
Mark grinned slyly. "You think Batman is hot?"
Silence.
Roger shifted uncomfortably, his mouth opening and closing a few times as he tried to form words. "No! I'm just saying, I mean, from all the women, I've heard-"
That same sly grin was still in place, but Mark's focus switched back to the show as it came back on with a sarcastic eye roll. "Yeah, whatever."
Fin