toblameforit | (no subject)

(no subject)

It's been five days since this and two days since that and Tony only left the hospital to sleep last night because they kicked him out. But apparently Obie is awake and can have visitors now. Awesome.

Tony is not entirely sure, as he steps through the door into the (of course) private hospital room, that he isn't just going to strangle him.

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Obadiah spent most of the past couple of days unconscious. His body kept itself going through the trauma it experienced, one of the nurses has explained, but once he crashed, he crashed hard.

(He would have expected to hear such a thing from a doctor, but it would seem that the nurse in question is one of the few people on staff willing and able to make the obvious connection between the neck injuries and the blood loss. The chart at the foot of his bed claims - surprise - anemia.)

He's awake now, though; he still feels physically beaten down as his body recovers, but the rest and blood transfusion have done wonders for his clarity of thought.

He smiles as Tony steps into the room.

"Tony."

"God dammit," he says, blinking tears from his eyes on his way to the bed. "Scared the shit out of me. I thought—"

He does not say what he thought. He hugs Obie instead, fiercely, and says into his shoulder in a voice that's half sob: "I love you."

This is exactly what he was looking for, almost better than he was looking for. He exhales in triumph.

(He thinks of the other Tony leaning into his shoulder, then pushes it away. None of that now. Keep them separate.)

Obadiah wraps his arms around Tony, as tightly as he can.

"I'm so glad they didn't take you," he says softly.

"I wish they had," Tony whispers.

"Oh, Tony."

Obadiah sighs a little.

"You really don't."

He still hasn't let go. He might not anytime in the next hour.

"You're still a lying, murdering asshole, but God, you're never going out after dark without a laser pointer again, you hear me?" He sniffles. "Never."

Obadiah chuckles, rubbing a hand gently against Tony's back.

"Yes, sir," he says. "Why didn't I already have one of those, anyway?"

"'Cause somebody never told us he even knew vampires existed, and you already think Sherry's crazy."

He digs something out of his pocket with one hand, keeping the other arm wrapped around Obie's shoulders.

"Here, you can have mine. I'll just make a new one."

"Hadn't I?" Obadiah asks. "I thought it was obvious, I guess."

He'd mentioned, when Tony had talked about moving, how dangerous Sunnydale was; Tony's failure to question why Obadiah would so specifically cite the dangers of a smaller town like Sunnydale had left him assuming that Tony understood why.

Foolish of him. Ah, well, no harm done. It's for the best that he didn't have one of the pointers on him, anyway; Galen might have figured out what it was.

He folds his hand over Tony's and gently moves it away.

"No," he says, "you keep that with you. I'm fine in here, I'll take it once I get out as a welcome-home gift. I want you to stay safe."

Tony didn't know about vampires himself at the time. That came later. Sherry killed one.

"I can borrow Sherry's if I need it on the way home. Please?" he says, quiet and pained.

Obadiah allows himself to soften, letting go of Tony's hand.

"All right," he says. "But please - be careful. I don't -" He swallows.

"That's not something you need to go through."

He puts the laser pointer down so he can hug Obie with both arms again.

"Okay. Okay." Trying for a smile, not quite getting there, "I will if you will."

Obadiah takes a breath and smiles ruefully.

"No more spontaneous nighttime walks," he says. "I promise."

"Good," he says, squeezing gently. "I want you to stay safe too."

Absolutely perfect. He couldn't be happier that Milliways intervened when it did. This is infinitely better than what he'd been contemplating after the clone's visit.

Tony (is alive) just needed a little reminder, that's all.

(He resists the urge to stroke Tony's hair or any of the other small gestures he'd indulged with the other Tony. He doubts Tony would notice anything amiss, but he has to keep them separate. Even with Tony this close, face tipped up to his.)

"I will," he says.

". . . I'll leave Sherlock alone after this, too."

Tony cracks a grin.

"I'll believe that when I see it," he teases.

Obadiah grins back.

"As shows of humanity go, saving my life for your sake is pretty damn convincing," he says. "I completely underestimated his loyalty to you. I won't be doing that again."

"Good," he says, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against Obie's shoulder. "I love you guys and I hate it when you're assholes to each other."

"I know," Obadiah says. "I'm sorry. I should have tried harder for your sake. Better late than never, I suppose."

And when it inevitably doesn't work out, well, he's sure he won't lack for material in claiming that he was provoked.

He sighs, relieved.

"Thanks, Obie."

"You're welcome, Tony," he murmurs.

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