like little toy guns | braxton and dante

The work day had been long and more strenuous than she had imagined, though her body held up better than she had expected. Still, she had never been more grateful to leave the building then when Braxton came to tell her they were going to visit Tavie at the hospital. Sitting in the passenger seat of his jeep felt almost normal, though she couldn't remember ever having done it before. Pushing the though out of her head, she chose to focus on Octavia instead, and all of the information that was beginning to come to light.

As soon as the car was parked at the hospital, Melanie jumped out to follow Braxton in to the building where they were greeted by an eerily cheerful nurse, informing them that someone had been moved in to Octavia's room. "Well, at least they didn't move her, right? They must be making room so they can reopen the ER for day to day stuff." Melanie commented to Braxton as they rounded the corner to where Tavie's door stood. It was closed, and the charts were missing. So much for figuring out who it was before they got inside. 

@braxton
@kkram265

Something was giving him a sick feeling. Whether it was that Tavie was no longer in a room alone and that no one had even bothered to clear that with him yet, or if it was the fact the had didn't know who exactly the person was. He knocked on the door out of courtesy but didn't bother waiting for a response before pushing it open, "Octavia, how ya doin?" He said, not noticing immediately that she wasn't even in the room currently. When the hell was she? Not that any of that mattered in the moment. He was too busy looking at the person sharing her room...

When Dante heard he was changing rooms he knew that was bound to happen, they needed to get him out of the emergency room so it could get back to its proper use. Three days after the battle, a single day after Mel had come to yell at him but he knew that he at least was considered well enough to be moved. When he tried to ask who his roommate was they didn't tell him and so he just settled in to rest. After a few hours he heard a knock on the door and saw he was still alone in the room for the moment but the voice that followed made his body tense and he held back a moan. How the hell did this happen? Why was he transferred into a room with someone Brax cared for.

Brax hadn't stopped looking at him and so he turned to look at Mel as she followed Brax into the room. This was just great, he hadn't fixed things with Mel and now it was the two of them in this room together. Shifting to find a better spot aggravated his ribs and he groaned a little unable to hold it back. "Good to see you Colonel, I didn't plan this, if you would like I can see what I can do to get my room changed." He wanted to say so many things, like don't rearrange my face again, I'm sorry I never meant to hit Mel, or one that might have him wishing he had died three days ago...I see you and Mel are finally an item. "Good to see you to Mel."

When Braxton didn't completely enter the room, Melanie had moved around him to see what had caused him to stop. There, laying in front of them, was Dante. In Tavie's room. Of all the things to happen, why this and why now? Stepping back towards Brax's side as Dante spoke, she attempted to assess the situation. No it wasn't ideal, but they did all need to talk at some point. "Dante." She replied simply with a nod of her head and the ghost of a grin, too small for anyone to notice. No, right now she probably needed to stay out of this. At least for a minute.

His muscles tensed all over his body and he couldn't even feel Melanie's touch. Not that he would do anything terrible, but he wasn't comfortable in this situation at all, "Captain." His voice was surprisingly steady but anyone who knew him well would be able to hear the underlying notes of fury that crept up between each syllable. He turned his head to look at the empty bed where he assumed Octavia belonged, "I didn't realize you were well enough to leave the emergency care unit." His said in a stern, flat voice.

Brax was definitely beyond upset but he had surprised Dante in the fact that he wasn't physically attacking him, at least not yet. "I guess the hospital staff felt I was." He didn't want to add at that moment that there was a change they thought he was well enough because he had taken a late night stroll up to the roof. Dante couldn't prove that was the cause but he felt he could safely bet it helped get him moved. He didn't even know if he should apologize again, Mel knew he didn't mean to hit her. They had gotten to the point where she knew he couldn't clearly remember if she fell or was pushed to the side he just thought he was protecting her. 

He did remember the feeling of Brax's fists on his face and he truly didn't want to feel that again, if he could avoid it at all costs but he had to try and apologize it was a risk but what else could he do, sit in complete silence. "I never meant to hit her, I thought she had been attacked and was on the ground or at least that is what I can remember... I may never remember what I thought at that moment as there was a fair bit of head trauma shortly after. Colonel, I wish I could have traded places with her but I couldn't." Dante looked away sighing, realizing to late that a fight would probably ensue and that wasn't want he wanted. He wanted everything to return to the way it was before the attack, before he had nearly killed his best friend and lost the trust of his commanding officer and another good friend.

Stepping away from Braxton slightly, Melanie sat down on the edge of what appeared to be Octavia's bed. This conversation seemed to be more between the two of them at this point, especially since she had hashed this out with Dante the night before. Whenever she felt the need to get involved, Melanie would, but for now...her eyes were on Braxton, a slight hint of concern showing through as she watched.

Braxton rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest, "You think I give two shits about why you nearly killed her?" He snapped, unable to really contain the anger anymore, "The fact of the matter is, under the pressure of battle, you failed." Braxton could tell that his words were pretty harsh, but he didn't care. Maybe he would later if Melanie were to chastise him for it, but she wasn't interrupting right now. He took a few steps into the room, leaned his hands against the foot board of Dante's bed and glaring at him, "If you ever hurt her again...you won't be as lucky as you were this time around." Braxton could feel the bar of the foot board bend under the weight of his fingers and he pulled back before his anger made his break something, "Where is my sister?"

Dante wanted to smile, looks like he was right Brax did love Mel but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere. Sure he had failed under the pressure but he wasn't the only one, Brax had attacked him when he could have gone straight for Mel and let him die out there. "You call me a failure? I already know that I hurt someone who I care about, no I hurt two people who I care about. We were friends once Braxton." He turned to look at Mel for a moment before he added, "We both failed during the pressures of the battle as you attacked me, the man who hurt the woman you love. As for your sister I didn't know as the room was empty when I got here and until you knocked on the door I had been asleep." Dante realized what he said and knew things were going to get ugly, did he really have to push the issue of Brax loving Mel right now. Sure it was obvious but it really wasn't the time and he felt he should bring it up at the same time as Brax's sister.

Ah. There was that L word again, but she doubted that Brax was going to be quite as receptive to it coming from Dante as he had been from her. "Dante..." She warned, knowing it was too late but not quite caring. He had already said it, so nothing could be helped. Standing up, she walked over to Brax and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should go find a nurse, see where Tav is?" The suggestion was weak, but it would give him some distance from Dante before finishing the conversation. She doubted that he would take it though. If anything, he'd probably send her out of the room instead. Then again, he was prone to surprising her these days.

Braxton, remarkably, held his tongue. How? Don't ask. But Melanie trying to make him leave, that was over the line. He pulled his shoulder from her hand and glowered at Dante, "I only failed because you did." He said, his words coming out as more of a growl, "You are a cancer to the unit, encouraging others to lash out despite their better judgement." Braxton stood taller than he had in a long time, willing himself not to punch a hole through the wall, "And, quite frankly, I think you are jealous that she is with me and not you." For a moment, Braxton considered leaving, but he didn't want to lose. Besides, Dante had dared to be informal with him, "To you, Captain Tyrell, I will always be Colonel."

Dante looked at Braxton and pushed him self up so he could sit taller and begun to swing his legs over the bed. Grabbing onto the poll that held his IV and the side of the bed he stood to his full, six foot five, height, "You knew who I was when you put my name forward for the position. I don't encourage lashing out, I encourage voicing an opinion. We are a small fighting force, and we need discipline but we need to think outside of the box as well. I have always been loyal to you and honest with you, and yet now that means nothing. I did my job, we worked as a team out there, and Mel was part of that team. I thought she was in trouble so I tried to help, that is not failure that is doing my job. My failure was hurting her. Moving closer to Brax he felt his body wanting to lay down and rest but he couldn't not yet. 

Turning to look at Mel he said, "Mel was my best friend, I want to say she still is but I know that likely will never be the case. I'm not jealous of you, Colonel." the title felt forced, this wasn't a conversation between officers anymore it was between men. Two men who loved the same woman. Wait who said anything about love. Sure she is my best friend and I love her, but I can't be in love with herCan I? That was all in the past, it isn’t true now. Is it?.

As he turned back to look at Brax his hand began to shake as he was holding the bed. "If I were jealous why would I have been trying to help Mel figure out that she loved you? I knew it was there and I wanted her to be happy. The fact that it seems like you both have found each other is great and really all I could ask for on that front." Dante took another step and stumbled slightly, his chest burning as he caught himself before he fell he pulled himself up. "Br...Colonel, you are right I love Mel and there was a time I could have said I was in love with her, but there is no jealousy because she is with the man she wanted even if for at least the last five years she denied it. I wanted her to figure it out." It was then he realized it wasn't in the past he still loved her, that he was still in love with her. Well at least that was something else he could add to the great developments of the day, that and he truly was as stubborn as Nathan had said he was. To stubborn to die when it would have been so much easier.

((Spoken Words. Silent thoughts to Self))

Melanie sighed as Braxton stepped away, knowing she had made a mistake. Though he was ignoring her right now, she was almost certain that she would hear about this later. Hopefully they weren't going to end the night with another trip back to the Horse. Moving to stand behind him, she listened while he spoke, flinching slightly when he mentioned that Dante may be jealous. Sure, she knew that had been a thing back at camp for a while, but they never acted on it. She was just a kid, and Dante was significantly older than her. Not to mention, even then she had been fairly caught up in Braxton. It came off as a friendship, but in her heart she knew she would have been with him then if he had ever asked.

When Braxton had finished and Dante began to respond, Melanie felt the ghost of a smirk grace her lips. Of course, Dante was right. They were best friends, but things needed to be set to right first. And the fact that he had tried to tell her didn't fall on deaf ears. Dante had known for years before they had admitted it to themselves, much less each other.

The revelation of Dante's feelings however, caused the feelings of tenderness and nostalgia to fade away in to horror. Whether or not Dante knew it, she had seen that face before. Sure, it had been a long time ago, but it was plain as day that Dante was lying. He was in love with her, and she had already chosen Brax. It wasn't a decision that she regretted by any means, but now...Gods, how did she not notice the signs? Wrapping her arms around herself, Melanie slid down on to the floor as her mind attempted to work through the information overload. The movement was slow enough that she doubted either if the men noticed, and she wasn't quite sure that she cared. How did a simple visit to Tavie become so complicated?

After hours in psychotherapy, she was elated to hear that the doctors were going to released her. Grinning like a fool, she skipped down the hallway toward the room she had been tethered to for the last two weeks or so. She reached the door, which was cracked open ever so slightly, and stood by for a moment, listening to a heated conversation between her roommate, who had been asleep the last time Tavie was in the room, and...Braxton?

She had heard enough. Pushing the door open the rest of the way, Octavia frowned and stepped in, "Hey..." Her voice was strange and confused sounded, even to her own ears. She looked from Braxton, who had that look her always got before he broke the TV or a window, to Melanie, who looked like her hell hound had just been run over by a rogue chariot, and then to her roommate, who's bandaged leg was showing signed of being re-opened.

She glared at Braxton and walked over the the tall man who was obviously trying to hold his ground with Octavia's head strong older brother, "Brax, can't you see the man is injured? How about you back off?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, just like a typical Wyatt when they were trying to restrict their fury, and stood between Braxton and the tall man.

@braxton

Fuming and furious, Braxton was about to wind up and throat punch Dante when his sister's voice invaded his blackened thoughts. She sounded pissed and the tone made Braxton stop for a moment and wait for her to continue. She was mad at him? Seriously? He couldn't decided if she didn't know what had happened, or if she just didn't care. Either way, he was taken aback, "Stay out of it, Octavia." He said in a voice thick with rage, "You have no idea what is going on here."

@sophia