(no subject)

[leplusbeau]

Meanwhile, in the bat cave staff corridors...

Fleur is buttoning up her shirt. "The turtle, he only gave me a backrub! Whyyyyyyy? I am ugly!"

Bernard looks up abruptly from the bomb diagram he's drawing; it's covered with chicken scratch in four different colors. "You're not ugly, and you know it. Maybe you should leave the turtle alone."

She stops her primping. "You said that this morning. Et thiz afternoon after I told you about the lake." A realization comes to her. "You are jealous!"

Bernard looks down at his sketchpad, wincing slightly. His cheeks are red. "'m not."

Fleur, of course, giggles. "Oui! Oui! You are jealouszzz." Giggles even harder.

If possible, Bernard's face gets even redder. He doesn't look up once from his drawing, but he presses the red pencil unnecessarily hard into the paper as he scribbles another notation. "Stop it, Fleur," he grinds out.

"Que? You are jealous of my friend! It iz funny! Why should I not laugh?" She falls back on the bed and continues to giggle at the idea.

"Your friend," he mutters under his breath. "Yes, your great friend the turtle, with whom you have spent so much time." He lights a cigarette and finally looks her in the eye, smirking a little. His angry posture deliberately melts a bit, and his eyes are a hot/cold mixture of anger and scorn. "Just let me know when you finally catch him. I'll have a room made up for you special." He exhales smoke right in her face.

Fleur coughs and becomes very confused. "Wait. Wait. What are we talking about? I am confuzed. I--you told me--! You told me it waz alright! Et, now you are jealous et you--!" Her face grows very red, and lets her words hang in the air.

He ignores this and goes on, "When was the last time you checked on Ophelia, Fleur?"

Fleur's mouth hangs open for a moment in complete shock. Fighting her way off the bed, she stands over Bernard almost growling. "You--! You do not bring Ophelia into our argument! Et, I spent three hourz with her thiz afternoon! I will spend time with again tonight!"

"But have you thought to have Peter look at her? Have you asked anyone in the bar if they know any way to bring her out of it? No, you just left her alone out there with a vampire, suffering, while you pet her like a dog for a couple of hours every day! You love her, and yet... You run off and try to fuck a fucking turtle." His cigarette, forgotten, has burnt down. The column of ash falls on his black pants and he does not bother to brush it off.

"How dare you. HOW. DARE. YOU. Thiz iz not about Ophelia! Thiz iz not about any of that! You know I would not juste leave her out in her nest with anyone! She choose 'that vympire' as her lover et I will not deny her that comfort! Et, how would you know what to do for a dead woman?! She iz not sane et she must work it through on her own! She haz done it before et will again et I. WILL. BE. THERE." She turns her face away from him and stares at the wall. "It iz more than I can say for you," she mutters under her breath.

Bernard blinks and goes still. He shakes his head as if to clear it and finally looks down at his cigarette as if he can't quite figure out what it is. He opens his mouth and at first nothing comes out. He tries again. "I-- Well. If that's the way you feel about it. I thought--" He laughs bitterly. "Guess it doesn't matter. I thought wrong." He stands, looking down and away from her and his voice is quiet. "Have your fucking turtle if it'll make you happy." He strides to the door and walks out, closing it quietly behind him.

Fleur just stares at the closed door before it hits her that Bernard has just walked out. "Wait. Wait! What happened? I juste meant--! I do not understand! I love you!" She races out the door. "BERNARD! BERNARD!"

But Bernard has disappeared. Fleur stands, lost and confused, in the center of the mostly empty bar. For some reason, she feels as if something very dreadful has happened.