Work Text:
Only Human
by Alison X
"Hey guys, come and look at this!"
Langly and Byers exchanged glances. They were putting the finishing touches to the layout of the latest edition, while Frohike was starting to get dinner in the kitchen. The youngest Gunman had finished his chores some time earlier and was watching TV while he waited for dinner.
"What is it now, Jimmy?"
"Get in here! Come look at this guy on TV! He looks exactly like Byers!"
Langly snorted in derision. "Probably Riker on Star Trek again."
"I'm deeply hurt, Ringo. I'm not nearly as fat as him."
"Hah! Sensitive aren't we! Don't worry Johnboy, I *like* your tummy!"
"I have NOT got a tummy!"
"Okay, okay. How about . . . Ares in Hercules?"
"Hmm, that's more like it . . . hey, you can be Iolaus! We could play . . ."
"Hold on there buddy, I'm way taller than him!"
"Now who's touchy!"
"Okay. Well, there's Toby in the West Wing . . ."
"You wanna play dirty, Ree? At least I'm not losing my hair - Riff Raff!"
Their bickering was interrupted as they joined Jimmy round the TV. "What is it?" Byers asked.
"Jimmy looked up. "Andromeda. I'm sorry Byers, I think your double is the bad guy."
They looked at the screen, in time to see a bearded, brown haired man flat on his back on a couch being kissed very thoroughly indeed by the android, Rommie. Langly sniggered. "Is that him?" He poked Byers in the ribs. "Way to go, Johnny!"
They settled down to watch and Frohike came in from the kitchen to see what was going on. Langly looked critically at the figures on the screen and grunted. "He looks nothing like John. John's much better looking."
Byers blushed.
Frohike looked closer. "No, hold on guys. Jimmy's right. Byers, he does look at lot like you."
But it appeared that the character, Kim, had more in common with Langly than Byers from the way he was whining. Langly poked Byers again. "What a wuss! 'Please don't kill me!' Lucky he wasn't in Baltimore with us, hey Frohike?"
Byers shushed Langly and they settled down to watch the program, Langly looking from the screen to Byers and back again all the time and constantly interrupting with comments comparing the two.
"His voice is different."
"His eyes aren't as blue as yours."
"Nice ass, though!"
Byers elbowed him in the ribs and hissed at him. "Stop that when Jimmy's listening!"
When it looked like Kim was changing sides, going to help Rommie, Langly shifted closer to Byers and stopped talking. Byers put out his hand and rested it on his lover's thigh.
When Kim and Rommie were talking, getting closer, Langly fidgeted uneasily, leaning forward. Frohike caught his eye and winked. Langly looked away, biting his lip.
When Kim was killed, Langly put out his hand and grabbed Byers' hand tightly. They watched in silence to the end of the program.
When the program was over, they went back to their delayed dinner. Langly caught up with Frohike and asked him quietly, "Did you get that on tape?"
Frohike looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah." Langly nodded and turned away.
He was very quiet during dinner. Jimmy was talking excitedly about the episode. He couldn't believe the actor looked so much like Byers. "Who was he anyway? He was good! Anyone know who he was?"
In the end Jimmy's chatter got too much for Langly. "Just shut up, willya, Jimmy!"
Jimmy was crestfallen. He looked from Langly to Byers and back again. Byers shook his head at him.
Langly stayed quiet during the evening and announced he was turning in early. He asked Frohike if he could borrow the tape and took it upstairs. When Byers came to bed, he found Langly sitting on the bed watching the tape again. He was replaying the bit where Kim was shot and was dying.
Byers looked at him, then went over and took the remote out of his hand. "Leave it out, Ree."
Langly turned and grabbed him with both arms round the waist, holding tight and burying his face in Byers' stomach. Byers stroked his hair. "What's the matter?"
"Dunno, that really got to me, that's all. Towards the end, he reminded me of you when we first met - the way you were determined to do the right thing even though you were scared."
"Ree, it's only a TV program."
"Yes, I know. It's just . . . he looked so much like you. He reminded me of you in the warehouse, facing up to that guy . . . And seeing him being killed like that. It made me realise what it would be like if that happened to you."
"That is not going to happen to me."
"It might . . . we've got into some pretty dangerous situations recently. We've been shot at, lots of times. I just realised how it could have been you lying there."
"Well, it wasn't. And it's not going to happen. You won't let it happen, will you?"
Langly tightened his grip and laughed softly. "No way."
"And it wasn't real. It was only a TV program."
"Yeah, I know. Sorry I over-reacted. It's just . . . I love you. And I'm only human."
END