About Face
B.A. burst into the apartment without knocking (as he always did, much to Face's chagrin). "Wha's the matter, Face?"
"I can't believe it. He did it. He actually did it." Face had worked himself up to one of his displays of injured dignity and was appreciative of an audience. "He's off to Hawaii without me, with a beautiful girl I didn't even have to set him up with. All done with my," He tapped his chest, "frequency tables that I discovered; she wouldn't have known a thing about him if I hadn't gotten him on that show. And what do I get for it? Not an ounce of gratitude."
"You tell me what's really goin' on, Faceman, or I'll pound that pretty face into the ground." B.A. drew back a fist; it often took a little pressure to squeeze some sincerity out of the guarded lieutenant.
Face flinched, then sighed. "Our little Murdock's growing up. I always thought he'd be there, you know? Maybe it's selfish of me, but who can break the habit of a lifetime?" Face gave one of his wry little laughs that didn't hold any humor in them. "I never really thought he'd get better, or have a life outside of books and games and tv shows. And I guess I sorta wanted it that way; him depending on me to come spring him from the VA to have a life. Some friend, aren't I?"
"Face, Murdock ain't gonna leave you behind."
Face hated how perceptive B.A. could be when he put an eye to it, because that was the crux of the matter: he was afraid Murdock was going to leave him behind. In Face's head there was a cutting, cynical voice told him that he wasn't good enough or interesting enough and that everyone, sooner or later, was going to leave him behind when they found out and found someone or something more interesting. He expected to be left behind, that was why he usually did the leaving; jobs, lovers, coworkers, friends – he left them all before they could saw past the façade and see he wasn't worth their time. Surrounded by the rest of the A-Team the voice was strangled to the quietest it ever was; they'd seen him at his worst and still welcomed him as part of the team (especially Murdock, who never pushed him away no matter how many mistakes he made or how many fights they got into), but still the voice whispered that someday he'd outlive his usefulness or he'd mess up too much or they'd just grow tired of him. It scared him to see the captain becoming more autonomous because that meant Murdock would come in contact with other people, people who were better people - more dependable and less flawed – better worth Murdock's time than he was.
"Which is why I'm here instead of Hawaii?" Face drawled dryly.
B.A. glared at him. "You too literal, Faceman. There's two things that crazy man's always gonna be," B.A. held up two fingers, counting them off as he listed out, "crazy and your friend, in the VA or not."
"Yeah, well thanks for the pep talk, B.A." Face inched toward his bedroom door, "You know, you should take up this headshrinking business. I'm sure they could use another shrink in the V.A. Think about it while I get ready for a Hawaii-less night of wine, women, and song." He sort of dashed into his room while B.A. shook his head. Face stuck his head out of the bedroom door a few moments later and motioned B.A. to the door and pointed at the bobbing mass of bedsheets, "What's that?"
"Water bed," B.A. said simply, "Wheel of Fortune guys came and set it up."
"Great, now I can be seasick while I sleep," Face complained, but he didn't seem actually displeased. He was about to escort B.A. out of the apartment when a confident knock reverberated through the door.
Face gave B.A. a questioning tilt of his head to which B.A. answered with a shake of his head and a shrug. Face put his eye to the peephole, then waved down the defensive posture B.A. was assuming; he opened the door, meeting the strikingly beautiful blonde on the other side of it with a wide smile. "Hi, can I help you?"
"Hello," She smiled, her lively blue eyes dancing up and down him appreciatively and with no attempt to disguise it, "My name's Alice Mason, I live a few doors down. Your friend, Mr. Murdock, ordered this for you from where I work," She stepped a little closer and handed Face the box she held in her arms, "He said you wouldn't mind if I dropped it off myself."
Face opened the box and took an appraising (which quickly changed to an approving) glance at the wine bottle. "Look at that, my favorite year." He smiled one of his dazzling, charming smiles at the woman. "I don't suppose you'd care to join me? I always find this vintage tastes best in company."
B.A. shook his head, whispering "Toldja" on his way out.
