fridgetothefire | 011 ☣ sleepover!

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011 ☣ sleepover!

Private text to Ben, later at night after this post:

hy can i crash at your plcae tonite

i dont wanna go back to mine

[Private to Alex, the next morning]

i have a gigantic hangover

bring me breakfast u owe me

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[She makes a garbled, grumbly noise to let him know that's she's heard, and eventually lurches her way off the bed and toward the door. Her clothes are slept-in rumpled, her hair is a mess, and she still smells a bit like vodka.]

Blurgh. Thanks.

Jesus. What happened?

[Sorry, Anya, he's all out of tact.]

And where's Ben?

Uh, yesterday was awful so I went on a vodka quest.

[Like duh, Alex. You were there, there was a lot of horrible flying around yesterday.]

He's...somewhere. Crashing with his warden, I think.

How much of a vodka quest?

[Are we talking shots or bottles here B[ Also, strange sense of relief occurs.]

So he just let you stay here?

[She sits on the floor takes her eggs and juice, because there isn't much of a better place and she doesn't want to spill anything on Ben's bed after his hospitality.]

A very successfully one.

[She was pouring it from the bottle into a shot glass. Does that help?]

Yeah. Didn't really. Want to be in mine.

[No, Anya. Not really. But at least his protective instincts are assuaged.]

[Well, kind of. He frowns - of course she didn't want to be in hers - and closes the door.]

Okay if I sit? I won't eat your eggs.

Yeah, s'fine.

[She waves loosely, signaling her assent as she starts to eat.]

[He sits down on the floor next to her, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands.]

Do you want a new cabin?

[He's not going to bring up why if she doesn't. He knows.]

No. It's mine.

[It comes out sharp and sullen, not quite snarling. Her room was a gift, one of the first things that made her realize how good a friend Lua really way. She's been hurt badly in that room, and mended a friendship making herself at home in it again. And deep down, under the carefully chosen battles and the fake smiles, she has her father's stubbornness.]

I don't. Mind him, really, not most of the time. I just - can't be around. When he's that angry.

Edited 2013-04-09 04:18 (UTC)

[He flinches, looks away. He's tired of being yelled at. But he doesn't say anything.]

Okay. Nevermind, then.

[Pause.]

How are the eggs?

Sorry. I wasn't. Mad at you.

[She's had so few things she loved; even without counting the hangover, she doubts she'd react well to the idea of loosing them.]

They're good. I appreciate it.

Edited 2013-04-09 05:20 (UTC)

It's fine. Forget it.

[The ghost of a smile.] I'm glad I didn't burn 'em.

[gingerly]

I could teach you how to not burn stuff, food, for sure, if you want.

Yeah, that. I'd like that.

Okay.

[She rubs her forehead.]

You doing alright? You were still kind of. In the thick of it, when I stopped checking responses.

[He shrugs one shoulder tightly, lips a flat line.]

Is this going to turn into you asking me when I became such a warden? Because I'm not interested in having that conversation.

No? You've always been a warden.

[And that's a good thing, more or less, at least to Anya. She looks confused more than anything, shrinking a little.]

You were standing up for people on both sides and taking heat for it that you didn't deserve. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want, I just...

[Care.]

I was just asking.

[. . . See, that's not what he meant to happen. He softens slightly, though he's still closed-off and clearly upset.]

I don't want to talk about it. But - I mean, thanks for asking.

[He gnaws the inside of his cheek.]

I'm sorry he scared you.

[she shrugs one shoulder]

It's mostly not his fault. Everybody needs to scream sometimes.

[She scoots closer and wraps one arm around his shoulders, squeezes briefly in half-a-hug. Don't be sad, Alex. 8C ]

[He jolts slightly when she hugs him - still not used to touch, definitely not expecting it from her. But it's nice, even though he's not sure it should be. He leans against her anyway. Screw should for five seconds.]

I still don't want him to scare you. Or - anybody to scare you.

[She could say something philosophical, something about everyone being scared some of the time, or something pragmatic about spending most of her life afraid. She doesn't.]

You're a good person, Alex.

[He smiles a little. People keep saying that. He's just a guy, though.]

[But he pulls her closer anyway.]

Well, I'm your friend. It's kind of my job to keep you safe, right?

I don't know.

[She is new at friends. Then she shakes her head.]

No. That's. It can't be it. Magneto kept me safe but that wasn't, it's not the same.

Don't. Don't explain it away, okay, just don't. I didn't think real kindness even existed outside of books until recently, but you - are. So.

[He softens, nods with his chin against her head.]

Okay. I won't.

Good.

[She finds his hand and squeezes it lightly.]

I'm sorry people were taking stuff out on you.

011 ☣ sleepover!

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