Dance The Night Away

[ascending_angel]

WHO: Dazzler and Archangel.
WHERE: Downtown at a nightclub.
WHEN: Directly following Booster's Post.
WARNINGS: None.
SUMMARY: Warren went and watched Alison's show and they have a talk about it after.
FORMAT: Para then Quicklog.

The show had gone on for a few hours, and somehow Warren managed to survive it. The club they played in was rundown and shoddy, and the patrons matched the look exactly. A lot of the women were middle aged and sporting leather tops, tiny mini skirts, teased hair, and lipstick so red it put the strobes to shame. The men were no better, only they were more pushy and angry drunks. Warren didn't ever step foot in places like those, and it was difficult to not be rude and grumpy about it.

Despite the cougars hitting on him and the men throwing nasty curses at him and shoving him every time he walked by, Warren managed to keep his cool long enough to watch the entire show. Booster Gold and his little get-up was obnoxious as hell, but he enjoyed Alison. She looked and sounded beautiful and he was proud of her; she looked so happy up there and no matter how gross the place was, that very fact stood out.

The pair were just tidying their equipment off the stage when Warren found himself in the company of two trashy women again. "Hello again, ladies."

They just giggled, and asked if he was interested in buying them some drinks.

How typical.

Comments

[ascending_angel]

Yeah well he was running his mouth already at me once tonight.

[Folds his arms and looks annoyed still]

I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, Alison, but I swear to god if he tries any of that creepy crap with you, you need to break his face.

[idateforsupper]

[Stares at him.]

In a heartbeat. [Pause] What did he say to you?

[ascending_angel]

[Unimpressed face]

He accused me of being a pervert and staring at your ass because I complimented you.

[idateforsupper]

[JUST SIGHS]

Are you two going to get along?

[ascending_angel]

[Hhhhhh]

I wasn't the one being obnoxious!

[idateforsupper]

[Nrghhh]

I'll talk to him, okay?

[ascending_angel]

[SIGHS]

Look, I don't want to make you upset, okay? I'm probably just being paranoid still, and I'm sorry.

[idateforsupper]

[She rolls her eyes, reaching forward and touching his arm. Her expression becomes softer.]

You really don't need to worry.

[ascending_angel]

[Frowns]

But I do. After everything that happened...like hell I'll stand back and let it happen again.

[idateforsupper]

[Kind of glares at that.]

It's not like I'm helpless.

[ascending_angel]

I never said that! I told you already that has nothing to do with it!

[idateforsupper]

Yeah, okay. Look, Warren. I can handle myself in these situations---and as long as I'm not having my head SCREWED with, I can handle the way men treat me.

[Folds arms. She's irritated now.]

Besides, Booster is gay. He just doesn't know it yet.

[ascending_angel]

Don't make me out to be a jerk because I care about you, Ali, that's not fair.

[idateforsupper]

I never said you were being a jerk. I'm only telling you that I'm used to this stuff. I can handle whatever gets thrown at me.

[ascending_angel]

Then why are you getting all pissed off at me? Do you honestly think I'm being unreasonable here? I'm just using my common sense.

[Frustrated sigh]

You are more than capable of taking care of yourself. I know that. I'm not an idiot. Does that mean I don't worry still? No! It doesn't. And I won't stop worrying so long as this bullshit keeps going on in this city! Anything can happen at any time. You know that just as well as I do.

[idateforsupper]

[She lets her face fall into her hands.]

I'm sorry, Warren. It's just---touchy.

[Not only that but she's annoyed he thinks she'll let something like that happen to her again. She'd kill herself if it did.]

[ascending_angel]

[This was exactly why he had tried to hard to choose his words carefully. So much that had accomplished.]

I know. But what would you rather me do? Duck around it and tip toe around you like you're made of glass, or be honest with you? I know you don't like to talk about it, but it happened and it's there and it--

[Could happen again]

I'll drop it. Just don't get mad at me for looking out for you when I know you'd do the exact same thing.

[idateforsupper]

[She doesn't answer him for a few minutes, only letting her hands drop as she figures out what to say next. She doesn't---why did he have to bring it up. Bad enough that she thought about that moment every single day. But here he was...talking about it with her. She didn't---she was happy around him. Why was he doing this now?]

I'm not mad at you. I just---hate that you think about it.

[I think about it enough for four people.]

[ascending_angel]

[That takes him aback. He did not quite understand why she thought he wouldn't think about it. The whole Central Park thing was a traumatizing experience for her, and it affected a lot of what they did. And what they didn't do. No matter how she thought about it, it was still there and looming all the time. Of course he thought about it.]

Ali, it's kind of hard to ignore. I've been with you day in and day out since it happened and I'm trying my best here to help you get through it. And I'm sorry that it frustrates you, but it's going to include worrying. I can't help that.

[Plus he still can't get over the fact that he'd been talking to her when it all went down. He still remembers the tone of her voice and the way she asked him to come along. It ripped his heart into a million pieces that he couldn't go there and help her.]

[idateforsupper]

[To her thinking about it is obsessing about it. She remembers and remembers and remembers every single second of that day. She doesn't want anyone else thinking about that moment besides her and Tony. She doesn't want to deal with it, only ignore it. Ignore the festering wound it caused her. She hates that Warren thinks about it when---when---she doesn't really know how to finish that.]

How much do you think about it?

[ascending_angel]

[He looks away from her, swallowing. He really doesn't want to answer that question. He knows she won't like it.]

Way more than you'd want me to.

[idateforsupper]

Wh-why---

[She stops. Yeah. She doesn't like that answer.]

[ascending_angel]

[Because I know you're hurt, and it kills me?]

I've got no right, I know. But I do. I'm sorry.

[idateforsupper]

I'm sick of this.

[She's such a mess and why do you even want to be with her when she clearly cannot hold it together when a simple subject is brought up. Okay, not that simple, but still.]

[ascending_angel]

[That breaks his heart]

Ali, I know. But you're strong and you've been through a ton of shit in your life. I know you can get through this too.

[He reaches out and touches the side of her face. He doesn't want to upset her, only support her. Jesus Christ, he hopes to God she knew that]