Timed to the 22nd

[takecourage]

Alex is in a shitty, shitty mood. She has been for days, since the first argument with Darlington but now, after the conversation that they'd had in his apartment, the things that both of them had said, she's just fucking furious. She's not down to work tonight and she just needs to get out of her own head so she picks up her phone and texts Caleb.

want to hang out? xA

While she's waiting for him to respond, she gets in the shower and washes her hair, tries to scald the irritation out of her with hot water.

It's not entirely successful.

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[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

The text surprises him, but it's a welcome reprieve from his own head. Since getting Michael back, things have been tense and uncomfortable. He's tried to be there for him, to help him through this, but it's so much harder than he'd expected. How could he expect to actually help people with their problems when he can't even handle feeling them, himself?

He answers quickly, then changes back out of his post-shower clothes and into jeans and a shirt that he'd actually want to be caught in public wearing. They agree to meet at her place, since they have no idea how many, if any, 'grays' are around Candlewood. So he heads over, texting Clint.

He doesn't know why he texts Clint. They didn't have plans tonight. They don't really have plans ever, but they've been talking a lot more, and hanging out, and it seems like the thing to do when he realizes he's going to be busy for the rest of the night.

When he gets to Alex's apartment, he smiles, already scoping the place out for the various things he remembers she'd bought.

[takecourage]

When Caleb arrives, Alex is dressed in leggings and a sweatshirt. Of all the things she misses about Lethe, she thinks that the official sweats might be the ones she misses the most. They were ridiculously comfortable, always fresh laundered and plentiful. She wouldn't be surprised if she'd heard that Dawes just trashed them every time a pair was worn. Her wet hair is twisted into a knot on the top of her head.

"Drink?" she asks, padding through the living area into the kitchen tucked in the corner. "Tea? Coffee? I've got soda or...yeah, I've got a few beers, too."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"I'm only seventeen," he reminds when she offers beer. "I'll take a tea." He looks at her, finally allowing himself to check in with her feelings.

He's been extra defensive with his empathy, lately. He'd finally told Dr. Fuller about it, and initially he'd been skeptical, but now he's been helping Caleb with mindfulness exercises, similar to how Dr. Bright had been.

Fuck, he misses Dr. Bright.

Alex is in a shitty mood. She's not taking it out on him, which is good, but it's still there, buzzing angry and red beneath Caleb's skin, like a hornet's nest that's been kicked, on the verge of breaking out to attack the thing that kicked it.

"Hey... What's wrong?" he asks. "You're mad. Like. Really mad."

[takecourage]

"Never stopped me," she says, but she fills the kettle and sets it on the stove anyway. She hears the concern in his voice and it's enough to make her wince; she's never felt like she's really worth anyone's concern. She turns around, leaning her ass back against the counter and folding her arms across her chest.

"Darlington and I...had some pretty shitty fights in the last few days."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"Oh. Shit, Alex, I'm sorry." He grimace a little, thinking about the fights he's had, and how shitty they'd made him feel. "D'you... want to talk about it?" It feels a little like she does, but he doesn't want to assume, just because he's an empath.

[takecourage]

She's not sure whether she does or she doesn't, for a moment, but then she realises that it might be nice venting her spleen to someone. Maybe she won't be so fucking pissed about it.

"I...didn't tell you what happened on New Year's Eve, did I?"

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

He tips his head as he picks up on the different emotions rising and falling in her. She's still pissed, but whatever happened New Year's, she liked, a lot. But she regrets it now, too.

"No, you didn't," he says. "But now I'm really curious about it."

[takecourage]

"You're seventeen," she says, smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as the kettle starts to boil and she turns away from him to start making them both tea. "Sure you want to hear about it?" She thinks about what she did, what they did, knowing that, even if she's still furious with Darlington, Caleb will pick up on everything else the memory makes her feel.

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

Caleb almost frowns, but then heat washes over him and he feels himself blush when his dick stirs.

"Fuck," he mumbles, and shakes his head. He reaches down to adjust himself a little and shakes his head. "Okay, fair enough," he says. "And I'm guessing you regret it because of the fights?"

[takecourage]

"Sorry." says Alex, and she's smiling but she at least has the good grace to look a little bit sheepish as she holds a mug out to him. She picks her own tea up and pads in the dieciton of the sofa. "And...yeah. Maybe? But...also no? That doesn't even fucking make sense, does it."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"I mean, the words don't," he says, sipping the tea. "But the feelings do. You have feelings for him, I mean. You liked what happened, and you probably wanted it to happen, but you definitely wish it hadn't, or... maybe that it hadn't happened exactly then? Or... I dunno, I don't have enough to work with."

[takecourage]

"It was good," she says, curling up with her cup of tea at one of the sofa, waiting for Caleb to settle himself. "It was really good, but then he got...a bit weird, and distant? And then it all really went to shit when he found out where I'm working."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"Oh." He follows her over to the couch and sits, careful not to slosh his tea. Without knowing Darlington, without feeling his feelings, Caleb isn't sure he can really help, but maybe Alex just needs someone to talk to about it, and not someone to actually do something about it.

"Like, the way you thought I'd judge you for it? Or, like, worse?"

[takecourage]

"Way, way worse," says Alex, rolling her eyes a little bit, shuffling down in the sofa until she can shield herself behind her tea. "I was worried you were a kid. He's just being an asshole about it."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not a kid. I'm almost eighteen." He shifts a little so he's leaning against the opposite arm, facing her with one socked foot on the sofa. "Do you know why he's being an asshole?"

[takecourage]

"I think he's jealous," she says, rubbing one hand over her face, suddenly tired. "I know he's jealous. I think he thinks i'm fucking guys in the backroom at the club. I got my tattoos back and he just assumed how it happened."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"Wait, what?" Caleb asks. "I thought they were in moths! What the fuck, let me see!" He's not angry — he's excited. He can get to the rest of his questions in a minute.

[takecourage]

That makes Alex laugh which, shit, feels really good. She sets her tea down and sits forward to strip off her hoodie, down to her tank. Both arms are covered in black ink from shoulder to wrist - peonies, koi, the wheel from Hellie's tarot. A muddle. A snake curls against each clavicle,their tongues nearly meeting.

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"Holy shit, I had no idea you had so many," he says. He takes them in, fascinated and a little awed by the sheer amount of ink. "Did they hurt?"

[takecourage]

"Like hell," she says, and flashes a grin. "But it's a good kid of pain. It's...clean."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

"Clean," Caleb echoes. He'd never heard of pain described as clean or dirty before, but he thinks he understands, just the same. "So, wait," he says, rewinding a little. "What d'you mean, he assumed how you got them back?"

[takecourage]

"Be careful in the throes," she says, doing her best Impression of Darlington's accent. "Human saliva reverses the Address moth incantation. So when he saw I'd got them back, he assumed...."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

Caleb doesn't get it right away. He frowns, obviously trying to catch up, and it's clear when he does. He wrinkles his nose and leans back a little.

"Ew, wait, he thought you, what? You were fucking someone?"

[takecourage]

"He pretty much implied I'm taking guys into some private room at the club," she says, feeling fury flare up in her gut again, knowing Caleb will feel it too. "For bigger tips."

[greatamazingfeelingsboy]

The look on Caleb's face is one of disgust, but a righteous indignation rises up alongside Alex's fury.

"What the fuck, that's disgusting, why the fuck would he think that?" He doesn't ask Alex if that's what happened. He knows it's not. He can feel it, in the angry, bitter swirl of her emotions.