A Club.

[Markise Sterling]

The man's eyes darkened. You're not being paid to argue," he said coldly. "Have your moments of rest, we will begin again." The businessman stood then, and left the room to join his friend. All that was audible from the bedroom was hushed voices, but no intelligible words. It was obvious, however, that the businessman was displeased.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

I'm not being paid to drink, either, Ariel mentally shot back. When the man was gone he set the glass back where he had got it from, and slid over towards Markise to see if he was any closer to waking up. He moved his hand through the soft hair around Markise's face, but he didn't seem any closer to consciousness than he had been with Ariel had first carried him into the room.

[Markise Sterling]

When the businessman returned, he stopped to lean against the doorway, watching. The boy with the tattoos was doing very nicely, but the one with the lavender hair had been his first choice. He pushed away from the doorway and crossed to stand beside the boy. "Beautiful, isn't he?" he murmured. "A perfect balance of masculine and feminine." He brought his own hand to that fine silk and caressed it.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel didn't like the man touching Markise, but didn't say anything, knowing that it really wouldn't help his case any. He nodded and crossed his legs again as he looked down at Markise, he really was beautiful. It wasn't something that Ariel thought about often, he just knew that he wanted Markise. He looked away as he remembered his promise to keep his pants zipped and on.

[Markise Sterling]

The businessman wanted that little lavender-haired angel, but the tattooed boy continued to stand guard over him throughout the night. The man took his annoyance out on the boy, using him hard. Dawn was breaking before his friend left, and he told the tattooed boy to take his money and get out. Then he gathered up a fresh suit and retired to the bathroom. He'd be wearing a smirk the rest of the day.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel was sore and exhausted as he strapped his wand back on and pulled on his clothes. He stared at the money for a few long seconds before he tucked it into his pocket to be exchanged later. When he was dressed and had his coat on, he sighed and turned his attention to Markise, who still hadn't woken up. "Wake up," he said, leaning close and running his hand over Markise's forehead and into his hair.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise stirred, but his face twisted into one of pain as someone crucio'd his head, or at least that was what he imagined it felt like. He turned away from the warm pressure of Ariel's hand, wincing again as the pain spiked down his neck. Then he stilled, trying to let the pain fade. It didn't work. Especially when his stomach clenched, curling him as he relieved the contents of his stomach on the fine sheets.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel cursed and glanced over to the bathroom door. "Come on, we need to go," he said, then avoided looking at the sheets. "We really need to go." He wanted to keep his money and didn't like the idea of the man finding Markise's little present and taking it away from him. He wanted to at least earn something from his mistake. After glancing towards the door again, he reached over and pulled the blanket over the dirtied sheets and looked at Markise. "I know it hurts, but we just need to get out of the building."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise could hear the urgency in Ariel's voice, but couldn't make out the words. All he could think about was the pain, and wondering how he could still feel like vomiting when he'd just emptied his stomach. Still, he cracked his eyes open, groaning as the meager lamp light threw shards of glass into his brain through his pupils. He couldn't even make sense of things yet, let alone stand. He recognized that he was in a strange place though, that Ariel was here and a shower was running. What was going on?

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel was starting to feel panic rising in his chest as he glanced at the bathroom door again. "The man in that shower is going to be very angry if we're still here when he gets out," he said, running a hand through Markise's hair again. "If we can get out of the building, you can lay down in the street for all I care, we just need to get out." Then he stood and threw his cloak on, "If you don't get up now, I'm carrying you," he warned.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise was awake enough to make out the words now. There was still alcohol coursing through his veins, but it wasn't relaxing him. He tried to move for Ariel, even if he didn't understand, but when he got as far as sitting, the world slipped out from under him and he leaned forward, leaving another present on the hardwood floor. "I can't," he choked, spitting out some of the vile taste in his mouth.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel cursed again, but hoped that maybe that meant there wasn't much more left in Markise's stomach. He glanced at the door again and then moved to try to maneuver his arms underneath Markise's shoulders and knees. If they could just get out of the building, then they could wait out however long it took for Markise to recover enough to walk back. It hadn't been a long ride back to the flat, it couldn't take them very long to get back.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise scowled as he batted Ariel's hands away. "I can walk," he insisted, refusing to be an invalid, even if he felt like one. "Just... help me up." Markise didn't look up at Ariel as he said it. He wasn't entirely sure his legs would hold him, but he had to try. He didn't take pain very well, and every joint in his body ached. His brain was being beaten repeatedly with a cauldron, and he still felt dizzy and nauseous, but he didn't want to be babied. Not if he was supposed to be moving.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel helped Markise up, meaning that he wrapped an arm very tightly around his waist and all but carried him as he started walking to the door. He thought that if they could at least get out of the bedroom in time, they could make it out the door before the man found the nice little additions to his bedroom. "Please don't fall," he said, then gritted his teeth.

[Markise Sterling]

"I won't," Markise hissed. He didn't know what was going on, but all he wanted was to lie in bed while somebody brought him a pain potion and some coffee. He didn't normally drink it, normally avoided caffeine altogether, but every once in a while, he'd allow himself that vice. Markise moved his feet, leaning unabashedly on Ariel as they headed... wherever it was that they were headed. He was walking, and that was what counted. Then the shower stopped. There was a rustle of the shower curtain, and a pleased whistle which melted into the sound of a hair dryer.