Missing (Markise/Anna)

[Markise Sterling]

"I'd drag you along with me on Friday, but I don't think you'd have much fun." He wouldn't be able to dance with her the whole time, it would defeat half the purpose of going. Not to mention that she didn't need to see him drunk. Again. He wasn't even pretending he only had one to relax a little. He liked it, and he kept himself from getting so bad he couldn't get back to school or that the entire night was forgotten. Most of the time, anyway. Those times with Ariel so didn't count.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna shook her head. "No offense, but I don't think I could handle it. I was nervous at dancing at the Bloody Mary, and from what you've told me your clubs make it look like a school dance." Not that she wasn't completely intrigued at the idea, and a part of her really wanted to see what it was truly like. But reality was that she was still too shy, and didn't want to ruin Markise's night by feeling like she needed a babysitter. At the Bloody Mary she arrived on her own and could leave whenever she wanted to call it a night. If she traveled to London, she would be completely dependent on Markise for everything. "I think I'd need to work my way up to be able to hang all night at one of those clubs."

[Markise Sterling]

"I'm not offended," Markise said. "You don't need to turn me down, because I didn't invite you." He turned a lightly teasing look aside at Anna. She had to know by now that it wasn't personal. He just knew how it was to be on the outside looking in. His mind flickered back to DareandMichael, who were back to being sickeningly close. He turned away any time he saw either one of them at school.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna recognized the joke, but gasped loudly just the same as she pretended to look offended. She knew it would probably never work out to try and tag along with Markise at any of his gay clubs, so his refusal to invite her wasn't even an issue. "You're horrible!" A giggle escaped her lips as she pushed Markise's shoulder, trying to knock him sideways on the couch. She knew she wasn't strong at all, but if she caught him off guard...

[Markise Sterling]

She didn't manage the feat. Balance was one of Markise's physical strengths, and though he played along with a drawn-out owww at her push, it didn't budge him. It would be entirely different if he'd had a few drinks, but he was sober and sitting down. "That hurt!" he claimed. "Not my shoulder, that's fine, but how could you call me horrible?" He gave her a pathetic puppy-dog face that wouldn't fool anyone.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Well, you rejected my rejection when it didn't matter either way, and that's horrible!" Anna pushed against Markise with all her weight, laughing. She was done with talking serious and was happy with the direction they were now headed. Teasing that meant absolutely nothing for either of them always made her feel batter. "Besides, you just called me a wimp and don't even have the common decency to let me push you over!"

[Markise Sterling]

Just for that, Markise didn't budge for Anna this time, either. He grinned and held firm. "If you can't push me over, maybe you are a wimp," he suggested. "I mean, look at me. I'm all skin and bones!" Not by far, but as covered-up as his winter clothes kept him, it wasn't like it showed unless you were paying attention. Markise couldn't imagine Anna paying attention.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Yeah right" Anna had noticed when they'd danced at the Bloody Mary and he hadn't been as covered up, not to mention seeing him in his other clubbing clothes. She hadn't been checking him out or anything, far from it, but they'd been dancing close and then discussing clothing, which happened to reveal his body type in those clothes. He wasn't big and built like some other guys, but he was hardly going to blow away with the wind. She stopped pushing against him and poked at his upper arm. "Those aren't bony, it's what we call muscle."

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's lips curved, and his eyes glittered with laughter, even if that firm poke did sting. "Okay, you caught me. Maybe I am horrible," he suggested. "Now I don't let you push me down, and later I go out to kick stray animals or something." He couldn't think of anything better at the moment, so that was just going to have to do.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Well that's not so horrible, I might even join in the kicking of mean looking disease infested strays. If you had said you kick cute kittens or puppies, I'd have to hex you." Anna put on a face that was supposed to be stern, but there was far too much humor left in her eyes for it to be convincing. She was too tired to put on a good act anyways, and a yawn slipped out of her lips.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise saw that yawn, and only just stifled a reply. "You getting tired, Annabelle?" he asked. He tended to stay up as late as he could and still leave himself time in the morning before breakfast, but not everyone did so. If Anna was going to fall asleep, he wouldn't keep her up with him.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna shrugged. "I haven't been getting much sleep." She thought that after everything earlier, Markise would know why so she didn't bother explaining. Her mind couldn't help go back to the topics they'd been discussing and the remaining humor faded. It was impossible not to compare the two situations, and she couldn't decide who had it worse. She imagined that Markise having his ex hanging around would be really hard to keep his resolve not to get involved again, which was the major difference. Markise's ex was a jerk and Markise was trying to get over him but the ex was apparently still hanging around. Annabelle on the other hand knew she'd take Chase back no matter how big of an arse he'd been lately, if only he would give her the time of day.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise gave a brief sound of understanding. He had the briefest, most flickering thought of suggesting Anna visit the nurse to see if there was anything she could take to help, but it was immediately crushed with an image of Dare, curled at the foot of his bed in withdrawals. Markise shook his head at the image, trying to force it away. "You should take up yoga," he told Anna instead.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna gave Markise a skeptical look at his suggestion. "Did you forget we're at Hogwarts? I doubt most people here even know what yoga is. Besides, I've never done it, and I'd be unlikely to find an instructor around here." Anna's gaze went back to the arm she'd poked and she wondered if that was how he kept in shape. "Do you do yoga to sleep?" The edges of her lips curved upward as an image flashed through her mind at the two of them doing crazy poses in the middle of the Hogwarts lawns at sunrise. She had seen something similar on the telly while flipping through channels at home once.

[Markise Sterling]

"Mm-m," Markise hummed, shaking his head. "Pilates." Something that had gotten him some very strange looks when he'd mentioned it. "I know a little yoga from Dare's mom, though." His nose wrinkled at that, but he looked away from Anna before his face fell. It hurt to think about how close they'd been, and now not only was there nothing left, but every last remnant had been decimated.