The Little Things Give You Away (open by invite)

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's eyes had narrowed, too. He turned them on Ariel, anger written on his face. "Yeah, go to work, Ariel. I'd hate to ruin your f~ing night." He pulled away, one hand rising to rub lightly at the place on his neck he could still feel. Markise turned in a huff for the bar. He knew Dare would follow and hoped that Ariel would just leave if he was going to be like that.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel only realized what he had said after it was out of his mouth and Markise had reacted. He sighed heavily and watched Markise leave. He wanted to follow him, but it was very easy to get distracted considering just how many drinks he had had, especially when that one particular brunette came by.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare gave Ariel's back a hard look, his fingers curling into his palms. He'd gone though, so there was no reason to chase him down only to get his ass kicked. He went after Markise instead, sitting down next to him at the bar. He flagged down the bartender, who was finishing up a mixed drink, but gave him a nod, then looked aside at Markise. "You're so much better than that," he said, something he'd said many times before and always been ignored.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise pouted. "I know," he said. But Ariel was the other gay guy at Hogwarts, and he was so hot. And a prostitute. "Two Disaronno and Cokes," he said, ordering for both himself and Dare. Misery loved company, and there was no way Dare would drink if it looked or smelled like a drink. If he thought Disaronno was a brand of soda, Markise would be just fine.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael and Anna had somehow ended up in a booth with a little bucket full of ice with a bottle in it. Michael was leaned against the back wall and laughing at whatever had just been said between the two of them. He poured another glass. He had been feeling rather good the last half hour or so, and the good feeling was only helped along by the wine and the good conversation.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna was still giggling when she set her glass down, continuing what she'd been saying. She looked up at Michael doe-eyed, but with a smile she couldn't get rid of, and taunted, "You think I'm gooorgeous, you want to kiiiiss me!" He'd never know it was from a movie, but her mind was too fuzzy to bother explaining. It was only after she'd said it that she realized how very close to Michael she'd gotten. She could feel his body heat next to her. His eyes were gorgeous.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael grinned and slid his arm around her waist. "What if I do?" he asked, then took another long drink from his glass. "You are gorgeous, I never thought otherwise," he said, eyes shining as his mind went back to a time that seemed so long before. Had it really been over a year since they had been together in the Bloody Mary?

[Annabelle Hennessy]

By the time Anna went looking for Markise again, the realization of what had happened had sobered her a bit. She didn't feel the victory that she might have in her more bitter moments, but she couldn't feel too guilty, either. Michael had cheated on her with Dare in the first place, so it served him right. Somehow she found her way back to the bar he'd left her at and ordered a water this time. She was very pleased with herself, but she felt a little sick from drinking all night.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael found his way in a daze to a dark booth, eyes wide underneath his hair. He huddled in the corner, hating more the fact that he didn't, couldn't, regret what had happened than the actual act itself. He knew that he didn't want Dare to find him, though he couldn't possibly imagine Dare was still looking for him by that point. He signaled for another, stronger drink.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare hadn't figured out what Disaronno was until some time after his third glass, and by then he'd developed a taste for it. By then his mind was a haze and he didn't really care. Markise had kept flirting with him, and for a while it had been like old times. Then he'd insisted on finding Michael and everything had gone downhill.

He wasn't even entirely sure what he'd seen, but it had been more than enough once he'd recognized that dark red hair and the copper ring that was still on his finger. He hadn't said a word, but stormed off with Markise trailing after him. He wasn't proud of his response.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise knew that Dare was drunk, but then, they both were. He'd thought about it for so long that when the chance had come, he'd taken it without argument. He'd gotten Dare's ring off as well, tucking it deep in his hip pocket before they got too far. He'd never been so grateful for the darkrooms.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel had caught a glimpse of Markise and Dare slipping into one of those rooms and followed as quickly as possible, pulling himself away from one dance partner and side-stepping another. Finally, he made it to the room and slipped in without asking permission. He didn't like thinking of what Markise and Dare might be doing in the room, and the best way to deal with it was to face it head-on.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare wasn't even sure what had happened after that. It was all such a blur that he could hardly make sense of it. He didn't think he could go home. He didn't deserve to, and he didn't think he could stand to. He didn't want to face Michael at all.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had offered up the back room of his shop for anyone who wanted to nurse their hangovers there rather than going back to school. It was on their way out that he caught sight of Michael curled up in a booth. Markise didn't say a word, but pulled Dare's ring out of his pocket and dropped it on the table. Then he slipped his arm around Dare's waist and headed for the doors.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel left the room much more pleased than he probably should have, definitely more pleased than he had expected, and started following Markise and Dare out only to be sidetracked by a rather dashing looking young man with curly black hair. He called a goodbye out to Markise and then turned for another dance.