Guilty Pleasure

[Markise Sterling]

Markise blinked rapidly, then his eyes rose, trying to keep the moisture gathered in his eyes from spilling. He choked on his words. "Why am I not enough?" One arm moved to rest across his stomach, and the other tucked against the side of his body, his hand rising to move lightly beneath his eyes. There was so much he wanted to know, but that one question summed everything up.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel sighed and reached out to wipe at one of Markise's cheeks. "Don't make this about you, it isn't about you," he said, only speaking loud enough to be heard above the music. Considering how close they were together, it didn't take as much as it normally would have. "This is about me, it's my decision, there's no reason to pull you down, too."

[Markise Sterling]

A whimper of pain escaped Markise's lips and he turned his gaze off into the faceless crowd, anything but look at Ariel. "Why can't I pull you up?" Why was Ariel so sure that he'd give up and end up doing the same thing? Was that what he thought would happen? Why would he decide to do something he didn't like and didn't need? Markise just couldn't understand!

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel clenched his jaw, and the words that came out were a little sharper than he intended. "I already have plans for the weekend, Markise," he said. And plans that didn't involve his job, not really, though if he didn't have the money from the job he wouldn't be able to do what he planned. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. "Stop trying to help me," he said finally, only opening his eyes after he spoke. Even then, he didn't look at Markise.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise had winced at the tone of Ariel's voice, and his chest ached so badly. "I can't," he said softly. I already have plans. It was so wrong! Stop trying to help me. Markise sniffled, and he wiped gently at his tears, trying not to let them muss his makeup. "Fine," he said, though the word sounded just as plaintive and hurt as the last he'd spoken. "You're fired, Ariel. I don't want to see you again. Ever." He turned to escape before Ariel could see how hard it was for him to say it.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Markise turned before he could see the wave of pain that swept over Ariel's own face before he hardened his eyes again. One hand had reached up for Markise, but he clenched it into a fist and brought it down. Then he turned and waded his way through the crowd to find a distraction. Markise didn't know, couldn't know, that there was no way for Ariel to just stop, not now, he was in too deep to stop even if he tried.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise didn't head for the bar, not right now. He wasn't in the mood to dance or to get picked up, nor was he in the mood to talk, beyond asking Joe to get him something strong to drink. At this point, it didn't matter if it tasted like hippogriff piss, just as long as he could get nice and drunk. Now he'd forgotten Anna. He set himself into his drink the moment it arrived.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

When the song ended this time, Anna noticed it. She made the excuse of needing a water break and the pair headed off the floor to the bar. It took a while for them to get their drinks and make their way back to the table. When they arrived, Markise was back, with a drinks that wasn't the water he'd so subtly insisted she drank earlier. She slipped into the booth next to him before Robbie had a chance to claim the seat. "Hey."

[Markise Sterling]

If Anna had caught Markise at the beginning of this drink rather than the end, and if he had been in a better mood, he would have pushed it aside and given her an innocent smile. But he wasn't in a better mood, and so he was at the end of the drink, quite a bit faster than he should have been. He didn't drink any more, but neither did he remove his hands from the glass.

His tears had dried, he'd made sure of that before he'd even approached the table, but there were still telltale signs. His eyes were red, and if someone looked closely enough, dried tear tracks had made light trails against his cheeks. He refused to look up at Robbie, or even at Anna.

"I'm sorry Anna," he said, the words slightly thicker than they should have been, and tainted more obviously with his New York accent. "I wasn't gonna get drunk." So long to pretending he wasn't.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"It's alright don't worry about it." Anna tried to reassure him while studying his appearance. It was obvious something had happened since he'd been on the dance floor. He was on his way to becoming drunk if he wasn't already. She wondered what she had missed after she'd stopped watching him. Was it something with that guy that Robbie didn't like, or was it something else completely? "You okay? What happened?"

[Markise Sterling]

Robbie made no move to sit. He'd seen Angel like this before, but this was the first time he'd had any clue what might have gotten him like this. It had to be that bloody Australian, and Robbie was sick of it. It took a hell of a lot of work to get Angel to relax after this had happened. He'd wait just long enough to see if he was right, then take off and find the bastard.

Markise shook his head lightly, trying to brush Anna's question away. "I can't talk about it," he said. He didn't want to talk about it. After all his preaching about Anna needing to be strong enough to stay away from her ex, he'd begged his to stay a night with him. Markise lifted his glass and finished it, having forgotten that he didn't want to drink in front of Anna.

Robbie cut in. "Was it that Aussie wanker?" He took the slight tensing of Angel's shoulders, the press of his lips, and the lack of any other response as an affirmative and turned back into the crowd, intending to hunt the guy down and thump him.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna watched Robbie leave before turning back to Markise, taking in everything both said and unsaid. Her curiosity over the identity of this mysterious Aussie was growing by the second. She wished she knew what to do to help him. "You don't have to if you don't want to." She rested her hand on his shoulder to try and offer whatever support she could. What did that guy do to make Markise so upset? She really wanted to know, but she'd wait for his sake. She'd give him some time and maybe have someone get him some water once they got back.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise didn't want water, nor did he want to talk, so he took Anna's word and didn't say a thing. He almost asked to go home, but he hadn't had nearly enough to drink yet. He could still remember the way Ariel had felt wrapped around him. "I need another drink," Markise said absently. He wouldn't think of asking Anna to get one for him. What he wanted was for one of the guys to get back and take Anna out to dance for a couple songs. She couldn't have danced with all of them yet.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Even if one of the guys was there, she wouldn't have gone out to dance, not with Markise the way he was. Anna needed to make sure he was alright and hopefully get him in better spirits. She had every intention of keeping him within her sight for the rest of the night. Ignoring the comment about the drink, she looked back in the direction Robbie had vanished. "If Robbie finds your partner, I think he'll beat him to a bloody pulp." Whatever had happened tonight only added to the obvious distaste that he had for the Aussie and she secretly hoped he caught up with him for Markise's sake.

[Markise Sterling]

"I hope so," Markise said, the words not meant for Anna to hear, even if they were loud enough. He'd meant what he'd said to Ariel. He didn't ever want to see him again, it would be so much easier to let go. He was letting go for good this time. Even the ridiculous hopes he'd held onto the last time were shattered now. He couldn't go through this again.

But Ariel was always so close! They went to the same clubs, they went to the same school. Thank God they weren't in the same house or he'd be packing his things drunk and finding a Portkey with a hangover.