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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 19:31:57 GMT -5
Well, Ariel thought they were doing fine, as long as Markise wasn't drunk and at his unrequited love's Civil Partnership ceremony. He was so confused, what was he supposed to do? He didn't know how being with Markise would help, especially not when he couldn't shake the feeling that he wouldn't be able to stay like he was now. "We should talk about this tomorrow," he said, though he immediately thought that it was the exact wrong thing to have said.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 19:50:06 GMT -5
Markise's eyes narrowed. "I'm not f~in talkin to you," he said, and turned to walk away again. Where the hell was he? He should have been by the kitchens by now! Markise took a sharp right, letting righteous fury propel him, and muttering vulgar insults for everything. He went as fast as he could without breaking into a run, and when he stumbled, he swore loudly. He had to get away from Ariel.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 19:58:08 GMT -5
Ariel watched Markise in disbelief before he ran the few steps it took for him to catch up with Markise and grabbed him by the arm. "Markise, come on, what the hell do you expect me to do?" Markise said he wanted to be with him, then Markise said he didn't want to talk to him. What did Markise want from him? "What do you want me to do?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 20:14:07 GMT -5
"Lemme go!" Markise cried. He pulled sharply at his arm, but the motion set him off-balance and that arm was all that held him up for several long seconds. "I'm f~in sick of this! Lemme go!" He jerked at his arm again, his determination not to talk abandoned completely. "I'm f~in sick of everything!" he shouted. "I'm sick'a bein' alone, sick'a giving, sick'a you takin' care of me and I'm sick'a not havin' anything to f~in live for! I got no f~in reason to get up 'cept to make sure you don't do something stupid! Lemme go!" He wanted to go drink until he passed out and maybe hope he didn't wake up.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 20:21:47 GMT -5
Ariel's eyes widened and he came up close to Markise, "Shhh," he urged. The very last thing he wanted was for someone to come out and hear Markise like this. It would drag both of them out and neither of them wanted that. Of course, the slight panic that came from Markise's shouting was only there to give him something to think about other than everything else. He was confused, he wanted to talk and try to figure out what in the world was Markise's problem, but it looked like it wasn't going to happen. It wasn't his fault! "So do you just want me to leave? To never see you again?"
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 21:38:24 GMT -5
Markise's crying only doubled at that. "No!" he exclaimed. "I want you to love me!" He tried to pull away again, fighting against himself as much as Ariel. He couldn't have Ariel, so he needed to get away, he needed to escape from Ariel as much as Dare, and he needed to let himself break down. The effects of crying were already making him feel sick again, and he raged against it, raged against Ariel trying to get free. He didn't care if he hurt them both, as long as he didn't have to stay here spilling his soul again, only to be rejected. Again.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 21:45:24 GMT -5
"What if I can't?" Ariel asked, voice sounding desperate even to his own ears. "What if I don't know how?" He didn't! He couldn't give that to Markise, couldn't he understand that? It didn't even occur to him that they shouldn't be having this conversation now, the truth seemed to only come out when Markise was like this. He ran frustrated hands through his hair.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 22:24:50 GMT -5
Ariel had let go. Markise stumbled, found his feet, and turned to get away, running now, though it made his stomach clench and his head swim. He hadn't expected Ariel to say the words, not for a second, no matter how hard he wished. He couldn't make Dare love him, he couldn't make Ariel love him, but he could go away where no one would find him and he could be alone. If he could just find the damn stairs down to the basement! It was so hard to see through the tears and dizziness!
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 22:37:27 GMT -5
And Markise had ran. He hadn't said anything to help. Ariel was lost, he didn't know what to do. Even the urge he had had before to run after Markise was gone. He didn't even know how to think about everything, he had never had to deal with anything like this. What was he supposed to do now? Go after him. But he couldn't move! He was completely shocked by everything that had happened, and his feet felt rooted to the spot.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 22:50:58 GMT -5
Markise would have run straight down the stairs if he'd made it that far, and likely would have broken his neck in the process. But he hadn't slowed at the first turn off the corridor Ariel was still on, and his already unsteady feet caught and went out from under him. There was a blur, then sharp pain in his head that radiated down his neck before everything turned green, then grey, then black.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 22:58:16 GMT -5
Ariel probably would have remained rooted to floor if he hadn't heard the thud of Markise hitting the floor. After a moment of two of added shock he forced his feet to move and jogged down the corridor to find Markise out on the ground. He squatted and reached out to touch Markise. "Markise?" he called softly. Ariel was still very much in shock from the fact Markise had run after such a declaration, so the only thing running through his mind was waking Markise up. He moved his hand around to Markise's shoulder.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 23:05:01 GMT -5
Markise had taken in far too much alcohol, and the impact against his head had been enough to make a sober person see stars. He hadn't broken the fall with hands or arms, and so he was well and truly unconscious. The side of his head bled lightly from the stone floor, and there was no response to Ariel's hesitant attempt to wake him.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 23:21:03 GMT -5
Ariel didn't let himself think as he worked his arms beneath Markise. They were close enough to the Room of Requirement that it wouldn't take long to get there. On the short walk, he didn't think, but still the Room took the appearance of his old bedroom again. He didn't think as he put Markise on the bed and took care of the cut on his head. He didn't think as he took off Markise's jacket and shoes and tucked him beneath the blankets. He didn't think when he removed his own jacket and shoes and the room made a large cloth pillow-type bag for him to sit on in the corner away from Markise.
From his safe little corner, Ariel could see the little white bandage he had put on Markise's head, he could keep an eye on Markise even if he felt asleep from a safe distance. But now, there was nothing to stop his mind from racing. The shock hadn't left, but it had dulled a little in the past minutes. If he slept, it wasn't much, and when he woke he was in the same position he had been in during his last conscious thought; his back against the wall, knees drawn up to his chest with his arms wrapped around his legs and his head leaning to the side against the other wall.
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Post by Markise Sterling on Jul 11, 2009 23:48:28 GMT -5
Markise wasn't sure if he was coming to consciousness or having a hellish nightmare. He was in pain, and tears squeezed from between tightly closed eyelids as he curled into a fetal position on an unfamiliar mattress, his stomach clenching. His mind was blank, but he felt, and everything he felt made him wish with everything he had left that he could slip into unconsciousness again.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Jul 11, 2009 23:57:25 GMT -5
Ariel had dozed off again, but he faintly heard the slight rustling of the sheets and blinked his eyes open to look at Markise. He didn't get up, though, almost afraid of what Markise would say when he realized where he was. He chewed his tongue and watched, ready to get up if Markise needed him, but willing to stay where he was for now.
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