After Today (Dare/Ariel)

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare had thought about ditching school today. After last night at the club, he'd wanted nothing more than to lie in bed until noon with Michael. But he'd said he would go see the nurse and they hadn't stayed out late enough to justify missing all his classes. He'd felt better this morning, but he wasn't going to the nurse just because he had to anymore.

His mind was fully on that as he made his way through the corridors. Going to see the nurse. Telling her about the weight issue, the eating issue, and in case it meant something, maybe he'd mention last night.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel had a break, not a long one, but a break, and he couldn't meet up with Markise. Markise. Sometimes it was a relief to be away from Markise for a little while. He was deep in thought about that conversation, if it could be called that, that had happened so long ago where they had talked about going out when he came across Dare, though it didn't register immediately. Nothing had really ever been decided about that topic, and he had never brought it up, since he had no idea what to do.

When he realized that Dare was nearby, Ariel blinked as an idea floated into his mind. Couldn't he ask Dare? No, that was stupid, why the hell would he ask Dare? Better yet, why the hell would Dare answer any questions he might have? Because Dare and Markise had, at least at one point, been best friends? He hovered for a second before he took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. A hand ran through his hair and he changed his direction to head after Dare. "Dare," he said, half expecting Dare to just ignore him and walk off.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare looked up from the imaginary spot on the floor that he'd been following, the sound of his name getting his attention no matter how heavy his thoughts were. He looked aside, then turned, stopping when he saw Ariel, of all people. Aside from glimpses in one class or another, they hadn't had any kind of contact since before Ivy had come around. All he knew he'd overheard in the corridors or sitting in the Great Hall. Markise had come out with this guy. They were still together. The look Dare gave was pure evaluation.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel took another deep breath when Dare acknowledged him and his steps slowed until he came to a stop in front of Dare. "Um...can I talk to you?" he asked cautiously. Dare wasn't looking at him with any negative feelings that he could tell, so maybe this would go fine. What was this? Ariel had no idea, he was just going right now, hoping that something worthwhile would come from this.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare was quiet a moment, trying to guess what this was about. He and Markise had unofficially severed anything that was left of them a long time ago. He didn't even know Markise anymore, and he'd wondered more than once over the past year if he'd ever really known him. Still, he gave a brief nod. Whatever the hell it was that would bring Ariel asking to talk to him, he wanted to know. "Talk, I'll listen," he said.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Another deep breath. This was harder than he thought it would be. "You, well, you used to be Markise's best friend," he said. He couldn't remember them talking ever since before they had gone to New York, except for maybe once. "I'm...I figured you might be able to help a little." This felt so weird. This wasn't him. But then, he wasn't like he used to be very much anymore, anyway, was he? Being with Markise had changed him.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare cocked an eyebrow behind his fringe, and his eyes focused on what he could see of Ariel's. "What's going on?" he asked. Was Markise drinking again? Had Ariel done something stupid? Because if he had, he'd have to have something pretty damned amazing to get Dare's help fixing it. Ariel had a long history of making Markise miserable, then making him desperate to have him.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel held Dare's eyes, but it took him a few long moments before he was able to say anything. "I never do this," because I don't have anyone to talk like this to. "So I'm just going to out with it. Markise said he was bored, but he refused to go along with it when I said we could try a club. Do you have any idea why the hell he'd do that?" There was more, but at least he had gotten some of it out.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare blinked, the rush of thoughts that flew through his mind highly visible in his eyes, even with the curtain of his fringe. "Is Markise drinking again?" he asked. That had been part of clubbing for Markise, as little as Dare understood. He'd seen it though, he'd been there with him a hundred times. He had a lot of ideas, but he didn't know how much he wanted to say, or how much was actually Ariel's business. He wasn't about to spill Markise's entire past to someone who hadn't bothered to get to know Markise after as long as he'd been hanging around.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"No," Ariel said firmly. "I made him stop that in New York and he's only drank once since, and that was because I got high." It had been a huge mistake, but they had moved past it, leaped past it and come out. "He might want to, though." Markise had wanted to when they had gone to that party, so why would it be any different at a club?

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes had narrowed dangerously at Ariel's confession. That was because I got high. He didn't want to listen to any more after that, he wanted to turn and find Markise, ask him what the hell he was thinking getting attached to someone like that. As far as he was concerned, Ariel already knew the answer, so what the hell was he doing? Dare waited for more, but he didn't expect anything worth hearing. And that was assuming Ariel actually said anything.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

Ariel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds before letting it out in a rush. "I was...addicted....this time last year. Markise helped me through it, that's why I was in the hospital. My brother disowned me, that's why I went with him to New York. When we were there I helped him stop drinking." Some time during all that his eyes had opened. "Is that good enough explanation?" He didn't see any reason not to tell Dare what had happened, especially not if it led to some kind of fix for whatever was going on with Markise.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

"And then after all that you did it again," Dare said. He knew about Ariel's addiction, knew about Markise's constant guard. How could he not? That was why Ariel had been at the bachelor party and that was the only reason Ariel had been at the reception after the partnership ceremony. Markise had refused to leave Ariel alone, and it had been invite Ariel or his best friend couldn't come.

[Ariel Logan Callahan]

"Yeah, I f~ed up," Ariel said, bringing one hand up to run it through his hair. "Then we came out so we could keep it from happening again. And the next time I came up on a dealer, I didn't take anything." Granted, if he had had money it would have been different, though he liked to think that even if he had bought something he wouldn't have actually used it. Dare didn't need to know that. "I even told the guy's friends to try to help him like a good little boy."

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's eyes remained narrowed; he didn't know if he believed any of that, but he didn't have any reason to actually argue with it. "So what do you want? For me to tell you Markise is gonna want to drink if you go out? You already knew that." Yes, his defenses were up, but he was willing to try listening again.