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Lunar Duality (Spitfire x katuzov)

Selene had friends, Mike managed to keep the surprise from his face. Though it was a positive sign. Maybe once a person got through her prickly exterior there was someone worth knowing beneath. It was enough for him to continue to try being friendly at least. His eyes shot to hers at the mention of Punishment Rites. Mike had always had a dread fascination with the topic. Some of the limited academic reading he'd done voluntarily was on that subject - both those currently used, and those now out of favor. The Mundane world used jail, prison, sometimes execution. Those gifted with magic were inclined to get much more inventive. Though the truly barbaric practices were either discouraged or outright banned. Still, it was a subject that held his interest. He wondered if she was talking about Ashtah, but he doubted it. He didn't know her well, but she had a reputation.

"The money doesn't hurt either." Mike said with a grin. There was nothing accusatory in it, but it was well known that Artificers were rarely well rewarded for their efforts. "In the interest of openess and honesty..." Mike started before taking another sip. "My advisor is getting me out of like 5 other gen eds if I can pass the intro course." He sighed. "Look, I know it isn't fair, and that I'm the recipient of privileges that I haven't earned. That being said, if you tutor this slacker to a good grade, it has to make you look good, right?"
 
In order to keep from saying something about the money being a lawyer would make her and the fact that his advisor is helping him avoid certain classes, she took a long drink from her glass. His acknowledgement of his privilege and slacker tendencies did little to assuage her feelings on the matter. While he was getting out of taking a full load of courses, there were other students forced to take them. She wondered how much his family connections had to do with that.

However, she couldn't be upset at him for all of it, much of the student body would've done the same if they could've and the school itself allowed it. Wouldn't she herself have chosen to cut her time in school if she could?

"I seriously doubt your grades are gonna help me." She certainly hoped they wouldn't hurt her. Looking across the table at him, she began to blink as her vision blurred. "Ummm... what's in these anyway?" It was too late for her to pretend she had any hope of remaining sober. The drink in her glass was gone, added to the one and a half already in her system.
 
Selene was tearing through her second drink at a speed that would make most of Mike's friends become concerned. Still, her mind was still clear enough to be obviously disappointed in the way he was working the system. Maybe she'd drink enough so that she wouldn't remember the admission tomorrow. He probably could call Gus over for another Long Island for her. It was an idea that had more appeal when she dismissed the idea that him getting good grades would make her look good. It wasn't so much that he saw it as a possibility - he was merely looking for another way to connect - and failing.

The bar was starting to fill up. Soon the full Saturday Night crowd would be here. Mike looked around. His friends were all out, meeting girls at a dance club. Should he have gone with them? Another debate raged in his head, until she asked him what was in the drink.

He wasn't about to come clean, it's not like he'd done anything all that wrong anyways. A Long Island iced tea was hardly unusual, and he had been upfront with what he ordered. Still, his justification fell flat, even to him. He sighed. "It might be worth slowing down." He said, without answering her question. He looked over to Gus who was now rather busy with the newly arrived patrons. "I'll get you some water." He started to stand up. "Maybe we hang out here for a bit, and try to get some food." It'd be better to wait for a few before trying to have her walk. Regardless, water would be good for her.
 
Frowning at the thought of not having another, she still knew it was a good idea to drink something else. And the mention of food made her insanely hungry. "Do they have cheese fries here? Or cheese sticks? Something fried and cheesy?" She was clearly getting into the territory of yet another new side of her. Drunk. It was a side even she didn't know anything about. That meant they could be surprised together. It was sure to be a disaster.

She watched him walk away, chin resting in her palm. He was sort of attractive. If you liked a particular kind of guy that appealed to most young women. But he was not her type. She had never given much thought to what her type was, of course, but she knew he wasn't it. College of Destruction types were often considered ladies' men and she had no interest in being with someone who would be with someone else the next night. Still, he was nice to look at.
 
Mike paused as he was standing and looked down at her, considering. Cheese fries would actually be a good call. Something to soak up the alcohol. It was likely that she'd be hungover tomorrow, but some food and water would likely abate this, at least a bit. He was well aware that she'd likely blame him for any discomfort she felt. If she had a really bad experience, she likely would never want anything to do with him outside of tutoring him, and even that could be at risk.

Why did she have to be so good looking, and so smart? Why couldn't she just be dull looking? He couldn't shake the odd feeling that she could be really fun to be around, if she decided she didn't have to dislike him.

Getting Gus's attention was no easy task. The bar had filled with numerous customers. Mike looked back at the booth, at Selene. If he left her there alone, likely some other guy would wander by. It could be a problem. Quickly justifying himself, he casted. A subtle flick of magic and Gus's head snapped around so that he was looking at Mike. Unable to see or hear anyone else, he approached.

"What can I get you?"

"Big glass of water, old fashioned, and... an order of cheese fries." Gus nodded.

In a few minutes, Mike had both drinks. He returned to the booth. "Your fries should be up shortly, for now, have this." He set the plastic glass of ice water in front of her and settled in with his 3rd drink, which he intended to indulge in very slowly.
 
When he returned, she smiled drunkenly up at him. "Thank you," she said as she took the water from him. After a long drink from the cup, she rested her chin on her hand again and looked across the table at him. "Mike," clearly she had a question but she may already have forgotten what it was.

"How do you manage to act like you don't give a ffffig... about what anyone else thinks?" She sighed and went on without giving him time to actually answer the question posed to him. "I mean I get it. Men don't generally have to care. College of Destruction guys can just... I mean you guys could all just skate by if you wanted to, right?" Shaking her head, "But you really do care, you just act like you don't so how do you do that? How can you go through life and think about what people think of you and not want to be disappointed if you try but at the same time, you just... don't care. On the outside, I mean."

"I could skate by in Hale's class but I still show him I'm trying and I want to do well. So how should... I mean how can I... What do I do to make people think I don't care what they think? I thought about it and it just seems impossible." She had been doing quite a lot of thinking in his brief absence. Even drunk, she just didn't shut off.
 
Her aversion to swearing was cute, Mike decided. Clearly she felt strong enough emotion to curse. However, something stopped her. It was just the two of them in the conversation, so it wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone who really mattered. She was just trying to follow her own moral compass. It was a quaint, but romantic ideal. One that Mike could respect, even if he chuckled slightly at 'fig.'

She obviously felt the effects of two and a half drinks, but Mike was still shocked by the question. It almost sounded like she was asking him for advice. He knew that any admiration he heard in her voice was his imagination. She certainly still took the opportunity to let her disdain for his academic path be known. He started with a joke, using a mishmash of terms he'd heard from court dramas. "Awfully bold of council to assert that the defendant actually cares."

Raising his hands to show he'd try to seriously answer the question, he took a moment and gathered his thoughts. "I think the difference is this... When you care, you are driven to be the best, to shine above the others." He quickly pivoted. "This isn't a bad thing... at all. It's just different than me. I am driven by a fear of failure. I don't feel the need to be the best, but I sure as shit don't want to sink to the bottom. This law class... it scares the hell out of me, because I'm not smart or talented enough to skate by. I've never been challenged like this before." He sighed. "This doesn't answer your question though does it? I mean, I think that if you want to be the best, it's going to be hard not to shine. Is that really such a bad thing? It's probably not your goal to inspire people like me to be better...." His eyes met hers. "...but you do."
 
She rolled her eyes at his comment, as legal as it was meant to sound, since he'd already admitted to her the reason he didn't try was a fear of failure. He cared more than he was willing to admit. It was the not caring what she, Professor Hale, or anyone else thought of him that she just couldn't understand. For as much of a know-it-all as she was, she did want Hale to like her, not just respect her, though she wanted that too of course.

Gaining respect from classmates and clubmates was much easier than getting them to like her, a fact she'd been made painfully aware when truly considering his question about her friends. Sure, she was in the same clubs as quite a lot of law students but being close enough to call any of them friends was tenuous at best.

She was leaning in as he was talking, right up until he paid her a compliment and looked at her like that. Sitting back, she swallowed hard. She couldn't deny he was attractive but she didn't want to have to admit that out loud. Instead, she focused on drinking her water and wishing very strongly that her cheese fries would hurry up. Next thing she knew, they were placed in front of her. She didn't bother wondering if that was accidental magic, she just dug in. Something about gift horses and such.

After a moment to eat a bit, but mostly to find a sense of calm, she looked back across the table. She realized that, even though she was well on her way to sailing past tipsy, she could not handle being that close to him without more alcohol. Liquid courage and all. "Can I have another one?"
 
It was hard to judge how she took what he said. She didn't seem completely satisfied with his answer, though his admission that he found her inspiring seemed to effect her positively. Though before she could respond, if she wanted to, her cheese fries arrived. They smelled amazing, and Mike didn't think twice about helping himself to a few around the edge. He assumed that he'd be picking up the tab this evening anyways.

He was about to reassure her that a full stomach would have her feeling better, and that in a few hours she'd be back to normal when she asked him if she could have another one. This was a very unique situation for him. Nobody in his circles ever asked anyone for permission to have another drink, least of all him. Normally, he wouldn't care. Let her get as drunk as she wanted, what did he care? He certainly never tried to police anyone before.

However, his conscience was acting up again. He approached the subject as delicately as he was able. "You could," He said, then he breathed in sharply. "However, if I might give a little advice from someone who as been right where you are right now, you might want to stick with water... or a coke." He didn't give her a chance to speak. "I'll get you a coke, trust me, you'll thank me." He started to stand up.
 
As he took some of the fries from the plate, she raised a brow. However, she had to admit that he'd offered to pay so it seemed only fair. She continued eating, as she awaited his reply. When he declined to order her another, she gave him a slight pout. "Ok..." Waving him back, she moved to stand, "I can get it. You've already gotten up once for me." She stood, on suddenly very unsteady legs, and managed to make her way to the bar.

It was crowded and getting attention was harder than she thought it would be. The tall young man next to her asked her what she was drinking. She was certain he looked familiar but then again, she was pretty sure tipsy was no longer the word for her situation. Offering him a smile, she told him all she wanted was a soda. He laughed and shook his head, "No way. Come do a shot with us." He gestured to his group of friends at the corner of the room, opposite Mike. She was pretty sure that was a terrible idea, the drink she'd ordered in the first place was too strong so there was no way she'd be able to handle a shot.

"Umm... no thanks," shaking her head, she laughed, "I've had my fair share, I think." She tried to wave Gus down but the young man became persistent.

"Come on," he nudged her. "One more won't hurt." Getting the bartender's attention, he ordered a round for his friends and one for Selene. She shook her head again and told Gus all she wanted was a soda. "Come on. I'm just trying to be nice. Don't be such a bitch!"

She blinked at him, confused as to why he'd call her that. Further proof that men, or people in general, were absolutely confounding to her. Where was the logic in his statement?
 
A sigh of relief forced its way through Mike's lips as he sat back down. At least she would opt for a coke rather than more alcohol. She clearly was a bit wobbly on her feet, though was able to walk without much aid. He'd been worse and gotten home just fine, he tried to remind himself. Though he kept an eye on her. An attractive girl like her was certain to attract the attention of the wrong kind of people.

Just like clockwork, trouble approached. Someone from the University, Mike was certain that he'd seen him around started talking to her. Magically eavesdropping was a trivial matter. A promise was made to himself - only to do this for someone's safety, not merely out of silly jealousy. A shot was a very bad idea, though it seemed that Selene agreed. Hopefully the taller guy would allow her to....

He had no right to call her that. Mike stood and walked over, stepping in front of Selene to shield her. "Hey man, that's not necessary. Why don't you and your friends enjoy your drinks."

"Who the fuck are you? This is an A-B conversation so why..."

"Holy shit are you 12 dude?" Mike's smile did not touch his eyes. "She politely declined a shot, so why don't you C about your drinks. Yourself."

The other guy shoved Mike hard, causing him to step back into Selene. Angrily, he lashed out with his power. It should be a simple thing, a tiny bit of magic to give the aggressor such a wicked headache that he wouldn't be able to stand, let alone attack them again. However, Mike's control slipped, the taller guy fell to the floor, convulsing violently foam formed at his mouth. There was no time to process what had happened, Mike reacted quickly.

Flows of power moved in unison, three liquor bottles fell from the shelf over the bar, diverting everyone's attention. Mike grabbed Selene's arm, just above the elbow. His grip was strong enough to pull her with him. The crowd parted in front of them, providing a small pocket of space as he pulled her towards the door. It wasn't the first time he'd have to square up with Gus the next day, but he'd never left in such chaos before. By the time someone noticed the convulsing victim and screamed, Selene and Mike were outside, the door closing behind them.
 
Caught off guard by Mike's sudden appearance, she blinked up as he interjected. She was just about to answer the rhetorical question of who Mike was when the he went on. Drunkenly laughing at the exchange, she had no time to react further before things got heated. As Mike was pushed back into her, she was pushed back into the bar top. She watched as their classmate fell, her eyes wide in horror. Then there was the sound of breaking glass and screaming

In her shock, she had no presence of mind to resist him pulling her out of the bar and onto the sidewalk. Her cheese fries and bag were completely forgotten in her panic. And the anger that set in shortly after. It wasn't a leap in logic to put together what happened. "Holy shh..." She pulled her arm away from him and stared at him accusingly, "You didn't have to do that! Sure, he was a jerk, but that was entirely too far!" Clearly she was not the vindictive type. One would expect her 'Let the punishment fit the crime' outlook but to defend it while drunk may have been a surprise.

She wanted to curse. A lot. And loudly. But she knew they were in a non-magic area of town and drawing attention to them was a bad idea. Still... "What the fuck, Mike?! We could've been caught." She began to walk away from him in a huff, in the direction she was sure her apartment was. Pretty sure. Looking around, she tried to get her bearings. "Where the...?" Adrenaline quickly gave way to further drunkenness and her head felt like it was swimming. "I don't..." She could no longer see very far and of what she could see, nothing was familiar.
 
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Her words were ignored as he pulled her out of the bar and onto the sidewalk. He needed to get them both out of there, and in a hurry. Already, he could hear cries for help coming from inside. What had happened? He didn't mean for things to go that far. What if he killed the poor fool? He could still see the whites of his eyes staring at him as he convulsed. Mike shivered.

Selene cursing quickly brought him back to reality. She was right, everything she said was correct. They could have been caught... "I..." For a moment he was at a loss for words until he suddenly remembered. She had a bag when they came in. If they left it, it would certainly get taken. She was starting to wander, though clearly unsure of which way to go. "Stay here." He almost growled. Before taking a deep breath and stepping back into the bar.

Alone, it was a trivial matter for him to remain unnoticed. Outright invisibility was quite a feat, but to merely avoid being looked at in a crowd was much simpler. Finding her bag was simple enough. Everyone was standing around his victim, though it seemed to Mike that the guy was conscious now. Her phone must have been going crazy, its glow apparent and he swore he could feel it vibrating throughout his body. In a matter of moments he re-emerged with her bag and handed it to her.

"Someone is trying to call your phone." He said flatly. "Look, I'm sorry... That, went too far." He had intended to not apologize, but he couldn't help himself. He felt genuinely bad about all of this. "I'll walk you home - I'll not even go on your porch. I just want to make sure you get back safely." Internally, Mike was a mess of emotions. Anger that he had brought her to this situation, regret that it might ruin whatever they were starting to build, but most of all fear. He'd never had his control slip like that before. It was terrifying.
 
Furrowing her brow at his commands, she was clearly not in the mood to take orders. She scoffed and turned her back to his as he went back into the bar. When he returned, she'd wandered a bit further but wasn't hard to find having only made it a few yards further in the direction of the coffee shop they'd started at. She was sure she could retrace her steps back home from there.

When he brought her the bag and said something about her phone, her eyes widened. There was no way she could answer a phone call from her parents in her inebriated state. She'd just have to explain to them in the morning that she was studying or tutoring someone like she was supposed to be. Taking her bag, she begrudgingly thanked him for remembering it at all and retrieving it for her.

"I can make it home on my own," she said, sounding much more confident than she felt. As she reached what she was fairly certain was the coffee shop, she looked around again. Liquor and an increased heartrate only made her more drunk as the alcohol flooded her system. She was confused and terribly lost and it would be a cold day in hell before she'd call her parents to come pick her up because she was too drunk to find her way home. Pouting again, she huffed and muttered under her breath, "Shit." Overwhelmed, she felt like crying but she would not allow him to see her in tears.
 
That phone must have an extremely strong vibrate function, even though he gave her back her bag, he swore he still felt her phone buzzing. The glow coming from the bag also seemed unnaturally bright. Why wasn't he surprised that she'd have her phone set to alert the entire world if she got a call or text.

Her belief that she could make it home on her own was not unexpected. Though Mike had hoped she'd happily accept his help. She was starting to walk away from campus, and where most of the students lived, and towards more night clubs and even rowdier evening revelers. He had no idea where she lived, but he doubted it was the expensive condos in that direction. Worse, beyond this rather trendy part of town, things steadily got rather rough.

He caught up to her, and spoke quietly so that no one else could hear. If she refused his help, he didn't want anyone knowing that she was possibly lost. "You realize you are headed towards the flats, right? Campus is back this way. Tell me where you live, and I'll get you home." He really hoped she could find her way, or at least give him some clue about where she lived. It was going to be a long night if they had to wander around. Silently scolding himself for letting her drink this much, he tried to be comforting, while non threatening. Her eyes told the story, she was concerned, overwhelmed, maybe verging on panicked. "This is going to be alright. I promise you." He wished he had better words for her.
 
Scowling at him as he gave her the news she was absolutely, without a doubt, going in the wrong direction. "Ugh," she groaned as she came to a stop and turned around sharply, making her head spin. As he tried to reassure her that he'd make sure she got home, she rolled her eyes and scoffed again. The glowing in her bag became more intense. "Yeah, I'm not really sure I can trust you right now." However, she was horribly lost and Mike was a better option than a stranger. At least he'd shown he'd protect her, even if he went overboard in doing so.

"I live on Langston Park Ave." That was miles from where they were so was more than likely her parents' house. She practically confirmed as much when she described it as a house rather than an apartment building, "It's the light blue one with the dark gray shutters." Pouting and on the verge of tears, she looked around, desperate to get her bearings. Still, nothing. "I don't know where we are. Or how to get home." Admitting defeat was not an easy task for her. "It's fine. I'll find a hotel or something and go home when I feel better." Not that she knew where a hotel was either.
 
Langston Park Avenue was on the other side of downtown. She would have to drive a long ways through traffic every day to get to school. She certainly didn't walk here from there. Mike sighed, her description of a house made it even more unlikely that she actually lived there. "That sounds lovely, but I don't think you're going to be able to walk there tonight." He didn't even want her to take a taxi or an uber. A girl in her condition alone would be vulnerable.

She looked around, clearly lost. Even if she told him her address, he wasn't sure that they'd be able to find it if she navigated. "Here me out." He said. "My place is very close, just down that road right there." He pointed at a well lit street. "My bedroom has a lock on its door. You can sleep in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch. No one will touch you all night. Tomorrow, in the daylight, I'll help you get home." He hoped she didn't think on how little use a locked door would be against him. He completely intended to leave her alone, but he wanted her to feel safe.

An ambulance pulled up and EMTs emerged to take care of Mike's victim. "We need to get out of here, one way or another." He insisted.
 
Watching the ambulance pull up, she looked scared. They hadn't even gone far enough to be out of sight of the bar and she already felt like she'd walked a mile. She sighed. He was right. She was no help in her condition and she was already tired, and slightly hungry as she'd left most of the cheese fries on the table. "Dammit," she pouted up at him. He had given his word that she would be safe with him and something in her told her she could trust him, even if he had sent a guy to the floor, and likely subsequently the hospital.

"Ok. Fine," she conceded. "I just wanna sleep." Her words were slurring and she looked tired. "I'm never drinking again," she vowed with a shake of her head. "Why do people do this? It feels like being on one of those spinny rides at the park." Muttering, "This is stupid."
 
"No, it's not the drinking it's stupid, I am. I shouldn't have..." They started walking. "Look, I am sorry, this usually doesn't happen. The fighting I mean. I usually have my drinks and move on." He swallowed hard. The empty eyes of his victim still haunted him. "I didn't mean to..." His mouth slammed shut. Unsanctioned use of magic was bad, but losing control could actually make it worse. A tribunal would certainly select the most severe punishments available. He also didn't want Selene to see him as some out of control magical maniac. She already likely didn't feel safe around him, imagine if she thought he was truly dangerous.

His appartement was about a half a mile from the bar. The journey seemed to take an eternity. Mike wanted to provide any support he could, but also did not want her to feel like he was making a move. However, eventually she needed him; her pace had slowed, and she seemed unable to stay upright without help. He allowed her to lean into him, and wrapped an arm as chastely as possible to help her remain upright. Her phone must be ringing again, because he could feel the vibrations. They were impossibly strong, but he didn't say anything. She seemed to get quite anxious at the thought that someone was calling her, and she certainly must be aware of the buzzing anyways.

Finally they reached Mike's building, which thankfully had an elevator. He doubted his ability to get her up stairs in this condition. Reaching his door, he waved his hand over the doorknob to unlock it and they entered.

His room was laughably stereotypical. There were the small piles of clutter - though nothing too bad, and the Animal House, Scarface, and Rocky Posters on the wall. He also had several liqour and beer bottles that he thought looked unique or interesting serving as decor. His TV was much too large for the room, and of course he had multiple game systems and a tower desktop connected to it. Mixed in however were several ancient looking books, some odd looking magical paraphernalia, and one very dangerous looking dagger. He really wished he had put that away, and hoped she didn't notice.

"Well, this is it." He said, wishing he had spent a little time tidying up. "My room is there." A nod directed her to an open door. Hopefully she could make it there on her own. Accompanying her would no doubt raise her suspicions. His bedroom had more of the same decor - though one shelf was completely dedicated to dark magic tomes. Some of which were of dubious legality, though he assumed she wouldn't notice in her condition.

It was an awkward moment, Mike tried to break the tension asking "Would you like some water? I think I have some snacks somewhere." It was too late to order much, but he truth was, he had an embarrassing amount of chips, cookies, and other junk food.
 
Although she didn't want to, she reluctantly leaned on him when she could barely hold herself upright. She said nothing more about his slip of control. Either she had said all she planned to say or she was waiting for morning when she would hopefully be clearer-headed.

When they reached his apartment, she slipped off her shoes at the door, likely out of habit, before looking around the space. She was thankful it wasn't disgusting, though he admittedly didn't seem to be the slovenly type to her anyway. Most of when she was able to make out with her blurred vision was the TV and surrounding items. The numerous game system and computer were no surprise to her, neither were the assortment of bottles he kept long after the liquid in them was gone. However, she wasn't thrilled about the prospect of seeing his room after seeing the rest of his house.

She smiled weakly when he offered her water and snacks. Glassy eyed, she leaned against the sofa for support, "Maybe some milk and cookies?" Milk was a terrible idea. She'd have thought of that if she were thinking at all. Instead, her stomach was speaking for her, growling in its anger over unfinished cheese fries. "I can sit, right? I'll just be right here. Do you have a cat? Or a dog? Or a teddy bear?" Was she seriously asking for a soft thing to cuddle with? She gave him an appraising look, supposing she could snuggle with him but everything about that idea told her that was just inviting something bad. Either he'd reject her, which was preferable but would surely make her cry. Or he'd take advantage of her inebriated state, although she was pretty sure that was unlikely.

"On second thought, I should just go to sleep." She turned toward the bedroom, doing an about-face far faster than she had intended and sending her world spinning yet again. "Whoa," holding onto the sofa so she didn't fall. "I uhh... yeah. I can make it... I think."
 
Once they were inside, Mike actually felt nervous at the idea of her looking over his place, though she didn't seem to turn her nose up at it. Her request for milk and cookies seemed odd. Milk wasn't such a good idea but he did have a package of soft batch. While she went to the couch, he dumped a few on a plate and poured a glass of water. "No milk." He lied, knowing that water would just be better for her right now. "No pets... or bear either sadly." Was he hoping to cuddle? His hopes rose and he opened his mouth to offer her services when she declared that she'd rather just go to sleep.

Agilely, he left the cookies on the counter, and leapt to her side, still holding the glass of water. A few drips spilled, but nothing that would require cleaning. He held out his hand, "I'll get you to the foot of the bed, then I'm out. I promise. You should try to drink some of this if you can." He hoped not to scare her, and if she ran into the bedroom he wouldn't try to stop her, though he was ready to catch her if she fell.

He could only hope that she'd still want to talk to him in the morning.
 
She seemed disappointed by the news that he didn't have any pets or bears but said nothing more about it. Startled that he was suddenly at her side, she swayed away from him then back, once again leaning on him for support. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I didn't think I'd be like this with only two drinks. Well... and a half of whatever whiskey thing that was. I never wanna drink that stuff again. So gross." Her rambling came in a flood as she allowed him to lead her to the bedroom. "I shouldn't have had anything at all. I'm obviously not made for that kind of stuff. Drinking and fun things and whatever it is you and your friends do is definitely not for me."

When they reached the bed, she sat down and took the glass from him, drinking it even more quickly than she had the Long Islands. Handing the cup back to him, she gave him a tired smile, "Thank you." She sat her bag next to her on the bed. The glowing inside was so bright it was easily seen through the fabric of the bag and the vibration was intense. Glancing at it, she shook her head, "They've never called me so much in one night."

Once again, she considered curling up to him in lieu of an alternative cuddle buddy but she thought better of it. "I should check my messages before I fall asleep," she said as she reached into her bag for her phone. "Can you uhhhh... close the door on your way out, please?" No matter what he thought of her, she definitely didn't want anyone to hear her mother yell at her through the phone.

After he left, she crawled onto the bed, phone in hand. It had gone dark and silent, but the glow and vibration continued in her bag. She looked inside and found the moonstone necklace, glowing brighter than before and practically buzzing. With wide eyes, she held it in her hand for just a second before the glow faded. "What the hell?" She wasn't even sure she spoke the words aloud before falling asleep atop the covers in whatever state they'd been in when she arrived.
 
As she crawled into bed, Mike was already backing out of the room. He told himself that he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. However, in truth he also didn't want to risk being 'rejected.' This meant not even giving her the opportunity. He hoped everything with her parents was alright, odd that they'd call so late. It wasn't his business, so he did not enquire further. Even before she asked him to close the door, he was already doing so. Once it latched, he waved his hand across the knob. A trivial locking spell that would keep him out, in the event that he got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom - hopefully long enough for him to remember that Selene was in there. She however would be able to exit the room just like normal.

Not wanting to waste the cookies he tore into them, leaning against the counter, he couldn't help but chuckle mirthlessly. 'That's one way to get a girl home.' Suddenly he shivered, and his breath caught. He stood up, arrow straight. A strange desire to enter the room came over him. A bead of sweat formed on his brow. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he really should go see to Selene. She had wanted something to snuggle. Maybe him? As soon as it arrived however, the sensation was gone. Mike leaned back against the counter and finished the cookies.

He would not sleep well clothed, so he removed his shirt and his jeans, opting for a pair of gym shorts that were clean enough. He had no blanket to cover him, the thought that she might see him shirtless in the morning only made him smile, however. Without a pillow, he doubted he'd sleep well. However, as soon as he lay down he found his eyes getting contentedly heavy. A general feeling of comfort came over him, and he drifted into a deep dreamless sleep.

When he awoke, the sun was on its way up. His door was still closed. Had she gotten up and left, or was she still there? No messages on his phone. He didn't want to go in there, or even approach the door - just in case she opened it as he approached. So without bothering to grab a shirt, he turned on the TV, and watched a morning sports show where the hosts argued passionately over some inane topic.
 
Rather than a soft animal to snuggle with, Selene held the moonstone close to her chest without even realizing it. Sleep was immediate and so was the wish that he'd return. She'd never slept next to a guy before, not that she had wanted to. Not until him. Having spent much of the last few hours close to him, it was odd to be in his bed but alone, surrounded by the smell of him. It was somehow both comforting and lonely.

Her dreams were nonsensical, as she assumed would be the case after drinking, but when she woke, all she could remember was the moonstone. And him. She assumed that it was a product of the alcohol and the course of events that led her to his bed holding the necklace. Her head was achy and so were her feet but she remembered where she was and what had happened. She groaned as she got out of bed, putting the necklace back in her bag before going to the door.

As she reached for the knob, she realized the TV was on and she sighed. Any hope of sneaking out of his apartment before he woke up was gone. It wouldn't be what her friends called 'The Walk of Shame' anyway, right? She didn't have sex with him. She didn't even sleep with him. Part of her wished she'd taken the liquid courage up on its offer to embolden her to ask him to stay in the bed with her. A bigger part of her was glad she didn't. She'd been vulnerable enough. She barely knew him so the barriers were still necessary.

With another sigh, she opened the door. Seeing him shirtless, she retreated back into the room. "Omigosh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize you weren't dressed!" Her reaction was equivalent to seeing him completely naked. Clearly she was not used to any sort of nudity. Suddenly feeling very warm, she swallowed hard on the realization that she'd taken his room and while she slept in her clothes, it was very unlikely that he did.
 
The sound of stirring within his bedroom alerted Mike that she had indeed not left. A smirk formed on his lips, though his eyes remained trained on the tv. When the door opened and Selene nearly jumped at his shirtless state, that smirk only grew as his eyes met hers, filled with delight and mischief. He stood, displaying his chest and abdominals. Only his necklace, a simple cord, with a black stone held by intricate silver blocked her view from the waist up. He stretched, and slowly grabbed a tee shirt and put it on. Clearly, he felt no discomfort.

"Sorry about that." A lie. "How did you sleep? Feeling ok?" He knew that she was likely hung over. "I know it might not sound good, but the best thing for it is something greasy. There's a diner close by. An omelette, some biscuits and gravy, maybe pancakes. They'll have you feeling right again. I'll buy you breakfast. No magic... I promise." It was as close to a peace offering as he could offer.

He hoped that she'd happily accept, feared that she'd storm out of the apartment and never talk to him again, suspected that she'd end up somewhere in the middle.
 
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