Alison tries to keep Paige from getting hypothermia

[x-foliate.livejournal.com]

Paige had turned off the lights and pushed off the entire contents of her desk on to the floor. She was perched on it now, in front of the window, with the cold December air blowing into the room. There was a blanket around her shoulders, her head was resting on the window frame and she was very thankful that she didn’t have a roommate right now.

After a few minutes, a ladder was placed on the wall next to the window, and seconds later, Alison's head peered from outside the window. She tilted her head, wind blowing her hair to the side, eyeing Paige pensively without saying a word.

Paige answered her stare with a stare of her own. “Alison.”

Leaning on the ladder since an invitation to come in wasn't forthcoming, Alison sighed a bit. "You weren't answering your door. I figured it was better that I try this, as opposed to Piotr breaking it down. Hope you don't mind?"

“I wasn’t answering the door for a reason,” she replies. “But thank you. I’m sure the Professor will thank you as well. He seems very fond of the woodwork.”

Alison blinked, before catching on to the woodwork comment, but repressed a wry reply involving Mr. Marko and decided to ignore the crack instead. She turned around carefully on the latter, sitting down on one of the rungs, leaning her head on the side of the building. "Well, you know me. Hate to leave the doors locked and all."

“Some doors are made to be locked.” It was not said unkindly, nor directed entirely at her. Paige shifted slightly, ignoring the rasp in her voice and the lack of feeling in her legs.

"Mm, mebbe so. I was never good at figuring which ones, though," was the calm reply. "And sometimes just because others say they are or aren't doesn't mean it's what good for us." Alison blinked slowly, wondering only briefly at the change in direction, before shrugging minutely - if short and green was her thing today, fine, as long as she didn't have to go with the looks as well.

Paige looked down at her, blonde hair blinding in the light. “You’re going to catch a death of a cold out there.”

Tempted to let her think that if only to gain entry into the room, Alison dismissed the thought and shook her head. "Naw. Glow bug, remember? I can keep myself warm." With those words, a faint current of light appears briefly, warmth touching Paige's face for a moment.

“Alison, just get inside or I’ll close the window. You’re giving my neck a crick.” Paige swung her legs around to fall over the desk, unwilling to wince at the shock of frozen muscles having to move.

Not a smile of victory in sight, Alison scrambled inside, neatly sitting on the desk and sliding the window shut behind them. "Here, give me your hands," she reached out, warm light spilling from her hands faintly.

Almost sheepish, like a child found out, Paige offered her hands, shivering instantly at the warmth. She instantly relaxed, shoulders lowering from where they had been up tight almost to her ears. “So. What would you like to know?”

"Well," Alison considered, upping the warmth a bit, radiating heat more so then usual, at least more than needed to just keep herself warm, "I'd ask you why you were trying to freeze yourself solid, but I can guess at the immediate reason." She turned Paige's hands around, carefully cradling them within her own. "How about... would you let me know when you think you can talk about it? When you're ready?"

“So you already know,” Paige said flatly, looking away. “How many times has it gone around the school? Three? Four? How many speculations on my morality?” She paused again, but only for breath. “Are they okay?”

"I came to see you first, hon," Alison answered gently. "But if you'd like, I'll check up on," she edits out 'your boys' carefully, "the boys after." She then tilted her head, raising an eyebrow slowly. "Most just seem to be worried about you three, really." And anyone being snarky I might pound into the ground, so I'm dutifully not overhearing anything of the sort. Gotta love selective hearing. And reading. Yes. Using shovel on Jono's thick head not good. No sirree.

“Thank you. You really should have gone to the two them first, though.” She didn’t turn away from the window, staring dutifully outside. “The group isn’t so much worried about us three as they are wondering why.”

"Oh, I'll talk to them, never fear," Alison murmured, knowing that Hank had them for now anyway and would no doubt ensure that they'd be behaving neatly enough, considering his way with words. "And the others will just have to deal. They're really not my main concern, right now. You and the boys are."

“That was both incredibly encouraging and disheartening all at the same time,” Paige returned, turning her head to meet up with Alison. “So you’ve come here to tell me that you’d like to listen if I have words for you?”

"Mmm, inna way," Alison nodded, giving her a concerned look. "Didn't think you'd be up to a world of talking right now though, although if you want, yeah, I'm here. Mostly though?" Alison shrugged, and smiled crookedly. "Eh. Just wanted to let you know I love you, kiddo, and you're not on your own, mmm?"

“Love you too, Lee.” Trying a smile Paige found that any facial expression right now led to tears and she immediately pursed her lips to keep herself still. The moment passed and she swallowed hard. “The sentiment is appreciated.”

Alison decided that if there was ever a time to cheat, now was it. Without a word she shifted on the desk, and wrapped both her arms around Paige, drawing her in a hug. Even if she didn't give in and cry, heaven knew she looked as though she needed one of those right now.

Sighing, Paige slumped against her, all the tension from hours of staying perfectly still gone and leaving her with bonelessness. Touch was too much for her to handle and she didn’t bother to bite back the whimpers or brush at her damp eyes. “What is wrong with me?”

Rocking her slowly, Alison shook her head firmly. "Nothing's wrong with you, hon." She sighed, gathering the girl a bit closer, knowing there really wasn't a whole lot else that she could say right now - not when events were still so fresh in her mind, and so recent.

"Well there must be!" Paige exclaimed. She was still but for her raising voice. "It is one thing to be attracted to your best friend, but to act on that attraction when you’re… And Jono? No wonder he doesn't trust when there are people like me walking around!"

The words tumbled out of her mouth, putting sound to her thoughts and she buried her nose into Alison's shoulder at having to hear them. "I just should have let them alone. Things would be fine if I'd just left them alone!"

Holding her, one hand patting her back gently as Paige cried, Alison bit her lip. "Somehow, I don't think that would have solved matters, hon," she murmured gently. "Sometimes, things are just - meant to happen a certain way, I guess. How things go from now is up to you and the boys, though." She paused, looking concerned. "I believe in you. I think you're strong enough to see this through, and set it right."

“I don’t feel very strong. I feel very stupid and naïve,” said quietly, her voice dark. “I just can’t see a way to fix this. Someone is bound to get hurt and I would make it me but I can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried, I’ve thought, but this is a giant no win situation. How can a decision be right if it harms no less than one that is wrong, even in the long run?”

"This isn't all just on your shoulders, hon." Stroking her hair slowly, Alison considered her next words. "There's more than one person involved in this, just like you said. Maybe they ought to get a say in all of this, as well?" She said the last words gently, hoping the reminder to Paige that this wasn't all in her hands would go through.

“Perhaps...” Paige said quietly, moving into Alison’s hand and letting herself smile a bit. “I’d just prefer if they didn’t try to kill each other again. I get this sneaky suspicion that they’re not very fond of each other.”

"Well, I can hint at the 'not killing each other thing, or else' when I talk to them, mmm?" Alison repressed a wry chuckle at the thought. "How's that for starters?"

“That’d be very good. Just make sure their answer is not to break your nose when they slam the door.” Paige sighed a bit and leaned back, rubbing at her face. “I’ve done some horrible things before, Lee but this… This just takes the cake.”

"Oh, I'll make sure they listen," Alison murmured quietly. "You're only human, Paige. You're allowed to make mistakes." And it's not like Jono has any moral high ground to stand on right now. "What makes the difference between being a decent person or not is that you feel bad about it, and want to set things right somehow, mmm?"

Paige chuckled shakily, turning into a full laugh as it continued. “That’s exactly what I told Angelo.” Her mirth subsided into a smile. “I need to learn to listen to myself one of these days.”

"Mmm," Alison chuckled as well, relief slowly seeping through her at Paige's reaction. "Well, it's always easier to say that sort of stuff than to haul off and do it, and all..."

“So I have noticed. I always told myself that I wouldn’t become a common Southern floozy and look where it got me,” she said, but there is amusement in her tone.

"Tell you a secret," Alison smiles at the amusement. "It's the heart of gold that counts. And you've got that in spades, no doubt."

“Oh, so I can go around exchanging spit, as Sarah so nicely put it, whenever I feel like it then so long as I’m as sweet and kind as always?” Paige replied, grinning. “Hardly. It counts, but not for everything and often gets me in more trouble than I would without.”

Alison blinked slowly, one eyebrow rising to a dangerous slant. "What did Sarah say?"

“It was just a comment about Jono putting me in the medlab through spit exchange,” Paige said idly with an almost bored tone. “Don’t worry about it. There was no spit to exchange anyway.”

Alison calmed down at the realization that Sarah's comment was unrelated to current events, especially considering what had been going on of late, and her lips quirked as she tried to repress the laughter at the mental image. "Kinda like sticking your tongue in a light bulb socket?" she asked brightly.

“Yes, but then he went and blew up the room. It was nice in an electrifying way before that,” Paige answered cheekily, grinning a bit. “Too bad we decided that it wasn’t good enough or something, hm?”

"Hush, darlin'," Alison murmured, the faint southern twang to the word similar to Sam's from pure habit by now. "No way you could ever make me think you'd made that decision, and you know better too. Remember what you told Angelo, mmm?"

“Right… right. I know. I just wish Jono knew too. I didn’t really get time to tell him and now he won’t listen.”

"Well, I can try, later," Alison smiled crookedly, before sighing faintly. "And you may just have to try telling him again, later. Until it gets through his thick skull. Just... be careful about yourself too, promise me? Don't empty yourself out either, trying to set it right for everyone else?" They won't be happy less you are, hon. They better not.

“I’ll try, but you know me.” It’s said calmly, and it’s apparent that Paige is fully aware of her trends. “I’ll just promise not to go and… wait, no. Looks like I can’t promise anything. But I’ll try.”

"Fair enough," Alison nodded firmly before giving her a small smile. "I'll try and bap you now and then, and remind you if it's needed. 'kay?"

“Just this once. Don’t expect me to be this agreeable all the time.” Paige poked her playfully, blanket falling off one shoulder.

"Deal," Alison wasted no time in poking her back in the ribs lightly, wrinkling her nose at her.

Comments

[x-crowdofone.livejournal.com]

Aww. :)

And it was awfully nice of Alison. Hypothermia is not fun at all. Well, or anyway, it's retroactively not-fun once you've warmed up enough to care whether things are fun or not anymore.

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

*grin*

That ladder was also put away afterwards, and not left lying about for anyone to walk or trip over, nope.

[x-marrow.livejournal.com]

"Kinda like sticking your tongue in a light bulb socket?"

*giggles* Damnit. Wish Sarah'd thought of that.

[x-dazzler.livejournal.com]

It came from the VERY old light bulb socket sex jokes going on a while ago, and Alison being eligible for that classification too. ;)

*was amused at being able to say it ICly!* :D

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

Aw. I -heart- the both of you. This was so cute.