xp_logs | (no subject)

Lorna comes by to see Alex before the Ball. They are cute...until they both are bitterly reminded that they are just friends and then it just turns awkward.

Alex was very glad Shiro still had two beds in his room. He wouldn't have blamed the other to have the other moved out, but right now, he was very thankful given he really didn't have a room of his own, nor did he really want one. He didn't have nightmares anymore, but he preferred having someone else there. Force of habit he guessed. Humming happily to himself, he was unpacking one of his suitcases, which contained what he would need until after Christmas when the rest of his stuff was shipped from Hawaii.

Lorna shoved a last pin in her hair and was fastening her bracelet as she rapped on the door to Shiro and Tommy's suite. Her gown, deep purple velvet with a spray of silver beads, matched the silver and amethyst jewelry she was putting on. "Hey, Alex? You in there?"

Alex heard the knock and when out to see who it was, putting a hand up to stop Crush from getting up from his dog bed in the main sitting room. Still humming, he opened the door and couldn't help smiling at the beautiful sight in front of him. "Hey! Getting ready to go to the Ball I see..."

Lorna smiled a little shyly, "Yeah, I, uh, have to chaperone the kids. Jim and I are the only ones who weren't beating each other up last night. Luckily they're all good kids." Her gaze flicked over him, noting how gaunt he was looking, still suffering the effects of powers drain. "How are you feeling?"

Catching her gaze, he smiled. "It looks worse then it is. I felt better the minute I was out in the sun again. Amelia said a few days of taking it easy, going outside and eating right and I should be fine." Alex opened the door more to get a good look at her. "You look great. Almost not fair, the kids getting overshadowed by their chaperone." He teased lightly.

"Kids won't even notice an old lady like me. Do you like it? It's the only thing I have that fits properly. I'm swimming in everything else right now. Hurrah for dresses so old they're retro." Lorna responded with a laugh and spread her arms a bit, giving a half turn. "So you got Amelia too? I'm currently beholden to her Russianness myself."

Alex had caught the thinner then usual body with concern but his smile didn't falter. "It's beautiful, really, retro or whatever. And yeah, Scott dragged me down the second I was home and unfortunately, Jean was busy. Her glare alone made me stay still and you know that's saying something."

"I'm currently trying to maneuver Jean into taking over my treatment. I get the feeling Amelia doesn’t believe that anorexia is an illness and not just, say, me doing this just to annoy her." But Lorna grinned, obviously not as distressed as her words would indicate. "So are you staying a while? I heard UHH took some damage in all this mess."

Alex was just glad she was getting treatment at all. "I'm not going back actually." He said casually as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Oh yeah?" Lorna tilted her head, curls sliding off her shoulder. "Where to next? You could probably get into that Berkeley program with your grades. It's right up your alley too."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm staying here. Going to see what I can take at the local colleges while I train with Scott." He paused, his tone sobering slightly. "I'm not letting something like this happen again...ever."

For a moment, Lorna looked utterly blank, the tumult of emotions never reaching her face then she sighed and nodded in relief. Her tone was light when she spoke but she meant every word. "I support that decision. I was worried out of my mind for you. I swear, you Summers boys are like trouble magnets."

"I'm sorry I worried you." He said softly before adding "Tell me about it" grinning again, as he had already thought long and hard about this and accepted it. "The goddess thing? So overdone. At least Vida was trying to help people in a misguided cultish kind of way, but still."

Lorna's lips pressed together, refusing to comment on Vida or her mother. Maybe it was just the lingering influence of the fights but she really wanted to track down the Roccas and start breaking limbs. Or that may just have been an overprotective nature. "Possibly you shouldn't date anymore. At least until you've got that defense thing down. Your girlfriends routinely turn evil, yours truly included."

Alex chose to ignore that last part. "Shiro wants me to swear off girls all together. First thing out of his mouth after I told him who Pele was I could be celibate or gay." He laughed still at the idea, amused at how protective everyone was over him. But now, he hoped they would have less protecting to do.

She had to hide the automatic wince. "Yeah, you could do that. You'd be a fabulous gay man. There's that whole extremely pretty thing you have going on and your fashion sense...well, it could be trained out of Hawaii chic."

"I'm kidding. Well, I am, I don't know if Shiro is but he doesn't have any say in the matter." He was smiling but he very much wanted to say 'don't worry, I still love you...'. As it was, he was having a hard time not just going to her and putting his arms around her and reassuring her that everything was going to be okay...because they were just friends...right?

She wasn't sure that she was going to be very good at this friends thing. "Shiro will learn to live with the disappointment, I'm sure." She should get going. And, you know, get to the point sometime before midnight, "So, um, I know you brought the puppies back. I was wondering if I could get you to set Lili up back in my suite? I got out some of her things but I don't have any food or anything. I left the door unlocked."

He hid his disappointment with a grin. Just friends. Who was he kidding after all? Look at her... He just hoped that idiot Blake or Brad or whatever hadn't come crawling back. "Sure thing, I brought back all their stuff they had at the apartment and I went out and bought food for them today. I'll get her set up for ya, no problem."

"Thanks, Alex. I appreciate it." She fidgeted for a moment, something she knew he'd recognize as the nervous habit that it was, stalling for time because she didn't want to leave but didn't have anything else to say. "Um, I'm taking a trip for the holidays. You'll watch her, right?"

He noticed but took it more as her wanting to leave, but having more to say that she seemed to be having trouble getting. Somehow, Alex managed not to sigh. "Yeah sure. I'll probably just have her stay here with Crush."

She smiled at him, "That would be great. I, uh, should be getting downstairs. Make sure no one spiked the punch or anything." Lorna hesitated another moment then stepped forward quickly and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you again. I'm glad you're safe."

Alex returned the hug, even as taunting as it was. "Yeah, me too. And have fun tonight. Don't let the kids have all the fun..." He couldn't help smiling again, even if it was slightly sad, for she did look beautiful.

"Oh, I don’t do fun. It freaks the kids out." She flashed him another grin and backed away. "I'll, uh, see you later, okay? Like, before I leave maybe?"

He couldn't help but return the smile. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Great," she said, with real relief. "Welcome back to the madhouse, Alex."

little late because I had to go be social