Sharing different heartbeats in one night...(Open)

[Matrim Gallagher]

Matrim was having a bit too much going on. But he was glad to be out of his casts. One of the first things he did was start wearing t-shirts. The one he had on now was black, he wore a black leather jacket over it. The hood had been up when he was outside of the bar, but inside he pulled it off. For once he wore black leather motorcycle boots, as opposed to being barefoot. Making his way towards the bartender he ordered some whiskey and found a place in the corner to sit alone. The table had a window next to it where he could look at his bike from inside.

"Guess it all really happened...." He said as he looked down at the contents of the glass, speaking to himself, "I thought I was so god damn great for not doing anything when I was fucking drugged... now look at me. Completely sober and making the greatest mistake of my life..."

And like that he pulled the glass up to his lips and lifted back. His body felt warm, it felt comforting. It was probably the most comfort he had since the park. The memory he held on to, but wished with all that was good inside that it hadn't happened. Still, it was fresh and new. But it was poison, the longer he remembered it the more damage it did to him emotionally.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen....." He said to the rest of the contents in the glass, seeing a bit of his own reflection, "You used to be a good man..."

[Sara Quinn]

Sara walked by the bar, hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans, the hood of her jacket pulled up. Underneath the jacket she had a light turtle neck on. She had taken to wearing high necked shirts since her fight with Matrim to cover the still healing burn on her chest. It was healing nicely, and it would definitely scar. But she might actually be able to get away with tank tops again one day.

Her gaze fell to a motorcycle outside the bar. She stopped walking and stared at it, looking to the bar behind it. What the hell was he doing here? She took a small step towards the bar, wondering if she should go in and see. She wasn't old enough to be in a bar, but she knew she could turn on her feminine charm and get herself in. No problem. But she did dare go in there looking for Matrim? She started walking towards the door. This was Sara. Really. What did she care.

She pushed open the door, keeping her hood up. She gave the bartender a sweet smile, cocking her hip and winking at him and then walked between the tables like she owned the place.

Her eyes fell to him at a table in the back. So he was here. She made her way slowly towards him, pulling her hood down, her long hair falling out from under it. She pulled off her jacket and sat across from him, pulling at the neck of her sweater. "What the hell are you all mopey about?"

[Matrim Gallagher]

A person was coming towards him. He recognized the body a bit, the form looked familiar. And when the hood came off his peripheral vision confirmed it. He knew her, it was Sara. At first he looked at the glass funny as if someone had put something in his whiskey. After all, how strange is it that she appears just when he was thinking of her, "What the hell are you all mopey about?"

"Nothing, just drinking in memory," He said. It was something he always did. He drank when Rei was gone, he drank because she was gone, Alex was dead, and he had nobody to truly talk to. He couldn't be real with a single person at this entire school. He wore a mask in front of everyone, and when he drank it was a break. He could take the mask off and just be. Be without consequences, say what he wanted to say, do what he wanted to do. Hell he could even brood over all the stupid things he's done.

"Besides, what are you doing in here?" He asked, looking up at her, "Still got a taste for alcohol? I thought you learned your lesson back at 259."

[Sara Quinn]

"Nothing, just drinking in memory,"

She snorted sarcastically. She didn't believe it for a second. She was worried about him. Deeply worried. He was avoiding her. She knew it. And it pissed her off to no end. She wanted to help him, and he wasn't making it very easy. She had the feeling that what they had done, had affected him more then he was letting on. Much more. And she wanted to comfort him. She wanted to take that pain away from him. Sara wasn't someone who normally cared so much, but she did care about him. For some stupid reason, she cared about him. And he was making it very hard to show him that.

"Besides, what are you doing in here?...Still got a taste for alcohol? I thought you learned your lesson back at 259."

OH. HELL NO. She glared at him across the table. She was a woman. She knew every button to press to make him feel like shit. To make him wanna kill himself for being such an idiot. And man she wanted to press them. But this wasn't the time. She breathed deeply, letting him know she was angry. Or atleast, if he was smart, he would know what a sigh like that from a girl meant. She took a second to look around, calm herself. That comment had hurt. A lot. More then he could know. She had gone to rehab for that shit.

Maybe he didn't know what it had been then. "Harsh... That was harsh. I don't think you know what that shit was Matrim. And you don't see a drink in front of ME do you?" She leaned forward across the table, looking at him hard. "You've been avoiding me. Why?"

[Matrim Gallagher]

"Harsh... That was harsh. I don't think you know what that shit was Matrim. And you don't see a drink in front of ME do you? You've been avoiding me. Why?" She said. She seemed to be offended by what he had said. He didn't mean it to be mean, he was just being honest. He didn't know why she was in the bar, it wasn't like she tracked him here. Even if she saw him through the window she'd need a reason to be outside the window. Still, he couldn't help but realize it could be taken as mean, and it wasn't like he was trying to be nice.

He sighed, looking up as he took a breath to speak, his eyes moving around a little as if trying to find the courage to talk, "I'm gonna go get a refill," He said, sliding out of his chair and making his way towards the bartender, he tapped on the bar and lifted his glass, shaking it a little. The bartender came over with the bottle of whiskey. Matrim put down his black card, the beautiful card that let rich people get whatever they wanted. It was a good thing. Matrim then grabbed the bottle from the man and walked back towards the table.

He would sit down and pour himself another glass, he'd set down the bottle, reach for his drink, and down the contents.

It was no doubt that she would be talking to him or getting mad at him during this time. She might even do something to him, but until either he had that drink, or she took it from him, he wouldn't say anything. After one of the two he would simply reply, "What would you like me to tell you? What do you want to hear? Would you like me to say what's been on my mind? Would you like me to say that it's not because of what happened between us that I'm like this? Or maybe that the reason I'm avoiding you is because I like you too god damn much? Or maybe that we had a moment of passion, and it felt amazingly good. That we connected in a way I never thought we could. And somehow in the midst of that, instead of finding comfort and joy I found......"

If she had taken his glass he'd drink from the battle. If he still had his glass he'd just pour another one, "I don't know what I found, but it's lead me here."

[Sara Quinn]

"I don't know what I found, but it's lead me here."

She stared at him, slightly shocked. That... was a lot to take in... She felt a million emotions swirling around inside her. She wanted to slap him. She was losing all respect for him. He had gone for a refill, and returned with the whole bloody bottle. She held her tongue. though, not wanting to say anything about it. Unlike him, she had some tact.

She had listened to what he had to say patiently. But it had hurt. Being told you were nothing but a mistake hurt. Being the reason someone were sitting in a bar getting piss drunk hurt. She had to drop her gaze. Stop looking at him as her eyes stung. He saw what had happened, completely different then he did. She saw what had happened as something that had made her feel closer to him. It was something that she would hold close her heart forever. He meant a lot to her. She didn't want to lose him over something so small.

She couldn't stop the tears now. The fell silently down her face, slowly. Like she wasn't cry, but her eyes were just leaking. "I don't know what to say... I'm sorry Matrim... I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. I really didn't... It was the last thing I wanted. I only want you to know that you can talk to me... That you can tell me what's wrong... I'm sorry that I did this to you." She didn't know what else to say now. But she didn't want to look at him. She wanted to get up and run, but she didn't want to leave him yet.

[Matrim Gallagher]

"I don't know what to say... I'm sorry Matrim... I didn't mean to hurt you so badly. I really didn't... It was the last thing I wanted. I only want you to know that you can talk to me... That you can tell me what's wrong... I'm sorry that I did this to you." Matrim laughed, downing the glass and setting it back on the table he leaned his head back and laughed. It seemed rather mean to do so, but in good time she'd realize that his laughing had tears of their own. It was laughter, but he was still sad. Finally he stopped and let out a sigh of relief before getting serious and speaking.

"Silly girl... you didn't do anything wrong. This isn't about me doing something to you, or you doing something to me. This is about me doing something to her..." He said, getting quiet he poured another glass but let this one stay there. He didn't want to take a whole bunch and black out or anything. He wanted to get a nice drunk going, and he wanted to just keep it going for a long period of time. And sometimes that meant you had to slow down and start sipping the whiskey like you were supposed to.

"And there is too much wrong," He said, moving the glass in a circular motion and watching the contents swirl, "I hate Travis. I don't know why, I just don't like him. I don't like Mathew, Linda, Jester. I'm not sure what to think about Kate, Ryuu is just a reminder that Alex is gone... Aternity left, Reira left, and here I am. Just me... I spent most of my childhood alone. But that's because growing up I never had a single friend. I felt connected with Reira, everywhere I went. Because of our love you know?"

He laughed a little taking a sip of the whiskey and continuing on, "It's like she never left, or I never left. Like we were two parts of the same person. That she could think something, and I could just hear it you know?" He laughed and then stopped. His face still looked like it was laughing, but it was quiet until he said, "I'm drinking to the memory of that connection. It's gone now... and that isn't your fault."

[Sara Quinn]

"I'm drinking to the memory of that connection. It's gone now... and that isn't your fault."

Sara has listened to him patiently, the tears still streaming down her face. Even if he said it wasn't her fault, she still hurt. She could only feel like if she hadn't done what she had with him, he wouldn't be in this position right now. She felt like she had ruined her friends life. Sara had few close friends. She considered Matrim to be one of the closest. She felt like she had always been able to count on him. If she had needed something, he would have been there. Or that's what she had thought.

Now? She realized she had been deluding herself. He had never considered her a friend. The things he was saying to her were to mean for that. He probably hated her as much as he hated Travis apparently, despite what he had said. She didn't think the problem was that he liked her to much. There was no reason for that. The fact was, he had hated her all this time. Love and hate were two sides of the same coin. And that realization hurt. The realization that despite what he said, this was her fault, hurt. A lot. More then she had ever thought it would have.

She had seen a friendship where there had been none... Dammit... She grabbed the drink he was playing with and downed it, finally lifting her tear streaked face, coughing softly as it burned her throat. But it warmed her. She had felt cold when he was talking and the drink warmed her. She looked him in the eye this time.

"I'm sorry... I had no idea things were so hard for you... I had always thought that you knew you could come to me with a problem... I had thought that I had meant more to you then that. I should have seen it, and I'm sorry... I wish I could have been there for you." She paused. She was having trouble figuring out how to say what she wanted to tell him. "I can see how this helps..." She gestured to the glass in front of her, now empty. She wanted another. She wanted to get shit faced and just let go of all these crappy feelings inside her, to just forget that they had ever spoken. That sounded nice... To just pretend it had never happened.

[Matrim Gallagher]

She seemed to think that she didn't mean much to him. He wasn't quite drunk enough to start telling her his feelings towards her straight to her face, so after she took his glass he drank straight from the bottle. He then tilted the bottle over to fill Sara's glass up just over half way. He rested back in his seat, his head resting back slightly, "You helped me..." He said. Not looking at her. He just kept quiet for the most part, "And you are there for me. That means a lot to me."

He'd set the bottle down not taking another swig from it, "If I could go back, and change it all. The only thing I would change are the circumstances of which we did what we did. Maybe a little more private, and maybe when I wouldn't be wearing this," He said raising his left hand to show the black venetian glass ring Reira gave him, "But I wanted it, and I'm glad it happened." He said lifting his head he had a grin on it. His hand reached out, his thumb would wipe tears away from underneath her left eye. "So stop crying already, kay?"

Matrim would chuckle a little, a devilish grin on his face, he got up from his seat and went over to the juke box. He played a song that he recognized, but knew was not a major song at all. And sure, some people didn't like country, but you know what, he liked country and he didn't care who knew it. He turned after playing the song and held his hand out, "So, want to dance?"

(OOC: The song that's playing. And yeah.. I like country.. wanna fight about it? *shakes fist*)

[Sara Quinn]

He refilled her drink, and her hand closed gently around the glass. Being around him like this... It was making her sad to. Since when did she ever feel this down? Feel so down that she felt the need to drink it away? She barely drank, but she remembered how good the root had made her feel... How good drinking with Travis had felt... How nice it was to just not be able to think about anything and just float on the wave of a good drink.

He then said something that caught her off guard. Completely off guard. She froze, as his hand wiped tears from her face. Such a gentle gesture. A kind one. And she appreciated it. She took the chance to think as he suddenly got up from the table.

He was... glad? He was confusing her now. He... considered it a mistake, but he was glad it had happened? Of course she also agreed it would have been a little nicer if it had been more private then the middle of a park. And she hadn't even considered the ring he had had on his finger. As far as she could remember, Travis hadn't even crossed her mind. She had lost herself in the moment, and taken it at face value for what it had been. She had known it wouldn't go any farther, and thus, had gone into it with the expectation that things would be normal afterwards. Apparently, that wasn't the case. At all.

She took a large gulp from the glass nearly finishing it, wanting to stop thinking about what he had said. Wanting to stop thinking about and analyzing what he was saying to her.

"So, want to dance?"

It was only now that she realized the music was playing. Her head turned up to him. He wanted to dance? She couldn't keep the smile off her face. She wasn't a good dancer. She didn't think she had ever danced with someone before. Maybe her parents for fun, but never actually danced. But he seemed slightly happier. Who was she to take him back down again. She finished her drink, knowing she was going to be drunk very soon. She was a complete lightweight when it came to drinking, and the two small ones she had had, were going to go right to her brain. She knew it.

"You seriously want to dance...? You're going to regret it." She pushed herself out of her seat and stood up, her hand reaching to grab his as she started walking away from the table.

[Matrim Gallagher]

"You seriously want to dance...? You're going to regret it." Matrim smiled and as he grabbed her hand, he twirled her around, and then grabbed both hands, pulling her further out onto the floor. He would spin her slowly so that her arms were crossed in front of her, her back towards him. He moved to the music, his hands letting go of hers, and traveling down her body to her waist.

"Just move your hips to the music, there's nothing to worry about," He said. One of the benefits of being Luke's son was knowing how to dance. The only thing was he didn't really do much dancing himself. He just knew how. So sure he was a little shy and he wasn't going to bust out some epic dance moves. He was just going to move to the music, their bodies against each other, focusing on her. Because when he looked at her, he forgot the pain. Even if he'd feel it harder later, he'd rather feel it when she was gone then when she was around. Because if he drove her away, he'd be that much closer to having nothing in his life.

A few of the girls in the bar got up and danced too. Most of them dancing with their girlfriends, but a few of them managed to get some men out of their comfort zone and onto the dance floor. So at least they weren't the only two dancing. And from the looks of it, Matrim had managed to find himself in a bar with more of a country feel to it. Which would explain the song selection on the juke box, "All you gotta do is move your hips to the music," Matrim would say, his hands on her hips, helping her out if she wasn't much of a dancer.

[Sara Quinn]

Sara had no idea how to dance, so when he immediately began to lead, she let him. He was a lucky bugger... Probably the only person she wouldn't try to take the lead from. Even Travis would have had to fight for the lead in something like this. She was feeling oddly comfortable. This was one of those things where Sara felt extremely shy, but with Matrim... It felt kind of normal to be here on the dance floor, even when no one else was dancing.

His hands ran along her body till they were sitting on her waist. She closed her eyes at his touch. Her mind hadn't yet returned to the day in the park, but his touch still felt nice. She leaned back against him, trying to relax. She was trying to 'move her hips to the music' but it was hard. Her body felt like all the muscles had locked and she couldn't seem to bend that way. She had warned him. She was a bad dancer. She could feel her face warming as the blush touched her cheeks.

When she opened her eyes when he next spoke to her, telling her again to just move her hips to the music, she saw that others had joined them on the floor. And that was nice. It made it feel slightly less awkward. That was good. She took a deep breath leaning further back against him, tilting her head back to look up at him. "I'm trying... I just... Never really danced before..."

His hands were moving on her hips, trying to help her move. She took another breath, closing her eyes again. The breath helped to loosen her up a little. She stopped leaning so close to him. This couldn't be so hard, she saw people do it on tv all the time. She pushed her hips back, letting her body just relax and move with his. Her hands moved down to his as she moved against him. See? Not so hard... Right...? The shyness was coming back. She tried to hold it down, continuing to dance with him, pressing her ass against him as her hips moved. Now those thoughts started coming back to her. She opened her eyes, looking around as she tried to keep them from her mind, looking at the people around them. It wasn't working. And the drink was hitting her. She could feel it clouding her brain. And she wanted to welcome it. But she couldn't... wouldn't when they were in this position, with shivers running up her spine, and the heat building in her stomach.

She turned around, facing him, her hands wrapping around his shoulders as she looked away from him, blushing furiously. She started to giggle nervously.

[Matrim Gallagher]

Her dancing was making his body shiver. And it felt good with her dancing against him the way she was. Especially with the alcohol in his body and the feel of her hips. And when her hands lowered to touch his he nearly lost it for a moment. Then she turned around, her hands wrapped around his shoulders, his hands went a little below the small of her back. It may have been slightly inappropriate, but he did so and pulled her against him. He looked down at her and said very clearly, "I've been regretting things enough lately. So I'm not going to do anything else I would regret. Not a single thing."

He said this with a stern look on his face. He wondered if she'd take this as him saying nothing will ever happen between them again. Because if she did, she had him all wrong. And she would realize this, because he and Reira had a little chat earlier this evening. Hence the loss of a connection. But he could do something now, and know he wouldn't regret it. He regretted their last time... but like he said. Better circumstances.

Matrim would lean down unexpectedly and kiss her while they danced, the song coming to an end. His hands would grip tightly, and his mind would be lost in the moment.

[Sara Quinn]

The feeling of his hands... On her lower back... low lower back... felt so good. He pulled her against him and her breath caught. Her mind was spinning from the drink and the feeling of his hands on her. It was driving her insane. It felt so right, but at the same time so wrong. His hands were so different from Travis', and in some ways, it amazed her that one persons touch could be so different from anothers. When he spoke, she looked up at him, tilting her head back to meet his eyes. She felt the stomach drop out of her. It sounded like a rejection. She slowed her moving against him, her arms going a little slack against him.

That was fine. If that was what he wanted, then that was fine. She didn't ever want him to regret what he did with her. To think that he would regret it, hurt. And she didn't want either of them to hurt. Especially not herself. She didn't feel bad about what they had done. She knew it had been wrong, especially since she was with Travis. She loved Travis. But the connection she felt to Matrim was something different. She didn't know what... She didn't know that she wanted to know.

But it seemed there would be a chance to explore it. His lips were suddenly on hers. There was no shock this time. Her eyes closed, her lips opened to him. She moaned into his mouth as his hands grip tightened on her and her arms wrapped further around him. When the song finally stopped playing, she pulled away from him, looking up to his face, trying to figure it out. "I don't understand..."

He had to know she wasn't going to allow this to go much farther, that there was no chance for a relationship here. He was sending her mixed signals, confusing her. She didn't understand. She could offer him comfort. Arms to go to when things got tough, an ear to listen to his problems... She could be there when he needed someone. But anything more then friendship was out of the question... friendship and... casual... coupling... She was shocked to realize that his kiss had made her happy. The heat in the pit of her stomach had moved between her legs. "I need another drink..." She stepped away from him, stumbling slightly.

[Matrim Gallagher]

"I don't understand..." To be honest, Matrim didn't understand it much either. He just knew that they had a connection. It was nothing more then simple chemistry. They had a positive reaction, and right now he needed to feel some of that energy. He was a bit tipsy sure, and that may have made him a little more grabby then normal, but the kiss was all him, "I need another drink..."

So he walked over to his seat, pouring from the bottle into her glass after she stumbled away from him. He took his seat and drank out of the bottle. He set it down on the counter and decided he would explain the truth of what happened, "Me and her had a talk. See, I can understand you and Travis not talking about what happened. I couldn't keep anything from Rei, so I told her, and we split up. She's staying in Venice, I'm staying here, and that's just the end of that."

He leaned back in his chair at this point, "So I need a little help from my friends. My friend Jack here, and you," He said, "I think you two are probably all I got left. Not to put any pressure on you or anything. But see, you mean more to me than you know. We're just really, really good friends. That's all this is. So now I'm coming to you, with my problem, so that you can help me, as a friend."