16304/Old friends catching up over coffee...

Old friends catching up over coffee...
Date of Scene:	26 May 2024
Location:	Angelica Jones' Apartment, Morrisania
Synopsis:	Angelica and Gwen were having dinner. They invited Damian to join them. What's the worst that could happen?
Cast of Characters:	Firestar, Ghost Spider, Robin (Wayne)

---

Firestar has posed:
Always glad to hear from Gwen, Angelica invites her to her apartment. This is decidedly unusual for potential X-Men since most of them tends to haunt the mansion or at least live close.

She has a pot of coffee on, some pasties warm, and the door unlocked for her to come in when she arrives. Currently she is wiping off the counter and getting to large mugs for coffee.

She is currently wearing a comfy NYU t-shirt and a pair of black cargo shorts. A fashionista she isn't.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen _really_ needed to get out of her own head, but web-swinging through town wasn't having its usual effect. Everything... _everything_ reminded her of Peter.

Remember the time we had lunch on that ledge?

Remember the time we stopped the burglary in that shop?

Remember the time we raced to that building?

Remember the time Rhino threw me down that street and you ripped off the door to save me?

Remember the time we made out on that bridge?

Every memory makes the pain in her chest worse. They might as well have been bullets fired by a sniper. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

It was _such_ a relief that Angelica was available -- she had _so_ few people who knew both sides of her. Not even her own father knew she was Ghost-Spider. Worse, he was _actively_ trying to arrest her.

So, she wastes no time swinging across town, finding a quiet rooftop to change out of the costume, and then making her way to Angelica's door in her 'real people' clothes -- a pair of jeans, teal Chucks, a 'Mary Janes' t-shirt with a brown, canvas backpack slung over one shoulder. She might actually qualify as a fashionista, given her part-time gig as a model, but sometimes you just wanted some comfy clothes to chill in.

"Hey, don't shoot. It's just me," comes her voice just a moment after the door cracks open, but the moment she spots Angelica, it's apparent some weight has been lifted. Her smile grows a little more, and she drops the backpack just inside, hurrying over to give Angelica a hug.

Firestar has posed:
Expecting the arrival, Angelica smirks a little when she hears the voice. She turns to see the arriving friend and meets the hug tightly,"Hey. I haven't shot anybody today." she teases softly and just hangs on for a few.

Fairly adept at reading body language and mood anymore, Angelica notices the stress on her friend's face and she doesn't ask questions, just hugs her for time being,"Hey friend." she murmurs softly.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen sags into that hug, hanging on for far too long for a casual greeting. The message she'd sent was sure to have been the first clue -- the tone far less 'Hey! What's UP?!' and more 'Hey... you busy?'

Chances are, though, Angelica already knew Peter had been hard to get ahold of recently. She might assume that didn't apply to Gwen but, if the look on the blonde's face is any indication, it definitely does.

"Hey."

It's a whisper that tries and fails to sound optimistic, and when Gwen finally does release Angelica, there's that ghost of a smile lingering on her lips. Whatever else was going on in her head, there's no doubt that she was _very_ happy to see Angelica.

"It's good to see you. I'm sorry I haven't been a... better friend. Things get busy, and I've got like four jobs with the thesis and the research assistant and the modeling gigs and the band and then.. well.. everything else..."

The words just seem to flood out in a stream of consciousness, like she hasn't had anyone to talk to in months.

"... and it's been a lot, but I know that's no excuse. I haven't been checking in enough so..."

She sighs.

"I'm sorry. How are you?"

Firestar has posed:
A smile and Angelica turns to pour a cup of coffee. She hands the warm liquid to her and indicates the sugar and creamer on the counter,"We have lives Gwen. I get it. I am working a little, full time college, and doing the costume shenanigans on the regular."

She smiles and reaches into her purse. She produces a strange, metallic card. Silver and with the Justice League symbol. Firestar: Probationary Member,"I've been good. Quite busy. So let's chalk it up to that we are two busy women that neglect our loved ones." she teases and turns to pour herself a cup after Gwen takes her cup,"Those pastries are cream cheese and raspberry. I certainly don't need to eat them all."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Along with that cup of coffee comes an ample helping of relief already, Gwen's shoulders noticeably dropping as she exhales a breath that stirs the steam rising from her cup.

"Thanks," she breathes.

For the coffee? For the forgiveness? Both, probably.

She's mixing some cream and sugar into her cup when she glances over her shoulder to see the metallic card, eyes squinting just a little in initial confusion and then widening.

"That's amazing!" she gushes, that genuine smile already spreading wider across her lips.

The 'chalk it up' line gets a laugh, but it's the pastries that have Gwen's eyes focusing like a predator stalking prey.

"Oh. My. God. I love you. Have I told you that?"

Because when Gwen has a hole in her heart, she fills it with sugar and carbs. Lots of sugar and carbs.

Having barely taken a sip of her coffee, she seizes one of those pastries and bites into it like she hasn't eaten in three days. Her eyes close, and based on the noise she makes and her expression, there's a chance that the gush of raspberry and cream cheese is the closest thing she's been to satisfied in a lot longer than three days.

"Soo.."

Yes, her mouth is still full. At least she has the decency to cover it with her fingers.

"..good.."

Firestar has posed:
A soft chuckle and she slips the card back into her bag. A nice little hidden pocket. She doctors her coffee as well and stirs it,"Thank you. I had...we'll say a falling out with the X-Men. There's no hard feelings to my knowledge and I have been to the mansion a time or two since, but when Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman say join us...well you join them."

She chuckles softly and replies,"I love you too dear." playfully. Nothing better than compliments for cooking that you are still learning. Angelica is a good cook, but pastries are a bit new to her list. She sips her coffee and laughs when she listens to her friend enjoying the goodies.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen is taking her time to enjoy every second of that bite, and mental notes are made to figure out how to acquire more before she leaves... even if that includes bribery. Gwen _needed_ a tin of these for when she was sitting alone in her place, staring at her Peterless window or the other side of her Peterless bed.

Stop.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

Stop dwelling. It's done.

(And if it wasn't done before, you _really_ put the nail in the coffin the other night, didn't you?)

Gwen shakes her head to clear it, finally swallowing and pushing those thoughts aside. She licks her lips as she gathers a napkin and two more of the pastries before looking for looking for guidance on place to sit and get comfy.

"Okay, so I've missed a bunch. What happened with the X-Men? And how the freak did you get that kind of invitation? I mean, that's huge. It's amazing. And _so_ exciting. Do you go to the headquarters? Is there a training program? Do you like... hang out with Batman in his car? Is it like a ride-along training program?"

Gwen's eyes widen, her smile growing.

"Are you going to be all like..." She drops her voice comically, "I'm Firestar?!"

Firestar has posed:
Laughing softly, Angelica shakes her head and takes the plate of pastries and walks towards the living room and the bit, comfy couch. She sets the plate on the table, indicates Gwen take a seat, and she shakes her head.

"The X-Men, well. The headmistress and I had a disagreement and two red heads arguing is never good. I took my things and left. I stayed with a friend for a night or two. Then another friend saw to it this place was made available and the rent paid for a year."

She shakes her head and admits,"I met Diana a time or two. Not long after that I was interviewed by that guy that always seems to have the scoop on Superman...Clark Kent. The next thing I know I am invited to meet at the Hall of the Justice League. Being interviewd by the three of them."

She shakes her head,"No training program to speak of. Probably has to do with my time with the Hellions, Alpha Flight, and the loose association to the X-Men."

After a drink of her coffee she adds,"No hanging out with Batman. That man is...intense." Shanking her head, she adds,"I don't think I could drop my voice that far to talk like that."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Thank. God.

She wasn't going to presume to move things around, but there was a _very_ good chance that she was going to end up *thwip*ing another pastry off the stack of they weren't brought closer.

Pulling her knees up, but careful to keep her shoes dangling, Gwen is soon ensconced in eating, drinking, and listening raptly.

"Mmggh.." She swallows, touching a knuckle to her lips to keep herself from talking until she's sure it's polite. "I saw Diana the other day at the Met. There was a... thing with Vulture. He was after one of the artifacts, and she showed up to help. I _really_ want one of those lassos. Or maybe I can turn my webs into truth-webs or something."

She grins.

"I need more friends like you have, though. A whole _year_? And the Justice League? Girl, you're a rock star -- and that's coming from someone who is, technically, an actual rock star."

Firestar has posed:
Listening to Gwen talk, Angelica gets a drink of coffee and smiles while her friend attacks the pastries. She nods,"I missed that one. I heard about it a little later. The Vulture I mean. As for Diana she is amazing beyond words. That lasso would be terribly handy for sure. Making sure people aren't lying to you. That would be beyond helpful."

She smirks and chuckles a little,"I'm just me. I'll leave the rock star business to you and I'll concentrate on becoming a full fledged Leaguer and get my bachelors. I managed to teset out of some of the physics clases. It's like I have a reason to know more about physics than most."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen waves a pastry dismissively, shaking her head. "It was fine. We had it under control. We had a couple of X-Men, one of the Avengers, and Diana. Despite all that, it still seemed like a toss up between Vulture hating my guts and getting what he came for, though. It turns out, I make an _amazing_ distraction when used as a crash test dummy."

At least she didn't seem to have any lingering effects -- the constant and questionable sense of humor had always been there. It was a Spider thing.

In fact, the instinct was so powerful that they could even finish each other's jokes, sometimes.

You know... back when they actually saw each other.

And... talked.

Gwen stuffs another bite of pastry in her mouth, taking another breath as she listens and shakes her head once she's swallowed. "You got this. And if you ever need anyone to help you study, I'm just a text away. I'm trying to finish this thesis, and it's absolutely grueling."

Firestar has posed:
"You are a distraction dear. You have all the goods. Pretty, mouthy, and brave." she teases lightly. She nods as she adds,"I know who to call. You know if you need my help the phone works both way."

She considers for a moment and she finally says,"You haven't heard from him either. He's gone to ground somewhere and there isn't anyone that knows. I checked with Iceman recently and he hasn't heard anything from him either. I'm sure he's OK. I know that doesn't help in the least."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen laughs, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as those blue eyes twinkle with mirth. "Okay, fair," she muses. "I _am_ sort of the whole package." But even though she smiles as she says it, her eyes betray her -- the self-deprecating tone betrays her. She can say the words, but believing it is something else entirely.

"So are you, though." _That_ she believes.

But that playfulness lasts only a moment.

_You haven't heard from him either._

Those words are like a gut punch that bring Gwen's lips from smile to frown in the blink of an eye. Worse than that, she almost looks nauseous.

She swallows, eyes anywhere but on Angelica. Apparently she suddenly found the couch cushion _very_ interesting.

"My band took a few gigs out of town. And... things got... complicated. We talked, at first. He would text, but I wouldn't see it... and then by the time I responded, he'd be busy... and after a couple months..."

Her voice is so quiet.

"Peter's... okay, I think. Physically, I mean. The last messages I got from him were just so... distracted. I felt like just another demand on his time or whatever was going on. He mentioned a new suit, but anything else he didn't want to talk about. Maybe he didn't want to worry me. Or... I don't know..."

She sighs softly.

"I haven't seen him in six months, but we didn't... break up. We just sort of... drifted apart. I kept thinking that we would fix it, you know? Like... we should just click again. Like one day I'd see him coming through my window and everything..."

Her eyes close, a tears slide down her cheeks.

"But now I can't even hope for that. Now _I've_ definitely screwed it all up. And I don't know what to do. I feel like the worst person in the world, but it was _six months_ of barely talking and then.. nothing.. and I didn't know how long I was supposed to wait.. and Damian was there.. and he was _so_ charming.. and we ate hot dogs.. and it just.. it just _happened_."

And now the tears are really streaming.

Firestar has posed:
She knew the bridge would have to be crossed sooner or later. Not that she wanted to hurt her friend, but she knows enough about getting things unpacked from your head that Gwen needed to. She sets the coffee aside and reaches over and puts her arm around her friend,"Come here." she mutters softly.

Tears are needed as bad as that feels at first,"Jimmy and I drifted too. Vanessa too for that matter. I get it. I wasn't even on the road touring." she says quietly.

The last bit catches her by surprise and she takes a second to process,"I don't know who Damien is dear, but sometimes we make decisions when we are too hurt to think about what we are doing."

She gently kisses the top of Gwen's head and tells her,"No judgement here. Promise. You're always welcome here. You can stay if you ever need. The couch is cushy after all." She laughs softly,"Only one bed, but it is big enough to sleep there so long as you don't mind laying near a natural heat source. Probably give up on covers. Promise you don't snore."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Coffee and napkin full of pastry crumbs ditched on the table, Gwen is more than happy to curl up against Angelica to really let the tears out because... you know what? It beats the pants off of sobbing yourself to sleep alone, in your studio apartment where the pillow still smelled like him (or at least, her brain told her it did), curled up in the fetal position.

"I'm sorry," she manages between sniffles, pressing her face against Angel's shoulder like the pressure was holding to help hold back the sobs.

"This _sucks_... _so_ bad... it just... it kept building, you know? Getting worse, and worse, and worse every day until I... until I felt like my head was going to explode. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I should hunt him down and _make_ him talk to me. Or just give him space or..."

She's rambling until she draws a deep, shaky breath and settles in a little more comfortably against her friend's slide, head on shoulder like sleeping _right there_ wasn't entirely out of the question.

Given how little she was sleeping, it probably wasn't.

"I don't know if I snore," she laments. "I'd ask Peter, but..."

Bitterness. Sadness. Frustration. Desperation. There are _so_ many emotions radiating from her in waves.

"I'm sorry," she repeats on a soft sigh. "I would, believe me, but I can't do that to you. I am a _mess_ right now." She sniffs. "Damian is... he's Damian Wayne. Bruce Wayne's son. He booked the Janes to play in Gotham last year, and I bumped into him again the other night, and... he kissed me. And... I kissed him back. And now he wants me to come to Wayne Manor." She swallows. "And I don't know if it was because I was hurt... or because I really like him."

Firestar has posed:
Maybe she's had her fair share of tears over someone. Maybe the same someone when they were kids. She doesn't comment on that regardless. She laughs softly and replies to her,"I don't care if you snore. I was being a smart mouth, you know that."

For now, she just lets her get it all out and on the table. She nods and tells her,"You are my friend dear. You aren't doing anything to me. I've been a mess more than once too. You missed out on me finding out that there are vampires around here. You missed me having a relationship melt down too. I am glad you missed it. I am just telling you that I am hear to listen."

She smiles a little and she nods,"Ahh...yes. Damian Wayne. I have met him before. He has a charm about him. So I can understand kissing him back. If Pete has laid off the communication, you need to live your life. Please just do what makes you happy. If time with Damien does that, so be it. Just protect that heart ok?"

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I know," Gwen murmurs about the snoring bit, rubbing the heels of her palms on her cheeks in frustration. "God, I _hate_ this feeling."

She listens to the rest in silence, just quiet sniffles punctuating her breathing.

Damian is _so_ different from Peter, and maybe that's what draws her to him. He has his own charm, but he doesn't remind her of Peter at all... not in any way other than how much has been left unresolved.

Given that, there's relief in Angelica's words. _If time with Damian does that, so be it._ She seems to still when those words are spoken, like she wasn't expecting them... like she was _much_ more prepared for Angel to berate her for cheating, for breaking Peter's heart without having the guts to confront him, for letting herself be attracted to another man at all. After all, she was Peter's friend first.

When that doesn't happen, it seems like some amount of the pressure has been lifted off of her chest. Her breathing comes a little easier. The sobs seem a little further away.

"...there are vampires?"

The question is so soft, so distracted from where her mind had been only a moment ago. She sits up a little, just enough to look at Angelica's eyes.

"In New York? Are you okay?"

Firestar has posed:
"It is among the worst." she agrees softly. She sighs softly and adds,"Had my fill of it twice in the past year so I get it. I promise." She lets her friend think about things for a while. Sometimes the best is to talk, sometimes it is let the words get settled. Sure she could be more serious about the break, but it sounds like he left her as much as she has given up on him.

She smiles more fully as Gwen starts to register the vampire thing. Want to get a break from hurt? Present something weird. The idea of vampires is decidedly weird. She meets her friend's gaze and she nods,"Quite real. When we were kids, we met Count Dracula. Recently I met a woman that fights them the way you and I fight crime. The monster was attacking her and she throttled him. It was impressive. There were also some mutants that had been taken by a vampire. I saw her with my own eyes. Almost got a clean blast at her, but there were too many people around."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I'm sorry," Gwen whispers. "Twice in one year. I can't... I can't imagine."

She's an odd duck. PhD candidate, fashion model, drummer, masked crime-fighter, and yet the number of serious relationships she's had seems to be limited to.... Peter Parker.

Protect her heart?

That's one of her specialties. She protects it so well that she hardly ever lets anyone close. Even her own father.

Damian is no exception. It's not like she has a future as the wife of a billionaire Gothamite, much less one who she manages to keep her identity as one of the New York Spider-Women secret from for the rest of their lives. She knows the relationship is doomed before it even gets started. It's not like she hasn't thought about it. It's just that she can't help wanting to think about what it was like to be wrapped up in him instead.

"...Wait, Count Dracula? That guy's real? I _never_ heard that story."

Gwen blinks.

"That's... crazy. I... At some point, I was going to tell you I talked to a ghost the other day, but your story is _way_ better than mine."

She sighs softly.

"Hey, do you want me to order some pizza? I want to hear more about the Dracula story, and I need grease. And cheese. And pepperoni. And maybe a bunch of other stuff."

Firestar has posed:
"Believe me, I'm not trying anything for a while. I have been decidedly single since. A flirtation here and there, but otherwise." she replies,"Maybe after I am done with college."

Flirtation implies someone has been close since, but she hasn't played along. Secrets are difficult, but she replies,"You never know, you might share your secret some day with him. I'm not saying look for your next love, just saying it might happen when you aren't looking."

She shudders a little and nods,"The Count Dracula. Big as life and twice as ugly." she muses softly. She smirks a little and says,"Ghost though. You will spill." she adds.

She stands up and goes into the kitchen as she sips some coffee to warm up. She goes over to the refrigerator and starts digging things out,"I'm using a premade crust. No comments." She starts to knead it some and tosses it a few times,"What do you want besides pepperoni and cheese?"

She is thoughtful a moment and grabs a vented pan to stretch the dough,"He was handsome, charming, tall, and mysterious. I was sevemteen and he should not have been at a college dance. We danced, things got really fuzzy, and the next thing I know I'm in living horror movie."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Wait... you're _making_ pizza for me?"

Gwen blinks, rising up off the couch and bounding into the kitchen after Angel with a wide grin on her lips. Her eyes are still red and puffy, but the tears otherwise seem to have abated. At least for now.

"Maybe Damian's not looking so good after all," she teases, eyes sparkling in that entirely harmlessly playful way. If Gwen ever had a truly bi-curious thought in her head, it had never surfaced. "Plus, I mean... you already know my secret... _and_ you bake. I bet Damian's never even been _in_ a kitchen before."

No, she didn't. Not really. There's a playful little smirk there on her lips -- a spark of 'I know enough about him to tease him about something... and I like it.' Not love, but the startings of a serious crush, for sure.

"We can save the ghost story for s'mores. Or whatever melting marshmallows on top of those pastries would be. Oh my god. Do you know how good that would be? Oh.. and that course sugar around the outside. Hear me out... you melt the marshmallow, then _sprinkle_ the sugar while it's all melty... and then you've got the raspberry and the pastry and... mmmm..."

Yeah. That sugar addiction is still going _strong_. She's not over Peter. Not by a long shot, yet.

"Wait, okay.. go back. I got distracted by pizza and marshmallows and beautiful women who can cook. You did _what_ with a vampire? Are you saying he came to your dance? Or someone else did? And what does that mean, horror movie?"

It's not until that last question that she seems to really catch up to what was said.

"What did he do to you?"

Firestar has posed:
A smirk on her lips, Angelica gets the dough stretched out,"I'm make pizza for both of us, but mostly you." she repleis with a wink. The mention of Damian not looking so good gets a laugh as she sets the dough aside to proof a little while she gets things to make a fast pizza sauce. It isn't too fancy. Crushed tomatoes, salt, garlic, Dan-O's original, and pepper. This all starts to warm in a pot and she nods,"I know your secret yes. I adore you as well." She leaves it at that for now.

A smile replaces the smirk for a moment and she tells her,"I like how you are thinking though. We'll make dessert after we're stuffed so they are warm."

Stepping to the refrigerator she gets a long pepperoni stick, a block of mozzerella and a block of parmesean cheeses. A small red onion to go with them. Let the cutting and grating begin.

She is a little less jovial as she explains,"He, Dracula, came to ESU and picked me out of the crowd. We danced, he used his mental powers, and I went with him to get on a plane. At one point I broke free, but he caught me again." she explains,"Pete and Iceman came to get me. There was a fight. I should have cooked him when I had the chance. I burned him, but he got away. When I came to, we were literally in Transylvania. He had a legitimate wolfman and Frankenstein's monster. It was...well...you know."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I... can imagine," Gwen whispers, actively _trying_ to imagine how horrific that could be and suddenly shaking her head as she moves over to an empty spot on the counter and slides up to sit on it, legs left dangling.

"Actually... maybe I can't."

There's a little shake of her head, a little shrug, and a lot of dismay in her expression.

"You were _mind controlled_ to Transylvania by a freaking _vampire_... I can't. I don't think I can even come close to imagining what that's like."

Another pause, then. She's watching the food prep, but there's no judgement in her eyes -- not even a hint of 'I would have done it this way.' Maybe because her way was ordering takeout.

"You said you just figured out there are vampires here... and you think Dracula's one of them?"

Her heart seems to sink.

"You don't think he's..." ... after you? But she doesn't say that last part.

Firestar has posed:
"Try not to dear. It's pretty terrifying." she replies and continues to gets the cheeses ready. Sauce goes down. AFter that the shredded cheeses are blended and some is placed in a ring around he outside of the sauce. She dices the onion and slices the pepperoni while talking.

"He took over my mind and flew me on a private plan to Transylvania." she clarifies. Pepperoni goes down, spaced about and inch apart. She sprinkles the onions onto the sauce and cheese. Then down goes all the chesse that remains. Finally the pepperoni again, placed just over lapping to cover the entire pie. Into the oven after a sprinkle of Dan-O's on top.

"Oh I know Dracula is still around. I just know. I haven't met him here or anything, just...I know there are others so I can't ignore the possibility. Fortunately time with the Hellions and Alpha Flight trained my mind to resist control."

She leans against the counter and shakes her head,"I don't think so, but who knows? He's a monster after all." she admits.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Were you..."

Gwen's voice is timid, but she's given a little more conviction by Angel's confidence in saying that her mind's been trained to resist control. So, somehow this seems easier to ask, but she's still hesitant.

"...If this is too hard to talk about, we'll switch topics..."

She purses her lips, brow furrowing as she figures out exactly how she wants to ask.

"Do you remember it? Like... were you aware he was doing it, but you just couldn't stop it? Or did you 'wake up' after and not remember anything?"

Maybe -- just maybe -- if there are vampires running around New York with mind control powers, she's trying to figure out what to expect.

After all, not everyone's been trained to resist mind control.

Firestar has posed:
She takes down a bottle of Evan Williams and pours two shots. She slides one to Gwen and shakes her head,"I telepath I know checked. There's nothing in my mind that indicated that he bit me. Nothing deep in my psyche. I am saying no."

A wink and she admits,"Used to be very hard, but not like it was. I can deal with it. I nearly killed one of them that night I met the Slayer. Instead of freezing I just shot wide. She staked him and that was that. So I guess like any fear, I am getting over it."

Shaking her head she admits,"No. It was like waking out of a dreamless sleep. It's taken me a long time to get over the worst of it, but I still have nightmares now and then." she admits,"I never invite people I don't know into my home. I watch mirrors. I don't know if that is a thing or not, but it will be obvious if it ever happens."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Bourbon!" Gwen blurts out as if she's dumb-struck by the appearance of the bottle.

With all of the emotions she's had flying around inside her head, it hadn't even occurred to her to go get drunk. As a general rule, she just... doesn't. She wanted to be available in case an alarm went off. She wanted to be available in case Peter needed her (or wanted to come by). She wanted to be available in case one of her other friends needed her. She wanted to be available in case there was a band emergency. She wanted...

Screw it. She was through thinking about everyone else.

At least for tonight.

"Cheers," she croons, her smile broadening as she offers a toast with the shot and then downs the entire thing in one gulp.

It burns.

Like.. it _really_ burns.

It shows in her eyes -- which are once again watering. It shows in the way her face screws up and she coughs, slamming the glass back down on the counter with a hoarse little laugh.

"Vampires suck," she croaks. Because puns just come naturally, apparently. Part of her DNA. If she talks in her sleep, it's probably full of puns. It's _that_ bad.

"That's a crappy thing to have to worry about. But I get it. I mean, if that happened to me, I'd be doing exactly the same thing. I guess, if they're here, I should _probably_ be doing the same thing, anyway."

She pauses then, slideing the shot glass closer.

"Again?"

Firestar has posed:
Watching her hit the drink fast, Angelica nods. Not that she is trying to get her blitzed, but definately trying to take the edge off. She doesn't drink a lot either, but when she does she has a specific taste. She raises her glass and replies,"Cheers."

She shoots hers as well, but she is used to this one so it burns, but she doesn't cough. A comment about vampires sucking gets a chuckle and she turns to check the pizza. She gauges the cheese and then turns back to talk,"Give it five more." She pours two more shots and slides one to Gwen,"I spend my life with it on the back burner, surround myself with heroes that make me less appealing to come at me, and watch myself closer at night like any other woman."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Five more shots? Geeze, woman. I really _am_ going to have to crash here. Can you imagine me trying to pick which one of the fuzzy buildings to web to? Or staggering down the side of a high-rise?" Gwen teases.

Yeah, yeah. Five more minutes. But intentionally misunderstanding was funnier.

And everything -- EVERYTHING -- is a joke.

Because if it's not, you end up curled up on your friend's shoulder, bawling your eyes out. And that sucks almost as bad as vampires.

She picks up that second shot when it's offered and smiles.

"Well, screw vampires."

Beat.

"Not literally. Also, screw men."

Beat.

"Also not literally."

Beat.

"...Mostly. At least for tonight."

A sheepish smile curls her lips.

"You've _seen_ Damian, right? He's _so_ hot."

Then she takes the shot, once more scrunching up her face against the burn of the alcohol and still coughing despite her best attempts not to.

Once more, she slides that class back over, pointing to it for a third even as she presses the back of her hand against her mouth.

Firestar has posed:
A soft chuckle and she nods to the bottle,"There might be that much in there." she admits,"It would be close. It might be funny to watch to walk into a buidling, but if you drink more than two you're officially on sleep over time." she replies.

She listens to the comments and nods with most. A laugh when she mentions Damian's hotness. She raises her glass to all and then adds,"Here's to all that you said and I am in full agreement on them all." She shoots her drink and reaches over to grab the bottle, refilling both once more.

She turns and takes the pizza out of the oven. She sets it on the range top to cool a little. She slides the filled glass to Gwen,"You with me for the night then?"

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I guess I'm with you tonight," Gwen sighs dramatically, eyes softening when she adds, "_Mom_," so the playfulness is obvious.

"That pizza smells _so_ good."

She doesn't give herself time to think about it -- she just takes the shot.

The alcohol is going to catch up to her, but it hasn't fully. She's _just_ starting to feel the warmth spreading out from her stomach, the little bit of extra playfulness around the edges.

*clack*

She sets the glass back on the counter, this time taking a moment to breathe... to really feel the effects rather than just pounding shot after shot.

Spider metabolism is a thing, though. It's going to hit her hard and then just pass her by if she doesn't pace herself.

"Just remember, when I keep you up all night with my snoring, that you facilitated this. _I_ was perfectly happy crying myself to sleep in my own bed. But _you_ had to bring out the bourbon."

A little giggle follows that.

"I'm not... I don't think."

Beat.

"Going to cry myself to sleep, I mean."

She shakes her head, eyes shifting to the side, growing glassy.

"...Until I start thinking about him. And then... I can't stop it."

She laughs, a lone tear sliding down her cheek.

"Do you remember his birthday party? And the _freaking_ _dinosaurs_. Because of course that's the night some crazy shit would happen, and we'd spend the rest of the night wrangling dinosaur skeletons..."

Another laugh. Sadder. Her hand comes up to run through her hair and she huffs out a heavy, frustrated breath.

"Stop. God. Why can't I stop."

Firestar has posed:
She takes out a long, rocker knife and makes four passes through the pizza, making eight good sized pieces that are able to be folded or can be held flat. Two plates come down and she puts two pieces on a plate and hands it over.

She pauses and tells her,"You can cry all night if you want hon. Nothing happening tomorrow and we can stay up as late as we want or sleep in as long as we want. Promise."

She gets to the refrigerator and produces to Pepsi's to drink with the pizza and cracks them both open, placing one next to Gwen's plate,"I hadn't thought of that for a while. That was a circus and getting Aunt May out of there. That was an operation. She didn't want to go at all."

She winks and adds,"You will get there doll. Just hang in there."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Ugh. I don't want. Trust me. I definitely don't want."

Once more, Gwen wipes at her cheeks, just in time to grab the plate that's handed to her with a renewed smile.

"You are a _life saver_. Coffee, sugar, alcohol, and pizza. Seriously, girl. You really _are_ the whole package. I could _not_ have asked for a better night."

She places the plate in her lap, still sitting on the counter -- as Spiders do... they always seem to have a problem with using furniture the way it's meant to be used (at least she's not upside down, this time) -- and grabs a slice to shove in her mouth.

"Hot. Hot. Hot. MMmmmmm."

Apparently the complaints about it being too hot were not, in the long run, enough to deter her from still eating that bite. She chews happily, her eyes rolling up after a moment as she does a little shoulder-wiggle happy-dance.

"New plan," she says, still chewing, "we get married and share Damian."

She snorts out a laugh, covering her mouth with her fingers, but it's obvious by the giddy look in her eyes that the alcohol is hitting her a little harder.

"Peter would have an actual cow once he decided to join the real world again. OH!"

She swallows finally and fans her mouth like it's still burning.

"OH! OH! I didn't tell you the best part. I mean... the best part was the kiss. But! The SECOND best part... Damian has cows. That's why I'm going to Wayne Manor. To see his _farm_. Because he saved a cow. He _literally_ rescued a cow."

More laughter bubbles up -- certainly more than the situation actually calls for.

Firestar has posed:
Angelica nods and puts two slices on her plate and moves towards the couch with her plate and Pepsi. She chuckles softly and replies,"That's what I do dear. Save lives, one coffee at a time." She takes a seat on the couch and pats it for Gwen to join her.

She chuckles as the hot hot hot comment is replaced with mmmm.

"Marry a beautiful blonde rockstar with a mind for science. All I have to do is cook for her. I think we're on to something." she teases,"Damian could potentially be fun to share." She folds her slice and takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully. The saved a cow comment gets a raise of her brow,"I mean good points for him. Saving a cow." She laughs as well, feeling the effects of the drinks.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Like an obedient pet, as soon as the couch is patted, Gwen hops down, trots over -- plate in one hand and slice in the other, and *plops* down on the cushion unceremoniously.

"See? It's a win-win. Friends should get married. Friends are better at relationships than relationship people are at relationships."

Yep.

The PhD candidate just said 'relationship people.'

She takes another bite, but the points comment earns a shake of her head strong enough to shake her hair around her shoulder.

"Nomrnprhrmn.."

She actually growls at herself in frustration and holds up a finger until she can chew and swallow.

"No no no no no, you don't get it..."

Her eyes go wide.

"Don't you see?!"

Her smile grows even wider.

"He's a cowboy! A billionaire. Freaking. Cowboy. _And_ he rides a motorcycle. _And_ he likes to eat hot dogs. In Central Park. At night. With me. AND... he's a cowboy."

Mic drop.

The laughter that barks from her lips, then, is ridiculous. It's unbridled (pun intended) and _almost_ unhinged, like she just can't get over how absolutely ludicrous the whole thing is.

Firestar has posed:
Listening to her talk about the relationship things get a nod,"Best friends make better long term partners yes. In the future the sexy wears off and all you have left is the friendship."

She laughs softly as Gwen explains,"Well I mean yeah. IF he's a cowboy that makes it all better right. Motorcycles are fun too." She takes another bite as well and chews happily.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"See? _That_ should be the law. Sex is sex. Have it with whoever you want. But _marriages_ have to happen between _friends_. Then you have someone you _know_ isn't just going to GHOST YOU..." There's maybe a _little_ too much volume there. "...or go make out with the first hot billionaire cowboy that buys her a hot dog."

Just... you know... two very generic examples of things that could potential happen in romantic relationships.

"But sometimes, even if you _are_ friends, it doesn't matter."

She's waving the pizza as she talks, because the gestures are now part of the conversation.

"Sometimes, no matter how hard either one of you try, it's just fucked. Because life isn't fair."

*ding*

Vaguely muffled in her backpack near the door is the sound of a text notification, and Gwen's eyes snap to it like it was gunfire. Without even a thought, she hip-fires from the bracelet on her wrist, a web line *thwipping* out and grabbing it from it's pocket, dragging it back into her hand.

Tipsy or not, she still had aim.

"It's Damian," she says, wiping her hands on her jeans and grinning as she quickly types a message back.

"Hey... Cowboy..." she reads the words as she types them. "Missing... the... ranch... yet?" Then drops the phone on the cushion beside her.

Firestar has posed:
Another bite of pizza and once it is clear, Angelica offers,"I think you are on to something. That would work for a lot of people in the world."

She chases the pizza with Pepsi and adds,"Jimmy and I were the best of friends and it still ended once the League called me up. I don't know why. He just went back home and that was that."

She chuckles and shakes her head,"Damian. This is a no boys night." she teases and nudges with her elbow so it is clear she is teasing.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Right?! I should be put in charge."

Gwen grins a bit, but it fades at the mention of Jimmy, and a long breath passes through her nose.

"Why are boys such jerks? What the hell? Don't they get how lucky they are? We're freaking awesome. We deserve more than just... silence. _You_ especially. This pizza is freaking amazing."

It's the prod though, that brings a blush to Gwen's cheeks. It _is_ a no boys night. She's here. Angelica's being awesome. "You're right," she says, holding up her hands.

As soon as she does... *ding*

The screen lights up with the message, Damian: Maybe a little ;) What're you up to?

Gwen chews on her lip for a second, looking at the phone. "Let me just... I'll make it quick. I promise. I just don't want to ignore him, you know? Cause... personal experience... that sucks."

Once more, the phone is in her hand, and she's saying it out loud as she's typing, apparently deliberately including Angelica on their text conversation, "Pizza... and... bourbon. Angelica... says... you're... charming. I... don't... disagree."

She smirks a bit and lowers the phone again.

*ding*

Damian: Sounds like a good time. I'm tempted to drop by. Wait, you know Angelica? Huh, small world.

Gwen laughs -- warm, delighted, giddy, almost.

And then her eyes lift... almost as if asking permission before she answers. "I should tell him no... right?"

Firestar has posed:
A shake of her head and Angelica tells Gwen,"I'm teasing hon. You can text with him. Just saying if you want to head out somebody is coming to get you because you aren't in condition to drive or web sling right now."

When the phone dings again she takes a bite of her pizza and chews. Another bite and she is listening as Gwen talks and tells her about the messages.

"I mean if you want him to come by give him the address. It will be fine. Mostly I was saying girls night because we were lamenting former lovers. Not trying to prevent you from getting the next one. I promise either way it's fine."

She takes another bite of pizza and then sets the plate aside for now. Taking the Pepsi in hand to nurse on it for a while.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"I'm _not_ going to just bail. I'm _really_ enjoying hanging out with you," Gwen says with a little shake of her head.

She pauses, though, watching Angelica with as discerning an eye as she can manage, given the three shots of bourbon she's had.

"...Are you sure?"

She grins a bit more. Then she looks back at the phone and types silently for a few seconds. *bloop* Sent. Another few strokes. *bloop* Sent.

"Okay. I sent it. Maybe he shows up. Maybe he doesn't. Whatever."

Setting the phone aside, she's about to reach for her slice again, but diverts her attention back to the kitchen. Once more raising her wrist, there's a *thwip* and the bottle of Pepsi is snatched into her hand.

Without even spilling any!

"Okay... tell me about Jimmy. I never heard about Jimmy. Who was he? How long were you two together?"

Firestar has posed:
"I enjoy hanging out with you too." Angelica replies,"As for being sure, it is fine." She gets another slice of pizza and chuckles as Gwen twips the Pepsi from the counter.

She pulls out some chocolate and marshmallows and places them on the counter,"If we're getting an extra then I'll head into the bedroom for a minute."

She isn't there long, but when she comes back out she has a pair of sweat pants and long sleeved t-shirt. Not so much about the shy as it is about protecting the new arrival from the fallout of her power. It's literally a threat to anyone that doesn't heal at some accelerated rate."

She heads back to the kitchen and says,"Jimmy was one of the Hellions and an X-Man as well. We got together when I came back to New York. When Diana and the others gave me my card and then I had a fall out at Xavier's...he decided to go back home and rethink things. He decided I had moved on without him. Life goes on."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Oh... wow." Gwen frowns. "So, the break with the X-Men wasn't _just_ with the X-Men. That can't have been easy... I'm sorry."

She sighs, then, and stands up, lifting the empty plate from her lap in the process and following Angelica into the kitchen.

"And I'm sorry that we haven't done this before. There's _so much_ we could have been talking about before... all this. I get it, though, you know? Two break-ups in a year. The X-Men. Focusing on school and the Justice League... that kind of sounds like a paradise next to all the drama. _Plus_ you've got me, now, to.. you know.. shower you with drama."

She grins, but it's obvious the effects bourbon are already waning.

Stupid enhanced metabolism.

It was fun while it lasted, though.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
Well...when an invitation is given?

Damian's not one to bail out on it. Especially when he's the one who offered to come along. Regardless, Damian finishes taking some time to wrap a bandage around his midsection - a bad fall involving a bout with Killer Croc, but once you've done this for a few years? It all gets a little bit easier. He puts on slumwear: mostly just a sweater, some sweatpants, and some decent running shoes. He stops on his way out the door, running a hand through his hair.

"Eh, it'll do."

And with that, Damian is on a motorcycle and headed out into the big city! It takes him a little bit of time to arrive, but eventually? Well....eventually there's a knock on the door.

*THUNK THUNK THUNK!*

And he waits in that moment, his hands moving into his pockets, green eyes staring at the door. Well, at least he's hella patient.

Firestar has posed:
"Water under the bridge." Angelica says about Jimmy and the X-Men both,"I'm not carrying either around with me anymore. Thank you thought."

She smiles and tells Gwen,"Even if it's just a monthly thing we need to do this yes. I will find the time. College is closing for the summer, but I am taking courses to catching up for the time I didn't go while I was in Canada. Still at least one hangout a month shouldn't be difficult."

She pushes the bottle of Evan Williams towards the glass that is nearest Gwen if she wants another drink,"I'll take your drama. I'm not scared." she teases. The sound of a door knock and she goes to let him in,"Hello Damian. It's been a while. Please come in." she offers and steps back with to door to let him in, closing it once he's inside.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Sold! I can _absolutely_ commit to one hangout a month. Honestly, maybe more, depending on how things go with the Janes. I'm not so sure the band thing is going to be taking up as much of my time, anymore."

Yet one more thing in Gwen's life that's currently falling apart. But, in the scheme of things, relatively minor. The Mary Janes are semi-regularly "breaking up" or one of them gets mad and leaves, only to come back days or weeks later.

Then there's that bottle being pushed in her direction, and Gwen's blue eyes take on a mischievous twinkle.

She shouldn't.

Damian is _probably_ on his way.

Nobody wants to show up to deal with the drunk girl.

Then again... nobody wants to show up to the super awkward girl hiding in Angelica's closet because she's too afraid to face him after making out with him on their first date (that wasn't even _technically_ a date), either.

Yeah. Drink.

"I'll remind you that you said that," Gwen chides, grinning.

She's downed two more shots to calm her nerves by the time there's the knock at the door, and a third Angelica's walking over to open it. Then she's clearing her throat. Smoothing her hair. Checking her reflection in the mirror. Panicking over a bit of webbing stuck to her Pepsi bottle, which she promptly throws in the trash -- the whole thing. It thumps, falls over, starts spilling in the otherwise empty can...

"Nononononono..."

_Hello Damian_ she can hear in the next room as she tips over forward to grab the bottle and rescue it from the pool of soda. Of course it still has the webbing on it.

What is she supposed to do with it?

She's looking. Left. Right. Up. Down.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

_Please come in_, Angelica's saying.

Gwen lobs the bottle up into an out of the way corner against the room, trapping it between wall and ceiling with a quick *thwip* from one of her bracelets -- which, a moment later, is just a silver bracelet.

"Hey, you!" Too bubbly. Too perky. Too nervous. Too guilty.

Too drunk.

She clears her throat, rolling her lips to try to control her smile as she looks up at Damian tucks her hands into the back pockets of her jeans -- ripped, super casual, topped with a 'Mary Janes' t-shirt, and her teal high-top chucks.

Hug him? Kiss him? Just... stand there looking like a dork?

Yeah.

She goes for the last one.

"You came!"

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
Damian lifts his eyes to see Angelica - Firestar - when she opens the door. "Hey Angelica. How're you?" Damian asks her. "Too long, if you ask me." When she steps aside? Damian calmly walks through that new opening, letting Angelica close the door behind him. He looks around in that moment, humming. "Is this my first time in this place? I think it might be." Damian seems a little bit more...cheery, perhaps, than usual.

Probably because of the cute blood who has totally managed to successfully hide a bottle in the corner of the room with no possible repercussions coming in the near future. Nope. No way, no how. Though while Gwen opts to stand there a little bit awkwardly with a dorkish look in her eyes, Damian opts for a different greeting altogether.

"Hey Gwen."

His hand reaches then for her cheek if she'd allow, and attempt to give her a quick, soft kiss on the lips. It only lasts for a moment, if she allowed it to happen at all, but regardless of acceptance, Damian will smile at her. "Long time no see." a little playful tease. "You look like you've had a couple of drinks."

He looks at Angelica.

"I didn't miss all the fun, did I?"

Ghost Spider has posed:
Have you ever seen those movies where the hunk walks in in slow-motion, the wind blowing through his hair, his shirt open just enough, a saxophone playing something sultry?

That may not be what's actually happening.

But that's definitely what Gwen's watching.

It has her rooted in place all the way until Damian's standing right in front of her, saying her name.

"Hey, Trouble," she manages a whisper.

Then he's reaching for her cheek and she's tilting her chin, pressing ever so faintly into his palm, and blushing like schoolgirl when she returns that kiss, however chaste it might be.

_You look like you've had a couple of drinks._

"Shots." Quick mental math. "Six. But there's more. Not for me. I'm good. But for you. If you want one. But Angelica says if you have three or more you sleep with her."

After a beat, her eyes go wide.

"HERE. Not sleep with her. Sleep here. Not drive, I mean."

Firestar has posed:
Angelica goes back to the kitchen,"Damian there are a few pieces tonight's pizza if you want, beer in the refrigerator, Evan Williams on the table, and I am going to start dessert."

She shakes her head and adds,"I don't think you missed all the fun. The night is still young. If you don't drink too much you might be able to take a sexy blonde home with you." she teases lightly.

When Gwen tries to put Daimian in her bed with her Angelica shakes her head and sighs,"Oh sure. I make you dinner, give you drinks, and you try to pimp me out." she muses and takes three raspberry and cream cheese pastries to hand and plates them for everyone,"If you drink too many you will be sleeping here too. That much is accurate."

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
Even drunk and trying to be chaste, Gwen is still in amazing kisser. Damian seems quite pleased to indulge in a little bit of physical affection. "I like being trouble." He winks at her, keeping her face in his palm for that moment, before releasing her. "Shots? Well, that sounds fun. And to what are we drinking?" He looks around for a bottle, as though to try and ascertain what Gwen must've been drinking. Who knows...he might learn a thing or two.

...or share a thing or two, with enough alcohol.

"I have three or more I sleep with Angelica?" He turns his head to Angie, before a little smirk touches his face. "Well, I'm sure we're both quite flattered. Though I don't think either of us are drunk enough to consider it." He teases. "Though a sexy blonde to bring home? I don't need a drink to consider that much."

He laughs, somewhat boisterously. "I'm kidding." He tells Gwen with a teasing glint of mischief in his eye.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Oh. My. God.

It's like he stepped off of a Too-Perfect magazine. Which probably isn't a real magazine, but it seems like it _should_ be a magazine when you're drunk and you have a guy looking at you like that, all _I like being trouble_, while you're busy melting and thinking he belongs in a magazine...

Gwen's staring -- just staring -- and smiling, as if under some kind of mind control, until Damian releases her cheek and looks away.

Only then does she catch the tail end of _take a sexy blonde home with you_.

"ANGEL!"

It's a squeak of a reprimand, and one might not have thought it was possible for Gwen's face to get any redder, and yet it does. Including her nose, which was already pink from the alochol, and it creaps all the way out into her ears, which are only faintly visible through her hair.

"_Mine_ was a tongue-thing.. slip. You can't just pawn me off on the first..." Her eyes drift back to Damian, her smile sheepish. "...really great guy that walks through the door."

She didn't need to hear that he was kidding. She knew. It's there in her eyes.

Even drunk.

And _that_ was dangerous.

"Ooookay.. I feel like I'm the only tipsy one. You guys need to do some _serious_ catching up."

So then she's moving, snagging a cream cheese pastry on the way by and stuffing it in her mouth so she can hold it with her teeth while she takes the bottle of Evan Williams bourbon and sets up two shots.

Neither for her.

"Mfnfnf..." Oh right. She takes the pastry out and slides the glasses in front of them. "We're drinking to... um..." She glances to Angel and back to him. Suddenly, 'men suck' seems like a bad theme for the evening. "Focusing.. on... what's important." She clears her throat. "Here. Drink up!"

Firestar has posed:
Still sober enough to be playful, Angelica says,"Your's still could be if you get lucky." After that she takes the shot and downs it. Time to be a little more angelic in her behaviors, well a little. Surely there are angels that drink right?

"Focus on the important things." she agrres and sets the empty down and then goes to get some hot fudge sauce to drizzle over the pastries. She takes it to the microwave and sets it to warm up. Unbeknownst to Damian, but knownest to everyone else in the room she could warm it up faster than people would want to think about.

A wink and a blown kiss to Gwen lets her know she loves her and isn't looking to do her any bad. She nods to Damian and tells him,"Drink up and hand'em over." She holds her hand out, palm up towards the man expectantly.

Robin (Wayne) has posed:
"Always focus on the important things."

Damian looks at Firestar with a raised brow, a little laugh leaving his lips. "Where's my blown kiss?" He questions Firestar in that moment, though Gwen is pouring him a shot and he shakes his head. "Fine, fine..." and he downs the entirety of the contents of that shot glass, not even wincing as he hands the cup right back to Angelica's outstretched hand. "There." And he turns to look at Gwen.

"You have good tongue things..." Damian flirts with her, a little smile touching his face. "And I'm honored you think I'm alright. I think you're pretty great too." He flirts with her casually, even if he's looking between the two women and settles into a relaxed stance. This was fun.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen winks back at Angelica, but she snorts -- she _actually_ snorts -- when Damian hands the other woman his empty glass. She was in the process of chewing one of the stolen pastries (while she waited for Angel to fix the OTHER pastries... because _pastries_), so she couldn't say anything even though it was _obvious_ she wanted to.

She nearly chokes when Damian mentions her 'tongue things,' though, actually coughing and covering her mouth so she didn't die or spit anything out on anyone. Even her eyes started watering.

The _I think you're pretty great too_ line at least softens her expressive blue eyes in gratitude (no wonder the big eyes of her costume mask were _so_ expressive), but it takes her a few seconds of clearing her throat to fully recover... the last few seconds of which she's not looking either of them in the eye.

Yeah. That's a thing that just happened.

Damian Freaking Wayne just told one of her ex(?)-boyfriend's best friends that she had 'good tongue things.' (God, she hated that her brain kept putting in that question-mark in there just because they hadn't spoken. As if 'having good tongue things' with another guy wasn't enough of a nail in the coffin.)

This was off to a _great_ start.

And really, after some initial awkwardness and loosening up, it did turn out to be pretty great.

Gwen didn't have any more to drink. She'd decided she'd embarrassed herself enough, and the bourbon was no longer keeping her thoughts _away_ from sensitive areas. It was doing more to make her think too much about them. Better, now, that she focus on good times and making good memories with Angel and Damian than to keep trying to drown her guilt.

Desserts were delicious, too. Gwen was sure to eat enough to make Damian wonder how she could fit that many pastries and still wear a dress like she did the other night. Maybe he'd chalk it up to _she's a jogger_ and let it go.

At some point, while they were all in the living room, the bottle that Gwen had tried to stash came crashing down and shattering. "GOT IT!" she yelled, jumping up like a gunshot had gone off. "STAY! Seriously. I've got it." Which was... very weirdly _extra_ bossy for the situation. None the less, she ended up going in and cleaning it all up.

And eventually, after much talking, Gwen finally yawned.

Angel had offered to let Gwen stay the night, and while she'd originally planned to curl up in her friend's bed with her and cry herself to sleep with company for once, after everything was said and done, Damian's offer to take her home won out. Even if she was sleeping alone, it meant another ride on his bike. A few more minutes to talk to him. Another kiss on her stoop.

And then she disappeared inside her apartment, promising to text him tomorrow.

TXT> To Angelica: Damian dropped me off at home safely.

TXT> To Angelica: Thanks for tonight. I really, really needed it.

TXT> To Angelica: I'm serious about the monthly thing. Or even more often!

TXT> To Angelica: I missed you more than I realized.

TXT> To Angelica: <3

TXT> To Damian: Thanks for getting me home.

TXT> To Damian: I'm looking forward to the trip to Gotham.

TXT> To Damian: Seeing you again is up there too. ;) <3

TXT> To Damian: Goodnight, Trouble.

And then Gwen plugs her phone in and tries to get some sleep.