Good Night

Who: Claire and Gabe
When: Late late/early?
Where: The library

It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, being in the library, but it was definitely the place Claire preferred. At least over choosing between the gym and auditorium. She hadn't been able to sleep very well anyway, given she was in school, but thankfully she had Gabe there to keep her company... despite what had happened at his house the night before. Things could have been weird, but luckily they didn't feel too weird, and he was still with her rather than in the gym, for which she was grateful. It probably would have been worse trying to sleep alone.

Gabe had just returned from chatting with Lauren, having given in to his need to wander a bit and now ready to settle down for the night. He and Claire had set up a little pallet in the corner of the library, where it was quiet and seemingly safe, even if Gabe wasn't sure what he was protecting her from. It just felt necessary, considering the circumstances. "You're still awake," Gabe said, coming over to take a seat beside her on the floor. It didn't really surprise him if she couldn't sleep. Gabe wasn't having an easy time of it himself, hence the little walk he'd taken.

"Hard to sleep," Claire said with a small smile. "I mean, I know it's safe and everything but... it's still kind of strange being here." She missed her bed, and her blankets and her own pillow. "Did you find anything interesting out there?" She knew he'd gone for a walk, but she wasn't sure where he'd gone.

"It's not exactly on the top ten lists of places I'd like to spend the night," Gabe said, returning the smile as he slipped off his shoes and attempted to make himself comfortable on the floor. "Not much going on, though I did find Lauren singing in the hallway and hung out with her for a bit."

She grinned, and kept her voice down despite the urge to laugh. "You've got a top ten list of places you'd like to spend the night?" Claire was using her hoodie as a makeshift pillow, but she didn't know how well that would last through the rest of the night. "Lauren who?" She knew a couple of Laurens in school, but none were exactly friends.

Gabe snickered quietly. "Well, I didn't, but I could come up with one on the spot, if you'd like to know. I'm just positive the school wouldn't be on it." Some of the places on his quickly forming list were obvious, while others were not. His own bed even made the list, surprisingly enough. "Lauren... I don't remember her last name. Dammit. She's this girl I met at Babylon. She's a ghost," Gabe smiled. "She was singing in the halls and I went to listen."

"A ghost?" Claire grinned. Catching a singing ghost in the halls... nice. That had to have been more entertaining than just laying in the library. "I don't think I've ever been into Babylon... I know that the costume party was there." Which she didn't go to. Claire paused, since that reminded her. "Did you know Lullaby and Dean were back?"

"Yeah, she died her senior year in high school, so she's trying to finish up, now that people can see her. She's really sweet," Gabe smiled. "I think you'd like her." As close as he was to Claire, he wasn't very sure of what kind of people she might like. He'd never really met any of her girlfriends, and he wasn't overly fond of Joshua, so he didn't know what that said about him. It was better not to think too much on it. "I've only been that one other time, for the costume party. I'm convinced the place moves around," Gabe said, remembering that odd little fact. He wondered how he would go about finding a place that was never where it last was. "Oh, I figured they were, cause I ran into Dean earlier. Still as cheerful as ever," Gabe said dryly. "Why?"

"Who wouldn't like a singing ghost in her high school?" Claire asked with a small grin. "Maybe I'll check out Babylon sometime... see what the deal is." She remembered she had wanted to go that night, but Joshua hadn't. Which was probably for the best, since Lullaby had been there. "You ran into Dean?" She arched an eyebrow but let that pass. She had only met Dean once, when he went with she and Josh to Gabe's party. But she also knew he'd hit Gabe later on, which she wasn't very happy with. "No particular reason... Isaac told me they were back. I just didn't know... I would have thought they wouldn't."

"More people need to think like that," Gabe smiled. "She wants to make friends, but so many people are prejudice against her being a ghost." Which was why Gabe wanted to introduce her around, since he had a few friends that he knew would be more accepting. Not Kyle, but Claire, and maybe Charlotte. Maybe even Kavin, if Kavin promised not to use the word 'exorcism' around her. "Yeah, I just passed him in the hall," Gabe said, speaking of Dean. "Talked to him for a minute, apologized for what happened. I don't see us being best buds or anything, but maybe he'll pass the word on to Lullaby that I'm not a threat." Gabe didn't think he could count on it, but he felt obligated anyways. "I don't really know what's up with them... Does it bother you?" he asked, concerned.

"It's not like she can hurt anyone," Claire said. Claire saw no reason to be not accepting of a ghost, especially one that came back into school to try and finish learning. Which was kind of amusing in a way. She looked over at Gabe, frowning. "It doesn't bother me... not really. But just the way Dean treated you before... and if they were that concerned about her safety and stuff... I guess none of it makes sense to me. But... none of my business." As long as she didn't have to deal with either of them, she would be okay.

"I think people are just a little freaked out by the ghost thing still. They'll warm up to it eventually, and then hopefully she'll have an easier time making friends," Gabe said. In the meantime, he fully intended to hang out with her anyways. He'd never needed the entire in crowd to dictate his actions anyways. "I don't really get it either," Gabe admitted. "I mean, I know how I screwed up, but if it was a threat to her life, why the fuck was she at a costume party in the first place? It still kinda seems like they took the risk and it blew up on them, but I had to take all the blame because I didn't handle it well." It bothered him that he'd been placed as the bad guy, when he really wasn't trying to be.

Claire found herself already getting used to the ghosts, as weird as it was. And if Gabe was friends with one, that didn't freak her out at all. "It wasn't your fault," Claire said firmly. "They knew the risks... going to a costume party with only a mask on, in a room full of kids she went to school with... it was silly to think no one would see or recognize her. You saw her... and you did the right thing telling me." She didn't want him regretting that. "It was their fault this happened, not yours. How else are you suppose to handle seeing a girl who was suppose to be dead?" Claire sighed and shook her head. "I just think it makes more sense that if they're trying to keep her safe, and they don't want people knowing... you move out of Marquette. But... it's not my decision. They just have to learn to deal with the consequences."

Gabe agreed with her completely, even if that wasn't something he could get into with Dean. They weren't friends and advice would only piss him off. At this point, he almost wondered why Lullaby didn't just say she'd come back as a ghost. Sure, she looked more human than most of them, but Lauren had been able to pass for human while in Babylon. Well... almost. "It's not my problem, I guess, but I tend to think I would have handled it differently," he agreed. "You know, Charlotte mentioned her the other day, and I realized they'd been friends. I almost told her, then... it's just a shitty situation." He hated to see her grieving over Lullaby's death when Lullaby wasn't actually dead.

"That's what Isaac said," Claire told him. "He can't tell anyone either... it's a huge secret but... " She shook her head, relieved that she wasn't in that particular situation. She didn't have many friends, and she had already told Joshua. Who had already known. "And you handled it the only way you knew how, Gabe. I think they overreacted. To think you were a threat was... ridiculous. I think the best thing to do is just to keep your distance. I'm sure they'll be more careful now that they're home. At least I hope so, for their sake."

What bothered Gabe was that he had been a threat. He might have told the wrong person about Lullaby and gotten her hurt, even if he didn't understand what he was doing. Now that he knew better, he was a different kind of threat, not to Lullaby necessarily, but to everyone, even Claire. Gabe chewed on his bottom lip as he stretched out to lay on his side, facing Claire. "You know I'm a threat, even if it's different. I could still hurt you if the situation was wrong," Gabe said with a frown. He didn't like it at all, but it was a fact he had to face.

She looked at him and considered that for a moment. She couldn't tell him that he wouldn't hurt her, or everything would be okay, because she didn't know that for sure. So instead she managed a small smile. "We'll just have to make sure we never find ourselves in the wrong situation, right? You'll learn to control this better over time... you know what you need to avoid and everything now..."

While he wasn't sure that this was something he could learn to control, he liked the thought of it. It gave him some hope, something to work on when he felt that it was control that had been taken away from him. Being confident that he would only change under the full moon would let him sleep better at night. "I just wish I could be the one protecting, not the one to be afraid of," Gabe sighed.

"I'm not afraid of you," Claire said simply, and confidently. She wasn't. "And I think you can protect whomever you choose... I think it's silly for anyone to be afraid of you. Hopefully people will just be smart and not get you angry." She grinned a touch. "It's too bad you're not like the Hulk... you could turn all green and use that 'you wouldn't like me when I'm angry' speech."

The way she turned the situation around made him smile, glad she was able to find a bit of humor in it all. "I could still use that speech, but it wouldn't be because I'm gonna turn all green and huge," Gabe said. "It would be fun, though, if we were both superheros. You could have your cape and I could have my... something. I dunno what a werewolf would have."

"I don't think psychic vampires should have capes," Claire pointed out. "Since I'm not a real vampire. But I'd wear the cape anyway. So you could have something too... like a face mask? Or speedos, like Superman." She was, of course, joking, though she tried to make it as serious as she could.

"Is that what you're called? A psychic vampire?" he asked, not sure he'd ever heard her use that term before. It made him wonder if she had eternal life, but Gabe figured that she would have mentioned it if she did. That wasn't the kind of thing you just forgot about. "Let's go with a facemask," Gabe snorted. "Nobody needs me running around in a speedo."

Claire had forgotten she had never really told Gabe the technical term for what she was. She grimaced lightly before nodding. "Yeah. It sounds creepy, which is why I don't really go around using the term. People would think I'm actually psychic... and a vampire. But facemask it is." She grinned sleepily. "I'm sure there's plenty of girls in this school who wouldn't mind the speedo, but it might take away from some of your bad assery."

"It's an odd term for someone that shoots sparkles out of their fingertips," Gabe teased, aware that there was more to it than that. "Speedos aren't attractive on guys," he said sleepily, closing his eyes for a moment. "They highlight more than what girls actually want to see, and they make other guys uncomfortable. Plus, you're right. You can't be a bad ass if you're running around in your underwear."

"Yeah, it is. But I'm stuck with it," Claire said. She much preferred rainbow leecher. "And no, speedos are so not for guys. Or anyone for that matter. I'm glad you don't wear them." She giggled quietly and closed her eyes as well. "They don't seem to mind Superman wearing them... and he has tights too. I guess if you've got superhuman powers you can get away with it. We'll get you a bad ass face mask instead."

"Superman can fly. And he has tights to hide his pasty white thighs," Gabe snickered. "As a part of my body that's never seen sun, my new super power would be blinding people." Now he was getting silly, something that came with the sleepiness and with being with Claire. Listening to the steady beat of her heart kept him calm, though he resisted snuggling up too closely to her. He'd done a good enough job making her uncomfortable last night and wasn't willing to do it again. "I need a name if I'm gonna be a superhero."

"See? There you go. You would want to only blind villains, so you would have to wear those button up exercise pants that you can pull off in a moment's notice." She chuckled softly and shifted on her hoodie to get more comfortable. She didn't know how they got from werewolf to superhero, but it was okay with her. "Pasty White Thigh Man? Speedoguy? Oh wait, we nixed the speedos, didn't we?"

"Oh, God, pull-off pants? Like strippers wear?" Gabe laughed. "Next thing I know, you'll be suggesting ass-less chaps, where my ability is to moon people. Get me thrown in jail for indecent exposure." He was pretty sure that didn't result in any kind of a superhero, but it was funny anyways. "We nixed the speedos and went with a mask. So it's just me and my normal abilities... if you can call them normal."

"No! Basketball players have those track pants too... not just strippers, but leave it to you for your mind to go there." She smiled and shook her head. "No assless chaps. That's worse than speedos. You can be... Heightened Senses Boy... my sidekick."

"Boy? I'm just a boy now?" Gabe said, though he was too tired to pretend proper hurt. "Can't I at least be Heightened Senses Guy? And what's this about being your sidekick? If anything, I'm your partner in crime, Sugarplum."

"Okay... Heightened Senses Guy. HSG for short," Claire said. "Partner in Crime. I think you've worked hard enough to acquire that title." She yawned, wishing she had a mattress and pillow. Wouldn't that be nice? "I'll get you a kick ass t-shirt with your new superhero title."

"Awesome. I become a superhero and all I get is a lousy t-shirt," Gabe snickered softly. Opening his eyes, he reached out, gently brushing his fingers down Claire's arm, stalling at her hand. "Are you warm enough?" he asked.

"That would be an awesome shirt in of itself," Claire laughed. She opened her eyes when she felt his hand on her arm. "I'm okay," she told him. "It's kind of chilly, but I think I'd rather have a pillow than put on my hoodie again."

"Would you like my jacket?" Gabe asked, tucking the blanket around her. The blankets provided were decent, but not exactly like being at home in bed. Gabe didn't mind giving up his letter jacket if it would help keep Claire warm.

"I don't want to take your jacket," Claire said. "You would be cold then. I'll be all right," she promised with a small smile. She was sure by the time she fell asleep, she would be so gone that she wouldn't wake up, even if she was cold.

"Okay," Gabe said, his eyes falling closed again. "Wake me if you're cold. I'll keep you warm." He'd wrap his arms around her and hold her, which was what he wanted to do right now, but had the good sense not to. She has a boyfriend, he reminded himself. So long as she wasn't single, it wasn't his place.

She nodded, even though his eyes were closed. "I will." Though she didn't think that would be such a wise idea, since she was sure keeping her warm would consist of sleeping next to her. Closer than he was now anyway. And after the night before, she knew better than to do that. Still, it was sweet of him to offer. Claire closed her eyes, finally relaxing, despite her surroundings. "Night, Gabe..."

"Night, Claire..." He relaxed as she did, amazed that he could rest in his surroundings. The sounds were unfamiliar for sleeping, but he was listening to her heart instead. While it didn't smell like his bedroom, Claire was there, and he focused on her instead. As he finally began to drift off, his hand rested on hers. He meant to squeeze and pull it away, but he never got that far. He was out.