Ain't no other man [Angel, Alison]

[angel]

People milled down the hallway, back and forth, greeting each other as they passed and talking to each other, calling out for people and for the lights to be lowered and the sound to be turned up. The people walking around wore various kinds of clothing, from jeans and t-shirts to khakis to shorts and wifebeaters. Some wore headsets which they spoke into, and some held walki-talkies and clipboards.

And yet it was these normally-dressed people who seemed out of place. For the hallway was reminiscent of a jazz lounge of some sort from the twenties, with wallpaper that seemed to have aged slightly yellow with time, and long pictures on the walls advertising movies and cigarettes. A faint smoke hung in the air, as though from the cigars of men walking through on their way into the lounge.

There was one young woman who looked as though she belonged. She stood in the middle of the hallway, oblivious to the people going around her, and she danced, her eyes closed and a look of pure concentration on her face. Her blonde hair was in tight ringlets, and she wore pure red lipstick and thick mascara. She wore what was most easily explained as shorts and a corset in one, as it barely went an inch down her thighs but travelled up her stomach nearly to her chest before it ended at the top. It was form-fitting and black, and had suspenders which curved over her chest. Under it, she wore a white wife-beater, and over her curls she wore a black newboy's cap.

Alison snapped her head to the side, her hands rising to run through her curls, then dropped her hands to her hips and swayed them first left, then right.

Then her phone went off, startling her as it buzzed in her back pocket. She stopped and her eyes flew open, and she reached for it. She'd told Warren to call when he got there, and she was excited to surprise him. She'd asked him to spend the day with her, but she just hadn't told him what exactly that meant.

She flipped open her phone, sliding it beneath her curls and to her ear. "It's Alison. What's up?"

"Apparently, the hemline of your shorts. Wow, Alison, what exactly were you planning on doing today?"

Raising his free hand, Warren waved from down the hall and picked his way through all the people. He felt terribly underdressed in his jeans and t-shirt combination - or was it overdressed, when compared to her?

She looked good.

Reaching her, the winged mutant - who hadn't even bothered with a coat, assuming that they wouldn't be around quite so many people - snapped his phone shut and leant in to give her a quick hug. His first instinct had been to kiss her on the cheek, but he still didn't know exactly where he stood with her, and all the people milling around would likely have a field day with something like that.

"What's happening?"

Alison positively glowed at his comment on her shorts as she looked up, meeting his eyes and grinning. She hugged him back, marvelling at the silky feel of his feathers as she slid her hands around him. "You noticed," she said happily as she stepped back.

Alison didn't look anywhere but at him, and didn't notice that already people were starting to stare. Most of them hadn't been informed that the leading man of the video was going to have wings - after all, only the directors and the wardrobe people really needed to know that. And Ali had simply taken the wardrobe people the suit he'd left at her house for measurements. And even Warren himself didn't know it yet.

"I was hoping you wouldn't mind...being in my video?" she asked, scrunching her nose and smiling hopefully at him. "I know I should have asked you sooner, but I wanted it to be a surprise..." She watched him closely, hoping upon hope she hadn't read him wrong, that he would like the idea.

"How could I not notice?" He waggled his eyebrows up and down for a moment, smiling his trademark cheeky grin.

Alison may not have noticed people's stares, but Warren had. For a moment, he felt uncomfortable, the feeling of all those eyes making him think of his parent's disapproval. Quickly enough, he shook it off - unable to resist smiling back at her scrunched up nose.

"Huh?" He scratched the back of his head for a moment as he processed the question, his wings shifting just a little. Well, he had been on the news, it wasn't like his mutation was any secret anymore.

Of course, if it meant getting to see her in more outfits like that...

Warren grinned.

"Yeah, sure. As long as I don't have to dance."

Alison hopped in place and gave him another quick hug when he agreed. "I knew you'd do it!" she exclaimed, sounding ecstatic. "And, well..." she turned her head slightly, looking at him coercingly. "You wouldn't have to dance, per se...Not choreographed, that is. But could you do, like...normal club dancing? With me?"

Farther down the hall, an announcement was made over a megaphone that that scene was a wrap, and that everyone involved in the lounge scene please report to make-up and wardrobe in fifteen minutes. "I can show you what you need to do right now; the lounge set is just across the hall," Ali offered with a tilt of her head and one of her thousand-watt smiles.

"Oh, yeah, that I can do. Just nothing too fancy, dance lessons were the one thing I managed to argue my way out of." Archery, no, boy scouts, not for two whole years, horse riding, not until his wings had come out. What was it with rich parents wanting a well rounded education that left the kids with no time to go climbing trees and skinning knees? Actually, Warren had long suspected that was part of why he was forced to go into so many different activities - he'd always wanted to go higher, even before he knew about his mutation.

"Are you sure they're going to have something that'll... You know, fit?" He opened his wings just the slightest, brushing against one of the backup dancers who was walking past, and he apologised quietly.

"But yeah, lead the way, show me what we're doing." Once again, it was lucky that Warren's smile looked innocently happy. Otherwise he could have gotten in trouble, with her dressed the way she was.

Alison took Warren's hand and pulled him along with her down the hall. "They've got everything perfectly made for you. I brought in your suit for the premiere," Alison said, mentioning the premiere in a whisper that she had to lean toward Warren and say close to his ear for him to hear. It might have occurred to her what the hand-holding and whispering might have looked like to everyone watching, but if it did, she brushed it off. The peeping toms would have a lot more to chew on when they saw how Ali and Warren were about to be dancing.

Leaving the hallway, they stepped from the 1920s to the 21st century. The hallway was all white and metal, with equipment set along the walls. Alison crossed the hall, still with a hold on Warren, and opened the door to another set. And they were back into the roarin' twenties. This was part of a dimly lit jazz lounge, with a bar in the back, overstuffed couches, and two pool tables. Ali walked to the pool tables and let go of Warren's hand, tapping the wood edge of the table.

"This is where we'll be," she informed him. "They've got a stunt double guy for you, to do backflips off the side of this thing and that stuff. But the real fun will happen-" Ali sat on the edge of the pool table and swung her legs up, standing in her three-inch heels on the green felt of the table. "-Up here."

All he could do was smile and nod as she pulled him along, wondering just what she'd gotten him into. It seemed that she'd been planning this for a while.

"They got a stunt double? For me?"

Poor guy, glued on wings would be so annoying. He wouldn't even be able to hold them up to sit down. Standing and lying down - oh, that would have to suck. Then again, he had no idea how the guy would manage backflips - maybe they'd have some other set up.

Warren found himself forgetting all about that when she stood up on the pool table, though.

"So it seems."

Things were... looking up. There wasn't really enough room for him to fly up to join her, even though it would have looked mighty impressive, so instead he just looked up and smiled.

"So what exactly are you doing up on the pool table?"

Alison laughed at his endless supply of pleasing comments, remembering that she didn't start out on the table and sitting down and swinging her legs over the edge again. "That's where we'll be dancing. But we start down here…" Hopping down, she grabbed a pool cue from the rack and handed it to him.

"Okay, so first you're going to be over here," she said, put her hands on his sides and moving backwards, guiding him to the correct spot. "Do you know how to play pool?"

"Of course I know how to play pool." There was little else to do at fancy parties filled with old men smoking cigars and women drinking champagne. A little distracted by her hands on his sides, Warren smiled and wondered how he was going to wing it through this without having been told exactly what to do in great detail.

Have to concentrate.

"So I'm playing pool...?" He prompted, waiting for the next direction.

"Right," Ali said. "It's a tight shot of you leaning forward, hitting the balls or whatever you call it. Then I come up-" Alison took a few steps back, then re-traced her steps with more swing to her hips and much more haughty confidence, apparently how she'd be doing it in the video.

Without warning Warren, she put her foot on the edge of the pool table and her hands on the green felt, leaning just inches away from him. Though she'd most likely be much more haughty in the video, right then she was looking into his eyes with glittering amusement. "I'll be singing, yada yada," she said under her breath, as though talking too loud would ruin the moment.

She pushed herself onto the table, resting her knees on it. As she did, she put a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him to straighten up. "You'll stand...And from here it's not really set in stone. We can just kind of figure something out together. What do you think? We need a little bit of me like this, and you standing, and then we'll move to the on-the-table stuff."

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at him. She wasn't trying to hide the fact that she was enjoying this immensely.

"Mmmm. Seems good so far."

Well, there was no point in pretending that he wasn't liking it when she wasn't making any attempt herself.

"You know, I'm sure we can figure something out."

Warren's smile widened.

"Oh, wait, no I don't think they can show that on TV."

He gave Ali a cheeky grin, gesturing his innocence with his free hand.

"Suppose I'd best go get dressed up or something, though?"

Bobby was going to give him hell, he could just tell. As long as he wasn't being dressed in... lilac and too much makeup, Warren didn't think it would be a problem. Lilac hadn't been in back then, had it? Not on guys, surely.

Ali nodded and took him to wardrobe, introducing him to the people who'd be fussing with his clothes and hair for the rest of the day. They were all friendly; she'd made sure that the director of the video only had wardrobe and make-up on-set that day who would be at least polite to someone who was obviously a mutant. Though some seemed like they were only being polite, others were genuinely friendly.

Ali had already seen what he'd be wearing for this scene; it was a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, and a black vest overtop, either buttoned or unbuttoned, black slacks, and a black hat which was optional and up to him to wear.

While he got ready, Alison went back to the set and ran through it with the music playing and the director making minor adjustments to body movements and hand placements. The fourth time they ran through it, they turned the music down low, and she sang along as they ran the cameras and tested the film.

After kneeling on the table as she'd showed Warren, Ali stood and turned, raising her arms so that her hands brushed her curls and bending a little weak in the knees as she absolutely belted the climax note. As she held it, the director spoke into a walkie-talkie, his eyes on the lights. "Bust one…Bust two…"

It didn't take long for them to fuss over him - Warren kept himself reasonably well groomed, after all. He had a bit of a flirt with the makeup girl, who was obviously mutant friendly - and she had a high stool for him to sit on, Ali must have mentioned it when she had planned all of this - and wandered out with his hat tipped down to hear the director talking about someone's bust.

At least, that was what Warren thought he'd said - it was entirely possible that the sight of Alison in that particular pose had put his mind firmly into the gutter.

Well, he was a healthy young man, what was he supposed to think about?

[angel]

A nervous looking guy, probably about Warren's age, had approached and was running him through a clear demonstration of what he was supposed to do in this particular scene. It was obvious from the way he moved that the guy was a dancer, and he seemed fascinated with Warren's wings - asking if they'd get in the way or anything.

Reasonably confident that he could at least not look like a complete idiot, the winged mutant turned back to see what was going on. He was a little nervous - who wouldn't be, having this kind of thing just sprung on them with no chance at practice - but confident that Alison would take all the attention anyway.

As they turned off the music and Ali hopped down from the table, intercepted by make-up people before she could take a step toward Warren, the dancer informing Warren told him one last thing. "Okay, and when she hits that note, the lights are going to bust. You'll need to back up to here," -he pointed to a tiny X on the floor behind the pool table. "And just look at her like she's the hottest thing ever, and you can't wait to-" He laughed, sharing a knowing grin with Warren. "Well, you know."

"The lights right back here will bust second, and you can't flinch, okay? Just stand and look at her, and the camera will probably move around a bit but it won't get too close."

Alison walked over to him then as the director called for everyone to take their places and the dancer who'd been directing Warren scurried to his place. Ali held the pool cue out to Warren, trying to get a feel for how confident he was about the whole thing. "You ready?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

That won't be hard.

Well, she did look totally hot in that outfit. It was obviously designed to have a specific effect, and it was doing a pretty good job of it. At least he knew what kind of bust they were talking about now - that would have been a surprise. Of course, with his heightened eyesight, flares of light weren't exactly the nicest thing, but he thought he could deal with it.

"Yeah, I think so." It was said with a smile. He didn't have much time to say anything else, though, before they were being ushered into their places.

The director was nice and helpful, if a little brisk, and brushed off Warren's apologies-in-advance. The young mutant couldn't help but wonder how often he had to cater to these sort of whims, since he was dealing with it so easily - Warren's guess was reasonably often, or else Alison had talked him up somehow. He shifted his wings just a little, trying not to be irritated when one of the makeup people rushed in to brush down his feathers one last time, and took a deep breath.

"You look great." He spoke softly and gave Alison one last grin before filming started again.

He didn't even mess up too badly, although he did squint a little when the lights blew. Heightened eyesight would do that to you - Warren just hoped they hadn't been shooting an angle that would show it.

Alison had shaken the grin from her face in favor of a more confident and down-to-business sexy look, but as she moved past Warren to take her place and heard his soft compliment, she looked up and smiled softly back at him. She looked a little surprised, and almost shy, and it had that effect because though she was used to such compliments from the guys she dated (along with everyone else), they were usually said publicly, to talk show hosts or magazines, or loud enough for everyone to hear, so coveted actor so-and-so would look like the perfect gentleman to everyone watching. Alison had found that those kinds of compliments weren't always from the heart. But Warren had said it so no one else would hear. He meant it. And yeah, she knew she looked good, but his compliment seemed to speak to more than her looks.

When the director yelled for the music to cut, Alison turned immediately to Warren with her staple grin lighting her face. "That was perfect!" she gushed. Even the director had to agree, though they'd still be filming it a few more times for different camera angles and such. But he had a feeling neither of his stars would mind. And he was right.

When they had all the film they needed of that scene, nearly an hour later, they were ready to move on to the next part of the scene, which would have the both of them up on the pool table and dancing together. They would film Warren's stunt double leaping up onto the table later, as they wouldn't need Ali or Warren for that. There were three stairs set behind the pool table for easy access up and down, and Alison was sitting on these when they yelled places. She stood and reached out one leg, nudging Warren in the leg with her foot. "Do you want to hang out after this, or are you gonna be Dazzled out?" she asked with a teasing smirk.

"Oof. Careful." Warren grinned, grabbing her foot and placing it further towards the outside of his leg. He couldn't help but think he'd have been able to jump to the table and make a far better impression, if only they'd made the roof higher.

"Dazzled out?" Interesting way of putting it.

"You know, I don't think I'll have a problem hanging out after this. Do... D'you think there's any chance of bringing some of the outfits home?" Laughing, he climbed up onto the first stair, grasping Alison by the waist and lifting her up onto the pool table as he climbed up there himself. His hands lingered on her waist for just a moment as he looked down at her.

"So... Uh... Shall we?" It was tedious, yes, doing the same thing over and over, but Warren thought that this part of the scene might actually be a lot more fun.

“It’s not like they’re going to fit anyone else,” Alison pointed out with a teasing smile, thinking of the slits in all of his shirts and jackets.

Alison turned her head to find the director, just as he asked if they were ready. She nodded and turned back to Warren. They were still about a step apart. The cameras started rolling, and the music started playing loudly over the speakers. It had about ten seconds before they got to the part where they’d be filming, and Alison waited, swinging her hips. She was able to slip into the act like flipping a switch, and suddenly she was all sex appeal and roaming hands.

She stepped toward Warren, placing a hand on his shoulder and running it down his chest as she closed in the space between their hips until there was none. But apparently there wouldn’t be much holding still in this part of the video, as she swayed as she sang to him, in perfect time to the music. The first bit would be pretty tame, but after a few seconds she’d be done getting into it and things would get pretty hot. The look in her eyes spelled out that she had it hot for him, and she was finally letting him know. And that feeling wasn’t all for the video.

Well, he'd meant her outfits, but maybe she was thinking of them as well. Her build... god, she was gorgeous. Soft and rounded in all the right places, and his expression - full of desire - was clearly about as much of an act as hers.

Yeah, she'd picked the right leading man for the amount of smouldering sexual tension that the director was asking them for.

It took a supreme effort to stand there impassively as she danced around him, when all he wanted to do was grab her and give her a kiss that was far more passionate than the only one they'd shared so far. At the same time, though, there was something incredibly appealing about the memory of it - how innocent it had been, regardless of the fact that they'd both been clad in only their underwear. That she could be an utter goddess in front of the camera, all confidence and sex appeal, and then so tentative behind closed doors... Well, it was a contradiction that he found himself loving more and more as the camera rolled.

Finally, the music stopped, and Warren looked down at her still pressed up against him with a hint of a smile. When he spoke, it was low and soft, once again meant only for her

"Wow. So, I have to do this with you for another hour or so... and you thought I'd be sick of you? My god, Alison."

They were lucky that he had plenty of self control.

The both of them continued to balance on their self-restraint, which wore thinner and thinner with each take as they both became more comfortable with it and tried dance moves which were less and less tame as the hour progressed. Then, whether finally or far too soon, the director declared that they had plenty of film to go with.

They did hair and make-up again, and moved to a third set, this one with a brightly-lit stage that Alison informed Warren she had filmed on the day before, but would now be filming singing to him. She changed into a slinky, sparkling white dress that clung especially to her chest, and he into a white suit, and they filmed there for about half an hour.

The final scene they had to film was actually to be the first scene in the video. Alison had filmed most of it the day before; all that was left was to shoot Warren in a sleek gray pinstriped suit and hat, leaning against a wall and turning his head to see Alison arrive. It was simple, and took only a few shots, and while Warren did that, Alison changed into her street clothes, which happened to be a nearly tunic-length lavender-colored camisole, a black belt, and grey leggings. And shoes with about an inch of heel; nothing fancy.

"I quite like the pinstripes," he was saying to the wardrobe girl as he changed back into his jeans. While some people would have had a problem with changing in front of about six people, Warren didn't - although he was, once again, thankful that he'd thought to wear underwear. It was with a slightly amused smile that he wrote down an address for them to send the outfits, since they agreed with Alison that no-one else was going to fit into them - but he did make sure to write his dad's PO Box. Just to be smart, since the girl was not-so-subtly hinting about him leaving a phone number.

Finally, back in his jeans and t-shirt, he wandered out to Alison for another quick hug, even though a hug was the least he wanted to give her after that kind of day.

Hope she's keeping that dress.

"That was fun, yeah?"

[angel]

"It was a blast!" Alison agreed enthusiastically as she slid her arms from around him after their short hug. "It wouldn't have been half as fun without you here," she said gratefully, touching his arm. Some of her sweet charm had recovered from her many hours of sex appeal. Poor girl. "Thanks."

"So, where to? We could go back to my house-hey, do you-Well…Never mind," she said, stopping her train of thought as soon as she'd started with an eye on his wings. She remembered that some birds could go underwater, so maybe he could, too. Would his wings weigh him down? "Well, do you swim?" she asked curiously. "Cause I've got a pool. But if not, there's always movies and air hockey and…Pool," she said with a mischievous sparkle appearing in her eye. Seeing as they'd spent much of their day grinding atop a pool table.

"Ah, no, not a duck. Pool sounds like... fun, though."

Pool tables were never going to be the same in his mind ever again.

"Or movies. You know, I'm easy... going." Yeah, it was a bad habit, picking up that phrase. Still, the innuendo was intentional in this case.

In all likelihood, any one of the people on set could talk to the media about them and ruin the surprise. That was still no reason to be obvious about things.

"Did you want me to meet you back at your place? You know, I'm sure they'll be waiting to get pictures of you downstairs..."

'Dangit,' Alison groaned inwardly, having forgotten about that at the thought of spending more time with Warren. She sighed heavily, a pout tugging the sides of her lips downward. "You're right," she said, letting her head fall back as though wishing to the heavens she didn't have to go. "Alright, but I won't be long. Here's the key to my place…" She fished the key from her purse and handed it to him. "Just let yourself in; it works on the balcony door, too."

As she spoke, she started moving to the stairs. She looked at him, and all she could think was, 'Kiss him.' Her heart started to beat a little faster as she tried to convince herself why she should, and why she shouldn't, simultaneously. 'He might not want that.' But she knew that that was very unlikely.

'There are people around.'

It was that thought that made her do it, in the end. Because the moment she thought it, she indignantly argued her fear. 'Who cares? You spend enough time caring who's watching. Live your life,' she told herself, as she had many times before.

Since her skin had started to glow with light when Warren had first taken her with him in the air, she hadn't had any unintentional happenings. She rarely ever did. So she'd grown lax with her control of her power, and as she grew anxious over kissing Warren, her skin began to very faintly glow of light. It was barely noticable; if Warren did notice, he'd most likely write it off as the lights playing tricks on his eyes.

There was a smaller hallway branching off the main one they were walking down, just before they reached the stairs, and Ali crossed in front of Warren, taking his hand and guiding him just around the corner. The only noise was the faint hum of the drinking fountains behind her. She came to a stop, and after looking in his eyes for a moment, she slowly tilted her head and leaned in to kiss him, her lips touching his and lingering softly.

Tucking the key into his pocket, Warren didn't bother with the joke about duplicating it and selling it on eBay - instead he found himself interested in the glow of her skin.

It had to be a trick. The only other explanation was that she was a mutant, and she would have told him that - Warren's sharp eyes said that it wasn't quite normal. Then again, it could just have been bronzer or something.

He wrote it off as bronzer combined with his brain acting funny, since he had been focused on her for so long. Yeah, that had to be it. It took him a moment, so lost in his 'You're crazy,' line of thought as he was, to realise that she'd grabbed his hand, and he gave her a small smile at the motion. Her hand felt small and warm in his, smooth - but then, his would have felt smooth too. He hadn't been brought up doing manual labour, after all.

The kiss was unexpected, but not unwelcome - he hadn't thought that she'd be so forward when just anyone could walk past. It was part of being a star - she had to think of her reputation, and he tried to keep that in mind as he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. Without thinking, his wings unfolded and he wrapped them around her too, his feathers brushing her shoulders.

As much as he wanted to kiss her deeply, passionately, Warren kept his touch restrained in case anyone did walk past. Yeah, for the moment they seemed to have the hallway to themselves, but that could change in an instant. As much as he wanted her, the winged mutant didn't want to ruin her reputation. Not when her movie was about to come out, and she had so recently (in the eyes of the rest of the world at least) broken up with her last boyfriend.

"Alison," his voice was low and a little husky as he broke the kiss, but when he looked down at her his train of thought went completely out the window.

She was glowing.

All he could do was smile for a moment, his face bathed in her glow, the pair of them wrapped in his wings.

Then he leant down for another kiss.

Alison had never felt more secure in an embrace than she did in Warren's, the fact that they were in public where anyone could walk around the corner and see them completely fading from her mind as he enveloped her in a cocoon of silken feathers. Even as he broke the kiss, Alison realized with a sharp jolt that she was letting the light out, that her skin was glowing, and for a few moments she panicked. She searched for where she was taking the sound from to create the light, and found that the drinking fountains were no longer humming behind her.

Her eyes flew open, her brain telling her instinctively that he'd seen it, and that was why he'd broken the kiss. Her first thought was that he'd pull away, and think that she was a freak, because that was her thought with each of her previous love interests. But as she looked up and met his gaze, she saw the look on his face--not disgusted, nor alarmed, nor even particularly surprised. He was smiling at her, and not the cheeky, suggestive smile he tossed around all the time. This was a much different kind of smile. And she realized that he wasn't going to think she was a freak; because he was a mutant as well. He wouldn't think any different of her.

She had just begun to form a new thought to feed her insecurity, one that said that he might be hurt or angry that she hadn't told him. But she barely had a second to think on it before he lowered his head to hers for another kiss. She returned it, closing her eyes, which were glowing brightest of all. As her eyelids closed over them, the light disappeared, and during their second kiss, the glow of her skin faded until she was back to normal, retreating far from the surface of her body, where she kept it hidden.

She finally broke the kiss, shifting back but not far enough to push out of the comforting cocoon of his wings. "We should go..." she said softly, barely able to speak above a whisper. "I'll explain everything when we're back at my house."

[angel]

It was an hour later that Alison finally let herself into her apartment. As soon as she was inside, her demeanor changed. Her calm, unbothered look turned to a weary grimace as she stretched her jaw, which was a little tired from smiling for the last straight hour. Her shoulders drooped as she locked the door and turned, tossing her bag over the back of the couch and wandering through the open front room.

"Warren? I'm home, finally."

Alison had managed to swallow her nerves and focus on the publicity at hand as she answered questions and talked about the video and a few other things, and posed for a few pictures. She'd made an excuse and left as soon as she could without being rude, and once in the limo on her way home, she'd quickly gotten just as anxious as she'd been before. She'd thought about how to tell him; somehow it was different than the versions she'd rehearsed in her mind for when she would someday have to tell someone. Because she knew he would understand.

The voice drew him from his contemplations on the balcony, leaning out to look at the city without really seeing it. His mind had been a jumble of thoughts ever since he'd taken off from rooftop, and though he'd made an attempt at watching TV, he hadn't been able to concentrate on what was happening.

The sounds of the city were soothing, the kind of noise that he was accustomed to. As he came back into the apartment, though, he closed to door behind him, filtering out most of the noise and leaving them in relative peace.

"Hey, Ali." Fishing into his pocket for a moment, he pulled out the key and held it up to her.

"Before I forget." Even though it would have been fantastic, in Warren's mind, to just be able to drop in at any time.

He wanted to give her another kiss, but knew that she'd probably want to talk about her mutation first. Then again, he didn't want her to think he was uncomfortable because of it, even though it would have been nice to know. That she kept it a secret was no surprise - she could, since she didn't seem to go around glowing all the time, and she was in the public eye. Mutation still wasn't as acceptable as he'd have liked it to be, even though Warren spent most of his time these days ignoring how other people felt about it.

So he compromised, slipping his arms around her waist for a hug.

Alison put her arms around his neck loosely and just stood against him like that for a few long moments, enjoying and taking comfort from the hug before she spoke. "You know...I'm glad that happened, back there," she said contemplatively in his ear. "Otherwise it might have taken forever for me to get the nerve to tell you."

She stepped back from his embrace, catching his hands in hers as they slid from her waist. "It's not you. If I were going to tell anyone, it would've been you anyway. I just…don't tell anyone."

"And I'm not ashamed of it," she rushed to explain, shaking her head and causing her still-tightly-curled hair to bob back and forth. "It's just...I don't know what people would think. My career is everything to me, because without it I wouldn't be singing." Alison searched Warren's face, his eyes, for what he was thinking-about this, about them, all of it.

"It's ok." Lifting one of her hands to kiss her knuckles, Warren smiled.

"It may surprise you to hear it, but I know how you're feeling. For a long time, I hid my wings, because of what other people would think. Now... Well, now I don't, what other people think is their own business, but I'm not making a living in the public eye. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

He was in the public eye, sure, but his mutation was probably good for the family name these days, and being an X-Man didn't exactly depend on your reputation. Nor did it seem to actually be the kind of thing you could make a living from, which made Warren glad that he had other resources.

It was a comfort to know that Warren wasn't hurt or mad that Alison hadn't told him; on the contrary, she felt silly for ever having thought against telling him. And what he said made her go a step farther, and voice an idea she'd been hesitantly entertaining in her mind for weeks. "I think…I might tell everyone. At the premiere," she said, looking to him for his opinion.

"Well, whatever you do, you know I'll be there with you. Don't feel like you have to because of me, or anything. It's your decision, and you shouldn't do it until you feel ready." He didn't bother to caution her on being ready to face the consequences of making that decision, because he was sure she'd have already thought about that.

Surely Alison had savings. Even if her career did take a hit because of her revelations, she'd be able to survive. Probably even keep singing, although it would have been to smaller audiences.

The conversation was getting a bit heavy, though. Yeah, she'd probably want to talk about it more, but there was only so much that could be said, and he probably wasn't the best one to ask. He'd jumped out a window when he'd revealed himself to the world, after all.

"Weren't we going to attempt to actually play pool, though?" If either of them could manage to keep their minds on the game, rather than their earlier pool table activities.

Alison laughed softly and nodded, letting go of Warren's hands and wandering to the hallway on the other side of the front room. "The rec room's down here," she said as she kicked off her shoes and left them by the couch.

The rec room had not only another large TV hanging from the wall with a comfy leather tan couch and loveseat, but an air hockey table, a pool table, glass cabinets which displayed everything from CDs to knick-knacks to board games. The carpet was tan shag, and the walls were red. When Ali switched on the lights, the stereo came on, playing from a list of about a hundred of her favorite songs. Alison looked back at Warren and smiled. "I kept spewing these crazy ideas at the guy who re-did the apartment, and he actually managed some of them. You should see what my jacuzzi can do." She said that in a teasing tone that said that she wouldn't mind showing him sometime.

"So, should I be expecting to get my butt kicked?" she asked as she picked a pool cue from the rack, wondering if Warren was any good. She only played when she had people over, and besides, she was away more than she was home.

"Oh, I can play, but you've got the advantage." He didn't specify whether it was the home advantage or the fact that she could easily distract him. Maybe a little of both. That she'd just mentioned her butt, after shaking it at him all day... Well, it could have been surprising, if it wasn't Warren, that he was still able to talk. But he wasn't as sweet and innocent as Alison - sexuality was just a normal part of life for him.

Grinning, Warren wandered over and picked up a cue, testing the height and weight quickly before setting up the balls quickly.

"So, are you going to break or should I?" There was no assumption in the question - some guys might have looked sceptical at the idea of a girl breaking, but one of his friend's sisters had always kicked his arse at pool. Usually before she jumped him on the table.

Yeah, in spite of the wings, Warren was no Angel.

"You go ahead," Alison said, leaning against the edge of the pool table and watching him. "I'm actually not very good at this game," she said honestly, spinning the pool cue round and round between her fingers. She wandered around behind him as he set up for the shot, and just as he took his shot, her hand brushed his rear end, with just a little too much contact for it to have been accidental. She wasn't above cheating if it meant winning.

And she wasn't just thinking of winning pool.

"I've got littles." All he could do was grin as he watched the number 6 roll into the pocket, taking a second shot to set up the number 3 as well.

"You're going to have to try harder than that, Alison." Warren waited for her to take her shot, grabbing her behind much more forcefully than she had his. His expression was blank, as though he did this kind of thing all the time.

It was reasonably obvious that they wouldn't be playing pool long at this rate.

Alison managed not to mess up her shot when he grabbed her behind, but she still didn't get a single ball into a pocket. She moved aside so he could take a shot, and when he leaned forward, she put her arms around him from behind and rested lightly on his back.

"Let's move this into the bedroom," she purred softly, watching his cue with a smile she tried to hide. That would have to mess him up!

"I thought you were a good girl, Alison." He sounded conversational as he took his shot, though he didn't sink a ball. It would have been much easier if he'd actually been able to think about the game, rather than the idea of picking her up and taking her straight to the bedroom.

Well, she'd suggested it.

Leaning the cue against the edge of the table, he gently took her arms out from around him and turned around, his wings shifting just a little to rearrange the feathers that she'd leant on. With a smile, he leant towards her, but didn't move in to kiss her lips - instead he very gently brought his lips to her neck, kissing her softly enough to give her shivers. Of course, it was possible that Alison didn't like having her neck kissed - it didn't work for everyone, but for the people that it did? There was no way they'd be able to keep thinking about pool.

Alison felt a shiver go down her spine as Warren's lips brushed against her skin just barely. She'd done kissing scenes in movies a few times, and she'd been with some phenomenally skilled guys in those scenes, men who'd had many years and more than a few wives to practice on. But those scenes were scripted, every hand placement and the length and intensity of every kiss decided by someone else. Warren had a natural finesse, and he wasn't faking his attraction to her.

She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of the feather-light brush of his lips on her neck, as one of her hands rested on his arm. "Warren…" she said weakly, then for moments couldn't finish what she'd started to say.

Finally, she pulled back from his lips. "Warren…I can't just do…flings," she said softly, knowing she could very well be spoiling the moment before things really even got rolling. "And…I don't want to. With you." She didn't know exactly what to say, which was new to her, always having to know answers to every question under the sun about herself, about her plans, her career. "I have to know…that this is going to last. At least, that we'll try it."

Biting his bottom lip as she pulled away from him, Warren almost looked disappointd before he made a concious effort to keep his expression neutral. He didn't want her to think that it was because of her words, after all.

He spread his hands and shrugged a little, looking a bit apprehensive.

"I like you, Ali, but I can't say how things are going to work out. Why don't we just take it slow for a little while and see what happens?"

God, that sounded like he just wanted to get her into bed. While he did want that, it wasn't the only thing.

"I just... you know, you hardly know me. I'm not just looking for a fling, but I don't want you to feel like you've got to do anything. Yeah, I really like kissing you, but if we work better just as friends, that's cool too."

Hopefully that hadn't come out wrong.

Alison nodded, and she realized that her cheeks were slightly flushed. "You want to take it slow?" she asked, with a hint of teasing and a shadow of a smirk. It was a bit of a contradiction, seeing as he'd just been about ready to start things right there. It was slightly disappointing that he didn't want to commit to anything, but he was right; she didn't know him as well as she ought to.

"I guess I can wait," she said breezily, her shyness retreating once again. "Wait 'till you can handle this." Her eyes sparkled with laughter; no, wait, that was actual sparks of light flashing in her eyes as she laughed.

As if she could talk, with how she'd been teasing him all day. After all, she was the one that had suggested they go to the bedroom, the one that had asked him to be in her video which had involved far too many bump-and-grinds for him to ever be able to face the family - she hadn't exactly been taking it easy herself.

Not that Warren minded in the least, but still.

"Hey, don't make things harder for me by being all cute and irresistable." He held up his hands somewhat defensively, though he was wearing quite a grin.

"It's your shot, too."