Poke

[Felix Nicholas]

The small talk continued to help Felix throughout the ordeal, occasionally squeezing Addy's hand tightly when the needle sent harsher sharp jabs of pain down his arm. Finally, after what felt like an age, the needle was pulled away from his arm; It wasn't over fast enough for the teacher's liking, but as he sat up and glanced over the deep, black ink surrounded by raw, red skin, it suddenly felt... worth it. He tilted his arm slightly, admiring the artist's work; Those numbers which meant so much to him were now engraved perfectly into his flesh, a reminder of who he was and the passions he held. The radio station was a part of him, and no matter how far his life took him from Bellefonte if that was something in his future, it warmed his heart to know he'd always carry a piece of it with him.

He smiled softly at the tattoo, before flinching with a small intake of breath as the tattoo artist began to wrap it up, instructing Felix on how to take care of it over the next few days. "Ow... You got it," He grinned, flexing his sore arm a little before glancing over to Addy; She looked thrilled with hers... The smile on her face as she gazed at the ink on her arm was truly endearing. The teacher tilted his head a little, finding himself mirroring her warm smile; Her happiness was catching. "You know, it wasn't that bad... Although I'm still holding you to at LEAST three buffets." He chuckled a little. "Oh... and sorry for the whole... You know. Almost breaking your hand thing..."

[Addison Sloane]

Laughing at Felix's insistence on the sushi, Addison nodded and pulled her hand out from his, flexing it a little. "I can still move it. You're good." She grinned before hopping off the chair and going over to the reception counter to pay.

Her eyes kept going down to her tattoo and a little grin and lipbite occurred. She was glad she did it. Even more so that she was with Felix. It then occurred to her that he had faced his fears at her prompting. A bashful grin came and settled on her lips as she handed over the cash to the receptionist.

"You seem happy." She voiced out, the grin on her face quite suggestive. Addison looked at her and her smile widened. "The tattoo is great. Definitely coming back here if I want another." Addison nodded decisively before turning to wait for Felix.

"Yeah, the tattoo does look great. But I wasn't talking about the tattoo."

Addison turned to look at the receptionist with a funny look on her face before chuckling and grabbing her change. "I don't know about you but I am starving." She announced to Felix.

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix continued to nod and smile at his own artist as they finished informing him exactly how to take care of his tattoo, the teacher slowly straightening out and flexing his sore arm; It was going to take some getting used to, but now that it was all over Felix was more then pleased with the outcome. Addy's prompting had been what he'd needed to give him the final push... Otherwise he was certain he'd have sent his life musing on the idea of a tattoo and never actually going through it. He swung his legs off the laid back chair, getting up and shaking the artist's hand, before making his way over to the desk that made up the reception.
Addy had already paid, and as the teacher went up to do the same he noted the almost knowing smile the woman behind the counter was giving him; He blinked, raised an eyebrow, before handing over the amount for the ink.
"If I ever build up enough courage to tackle this again, I'll be sure to come here," He joked light heartedly. The woman gave a small shake of her head, her knowing smile widening slightly before she thanked Felix for his patronage.

The teacher tilted his head slightly at the woman's expression, but gave a polite nod and went to meet the singer at the front of the parlour. "Well, Miss.Sloane, I think it's about time we dined like kings," He grinned. "What say we partake in a fish inspired Japanese menu?" He offered her non sore arm. "Shall we?"

[Addison Sloane]

Taking Felix's arm, Addison tugged him away to the sushi restaurant, chatting about their tattoos and how they were going to have to remind each other about taking care of it. They breezed through dinner talking about everything and nothing, Addison loading up on sake like it was tap water.

It was decided halfway through dinner that they were going to continue drinking at Addison's home and that was where they called a cab to. Addison was slightly light-headed when they reached her home. Z didn't come bounding to the door like he usually did when he heard the keys so she checked up on him only to find he was happily snoring away in the kitchen beside his half empty food bowl.

The brunette sat on the floor and petted her dog, oblivious to the fact that she had a guest. Felix had to find his way to her alone.

[Felix Nicholas]

The restaurant was frankly, one of the best Felix had dined in. Ir further proved that you didn't need to pay for the fancy price tag his Father so insistently paid; Small, family runs establishments often made you feel a whole lot better then some Michelin star. Likely due to the sore ache from his arm, Felix found himself drinking perhaps a touch more sake then he usually would; The teacher wasn't a massive drinker, and even now he wasn't exactly drunk... Just pleasantly tipsy. He hadn't over indulged in alcohol
since... Well. Since that one prom night. Which was one of those memories he didn't like to frequent.
The short taxi ride was just another upbeat addition to the evening, with Felix spending half the time laughing among pretending to feel sorry for himself for his aching arm.

It had been a long time since he'd laughed like that... So carelessly.

Once they'd arrived at Addy's apartment and she'd discovered off inside to see to her puppy, Felix found himself hovered in the open doorway; He slipped his hand into his pockets, the street lamps from the outside cast a long ray of light into the singer's home as he leaned against the door frame; Addy was preoccupied with stroking Z, who it seemed had passed out blissfully in his half eaten food. Felix grinned, shaking his head a little, the cold air cooling his slightly heated cheeks, a touch scarlet from the warm taxi and the saki. "You know, I can go home if you'd like," He spoke out. "I mean, I don't want to impose on you. If you want to go to bed just say... It's only a short walk to my place."
He knew he really wanted to stay... Even just for a few more minutes of the warm laughter and good times of a close friend; But he wasn't going to force her to keep his company if she'd rather not.

[Addison Sloane]

She didn't even hear his footsteps as she buried her face in Z's thick fur. When he spoke, she jumped with a little squeak before turning around to look at him. "What? No!" She scrambled to get up, Z momentarily forgotten as she moved closer to him. "Hush your face. I brought you home for a reason." She chuckled before turning to get two bottles of alcohol from her wine fridge under the countertop.

Waving him to follow her, she made her way into the living room, kicking off her sneakers and throwing herself on to the couch.

"I'm itching to open the bandage." She chuckled, her hand caressing the area that had her tattoo. She handed one bottle over to Felix and proceeded to unscrew the top of hers. "Come on, sit."

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix blinked a little at her when she flinched, chuckling a little as he closed the front door with a smile. He ran his hands through his hair. "Okay, Okay!" He answered, waving his other hand at her. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere!" He then followed her to the kitchen area of her apartment, mock gasping at her comment regarding bringing him home for a reason. "Miss.Sloane, I do hope you've not brought me home to have your wicked way with me," He joked with a goofy, slightly lopsided smile, before giving a nod and flopping himself beside her on the couch, leaning back with a sigh, closing his eyes. He was getting tired... The mixture of the pain and the alcohol wasn't a good combination.
Felix then opened one eye and looked over at Addy with a soft hum, before shaking his head. "You know, I am too..." He looked down towards his arm, the aching dulled for the moment by the taste of alcohol on his tongue. He'd only had a quick check over before it was wrapped up, and since it was his first, the teacher was highly curious. Still, he didn't want to pull it off prematurely and risk causing himself some sort of infection.

The teacher then smiled, taking hold of the bottle of wine from his friend. "You know, this has been... A really good day," He spoke warmly, looking down at the bottle in his hands. "... Thank you, Addy. It's been a long time since I've had a day like that."

[Addison Sloane]

Felix's tease had Addison giggling, hiding her face behind her arm to stop herself from snorting in amusement. "Yes, Felix. Today has just been an elaborate plan to have my way with you." The snort came out anyway, despite her attempts to hide it.

He did look tired. Maybe he shouldn't have anymore to drink. But he did take it so she didn't say anything about it. She was halfway to the half mark on her own bottle when Felix pointed out the thing she had been thinking the whole time they were out together. She snuggled her bottle to her chest and pulled her legs close to her and smiled.

"Yeah, well...it wasn't that difficult to have fun myself. I'm finally getting the feeling in my hands again." She joked, wiggling her fingers in his direction. She was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol entering her system as she scooted closer to Felix, attempting to steal the warmth off him. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. When you're not wincing or bawling your eyes out in that chair back there, you were pretty fun to look at." She chuckled, adjusting her body so she could look at him properly.

It struck her that everything about Felix's face was appealing. From his still perfectly coiffed hair to the bushy arched eyebrows, to the almond shaped eyes and full lips...Felix was a very good looking man.

"How is that fair?" She said out loud, much to her surprise. She had thought it was in her head. But since it was out, she prepared the rant she had. "But seriously though. How is it that a guy like you who's loyal, and sweet, and...and smart and...and...and caring be so damned good looking at the same time? You should be put in a museum." She pointed to him accusingly. With her eyebrows furrowed in the middle, Addison took another swig from her bottle and climbed on to Felix's lap, her face scrunched up in a somewhat unwittingly adorable look of anger.

"What is this face you have, Mr. Felix Nicholas? It shouldn't even be possible."

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix wasn't a heavy drinker, so the amount he'd already consumed was beginning to take it's toll. He could feel the growing heaviness, the desire to sleep, gathering strength; Still for now he held a handle on it, tapping his fingers against the glass of the wine bottle as he inwardly battled to decide weather or not continuing to down the alcohol was really a good idea. Still, the day had been one of his better ones, the uplift in his heart one he hadn't felt for some time... He was close to finally being healed, and knowing that was enough to send his spirit soaring.
He pouted a little when she scooted closer, raising an eyebrow at her teasing comments. "Hey, I had something in my eye, okay?" He protested jokingly, giving her shoulder a light shove. "Although if you tell anyone I'll deny it." He then chuckled, turning the bottle over in his hands before choosing to place it on the ground; At least for the time being.

He then flinched a little when his friend suddenly spoke up, blinking at Addy. "What's not fair?" He questioned softly, but before he could delve any further she had already launched into a rant, the subject of which had Felix's eyes widening and a wide, goofy smile spreading across his lips. He couldn't help but laugh, a warm heat of embarrassment seeping into his cheeks as he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh it's a curse!" He declared, casting Addy what could only be described as puppy dog eyes and a pouted bottom lip, mocking being hurt. He then gave a small gasp when his friend suddenly settled herself on his lap, his face inches away from hers, blinking at the young woman in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. He felt his cheeks deepen in colour. "My face?!" He spoke quickly. "Have you seen your own, Miss.Addison Sloane?... I am fully aware that rhymed... Your own face is painstakingly adorable! Museum? Ha, yours should be put in a gallery! Slapped on every magazine across the country!" He then held up his own accusing finger. "EVEN Gardening monthly." He then poked her on the nose, grinning.

[Addison Sloane]

Addison couldn't help but throw back her head against the couch and let out a hearty chuckle at Felix's self-defense. "Okay, sweetheart. If you say so." She looked at him with an amused smirk, her laughter still coming out in little spurts.

It still didn't occur to her that what she was doing was definitely not a friendly thing to do. Well, it was friendly but it was definitely not something friends normally do. Come morning, however...oh it would occur to her. Big time.

Ducking her head on his shoulder when he responded, Addison clutched her stomach. He was being really funny right now, being an overnight poet just like that. She looked back up at Felix, her eyes crossing to the middle to see his finger booping her nose. A little growl escaped her before she made a biting gesture at it.

"The only time my thumb is green is when it's dipped in green cupcake icing." She said before a smile spread widely on her face. "Oh my God, that was funny. I'm so funny." She started chuckling. Looking down at Felix, it occurred to her that she hadn't told him how appreciative of him she was. Her smile softened before her hands cupped Felix's cheeks, smushing them together.

"Fe...thanks for coming with me to the tattoo parlour. You were a good sport. I hope you know that. You're...a really good friend." Her eyes kept darting down to his lips, wondering how it would feel like kissing them. It never really crossed her mind before, and suddenly in that moment, the thought overwhelmed her so that without hesitance, she pushed forward and pressed her lips against his.

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix, despite the alcohol coursing through his system, was very much coherent enough to know Addy's position was far from "friendly". He felt his back tense, his cheeks already flushed scarlet; However, his friend's laughter was catching, and once her giggling at his comment began he couldn't help but laugh himself. When she playfully went to bite his finger, he pouted, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, that's not very nice Miss.Sloane!" He mockingly scolded. He then blinked at her comment, trying to prevent a chuckle from escaping with the back of his hand, which broke at her declaration that she thought she was funny. "Oh yes... You're a true comedy genius!" He sputtered, unable to prevent further bursts of laughter between his words.
Felix hadn't laughed like this in so long... Genuine, heart felt laughter... He felt lighter, as though some heavy weight he'd been carrying had lifted right off of his shoulders. He was... Healing, scars he perhaps hadn't even been aware he'd had.

His laughter came to a giggling stop, and he sighed, grinning lopsidedly up at his friend. She was staring at him, and before he could say anything further Addy had smushed his cheeks together; The teacher's grin widened. "Aww, it's okay... Thank you for coping with me being a big baby, I-" He froze, his words cut off abruptly by a sudden and startling movement on his friend's part. He blinked, his gaze widened in surprise as he felt an even greater sweep of heat burn into his face.
Addy had kissed him.
Addy had leaned forward, and pressed her lips to his.
For a fleeting moment, Felix was dumbstruck, like a rabbit in headlights, his brain finally catching up as he pulled back from the young woman. His brown eyes stared into her own, and slowly, a slightly awkward smile spread across his lips. "I think... I think that's enough alcohol for tonight, Addy," He spoke softly. "... You're... You're pretty drunk. How about you go to bed, and I'll get myself home?"
Felix had dealt with drunken affection before... And it had only ended awkwardly, and the last thing Felix wanted was for Addy to feel embarrassed around him.

[Addison Sloane]

She didn't even realise he wasn't kissing back until her ability chose that very moment to kick in, sobering her up right quick. When he pulled away, she looked at him and down at her rather compromising situation and all the blood drained from her face.

Even as he spoke, Addison was already climbing out of his lap and the look on her face was pure shock, filled with mortifying regret.

"Oh...my God. Felix I am so sorry."

There were a million things rushing through her head but nothing seemed to echo louder than the fact that she had probably done damage on what could only be classified as a friendship between them two. What Felix must think of her right now...

"You should...I'll call a cab for you." She was trying very hard to remain as cool as possible as she went into the other room to dial the number for a cab. Even as she reprimanded herself for being such an idiot, drunk kissing a person she called a dear friend, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that it ended so soon. She couldn't deny the niggling feeling at the back of her head that she wanted to do it again. Longer. And have it reciprocated.

"Oh God, what have I done." She smacked her forehead a few times as she spoke to the cab company. Once she hung up, she went back to the living room to let Felix know about his cab. "They'll be here in five minutes." She said in a quiet tone, not even willing to look at the other mutant. "I am so sorry. Just...forget this ever happened, yeah?" She forced a smile and a laugh.

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix caught the complete and utter embarrassment in her gaze, her tone heavy with regret. Felix stared at her, before quickly attempting a sheepish smile, holding his hands up defensively. "Addy, Addy it's okay, honestly!" He tried to reassure her. "You were drunk, I'm pretty tipsy... Mistakes happen, you-" But she'd already hurried from the living room before he could even finish. Felix blinked after her, before sighing deeply, hanging his head in his hands.
From what Felix knew of Addy, he was fairly certain she was going to now feel distinctly uneasy around him for the foreseeable future... He needed to make sure she knew there was no unease on his part. He was embarrassed, yes, but that would quickly pass. Franck had once kissed him in a drunken moment, and the pair had quickly overcome it, returning to their usual banter as though nothing had happened... Felix could still feel the heat from his cheeks, which let him know he was still very much heavily into blushing. He gave a further sigh, before lifting his head when Addy returned to the room, her gaze clearly avoiding the teacher.

"... Addy, Addy it's okay..." Felix spoke softly, standing up from the sofa, his expression practically illuminated with concern; the last thing he wanted was for his friend to feel uncomfortable around him. he approached her, his usual trademark goofy smile on his lips in an effort to soothe her. "Honestly, it was nothing... People get drunk and kiss people all the time, it honestly didn't bother me!" He approached her, gently placing both of his hands with care on her shoulders. "Hey? Come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," His grin softened to a kind smile, and he tilted his head a little to one side. "Alcohol can do wild things to you." He then fell silent for a moment. "... ... Addy, we're honestly fine. Both you and me... It was just one kiss, one drunken moment, okay?"

[Addison Sloane]

Forcing herself to look at Felix as he tried his damndest to assure her that everything was fine, Addison sighed. She was sober now, the embarrassment was real. Felix might not feel it for long but it was going to stay with Addison for a really long time. She was the one who initiated it.

She jumped when he put his hands on her shoulder out of surprise but didn't move away from it. His words, though comforting, were also giving sober Addison more justification of this growing emotion she was feeling towards Felix. That kiss wasn't a mistake. It wasn't just a drunken moment. Yes it happened while she was drunk, but Addison was the most honest when she was drunk. She might not know it while she was drunk but she would remember it the moment she was sober, and that happened almost immediately all the damn time.

She forced a smile on her face and nodded. "Of course. Drunken mistake. Totally." She gave him a look that she thought said that she was absolutely fine and this was just a happy mistake. She was trying to convince herself that this was all for the best.

Giving Felix a pat on his arm, Addison pulled away from him and went to the door, peeking outside to see if the cab was here yet. She knew Felix probably saw through the act but she wasn't about to give him any indication that she was anything but fine.

[Felix Nicholas]

Felix could still feel the pleasant numbing of his emotions from the alcohol, although even without it the teacher would have felt only a small flicker of embarrassment; Alcohol had on more then one occasion resulted in actions before thinking, so Felix hardly blamed Addy for the kiss... She had been drunk, caught up in the moment...
Felix jumped slightly when his friend had, quickly removing his hands from her shoulders. His gaze searched hers, hoping she believed his words; The last thing he wanted was for this one moment to put up some sort of barrier between them. A smile crossed her lips, and even in his slightly unsteady state, Felix could tell it was false. His warm smile wavered and fell, a soft sigh escaping him as he averted his eyeline.
"... Addy... Honestly, things... Things like this happen. There's nothing to be embarrassed about," He tried to convince her, but with a further exasperated sigh and running a hand through his hair, he knew at this point it was hopeless. He wanted to push the matter...But finally opted against it for now, when he really needed his bed and sobering up.

He offered her a warm smile and a nod. "O-Okay? Everything is fine between us. I don't blame you at all." Despite his words, he knew what just happened was going to fester. As if on cue to break the silence that had fallen between them, a knock came at the door, the taxi driver having arrived. Felix jumped a little at the knock, before looking to Addy with an apologetic gaze. He didn't want to just leave on this note, he didn't want the embarrassment to spiral until a rift had formed between them... Addy was a dear friend to the teacher, she meant more then he could possibly put into words. "Addy I... I have to go," He mumbled, his words catching a little. He furrowed his brow, refusing to simply leave with that.

He moved closer to her, gently sweeping her hair from her forehead with a brush of his hand, brinig it to the side of her head as he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to her forehead. "... Goodnight, Addy... Thank you for today. I couldn't have done it without you." He then pulled away, offering her a warm smile, before heading to leave the home of his friend, hoping that everything would settle by the light of morning.