A sketchy bar, Baltimore, Friday Afternoon

[soniaroadsqueen]

Dante had found them a great bar. Dingy, grimy, and cheap. In what Ringo was pretty sure was one of the worse parts of town. Despite the time of day, they weren't the only one's there. There were also the sorts of people you might expect to be in a sketchy bar on a Friday afternoon

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[soniaroadsqueen]

She was going to not think about that, Dante. But thanks.

"I think." Ringo paused, frowning. "I might, um, go home for a bit." Away from all the places that would remind her of Kathy.

[rebelseekspizza]

"To Japan?" Dante asked quietly.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo nodded. The gesture was a lot more jerky than usual, another one of those not-so-subtle signs of how tenuous her control was.

"Get some space. Get away from--." Well, memories.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Right."

The word was dull... ish. But only because Dante still felt dull. (Maybe also because he didn't have a home it was safe to retreat to, but you'd have to put him at gunpoint to get that out of him.)

"Makes sense," he said. "Y'know. Say hi to your sisters."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yeah. Sure."

Ringo drew a breath, and for a moment it looked like she was about to invite him to come along. But she was trying to get away from things that reminded her of Kathy, and Dante was another of those things "Could you check in with Dante?" she'd asked. "We left things between us kinda unsettled and I just want to make sure he's okay."

So Ringo let that breath out and turned to grab another slice of pizza. And also so that Dante couldn't see her expression as it slipped for a second.

[rebelseekspizza]

It was fine.

The past year or so had been the first Dante could remember he hadn't spent predominantly alone; it was better if he didn't get into the habit of expecting life to be that way, because then shit like Kathy suddenly got close enough to touch him.

"Guess it's goodbye after pizza," he said idly, taking a bite of a slice.

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yeah."

"You sure you're--?" Yeah, she didn't even bother finishing that question, just let out a soft sigh instead.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Sure," Dante said, shrugging expressively. "Don't get all teary about me."

[soniaroadsqueen]

"As if."

The words were right, but Ringo's tone and expression made it pretty cleared that she was worried about him.

Not much. There wasn't much room in her for that at the moment, but there was a bit.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Right, big badass Ringo--"

Dante had a whole line of thought in his head to follow there, but it didn't feel right today, so he just fell silent and ate his damn pizza.

[soniaroadsqueen]

Ringo did the same. Except that she wasn't actually hungry, and the pizza didn't seem to actually be going anywhere.

She'd eaten a whole two slices when she abruptly hopped off the table and strode back across the room to the bathroom. She needed to wash her face.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante kept eating methodically. He'd never had the luxury to stop before, and it didn't even come into it now, even as his insides wrapped up into knots and part of him wanted to make Ringo stay or, even better, drag him home with her.

He didn't do either of those things. He just kept eating, and tried not to look at the bathroom.

[soniaroadsqueen]

She had the sink turned on all the way, the sound of water splashing against porcelain pretty much the only one in the room. It didn't usually take five minutes to wash your face, but that's how long Ringo spent bent over the sink, scrubbing at her face.

When she came back out, her eyes were bloodshot. Which was clearly just from the water, okay?

"You can have the rest of the pizza." Like she needed to tell him that.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Thanks," Dante said. He looked up at her, and, well, her eyes said enough. "You know how to get to Portalocity from here?"

[soniaroadsqueen]

"Yeah." Or she could figure it out, anyway.

Ringo took a deep breath and walked over to the door. She glanced down at her ATs, then shrugged, and stuffed her bare feet into them. She had socks back home.

She bent to lace them up, studiously avoiding looking up at Dante.

Then she was done, and she did look. A long, thoughtful study of his face.

He could ask her to stay, and she would.

[rebelseekspizza]

She needed to stop looking at him. The longer she was looking at him, the more aware he suddenly was of the pressure in his head-- the pressure behind his eyes.

Dante ducked his head.

"Ringo," he muttered. To his pizza. Which he eyed, for a while, chewing on words in his head.

"Just, uh-- Be safe, all right?"

That wasn't even the second question that had come to mind.