autumn

"Nah.” He replied easily, although it wasn’t the first time he’d been accused of such - although most of the time it wasn’t friends, and wasn’t delivered in quite the same tone. Either way, he wasn’t bothered - and perhaps it was true. After all, Sirius was good and he knew it. Everyone else might as well, too. “Either way.” He shrugged, perfectly fine with whatever she chose to do. People always said not to sleep with your friends, but if this was anything to go by, it was far superior than most of the times he’d brought women back to his place. 

“Yeah, I guess.” He furrowed his brow slightly. “Or I do. I don’t really remember most of that night.” He admitted with a boyish grin, rubbing at the back of his head and causing his hair to stand at odd angles. He scooted forward so he was perched on the edge of the couch, trying to give himself as much of a chance as he could, but he knew it was all probably moot, regardless. Autumn was much more competitive than Sirius - having been friends with James for so long, he had become a much better sport than he’d been before he knew him, and while he could be competitive, he had a feeling it was nothing compared to Autumn. “Alright, go on then.” He goaded, smirking. “Show me how it’s done.”

Autumn nodded her head, taking a moment to think. "If I have to wait for you to bounce it into the cup, I'm worried I might sober up." She teased with a laugh, "So how about I drink if I get it in, and you drink if you do." Autumn smirked and got herself into a more comfortable position. Although she did warn him that she was competitive, she wasn't sure he understood the extent of it. Being an only child meant she was praised on everything and never compared to anybody else, so she always felt the need to be the best at everything in order to make her father proud of her.

She studied the empty glass between them, biting down on her tongue slightly as she lined up the the coin to where she wanted to bounce it. Letting it go, she watched as it bounced over the cup and landed on the other side. "Fuck." She breathed, reaching across the table to pick the coin back up. "That was just a practice run, yeah?" Autumn looked to Sirius, a rather blank expression on her face. "I'll get it this time."

Fighting a laugh, she watched with no small sense of relief as Autumn drank the whole glass in one go. With a quick aguamenti she refilled it, just in case. After all, there was no such thing as too much water after a night like she’d had. She might be woken up by the sound of her stumbling to the bathroom to pee in the middle of the night, but it was better than a couple of the alternatives. "Darling, I’m rarely wrong.” She tutted playfully, unbuttoning her cardigan now that they seemed settled for the moment. She’d always kept the pub a fair bit colder than upstairs due to all the people, but it made dressing rather annoying.

Gianna raised an eyebrow at her. Maybe it was all the alcohol slowing her system, but she thought she had acquired a bit of a reputation, if her meaning hadn’t been clear enough. But it was no matter, and she took a last sip of her water, leaning forward to place it back on the table before answering. “Sex, Autumn, I’m talking about sex.” She rolled her eyes slightly, a grin threatening at the edges of her lips. “I can’t remember the last time I had someone up here that I wasn’t trying to sleep with.” She admitted, although when she put it that way it sounded sort of sad. But it wasn’t like Gianna didn’t see her friends plenty - they just didn’t usually hang out in her apartment. “Anyway, do you want something more comfortable to sleep in?" 

Autumn stared blankly at Gianna for a moment after she spoke before a large grin spread across her features again. "Oh." She said with a snort, shaking her head. Perhaps she should have assumed that, Gia did have a bit of a reputation, but she was never one to really listen to rumors. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she continued to stare at her for a moment longer. "So, wait... Does that mean that sex is off the table then?" Her eyebrow raised slightly with the question. Autumn would be lying if she said she hadn't considered attempting to flirt with Gianna before now, but she was her boss, and she didn't want anybody to get the idea that she was trying to sleep with her boss to get a raise, brownie points or whatever. If it were to be brought up it would have to happen naturally, like it was now.

Looking down to her clothes, Autumn's shoulders shrugged. She had fallen asleep in her clothes plenty of times before, but if she was offering something else, she supposed she would take it. "Maybe just some pants or shorts or something. I love my jeans, but they definitely aren't the most comfortable thing to sleep in." Actually, she usually preferred to sleep wearing absolutely nothing, but drunk or not, she had enough courtesy to keep her clothes on while crashing on someone else's couch.

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

37 was already answered!

33. What do you typically have for breakfast?

“I actually don’t usually eat breakfast unless I’m hungover. Although I eat breakfast for dinner quite often, I do love pancakes.”

46. What is your personality type?

“.... Does aggressive count as a personality type? I’m pretty aggressive.”

86. What are you allergic to?

“Bullshit. Just kidding - sort of. But seriously, I’m not allergic to anything, that I’m aware of, anyway.”

91. Do you like your own name?

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

28. What type of music do you like?

“I don’t usually listen to a lot of music, but I like the stuff my dad listens to. I dunno, Zepplin, Sabbath, Queen. Stuff like that.”

37. Favorite swear word?

“Fuck.”

7. Do you have any pets?

He laughed, his bare shoulders knocking against the arm of the couch as he did so, but he lay there for just a moment longer, staring at the ceiling even as Autumn pulled away from him and busied herself. “Glad to hear I live up to the reputation.” Sirius drawled, although it didn’t really surprise him. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d been told something of the sort, but he was always rather pleased with himself to hear it, all the same. After all, it wouldn’t really be fair if he were the only one enjoying himself, would it? He sighed contently, happy enough to simply lay there for a while, fully relaxed as he was, but he didn’t want to risk falling asleep. 

Sirius snorted, sitting up and twisting to swing his legs to the floor, catching his breath as he scanned the clothing on the floor. “Only if you can’t stop thinking about it.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Which, of course, I wouldn’t blame you for.” Spotting his underwear, he leaned forward, taking his time as he slid first them, and then his jeans back on with a light sigh. He sat back against the cushions with no intention of getting dressed further and pushed his fringe out of his eyes before snagging the offered bottle. “Please.” He scoffed, making a face. “What kind of a host do you think I am?” Sirius glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with a smirk before taking a deep pull from the bottle. “There’s a guest robe in the closet if you wanna crash.” Passing it back to her, he shifted to reach into his back pocket, pulling out a couple of bronze knuts and attempting to bounce one into an empty glass he’d left on the table. He offered them to her to try. “Muggle down the street said it’s a drinking game, or somethin’. Forget what he called it, though." 

Autumn rolled her eyes, scoffing at his comment, though there was still a smirk on her lips. "A bit cocky, are we?" She asked, shaking her head. She had to admit, he had every right to be conceited, but she wasn't about to let him get away with it too easily. It was oddly nice to just be able to hang out with Sirius without it feeling awkward after what they had just done. She supposed that was the benefit of actually being friends rather than just being some random hook up. Autumn shrugged as she took the bottle back from him, "Perhaps I'll stay if I get too drunk to apparate. We'll see what happens." She didn't want to make any promises, but there was a pretty strong chance she would end up crashing if they ended up finishing off the bottle. It was the good stuff, after all.

Watching Sirius pulled the coins from the pocket, she gave him a puzzled look while he attempted to bounce one into the cup. "A game?" Autumn questioned, raising a brow. "Sure, I'll try." She agreed, taking the coins from him and standing to move to the other side of the table. "I must warn you, though. I'm quite competitive." She smiled slightly as she sat down on the floor, folding her legs under herself as she got comfortable. "So the objective is to get the coin in the cup? And then what, I drink?"

"If that’s the case, you’ll be miserable in the morning.” Gianna smirked, raising an eyebrow. Most of the embarrassment of a night drinking came the next morning when you were remembering with a sober mind, or so it seemed with most people. Maybe Autumn would be lucky enough to simply not remember anything, although Gianna wasn’t sure she’d drank quite that much. She rolled her eyes, reaching out for the glass before Autumn could spill any more of it. “It’s water, darling, and trust me - ” She leveled with a pointed glance, having a hard time keeping her smile off her face. “You’re gonna want to drink that." 

She sat next to her, perched on the edge of the couch as she took a sip from her own glass. The water was crisp and cool, and although she wasn’t nearly as drunk as the other, it felt good. Gianna turned her head to look sidelong at her at the sudden declaration, quirking an eyebrow, although this time she let the smile take over her features. She wasn’t a stranger to drunken compliments, but mostly they came from people who wanted something from her. But she could hear the authenticity in Autumn’s words, and it meant more to her than she could say. Gianna laughed, leaning back into the cushions and turning her head so they were mirrored, looking at each other. ”Yes, of course we’re friends.“ She assured her, smirking. "If we weren’t friends, you’d be up here for a very different reason." 

Autumn rolled her eyes as she realized it was just water. She didn't want water, she wanted more alcohol. But, she supposed Gianna did have a point. If she didn't want to wake up with a massive headache and a killer hangover, water was the best thing for her at the moment. With a sigh, she picked up the glass of water again, drinking the whole thing in one go. Perhaps that was how she ended up so drunk in the first place, she had downed every drink she ordered in only a few gulps. She did have to admit, it was probably the best glass of water she has ever had, it was ice cold and refreshing. "You were right," Autumn laughed, "I did want that."

Placing the glass back down and getting comfortable again, her smile growing again at her confirmation. She was glad to hear that she considered her a friend, Autumn knew she was rough around the edges and hard to get along with sometimes, but she truly admired Gianna's kind nature and was glad to have someone like her in her life. "Good." She said with a nod. At least she knew she wasn't being too much of a bother to her, since she was taking care of her drunk friend rather than just a drunk employee. Cocking her head slightly and raising a brow, she gave her a puzzled look. "I'd be here for a different reason if we weren't friends?" Autumn questioned, trying to make sense of the phrase, "What reason might that be?"

Gianna entered behind her, picking up her discarded shoes and placing them neatly by the front door, her own following not long after. She padded off to the kitchen, tutting at Autumn’s apology and waving it away with her hand. "Darling, I run a pub. You don’t have to apologize to me.” She called back as she filled two glasses with water. Besides that, Gianna was all for indulging yourself, as much and as often as you could. She started at the thud that came from the other room, grabbing the glasses and picking up the pace on her way back, although the laughter that followed told her Autumn was just fine. As she rounded the corner and spied her sprawled across the floor, she couldn’t help but laugh with her, sure there’d be rumors flying tomorrow night about what the room below them had heard. 

She shook her head, setting both glasses on the coffee table before offering her a hand to help her up. “Oh yeah, you look it.” Gianna rolled her eyes fondly at Autumn’s expression, another small chuckle escaping her. Her smile was soft and genuine, she looked surprisingly unguarded. She was quite sure she’d never seen her like this before. She wondered idly if anyone had. Sure, she had a good heart, but she also had one of the hardest exteriors Gianna had ever seen. “You’re not embarrassed, you’re drunk." 

Taking her hand, Autumn let Gianna pull her up, sitting back down on the couch with laughter still falling from her. Yes, she was drunk, but that didn't mean she wasn't embarrassed. If she could control herself she would, but she felt safe with Gia, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to loosen up. "I am embarrassed. And drunk. They can coexist." Autumn laughed, eyeing the two glasses on the table in front of her. Glancing back to Gia, she shot her a mischievous look. "Is there alcohol in those?" She asked with a raised brow. "Because I don't think I need any more... But you! You could use some." Reaching for one of the cups, she picked it up and shoved it towards Gianna, some of the liquid spilling out and over her hands. "Drink up, you have a lot of catching up to do."

Once the glass was out of her hands, Autumn leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. She was really thankful to have someone that was able to look out for her, she was sure most of her other friends would have just let her find her own way home. In her current state, she probably would have ended up in some sort of horrible situation. She would have to remember to thank Gia once she sobered up, that way she would know that she really meant it. "You're the best." Autumn said suddenly, her head still leaned against the back of the couch, but a genuine smile overtook her features. "You're just like, so funny and pretty and even though I can be an asshole sometimes, you really just get me, you know?" Drunken words were sober thoughts, as they say, and everything coming out of her was entirely true. Though Autumn never would have said anything if she weren't in the condition she was currently in. "I'm glad that we're friends." Looking back up, Autumn glanced at her with a concerned look in her eye, "Wait - we are friends, right? Sometimes people don't like me, which is fine, but I like you and wanna be your friend."

Gianna laughed freely at that - the cutest girl in the room. She’d hardly call herself a girl, but the fact that the sentiment came from Autumn more than made up for it. Maybe there was a heart under that ice queen exterior of hers, after all. Gianna had always suspected it. She held onto her hand tightly as they walked, throwing grins at their coworkers who all seemed just as amused as she was. It was nice to see Autumn letting loose for once, and Gianna was glad she had made a comfortable enough environment for her to do so. It was what she prided herself on, after all. 

Stopping short as Autumn paused once they got to the stairs, Gianna turned back with a curious glance at her. "You can't…” She fought down another laugh, nodding. “Alright, come on, drunkie. I’ve got you.” She assured her as she ducked her head under one of Autumn’s arms and wrapped it securely around her own shoulder, Gianna’s coming around her waist as she supported most of her weight. It wasn’t the first time she’d corralled someone up the stairs who was less than sober. It was a slow process, but thankfully they made it up without any casualties, and as she unwrapped herself from around her, her hands lingered on her waist, making sure she was steady before she turned to unlock her door. “Your home for the night.” Gianna announced as she threw it open, gesturing widely for her to go in ahead of her. 

Autumn braced herself against Gianna as she helped her up the stairs. Thankfully it wasn't a long trip, and they made it up without any hiccups. When they reached the top, Autumn pulled her arm away, though she had to admit she didn't really want to. She liked being that close to Gia, but she simply blamed it on the alcohol, she particularly enjoyed physical contact of any sort when she was drunk. Autumn smiled as the door opened, stumbling into the apartment, almost tripping over her feet as she entered. She tried her best to take in the room as she kicked her shoes off, but the moment her eyes landed on the couch, she headed straight for it. Sitting down felt like a good idea right now. Although, it ended up being less like sitting and more like sprawled across the entire couch.

"I'm sorry," Autumn giggled, trying to sit herself up, but instead she slipped off the couch and landed on the floor with a loud thud. It only made her laugh harder, laying there on the floor staring at the ceiling. It was only so entertaining because this wasn't who she usually was, it felt so strange to be laughing so freely. She had to admit that she liked it, though. It felt nice to let loose for the first time in years. Placing her palms firmly on the floor beside her, Autumn pushed herself up and stared up at Gianna with a grin on her lips. "I'm really embarrassed." She admitted, but she was glad that Gia was the only one to have to witness her in this state.

Something people didn't usually expect from Autumn was how much she enjoyed physical contact like this. The feeling of someone else's hands on her body was one of her favourite things in the world, and damn, Sirius seemed to be finding all of the right spots. Her fingers slowly made their way down his torso as his lips found their way to her chest, a small smirk planted on her lips. Eventually her fingers landed on the top of his pants, where she let them linger for a moment before moving one hand down, rubbing him through his pants before unbuttoning them.

He took a long drag from his cigarette, blowing a couple of smoke rings up and into the air as the silence stretched between them again. It was peaceful, really, away from most of the commotion of the festival. A little pocket of time that was more enjoyable than anything he had expected. "No.” He said simply, nodding his thanks as he took the flask back. “I can’t.” He chuckled once at the image her words had conjured up before he tipped his head back to take another swig. 

“I could always show you a trick or two.” A wicked smirk overcame him at that thought, figuring they might disagree on the sort of spells they found acceptable to use in the work place. “A stinging hex to the groin usually puts people off, at least for a little while.” He shrugged, capping the flask. It wasn’t a problem he’d had personally, as most people were put off by him before they got that far, but that wasn’t to say he hadn’t used it with Bella once or twice. “Wow. High praise.” Sylar raised an eyebrow as he met her gaze, nodding before he pulled a finger over his lips as if to zip them. “Secret’s safe with me.” He assured her blandly, not feeling the need to tell her he wasn’t in the habit of telling her nosy, annoying boss much of anything. 

She really couldn't blame him for being unable to picture her as a bartender. Autumn knew she wasn't very friendly or charismatic, hell she couldn't even mix a drink when she started working at the Three Broomsticks. But, she was rather determined and she had Gianna there to teach her how to do the job, she was able to pick up on it rather quickly. Furrowing her brows at his suggestion, she was almost surprised that she thought it was a good idea. Normally if somebody was saying comments to her that were unacceptable, she would opt to get violent with them, but that was less appropriate for the workplace than a simple hex would be. "That's actually a brilliant idea." Autumn commented, still slightly shocked that she agreed with him on something.

Her shoulders shrugged slightly, "Tolerable is the highest compliment somebody with your code number will ever get from me." She shot him a slightly sarcastic looking smile. There was no use in being dishonest with Sylar. Autumn did enjoy his company, hell she would even go as far to say that she liked him, but choosing a side that hated people like her? That was unforgivable. "Better be, or else you won't ever get special privileges from me again." It wasn't as if she handed out free drinks often, and even if she did, she usually used her tips to cover it up. She wasn't really one for stealing, but a cocktail or two every now and again wouldn't put too much of a dent into inventory.