dancing through the night | closed

This was a bad idea, Bruce though, as another sweaty guy pushed past him, jostling the drink in his hand. He managed to move it out of the way just in time, avoiding spilling... whatever it was Thor had bought for him down his shirt. It hit his shoes instead and he let out a sigh. It wasn't so much the fact that Thor had dragged him out to a club (and not a very good one, at that) it was the fact that it was on a school night. They had class first thing tomorrow morning - and so did most of the other club goers, Bruce guessed - so a hangover was the last thing he needed.

He scanned the crowd for his colleague's tall blond head (that was the joy of going anywhere with Thor; he always stood a head taller than even the tallest person in the room, and the long blond hair was an easy identifier) but couldn't see him. Typical. Bruce sipped his drink and leant back against the bar, figuring he may as well try and enjoy himself now that he was at the club. It would've been a lot easier if Thor hadn't wandered off the second he'd downed his first drink, no doubt in search of a pretty girl to dance against.

Bruce finished the last of his drink and slid the glass along the bar to the bartender, signalling for a refill. When the glass was returned to him, he swallowed the contents in one, slamming the empty glass back down. He could have fun tonight. He would have fun tonight. He scanned the crowd for an opening before pushing off from the bar and entering the mass of writing bodies to dance.

---

Megan laughed as the guy - Joe, maybe? She wasn't sure - she was dancing with spun her around for the second time. That, combined with the few shots she'd done at the bar with Jase had her feeling pleasantly warm and fuzzy. Like a teddy bear, she thought and giggled to herself. The guy soon slunk off to wrap his arms around another girl's waist, and Megan brushed it off as she continued to dance - or rather, shake her shoulders and hips in time with the beat of the music. She closed her eyes to really soak up the atmosphere, tipping her head back and letting her long red hair fall down her back. It would probably be a mess of knots and tangles in the morning, but at that moment in time she didn't care.

It wasn't often that she went out and partied, generally preferring the calm of cafes and the peace of the library, but Jase had insisted they go out to celebrate their last night of freedom before classes began. Megan couldn't argue with that logic, so here she was. Dancing in a sweaty club with an empty shot glass in her hand, heels hurting her feet and sticking to the dance floor covered in who knew what. As she turned to head back to the bar and get another drink, she felt her shoulder knock someone. Not unusual in a busy club, but Megan still turned her face towards the stranger to apologise, manners getting the best of her.

"Sorry," she said, voice breathy as she flicked a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Didn't see you there."

@diamandis.

@ jennifer lawrence
Jase wrapped her arms around some guy from behind, fingers lingering on his stomach as she gyrated her hips into from behind, smirk on her face when he turned to face her. They danced along to the music together, no real words spoken as they moved their hips together in sync to the beat thrumming through the club. Eventually, the guy started getting handsy, and that was Jason's signal to untangle his hands from around her and flip him off before looking for another body to dance on. An older looking guy caught her attention as he walked right into a near empty spot in the crowd. He looked fine enough from where Jase was standing, so she shoved her way through the bodies until she was almost in front of him. In an attempt of seeming like she hadn't fought through the crowd to dance with him, Jason turned her back to him and started dancing, inching closer to him until she felt his back pressed up against her.

She turned around to look at him over her shoulder, offering him a little grin as she continued to grind against him, hand snaking back to rest against the nape of his neck. This wasn't typical of her - seeking out someone in particular to dance with - but there was something about this guy that interested her from across the way, flashing lights and alcohol be damned. She would normally stick to one or two guys the entire night and ditch them after a while to drink until she thought it was time to hail a cab back to her apartment. Tonight was different, though. She and Megan were celebrating their last night of absolute freedom before being confined to their couches typing up papers and trying to get a good night's sleep. So what if she had a hangover in the morning? This was special.

---

Thor had been dancing with multiple women at once during the night at one point, both of them almost fighting for his attention as he drank and let them do whatever. He did feel a little bad for abandoning Bruce, but he figured if he needed anything, he'd just come up to him and find him. After a while, the women began acting catty, so Thor just walked away from the entire situation, not up to dealing with any sort of drama the night before the first day of classes. He stood in front of the bar, examining the different drinks written on a black board in extremely colorful markers, a good choice for such a colorful night club.

When someone bumped into him, he glanced down at her and chuckled. It was sort of hard to not see Thor. He was six foot three and the boots he had on added at least another inch to his total height, but it was whatever, accidents happen, especially in tight clubs like this.

"Don't worry," Thor told her over the music, "Bumps happen." He couldn't really think of how to word it, seeing as English was still not his first language and he was quite intoxicated. At least he didn't start spewing Swedish at her, he was at least sober enough to realize that. "Another drink?" Thor asked, pointing to the empty glasses in her hand.

Bruce was surprised to find himself moving to the beat in his version of dancing. The song was catchy, and the mood was infectious. The drinks he'd had also helped, as well. A few other dancers had tried to rope him into their groups, gesturing at him until he declined with a shake of his head. At one point, a blonde girl had grabbed his hand to steady herself as she fell off her mile high heels. It made Bruce feel like a real part of the crowd, something he hadn't felt in a while. He smiled and let his movements become more free, thinking that Thor was the only one in the club who knew him, and he wasn't around to make fun of him right now.

When he felt someone bump into him, he turned slightly in an attempt to give them space, but stopped when he saw a head of dark hair and an enticing grin. He felt himself smiling back at the girl, turning fully so that he was facing her, making it easier for her to dance against him. He tried to follow her rhythm, but the height difference meant that they were always a little off, and their arms and legs knocked together more than once. Bruce wasn't sure if he should place his hands on her waist - was that rude? Inappropriate?. He wanted to, but to avoid coming across as a creep, he simply lifted them and let them hover in the air, hoping that she'd get the hint.

---

Megan's lit up in a grin, and she nodded at the tall stranger. "Sure," she shouted back at him, wishing she had a deeper voice, like he did, so that she'd be heard over the thumping bass. She placed the empty glass dangling from her finger tips on the edge of the bar, resting her elbows on the wood as she studied the list of drinks. "How about a vodka cranberry?"

She glanced back up at the guy, taking in his features. He was tall, that much was obvious, but upon closer inspection she realised that his eyes were shockingly blue and a widow's peak. Cute, Megan thought, running her eyes down the entirety of his body. He wasn't dressed badly, either, she noticed. When the bartender slid her drink in front of her, she picked it up, swirling it thoughtfully as she spoke. "I haven't seen you before, are you on campus?" The previous drinks were giving her more courage than usual, it seemed, as it was unusual for her to be so bold with someone she'd just - drunkenly - met.

@diamandis.

@ jennifer lawrence
Jase continued dancing with the man, priding herself in the smile that graced his lips. Sure, maybe it was her ass grinding into him that made him smile but hell, it was still her. She couldn't help but laugh a little when his hands hovered in the air, but she caught on and grabbed his wrists, placing them on her hips as she moved in closer to him. "Sorry that I'm short as fuck!" Jason yelled over the music, knowing already that their movements were a bit messy as they tried to dance. "Maybe you should shrink a little!" Her fingers threaded through the hair on the nape of his neck casually as she watched him, tugging at it gently just to test the waters as she tried her best to keep them on beat to the song. Up close, the guy looked a little older than she originally thought, what with strands of grey starting to mix in with his black hair, but he was still very attractive.

After the song mixed into something sort of shitty, Jason groaned and threw her head back, pissed at the DJ's choice of music. It was near impossible to find the beat to it, yet some people were still desperately trying, hips quickening up to find the right pace. Yeah, Jase was not having that. "Wanna grab a drink?" She asked, moving in closer to him so she could hear him a little better, desperate to get out of the writhing bodies and to a nice glass of Jack and Coke. From where she was standing, Jase couldn't see Megan anywhere, but who could really see anybody in this dark club?

---

Thor nodded and ordered her drink before ordering just a glass of Absolut Vodka for himself. It was his go to drink whenever he was out, and hey, it reminded him of home - go figure. He turned to look at the girl and offered her a smile, well aware of the fact that she looked him over. Thor knew he was a good looking guy, but it was still a nice gesture to see while he was out. The bartender slid him his glass and he gave the guy a twenty, waving him off as a way to tell him to keep the change. To her question, Thor chuckled. "Mostly," he responded, "I am often home more than there, or at least I try to be. Yourself?"

He wasn't trying to be all cryptic with his answer - it's just he didn't feel like talking about school while he had one night of freedom left until he was back grading papers and trying his hardest to get students interested in medieval studies. Some of his friends from back home told him to demonstrate the weaponry from that time, so Thor was currently waiting on an array of swords to be shipped to his house in the next couple of days.

Bruce wasn't really sure how to react when his hands were placed on the girl's hips. It was surprising, but it was nice, and hell, he was allowed to have fun if he wanted. Chances were, he'd never see this girl again and it would end up as a memory he liked to revisit from time to time. He did feel a little self-conscious, what with being several years older than even the oldest person here, but she didn't seem to mind. He leant down as he saw she was trying to talk to him, laughing when he was able to make out her words. "Sorry," he said, shrugging a little. "Maybe you should have worn taller shoes." The feeling of her thin fingers tangling in his hair was unexpected, and he started a little, surprised that she'd be interested in him. In return, he slid one of his hands onto the small of her back, tucking her body in closer to his.

As the song changed, he felt his partner's groan more than heard it, rumbling through her chest and into his own. Clearly she wasn't a fan. Bruce tried to follow the new beat, but soon gave up when it proved impossible. The last thing he needed in the morning was a hangover and a bad back from trying too hard. "Sure," he answered her, taking one of her hands gently in his own in order to lead her out of the mass of bodies. "What do you want?" He found an empty space at the bar and went over to it, glad for the space to actually breathe.

---

Megan watched as the guy paid the bartender, surprised that he'd let him keep the change when their drinks weren't that expensive. She figured he must be pretty generous, and tried to suppress a smile. It wasn't often that she found guys like that, and she hoped that his behaviour wasn't just a one of thing to impress her. Even if it was, it had worked on her. She fiddled with a piece of hair, nodding as he answered her question. She was secretly pleased, because now she knew he was on campus, she'd be on the lookout for him. She wondered what he studied, but figured now wasn't really the time to discuss academics. They were celebrating after all. "Yeah, I'm around," she said in answer to his question, shrugging. Now that they were in a quieter area of the club - if that was even possible with the pounding music and noisy crowd - she noticed a slight accent to his words. "Where is 'home'?"

She hoped she wasn't coming across as nosy, or annoying, or desperate - she knew guys didn't always go for small talk, or want to talk about themselves - but she was interested in this gorgeous stranger. And the music and alcohol mixing around her gave her a boost of confidence. She could be sexy and interesting, even if it was only for a night. Jase would never believe it when she told her about it in the morning, and she smirked to herself as she brought her drink up to her lips.

@diamandis.

Jase scoffed when the guy said she should've worn taller shoes, glancing down at the choice she had on for tonight. They were a pair that Megan said she could borrow - already four inches high. Whatever, she blamed her bad genes for her lack of height, and the shoes only made it semi-better. She squeezed the man's hand a little when someone bumped into her better roughly, but decided it wasn't worth any sort of confrontation. Jason was about to have a nice drink with a nice guy who didn't seem like he was trying to take her home and forget all about her the next day. Guys like him were kind of hard to come across in obnoxiously loud and vibrant clubs like this one.

"A Jack and Coke would be awesome," she told him, glad she wasn't screaming her lungs out to communicate with him anymore, "So what are you doing out tonight?" Jase asked, sort of interested in why this man decided to come to a nightclub. He looked too scholarly to be her with a bunch of drunk and sweaty twenty somethings, like he would prefer reading Charles Dickens while drinking Brandy instead of letting her grind against him.

---

Thor smiled a little, thinking that he may see her around as well. He wasn't too close with many of the staff - Bruce being his only exception - but he knew that the admissions counselors tended to be younger than the rest of them and he's about ninety percent sure that's where she works at. At her question, Thor tilted his head to this side. He wasn't sure if she wanted to know where his house was or where he was from - he was still getting used to speaking in all English all of the time. He thought about it a second more before giving her an answer.

"I am not sure which answer you want, but I have prepared two answers for your question. I reside in an apartment not too far from here with my cat Alf. If that was not the answer to your question, then this one may be - I am from Sweden. Sweden is home, but apartment with Alf is also home."

He took a swig of his vodka after that, figuring the alcohol would wash down a little of the embarrassment he felt at his lack of complete understanding. Sometimes it was like that with him. He'd have to listen to questions a couple of times to figure out what the person was actually wanting from him - it was especially harder with all the slang and shortcuts mixed into it. He was trying, though. Bruce was usually very patient and understanding with him while others would usually get upset and throw their hands in the air in frustration.

Bruce turned to the bartender and ordered her drink, along with one for himself, sliding some cash along the bar to pay. When the barman slid the glasses back along to him, he picked them up and turned back to the girl, passing her one and taking a sip from the other. The ice cubes in it meant the glass was pleasantly cool against the overheated skin of his hands, and he savoured the feeling before they began to melt, which would no doubt take no time at all in the sweltering club.

He thought over his answer to her question, shrugging and taking another drink. He wasn't keen on revealing how his colleague had dragged him out of his solitude to get drunk the night before they both had classes to teach. He didn't think that would go over well, and he was enjoying her company so didn't want to push her away. "A friend thought it would be a good idea," he said in the end. "I'm not sure if he was right, but I've done worse things." He laughed lightly, thinking of some of the more... questionable experiments he'd attempted in his lab. "What about you?" Bruce guessed she was out having fun before classes - she looked to be that age.

---

Megan couldn't help but blush a little when he smiled at her. Luckily, she already felt pretty flushed from the heat of the dance floor and the drinks she'd had, so hopefully it went unnoticed, or that he put it down to how sweaty the club was. She bit her lip gently, again thinking how incredible that she'd managed to attract someone like him. Usually, it was Jason who got all the attractive guys, what with being a bit more on the outgoing side. Megan often found herself with some other science student she'd bumped into at the library, and things never really went any further than helping each other make sense of class notes.

"That's pretty cool," she replied, then cringed at how stupid that sounded. "I like cats too, my parents have one back home. She's called Misty." She sipped her drink, trying to rack her brains for any piece of information about Sweden that she knew. She'd never been, herself, but she'd spoken to people in class who had visited, and she'd heard the scenery was really pretty. Somehow, though, she didn't think this guy would want to talk about scenery. "Have you seen the Northern Lights?" she asked in the end, hoping that they could in fact be seen in Sweden.

Jason lifted the glass in appreciation before taking a sip from the drink, soft sigh falling from her lips from the cool feeling of it. Truth be told, Jase was burning up in her outfit, even though she was baring quite a lot of skin. Her tight dress felt like it was practically sticking to her skin and her heels were killing her. She loved dressing up - or, really having something to dress up for - but she usually got super irritated with her outfit of choice as time continued on. The only reason why she wasn't pitching a fit was because Megan wasn't around for her to bitch to and this guy would probably not like it if she did. Instead, Jason decided to reach down and take each shoe off, making her at least another head or so shorter than the man. "I think it was right," Jase said with a smirk, "You met me, didn't you?" She hopped (literally hopped) up onto one of the bar stools, glass still in hand as she answered his question. "Having a night out before I'm stuck in classes tomorrow. Then it's all essays and Ramen for me."

---

Thor felt a little better as the girl spoke, glad that he didn't embarrass himself too much in front of this girl. At clubs, girls didn't really care much for his broken-but-not-so-broken English. They were normally more interested in his accent and how much bigger he was than them. He can't remember the last time a girl actually wanted to get to know him besides a woman much older than he at the public library quite some time ago. This was nice - he was talking and not making a fool of himself and...this was nice.

"I've seen them many times," Thor began, taking a swig from his glass casually, "They never fail to amaze me. I can not explain how it happens but my good friend Bruce can. He has studied all of the science stuff." He couldn't really word what Bruce's main focus was at the university, but he knew that the Northern Lights involved science. Maybe he'd ask him about it one day so he could explain it better. "May I ask your name?"

Bruce watched with fascination as she took her shoes off, making herself at least three inches shorter than she was with them on. He'd never fully understood why women worse such ridiculous footwear. Sure, some pairs looked nice, he could appreciate that much, but wearing them didn't look like it was a pleasant experience. He sat on an empty bar stool as well, figuring he may as well save her a sore neck from having to look up at him for the duration of their conversation. "You make a fair argument," he replied, cocking an eyebrow as he attempted to hide a small smirk. He liked this girl, she was fun.

He felt his heart drop a little, however, when she mentioned classes. He took a long drink, thinking over what he could say. Even though he was expecting her to say that, he didn't want to actually hear it. When she found out how old he was - and he cringed as he did the math in his head, working out a rough age gap - and that he was a professor she'd no doubt turn her back and forget all about him. And that hurt. "Never been much of a Ramen fan," Bruce muttered in the end, laughing a little nervously.

---

Megan found herself listening intently as he began to describe the Lights. The natural phenomenon intrigued her greatly, reaching out to her scientific mind. And the fact that this guy had witnessed it first hand - multiple times! - just made her want to talk to him all the more. She found it a little hard to believe that she'd managed to bump into someone insanely attractive and with the ability to hold a conversation. Albeit a conversation in heavily accented, slightly broken English.

"That's so cool," she said, trying not to get too excited about it. Although she wasn't a physics or astrophysics major, she did know a little about how they were formed, and she was interested to hear that this Bruce knew more. She hoped she'd get to meet him, but of course, that meant seeing this guy again and having him introduce her to his friends. And the odds of that happening? Well, she didn't want to get her hopes up too high.

"I'm Megan," she told him, grinning and holding her hand out enthusiastically for him to shake.

Jase winked at him, running a hand through her hair to try and play up the whole thing as much as she could. She wasn't a very sexy person, her height and frequent clumsiness often took away from the sex appeal, but with a few drinks in her system, she could be a pretty good flirt. Plus, this guy was hot, so it wasn't hard to work her charm in order to keep him as interested as possible. "How are you not a Ramen fan?" Jase asked incredulously. "I know those shitty packets aren't the best thing in the world but if you chop up some stuff and throw it in, you can pretend like it's gourmet anything." She laughed a little at how into Ramen she suddenly became before shaking her head. "I've got a pretty tight budget, I guess anything's good enough for my consumption."

She took a few more sips of her drink before crossing a leg underneath her, swinging the other absentmindedly. "So you got a name or should I keep thinking of you as 'hot guy' in my head?" Jase asked, finger tracing around the rim of the glass slowly as she watched him. She was well aware of the age gap the two probably had, but that was probably the furthest thing from her mind. In the end, they were both consenting adults, so why did age have to really play into it?

---

Thor couldn't help but smile at her obvious enthusiasm about the Northern Lights, even though she was trying her best to hide it. It was nice having someone interested in what he was saying than just what he looked like or sounded like, especially when said person was also attractive and fascinating. "The first time I saw them I was around six or seven. My family and I had been gallivanting about one night and my brother was the first to notice them. After that, it became tradition for my brother and I to stay out and wait for it to happen again every couple of years or so." Talking about his family so openly with a stranger was rare for Thor, considering now he and his brother were on rocky ground ever since he left home. He missed Loki all the time, but didn't know when they'd ever talk like brothers again without it being strained or forced.

He shook her hand when she introduced herself, returning her grin. "And I am Thor."

Bruce ducked his head slightly and finished his drink, looking back up at the girl in what would probably be a really cute, flirty way if he was a young girl. her charm was certainly working on him, and it had been a while since anything like this had happened to him. Getting used to it was taking a bit of work, but it was okay. She was still interested in him, and he was definitely still interested in her. They could work things out. "Not a fan of noodles, I guess," Bruce admitted. "I'm more of a cereal for every meal kind of guy." Unfortunately, that had become true as of late. What with preparing material for classes, attending meetings, and just generally sorting things out, he hadn't really found the time to cook properly. And with classes starting up again, he guessed things would remain that way for a little longer.

He placed his empty glass down on the bar, rattling the few ice cubes that were left in the bottom of it. "Bruce," he told her. "But I'll take 'hot guy' as well." It was more than a little flattering that she thought he was attractive, and Bruce was at least ninety percent sure that she was being genuine. "What should I call you?"

---

Megan was instantly jealous of him, wishing she'd had the chance to at least visit somewhere she could witness the Northern Lights. It was something she desperately wanted to do, but money was rather tight, and her parents had never shared the same enthusiasm for science and nature that she possessed. "That sounds incredible," she sighed, leaning her elbow on the bar and resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "My parents have never been in to camping and stuff, and I'm an only child so I never really got the chance to hang out and explore." She'd had friends, back in her little hometown, but none of them had lived close by, so her childhood had been rather isolated. Not to say that it was bad, just... lonely at times. Luckily, she had Jase now, as well as all of her lab partners from class, and she couldn't have asked for more or better friends.

She wasn't surprised when he told her his name, she was expecting something foreign and vikingy. It fit him as well, she thought. "It's getting pretty hot in here, don't you think?" She fanned her flushed face slightly. "Want to get some air?"

Jase bit her lower lip as Bruce looked up at her, trying to bite back her smile at how cute he was. It's like he wasn't even trying to be - he just was. "Oh no, you're one of those people! How do you see cereal as filling dinner option?" Jase asked, shaking her head and clicking her tongue a bit. "That's no way to live, my man. That's surviving. Unless you're eating something like Frosted Flakes, then that's a totally different discussion because Frosted Flakes are life." There came a time when money was too tight and she couldn't really afford buying packs of noodles anymore, so she turned to cereal for her daily meals. None of them ever held up like Frosted Flakes, so if she was a little biased towards them, it was for good measure.

"Jase," she replied simply, "My name's really Jason but I got picked on a lot as a kid since it's a boy's name, so everyone just calls me Jase." Her parents were really expecting a boy, but when she came out, they hadn't planned out any girls names, so they stuck to the original plan and kept on moving. Not as many kids were as free thinking as her parents when she was growing up, thus began the teasing and name calling at an early age.

---

Thor nodded, feeling nostalgic as he thought about the times that he and Loki shared, camping out all night just to finally be able to see the phenomenon with their own eyes for as long as they could. Life in Sweden was much simpler, but nothing compared to being thrust into a place with various cultures and languages being spoken all the time. It was a huge adjustment and he absolutely loved it. "That's a shame," he stated, "You should camp soon. The weather is pleasant for now. Bruce and I have camped many a time while on holiday." He loved being outdoors, especially with Bruce, someone who loved spending the majority of his time indoors and with indoor plumbing. It was always a fun experience, yet it was a shame they didn't have a chance to go during this summer break.

"Very well," Thor replied, finishing the rest of his drink like it was nothing. After a while, vodka just tasted like water to him, anyways. He nodded once to the bartender who thanked him again for the tip and offered Megan his arm to lead her out of the club - his mother raised him and his brother to be chivalrous and gentlemanly whenever with a woman, it was only polite.

Bruce laughed, pleased to find that Jase was funny as well as cute, and interested in him. He was suddenly very glad he'd agreed to come out with Thor. "Honestly, I don't," he admitted. "It's just one of those things that's easy when you realise it's midnight and you haven't eaten since breakfast." There was a time when cereal didn't make up his entire calorific intake for the day, when he could come home to a meal on the table, but he didn't enjoy thinking about then. "I am partial to a bowl of Frosted Flakes, but it's usually whatever I grab off the shelf." Bruce had lost track of the number of times he'd had to make an emergency trip to the store, bleary eyed from grading papers, taking the first box of something vaguely edible then demolishing the whole box when he got back. Not some of his proudest moments.

"Jase," he said, testing out her nickname. "It's unique. Interesting." It was fitting, he thought. He'd never met anyone like her, even his students seemed unlike her in every way. Whether or not that was the alcohol in his system talking, he wasn't sure, but at that point he didn't care. He was even tempted to ask for her number, so that they could keep in touch, but he guessed she had a string of guys her own age asking and didn't want to come across as a creep.

---

Megan bit her lip and looked at Thor shyly. "Maybe you could take me camping," she said, feeling bold. "Show me all the best spots around here." Never in her life would she have thought she'd be one of those girls, flirting and batting her eyelashes. She was more of a polite conversation and winning smile person. The combination of the two seemed to be maintaining Thor's attention, though, and she counted that as a win, as there were no doubt countless, more attractive women in the club who'd love to talk to him. The pair of them seemed to at least be forming something along the lines of a friendship, so even if things went to hell after tonight, she'd hold onto that.

"Thanks," Megan said, blushing as she linked her arm through Thor's, wrapping her fingers around his bicep - or, at least she tried to. It was a good thing she was leaning against him, as she felt her knees go weak at just how strong he felt. She figured he no doubt got all sorts of questions about how long he spent in the gym, so she bit he tongue as they made their way out into the cool night air. She felt a little guilty for abandoning Jase inside, but there was no way she was passing up the opportunity to spend more time with Thor.

Jase tipped her head back, letting out an exaggerated groan. "That's what the ramen is for," she murmured, lifting her head to its normal position before laughing. "I hope you're not one of those people who keep boring cereal around like Shredded Wheat or just plain Cheerios. Because if so, I might regret giving you my number." Jason said, already searching around for someone's pen to use. The bartender, having watched her search, slid one over to her and she reached over to hold Bruce's hand, palm up. "This may tickle a little," she commented as she wrote her name with a little smiley face next to it along with her number. It was a pretty bold thing for her to do, considering that guys were usually the ones asking for her number and she was more or less reluctant to give it out. Too many guys decided that unsolicited dick pics were exactly what she wanted and that wasn't true at all.

"Thanks," Jase replied, setting the pen down to pick up her drink instead, finishing off the remainder of her drink with ease. "Speaking of food, d'ya wanna get outta here? Maybe grab some ice cream cones from McDonald's or something? If these lights flash in my eyes one more time, I swear I'm gonna rip them out of my head."

---

Thor raised an eyebrow, smile still on his face nonetheless. He was glad that Megan was bold enough to suggest such a thing, and the more he thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea. "That sounds like a possibility," he murmured, "Though I must warn that Bruce may come with us and he can be bothersome when outdoors." Thor knew that before the night ended, he'd go home with Megan's phone number, and not in a one night stand type of way. He truly enjoyed her company and it didn't hurt that he found her incredibly attractive as well. Tonight was a good night - he'd have to thank Bruce for coming out with him, or else he would've never ran into Megan.

He nodded at her thanks and continued walking, soft sigh leaving his lips as the night air cooled his too warm body. Being that close and cramped up to people could leave him feeling like he was suffocating, but that feeling that was slowly creeping up on him now dissolved away. "You're not here unaccompanied are you?" Thor asked, looking down at Megan, lips forming sort of a frown at her having to take some cab back home by herself if she really was. He had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol, so he could even drive her back if she needed that.

Bruce smiled a little sheepishly at her, feeling like one of his students that hadn't handed in their homework because they thought it was due in next week "Guilty," he said, shrugging. In his defence, he did usually try to jazz things up a bit by adding honey and fruit, but he didn't always manage to, especially in the small hours of the morning when all he really cared about was food and not the taste of anything. He was surprised when she took his hand and started writing on it, and he made a mental note to transfer her number to his phone as soon as possible. The heat of the club would no doubt have him sweating it off in no time, and he didn't want to lose his only way of contacting her again.

"Sounds like a better idea than listening to this for much longer," Bruce replied, wincing when the music playing reached its crescendo. He didn't understand how anyone could like this type of music, and was sure it was just the alcohol and urge to impress others that had the crowd jumping and swaying to the beat. He stood and offered Jase his hand so that she could hop off the bar stool, ready to escort her out of the club.

---

"I'm sure your friends aren't a bother," Megan said with a laugh. If anything, she thought she'd end up as the biggest bother if they ever did do anything together, as she'd never been camping in her life, and could be a bit of a pain in new situations when she didn't understand things, or if she became too excited. "My friends, however... Well, unless you like science they're super annoying." She did like her class mates, but when they went on and on about this scientist and that experiment, it got old pretty fast. There were times - much like tonight - when she wanted to forget about class and work and just enjoy herself.

Outside was much cooler than inside, and Megan shivered a little in her short dress. It was nice to cool down, but now she wished she'd worn tights or brought a jacket. She leant a little closer to Thor, intent on stealing some of his warmth, and shook her head when he spoke. "My room mate is around here somewhere," she said. "I should probably go and find her before she leaves without me.

Jase just shook her head incredulously. The guy she was beginning to like ate the worst kind of cereal in the entire world, yet here she was, still liking him and still trying to figure out how she was gonna be able to up his cereal game. She winced as the music began growing louder, rolling her eyes as the crowd seemed to get louder with it. There was a reason why she didn't frequent clubs as often anymore - she couldn't stand the noise level anymore. Maybe she was getting older. Or maybe the club goers were just getting more annoying with time. Jase didn't know, but what she did know was that she was ready to leave. She took Bruce's hand and hopped down off the stool before slipping back into her heels, keeping their hands together once her shoes were on.

"Ready?" Jase asked with a little smile, free hand smoothing out her dress were it rode up a bit from having to be bent down to adjust her shoes. She peeked around the crowd to look at for Megan one more time before settling her eyes on Bruce wholeheartedly, deciding that she'd shoot Megan a text to let her know where she'd be.

---

"Not all of them are," Thor replied, "Just Bruce. Alas, he is my bother." Thor met Bruce during his first year of teaching at the university well over six years ago. His English was more broken, his hair was down his back, and he had almost no knowledge of what it was really like to be away from home. Other professors ridiculed him, nicknaming him Viking as soon as he arrived, but Bruce was the only one kind enough to show him the ropes of anything. He was his first friend and quite possibly his best friend. That didn't change the fact that Bruce hated camping and would complain about it the entire trip, but the pair always had fun, and that's what always mattered. "I like science. No good at it, nonetheless."

Thor noticed Megan moving in closer to him, probably because she was cold in the short dress she was wearing. As casually as possible, he slipped an arm around her shoulders to tuck her into his side more, hoping the combination of body heat and flannel would warm her up well enough. "I think that would be appropriate," Thor noted, "I will wait here if you would like."

Bruce waited for her to put her heels back on, making sure she was steady on her feet before they set off. It was a wonder how anyone managed to stay upright in them for more than a minute, but Jase did it with what looked like practiced ease. He took a quick look around the club for Thor before they left, but couldn't see him anywhere. It was typical that they'd ended up separated, but in this case Bruce didn't mind because at least he had company. Very attractive, funny company, at that.

"Let's go," he said, beginning to cut a path through the people making their way to the bar, keeping a firm hold on Jase's hand so that they didn't get separated and lost. Towards the entrance of the club, the crowd thinned and Bruce fell into step beside Jase, reaching out to hold the door open for her once they reached. it. The cool air was a blessing and he leant against the side of the building for a brief moment, appreciating the cool from the bricks seeping through his shirt. "Let me put your number in my phone," he said, suddenly remembering the digits on his palm, no doubt starting to smudge. He quickly set up a new contact for Jase, squinting at the ink on his hand but able to make it out in the end. He sent off a quick text to Thor, letting him know he was leaving, just in case his friend wondered where he'd gone.

---

Megan shook her head. "I'm sure he's not a bother. My room mate," she laughed lightly, thinking of everything she and Jase had done since they'd met and started rooming together. "Now she can be a bother. She's great, don't get me wrong, but she can get a little... headstrong." As she remembered, she was taken back to her first day on campus. Fresh from the country, surrounded by suitcases and boxes, with her parents nowhere in sight as they'd had to start the long journey back home. If it hadn't have been for Jason stopping to ask if she needed a hand, Megan didn't know what she would have done.

She smiled to herself as Thor placed his arm around her, and tried to press herself against his side more fully in what she hoped was a subtle way. He was really warm, and whatever cologne he was wearing smelt amazing. She could have happily spent the entire evening stood like that, soaking up Thor's warmth and talking about everything and nothing with him. "I can just call her, see where she is," she said, not wanting to leave his side, even if she did need to find out where Jase had got to.

Jase held onto Bruce's hand as they started snaking their way through the people, having to literally jump out of the way a few times to be avoid having drinks splashed on her as people moved about. Once they escaped the bulk of the crowd, Jason sighed and walked outside, lazy grin on her face at the temperature difference. "Fuck, it feels good out here," she mumbled, pushing a hand through her hair. The club had to be degrees hotter than it was outside, what with all that body heat and simulated smoke that the DJs blasted to keep the atmosphere foggy looking. When Bruce finished putting her number in, she held his hand again, just liking how her hand felt in his. With her free one, Jase sent Megan a text to let her know where she was heading, glancing up out of habit when a text tone went off outside. Her eyes zeroed in on her friend and the tall, blond guy she was snuggled up with. "Holy shit, Megs."

From the looks of it, this guy was definitely into Megan, and he wasn't the type of guy she'd usually go for. Megan brought nerdy guys around from the science club on campus - not tall, hot, blond, buff guys who looked like they could literally move mountains. She was quite impressed with her roommate, once the initial shock wore off, and she knew Megan would dish all about him once they got back home.

---

Thor laughed at her choice of words to describe her roommate. "Sounds like a handful," he commented playfully, noticing how she moved into him more. He was about urge her to do that when a woman spoke, clearly directed at Megan. She looked like she knew Megan, but what he couldn't help but notice was how she was holding hands with Bruce. A smirk formed on his lips as he made eye contact with Bruce. The guy didn't even really wanna go out in the first place, yet now here he was holding hands with a cute girl who seemed very into Bruce. "Well would you look at that?"

Bruce looked up from his phone when he heard several voices speak. He'd been so engrossed in making sure Jase's number was in correctly, texting Thor, and Jase taking his hand again, he hadn't realised that they had company. When he looked over at where the deep voice had come from, and where Jase was directing her exclamation, he almost did a double take. He knew Thor would have picked up someone tonight, but he never expected it to be... someone the girl he'd picked up knew?

"You know her?" He asked Jase, gesturing to the girl standing with Thor - or, rather, on Thor. He'd assumed she'd come to the club with someone else, but when he first saw her on the dancefloor he'd assumed it would be her boyfriend, not a girl who was currently being dwarfed by his colleague. It was a good job they were outside, because Bruce needed the air to clear his head. What were the odds of something like this actually happening? And what were the odds of Thor never letting him hear the end of it.

---

As much as she didn't want to move her face from where it was pressed against Thor's side, Megan looked up when she heard her name, spinning around until she found the person who'd called her. "Jase," she said - a little stupidly, she thought. Of course it was Jase, who else knew her name here? She felt herself blush a little, suddenly hyper aware of how she was plastered against Thor - for warmth, she'd no doubt have to argue later when her room mate wanted all the details - but reluctant to let go of him and go speak to Jason. By the looks of things, she was rather occupied herself.

"That's, uh, my room mate," she said, turning back to look up at Thor, not failing to notice his smirk. "Do you know him?"