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He was losing his mind in the quiet of his apartment and no amount of music that he could play on his own would drown out the loneliness that was eating him inside. He needed to get out. He needed to do something. He needed to escape.

It was a Friday night and he knew exactly where he needed to go.

He changed into one of his favorite outfits, adjusting the cuff around his wrist and snagging his keys before heading out the door. It took a second longer to lock his keys before he hopped up, sliding down the banister from the second floor down to the front entry. He jumped off at the end, waving to one of his neighbors with a grin on his way out the door to wave down a cab.

The ride was too long for his liking; fifteen minutes in the car seeming like a small eternity to someone who had spent too long trapped in his own mind. He tapped out a beat anxiously on his thigh as he stared out the window. There were so many lights in the city, some passing by slowly while others zipped as other cars drifted past.

He tipped the cabbie an extra ten dollars when he was dropped off outside the club. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust as he stepped out of the car, the lights even brighter than he remembered. They had either upgraded the sign since New Years or everything from that night really had been a blur.

Rik bypassed the line, heading straight for the stairs leading up to the door. His name wasn't on the list but he knew a name that was and it was easy enough to slide a larger bill to the burly bouncer to gain him access on that information. "Have a good night, man."

"You too," he grinned as he slid inside.

The music swelled the moment he made it past the door; so much more impressive than just the rumble of the base felt by those standing in the long, cold line outside. The pulse continued as he made his way up another short run of stairs that gave way to the bar lining the wall. Many of the bottles were glowing beneath a blacklight, making him even more glad that he'd chosen the outfit he had. His vest stood out vividly, as did the white pattern swirling up along the side of his shirt.

It was easy to get one drink down, easier yet to have a second picked for him to chase the first. Any lingering reservations that he might have had dwindled away, disappearing just as quickly as the liquid in his glass. He'd opened a tab, at least, and could come back for more if he felt them trying to return.

Somehow, Rik did not think that would be a problem that he would have to concern himself with. Not tonight, at the very least. Not tonight...

His arms slid around hier middle, drawing her back against his chest. "Stay," his words were soft against her skin, breath warm. He grinned as he felt her pause and lean back into his embrace, hoping she was actually considering doing so.

"I can't," she laughed, voice so light and airy that he couldn't be disappointed; couldn't be anything but pleased with the way the evening had progressed. She rolled in his arms, brushing a kiss to his nose before pulling away to find her things.

He watched her in the dim morning light, eyes following the way her silhouette moved as she leaned down to lace her boots. Sitting up he leaned over, brushing his lips to her shoulder before sliding out of bed himself.

"I had a good time last night," she called after him just loudly enough for him to hear her over the sound of the sink running in the bathroom before he began to brush his teeth. He murmured something that sounded like 'me too'.

"Ee ooh."

He heard her laugh and found himself grinning again, catching himself at the last minute before toothpaste dribbled past his lips. He shook his head and couldn't help but smile still. How had he let himself forget what something as simple as smiling felt like?

The better question to ask was how could he keep himself from forgetting again?

He spit into the sink after rinsing his mouth out, leaning back to peer out of the bathroom and in her general direction. "We should do this again."

"We'll see," she laughed again as she stood, snagging her scarf from the end of the bed. "Spend more time out at the club and maybe we'll run into each other again, yeah?"

He shook his head at that, dragging a pair of lounge pants on over his boxers before snagging a shirt. Sure, he would probably wind up crawling back into bed after seeing her out, but it wasn't like his neighbors needed to see him standing around in his underwear in the event any of them were awake at this hour. "I'll think about it. First time out in a while -- a damn good first night out."

"Yeah, yeah." Bright green eyes were gleaming as she glanced over her shoulder at him before stepping back towards him. Her fingers teased lightly along the curve of his jaw before she leaned in to brush a quick kiss to his lips. "I'm leaving," she laughed, pulling away before he could snag her wrist to draw her back.

"Fine, fine." He was shaking his head as he followed after her, reaching just past her to unlock the door and tug it open. His eyes followed her out the door and down the hall, lingering on the corner she disappeared around for a moment before he slid back inside. He shut the door, listening to the click as he turned the lock into place. He brought his hand up to his lips as he yawned, fingertips lingering there for a moment once his mouth was closed. The tingle from whatever lipgloss she'd put on was still on his lips. He was still smiling and for the first time in a long time he didn't feel so alone.