13143/At Dawn

At Dawn
Date of Scene:	22 October 2022
Location:	E04 - Empty Dorm - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Dawn returns home to find a sleepy Hank and they have a walk and talk while escorting him back to his room.
Cast of Characters:	Dawn Granger, Hank Hall

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Dawn Granger has posed:
A midnight carnival seemed like a great idea. The Titans and friends got some free VIP tickets, so they went and had a blast. Well, part of it got weird and some of them ended up with a spooky experience involving what was likely actual magic. The kicker was that /hours/ had passed in minutes and the short trip to the carnival ended up with them leaving an empty lot as dawn was settling in.

By the time Dawn returns to the Tower, it's light outside. She's only a little tired, but she at least plans on heading up to sleep for a few hours. Maybe after grabbing some kind of easy breakfast on the way up. She enters the lounge, glancing around as she angles towards the kitchen to find some sort of granola bar or something.

Hank Hall has posed:
Word of the VIP tickets had spread among the Titans, and so Hank was aware that there had been an outing. Unfortunately, he was on the streets in his "day job" on the force and unable to peel away and join the group. He had arrived back around 3am and was surprised to find the group still out. He changed out of his uniform, and then found himself restless. Dawn was a superhero, and a damn good one, so he was sure she was fine. Also, although he did not want to think about it, he _knew_ he would know if she was in trouble. And she wasn't. So why did he have this urge to sit and wait up for her? To make sure she was ok? Or to make sure _he_ was ok, and able to go to sleep.

And thus when Dawn arrives in the lounge, she finds the form of Hank Hall, dressed in a pair of work out shorts and a tank top, reclining in one of the comfy chairs. Legs stretched out ahead of him, head lolled back, mouth agape, snoring loudly. A book sits in his lap, turned over such that his spot is kept as it rests face down against his thigh.

Dawn Granger has posed:
The snoring catches Dawn's attention and when she sees who it is she holds back a laugh, but allows a smile to sneak through. She angles away from the kitchen, instead heading in to where Hank is. She notes the book, pauses for a moment, then grabs a napkin and folds it in half before she heads over to him. She carefully picks up the book, putting the napkin in as a placeholder so he doesn't lose the spot if he awoke in a bit of a startled manner.

Dawn reaches down, setting her hand on his knee where the book had been. "Hank?" She asks gently, not entirely sure the best way to wake him without potentially startling him.

Hank Hall has posed:
Fortunately for all involved, Hank was well aware that he was in a safe place when he drifted off to sleep. That, and the instantly soothing touch of Dawn's hand on his knee serve to insure no calamity as he awakes. "Hey," he says softly, before even opening his eyes. "Musta dozed off," he murmurs in that 'not quite awake' voice. He shifts, ever so slightly, and his head starts to rise up from the chair.

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Looks like you did," Dawn replies, the hand on his knee reaching to touch his cheek. "You seem tired. Why didn't you head up to bed? I know the chairs are comfortable but they can't be deep sleep worthy. Riveting book?" She might be asking the questions, but she's already got a feeling she knows the answer. "When'd you get back from your shift?"

Hank Hall has posed:
"Yeah, I had to see how he got out of the tunnel with the clue about the mutants," mumbles Hank. Whatever plotline he is talking about is NOT from the book on his lap, which appears to be about a garden party gone wrong. He forces his eyes open to peer at Dawn, and a smile breaks out into his face as hers comes into focus. "Few hours ago. I think." He leans a bit to the side to peer out the window, as if trying to tell time from that. "Bed might be nice, I guess." No admission here, even if it is obvious.

Dawn Granger has posed:
While he doesn't fess up, Dawn smiles a little bit at the fact that he's covering his actual lack of reading. "Well, now that you're awake we should get you up to bed. Well, half awake maybe. Enough to probably walk, I imagine." She moves her hand to take his, to offer him assistance up. "Pretty sure you've only gotten a few hours of sleep /and/ you've gotten off a long shift which means you need to sleep in your bed for a while and not the chair."

Hank Hall has posed:
"You'd have to be a bit worse off to not be able to get me to follow you to bed," Hank says, words that do not exactly make sense. But somehow, they might convey his meaning. He takes the hand and rolls forward to stand from the chair. "Yeah. You're right. Let's go to bed." It is abundantly clear that Hank is not really truly awake. His eyes are barely open, and his voice has that distant quality one has. He is, however, somewhat capable of walking. And spilling words out of him without much premeditation.

Dawn Granger has posed:
The words make Dawn laugh a little, and when he's up from the chair she shifts his hand to tug his arm around her shoulders. He doesn't /need/ the support, but it's easier to guide him than tugging him with his hand. "Come on, sleepyhead. You'll rest much easier upstairs." She's smiling, even though she knows he's mostly asleep and won't pick up on the fact that she's /pretty/ sure he waited up for her.

Hank Hall has posed:
"Yeah, ok," agrees Hank. He slips an arm around Dawn's waist, but more for a sense of direction than a need for support. Or just the satisfaction of having his arm around her. He kind of half staggers along with her, his head facing the direction they are walking, but eyes still varying between half lidded and fully closed. "Didya have a good time?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn laughs again, guiding the sleepy Hank towards the elevator. "I did. Some of us left early, headed back here, a couple of us got brave and went into the 'red tent', which turned out to be... sort of spooky and a little more magic than we anticipated. It was fun, but not alarming enough to be dangerous. Donna pointed out that if it was real danger I would have known. Which is true, thankfully. So... a little spooky but nothing bad. The weird part was it was about a touch after midnight when we went in and minutes later it was dawn."

She shrugs a shoulder a little, stepping into the elevator. "Sometimes magic is just very weird. I'm glad it wasn't longer, I'm sure there's no way you could have stayed up that late." She flashes him a smile, even if he likely won't catch it.

Hank Hall has posed:
"Sounds like a good time," murmurs Hank, nodding along. He reaches up with his free hand to run at his eyes a bit. "Gotta stay away from them red tents. Never know what's going on in them." He leans forward a bit against the frame of the elevator, and then turns to look at her. "Wait, Donna went into a tend and a few minutes later came out as you? I'm confused." His face shows it, as well.

He shuffles into the elevator after her, nodding along. "That's fine, I had my book to keep me company while I waited." He smiles at Dawn, calmly. "It wasn't so bad. You're worth waiting for."

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn laughs, pressing the button for the elevator before looking back at Hank. "She was with me in the tent, she was just pointing out that if there was danger /I/ would have noticed." She almost bumps him with her hip playfully, but stops midway as a second thought given she doesn't know how well balanced he'd stay in his sleepy state, especially with a moving elevator.

The last of his words get an almost bashful smile from Dawn as she looks back at him. "You are way too sweet, Hank, even when you're barely coherant. I half think this is a ploy just to get me to come cuddle in bed, but it'll work either way. You're extra cute when you're sleepy."

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank turns to look at Dawn with an expression like somehow _she_ is the dopey one. "You said she went into a tent and then she came out as dawn. I heard that." He waves a hand vaguely in the air. "Maybe I dreamt that. I do dream about you a lot." He seems steady on his feet. More or less.

There is a little bit of a smile on Hank's face. Was this all a ploy? Using sleepiness as an excuse to express things he might not otherwise? Hard to say. "Good thing, I suppose. You don't have to be extra cute, just do you know." He gives her side a squeeze and sighs, waiting for the elevator to land on their floor. "I sleep easier when you are next to me." he finally offers, as the elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open.

Dawn Granger has posed:
"/At/ dawn, Hank," Dawn laughs. "I'm saying we somehow were in there for hours when it was only minutes." Her smile broadens the more he goes on about her. "I'm glad I'm not too much of a blanket hog or anything. I'm especially glad that it makes you feel comfortable. Maybe I should sleep in your room more often." Really, all of it felt natural. She steps out of the elevator and guides him towards his room. It's not as if he needs the guiding at this point, but continuing to move while they chat seems to work well.

Hank Hall has posed:
"Oh." Hank sounds disappointed, slightly. "Two Dawns would be nice," he murmurs. Maybe he is still dreaming, after all. "Maybe you should," he says, seeming to seize on that suggestion eagerly. He looks at her as the pair walk down the corridor bound for his room. "I think we'd both like that," he says, as he reaches out to place his hand on the lock to gain entry.

Dawn Granger has posed:
As the door unlocks, Dawn releases him to step inside, simply because it'd be hard to walk side-by-side through the door. "I could probably do that. How scandalous, only having been back for a little bit and already sleeping in your room." She smiles at him, reflecting on the entire time she'd been back. "It kind of felt like I was just waiting for this, you know? Like that entire time I was gone it was just a long period of waiting and then when I got back the ice broke. If that makes any sense."

She laughs. "And I'm trying to have a conversation like this when you're barely awake. Let's get you to bed."

Hank Hall has posed:
"Like the rest of the Titans don't know what's up," replies Hank with a laugh. "You're not exactly subtle, Dawn Granger." He flutters his eyelashes at her, seeming far more awake than he was downstairs. "Yeah, that makes sense. Things were kind of holding, even though they weren't really holding from anything before it was just..." He shrugs. "When you know, you know."

He laughs as well. "Sometimes it's better to have this conversation when I'm half-awake. Even with all of this, you know, I still second guess myself sometimes." He leans down to brush a kiss against her forehead. "But yeah. Bed." He smiles. "Just me?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn smiles warmly at him. "It was a sort of us figuring things out and what things were like with each other and then I left and it was like..." She shrugs a shoulder. "It just felt nice to come home to you." The smile broadens at his question. "I'll stay. You need sleep and you sleep better with me here. Besides, I should probably sleep too and I do sleep pretty comfortably with you there."

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank is already nodding in agreement as he shuffles about the room in the general direction of bed. He stops, and turns to look at her. Home. Somehow, that word strikes him differently than the rest. He licks his lips for a moment, and then nods. "It does rather feel like home, doesn't it?"

He watches her for a long moment. Not quite staring, per se. But just availing himself of the opportunity to look at her.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn wasn't expecting to blush when he looked at her, but as he watches her, the color creeps up on her cheeks a little. "Yeah," she agrees. "It does feel like home. I like being here with you. It feels like someplace to belong. Not just the Tower, belonging with you. Having you here with me is... it's been amazing so far. Thank you."

Hank Hall has posed:
There are those certain moments that come upon you when you least expect them. Hank and Dawn had been having a few of those in a very short time frame. Some might call them crazy, but others might just say you don't know Hank and Dawn. He steps towards her and reaches out to brush his hand against her cheek, smiling warmly. "Couldn't have said it better myself," he says, before leaning in to brush a kiss across her lips.

"I'm not quite sure how quickly I'm gonna fall back asleep, now that you dragged me out of my comfy chair."

Dawn Granger has posed:
The soft kiss gets a warmer smile from Dawn, settling her arms around him for a moment. "You practically sleepwalked the whole way up here and now you're convinced you won't be able to fall back asleep? I can guarantee you the bed is more comfortable than that chair. /And/ you'll have me now, so clearly you'll sleep well." Well, or very distracted.

Hank Hall has posed:
Moving his hands to rest on either side of Dawn's waist, Hank grins at her question. "Eventually maybe..." comes his response, before his fingers squeeze her waist gently as he lifts her up and unceremoniously tosses her onto the nearby bed.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn grins back at him, laughing as she's swept off her feet and tossed to the bed. "Oh, somehow I thought this was your new plan. Somehow I woke you up between the chair and the bed. I thought you were /tired/."

Hank Hall has posed:
For a long moment, Hank just looks at Dawn. "Not _that_ tired..." he replies with a grin. "Unless, of course, you are." He pulls off his tank top and tosses it over into the chair before looking back at Dawn. "Uh, you promise you're not going to turn back into Donna or something, right?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn laughs before she grins back at him. "I think I'm fine with not sleeping immediately," she notes, then she proceeds to grab one of the pillows and try and hit him with it. "Trust me, if I turned into Donna I think I'd know."

Hank Hall has posed:
Hank hops back to avoid the pillow, despite its comical lack of threat to him. "Oh, I think I'd know too, but, I'm just saying, if you reversed that tent thing..." He pauses, watching her, wondering just how far is too far to continue this little dialogue.

Dawn Granger has posed:
The pillow is swung at Hank again, Dawn having to crawl over farther to even get him in range. It's not as if Dawn thinks she'll hit him with it, it's the principal of the thing. "/At/ dawn, Hank, not /as/ dawn." She laughs all the same.

Hank Hall has posed:
This time, the pillow connects, but bounces off his head. "See, what makes much more sense." He looks at her for a moment. "_At_ Dawn, huh?" he asks. She can see him tensing his legs as he watches her in amusement, standing beside the bed.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Uh oh, he's planning something. Dawn glances back at him, still grinning. Even if the pillow's gone and she's now got no ammunition to throw at him, it's not as if she really /wants/ to. She actually giggles as she watches him. "/At/ Dawn," she says, nodding in her agreement.

Hank Hall has posed:
He is definitely planning something. He nods in agreement as she does, and echoes her echo of his echo of her first. "At Dawn." And that is when he, predictably, leaps at Dawn, arms out, to tackle her onto the bed.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn could likely dodge the pounce. She saw it coming and it was a very predictable move, but she doesn't bother to move as she's tackled on the bed. She grins, looking back up at him. "I think you've got it clearly now."

Hank Hall has posed:
Pulling himself back up to look down at her, Hank laughs softly. "I dunno, I think maybe I need to do it a few more times before I _really_ have it down." He reaches up to brush a hand against her cheek. "One Dawn is plenty for me," he finally admits.

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Good," Dawn replies. "Because I'm the only one you've got. I'm also pretty happy to be the only Dawn. Two Dawns would be very confusing anyway. You wouldn't know which one was me." She grins, gazing up at him while she has the chance to catch his gaze. "I'm pretty sure you've got it this time."

Hank Hall has posed:
"I'd know," asserts Hank, watching her. "Trust me, no one would be able to convince me they were you." A pause. "And that's a real ass thing we gotta deal with sometimes. I hate the old, 'Ok, which one of them is the REAL Dick...' quandary." He gazes down at her with a smile. "So, I've got it, huh?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
"It's unfortunately a real possibility. I do think you'd know, though. You'd be able to pick me out in a room full of Dawns," Dawn smiles back up at him, her smile a little brighter. "Yeah, you've got it."

Hank Hall has posed:
His gaze goes a bit distant for a moment. "A room full of Dawns..." He affects a breezy air, as if that were somehow calling him away, before he looks back at Dawn, grinning. "Good. I like having it." Wasting little further time, he leans down to press his lips to Dawn's. It may not exactly be clear what "it" really is, but he seems to have chosen for himself what he would like it to be.