"It probably should make me feel better but I feel like at least one of us should be experienced or else this conversation is going to be a disaster," David joked, another oddly straightforward moment for him. Maybe being on this intranet thing gave him a little surge of bravery? And if that was the case? Well, he was incredibly grateful for it. Maybe he was accustomed to being a loner, but that didn't mean he always liked it. "And for the record, you couldn't tell that you had any rust at all." He, on the other hand, was relatively obvious and any claims to the contrary wouldn't be too easily believed.
A quick, solo laugh and David nodded his head. "I guess that's true. It was less bravery and more knowing of the necessity, but it's a nice thought nonetheless." He was completely aware of the habit he had not to allow himself any credit for any situation, and he didn't try to do it, but sometimes it crept up unbidden. "That's true. I don't envy Rae for that. She's always the one who ends up doing most of the rowing." Even after her accident.
Feeling like a burden sucked. Elliot had enough of the world on his shoulders without David adding to that. If David wasn't so utterly incapable, if he didn't freeze up at the very thought of defending himself, he'd be more than happy to take some of that weight off his older brother's shoulders. "Makes me wish I was a little bit braver sometimes," he confessed.
"All my friends are here." He said 'all my friends' like it was some large, grandiose number but it really wasn't. He understood Allie's loneliness far more than either of them were aware of. "That we do. And I'm endlessly grateful for that," was all he said, but his slightly sad smile probably said more than words could have, anyway. He certainly wouldn't mind talking to her again. A pretty girl who was actually nice and he somehow seemed to be able to talk to, without clamming up and making a huge idiot of himself? He was definitely okay with more conversations.
David's mouth opened to reply that she wasn't, in fact, the least useful person when he heard someone in the background of the room Allie was in making some snappy comment. An uncharacteristic surge of protectiveness bubbled up in the pit of David's stomach, but he pushed it back and gave her a sympathetic gaze.
His expression was understanding. "No need to apologize. I understand," he told her.
"Don't listen to her," he spoke up, hopefully loud enough for the woman in the background to hear him. "If she's so useful, then why is she just sitting there making snarky, bitchy comments to you, rather than superheroing it up herself? Sounds like a bit of a pot calling the kettle black situation to me," he pointed out, hoping to ease Allie's mind a little bit. "And you're not the most useless. I'm pretty sure I contest you for that."
Save her a dance, huh? David grinned a little bit. "I think I can do that," he said, his cheeks heating up a little bit. Okay. Maybe he would go.
David chuckled. "No," he shook his head when she asked if he would show his special talent. He... didn't really have one, so that was a big no. "I'll be enjoying the show. Don't really have any talent show-worthy talents. But I'm really looking forward to hearing you sing," he told her genuinely.