David's smile grew in both magnitude and genuineness. Someone so positive (who wasn't Rae or his brother) was such a nice change. And what she was saying didn't hurt things either. A lot of people; most everyone that he talked to, really, saw conversations with him as burdensome. David knew why, really. He was strange; he marched to the beat of a different drummer and people could handle that less than they used to be able to now. But Allie's belief that it wasn't a lost cause, even with him having been nothing but himself so far was nice. Refreshing. "That's a nice way to think of it," he told her.
He paused, however, when she mentioned "starting to really like him" and his smile turned into a smirk. "I don't think I'd mind that too much," he murmured, keeping his tone loud enough for her to hear him.
She could say that it was bravery all she wanted, but David wouldn't agree. He wasn't brave. He wasn't afraid of everything, no... but he certainly wasn't brave. He was even scared of this conversation still, to a certain degree. The thought that she believed him to be brave, and that their interactions would probably be limited, made him want her to believe it, though. So he shrugged and smiled. "Well, since it's definitely not a good idea for you to come out this way, maybe next time I can head to Federal Hall and visit you." Because there would be a next time.
"There's nothing wrong with not being brave. Especially not when so many people would be lost if anything happened to you." Rae had told him that once, and the way she'd phrased it had eased David's mind way more than he'd thought it would. He had to figure that Allie had heard something similar, being Rae's best friend and all, but sometimes hearing it from an outside source didn't hurt.
"Yeah, mine either." Guillien... he didn't know where he was. Sometimes he'd just disappear. Sarah was off being Sarah. Rae and Eli were together, probably having some kind of coupley moment. For the most part, David didn't mind being left alone. It afforded him plenty of time to sit with a book or listen to his iPod, or even look through that old New York tour guide book that he'd gotten back when he first got to the city and find places that he eventually wanted to hunt in. Sometimes, though... when they were all off doing their own thing, it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Or someone to tell Sanderson or Ethan to go away, since they usually chose those times to pick at him the worst. The thought made him take a cursory glance around to make sure neither of them were there. They weren't.
It seemed Allie wanted the same type of camaraderie, which was exactly what emboldened David enough to say, "well, you can always look me up if you're bored and wanting someone to talk to. I'm almost always right here." The only thing he ever really did at any kind of frequency was his vet clinic work. It would be nice to have a friend to distract him on the tougher days.
"Well, I wasn't a big fan of what she had to say, so you know what they say about turnabout," David's grin was uncharacteristically wry. Her gratitude was met with a gentle smile and a shake of his head. "No one deserves to be subjected to that," he told her. He knew it too well; Ethan and Sanderson took pot shots at him all the time. "I'm just glad I got her off your case."
I didn't offer was on the tip of his tongue, but he decided not to say it. Allie seemed like someone who liked attention, and admitting that it hadn't been his intention to give it would likely not be too good for her morale. Instead, he just chuckled. "What about you? Planning parties to keep everyone's spirits up, always making Rae smile and laugh, not teasing me for being a chicken... you're quite the helper yourself."
He laughed softly. "First. Promise," he told her, his cheeks a little red. He hoped the graininess of the computer window would keep that from being too noticeable. "Does this mean I get to be first for you, too?" he asked.