All That You Needed • •

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

It probably would have been simpler for Lexi to stay at Denver’s apartment the night before their flight was due to leave, but her dad had insisted on a family dinner. Ever since she had mentioned the trip to him it had seemed like she’d told him that she was going off to war, never to return! However, Lexi was the youngest daughter and her mother had reminded her of much before asking the petite brunette to humour the older man, just this once. She was the only one he had left to fuss over now that Melina was married, Stacey engaged and Chelsea supporting herself. Lexi knew her dad just worried, but no matter how many times she told him not to, it didn’t change anything. So, she found herself spending the night in her teenage bedroom with her packed cases resting by the door and her outfit for the flight hanging up.

Sleep was not something that visited Lexi that night though. She was nervous about meeting Denver’s family and excited at the same time. She had once told him that she didn’t do too well on her own, that she thought too much and right now was a perfectly good example of that. One minute she was panicking that they wouldn’t think she was good enough for their son and brother and the next she was fussing about saying or doing something to make a fool out of herself. She tossed and turned, but the what ifs and the worries just didn’t want to quieten down and give her a moment of peace. Eventually, she just moved down to the deserted kitchen and turned the coffee machine on. She had been looking forward to this trip since Denver had invited her that morning after the ball, but the closer it got the more that excitement turned into nerves. She had been raised with proper manners and polite etiquette, but that wasn’t enough to impress people and she was scared of slipping into the role she now reserved for those galas of pretence and false niceties; she just wanted to be Lexi on this trip, but was Lexi enough?

It wasn’t much longer before her dad came downstairs, reminding her of the time. She polished off her second cup of coffee and then raced back to her room to shower, change and make sure she had everything she needed in her suitcase and purse. Her stomach was in knots and breakfast didn’t sound like the safest of ideas, so Lexi opted for another cup of coffee. Normally, her caffeine intake wasn’t this much in the morning, but she didn’t want to be half asleep when they arrived and right now it was giving her fidgety hands something to do, rather than continuously flick and play with her short hair. It was time to leave and she talked her dad into stopping at Starbucks on the way so she could pick up another coffee for herself and one for Denver. His was more out of habit of buying the two together now, but all of her waning confidence seemed to be in him appreciating it.

At JFK, Lexi said goodbye to her dad and pulled out the handle of her suitcase so that she could wheel it inside the building with ease. She kept the coffee carrier balanced carefully in her hand and glanced around the large building and the crowds, spotting Denver just a little off to the side. Biting her lip and trying to swallow the nerves that were besting her at every corner, she walked over to him and offered him the still full coffee container. “I’m not late, am I?”

[/color] She asked, hoping the coffee detour she had taken wouldn’t mean that they had to rush now. Pushing herself up on her toes she kissed his cheek lightly and then sipped at her own drink, wishing the hot liquid would wash away her fears as well as her tiredness.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 701!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

They both knew it would have been easier if Lexi had stayed with him. He would have been able to tease those fears and nerves away but her family had wanted her and he couldn’t keep her all too himself. Besides, he was getting her for two weeks to show her around the city and the woods that he’d called home for most of his life. With Lexi at her parents for the night, Denver took the time to call home and talk to his sister. She was the one picking them up from the airport in Deer Lake. He wanted to make sure she knew what time their flight was coming in and if his old room was ready for them.

Once he was off the phone, he went through his luggage again; making sure everything was in there and closed it back up again. He had sent a parcel up ahead of them so he wouldn’t have any added baggage to bring along and in the end of it all, it was much cheaper. He’d asked Sarah about that when he’d had her on the phone and was pleased that it had arrived that day. He had actually expected it to get there a day or two into their trip. The post in Corner Brook could sometimes be the worst; he could only imagine what it was like in the coves around Corner Brook. He was excited to be going home in the morning but he needed sleep now that he was finally on vacation and his hours at the hospital would be taken over by someone else. The nurses had his phone number if they absolutely needed to get in touch with him, but he had also spent his last couple hours in his office writing up everything and anything he could think of that would matter to the doctor taking over and the nurses through their shifts.

He slept through the night dreamlessly and rolled over to slap the alarm when it started to go off. He wanted another couple hours in bed but there wasn’t time for that. Instead he laid there for a little while longer as the minutes past. Eventually he rolled out of bed and hit the shower, getting himself ready for the trip. He’d set aside some clothes to wear through the flight since he hadn’t wanted to worry about digging through the clothes he hadn’t packed in the morning. Dressed and ready, Denver gave Duke a pat, wishing he could take the oversized lapdog with him. But the flight he booked hadn’t allowed pets so Duke had to stay home. If with the next trip, he drove; his docile dog would happily take up the backseat. Now though, he had spoken with Mikey’s parents and they were more than willing to dog sit his loyal Duke. It would show them how well their son took care of the animal. They’d been thinking about getting him a dog of his own for his birthday and these two weeks would prove to them if he was ready for the responsibility.

Denver made himself a cup of coffee while he made sure he had his passport, plane tickets, wallet and anything else he thought he might need and tossed it all into a messenger bag he was going to take on the plane with him. The time in the air wasn’t all that much, considering but they had almost two hours in Toronto’s airport to work into that and another twenty minute one in St. John’s before they hopped onto a smaller plane to make the final flight across the province to Deer Lake. By the time they finally landed for good, they were going to be too exhausted to do anything and it would still be pretty early. Their flight left early and because Lexi was spending the night at her parents, he told her a time of twenty minutes earlier than their actual flight so she wouldn’t be late; just in case. He’d set his own alarm so he wouldn’t be late either. He locked up, grabbed a taxi to the airport and waited out of the way for his girlfriend to show up. He was just putting his phone in his bag when he glanced around and spotted Lexi walking towards him. A smile spread across his lips as she held out a coffee to him. “No, I lied,” he said grinning. “I told you to be here twenty minutes early,” he added with a shrug, taking a tentative sip of the hot drink. “Hello,” he said, leaning down to give his girlfriend a proper kiss. “Come on, this way,” he said, stepping back and walking with her to the baggage check.

Tag || Lexi!
Words || 792
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3!

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi felt foolish for worrying so much, but she just couldn’t seem to help it. After all the tales Denver had told her about his family and his home she knew that they wouldn’t be the kind to judge; not like the people she was used to. Still, the nerves remained and she could only hope that they’d go away before they arrived in Corner Brook. The last thing Lexi wanted was to arrive looking like she was about to be sick and rambling on like she always did when her nerves got the better of her. The one comfort she took in the hours she was awake before the airport was that she was a confident flyer; there was no anxiety there!

She was clueless about most of the trip. She had the stories and the little bits of information from Denver, and she had spent a few hours on Google herself so that she didn’t arrive looking like it was her first time out of the city. In reality though, this trip would be her nodding along with whatever Denny suggested. She wanted to see everything and do the things he loved the most, even if they weren’t what she’d usually find herself choosing to do on vacation. Denny just brought that out in her; a more adventurous side of the girl who had once only found her adventures in the pages of books.

Seeing Denver did enough to turn some of those nerves back into excitement and his kiss silenced the worries for a perfect second. “It’s a good job; I needed the coffee run.”

[/color] She said, flashing him a small smile before following him towards the baggage check, making sure she had everything she needed in the bag she had thrown over her shoulder. She had, obviously, checked it before she left the house, but another look now would just put a small part of her mind at ease. With everything in place there she let Denver sort them out at the desk, her mind still dragging her back to the knot in the stomach and the nerves still bubbling away beneath the surface as she toyed with her hair.

Once everything was checked in and sorted, Lexi took Denny’s free hand and walked close to his side, following whatever direction he took her in. Her mind was too hectic to think about the usual JFK protocol right now, so she’d just leave all of that in his capable hands. “So, how excited are you to be going home?”[/color] Nudging him playfully, Lexi grinned up at him before sipping at the remains of her coffee. She already knew the answer, but it was cute when Denver got excited about something and it might have been just what she needed to forget her nerves. They were starting to ease now that she was in Denver’s company, but she knew better than to think they’d vanish altogether before she actually met his family.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 532!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

There was a lot of travel involved in going back home for a couple weeks. It still confused him that he had to go so far away from his home just to get there in the first place. Why JFK didn’t have a straight flight into St. John’s, Denver didn’t have the faintest clue. But he also didn’t care either. It didn’t matter how long it took to get him there, if it was a straight out couple hours or the five it was going to take, not including the two layovers they were going to have. He’d planned it out exactly. None of the flights served food but by the time they touched down again in Toronto for the ninety minutes they were there could be filled with picking at things in the small shops and grabbing some breakfast since it would be about nine, maybe nine thirty when they landed. Then it was back up in the air just to land with enough time to get from the gate they landed at to the one they needed to board at. And then shortly after that, they would be touching down for the last time and Sarah would be waiting with her car to load up and take them home for their two weeks away.

He didn’t actually have much planned since Corner Brook was always changing and he never quite knew what was around when he got back in town. For sure he wanted to take her around the sites, show her the Man in the Mountain and see if she can spot him all by herself. And of course, there were the forests surrounding the rather big city they could explore like he had when he’d been a teenager. From there, though, he’d left their time in his hometown pretty open in case there was something Lexi wanted to do. He was positive his mother and sister would want to steal her away for a shopping trip to the handful on strip malls and the big mall around the city. Plus, as far as Denver could tell, Sarah and Megan knew where all the good, girly shops were. There was no doubt in the young doctor’s mind that the three women would come back with a truck load of new baubles and things. When his mother shopped, she didn’t do so lightly.

Denver smiled, pressing a quick kiss to the top of Lexi’s head. “You’re going to be fine. They’re going to love you. Sarah’s already said she wants to steal you away. That I would probably be the most worried about. Lord knows what that little monster will ask of you,” he said, teasingly. At the baggage check, Denver dealt with everything showing the tickets and getting the information for the proper gate. Once that was all set and done, Denver took Lexi’s hand in his now free one and continued walking with her towards the gated area. One more check and they were through and ready to board. He’d made sure they had plenty of time to get to the gate, probably even having enough time to sit for a spell before their flight was called. Denver’s smile was playful and held the boyish charms he still possessed. “I can’t wait,” he said honestly, getting more excited the closer they were to landing in Deer Lake. At the next check, Denver chucked his empty coffee cup, put his bag on the conveyor belt, took off his watch, the bracelet Sarah had given him for his birthday three years before and the necklace she’d given him the following Christmas and put them all in one of the bins to go through the x-ray machine before walking through the metal detectors. Having cleared, he put his things back on and tossed his bag over his shoulder once again. “Our gate is just up there a bit,” he said once Lexi was back at his side and he continued to lead them forward.

Tag || Lexi!
Words || 665
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3!

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi had a feeling she’d be asleep for most of the time they were in the air for. Last night had been a disastrous attempt to rest and she didn’t want to be half asleep and yawning by the time she got to meet Denver’s family. For now she had her coffee to help keep that at bay, but it was only a temporary fix and she needed to get some sleep unless she wanted to mimic a zombie in a few hours. Lexi had left Denver to take care of times and their flight gates, which considering how distracted her mind was right now, was probably a very good thing! Plus, she could see how excited he was to be going home and every time she asked a question about their travel plans, he just seemed to light up like a little boy on Christmas morning; she found it adorable.

Her nerves were calming a little now and Denver’s words helped even more. There was still a nervous excitement that she knew probably wouldn’t go away until late in the day, but it was better than the feelings of anxiety that had kept her awake the night before. “I hope so.”

[/color] She whispered with a small nod of her head before chuckling lightly. “I suppose that all depends on what you’ve told her.”[/color] She teased, though she was looking forward to meeting the girl Denver had spoken so much about since they’d met. After the stories she had heard and the conversations in which Sarah’s name had been mentioned, Lexi was keen to spend some actual time with his little sister. She wanted to see all the sights and hear all of his stories, but a big part of her did want to win Sarah over. Denny could say that she already had, but Lexi wanted to give the girl a chance to know her beyond the tales Denver must’ve told her already.

They moved through the airport easily enough and at the security checkpoint, Lexi cursed herself for wearing such a fiddly necklace and then she nearly tripped over trying to fix her shoe quickly enough, but it was relatively straightforward and she had a smile on her face when she slipped her hand back in Denver’s and settled her bag on her shoulder again. “I might be stealing your shoulder on this flight.”[/color] She warned him playfully as she leaned in closer to his side. Her dark eyes made a note of the gate and the boarding times on the screen, but she didn’t really need to; Denver had all the information they needed and they weren’t rushing to board the plane yet. “I’m happy you invited me home with you.”[/color] A smile crossed her lips and she kissed his cheek. She knew that she had told him as much already, even on the morning he asked her, but she felt like saying it again now. Looking around it appeared as though they still had a bit of time left before their flight was to be called. There were people sitting around, but not comfortably enough that it suggested a long waiting spell. Soon enough she saw the staff moving around the gate and getting ready to start calling the passengers up.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 584!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

It had been a while since Denver went home. It was a lot of money to fly, and more to drive the distance. It was easier for his family to visit him in the end, and even then Sarah was the only one to make a return trip. She loved New York and in another year or so would probably be begging her big brother for the spare room in his apartment that already had her name on it. Sarah had been talking about moving to New York for school since Denver went. And Denny was excited at the idea of having his baby sister around more often. He wasn’t like other big brothers. He wanted to protect Sarah, but also knew he couldn’t. So, he was available when she needed to talk. He was allowed to make his own mistakes, and Sarah was allowed to have that same right. And he hadn’t seen him mom since the last trip he’d made home a couple years back. They spoke constantly, but he only saw her online after Sarah taught her how to use Skype.

“Horrible things,” Denver teased. He knew he couldn’t stop gushing about Lexi. It probably got on his poor baby sister’s nerves how much he went on about her. But like he pointed out when she said something sly, she asked, he was only answering the millions of questions she had running through that head of hers. Sarah wouldn’t have asked so many questions if Lexi had meant much to her big brother. But, because he really couldn’t stop bringing her up in conversation, it was obvious that this wasn’t just smitten, he was very much taken with the New Yorker. Denver was a little nervous about Sarah and Lexi spending time together. There were a lot of stories in his seventeen years before he’d packed up and moved. Of those, the doctor wasn’t sure how much Sarah remembered but there was quite a bit.

Denver hated airports. There were just too many people around in fairly cramped spaces. The waiting areas opened up well enough but the halls and the lines for checkpoints weren’t as spacious. He wasn’t the biggest fan of flying either but it was the fastest way to getting home and with Lexi along for the trip this time, he was hoping his jitters wouldn’t show as much. “That’s alright. It’s not much of a flight. The next will be longer,” he said, shaking his head. The first was barely ninety minutes, the second a little over two hours and the third a little over an hour. He was hoping they’d make good time but he wasn’t holding his breath. “I’m just happy you agreed to come with me. It would have been a lonely two weeks without you,” he said playfully, stealing another quick kiss. Denver took the few minutes they had before they airline staff started boarding the plan to give Lexi her ticket and boarding pass. “Careful with that or you won’t make it out of Toronto,” he said, continuing to tease the brunette in his arms. Shortly, the announcements called their flight for all passengers and Denver lead Lexi to the door, showing tickets and such as they went. Inside the plane the flight attendant directed them to the correct side of the plane for their seats and Denny lead the way there as well, taking Lexi’s bag from her to stow in the overhead compartments before taking his seat and Lexi’s hand. "Here we go," he said, lifting Lexi's hand to his lips.

Tag || Lexi!
Words || 595
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3!

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi didn’t know what it was like to be so far away from her family for so long. The longest time she had spent on her own, unable to just drive around and visit them had been the summer in the rehab clinic, far outside of New York City. The city was her home though and she had never wanted to permanently move away from the bright lights and skyscrapers. Her family had been overprotective for as long as she could remember, especially after they had found out her secret. Lexi was really only being trusted to live her own life now and there were days with her sisters when she could happily go some time without seeing them, but she didn’t have it in her to live outside of New York and so far away from everything she knew and trusted.

Brushing the dark strands of hair from her face, Lexi smiled up at the handsome Canadian. “Are there any other kind of tales to tell?”

[/color] She said with a dramatic sigh, going along with the teasing joke Denver had started. The petite brunette really hoped that she would make a good impression on this trip; she didn’t want to seem like some stereotypical New Yorker who was stealing the good-natured doctor away. Her own family had only said good things about Denver so far, and she hoped his would be the same with her after they had met and gotten to known her a little better than whatever “horrible things” Denver had told them. “I wonder what she’ll have to say about you.”[/color] Lexi couldn’t hide the smile on her lips as she teased her boyfriend.

Flying actually didn’t bother Lexi. For as long as she could remember the family vacations had involved airports, planes and dealing with the ever changing security routines. Maybe if she wasn’t so used to it she’d feel a little nervous, but flying was just one of those things that Lexi didn’t really think about or allow to worry her. “I’ll try and keep you company on that one.”[/color] She said with a small laugh, squeezing his hand lightly. So long as she managed to get an hour or two to sleep, she should be alright to make it through the rest of the day with just a caffeine fix and nerves. “And there you go being charming again.”[/color] She smiled against his lips and then looked up at him with a twinkle in her dark eyes. “I’m sure you would’ve been kept busy without me.”[/color] She was excited to see everything Denver loved most, wanting to be able to understand his tales a little better by seeing it all for herself. “And you’re abandoning me there? Is this the real plan?”[/color] Lexi made sure to put everything safely in the separate zip section of her bag so that she couldn’t forget or damage it along the journey.

On board the aircraft, Lexi smiled when Denver took her bag, knowing full well that her own attempt to do it would just leave the other passengers with an amusing view of a small history graduate stretching out, up on her toes, to try and get her bag into the overhead with ease. Smiling, she bit her lip as the pink blush flooded her cheeks. It was only something as small as kissing her hand, but Lexi adored it so much that it still brought the colour to her face. “I’m looking forward to it.”[/color] She said honestly, feeling those butterflies returning as the rest of the passengers boarded and the voice of the captain came over the system. Soon enough, the wheels were turning and the plane was taking its position on the runway. She rested her head on Denver’s shoulder, only meaning to do it for a few seconds in an affectionate manner, but it seemed like the sandman had other ideas. The plane was barely in the air before Lexi’s eyes were closed and her dreams were pulling her away from reality.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 677!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denny had been planning this vacation for a while now. He had wanted Lexi to come along with him but he hadn’t been able to figure out the right way to tell her. And then they spent the night together and he decided the next morning while he was cooking breakfast that the best way to ask her was to just come right out and say it. But he hadn’t wanted to just ask, as mean as it sounded, he wanted a small reaction so he’d said it exactly as he had for a reason. To see the worry and more importantly the relief that flooded those dazzling dark eyes. Denny didn’t enjoy being so far away from his family; he missed them quite a bit actually. But it was something he’d had to do. And with healthcare being ridiculous in any part of Canada, there was no way he would find a job in his own country without having attended a school there. But he was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason and his reason for New York in the long run had been Lexi.

“Occasionally, but those I wouldn’t share with my sister,” he said, wiggling his brows suggestively in a very overdramatic manner. Even though the siblings were close, it was only Sarah that expressed every detail of her life. Denver only gave her advice and if it was really needed a tale of his own but that was only if he’d had the same, or close enough to it, experience. “Ahh, those stories are going to be a hundred times worse than the ones I told her,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know how much Sarah was going to tell Lexi about his teenage years. Probably nothing she didn’t already know because he was an open book about his past. Those things happened, they were done and the chance of them happening again was slim to none. The story he was most concerned about was the one about his father. Sarah didn’t have much of a filter when it came to telling people what she considered public knowledge or secrets, or anything at all really. And Denver hadn’t actually told Lexi that the man she was about to meet wasn’t technically speaking his father. The man she was going to meet taught him how to ride a bike, drive, rock climb and snowboard, but they didn’t share the same DNA. That story was too hard for Denver to talk about, despite it happening when he was still a baby.

Denny shook his head, smiling down at Lexi. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly. It didn’t matter if she slept through all the airtime. If she did, she wouldn’t see him with the jitters. At the hospital, he knew what he was doing, he was confident there. But in the air, he just did not like it as much. He knew everything would be fine but that didn’t stop him from knowing they were travelling through the air, so far from the solid ground. He liked having that ground under his feet. His grin was wicked, but he didn’t say anything. He liked making Lexi blush, the colour in her cheeks was cute. He chuckled at her words, nodding. “Yeah, I would have been kept busy alright, carting Sarah around so she can show off the doctor,” he said, rolling his eyes. She had done the last time he’d visited home a few years back. He’d gotten his snowboarding in, since he’d surprised his mom for Christmas, but that was pretty much all he’d done. The rest of his time was spent driving Sarah to this place and that, saying hi to her friends and intimidating the boy she liked; though that was just for him.

Denver turned to say something to Lexi about the movies available for the trip when he saw she was asleep. He chuckled shaking his head, chose one at random he’d been meaning to watch and settled in for the fairly short trip. He thought she’d wake up once, when the flight attendant came around offering drinks but she hadn’t. He ordered a soda, not even wanting to try the coffee they’d have on. The credits were rolling when the captain came over the system to go through the usual routine before they landed. Happy they’d be on the ground soon for an hour at least, he turned carefully shaking Lexi’s arm as he kissed the top of her head. “Rise and shine, Hon. We’re about ready to land,” he said, close to her ear. Soon one flight would be out of their way and then they could grab a hopefully half decent breakfast, though he was leaning more towards a quick bagel and more coffee.

Tag || Lexi!
Words || 806
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3!

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi had avoided thinking about the summer until after her graduation. She did want to relax and enjoy the months of doing very little without fussing and worrying about plans, but it wasn’t something that came naturally to the petite brunette. She was just too used to letting her thoughts run a mile a minute to keep her from growing anxious over petty things. The morning when Denny had asked her on this trip her imagination had ran away for a short moment to a world of horrors and worries, but it had quickly returned to the now with a flash of a smile and a whirlwind of butterflies. She wanted to see everything he thought to be important and meet the people closest to him. There wasn’t another man out there like Denver and Lexi didn’t want to take a moment of the time she spent with him for granted; he simply meant to much to her.

She bit back the grin and shook her head, shooting Denver a look before playfully falling into his side. “You’re terrible; handsome, but terrible.”

[/color] She joked, stealing a quick kiss from her boyfriend. Lexi loved these moments when they could just act completely silly together and, if it was possible, she fell a little harder for the charming doctor every single time it happened. “Ah, I see. Then I look forward to them. It’s about time I got some dirt on you.”[/color] There was a devilish smirk playing on her lips and a twinkle in her dark eyes to match. She already heard plenty of tales from Denver’s past when they were just hanging out together and sharing stories, but those stories would probably be entirely different from someone else’s perspective. Her own family hadn’t given away their versions of some of Lexi’s more embarrassing moments yet, but then they probably hadn’t had the chance to either. Once they did she expected that Denny would have a few more points to add to the list of things he could playfully tease her about.

She shrugged her right shoulder softly and then looked up at Denver. “You’re her big brother; isn’t one of your duties to cart her about?”[/color] She asked with a small laugh. Lexi had driven herself about once she had the licence and the car to go with it, but then her sisters were never reliable for playing taxi and she had never liked mithering her dad all the time for a ride to the cinema or to go shopping. “And I bet she likes showing you off when she can. I haven’t even met her yet and I can see how proud she is of you.”[/color] Just from the stories and the phone calls Denver shared with her had been enough for Lexi to notice that. She had also noticed that it was a feeling that went the opposite way, too and she had realised how proud Denny was of the younger girl by the time they had parted ways that afternoon of their first impromptu date.

Lexi didn’t even remember falling asleep. Once her eyes were closed that seemed to be it and the young historian was finally able to rest after a night of nervous worrying. Clearly she needed it more than she had first thought, because nothing could disturb her throughout the first flight and by the time Denver was waking her up, she had forgotten that they were on a plane entirely. At first, her lips twitched upwards into a small smile and she reached across to hug him close, thinking they were tucked up in bed. As the fog lifted she began to remember though and it took a few seconds of blinking to clear her vision before she sat up straight again, covering her mouth as she yawned. “We’re landing already?”[/color] She was still feeling a little disorientated after her deep nap, glancing around the cabin sleepily, but as the wheels touched down she felt a little more like herself; she just needed a caffeinated pick-me up to finish the job off.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 720!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

With his job being what it was, Denver had to plan in advance. A couple months were best but he could manage with weeks. As it was this trip had been planned for a while now and when he’d asked Lexi to join him, it had been the final piece of the puzzle. His mom and sister were excited to meet Lexi and he was just relieved she’d said yes. It wasn’t just because Sarah was nagging to meet her big brother’s girlfriend; though it was a small factor. She was a persistent sixteen year old and even more annoying than little sisters usually were. He really wanted Lexi to meet them both, and his stepdad if he wasn’t off on business. He wanted her to see where he grew up, where he used to hang out as a kid. Denny knew Lexi was bound to be nervous about meeting his family, he was nervous about meeting hers. But he knew his family; they would do anything they could to make sure she felt welcome, a part of the family. He wanted so badly for this trip to be a smooth one.

Denver felt more like a teenager with Lexi around. He teased and taunted playfully, looking for a reaction from his girlfriend. He wanted to treat her right; she was special to him and joking, for him showed his affection. He liked how she blushed when he complimented her, like she didn’t quite believe his words. It made him more determined to get her to believe him when he said she was stunning, breathtaking, and beautiful. “I can’t always be a stereotype,” he said, chuckling, stealing another quick kiss. He really couldn’t get enough of Lexi. If he’d known when he first met her how quickly he would become attached, he would have laughed, and shook it off. But now he knew differently, he was very taken with the pretty historian. Denny rolled his eyes at the thought of his sister spilling so deep, dark secret of his. “I’m sure there isn’t anything you don’t already know but she’ll gladly tell you it all again and again until you want to throw her in the pool out back,” he said laughing at the memories of doing that himself at least a dozen times. He leaned back after a thought, as if sizing Lexi up. "You could take her, if you really need to toss her," he added, grinning wickedly.

“Not anymore. She can drive, she can do it herself,” he said, shaking his head. He hadn’t minded all that much, driving Sarah around when he was home. It was good to spend some time with her when he couldn’t living in New York. But when he’s only around for two weeks and barely gets a chance to see his old friends, catch up and maybe take a weekend with the guys in St. John’s and do the pub crawl of George Street. This trip wasn’t about catching up, though he was sure someone would find out he was back home for a visit and stop by. This trip was about showing Lexi around and maybe a little bit of showing her off because he didn’t think he deserved such an incredible girl. He still wasn’t sure how he was able to call her his. But he would do everything he possibly could to keep her in his life. Denny shrugged, passing it all off. When they were younger, before Denny had gone off to New York for school, it had been just him and Sarah a lot of the time. Their mom worked early hours and their father did too much travelling for work. A few times, he had taken the family with him but those “family vacations” weren’t as much fun without him around to share in the fun but only to hear the stories of his kids’ day afterward when it was all said and done. “That pride works both ways,” he said casually enough. There was just as much pride for his sister, knowing she was well on her to way accomplishing anything she wanted.

Denver didn’t mind flying so much as the take of and landing. Once he was in the air, he could breathe easy again. He declined the pillow for himself since he wasn’t tired, he was too nervous and excited to be tired but he did accept a blanket for the sleeping beauty curled up next to him. The flight was quick though and smooth. Before he could do much of anything, it seemed they were landing. Luckily, Lexi was easy to wake up. “We are,” he said, leaning over to steal a light kiss. [color=25a99b“One down, two to go,”

[/color] he added after the pilot’s voice came over the intercom letting everyone on board now the weather. Standing, Denver retrieved their carry-ons and held out his hand for Lexi. Exiting the plane was painless and Denny had a polite smile in place for the flight attendants, but no words; he just wanted off the plane.

Moving through Customs was a mild annoyance and then only because Denny was getting hungry and hadn’t trusted the coffee onboard. Once through though, Denver took Lexi’s hand again, bring their entwined fingers up to his lips. “We won’t be here too much longer. Enough time to get something to eat and drink our weight in coffee before we’re boarding again,” he joked, though that was exactly what happened. They found a coffee place near their terminal, ordered their food. Denny had barely finished his coffee before the faceless voice of a boarding lady came through; letting the passengers of their flight now they were about to board once again. “And now for the halfway flight,” he said chuckling before draining his takeaway cup and tossing it in the trash can nearest them.
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Tag || Lexi!
Words || 974
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3![/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Lexi’s life had never been void of plans. Ever since she was a little girl there was always something going on, whether it was a fancy dinner, visitors she was supposed to remember but didn’t or some fundraiser where she had to sit and behave politely. Even when she got older there were still family vacations, theatre trips and school assignments to keep her busy. It felt odd waking up the day after graduation with the tiniest of hangovers and being left with empty pages in her organiser. Still, Lexi had been making the most of it, knowing there were plenty of people out in the world who would kill for this kind of freedom. Still, she felt like she ought to be doing something and sometimes she felt uneasy when people were talking about how busy their days had been when she had only been to the gym, bought some necessary bits and had her hair cut. It would all change soon enough, she knew that, and the busy lifestyle she had been used to since before college would be back again. For now, her mind had been occupied with the thoughts of this trip, meeting Denver’s family and making a good impression; she just didn’t want them to be disappointed in her or hate her when she was completely crazy about their son and brother.

There were very few people in the world that could make Lexi laugh and joke the way Denver could. She had never had that with her ex-boyfriends and none of them had made her relax the way the young doctor could without even trying. Most of the time their silly conversations and jokes were more than enough to keep her smiling, but then he’d do or say something that would render her speechless and all she could do was respond with a loving kiss. She’d never had this kind of relationship before and Lexi didn’t want to lose it. “What a shame.”

[/color] She teased with a fake sigh of disappointment before curling closer to Denny’s side. She might have been tired, but Lexi was unable to hide the smile dancing on her lightly glossed lips. He brought all of this out of her, even when she was trying to remain composed and proper; though her mom had pointed as much out in the post-ball talk that had come with the girly lunch later in the week. “Ah, but sisters always remember the little bits you try to forget. An innocent story I already know might be completely different from her point of view.”[/color] She joked, plotting to at least keep Denver guessing a little after she had spent some time with Sarah. The laugh that escaped her lips was louder than she had intended and she had to take a moment to control her giggles before she looked up at her boyfriend with amused brown eyes. “I couldn’t take the spider in my bathroom the other morning, so I doubt I’ll be taking your sister.”[/color] Lexi had sleepily caught sight of the eight-legged beast in her mirror when she went to brush her teeth and had screamed before rushing back out of the room and slamming the door behind her.

Giving Denver a knowing look, she nudged his side and smirked. “Yet, if she asked, you’d say yes.”[/color] She might not have seen Denver and Sarah together yet, but the brotherly love he had for her was impossible to miss. Hell, it was one of the first things she had noticed about him after their initial meeting and she had realised how handsome he was. She had definitely drifted apart from her own siblings, but it had always seemed inevitable. They were very different people and Lexi still found herself uncomfortable around Chelsea after their fight from months ago. They didn’t speak about it, but it was obvious and while she could talk to and be around her older sister, the trust had definitely taken a blow. Still, the four of them had lunch every other week and spontaneous shopping trips happened; they just didn’t share everything with each other or rely on each other like they did when they were younger. Lexi knew though, if she needed them, the three of them would be there in a heartbeat. It was just the way the lives of the Ryanne girls had planned out. “So I noticed.”[/color] She flashed Denver an affectionate smile before pressing her lips to his jaw softly.

Lexi was accustomed to flying and when she had been a little girl, her dad had made it into some great adventure for them so his daughters wouldn’t be fidgety or nervous about being in the air. These days she didn’t think twice about it and sleeping through a flight only surprised her this time because of how quickly her mind seemed to shut down after spending all night torturing her with horrible “what if…” scenarios. As Denny grabbed their carry-ons, Lexi took a moment to stretch out and wake herself up a little more before taking his hand and following him from the plane, stifling another yawn.

After the tedium of customs, Lexi let out a soft sigh in appreciation at the mention of coffee. “I will run away with the man who gives me coffee right now.”[/color] She mumbled with a tired smile, needing the caffeinated pick-me-up to perk her mind up after the deep and much needed nap on the plane. She took a large blueberry and oat muffin, too, to settle the cries of her stomach. “I’m awake; let’s do this.”[/color] She said, draining the remainder of her coffee before grinning up at Denver. Lexi felt much better now, even with the nervous butterflies still fluttering.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 999!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Growing up, there weren’t many plans that didn’t revolve around some sort of adventure. The winter vacations the family took were always to some place where the powder was fresh or the water was clear. Winters were the only time of the year his father knew he could get the time off, so it was that time of the year when they got away from the day to day of Corner Brook. And the summers were reserved for sports and camping out with friends. There weren’t enough days in the summer or hours in those days to do everything they all wanted to do. But growing up, they’d made it all work. Denver tried being home during the weeks to spend some time with his sister before they both went to friends for the day and were lucky if they made it home before dinner.

“I wouldn’t be any fun at all if I were always that sweet, good ol’ Canadian boy,” he joked, wrapping his arm around Lexi, holding her closer. Denny shook his head, just picturing what Sarah would come up with. “You mean sister’s always make up the little bits.” Denny had lost could how many times Sarah and extended the truth of a tale when she retold it. By the time she was done spreading it to all her friends, it wasn’t even close to what happened half the time. At least, that’s what it was like she was young. She’d gotten better, but Denver still wasn’t sure how much of the stories she told others were completely true. The siblings had learned early on that there would be no stretching the truth with each other. Denver would answer any questions Sarah had but she had to tell him exactly what happened, no adding anything or taking anything away because she feared he would be mad. [color=25a99b“Hmm, you’re probably right. She’s far more intimidating than a tiny little creepy crawly,”

[/color] he teased.

Denver nodded, chuckling. “It would probably be the only way I’d get access to a car, so yes, yes I would,” he said, thinking his words were just about true. If his father wasn’t home, they could take his car around but if he was, Sarah’s ride would be the only one available to him. He’d checked into maybe renting a car for the time they were going to be there, but his mother would kill him if she knew he spend money on a rental when there were cars in the drive. Despite being nearly eight years apart, the Sawyer siblings got along well. Denny had been old enough when Sarah was born to understand what was happening. He was a big brother, he had to protect his little sister and take care of her. And since he was eight years old, his little sister came first for him. He was a helpful big brother, getting bottles and diapers, getting blankets and collecting the toys from the ground. He worried when his sister was six and had to have her tonsils removed. “That bad, huh?” he said, smiling.

Adjusting the bags on his shoulder better, Denny raised their joined hands up to press a light kiss to Lexi’s fingers. “Then I guess I better find somewhere quickly, or you’ll be taken away by the next passing stranger,” he said, continuing the joke. Denny sighed, going through the process yet again to boarding the plane. This was only the second of three flights but already he was finished with the process and tedium of it all. Unfortunately, there had been no non-stop or even one stop flights straight into Newfoundland so the two stop trip they were taking now was the only option for them. On the plane, he stowed their carry-ons and got comfortable for another flight lasting a little over an hour before a very quick stop. If all things went as planned for this flight, they would touch down in St. John’s just long enough to switch flights and be on the final leg of the trip. He sat, starting to get anxious as the flight attendants and the pilots went through the usual talk and the plane started to move. “One more to cross off the list,” he said, more to keep his mind off the takeoff than anything else.
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Tag || Lexi!
Words || 720
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3![/size]

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

Despite the busy lives led by all of the Ryanne family members, they still had to be around the dinner table each evening when the meal was served. If someone wasn’t there then they better have a damn good excuse by the time Heath Ryanne found them. He felt that it was important to teach his daughters the importance of family, even if they all had different opinions on everything else. No one could avoid family vacations or trips and everyone had to be present for certain events unless they were confined to their beds on medical grounds and the man would call a doctor in to make sure the claim was legitimate. Lexi didn’t mind any of it; it was just how she had been raised and in the world she was from the Ryannes were a closer family than most, even with the troubles of her own past.

Smirking, Lexi was just about to nod when another thought flooded her mind and turned her small smirk into an affectionate smile before she tilted her head enough to look up at Denver. “But if you weren’t him at all then I never would have sent that text.”

[/color] She quietly pointed out with a soft blush heating her cheeks. Laughing, she shrugged and looked thoughtful, remembering the moments when she had done that to her own sisters. Usually it was in an act of revenge whenever someone had borrowed a skirt without asking or had interfered in her life when she had asked them not to. “But those are the best bits.”[/color] Once high school was over and Lexi had distanced herself from the world of high society drama she had been less likely to use such an attack on her older siblings, but it had definitely proven useful during their younger years when stories and reputations could mean everything. At the mention of Sarah again this time, Lexi felt those nervous butterflies reappear. “And now I feel like a tiny creepy crawly.”[/color] It was a slight exaggeration, but she still felt ridiculously nervous about meeting the family Denver was so close to, despite the miles between himself and them.

Letting out a warm laugh, Lexi shook her head and flicked her hair from her eyes. “I’m sure that’s the only reason. She teased, sticking her tongue out and bumping shoulders with her taller boyfriend. When it had come to cars, parking and garages, her dad had actually extended on the family home to make sure there was a secure garage for the girls to park their cars as they reached the age to earn their licences. The man clung to the passenger seat as though his life depended on it whenever they drove him anywhere, but that was just the man’s sense of humour and manner of teasing his grown up daughters who didn’t fall for most of his tricks and stories these days. “’Bad’ isn’t the word I’d use.”[/color] It was one of his traits that Lexi adored; she smiled each time he had a story about his sister to tell.

A grin crossed her lips and she nodded her head as though she could very well run off with anyone so long as they had a cup of Lexi’s favourite coffee in their hand, just waiting for her to step off the plane. “Mmhm. And it would be a shame; I do kinda like you.”[/color] The petite brunette couldn’t keep the smile off her lips as she dragged out the joke a little further, though she was smiling mostly because of how casually they played it out. In reality she would’ve been seriously freaked out if anyone other than Denny or the barista she ordered a coffee from handed it to her! In the past, Lexi had been on her fair share of one stop flights, but it didn’t make the process of customs, baggage checks and security searches any more fun. If she wasn’t a bundle of nerves and excitement about this trip then it would probably show more. Lexi settled into her seat on this plane and crossed her legs, turning slightly so that she was leaning a little closer to Denver. “Hey, you’re nearly home now. And then I’m sure all this tedium will be worth it.”[/color] She reached out for his hand, entwining her fingers with his and stealing a quick kiss.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 771!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Denver Gage Sawyer]

Denver wouldn’t go so far as to say his entire family was close. His mother tried to get them all to sit down for dinner through the week but with sports, after school activities and friends, they were lucky if they ate in the same hour, let alone together. Sunday dinner was not allowed to be missed though, unless there was some sort of class trip that held them over the weekend or Tony’s job had him away. Everything else was pretty much up in the air. If you didn’t make it home, there was a plate of leftovers with your name on it to eat. When he got older, and he knew he had the scholarship, Denver tried being home for dinner as much as he could because soon enough he wouldn’t get the chance to be with his family for months on end. Those first four years were easy to get through knowing he was going home at the end of the semester and almost every break. He spent a couple spring breaks living it up with friends in the sunshine like the rest of the college world, but all the other breaks he would spend a day in airport after airport to get home. After college, it was harder to get home. He had crazy hours and hardly any time at all to sleep let alone get home for even a long weekend. Coming to the end of his residency now, it would get easier once again to visit home.

“True enough,” he said, stealing a kiss because he could. Lexi was too damn cute when she blushed; he was always looking for an excuse to show her just how much he cared. Denver grinned shaking his head. “You’re da baby. I’d bet money you got away wit’ ‘alf of it while you’re sisters got yelled at,” he said, nudging Lexi playfully. Thankfully in his case, Sarah hadn’t gotten away with everything she’d told, but there had been enough that people believed that had them all looking at Denver like he’d somehow managed to grow another head over night. It was probably why no one batted an eyelash when he’d told his mother he was, for lack of a better term back then, experimenting. Though that relationship, if he could even call it that had only lasted a couple weeks at most and it was hardly anything to write home about. And in the end Denver could say honestly that he wasn’t into it but could still appreciate both genders physical attributes. His poor mother nearly died laughing when she forced him to sit down and talk about everything, which naturally had Denver turning a new and very bright shade of red. “Ah, you’ll be fine. You’ve already got Sarah’s vote and mom’s just going to be thankful you managed to get me to come home,” he teased, knowing his mother would just adore the pretty historian to bits.

“It would be,” he said shuddering. “’Er friends stare,” he added, honestly more annoyed than flattered by it all. He felt like their parents should have taught them all better manners. The staring just made them all look ridiculous to Denver, as terrible as that probably sounded. It made him wonder what exactly Sarah told her friends, because the looks he was given were hardly comforting and made him want to squirm. Denny and Sarah were so close because, at least to him, they were so far apart in age. By the time she’d hit this age or that, he’d already lived through it and she could turn to him for advice on it all; it wasn’t like they were going through it all at the same time. It made things a little easier for his sister, though he had never had to deal with the petty fights of teenage girls so, she was out of luck there. But her big brother still had some friends in the area that Sarah could turn to for the girl problems that Denny just couldn’t help with. Denver chuckled, shaking his head. “I may as well be her big sister with all the drama she calls me for,” he said, rolling his eyes. Though he had no experience with any of that, he welcomed the calls from his sister, and the usual dramas that came along with them.

“Well, fancy that. I kinda like you, too,” Denny teased, bumping his shoulder against Lexi’s. He wouldn’t say it out loud but he was pretty certain if that had happened, he wouldn’t just be angry at it all, he’d be heartbroken. Of course, he knew Lexi a little better than that, so the teasing fun of it all just made him chuckle at the what if’s of it all. “It’ll be nice ta see everyone again. I’ve not been ‘ome in a few years now,” He said ruefully, aware how thick his accent was becoming the closer they were to his home. It never really went away but it did dull a bit the longer he was away from home. He didn’t like that he couldn’t go home as often as he’d like. But Sarah showed up on his doorstep at least twice a year while his mom once. And his father, well, he stayed with Denny any time he had business in the city; which was rare enough that it almost never happened at all. In the handful of years that Denver had the apartment he was in now; Tony had only stopped by twice to stay while working. It worked out for them since someone needed to take Duke out while Denver was pulling in those long hours at the hospital.

Tag || Lexi!
Words || 950
Clothes || Canadian Cutie
Music || Better Together -- Ross Lynch
Notes || <3!

[Lexi Piper Ryanne]

The loyalty of the Ryanne siblings really only became noticeable whenever one of them was hurting, or, back in high school, when one of them got screwed over. The girls had their differences and while they did meet up, have lunch and go shopping on a regular basis, Lexi knew they weren’t the first people she would call if she needed to talk to someone. As much as she liked her sisters, they liked to talk more and force themselves into a situation that didn’t necessarily demand their attention. She was the most private of the four and didn’t enjoy them knowing every little detail about her life, especially if she didn’t ask for their advice on a matter. It was why she had kept Denver out of the conversations for the first few weeks; she knew her sisters would try to stick their noses in. They weren’t too bad now that they had met him, but Lexi still rolled her eyes whenever they just had to know what the handsome doctor was texting her about. They might be loyal and there might have been times when the sisters didn’t know what they’d do without each other, but that didn’t stop Lexi wanting to pull their hair at times. Luckily, she had quite a bit of patience and had been raised to hold her tongue!

Laughing hard, Lexi took a second to shake her head and control her giggles, afraid all she would manage was a spluttered reply otherwise. “You’d lose that money! You remember my sisters, right? The second they knew I was behind it I could expect to have my hair pulled and a shirt torn up.”

[/color] Teenage girls knew a level of brutality that would shock so many if they only managed to catch a glimpse of it. “However, it is true that they could never twist tales about me; dad never believed I could be anything less than an angel.”[/color] She hadn’t exactly been a troublemaker, but like most teenagers, Lexi had turned parties into study groups and had done her fair share of concealing the truth from the worrying eyes of her parents. They had jumped to all levels of paranoid at one point, but luckily for her they had relaxed in the last year and didn’t demand phone calls every day or updates on every little thing in Lexi’s life. Her dad still looked wary at so many of Lexi’s harmless tales, but then he was probably never going to get rid of that and he would always want to cast his approval over everything in his youngest daughter’s life. He was a lot more reassured these days that Lexi was alright and enjoying herself, so that could only be a good thing! “I hope so. Although, I should warn you, the last time someone said “you’ll be fine” to me was during a high school production of Romeo and Juliet and I dropped a piece of the set on the head of Tybalt. I panicked and then nearly fainted when I saw his blood and the poor kid got a slight concussion.”[/color] It was the truth, though slightly exaggerated in Lexi’s memory bank. Still, it had been the first and last time she ever helped out with anything of that capacity; she was much safer around textbooks and old lessons of the past.

Lexi shrugged lightly and then coyly looked up at Denver with a soft smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “I can’t say that I blame them…”[/color] She still caught herself staring at the handsome young doctor sometimes, usually admiring something he had said or done. Part of her still wondered how she had managed to find him in a city as crowded as New York and then she asked what had she done to deserve such a wonderful man in her life. She liked to think she kept her staring a little more subtle, but the blush that often flooded her cheeks at the same time was enough of a giveaway if Denny caught it! Still, if she had any way of finding the kids who had misjudged that football throw Lexi would have thanked them! It might have been painful and embarrassing, but without their mistake she might have very well just walked by Denver and Duke and never met them at all. “Well, you could borrow one of my dresses, but the heels you might have to find somewhere else.”[/color] She acted as though she was checking him out for measurements and styles and lasted a good few seconds before her giggles got the best of her.

That rosy blush flooded her cheeks as her smile grew and Lexi pushed herself up onto her toes to claim a sweet kiss from him. “Lucky ol’ me.”[/color] She whispered against his lips before she dropped back to her heels with one more small kiss. Just the thought of leaving Denver was gut-wrenching and joking lightly like this was the closest she could even let herself come to imagining it. Smiling affectionately she squeezed his hand and then playfully flicked his knee. “And soon enough you’ll be acting like you never left.”[/color] She was waiting for his excitement to kick in and for him to hit some energetic peak that she would be unable to keep up with. Lexi didn’t mind about any of that though; so long as Denny was happy and having fun during this trip she would enjoy herself.
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• • •

TAGGED! Denny!
WORDS! 955!
OUTFIT! Airport Cutie!
LYRICS! Terrified - - - Katharine McPhee feat. Zachary Levi
NOTES! <3 <3 <3