Goes Along With You • •

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget laughed warmly, shaking her head. “It’s the least I could do,” she said, grinning. She had known once she saw the bike that he would have left at least a couple days beforehand to get to Nevada. Which also meant that this little surprise trip hadn’t been quite as spontaneous as he let on. But she hadn’t thought it was anything quite so confessional. She always joked if they were in Nevada at the same time, she would show him around the good places that all the locals kept to themselves. But their vacations and time off never really coincided together for a long enough time for that to happen so it was always just a thought. Still, she didn’t think that was the reason behind this visit; not that she cared either way. She had missed Dylan, even though she’d only been gone about a week now. She missed calling over after he’d come home from work or wherever to just talk and annoy.

As much as Bridget disliked dwelling on the past, it couldn’t completely be helped. And she was okay with that. She never forgot what happened to her, she never wanted to feel that way again or go down the same paths, but she could also let it go at the same time. Now those years were just another chapter in the book. But she was glad that Dylan told her what almost happened that morning. It didn’t stop her mind from just imagining where things would have gone if she hadn’t had quite so much to drink the night before. But then if she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have mixed up the keys and she would have found her way to her own bed and not her neighbours.

Her words didn’t mean much; not if they turned out to be empty, but she didn’t know if they would be. Her heart stopped about the same time her breath caught and Dylan was an inch away. Her eyes went unfocused as he drew closer and his words had them snapping into focus once again and looking across at him blankly. She nearly lost her balance moving to her feet. Sitting was good; sitting meant her legs wouldn’t turn to jelly. She followed him down to the small space in front of the screen, watched as he moved to the side and the collection kept there. She was confused, she had no idea what was happening now, when a minute ago things were perfectly clear. And when they started dancing to the soundtrack of whatever movie she’d put on, her mind seemed to wake up again, making her laugh at the ridiculousness of the moment. And wasn’t it just so completely Dylan do to such a thing? It reminded her of the last time they danced like this together. The ball seemed too long ago and yet it seemed like only a couple days had passed. Smiling, Bridget spun out and back in leaning against Dylan’s chest and her breath caught once again as his lips touched her cool skin. Her breath was practically nonexistent looking up as Dylan tilted her chin.

When he did stop the torture of anticipation, Bridget was putty and had to curl her free hand over Dylan’s shoulder to keep herself steady. It had always been obvious that there was chemistry between them, there was no way they could get along as well as they did without it but neither had acted upon it. And now here they were acting on it and Bridget couldn’t see a reason why they shouldn’t; reality was definitely a hell of a lot better than anything she could have ever come up with. A smile curved her lips when Dylan pulled away at the unbelievable feeling coursing through entire body. “Whoa,” she whispered a little breathlessly, not even aware at first that she even spoke.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 649
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Dylan folded his arms across his chest and acted as though he was studying Bridget. “It’s humour like that which makes me think you don’t want your surprise.”

[/color] He teased, hinting at one of the other reasons why he was here. He couldn’t remember the initial reasoning behind coming to Vegas. Everything else had just piled up in the pros column the second he negotiated his boss into giving him the time off from the hospital. Sure, he’d probably be roped into some horrible holiday shifts until the year was out, but Dylan honestly thought that it would be worth it, and so far there had been nothing to convince him otherwise.

The Irishman didn’t have the faintest idea that any of this would happen when he had first planned this trip. All he had imagined was arriving, spending time with Bridget and then surprising her with the tickets in his bag. Never in a million years did he think they’d be confessing the kind of things that could make or break a relationship, and he probably would have laughed or had a sarcastic quip ready the second that anyone suggested the very idea of it. Dylan wasn’t one for shying away, especially not when all the cards were on the table, but he still had needed a moment this time to make sure that he had all of his thoughts together. Somehow, he couldn’t quite believe, for just a second, that any of this was happening. He thought he would wake up with the sound of his alarm screeching at him and the scampering of paws rushing to make sure that the alarm had done its job.

He couldn’t hide the smile on his lips and a low chuckle escaped at Bridget’s verbal response from their kiss. “That’s one way to put it.”[/color] He whispered, raising his eyes to meet hers. Sliding his hand up and along her arm, he moved to brush the hair from her face. “I’ve thought about doing that for a while now.”[/color] He confessed, still wearing the slightly lopsided smile on his lips. It had definitely been better than anything he could’ve imagined and he wasn’t surprised in the slightest by that. Imagination could only drum up so much, but reality gave the extra touch, both metaphorically and literally. He leaned in for another soft kiss, already addicted, and then pulled away to keep himself in check. A lot had just happened in a very short space of time, none of it what Dylan had planned for, though he wasn’t about to complain about holding Bridget close and stealing light kisses. “So, is Vivie about to realise that this tour should’ve been over ten minutes ago, or are we good for now?”[/color] He asked teasingly, as he believed the French woman would “stumble upon them” sooner rather than later. At least that was the idea he’d got from the short moments already spent in her presence.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 539!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget narrowed her eyes and tilted her head slightly. “I thought I already got my surprise when I found you in the drive. There’s more than that?” she said, intrigued, a slow grin spreading across her features. She had always loved surprised, ever since she was a small child. Christmas Eve had her curled up in bed, wide awake because she just couldn’t wait to rush downstairs at dawn and open her gifts. She had never been one of those kids to sneak down earlier than her parents to take a quick peek. She didn’t hunt around the house for birthday presents either but she was the type to pester until she was handed a gift bag or a wrapped box in her hands. “When do I get the next one?” she asked, already starting with the questioning.

She hadn’t expected much from the trip home. Mostly just a change in scenery for a couple weeks and then it was back to the hustle and bustle of New York City. She hadn’t expected to find her neighbour propped up against his bike in her parent’s drive with that smirk on his face. She had expected a shopping trip, a night with the girlfriends she still had in the area at some club on the strip she wouldn’t remember the name of the second she left the building, and a day on a California beach. Those had been her plans for the two weeks she was in Nevada and that only took care of two days and one night; nothing more when she was there for two weeks. Needless to say, seeing Dylan in the hot desert sun was a welcome surprise. His arrival gave her more options than sitting around the pool with pitchers of lemonade and the strong margaritas her mother was famous for around the neighbourhood.

Her eyes opened slowly, like they really didn’t want to at all in case it was all just a very good dream. And if this were some sort of dream and she was going to open her eyes and see the walls of her childhood bedroom, she wanted it done and over with. “Not as long as I have,” she said on a breathy laugh. Of all the things anyone could have told her randomly on the street, this scenario probably would have been the only one to make her laugh and think it was just optimism at its finest. Now though, it wasn’t just wishful thinking. Biting her lip, Bridget shook her head. “As much as I want to say we’re good for a bit yet there really isn’t that much down here and we have to pass through the kitchen to get anywhere else in the house,” she said, shaking her head. “I give her another five minutes before she’s “accidentally” letting the dogs down and following them to collect them.” Sighing, Bridget took a step back, letting her hand slide down Dylan’s arm to link her fingers with his and led the way back upstairs. “I’m making margaritas while these are in,” Vivie said without missing a beat, she smiled at the pair of them the same mischievous spark in her pale, knowing eyes as her daughter. “Bee can show you to your room while I bring these out back,” she added, shooing them off again.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 557
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Grinning, Dylan shook his head and looked at Bridget with a knowing and mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. “C’mon, Bee, you know me better than that.”

[/color] Was all he said, shaking his head and tutting loudly as though she had made some kind of mistake. Dylan loved surprising people and he rarely only showed up with one surprise in his hand. Even Christmas and birthdays usually came with a surprise gift that no one saw coming. He just loved seeing people’s reactions when he caught them off-guard with an extra treat that they weren’t expecting. Sometimes they were only small things, but he liked that the extra touch sometimes could make the day that little bit more special for them. “All in good time.”[/color] He teased, tapping his finger against her nose softly.

He had taken advantage of Bridget’s time in Vegas. He remembered that she said there wasn’t anything planned and she would probably spend most of the time at home. He also recalled that she refused to call it a real vacation, which is why he was determined to whisk her away and give her the one thing she had mentioned and then never brought up again. He just hoped that she still wanted to go. Anything else that happened was purely coincidental, but what great coincidences they were turning out to be so far. Dylan hadn’t bought the tickets in the hopes of charming Bridget with them and the last thing he expected to happen was already done and the line crossed. Dylan was just trying to be nice as always, and secretly hoping that no one called him out on the fact that he was always that little bit nicer to Bridget than he was to other friends in his life. The chemistry between them and the feelings he had kept a lid on were to blame for that, but Dylan had only not acted sooner because he hadn’t wanted to assume anything and ruin the friendship they had formed.

Smiling at her words, Dylan tightened his grip for just a moment. “Well, was it worth the wait?”[/color] He asked, a boyish smirk tugging at his lips. He knew he had dragged it out and broken the moment to dance her around the theatre. That was just his way, though; he liked keeping her on her toes, making her think. He hated predictability, especially when it came to romance and while the tension had been thick enough to just go with it, Dylan had wanted to play the game for just a few moments longer before surrendering to his desire. He knew it wouldn’t be long before someone sought the pair out, he knew it, and so just smiled when Bridget confirmed his suspicions. He squeezed her hand lightly as she led him back the way they had come, making sure to grab his old shirt before they left. He listened to Vivie, still unable to rid himself of the boyish smirk, but then interjected as they were shooed from the room again. “Oh, it’s no bother; I was going to drive on and grab a motel.”[/color] He said, not wanting to seem like he was intruding. Dylan was fine with a motel room and some cable TV while Bridget spent time with old friends or her parents. He didn’t want to appear as though he had just shown up to ruin the family time that only came with the time Bridget had away from the university campus.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 625!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget rolled her eyes at Dylan. “Clearly I’ve been drinking too much under the hot, blistering desert sun this week to remember,” she said, blandly. It didn’t actually surprise her that he had brought along with him another surprise, he always had something up his sleeve but she wanted to know what it was. She almost felt like it was Christmas morning and she’d been told she couldn’t open her presents until everyone was there. It was killing her not to know what the next surprise was but since she’d just one in Dylan showing up, she could understand the wait for the other. She wrinkled her nose at the tapping. “Stop that,” she said, swatting his hand away from her face with a laugh.

Going home wasn’t what Bridget considered a vacation or a holiday and just thinking about Vegas gave her a headache. From the time she’d been old enough to understand what the strip was, where she was growing up, it annoyed her. There were too many people, too many lights. The irony of moving from Vegas to New York didn’t go unnoticed but it did go ignored. It was but it wasn’t how many people were in it that Bridget hated, she liked big cities, big crowds but they were just different between her home and her hometown. Most of the people taking up New York’s streets were people who lived there, worked there, there weren’t as many tourists. While Vegas had more tourists than locals and the streets were so congested, trying to get more than five feet in five minutes was ridiculous without having to literally push people out of her way. As much as she enjoyed the tips she got working on one of the many Casino’s floors, she hated going to work every night just to pay for her obsession with shoes.

Instead of answering Dylan’s question, Bridget smiled, leaning in against his chest as she brought her hands up to tangle her fingers in his hair and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away again her breathing was ragged. “What do you think,” she asked barely an inch away, looking up through clouded blue eyes. As much as she wanted to curl up on one of those oversized chairs with Dylan, it just wasn’t the time to steal away. They’d already been in the basement longer than they should have needed to be. And though her mother trusted her and liked Dylan, she was also the type to ruin a perfectly good moment for the hell of it. So it was best to pause it until later when she would be too busy to think or worry. Bridget bit her lip, able to hold off the laughter but not the grin. She didn’t have the time to tell Dylan how wrong his words were in her mother’s eyes. There was no way the older woman would let Dylan stay in a motel when there were two spare rooms in the house. “Bridget never mentioned you were stubborn, too. Shame, she tells me everything,” she said with a grin that went unnoticed. “Now, make your mother proud, and listen to your elders,” she said again with her best stern voice. Bridget knew that voice well and knew when it came out; there was no getting out of whatever her mother wanted. It was just easier to do what she asked the first time around. “She’s a tiny French woman, who happens to always get her way. If she wants you to stay, you’re staying even if she has to go out and get your things herself. Better do it yourself, it gives her less time to snoop,” she said, through the laughter now that they were clear of the kitchen and her mother’s hearing. Before Dylan could call out anymore, Bridget dragged him through the rest of the house to the front door and stepped out into the summer heat.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 658
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

“I’ll let it slide, this time.”

[/color] He teased, stealing her words from just a few moments before. He knew Bridget would pester him for details about his other surprise, but Dylan was an expert at keeping his mouth shut and only letting out teasing little comments. He had done it for many years with his younger siblings and their birthday antics when the excitement was practically bubbling over in everything they did. He grinned, laughing quietly as she swatted him away, but retracted his hand all the same. “For now…”[/color] He joked, though it probably was only a matter of time before he would pull such a stunt again.

Dylan had his own personal bubble of excitement building at the thought of returning to the Emerald Isle. It had been too long since he had last been to Ireland, and while he had already compiled a list of “tourist-y” things for Bridget to do, if she accepted his offer, he also wanted to take her to the places that he had fond memories of. Some of them weren’t spectacular, others were to visit relatives, but Dylan was still feeling that surge of giddiness at the mere thought of stepping back onto a shingle beach and hearing the familiar accents, some of which were impossible to understand unless you had lived there long enough. Still, none of it would be as exciting if Bridget turned down his offer. He’d still go, and still love every minute, but he had already imagined her reaction to certain things and some of the places he just wouldn’t go alone; he had done them all as a child.

As Bridget’s lips found his again, Dylan couldn’t help but smile; he liked this answer better than any words. He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and had to remind himself where they were, and that they weren’t entirely alone. He didn’t want to ruin a moment, or have anyone stumble in on a scene that looked less innocent than he had recently proclaimed upstairs in the kitchen. His ragged breathing matched hers when she finally pulled away and he was still grinning like the cat that had got the cream. “I think I like that answer.”[/color] He smirked, taking a moment to get his thoughts straight again. They seemed to be running a little wild after everything that had happened since his arrival.

Back upstairs, he couldn’t help but to chuckle at Vivie’s response. He could see that he wasn’t going to be allowed to leave even though he didn’t want to be a bother or intrude on any sort of family time. “She’s not going to find any secrets of mine in a bag of clothes.”[/color] With the exception of Bridget’s surprise and his passport, all that Dylan had packed were the essentials for any trip. He could pick up extra things if he needed them along the way, but he had always been a light packer. He had discovered that hauling about most of his diving equipment was tedious enough without adding unnecessary baggage to the load. Outside, he walked over to his bike and grabbed the bag that had been securely fastened into place. Slinging it over his shoulder, he turned back to Bridget and put his free arm over her shoulders. “Come on then, play a good hostess and lead me to my room.”[/color] He teased, pressing his lips to the top of her head for just a second as they returned to the house.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 627!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget raised a brow at Dylan taking her words and recycling them but she didn’t say anything about it. She would pester and annoy until she couldn’t anymore though. And since that would only happen when Dylan was good and ready to tell her what this next surprise was, she could be at it for a good long while. Saying she wouldn’t stop pestering wasn’t completely true. She wouldn’t give up but she was good at waiting. She would annoy then settle for a bit, calm down and then annoy again until she got her way. It kept her amused when there wasn’t much else to do. Thankfully, being home, there were things she could do to pass the time between annoying moments. “You’ve been warned, Griffin,” Bridget said poking Dylan in the chest to punctuate her words.

“Or mine,” she said softly, grinning wickedly as she took his hand and led him up the glossy wooden staircase to the second floor. She pointed down one hall, informing Dylan it held her parents room, a spare and the not so secret library that Bridget had spent too much time studying in growing up. She turned down the other and continued passed two doors before stopping. “Your accommodations for your stay here at Hotel Delaynee,” Bee said opening the bedroom door and stepping in out of the way. “We do hope it’s to your liking.” The room much like half of the rest in the house went through upgrades. Her mother got sick and tired of the dull spare rooms they had and chose to redo them with themes. The one across from Bridget’s childhood room was turned into some sort of beachside villa with the decorations and the tropical ocean blue that Bridget was actually quite fond of. “You get the beach and I basically sleep in a shrine,” she joked, leaving the room for Dylan to settle or whatever and walking directly across the hall to her own room. The room hadn’t been changed since Bridget left it. Thankfully she had kept it in a classic state with purples and whites. At least she could stand to be in her room for more than five minutes.

At least she could claim having a balcony that overlooked the backyard with her own little sitting area to lounge if she was too lazy to go downstairs just yet and a cute bistro set in the other corner for when it was too nice a day to be doing her school work indoors. And all of it was covered in pots and baskets of flowers. She was at her wardrobe pulling a t-shirt out to slip on over her bikini top when her mother called out. “Margaritas sont sur le comptoir, Bee! Je vais prendre le dernier d'entre eux fini maintenant. Je ne devrais pas être une heure,” Vivie yelled up the stairs. Bridget dropped the shirt, already forgotten to her bed and rolled her eyes as she jogged down the hall to the top of the stairs. “Besoin d’aide avec le camion?” Bee asked, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs. Her mother just shook her head and walked out the front door smiling with a couple of the extra-large pastry boxes tied together in her hand. “Well, it appears the margaritas are ready and the house is ours.”

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 561
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan was a patient guy and it took quite a lot to get under his skin. If he wanted to he could probably manage to drag this surprise of his out for a couple more days, but under the circumstances and just in case any other arrangements needed to be made, he wouldn’t do that. Another few hours, but he had already decided that he’d surprise Bridget with the tickets before the night was over. A few hours of occasional pestering and teasing would do no harm whatsoever to him and he was sure Bridget could handle it, too, even if she said otherwise. “Duly noted.”

[/color] He grinned, unable to help himself.

“Your secrets are in here? No wonder it feels heavy…”[/color] He teased jokingly, pretending to look shocked at the bag on his shoulder. He admired the second floor of the house and listened to what she said and the rooms she pointed to. Dylan remained quiet, just nodding his head as he absorbed each little bit of information before they reached the room he would be staying in. “What? No chocolate on the pillows? That’s definitely going to cost you a couple of star points.”[/color] He grinned, stepping further into the room and placing his bag on the edge of the bed before dealing with it and its contents. “I’m not about to say no to the beach. Just be careful you don’t catch me trying to sleep dive.”[/color] He said, acting as though it might actually be a serious condition, like sleepwalking. Dylan only needed a few minutes to himself, casually placing his helmet and jacket on a chair out of the way for the time being, and then folding the clothes from his bag that had gotten slightly crumpled over the course of the journey. Having kept his packing light and simple, there wasn’t exactly much to tend to, but he made sure to move the tickets to underneath one of the pillows on the bed so that if Bridget or Vivie did go snooping they wouldn’t find his surprise tucked away in the confines of the khaki bag that he placed on the chair with his jacket and helmet.

He was just closing the door over when he heard the French words coming from downstairs. He didn’t even bother to try translating them, knowing the conversation between mother and daughter would probably be over before he managed it. A sentence or two he could probably keep up with, but he was far too rusty to follow fast paced conversations. He just grinned at Bridget’s words and leaned over to rest his chin on the shoulder of the pretty blonde. “Drinks and a wild party?”[/color] He joked, his usual cheeky grin falling instantaneously into place before he stood up straight again.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 508!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget didn’t know just what the second surprise was but she could take a guess. And she figured her guesses wouldn’t come close to the truth. She wasn’t good at guessing in the first place and usually ended up just giving up and waiting until she was told. It didn’t stop her from being annoying but she did stop guessing, which was just as good. Bridget rolled her eyes, grinning. “Because that was what I meant,” she teased, shaking her head and playfully elbowing him. Seeing no point for her hair to be up now that she was away from the kitchen, Bridget pulled the elastic holding her hair up in the messy bun free and raked her fingers through, untangling the small knots that formed with it being up too long.

"Somehow I think we'll survive," Bridget said blandly, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the doorframe for a minute longer. “I catch you doing that, I’m recording it on my phone,” she said grinning mischievously. “But you fall out of that bed and I wouldn’t be the first to come running,” she said in a mock warning. Over the last week that she’d been home, Bridget spent more mornings waking up in the basement than she did in her own room, having fallen asleep during a movie and neither of her parents having the heart, or the strength to wake her up or carry her up two flights of stairs. Thankfully, they kept pillows and blankets downstairs since it had happened too much when she’d been a teenager as well and any and all sleepovers tended to take place in that very room.

She didn’t stay for a second longer than finishing her words before she pushed off the wall and left Dylan to take care of his things. Bridget had plans of running a brush through her loose waves and tossing a shirt overtop her bikini top but neither got done with her mother yelling out through the house. Bridget wrinkled her nose up, “Sadly, we’ve an hour if she’s right and about four when she finally realises she has to stay and fix something. Not enough time to clean up after a party,” she said, turning around to face Dylan. “I can offer drinks poolside,” she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Without waiting for Dylan to decide if that was an excellent idea or not, she brushed passed him just a little too closely, “M’attraper,” she said reaching up when she was directly in front of Dylan and nipping his bottom lip playfully. It gave him more of a reason to figure out her words. Laughing, Bridget started down the stairs quickly, always looking back to see how close Dylan was. She made it to the kitchen before the laughter took over completely and she had to lean against the island counter. She would never make it in a horror flick, being chased by a madman; she would be the first caught.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 501
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Even if Bridget managed to guess correctly, Dylan still had no intention of giving up his surprise before he was ready. He’d played the game before with his sisters and he knew how it worked. He couldn’t hide his grin and grabbed at Bridget’s side in retaliation to her elbowing him. Dylan was slightly surprised that he didn’t feel grimy or tired after all the travelling, but the frequent stops and the motel nights must have done him the world of good compared to if he had chanced the journey with the minimum rest stops. At least it meant he wasn’t groggy or spending the first few hours in Vegas resting and cleaning himself up.

“Ah, you say that now…”

[/color] Dylan teased, a light twinkle in his blue eyes. Laughing, he shook his head and then turned around to face her again. “If you catch me doing that then I probably need to seek some kind of help, with your video as proof that there’s something the matter with me.”[/color] He told her, looking back around the room before narrowing his eyes at her words and then staring her down for a long moment. “I’m glad to see you care so much.”[/color] He said sarcastically before rolling his eyes and shaking his head once more. He didn’t think he had fallen out of bed since his battle with cancer all those years ago, but he knew that it didn’t mean it couldn’t happen again. Strange places, new environments…it could wreak a surprising amount of havoc on someone even while they were asleep.

Shaking his head, he looked at Bridget with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, as though he had been serious about the party idea. “No faith in an Irishman about clearing away a party.”[/color] He clicked his tongue and sighed, as though he was disappointed in her lack of faith. His breath caught in his throat for a second and his brain tried to decipher her words as quickly as it could, but she was still halfway down the stairs when he managed a translation. He took off after her, grinning, but deliberately never catching up to her until the kitchen. There, he trapped her against the counter and gave her a second to control her laughter, leaning in close. “Gotcha.”[/color] He whispered with a lopsided smirk before planting a quick kiss on her jaw. Without giving her a chance to retaliate, Dylan slid his arms down, around her waist and picked her up, casually carrying her out back without saying another word on their journey. Outside, he threatened to lose his hold twice, but his grin gave away the joke. Lowering her back to the ground, he kept his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to hers softly, taking the opportunity now that they were alone for a short while. “Margaritas, m’lady?”[/color] He asked playfully as he pulled away, sliding his hands from her waist and linking their fingers instead.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 539!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

“If you need chocolate on your pillow that badly, there’s plenty downstairs but you’ll have to fight another doctor over it,” Bridget said, grinning. Bridget and Vivie could go without having chocolate around to nibble on and mostly kept it for baking purposes only. But Nick Delaynee horded too many kinds of chocolate bars in his office for his own good. “Maybe we’ll try tying you to the bed before we have you seeking out professional help. Could be a onetime deal since the room is decorated so beautifully,” she said with a casual shrug. “Basement’s two floor away. And the theatre’s on the opposite side of the house,” she said with a casual shrug. Even when she went to bed in her room over the last week, she still woke up in the middle of the night and found herself downstairs, curled up in one of those chairs with a blanket and pillow and a movie on the big screen. With Dylan around, it might be different but she doubted it. She didn’t need much sleep and usually catnaps worked well enough for her. It usually worked out for her throughout the year when she had papers to grade and things to do. In the summer, it just gave her more time to bake or to read through her collection again or watch all those movies on her shelves.

Shaking her head, Bridget chuckled. “Oh, no, I have plenty of faith in you and your abilities. It’s the issue that arises when my mother walks through the door. I could never get away with a secret party when I was a teenager because of her,” Bridget said, laughing. And she had tried quite a few times. She was hardly a quitter after all. There were a couple weekends when she was in her senior year and her parents went away for a weekend trip or a conference somewhere outside the state of Nevada. She thought it would be the perfect time to throw a party that Friday and have the entire weekend to clean it all up again. But no matter how much she scrubbed and cleaned, her mother always knew. It was like she had cameras set up and was listening in on her. She also knew though, that her parents had trusted her, probably a lot more than they should have; her mother was just that good at reading her daughter.

Bridget knew Dylan wasn’t as well versed in French as she was. It gave her the time she needed for a head start, though she didn’t think she would make it as far as the kitchen, but that was all part of the fun and games of the moment. She was shaking from the laughter that caught her more than anything else. “It was going to happen eventually,” She said, bringing her arms up to Dylan’s neck. She was too busy laughing to tell Dylan to stop though she did manage a stop once when it looked like he was about to drop her though it was plain to see it was all part of the fun. Bridget finally caught her breath when her feet her back on solid ground again. She had to admit, she was enjoying this new turn their relationship took. “Of course!” she said, smiling. “They’re the best,” she added, nodding towards the side table between the two woven loungers. “You get the drinks and I’ll turn on some music,” she said, reaching up to press a feather light kiss to Dylan’s jaw before letting her fingers slip away from his. She walked into the small pool house and started going through the playlists on the iPod her mother kept in there through the day. She chose a song at random, unable to decide what she wanted to listen to more and left the small house alone again.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 644
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

“And that kind of attitude will cost you more star points. I don’t know, you’ll have to start finding ways to make this up to me.”

[/color] He teased, shaking his head and smirking across at Bridget. He wasn’t actually a massive chocolate lover. He enjoyed a big bar some weekends, but most of the time he preferred his savoury snacks or whatever Bridget passed across to him after one of her baking sessions. Still, teasing Bridget was something he could never get bored of; it was just too much fun! Raising his eyebrows and flashing a mischievous smirk, he took a step closer. “Tying me to the bed? Bridget Delaynee, you little minx.”[/color] Another chance for teasing and Dylan wasn’t about to pass it up for anything.

Grinning again, Dylan was starting to feel a little more troublesome than usual. It did happen from time to time, but it usually came after a few drinks rather than a long road trip. “Maybe I could work my Irish charm on her. It seems to have worked on her daughter…”[/color] He couldn’t help the grin that took over his face as he stared at Bridget. His initial plan might not have involved some confession of emotions and feelings, but he was far from unhappy that they had happened. It was just another bonus this trip had offered so far, and a very pleasant one at that. He had never thrown any parties as a teenager, purely because he had his siblings at home and Georgie was still little at the time and couldn’t keep her mouth shut. If Dylan wanted to keep anything a secret he had to make sure to keep it well out of her reach or else everyone in the neighbourhood and the schools would know about it. Once he had Bridget back in his grasp, he chuckled at her words and nodded in agreement. “Like I was ever going to let you get away from me.”[/color] He had essentially followed her out to Nevada, so a flight of stairs and a hallway was hardly going to prove too much of a challenge for the young doctor.

Outside, he moved to the table and the loungers and poured the margaritas into the glasses, checking with an expert eye to make sure both of them were level. It was hot out, and he mentally slapped himself for not taking the chance to change into some shorts upstairs, but he also didn’t want to run off again for something so trivial. If it got too warm, he would, but for now removing his t-shirt worked well enough. He handed Bridget her glass as she came back from sorting out the music and then sipped from his own. “Mm, these are good.”[/color] He said, taking a longer sip now that he had decided it was definitely a well-made drink. He took a seat on one of the loungers and then looked around, shaking his head slowly for a moment before glancing back up at Bridget. “So, while I’ve been playing around in people’s skulls you’ve been sitting by a pool and getting drunk before the sun sets? Now that’s hardly fair.”[/color] He joked lightly before leaning back and relaxing for a long moment. He reached out to pull Bridget down onto the small space beside him. He wasn’t a clingy man by any means, but right now he had finally gotten the girl he’d been thinking about for longer than he’d let anyone know, and he didn’t want her slipping away; even if it was only to the other lounger.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 642!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

“I’m sure I can come up with a couple things,” she said, grinning mischievously. In fact there were plenty of things she could do but saying that would only be a bad idea at the moment since it would have Dylan running wild with possibilities. Plus, she didn’t know Dylan’s ulterior motives for driving down to Nevada. She knew the reasons he was willing to tell her but there was that secret surprise he was holding onto. Laughing softly, Bridget winked. “You have no idea,” she said, turning away. There was hardly an air of mystery with the blonde professor, she was basically an open book, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pretend. And without him right next to her she could quietly laugh away the giggles she got in the moment hidden away in her room for what little time she was in there.

Bridget’s brows drew together as she clicked her fingers. “Mm, she prefers Americans though she does have a thing for doctors so you might still have a chance if you play your cards right,” she teased, though she tried her best to sound like she was considering it. “If I’m not mistaken your Irish Charm got you plenty but it was your culinary skills that worked on me,” she added, not even bothering to suppress her laughter this time. It was hardly a secret she hated cooking, especially for one. It wasn’t the biggest reason she could be found lounging around Dylan’s apartment, but it was a reason, however small. Bridget had to admit though that she liked this between them and acting like teenagers on borrowed time. Her parents would be walking through the door at any time and they should be filling it with stolen moments before they couldn’t anymore. “I wasn’t going anywhere, just the kitchen,” Bridget said, grinning as she stole a quick kiss.

Bridget took only long enough in the small pool house to make sure the music was playing. Her mother was in there last picking at things and that meant that something would probably blow up given enough time but she was willing to take that chance. Outside, Bridget ran her fingers through her hair again, wishing not for the first time since she crossed state lines that she had chopped it off the last time she’d gone to see her stylist. “Merci,” she said, accepting the margarita glass and taking a sip. “I told you, she makes the best,” she added, setting the glass down on the table and taking the time to put her hair up again. Sending Dylan a bland look, Bridget shook her head. “If only. Life would be bliss if that were the case,” Bridget said, barely able to get the words out before she was falling onto Dylan’s chair. Since the moment Bridget had arrived she had been put to work for her mother. It was the whole reason she didn’t consider going home to be a vacation. It was just more work somewhere else in the country. But it wasn’t like she minded all that much. If she were back in New York, she would have been sitting around her kitchen baking anyway. “Speaking of, I assume it went well,” She said casually, settling herself more comfortably next to Dylan before reaching for her margarita again.

She was comfortable curled up next to Dylan on the chair but it was hardly lounge weather, it was too hot to be sitting around in the sun. A playful spark lit her blue eyes as she looked up at Dylan and took his lass from him, setting it down on the table next to hers. “You should strip and join me,” she said, sliding from the chair and pulling her hair free of the elastic she’d put it in a few minutes beforehand. She hated being in the pool with her hair up. The smirk still on her face, she shimmied out of her shorts and kicked them aside before diving into the deeper end of the pool, coming back up for air in the center of the refreshing water. “Are you going to leave me waiting?” she asked, pushing her hair away from her face.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 702
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

“And I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chances to test them out.”

[/color] He grinned in response. He had no intention of making this one of those “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” things, and it would probably hurt him more than he’d let on if Bridget thought that was exactly what this was. He knew her better than that though, so it was more a worry that his imagination has dreamt up from the pits while he was sleeping, organising or stuck in traffic. Shaking his head as she left, Dylan couldn’t help but chuckle softly. There had always been that slight teasing throughout their relationship from the first day that they’d met in the hallway outside their apartments, but he loved that it held a hint of promise now. It made him feel giddy, almost like he was a teenager again.

Shrugging as though it was no big deal, Dylan glanced at Bridget with a twinkle in his blue eyes. “I’ve lived here for thirteen years, I’m pretty sure that’ll win me points.”[/color] He had never quite lost his accent, but it had softened considerably. It was only whenever he talked to the oldest of his younger siblings, or his mother that it came back in full force. If Bridget accepted his surprise then he probably ought to warn her that she might lost him to the accent once they arrived in Dylan’s hometown. He had a feeling it would get thicker and thicker the longer they were there, and probably linger a little more once they touched back down on American soil. “That’s because my culinary skills are what got you into my apartment in the first place. They trapped you and then I got to work that charm.”[/color] He explained as though it had all been some complex plan he had been plotting for months on end to catch the pretty blonde professor. Laughing, Dylan pressed his lips to Bee’s and then grinned. “Good because, as you know, I have my contacts and I’d just track you down again.”[/color] He joked, stealing another quick kiss.

“Score one for Mrs Delaynee.”[/color] He joked, though the drink was fantastic and he’d definitely be unable to say no to a second. Dylan’s own vacations kept him busy. He had never been the kind of guy who could spend more than an hour or two laying on the sand or by a pool. He liked to explore, to see things, and most of the time he was walking across beaches with flippers in his hands and his diving gear stored somewhere if he wasn’t hiring it out. He only did that when he left America all together, which was something he hadn’t done for over a year, when he had gone to the Caribbean for a wreckage dive. He had photos of it as his screensaver on his laptop and they forever reminded him that he needed to plan another trip like that sooner rather than later. “It went great. I think I scared an intern during the operation when I told him that none of us were leaving until I said so, but hey, I was determined. He’s still got treatment ahead of him, but he’s going to be fine.”[/color] As he spoke, Dylan didn’t even realise that his free hand had trailed up to where his dark hair hid his own surgery scar. Still, the good news from that day had spurred him on for this little trip and the surprise he still had in store for Bridget.

He looked at her in confusion as she took his glass from him, but the smirk was already dancing on his lips just from the look in her eye. Laughing at her suggestion, he watched her for a moment, waiting until she came up in the centre of the pool. He had some swimming shorts upstairs, but going out of the way seemed like it would ruin the atmosphere. While the parents are away, the kids will play. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he slid out of his jeans and dived neatly into the pool in just his boxer shorts. Dylan preferred fresh water over pools, but that didn’t stop him from swimming at the gym a few times a week. He resurfaced next to Bridget and grinned as he pushed his wet hair back from his face. “Hello, beautiful.”[/color] He grabbed at her sides playfully and then stole yet another kiss from her.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 790!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget was hardly the type to throw herself out there for anyone. She may have been a pretty open book, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be prepared for what she was getting herself into. The flirtations and coy remarks between her and Dylan had been going on since they met. It was nice to know that the often blatant flirting wasn’t just for the fun of teasing each other; not completely anyway. “I hope so,” she said, grinning wickedly. She hadn’t felt like a teenager since she was one, trying to get away with everything. Of course, when she’d been a teenager, she hadn’t acted like this. There were a few parties she never completely got away with but for the most part, Bridget had been a good kid, apparently having waited until she moved to New York to bring out her saucy side; though she would swear up and down that it was only Dylan that brought that out in her.

Bridget nodded her head, considering Dylan’s words. “It might but we’ll only know if you go through with it,” Bridget said, blue eyes bright with mischief. Bridget only had a soft accent because her mother never lost hers. And growing up she’d learned French before English so it made sense she had a faint accent. “So was that your sinister plan all along? Lure in the new neighbour, feed her dinner and ply her with wine until she falls for that charm?” As far as plots went, it was an interesting one. At least she could say she was enjoying herself. She especially liked this new perk of spilling her feelings. Kissing Dylan was much too fun to pass up. “Hmm, I wonder if I should buy Taylor a bottle of her favourite or figure out what to say in her eulogy,” Bridget said, considering though she was joking. The cryptic text a couple days before had confused the blonde professor but now it made perfect sense. And at first, she was wondering who would do the mortician’s autopsy should she find herself on one of her steel slabs for giving up her parents’ address but that quickly fell away leaving her happy Taylor had told her fellow doctor when Bridget was hiding away.

Rolling her eyes, Bridget could help but laugh at Dylan’s reaction. “Make sure to tell her that when you see her next,” she said, still giggling. Her mother was a damn good pastry chef and nearly as good a bartender. “If they couldn’t handle it, they shouldn’t be doctors,” Bridget said with a shrug, offering now sympathy for that particular intern. She had seen Dylan determined only a couple times before and that was when he was working a piece of furniture back to previous glory. She could just imagine how much more focused he was on the operating room. “But I’m glad he’s going to be okay,” she said, dropping her hand to his chest, looking up at him. “And I’m proud of you giving that boy his life back. But if he becomes a womanising man whore like you, I’m hitting you,” she said, smiling at the empty threat as she reached up and pressed her lips lightly to the scar she knew was there but had never seen yet.

She shouldn’t have just stripped out of her shorts; she should have dragged it out a little further. But she had dropped that shirt on her bed before completely forgetting about it so all she had were those shorts and there was only so much she could do. A slow grin spread across Bridget’s lips watching Dylan slip out of his jeans and dive into the pool. It was rare to find Bridget anywhere near a pool in New York unless she was hunting down a student n campus. But in Nevada, she swam around every day, even if it was only for a few minutes. “Hey there, handsome,” Bridget said through the laughter. She wrapped her arms around Dylan’s shoulders and leaned into the kiss. “I am really glad you decided to come to Nevada. Meilleure partie de ma semaine,” she said, leaning her forehead against Dylan’s.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 697
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3