Goes Along With You • •

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan was a flirtatious man, he wouldn’t deny it, but he was never the kind of guy to toy with emotions or just do it for the sake of doing it. He flirted with the women he liked, found attractive and with Bridget it seemed as though he couldn’t stop. The flirting had started the moment they had met and had continued ever since, even when he tried to reel it in and behave. Around the blonde professor, it just didn’t seem possible and now Dylan was slightly glad about that. He liked their playful chatter and now the words seemed to have more behind them since their short time alone down in the mini-theatre of the house.

Chuckling softly, Dylan shook his head at the idea, only imagining the comical scene that would probably unfold and the laughter from Bridget that would probably ruin the effect. “I’m pretty certain that wouldn’t go down too well with your dad. Besides, I’ve already gotten the only French speaking woman I want.”

[/color] With his usual charming smirk, Dylan threw in a subtle wink and then pressed his lips to the tip of Bee’s nose. Grinning, he nodded his head and slung his arm affectionately over her shoulders. “Exactly! And it worked like a charm, didn’t it?”[/color] He teased, leaning in close to steal a sweet kiss and still wearing his charming little smirk. He took a moment to look contemplative, and his smirk only grew wider. “I’d go with the bottle; I already owe her two and a shift swap in the ER.”[/color] He jokingly confessed, though he had promised to cover one of Taylor’s extra shifts in return for the address. He had also placed a bottle of wine on her desk before he had left the hospital for the start of his vacation. Taylor had wholeheartedly supported this trip and Dylan’s idea of a surprise, but he would never have been able to pull this off without her and he could happily admit to that. She had given him the final piece to the puzzle and by doing so he had been able to discover that there was more to his and Bee’s flirting than just some light hearted joking.

“Oh, I will. It’s always good to keep Vivie on side.”[/color] He joked, although he would be honest with Bridget’s mother about these delicious drinks. Laughing, Dylan shook his head and held Bridget that little bit closer to his side. “The poor kid has never assisted that specific operation before. I think he’s a little too used to seeing me take it easy.”[/color] He took his job seriously, but he also liked to keep the staff around him relaxed, knowing that more mistakes were made when the nerves got the better of them. That patient just touched a little too close to home for Dylan, but so far Bridget was the only person who knew that. Pretending to look offended, Dylan turned his head enough to look at Bridget curled up next to him. “I don’t think a ‘womanising man whore’ travels across the country just to surprise a girl.”[/color] He countered, arching an eyebrow and flashing a lopsided smirk, curious as to what she might say next.

In the water, Dylan kept his arms around Bridget and grinned at their moment alone. He knew her mother, and probably her father, would be home soon and then he’d be back to behaving himself again, but around Bridget his mischievous side shone through more than usual and he had a hard time controlling it; especially when they were alone. Chuckling softly, he kissed the tip of her nose lightly. “You’re going to regret trying to confuse me with all this French soon.”[/color] He understood her a little quicker this time, his brain already brushing the cobwebs away from his old French classes. “But, for what it’s worth, I’m really glad I came, too.”[/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget was hardly sorry any of this happened. She liked Dylan, obviously or she wouldn’t have even started flirting with him in the first place. But she was in a terrible relationship, one that she really shouldn’t have been in for as long as she had; especially considering she would have rather been sitting on Dylan’s balcony while he was sanding away at some long forgotten bench or dresser instead of being anywhere with that idiot she’d called a boyfriend for too long. At least she’d learned her lesson. And now the playful, flirty words held more weight than they ever did before.

“That is an excellent answer, doctor,” she said before laughing at the peck to her nose. “When did you become a sappy mess?” she teased, liking this playful, sweet side of Dylan. She always saw the flirty side of him, sometimes the rougher side when he just needed a minute or two after a tough day and the determined side when she’d walked into his apartment a few times and he was working on a new piece of old and forgotten furniture. Grinning, Bridget reached her hand up and linked her fingers through Dylan’s. “It did,” she agreed easily, laughing against Dylan’s soft lips. Bridget laughed, shaking her head. Leave it to Taylor to get what she wanted out of giving up Bridget’s secret hideaway; not that the blonde professor was complaining at all. “So she got all she wanted from you. I can’t wait to see what she wants from me when we get back to the city,” Bridget said, rolling her eyes at the idea of her friend having a list. She would get her bottle and any details she may want but she’ll also be getting an earful for dropping the address so easily; even if it was one of her better ideas.

“More than you know. The woman can be the devil,” she said in mock warning. Despite the stern looks and prepared lectures, Vivie was hardly a scary woman. But that only meant that she kept her temper well under lock and key. Bridget had only seen that temper unleashed a handful of times and most of them were thanks to a mishap in the kitchen. “I suppose I can understand that, then,” she said on a sigh as if the fate of that poor intern was in her hands. She may have lived around doctors and hospitals her entire life but she didn’t understand the inner workings of the buildings or the people who kept the places running. She knew the lingo and understood certain things because her father wanted her to follow in his footsteps but that was as far as her knowledge went and even then, she forgot most of it. She was never going to follow the same path, but they had both always known that, even if her father was slow to figure it out. “An old dog can learn new tricks,” Bridget said with a casual shrug. But trying to stay nonchalant hardly lasted and she ended up falling into a fit of giggles at everything happening.

Too soon her parents would be coming home and after her father grabbed a shower to wash away the sterile smell of hospital, he would argue with her mother on who was cooking dinner before putting something on the barbeque. It was all a show since it happened nearly every night her father was home early enough to barbeque. Over the last week, she’d heard the faux fight four times, and that was only because the rest they had gone out to dinner. But they still had time before that happened. “I’m not trying to confuse you. I’m trying to help you. This time tomorrow, my mother won’t care if you don’t speak a single word; she’ll pretend she doesn’t understand English. She’s done it,” Bridget said, warning Dylan though her laughter wasn’t helping. Still chuckling, Bridget leaned against Dylan in the cool water. “That is really good to hear,” she whispered, pressing her lips lightly against Dylan’s, really taking advantage of this new perk of theirs.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 688
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan had been patient. He had planned on being patient a little longer before letting Bridget know how he felt about her, but obviously not all plans worked out that way. He hadn’t wanted to lead her into anything so soon after her last relationship had ended, even if he had known the end was inevitable, given their conversations about it. There were boundaries he wouldn’t cross out of respect and if he had thought that even this had been too soon then he wouldn’t have broached the subject of feelings while they were downstairs either. It had been different though, worked in their favour and now the past was something they needn’t worry about.

“I’m full of excellent ideas.”

[/color] He joked, although he did hope that she would agree with that once he presented her with the plane tickets and the final surprise that had been his reason for driving out to Nevada in the first place. “I think you’ll find there is a difference between romantic honesty and sappy mess. I am the first of the two.”[/color] He said, explaining it as though it ought to be an obvious fact that everyone knew. Dylan, while often showing his cheeky and flirtatious side, did have a romantic streak to his personality that came out when the right girl was around. It had been a while since it had been a regular thing for him, but he loved spoiling a girl just because he could, showering her with little gifts and affectionate moments for no real reason other than he felt like treating her special. “Oh, I expect the two of you will get through at least one bottle of wine once your feet touch back on a New York sidewalk. Especially if the phone conversation I accidentally overheard was anything to go by…”[/color] He teased, purely winding Bridget up. He had caught Taylor finishing up a private phone call, but he hadn’t heard anything he shouldn’t have and she had seen him moments before she made her goodbye and hung up. Still, the grin on the mortician’s face had said more than she had done, but Dylan had been after the address and had kept his own teasing minimal just in case Taylor decided to change her mind.

Laughing warmly, Dylan shook his head, although he could believe that Vivie could turn when she needed to. “Oh, you haven’t seen the Griffin women in action.”[/color] He teased, although their Irish tempers really were terrifying when they snapped. Georgina and his mother had it worse, and the fights in the house when Georgina had been going through the terrible teenage years had left the brothers hiding until it was safe to emerge again. His aunts back in Ireland were just as bad, but he only heard of their tales rather than witnessing them. “Maybe I’ll send you in to him with some baked treats to calm his nerves for next time.”[/color] Dylan teased, only half serious. He knew it had been noticed that he had approached this patient a little differently to all the rest, but he had been unable to help that. He just wasn’t going to explain himself and his life story to the rest of the hospital. His colleagues knowing the truth about his childhood wasn’t going to make any of them better at their jobs and so Dylan didn’t see the point in playing show and tell. “Oh, so not only am I a womanising man whore, but I’m also an old dog now?!”[/color] He grabbed at her sides mercilessly, holding her close enough that she couldn’t wriggle free from his ticklish assault. “What does that say about you since you’ve already admitted to thinking about us together?”[/color] He smirked wickedly, keeping his words low, barely above a throaty whisper.

Laughing again, he shook his head and shrugged. “Then we’ll have to play a game of not understanding each other. I’ll thicken my accent right up and make it interesting!”[/color] He joked, as though it really would escalate to that level of crazy. Holding her closer, Dylan pressed his lips to hers and grinned before pulling back ever so slightly to trail a soft track of butterfly kisses along her jawline. “Y’know, you’re going to have to grab me a towel or some more shorts before your parents get home.”[/color] He whispered just above her ear before claiming another kiss again.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 781!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget wasn’t the type of person to shy away from anything once she set her mind to something. For anyone else, it was probably still a little too soon after the end of such a disaster of a relationship but Bridget wasn’t most people. And she had always said to get over something emotionally; you had to have been emotionally invested, which she hadn’t been for a very long time. Her only mistake was not realising that sooner and calling it off well before she had. It was all over now and happily forgotten. “That you are,” Bee said, grinning. Bridget’s grin turned serious though as her brows drew together and she nodded her head as though they were having a very serious conversation. “Of course,” she said, pursing her lips. “I’ll try and remember that for next time.”

Bridget shook her head, sticking with the serious expression. “Now, now, not once my feet hit the sidewalk. I have to raid your supply first,” she teased, unable to help herself. She was trying hard not to jump at the bait Dylan was holding out for her. She didn’t think anything all that exciting had happened before she’d left New York. At the very least, Bridget had hoped Taylor would have at least texted or called. The mortician was well aware her blonde friend wouldn’t be doing anything special during her time away. And her phone was, obviously, usually within reach or else she wouldn’t have gotten Dylan’s text either. And that would have left him waiting and waiting until he gave in and knocked on the door or the last of the deserts in the over were finished and Bridget tagged along with her mother to the venue.

“And I am very glad for that,” she teased, though she was aware how tempers could flair. And she knew all about the stereotypical temper of the Irish. What she didn’t know was how accurate that was for Dylan’s mother and sisters. She had only ever spent any time with the younger ones and they were dolls to be around. “Or,” Bridget said, shuddering at the thought of the hospital. “I can wait outside on a bench in the garden with a basket and you can bring him out,” She offered up instead, with a sunny smile to hide her obvious and well known dislike for the sterile buildings. She opened her mouth to reply with a witty remark but Dylan’s tickling had her gasping for breath through the giggles. She was unbelievably ticklish, though for the most part it hadn’t been a problem until now. When she could breathe, the words fell from her lips too easily with the laughter. “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, raising a brow towards her hairline. “It makes me a slut.” She said it in such a low, serious tone against Dylan’s ear.

Bridget had heard her mother too many times over the years purposefully stop speaking English just to prove a point or give someone a lesson by immersing them without a choice. “You do that and then you can come find me when you’re done messing with each other’s heads,” she said just imagining the trouble the pair of them could get into if she left them alone long enough. “We can worry about that later,” she mumbled against Dylan’s lips as she leaned in closer to him. “Much, much later,” she added, letting her fingers trail up into Dylan’s wet hair. Yes, there were definite perks to confessing. Thinking about kissing Dylan and actually doing it were two very different things and one could have never compared to the other. She had a creative imagination, but it completely fell short this time.

Vivie called out when she walked through the front door to announce her return from the delivery. Thankfully, when she’d gotten there the only thing missing or out of place had been the last batch of pastries that hadn’t gone out. She tossed her keys in the decorative bowl by the front door and walked through the house to the kitchen to tidy up the loose ends from the baking session with Bridget. She expected some flour and noise from the movie theatre or laughter from by the pool. What she didn’t expect was finding her daughter making out with the handsome doctor in the pool. As happy as she was to see her daughter happy and in the arms of a man she thought deserved Bee, Vivie couldn’t help herself from interrupting the moment. Grinning because she knew it would embarrass Bridget, she stepped out into the backyard, crossing her arms against her chest and cleared her throat just loud enough to be heard over the low playing music. She waited until Bridget pulled away and looked up before she slipped her sunglasses back onto her nose. “If you were planning on uh, “breaking in” the pool, you’re a little too late,” she said, laughing as her daughter’s face turn a new shade of pink as her head dropped to Dylan’s shoulder.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 841
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan was not the kind of guy who commonly lived in the past. His past held bad memories – the kind that haunted his nightmares when they struck, and sentimentality was often best saved for family gatherings where too much alcohol was around. With his patients and his job focusing on the future and fighting for tomorrow was the most important thing. He was constantly telling people to have hope, not to give up and then, when he successfully treated them, he told them to go ahead and book that dream vacation they had been putting off for years because of other menial choices that had once been a priority. “You should, because next time it could very well be a part of that surprise I mentioned.”

[/color] He teased, his lips twitching into a mischievous smile. “Alone, no one to disturb us but the crickets, crackling fire because it will be cold…sadly, I think you’ll have to leave this two piece at home.”[/color] He shook his head in mock disappointment, though he was having far too much fun teasing her with little details.

Reaching out for her, Dylan teasingly danced his fingers along her arms and down her sides. “Now, you know if you even attempt to raid my supply I’d have to ambush you.”[/color] He held up a serious expression, but his blue eyes twinkled with a flirtatious mischief that Bridget would probably recognise only too well by now. Even before he could be as bold as he was being now his words had still sparked with that intense chemistry they shared. He had, in the past, been forced to bite his tongue or tone a comment down out of the fear that he might take things a step too far when it was entirely inappropriate to do so.

“Count your blessings; it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself on the sidelines.”[/color] His own Irish temper was much more contained. It took a specific sequence of button pushing to find a way to reveal Dylan’s breaking point. The same could not be said for the rest of his family, especially the women! Luckily, most of the time, their wrath was saved for each other rather than innocent bystanders. “I think we may have to construct a pulley system from our floor to the ground. I don’t think he’s going to want to follow me anywhere – even if there is a stunning blonde and wonderful food at the end of it.”[/color] Dylan knew he was exaggerating, but he had seriously shocked that poor kid during the afternoon in the OR. He had given a small warning beforehand about the procedure being one he took very seriously, one he wouldn’t walk away from, but he probably hadn’t given them the right impression about the intensity and the drive he was going in there with. Shaking his head, Dylan held Bridget closer and lowered them both under the water just a little more. “Well now you’re just being a beautiful liar.”[/color] He joked, pressing a kiss to the bridge of her nose.

His accent only naturally thickened whenever he was around his family or after hearing an interview or old movie with an Irish actor. He could bring it out, often did whenever a patient joked about it or he found the humour in a situation. “I’m pretty certain we’d end up calling you from somewhere in the city to pick us up. I can already see a string of challenges and questions.”[/color] He joked, wiggling his eyebrows as though he was already thinking up such crazy things. Dylan wasn’t going to worry or complain when fantasy was finally becoming a reality. Instead, he simply grinned against Bee’s lips and held her tighter, sincerely hoping that nothing would disturb them for a little while.

Dylan’s mind was not focused on the time or the idea of Bridget’s mother walking back through the front door and catching their make out session in the pool. He was just enjoying their alone time, along with the fact that he was finally holding Bridget. There might have been other girls, other kisses, but Bee had wormed her way into his life and his thoughts before he could even stop her. He just hadn’t allowed his thoughts to even think of this as a possibility until there was a chance for him. Even then he hadn’t wanted to blurt something out and have her feeling awkward about their friendship. He didn’t have to worry about anything like that anymore. What he ought to have been worried about was Vivie returning and making Bridget long for a hole in the ground to come and swallow her up! Dylan couldn’t help but laugh, trying to hide the husky overlay as best as he could. Vivie was quite the character and he was starting to see that Bridget hadn’t quite told him everything about the French pastry chef who he was already keen to hear stories from. “Vivie, I know I said I had an answer for you but this isn’t it.”[/color] He called across to her, keeping his playfully charming tone up as Bridget tried to hide in his shoulder.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 909!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Despite living in America, Bridget was brought up with the French culture surrounding her. There may have been the obvious like not speaking any English in the house unless they had guests, but they also didn’t live life in the past. The entire household was about the here and now and what they could do for the future. There were a few months when Bridget lost that in New York, but her trips home always helped her to remember those times and bring them back with her. “Crackling fire, crickets, alone,” Bridget said, repeating some of his words to try and piece together this surprise of his. “Is there a cabin in the North Pole in my future?” she asked, her head tilted to the side in contemplation. She loved surprises, she did, it was the waiting that got to her. “Are you ever going to tell me or do I have to be blindfolded?” she asked, unable to help herself.

Before now, this light banter couldn’t progress further than this. And as much as Bee enjoyed the teasing, flirty remarks and too comfortable moment, she liked that she didn’t have to shy away or hold back what little she had before. She was raised by a woman who had no filters when it came to anything, so for Bridget to have held back what little she had, it was impressive. And now she let that thought fly right out the window. Bridget shrugged slightly, grinning up at Dylan like she’d won the prize. “That just means I get delayed a little bit,” she said, stealing a kiss to prove to herself and to him if he needed it that this was real; it was happening. “I’ll still walk out of there with a couple bottles of your finest,” she breathed against his lips, teasing him.

“So long as it’s not the receiving end of things, I can handle it,” she replied smirking. In all the time Bridget had known Dylan and his little sisters, she hadn’t seen temper flare with them. But the girls always seemed to be on their best behaviour whenever the professor was around so she really didn’t have a clue. “Take a picture. The pastries will have him running to find me,” she said, rolling her eyes. She understood that it was a more difficult procedure for Dylan to be dealing with and she was glad he was able to joke about it all now. She hadn’t been sure when she’d stopped at his office before she’d left if he was going to be okay with it. The entire drive down to Nevada she was thinking she should turn back and leave early Tuesday morning so at least he wouldn’t be alone that night. But then she figured he would be too exhausted to want any company at all so she continued her drive.

Bridget could picture the pair of them rushing around the city making fools of themselves and laughing the entire time. “I’ll wait an hour until I drag my father out to find you both. Until then, I’ll enjoy the quiet of having my mother not yelling about flour from the kitchen before throwing it around for no good reason and you trying to distract me from tanning,” she said on a blissful sigh, just imagining those quiet moments and knowing they’ll never happen. Of all the times her mother chose to walk in on something going on, this had to be the worst. And there was nothing Bridget could do but try and hide in the water. At least at the end of this, she could still say she hadn’t been lying about her mother being the way she was. “Excusez-moi, je vais aller se noyer dans un coin maintenant,” Bridget said after a minute against Dylan’s shoulder. She pushed herself away from Dylan and swam over to the edge of the pool closest to the pool house, completely ignoring the words because she was too worried about what her mother was going to say next.

She easily pulled herself out of the water and headed into the pool house to grab a couple of the big towels they kept in there so people wouldn’t go traipsing through the house for the linen cupboard on the second floor. On her way in she heard her mother say, “I already have my answer.” But from there, she didn’t hear much with the music being louder in the pool house. She stayed in there just a few minutes longer, rolling her eyes at the situation. No wonder she never got away with anything when she was a teenager, her mother had some sort of sixth sense about Bridget. Whenever she was having a little too much fun, the tiny French woman would show up and say something that had Bridget wondering if it was too late to be adopted by the couple across the street. Sighing, she wrapped herself up in one of the towels and carried the other out to throw on the chair Dylan had been lounging on before their dip in the pool. Instead of saying anything, she picked up her forgotten margarita and emptied the glass as quickly as possible while her mother stood by the sliding door bent over in hysterics at whatever it was Bee had missed.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 890
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan had no intentions of ever letting go of his own heritage. He could understand why Bee’s family held on to their French habits and traditions; his did the same. Even his youngest sisters, who weren’t even born in Ireland, were taught the traditions and ate the family meals on the holidays. Dylan and his older siblings held the actual memories of the Emerald Isle, so it was impossible to entirely let go of where they came from, but if any of them ever felt New York just taking over, then it only took a short journey to the family home, a filling meal and the usual chatter to remind them of everything. “Yes. I’m taking you to swim with polar bears.”

[/color] Dylan said with a roll of his light eyes. “And I think I might be arrested if I try to blindfold you through this surprise, but have patience and you’ll get it in a little bit. It’s upstairs and I’m comfortable right now.”[/color] He grinned, just dragging the suspense out for a little bit longer. The next chance they had, or the next time that they found themselves upstairs, he’d reveal the tickets to her and he couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

Grinning, Dylan raised his eyebrows and didn’t even attempt to mask his cheeky attitude or tone it down any. “’A little bit?’ I think you might be delayed by a lot.”[/color] He threatened flirtatiously, pinching Bridget’s sides teasingly and then pressing his lips to hers. “I’m pretty sure you will, but for every bottle you take you’ll owe me a date; one where I get to surprise you and you get no details about any of it.”[/color] He grinned down at the stunning blonde, his brain already working through all of the places he could, and wanted, to take Bridget at some point. Some were silly, daft little dates that he hoped would be full of games and light-hearted adventures, but there were others that were definitely romantic and would show Bee just how much Dylan cared for her. The Irish doctor wanted to mix it up a little bit and always keep Bridget guessing whenever he kidnapped her for a date. It was his opinion that romance should never be predictable or repetitive, so he strived to keep things fresh and to keep a woman guessing. It had just been a while since he had been serious about anyone, or even thought about having a relationship with anyone.

Letting out a warm laugh, Dylan shook his head. “Trust me, you won’t be. As bad as their tempers are they wouldn’t want to upset me.”[/color] He was exaggerating just a smidgen. Normally he was just the best as calming the others down when their fights and arguments broke out, but there were a few occasions where his family had regretted upsetting him, just because he had a way of running an honest guilt trip on them all. He also had a talent of knowing how to shut his family up with his own remarks if necessary. He’d apologise later for anything he said against them, but only once they understood why they had caused him to snap in the first place. For the most part, Dylan played the assigned big brother role and made a great peacekeeper, amongst his siblings especially. “Ooh, a treasure hunt! Now that’s an idea. I might rope you into making the interns some treats and then watch as they scurry about looking for something that doesn’t taste like sludge or cardboard.”[/color] He grinned again, rubbing his hand over his chin thoughtfully, imagining the scene if he told them of hidden pastry boxes. He already knew how heavenly those sweet treats were after hours of being stuck in sterile corridors with endless patient charts and little jobs to do.

“Please, we wouldn’t need collecting like children out after curfew.”[/color] Dylan joked with a roll of his blue eyes. He had no doubt that Vivie would get up to wonderful things after what he had seen of the French woman so far. “And you say distraction like it’s a bad thing…”[/color] With that, he pressed his lips to her jaw and quickly trailed butterfly kisses down to her shoulder as he locked his arms around her so she couldn’t squirm free so easily. He loved being this playful with her, teasing her with more than just a few flirtatious lines like he had done in the past. Although, he could happily say his ways of getting to Bridget were vastly different to her mother’s! Laughing, he didn’t even bother to mentally translate all of her words, getting the gist of it from the look on her face.

Swimming to the edge of the pool, Dylan pulled himself up just so his arms were resting on the side and his upper half was mostly out of the cerulean water. “Yeah, but the one I had planned was much more eloquent…and it involved me wearing a shirt.”[/color] He joked lightly, looking up at Vivie with his usual charismatic smirk. His eyes caught and followed Bridget as she left the pool house, his smirk widening in slight amusement. He couldn’t help but find her cute when she was flustered and embarrassed since it was a whole new side of her for him to see. “I think she’s ignoring us.”[/color] He chuckled, shaking his head before pulling himself from the pool and then snatching up the towel Bee had placed down for him. Loosely wrapping it around his waist, he pushed the hair back from his forehead and then looked between Vivie and Bee with a soft laugh. “Would your surprise make you feel better right now, or is the damage already done?”[/color] He asked, his hand lightly skimming down Bee’s arm as he reached for his own drink on the table.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 987!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget had loved her childhood simply because it was so vastly different from anyone she’d known growing up. But there was only Bridget to carry on the traditions and that made her a little nervous. She didn’t want to disappoint her parents but at the same time, she didn’t know if there would ever be anyone to pass them on to. Either way, she wasn’t going to worry about it for a little while yet. She was only twenty six; she was still having fun with life. She wasn’t as close to her family when something was bringing her down but after a quick phone call and baking session, she was usually back to her usual self. “How sweet,” she said, laughing softly because she knew it wasn’t the real surprise. She sighed and settled. “I guess I can wait a little while longer,” she said, crossing her arm across her chest and sporting a very believable pout.

Bee moved her arms to fall loosely around Dylan’s shoulders. “Promises, promises,” she said, grinning wickedly though that quickly turned into a fit of giggles at the attack on her sides. “Fair enough,” she agreed with a mischievous spark in her eye. “How many bottles do you have now?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and wondering how she was going to get all those bottles away from their home. “But, I’ll need a little detail. The dress code at least,” she added, “I mean, what if I dress up and you take me mini golfing. As much as I love those heels, I cannot mini golf in them.” Bridget already knew just by spending time with him that anything he thought up for these date nights would be anything but dull and boring. And she was excited to see what he had in mind for them because he was one that always kept her guessing even when she thought she had the answer there was another corner to turn down.

“Have them wrapped around your finger, do you?” she teased. Bridget didn’t have the first clue how to deal with siblings because she’d never had any. She made up for the referee part, teaching high school while she was finishing her PhD. She learned how to mediate their issues and problems pretty easily. It wasn’t the same, not even close but it had made her realise how happy she was not to have to deal with every day. “Because you would have to twist my arm for that,” she said blandly. “You saw the freezer, right?” she asked, laughing because she knew it was full of treats she didn’t have space for but could be frozen without worry. Her eyes widened as though a thought occurred. “Did the girls get the rest of their favourites from the refrigerator?” she asked, worried the container of goodies would go to waste.

“You might not but my mother will,” she said rolling her eyes. There were a few times the year Bridget turned twenty one when Vivie tagged along with friends. By the end of those nights, the rest of the group were wondering which of them was the parent and which was the child because Vivie hardly acted her age. But that was what was so great about her parents. Her father acted as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders unless her mother was there to bring the fun out in him. Bee had a cheeky remark on the tip of her tongue but it all flew away with Dylan’s touch. Not that she minded in the least, in fact she loved that he had such an effect on her. He’d always been able to make her forget what she was doing; now he just had another weapon to use against her. Laughing, Bridget melted against Dylan, her head dropping to the side. “Best distraction ever,” she said a little breathlessly.

Of all the times her mother embarrassed her, Bridget should have been used to having the older woman say this or do that and yet every time she opened her mouth, Bridget was stunned for a minute or two. And Dylan didn’t help either, if anything he spurred her on just by being there! Vivie tilted her head to the side in the same way her daughter did whenever she was thinking or about to be cheeky. “And pants? It would have been a shame,” she said, grinning mischievously. Bridget caught her mother’s words and could only sigh; mostly because she had to agree with her mother. Bridget rolled her eyes, setting her glass down. “Believe me, that is not possible,” she said, shaking her head and pouring herself another margarita though she didn’t touch it afterward. “The damage is done,” she said, dramatically, reaching up to link her fingers through his. “Save it for later. I think I’m going to need it then.”

Smiling to herself, Vivie slipped back into the house, leaving the adorable twenty-something’s alone. A budding relationship, even if it was adorably obvious how they felt about each other, should have time without any annoyances and Vivie was well aware she was one of them. She was happily involved in her daughter’s life, annoying her, helping her, teasing her and tormenting her. Bridget needed this time now and Vivie was going to give it to her, she would get the details from her pretty daughter later, when they were alone for a few minutes. Vivie checked the time, moved through the kitchen starting on the sides for dinner as the front door sounded and call rang out informing the house daddy dearest was home. Twenty minutes later, the man of the house made his way down to the kitchen to kiss his wife hello and help her bring the kabobs outside. And Vivie, being Vivie, “forgot” to mention their daughter’s surprise guest. “Petit Ange,” Nick Delaynee started, stepping out the patio door. “Who’s this?” He started again, going straight over to the barbeque. Bridget popped up from the chair to lean around Dylan to find her parents; her mother smirking and her father expressionless until he understood what was going on. “Salut, Papa! Il s’agit de Dylan. Dylan this is my dad, Nick Delaynee.” She gave the introductions switching fluently from French to English.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 1 053
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan’s childhood had been full of ups and downs, as Bridget probably guessed after she discovered about the short time the neurosurgeon had been sick for. It wasn’t a pleasant set of memories, but Dylan still had plenty of great times. Mostly, he had spent his younger years in Belfast, living his life down by the pebbled shore and around the mural covered streets that were not always safe to play out on when he was just a little boy. Still, the good memories outweighed many of the bad and he hoped he’d get to share them all with Bee soon. “I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”

[/color] He guaranteed, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before grinning.

Feigning offence, Dylan pulled back just enough to get a better look at the pretty blonde professor. “And since when have I ever broken my promises?”[/color] He asked, arching an eyebrow as a smirk tugged at his lips. “Oh, don’t worry; I’ll keep that collection topped up.”[/color] Shaking his head as though her request was so demanding, he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and then sighed. “Fine, but you don’t get to ask questions about specifics. You’ll just get simple sentences, like dress nice, dress practically, dress warm…”[/color] He trailed off, knowing she would understand him by now. Dylan’s list of ideas was already growing as their conversation continued and it would be a long time before he started to lose the momentum of the surprises that he loved the most. They varied from fancy dinners and romantic nights to crazy adventures that wouldn’t easily be forgotten.

Shrugging slightly, Dylan took a moment to think about his response first. “Not particularly. I’m just an expert at putting them in their places.”[/color] Luckily, he rarely had to go down that route, especially these days. Two of his sisters were too young to have anything more dramatic than a squabble over a doll, and his older siblings only clashed when strong opinions started flying over the dinner table. “I have better techniques than twisting your arm.”[/color] He said casually, glancing around as though he meant nothing by his words, though the mischievous twinkle in his eyes said otherwise. “The girls managed to eat so much that they passed out with cookies in their hands. My ma would kill me if she knew how much they stuffed their faces with when they’re over at my place.”[/color] He joked, knowing his mother was just as bad for sweet treats as her children were. They all had a strong sweet tooth in the Griffin family despite trying to convince each other differently each time someone brought it up in conversation.

Laughing warmly, Dylan shook his head. He could believe that Vivie could dance until dawn and fit in trouble in between. He enjoyed a good night out himself, but he had no immediate plans of running around Vegas with Bee’s mother…at least not on this trip! Leaning down to steal a soft kiss, Dylan remained close to Bridget. “Oh, just you wait.”[/color] He whispered against her lips, stealing one more kiss as his hand came up to brush along her jawline. He might not have arrived in Nevada with the intention to kiss, hold and confess his feelings to Bridget, but now that they were out there he didn’t see any need to hide it all again. The chemistry had been there from the moment they had met, only growing over time and now it practically pooled out of the both of them as they stopped pretending their flirting and comments had been innocent for all this time.

With another laugh, Dylan had to admit that Vivie was just like her daughter had said. He could also see where Bee got some of her mannerisms and traits from. “I think I can make a shirt and pants look good.”[/color] He grinned, nodding his head as though he had thought about the matter for a second. His wardrobe was full of neat, pristine clothing mixed in with the rest of his more practical wear. If he wasn’t in surgical scrubs, he liked to look good! There was no harm in that and at least he could always promise that his jeans wouldn’t be closer to his knees than his waist! Once his attention was fixed back on Bridget, Dylan’s charismatic smirk and cheeky glimmer only grew. “Later it is then.”[/color] He said easily enough, raising their linked fingers so he could press a gentle kiss to the back of her hand.

Their short time ‘alone’ went by quicker than Dylan had thought. He had pulled his jeans back on, grabbing his t-shirt to carry upstairs with him. He had intended to run upstairs and grab a quick shower to refresh himself after all of the travelling and the dip in the pool. He thought it would have been a good idea to get it all out of the way before evening hit and Bee’s father returned home, but time just managed to slip away. Plus, he enjoyed having Bridget curled into his side when he wasn’t comforting her or helping her nurse a bad hangover. Pushing himself up from the seat, Dylan approached Bee’s dad with a friendly smile and with a warm, strong handshake ready. “Doctor Delaynee, it truly is a pleasure to meet you.”[/color]
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 942!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

There wasn’t much in Vegas for a kid to do. The entire city was geared towards fantasies for adults. Bridget and her friends made it work, especially since for the first eleven years of her life she wasn’t allowed off the block. After that, she went only as far as the closest coffee shop or ice cream place until she got her license and then, she was hardly in Nevada at all on the weekends. But aside from there being nothing in her city for kids to do, she hardly had a rough life. “It better be, or I’m going to be awfully disappointed,” she teased, running her fingers down his arm and back up again. Whenever Dylan was around, Bridget felt like a teenager again. She was almost always laughing, teasing and enjoying herself. “Never, which is what I’m hoping for,” she answered quickly and without needing to think about it. If there was one thing she could say about Dylan, he never lied to her and he had yet to break a promise he’d made to her about anything at all.

Laughing, Bridget shook her head, “I just bet you will.” She wouldn’t be surprised if the first day back in New York had him running out to make sure there were no empty spaces in that wine rack. “Deal! I won’t ask a single question in regards to the dates you’ve planned,” she said, reaching up to seal the deal with a kiss. She could just imagine what Dylan would have planned for each of these date nights. One thing was for certain, there was a shopping trip in her future for shoes that didn’t have a heel or say ‘Converse’ across the back at least.

“In this case, I really hope I don’t get to see that first hand,” she said softly, smiling at just the thought of Dylan yelling at his siblings to calm them down. She could easily see him doing something of the sort behind those hospital walls when interns were in a tiff. But she saw how he was around those little girls, and though she was aware he had other siblings, she just couldn’t quite picture him saying anything to have them pouting. “I might say no just to see what those are. It would certainly be interesting,” she returned equally as casual as Dylan had been. Chuckling, Bridget shook her head. Before she’d left for this trip, she’d handed over so many containers of treats, it would have lasted a week at least! And that didn’t even include what she’d left in her own apartment for them to grab if she hadn’t passed along enough of this kind or that. “Hung by your toes off that balcony,” Bee said, giggling at the image that came to mind. “Or you tell your ma it was all my fault,” she added with a shrug.

Bridget had a feeling if she had anything to do, she wouldn’t get any of it done if Dylan had his way. Not that she was complaining about the distractions. She hadn’t expected to find Dylan standing in her parent’s driveway just to surprise her, or the confessions, or the sweet and playful stolen kisses. But all those little things turned out to be one of the best surprises she’d ever had. And now it was being tainted by her mother’s big unfiltered mouth! Vivie thought as old as she was, she was allowed to say or do whatever she pleased. She lived her life for her child, her husband and her career; with one grown and another well established, she figured it was her time to say something. Of course, she’d thought that most of her life, so it was really nothing new. ”From what I saw earlier, I agree,” Vivie said, with a carefree laugh. If Vivie hadn’t seen the looks shared between the two of them, she would have thought them silly teenagers. Bridget didn’t see her mother leave them in the backyard, but she also hadn’t been paying much attention to anything but her drink and Dylan.

Of the people living in this house, Bridget wasn’t the least bit concerned with her father meeting Dylan. He was a nice guy with a good head on his shoulders and he didn’t treat Bridget like she was something to throw away when he was done with her; not that she would have let him treat her that way. But more importantly, Bridget liked Dylan, always had and that was what mattered to Nick Delaynee; that his daughter was treated right and that she liked the man. Nick shook Dylan’s hand, approving of the firm shake and eye contact. “It’s good to finally meet you as well, Dylan. Bridget speaks highly of you. She says you’re a doctor as well, a neurologist, yes? But what are you doing here?” Nick asked, aware the young man standing with his daughter had already gotten interrogated if his wife had anything to do with it.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 835
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

If Dylan was being honest, he was pretty excited by the idea of sharing his old memories with Bridget. He was like a little kid during the build up to Christmas, already wondering what treats he’ll wake up to. Only instead of wondering about toys and gifts he was thinking more about the places Bee would enjoy the most, and how much fun he would have revisiting them all after so many years. They were bound to bring back old childhood stories Dylan had almost forgotten. “Oh, you’re not going to be disappointed.”

[/color] Wrapping his arms around her, Dylan lifted her up just enough to have them at an equal height. “Then have some faith in me, professor. I’m not about to start.”[/color] He whispered, stealing another kiss for no other reason than because he could now.

“That rack and the cupboard have medicinal purposes.”[/color] He said, trying to keep a straight face and act as though he did have an honest reason to keep filling them back up whenever they approached empty. Dylan did enjoy his wine with dinner or a large whiskey after a really rough day, but it was surprisingly rare to catch him drunk unless he was out on a celebration with family or friends. “Good, because for every question you ask I’m claiming the right to let my sisters run through your apartment at 6am.”[/color] He grinned, teasingly grabbing at her sides for just a short second.

Grinning, Dylan shook his head softly. “Now that I can make no promises about. I can’t predict those little idiots.”[/color] He said with a laugh. He didn’t enjoy having to yell at people, siblings or otherwise, but he also wasn’t afraid to do it if he had to. It just happened to lean in his favour that it rarely ever came down to that. He could usually calm the friction down with a simple warning name call, if his ma wasn’t around or hadn’t already tried it. After his dad had died and before Justin had really settled into the family, Dylan had sort of played the role of man of the house and dealt with most of his sibling’s nonsense to save his ma the stress, since she was out working hard to keep the family above water. “Interesting is one way to put it…”[/color] He teased, giving her nothing more than a mischievous smirk and a slightly raised eyebrow. “That’s too light a punishment from her.”[/color] He said with a soft laugh, just imagining her actual reaction to news like that. “And I’m not going to shift the blame! That’s cruel.”[/color] His laugh grew a little louder and he hugged Bridget close to his side, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Dylan found Vivie’s interruption more amusing than annoying. She was just doing what any parent would do if given half the chance and he thought that the confrontation and the teasing remarks were a lot easier to handle than some awkward shared embarrassment between everyone involved. Plus, it could’ve been much worse, but he didn’t think Bee needed anything to compare it to, given how red her face had already turned in the moment! “You are terrible! Now I definitely know where Bridget gets it from.”[/color] Dylan said, laughing warmly at Vivie’s cheeky manner. He already knew that Bridget had learnt a lot from her mother in terms of her baking talents, but Dylan was seeing more and more similarities between the two women the longer he was around both of them.

The Irish doctor hadn’t put much thought into meeting Bridget’s parents, but he wasn’t worried about it. He had nothing to hide and wasn’t planning anything terrible. Obviously he wanted them to approve of him, especially given how his friendship with Bridget had changed into something more in the few short hours he had been there for. “Yes, sir, that’s correct.”[/color] He gave Nick Delaynee a small smile and then glanced back to Bridget for just a second. “I had a handful of vacation days to make use of and a gift for Bridget. I thought I’d drive out here and surprise her.”[/color] He admitted honestly enough. He didn’t want to say too much since Bridget hadn’t seen the tickets yet and he had already told her that he wasn’t giving her any clues; and that meant overhearing any, too!
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 780!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget didn’t have the first clue what Dylan had planned for this surprise that had him driving down to Nevada. But she wanted to know. Too many thoughts about what it could be were racing through her head and that more than not knowing what driving her crazy! Bridget was patient though, and she was stubborn; two things that kept her from begging to know what it was. Laughing, Bridget tightened her hold on Dylan. She knew he wouldn’t drop her but she still held a little tighter and leaned a little closer to the handsome doctor. “Oh, I have plenty of faith in you, doctor,” she mumbled against his lips.

Those bottles had come in handy more times than Bridget could count on some pretty rough days; and some pretty good ones. “That’s impressive, keeping that straight face,” she said unable to keep the laughter at bay. “But don’t quit your day job, you’re better at it.” Bridget shook her head. She adored his sisters to bits. And she loved that she could steal them away for a couple hours of baking and throwing flour around for no good reason other than to turn into living ghosts. “Oh, please! Lily and Kyla adore me! And you wouldn’t wake them up that early, it’s cruel.” Bee rolled her eyes. “And if for whatever reason, they really are awake at 6am, I can just send them back to you all sugared up. I promise I’ll bring you coffee,” she teased, her blue eyes bright with mischief.

“You say that like you don’t love them,” Bee teased. She could imagine how tiresome it could get having to yell constantly. Bridget was also aware that he really didn’t have to get in the middle of the squabbles often. She could remember the silly little arguments she broke up at the local high school. They were ridiculous and once Bee got the culprits to sit down and talk about it, she could get them to see how stupid they were being. It was talking over them without yelling that was the trouble part. Bridget mimicked Dylan’s raised brow and his smirk. “I’m looking forward to what you come up with.” Her own mother wasn’t into punishment in the traditional sense. Vivie enjoyed torment, teasing and complete and utter embarrassment to keep her only daughter in line. But it only lasted a few years before Bridget didn’t get bothered by it and Vivie’s tactics had to change. By then, Bridget was too old and knew better so she didn’t do anything that would have a neon sign over her head when her mother was around. “It’s not shifting blame if it’s true,” she said, looking up at Dylan.

Bridget should have been used to her mother’s antics; she’d lived with them for so long. And yet there were still things that Genevieve could do that had Bridget shaking her head or blushing. Vivie laughed, looking over at Bridget for a second before turning back to Dylan. “She had to learn it somewhere,” she said easily enough. Genevieve had known when Bee was just a toddler that her baby was goin to turn out just like her mother. For the most part, she was right and Genevieve couldn’t see that much fault in it. Aside from being a terrible mother when her daughter’s friends were around, Vive was a good person.

“Il est adorable. Laissez-le tranquille, papa,” Bridget said too fast, stealing a glance at Dylan. “I already see the wheels turning, wondering how you can make him uncomfortable and if maman can’t do it, you won’t be able to. And now, if you’ll excuse us,” she said stopping next to her father and wrapping her arms around him in a quick hug. “Play nice, maman isn’t and I need one parent to prove I’m not all crazy. And now if you’ll excuse us,” she teased, stepping back and taking Dylan’s hand and practically dragging him towards the house. ”What are you doing?” Vivie asked, her arms crossed against her chest. Bridget looked back over her shoulder an all too well known spark in her eye. Since there was no way of even pretending her parents weren’t trouble. “I’m twenty six years old, maman, you don’t need to know,” she said, shutting the door on her mother’s laugh. She had learned from the best and since she went to her parents for advice, there were few secrets between them.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 739
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan knew that he could’ve waited until Bridget was back in New York to surprise her with the trip to Ireland. He didn’t technically have to drive out to Vegas and do it all quite in the manner that he had done. Part of him wondered if he had made the trip just so he had an excuse to see Bridget sooner. He’d never really know for sure, but he had no regrets about driving out here and adding another surprise to the one he had packed and brought along with him. Everything just seemed to be working in his favour and Dylan wasn’t about to overthink or question every little thing. He knew better than to tempt fate like that. “I’m glad to hear it.”

[/color] He grinned, brushing his lips over hers once more before he allowed her feet to return to the ground.

Laughing, Dylan shook his head at Bridget. Sometimes the only cure for the days he had was a stiff drink. Luckily, those days were few and far between, but they still came about and nothing could ease his mind off it more than a strong drink, an early night and a hard day’s work. Once that cycle was complete he was back to his usual self. “I’m sure there are plenty of other people who will agree with you on that.”[/color] Dylan had worked extremely hard to get his career to where it was and he had no intention of slacking off now. It wasn’t like he could go in to work and take a lazy day; he constantly had to be alert and aware of any little thing that was happening with a patient. As exhausting as it could be, Dylan wouldn’t change his job for anything in the world and this week along was enough to remind him of his passionate drive for neurology. “That’s the hour they wake everyone else up at.”[/color] He said blandly. He loved his littlest sisters and couldn’t say no whenever they asked to stay, but 6am on the days he had off was a rough way to start! “Nu-uh. I’d send them to you and then put all the locks on, including the chain.”[/color] He threatened teasingly. “And it would take more than coffee to get on my good side if you hyped them all up.”[/color]

Shaking his head as countless memories rushed back, Dylan let out a quiet laugh. “There are times..”[/color] As with any siblings his own had annoyed and angered him over the years. Normally Dylan’s struggle had come from controlling Freddie, but the brothers got along well enough now and met up for drinks whenever their schedules allowed for it. Dylan tried to make it every other week, but his job was less predictable than Freddie’s who was always home by six-thirty every night. They laughed about it now, but when they were younger and mood swings were a regular occurrence in the Griffin household, they had all clashed, yelled and fought enough to make their ma curse them all to their rooms again. “Oh, I think you’ll find I can be very, very persuasive.”[/color] His lips curved up with a boyish smirk and Dylan’s usual flirtation reappeared again now that he had no reason to even try to hold it back. “But I’m not a tattle.”[/color]

Smiling apologetically and casting his blue eyes between Bee’s parents, Dylan let out a soft sigh. “When you come from a large Irish family we tend to have all the uncomfortable scenarios covered before we leave home. We have no filters.”[/color] It was true, and it was only in this moment that Dylan realised just how much might be said by his relatives once he caught up with them in Ireland. They were bound to say or do something since Bridget would be with him, but if they knew him at all they would know their efforts would be futile…at least on him! He was about to make a comment in response to her remark about being crazy, but her hand in his and dragging him off silenced him before the words could come out. He laughed at the short exchange and held his free hand up to her parents in a half apology, half surrendering fashion right before the door closed. “So, is this your not-so-subtle way of getting me alone so you can find out the real reason why I’m here?”[/color] He asked, smirking as he ran his fingers through his hair.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 796!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

As happy as Bridget was to see Dylan in Nevada, she was confused about it as well. She wanted to know what was so important that he felt had to drive all the way to Las Vegas to give her this surprise. More, she wanted to know why he thought it couldn’t wait until she got home. There were only a few more days left of her trip and then she would be packing up her car again and going back to New York. Not that she was complaining at all. If he hadn’t shown up on her parents’ doorstep, nothing else would have happened and their relationship would still be in that overly flirty yet platonic stage they’d been in. Bridget laughed softly as her bare feet hit the ground once again and her hands trailed down Dylan’s arms.

Now that summer was around, Bridget knew her good days would greatly outweigh the bad ones. She only got into foul moods when there was something wrong in one of her classrooms and talking about it and drinking over it was the only solution. It was part of the reason Dylan knew so much about her work life. Her inability to cut herself off mid tirade let anyone around her when she finally let loose know exactly how she was feeling about everything. She wasn’t the biggest fan of those days but the glasses of wine helped her to stop since she was usually too busy finishing off her glass to tell a story straight. “I think I could come up with a few people at least,” she said nodding in agreement. Dylan was good at his job. He cared about his patients and their well-being. It showed that day when she stopped by his office, how much he cared, and she saw that same caring every time his little sisters were by. “Yeah, everybody else,” she said, laughing. “They’re still in the stage of acting like they’re sweet, innocent little angels with me.” She knew better than to think they were as angelic as they acted, especially when they got around to tossing the flour at each other. Bee looked up at Dylan with wide blue eyes. “I would bring croissants, too,” she said sounding too innocent to be real. Dylan knew her well enough to see through the tone but the words were true enough. If she were woken up that early and pumped the girls full of sugar, she would bring food along with the coffee; she would need it herself!

“Those times don’t count,” She said, smiling. Of the friends she had with siblings, they all said that at one time or another. And aside from one who still hasn’t spoken to her sister in nearly eight years, none of them meant it; or meant it for long. Being an only child, Bridget didn’t understand it. She could see where it was coming from often enough. But she also had the mindset that if she had a sibling, she wouldn’t to anything to ruin that bond. Of course, she also couldn’t look back and picture another person being there for all the family trips and not having practically half the house to herself. She wouldn’t have been able to do anything she pleased so long as it didn’t land her in trouble or need her parents to bail her out. “And just when I wished you were,” she said on a sigh. She was intrigued but then she was always intrigued by Dylan and whatever it was he had planned.

“Lucky you,” Bee muttered, rolling her eyes. “We’re not quite there yet apparently.” But she hoped her mother would figure out there would be a time when the taunting and teasing wouldn’t work any more and they were coming up on it. Most of her friends knew what her parents were like, especially her mother and after the first introductions or visits, they usually settled down but it too a few of those to settle her mother’s active imagination and wild ways. “It could be,” she said thoughtfully, though the thought hadn’t actually crossed her mind, “Or it could be I wasn’t about to leave you cornered with those two hyenas while I went to get out of this bikini.” With a mischievous spark in her pale eyes and a small but wicked smirk curving her lips, Bridget looked over her shoulder at Dylan. “Or maybe I’m done denying myself the temptation.” Though all three were true, she wasn’t about to jump Dylan where they stood just to see if her imagination paled by comparison there, too.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words || 770
Clothes || Flour Girl
Music || Rain Falls Down - - -We The Kings
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

One of the few reasons Dylan had made the long drive to Vegas was because of travelling purposes. He figured that if he corned Bridget the second she arrived back in New York and told her she only had a day or two to pack her bags for another trip she might be less pleased about it all. At least this way she already had her necessities with her and there was time to run out and buy anything else she might need for the trip to Ireland; like a decent jacket or sweater. In his head it had made sense at the time of booking the tickets and comparing the flight costs. Obviously, his choice had proven to be the right one so far, with Vivie’s attempts at catching Dylan out being the reason why he had confessed about that morning in his bed. If that hadn’t happened, then there was no guarantee that their friendship would have become what it now was.

Dylan couldn’t predict what days would be good and which ones bad. Sometimes a day was going swimmingly and then something flipped it on its head and left the neurosurgeon feeling numb inside. Other days he dreaded and ended with a huge grin. In his profession there could be no promises and the only real guarantees of relaxation and plans coming to fruition came on days off and vacation time. He needed this break, even if he didn’t make it painfully obvious right now. The stress of the previous week had been enough to make his whole body feel tired and while a weekend and a cave dive would’ve cured that, this idea seemed much more promising. “See how long that lasts now.”

[/color] He threatened, his arms slinking back around her waist as a grin crossed his lips. Lily and Kyla were still obvious to the dramas and complications that could come with adult relationships, but both girls were almost as bad as their mother for wanting to see Dylan find “his princess”. He knew that the second their eyes landed on a stolen kiss or secret moment they’d be all over Bridget. Luckily, after seeing how Vivie could be when she set out to embarrass her daughter, Dylan had a feeling that Bee could handle the two little girls who hadn’t yet developed their own verbal filters. “Still not enough, I’m afraid.”[/color] He said with a shake of his head, a cheeky grin soon growing across his handsome features.

He just arched his eyebrow and smirked across at her. Dylan would always drop everything to help one of his siblings, but they did test his patience from time to time. Still, he enjoyed being the big brother and they knew he was there for them whether they needed to loan $20 from him until they got paid, crash on his couch or just ask him for some advice. He didn’t know if it was the nature of his family to be close and there for each other, or whether it was just him, but Dylan thought the same thing applied to his overseas cousins, too. It’d be nice to see them again soon and hopefully they wouldn’t land and stumble into any of the drama he could remember from the years before. It was never too extreme, but there was usually a bust up somewhere along the branches of the family tree. “Oh, don’t feign disappointment. I’ve seen the way you look at me.”[/color] He teased, leaning in close to whisper the last of his words in her ear.

Chuckling, Dylan ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “Think of it this way. I could’ve run for my bike the second your mom started asking those really awkward questions.”[/color] He said, pointing out an optimistic twist on the situation. He knew some guys who would’ve made an excuse to leave by now, but Dylan just saw all of this as something to laugh at and it would take a little more to scare him out of that front door. His eyes instinctively darkened at the second two options Bridget offered up. Who could blame him? Bridget was a stunning woman and after the leaps and bounds in their relationship this afternoon, Dylan didn’t feel so much like he had to hide that attraction anymore. Tugging at Bridget’s hand, Dylan pulled the pretty professor back against his chest and his lips hovered close to her ear. “As strong as that temptation may be, we are not having some quickie while your parents prep dinner.”[/color] He scattered a few light butterfly kisses over her skin. “At least not this time.”[/color] Releasing her, Dylan grinned and wiggled his eyebrows towards her. Despite the cheeky comments, the temptation and the teasing comments, Dylan was a complete romantic and thought Bridget deserved so much better than something like that. If the literal dance he’d made about their first kiss didn’t prove that, then he was at a loss. “Although I do have to get you into bed for your surprise.”[/color] He said, nodding his head as though there was no other option. The tickets were hidden securely under the pillows of his bed, and even though his plan for revealing them to her hadn’t actually involved being in the bed, it didn’t stop him from making the joke. With Bridget, the silly comments and flirtatious remarks just popped into his head before he could think twice and far too many of them now had a very good reason to just roll out on his tongue.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee <3
WORDS! 973!
OUTFIT! Biker Boy!
LYRICS! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - - - The Proclaimers
NOTES! <3 <3 <3