Take Your Time • •

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget grew up in a house with Genevieve Delaynee, there was no such word as subtle in her vocabulary. And Nick Delaynee was definitely no better. But she realised when she was older it was better to be blunt than to talk in circles to get to the point. She really hated when people had ‘um’ or ‘uh’ between every word and turning every single word into its own sentence. She wanted to yell at them to just spit it out already. She understood when it was young children, they had so much to say that they sped through it and jumbled up all their words, or when they weren’t quite sure how to say what they wanted to get across. “Promises, promises. They seem to just keep adding up with you,” she teased, biting back a laugh. She was going to collect all of those promises eventually; even if it took her a very long time. “She’s already asking, it’s gone off at least a dozen times already,” Bridget said reaching into her bag again to show him her phone, which was going off again with an accompanying eye roll. Her mother had no concept of boundaries and this proved it.

“I find that so unlikely that you’re one of the better ones,” Bridget teased, though it also made her realise how happy she was that she didn’t have a big brother to add to the torment her parents were so good at. They didn’t need help embarrassing her. “I feel really sorry for the poor guys interested in Lily or Kyla when they’re older,” she said, thinking out loud. Those girls were going to have it tough when they brought guys home, no matter how innocent it was. “Says the Irishman to the French girl,” Bridget said with a smirk. The heartiest thing Bridget ate was a steak before she’d taken most meats out of her diet completely and even that last one had turned her stomach. Though that could have been more the fact that she couldn’t quite come to terms with the fact that what she was eating wasn’t someone’s pet.

Bee didn’t mind if she ended up eating cold food, she was so hungry she would have eaten nearly anything set in front of her, she was enjoying the stroll back to the cottage and the history lesson she was getting. “That’s terrible they must have been some very tough times,” she said, thoughtfully. “I’ll have to keep an eye out for them and I’m thinking the next time I want to go somewhere, I’m buying a history book, first,” she said, shaking her head because she really had no clue about the finer bits of the pretty country’s history. Once back at the cabin, Bridget took a seat on the couch to take off her shoes and felt like she could just fall back and pass out. She wasn’t exhausted anymore but she could definitely use some sleep. She could have stayed there for the rest of the night but she knew Dylan was over in the little kitchen putting everything together and she should have been helping him. Out of the chunky boots she’d worn, Bridget pushed herself up off the couch and went to the kitchen to help with whatever was left to do though by then it was just to sit down and eat. “Is it bad I think I’m so hungry, I’m not anymore?” Bridget asked, reaching up to steal a kiss as she took her plate from his hand and settled at the table.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||595
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan had lost count of the amount of times he had had to yell “Ma!” at Clara Olivier. How his step-father managed to put up with it all of the time, he didn’t know, but then again Clara probably didn’t ask him so many interfering questions. Dylan was pretty used to his mother being blunt and to the point by now, but other people weren’t and his scolding was usually on their behalf. There was a very good reason why he had stopped bringing people home when he was a teenager; Clara instantly jumped to conclusions or spoke up whenever she overheard something that sounded like it carried interesting information about her eldest son. “An’ find me a time when I’ve never delivered on one.”

[/color] He teased with a boyish smirk before stealing a light kiss from her. Chuckling, he shook his head and looked at the phone in Bridget’s hand. “I’m so glad she doesn’t have me phone number, or me ma’s, for that matter.”[/color] The thought of the two chatting and plotting while they were away was the stuff of nightmares.

Shooting Bridget a look with a mischievous glimmer in his blue eyes, Dylan merely shrugged and then snickered to himself. “Just wait. You’ll understand once you meet some o’ the others.”[/color] Dylan usually kept his protective traits subtle. Unlike his ma he didn’t interrogate or threaten in front of the sibling they were connected to, but instead caught them alone and hopefully keeping the conversation secret. “I feel sorry for them, too. They’ll have to deal with me ma.”[/color] He offered, choosing to playfully ignore what Bridget had really meant by her words. They would have to deal with Clara, alright, but there were three older siblings and two of those were brothers who didn’t take kindly to people messing with their family. They might seem peaceful and polite enough at the best of times, but cross a Griffin and Dylan and Freddie could become very nasty, very quickly.

The history he grew up with and the stories he heard did take something away from the Emerald Isle beauty that people instantly thought of when they thought of Ireland. He still loved his home, was still fond of the memories he had and he had only a few vague ones that were horrific, thankfully. “Things were worse before I was born, but most of it is just another part o’ the history books now.”[/color] He didn’t know of anyone who enjoyed reminiscing about The Troubles and the cities had moved on as best as they could, with only a few out of control dates in the year that remained open to trouble and violence. Luckily, none of them would fall during their short trip to the land. “But then you’d have no reason t’ see the tours or the landmarks when y’ got there.”[/color] He pointed out, although he was usually too interested in where he could dive and what was there to usually focus on the rest of the native history. With the table set and the food ready, Dylan was slightly relieved that they had no place else to be that evening. The travelling had left him feeling pretty drained and all he wanted to do now was relax and take it easy until his body was over that lag. “Jus’ eat an’ you’ll notice the difference then.”[/color] He grinned, taking a seat and then taking a bite into the pastie bap that he was certain Bridget would find disgusting to even look at. The meat and potato wrapped in batter and deep fried before being slotted in a bread roll didn’t exactly look appetising, but it certainly tasted good.

By the time Dylan finished picking at the various foods on the table, he was already feeling the weariness come back, but he wasn’t exactly tired. Lazily, he moved the dishes and containers to one side and then sighed contently now that he was fed. “Bath, backrub and bed?”[/color] He asked, although he was open to any other plans Bridget might have before they settled in for the evening.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 692!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget couldn’t say it enough how much she really did appreciate Dylan keeping his word. She’d not had many people disappoint her in her but there were enough and those few were too many in her opinion. “You haven’t disappointed yet,” she confirmed, pulling away from his kiss. Bridget laughed, shaking her head as she sent her mother another quick message, begging her to stop texting. She would text once in a while to reassure her mother that she was alive and well but other than that, she was getting radio silence. “I don’t know about your number but she definitely doesn’t have your mother’s,” she said, tossing the phone back into her purse to hopefully be forgotten again. Her phone had been left unattended quite a few times over those last few days before they left for Ireland. It would have been only too easy for Vivie to have taken Dylan’s number from it.

“I feel like I’m going to be walked out to the firing squad now,” Bridget muttered, shaking her head. “Thanks.” She only knew what Dylan was like and she could guess with the older siblings when she’d run into them in the halls and had a quick hello and introduction before the professor was rushing off somewhere. She had no idea what she was getting herself into with the rest of his family. Rolling her eyes, Bridget playfully smacked Dylan’s arm. “Oh, ha-ha, you know what I mean,” she said, crossing her arms and sending him an empty glare. Her mother was enough of a handful without help. That was also why she was dreading that trip to New York she knew her parents were already planning. There would be introductions and coffee and talks and by the time Genevieve and Nick Delaynee get on that plane again, Bridget and Dylan would be married with three kids!

Bridget nodded, keeping her mouth busy by tossing another of the scallops in her mouth. With her brain fried, she wasn’t exactly prepped for serious conversation and thought this topic was current news, it was still pretty serious. “Mm,” she said, swallowing the food in her mouth. “No, but then I would have known all about your History lesson ahead of time and would have had something better than “that sucks” to say,” she added, dropping the octave of her voice for the two words she’d said earlier. “Yeah, I’ll be full and exhausted again,” she said, shaking her head. Bridget didn’t even look at the deep fried thing Dylan seemed so excited to eat again. Not only did it look really gross, which she was not afraid to say with laughter, it didn’t smell particularly pleasing either. Add in the meat portion of the deep fried thing and it was turning her stomach. Instead she stuck to what she considered safe and started on her meal. By the time plates were being pushed aside, Bridget was only picking at the meal. It seemed like she was so hungry that it hadn’t taken too much to fill her grumbling stomach. “That sounds absolutely perfect,” she said, feeling like she could just collapse. Standing Bee gathered up the dirty dishes and set them in the sink. It would take a while to fill the tub if it really was as big as Dylan had suggested and she needed to fill that time with something.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||565
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan thought his word to be very important. If he made a promise he did everything he could to stick to it, even if it took him time to fulfil. He never made promises he had no intention of keeping or ones he couldn’t guarantee would be checked off. His word though, was something he thought was vital to who he was. It had been something his father had taught him and it had stuck with him. One of the biggest fights he had with Freddie with over his younger brother saying he’d do something and then never following through with his promise. “An’ I hope I never do.”

[/color] He grinned, meaning it sincerely. Chuckling as Bridget replied to one of the messages, Dylan took the chance to check his own phone, noticing he needed to stick the device on charge before they fell asleep for the night. “Give it time. They’ll be swappin’ phone numbers and plannin’ out the holidays before y’ know it.”[/color] At least that was how he imagined it. He had a feeling Clara and Vivie might get along a little too well for their children’s liking and use that newfound friendship to continuously make up reasons to keep bringing everyone together. His ma was bad enough without needed the added incentive of the equally, if not more so, keen French woman.

“It’s nothin’ like that.”[/color] Dylan vowed, before being unable to resist his mischievous side and grinning across at the pretty blonde. “It’s over quicker with the firin’ squad.”[/color] His family could be a little overwhelming at first and it was worse when there were more of them together at the same time. The neurosurgeon was confident that Bridget would be able to take it in her stride though, even if it did take her a little bit of time to adjust at first. Plus, she was being eased in with an aunt and uncle first, rather than getting the full force of Clara’s antics with his siblings. With Clara she could probably hide away with Justin, who had always managed to find a way to stay on the sidelines of the crazier Irish family moments.

Grinning, his mind travelled back to another moment not that long ago and he washed down some of his food with a mouthful of his drink before he chose to tease Bridget more. “Ach, I think it’s a step up from ‘huh’ as your answer when I tell y’ o’ something you didn’t know about.”[/color] He couldn’t contain the grin, still amused about how she had initially responded to him confessing all about that morning in his bed. “It’s allowed; y’re on holiday!”[/color] He reminded her in a sing-song voice, tossing a scallop at her and laughing to himself as he moved his attention back to his own meal. It had been too long since he’d eaten something like this that reminded him of home. He was pretty certain that his aunt would have another hearty, home-cooked meal prepared for them when they arrived at her house, too. With the food out of the way, Dylan slinked his arms around Bridget’s waist from behind while she stood by the sink and pressed a feather-light kiss to her jaw. “I’ll go an’ move the cases t’ the bedroom an’ run us a lovely hot bath. Don’t forget t’ bring the wine with y’.”[/color] He whispered, pressing another kiss to her shoulder before stepping back and moving to gather up their things and take it all through to the right room. A bath, relaxing hour or two and a good night of sleep was definitely needed for both of them if they wanted to get rid of the weariness that came with flying. Plus, they had plenty to see and do in his home country and it would be a better experience if they weren’t yawning and passing out each time they sat down!
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 660!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget’s word meant everything to her, and she knew from countless conversations it was the same with Dylan. It was why she always took him at his word, she always believed him when he said something; unless he had that grin on this face. That cheeky grin settled itself so perfectly on his lips when he was teasing or joking around. But even then, when she looked the stereotype because she hadn’t caught on that it was all a joke, she couldn’t find it in her to be mad. It was her fault she didn’t clue in fast enough after all. Bridget leaned up and stole a quick kiss. “You never will,” she said, looking into those blue eyes of his. If meeting Dylan’s relatives didn’t kill her, the constant texts from her mother would certainly do the job! “I don’t give it a day once we’re back,” Bridget replied, laughing. She knew her mom; it was killing her now being unable to conspire with Dylan’s mother and having to wait the week they were gone. But in that week, she also knew too many plans would be made on her mother’s part and there wouldn’t just be the two of them heading back to New York, but four.

She trusted Dylan, but she also knew better than to put all her worries away and relax when that exact smirk he was sporting now found its way to his lips. It meant he was up to something. She had seen it enough times since she’d moved in across the hall from him to know a hell of a lot better than to let her guard down around that smirk. “Vous êtes un tel cul. Pourquoi dois-je mettre en place avec vous?” she asked, rolling her eyes and finally relaxing. Bridget was confident in her ability to deal with crazy family moments. She’d grown up around her mother after all, if that didn’t prepare her for what Dylan was suggesting, nothing would. She was more worried about when their parents would meet. That would be the time to really worry.

Bridget couldn’t remember a thing about that morning or most of the night leading up to it. She could however, remember vividly the Dr. Seuss style dream she’d had. After she’d thought about it all, it made perfect sense in that twisted dream like way. “What’s that? I don’t understand what you’re saying,” she said, looking over at him like she really was confused. Bridget would never win an Oscar for her acting talents but she could hold her own when she really needed to. It often helped when she read passages from books, poems that needed that specific touch of emotion or a certain tone. “A loaded holiday maybe, what with your plans,” she said, laughing as she tried to catch the scallop and watched as it bounced off her hand.

As the sink started to fill with water around the dirty dishes, Bridget looked up at Dylan’s reflection in the small window above the sink. “I’ll bring the wine as long as you put extra bubbles in,” she said grinning as she went to work on the dishes while Dylan moved their things; something they probably should have done hours earlier. With only the two of them and the take out they had decided on, there weren’t many dishes and she was emptying the sink shortly after filling it. It took her a minute to find the wine glasses in the cupboard and less than that to grab a bottle and find the bath. “That looks so wonderful,” she sighed, setting the things in her hand down and getting herself ready for that relaxing bubble bath.

THE NEXT MORNING. . .

Bridget stirred, rubbing the back of her hands against her closed lids. She was too comfortable, didn’t want to move at all. She knew Dylan had things planned for them for their first full day in Belfast but she was just so comfortable curled up next to the charming Irish doctor. Opening her eyes, Bridget had to blink a couple times to lose the blurry vision she usually had first thing in the morning. For a person who could go days without wearing her glasses, or poking her eye to put contacts in, she was too blind first thing in the morning. Looking up through her lashes and smiling at the sight of Dylan still somewhere in dreamland, Bridget trailed kisses from Dylan’s shoulder, where her head rested perfectly up his jaw to his ear. “Good morning,” she whispered against his ear, hoping to stir him out of his dreams and back to reality.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||771
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan slept like the dead, which was pretty uncommon for him, but with the travelling and the time difference it was something he definitely needed. Besides if he planned on spending the day with his family the last thing anyone needed to be was tired; it would never result in anything good. He was still lost in a dreamless sleep when he felt a soft tickling on his skin, disturbing him barely. With his eyes still closed he managed to remember where he was, who he was with and what they were supposed to be doing that day. It was a pretty impressive feat from a man who usually woke up feeling groggy until he had stumbled into a hot shower. Lying still for a moment longer, Dylan then quickly rolled over so that he was starfished over the pretty blonde professor. He was going to try to pretend to be asleep for a few more moments, but his grin probably gave it away. Instead he moved to prop himself up and then grinned sleepily down at her. “Mornin’.”

[/color] Despite the hours of sleep, his accent was still as thick as it had been in the evening. He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and then sat up, running his fingers through his unkempt hair.

His blue eyes moved to the watch he had left on the bedside table and it took a few long blinks for everything to come into focus from the sleepy state he was in. It was early, but not too early and they had plenty of time before he had his aunt dialling his number to find out where the hell they were. Rolling back over, he pulled Bridget against his chest and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “Sleep well, love?”[/color] He asked, in no real rush to move from the comfortable bed. He felt much better now he had caught up on the much needed sleep, but it was still a rare thing for Dylan to have the time to just lay in bed in the morning and not have to hurry off to work or to run errands that had been building up through the week.

“I should ge’ up and make us some breakfast.”[/color] Dylan sighed with a small smile on his face as he kissed down Bridget’s shoulder and then reluctantly moved to clamber from the bed. “An’ coffee.”[/color] He added, rubbing the heel of his hand against his eyes before stretching out and rolling his shoulders as though he needed to wake up the rest up of himself. “What d’y’ fancy? Keep it simple; we ‘aven’t done a decent shop yet.”[/color] It was something they could do at the end of the day before they came back to the cosy cottage. Reaching out he grabbed her hands and pulled her up and into his chest, grinning cheesily down at Bridget as his arms encircled her waist.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 533!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget had definitely needed those few hours of sleep. The flights had drained her and though that bath had helped to relax her travel weary bones and stiff muscles, it also just made her feel just how exhausted she was. She was wide awake though, without her usual cup of coffee put together with her eyes closed. She was quite impressed with herself, but she was also excited to be in Belfast. Bridget was getting ready to trail more kisses over Dylan’s body when he rolled on top of her, knocking the breath from her lungs is a loud “oof” and a breathy laugh. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that! “He-man,” she muttered reaching up and nipping at his shoulder simply because she could and it was an amusing non-punishment.

Staying curled up where she was Bee lifted her head to run her fingers through the mess of blond hair. She was in no hurry to roll out of the comfy bed and get on with the day. She would be more than happy to stay hidden beneath the covers all day but Dylan had plans for them and he wouldn’t let her laze about all day, even if he was there with her! “I think I’m still dreaming actually,” she said, grinning. It all seemed a little like one of the fairy tales her mother read her when she was small. She had loved those stories when she’d been smaller and had wanted to be a princess with her prince charming. When she grew up, she knew it wasn’t realistic but there was always that small part of her, the same one that fell in love with books that still wanted that.

“Breakfast,” Bridget sighed wistfully. “That really is a dream come true,” she added, teasing though she was hungry. “Coffee is its own food group.” It had certainly helped Bridget through some pretty rough nights of grading papers and before that cramming for exams or writing the paper that got her the PhD framed on her office wall. “Coffee’s fine,” she said, barely getting the words out before the surprised giggles took over and her body collided with Dylan’s. She wrapped her arms loosely around Dylan’s neck, looking up at him. “Merci,” she said, shaking her head at his silly antics. “So, what are the plans for today?” She asked, moving her hands down Dylan’s arms, interlacing her fingers with his behind her back. After a minute, Bridget stepped back; keeping one hand linked with Dylan’s and walked with him out to the main part of their cosy little cottage.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||432
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan definitely felt a whole lot better now that he had slept and regained the energy that had been drained over the time zones. He was also a little bit relieved to be waking up next to Bridget and to not have anyone else around. It meant they didn’t have to necessarily be in the kitchen for breakfast at a certain time or worry about anyone calling their names to see where they were. It had been far too long since Dylan had been able to wake up like this without thoughts of work, errands or other mundane facts of a grown up life on his mind. “You’re mine.”

[/color] He grinned boyishly, bumping his nose against hers and then pressing another soft kiss to her jaw. If more mornings started like this, he was fairly certain that he’d be better off for it and he hoped the same could be said for Bridget, although he doubted mornings like this would lead to them getting anything productive done.

Dylan had never really been one for lounging around in his bed at the start of the day. Only when he was sick would he crawl back under the covers and just spend the day watching old DVDs that he owned or cringing at the bad daytime television. Mornings like this coaxed a few more minutes out of him, but Dylan was usually an “up and go” kind of guy. He’d rather be racing around or doing something than lazing about. He hated it so much when one of his migraines would hit and force him into just lying about and doing nothing, so he didn’t really think he could handle too much of the same thing when he was in fine health. Smiling an early morning smile, Dylan leaned over to brush some of Bridget’s blonde hair from her face. “You’re not dreamin’. I promise. And even if y’ were I’d probably still be kissin’ y’.”[/color] He teased, remembering the morning that almost, sort of started this whole thing between him and Bridget. Without that morning there would have been nothing to have that conversation about in Vegas and without that, who knew when they would have finally acted upon their feelings?

Being a doctor, Dylan knew only too well how amazing coffee could be. The stuff had carried him through his residency when he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep and even now he drained a couple of cups throughout the day when he wasn’t in surgery and focusing on something more important than getting him a caffeine fix. Still, it was very rare for him to substitute breakfast entirely for a giant cup of coffee. He thought the two went hand in hand and he wasn’t about to let Bridget squirm away from that. “Please, I have that egg soda I bought last night and I’m sure there’s enough in to whip up some toast.”[/color] It wouldn’t be the greatest breakfast he ever cooked, but it was better than nothing. His aunt would be sure to feed them until they were fit to burst later. Moving through to the kitchen area, Dylan stretched out a little more and then pulled Bridget back against him, resting his chin just above her ear as his arms wrapped around her from behind. “Well, we can get my aunt and her family out of the way this afternoon. We can get some shoppin’ doe and then probably treat ourselves to a night out in Belfast Centre, if you’re feelin’ up to it after the attack of the Griffins. I can promise you that you’ll at least need a drink, but it’s entirely up to you, love. We can do whatever y’ fancy later on.”[/color] He said, pressing his lips to the spot just above her ear while his mind was running through a whole list of possibilities for the evening, from the cinema to some of the bars around the city to just grabbing a late dinner someplace and heading on a short walk through the city centre.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 715!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Mornings for Bridget usually consisted of her cursing the alarm clock even as she rolled out of bed and headed straight for the coffee maker. All good things came after coffee in the mornings and she couldn’t even find the shower until there was a cup of java coursing through her veins. She rarely stayed in bed longer than she had to unless the flu claimed her as another victim or a killer hangover took hold and even then, apparently she took over Dylan’s bed and not her own. “Mm, possessive,” Bridget said, grinning. She could absolutely get used to waking up like this. If more mornings started like this, she would probably never get anything done, and at the moment, it suited her just fine.

Being sick for Bridget meant being curled up on the couch with horrible TV on or the box sets hidden away in her closet. She hated the feeling of being sick and tried her damnedest to stay as healthy as possible. And none of those rare days included remotely pleasant dreams. “You would be but it wouldn't be half as good as reality," she admitted laughing. She wished she hadn’t gotten herself so drunk she couldn’t remember a damn thing from that night. But at the same time she couldn’t find it in her to regret her actions. Without drinking all that she had, she wouldn’t have stumbled into Dylan’s bed; she would have had enough sense going for her to find her way into her own apartment. And then he wouldn’t have driven down to Vegas and they wouldn’t be waking up in each other’s company in the cutest cottage in Belfast. Without everything that happened, Bridget probably would have pushed her trip home another week and Dylan would be back in New York, no doubt giving someone a second chance at life.

Bridget was pretty sure coffee was the only thing that got her through college and everything else about life from the time she started drinking the stuff when she had still been a teenager and needed to pull an all-nighter for a particularly tough final exam. Coffee and the treats she made with her mother were her lifelines and she had been hooked from the beginning. Most mornings had Bridget snatching a bagel and a coffee from a little place down the street from the apartment or a cart on campus. She wasn’t fond of rolling out of bed and tucking into a big breakfast, or even a small one and it was usually an hour at least before she felt the stirrings of hunger pains. Bridget sighed, rolling her eyes. “Alright, fine. Breakfast,” she replied with a sigh as if it were such a trouble to sit and eat a morning meal. Bridget listened to Dylan’s list of possible plans as she drew lazy circle designs on his forearms. “Meet the family. Did you need a drink after Viv?” Bee asked laughing because she needed a drink after Dylan met her mother. The woman had quite the way with words and even now Bridget didn’t know completely what her mother had asked of Dylan. “It sounds fun, and I would love to hear all those stories of you as a precocious little devil.” Bee turned around in Dylan’s arms, grinning. Just the image of a toddler version of Dylan wreaking havoc had Bridget developing the giggles.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||567
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Most mornings didn’t leave Dylan with the opportunity to relax and enjoy the earlier hours of the day. He was often up with the first ring of his alarm, in the shower a few minutes later and then getting ready and drinking usually two cups of coffee while his mind played through his schedule for the day and his hands collected anything he needed. Then he was on his bike and usually driving the route to the hospital, since that was definitely the place he spent most of his waking hours. This morning was a very rare thing for the twenty-seven year old. “Only when it comes t’ the things I really, really want.”

[/color] He teased, grinning mischievously before brushing his lips along Bridget’s jawline in a playful fashion.

“I know a few other things that are better in reality, too.”[/color] He said cheekily, grabbing at her sides. Dylan couldn’t regret anything that had finally led up to this trip and this relationship. Sure, it could’ve happened sooner, but other factors were in play and it hadn’t. Instead of dwelling on that, Dylan believed that everything had happened for a reason. There was a reason why this hadn’t happened sooner and there was a reason why it was happening now. Dylan had lived through and seen enough to believe in that. All that mattered to him was the moment they were in and making the most of it.

Growing up, there wasn’t an excuse for skipping a meal. If his family did one thing well it was cook. His ma always had lovely meals prepared for her kids and the portions were definitely not on the small side. Even asking for “not a lot” came back with a plate more than what a person really meant when they said that. It was probably something Dylan did now himself, since he often found that he had cooked more than enough for himself when he was in the kitchen. Sometimes it went to Bridget and other times it went into plastic containers and became his next day’s lunch. “Are you being dramatic because it’s not breakfast in bed like last time?”[/color] Last time he hadn’t really trusted her to move from his bed given the state of the hangover, but the smirk still danced on his lips as he teased her. Laughing, Dylan shook his head and pressed a soft kiss to Bridget’s shoulder. “Surprisingly, no. It came close, but then it all turned to you rather than me and that was just hilarious.”[/color] He had spent most of the week in Vegas chuckling about Bridget’s moment of embarrassment in the pool and how it had sort of given him his stride back when it came to dealing with her mother’s comments. Plus, the whole situation was just too funny to forget about. He reluctantly moved away to find some of the fresh bread and the few bits that were in the refrigerator. Setting about making the coffee and the food, Dylan laughed some more and then glanced at Bridget over his shoulder. “I was never a precocious little devil! I was charming from birth. Freddie was the little monster.”[/color] The few years between him and his brother had definitely led to Dylan trying to clean up most of Freddie’s messes if he couldn’t prevent them in the first place. His earliest memories were mainly those of helping his dad out when he was home. Dylan didn’t know if he had favoured them more since they were of his father, but ask him about his childhood and the man and the adventures he had shared with his two sons were pretty much the first thing that sprung to the front of his mind.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 626!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Even when she wasn’t at work, Bridget was working. There was always something she could do for this class or that one. Ideas and thoughts fought for attention constantly which was the whole reason she kept a notebook handy and more often than not had her phone in her hands. The notepad on that thing had more work notes than it did anything else! Even the past couple of weeks in Vegas had been full of interruptions for the prep work of a new school year. But this week she was going to try her hardest to ignore work thoughts. This week was about exploring Ireland, learning more about Dylan, the stories he wouldn’t share and just being together. And lounging around in bed, even for a few extra minutes was part of that. “I really like the sound of that,” Bridget whispered, letting her fingers trail down the length of Dylan’s arm and back up again.

The only thing Bridget wished she could go back and change about this budding relationship with Dylan is that when it all started. If she could have looked into a crystal ball months beforehand and seen how their connected future could turn out, she would have gotten herself away from that terrible relationship sooner. Yes, she would have had to let the dust settle at least before forging ahead but considering how the past week went, it would have been completely worth it. She thought it was now, and all that time they spent working up to this moment were just the stepping stones to a stronger relationship right from the start. They knew each other well before anything happened between them. "You're absolutely terrible," Bee said, shaking her head.

Bridget was hardly home when she was a child. She was always outside with friends or at those friend’s houses. If she wasn’t across the street at her best friend’s house for dinner, that girl was at Bridget’s being put to work in the kitchen and getting a lesson in both baking and French. It wasn’t until Bee was older that she brought her friend’s home with her more and more often. Most of those friend’s already knew what Vivie was like and just laughed it all off, plus her mother stopped trying to come up with embarrassing things to say around them; by then, they were just adopted children. “Yes,” Bridget said deadpan, looking Dylan in the eye. Last time, there was no way Bridget was moving from where she was. Curling up with Dylan had been as far as her poor pounding head would allow her to go that day. Needless to say, she didn’t want to drink that much ever again.

“Vivie certainly has a way about her. But this isn’t Vegas. And we’re not going to see my family. It’s your turn, Buster.” Bee couldn’t stop herself from teasing Dylan when she got the chance. Most times they were so few and far between and that was when she caught the moments. As intelligent as she was, she could absolutely live up to the stereotype of her hair colour from time to time. Her mother was always trying to find ways to embarrass her only daughter and more often than not, she found those ways. But Bridget had gotten older and things became easier to ignore. But family was family; Bridget wasn’t about to forget that. “You’re little brother had to learn it somewhere.” Bridget couldn’t help herself. It was too amusing to try and get Dylan to squirm. She could admit the thought of Dylan being a little monster was difficult to picture. He was too charming to be a devil. Little Dylan probably didn’t even get in trouble with that cute little smile of his; the little conman.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||631
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

Dylan sometimes had to force himself to switch off after work. It was why he had his hobbies and took off for a diving trip when he could. Most days, even after hours in surgery, he would come home and think about his routine and plans for the next day. Some of that time he spent mentally going over the surgical procedures that he had coming up the following day, even if they were ones that he had performed enough times to be completely confident about them. He cared about his patients. He wanted to bring them good news and make them better. More than anything Dylan wanted to give them the second chance at life that he had been given all of those years ago. “Good, because you’ve gotta get used to it.”

[/color] He grinned boyishly, feathering light kisses down to her shoulder.

One thing that made this relationship with Bee slightly more special in Dylan’s eyes was the fact that they already knew each other so well. Bridget knew about bits of his past that he hadn’t shared with anyone outside of his family. There were still a lot of stories, some good and some bad, which he hadn’t told to her, but he suspected that she probably held back the same, too. If the situation or the time came for those stories to be shared then they could deal with that when it happened. For the most part, however, there would be no nasty surprises or horrors along the way. He was comfortable around her, could act like a moron or act like his usual charming self and he didn’t have to worry about her thinking him completely barking mad. They could talk to one another, which was something Dylan valued highly above most other things. “Mind out of the gutter! I could have been referencing pancakes!”[/color] He exclaimed, pretending to be horrified by her initial thought. Dylan had not been thinking about pancakes at all, but it was still funny to make the joke and enjoy the moment. Bridget was still in bed with him, in his arms and that didn’t seem to be a reason to complain at all.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Dylan pressed a light kiss to the tip of her nose and then sat upright. “But if you got used to breakfast in bed from me then I couldn’t surprise you with it. It wouldn’t be special.”[/color] He pointed out, a lopsided smirk dancing on his lips. He liked doing those little things for the special people in his life and while they would be an amazing daily experience, it would take the fun out of seeing their reaction when he caught them off guard with such things.

“Exactly. There are more of mine and they prefer to corner the strangers.”[/color] Dylan grinned mischievously, already knowing that his aunt wouldn’t let Bridget away from her side for most of the day. She would want to share stories, get to know the pretty blonde professor and probably try to put her through some sort of mini-test to see if she could handle the level of craziness that the Griffin family genetically seemed to pass on. Blinking for just a moment, it only took him a very short second to prepare an answer. “Yeah, from our cousins.”[/color] He might have gotten into his own roguish adventures when he was little, but the advantage Dylan had always had over Freddie was that charismatic personality. Turning his attention back to breakfast, he doctored the coffee just right and pressed the button for the toaster to do its share of the morning work.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 649!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

Bridget was lucky that she didn’t have to try hard to switch off after work. She had the dogs and always felt the urge to bake so shutting out the world was pretty easy once she was in the comfort of her cosy little apartment. Her mornings were for worrying about the schedule for that day and her nights were for zoning out with a good book and her oven. Bridget was lucky she didn’t have a stressful job. There was no way she could ever trade places with Dylan or Taylor. Of course, she already did what she loved so it didn’t really matter. If she hadn’t had that teacher in high school really grab her attention, she didn’t know where she would have ended up. No doubt she would be in Nevada, working with her mother and the catering business, maybe working the bakery end of things since it wasn’t her cup of tea carting around everything that went along with the catering side. Or maybe she would have still made her way to New York and opened up a small shop there. Either way, it didn’t matter now. “Do I? Plan on keeping me around for a while, hmm?” Bridget asked, laughing softly as the ticklish feeling of Dylan’s kisses.

Bee loved that she already knew so much about Dylan before things escalated between them. For the most part, she was an open book. There were things she held back but it was mostly because she didn’t think they were significant enough to share. There weren’t many stories that were hard to tell. She had been really lucky growing up and she knew that. There were no serious scandals in her past, no hospital stays and only two broken bones. Plus, he’d already seen her at her absolute worse, what else was there to hide, really. Most relationships started off with little to nothing known about the other person. You had to always be on with them, never completely letting your guard down. But since they knew each other so well already, Bridget didn’t have to go through all the ridiculous stages of getting dolled up just to sit around like she would have at least attempted before she gave up and went with something comfortable. As silly as it was, she was able to lounge around in yoga pants and an oversized hoodie with her hair a mess and no makeup on. “You could have been,” Bridget nodded in agreement, running her index finger down Dylan’s arm. “But were you? I don’t think so.” She couldn’t help but add the last bit in that annoying sing song voice.

“It would still be really sweet,” She said, with a big smile as if she could win this with a simple truth. She liked surprises and breakfast in bed was an excellent surprise. It would be nice daily but it would get dull after a while, even if they switched it up between them. No, every once in a while is a perfect surprise. “Strangers I can deal with,” Bridget said, laughing. It was her mother that she had trouble dealing with. Strangers never lasted long and her mother was there for life. Dylan’s family may be in her life for a while but they were on another continent, so she wasn’t too worried. And of the family members in New York, Bridget may have only met the youngest sisters but she absolutely adored them. And the way Dylan spoke of the rest of his family, Bridget knew she would like them just as much. The blonde professor laughed, bringing her hands up to her face, covering her mouth. “Don’t blame your cousins. Just because that adorable smile of yours got you out of trouble doesn’t mean you weren’t part of the plans,” Bridget teased, wrapping her arms around Dylan’s waist from behind him and pressing a kiss to his back. “I’ll be right back,” she said against his back, letting her hands slide away. She went back into the bedroom and tossed on a long sleeved tee over the tank she’d put on. She pulled the sleeves down over her hands as she walked back out into the kitchen. “Is breakfast ready?” she asked, pulling out a chair and taking a seat, pulling her leg up to wrap her arms around.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||724
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3

[Dylan Ellis Griffin]

His job came with a lot of stress, even on the good days. It was one of the reasons why Dylan sometimes took off for the weekend with his diving gear or stayed out on his balcony until long after sunset to work on a piece of furniture that he was trying to breathe new life into. It helped him relax and forget about the stresses and the worries for just a short time. He got to do something he enjoyed and hardly had to think about. It was nice to switch off like that and at the end of it he had things to show for it; photos of underwater discoveries or revived furniture that could find a new home. None of that would ever steal him away from his work though. Dylan loved being a neurosurgeon too much for that, even with the complications and the stress it brought. It still made him happy. “O’ course I do. I waited long enough t’ get you ‘ere.”

[/color] He smirked boyishly, nipping at her bottom lip.

Knowing Bridget so well made all of this easier. He knew she would appreciate his sense of humour without having to tiptoe about for a while and they had pretty much seen each other during both bad and good weeks. It helped take the element of doubt or worry out of things. During this trip she would probably find out more about him, his childhood and the father who Dylan visited every other Sunday in the cemetery. There were no secrets that he thought would really shock or stun her and aside from maybe a few stories he could have done without her hearing, he thought this trip would only return them to New York stronger as a couple. Once back there, they could just take each day at a time and hopefully everything would be good between them. It might have been a risk taking their relationship to beyond a friendship, but Dylan didn’t regret it. Not one damn bit. “Ah, you’ll never know.”[/color] He grinned, enjoying this playful morning that they were sharing where neither had to rush off for errands, appointments or work. They’d be few and far between in the future, but Dylan didn’t think he’d ever get sick of them, or of Bridget.

“You’re right, it would be. You know what it wouldn’t be though? A surprise. And I like givin’ you surprises.”[/color] He teased with a grin dancing on his lips. He was the type of guy who loved surprising the people he cared most about with treats and little gifts, even when they tried to make him stop. It was one of his ways of showing his affection and he could be rather impulsive on that front. He would buy things just because he had seen them and liked them and thought of a certain person, or do something completely sweet and ridiculous simply because the idea had sprung to mind and he could. “Ah, you say that now, but just wait until my aunt gets her hands on you. Then you might be thinking differently.”[/color] She would talk Bridget’s ear off, probably turn her face the same shade as a tomato and interrogate the poor blonde all so she could call Clara the moment the rented car pulled back out of the driveway. The Griffin women were all the same and they seemed to pass their habits on to anyone and everyone they considered family. “My cousins are to blame. They were terrors. It’s not my fault they weren’t born with the same charisma that I was.”[/color] He grinned, remembering those childhood adventures well enough.

While Bridget was out of the room, Dylan finished putting together their quick and simple breakfast. He was just sitting down with a mouthful of toast when she reappeared. “Mmhm. Get it while it’s hot.”[/color] He mumbled as he swallowed his food and reached for the coffee. He fired off a quick text message while they ate to let his aunt know that they’d be at hers at little later in the day once they had made it through some semblance of a morning routine and got themselves organised in a fashion. There was no real rush until his phone started ringing constantly, but he figured they had some time before that would happen.
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• • •

TAGGED! Bee! <3
WORDS! 766!
OUTFIT! Kiss Me, I’m Irish!
LYRICS! You Had Me From Hello - - - Bon Jovi
NOTES! <3

[Bridget Cameron Delaynee]

“Good thing I quite like where I’m at or you’d have a hell of a fight on your hands,” Bridget teased. It may have been one mistake after another that got them where they were now but Bee didn’t mind having to kiss a few frogs to get there. “But you keep that up and we’ll get nowhere today,” She continued laughing. As much as Bridget knew about Dylan, there was still plenty that she didn’t. And she wanted to know. “I already do.” Bridget grinned mischievously, with her brow quirked. It was too easy to be relaxed around Dylan. He just made it so easy to breathe and forget it all. She couldn’t believe she was so lucky, but the old saying was clearly true; good things did come to those who waited. Or got completely wasted and found their way into the wrong apartment, either way she was happy to be where she was!

“Mm, I do love surprises,” Bridget agreed, nodding her head carefully. Little surprises just because had always been a particular weakness of the professor’s. Flowers were nice and she accepted them happily but it was always the little knick knacks that she held dear. Those little things that brought up wonderful memories and made her laugh, those were the things she adored the most about surprises; not that breakfast in bed occasionally would be turned down. Bridget shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “It might,” she admitted easily enough. “But I won’t run away screaming.” Dylan’s family may put her through her paces but she would have expected nothing less. And honestly, she was still impressed her mother hadn’t put Dylan through more than she had during their stay in Vegas. Of course, Vivie never lived up to what you expected from her. She had been satisfied with whatever she’d gotten from him at the time but she wouldn’t stay that way. She would get curious about something else soon enough. And when they left for Belfast, Bridget knew her parents were figuring out how soon they could take time off to visit New York. “I couldn’t if I wanted to anyway, I have no idea how to get back here to the cottage,” she added after a second of thought, looking up at Dylan with mischief brightening her blue eyes.

“How do you walk through doors with that massive head of yours?” Bridget asked laughing. She knew Dylan well enough to know he really didn’t have that big of an ego but it was always fun to tease him about it. Especially since that that little trip to hospital before she left for Nevada. The nurses she spoke to couldn’t stop gushing about Dr. Griffin and the looks sent her way didn’t go unnoticed either. But she chose to ignore them because it was all just a little silly to her. She had only been his friend and neighbour then! She could just imagine what they would say now! With the longer shirt on, Bridget felt warmer and ready to sit down and eat. Her stomach wasn’t growling yet but she wanted at least something in her before they rushed around Belfast. Immediately after being settled in her chair, Bridget’s hand reached for her doctored cup of coffee and felt the urge to just drain the mug but refrained. Instead, she took a sip of the hot dark liquid and savoured the taste before picking up a piece of toast. “So, when are they expecting us?” she asked, taking a bite and waited. She almost wanted Dylan to say soon so they could get there and she could get over this bothersome nervousness of meeting some of his family. She would have been lying if she said she wasn’t nervous about meeting them. But his aunt and her family weren’t the biggest part of those nerves. She’d already met his siblings, but she was sure they would have a different idea now that things were different.

Tag || Dylan! <3
Words ||663
Clothes || Pretty Fool
Music || Mirrors --Justin Timberlake
Notes || <3