Let's get down to business

[first_rule]

If Daniel had thought the last year had been a whirlwind, it was nothing like all that changed the moment they stood before Dylan in the park. A lifetime of hardwork, a year of risking prison and failure, and now he had come to the pinnacle of all he had ever wanted.

And it wasn't even close to over yet. Packing wasn't hard, and leaving behind his life had already been done. They had no idea where they were going, or what was coming next.

He did know that McKinney didn't stop making whatever sound that was at the ungodly hour of not even four in the morning, and he was about ready to scream if the coffee maker didn't go faster.

Comments

[the_highpriestess]

"You're as bad as Merritt," she answered on the heel of a groan. "Never mind the fact that I'm pretty sure that something like that would melt off under the stage lights, just -- no."

A beat. "And let's go with all of the above." For the past, for him poking fun at her coffee, for the idea that he might try and get her into an edible costume. All of it.

[first_rule]

"Nooo, I am soo much better than McKinney," he corrected, his hand lightly brushing along her arm. "And I didn't say for you to wear it on stage. I was thinking more wearing it for me," he added, so careful in the moves he made, knowing they were still caught between the past, the last year, and all their future could be.

"Let's go with, you like me too much to post pictures of that hair," He said softly, just barely resting against her side.

[the_highpriestess]

"Yeah, I got that. Hence why you're as bad as Merritt." Never mind the fact that she leaned into him a little. "Also, I don't do sparkles anymore. Mostly.

"And the pictures are totally going up, regardless of how much I may or may not like you." Again, she was teasing. She wasn't that cruel. Most of the time.

[first_rule]

He lightly nuzzled at her hair, his empty hand curling around hers, holding her hand if she lets him. "I think you look wonderful in sparkles," he admitted. "How I first saw you."

And he still remembered how she looked then.

"Come on now. There has to be something I can do, right?"

[the_highpriestess]

She let him take his hand -- more than that, she squeezed it gently, letting out a long, slow breath as she leaned into him. A moment of pause followed, and then softly, she answered, "Yeah, I remember."

Another silence, as she recalled their meeting, and then ever so slightly, she shook her head. She didn't want to give him cause to pull away, but she needed to dismiss the fog of memories all the same. When she'd managed, she asked, "Are you offering to bribe me, Daniel?"

She sounded (mock) horrified at the thought.

[first_rule]

"I remember it. You. A lot," he admitted. It was a place where he could talk about it, what he could share. He could talk to her about this, them together, what theyhad been and could have been if he hadn't been a damned fool.

"Yeah, I think I might," he admitted. "What kind of bribe do you want?"

[the_highpriestess]

She hummed, pleased, and leaned into him a little more. While she didn't grace that statement with a response beyond that, however, she was obviously touched by it. And trying very hard not to think about how badly it had gone after that and how quickly.

"I don't know. Offer me something and we can go from there."

[first_rule]

"Well. Let's start here then."

Life was changing, and he wasn't taking the chances he had in the past, letting her go. So he leaned in, kissing her tenderly as his fingers brushed along her cheek, back to card through the soft tendrils of her hair.

[the_highpriestess]

Despite their proximity, despite the fact that Daniel was obviously flirting with her (and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been flirting back), the kiss still surprised her. That in mind and if only for the briefest of instants, she tensed. When that moment passed, when she relaxed, she let out a breath through her nose and kissed him back gently, one hand coming to rest at the side of his neck almost tentatively.

[first_rule]

He waited for her to shove him away. He was certain she would. Yet she didn't, and then he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. He had forgotten how wonderful this was, how good it felt to have her in his arms. She was beautiful and delightful and he suddenly had no desire to let her go, not after all this time.

[the_highpriestess]

She didn't shove; she did, however, pull away slightly after a long moment, if only to catch her breath. And to ask, "If I tell you that I might have missed this, are you gonna say something shitty and screw it up?"

[first_rule]

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm going to tell you how much I've missed you, Henley," he murmured, pressing his brow to hers. "Every single day. Now, latter I'm going to say something stupid. I can't help that. Not right now though."

[the_highpriestess]

"I'll hold off on slapping you until then, in that case." Whether or not she was joking, it was hard to tell, but either way, she leaned into him again, sighing, content. A moment after that and she was stealing another kiss.

[first_rule]

He held her close, feeling the thrill of the past as well as such a delight in having her in his arms again. It felt new and familiar and right all at the same time.

"I'm glad for that. Besides, it's me. I'll give you a reason to slap me sooner than later," he said, meaning it.

[the_highpriestess]

"Probably," she agreed, flashing him a brief, almost apologetic smile. She was -- kind of sorry? But Daniel did have a propensity towards being a dick at the most inopportune, infuriating of times.

[first_rule]

He knew it would happen. She would never let him get away with shit, and the truth was he didn't want her too. That she cared meant she still cared.

"I missed you," he murmured softly. "You know that, right?"

[the_highpriestess]

"I got that, yeah," she said with a nod. Considering he'd just said it a moment before? Yeah, she definitely got it. "Not that I mind hearing it."

It was -- good to know that it wasn't just her being pathetic.

[first_rule]

It was the same nervousness that he so often showed around her since the break up. Even if they were standing in the kitchen about as close as they could get with clothes on.

"Yeah well... I couldn't suddenly be suave along with my usual sexiness, now could I?"

[the_highpriestess]

"The world would probably implode or something," she said by way of agreement. Despite the teasing, however, she reached up to run a hand through his hair reassuringly. Like she said, she didn't mind hearing it.

[first_rule]

His eyes closed, having missed that touch more than he remembered. Yet feeling it aagin left him sighing, enjoying the sensation.

"Well good. I'm not ready to give up on the world yet," he admitted. "It just started getting good again."

[the_highpriestess]

"Not gonna argue that." A beat. "Though speaking of, we should probably go finish packing." Never mind the fact that she made no motion to pull away just yet.

[first_rule]

"Right. Packing. You know, we should sit in the back of whatever we're traveling in and make out," he said, only partially teasing. "Let the others drive."

Okay so he probably wasn't teasing.

[the_highpriestess]

She rolled her eyes at him again, though as before, he amusement remained. "Well, considering Jack can't drive, since he's supposed to be dead, that means you'd have to trust Merritt not to try to run us off the road every time we got comfortable."

[first_rule]

"Oh come on. I don't want to drive them. They'll backseat drive," he said with a smirk. "And we can get Jack a disguise. Like my moustache."

[the_highpriestess]

She nudged him lightly at the mention of the moustache. "You just want an excuse to put everyone in that disaster, don't you?"