*....I'll Never Admit How Much I've Missed You...*

[MASON HOWARD]

There was definitely something off about this. Despite the fact that his head was spinning and his stomach felt as if it had erupted into an entire fluttering mass of butterflies the likes of which he hadn't experienced since he'd had his grown spurt, Mason could feel how completley and utterly wrong this was. What had happened to her? They were the same lips. It was the same face, the same voice and the same eyes, but it wasn't the same Mallory. This was by no means the Mallory Torres he'd kissed countless times when they were younger...was it? She couldn't have changed that much. He couldn't have just..not remembered what it felt like...right? Then again, he had kissed a hell of a lot of girls since then.

More than semi-relieved that she pulled away first, Mason was still a bit too puzzled by this strange, Mallory-esqe girl tugging him along to really object. "Just over there," he nodded in the direction of the Porsche. Just managing to wriggle himself free of Mallory's death grip, Mason had already taken two steps towards the car when the sound of a phone ringing halted him in his tracks. He turned, slowly, snapping out of the seach through is pocket for car keys just in time to hear Mallory answer the thing.

Had she just--? No, stuttering like that was perfectly normal when one was surprised. He was just being overanalytical. Except...Mallory never, ever talked to her parents like that. Ever. And if there was one thing about their relationship that Mason would never be able to wipe from his mind as much as he wanted to, it was Mallory's relationship with her parents. How could he, when his was so vastly different? It had always been a foreign sort of thing, listening to them speak to one another, and now this? As much as he hated himself for it, Mason's jaw actually dropped a bit. "Who the hell are you...?" he half-whispered as she snapped the phone shut.

Shaking the bizarrity of the situation out of his head, Mason nodded at her decleration. "Well come on, then," he gestered for her to follow him towards the car. He held the passenger side door open for her with the same marginally-disturbed look on his face, never once taking his eyes off the girl who had apparently changed a hell of a lot more than she claimed he had. "Your house, obviously, right?" half of him was expecting her to request they go back to his place (the other half was silently pleading her not to) as she shut the door behind her and walked around to get in on the other side of the car.

[MALLORY TORRES]

Dorothy was totally in the zone and she was loving every minute of it, yet Mallory was regaining control or at least was attempting to. Dorothy could feel the spark of Mallory's spirit deep inside her mind, but it was only minor. She still had a while to get exactly what she wanted from Mason, hopefully they could slip to Mason's house instead of going back to her's. First it was the kiss, which had turned out... well a bit badly, but Mason hadn't complained. Dorothy was oblivious to the look that he had just given her after she pulled away from him. However, when he was not in her grips anymore, she felt a bit upset. She refrained from sounding like a whiny little bitch like Mallory would have done. No Dorothy was classier than that.... She felt Mallory again, except she seemed more prominent.

Then came the phone call with Mallory's mother, which seemed to have gone well. Wait... those phone calls never went well. Meh, oh well who would notice... right? Dorothy shut Mallory's phone and she noticed Mason's face...Well, shit. Then his attempt at a whisper caused Dorothy to feel a bit self conscious. She tried to laugh at it casually, but she still couldn't help feeling paranoid that Mason could see through her facade. Highly unlikely that he'd assume that a storybook character had possessed the finest girl in New York City and the girl that had so much built up sexual tension that it was... saddening.

She followed him a bit too happily since her plan was falling into place perfectly. Well, Mallory would get scolded by her parents, but Dorothy was going to get to sex Mason up. It was a fair trade...right?... Of course! She slid into the passenger seat before giving him a nod and smile. She had a few seconds to register Mallory taking over again, but Dorothy had vanish rather quickly. Now Mallory sat in the passenger seat of Mason's Porsche with not any idea how she got there. So, she did what she knows best and scolded Mason, "Excuse me...Why the FUCK am I in your car? Where is my limo? Mason, take me home...NOW!" Her voice was angry and confused, but determined. She had totally no idea what Dorothy had done, but she didn't like where this looked like it was going. She huffed a bit, before sitting back into the seat and clicking in her seat belt. Mason had some explaining to do. She tried to take deep breaths, but she was ready to explode. "Where you just planning on bringing me to your house and having your way with me? Am I that worthless to you now? Dammit. Ihateyou." She continued her tantrum as she looked at Mason with fire in her eyes and poison in her words.

[MASON HOWARD]

This was by far the strangest blind date Mason had ever had. That was what Veronica had meant for it to be, right? A blind date? And fuck is she knew how obviously crazy Mallory had gotten over the years, because if she had, and still tried to set this whole thing up anyway...well, things wre already not boding well for her. His main question, however, was about the way Mallory had changed, but why. As satisfied as he'd thought the idea would make him feel, Mason felt only a slight twinge in his stomach. But it couldn't be his fault anyway; she'd obviously done this to herself.

Mason didn't even look at Mallory as he turned the key in the ignition. He didn't look at her as he put the car in reverse, or as he began the painstaking task of getting himself out of a parallel parking job. And then she had to go and ruin it by speaking. Mason started at the sudden change in tone, although miraculously the car didn't back up any further. He put the thing in park at her outburst, turning to look at her with what was clearly annoyance at whatever the hell stunt she was trying to pull written all over his face. No, there was definitely no relief there. None at all. "What the hell are you talking about?" he snapped, looking her up and down with a furrowed brow, as if someone was going to pop out from between her boobs (there was certainly enough space, with that dress she was wearing) and yell "Surprise!" "I am taking you home, you fucking psycho. Calm the the fuck--What?!" he started as she buckled herself in, more than pissed off at this point.

Shaking his head as if to wake himself from whatever nightmare this had become, Mason continued with the same cold, stony glare he'd adopted back in the building. "What the fuck would make you think that? You're a bad enough kisser; God knows I don't wanna see whatever else it is you fail at," he practically growled, turning sharply to work on pulling the car out once more. Once they'd slid successfuly back onto the road, Mason kept his eyes there and only there, no matter how tempting it was to see what the hell she was going on about next. Then he slipped up. Let it be known that he remembered what things had been like back then. He spoke a bit softer, but still just as cold. "Besides, couldn't exactly get away with that if your mom just called...You'd end up dead within seconds of of coming home late, am I right?" Fuck. He still didn't look at her.

[MALLORY TORRES]

Mallory was literally at a lost for words at what was going on and why she was in Mason's car. She was literally sitting in the car of her ex-best friend turned asshat that she had slapped in the face only minutes before. The reason for this... Dorothy. That little bitch had done or said something to make Mason want to take her home. Most likely to his house, so Mallory panicked and blamed Mason. Cast all her problems on him and not allowing him the luxury of denying her that right. She could blame him for everything, even if none of those things were his fault. Her Mase would help her ease her troubles, but this Mason would be the start of the plague that was her troubles of her life.

Mallory looked surprised at his angry, which was a bit hypocritical, but Mason had never yelled at her... like ever. She felt the tears start forming at the corners of her eyes. The way that he was staring at her, as if she was scum. His look made her feel the way her father made her feel when he scolded her. She was used to her father though. Mason's yelling was scary and Mallory hated it. It made her weak all over again.

She cringed away from him. Losing all her willpower to fight back. She just stared at him in utter shock. How could he just break her down when only moments before she had built her defenses up? He yelled at her like.. Like a meaningless object. And the why he was moving inside the car. Each motion full of anger. Should she apologize? Should she keep quiet? She wanted to touch him, but she spoke... more like snapped. Random rage from the sadness that she was feeling.

Mallory wasn't sure what he was talking about...but WHAT THE FUCK?... A kiss? Mallory felt the want to kill by strangulation, and bury Dorothy alive at the thought of her lips on Mason's. Not because of the kiss, but that Dorothy had stolen that away from her. She wanted to kiss, yes. Just to taste him once more, like the sweet deliciousness that he had always been. Here it was again... the emotions playing hot potato inside Mallory.

Mallory watched his face in disbelief, shaking her head. How could her mother had called at a worse time? Dorothy was a wench. That fucking cunt. "Wait... Shit... I needa get home..." She felt ill and the urge to vomit hit her. Her parents were coming home and she wasn't there... She was fucked... she was severely fucked so bad. She was starting to hyperventilate, panic was setting in, "Mason--Look, I'm--So--I need to get--Now." Her sentences were choppy and between deep breaths, tears streaming down her face.

[MASON HOWARD]

"Well, shit," Mason huffed to himself, smacking his hand angrily down on the steering wheel with a roll of his eyes. Really? Was she seriously crying right now? Because he'd told her the truth and she was too idiotic to accept it as fact? God, she was impossible. There was no way he was apologizing, either; no fucking way. She could sit in his car and bawl her God damn eyes out and he wasn't going to say a word unless she got tears on his fucking leather seats. God knew that shit probably stained.

Throwing her another disbelieving, disturbed glance, Mason continued in the same condescending tone, "I know. You said that all of two minutes ago..." he shook his head. Tensing his jaw, Mason had every intention of not speaking to Mallory for the remainder of the car ride, which was going by a lot quicker than he'd thought it might, until she had to go and decide to open her mouth yet again. She hadn't always been this...spastic...had she? God, Mason hoped not. He pitied his younger self for having to put up with her if it had been that way.

Oh, and she was crying. Actually crying, not just those stupid pathetic half-choked whimpers. Mallory Torres was full-blown bawling in his car and a very small part of him wanted to stop right there in the middle of city traffic, put the car in park, and hug her until she stopped. Wait...what? That definitely wasn't what he wanted at all. He wanted her to stop, and if that was what it took, well...he'd sooner kick her out of the car and make her walk home. Maybe call her a taxi.

It didn't come to any of that, however, because the traffic gods had clearly decided to shine down upon them that evening. Mason pulled easily up the curb in front of the Ice Palace, putting the car in park before turning to look at Mallory. He ran his fingers once through his hair, in a manner that could have been considered nervous had the movement belonged to anyone else. "Mal, relax," for a split second, as the nickname he'd used when they were younger left his lips, something flickered behind his cold blue eyes. Something not so...harsh. But then, just as quickly, it was gone. "We're here, safe and sound. Happy?" the same dead tone was back, but he unbuckled anyway to get out and hold Mallory's door open for her, seriously hoping she would at least attempt to regain her composure before getting out of the car.

[MALLORY TORRES]

Mallory didn't like being a ball of mass confused and mixed emotions. Fuck, who did? However, Mallory hated it more than most, because well, she wasn't up for feeling vulnerable, especially when she had been so strong for so long. Tonight was just not the night for Mallory though, but only two things seemed to be going wrong. God, or whoever, stilled had something lurking around the corner for her... right? Was she going to get lucky, just this once? Mallory wanted to think optimistically, but Mason was making it hard. He was breaking her walls down just from his body language. She wanted him to just hold her,and she wasn't even sure why.

When he told her to relax, she tried complying by wiping her tears from her eyes. That's when she noticed that they had already made it to the Ice Palace. She kept her eyes low as she got out the car. She went to thank Mason, when she heard a voice, rough and booming. Horror crossed her face as she noticed her father watching her with a serious, stern expression and his arms crossed over his chest, while her mother was trying to shoo him inside. Nope, he wasn't having it. Not when Mallory looked this defeated already. Here was the third bad thing of the night. Perfect. Pure Perfection.

Mallory's father strode up to the couple, his eyes cold and his face in a permanent scowl. Mallory took a cautious step back way from him, as if his presence would be enough to thoroughly make her feel worthless. "I can tell that you have been keeping yourself busy, child."

[/color] Mr. Torres looked at Mason, but then realization crossed his face. "Mason. My boy. How have you been?"[/color] Mr. Torres asked with a smile that looked as if it would shatter his face. Mallory kept quiet, so she didn't piss her father off anymore than he usually was when it came to her. "Mallory. You didn't tell me that the Howard's had returned. Disappointing."[/color] Mr. Torres sighed and shook his head in shame at his daughter. As if she had disgraced him simply from not calling him immediately when she saw Mason.

She just leaned into Mason as he father glared down at her. She was feeling the urge to cry again, but her hand found Mason's and squeezed as if that pressure would contain her tears. For the moment, it actually did help, or maybe it was just Mason. He had always been his protector when it came to her father. Him having the courage to look her father in the face and give no fucks, even as a pubescent fifteen year old. Her thoughts were shattered by her mother's voice, sweet and holding a certain charm to it,"Mallory Marie, come now. Let's go up to talk a bit."[/color] Her mother smiled sweetly, but her father stepped in, "No, we can talk right out her, love."[/color] His eyes burning a hole in Mallory's soul. "What did you want to talk about, Father?"[/color] Mallory's voice choked a bit, yet still extremely formal. "Speak up now Mallory. Mumblers are the scum. And Torres's aren't scum. Unless you've plagued out name...again."[/color] [/blockquote][/blockquote]

[MASON HOWARD]

Mason hadn't the slightest clue what Mallory was looking so terrified of until about a second after the voice had reached his ears. No. Not here. Not now. How the hell was he supposed to make a quick getaway if he was here. Even after four years, the thought of seeing Mallory's father again made his blood boil. But then...maybe he'd changed? Hadn't she said things with her parents had gotten better, when they were back at the restaurant? Of course, maybe she'd just been lying....

Yeah, that had definitely been a lie. Mason wheeled around quickly to find himself much closer to Mr. Torres than he'd ever hoped to be. Although, now that he'd grown....nope. He was just as intimdating as ever. Unfortuately, that only meant he made Mason just as angry. There were very few people in the world whom Mason hated as much as he hated Mallory's father, and even fewer who he'd actually stood up against. Whether he was lucky or not that Mr. Torres was one of the few, Mason was still trying to figure out.

He didn't look at the man for a few seconds, preferring instead to stare at a spot just a few centimeters over his shoulder as he spoke, and trying even harder to ignore the fact that Mallory seemed to be shrinking into him with every word her father spoke. Dammit, this was all far too familiar. "I'm doing well, Sir, thanks for asking," his reply was monotone, as robotic as it had been back when seeing the man had been a regular occurance. Unfortunately, his reflex to defend Mallory seemed to come back just as quickly.

Before he could really think about what he was doing, Mason looked Mr. Torres dead in the eye and replied for the girl who was obviously too frightened to do so, "Oh, well we've only been back for a few weeks. It's not really something you can expect Mallory to know, seeing as I wasn't even planning on meeting her tonight," his words were clipped, eyes narrowing only the slightest bit, but all the more viscous for the lack of a glare. Dammit. He did it again. Before the thought not to had even registered in his head, Mason had already taken Mallory's hand in his and returned the squeeze, albeit a bit more lightly. This whole situation just felt far too familiar for Mason's tastes; and yet, he was positive he would keep his feet planted firmly where they were, between Mallory and her father's glare, for as long as she wanted him to. Maybe it was just a position far too hard-wired into him to even bother trying to change. Mason looked up suddenly--he hadn't even noticed he'd been looking down towards their hands--at the sound of Mallory's mother's voice, giving her a slight nod as he silently prayed for her to take this whole situation off his hands. Was it too much to ask to be able to forget?

Mason gave Mallory's hand another small squeeze after she spoke; at least she'd said something. Before he could breath a sigh of relief, however, Mason felt a strange sort of heat rising in his chest once again. Try as he might to bite back the response fighting to leave his lips, it really was no use. "Mr. Torres--Sir--" he corrected himself hastily, "With all do respect, I don't know what you're talking about, and I'm not quite sure Mal does, either," again, his tone was snippy, cutting with each word and probably only egging the man on further, despite every alarm in Mason's head screaming for him to let go of Mallory's hand and get out. Jesus. Why couldn't the guy just listen to his wife?

[MALLORY TORRES]

Mallory wasn't entirely sure on how she should react to all this, but even if she wanted to fight back, she just couldn't. She may have hated her father and felt like a prized possession, a trophy if you will, to her mother, but she needed them financial. She couldn't pay for her own schooling, especially starting college in the Fall. No matter how much she wanted to just run away... she couldn't. Not now at least. Mason's response wasn't much different than how he had spoke to Mallory back at the restaurant. That was a good sign right? Mason didn't want to be formal with her father, but maybe this was wrong. She was allowing Mason to fight her battles, yet he didn't have to...wait, why was he still here?

"Well, good for ya. And California... I bet you were a real lady killer." Mallory's father was staring at Mason with his creepy grin, with a bad attempt at a laugh came from the man's throat. Mallory's father's eyes looked over at the cowering Mallory, shame crossed his face. "Well, Mason," Mallory's father's eyes flicked to the not frightened Mason, "Tell your father that I would like to have dinner sometime in the future." Mallory's father glanced at Mallory again, he shook his head before continuing, "As for the 'random' meet-up I can only hope that you didn't find her--" "Joseph!"

[/i][/color]Mallory's mother cut in...finally. Her father only huffed a bit before glancing at her mother with a scrutinizing look before glaring down at Mallory as if mentally accusing her of whoring around.

She shouldn't have held his hand, but when he held her's back and squeezed it. She felt herself relax a bit, even with her father watching her. Mallory hadn't lost Mase completely because he was always there to defend her...no matter what. She wanted to smile, but that would only enrage her father, so she kept her happiness locked away securely for another time to smile about it. She couldn't feel anything else besides overjoyed that he was still there for her, even after all those years and all the countless girls he had been with after her. He was still her Mase and this right now was proving it. He could deny it, but she still would hold it like a precious jewel.

She felt confident now to actually speak, but her father's retort diminished that flame. However, Mason's response to her father was quite...different. Mason always defended her, but it was never like this. He had grown up, toughened up as well, which made him a threat... like an actual threat to her father. Before her father would yell at her and she'd hide behind Mason, but Mason wouldn't speak unless addressed. This Mason was fearless. And Mallory felt the pull at her heart for him again.

"Well, Mason," Mallory's father's eyes fixed on Mason, her father's eyes slits now, "I see that you have gone back to your protectiveness over my daughter. However, boy," Mallory's father took a step closer as if to intimidate Mason, Mallory involuntarily took a step farther behind Mason, "she has secrets that, well, aren't so much secrets anymore. I came back after hearing word that she was spending exceeding amounts of my money. Now, I am not planning on staying here for much longer, but I promise that you can stay away from her, or..." Mallory's mother grabbed her father's arm and pulled him back. Her father obliged and scoffed a bit before walking towards the entrance to the Ice Palace.

Mallory sighed heavily, her eyes looking at their hands clasped together. "I'm sorry." She bit her bottom lip before stepping in front of him, while releasing his hand that held her's. She looked into his eyes and placed a gentle hand on his cheek were she had slapped him earlier that evening. "Mason. You can hate me or whatever. But, thanks." She leaned up and kissed his lips softly, letting her hand slide down his chest. She turned heel and headed towards her Hell, leaving her guardian angel on the sidewalk.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[MASON HOWARD]

Mason shook his head slightly, an expression of surprise briefly coming over his face. Had he honestly just asked that? Clearing the split-second look of disgust from his face, Mason replaced it with a defiant sort of smirk, cold blue eyes locked on Mallory's father's. "You could say that," he bit his tongue slightly as the words left his mouth. Then again, what did he care if Mallory knew? He'd basically told her back at the restaurant anyhow. Nodding, he continued calmly, "I'll try to tell him, although I'm sure he'll wonder why you didn't ask yourself..." he trailed off, brows quirking upwards in a silent question. There was no way he was walking around doing Mr. Torres's dirty work. Maybe when he'd been younger and quite near scared shitless of the man, maybe then he would've gone running back to his dad with whatever the hell he wanted him to say. But not now, when he could look the bastard in the eyes. Not when--

"What? No, it was nothing like that! She was meeting Veronica for dinner and asked me to drive her home when they were done," Mason interjected, glancing between Mallory's mother and father. It wasn't a complete lie, after all; and God knew Veronica was too stubborn to accept a ride from her older brother while Mallory was in the car, so at least that bit was believable.

Mason swallowed hard as Mallory's father approached even closer; he could feel Mallory take a step back, but as much as he suddenly wanted to join her, he forced himself to continue staring down her father. Someone had to, after all. He was just about to butt in with something horribly rude when Mrs. Torres involuntarily stopped him by dragging the threat away. Mason was still fuming, of course, even as they grew farther away. It wasn't until Mallory spoke that he snapped out of it, the realization of what he'd just done crashing over him. Jesus, he was just supposed to drop her off and go home--and he hadn't even wanted to do that in the beginning.

He shook his head at her apology, letting her release his hand without so much as a glance. It wasn't her fault she lived with such an asshole. She deserved better; she'd always deserved better. Biting the inside of his lip, Mason resisted the urge to lean down and kiss Mallory again as she placed a hand on his face. And then, just as he was getting ready to slip back behind his wall of stone cold apathy once more, she had to do it. He didn't think, didn't hesitate as he kissed her back for the second time that evening--two more times than he'd told himself he ever would. This kiss, though, this was Mallory--the real Mallory, not whoever had thrown herself on him earlier--and it was blissful for the few seconds while it lasted. And then, just like that, it was over. Mason watched as she walked away, running his fingers once through his hair. Shit. How could he ever hate her, anyway?