Wolf in Sheep's Clothing {Dan}

[safetypinalert12]

Serah could cook quite well, it was one of those secret things she didn't like to tell anyone about. She enjoyed the ending result, and often ate by herself at her dining table. But this was one of those nights where she felt like she was up to a little game. She wanted to eat out, but she didn't want to shell out any of her hard-earned money for it.

So instead, she did one of her favorite routines. It envolved a very elaborate wardrobe, and a few eyedrops. She parked her tiny hiney outside of Bleeding Hearts, one of the best resturaunts in town, and broke down her body. She turned her toes in, and rested her elbows on her knees. She had dropped the eyedrops into her eyes just after getting out of the cab, making her look teary-eyed, and the whites of her eyes slightly pink from irritation.

She trembled her shoulders, and sniffled audiably. Her head was in her hands, in such a way that she could peek out from behind her bright red hair. Ooh, the lonely girl left at the resturaunt without any faire. An tough lie, but when told from her tiny, china-doll like face, spilling fake tears---it was almost fool proof. Now just to wait for some sucker to bite.

This was a usual routine for her, however she did it at different resturaunts, and in different disguises. And never, never the same person twice. She often seperated herself, to keep it as platonic, and ice cold as she could, while the other half of her acted out the script in her little play. She usually ended up walking away as the winner, and the poor sap--man, woman, child--as the loser.

Serah Deidarah Watson was an absolute pro at getting what she wanted, when she wanted it.

Tags:Scout/Dan, Serah/Olley
Notes:Stupid suckage. BUT IT SHALL BE FUN, I HOPE.
Outfit:Pretty in Purple

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[DAN OWENS]

Dan hated cooking almost as much as he hated kiddie cocktails. Worst of all, however, was his roommate's cooking; no matter what food, no matter prepackaged or homemade, it always ended up the same color: brown. And not the good, meaty brown of a steak, but the murky tan-ish color of a shallow river. It was exceptionally pathetic considering the guy was a culinary major...and consequently, Dan made quite the effort not to be in his dorm within a two hour span of "dinner," lest he be served yet another bowl of watered-down hazelnut soup.

Besides, tonight was an in-town sort of night. With the same kind of breeze that he'd always imagined in those old black and white movies and a certain spring warmth in the air. It was definitely a nice dinner sort of night; and by nice, Dan of course meant a hamburger, hotdog, or slice of pizza from one of the little joints sprinkled around the city, washed down by a beer in one of the countless bars. He was only a college kid, after all.

Still, Dan could never quite resist the urge to walk by the nicer restaurants, no matter how hungry he was or how badly he didn't want to be reminded of the fact that he worked at a Goddamn Starbucks, for Christ's sake. It was just a nicer walk, for one, and the view was a hell of a lot prettier in more ways than one. And speaking of pretty--

He couldn't help it. Dan actually stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of her; the girl was hunched over in such a way that he could hardly see here face, but even something about the way she sat told him she was attractive. Attractive and crying. Staying in the same spot for a few seconds more, Dan rocked slowly back and forth on his toes, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to go any closer. After all, she might have just wanted privacy....then again, she looked really upset...a damsel in distress, as he was sure some would call it. And Dan was nothing if not willing to help those poor, unfortunate, helpless souls, irrelevent level of attractiveness or not.

He approached just loud enough so that she would be able to hear him, not wanting to startle her. "Hey there," he spoke gently, a look of genuine concern etched on his face. She looked like a mess. Squatting slowly so that he was at eye-level with her, Dan looked her up and down once, quickly, before continuing. "You alright, miss?" It was always good to add that sort of thing in these situations, wasn't it? At least, it couldn't hurt.

[safetypinalert12]

Perfect, someone bit. However, she didn’t exactly like the pitch of the voice. He sounded young as hell. When she lifted her head, and saw him, mentally she heard herself crash and burn. A college kid. And it was pretty common knowledge that college kids were broke as hell. But he was cute, and luckily not too scrawny looking. Not her choice of man for the evening, but he’d do.

Serah sniffled slightly, raising a graceful hand to sweep away a tea that had just overflowed onto her round cheek. Her small, bow shaped lips quivered while she looked at the man crouching in front of her. God, what the hell was he thinking, anyway? He was cute, but he really had some balls to approach her. Normally only the flashy jerks attempted to approach her.

She pushed out a nervous chuckle, and shrugged her thin shoulders. She turned her steely grey eyes down, and tucked a tuft of frothy red hair behind an ear that looked just as delicate as the rest of her. “I’ve been better,” She murmured, being careful to not breathe through her nose, attempting to make herself sound stuffed up from the crying. “Some jerk invited me out here, right?” She kept her eyes down, picking at her nails idly, “And this is pretty far from where I’m staying, visiting the country and all—“ She waved her hand idly, swallowing hard. Her lips forming around a soft, English accent.

She knew this script very well, It was one of her favorites. She always had to alter it somehow, but it never failed. “He shows up here with another girl, prettier than me and everything, leaves me all alone at my table. All the while smiling at me. And I didn’t bring my wallet, thinking he’d take care of that. Was that wrong of me?” She asked, her red brows furrowing over her watery doe-like eyes. Her fingertips resting against her chest, which was almost threatening to pop out of the purple dress hugging her slender form.

“Chivalry is dead.” She forced out a fake sounding laughter, shaking her head, glancing over her shoulder at the restaurant, before looking back at Dan. Her hand reached out, and pressed her fingertips gently against his arm, “I’m sorry, I doubt you were looking forward to a thing like me blubbering all over you.”

Now, if he would take the bait. And so help her god if he offered to take her to a fricking McDonalds like one kid had tried to offer her. Did she look like a bird that would be sitting inside of a fast food joint? Honestly!

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[DAN OWENS]

Watching carefully as the girl--well, she was hardly a girl, really--raised her head to look at him, Dan couldn't help but bite his lip a little bit. Shit. She wasn't even from here. That always made these sorts of situations twenty times worse; you couldn't help but feel sorry for the foreigners, especially the female ones. Dan had heard plenty of stories of stuff like this happening to people coming to New York, but this was the first time he'd ever actually witnessed it, and pathetic didn't even begin to cover it.

He cleared his throat slightly as the girl told her teary-eyed story, unable to help himself from taking a peek at her; he was a college boy, after all, and therefore utterly helpless when such oppertunitues arose. And sweet mother of God, she was gorgeous. It would have been impossible for anyone to ignore the way her boobs looked , particularly at this angle.

"Hey, listen," he spoke calmly still, hoping not to bring forth any more tears. "That guy, whoever he is--he's a class A douche. You didn't do anything wrong, okay?" shit, he was horrible at this sort of stuff. But it wasn't like he could get up and walk away now, right? That would've made him worse than the guy she was supposed to be going on a date with.

Dan watched as she reached out to touch his arm, looking back up to her eyes after only a moment's hesitation. His mind was made up. He couldn't very well leave her here, could he? Not after what a horrible night she'd obviously had, not when she hadn't even gotten anything to eat out of all this. Hell, she probably didn't even have enough money for a cab ride home, and although Dan knew nothing about heels, he was willing to bet there was no way she could walk home in the ones she was wearing. He looked her in the eyes once more before giving a sort of resigned sigh. "Aw, c'mon now, don't talk like that. I was scouring the streets just waiting for someone like you," he chuckled a bit, hoping the horrible joke would make her feel at least a bit better. "But say, you know what could be really great? If you walked right back in there and showed up that pretentious asshole," he straigthened up then, brushing his pants off lightly before offering her a hand and a small smile. "I'm Dan, by the way. Dinner's on me, alright?"
He sincerely hoped she was worth it, because after tonight he was going to be stuck eating his roomate's experiments for weeks.

[safetypinalert12]

Serah watched him bite his lip. That could be a very bad thing, he could call total bullshit on her story. But she kept calm, the kept cool, and leaned in a little more when he told her to listen. She bit the insides of her cheeks, the corners of her small lips turning down slightly.

She weakly nodded, and shrugged her thin shoulders, "I must've done something for him to do that." She mumbled in that sad tone, her fingers gently plucking off a bit of imaginary dust from Dan's sleeve. Though she didn't outwardly appear it, she was aware of the quick shift downwards in his eyes when he glanced at her chest. She was aware of the smallest, most miniscule changes in his expression; she had learned to read them. To find out when someone was buying her lines, or about to reject her completely.

Serah offered another half-hearted smile from his joke, before dipping her head down letting a small chuckle roll from her mouth. She lifted her head back at him, her eyes still misty, though her expression looked a little relieved. Damn, she was good. Or this guy was just the biggest sucker, ever.

"That would be great, but--" She looked at his hand for a moment, before placing her own in his. Her hands were warm, nails a moderate length painted a matching purple to her dress. Using her other hand she steadied her dress while she stood. She was an average height, about 5'6", boosted up an extra inch or two from the heels on her feet. The rouched purple dress hugged to each wafty curve of her body, and when she would walk, caused her to sort of slink from side to side, one foot perfectly infront of the other giving a sway to her hips--lest she rip the dress.

"I couldn't ask that of you, especially here. It's," She furrowed her brows, and glanced back at the resturaunt, "It's expensive, you know? And I haven't got my wallet to help." She looked sheepish for a moment. Reel him in, was what she had to do. Make herself seem like a shy, coy, humble little thing. Feel sorry for her. Her other hand pulled the long waves of shimmering orange hair over her shoulder, clearing her smooth back, exposing the dip of her spine disappearing into the tight dress, and showing off the delicate curve of neck to shoulder.

Might as well see how much it took for the poor boy's eyes to pop out of his head, "Oh, and I'm Serah." She tacked on, peeking up into his eyes, before bashfully lowering them again.

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[DAN OWENS]

Brow furrowing as he watched her play with his sleeve, Dan looked back to Serah with a small smile. "Nah, like I said. Guy's a douche. You should...just try to forget about him, alright?" he offered in what he hoped was a warm-ish tone.

Unable to help but watch as she adjusted her dress, Dan cleared his throat once, softly, rubbing his slightly chapped lips together in a manner that could have been considered nervous. Shit. In those shoes, she was practically as tall as he was; as if he didn't have enough reasons to hate his height anyway. "You're not asking," he remarked idly as Serah rose to her feet. "I am." Fuck. What the hell was she doing, moving her hair around like that? Didn't she realize it was hard enough to concentrate with her tits popping out like that?

Serah. It was a nice name. Different. Maybe even exotic, if one were to be particularly bold in their descriptions. Either way, Dan liked it. He nodded in appreciation of the introduction before doing something he felt instantly he was going to very deeply regret; Dan bowed, mostly in an attempt to make Serah feel a bit better about the whole thing and keep his own mind off of how much money he was offering to spend on a stranger, but also just because it was the first thing that popped into his head to do. "Well then, Miss Serah, it is my pleasure to request--no, insist--that you dine with me this evening at this...fine establishment..." he gestured with his free hand to the restaurant behind her. Straightening up, Dan cleared his throat again with a sheepish sort of smile on his face. "I mean, unless you'd rather have a slice of pizza and a beer, but..." jerking a thumb over his shoulder, Dan looked pointedly at Serah's dress and shrugged, the spontaneous formality gone as quickly as it had appeared.

[safetypinalert12]

This was far too much fun. She usually found the guys that were confident in themselves, the ones that thought they could sweep her off her feet. There was something refreshing about having the upper hand. She watched him rub his lips together, and she smiled. A fake, practice smile, that shut her grey eyes enough to give her bedroom eyes, for just that moment, and a subtle curve of her red painted lips.
Oh, lord. Was that a bow? It was dorky, it was nerdy.

And….strangely charming.

“Well then, I would be much obliged, Mister Dan.” She offered a throaty giggle, and moved her hand from his, wrapping a slender arm around his. Her touch light, as though she weren’t even there. Her perfume was soft; not like most women who seemed to douse themselves in it, and small wiffs of it seemed to come off her orange hair.

When he looked at her form fitting purple dress, she seemed to straighten up under his gaze. Her spare hand nervously moving down her side, making sure the dress wasn’t hitched too high. “It’s sort of expected to dress like that here, but if we went to a different place, I might have to fight some other girls away from my date for the evening.” She placed her small chin on his shoulder, near his face; giving him that smile again.

“Either way, I’m sure anywhere with you would be wonderful. You’re very handsome,” She commented absently, before straightening up, tilting her head to the restaurant. “Shall we?”

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[DAN OWENS]

Well, that hadn't been a complete disaster. Near-complete, but not...entirely so. Which was most certainly a good thing, considering he was already finding Serah to be rather endearing. There was something almost comforting about the way she laughed, like she didn't take him too seriously, maybe didn't take herself that way either. And then there were her eyes...God, she was gorgeous.

The corner of his mouth curling upwards in appreciation, Dan took her arm lightly, unable to help but smell her perfume as it wafted upwards. She looked great and smelled nice too. Sweet Jesus, what the hell had he gotten himself into?

Unable to keep himself from doing so, Dan chuckled at her comment as the slight beginnings of a blush crept somewhere between his ears and his cheeks. "Trust me, I think it'd be the other way around," he could feel her breath on his ear; there was a tingling in his skin, as if the hair on the back of his neck had begun to stand up in that good sort of way.

"I--uh--thanks," he stammered, hating the sudden inability to construct proper sentences. "And you're--you look--well, you're very pretty," again, he cursed his stupidity. She probably thought she was better off still wallowing in self-pity at this point.

As they neared the door to the building, Dan made sure to open the door for Serah, waving her through with another rather dorky flourish and an "After you."
Upon seeing all the tables filled with happy, well-dressed looking couples, Dan couldn't help but take a small glance down at his jeans-sneakers-and-tshirt combo with a slightly apprehensive gulp. At least the jeans were dark wash?

[safetypinalert12]

Serah was getting ahead of herself, admittedly. She was forgetting her main goal--dine and dash. Have a bit of fun with a boy who's league she was way out of it, and leave him high and dry. But the way he smiled when he took her slender arm, or the way she saw the pink tinge take to his cheeks and ears made her feel warm. Not quite so ice cold.

He even stammered--that was cute too. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with her. "Thank you for rescuing me, Prince." She chuckled whe he complimented her. She stepped into the resturaunt, the chill causing goosebumps to race down her pale, lightly freckled arms, before disappearing.

The waitress gave the two a once over, lingering slightly on Dan's more casual appearance.

"Right this way." She said, sounding almost exasperated.
She lead the two to a table, and set the menus down, while Serah slid smoothly into her seat. She rested her elbows on the table, and laced her fingers, before resting her small, pointed chin on her delicate looking hands. She looked positively breakable; with her doll-like babyface, thin slender frame. But oh, she was tough. Boy was she tough.

"So, Prince Dan," That sly smile took over her small, cupidbow lips. "Why were you on this side of town, anyway?" She asked curiously. Honestly--she hadn't expected someone so...casual seeming to just waltz infront of one of the most high-end resturaunts this side of New York. "Actually, just start talking. Anything, I like your voice." Her own soft, accented tone seemed to have almost a natural purr to it.

Why was she actually interested in this kid? She normally just liked to flirt a bit, play up the sensuality, than bolt. There was an imaginary clinking sound, of a chain behind hooked around her ankle, rooting her to the spot. Her grey, stormy eyes locked on Dan's face. What the hell was with this kid that actually made her interested, anyway?

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[DAN OWENS]

Prince. Well now, that certainly had a nice ring to it. Dan couldn't help but smile a bit wider as she thanked him, although it was still fairly reserved; anything not to look like a grinning idiot, really. This idiot bit was already shot to hell, of course, but at least Serah didn't seem too embarrassed to be having dinner with someone dressed...well, like he was better off in a college dorm eating pizza.

Fighting the sudden urge to make a rude gesture towards the waitress's back, Dan merely shrugged and offered her a sort of tense smile as she handed them their menus. None of that lasted long, however, and his eyes were soon back to Serah. How the hell could someone have ditched a date like her, anyway? Whoever he was, he was beyond stupid. And not just because she classified as something sweeter than eye candy; there was something about her that was just infectious. Already, he hated himself for the slight fluttery feeling in the pit of his stomach. Butterflies? He hadn't gotten butterflies since the tenth grade. Sweet shit, he was in over his head.

Dan cleared his throat ever so slightly, taking a sip of the glass of water resting on the table before responding. He shrugged. Again, he felt the prickling warmth rise up along his neck as she complimented him. "Well, I donno...What brings anyone this way?" he chuckled a bit, nodding his head in the direction of the windows so as to indicate this whole neighborhood. "Curiosity, I guess. I've always wondered if this stuff tastes half as good as they say," Offering Serah a small smile, he licked his lips, which suddenly seemed much more chapped than they had five minutes ago. "But what about you? I mean, why New York?" It was...interesting, the way she was so different, with the accent and all, and at the same time he couldn't help but think of how familiar she seemed. Like maybe they should have met a long time ago.

[safetypinalert12]

Serah respected the fact that waiters and waitresses had to make the money to get by. The fact that they probably had a family back home to feed--but the look the waitress gave Dan made her blood boil. Any other day, Serah would have found it amusing--but the fact someone was judging Dan so easily actually made her mad. Which was wrong--first rule of Serah's line of work: Don't Get Emotional.

She had even thought up a rouse--point out some random guy with an attractive date, and get weepy-eyed. But that got tossed out of the window with those smiles, and the way he seemed to move strangely, like he didn't know how to react around her. "New York is the city of dreams, isn't it? Anyone can come here and make something of themselves." She replied, and then turned her eyes out the window for a moment.

There was an attatchment she had to the concrete jungle of New York. There was so many people, and so many hiding places. It was as though the City was telling her that she would be safe, and protected. That she could hide in any of its nooks and crannies. Carefully, she recrossed her legs, switching, and under the table her leg brushed against Dan's. "Oops." Though--the grin that accompanied the word didn't seem as though she were actually apologetic.

The jig was up, the game was over. As though someone plucked a string from Serah's head, her entire demenor changed. There was still that wolfish sparkle in her eye, but she seemed to be softer in the lips and the brows. Her shoulders relaxed somewhat, as she almost seemed to settle into her body. There was still a flirty tone in her voice, but her entire body seemed to be more relaxed. She smiled at him, but it wasn't the smile she used to make the knees of men turn into jelly--it reached into eyes, and softened her whole face.

"Dan, you haven't got to act so...what's the word. Jumpy? Nervous?" She tilted her head slightly, her orange hair falling foward on her shoulders. "You've got me, you've impressed me. Just relax, okay?"

[DAN OWENS]

Dan nodded appreciatively at her statement, although there was a part of him that didn't quite believe it. How could he? He didn't even know what the fuck he was planning to do with his degree once he got it. Still, she was right; anything was possible. He had to give her credit for that.

"Yeah, I guess so..." he shrugged, eyes hovering over her for perhaps a minute too long before turning to the window as well. "Depends on what you wanna make, though." Shit. This was getting too deep for a first date (was this even a date? He had no clue), let alone after having just met the person a whole ten minutes ago. Hell, it was too much for Dan in general.

Dan jumped. He couldn't help it--it was unexpected, her leg brushing against his, and well...no. There was no excuse. He was just an idiot. A complete idiot that hadn't been sober with a girl in the past five months, a real date in over seven, and absolutely never been this close to someone as gorgeous as Serah. It was no wonder his mouth was so dry. For a moment he hesitated, giving her a bit of a nervous chuckle (God, he sounded so lame) as he ran his fingers back through his hair, rubbing the nape of his neck a bit before putting his hand back on the table. She was playing footsie with him, wasn't she? No, she couldn't be. Don't be stupid. The thought echoed through his head for a moment before dissipating as he spoke aloud. "What? Oh, you're fine," Now if that didn't sound idiotic, he didn't know what did. Why was it alwasy so much easier to talk to girls when he was drunk?

And then, as if she couldn't make him feel any more like a fifteen year-old kid, she had to go and smile like that. Jesus Christ, he was doomed. She'd noticed too, apparently, as within seconds she was talking again. She had a really pretty voice. And face. Still, what she said helped almost as much as it embarrassed him. He nodded once, sheepishly, and only just kept himself from grumbling something along the lines of "Easy for you to say," before actually speaking again. "You're right. Listen, I'm sorry I uh-- I'm sorry I'm acting like this. It's just...it's been awhile since the last time I took a girl out or whatever, you know?" he offered another sheepish sort of smile as he took another sip of water, horribly unaware of the unspoken At least, not one as pretty as you, hanging in the air like an awkward night at Prom.

Straightening up, Dan opened the menu, scanning the rows for something, anything that wouldn't render him at the mercy of the elements for any amount of time shorter than six months. Why the hell did food have to be so fucking expensive? It wasn't like there was anything especially long-lasting about the stuff, not even taste. And so help him if this creme brulee stuff ended up tasting worse than pre-packaged jello... Looking up at Serah once more, he felt a bit better about asking the all-important question: "So, do you--uh--you want anything to drink?"


ooc: sorry this is so long...apparently Dan's in a ranty mood today...O.o

[safetypinalert12]

Serah did her best to snort--it was unsexy. But when Dan jumped from her touch--it almost sent her into a fit of giggles. She ran a hand through her red hair, and watched him for a long moment. All she could think--was that she wanted this boy to put his guard down and relax around her.

Her smile faded for a moment while she thought curiously. She then straightened her spine, and looked around. "And you know--Bleeding Hearts isn't the best for a first date." Her lips curled mischeviously. "You have to talk in hushed whispers, and lean in super close to be heard," Her voice dropped as she leaned in across the table, "Not to mention you have to be nervous with proper ettiquite and manners. Hardly condusive to getting to know someone."

She slid out of her seat, and grabbed Dan's hand, giving him a tug. When she smiled, her smile was different. Almost like she wasn't aware that a woman that looked like her--should have more of a seductive smile. She, for that moment--looked like an excited, freckled teenager. "C'mon, I know a great hot dog stand in Central Park. And it's lit up at night, so it's really pretty, too." She loosened her grip for a moment, her smile flickering, "Unless you're busy. Cause...we can totally go another day. If you wanted to." She shrugged her shoulder.

Why the hell were those words coming out of her mouth? Why did she really want to see him again? That totally guy smile, his eyes, and why was she still holding his hand? Her fingers aching to lace through his, and squeeze it tight. Men sucked.

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[DAN OWENS]

Damn, this girl had clearly been reading his mind. Was he that obvious? Fucking hell. Of course he was. She'd just told him to relax, for Christ's sake, of course he was that obvious. Licking his lips nervously, Dan nodded in agreement. The smile on his face was emerging slowly now, more confident than before, more genuine for it.

"I've never really been one for fancy ettiquite, myself," he made a bit of a playfully disgusted face, and regretted it immediately. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he looked like a complete and utter fool right now. Hell, he could practically feel the daggers he was sure the other couples in the restaurant were glaring his way, if solely for his far-too-casual attire. "Not on first dates, anyway," he added as she grabbed his hand.

Damn, she was perfect. Willing to eat a hotdog while wearing a dress like that? Jesus. Dan hadn't met a girl like that since the first grade. He grinned broadly as he stood up from the seat, not able to take his eyes off her. That smile. God, he could probably stare at that smile for days on end. Wait. Shit, that was creepy. Probably best not to tell her that until later on. If there was a later on...

"Too busy for a hotdog and a date? Come on now, I don't think you know who you're talking to," Dan smiled warmly. Then, before he could think about what he was doing, he laced his fingers between hers and squeezed ever so gently as they made their way out of the building. It was as if a gigantic weight had been lifted off Dan's shoulders; no wonder he never ate inside those overly-fancy places. They were a hell of a lot more depressing than he'd thought. Actually heaving a sigh of relief once he'd taken a great breath of fresh air, Dan nodded in the direction of the park. "Feel free to lead the way. Take as many detours as you like--I've got time."

[safetypinalert12]

Serah laughed again at his expression. It was as though other people’s opinions didn’t matter. As where most men did their best to smolder, sway, and sashay to impress her—Dan seemed to be charming her with humor. Which was not fair. Serah had a weakness for comedy—and anyone who found that out would be taken to their grave. Very. Very quickly.

“Actually, I don’t know who I’m talking to. But I plan on finding out.” He squeezed her hand—and that simple squeeze actually made her dizzy for a moment. Which only made her slightly annoyed with herself, though she never showed it on her face. Serah quickly pulled him out of the restaurant, ducking through the people bustling in. She paused outside, and glanced back, then looked at Dan. He was giving her the same rush that she felt when she pulled off a successful scheme, but this was somehow more pure. It caused her heart to hammer, and made the blood in her veins surge.

She released Dan’s hand to lean down and unbuckle her heels. One hand rested on his arm for balance while she pulled off the things. She clutched the straps of both shoes in one hand, then grasped Dan’s hand again, and began to run. She pulled on his hand until he got the idea, her long legs carrying her to central park. The running helped her quell some of that feeling, and the heat of his hand in hers only made everything sharper.

She only slowed down when she got closer to central park, before bursting out in laughs. Happy, bubbly laughter. She pressed her arm against her mouth, trying to quell her laughs before she snorted. “S-sorry..sorry.” She cleared her throat, and tried to straighten back up. Color rushed into her cheeks while she glanced back up at Dan. Her fingers loosened on his—just in case he was weirded out by her, and wanted to draw back. “I uh…I like running.” Her orderly hair was a little more free now, having shook from their curls, and the particular flip of her hair. She looked more natural, with the orange waves falling into, and around her face. He was turning her into such a fucking dork.