Kedrick Suwa's Estate

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Yes, the boys went to turn in early for the night," Maria responded with a light giggle. "As for the teasing, it's always going to happen. Whether you're around or not. My brothers just love a good laugh here and then. You can't really blame them though, life is always better with a few laughs and smiles. Don't you think?"

She left that question in the air as she continued listening to him speak, her smile grew when he admitted that he missed her. She knew it was the case, there was no denying it, because she always missed him whenever he wasn't around. When he mentioned that her dad had suggested that he'd call her, the smile of her face was almost a relieved one. She could rest easy for now, knowing that they were both safe and there would be no problems.

"I'm glad he told you that, because I probably would've called you regardless," Maria responded, looking up to see that her mom had entered the room. She asked her daughter quietly in Spanish if she could talk to Dimitri before Maria nodded. "Hey chico, mom wants to talk to you for a few," she stated as she handed her phone to her mother.

Mrs. Vázquez smiled at her daughter before bringing the phone to her ear. "Dimitri honey, have you made it home safely?" she asked him, sounding like the concerned mother she was. Around the same time, Mr. Vázquez walked into the house with a bit of a tired smile, waving at both his wife and daughter, not taking too long to realize that his sons had probably called it a night earlier than usual.  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ
Can you keep a secret?...

Dimitri snickered at Maria, holding the phone against his ear as he rolled over onto his stomach. "I'm sure it will, what with those two clowns around you'd never get away from it." He joked, smiling fondly at the thought of the two older boys who had become like brothers to him. He nodded his head at the end of her sentence and then realized that she couldn't really see him, so he verbalized his agreement. "Definitely, and we'll never run short with Eneas and Ulises around."

The dark haired boy smiled faintly, wishing that they could talk face to face, but for tonight, the phone call would have to do. "Glad you worry about me." He said, a trace of a joking tone in his voice. Dimitri had only just reached the end of the statement when Maria told him that her mother wanted to speak to him. As the phrase 'I need to talk to you' or anything to that extent often did, Dimitri instantly hoped he hadn't done something wrong, his heart-rate quickening. "Uh-yeah sure," He said lamely, although he could already hear the sound of the phone being passed off.

At the woman's first words, Dimitri felt his nervousness and ill-founded guilt evaporate like a bad dream and he smiled slightly. "Yes ma'am," The young boy said sheepishly. "Everything went just fine, there were no problems. I-I hope you don't mind keeping an eye on my car until I can get back to pick it up." He said, sitting up instinctively and rubbing the back of his neck.

But more specifically...Can you keep mine?...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Considering the fact that I've grown up with them, then I'm pretty much used to it," Maria responded, a playful smirk on her face on her end of the phone. As much as she enjoyed phone conversations, they would never be the same as a face to face conversation, but that normally held true in almost every case. "In all honesty Dimitri, I don't think we ever will."

Maria felt herself smile at Dimitri's response, even though she knew he couldn't see it. Even though she could hear a bit of his joking manner in his tone, she knew that he knew that she meant it. As she had handed her mom the phone, she was able to hear the last bit of what he said, and only hoped the poor boy wasn't panicking again.

"Oh I am so glad you made it home safely," Mrs. Vázquez said in such a relieved tone. She smiled, listening to the young man's request, laughing lightly. "Oh don't worry about it at all, Dimitri. We'll make sure to keep a good eye on it. You have that on the word of a Vázquez, and we are known to be true to our word. I'm just very glad my husband didn't bore you with any old stories."

Mr. Vázquez laughed in response, kissing his wife on the top of her head. "Now dear, you know that's not possible," he responded someone defensively, the playful tone in his voice, "How would we have been able to get him to the right place had I been rambling?"

His wife laughed back in response, gently nudging her husband. Mr. Vázquez looked over at Maria who was just watching her parents' cute moments with an adoring smile. When she saw her father look at her, she knew what it could possibly mean and only nodded.  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ
Can you keep a secret?...

Dimitri sighed softly, relieved that his flash of nervousness had been completely foolish, although, it was understandable. Anyone who heard the words 'I need to talk to you' instantly thought of everything they had ever done wrong. He laughed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck again, remembering when Maria had often used the phrase 'the word of a Vázquez.' They all seemed so proud of their family, and that only served to make Dimitri want to be a part of it even more. "I'm glad it alright," He said with a light smile. "I would hate for it to be a bother, but if you're sure it's okay."

Dimitri paused listening to the end of her statement and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. To be honest, he would have loved to hear some of Mr. Vázquez's story, but he knew there would always be time for that later. The boy blinked in surprise as he heard the laugh that unmistakably belonged to Maria's father, surprised that he was back already. Then again, as he thought about it, he knew that Maria's house and his apartment were not really that far apart.

"Well," The boy said sheepishly, "It's getting pretty late, would you please tell Mr. Vázquez that I'm glad he got home safely." He asked, feeling oddly formal. "O-Oh, a-and thank him for driving me home as well." He added in a stammering tone, hoping he could say a quick 'good night' to Maria before it was time to hang up.

But more specifically...Can you keep mine?...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"It would never be a bother to us, Dimitri," Mrs. Vázquez responded, a gentle and pleasant grin still on her face. "It's the least we can do. And don't start panicking that we're doing too much for you, because honestly my husband and I don't mind. We don't even have to ask about Maria because we all know she's okay with it as well. Just relax, okay dear?"

Mrs. Vázquez listened to Dimitri, nodding before she looked over at her husband. "Dimitri wants to let you know that he's glad you made it home safely as well as thanking him for taking him home."

Mr. Vázquez smiled, kissing his wife's forehead and speaking loud enough so that Dimitri could hear him, but not too loud as if to startle him. "It was my pleasure. I know if I hadn't done it, my wife would've scolded me," he responded with a hearty chuckle, "And thank you as well, Dimitri. I'm glad I made it home safely as well. Rest well, son."

"Agreeing with my husband, Dimitri," Mrs. Vázquez added, taking control of the conversation, "May you have a pleasant evening and sleep well. we hope to see you again as soon as can be, however, I believe there's just one more person who wants to speak with you."

Maria smiled at her parents, taking the phone from her mother and gave it a few seconds before she finally spoke. "So... This is goodnight then, lover boy?"  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ
Can you keep a secret?...

Dimitri laughed nervously as Mrs. Vázquez brushed off his concerns. Inside, he was truly glad that it was no problem, although he still worried about being a burden, 'dead weight' as he had put it to Maria earlier in the day. It seemed that he was always depending on other people, but then he had to remind himself that for his age, that was okay. As a kid, he was supposed to be dependent on his parents, although that had gone a bit south, and everyone should have friends to depend on. Dimitri smiled to himself, and he certainly had friends. He may not have many, but the friends he had were a close and irreplaceable part of his life. Kedrick, Maria, Arielle, the Suwa girls, even Eric, every one of them he knew he'd do anything for.

Dimitri brought his thoughts back to the phone conversation, smiling as he heard Mr. Vázquez's voice over the speaking. "I wanted to thank you anyways," He said, also raising his voice so the man could hear. "It means a lot." He snickered slightly as Maria's father commented on his wife scolding him, that would be something Dimitri would pay to see. He could only imagine passive, sweet Mrs. Vázquez scolding her big strong husband.

The boy listened to Mrs. Vázquez's comment, and he smiled slightly. "Don't worry, I will, after the long day I've had I'm sure to." He laughed, adjusting his position on the couch. Dimitri's smiled widened slightly as she mentioned one more person that needed to speak to him. When he heard the sound of Maria's voice he responded quietly. "I suppose it is, having dinner with your family was really fun Maria, I'd like to do it again sometime. But I guess it is late. Good night Maria, I love you." He said softly, and after her response, slowly closed the phone.

Dimitri stretched on the couch, groaning as he did so. He allowed the phone to slip for him his hand and land on the coffee table beside him. He thought immediately of crawling into bed and just going to sleep, but then he remembered that he had promised himself he would write to Eric. With a huge sigh, the boy sat up, rubbing his eyes, he dug the piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. Dimitri smoothed it out on the table and began to write.

After a good half-hour, Dimitri stood up, leaving the rough draft on the table. He backtracked a moment and read over what he had managed to write.

Dear Eric,
How are you doing? How are you managing over there? I hope everything been okay and that's you're safe, I miss you things have been different here without you. Yeah, I'm still hanging out at our old place, all you'r stuff is still here though for whenever you make it back stateside. Until recent your room was the only one in the house that was actually clean, but funny thing, that actually changed this afternoon. My girlfriend came over and helped me straighten the place up. I guess that'd be news to you too, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Maria, and I think she's the only girl in the world who could actually tolerate me. She's wonderful, and I'd really like for you to meet here when you get back I miss you. Whenever you get back, if you're still in need of a place to stay, you could always come back, it'd never hurt to have someone else pay half-rent. Listen, Eric, I never got to apologize to you for how I acted the first week we were flatmates. It's kind of complicated, and it's not the kind of this I should write into a letter but I want you to know tha- Well, I guess the main point of this letter was to tell you to stay safe over there, and keep your head about you. I miss you
Love,
Sincerely,
Your friend,
Dimitri.

The dark haired boy sighed softly. It wasn't much of a letter, but tomorrow he'd rewrite it, omitting the lines he had crossed out.

But more specifically...Can you keep mine?...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Well then, I am most certainly glad that I could help you then," Mr. Vázquez finally responded, able to hear Dimitri's voice through Maria's phone. It still made the father smile to know just how grateful Dimitri had been for the ride, even though it was just a simple and kind gesture on his part.

Maria listened to Dimitri as he responded, partially wishing that they had more time to talk, but they did have a long, and somewhat stressful day. She remembered that she needed to check in with Arielle and Kedrick before she went to bed, making sure that those two had been alright as well.

"G'night lover boy," she responded back, "I love you too." She heard the phone click as their conversation ended, a gentle sigh escaping her lips and a lovesick smile present on her face. She looked up at her parents, both of them just looking at their lovestruck daughter, before Mrs. Vázquez wished them a goodnight and went up to her room, leaving just father and daughter in the living room to speak.

Their conversation had been a bit long, but her father had given her what his men had planned so far. They continued to discuss, Maria shooting out ideas as quick as her mind could think of them. The next few days would be even more stressful, and she could tell that her father didn't want her to put herself through too much, but he had honestly know idea what kind of situation she had gotten herself into once again.

When they had finally come to somewhat of an end to their conversation, they wished each other goodnight, both heading up to their rooms. Maria got dressed in her pajamas, looking at her phone and trying to decide if she should call Kedrick or Arielle, even though either or would be fine. In the end, she decided to call Kedrick, knowing that he would relay the information to Arielle if she wasn't already near him.

Sitting on her bed, she picked up her phone and dialed his number, waiting patiently for her friend to answer.  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Always...

Kedrick sat on the couch next to Arielle. Earlier the two of them had watched a movie to settle down for the night and now they just sat close together in the near darkness, enjoying each other's company. It had been a nice quiet night, which was just what they needed after a day like they had had today. Most of the afternoon, Kedrick had done nothing but worry about Arielle. He caught himself looking at her every couple of seconds, and he had frequently asked her if she was okay, only to follow up by prompting weather or not she was sure.

But now things had finally seemed settled and The young man was content just to sit there with her in comfortable silence. Kedrick had just closed his eyes and was almost drifting off when his cell phone buzzed. The blond haired boy stirred sleepily, breathing a reluctant sigh. "Hang on a second Ari," He murmured, gently kissing her on the temple before standing up.

As he stepped out into the hallways he flipped open his cellphone, looking at the caller I.D. A smile tugged at the young man's lips as he saw the name, feeling a rush of affection for Maria, she was probably calling to check in on how her friend was doing. "Kind of late to be make phone calls don't you think Maria?" He teased into the phone, holding it against his ear, none the less, glad to hear the girl's voice.

By your side...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

After returning back home that day, Arielle couldn't deny that it had been quite relaxing. Sure, her mind continued worrying about everything, her fingers finding themselves touching her neck gently, still a bit painful to the touch, but she was safe and she was with Kedrick. She was glad for his suggestion to watch a movie, or she probably would've hidden in either her room or the library, trying to escape from her current problem and hiding in a book.

The movie was enjoyable, one of her favorites, which she was glad that Kedrick remembered. It was so nice to sit with him and feel comfortable. He had constantly made sure that she was fine, which she always let him know that she was. It made her smile gently to know that he was worrying, even though she wished he could also relax, she didn't want him to grey early.

With such a calm evening, Arielle couldn't help but close her eyes gently, breathing calmly beside Kedrick. She knew she wouldn't find it surprising if they had ended up falling asleep down there, or at least her. Her eyes opened up slowly when she heard a phone buzz. Looking over to Kedrick, she nodded, a gentle smile on her face as she watched him walk off, wondering who could be calling right now.

Maria smiled when Kedrick finally picked up, laughing lightly into the phone, rolling her eyes gently. "Shhhh, you know you love hearing my voice just as much as everyone else," Maria teased back, another laugh before she continued, "Anyway, Dimitri ended up coming over to my place after some time at his, and we kinda had a late dinner before my dad dropped him off back home. However, that's not the reason I called. I called to update you about what my dad and I had in regards on Arielle's safety."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Always...

Kedrick laughed, ducking his head slightly as Maria spoke. "Yeah, I know," He said, shuffling his feet on the hallways carpet. "You and Dimitri have a nice afternoon?" The blond asked, a slight note of teasing in his voice. He knew that the two lovebirds would have had a good time no matter what they had been doing, even something so un-romantic as cleaning Dimitri's apartment. Kedrick paused to listen to her, the smile on his face growing. He got the feeling that there was nothing Dimitri would have liked better then to have gone to Maria's house and spent some time with her and her family. Especially Maria's father.

Kedrick knew as well as anyone else that Dimitri was at the point in his life that he desperately needed a stable father figure, and he couldn't think of anyone better suited them Maria's father. He was a strong, reliable person, some one that, if Dimitri let himself trust him, would always be there to love and protect him.

The young man was about to respond to her when Maria changed the subject abruptly. He blinked in surprise. "Okay, what did you call for?" He asked, laughing slightly. His laughter stopped when Maria gave her reasoning and he nodded seriously. "Alright, I'm listening. What did you have in mind?"

By your side...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Oh yes we did," Maria responded with a laugh. "Gotta keep more of a handle on him in regards to him keeping his home clean. Dear goodness it was like five different natural disasters went through his room. Regardless of that, we enjoyed ourselves and had a great day." She smiled, still replaying the moments in her head, smiling more fondly at when she remembered the two of them watching the movie and when they had waltzed.

More memories to add, she thought, lying down on her bed before she returned to the present. She wondered if she should've waited to tell him the next day instead of right now, but it was better to get it out of the way instead of letting it sit. It wasn't like she was going to forget it, but she probably wouldn't be able to sleep easily if she waited.

She was silent for a bit when Kedrick said she could begin, trying to not give him too much information, but still wanting to get her point across. "My dad have picked out the men willing to do the job," she began, trying to formulate everything properly into words. "They will check in at certain times of the day, and make sure there has been no sign of trespassing whenever you are away from the estate. Since I go to school with Arielle, they won't need to do much tailing around during the school day. There's honestly more to everything, but I think this is what is official for now and I'll get in touch with you as soon as I can to tell you about any changes."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Always...

Kedrick felt a smirk tug at his lips as Maria described briefly what she and Dimitri had done that afternoon, "Don't say I didn't warn you about that place of his, honestly, it's like he's living in a pigpen!" Kedrick laughed, leaning his weight against the wall, one leg crossed over the other. "I', glad you had fun anyways though." He added, adjusting his grip on the phone.

He paused a moment, the silence stretching heavily between them as he waited for her to begin explaining to him. He wanted to know everything he could about Maria's plan, he wanted to make sure Arielle stayed safe. His heart skipped a beat as she began to speak and he leaned forward, no longer relaxing against the wall. He stood straight, almost as though taking orders, the phone held to his ear tightly so that he didn't miss one word.

Kedrick listened to her in strained silence, swallowing stiffly. He picture Maria's words in his head, trying to see what it would be like to have police officers showing up at random points in the day, or to look out the window and see them in the yard. He knew that, like Maria in the school setting, he too was determined not to leave Arielle's side, not until this was all resolved. It was certainly a job Kedrick was willing to take on, he just hoped that something didn't happen that would make Arielle feel like she had to slip away. 'Like last time...' Kedrick thought numbly. 'She felt like she had to go and meet him to keep everyone safe...Well I'm not going to let her do that. Not this time. I will not see her get hurt again.'

The blond haired boy let out a breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Alright Maria, I understand." He said with a small smile. "Make sure not to leave anything out if something changes okay?" He prompted anxiously. "I need to know everything."

By your side...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Alright, alright, you warned me," Maria admitted with another laugh, "It's not everyday when someone else proves me wrong. We all know how that's my job in a sense. And thanks. It was definitely nice." And more importantly, Maria added in her thoughts, It was just nice seeing Dimitri happy all day, even when he was embarrassed. It's always nice to see his smile...

After Maria had finished explaining, she wondered what was running through his mind. At the same time, she was wondering if it still would've been better if she had made sure Arielle was there as well and was put the conversation on speaker. It wasn't like last time, when Arielle was so set on doing Jonesy's demands and both Kedrick and herself had to make sure to bring Arielle back. Arielle knew, and all Maria honestly hoped for was that Arielle wouldn't try and do anything dangerous and by herself when she has all the help in the world.

She nodded to Kedrick's response, realizing that she herself was feeling quit anxious. So much depended on this plan, and everything had to go right or someone would get hurt again. Again she was a bit silent, the negative thoughts and fears beginning to plague her mind before she left them behind so that she could answer Kedrick.

"Don't worry about that at all, Kedrick," Maria confirmed, doing her best to be reassuring. "As soon as I know about anything new or changed, I will get to you and Arielle about that in a heartbeat. However, I need to get some rest now. I'll talk to you tomorrow, and please tell Arielle I said hi."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Always...

Kedrick snickered softly as Maria admitted defeat, something she very rarely did. It gave him a sense of pleasure, and almost the urge to say 'I told you so' but he stifled the desire. Over all, he was just glad that she and Dimitri had had a good time. After the slightly rocky beginning of their relationship, it was always good to see them just having a good time. Nothing crazy, nothing dangerous, or secretive, just a very nice, normal good time.

The blond haired young man nodded sagely as she tried to allay his concerns, trying to smile but still feeling tense despite himself. His worries nagged in the back of his mind, never fully leaving even for a second. "Alright then Maria, have a good night, and get some sleep. I'll take good care of Arielle, don't worry." He paused slightly, listening to the end of her sentence and smiling fondly. "Okay, I will, good night Maria." He said quietly, and closed to phone.

The boy breathed a sigh, tucking the phone back in his pocket and re-entering the den, settling onto the cushion next to Arielle. He smiled, gently packing her cheek and putting an arm around her shoulder. "That was Maria, " He said quietly, his lips brushing her cheek as he spoke. "She was worried about you and told me to tell you she says hi and that everything is under control as far as your armed guard goes." He said with a smile, tucking his feet in underneath him to get more comfortable.

By your side...

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Thank you Kedrick and goodnight to you as well," she responded kindly, a gentle smile on her face at the rest of what he said. She never doubted him for a second that he wouldn't be able to take care of Arielle. He loved her more than anything, and she knew, like herself, that he would do anything to keep her from harm's way again. "There's no need for me to worry. I know you're a man of your word. And once again thank you and goodnight."

She hung up her phone after him and got out of her bed, charging her phone for the night. Maria quickly finished getting ready for bed; brushing her teeth and combing her hair out before she finally got herself settled for bed. She turned over to turn off her lamp light before she went over her day again. Part of her wanted to call Dimitri, wishing that he had stayed so that he could comfort her if she had gotten another nightmare, but it was too late now. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and was asleep within minutes.

While Kedrick had went out to answer the phone call, Arielle continued to sit in her spot, pulling her legs up to her chest, arms wrapping around her knees. She stared off into nothing, wondering who could be the person talking to Kedrick. At the same time, she had this sense of paranoia that maybe the man, this Calcifer, that was hunting her down like a animal, had somehow found Kedrick's number and was now harassing him. She only hoped that it wasn't the case and maybe it was his oldest sister calling on him.

She turned her head to him when he returned, smiling gently, with a small sigh of relief as he sat down next to her. She smiled when he kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She made herself comfortable as she leaned into him slightly. Listening to him carefully, she was once again relieved when he told her that the person that had called was Maria, a smile on her face.

"That's great," Arielle responded, no clear distinction in her tone of voice about how she felt, almost as if she sounded robotic. She was happy, that was for sure, but at the same time, she was still anxious and most definitely scared. She wasn't sure if Kedrick knew, but during the time they were watching the movie, she always checked her phone, feeling it in her pocket, making sure that there was no vibration and that there was nothing new. It was just a terrifying time for her again.

She was unaware of how silent she had been and how tense her body had become. After a couple of seconds, she relaxed herself some and smiled at Kedrick gently. "What's the plan?"