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Morning

Her arms fell slightly, eyes opening more and a hint of a frown starting to replace her sleepy smile. Was...was that a joke? Maybe it was a 'less sex' joke. That had to be it. Her arms fell onto her lap as she looked to the coffee he'd set down for her. No, he was being real. He actually meant coffee. Real coffee. "N..no, I meant..me. I'm Starbucks," Candace clarified slowly and clearly as if she felt she really needed to explain. She couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but he seemed serious. She was Starbucks. His tall mocha latte. He always said that to her. Good morning, I'm tired, I think I'll take a shot of Starbucks. Oh no, you look tired, maybe you need some vitamin D. They were so.

They were just.

They were god awful lines. But they were part of Dakota's charm, the cheesy as hell lines that made her laugh with embarrassment for him. But she loved it. She loved those stupid little things that made Dakota uniquely him.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. A hike sounds good. I actually have proper shoes for one, would you believe it? It's strange not wearing my heels, but I quite like having legs that aren't broken." Candace chuckled.

Let it Go:

"You met him?" Dakota frowned, obvious worry displayed on his features. "Who is he?" Better yet, what kind of threat did he pose to his wife?

"I love you too." But now he was thinking of the man who came to his wife, and what kind of...creature or nightmare it was she had with him.

"Mmm yeah?" Well they were already out in it, so he gently tugged her through the moistened ground, not sure what they could do in...mud.

Morning:

Dakota stared at her for a moment, wondering what it was that he missed.

Then he realized, cursed himself. Which made him angry at himself, and he could feel himself closing off again.

"Oh right." He stepped back, "Uh..." Since he didn't know how to respond now, he settled for focusing on the other things.

"Heels, jesus." He looked at the window outside, "I still don't know how you wear them, much less run in them, much less fight in them." And he had seen Candace fight in heels.

Too much quiet

Candace snorted. "That was the point."

He continued and she frowned again. "So you're aware that you're just being paranoid and that all of this is real and really happening." The hand he had shoved away returned to rub where she had pinched, an apology. "Honestly, I don't think the horsemen are creative enough to come up with someone as fantastic as me for some kind of dream trickery. I bet if they did, I'd be like...oh Dakota, ******** me against that tree over there right now oh yeah baby!" Candace was laughing before she could even finish the sentence. She clung to her husband, still laughing at her own foolishness. Not at him. Never at him. She kissed his neck. "What're the rules of this trip?"

Let It Go

She shrugged. "Don't know. It was a brief encounter when I was twelve. I haven't seen him in person since, only in dreams. I stopped having them for awhile, probably too much stress, but then I..started having them again shortly before you and I started seeing each other. And then they stopped again." Candace shook her head. "He was a man in all black with bloody hands and a too-big grin, and a voice that sent chills down my tiny little spine. That's all. Hell, maybe it was paint. It was New Year's Eve in New York City."

Candace smiled again. She didn't want to think about him anymore. This trip was about her and Dakota. Only her and Dakota. No one else existed, much less strange men from her childhood.

"Yeah!" She laughed, grabbing Dakota's other hand, Candace made an attempt to coax him into dancing with her. Something lively and energetic, something fun. She didn't care about the mud splashing around their feet or the rain starting to make her makeup run, her expensive clothes stick to her body, or the hair she spent hours maintaining plaster to her face. Dakota was young, so young, far too young to be acting the way he was acting. This man wasn't Dakota, but Dakota was still somewhere in there. She just needed to help him out.

Let it Go:

"What a shitty memory..." He grunted as she drew him into a dance, into something energetic. Something he didn't think of doing. Or would never think of doing really. He twirled her, caught her. Lifted her and pushed her away, only to come back.

He didn't seem to notice the make up running, or how her hair looked, because she would and always will be the most beautiful woman to him. Very faintly, their activity earned a small smile.

Dakota was still well...he was Dakota. But his mindset? He kept wishing that he could get over it.

Morning:

"You're upset." She couldn't fool him on that. She had the expectation and he failed to meet it.

Chalk one up on the failures Dakota had been accumulating.

"You take a bath...I'm gonna go outside..." It was running away, cowardly and would no further upset her more, but he selfishly was thinking of himself.

He needed to breathe again.

Let it go

He danced with her and she laughed with pure delight. She spun when he twirled her, encouraging a lively dance in the mud and rain with Dakota. Her heart soared when she caught sight of that little smile. Yes, there it was. He was still in there. Just a little bit more.

She guided him as much as he guided her, taking advantage of not having any kind of audience. Yes, Candace could dance, but sometimes it was fun to just be silly. Which she was being very much so.