Kedrick Suwa's Estate

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick could feel the cold knot of fear rising his his chest again. It was becoming harder to keep calm. "You're right." He said, his voice cracking, voice box so tensed with emotion that it barely supported the two words. Kedrick swallowed quickly, shaking his head, water flying off the ends of his hair. "In the tent, it should still be dry." He stepped quickly over to the tents, unzipping the first one he came to (The boy's tent) and pulled Arielle inside, zipping the tent behind her.

The sides of the tent rustled and billowed out as the wind moved around it, but mercifully, the rain-fly had done it's job, and everything on the inside was still dry. Kedrick shoved his sleeping bag aside so he didn't get it wet and sat down on the floor, able to feel the ground sag beneath him because it was so saturated with water. He took a deep breath, but it rattled in his chest, and did little good to calm him. Kedrick placed his hands palm down on the ground, resting his weight on them. He blinked in surprise, his left hand had come down on something soft. Kedrick looked down, and saw one of Dimitri's jackets (The one he had been wearing the night before) laying on the ground. He picked his up, fingering the soft material thoughtfully, and his chest ached as he realized again that Dimitri and Maria where all lone in the middle of that storm, and he prayed that they would be safe.

Dimitri quickly wrapped his arms around Maria as she clung to him tightly. "No...no, it's okay..." His said gently, his lips brushing her soaking hair as he spoke. " We'll be okay, I promise, we'll wait here until the storm passes, then we'll just head right back to the camp..." Dimitri said, keeping his voice quiet and reassuring. He tipped her face up, using his thumb to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "It's okay...Please don't cry...I'm here, I'm not going to let anything hurt you, I promise..." He tried a reassuring smile, but his face was lined with worry.

Dimitri hoped with all his might that Kedrick and Arielle had gotten back to the campsite safely. If any one got hurt here, Dimitri knew he'd blame himself, the race that separated them had been his idea after all. And now they where in this mess, if they had been together, it would have been different. Arielle knew how to calm Maria down when she was upset, and he would be able to make sure Kedrick didn't worry to much. But they weren't together, and that was the problem. Dimitri looked back down at Maria, almost unaware that in his thoughts and worrying, he had looked up to stare at the pounding rain.

Dimitri opened his mouth to speak again, when he was interrupted by a mighty roar of thunder that shook the very ground around them. With a cry of alarm, Dimitri doubled over Maria, almost as though to shield her. His hands, flew to the sides of her head, covering her ears and pressing her tear stained face into his chest. He gripped her tightly to him, not letting go for some time after the roar had died. Dimitri dew in a ragged breath, looking up slowly. He saw the flash of lightning and was glad that he still had Maria's face buried in his soaking shirt. He glanced down at her again, slowly slackening his grip and tipping her chin up again. "There now..." Dimitri said softly. "Let's talk about something okay? Storms like this can't last too long..." He hoped that if he could get her talking about something else for a while, and, not for the first time, wished Arielle was here to tell him what to do.

Kedrick's fingers closed tightly over the material of the jacket, lowering his head so this it was pressed against his forehead. This was one of the ways Kedrick showed his stress and worry. He would find something, and hold on to it in a white-knuckled grip until his fingers ached. If he did this, you knew he was very worried. He drew in a deep breath, trying to relax. He knew that if he showed this much worry, that Arielle would worry too, and that would be no good. He relaxed his grip on the jacket and looked slowly up at her, his eyes still haunted with worry. "We can go look for them the minute the storm lets up..."

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Oh Kedrick...., Arielle thought worriedly. The sound of his voice was heartbreaking enough for her to hear, and she knew that despite the fact that she was worried half to death about them, she needed to be Kedrick's rock and keep his mind as relaxed as it could be.

She nodded when Kedrick mentioned about entering a tent and followed him to the tent where he and Dimitri were staying in. She was glad to see that their tents had managed to stay put, despite the harshness of the storm. When she was inside, she was also happy to see that their tent was dry as well and knew that it would've been awful if they had to sit in a cold damp tent until the storm passed.

Arielle made space beside Kedrick and did her best to wring her hair out, even though she couldn't actually do much. Her hair felt completely heavy from how drenched she was and trying to pull her clothes off her skin wasn't any help either. All she hoped was that the storm didn't last too long so that later on that evening she could change into some dry, warm clothes.

She looked over at Kedrick and saw that he had picked up Dimitri's jacket, which he must have left laying around before he left. Just looking at Kedrick in his state of worry honestly made Arielle's heart ache. She looked at him, her eyes showing her concern, fear, and worry as well as trying to be some kind of beacon of reassurance. When he looked up at her and made a statement about a thought she had in her head, she nodded and kissed his forehead before holding onto his hand, her thumb rubbing against his skin. "They're fine Kedrick," Arielle said calm and soothingly, "I know they are. They're probably out of harm's way and waiting to be back with us. I bet they're even just as worried as we are, but we have to stay strong for them Kedrick. And just keep the faith that they're safe and unharmed..."

Maria tried to stop her sobbing, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. Now that they weren't out in the open anymore, some of her senses were finally returning to her. She deeply appreciated how close Dimitri was to her and how his voice was gentle enough so that he could help her calm down. The thought of returning back made her feel a bit better, but then there was still that dread of how long the storm would be. Her biggest concern was that it would last the entire day and they would be far away from their friends for some time.

When he tipped her face up, she looked at him through tear stained eyes. She was so glad that Dimitri would do his best to keep her safe, or even give her the feeling that she was safe. She worked even harder not to cry so much, especially for him. If he was being strong for her, she had to be strong for him. She didn't know about the thoughts that were going on in Dimitri's head at that current moment, especially the idea that he would've blamed himself if something bad would have happened to any of them.

She waited for Dimitri to finally return from his thoughts. Around the same time he was about to open his mouth to say something, and she was going to try and smile reassuringly at him to let him know that she was fine then, another roar of thunder was heard and Maria was ready to start cowering somewhere again.

Maria was definitely surprised in Dimitri's next action, in which he covered her ears from hearing the storm and even moved as if he was shielding her from it. She blinked in surprise when she was moved closer to his chest, but the feeling of gratitude was there inside of her, and she felt herself smile somewhat. She didn't know how long Dimitri held her like that, but she honestly didn't have any problem with it. She felt completely self inn his arms, probably even more safer than when she was with Arielle.

She looked up at him when he looked down at her and hoped that her small smile was enough to show her thanks to him. At the mention of talking about something to distract them from the storm, Maria tried to think of many light hearted funny stories from her past, but at the same time, she felt like she should explain why she was so afraid of storms. She knew that for some others, the fact that she was so afraid of thunder and lightning was a complete opposite of the character she carried around. He has to know at some point, Maria thought as she looked away and pushed herself away from Dimitri.

"Well, I guess I'll break the ice then," Maria started, trying to get as much water out of her hair and clothes as she could, "So... Now you know that I'm afraid of thunder and lightning storms. I knew that you would find out at some point, but not like this... Not when we're in harm's way and all I can do is stand in the middle of the forest like a frightened child..."

She clenched her fist, angry at herself for being so weak before she took a deep breath and sighed. "It happened years ago during a family reunion camping trip. I was about five at the time and my cousins, brothers, and I decided that it was best if we played a game of hide and go seek in the woods while the adults were talking or preparing the food."

***

"One, two, three, NOT IT!" Maria exclaimed happily along with a bunch of children. The young kindergartner looked up at all her bigger family members and saw that her one cousin Nicos was the last person to say not it. They decided to play a game to pass the time and in the woods, hide and go seek was their best bet.

"You've got to count to fifty, Nicos," Eneas said with a grin, "It wouldn't be fair if you didn't give us all enough time to run from you."

"But counting to fifty is going to take too long!" Nicos complained, crossing his arms, "I'll count to thirty-five. That's enough for everyone. And don't you dare try and change my mind, Ulises. If I'm it, I'll count for as long as I want to."

The time debate continued within the Hispanic family before the all finally agreed with the number forty. Nicos grinned happily and walked over to the tree, leaning on his folded arms. The other children already ran off to hide from their appointed cousin. Eneas and Ulises were about to run off when they went to their younger sister, told her to hide as far away as she could but to be careful as well. They kissed her on the forehead because they knew that their baby sister was young and they still feared that she would get lost. They never knew how right they were.

Maria nodded, her short hair bobbing before running off in a random direction. Maria definitely wanted to win the game and be the hardest one to find. She kept her older brothers' words in her head as she followed a snaky trail. she continued to look back every so often so that she wouldn't get lost, but she knew that she would be running out of time if she continued to do that. That was the first mistake she had made.

The young child was barely aware of the fact that the sky was becoming more gloomy or even aware of the far off rumbles that could be heard in the sky. The small feet finally lead her to a somewhat open area in the forest and she hid behind the largest thickest tree. She grinned happily to herself, thinking that she was quite clever for finding such the perfect hiding spot. Nicos is never going to find me now, Maria thought with a somewhat devilish smirk, but was too cute and happy to even be called that.

The young girl had no idea how long she had been hiding, but she knew that she would be the last one for Nicos to find out of her two brothers and eight other cousins. While she patiently awaited for her cousin to return, a drop of water hit against her skin and she almost shrieked in surprise when she saw that it was beginning to rain. At first she thought it was her imagination, but as the droplets continued to fall from the sky, she knew how far off she was about that idea. She waited for a few more minutes, knowing that she could easily find her way back before the rain got heavier, but the weather seemed to have it's own plans.

In just a matter of seconds, the rain droplets fell down quicker and seemed to have grown thicker as well, but then again, that was coming through the eyes of a five year old girl. She decided that it was definitely best to probably find her way back before her parents started to worry, so with that thought, she left her hiding place and started the walk back.

Maria was immediately drenched in seconds and she even had a hard time trying to see past the rain. She squinted, doing her best to remember her landmarks but a wave of paranoia came over her when she thought that she was completely lost in general. All of a sudden the forest seemed even more ominous and creepier than before.

And then, the moment of Maria's fears finally began. A loud horrifying rumble of thunder was soon heard and the child screamed in surprise before making a run for it. The lightning cracked and the trees seemed to have horrendous monster-like faces. Normally she wouldn't have minded about the monster faces, but it was the fact that she was all alone in a large forest and lightning and thunder was going on around her.

Minutes later the lightning cracked and hit an old tree that fell over right in front of her. At that moment, Maria lost it and shrieked as loudly as she could muster. She had been so close to being toppled over by a tree. She moved away from the tree and continued running back to the campsite before she ended up tripping over a fallen branch and twisted her ankle.

The young girl's panic rose quickly and all she could do was hug herself and cry. She honestly felt like she was going to die out there by herself in the middle of nowhere. She wished she hadn't hid off so far away from her brothers, family, and her parents. It felt like she was lost in a different world.

Heartbroken with this idea, Maria sobbed her heart out and scooted away each time she heard thunder or lightning. The poor child had never been so traumatized before in her life. I just want my mommy and daddy! Maria thought in fear as another crack of lightning was heard, hitting another branch and falling on the girl, knocking her unconscious.

***

"When I came to," Maria continued, having found herself sitting against the cold surface, "I was back with the family, my grandmother praying in Spanish. Praying that I hadn't died. It turns out that as soon as the rain started to fall, the came was called at a quits and everyone went back until my brothers realized I wasn't with the rest of them. My entire family started looking out and luckily we had a good hunter dog from my one uncle who could catch our scent even in the weather. My Uncle Esteban was quite the hunter."

She laughed gently before starting off from where she left off. "I was grateful that the branch didn't kill me. I only left with a twisted ankle and a bruised head. Even though my parents were worried sick and scolded not only me but my brothers as well, they were grateful that I survived. Ever since then, that traumatic experience was enough to raise a fear of thunder and lightning of itself. Arielle found out during a sleepover when we were seven, and since then has always been there to make sure I wasn't hyperventilating in some corner in my house."

"And that's my story," Maria finally concluded after being silent for a few minutes, "Probably not the most delightful story to be told during a storm, but I wanted to explain so that you understood... But anyway, it's your turn, no? What have you got to share with the pow wow?" She smiled gently, doing her best the lighten the mood up not only for him but for her own sake.

(Wooo~ This ridiculously long post is finally done x.x. You can imagine the conversations/thoughts going on during the flashback part was in Spanish since she speaks that at home. And hope you enjoy it~)  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

♟♞ ♝ ♜ ♛ Ҝәɖʁϊϲҝ Ś. Śűѿą & Ďȋɱȋŧʁȋ Ĵ. ᾟűηŧȇʁ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟

Kedrick stared worriedly into Arielle's eyes, the jacket hanging limply from his upturned palms. Kedrick had always had a protective streak for Dimitri, he had even since the two boys had met when they where thirteen. Of course there was little else he could have felt for him after learning such a terrible past, the only think Kedrick had wanted to do was to keep Dimitri out of harms way, keep him safe, and happy. This feeling had persisted throughout their friendship even after Dimitri had gotten his own apartment and was out of danger. Now that Kedrick didn't know where Dimitri was, or what kind of trouble he was in the desire to protect him came back stronger than ever.

Putting himself in Arielle's shoes, he realized that she too must be terribly worried, and it was selfish of him not to try and comfort her as well. Kedrick allowed a small smile to tug at the corner of his mouth as she kissed his forehead. The gentle, sweet gesture sent a flare of warmth though his cold, tensed body. He smiled again at her words, giving a small nod. "You're right, of course." Kedrick said gentle. "They're both really smart, I'm sure they're safe." He pulled Arielle against him in a tight hug, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, holding her close. He rested his chin on her shoulder, drawing comfort from just having her near.

Dimitri nodded as Maria spoke about breaking the ice. His heart ached slightly, remember how much like a little kid she really had looked. Dimitri realized that try to get some of the water out of his clothing probably would be a good idea, otherwise it was very likly that they might catch cold. Not that the cold, damp weather did anything to help. Dimitri pulled his shirt off over his head, setting to wringing the water out of it the best he could. The half light that managed to seep though the thick black clouds reflected oddly on his pale skin.

Dimitri listened carefully as she began the story as to how she had come to be afraid of thunderstorms. Without ever taking his eyes off of her, Dimitri layed his shirt on top of a medium sized rock, hoping that it might dry a little, although that was unlikely seeing as how the air was so wet.

The dark haired boy sat in silence, his expression sometimes flicking with pity, or understanding, but he kept very quiet, letting her come to the end of her story. Finally, when she finished speaking, Dimitri reached out, brushing a lock of her thick, damp hair away from her face. "Maybe not the most cheerful story, but it helps me to understand better anyways..." He said gently, and then pulled her into a gentle hug, feeling her chest rise and fall as she breathed. He smoothed her hair with his hand before pulling back, his hand lingering on the back of her neck. "I guess it is my turn to tell the story then huh?" He asked, sitting back a little bit and thinking. At this point, it would probably be good to tell a fun story that would get Maria's mind off the storm. He could tell that she was trying hard to ignore it, but if he didn't keep her mind occupied then her thoughts would drift back to it, and she would get frightened again.
He sighed softly, "Lets see..." Dimitri murmured to himself, trying to think of the best story to tell. "There's uhh.....the time I met Kedrick's sisters for the first time and Sakimi punched me in the face," He said, a grin splitting his featured as he, strangely, seemed to find that particular memory humorous. "Or...when my mom took me to the zoo, and I got lost because I followed the wrong lady thinking it was her." This roused another small smirk from Dimitri. Suddenly his snapped his fingers. " I know," He said, looking up at her, a smile tugged the corner of his lips. It was one of those stories that was absolutely terrifying when it happened, but later, he and Kedrick laughed about it so hard they cried

"Well," Dimitri said, looking for the best way to start the short story "Kedrick and I where probably...nearly fifteen, so we where certainly old enough to handle ourselves. We decided that we where going to take a late night hike, and sleep in the wood." He glanced to the side, looking out at the rain. It seemed a lot of trouble started when people decided to go out in the woods by themselves. Shaking his head to bring himself back to the story at hand, Dimitri continued. "We walked for a while, and then, once we had found where we were going to sleep, we made a small fire, and layed down on the grass. No blanket, no tent, no nothing, just the star." Dimitri sighed quietly, remembering how warm and peaceful it had been. The stars had been brilliant and you could see them easily though the branches of the trees above them. The fire had added to the comfort of the scene and the two friends had layed in the grass, laughing, and talking until they had been too tired to keep their eyes open. "After a while, Kedrick fell asleep, and I had just stood up one more time to add a few small sticks to the fire, when I saw something. It looked like a spot of light, and as it got a little closer, I realized that it was someone with a flashlight, or one of those battery powered lanterns. But there was something in front of the light that was moving towards us faster than it was." Dimitri said, his eyes glinting slightly as he weaved the story. "So, I bent down to wake up Kedrick, I figured he ought to know. He had only just gotten on to his feet, we suddenly, these three, huge, ugly dogs came barreling though the under brush." Dimitri snorted under his breath, remembering the massive canines features. "I wouldn't be able to tell you know what kind of dog they where, but take my word for it, these things looked mean. So, Kedrick and I did the only sensible thing we could think of. We ran." He said with a small smirk. Now Dimitri looked back on it and laughed, but if he though back, he could remember the surge of terror as he and his friend had run from the three massive beasts. "We outran them for a while, but they started gaining on us, so, we managed to get up in a tree. It was a little difficult, but once we were up there, we felt pretty safe. It was just then that the person with the flashlight caught up to the dogs. " The dark haired boy shook his head in disbelief. "As it turns out, since we where walking in the dark, Kedrick and I overshot the boundaries of the estate by a little bit....Okay, by a lot, but the point was, we ended up on the property of a cranky old man with three really big dogs who didn't like it when kids lite campfires in his treeline." Dimitri snicked to himself, and then shrugged. "He stood at the bottom of the tree and yelled at us for a while, and then went home....unfortunately for Kedrick and I, he didn't take his dogs with him. We stayed in that stupid tree all night. " Dimitri leaned back against the cold rock behind him, reminded by the freezing roughness on his bare skin that his shirt was still lying on the ground beside him. "We must have slept a little because neither one of us was exactly sure when the dogs left, all we knew was that once it was light, we ran back to the estate as fast as we could. We where scared, sure, but later, once we talked about it for a while, we kind of started laughing and joking about it, and realized that it was more of a stupid adventure then anything else."

Dimitri trailed off uncertainly, hoping the story had been enough to take Maria's mind of of the storm that was still in full swing outside. He smiled a little bit, touching the sleeve of his shirt and was disappointing to find that it was still damp. He looked up at Maria, curious to know what she thought. He wasn't the best story teller in the word but he had taken a good crack at it.

((Hey, Ultra, Do you mind if I switch over to using Dimitri's profile now?It'll be easier for me to work out the next part of the plot that way.))

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"Of course I'm right," Arielle responded with a playful smile on her face. It made her happy to see Kedrick smile some. She could understand how worried he was about Dimitri, especially considering how close he was to him as she was for Maria. Had Maria not been with Dimitri, she would've been more panicked than even Kedrick had been. Kedrick didn't know about Maria's fear of storms or even the story that introduced that fear, but she was sure that either she or Maria would tell him. The current moment was definitely not the best time though.

"That's the spirit, love," Arielle responded as she hugged him in return. Even though she was cold and wet, she definitely felt a warmth right then and there. She knew that Kedrick was right and she had complete faith that their friends would be fine. So for the time being, she let her body relax as she was comforted by Kedrick's embrace and the fact that he was there with her.

Maria had been so distracted by her story and the memories that it brought, that she was barely aware of how Dimitri was paying attention to her. It wasn't until after she finished that she was aware completely of Dimitri's presence, especially when he moved some hair out of her face. She smiled and nodded, knowing that his response wasn't a surprise, but her back still tingled at the feel of Dimitri's fingers against her neck.

Maria patiently awaited as Dimitri tried to figure out what story she would tell. Now that she thought about it, since they started dating, they barely had a time to tell any kind of stories. Then again, their dates were barely that much of a bonding experience in which they were able to get as close as they wanted, but it was still decent enough for her. It wasn't until then that she wondered why the two of them barely even did things like that more often.

She found herself giggling at the different story scenarios that Dimitri was offering. She wanted to hear all of them, but most definitely the one about Kedrick's sisters. Maria felt like that it would be the most entertaining one out of all of them.

Eventually Dimitri finally came to a conclusion of what story that he wanted. She listened in keen interest as he narrated his tale, not once breaking her concentration from him. Like Dimitri, she seemed to find a trend in the woods setting for stories, but kept that thought to herself.

She closed her eyes and pictured the story playing through her mind. In just a matter of seconds, her mind was able to relay Dimitri's tale almost the same she would do if she was reading a book. Maria could definitely see Kedrick being the first person to crash since Dimitri was definitely not the person the crash first. She let her eyes open again as she continued listening to the story, but still let her mind relay all the images. She giggled when Dimitri mentioned the ugly dogs and wondered if their two stories were going to have any more parallels or would it just be her mind thinking ridiculous thins.

She couldn't explain why, but when Dimitri was explaining the chase between himself and Kedrick and the three dogs, she couldn't help but picture a music score that would perfectly align itself with those events. The thought made her smile gently and she continued listening in interest. Even though the story itself sounded like it was a terrifying experience, she still found it to have its humorous elements as well and was glad to see that both Dimitri and Kedrick could look back on it and laugh at their silly adventure.

Dimitri's story had definitely had the effect that was anticipated since the young Hispanic teen no longer worried about what was going on outside. "You've had quite the adventure, no?" Maria joked with her infamous grin, "Looks like you've got to tell me whatever adventurous stories you have. Unless what's happening now can constitute for another adventure."

((I need to stop being easily distracted =3=. And yes, yes you can~.))  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

Dimitri smile, shaking his head a bit to get the strands of wet hair out of his eyes. Although he noticed that his hair seemed to be drying a little bit and was definitely grateful for that. This also roused the thought that if his hair (And indeed his shirt, once he checked) had had the time to dry, then how long exactly had they been there? He tried not to focus on that, once the rain let up he would be able to tell roughly the time by looking at the sun, and there was no point in worrying about it until then.

Dimitri hesitated as he listened to her talk, and his heart skipped a beat as she smiled. 'Amazing that even in an awful situation like this, her smile can still make me weak at the knees...' Dimitri laughed slightly, shaking his head. "You know, when stuff like this happens to other people, it's usually called 'Adventure' but when it happens to you it's called 'trouble.'" He joked, and knew that it was 100% true. They may look back on this and laugh later, like he and Kedrick with the dog, but right now, there was only one word for it. Trouble. "But alright," He said, breaking into a grin. "Bear in mind, when I meant the Suwa girls, I was still...very, very disreputable. Of course, you hadn't come along yet to straighten me out. "He joked, winking at her.He sighed softly, thinking back. "It was a Saturday..."

~~~

14 year old Dimitri Hunter peddled slowly on his bike, Kedrick ridding a foot or two away. He was looking thoughtfully at the sidewalk as it passed underneath him, not looking at Kedrick. He scrapped the toe of his sneaker on the sidewalk, leaving scuff mark on the shoes that would probably never come off.

The blond boy looking up, a curious frown on his young face. "What is it Dem? He asked, using the nickname that he had recently adopted for his friend. A small smile tugged at the corners of Kedrick's mouth, slowly spreading into a more wide smile. "Come on Dem! Don't tell me you're nervous about meeting my family." He jabbed lightly, slowing down his bike enough that he could look at Dimitri and not worry about crashing.

Dimitri jerked his head up. "What! No, that's stupid, you're stupid!" He said, his cheeks heating up with embarrassment and his childish voice cracked. He looked away from Kedrick, biting his lips from the inside to form them into a thin line. He could feel the blood still rushing to his cheeks, making his head feel hot.

Kedrick smiled sympathetically. "You know, It'll just be my sisters there, that's not a big deal, Athena's our age, Sakimi's not that much older, and all the others are younger then us, why, Terra's only a baby!" He exclaimed.

Dimitri looked up in surprise. "What?" He asked, startled. "Y-you mean your parents aren't going to be there?"

Kedrick shook his head. "Nope. Mom's on a business trip, and Dad not around." He said, his voice carrying the air of a casual statement.

Dimitri blinked, a little surprised. Kedrick had always struck him as the kind of guy who came from a completely stable, two parent home. But from the way he had phrased it, it didn't even sound like his dad was living with them anymore. Dimitri didn't ask, and lapsed into silence.

A few minutes later, the two boys arrived at the Suwa home. It was a large, brick building, with climbing ivy spider-webbing across the front, and a lovely front garden. Dimitri let out a low whistle, looking around at the neat rows of lovely flowers. It was different from Kedrick's front garden, which had never been arranged and was simply left to grow as it pleased.

They hadn't even reached the porch when suddenly the front door flew open to reveal Kyla, eight years old, looking much like a little boy in her grubby, play-worn clothing and short boyish hair cut. Her dark, mischievous eyes lit up, and she turned back to the house to scream at the top of her lungs. "SA-Ki-MEEEEEEEEE!!!!! Kedrick's here with some weird guy!"

Dimitri threw Kedrick a questioning look, as though to ask. 'do I really come off that way?'

Kedrick shook his head, dismounting his bike. 'no, that's just Kyla.'

Kyla let out a manic giggle and raced down the stairs. She flew across the garden and flung herself at Kedrick, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle and nearly bowling him over. Kedrick let out an 'oof' of surprise as the air was nearly driven from his lungs. He let out a soft laugh, tousling Kyla's hair and looking up to where the rest of his sisters where pouring out onto the porch. Ten year old Kiera and Gwen stood in the front, looking as opposite as twins could possibly be. Kiera held baby Terra in her arms, and Raine poked her head out from behind Gwen. Upon catching sight of Dimitri, she gave a squeak of alarm, and hide from view. Sakimi, age sixteen, stepped onto the porch, looking little different from how she did present day. Athena was behind her, also looking much the same despite being only fourteen. Kedrick smiled at the array of girls and raised a hand to them. "Morning!" He called cheerfully.

The girls called back their greeting, and as Kedrick came closer to the porch (Still with Kyla attached to him) The sister attention turned to the slight, dark haired figure beside their brother. Kedrick looked over at Dimitri and gave him a reassuring smile, although he hardly seemed to need it. Dimitri phobia about meeting people only extended as far as parents and other adult figures.

Dimitri looked at each girl in turn, his eyes lingering on Sakimi, and a smirk tugged at his lips. 'What have we here...' Dimitri though flirtatiously. 'Kedrick's sister's quite a looker.' He followed Kedrick only the porch, the girl's moving aside a bit to make room for them.

"Girls, This is my friend Dimitri," He said, gesturing to him with one hand and then looking over at him. "Dimitri, these are my sister, Terra," He pointed to the little girl in the Gothic twin's arms. "Raine, Kyla, Kiera, Gwen, Athena," He pointed to each girl in turn, and Dimitri smiled politely, nodding to each one. "And my older sister, Sakimi."

Dimitri smirked her. "We, I certainly would mind getting to know you better." He said, with a flirtatious tip of his chin.

Sakimi pulled back slightly, surprised. She scowled darkly, not one to take that kind of thing kindly. "Excuse me? Do you mind repeating that?" She asked in a dangerous tone, leaning over him. Sakimi, being sixteen, and having already hit her growth spurt some time ago, stood a good foot taller then Dimitri, who was fourteen, and certainly hadn't hit his growth spurt yet.

The dark hair boy just smirked up at her, "You heard me," He said smoothly, reaching out to toy with a lock of her black hair.

Sakimi scowled again. This wasn't exactly the way Kedrick had planed for Dimitri's first meeting with his sisters to pan out. "Alright," Sakimi said, poking Dimitri hard in the chest. "You listen here you little creep-" but she didn't get any further. Dimitri, taking the opportunity, snagged her hand in his, brushing his lips against the back of it. Sakimi let out a cry of disgust, and suddenly, the distance between Sakimi's closed fist and Dimitri's nose disappeared.

There was a resounding 'Pop' and Dimitri flew back, crashing into Kedrick, who managed to keep him on his feet. Kedrick grunted, pushing Dimitri back to his feet. The boy clutched his bleeding nose, looking up at Sakimi with wide eyes. Never before, in all his history of flirting, had Dimitri ever been punched so solidly that his nose bled. Sakimi brushed off her hands with a satisfied, haughty sort of look that clearly showed no guilt whatsoever.

~~~

Dimitri sighed, folding his hands in front of him and he smiled to himself. "And..uh...that was also about the time that Athena decided that she didn't like me either." Dimitri hesitated. "Well...I deserved it." He said with a smirk, looking over at Maria. "But I learned a lesson. Never flirt with Sakimi, she a nightmare, honestly, I feel bad for her future husband." He teased, grinning lightly at Maria. Dimitri had of course grown to feel a genuine, completely non-romantic affection for all of Kedrick's sisters over the years. Even with Athena now that things where slowly being straightened out between them. "It was probably the worst first impression I eve made, and I'm really, actually surprised that Sakimi was the only one that punched me that day..." Dimitri looked out at the pounding rain, and small smile still in place on his lips. He noticed that, while the rain and wind still lashed dangerously outside, the thunder and lightning seemed to have stopped.

((This post was really weird to write. I'm so used to writing from 'reformed' Dimitri's perspective, that it was strange to write from 'non-reformed still very despicable and flirtatious' Dimitri's side. >.< ))

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

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Maria finally made herself aware about the state of her clothes. Some of it was starting to dry but it still felt wet to her. She took of her shoes and then her socks, definitely not being huge fan of wet socks on her feet. Like Dimitri, she wasn't too keen about knowing how long she had been in the cave, but at the same time, she also wanted to know for the sake of knowing how long the storm was going on.

She found herself smile more at Dimitri's laugh, just the sound alone making her happy. She giggled ay Dimitri's joke, finding some truth in that, even though she still didn't see the cause of her fear of storms an adventure, but everything else that was now considered an adventure had at one point been trouble.

Maria felt like a child, already anticipating Dimitri's next story. Even if he didn't think he was good, she still loved to hear him recollect tales from the days before they met. She switched her position so that she was laying down on her stomach, her legs bent and her feet intertwining at her ankles, with the palm of her hands holding her head up. She felt a small blush try and show itself on her face when Dimitri winked at her, but despite that, she grinned and waited patiently for him to begin.

Just like his last story, she listened to his words and let the story play out in her head. The most entertaining part of it all for her was trying to visualize how Kedrick's siblings looked only a few years prior to her meeting them at the barbeque at the estate.

Throughout the tale, Maria was quiet and was relaying everything almost as if it was a movie. She knew that she was more curious about seeing the home that Kedrick lived in before he moved into the estate with Arielle. She could also tell that Kedrick's sisters had barely changed too much from the story Dimitri was telling and her personal encounter with them. Some part of her felt a twinge of jealousy of Dimitri's past flirtatious thoughts, but she knew that was in his character, thus she instantly got over that feeling.

As soon as Dimitri mentioned how Sakimi punched him in the face, Maria broke out in a fit of laughter. Even though that was most likely the most painful thing that had happened to him, she couldn't help but find that hilarious. Even the way she played it out in her mind was hilarious (and that was more of a Looney Tunes style as well). Her laughter echoed throughout the cave and she had to force herself to stop so that she could hear Dimitri finish.

"That was some lesson you had to learn, no?" Maria asked with a teasing grin. Part of her couldn't believe that Athena, sweet Athena, hadn't been able to get along with Dimitri, but at the same time, she completely understood why she had acted like that and was glad that her attitude towards him changed. "I'm so glad that you learned it at some point though, but I think Sakimi's future husband would understand her nature. However, that's totally something way off into the future and is of no huge concern to us."

She got out of her position and walked over to Dimitri, her hand touching the side of his face and a smile appearing. "I'm glad your face looks perfectly fine now though, Dimitri," she smiled before finding something else to add, "And luckily for you, you don't have to worry about anyone laying a hand on you anymore. Not when you've got me around." She stood up straight and let her right arm spin, her hand balled up into a fist. "They'd think twice before messing with me."

Maria looked in the direction of the entrance of the cave to look at the rain and was finally aware that she hadn't heard any lightning or thunder for the past couple of minutes, probably since Dimitri started his stories. He must be magical then, Maria thought with a small grin as she walked to the mouth of the cave, barely even caring that the rain was getting her wet again and how her hair was whipping in the wind.

"Dimitri...," she started before turning back over her shoulder to look at him, a bright smile appearing, "Thank you from distracting me from the thunder and lightning. I think your stories were the cure because they disappeared."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

Dimitri found himself grinning, glad that Maria liked his story, seeing as she was in stitches on the cave floor. "Oh come on, it really hurt." He said, although his grin gave away the face that he wasn't really insulted. He smirked slightly as Maria commented on Sakimi and her possible future husband. In all honesty, Sakimi was a beautiful young woman, nearly twenty years old now. True, she may come off as hard, snippish and uncaring, but Dimitri had seen enough of her interactions with her siblings over the years to know that she really did have a good heart that she just wasn't sure she wanted people to see.

Dimitri followed Maria's progress with his eyes as she stood up and walked over to him. He felt a small smile tug at the corner of his lips as she placed her hand on the side of his face, and a tingle ran down his spine. His small, soft smile, spread into more of a grin as she commented about his face. "She didn't break my nose you know, just bloodied it a bit." He joked, her smile keeping his good mood. That mood faltered slightly at her next sentence, and though he kept a smile on his face Dimitri couldn't help but think. 'It's a nice thought Maria, but there is one person...and if he decided to come after me again, there would be nothing anyone could do to prevent that...'

Dimitri forced the though out of his head, very grateful that Maria had been looking out at the rain while it had been running though his head. Maria was good at reading facial ques, and one subtle change could have her worried for him again.

He smiled gently at her as she turned back to speak to him. "Of course," He replied with a soft smile. "I don't know if it was my storied particularly, but if you think so, then I'm glad it helped." He said, picking up his shirt, deciding that it was now dry enough. Now that he stopped long enough to think about it, without something covering his exposed arms, back, and chest, Dimitri's skin was freezing. He quickly pulled his shirt on over his head, disappointed that it was still a bit damp, but it was warmer none the less. The material had dried oddly in a mess of wrinkles, and it felt stiff, and dirty, but it kept the cool air off of his skin, so Dimitri didn't complain.

It felt like forever that the spent in the tiny cave-like overhang. The time melted seamlessly into itself, no shadows changed, no break in the weather. There was no way to tell how much time had passed at all. Dimitri and Maria talked most of the time, keeping a quiet conversation running, sometimes sitting close together to maintain body heat.

Dimitri had his legs folded underneath him, his chin resting in one palm. His eyes had drifted closed for a few minutes, lulled by the sound of the rain. What stirred him, was a change in the pattern. The rain was falling more lightly now. He opened his eyes, blinking several times and peering out. The raindrops where still rolling constantly off of the leaves but it had stopped falling from the sky. Everything was still dim, but Dimitri couldn't tell weather that was because of the clouds or weather it was really so late that the sky had begun to darken.Dimitri dismissed the question, knowing that it could be one, the other, or both. In the absence of the rain and wind, a nearly deathly silence fell over the wood, interrupted only by the occasional twittering of a bird, or the splatter of the last few raindrops. He turned, looking at Maria, a small smile touching his face. "Hey Maria," He said, using a hushed voice as though he didn't want to break the sudden silence. "Take a look, it's finally stopped." Dimitri said, slowly standing up and ducking his head so he wouldn't knock it as he stepped out from under their shelter.

He groaned softly, stretching back, his muscles very soar from sitting on the rock floor of the cave for the past who knows how many hours. But even his aching spine didn't bother him at the moment, the storm was over, it was time to find they way back home.

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

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

"I know dear, Dimitri, I know," Maria responded with a grin, "But you've got to admit that it's just hilarious picturing that in my head. Had I known you at the time, I would've been shocked and made sure you were fine, but it still just seems hilarious." Maria wouldn't deny she had a strange sense of humor, especially since everyone had different kinds of humor. She even knew that she'd be that one person who would laugh and then ask if you were alright, or worry about you and then laugh later once she looked back at it.

Maria grinned and rolled her eyes somewhat. “I know that, silly head,” she responded with a grin, “Just let me be the decent girlfriend that I am and make sure that you’re safe, alright? Can’t you at least let me do that?” She pretended to look hurt, but she knew, as well as he did, that she was joking about being hurt. However, she knew she meant about what she said about keeping him safe, especially since he would’ve done the same for her.

Even though she didn’t know the thoughts that were going on through Dimitri’s mind, she was still plagued by the ones that had troubled her the night before. She could hear a voice in her head saying that she now had the perfect opportunity to ask all of her questions to him now that it was just the two of them alone. She banished the idea as deep into her mind as she could, she already started feeling better and the atmosphere seemed a bit more positive now, there was no way that she was going to ruin it because of her nosy questions. He’ll tell me someday…, Maria thought with a small sigh.

Despite her smile, the expression in her eyes had changed, but she was grateful that she was not as close for Dimitri to inspect the difference. She grinned and walked back over to her abandoned socks and shoes, hoping that her socks were completely dry, which they were, before putting them on. “Well, if I didn’t think so then I wouldn’t be thanking you now would I?” she looked back at him with a grin, finding that she was a bit more on the teasing side than normal. Once her socks were back on, she walked back over to Dimitri and sat close to him. She would wait until a bit later before she put back on her shoes.

Though the situation they were in was completely off of her ideal ways to spending time with Dimitri, Maria had to admit that it made the time pass and it was even more bearable that he was there. She still worried about Arielle and Kedrick, but she knew that they were definitely safe and if they didn’t find shelter at the spot they were going to have their picnic, then they were most likely back at the campsite. The conversations that she was having with Dimitri were the only things that kept her focus away from the time, how bad it was outside, and even her nagging thoughts. She was even glad of the times when they would just get closer to another for body heat, and at some point she just found herself staying closely beside Dimitri, her head rested on his shoulder and her one hand in his. Part of her felt like she could stay like that forever.

At some point, she didn’t know when or where, but she had drifted off. She tried to fight it off like Dimitri, but her body caved in and she drifted off into a light slumber. It didn’t feel very light to her because when she had done that, her mind finally sprung out all the questions that she wanted to ask, that she should’ve asked during the time that they were together. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare and she was getting terrified and beginning to feel the same way she had last night when all of a sudden she felt sick and could barely even explain it to Dimitri. She had felt so bad then, the worry in his eyes was a plaguing thought, but her questions, the one she held back, were far worse.

Maria woke up, slightly in surprise and relief when Dimitri had called her name. If anything, she was happy to be rid of that dream, or to even escape it. The questions still lingered, as well as the nagging voice of doubt and she had to push them down deep again so that Dimitri wouldn’t find out that something was wrong.

She stood up and yawned, wanting to be careful to not hurt herself in the cave. She put her shoes back on and followed Dimitri out. Maria grinned when she stepped out and realized that she wasn’t going to be attacked by a torrential downpour, breathing in the interesting air that the forest gave off after the rain. She twisted back and forth, doing her best to get rid of whatever aches she had before turning to look at Dimitri. “Is it time we say goodbye to our little home?” she asked with a grin, but she couldn’t help but feel like something was off with her, like her mind was still being troubled by her small, recent nightmare. Why is everything else but the thoughts in my mind fine now? Can’t they just leave me be?  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

Dimitri took a deep breath of the sweet air, still heavy with moisture. The ground was soft and wet under his feet and he shifted his weight back and forth, not used to the feeling. A pale gray light seeped though the green and gold leaves, and there was a fresh layer of fallen leaves on the ground from where the wind had ripped them from the tress. Dimitri looked up quickly as a splattering of raindrops that had been caught in the leaves smacked onto the back of his neck. He rubbed the water away before it could side down the collar of his shirt. He had had more then enough of being wet day. His clothing still felt uncomfortably stiff from drying wrinkled and he felt like he was wearing an over-starched box. Dimitri squirmed uncomfortably, even his jean short felt stiff and slightly damp.

The dark haired boy looked back at Maria as she spoke, and he grinned, cocking his head to the side. "Well, I guess it wasn't much of a home, but it did it's job." He joked lightly, smacking the rock above the small opening. The rock was rough, and wet under his hand. "Good bye then," He said, feeling silly talking to a rock, but too keep the atmosphere positive, Dimitri felt like he'd do anything.

He turned, again surveying the trees. Many of the boughs had bent heavily in the wind, and everything looked different after it had been drenched in water and beaten by the wind. Dimitri felt his jaw lock slightly, even though the rain had stopped, their situation wasn't much better. They were still lost, separated from Kedrick and Arielle, and now, Dimitri didn't even think he could see the original trail they had been one, much less the main path. He searched the underbrush, frowning thoughtfully. Nothing looked the same, he couldn't even remember which direction the had come from. Of course, he had been very occupied trying to get Maria calm and out of the storm at the moment, so he hadn't exactly been focusing on which direction they where coming from.

The young man sighed slightly, knowing it was best to lay out the situation as honestly as possible. "Truthfully Maria," He started, scratching the back of his neck. "I don't even remember where we where coming from....I'm no great outdoor survivalist but I've always heard that if you're lost you should walk downhill, and you'll come to a stream...or something....." He finished lamely, not really feeling like this information as particularly helpful. "That doesn't help much..." He said with a frown, looking down at his shoes. "uhhhhmmmm...." He faltered slightly, looking back at her. "I'm lost. Any suggestions?" He asked, truly, honestly hoping that she had a better idea.

Dimitri had an odd sense of Déjà vu, feeling like he really should remember more about where they where, but he couldn't come up with it. He didn't think it was possible that he had somehow ended up down here when his mother and he had taken the main trail years ago. There was no reason for them to have been so off the main path. Dimitri shook the feeling away, deciding that trusting an odd moment of Déjà vu was not a suitable course of action. But on the other hand, maybe if they started walking then he might actually remember why these wood seemed slightly familiar too him.

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

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Maria grinned back at Dimitri, understanding his feelings. “Sure, it may not be cozy, comfortable, and the ideal place, I still declare it our temporary home,” she grinned, crossing her fingers behind her back, “My grandma always said that no matter where you are, if you find yourself protected by some kind of roof over your head and you feel safe enough, then you’re home. That’s why Arielle’s grandparents are another home to me and for you, Kedrick’s home is another home for you. Or, if you want to use to overused, yet true, saying ‘Home is where the heart is’, and just a part of my heart is in that cold cave right there.”

Anyone could tell that Maria’s logic was always interesting, even when there was some kind of truth involved. However, when she mentioned that Kedrick’s home was another home to Dimitri, the nosy thoughts came back and buzzed around in her mind, annoying her like bees. Of course she would mention that comparison and had to start thinking about what it was like when Dimitri had stayed over and the reasons why. She didn’t want to be bothered with them at all, but now they just sat there patiently, waiting for the right moment to pop up and make Maria lose it.

She was barely aware of how her facial expression was almost the same as last night before any of them went to bed. The lost, pained, look was there but it was almost different from before. She shook her head and looked around, noticing just how lost they were, and part of her was just about terrified, as well as wishing she never told that childhood trauma story either. She didn’t need all these unnecessary things working at her nerves, she just wouldn’t be able to handle it. And what was worse was that she’d be troubling Dimitri as well and probably make things awkward between them. I can’t do that to him…, Maria thought with a sigh, I just can’t.

When Dimitri gave her the outlook of their current situation, Maria tried to scan back through her memory, hoping that she had paid enough attention to her surroundings. Of course, because she had spent most of the time hyperventilating about the thunder and lightning, most of her memory was a blur. She looked back at Dimitri and only sighed, feeling absolutely useless, something that she actually hated feeling. “I honestly don’t remember, Dimitri,” Maria admitted sadly, a light frown on her face, “I’d hate to give us a random direction, but I think we just have to follow our guts at this point.”

“What are your guts telling you?” Maria asked as she looked over at Dimitri, noticing that he was deep in thought. She wondered exactly what thoughts were going on in his mind. Was he figuring out a way to get out of there? Was he trying to remember exactly how they ended up there through the torrential downpour? I guess I’ll find out soon enough, Maria thought..

Unlike many other things…, came one of Maria’s nasty thoughts, but the young Hispanic teen pushed it away from her head, not wanting to trouble herself with unwanted negativity.  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

Dimitri frowned, still looking around the waterlogged woods, oblivious to Maria's doubts and fears. Another splattering of raindrops fell from the leaves above him, rattling noisily on the forest floor and breaking his concentration. He looked up, only to have another small splattering hit him on the forehead. He sighed irritably, wiping the water from his forehead. Dimitri looked back over his shoulder at Maria. When she spoke, a small, sad smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He had been hoping that Maria would have remembered more then he did, but of course, it didn't upset him that she wasn't able to. "That's alright," He said, turning fully now to face her. "We'll figure it out, I'm sure, let's not worry about it." Dimitri said in an encouraging tone, hoping to raise Maria's spirits. It was a big problem they where facing, but he would try and keep her cheerful none the less.

He found it odd that she'd mention the gut reason just now, but it only helped to reinforce the feeling that he had been here before. It was becoming more and more clear in his brain, like a dream he had only just remember. But it was definitely more then a dream. "Alright...." He said hesitantly, and then, trying a smile, he took Maria's hand in his. "We'll go this way then, I've got a good feeling about it." He said firmly, his eyes determined, and excited at the prospect of getting back to Kedrick and Arielle.

They started pushing though the underbrush, Dimitri still hanging on to Maria's hand in a reassuring kind of way. He stepped lightly over a tree that had fallen during the storm and turned back to her. Grinning lightly, Dimitri took both her hands and helped her over the log. "Watch your step, it's a bit slippery." He warned her gently, and waited until she had both feet firmly on the ground before he released one of her hands, still keeping the other tucked in his. The dark haired boy swung the interlocked hands between them as he often did. He almost had to laugh, they where in the middle of the wood, completely lost, and yet he was holding her hand and strolling along like they where on a date. But then he though that that wasn't a bad thing, especially for trying to keep the mood a happy one.

Dimitri had long since shoved all nervous doubts out of his head, for the first time, feeling quite positive about the direction they where going. He couldn't explain it, but it made sense in his brain. If they came to a place where the path they where beating had to split off, Dimitri seemed to know right away which way to turn. It was kind of like going back into a house that you hadn't been in for year, yet you still remember where everything is. He chatted amiably with Maria as they walked, keeping up a constant stream of talk. It broke up the undefined silence of the wood which otherwise would have been quite eerie in the half-light.

But as the walk, Dimitri's positive attitude wavered. It was becoming more and more obvious now that it really was getting dark, night was falling around them, and there was still no sight of anything. The dark haired boy took a deep, steadying breath to calm himself. He had been so sure that this direction would take them somewhere. Yet here it was, getting colder, and darker, and the chilly wind swept though their clothing, giving the feeling that it might rain again tonight. That thought was not a comforting one, Dimitri was fully ready to be warm, and comfortable, and over all, in dry clothing. But if they had to spend a night outside, he could almost guarantee that that was not going to happen. He swallowed hard, looking over at Maria doubtfully, wondering how well she would handle it if it started to storm again.

Dimitri knew for a fact that it wouldn't be safe to walk much farther in the falling darkness, but he also knew that there wasn't going to be any good shelter around. There option where down to: Keep walking and risk an injury, or try and find a place to sleep where they would most likely be cold, wet and uncomfortable all night. But in Dimitri's mind, cold, wet and uncomfortable beat out injured any day....or...night...

The boy sighed, and turned miserably to Maria. "Maria, I...I'm sorry, this this my fault." He apologized hoarsely, lowering his head, his face burning with shame. He had tried to tell himself in the beginning that it was completely stupid to follow a vague sense of Déjà vu, it just wasn't practical. But he had gotten carried away with himself, sure they where making progress, and because of that they where more lost now then they had ever been. "It's too dark to keep walking, we could get hurt..." He trialled off, feeling thoroughly beaten. The direction he had chosen felt so right, so familiar, and yet it had taken them only deeper in the woods, where they where facing sleeping out in the open, and possibly rain.

But there was something that Dimitri, with his head lowered, had missed. Not far away at the top of a small incline, right in Maria's line of vision, where the kind of square lights that could only come though the windows of a house!

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

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

It's too late for that, Maria thought with a sigh when Dimitri told her not to worry about it. She couldn't help but want to kick herself for not even remembering how to get out. If she hadn't been so panic stricken, maybe she would've been more helpful and the two of them could return back to Arielle and Kedrick who were probably worried like sick about them. Still, she appreciated Dimitri's attempt to make her feel better about it and she gave him a small smile, one that she didn't even try and make herself believe that it was just nothing.

Si estás ahí, por favor, Dimitri encontrar alguna manera de salir de aquí, Maria pleaded in her thoughts as she waited for a response from Dimitri about following his guts. She felt like she was holding her breath, readily anticipating whatever Dimitri's response was. Her hope returned when Dimitri took a hold of her hand and she grinned back at him, honestly hoping that what he was saying with such determination was completely true.

Maria followed closely behind Dimitri, her negative thoughts once again disappearing and being replaced with more positive thoughts such as reuniting with her friends and wearing something warm and comfortable. She smiled back at Dimitri as he helped her cross over the fallen tree, especially since it would be troublesome if any of them got injured.

After they were both sure she was safe on the ground, Maria almost wished he didn't let go of her other hand, but one hand was still just enough for her. She found herself giggling as Dimitri swung their intertwined hands back and forth. It was like this small, carefree action was enough to make her worries disappear for the moment, helping her hope grow even more. The more they walked, the more Maria felt like there was a pep in her step. She talked cheerfully with him, her face shining as she leaned in closer to him. Maria knew that Dimitri's gut knew the way, especially since she always believed that when all else failed, listening to your gut, your intuition, was the way to go.

However, time passed, and Maria wondered if it had really taken them that long to get to one direction or if it was just her. It was getting darker and somehow she felt like that they wouldn't be able to make it in enough time. She shuddered as her body felt cold again and she honestly hoped that they wouldn't get caught in the rain. She looked at Dimitri worriedly, especially as she noticed his sudden change in attitude, just like the change of the weather seeming to get bad again. I hope this isn't some kind of bad omen, she thought with an inward frown.

The look on Dimitri's face made her heart sink. Her hand reached for his cheek and she stroked her thumb against his face, trying to comfort him in whatever way she could. "Dimitri, don't think like that," Maria said with a light frown, "We'll get out of here, I know it. It's not your fault, alright? We'll get out of here safe and sound and we'll be back with Arielle and Kedrick before you know it." Even though she was doing her share in trying to cheer Dimitri up, part of her was worrying about how long they'd be out there.

Before her thoughts could get any deeper then that, Maria thought she saw some kind of square light. At first, she thought she was dreaming, especially since she hadn't had any real food, but the more she looked at it, the more she realized that it was real. She grinned and turned Dimitri around.

"¡Es una casa! ¡Que Dimitri es una casa! ¡Dimitri nos hemos salvado!" Maria exclaimed excitedly in Spanish before realizing that he had no idea what she was saying and stopped jumping, grinning widely. "Dimitri, do you know what those lights mean? It means we're somewhere close to a house and probably not too far from the camps. We're not going to be lost anymore!"

¡Es una casa! ¡Que Dimitri es una casa! ¡Dimitri nos hemos salvado!=¡It's a house! ¡Dimitri it's a house! ¡Dimitri we're saved!>  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

Dimitri sighed quietly, feeling Maria's hand soft on his cheek. The touch was comforting, but his spirit's had sunk very low. Dimitri was still fully blaming himself for the fact that they still weren't back at camp with Kedrick and Arielle. The boy allowed himself a thin smile at her words, reaching up and placing his hand on top of hers. "I know...." He said quietly, his defeat evident in his voice. "I just feel bad...I did choose which way we went after all and..." Dimitri trailed off, confused as he realized that Maria was no longer paying him the slightest bit of attention. She was looking away, staring at something.

Dimitri frowned a little bit, slightly annoyed, but then he saw Maria spin back to him and start speaking excitedly in Spanish. He blinked, startled. "Wha...Maria, I don't even-" He started helplessly, now quite desperate to know what had excited his girlfriend so much. The young man's jaw dropped slightly as she translated herself, his eyes widening in surprise. "Lights?" He asked, his voice pitching with excitement. "Where? Where are they?" He asked, his look of shock spreading into a grin.

It took Dimitri less then a second to spot the lights near the top of the short incline. He wheeled around, grinning at Maria. "What are we waiting for? Lets go!" He cried in delight. Dimitri grabbed her hand, and took off towards the lights from the windows. They still had to move slowly enough that they didn't hurt themselves in the darkness, the excitement at the prospect of being home was nearly overwhelming. Dimitri's feet slipped several times on patches of wet grass, and loose dirt, but he kept himself upright and kept going, always keeping Maria close.

Finally, the two exhausted teenagers came to the top of the incline, right at the edge of a yard. Dimitri stared at the house, and in one terrible moment, everything made sense. From what Maria would see, there was nothing wrong with it. The house was comfortable, simple, and well kept with a neat yard. But Dimitri couldn't stomach the thought of taking one step closer to it. 'We can't go in there...' He though desperately, still breathing hard. 'How....how could I have made such a stupid, stupid mistake!' He hesitated a moment, and then came to a decision. 'we'll just have to change our plans...keep walking, find somewhere else... But Dimitri knew where they where now, and he also knew that there wasn't another house for several miles. 'besides....' he thought miserably, looking at Maria, still looking so excited and happy. 'How can I ask her to stay outside, in the cold when we could be back with Kedrick and Arielle.' Dimitri lowered his head slightly, and then steeled his nerves, looking up. He forced a small smile, and hoped that in the darkness Maria didn't notice. "Alright, lets go, I'm sure they'll let us use a phone."

Dimitri crossed the yard in a few strides and stopped abruptly on the tops step facing the door. His resolve wavered and his swallowed hard. 'This is crazy...' He thought numbly. 'How did I even get in this situation?' But one glance at Maria brought back his decision, and before he had time to worry any more, he reached forward, and knocked firmly on the door.

There was a moment of silence from inside the house and then, though the door, Maria and Dimitri could hear soft footsteps. A moment later, the door swung open to reveal a slightly build woman in her early thirties. She had long, thick black hair, and pretty dark eyes, Those eyes where open wide in surprise, of course, it wasn't every day you open your front door in the middle of the night to two shabby, dirty teenagers. She blinked, his mouth open with surprise. She closed her mouth, and then opened it again, trying to find something to say. Finally she manage. "Dimitri?" She asked, staring at the boy.

Dimitri grinned sheepishly, shifting his weight from foot to foot, the blood pounding in his ears. "Hey...Mom...."

((This complicates things a little >:3 ))

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

 

[x_Ultra_Panda_Luver_x]

Arielle Shore

Maria felt bad that she had ignored Dimitri for a bit, but she just couldn't believe what she had been seeing. They had to be so very lucky to just find a house out of the blue. She patiently waited for Dimitri to take notice, the grin never leaving her face. She felt like she could start laughing when Dimitri seemed so lost at first, finding it cute when he did that and then thinking that she should probably just mess with him in Spanish from now on.

When Dimitri finally noticed the lights, she was happy to see him happy again. Heck, she was even more happy at the idea that they wouldn't be stuck out in the woods with no kind of shelter at night. She let Dimitri drag her behind him, making sure to run as carefully as she could.

Once they got closer to the house, Maria couldn't help but admire it. At the same time, she found it interesting how someone would just happen to live out here, but didn't want to question it since that house would be some kind of help to the tired teens. Had Maria known what kind of thoughts were going through her boyfriend's head, or even what the house meant to him, she probably would've suggested something else, but the young Hispanic teen barely knew that much about Dimitri to even consider that. She nodded her head, excited about the idea of calling Arielle or Kedrick to let them know that she and Dimitri were safe.

She followed after Dimitri to the front of the house, starting to realize just how tired her body was just from walking up the steps. We have been either walking or running around all day..., Maria thought to herself. She waited for Dimitri to knock on the door, wondering what was taking him so long when she saw his quick glance and couldn't help but feel like something was off. Maybe he's nervous about interrupting someone's peace? was one of her naive thoughts, but her gut was telling her there was something more to his slight hesitation, but she refused to trouble herself with the thought.

It wasn't too long before the owner of the house came down and opened the door, and Maria really had no idea just how much their entire situation had changed. She knew that it was surprising for two teenagers to randomly appear at a person's house around this time, but poor ignorant Maria didn't know there was more to the story.

She tilted her head in surprise when the woman knew Dimitri's name, wondering if maybe Dimitri had visited the woman before years ago when he came with his mother. Of course, when Dimitri had said hello to his mother, Maria couldn't help but just look at Dimitri in surprise and then his mother and then back at him again.

"Dimitri... That's your mother?" Maria asked, still surprised and dumbfounded. Just seeing Dimitri's mother there opened up a new set of questions in her mind. All this time she thought that Dimitri was living with his mother and step father, she had never expected this. Then again, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had never gone to Dimitri's house or even met his parents, but Dimitri had met her family, though hadn't come over her house for dinner yet. She didn't know what to think of this, besides confused, and the thoughts returned, but now they were getting worse.

He's hiding more things from you, Maria, one thought hissed in her mind, How could he hide his own mother from you? How can you even trust him?

Maria shook her thoughts away at that moment. She was not going to let her thoughts get to her now. Instead, she wiped off the confused look on her face and just smiled sweetly. "It's so nice to finally meet you," Maria said kindly, "My name's Maria Vázquez. I'm your son's girlfriend."  

[Tobi-chan Lissesul]

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

The woman blinked, still clearly startled to find her teenaged son and an unfamiliar girl standing on her door step in the middle of the night. She shook her head slightly, turning to study the girl thoughtfully as she spoke. She noted that, besides the wrinkled clothing and the dirt, the young girl was very pretty and she wondered who she was.

Dimitri could feel his face heating up, his ears brilliant red. He was sure that they where glowing in the dark. "Uhmm..." He hesitated slightly, shuffling his feet on the steps. But before he could try and make excuses for himself, Maria had already introduced herself to his mother.

The pretty, dark haired woman smiled at Maria as she told her her name. She stretched out a hand. "Maria," She said, as though testing the name on her tongue. She smiled kindly, blinking at the later part of the sentence. "Really?" She asked, looking pleasantly surprised and looked over at Dimitri as though for conformation. The boy smiled nodding his head once. "Well," She said "My name is Emma, Emma Grey, but you can call me Mrs. Emma, or Mrs. Grey, which ever you prefer." She said.

Dimitri lapsed into thought for a second. Some people may think it unusual that he had a different last name then his mother and step-father, but when his mother had married Jared, Dimitri had opted to keep his late father's last name. And now, Dimitri was eternally grateful that he had, He couldn't imagine having to carry the same last name as the man who had done so much to hurt him.

Mrs. Emma suddenly seemed to realize something. "My goodness! What in the world happened to you two!? Come inside, this instant." She said, her words laced with worry. She hurried the two teenagers into the house, where it was warm, and bright. The front door led directly into the kitchen which was orderly, and meticulously clean. From the kitchen, there branched off a hallway that led into the living room, and further down, two bedrooms, and a smaller room that was used for office space.

Dimitri looked around with a small smile. The house was just like he remembered it. He had a lot of bad memories in this place, but there were good ones as well. The boy's eyes flitted around the room and as far as he could see down the hallway. For just a moment, Dimitri could do nothing but desperately hope that he wasn't here. But a second later, that fragile hope was crushed.

"Honey? What's all the commotion?" came a voice from one of the side rooms. A man stepped out of the office. He was tall, and slender with thick dark brown hair. His eyes where gray and he had a wide, easy smile. "What's all the noise love?" He asked, eyes only for his wife at the moment. But then, he glanced over and caught sight of the boy. He blinked, as though thinking his eyes where playing tricks on him, and then his smile widened. "Dimitri!" He said, the delight evident in his voice. "What in the world are you doing here?" He asked, echoing his wife's earlier question.

Dimitri found his voice frozen in his throat, for the first time in over two years Dimitri found himself facing the man who had stolen his entire childhood. It was all he could do to keep his emotion under control. He forced a small smile, it was all he could manage at the moment. "It's a crazy story..." He said huskily.

Jared smiled. "Well, either way," He said, stepping over. His eyes soften, his smile warm and gentle. "I've missed you.." He pulled the boy into a hug, resting his chin on the top of his head.

Dimitri's blood ran cold as he felt Jared pull him into a hug. His entire body felt stiff, and Dimitri was, at least partially, grateful that his face was hidden, or else both his mother, and Maria would see the unmasked terror and hatred written so plainly on it. He took a shaky breath, and instantly wished he hadn't. Everyone had a distinct smell, something you usually don't notice, but Dimitri knew Jared's well. The man was always drinking coffee, and the smell clung to him, it was in his clothes, in his hair, on his breath and skin. It was the sole reason Dimitri hated the drink so much. Even a whiff of it brought back memories, nightmares of him. It was something Dimitri had never mentioned to Kedrick, and often wished he had. It was a game to Kedrick, he knew, He would try to get him to drink it, and Dimitri would refuse, Kedrick had no idea how serious it was. 'this isn't a hug... Dimitri thought, his mind numb with terror. 'This is a threat...don't say anything stupid or else....' Dimitri couldn't even make himself finished the thought of exactly what 'or else' was.

Jared pulled back, one hand still lingering on the side of Dimitri's head. Just that slight touch made Dimitri's skin crawl. The boy had almost forgotten what an accomplished actor Jared was, he could convince a scientist that the moon was made of cheese and never believe a word of it himself. He had fooled his mother for years, and even Maria, as good as she was wouldn't be able to read Jared. Dimitri realized with a sinking heart that if Maria where to figure out anything tonight, it would be because he had given something away, not Jared. And that meant that he had to step up his acting. He smiled at Jared, glancing back at Maria for a second. "Oh, Jared," He said, quickly, taking the opportunity to step back away a pace without it looking suspicious. "This is Maria, she's...she's my girlfriend." He said, with the convincing sheepishness of a boy introducing his girlfriend to his father for the first time. "And Maria, this is my step dad, Jared Grey."

Jared smiled warmly, looking at Maria approvingly. He held out a hand to her. "Maria, it's a pleasure to meet the young woman who's stolen my Dimitri's heart."

Dimitri nearly flinched. He had used the possessive. Neither Maria nor his mother would give it a second thought, and if they did, it'd be that it was a sweet, fatherly gesture. But when Jared said 'my Dimitri' it made Dimitri feel like an object. 'Jared's plaything....' whispered an ugly voice in his head that he had been trying to learn to ignore. 'His toy....that's all you're good for...that's all anyone will ever want you for...' Dimitri tensed his jaw, forcing the voice out of his head and turning his attention to Maria, hoping beyond hope that she would remain unaware of the terrible secrets within his family.

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