"I'd love to watch it tonight cuddled up on your couch," not just because Hana was avoiding her own residence or being alone, "maybe we can pick up some pickles on the way over. After we're done here." A smile pulled at the yogi's lips as her suggestion was a bit tongue in cheek, but the reality was that she was a big fan. It was a challenge to consider the juice in a hot chocolate drink but thankfully her taste buds were pretty open minded.
"Fresh picked candy canes?" Brow raised, humor threatened to spill past her lips. "You'd work that hard just for little ol' me?" A small, sharp elbow nudged into his side. "We'll see how this world famous cup measures up to the pickled version," she winked, "glad you were able to find some adventure tonight."
Anticipation thrummed through the native New York with the Christmas dinner and festivities date to Dallas's family home. Hana and her own family had never been warm and fuzzy, it was a fairly cold upbringing, and on top of that Christmas was different for the South Korean. The last time she'd been in a family setting she'd been dancing with Verda's mother at the baker's wedding months ago. That was as close as she'd been and the former model was nervous.
What if she made a bad impression?
Most people considered Hana to be random and a bit of an odd duck, and while the blond sharing his warmth seemed to enjoy those qualities about her there was some understanding that others found her to be off-putting at times. It was important to her that his family liked and accepted her.
The woman had dreams of maybe one day being an addition to that big, loving family.
Thinking back to her day on the slopes with Verda, three sheets to the wind thanks to the variety of holidays drinks, and how they'd made a huge scene when trying to snowboard down the mountain made a giggle come up. "Well, we're banned from the resort. We borrowed some snowboards that were up against the wall outside the lodge and tried to go down the mountain while drunk. We might have tried to evade security as well." The yogi gently bit into her bottom lip as she peered over at the best friend that had come to mean a little too much to her. "You didn't sign up to be friends with such an outlaw so I understand if you need to take a step away," Hana jested.
From the sounds of it Dallas and Atlas had a similar day, maybe not the troublemaking part but for sure the getting drunk and trying to function part. "Aww boys day out. Did Atlas talk about me? He loves me. Can never get over how I folded him into a pretzel." Hearing about their adventures though made Hana feel as though she was with a kindred spirit even if he was a little more straight-laced than her. It meant he wouldn't hopefully head for the hills when Hana couldn't color within the lines.
Brow raised, "start some fights? Now I'm dying to know what you got. I also wanna know what you got me." Patience wasn't her biggest virtue. "So, he's kind of like your brother right?"
The Grinch yoga was meant to be fun for the holidays yet it turned into chaos. At least for a woman that had no idea what to do in the situation of childbirth. It all went well and safely, which made her happy, but she was definitely not the best in that particular crisis. "That's sweet of you," she commented of Dallas wanting to bring them food. That would be helpful, Hana imagined. "What would you make? I'm actually surprised you haven't been over yet and seen them. I figured my ovaries would've been having to deal with tons of selfies of you with babies already." Mostly a joke since she was not ready for that stage in her life.
"I swear it wasn't me. I didn't even dress up, but next year— all bets are off." When it came to her socials, given her celebrity status, they were all the same. "You could easily find it. There's links on my Insta but you really don't need to look at it. I'm not sure there's anything you'd like on there." Given that it was mostly fashion and beauty along with health and wellness. What Hana Yun was to the public eye.
With his confirmation that they exchange gifts before they go to his family Christmas celebration, the yogi nodded and smiled and let the teacher lead her to a quieter spot where they could sit and chat without as much of the noise and outside stimulation.
Sat in front of the blond on the bench, somewhat close for his warmth, the former model'd brow furrowed at his warning. "We talk about anything and everything. What could mess you all up like that? Are you about to tell me you hate Korean food or that my hair looks stupid?" Some humor put a small smile on her lips but it was mostly an effort to calm the nerves that stirred up. Thankfully before she could say anything else ridiculous, Dallas began sharing what had been on his mind.
"Wait... you don't wanna go back to that yet it's destroying you?" It didn't make sense to her. Hadn't when he'd changed their dynamic a while back but since it was what he'd told her he wanted she swallowed and accepted without a fight. That easily abandoned and unwanted feeling kicking her in the teeth and made her nauseated. Of course she had wanted a change from what they had been doing and had fallen into for years, the never making it work having worn her out, but to go to being just friends had really hurt.
The like didn't hurt as much as it seemed the teacher had regretted those particular words. There wasn't much more damage that could be done to her heart. It'd been torn and clawed at one too many times, so she'd taken it with ease and nodded her head to encourage her friend to just get whatever he had to say off his chest. 'I'm kinda in love with you'. Well, she hadn't been expecting that. Especially not when Dallas followed it up with 'I don't want this to change things between us'. It was downright confusing.
Initially her chest swelled and Hana felt as though she might pass out, then the wind was knocked out of her a bit. Dark eyes searched his handsome face and she nodded her head at his suggestion of just going back to his and watching Die Hard. "I love you, too," she said quietly, heart thudding too heavily in her chest. "I have for years but I respected you and what you wanted, what you felt was best, and now— the timing, I..." So much of her world was in turmoil. Not only was she dealing with the return of the reason she'd fled New York and her entire life there but she was working on gaining closer with Khalil.
"I have to... I can't bring you into..." A little frustration stung her eyes and her fingers went to her forehead to rub at the tension there. "I can't put you at risk right now." / @dallasxcartwright
