and scene

elias velari / twenty-six heir to velari, inc.

[ethereumhq]

[eliasvelari]

ethereumhq​:

stats —

SPECIES …………… human  ALLEGIANCE …………… human PRONOUNS …………… he/him  AGE …………… 26  FACECLAIM …………… keith powers

casefile —

⟢ Chapter 1 

Elias is a naturally gifted shot, which happens to be one such attribute he brutally wishes he never understood. Maybe then his father wouldn’t be so quick to volunteer his son for any of the particularly dangerous pursuits that came the underbelly of a powerful company. More mob than anything above board. As a result, he does his best to never carry a gun around. If he’s forced to kill, he’d prefer it to be a level playing field, and while he’s aware of the horrors of overconfidence, Elias is only ever self-reflective when it comes to his true abilities.

⟢ Chapter 2

Perhaps the strongest relationship Elias has in his life is with his mother, Adelaide. She’s a gentle woman, with a soft smile, and skin that seems to glow more than reflect. As though lightness itself shines through her. Years ago, after she gave birth to Elias, she became sick. Many assumed it might have been a failed poisoning attempt, but even now something about her has been off. Hands tremble. Eyes twitch. Her speech itself, normally so strong, can so easily fall into something more akin to stammering. Alistair, never one for weakness, became ashamed of his less than ideal wife.

⟢ Chapter 3

Romance might not seem like anything that could be on the forefront of anyone’s mind in a city that never slept. But Elias, as much as he loved art, and theater, and poetry, couldn’t help but fall for the easy prey of love. Even now he fancies himself head over heels for the latest person to swing their way into his life, and while his father has warned him about the danger of such dalliances, it’s one thing he could never completely crush out of his heir. Elias loves love.

elias velari is taken and played by alyssa

[orlaithrose]

It was only a second ago Orlaith had realised she was going to be someone's wife and now she was presented with the fact she was going to have a husband too. Her mouth formed a perfectly round o, eyes going wide. "Oh my god, I'll have a husband. Fuck the beer, I think I need something stronger." Not because she suddenly had doubts but because of how grown up it all seemed. They'd been so busy getting everything organised so quickly she hadn't had time to let it all sink in. She stood, making her way over to the kitchen to find a bottle of tequila and some shot glasses. Hadn't they said they'd do a bachelorette party of sorts tonight?

"Ha," she said as she headed back over to the overladen coffee table to set the bottle and glasses down. "Definitely not traditional, we already decided we'd both sleep here the night before and get ready together the day off. But I could come over for a bit to make a blanket fort." One last chance to be a kid before she did the most grown up thing of all.

[eliasvelari]

"That's the spirit!" The pun hadn't been intentional, but Elias could appreciate the accidental nature of it all the same. "This is a proper celebration now. No half-assing about it." Elias long believed that tequila was the alcohol that separated boring nights from nights that he rarely remembered, but always enjoyed. Though, when it came to him, that usually ended up being any time he went out to the club. Perks of being an annoying extrovert.

Elias followed Orlaith into the kitchen, too eager to wait. "Good, because the blanket fort was a nonnegotiable, even if I had to come over here and force your soon-to-be-husband into it, too. And I remember how tall that man is."

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith was torn between how to react to that. In the end she patted Elias on the back somewhat comfortingly, mostly pleased he accepted and she wouldn't have to do it alone. "I'm very grateful you'll do it, that you're stepping up," she said in the end, "but please do not ever refer to yourself as my father again, in any capacity. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

With that - telling Elias about the wedding and asking him to walk her down the aisle - most everything she needed to do had been done. There were a few loose ends to tie up, but now all she had to do really was— get married. That thought hit Orlaith. She blew out hard from her cheeks. "I'm really going to get married next weekend. Feels like only five minutes ago we were children running around the garden. How can either of us be old enough to get married? Oh my god," she suddenly added with a gasp. "I'm going to be a wife."

[eliasvelari]

"You are going to be a wife. You'll get to say very serious things like, 'Yes, this is my husband,' or 'Have you met my husband yet?' or, even better, 'I can't go out tonight, my husband needs me'. You have the most solid alibis to miss out on things for the rest of your life now. A built-in excuse. You know, besides all of the love and companionship and all of that." He brushed the last bit off as though he wasn't someone who desperately wanted that for himself. Casual had never suited Elias, and it never suited Orlaith either.

Elias leaned back on the couch, his drink long forgotten now. "We should have a slumber party that Saturday night. I doubt you want to keep things, you know, traditional, so you're free to go back home after. But you should come over to mine. We'll make a blanket fort."

[orlaithrose]

Of course Orlaith couldn't get married without having Elias involved. She wasn't doing the bridesmaid thing, but it wouldn't feel right without him. "Not that we're doing a big traditional wedding, in a big church, with a long aisle, it'll just be short at City Hall, but— would you walk me down it?" She didn't really buy into the notion of being given away, she was a person after all, not a thing, but the thought of having your family with you in that moment sounded nice. And who was her family, if not Elias?

Orlaith rolled her eyes, snorting. "Of course you know all about the private rooms." She could imagine how that might impress the ladies Elias doted on. "We can start here and if we feel like going out later we can," she finally suggested. "But it happens tonight or not at all because I can't go to my own wedding hungover and half dying after a night out with you." She had drunk with Elias too many times to not know that was a dangerous game. That didn’t stop her smiling into the hug he wrapped her in. “I’m hoping he’s disinterested enough he won’t even try.”

[eliasvelari]

There were plenty of things that Elias could have imagined Orlaith wanted to ask a favor for. The possibilities were quite literally endless in a way that had him not considering anything at all. It meant he was that much more caught off guard when the actual, very real, request came out of her mouth. Him? Walk her down the aisle? While Elias was an emotional person, none of that would usually lend itself to crying. The few times he had cried in his life were usually to do with his mom, and nothing else.

But this time? He felt the emotion bubbling up in his chest, like a dormant volcano that realized it could do something more than be choked down underneath the earth. Before Elias knew it, his eyes were getting hot, and his vision went blurry. "Yeah, I—I mean, of course. I'd fucking love to, I'd be downright honored." He was honored, and furious. Pleased, and crushed for his friend that this was a reality she had to live. Where her own father was such a piece of shit that he had to be a stand-in.

"I'm not the step-father. I'm the father that stepped up." So much for the tears.

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith put a hand out to squeeze Elias's arm gently. "I do realise that, but you're right, I wouldn't. Be pointless anyway, since there's really not many people we'd want there other than the three of you we're already inviting. Anyone else and we'd be doing it for the pantomime of the thing." Some people dreamed of big, lavish weddings. She just wanted to stand up there and make the commitment she was about to in front of people who were really important in their lives. "But there is one favour I wanted to ask you."

She and Tristan would have to get used to being asked about wedding presents, Orlaith decided. She supposed it was a human thing that people wanted to find a way to celebrate your big moments somehow. "Hey," she said, holding up her hands, "I'm not going to argue about a wedding present, you can get me one. But a club. You might need to get much more persuasive. They're so loud. And busy. And there's never any food. Can't we just smash through a bottle of tequila here." She gestured to the table. "Look at all the snacks we have here. And we can order pizza too."

[eliasvelari]

"Favor?" It's not like his interest could be even more piqued given the news. He would have a hard time considering anything else between now and Sunday. Married. Orlaith. And to some man Elias barely knew. Not that his opinion on said man really mattered when Orlaith clearly approved, but he did hold a certain amount of guilt that maybe he hadn't been trying hard enough where that was concerned. "Go on, shoot. I'm ready and willing."

Elias shook his head. "No, no, these clubs have private rooms that you can tuck yourself away in and have anything brought to you. It's barely noisy until you head out onto the dance floor! But fine, fine. We'll stay here. It's your wedding, you call the shots." He saluted her before putting his beer down, and gathering her up into a large, tight hug. "I won't let him ruin this for you." There was no point in specifying who the "him" here was.

[orlaithrose]

"Well, we can't all be as romantic as you," Orlaith said, sending a wry smile in Elias's direction. She had no doubt that when the time came for him, he'd plan the most extravagant proposal you could possibly imagine. "That's less Tristan's style." Once Elias knew him he'd soon understand she thought. The only type of proposal that made sense for him was one on whim, that he didn't overthink of talk himself out of.

"Next Sunday," Orlaith confirmed, struggling not to laugh and failing in her attempt. "City Hall is booked, food sorted, and I'll just have to find a dress that can be altered quickly. We're not doing anything fancy, just a small ceremony and celebration with a few family and friends. Three, to be precise, because there aren't many people we actually want to spend a shit ton of money on to eat and drink all day. Just the five of us, some food and cake afterwards, and then a hotel for the night. Couldn't really afford too much more than that anyway, unless I touch the money in my trust but I don't want to do that." It felt too much like involving her dad in their lives, something she was loathe to do. "So— you could just wear an old tux that already fits your short arms," she suggested.

"Can't this be my bachelorette party?" Who else would she want there?

[eliasvelari]

"I know you wouldn't do it, but, you do realize you could've asked me for some extra cash. There's literally nothing I love more than needlessly spending my dad's fucked up blood money. Especially now that I'm stuck working for him." The turn around was giving Elias whiplash, but he supposed he wasn't one to judge. In fact, it was a fucking miracle that he hadn't eloped with anyone yet. Actually spending the time to book a time at the City Hall was a few more steps than he had ever considered doing.

Elias scrunched up his nose. "Something tells me I'm going to have to be very annoying about my wedding present to you. You're getting married. I at least need to bring you to one of those stupid annoying clubs I'm always going to and getting you completely smashed on drinks that are more expensive than they have any right being."

[orlaithrose]

"Forget about the motorbike," Orlaith said, shaking her head, despite the smile on her face that was there because it wasn't like she was going to forget it. But it was different for her, she knew Tristan well enough not to read anything into it; she wanted Elias to like him and not have the wrong impression. "If he'd planned a proposal he wouldn't have got a bike for himself and nothing for me. It was spur of the moment." Not to mention she was sure if she'd said she wanted a ring he'd have found a way to make it work.

"Erm, no, it's not today," Orlaith said, somewhat slowly and suspiciously, because whilst that was true and it wasn't today, she couldn't offer Elias the month he said he needed. Once they'd decided to do it as fast as possible and made all the important decisions, they'd got things planned quickly. They'd agreed two weeks and managed to stick to it. "But are you free next weekend on Sunday?" Best to rip the bandaid off, she thought.

[eliasvelari]

"I just don't get how a marriage proposal is spur of the moment." For Elias, a proposal of marriage was meant to be the most romantic, well-planned event of a person's life. Which was likely why he still wasn't married, and most of the people he dated were immediately scared away by his intensity with relationships. "Usually that's all, you know, discussed, and thought about, and planned. Like at a nice restaurant. Or if you want it to be private, then over a nice dinner with a ring stuffed into the cake. Or in a glass of champagne." But she was happy, so he rolled his eyes.

He blinked. Or, Elias believed he was blinking. He was sure he was still breathing, which felt particularly important. His own death hadn't been on his mind as of late, and now didn't seem like the time to start. "Next Sunday? You're getting, you're getting married next Sunday. Orlaith. That's not enough time to get a dress, let alone have it altered. And what about me? I'm going to have to find a new tux, and have them fix the sleeves, because you know the sleeves are always too long on my short arms—"

"You need a bachelorette party."

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith's gaze followed Elias's to her ring finger even though she already knew it was bare. "Oh yeah, can you imagine me with a big fat diamond?" She had always been more understated than overstated. Still, he might have expected she'd wear something at the very least. "No ring. It was a spontaneous proposal." She always hoped when they said that it wouldn't seem like they were rushing into something they weren't ready for.

"And since we're not having a long engagement and doing it as soon as possible, a ring seemed pointless to spend the money on. Rather spend it on a really big wedding cake," she added, because of course she'd prefer a big cake over a piece of jewellery. "We'll be wearing wedding rings soon enough. Anyway, he'd just got himself a new bike, not expecting to ask me to marry him, so a ring wasn't really in his budget too." Other girls might be bothered by that, but not Orlaith unless she was pretending to be to give Tristan shit. "But, uh, yeah. I'm engaged."

[eliasvelari]

Elias had too many questions. A plethora of them. They were all spilling out of a bag that he was currently carrying. Marriage? Already? To him, they still felt like children. When did things become so serious that marriage was actually in the cards, and not some distant dream that usually Elias was spouting off about. He was surprised, yes, but more than that, he was happy. At least someone on this godforsaken island could live their life and enjoy themselves.

"How quick are we talking when it comes to the ceremony? Because if you're about to tell me that it's happening today then I'm going to revoke the hug I'm going to give you. I need, you know, at least a month to fucking process this information properly." He paused, his brain snagging on bike. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that bike bit, because I have too many things I can say about it and none of it is nice or necessary."

He grinned. "So, go on, tell me, when's the date? What kind of tux am I going to be wearing?"

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith's scowl was even more pronounced than when they'd been talking about protein shake diets. Free will felt like a farce when you were under men like this; rich, powerful, and with the whole city under their thumb. You could take footsteps that appeared to be your own, but they weren't really. Adelaide, Elias— they were both slaves to the whims of one man who decided for them if it was night or if it was day. She knew it all too well because the same was true of her. Even if it seemed like she was living her own life, she wasn't really, not fully. Her father held her strings in his hands. "Just— be careful, okay? He'll do anything to suck you in for good."

It felt funny now, to have good news to share after Elias's own news, but Orlaith couldn't exactly put it off when she and Tristan had decided to get married so fast. "Uh, yeah actually," she said, as the anticipation came flooded back. Elias was the only real family she had to tell so what he thought was important to her. Taking a deep breath first she said, "I'm getting married."

[eliasvelari]

There was nothing further to do but nod, because they both knew that Elias couldn't afford to pretend any of this would be easy. His life was lived on a tight rope of expectations, and with one wrong move, every hope and dream he might ever have could go sailing into a chasm of oblivion. For now, he'd drink the beer, and laugh, and wonder what life might have been like if he had been born into a different family. One with less money, but more care.

Elias paused, eyes flicking to Orlaith's ring finger, and finding it suspiciously bare. "You—you're engaged. How the fuck did that happen? Where's the ring? Shouldn't you be sporting a fat diamond right about now?" A large diamond didn't seem like it suited Orlaith, but he figured most women were pretty excited to have some sort of engagement ring. "If you tell me you were proposed to with an onion ring I might be a little pissed."

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith's expression did many things all at once, somehow encompassing disgust, outrage, and sympathy all at once. Their fathers went to the same school of controlling. It was always their way or nothing and they'd stoop to any level to make sure they got what they wanted. Manipulation came as naturally as breathing to them.

"Revoke access to her?" Orlaith repeated flatly, eyebrows moving closer together as her forehead knitted in confusion. "She's a fucking person, doesn't she get some say in whether or not she sees her son." Adelaide would certainly never choose to cut Elias off. "What a fucking bastard," she added, only half under her breath.

[eliasvelari]

He huffed out a noice that could be best described as agreement. "I always sort of figured this would happen, but I also thought she would be dead before he really got the chance. Then he wouldn't have had anything." A morbid, horrible, dangerous thought, but one that he had all the same. Cruelty came in many forms, and sometimes being alive was a kind of death sentence. For now, Elias was just doing what he could to keep his head above water.

The thoughts were jumbled, but none of it really mattered when he was still left with nothing but uncertainty and fear. Despite his reservations about his mom, and whatever was happening with her, abandonment was the furthest thing from his mind. Love was binding, and Elias was many things, but he had never once been afraid of love.

"What about you? Any big news to share on your end?"

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith seemed to calm instantly, just as she was on the verge of opening her mouth to share her news with Elias. It just had been the last thing she had been expecting him to say; perhaps it was going to be a day of that. Elias had always seemed to be working to get away from his dad and that business, enjoying acting more, but now he was working with his dad? She wondered if that meant he was packing the acting in.

"Uh. What made you decide to go that route?" It wasn't that Orlaith was judging Elias, it was more that it seemed incredibly idealistic. In this city it was far more likely the rot would infect you than you could ever clear it out. Ethereum seemed to have that effect on people. She hoped Elias wasn't in over his head.

[eliasvelari]

Elias looked at Orlaith sheepishly. "Well, he threatened me, if we're going to be honest about everything, which we always are. Said if I didn't come work for him and stop fucking around, then he'd revoke any access I have to my mom." That was the one thing that could always, without question, be held over Elias' head. Adelaide, despite her remarkable recovery, was never far away from her husband. It seems that somehow, their relationship had become just as repaired as her body and mind.

It was suspicion that drew him in closer, and fear that kept him there. "So, really, just the usual kind of thing where our fuckhead fathers are concerned. They know how to take things to the next level, which I would respect more if they weren't the absolute worst."

[orlaithrose]

Orlaith groaned as she slid onto the sofa beside Elias, legs curling underneath her as she picked up her own beer. "Protein shake diet?" she repeated, the disgust in her tone obvious. "Don't ever come into my home and say that shit again, you'll— taint it or something. I'll have to sage the place tomorrow to clear that bad energy away." She took a very pointed sip of her own beer.

Restless energy seemed to be pouring out of her in anticipation of sharing her news. Half excitement, half nerves as to what Elias would think. Her fingers pressed absentmindedly into her leg, too hard, so that she had to reach for a handful of crisps instead, to give her something to do. "I hope you've had something more exciting going on than a," - she scowled before she said the next words, nose wrinkling, - "protein shake diet."

[eliasvelari]

"I didn't enjoy it! But, I have to admit, I did get absolutely shredded, you know, for like a week. And then I ate everything in sight. Which is further proof that diets are really just bullshit." Elias was prone to trends. He was an easily influenced influencer, but he never stuck with anything. It meant that he would likely join up with a cult and leave it two days later after deciding that something newer might be better suited to his current frame of mind. How had he become so flighty? That was between him and whatever the fuck was responsible for creating everything.

Elias grimaced. There was only one person he ever really worried about when it came to their opinion of him. Most people floated through his life without ever really making quite a mark. Even his past heartbreaks could be easily replaced by the next. Orlaith was the main constant, the through-line in his life that connected it all together. "I've been working with dad again. I've decided if I want to fix anything it'll have to be from the inside. You know, like some deep undercover shit."

[orlaithrose]

when: 13th july where: orlaith's apartment who: @eliasvelari

Orlaith knew she shouldn't multitask when making popcorn, prone as she was to burning it. Prone was an understatement; she could count on one hand alone the number of times she hadn't burnt it. And yet she hadn't learnt her lesson, still thinking she was invincible when she made it— a second to go and grab this, a moment to go and do that. She had just deposited a beer each on the coffee table, setting them beside the bowls of other snacks she'd put out, when she caught the unmistakeable and familiar scent of burning popcorn.

"Oh for fuck's sake," she groaned, rushing over to take it off the heat, but it was too late. The whole lot was ruined. Orlaith moved the blackened pan into the sink. "That was my last bag too." But then she was waving a hand as if to clear the whole thing away, head shaking from side to side. "Oh well, we've got plenty else to eat." That should have been Elias's first clue. "I have something to tell you." Just holding it in for this long had been agony; she was practically bursting.

[eliasvelari]

"How the fuck do you manage to burn popcorn nearly every single time you make it? This shouldn't still be happening. When we were like 9 and sneaking around using the stove. That's one thing. But now?" Elias shook his head, his hand covering the lower half of his face, causing everything he said to be annoyingly muffled. His eyes missed the hand motion, too busy guffawing over the incident, as though he were any better when it came to cooking anything. The hypocrisy between childhood friends was well-earned, and he thought nothing further of it.

He leaned forward, grabbing the beer eagerly. These days, Elias had no clue what the fuck was going on in anyone's life, especially his own. About two months ago he had been sucked back into the family business, mostly to find answers, but also to satiate the hungry energy of his father. If he thought he had been insane before, the current state of the Velari family was much more terrifying than that. Beer fixed it. Somewhat.

"At least I'm not still on that mostly protein shake diet. That shit nearly killed me, I swear."

[risingada]

God, she had forgotten how good it felt to simply be touched. Even just the brush of Elias' fingers had a current running through her that left her wanting to leave the club with him. She briefly thought of the conversation she had with Nehir the last time they caught up over brunch -- the desire to be picked up and thrown onto a bed was winning out over every rational thought. And honestly, why shouldn't it? Maybe Elias had it right with his resolution.

"I don't have any plans," she hummed lightly, zero shame as she did so. Tomorrow -- tomorrow she had plans. But for tonight, with the magic of New Years -- "But I'm a sucker for good water pressure."

[eliasvelari]

"Are you ready to leave?" Because fuck knew Elias was. This, in many ways, was his scene. These were people he partied with, people he drank with. The kind of elites that were easy enough to both blend into, and standout from. But right now, he could feel an itching underneath his skin. Enough that without further prompting, Elias was already standing up, gesturing for Dawn to do the same, even without her answer.

What was the point in waiting or being coy? The stakes weren't as high as some people always claimed them to be. Sometimes New Year's Eve was all it took to send someone careening over the edge, and Elias couldn't find it within himself to mind.

[risingada]

Dawn couldn’t help but roll the eyes in question, but they were accompanied by an amused smile and slight tilt of the head as she looked up at him. “Are you flirting with me, Elias?” she admonished with a teasing tone. A rather pot-calling-kettle-black situation given what she'd just done, just how close she was now sitting, and that her thoughts, through their vodka-induced haze, all involved kissing him again.

Had this been the secret all along? This night, a year ago, when they both seemed pretty miserable yet still shared that bottle of wine. Two resolutions that had lead to a friendship, which had lead to -- well, lead to them together in this club, Dawn's hand on his leg, and her flirting right back without a care in the world.

[eliasvelari]

"I'm definitely flirting with you. Which pales in comparison to your current hand placement." His eyes flitted down before looking back up, mostly grateful for the fact that he had yet to start seeing multiples of her, which meant he wasn't entirely too far gone to be a normal functioning human being. "It begs the question about what you're doing after this, and if you'd be interested in partaking in any afterparty-type activities."

Elias' own hand lifted to Dawn's cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb. "I hear I have a pretty nice fucking flat. Really pompous type shit. Excellent water pressure. Freshly laundered towels. Not to mention the bed."

[risingada]

Dawn smiled as Elias kissed her back. She couldn't help it. It was the first time in five years, exactly five years as the clock ticked over, that she had kissed someone and hadn't wanted to run in the opposite direction. That that realisation in itself didn't even make her want to go running. In fact, the thought even barely crossed her mind. Tomorrow it would for certain, maybe she'd even dwell on the fact that she'd met Elias exactly a year before, but for this moment she could only focus on his lips, the electricity where his hands touched her, moving closer and wanting more.

For this moment, she was just a girl on new years eve, kissing a boy simply because she wanted to. And god it felt nice.

[eliasvelari]

"You have really pretty eyes, have I mentioned that before?" The answer was no, because despite all of Elias' easy flirting, he had done his best not to make the same mistakes with Dawn. If he had, they would've already kissed a year ago, and stopped speaking at the very same time. That's who relationships with him went. They began and they ended just as quickly as the sun set in the sky, and the moon took its places. But at least here, with a fog hanging over them, and the new year chiming in, he didn't feel quite so terrified.

Instead, Elias felt a certain level of peace. No matter what, they'd remain friends. No matter what, he couldn't fuck this up to unfathomable levels.

[risingada]

Dawn's laughter bubbled over, soft like a song, lost to the music of the club around them. Was she falling for that smile like any girl would? Quite likely. Did she care? Not at all. Was her own smile curling at her lips, siren blue eyes watching from under her eyelashes in amusement as she listened to him? Absolutely. She'd forgotten over the years how fun it was to simply let go, to flirt, to kiss. To not care and enjoy the moment. Embracing that made her feel like she'd found a part of her she'd lost.

"Me?" Dawn hmm'd for only a moment. It was perhaps the most proof that she had reached her last resolution, how surface levels her ones for this year were. To go on a holiday, to swim in the ocean every morning, to learn how to macrame. She wanted to make captain. Nothing about healing, about forcing herself onto shitty dates that just made herself feel worse. So she'd let go, and as the club began to count down, her gaze met Elias's, small smile crossing her lips. Fuck it.

"I think the same."

[eliasvelari]

Was he surprised? It was hard to say with the alcohol and drugs working their magic. Making the moment both more brilliant and more muddled. Maybe it didn't matter, because he had almost forgotten how good it was to just fucking kiss someone. The immediate connection forced air out of his lungs, like maybe this was what he had been missing. The kind of tangling that allowed his mind to finally quiet, and instincts to take hold instead. And fuck if Elias wasn't tired of his mind running a mile per minute.

He kissed back with vigor, with energy, with greedy hands and an even greedier mouth. Like he had come to collect something left behind, and he wasn't about to leave until he had gathered everything up in his hands. It could've been desperation, the kind that was driving him to the point of madness, or maybe he just liked kissing Dawn. Kissing a friend. Someone he had grown to trust and appreciate. It didn't have to be more than that, but it could. Because he was him, and love blossomed so eagerly in his ever bleeding heart.