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dylanstewarts · 13 years ago

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Five Years On | Dylee (Transcript)

In which Dylan informs Kaylee of his breakup, and the two friends solidify their "us against the world" mantra in a wholly different way. Takes place five years in the future.

Kaylee: It had been five years. Five years since Kaylee Reese had her life completely turned upside down. There were days when she would get caught up thinking about it, the past playing through her mind. The brunette couldn't believe how much she'd gone through in five short years. But there was one thing that was always constant, no matter what was going on, and that was Dylan Stewarts. He was the one who held her when Michael left, having finally found a pack to join and abandoning their "human" life together. He was the one who comforted her when Autumn moved to Paris and assured her she would be safe with Parker. He was the one who sat up late with her, encouraging her to finish her Econ paper because she couldn't get by on her looks forever. And he was the one who always made her laugh, no matter how much she wanted to cry. Kaylee walked through their apartment, her brown eyes scanning the pictures hanging on the walls as she toweled dried her still damp hair. She was dressed in her sleep clothes, a pair of shorts that rode low enough on her hips to show the large scar that still remained there and a tank top. There was a happiness that surrounded her in a way it hadn't since she was sixteen years old and completely innocent to the things that go bump in the night. She entered their small kitchen, spotting Dylan leaning against the counter and eating right out of a carton of ice cream. An amused look crossed her face as she stood there. "You know we have spoons right? Fancy ones that aren't just made of plastic anymore."

Dylan: Things had been steadily on the decline for Dylan Stewart, the slope slow enough that he had seen it coming from a mile away and, despite his efforts to hold together the foundation of his life, by the time he had reached the bottom, he had accepted it with grim defeat. Aaron Weaver had been his first love—something he had grappled with, denied, boasted about, and cried over since the notion first came into his head, late into his senior year of high school. Things had changed since then. Things had evolved. They fought more, though in hushed tones to ensure that Kaylee didn’t overhear. The squabbles were needless half the time, but in the moment they were raw and got nasty. Aaron was supposed to be his forever, his one and only, but here was Dylan now, five years into the relationship, standing in the kitchen with a tub of Moose Tracks ice cream cupped against his chest, questioning everything. He remained stoic, face creased to look as neutral as possible. When he heard Kaylee’s entrance, he slowly glanced up, offering her a weak smile. “Metal spoons get too cold. I’ve got sensitive teeth, Reese Cup,” he said with a slight laugh. “Can’t be too careful.” Dipping his finger into the small tub, he pulled out a small scoop and stuck it in his mouth, setting the container next to him on the counter. He removed his finger from his mouth with an exuberant pop before wiping it on his pants. “We should talk. We don’t talk much anymore.” It was a lie—they talked non-stop, but he had to spark the discussion somehow.

Kaylee: "Sensitive teeth? That's really what you're going with? I'd bet all the money in my wallet you were just too lazy to wash a spoon since you didn't run the dishwasher last night." Kaylee teased, bouncing her way over to him. She opened one of the drawers, digging around and pulling a clean spoon from her secret hiding spot. Living with two boys had taught the youngest Reese girl a few tricks. She reached over and scooped out a bite of his ice cream, plopping it into her mouth. A concerned look washed over her face at his words. All they did was talk. Whenever Dylan said something along those lines, it meant that something was going on. She knew him well enough to know that. She pulled the spoon from her mouth, leaning against the counter next to him. "So we'll talk then. Are we going to meaninglessly small talk first or should we get right down to what's really bothering you?"

Dylan: Watching her dig the spoon into his ice cream made Dylan frown, and promptly he replaced the lid on the container to stick it back in the freezer. As he walked by, he poked a finger at her stomach. “You’re getting fat,” he joked, squatting down and trying to make room for the frozen dessert in the small icebox beneath the fridge. Once he had found a suitable location, he stood back up. “But you’re right, I didn’t do the dishes last night. I had more pressing things to attend to.” Dylan ran a hand through his hair, the ice-cream covered index finger giving some resistance, and he crossed back across the room to run his hands under the sink. It was now or never, he realized, sloshing his hands together in the water. He turned off the faucet, drying his hands off on his pants—where else? “I broke up with Aaron.”

Kaylee: She pouted when he pulled the ice cream away, reaching out her hands for it. Her eyes narrowed when he poked her stomach, which was still as perfectly flat as it was when she was sixteen. She ran her hand over it, reaching over to kick him lightly. "Am not. I got hit on twice at the market this morning." She said proudly, hopping up to sit on the counter as he fidgeted with the freezer. Her eyes followed him over to the sink, which really wasn't too far because their kitchen was pretty tiny. "More pressing than clean dishes? Does such a thing exist?" She joked, desperately trying to lighten the mood. She hated seeing him like this and lately...lately it seemed like he was /always/ like this. His words ran over her, her eyes visibly widening at them. "Oh. Wow." She said quickly, her mind racing for something better to say. "You're off dish duty for a month?" She attempted, a sympathetic smile on her face.

Dylan: It was easier to say than he expected. He had made such a fuss, such a scene about the relationship when it had first started. It was fresh and different and terrifying and amazing—and it ended so quickly, suddenly, and neutrally. “I’ll do the dishes tonight,” he assured her, returning the smile in a bid to look like he was okay with it. Truthfully, he was ambivalent. Dylan didn’t quite know what to feel. The pit in his stomach that had been persisting since the beginning of the end of the relationship had vanished so suddenly, like a weight lifted from his shoulders. He stepped to the side, standing right in front of her, not worrying about the personal space. The front of his hips connected with her knees, and he smiled again. “Yeah. It was... odd. To wake up without him this morning.” He found it heartbreaking that the only word he could think of to describe his mood was ‘odd’. He placed a hand on her leg, squeezing it gently. “But that’s my excuse for not using a spoon.”

Kaylee: "I can help. You wash and I'll dry, okay?" She offered, wrinkling her nose at him. He seemed okay. Kaylee had seen Dylan fall apart a million times in the past five years. Their friendship had practically been built on emotional break downs. But there were none of the tell tale signs of that happening. She ran her fingers through her wet curls as he moved in front of her, smiling up at him. "I know the feeling. I didn't sleep right for a month after Michael left. Pretty sure I crawled into bed with you guys more times than I should have." She offered, reaching out to rest her hands on his shoulders. Sometimes all we needed was to be close to someone who loved us unconditionally and Kaylee Reese knew that better than anyone. "As far as excuses go, I think you could have done better. I mean, something along the lines of "Kay, I was suddenly paralyzed for the whole night. It was the craziest thing. And I wanted to do the dishes so badly but I just couldn't move and then this morning, miraculously, I could walk again!" would have been a lot more interesting." She rambled, desperately trying to coax a laugh from him.

Dylan: To Kaylee’s credit, Dylan did laugh. A weak, breathy laugh that was clearly disingenuous, but he was making an effort for her. He wasn’t sad, though, nor was he angry. He had been walking on eggshells all day, waiting for the emotional resistance to wear down—he had developed astonishing amounts of it over the years. Since leaving Mystic Falls, leaving that entire world behind, he’d been better at controlling his moods. This just seemed like the appropriate time for that all to come crashing down around him. Part of Dylan wanted it to. He wanted to cry and mourn and grieve, but nothing would come. “I actually was paralyzed last night,” he said, trying to return the joke. “That was kind of odd, too, it was like my legs gave out completely whenever there was a good episode of Doctor Who on my laptop. Which happened quite a lot. I couldn’t stop it.” Exhaling sharply through his nose, he kept his eyes fixated on Kaylee. Words couldn’t describe how proud of her he was, how much she meant to him. “I told him I was holding him back. I guess it’s true, right? He could have hit it big, but he didn’t because of me.” He tilted his head. “That, and we both want different things, fight over everything, and I think he fell in love with Zachary Quinto.”

Kaylee: She beamed with pride at his laugh. It wasn't a normal Dylan laugh, the ones where he's practically snorting and clutching at himself as the sound bounces off the walls but it was good enough for now. She would take it. She giggled at his joke, shaking her head at him. "You're ridiculous, you know that? Absolutely ridiculous." She listened carefully to his explanation, nodding along. She understood that. A lot of that, aside from the Zachary Quinto thing (who in all honestly Kalyee had no idea who he was even though she'd never admit it), was identical to how she had felt with Michael. At some point, you just realize that the person you think you're supposed to spend forever, might not be the person you're meant to be with. Kaylee just hoped Dylan realized that this didn't mean he'd have to be alone. He'd never really be alone. He had her, after all. She rubbed his shoulder gently before speaking. "And you want things too, Dyl. Don't turn this all around into being your fault. He wasn't completely innocent. You guys have been fighting for ages and you haven't been happy for a long time. You /deserve/ to be happy."

Dylan: “It’s not that I don’t deserve to be happy,” he said mildly, breaking off eye contact momentarily as he felt the first surge of emotions running through him. “It’s just that I was so sure. And we were both trying so hard.” Dylan licked his lips, sighing out a shaky breath. “My parents want nothing to do with me because of that. Same with his. And for what?” He shrugged his shoulders dramatically as he kept his hands on her legs, eyes widening slightly. Though he was still speaking in even tones, he could feel himself growing more upset—at himself or at Aaron he wasn’t entirely sure. “He was supposed to be the person who made me happy.” Still no tears, but the pit returned in his stomach, and again he had to look away from Kaylee directly, but he didn’t retreat. He had been through this enough to know that even if he tried to walk away, she would follow him and pester him until he gave in. It was just easier to stay here. “But I don’t—I haven’t loved him in so long.” Finally his voice broke, the slightest of cracks slowly chipping away at the facade he had been desperate to build up, but more desperate to break down.

Kaylee: "Good. Because you do. More than anyone." She said softly, her eyes staying on him as he walked away. She stayed quiet as he spoke, her heart breaking a little for her best friend. There were very few people in the world that the brunette cared so deeply about and Dylan was one of them. It hurt her when he was hurting. She sighed softly, separating her legs enough to either side of him as her arms moved around him. She buried her face in his chest, hugging him tightly. "We can't live our lives focused on "supposed to's", Dylan. You know that. Our lives weren't /supposed/ to turn out like this. But they did and we've made them pretty damn amazing despite it all. You did the right thing. You did the best thing for both of you. If there's no love there anymore...you can't force it."

Dylan: Bowing his head against her shoulder as he gave no struggle against the hug, he felt the sting of the first tear and tried his damnedest to keep it at bay. Once one fell, he knew they wouldn’t stop, and the last thing he wanted was for this to turn into an ugly cry fest. He’d had enough of those. It was a part of him he’d left behind in Mystic Falls—part of so much he had left there. Along with it, he was slowly beginning to realize, the boy he had been when he fell in love with his best friend. There was something so juvenile about it now, but it had been raw passion and emotion, Dylan couldn’t doubt that had been feeling there. It had felt real, his first love. His first real love. But those were the ones people looked back on to use as a stepping stone, the thing that would build the foundation for every subsequent romance. Only, for Dylan, he couldn’t see himself with just anybody again. “You’re right,” he said softly, muffling his voice into her shoulder, sniffing. The tear had retreated back and he could feel his strength slowly coming back to him, his resolve regrouping. “We’re amazing. You’re amazing.”

Kaylee: She hugged him closer, her hands gently running up and down his back as he snuggled into her. This was natural for them. This was they way they'd been since they were practically children, terrified of the world outside and worried about the people they were inside. But they had always been Dylan and Kaylee, the perfect team. And she would do anything to help him feel better in moments like this. Even if it meant doing the damn dishes. She rested her head on his chest laughing softly at his words. "/We/ are amazing. Me on my own? Not so much. I'm just me." She said softly, shrugging her shoulders. Even after years of them, Kaylee still didn't know how to properly react to a compliment. It was just one of the things about her that would never really change.

Dylan: Dylan remained in place longer than he should have. Every instinct told him to pull away, but he remained firmly in place. The tears were gone now, and by all accounts he should have been fine—he should have been able to step away and do the dishes and maybe make a sandwich. But he couldn’t. Or he didn’t want to. Something was overriding the system, forcing him to remain in place. “You’re amazing, Kaylee,” he repeated quietly, finally finding the strength to pull his head away. He kept it close to hers, looking at her intently before kissing her on the cheek with a soft smile. “You’re amazing. Even if you’re getting a little fat and letting yourself go. It’s nothing that a couple days of intense cardio can’t fix.” He laughed, genuinely this time (making fun of Kaylee always made him feel better). “You’ve always been there for me. Always. And maybe it’s hard for you to believe, but you’ve done more for me than anybody else. More than I’ve done for myself. And honestly, more than I deserve. So thank you.” He glanced down, trying to avoid eye contact again.

Kaylee: She didn't pull away. There was no reason to. This was how they were. One of them was hurting and the other clung to them, silently showing how much they cared. He pulled his head away from her shoulder and she smiled softly at his words, knowing better than to argue a second time. "You're not so bad yourself, Stewarts." Her smile widened when he kissed her cheek and quickly transformed into a glare at his teasing. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't make me kick your ass. Or do you forget all the times I flattened you in Peyton's training sessions." She teased back, her hands sliding to tickle his stomach softly for a moment. She shifted slightly on the counter, listening to him. Her hand moved to gently lift his chin, forcing him to make eye contact with her. "It's a two way street, Dyl. We do this for each other. It's us against the world, remember?"

Dylan: Being forced to look at her unsettled his stomach again. Dylan licked his lips, screwing up his focus in a desperate bit to not look away, but the temptation was overwhelming. One skill he had yet to master was eye contact—it was his bane and his weakness, but he had never tried to correct it. “Us against the world,” he responded weakly, pointedly ignoring her comment regarding the training sessions. There was a part of his life that he duly wanted to forget. He’d completely stepped out of the supernatural world now, and didn’t press Kaylee on who she was still in contact with. He had his own life to focus on—but now it felt like he didn’t even have that. Aaron had been his everything, but he’d lost his everything a long time ago. He couldn’t even pinpoint the reason why they had drifted apart, only that they had. It had taken so long to reach that point that the line between love and no love had been blurred into obscurity. The longer he tried to avoid looking at her, the more he found himself wanting to. Not directly at her, not making eye contact, but just looking at her. Dylan felt as though he hadn’t done that in a while. He hadn’t seen where she had grown or changed or stayed the same. “Do you remember that day—those couple of days, I guess, I can’t remember now—where I wanted to forget everything? All of it?”

Kaylee: She laughed softly when he averted his gaze again, used to Dylan's quirks by now. Her hand slid to gently cup his cheek, her thumb rubbing the stubble on it for a moment before dropping her hand to her lap. He always acted weirdly when she brought up their old life. Kaylee knew that Dylan had never wanted it, that he'd accepted it but a large part of him had always hated it. She'd done her best to pretend like she'd left it all back in Mystic Falls but it was a part of her now. She still wore the scars everywhere she went, she still slipped vervain in their morning coffee, she still slept with a stake underneath her mattress. Her best friend might want to pretend they were out of that life and Kaylee would let him. But a part of her knew they'd never really be out. She frowned at the memory his question provoked, running her hand through her hair as he stared at her. "I remember. It was the worst day of my life."

Dylan: Dylan tensed slightly as she touched his cheek, as if minutes of preparation and confidence building could be undone just by a stroke of fingers against his skin. He licked his lips, eyes flicking around in various directions before finally settling on a point of Kaylee’s cheek, the slightest blemish visible against her skin. “I’ve been doing some thinking about it lately,” he said quietly, voice no more than a whisper. “Not really consciously, just... sort of lying around, not having anything to do besides fight with Aaron.” There was a weak laugh there, not quite genuine, really just to fill the void of silence as he tried to find his words. “I’d convinced myself, for the longest time actually, that I didn’t do it because of Aaron, that I’d be losing him and leaving him completely confused, because he wouldn’t have had any idea what was happening, but—” He sighed, glancing down again briefly, staring at her shoulder now. “But, really, I think I did it solely because I didn’t want... to lose you. No other reason.” He hazarded a glance upward again, making eye contact for a brief second, licking his lips again out of sheer habit. “So, I told Aaron...” His body rocked back and forth slightly, sighing. “I told him that I was leaving him, too, because I didn’t love him anymore, and I think it’s because you’re here. Like, you’re this... beacon. Of sunshine and rainbows and happiness, and you’ve always made me happy. Always.” He inhaled, holding the breath for a moment. He felt dizzy and lightheaded and stupid for saying anything. Moving his hand from Kaylee’s lap, he pushed himself away, stepping back to lean against the opposite counter, eyes pointedly gazing to the floor. “I circled today in my calendar as the day I’d lose my two best friends,” he offered quietly. “Just in case. I—I really like you, Kaylee.”

Kaylee: Kaylee didn't notice him tense. She was a little distracted by thoughts of the day he'd decided he was going to leave everything. The day he decided he was going to forget it all, forget /her/. She nodded while he spoke, her eyes trained on her hands which were now clasped in her lap. She hated thinking about this. There were a lot of bad days in her life. Almost losing Dylan had been the worst. She had always thought he had chosen not to because of his love for Aaron. He'd said it a million times. Their relationship had been just as entwined with the supernatural as Dylan and Kaylee's own was. She looked up abruptly, her brown eyes wide. "Because of me?" The girl repeated, obviously surprised. She had spent that entire day trying desperately not to selfishly beg him to stay with her, to not leave her. But Dylan had deserved the chance to be happy so she'd stayed quiet. None of it had mattered once he chose not to go through it it. All that had mattered was that he'd remember how much he meant to her. "Dylan, you're not making sense." She said quickly, the confusion still obviously on her face. Why would she have /anything/ to do with him leaving Aaron? "Is this about me living here? Is that why you guys were fighting? You know all you'd have to do is ask and I'd find somewhere else to go." A part of her realized she was rambling and she snapped her mouth shut as he continued to speak, pulling away from her and moving to the other side of the kitchen. "You make me happy too, Dyl. You always have." Her voice was soft, breathy almost as if she was scared as to what was coming next. What came next was only more confusion. "You're crazy. You couldn't ever do anything to /lose/ me." She hopped off the counter, moving over to him and tilting her head up to look at him. "Of course you like me. You've been stuck with me for five years now. It'd be pretty sad if you spent all the time with someone you couldn't stand."

Dylan: Dylan ran a hand through his hair. Exasperated, but not annoyed, he realized that Kaylee wasn’t exactly following his line of logic. This of course made sense, seeing as ‘Dylan logic’ rarely, if ever, coincided with ‘real logic’. It was a black hole stream of consciousness that threatened to engulf and suffocate anybody who ever got to close. She moved close again, too close, and he resisted what he wanted to do in favour of what he had to do. For a long moment, he just stared back at her, trying not to look to crestfallen. “That’s not what I’m saying,” he said finally, speaking slowly to make his point more clear. His mind was running in a thousand different directions, all of them trying to make sense of what he wanted to say, but none of them wanted to cooperate and let him put his words eloquently, or even coherently. “Kaylee—” he cut himself off, closing his eyes. “What I’m trying to say is that... you weren’t the reason Aaron and I started fighting. That was—that was a whole combination of things that I can’t control and don’t want to get into because it upsets me to think about me losing one of my closest friends—my /first/ friend, but not my /best/ friend.” He paused, the confidence coming back as it so often did with him. Once the ball got rolling, it was impossible to shut him up. “You’re my best friend. You’ve been my best friend though everything. Everything I’ve ever gone through that’s had any significant bearing on my life. Aaron was just sort of there. You held my handed and guided me through the storm like... like I said, a beacon. Of happiness. And sunshine. And you kept me strong. You always kept me strong, and...” Again, he needed to stop talking, but this time it was because of the tears he felt welling again. Blinking harshly to wipe them away, he sniffed and balled his hands into fists, digging the nails into his palm to steel himself against more hysterics. “And I /really/ like you, Kaylee,” he added, softly, voice cracking almost incomprehensibly. “A lot. /Really/.” He nodded his head slightly, knowing there was a way to make his point more obvious, but he couldn’t bring himself to form the word.

Kaylee: He was doing the Dylan rambling thing again. One would think that after five years of being attached at the other's hip, she'd know how to make some sense out of it. But when Dylan got himself all worked up like this, she could barely follow. The girl took a deep breath, rocking back on the heels of her feet as she waited for him to continue, his eyes still locked on her. She gazed back at him, never being one to shy away. "Okay. So explain it to me then." She waited patiently, fiddling with the hem of her tank top simply because she needed something to do with her hands. Her brow furrowed at his words, still obviously confused. Kaylee didn't bear cutting him off, though there were a million things running through her mind to say in response. Her heart beat began to race as his eyes filled with tears. Instinctively, she stepped closer, her hand reaching to brush a stray tear off of his cheek. "You need to calm down, Dyl. You're not losing me. Ever. I-I just...You know you've been the same for me. You're my /person/. My /constant/." She paused for a minute, her free hand pushing her curls out of her face. "I-I don't understand, Dyl. I /know/ you like me. We like each other. That's how best friends are."

Dylan: Feeling her hand on his cheek, he wanted to reach out and take hold of her hand, but again Dylan forced himself to hold off. He exhaled, biting down on his lower lip as harshly as possible, staring down at her with a creased brow. “Kaylee, oh my god, I can’t make it any more obvious without just saying it and I really, really, really, honestly don’t know if I can say it right now as much as I want to,” he rambled, closing his eyes tightly. He brought up a hand to cover forehead and eyes, pressing the tip of his thumb and index finger on either temple, sighing. “I like you. I find you attractive. I like spending time with you. I guess all of this stuff makes sense for friends, but I don’t know if I’m okay with just being friends. I don’t want to jump in to something, and I mean I don’t even know if you want anything more, but the way I see it—we’re getting married in five years if we don’t find anybody else. You think I’d forget something like that? I thought for a while I wouldn’t have to consider it because, well, I had Aaron, but then there was this stretch of time where I started hoping you wouldn’t find anybody because I don’t think either of us will be very happy with anybody else other than /us/. You and me against the world, right?”

Kaylee: Kaylee mouth parted slightly, her heart beat continuing to quicken as his words slid over her. He had feelings for her. Actually feelings. Not just "Hey, you. You're my best friend" feelings. She turned away from him, running her hands through her hair as her mind raced. She'd thought about this a million times. Of course she had. He was her everything. He was the one person in her entire life that hadn't left her. But he was /Dylan/. /Her/ Dylan. And she'd accepted a long time ago that he'd never see her as anything other than a friend so she'd buried those thoughts. She'd focused on being exactly what he needed at whatever moment they were in. And now...now he was telling her he wanted more. She turned back to him, biting down on her lower lip as her cheeks flushed. "Of course it's you and me, Dyl." She said softly. "It's /always/ going to be you and me. B-But you just broke up with Aaron. You're dealing with feelings. You...You might just be saying these things because I'm safe and I'm /here/. Because you know I'd never hurt you. You could wake up tomorrow and realize you didn't actually mean any of it."

Dylan: Dylan’s mouth thinned into a line as he watched Kaylee turn away, again wanting to reach out and hold her, but this time because he was worried she would walk away and not look back—but she stayed. She turned back, blushing, and he felt his face burn in response. He felt stupid for saying anything, resisting the temptation to pinch himself to check if he was dreaming. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, breathing harshly through his nose as his mouth remained tightly clamped. “Kaylee, I’m not just saying this. I’ve been thinking about it. For weeks. Maybe longer. Not always making myself think about it, either, it just happens—I told Aaron. I think he knew, he didn’t fight it, he didn’t argue.” He let out the remainder of his breath, not realizing he had done all of that in one go with air to spare. “If you want to wait, we can wait, I don’t want to rush, I just... I just wanted you to know. Because it’s been eating me up inside. I haven’t stopped thinking about you. I’m never going to stop thinking about you.”

Kaylee: She stepped closer to him without even thinking about it. It was instinct when it came to him. When he was upset or frustrated or worried, she /needed/ to be close to him, to comfort him. It'd been this way since she was sixteen years old and Kaylee couldn't see it changing anytime soon. She looked up at him, trying to keep the shock off her face. "You told Aaron." She repeated, processing everything he was saying. That made it so much more real. This wasn't just some coping mechanism to get over the first person he'd ever loved. He meant this. She took another step closer, so close to him that she could almost feel the heat from his body through his t-shirt. Her face remained angled up towards him, her eyes wide and trust filled. "You really want this?" A part of her was scared for the answer. Dylan had opened the door and she wasn't sure if there was any turning back. All of the feelings she'd been burying, all of the hopes she'd pushed away for years because it /couldn't/ be, came rushing back and Kaylee wasn't sure if she'd be able to get them to stop.

Dylan: This was Dylan Stewart—the boy of a million different contradictions. Of fear and regret, self-doubt and crippling confidence issues. He had grown up in the town of Mystic Falls, gone from naive to knowing to a fighter, all because of Kaylee Reese. He had gone from obsessing over one single girl for most of his life to falling for his best friend, and the person who had been there for him through it all had been Kaylee Reese. She had stuck by him through college, through his first job interview, his first failure, his first success. And now here she was helping him deal with not his first breakup, but the first that had felt truly real to him. “I want this,” he said softly, consciously aware of how close they were. He reached out now, finally, all the yearning concentrated in this singular gesture. His hand loosely took hold of her shoulder, arm wrapping around the side of her body. The other reached out to wrap her in the hug. He crouched slightly, putting them at eye level, and he forced himself to kiss her. At first he was tentative, simply pressing his lips to hers, but after a moment he willed himself to actually make a move. His eyes were closed. Everything felt right. Maybe, a pit feeling in his stomach noted, it wouldn’t last forever, but it felt like it would. This was Kaylee Reese—she was different. They had been through so much together, so much hurt and triumph. This was only the beginning of a new story, one they could embark on together. “You and me,” he whispered, pulling away, feeling sheepish and embarrassed still for having done any of that. “Against the world."

Kaylee: Kaylee stayed silent as he thought about her question, trying to ignore the sinking feeling that was happening her in stomach. He was going to say no. He was going to take it all back and things would be ruined. She knew she was going to start crying at any moment. Crying because of lost possibility. Crying because she was going to lose him. And then he spoke and a brilliant smile spread across her face. The kind of smile that was strictly reserved for Dylan Stewarts. He reached out for her, and her own hand slid to rest gently on his chest. Her heart beat was completely erratic now, pounding in her chest as her breath caught when he lowered his lips to hers. It had been four years since their last kiss and none of those kisses felt quite like this one. This wasn't too cover up two teenagers sneaking into a morgue, or a peck on her lips as he teased her about her t-shirt. This was five years of build up leading up to one perfect moment. And it was perfect because it was them. Because it started out a little awkward, where she stumbled to figure out where to put her hands and he took things slowly as if testing the waters. And then it all clicked and everything felt /right/. Kissing Dylan was just as natural as everything else with him. She let out a low breath as he pulled back a little, whispering softly to her. She smiled again, that special Dylan smile, and reached up to brush her lips softly over his own. "You and me." She repeated. "It's /always/ going to be you and me."

#dylan and kaylee #transcript

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dylanstewarts · 13 years ago

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Individual Messages Enclosed

So this is just a little list of goodbyes I’ve got with people I have open chat windows with on Skype, ‘cause I haven’t closed them in a while, and then whoever I can think of beyond that and if I forget you, I’m sorry, I’m hysterical.

Zach: You’re first. Because I never once shut a chat with you. Not once since we started talking. And then we stopped talking, and I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t hurt. I don’t even know if you’re going to read this, but I just wanted to put this here because I never gave up on you. We both know how I felt about Dyron and you were a big part of that. It wouldn’t have happened without you, it wouldn’t have gotten to where it did without you, and it wouldn’t have survived without you. If the RP hadn’t shut down, then I would have assumed they broke up, and Dylan would have been a mess. I might have quit, honestly, because I didn’t want to go through depressed Dylan again. I don’t blame you, or fault you, for leaving. I just wanted to let you know I never once gave up on you. And you should come back and say hi, because I was serious when I said I wanted to be better friends with you.

Trev: Secretly, this whole time I’ve been hoping the site would shut down because I’d finally be rid of you. 5 years, man. 5 long years. One day I’ll figure out how to get you to leave me alone. In my head, Tark had sex a couple times but never anything serious. No big.

Rhi: Hey. This one is probably going to hurt the most, even though you know I’m not going anywhere. You were honestly the best friend I made in this RP and I told you way more about my life than is considered polite, but you always put up with it. Your daughter is the coolest person on the planet and I insist on babysitting her just once before she’s considered too old to be babysat. Honestly, the thing I’m going to miss most about this place is Dylee—not Dyron, because I’d come to terms with that ending—and I absolutely love how we turned their friendship from a plotline of “wants him to get over her sister” to becoming the person he went to when he realized he might be gay. It meant a lot to him, and you meant—mean—a lot to me. Thanks for being there.

Jamie: I think what made me like you was the fact that you’d always send me ridiculous OOC prompts when I requested them. We’ve gotten pretty close the past couple weeks, but I really don’t have much to say about you aside from Rory/Dylan was a great friendship and I wish we could have explored it a bit more. Also stop cheating at mafia.

Chelsey: I tried. At least I can say I tried. For a little while I was distraught about this move, but I can honestly say—damn, girl, you’re good. This did exactly what you needed it to do, and that was really smart. We really didn’t talk much until recently, and most of it was under less than pleasant circumstance, but if it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened, and you’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for helping me out that night. I’m waiting patiently for the next instalment in your RP series. Hopefully it’s something that I can get into.

Becki: I don’t even know where to begin with this one. But, since you’re so adamant that I don’t say goodbye, I’m not saying anything.

Alex: You turned out pretty alright once you stopped trying to steal my man from me. We didn’t really interact much in-game, but you were ever-present out of character and you kept me company, and vice-versa, when I had nobody else to talk to.

Becki 2.0: Kidding. Don’t kill me. I really don’t know where to start, though. It’ll come to me.

Evita: We didn’t start talking until like 2 weeks ago, and that sucks because you came with the best testimonial out there. Zach’s best friend. Man, that’s a glowing review. Regardless, you were there for me when all this went down and I can never thank you enough or properly express how much it meant to me to not feel like the only person affected by all that. You’re an amazing person and, even though you left, I’m glad you stuck around in spirit.

Liv: I’m mad we never got to para. But I’m happy about everything else. We were never super duper close, but I enjoyed our talks when they happened, and I feel like in one way or another we were always in some sort of contact, even if it was just a passing comment on the OOC blog. You were such a presence here and one of the people I was pretty intimidated by, even though you went out of your way to make me feel included early on. Dylan and Melissa’s marriage should be going strong ten, twenty years into the future. Maybe Dylan even knows she’s a witch. Who knows. I know you said you may not be on Skype much anymore, but hopefully you reconsider that, because you know everybody loves you and nobody wants you to vanish entirely.

Ash: You are the coolest lesbian I’ve ever met. Possibly one of the coolest people I’ve ever met in general. Nick was one of the best characters on this site and that was entirely due to your badassery. You always had a ridiculous story to tell and you always stayed cool and out of the drama. I’ve got mad amounts of respect for you.

Kev: We’ve never really talked aside from in the OOC chat, but I figured your entry would fit snugly here, because the entire time I was writing Ash’s, I could stop thinking about that ridiculous conversation we had the other night. Just when everybody thought we were broken down, unwilling to talk to each other, that the RP was dying—you and Ash managed to spark a genuinely happy conversation (if disgusting), and the two of you really need to be commended for that.

Ashli: Another person I rarely spoke to, but I had so much respect for you because you stepped up in a time where the future seemed really uncertain and from what I saw, you did a commendable job. You tried your best, and I hope you don’t get too down on yourself, because some things are meant to be, and I’m starting to realize that this is probably the best move. You got what you wanted, though—we’re a family again.

Princess Sam: I will always serve you, my princess! Dylaroline was totally the greatest ship in this RP (Dyler too) and I kind of wish they could have rebounded on each other in the summer—let’s just pretend that was gonna happen because the sheer idea of it makes me laugh—and realize they would rather just be “cool, bro”.

Eliza: What are you, like 12? Why are you even reading this right now, shouldn’t you be doing finger painting or something? Andie was fabulous and you did a really good job with her. Her friendship with Dylan always made me smile, especially the makeover at Kaylee and Katherine’s party. Good times. Gooooood times.

Ira: I’ve got a chat open with you because of last night, so I figure fuck it, I’m gonna say something. Dude, when are we gonna WoW together?

Bri: You’re insane. Absolutely insane. But you’re hilariously insane. Alaric made me laugh so much, and Dylaric was a pretty strong contender for my next crackship because they were fun to interact with. A piece of advice for the future: no more proper Bri.

Rose: If there’s anybody in the RP I need to commend, it’s you. You came in with an OC and defied all the odds and made yourself a serious presence in this RP. That takes guts, skill, and talent. I’m glad you stuck around, because Peyton ended up playing a big part in Dylan’s growth and development and it wouldn’t have been quite so poignant if you had left halfway through and left him hanging. Thanks for the dedication.

Nadja: Dizzy was my first real ship on this site, and I’m sorry it ended how it did—but I’m glad you pulled through, because you were one of the few people I spoke to on a daily basis at that time, and your friendship meant a lot to me. I don’t know where you’ve run off to now, but I hope you get better and keep in touch.

Ashley: Can you believe we weren’t even Skype friends until like a week and a half ago? Blasphemy. You and me, man. I don’t know where it came from, but we became pretty good friends, didn’t we? Most of this was in the Skype chat, and I really think it’s a success story to how that place really did manage to bring people together. Tee Black 5eva.

AM/Cat/Evelyn/Laurie/Miranda/Terry/Iris/Jovana: We didn’t really talk or interact much, but you guys were big presences on the site for me and you’re all great. AM, I’ll never forget you serenading me while I was intoxicated. Cat, you should really just change your name to Cathy. Evelyn, did you know it took me ages to realize you were Brazilian? Laurie, you are so adorable and Chris is my favourite. Miranda, Dylan/Klaus friendship would have been legit. Terry, your Katherine was great. Iris, you intimidated me for the longest time, I’m glad you stuck around. Jovana, I feel bad that I don’t have much to say, but I did like Mia/Alex (Matt Bomerrrrrr~, so pretty).

Kelly/Aus10: More people I didn’t talk to, but Grace Kelly I wanted to be your best friend for no reason other than the fact that people called you Grace Kelly. Austin, I don’t think we ever spoke, but you made me laugh a lot. You guys weren’t around all the time, but when you were, it really livened up the dash.

Jenn/Jo/Mati: You guys are still (relatively) new, and the three of you managed to break the string of join-and-drops are really try to make an effort at being a part of the site, so that speaks a lot to your guys’ willingness to be here. Sorry we didn’t interact very often, but you guys are awesome.

REALLY sorry if I forgot anybody. I don’t think I did.

Oh, wait-- Becki! Becki, Becki, Becki. Laverne. I'm honestly still not sure what to say, because I could either get really sappy or just joke non-stop. I'm not really sure which to do. Yeah, I hated you for a while. Not a serious hatred, but your name caused chills to run down my spine. And it was for the silliest reason ever, and I think that's why I converted to loving you so quickly. Because you're such a good person, and I think that you really made the effort to talk to people and try to make people feel welcome--I could be dead wrong, but you at least made the effort to talk, and that's a bonus either way. Lyla and Tyler were two of my favourite people to interact with on this site, mostly because you played them. Yeah, I'm just rambling now because I honestly don't know how to sum up my feels for you, because you were so instrumental in me not having a mental breakdown a couple times, and I'm glad I could help you out, too. I'm keeping my promise. I'm not gonna leave you.

But yeah. This is it. Not goodbye, but a brief respite as we wait for Chels’ next great adventure. I’m serious when I say I hope to see you guys all on Skype, and I hope we can keep the group chats running because they were a big part of my day. SPNF became a home to me, and honestly gave me some purpose and drive to get out of bed some mornings.

I’m really going to miss playing Dylan. A lot. And I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to play a character like him again, because he hit so close to home that closing his book is like ending a chapter of my own life. In some ways, I hope it is. I hope I can learn and grow from you guys in the same vein that I hope I taught you all something—maybe, I dunno, something My Little Pony related.

Thanks for the past couple of months, guys, and hopefully you guys are in my future as well.

Again, feel free to harass me—Skype (brandonhersey), Twitter (@brandonhersey), Facebook (www.facebook.com/herseybrandon).

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