#𝔡𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢. ⸻ ft. sawyer marshall

[demidevildiva]

Closed Starter: @oculiaperticlausi

"I've grabbed you a strawberries daiquiri to express how hot you make me inside with the slightest of glances." he said, handing her the mocktail knowingly but with a secret smirk. "Are you trying to tease me? You think I won't carry you off into a closet?"

[demidevildiva]

@oculiaperticlausi

[demidevildiva]

Closed Starter: @oculiaperticlausi

He uttered a quick thank you to the waitress as he secured the two cups of hot chocolate and made his way out towards his pretty girl. "Be careful, it's piping hot." he warned once he'd reached her and placed one of the two beverages in her palm. "Should we have a bit of a stroll?" The evening, although chilly, was beautiful enough where they could enjoy themselves without too much discomfort. Their drinks would warm them the rest of the way, then they could return to their vehicle. They needed to spend more time walking around - he'd learned on the internet that it helped mother's have an easier birth. He'd also gone out of his way to get her a giant ball to bounce on, but Sawyer had no clue yet.

[demidevildiva]

His face morphed as she spoke, all sort of emotions crossing his features. He couldn't understand why she was doing this. Didn't get why she protected him still when he'd almost killed her. Dante didn't want to listen to her speak anymore. Her words triggering an unknown wave inside of him threatening to break him down. To tear at him limb by limb until he was scattered into pieces. He covered his ears and shut his eyes making the tears he held back start to flow. "Tell me." he said barely above a whisper. All the anger in him diminished. He felt like he was spinning while tied to a wheel and she just threw daggers at him. Blow after blow, but this was no circus act. Her daggers struck, and they pierced his flesh. "Tell me, Sawyer. Tell me who he is." he asked again turning from her. He couldn't look at her because her words slowly began to make more and more sense. He was angry at her. He did blame her for what happened, but he didn't want to. Not when she'd come back to him. Not when accepting those feelings meant… Dante punched the wall besides him over and yelled, "Why are you doing this?! Why are you protecting him!" he had to stop and take a breath because of how much his lungs were suffering holding back everything in him. "Fuck!" he yelled again, fists formed into fists at his side, "Fuck you. Fuck you, Sawyer! Fucking fuck you! How could you?" his words left his mouth in a burst too quick for him to filter. With too much force to not be real. She'd almost killed herself. She was at fault. She took the drugs. Dante turned and walked out of the room slamming the door shut behind him. He couldn't look at her. Couldn't stand in her presence in this very moment - he needed space. He walked right past his grandfather and out the door.

END

Sawyer stares at the sound board, not really wanting to meet his eyes. In all their years of friendship, there's never been a single thing she's never wanted to tell him but she's not telling him to protect Dylan. No. She's not telling him to protect him. Emotions have been high the last couple of days, it's been one blow after another and she's read the general chat. She's not entirely stupid. It's going to be the one thing that sets the other over the edge and the last thing she is going to do is ruin his life. It's an internal debate especially when he throws it at her that she had promised to tell him everything. She glances to the space where his chair was. She turns her head to look over her shoulder at him. Her eyes flicker to the door where pawpaw is down the hall, a part of her wonders if he heard all that. Maybe that kiss was all an emotional reaction, one to prevent him from getting to this one. "I almost killed me, Dante." She points at her chest. "Me." She drops her hand to her side. "He didn't force those drugs on me." She can't tell Dante she doesn't think Dylan left after all. After talking about him at the meeting, a part of her couldn't stop thinking about how angry he got himself when he heard what the hotel manager said and that she agreed to hear him out about what actually happen. "The anger you feel toward him… It's the anger you should be feeling toward me so why won't you?" She didn't realize she didn't put any space between them. Her eyes resting on his face. "I'm the one who lied for months, I'm the one who took the drugs despite knowing the consequences. I'm the one who put my life on the line. You can't blame everyone else but me, D. You can't."

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

"I'm not pretending that it didn't happen." Although she sort of was avoiding thinking about it. Didn't want to make it into something more than what it had been because they were both running on high emotions in general. Apple was a person who liked to process her emotions while through her paintings. Gather her thoughts and figure out the best outcome for her approach, but in the moment she couldn't really do that. Instead she found herself pulling at the silly bands around her wrist. "That's what has you upset? Z…," she said biting her lip, "… I don't know what to say."

Zekai scoffs, dropping his head to look down at his feet. "Don't," he shakes his head, trying to shove his hands deeper into the pockets of his sweater. "Yeah, I am upset about Daniela. I don't think that's something that's going to go away but this -" he pulls one hand out to gesture between them. "Right now is not why I'm upset." He lifts his head up to look at her. "We kissed, Apple. Not because I'm upset and grieving, not because my emotions are high and I don't know how to deal with them. Because I wanted to! I wanted to when we were in the corn maze together too and you… You kissed me back. How can you just stand there and pretend that shit didn't happen?"

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

Dante couldn't help but smile inspite of her worries. In the world they lives, he'd be more surprised if she were mentally ill then seeing actual ghosts. Her therapist would have caught onto something by this point wouldn't she? And if not then they certainly had a lawsuit coming their way. He wasn't worried, though. If the entities frightened her then he'd do everything in his power to ensure they kept their distance. There had to be someone out there able to do something about these apparitions. "You won't find out for sure until you confront the problem, pretty girl." He pulled on her hand, messing with her fingers as she'd done his before guiding her to their bed. "That is if it's something you want to do." Dante moved around her and undoing the covers so she could climb in besides him, "If you don't want to then I'll chase them all away!" His joked lightheartedly, but his gaze remained on her. Dante wasn't a fan of how scared her own sanity made her. The only way he could show his support was with encouragements and being present. "We can stop by the church and get some holy water. I'm sure the old man would just love that."

Sawyer raises her eyes up to him, her hand reaching out to take his. Her love language has always been physical; at any point in time she's near the man in front of her she has to have her hands on him in some way or another. His little smile and hand squeeze tells her he's taking a route where he's not going to try and keep scolding her a little longer. If there was one person in this entire world she knew loved her inside and out, it was Dante. They've had a connection for as long as she could remember and the only thing she can say she regrets when it comes to their relationship was not pulling him closer when she lost herself in Chicago. She tilts her head to the side, pressing her lips together when he mentions she should probably talk to the spirits at hand. "You..." She inhales. "You don't think I'm just seeing things," it's not question, the way he's wording it makes her think that he fully believes she is seeing spirits and it's not something her past inflicted on her in some form of a disease. "I've been too worried to try and talk to them." She chews on her lower lip. "I thought maybe when I almost..." She drops her gaze to his hand, her fingers still touching his. It's a sensitive topic for not only her, but him as well. She sometimes wonders if he ever felt it; the moment she died. "I thought maybe the drugs did it."

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

d: I said what I said d: See you at the house

Sawyer: Dante.

Sawyer: You and I both know you are aware of who this person is.

Sawyer: It's why you asked him to come to the studio. So, you could see the way him and I interacted.

Sawyer: You can go. We can go together.

Sawyer: Like you said no more secrets even though this makes me feel bad.

Sawyer: We are having a baby together.

Sawyer: you are my priority.

Sawyer: if you want me to tell you his name... I will.

Sawyer: if you need me to type out a name, I will.

[demidevildiva]

To say that he was slightly confused in the sudden shift in the room would have been an understatement. He had expected them to dive into some deep conversation but had merely assumed it was Myles related. Nothing personal specifically - mostly in due to how well he believed that he knew Sawyer inside and out. They shared something that he couldn't explain, nor needed explained. Things just were. Dante placed the groceries on the counter and moved quickly to her side by the couch. "Hey, hey..." he tried to console her by placing a hand on the side of her face and running her hair away. He swallowed trying his best to let her finish without any interruptions. Her words weren't processing properly. They couldn't be - because then he's be hearing... "Sawyer?" he asked, lifting her chin so he could see her face. Dante hated to see her upset. Hated seeing tears on her eyes, but in the moment he couldn't focus on it. "What are you trying to say?" he asked with a locked jaw as he fought his thoughts to remain empty for the time being. There was so much to address that he didn't know where to get started.

Sawyer drops her gaze down to look at all the groceries in his hand. She pushes herself up and stands up off the couch, shaking her head at his words. She doesn't know if she can do this. It's an internal battle, all the secrets she kept from him the last two years because of what she had found out. She knows he'll keep everything she says to himself since he is the only person she told about what happened in New York. "I found my mom in Chicago." She lifts her eyes up to him, the words spitting out of her. "I went to her house. She has uh..." She shakes her head. "She has three other kids. I have an older siblings, and two younger ones. I don't really... know what happened she refused to see me. She told me if I ever showed my face to her family again she'd..." She looks down at her feet. "And I couldn't go back to Myles. Tell him the truth. That my dad wasn't my dad, that he beat the shit out of me because of it... that my mom didn't even want me." She bites on her lower lip. "So, uh... I tried to make a life in Chicago, do what I was supposed to be doing there but I met people... I fell down a hole and I..." She lifts her eyes up to look at Dante, tears already blurring her vision. "I..." She knows when she says the word, the way he's looking at her is gonna change, the sincerity, the love, the everything that was them. "I got hooked on drugs. I was drinking. It's why I got distant from Myles, it's why we broke up. I never..." She sniffles, raising her hand up to wipe away her tears. "So, the reason I was... distant. It's because I wasn't me... I wasn't here... I... then..." She feels like she should stop talking, let it all sink for him.

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

"He'd absolutely love that." Dante grinned, chest pounding with excitement. It felt amazing to have her back and to be able to keep her without having to say goodbye at the end of a holiday or a summer. "What would you like us to make for dinner, then? My homemade spaghetti? Maybe some apple crumble for desert? I know how much you love the old man's desserts." Dante couldn't help but laugh and hold his hands up in his defense and as signal of his surrender. "I'm not judging or anything." he teased, and pressed his lips to hide his smirk, "It doesn't exactly look like they like each other very much anyways. It's no wonder he can't keep his eyes off you. Not that you've given him a reason to do so either while wearing that dress. She could never compare." Dante picked up the drinks, handing over Sawyers and sipping from his. "There's plenty of options available. Point in a direction and I'll let you know if they're worth you time."

Sawyer and Dante were two peas in a pod. There was a love between them that sometimes she couldn't even explain. He was probably the only person she told everything too... at least until she started doing the one thing he would look at her differently for. She was sure all the love he had for her would disappear. "I love you," she reaches out, putting her hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze as she smiles widely at the idea of his grandfather wanting to see her. "Well, I'll have to come see him tomorrow. Her gaze flickers toward the bartender when Dante orders her a drink, a risk to her sobriety but how does she turn down a drink without him questioning it. "I don't bully you, please." She rolls her eyes as she glances in the direction he's looking. "I don't know... Probably someone who isn't engaged," she teases, playing with why he was probably looking at her ex.

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

Dante shot a glance in her direction, putting a smile on his lips. "You've always been my one and only, S." which was not a lie in the slightest. He dated people from time to time, but Dante was so in love with his music and spent so much time busying himself with work that he didn't ever put too much into relationships. He made sure to let everyone know that although he enjoyed the company they provided his focus at the moment was in building his brand and growing his business. Had no time for drama or getting into anything serious. Sawyer had always been an exception to his every rule, though. She'd come into his life and he'd drop anything and everything to be by her side. It was really amazing how he never noticed throughout all those years where things were headed for him - or even just them. "Good, cause I don't know how to say this, but I think she might have stolen my heart."

Sawyer didn't know what it was. She felt lighter around him, lighter than she usually was. It was as if the barrier she surrounded herself with in their years of friendship vanished the second their feelings came out. The only hard part was not being able to fully commit, to think about being with other people and him with other people. It was going to be the longest 9 months of her fucking life. "He might need to. I think I'd like his eyes on me at all times." She teases. She smirks over at him, dropping her eyes slowly to the hand on her thigh. How one single touch from him could do her on was insane. "As long as I'm the girl you come home to…" She muses, glancing over at him. She knows it's not true, she can't stand the idea of him with anyone else but she knows neither one of them can hold all that frustration in. She sure fucking can't. "You might." She smirks. She looks back down at his hand on her thigh, placing her fingers on top of it. Her fingers graze across his knuckles as she focuses on her breathing. "Okay, maybe you really do have a chance."

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

For what felt like the last month Dante had questioned so much about everything around him. Himself specially as he battled his own demons to get through the maze of emotions that unfolded within him. He didn't know what was right anymore. A concept that had been so clear to him before, almost left alien as he stared at the bedroom wall. Being with her should have been as easy as breathing clean air. As easy as the fall had been, because he'd loved her for so long by this point. Not a person in this entire world had ever, or could ever compare to the level of devotion that he felt for his pretty girl, but the world was testing him. Her lies were testing him, and right now he didn't know the answers. Had come completely unprepared. A sigh left his body as he turned in the bed to look at the empty space that she'd left behind. He wasn't surprised that she'd gotten up before him, but he hated the thoughts that questioning where she was.

Dante pushed off the bed, finding his way into the Livingroom where his pawpaw sat watching one of his many game shows. He didn't converse much, merely fed his old man and sat to watch a quick episode with him. He had a lot of work to get through after having had left early the previous night. For a good while he thought about going into the studio and cracking the rest of his feelings through some music, but he didn't want to go anywhere before they spoke. Wasn't sure what they were going to say, or how any of it would go, but he knew they couldn't just ignore this like they've ignored so many other things since they chose to be together. Specially not now when they had a whole other life to bring into this world. After the show, Dante finally gave in and asked if his pawpaw knew where she was which got him a raised brow in response and a long look that said more than he'd like to acknowledge. "There was no fight, no yelling, just a slight disagreement old man, please. I can't do this right now. Do you know or not?" he asked, feeling a little bad about the way in which he spoke but he was so exhausted. When he got his answer, he apologized and walked back upstairs.

Dante couldn't stand the feeling of impending doom that loomed over his head, so he walked straight into his home studio and blasted music through his ears. Closing his eyes as he let it wash over him and consume his every thought. He doesn't know how long he was there for, but with him he was able to center himself enough to go out and look for her. It was easy to know where she was since his grandfather couldn't climb the stairs without assistance. He swore off them a couple of years back which gave Dante the entire floor to do as he pleased in. He didn't bother announcing himself as he made his way into the bathroom. Closing the door behind him despite the total privacy that they had.

He quietly took off his clothes, dropping them on the floor and moving the curtains as he joined her in the shower. Dante didn't say anything. Just brought his arms around her, holding her close to his chest as the water splashed through both of their bodies. "Can I wash your hair?" he asked her finally, pulling slightly away so he could look at her face. He needed this. To feel her alive and save where he could shelter her from the world. It wasn't fair and he knew it, but his pretty girl had been through so much. Handled so much on her own while he was cluelessly living his life. He couldn't blame himself for it, he knew, but it didn't help the feeling of anguish that it brought onto him.

There was hurt behind his words. She could practically feel the pain pinning her onto the hardwood floor. She was never good at this sort of thing. It was easy being vulnerable with him when she didn't have to look at his face, feel the emotions swirling up to wrapping themselves around her throat, threatening to choke her. When she had informed him over the phone about what happened with her… dad. She played it off like it was nothing, danced with the fake emotions instead of the real ones and when she hung up, it's when the sobs came, it's when reality hit. It was never about honesty, it was never about not being truthful. She spent her whole life trying to impress one man, do everything she could to get him to love her unconditionally like some of the other daughters she knew. Her gaze focuses on the ceiling as she presses her lips together. The first time she cried about something was the yelling began, the first time he ever got in her face.

Her fingers curl into the palm of her hand. She wants a rewind button, to take herself back onto that porch. All of Leo's text messages burning in her mind. She could say she didn't tell Dante everything, things she did tell him about she didn't dive into the vulnerability part because the idea of it… when she was sixteen, it was the first time she had realized what being vulnerable did to her. She always found ways to distract the other. Whenever she felt conversations getting too real… is when she would use her body as a weapon to distract them. It's why her and Dylan never had a single meaningful conversation, it's why it was so easy because they were built the same but its also why they were so bad for each other. Since this started. There was nothing she wanted more to be honest with him about all of it. "I'm trying. I'm laying here, being honest. I've been more vulnerable and open with you than I have been with any other person in my life. I'm trying." Myles had been the boy next door her whole life. A boy she had thought was her destiny, her future, the one who was going to love her through every hurdle, flaw, mistake and when it truly counted she pushed and he went.

How was she not supposed to feel like at any given moment Dante would see what he did? "I wanted to bring it back up that night but we avoided the topic. I texted you tonight and vaguely told you where I was going yes but I was going to tell you tonight when I came home. All I did was pick him up, take him home and tuck him into bed." She glances in his direction, a soft exhale leaves her when he tells her to get into bed. She pushes herself up nice and slow to make sure she doesn't get dizzy. She walks over to the other side of the bed, lifts up the blanket and slips into the bed with him. "Okay. We will talk more tomorrow." Despite the fact it unsettled her to allow this to be a thick fog between them. She inhales as she looks up the ceiling, knowing full aware she wasn't going to get any sleep.

Somehow she does, the blonde opens her eyes, glancing to the slight part in the curtain to tell the time. Her phone still on the floor where she left it the night before but by the looks it might be early enough. She shifts carefully, sitting up and heading to the drawers. She grabs a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt. She changes, tossing the clothes from the night before in the hamper. She puts on her sneakers and picks up her phone, sliding it into her pocket then heads over to grab her earbuds. She puts them in her ear, pulls her phone out to play music and heads out the bedroom. Somehow pawpaw is awake so she briefly mentions she's going for a run and then goes out the door. She takes it easier than she wants but comes back an hour later. She greets pawpaw when she walks in and heads to the bedroom. She grabs some clothes and walks into the bathroom again. She peels off her clothes and turns on the shower. She runs her fingers under the water and adjusts the handles before stepping in.

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

D: I will find him with or without your help [deleted] D: [read]

sawyer: is telling you really going to put a band aid on all of this? sawyer: what happens when that band aid isn't enough, d? sawyer: what then?

[demidevildiva]

He was emotionally not alright but his face remained a force field of emptiness. Dante didn't know what to do or how to feel in the moment. He wanted to be angry. Wanted to march himself straight on over to Leo and beat him with a cord or whatever else he could find in that hospital room. But he also just wanted to close his eyes and breathe. Too much was going on and way too fast. Four people had died while all of them had been around. Four dead, one injured, and Leo overdosing. Dante forced himself to swallow as Sawyer made her way to him took residence at his side. He didn't need her to worry about anymore for the night. "It's going to be okay, baby." he said, wrapping his arms around the small of her frame. "Leo's going to be okay." his voice shook slightly with the uncertainty he felt. This was uncharted territory for Dante - just as anything regarding drugs was. He wasn't sure what would happen to Leopold now. Didn't know what he was probably going through, or how he felt, or even if he'd be better now or addicted to drugs. He was entirely clueless. "Have you heard anything back?" he asked, trying to shift his focus back onto her. Moving his hands up to brush her hair away from her face with his free hand and coming to rest it on her neck where he brushed his thumb along her cheek.

closed — @demidevildiva

Sawyer kicks off her shoes. She's been solely living off adrenaline the last twenty-four hours. After the news spread through the museum and Leo's name was dropped, there was no talking the blonde out of not being at the hospital until the news he was okay or not came out. She gave Philly her number and told her to keep her in the loop, to let her know when it would be okay to come see Leo because she didn't want to overwhelm him when he wakes up. She blinks a few times as she looks down at the dress she was wearing the night before. Truly, she should go sit in the shower and wash the nothing she feels away.

Her phone beeps, her eyes dropping down to look at the text message from Philly. LEO IS OK-PHILLY. Maybe they are reminding her they didn't lose him. She feels the tears fill her eyes, walking over to her side of the bed as she places her phone down on the nightstand. She sits down on the bed, staring at her hands. Her emotions boiling up to the surface as she allows the tears to fall, the second the bed sinks down next to her she sobs. "Oh my God." She breathes out as she leans her head to rest it against Dante, her hands moving up to wipe her tears away, not being able to stop the waves that have been holding back until now.

[demidevildiva]

Dante stared at her in utter shock, unable to form proper sentences with how angry he was. For once in his entire life he was... disgusted with her words. Not even when she confessed her secret did his emotions rage this way. "Don't make you do that? What? Tell me everything like you said you would? Or does that come with exceptions now? Sawyer, do you not hear yourself?" Dante pushed away from his chair needing more space to breath. Space to breath, to comprehend and settle his anger but his chest hurt too much. "You cannot be this fucking naive! He just left you there! There isn't a reason in the fucking world for you to even talk to this dude, let alone hear what he has to say about almost killing you! Sawyer for fuck's sake!" Dante's entire body was shaking uncontrollably. "Who. Is. He."

"What?" Sawyer repeats in confusion, turning her head to look over toward him. Her eyes drift across his features, it's an expression she truly has never seen him sport. It's when it dawns on her what she said. Dylan. She thinks, pressing her lips together, turning her head to look over to the sound board again. "D." She starts as her hands move to the different buttons but she doesn't touch them or mess with any. It's just to give her hands something to do. "Don't make me do that." She says softly. "You don't need to go punching him in the face, I already did that." She clears her throat. "Plus there is more to the story, he just hasn't told me it yet." She hopes that doesn't make her sound weird especially since she can practically feel the steam coming out of his ears like some damn cartoon character.

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

“Good.” He said firmly, leaning over and kissing the top of her head before he took a seat over the sound board. Dante was avoiding all thoughts about their shared kiss. He could already hear the laughter from his pawpaw and he hadn’t even told him yet. He wondered if he should even mention it since it wasn’t supposed to mean anything else, but there wasn’t much he kept from his old man. “Do you miss it?” he asked her, training his fingers over the board as he flipped a couple switches allowing for background music to distract himself with. “It must be hard knowing he’d be a husband to someone else in less than four months.”

"Never ever ever." Sawyer chuckles, leaning against one of the chairs in the room. She chews on her lower lip, finding herself thinking back to the kiss from earlier. She knows it's better for the both of them to forget the entire thing happened and chalk it up to his emotions of learning about what she went through were why he had done it. It couldn't be anything more than that. She's not sure what would happen to their friendship if he tried. Her eyes pull away from the sound board when he starts to tease her about Myles. Her eyes rolling at his words as a low laugh leaves her. "Dancing was his idea, not mine. So, maybe he was trying to show me what I'm missing out on." She teases.

@demidevildiva

[demidevildiva]

"I'm not." He said defensively, although he wasn't quite sure of how truthful he was being. Dante loved performing and the thrill of being on stage in front of a massive crowd, but that life came with it's own hurtles. Too much drinks, too many people around him doing drugs and he couldn't take it. He'd much rather work on his business and not be around the those people who buried their woes in pills and injections… Dante pressed his lips together for a moment, hating the directions his thoughts had sent him. "I actually love what I'm doing now too. Don't get me wrong, I'd jump at the opportunity to perform on stage whenever I get the chance, but I can't… I can't leave my old man either."

Sawyer laughs. "As if. He would totally smack you on the back of the head if he heard you talk about him like that." She teases. She scrambles over her footing as he starts to tug her toward the back. She drifts her gaze to look around, taking in how much the house has changed over the years. "You did good," she mutters practically under her breath until they approach the recording studio. She lifts her eyes up toward him, pressing her lips together. "You shouldn't put your dream on the back burner. Is there a way to balance it better?"

@demidevildiva