I Need a Hero (Lani)

[Adrianna Carstyn]

It'd been a while since she'd gone out to the club. Being cooped up in her dorm to avoid life had become her hobby. Running was different, she'd gone out running to strengthen her ankle. And had hoped to avoid social interaction. In the end, she'd had little success with that. But it wasn't all bad. She'd met someone who was nice and understood things a lot better than she expected anyone to. And she had helped him understand his power better. It could have been worse. She had gotten lucky with him and maybe developed a bit of a crush. (Shh, she doesn't know that yet.)

Adrianna needed to get out. Away from her depression. Things with Craven were okay, but not the same. She couldn't go to him to talk. She couldn't bring up any other guy around him. He was being difficult so she hadn't hung out with him much. Not that he enjoyed clubbing much anyway. Robbie was a possibility, but she doubted he'd want to deal with her psychotic mood swings. She was at a loss of people to hang out with.

Then she remembered the recent contact that had been put in her phone. One Lani Hunter.

Since she'd met him, they'd texted a few times when she was bored and even talked on the phone after she discussed her mother's illness with the at-home nurse. He was helping her through the news that just kept getting worse it seemed. Having dealt with something similar, he had helped more than anyone else would have. They had a good friendship, more understanding than intimate, which was entirely new for her. And she was ready to tell him more about her life. Her past in particular. They often discussed small things, such as favorite colors and foods. Nothing more had come up. But she was ready for more.

So, she sent him a text asking if he'd like to hang out in the club district with her. It was unlikely that he'd even say yes. And when he did, she nearly dropped her phone out of shock.

Adrianna had taken her time getting ready. Her hair had taken a long time to do considering she was used to straightening it rather than letting it fall in waves down her back with a thick clip pulling it back out of her face. She had yet to find a jacket, but didn't really have time to. The knock on the door indicated that he was early and in her nervousness, she'd forgotten the jacket altogether. They headed to the club and she sat fidgeting the whole way. Every once in a while she'd glance at him, itching to reach out and touch his hand. But unbelievably, she didn't. Yet.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani was crushing bad. Adrianna invaded his thoughts and he couldn't get away. He had taken to checking his phone more regularly and when she texted him he always answered. Most of the things they talked about were common but none of it was missed by Lani. He was always intrigued by what she had to say. Ever since they had met running Lani hadn't been able to get her out of his head. He had tried everything. He couldn't believe how fast he was falling for someone. He who had never had a relationship might have finally met someone. He found himself talking with her into the night over the phone. The biggest thing had been when she called about her mother, he was surprised she had turned to him. But at the same time pleased. He had listened as she ranted and offered logical and comforting words.

He hadn't told Cassie yet because he was nervous and didn't want to say anything just in case something he thought was something actually wasn't. They hadn't really done more than talk mostly so when he got the text about going to the club he had been more than surprised. He had spontaneously said sure. He was glad he did because then he started over analyzing and if he had done that before hand he probably wouldn't be going to a club tonight.

As embarrassing as it might be he had consulted Caroline in her infinite wisdom about what to wear via skype. He had finally decided on a pair of blank boots and dark jeans. He had a dark gray shirt under a lighter gray button up. He left it mostly unbuttoned and had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. After his sister finished embarrassing him his mother and surprise his father! He grinned as his mother took his father's head and showed him how to fix his hair. It was when the teasing started that he bid them farewell and paced around his room for a little while. So in her nervousness he left early and arrived early. He had stood outside her door for a little while before knocking.

She had taken his breath away. It had taken him a while to stammer out how beautiful she looked. On the way Lani distracted himself by looking out the window and when they finally arrived Lani's heart was hammering. He paid the taxi and almost took her hand but chickened out at the last minute. They got into the short cue line Lani was sure he was about to explode with nervousness. He just wanted to get inside where it would be hard to see his face turn red every time he turned to her. "You look great," he said again with a smile. "I'm excited to see you in action." He teased. He glanced over and saw Adrianna being eyed and he reached over hesitantly and brushed his hand against the back of hers before taking her hand in his.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

When she opened the door to see him standing there, she nearly let out a fangirl squeal. He looked so freakin good, it wasn't fair. Her heart started reacting the way it always did. It didn't matter if she was looking at him or just talking to him on the phone, when she thought of him, her heart went flying. They'd gotten to know each other through phone conversations a lot better. She'd stay up late just so she could talk to him longer, and as soon as they got off the phone she did her happy dance because he was just so adorable. He always answered, he always made her feel special and he was so sweet!

The way he looked just added on to everything else. She could tell he was nervous, but she didn't understand why (because she's oblivious to everything). He told her that she looked beautiful and her heart nearly exploded. It was awful, but she was so happy! Her smile was bright and more than happy. Nothing would bring her mood down tonight. Not at all. She was to stay positive and in a good mood. Not that it'd be hard when she was with him. He had that affect on her.

She blushed and smiled at him, "Thank you. You look pretty darn attractive too." She smiled shyly and looked away to hide her nervousness. When she glanced up she noticed a guy giving her the look and her eyes rolled back in her head. Pig. All he saw was a pair of legs and an ass to stare at. She ignored it though, hopefully he wouldn't come over and try and pick her up. She'd probably smack him hard and knee him in his baby maker. Guys like that were the worst kind.

Surprisingly she felt Lani's hand brush against hers and he took hold of her hand. Adrianna beamed and leaned against his arm with one thought in her mind, 'my hero.' She laced her fingers through his tentatively and walked into the club with a bit more confidence added. He had made the move she was waiting for and was too afraid to make on her own. But she didn't know why? Had he seen the guy that looked as if he'd approach her? She hoped so, it made her feel like he might actually like her.

That would most likely make her night. The club pulsated with music and lights flashed. She led him deeper into the crowd and towards the dance floor with a wicked smile on her lips, "Dance with me?" She called over the loud music.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani matched her smile. Her bright smile that he just couldn’t get enough of. His heart thumped and he forced himself to keep his cool. He felt like he might explode, it was different than when his power exploded because that was just in his mind. This was like every atom wanted out. She had gotten to know him better than most anyone else here. He hadn’t divulged many of his secrets but he had sometimes told her of the workings of his thoughts. She was the perfect person to tell funny stories to because most other people had already heard them or simply didn’t care. It was nice to have someone listen and someone to listen to.

He blushed and shrugged his shoulders when she said he looked attractive. He pulled on his collar a little smiling broadly and puffing his chest out like a preening peacock. “Thanks,” he said much more shyly than his body language was letting on. He ran a hand through his hair his nervousness causing him to almost vibrate. He would be glad when they got inside and he would have something to do, to move and use this energy. He was glad than Adrianna reacted so well to him taking her hand. A smile bloomed on his lips and his heart insisted that she liked him at least a little bit.

The guy that had brought about his action was forgotten as she leaned against his shoulder. He planted his feet to make himself sturdier for her. He looked down at her and smiled. How could he be so lucky? He noticed her turn to the guy he had been watching. He now realized how much competition he had. She was a beautiful woman and he was going to have to make sure she didn’t get stolen away from him. He was happy to be here with her and the way she leaned on him he was happy he could be someone to support and protect her. His protective instincts seemed to always be in overdrive and when he met someone and got close to them he felt a duty to protect them. Caroline, Cassie and now Adrianna could all consider themselves safe under Lani’s watch.

After showing his ID and getting those awful black Xs on his hands he followed her into the club. The pounding music flowed through his body and he felt like his heart was matching the beat. The lights flashed and Lani was really glad he had her to guide him because walking in he took a laser light straight to the eyes and was left blinking for a few moments trusting her not to let him step on anyone. He finally was able to see and realized where she was leading him. He laughed a little and shook his head hoping he wouldn’t step on her feet. “Oh dear,” he muttered under his breath wondering what he had gotten into but nodded at her. This would at least give him an excuse to get close to her.

He followed her onto the dance floor and his heart thumped. She moved so easily and he felt like he was a swaying pole in the tide. He spun her and decided to just have fun and not worry about embarrassing himself. She still hadn’t seen his lack of dancing skills since she promised him lessons. He raised his hands in the air taking one of hers with him. He wiggled his hips rolling on his toes and bobbed back on forth looking suspiciously like a Peanuts character.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

When he thanked her, his body language didn't match the tone of his voice. She couldn't help but notice he was pretty darn nervous. It was cute, but she didn't want him to be too intimidated by her. If he was scared, he'd never make any move on her. But the fact that he was nervous showed that he wasn't a cocky, arrogant prick either, which was good. She couldn't handle another guy like that. Not ever.

She liked watching him smile like he was. He seemed genuinely happy to be with her. Sure, it could have been because he didn't get out much and it was freedom, but part of her knew it was due to her company too. If only a little. Adrianna was in a blissful state already and the night had only begun. She wasn't sure what it would have in store, but she was sure it would be a great night. Nothing could really go wrong. Not unless he freaked when she admitted to having abandonment problems, but that was highly unlikely. He wasn't the bolting type, at least not for those things.

When she leaned against him, she felt safe, protected even. She knew he could handle himself in a fight, just by looking at him she'd picked that up. She couldn't picture him angry though. Not really. He was always smiling or serious with her, never angry. Adri knew people could hide their anger well, heck she was one of them. She just couldn't see him being mean to anybody. She tightened her grip on his hand and returned his smile. It was official, she really liked him. In her mind she internally facepalmed herself.

Adrianna led him deep into the crowd and was instantly taken over by the music. She started swaying her hips with the music, watching him with curiosity. The lack of dancing skills, she had yet to see, but a hottie like him had to know how to move at least a little. She spun around and wrapped one arm around his neck and got slightly closer, probably a little too close considering she was trying to take things slow, but dancing involved contact. Or so she was thinking in order to justify why she was getting so close to him. In all actuality, she just wanted to feel his body heat and see how he'd react.

Yes, she is evil and she enjoys torturing, but she's really just torturing herself. Looking up at him, all she wanted to do was kiss him. His lips looked so inviting and soft and...she looked back up to his eyes in order to think straight. And yet, that did nothing to help her. She couldn't help but smile at his dancing. It looked awkward, not as flowing as hers was, but she'd work on that for sure.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani could only hope that he would get rid of this nervousness soon. He didn’t like feeling like a middle schooler who didn’t know what he was feeling. Just relax, he told himself, she’s not going to bite. His ego was huge in his mind but usually meeting new people it was hard for him Of course when he met someone he could get along with very well it was usually a little more free and didn’t feel like he was walking on eggshells. It really did seem that she brought out the best in him. Her and Cassie both, actually, he didn’t feel bad being silly and joking around the two of them but at the same time he wasn’t afraid to be straight with them. That was a rarity, normally Lani was one of those people who if he didn’t know them well he would tell them what they wanted to hear.

He was very glad he had come, he probably would have done nothing at home tonight. This was already turning into a better night that expected. He was nervous about actually going into the club. He liked that he could be close to her but at the same time something screamed in him to keep his distance. But for all its screaming it was no more than a whisper. The desire to be near her screamed louder. He knew she had had her fair share of problems and he had talked with her about some of them and even a few of his own. He was afraid to let her too close but at the same time he was desperate fore someone to understand and be able to let someone know him completely. But he was afraid.

Adrianna had a strange affect on him. He had been so angry for so long, so frustrated. That stress seemed to be slipping away. If he didn’t know better he would say he didn’t care about anything else anymore, but truth be told he knew he was only suppressing it because being with Adrianna was so much better. Lani only hoped that if he did explode she wasn’t around to see it. He wished he had more time to talk to Cassie, that little girl was too sweet and Lani felt like he could speak more freely with her than anyone else. It was a different relationship. That of a brother to a sister, rather than a man to a woman. There were things he wouldn’t tell Cassie because he was supposed to protect her.

He smiled glad he had the pleasure of her attention tonight. She swayed and he just hoped he could keep up. Her movements were fluid and alluring and he wanted to pull her closer. He soon had his wish granted when she spun and put her arm around his neck. Her body pressed against him her warm breath was on his skin but somehow goose bumps still rose. He looked down at her and decided he was the luckiest guy in this place tonight. Bodies pressed into him from every direction but Adrianna held his attention captive. He was kind of glad he didn’t have a lot of room for movement actually.

Her smile told him all he needed to know about his dancing skills. He smiled back and called over the booming music. “I told you so.” His grin turned sly and he put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I think I need your help.” He tried to match his body’s movement with hers and was failing miserably. He had no rhythm. His movements were jerking and more fit for a concert where the only motion was fist pumping. Her body against his was making his skin heat more than the natural heat in the club. He leaned his forehead closer to her and his eyes found hers and he was trapped.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna's head was spinning frantically. She couldn't stop thinking of what she liked about him, and also how she was still moving way too fast. She wanted to be as close to him as possible, but she knew that would only make her fall harder and she'd get crushed. That couldn't happen again, she'd never recover. Especially now that her friendship was on the rocks with the person that she went to for everything when she was upset. In her mind, she knew Craven wouldn't help her get through her next heartbreak. He would keep his distance, as he was doing now.

But the clouding of her mind cleared when she thought of how alike her and Lani were. He was helping her through her mother's illness, a lot better than anyone else had. Everyone else was all pity and sympathy, he was actually helping her keep her emotions at bay. When she talked to him on the phone, she felt happier and less like she wanted to cry. She had yet to full out bawl in front of him, nor did she plan to ever let him see her like that. It showed weakness and she was still cautious of who knew she was weak. She wanted to believe that he wouldn't use her weakness against her, but so many people had.

Adri's mind was working, but no one would be able to tell that she was far away in her own little world. She was so focused on Lani and his smile that even her mind couldn't distract her. Even if he didn't like her like she liked him, they'd definitely be great friends and she'd be able to handle it...hopefully better than she had with the others. He was different from her other guy friends, that was for sure, but she knew it was better to have a variety. That way at least one of them could deal with whatever mood she was in.

As used to attention as she was, Adrianna liked having his attention more. He was focused on her and his eyes weren't wandering around the other girls that surrounded him. Usually when she was out with a guy, they focused on her for a second then she'd find them nodding in another girl's direction. Most of them didn't even hide that they were looking for another chick to pick up. She liked having him close by so she could make it clear that he was taken and so was she. The bodies around them just forced them closer and her heart sped up as she pressed up against him. She bit her bottom lip and blushed darker, but a smile lit her face. Thank whatever higher power there was for this night!

Adrianna laughed, "That you did." She agreed with another giggle. His arm wrapped around her waist and her breathing hitched for a moment, "What kind of help are we talking?" She asked with a playful smile, though it came off sort of shy. In Adrian's mind she was squealing and jumping up and down, but on the outside she just smiled wider and slid her other arm up around his neck with her hips swaying against his. It was making her want to kiss him, a lot, but she refrained. For the moment. She looked up to find his eyes on her. Locked there she forgot about everyone else gyrating around them. Damn she was lucky.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani smiled a little and wondered what his relationship would be with Adrianna after this night. Would they be friends or something more? That instilled a little bit of panic in him as well as some giddy excitement. Lani was too used to a world where there was darkness and his trust in people was broken. However he was beginning to trust in Adrianna. If he knew anything it was that he didn’t want to see her hurt or be the cause of her hurt. He liked her smile and her laughter too much. That also made him want to stay away, he couldn’t hide his profession from her forever and he didn’t know that he ever wanted her to know. She would probably reject him, yell, that was something no one could understand.

Being able to talk to each other about things that were heavier were nice too. Having been through similar situations made it easy to talk about things that he normally wouldn’t bring up around other people. The only other people he could open up about those kinds of things with were his two little sisters, one through blood, and the other through love. He smiled a little this day was going great already. Just the pure fact that he had his father had been speaking and no one brought up money and no one brought up stealing and no one started yelling was a miracle. One out of those he could wish for but all three at the same time was amazing!

The people around him jostled and every time he was pushed closer to Adrianna his heart did a little flip. This couldn’t be healthy. Maybe she was killing him, the irrational thought did nothing more than make Lani smile at his own private joke. He tried desperately to follow her rhythm sometimes going one way when she went another and bumping knees with her. He muttered apologies whenever he could find his voice over the music. Having her arm around his neck was pleasant. It held her close to him and he could hold her close. Idealing they could move as one person to the music but Lani was always one step off. He just wasn’t musically inclined, at all. Dancing he was awkward and don’t even try to get him to sing in public. He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.

He blushed when she laughed and agreed. He tried to play it off by giving her an ‘I told you so’ face. He grinned slyly at her question. “Anything really. Mental help, physical help.” He joked. “Though at the moment I think it would help if you give me a preliminary dance lesson.” He grinned as she wrapped her other arms around his neck. It was rather good he wasn’t extremely tall. He held her in his strong arms. He matched her swaying and his face reddened. Yeah some people just had two left feet and it was really the best idea to just leave them both on the floor.

His brain and body were in disagreement. She was so close and he wanted to touch her and know her physically as well as mentally but his mind was telling him not to move so fast. Let things run their own pace. He was sure that by the end of the night he will have stolen a kiss but he wanted to kiss her now. He concentrated instead on speaking. “Will you, I mean, I need…” His tongue tied and he laughed at himself. He sighed heavily and put his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “You’ve stolen my tongue,” he accused.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

As they got closer, Adri wasn't sure she couldn't handle being just friends. She wanted so much more than that from him. Part of her had guessed that he at least had some feelings for her, but the more insecure side of her told her it wasn't possible. It was like the angel and devil on her shoulders. The angel told her to keep some distance and let things fall into place. The devil told her to lean in more and kiss him, not to worry about the consequences. But she had been hurt so many times it was hard not to think of consequences.

He seemed so happy that she felt better for bringing him along. She knew it'd be fun, just after spending time with him at the training field. He brought out the side of her that had gone into hiding after she had been hurt by Talen. She was happy and flirty, but he made her nervous and shy too. It was good for her to be shy, that way she wasn't so cocky and out there. She wasn't throwing herself at him as much as she usually would. Who knew being shy would help her? She clearly didn't. He was just so smiley and in return she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. Never would she want to see him upset her angry, not for any reason, and especially not because of her.

Adri had noticed that he wasn't really good with rhythm, but she knew she could help him. All he had to do was find the pulse of the music and go off of that. That was how Amelia had first taught her daughter how to dance. Find the pulse and you can dance to anything. It was a little awkward now, but it didn't phase her. She could handle awkward dancers, mostly because she had been one at first as well. When she was young, she was completely incapable of finding a beat. She was tone deaf back then too, but soon she was put into classes for both and now she could dance phenomenally and her singing wasn't too bad either.

Adrianna smiled at him and rolled her eyes playfully. If she hadn't been so shy she would have made a joke out of the physical help, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything. "Well I brought you here to see what you're capable of before that dance lesson is given," She said jokingly. "I need to know what I'm working with." She nodded with a smirk. It seemed like he was the perfect height for her. He wasn't too tall, so her arms fit well around his neck and his arms held her just right.

As she got closer to him, the devil and the angel bickered inside her mind. Get closer, keep your distance, back and forth constantly. She was getting a slight headache from it. She just wanted him to kiss her already! It was driving her insane having him inches away and yet it felt like a mile. When he tried talking she tilted her head to the side until he gave up. She smiled guiltily and her fingers stroked the back of his neck without her really noticing it. Her eyes slid shut when he leaned his forehead against hers and she let out a small sigh of content. This was what she wanted. His words caught her by surprise and she smiled. With a bit more confidence she would have said what she was thinking, want me to help you find it, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything for a moment. Adrianna bit her lower lip and finally spoke softly, "Is that a bad thing?"

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s mind had settled into a kind of resigned state as Adrianna pressed against him. There was no way to deny it. Most people said men were bad with emotions, he cried false. It almost seemed like men were so much more sure of their emotions whereas women were so in tune with their emotions and they were filled with so many that it was hard to listen to one. Lani was no different than any other man, he hated to have to show emotions that made him seem weak, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have them. Right now Adrianna was causing him to feel something new and it scared him. He swallowed his emotions and tried to work with them in his mind without looking like he was terrified.

Adrianna was blowing him away, not just with her dance skills, though she could basically dance circles around him. He decided at this moment that he would stop thinking about the ‘what ifs’ that often plagued his mind and just live in the moment. No thinking back, no thinking forward just being here in this moment with her. Swaying with her and being connected to her. He never in his life had met anyone else with whom he meshed so well. What if she didn’t accept him if she knew about his second secret life? He shook his head a little, well so much for not thinking about the ‘what ifs’. He smiled down at her. He moved a lock of her hair out of her face, gently caressing her cheek as he did so.

Her dancing was impressive, he was really jealous. She moved easily where as he was on either the opposite beat or not on beat at all. And he hated the moments when the beat changed and he had to change his established pattern. He laughed at her explanation. “Ah the truth comes out,” he teased, “I’m afraid I don’t have much to work with.” He leaned back a little to watch her dance for a moment with a sly grin on his face. He didn’t like being so far away even if it was mere inches and he moved back close to her. The people crowded around and Lani’s eyes flickered around as the beat changed trying to find his new rhythm.

So many people, so many bodies, their features dimmed by both the lights and Adrianna’s beauty. So many people had their eyes on her and Lani found himself very uncomfortable with the competition. He felt chills down his spine as she stroked the back of his neck. It was soothing but at the same time sent fire through his body. When he leaned against her forehead he smiled as she closed her eyes and he just allowed himself a moment to admire her. She had really put a lot of effort into getting ready today. He smiled a little, he would think she was beautiful if she were dressed as she was now or if she had been sweating on the track with him.

He blushed and his heart thumped at her question. He grinned slyly back and whispered, “Why don’t you tell me.” He made a split second decision and he leaned down slowly watched her face and her eyes. He wasn’t sure whether it was the nervousness or uncertainty that made him go so slow and so carefully but he would regret his slow speed. He was bumped from behind and he jerked his head back to avoid head-butting Adrianna. He turned to see who it was and in the blink of an eye a predatory male swooped in and put his hands on Adrianna’s hips, sandwiching her between the two of them. Lani frowned and his eyes narrowed. Someone pressed up against his side and he realized he was also being backed into by a tall, very drunk, blonde. What a way to ruin a moment… he thought with a sigh.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna finally quieted her thoughts. She couldn't keep comparing him to every other guy she'd been with and gotten hurt by. Clearly he had a different personality than all of them. He understood her on a different level and made her feel stronger than she usually felt. He made her feel like she could take care of herself, whereas every other guy kept making her feel like she needed protection. She didn't doubt that Lani would protect her if she needed it, but she knew that he'd let her deal with things on her own if she asked.

He was so hesitant with her and it surprisingly helped his case. She hated rushing into things, but most guys she had been with were all for touching her and kissing her. She didn't object at the time, but later she felt bad for it. The smallest forms of contact with him were enough to satisfy her. Adrian didn't feel like she had to be touching him in order for him to like her. It was so different, foreign that part of her was a little scared. She didn't want to question it anymore though, she just focused on the moment. No consequences, no abandonment, just him.

The way his fingers gently caressed her cheek made her feel fragile. It was contradictory of course. How could someone make her feel emotionally strong and yet hold her as if she could break so easily? It was nice. She hated being held roughly and jerked around as if she were a rag doll. Her eyes fluttered when she felt his fingers brush against her skin and her cheeks heated. "We'll work on it, don't worry. The next time we come here, you'll be the best guy dancer here." She said with a bright smile. When he backed away she danced freely, but was glad when he pulled her back closer.

The crowded room was a little overwhelming, but she felt relaxed with him. The eyes on her weren't noticeable because she was so focused on him. She wanted to be able to know him based on not only his mind, but his body language, his expressions. All of the things he did were fascinating to her and she couldn't help but wish she had telepathy sometimes. Her eyes stayed closed for a moment until he pulled back slightly. Her eyes locked with his again and she wondered what he was thinking.

Adrianna had noticed what Lani was doing, and as much as she wanted to just close the distance, she didn't want to rush him. Just before their lips met, she felt rough hands pulling her back and away from Lani. Adri looked back and her expression turned angry, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled over the music. Adrian slapped his hands away and disengaged herself from the pushy male. Once he let go, she turned around and slapped him across the face, hard. "I'm not just some rag doll you can play with whenever you feel like it, you prick!"

Adrianna wrapped her arms instinctively around Lani and glared at the other man. Some people were just so rude.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani's thoughts were bright and fully of optimism tonight. The dark and angry thoughts were laying dormant in their lairs tonight. He concentrated on trying to keep a rhythm. He had quite a ways to go and even if things didn't work out romantically for them he was definitely going to hold her to those dancing lessons. He didn't like the way people were looking at her and he wanted to just tell them to get lost. A little fear grew in him now. He was getting close to her, that opened her up to new dangers. At least she would be safe in Lani did was he was told but this didn't bode well for his plan for leaving. He just didn't want to anymore. He wanted to leave Hammel, that hadn't changed but he didn't want to leave the people. Cassie and now Adrianna had become not anchors but somewhat like lines to a normal life.

He had always thought that he would be ok with a life at a distance. The guardian that watched over people but never really connected. He had failed. He wanted to protect people but he also wanted to be a part of their lives. Not just the shadow watching over but the face with a name and a heart that they could come to depend on. He certainly wouldn't take care of them one hundred percent but he wouldn't let them fall. Adrianna was ruining his plan and he honestly didn't care. He was caught and it was all he could do to keep from blurting out how his feeling had grown. It wasn't so strong as love, but it was indeed a great amount of 'like'.

The warmth of her body was matched by the heat of her skin. He wanted to linger. He laughed. "You've got your work cut out for you," he said, "But I really think I got the better half of this deal." He grinned slyly. He hadn't really known what would happen when he asked her to teach him but he was glad that his angry self had gone out running that morning. Fate had a funny way of acting. It was almost as if fate knew Lani wouldn't do anything he was force into so it made it seem like it was all his own idea.

Lani's disappointment turned to shock as Adrianna started scolding the man. He smiled a little. Well she certainly had some lungs. He sat back and watched. He winced a little when she slapped the man more to hide his humor than actually feel pity for the guy. He deserved it and he was lucky Adrianna had given it to him and not Lani. He reached out to her and she wrapped her arms around him. He smiled and the girl attempting to steal his attention failed miserably. Adrianna kept surprising him. He shot a glare at the man and he looked angry for a moment then another man seemly materialized out of the crowd and just stood there his arms crossed watching the drunk man. The bouncer managed to intimidate the man enough to make him drift off.

He smiled down at Adrianna. He laughed a little bit at her ruffled temper. She certainly could take care of herself. That was comforting. "You are an amazing woman." He reached up and cupped her chin in his fingers and with no more hesitation he took her lips in a kiss. Electricity ran through him and he wrapped his other arms around her waist and pulled her close again. Oh she was the Bonnie to his Clyde.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Depression was officially out the window tonight. She'd been bumming like crazy what with all of her mom's stuff and on top of that the drama with her best friend. Hermit stage had taken affect and she'd been staying at her dorm most days. The fact that she'd gone out running was a miracle after everything had happened. It was probably better that she did though, otherwise she would have probably gone completely psycho. Which for Adrian, is quite possible.

She'd thought about ditching Hammel after dealing with her drama, but kept finding reasons to stay. Besides the fact that she had no way of leaving without them finding her. Despite everything, she'd feel horrible for leaving Craven and Robbie. Then there was Gia and all of her other friends that didn't fit in the category of Crave and Robbie, but were close. And now, she had Lani. He brought her out of the hermit stage and back to her happiness. She was bubbly again. It had been a while since she was able to be upbeat and crazy like she used to be.

"I can handle the work," Adri said with a smile up at him. His grin made her blush and she giggled, "Oh really? How so?" She challenged with a smirk of her own. She liked that he freely flirted with her, but still kept a slight distance. Of course, the distance drove her insane, but it was for the best. She kept remembering how the past guys had been and how they ended quickly. She was capable of self-control, even if it was close to killing her.

Adrianna was small, usually very sweet, rarely liked cussing much. She only ever snapped at Zac and guys like the one that had approached her when she was clearly with someone. Who was stupid enough to do that? Really? That had very nearly ruined her night. But with Lani, even that hadn't ruined her night. She felt his arms around her and instantly relaxed, her anger fading, but the sarcasm remained, "Yeah, that's right better walk away. The girl's got a temper." She stuck her tongue out at the drunk as he walked away and caught the bouncer smirking as he too walked away from her.

Adri looked up at him when he spoke and blushed dark. His fingers tilted her chin up and finally after all her waiting, his lips touched hers. It was like a bolt of lightning, maybe not as painful, but shocking to say the least. His arms wrapped around her waist and she slid her arms up around his neck. Her fingers curled in his hair and she stretched up to prolong the kiss. In her mind, one word, FINALLY! And as if on cue, as the kiss deepened, the slow song started.

[Lani Hunter]

Despite the warning his Lani’s mind was throwing up he ignored them. As he looked at Adrianna all of his plans broke. His life was being turned upside down. Things couldn’t be this perfect. He kept thinking something was going to go wrong. It was all good, he was adaptable, always had been. It was the getter close that scared him. What if she didn’t like him once she realized how flawed he really was. Hotheaded and arrogant. He was reckless, well she already knew that. But what if he wasn’t the hero she wanted him to be? What if Lani was the villain?

He grinned at her and laughed a little. “I hope so,” he commented the simple phrase being so much more than he was letting on. He laughed as she challenged him for an answer. “Well,” he drawled cocked his head at her making a mischievous expression. “You have to teach a guy with two left feet how to dance, and not hurt himself or anyone else in the process…” He laughed a little. “And I, on the other hand, get to spend time with you while trying not to take anyone out with my moves.” He shimmied and struck a little pose. He decomposed into laughter at his own silliness. She really had her work cut out for her, not to mention Lani had no idea what he was getting into. He personally didn’t think much of guy’s dancing. Women it was artful and beautiful, men always seemed to be an accessory in his mind.

He held her close, glad that in wake of a bad situation his confidence and protective instincts had only increased. He could do anything for the people he loved, anything from comfort them to tear the one who hurt them apart. Cassie worried him a lot, she was just like him, he wasn’t sure that was a good thing. It was eye opening when she did something he would do and he realized the heart attack he was giving his mother most of the time. Adrianna might not be as risky as Lani or Cassie but she certainly had a no nonsense streak when it came to stuff like this. He was glad the man decided not to make anything more of it. He laughed at Adrianna’s call after the retreating man. He would probably spend a while nursing that bruised ego.

Smiling as the mood simmered down again. He tapped his forehead as if making a mental note. “Ok, memo to me, don’t make Adrianna angry.” He grinned teasingly. He stuck his tongue out at her and winked giving himself a rather silly appearance. Being bold was never Lani’s forte, spontaneous, he did that very well, but his mind was always working things out in his mind so things that appeared spontaneous in reality probably had had been thought well through. Most of the time at least. The kiss was one of those moments were his mind hadn’t reasoned it through. He just did it. It felt right.

His heart thumped so loud he was sure she could hear it. As she twisted her fingers in his short hair he felt chills and heat at the same time. It was like being dunked in ice than into a fire several times in succession. He wasn’t sure if the spark that passed between them had anything to do with her power or not but either way he was very much trapped. His brain shot off in several different directions and he was focused only on her and consequently his body stopped moving. He stood still holding her close and ignoring those banging into him. A slow song started up and he pulled away reluctantly with a laugh. His face was flamed and he breathed in slowly and couldn’t stop grinning. “Well if this isn’t a scene straight out of a movie...” He joked and pulled her close to himself. He gazed deeply into her eyes and started to sway going too fast then too slow. He snickered a little at himself. “Sorry, I got this.”

[Adrianna Carstyn]

All year, she'd spent trying to get over all of the stress that had been caused. Between Luke leaving for Greece, then coming back, Talen breaking her heart into several pieces, Craven (there were no words for what happened there) and her mother all at the same time...things had been hectic. All she was looking for was someone to keep her relaxed, happy, bright and bubbly. She wanted to be fun again! Growing up at ten years old was not something she'd been prepared for, not in the slightest. Sure, she had gotten an escape because of Hammel, but that didn't help. All it did was make her worry more about her mother. One year after not only being diagnosed with lung cancer but also losing the replacement man she'd had, her daughter had been taken away. How was Adrian supposed to have fun at school when she was so scared for her mother?

She was finally getting to that point where she could bring out the side of her that people liked. Her personality was great, but usually, people only saw the side of her that got hurt. She had dealt with a lot over the years, nothing compared to some, but plenty to make her wonder if she'd ever be able to say she was happy without lying about it. She had several people to help her cheer up, but no one to make her truly happy. In all honesty, she didn't think anyone could make her happy throughout. Not until her mother was okay and her father came back (it didn't matter which one) just so she could kick his ass for putting them through what he had. Only then, would she be happy.

Tonight, she was forgetting about all of her troubles. Adrian was out having fun with a guy she really liked. And for once, she wasn't just being shallow, she liked him for his mind, his personality, his humor. He had it all going for him. To her, he was the knight in shining armor that she needed after all the drama. But she still knew, it could be too good to be true. She wouldn't dwell on the possibility of her bad luck getting in the way, she was just going to let things play out the way they were meant to. Whether her and Lani were just friends, or if something more sparked between them.

His comment made her nod slightly and shrug, "I suppose, but you see, I get to teach a totally adorable guy how to dance. I'll need to spend a bunch of time with him and get the satisfaction of watching him turn into a great dancer. I think I win." She said with a smirk and a laugh at his pose. The fact that he could act like a dork and not even be phased by it, she loved. Adri was always worried about doing something strange and being gawked at for it. She liked being accepted, which was probably why she accepted everybody despite the quirks.

Biting down on her lip, Adrian blushed darker at his memo. She giggled and glared playfully at him, "Heck yes, I'll just have to whip out my kungfu ninja skills on your butt. That guy's lucky I didn't judo kick him in the baby making tool." She nodded, trying hard to keep a straight face. Which she couldn't. At all.

The kiss felt bold, spontaneous and so right. Yes, she'd had moments along the same lines, but for some reason this was so much better. Maybe it was that it couldn't have been better set up, not even in a movie, and plenty have tried with that. It was straight out of a fairy tale, but she didn't feel much like a princess. Maybe it was more like a comic. She was the damsel in distress and he was her hero. Now that, she could picture. Her heart was hammering and she couldn't get close enough to him. She craved his warmth and his touch. When he pulled back and the song began, she looked up at him, her own cheeks bright and her eyes shining. "That's exactly what I was thinking," She agreed with a wide smile. He started swaying with her, and though he wasn't exactly keeping a steady pulse, she didn't care. Adrian hugged him and let out a small sigh, "I'm really glad you came with me tonight."