I Need a Hero (Lani)

[Lani Hunter]

The situation couldn’t have been more perfect. The slow song, as corny as it seemed really did make it more special. He had never been around so many people and had his focus so completely on one person. He was glad he had decided to come out. It was a great break from all the hectic things that had been thrown around in his life recently. Adrainna had flipped his world upside down and Lani wasn’t sure he wanted to go on doing what he was doing. He wanted to change but at the same time he didn’t know how. Or even if it was practical. His family was doing well from the money he was bringing in. He and his father fought about it, but Lani wouldn’t stop sending it. What use did he have for it here anyways?

Lani was really glad that he was getting to see the real Adrianna. When they were sitting on the track together there was so much laughter but also a lot of tension. He was honored that she had decided to share her personal storied with him. He felt a little guilty that he did little of the same. He had troubles just as deep as hers and as much as he wanted to tell her, because he knew she would understand, part of him wanted to keep part of himself hidden and protected just in case things didn’t work out the way he wanted them to. He didn’t want to be her friend anymore, after that kiss there was no going back.

“Adorable…” He laughed a little his face flaming. He had never been called adorable. Strong, handsome, yes. But never adorable. It was a different type of feeling, it didn’t make him feel prideful or arrogant but instead made him a little self conscious. He grinned. “Alright, Adrianna, you’re on.” It wasn’t really a competition but Lani still felt like he was getting the sweeter part of the deal. The student was always the one gaining, the teachers as well, but they had to work through a great deal of frustration when there was confusion. He really hoped he could be serious enough about learning to dance that he wouldn’t frustrate her. It was easy for Lani, when things got tough, to turn it into a joke. He was glad his pose was met with laughter, even when he was trying his best not to be dorky it still snuck out.

Lani chuckled and mock flinched away. “I’m terrified!” He did have to wince a little bit when she joked about hitting that guy in the sensitive place. He had to have sympathy for the guy, or any guy who was unfortunate enough to get hit there. That was a low blow. That was the kind of experience that Lani wouldn’t want to experience again anytime soon. He forced out an uncomfortable smile. “Just promise you’ll never do that to me.” It was easier when she failed at her straight face. Lani relaxed again and was able to let out a little laugh.

It was comforting that she could stand up for herself. Lani would be glad to let her fight her own battles, at least as long as Lani didn’t feel the need to get involved. He would have stepped in if that guy had tried anything. He smiled, he was sure Cassie and Adrianna would get along. They were both such strong women. Lani would certainly have his hands full with the two of them. He smiled at her and hugged her back. “Me too.” He agreed he was glad she had gotten him to come out tonight. It had already been a lot more rewarding situation than he had anticipated. He held her close and hugged her tightly. The chills were still running through his body and he thought he might just break apart into pieces if he let her go. So instead he just swayed awkwardly and held her.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

New favorite song. Adrianna had a feeling she'd never forget the moment that they were having just because there was an actual soundtrack for it. Usually she had music playing in her head that suited moments like this, but now she finally didn't feel insane. A Thousand Years was never going to be thought of the same. And she had no problem with that. In fact, she loved the fact that whenever she listened to it now, she'd think of him. Even if things ended roughly, she wanted to remember everyone who had ever touched her life in some way.

She felt the tension from the past slipping and she was really surprised by it. Very rarely did her tension take a break. She was always stressing about one thing or another, but now, all she was focused on was being fun and flirty. Tension was evaporating and she was making the best of it. Soon enough, she'd open up more and he'd know her about as much as Craven did. That was a scary thought, but it was also comforting. Lani was the type of person she could tell anything to and he wouldn't judge her or pity her.

"Yes, adorable. Very much so," Adri said with a wide smile. She had this weird way of calling guys anything but masculine adjectives. Cute, cuddly, adorable. All of which, very unmanly. Every once in a while she'd say hot, but not often. She preferred making them sound like teddy bears and fuzzy animals that she could hug all the time. Strange, yes, but it was Adrian. She smirked, "I'm tellin' you Lani, I'm definitely getting the best end of this. Maybe if you're lucky I'll sneak in some tango moves too." She winked at him playfully and giggled like mad.

When he winced she couldn't help but laugh. That had to be every guys' reaction to the mentioning of getting kicked or hit there. She'd done it plenty of times to know just how painful it appeared to be. Every guy she'd hit there never messed with her again. And when she had accidentally hit her best friend there, well...he bought a cup. She shook her head, "Of course not, unless you deserve it." She smiled at him and kissed his cheek, "Don't worry, I won't be mean. I promise."

His agreement made her heart skip a beat and she held him tighter. This night was off to an amazing start. She didn't want to leave, or let go or well either. She had a feeling that once she had to part from him, she'd have a pretty difficult time sleeping. Most likely, she'd end up sketching the whole night. She'd sketch his eyes, his smile, his whole face, heck anything that reminded her of him. It was bound to be a long night. Adrianna buried her face in the side of his neck and swayed with him, "Is it sad that I really don't want to let go?"

[Lani Hunter]

He smiled a little and even though he didn’t realize it at the time his whole life was changing. It was true what the foreseers said. Seeing a million possibilities for the same person. Perhaps fate had pushed Adrianna into his life but perhaps it was something that was just chance and his life was changing. Either way he didn’t care. Life had decided to deal Lani a good hand and he loved it. Perhaps he could get out of the grave he had dug himself into. He needed help out but Adrianna, if he ever got the courage to tell her about his secret double life, seemed like she would be strong enough to lend him a hand.

Just as Adrianna’s tensions were disappearing so were Lani’s. He didn’t want to ever have to think about his problems again. He felt like he could take on the world with her at his side and suddenly none of his problems seem so bad. Granted he was giving into dilutions, Taitum was indeed right that this life would kill him one way or another. Hurt his family, being thrown in prison, scared him more than his own death. Prison scared him more than anything else that was mostly what kept him from asking for help. He wasn’t the kind of person who did well in a cage. Chances were his power would explode and he would do so much trying to get out that the menacing telekinetic overload would occur and he might kill himself by pushing his power past its limits.

His thoughts were turning dark and he didn’t like it. He was glad when Adri called him adorable again. A blush crawled over his face. Normally such a reference would make him feel emasculated and vulnerable but coming from her it was sweet. He wasn’t sure if he’d be ok with that in a public situation with people he knew but it was nice to be something more than just hot. It almost made him feel like he was someone who she could come to for anything and that felt nice. He had been the protector and guardian for most of his life to his sister and now Cassie but he had never been one of those people who people came to just to spend time with. He chuckled, “I don’t know,” he grinned and laughed, “If you’re sneaking in tango I’ll probably definitely have the benefit. Maybe you should wear steel toed shoes.” Chances were he’d step on her feet more than once.

He opened his mouth to comment about how he’d never do anything to deserve it but he lost the words when she kissed his cheek. Her soft lips on his skin made goosebumps rise on his arms and he wanted to feel her touch. He smiled. “Well if you promise not to be mean then I also promise not to be mean.” He held her close. “I also promise not to do anything that will make you want to make me sterile.” He chuckled a little, even though it was a little bit of a joke it was a genuine promise. Not only didn’t he want to be hit there, he didn’t want to do anything to hurt Adrianna.

She held him tighter and her head rested comfortably against his neck and he sighed in contentment. He rested his cheek against her hair and the smell of her shampoo wafted up to his nose filling it with a pleasant smell. He smiled at her comment closing his eyes. “Not at all,” he whispered in her ear swaying more easily with the beat. “All the better actually, since this way I don’t have to let you go.” He frowned a little when the comment sounded terribly sappy and corny. “Sorry, that sounded better in my head.” He laughed a little. It was actually a perfect song, it was slow enough to give him a good excuse to get close but not slow enough to where he could just stand still and be awkward.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrianna wasn't entirely sure how she'd gotten so lucky. After everything that had happened, she was sure things would only get worse. She knew from experience that things could always get worse. She hoped desperately that her life was on the mend. Things were looking up, but she didn't know if they'd keep rising or fall drastically. The what ifs were driving her mad, but at the moment, the good was out-weighing the bad. She was with him and happy, back to how she used to be. Things were good and she was ignoring the problems that could occur.

Her mind was in a good place now, but in the darker corner of her mind she knew as soon as she left him, she'd start thinking of the what ifs. There were so many things that could go wrong. What if he turned out to be just like every other guy she'd been with that had been 'different?' What if she hurt him? What if he hurt her? What if, what if, what if. Luckily, it was only a small corner of her mind that was holding all those questions. She was still very much focused on him.

Adrian noticed his cheeks redden and she smiled brighter. Making him blush was just one of the highlights. She hoped it wasn't embarrassing him or making him feel like he'd lost his man card, but she really did think he was the most adorable thing ever. She laughed at his comment and shook her head, "Nope, I definitely have the benefit. It doesn't matter how many times you step on my toes, I'll still benefit from it more." She winked at him and giggled evilly, and in the cutest way she could. The girl was devilish, but she looked so friggin' cute when she was evil.

Adri looked up at him and though she could tell he was joking, she also detected the seriousness behind his words. They were making promises that neither of them could really keep. Of course, she'd try to never be mean to him and to never hurt him. She wasn't the type to intentionally hurt someone. And she knew by the look in his eyes that he didn't want to hurt her either. But in reality, it was bound to happen at least once. Every couple fought and she wasn't even sure if they could be considered a couple yet. It didn't matter what they were labeled as though, she knew a fight was in their future, she just hoped it wouldn't separate them, "Good. And I wouldn't kick you quite hard enough to make you sterile, but it'd hurt either way." She smiled wickedly and stuck her tongue out, again to show she was joking.

The swaying had actually started evening out and she couldn't help but smile. When he tightened his arms around her, she felt so safe and happy, it had been a while since she'd felt this way for someone besides her best friends. Talen had been the last guy to hold her like that, but he wasn't present in her thoughts. Lani took up all of her thought space and she didn't mind it a bit. His words sent shivers down her spine. She pulled back with a hopeful look in her eyes, "You really don't want to let go?" Adrianna pressed her lips to his lightly and rested her forehead against his, "It sounded great to me actually, then again, cheesy lines like that are sort of my weakness."

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s mind finally caught up with him. It started feeding him logic and pushing through his clouded mind. The logic fell on his mind and he resented it. It warned him to back off, to slow down or someone was going to get hurt. As much as he disliked to he heeded it. It was right, someone wouldn’t just get hurt in the ways of feelings but if his boss ever found out he was lying she could get hurt physically too. He didn’t want that to happen. He was digging himself in deep here. When he came to Hammel he was determined to be unhappy but all over the place that plan was being foiled. It was only the staff that really rubbed him the wrong way. All the people, the students had been wonderful.

He smiled to himself. If all was really to go to hell he would rather it just fall on his shoulders. He reached up and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. There was a little twinge of guilt as he realized he didn’t want to share his secrets with her. One the one hand he felt like he was hoarding them and keeping things from her, but he had to recall he didn’t really know her and honestly he didn’t want her to think differently of him. The last thing he wanted to do was deceive her, but wasn’t that what he had made a living doing? Deceit was in his nature and he lied as smoothly as breathing but he didn’t want to lie to her.

Lani’s eyebrows rose and he laughed a little startled by her sudden evil look. She was almost there but in her attempt to look diabolical she ended up looking more cute. She certainly had a few surprises up her sleeves and he wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t enjoy pranks and jokes as much as he did. He matched her look and gave her a sideways sly look. “Oh I see it now,” he teased. “Cause if I step on your toes then I’ll have to carry everywhere, huh?” He chuckled, laughing at his own joke. He lost his composure as she winked. He tapped his chin with his forefinger. “But then again if I step on your toes I’ll be able to beat you in a race next time.” He beamed his eyebrows raising and his face lighting up and there wasn’t any sign of any other emotion other than happiness.

Promises, things made only to bring down a world of trouble when broken. But he wanted her to know now before anything else happened that whatever the future brought between them it was never his intention to deceive and hurt her. It was part of life to get hurt, Lani had personally never opened himself up and gotten close enough to someone to feel that certain kind of hurt. He was foolishly prideful in the thought that he just was too strong to be affected by something like that. His eyebrow’s jumped at her comment but laughed at sly expression. He couldn’t see her being the kind of girl who would abandon her own independence because of a guy. He laughed a little as he spoke, “Well I suppose that’s a good start.” His eyebrows came together in a silly mock worried face.

Looking down into her eyes he was sure of his answer but his tongue got confused. “I don’t. But I want you to be happy and I’m happy…” She was saved from his impending word vomit starting up when she kissed him. He breathed a little sigh of relief and closed his eyes as she rested her forehead against his. He almost had wished they would be able to skip the awkward beginning stages where they were both walking on eggshells and stumbling over what they were feeling. “Well that’s good,” Lani said, “Because that’s pretty much all I’ve got.” He had finally gotten his sway under control and the DJ did a one eighty of song choices. A fast almost techno beat started up. He laughed a little and shook his head. “Can’t they just pick one beat and have every song go to that?

[Adrianna Carstyn]

As occupied as she was, her mind was always working. It was one of those things she really hated about being able to think about several things at once. She was getting too deep, realization was hitting and it was scaring her. And the what ifs started slipping their way into the full front of her mind. What if he deserted her like every other man did? What if he thought something was wrong with her because her father left? Could she really handle all that pain again? It nearly overtook her before, and that had been with someone she'd barely spent time with. That she'd met at this very club. How could she go through something like that again?

Simple answer was, she couldn't. If she got hurt like that again, who knows what she'd do. Disappearing was in her nature, after her stepfather had left, she ran from home, only to end up at a friend's house. When she found out her real father had left, she tried to lock herself away from the rest of society. The world had been against her and she hid because of it. Talen breaking her heart had caused her to distance herself from everyone besides her best friend. When he ran from her, she turned into a hermit. Adrian wasn't cut out for that kind of pain. Her mood was dropping and she was desperately trying to keep the bad thoughts out. It was like having telepathy, all of her own thoughts were flooding into her mind trying to get noticed.

When he brushed her hair out of her face, the thoughts evaporated and she relaxed again. Adrianna felt the need to take things a little slower, maybe stick with the smaller stuff and not tell him all about her past quite yet. She wasn't sure he could handle it. And she wasn't sure she could tell him. Adrian looked up at him with an innocence in her eyes that could terrify anyone. She was naive to the extreme and so easily broken. Her heart still hung on her sleeve and she was blind to all things bad. All she wanted to do was see the good side of things, stay positive, but her realistic view of things made that difficult.

Evil wasn't in Adrian's vocabulary, at least not usually. The only time she was evil was when she was angry or seeking revenge, which was rare. Evil looks, there were none. She couldn't glare at most people without cracking a smile. "I wouldn't mind you carrying me everywhere," Adri smirked wickedly and then was all innocence again. She snorted, "Psh, no way, you couldn't beat me last time and I was injured then too." Adrianna giggled and all the darkness from her mind started to slip away. He had a very positive affect on her and it was actually doing a lot of good.

His comment made her giggle like crazy. She was cruel, yes, but not that cruel. Kicking a guy hard enough to make him sterile was not something she ever planned on doing. Well, okay, she takes that back. The only guy she'd ever kick or hit hard enough in that particular spot to make sterile would be Zac. He did NOT need to reproduce EVER. Or at least, that's how she sees it. "See, I can be nice," Adri smiled brighter and laughed at his mocking face.

Tongue-tied and word vomit were things she knew very well. She never minded it because a lot of guys had word vomited at least once if they'd been around her. It was better than actually vomiting, though she'd dealt with that too (ew). "I am happy, very happy," Her fingers rubbed the back of his neck to hopefully soothe some of his nerves. The kissing had helped and for that she was glad. She giggled and looked up at him, "Good, keep 'em coming because I love it." The song drifted to an end and before it even ended, a new song was playing. Fast pace, oh jeez. She started moving to the beat of the new song and shrugged, "It'd make music too boring!"

[Lani Hunter]

Lani was clueless to Adrianna’s fear of abandonment as he contemplated his future. What if something happened and he had to leave. He didn’t want to, not anymore. At least not leave Pilot Ridge, he knew too many people and he just loved the town. There was some degree of selfishness that had to be done while contemplating the future. He wasn’t so foolish to think that he and Adrianna were going to be something more than friend, even though he wanted to be much more than a friend to her. He still had to look out for himself. That was going to be hard, he was constantly putting other’s feeling ahead of his own.

Adrianna seemed to tense and her mood seemed to be fading a little bit. He immediately did an inventory of everything he did and said over the past few moments and panicked when he couldn’t find anything that would have obviously set her off. He was about to ask her about it when the dark mood suddenly disappeared. He blinked a little shocked by the innocence with which she looked up at him with. He felt a little twang of fear, he really hoped she wasn’t putting her trust in him fully, not that he would do anything to break her trust, but for Lani trust was something that was hard to earn. To be so innocent and to trust so freely, it worried him a little.

He kissed her forehead and smiled. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked his tone serious even though the ghost of a smile still hung on his lips. He looked deeply into her eyes trying to understand her reasoning, but without knowing her for very long that was easier said than done. Lani knew that the world was a dark place with only a few bright lights in it. He had a hard time believing in the goodness of people because he had seen people at the worst more often than at their best. It was frightening to imagine that someone might come up to Adrianna and she would believe them good and trust them and end up in a world of trouble. Lani had a delusion of grandeur in that his enemies were everywhere trying to get at him and that he would be able to protect all those he loved from them.

He snorted out a laugher as she agreed with him. He rolled his head back to look at the flashing lights for a moment before dropping his gaze back at her. “I see how it is,” he teased giving her a mock accusing look. He gaped in surprise at her comment. “Ha! We’ll see about that!” He puffed out his chest and shrugged dismissively. “Besides I let you win that time.” He winked to show he was joking. “But no more.” He smiled at her giggle. It was like music to his ears, he only wished he could hear it better through the pounding music. He was glad that the last song had been so soft; it had made it easier to hear. Now his ears were straining to catch her words.

Well this was an interesting conversation. Never in all his life had he talked so casually about something so painful. He broke his expression with a laugh at her comment. Her rubbing fingers on his neck soothed his nerves and he was sure that if they were anywhere else they probably would have been able to calm him to sleep. They were soft and gentle and if anything they almost soothed his perpetual headache as well as his nerves. He smiled glad she was having a good time. He smiled and after a few moments the Valentine’s Day Dance came into his mind. “Hey Adrianna, would you be interested in going to the Valentine’s Day Dance with me?” He looked down at her and gave her his best puppy dog eyes. He shrugged at her music comment. “Eh, boring yes but it would be easier for the rhythm challenged.” He laughed at himself and tried his best to keep up.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

Adrian really just didn't like how her mind was working. It was bringing up all of the things she was trying to forget. She just wanted to forget about everything bad that had happened to her. It was keeping her from getting in too serious with a guy. Sure, she always was crushing on a guy, but she hadn't been in an actual relationship since Luke (she didn't count Talen as a relationship). When he left, she felt like giving up on men as a whole, but she'd met Talen and that just didn't end up happening. It would have been better at the time for her to forget about him, but he was just so captivating.

When she tensed, she hoped he hadn't noticed. She didn't want to worry him. Nor did she want him asking questions about what was wrong. And she definitely didn't want him thinking it was his fault. He was actually helping even though her mind was doing everything it could to confuse her. Her old mistakes were coming back. Luckily she was catching them before they became mistakes again. As much as she wanted to trust Lani with everything, she fully planned on keeping a few of her secrets to herself for now. She didn't want to give him any dirt on her that could tear her apart.

Lani's lips touched her forehead and she continued looking up at him with an innocent curiosity. She wondered what he was thinking and if he was thinking along the same lines she was. Did he want to be more than friends? Or was this just some fling to him? It didn't feel like any other fling she'd had, but she wasn't sure. She smiled slightly and shrugged, "Just admiring your good looks." She laughed softly at her small joke, though it was partially true. She couldn't help but admire just how attractive he was.

Adrianna smirked wider and giggled, "You want a rematch? I'll show you Mister!" She touched the tip of his nose with her index finger and laughed. When he puffed out his chest she hid her face to keep from snorting obnoxiously in front of so many people. She couldn't stop giggling. "You so did not let me win!" She said pulling back and glaring playfully at him. Adri stuck her tongue out and made a funny face at him. The song was making it difficult to hear, but luckily she was used to loud places.

Her fingers trailed up his neck through his hair and she just kept her focus on him. Some had said her fingers could put anyone to sleep. She'd actually learned out to give massages at a salon place that her mother went to. Now she was just great at releasing tension and knots in muscles. She ran her fingers through his hair and tilted her head to the side as she watched him. He was so darn cute! Adrian's eyes widened when he asked her to the dance, but she recovered quickly. She'd never gone to a dance before, they didn't interest her. Sure she could've gotten any date every year, but they were just so trivial to her. Luckily for him, she was a sucker for puppy dog eyes. Her heart melted and she smiled, "Alright, alright, just stop looking at me like that." She laughed quietly and hugged him before pulling back and continuing dancing. "That it would, but you're doing great!" She said with a wide smile.

[Lani Hunter]

In the end Lani was glad his mind finally came out and warned him. Because now he was thinking about how much he didn’t care if he got involved with her. He was in a terrible position and he almost felt like he was pulling her down with him. There was a little bit of hope though, if he could indeed get out of his deal he might be able to go on and live a normal life. Maybe people would be able to let his kleptomania slide a little if he got diagnosed or something. He didn’t really care. The worst thing was that he had screwed up in school so bad that he didn’t have any plans past Hammel. They wouldn’t let him leave because his power was so out of control still but it would have been nice to maybe have a little bit of a future in something other than crime.

It was probably a little mix of good and bad that Lani hadn’t had any serious girlfriends yet. For one he was hesitant to jump into something, however he was very hesitant. He was also very bold and sometimes being maybe a little too silly. Lani was very good at being silly, but his serious side was something that was so stone cold that he didn’t like for people who normally saw him as silly to see him serious. Or angry. He had been angry for so long about his whole life. He had been getting better at containing it but certain people, namely that infuriatingly confusing Taitum. He was never sure if the man liked or hated him. He could somehow always goad a fight out of Lani.

Lani smiled respecting her privacy when she gave him a simple answer. There was something deeper going on but it if she wanted to tell him she would tell him. Lani chuckled a little at her cover up joke. “Well I do suppose that could leave anyone speechless.” Lani was very much a peacock and thrived on compliments. It was when people thought they could get through to him by yelling and questioning his integrity and wounding his ego that Lani’s ears turned deaf and he was more likely to do the opposite of whatever they had told him to do. A smile grew on his lips and out popped another terribly corny line: “I’m glad your eyes are on me ‘cause mine aren’t the only eyes on you.” He held her, just a little possessive.

Lani’s eyes fluttered and his head jerked a little at the unfamiliar touch on his nose. His eyes were wide and he shook his head a little before relaxing again. “That’s right, rematch!” He declared, “I’m going to hold you to that.” Her having to hide her face and giggling made Lani lose it. He grinned like a loon and waggled his eyebrows. “Well I suppose there is only one way to figure that out huh?” He challenged cocking his head up a little in a cocky motion. Well if this came out to be nothing at least he had a new friend and running partner. Maybe that would motivate him to actually get up and work out more. He had been working a little more and running more ever since she had beaten him. She was a fast little thing.

The more she worked her hands through his hair and on his neck the better he started to feel. Lani often felt like he held the world on his shoulders and somehow Adrianna’s hands and all around good humor and calm made all of that slip off and seem rather trivial. His lips were shadowed with a small smile. He loved feeling her body against his and the way her hair glinted in the lights. Most of all he loved her eyes, the wide innocent eyes that seemed to swallow his soul. He was surprised by how taken he was with her. He wanted her to always be giggling and smiling. Lani grinned and made a little gesture of triumph by pumping his fist. He made a mental note about how making that face could work. He laughed. “Now you’re just being nice,” he called over the music. He took a step back and shimmied bobbing his head to the music. He took one of her hands and spun her in a spur of the moment action.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

To say that she was relieved he hadn't pushed was an understatement. Adrian was a terrible liar, anyone who knew her would know that. Her joke had in fact been a huge cover up, but she wasn't ready to tell him what she'd been thinking about when she looked at him like that. It was the innocence and naivety that she was trying so hard to get rid of. She knew that she was more naive than was healthy and she was trying to realize that she'd just get hurt more if she trusted him fully right off the bat. Adri knew he didn't trust her fully, he'd barely spoken about his deepest darkest secrets to her and it didn't bother her. Some people were smart and made people earn their trust.

That was what she planned on doing. As much as she wanted to trust Lani and tell him everything bad that had happened to her, she was still afraid of getting hurt again. "Oh yes, of course. You're just so incredibly hot, I can't help myself." She laughed quietly. It wasn't entirely a joke, she really couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She was the type of person who enjoyed seeing people's expressions. She wanted to know what expressions were happy and which were sad or angry. When she liked someone, she made sure she knew which expressions to look for.

Lani's line made her smile widen and she nearly became weak at the knees. She didn't believe that there were other eyes on her really. She was good looking, but not enough to catch more attention from anyone else. He held her closer in a sort of possessive way, and she didn't mind one bit. Usually, Adrian hated when guys were possessive over her, but Lani wasn't being overly possessive. She buried her face in his chest and let out a deep sigh of happiness, "That was very corny, but probably the cutest thing I've ever heard." She giggled and looked up at him.

Adrianna smirked, "You're so on! I'm going to so win again." She was so close to laughing like a little piggy that she could barely look at him. For a fact, she knew that if she looked at him she'd start snorting. Finally she got control and met his eyes again, "How about we make a bet out of this?" She suggested with an evil, diabolical smirk. In all honesty, if she won, she had no clue what she wanted. A kiss would definitely suffice, but it wasn't really a big prize considering they'd already had a mind-blowing adorable kiss already. But still, she wouldn't mind getting a possibly better kiss.

It was so natural being with him. They seemed to feed off of each other's energy. He'd make a joke and she'd laugh hysterically which would get him laughing and it was just so relaxing. He made it easy to forget about all of the bad things she usually thought about and dwelled on. Adrian didn't mind that he hadn't shared all his secrets with her yet because it made the time they spent together happy and not as heavy with the weight of something bad. His fist pump made her roll her eyes and giggle. "I'm not just being nice, you're actually somewhat with the beat," She laughed and nodded. He stepped away and she watched his dancing, trying very hard not to burst out into giggles. She took his hand and spun around surprised by his sudden energy. "Where did that come from?"

[Lani Hunter]

Adrianna was perplexing. He felt like he knew a lot about her but at the same time didn’t. It was that strange feeling like he felt like he had known her for years. The cover up joke was just a reminder that there were things he didn’t know about her, probably a multitude of things. And there were just as many that she didn’t know about him. His secrets were too close to his heart and too dangerous for him to trust them with just anyone. Sometimes he hated keeping so many secrets, it felt like the only person who really knew him was his little sister. Lani actually couldn’t understand how someone could trust so easily. He had barely even touched on his secrets, most of them were things that most people knew about him anyways, but it was terrifying that he was even thinking about laying his mistakes out for anyone.

Lani was very glad for the joking and the teasing; it had been a while since he had had friends who would be close enough to tease him. It was a nice change from the constant fighting and constant anger and pain. His power had decided to give him the night off apparently and was behaving itself quite well and his headache was a normal but slight pounding, which was a nice alternative to the debilitating agony it could be. He grinned at her joke and gave her a mock offended look but was only able to hold it for a split second before he dissolved into laughter again. Adrianna certainly was the only woman hold his eyes tonight, no one else seemed to compare. Another time perhaps Lani might have been roaming, but then again another time he wouldn’t have had someone ask him either.

He bit his tongue to punish it for its failed delivery of a good line. He really was doomed if he ever had to come up with a line that was not corny or borrowed. He just wasn’t good with words, sure when angry or annoyed he could give someone a run for their money with both clever and much less than clever retorts but he hadn’t been in a relationship before so all of this was new. When she put her face down in his chest he made a face and mouthed how much of an idiot he was when she wasn’t looking. “I know,” he said flushing crimson, “Sorry… Wait, what?” He looked down at her confused by her statement. He puffed up with pride and a smile broke out across his face again. Again with the cute stuff, oh well, he didn’t mind too much and his statement certainly couldn’t have been described as ‘deep’ or ‘insightful’. “I try,” he told her, “You see one of these days I’m going to shock you with something not corny.” He laughed, probably not anytime soon though.

Lani’s chin rose and he looked down at her with a hint of arrogance in his eyes. “We’ll have to see about that, won’t we?” He said in a low taunting voice. He couldn’t keep up his act very long because her laughter more often than not set him into laughter again. Lani’s eyebrow raised and a sly grin formed on his face. “A bet, huh?” Now she’d done it, their bet the last time had been trivial, well as trivial as borrowing powers could be, but a challenge that ignited Lani’s competitive edge. “I like the way you think. What did you have in mind?” He asked, “Because if I win I want a massage from those wonderful hands of yours.” His mind was off in a different direction but in all honesty a massage would be just as great, she could probably lull him to sleep in a matter of minutes.

This circular action they were having here was wonderful. Lani loved it. He couldn’t believe he was falling for her but at the same time he couldn’t see it going any other way without leaving him a little heartbroken. He smiled and gave her a skeptical look. He laughed at her statement unable to disagree although somewhat was kind of a stretch. He caught the beat once in a while and could hold it for two beats then lost it again. “Honestly?” He asked, “I have no idea.” Truth was he was feeling bold and daring despite his cautious mind. “Maybe it’s that you’ve inspired me.” He said with a grin and twirled her again. Some people said that fighting was like a dance, now that Lani was dancing he had to disagree. They were nothing alike, fighting and fleeing was half calculated hits and half luck and just a little of trusting your body to know what to do. There was so much thought to be put into this dancing thing. “It’s harder than it looks,” Lani admitted with a grin.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

As hard as it was not to trust someone fully for her, she liked having her own secrets. It made it easier to actually talk to someone. She didn’t feel like she was being judged for her past. She was being judged on her personality alone and what made her unique. Having secrets wasn’t always good, but for now she didn’t have much of a problem with it. Adrian just wanted a guy who made her feel special and loved and different. She didn’t want him to worry about her because of what she’d gone through before. She wanted genuine care and kindness, not what she got when someone found out she’d had a rough upbringing.

And Lani made her feel better. She knew he had secrets of his own, everyone did. She understood that he didn’t want to get into them yet, and had no problem with that. As long as he liked her and she liked him, nothing else mattered to her right now. Being able to laugh over ridiculous things and tease was just fine with her. It was different from her other relationships. Right off the bat she’d told them about her mother and her father, and they took pity on her and made her a promise that none of them had kept. Talen had told her he’d never leave her like her father had, but he did. Luke had also. Eventually, Adrianna knew Craven would as well, if he hadn’t already. She didn’t want Lani to promise her that. Promises held little meaning when they were just words. She wanted to be shown with time that he wouldn’t abandon her like so many others had. But could he be that guy for her? She didn’t want to think about it.

And in all honesty, Adrian didn’t notice any other guy at the club besides Lani. He took all of her attention because she was just so happy to be with him. It wasn’t dramatic or too gushy like she was used to. It was fun and relaxing with just a hint of sappiness. Just being able to bury her face in his chest and laugh was more than kissing or clinging to any other guy. He was so easy to get along with. She giggled and shook her head slightly, “Try, there is no try, only do…” She instantly clapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. She did NOT just quote Yoda from Star Wars. Ah hell. She hid her face in his chest again and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize it….

His taunt made her raise an eyebrow and giggle further. “Yes we will. I’m telling you, I’m so gonna whoop you again.” She winked at him and laughed as he broke out in a sly grin that made her face flame uncontrollably. She wondered what he’d come up with for the bet if he won. Her innocent side didn’t want to know, but she was also very curious. Adri smiled when he said massage, though she knew his mind was elsewhere, at least most guys’ minds would be. She tapped her index finger to her lower lip and looked up ‘deep in thought.’ She bit her lip and a wicked gleam sparked her in her eyes, “Well, that’s all good and sweet, but if I win, you have to wear a dress of my choosing.” She smirked evilly and giggled trying to picture him in a powder pink strapless.

The fact that Adrian was falling for him wouldn’t surprise anyone. He was a good looking guy with a fun personality, that was just who she was attracted to. He was a little different, more nervous than what she usually went for, but she preferred it. He wasn’t overly touchy with her and he made her feel fragile, but at the same time he knew she could be tough. Confidence and arrogance made a guy much more feely and made them think that they could do whatever they wanted with her. She didn’t appreciate that sort of behavior one bit. “It was totally awesome!” She said enthusiastically. She twirled again and giggled as she came spinning back to him. “It’s a little difficult, but you’re definitely getting it. A few more lessons with me and I’ll make you a great dancer.” Adrian smiled wider at the thought of more time with him.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s mind was momentarily distracted as he concentrated on the beat. He alternated watching her and watching his feet to make sure they didn’t clobber anything. His secrets had passed into the realm of not important. So unless he got a dreaded phone call tonight he was completely content to imagine that Lani the thief didn’t exist and he was just Lani the telekinetic. Some people said that the past was the past and you could forget about it and leave it behind. That was impossible, the past defines who you are today and it will never leave you. The past can tell a lot about a person. But the most important thing about the past is what you learn from it. Lani can never escape his past; he knows this better than he knows anything else. Trouble is he can’t figure out what he’s supposed to learn from it.

There was a part of him that wanted to ask her about her life, to learn everything about her, but that was unfair because the only thing Lani did when asked about his secrets was balk and lie. Chances are if she asked him he would lie to her too. Taitum tried to get him to spill his secrets and yet not even when Lani’s stubborn nature met one ever more diligent and stubborn had Lani broken down. The fact that Taitum was getting into his head was worrisome though, Taitum was older and wiser, not that Lani would ever admit to that, but he had told Lani several things and for some reason he can’t quite figure out they had stuck. He was going to get himself hurt or even killed if he kept doing what he was doing. He was in fact a kid with a machine gun. Uncontrollable. If Lani’s fear can keep him silent to one of the only people who can help him then it would take a long time for him to speak about it to anyone else.

He was brought out of his thoughts by her line. He blinked a few times trying to make sense of what he had heard and if he had really heard what he thought he heard. No way she was a Star Wars fan! He looked down at her his eyes narrowed and skeptical. “Did you just quote Yoda?” He got his answer when she hid her face. Lani wrapped his arms around her shoulders and decided yes, he was falling for her. He didn’t laugh at her but smiled widely. “You know I feel like every story needs that wise old man who can help…” As he said it his mood faltered for a moment, however brief, in remembrance. His eyes darkened and he forced himself to forget the old man, the one he had sold information about. Even after he had helped Lani so much, Lani had betrayed him for a few bucks. A hard sudden realization hit him. That was the kind of person he was. It was an awful feeling not being able to lie to yourself anymore.

Adrianna’s good mood couldn’t pull him away from this but it could make him forget at least for a little while. He shook his dark thoughts away and smiled back down at her. “Just wait, I won’t lose.” He said his determination coming through a bit strong to cover up his lapse. For the second time that night Lani was stunned speechless. Thoughts of old men and thoughts of thieves all took a backseat at that. Lani hadn’t thought it was possible for him to blush any more than he already was. A dress? He opened his mouth and closed it several times before he could finally figure out what to say to that. “And here I was being nice,” Lani said giving her a sly look, “You are devious.” He had to say he was honestly thinking about pulling out of the bet after that. There was no way in the nine circles of hell that Lani would ever be caught dead in a dress. What was it with women and cross dressing men anyways? He shook his head a little bit and held up his hands yielding. “Alright, minx, you’re on.” He held up a halting finger. “On the off chance you win, that will be for your eyes and your eyes only.” Lani gave her a stern look; he didn’t do well in embarrassing situations.

The man part of his mind wanted to touch her but Lani didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. He grinned and started swaying along with her. He was severely tempted to start dancing the way he had seen it in the movies but he figured he wasn’t even close to that skill level. He was just feeling overly cheerful, all dark thoughts forgotten. It was astounding that she had this effect on him, most of the time he could fake a good mood around people but it was far more rare that someone could actually make him feel better. He grinned at the thought of spending more time with her. He was certainly happy about that. “I hope so,” he commented, “The first step is getting the beat right?” He took her hands in his and swung them forward and back pulling her closer with every beat.

[Adrianna Carstyn]

For the moment, Adrian was completely off in her own happy little world. It was rare that she could get a moment of bliss in her life with her mother’s illness just getting worse. Nothing was going to put her in a bad mood today though. She didn’t think even Zac could put a damper on her mood, though now that she really thought about it, she knew he probably could. Adri knew that as soon as she got home, she’d get a call from the nurse about her mother’s condition and it would probably be just as bad as it was when they’d last talked. Then Amelia would get on the phone and try pretending that everything was perfectly fine. The woman was a horrible liar just like her daughter.

As horrible as all of that was, Adrianna couldn’t stop smiling. During the conversation with her mother, Amelia would surely ask about how it had gone. (Adrian had already told her that she was going out with a friend, then Amelia asked if it was a guy and…well yeah.) It would create a distraction from the cancer and they’d both talk as if nothing bad was hanging over their heads. Adrian would tell her mother how happy she was and it would make Amelia feel as if she weren’t sick. Not only was Adrian happy about how this day had turned out, it would also make her mother happy and that was a huge bonus. Adrian really wanted Amelia to meet Lani now. Amelia loved Craven after all, surely she’d love Lani too. Her mother had great judgment when it came to the guys Adrian went out with. She hadn’t liked Talen much, she liked Luke for the most part, and Craven, well she loved the boy, but she knew Adrian was no longer interested. Adri just hoped her mother would like Lani. If she didn’t…well Adrianna wasn’t going to think about that.

When he recognized the quote, her face flamed hotter and she buried her face in his chest to hide from complete embarrassment. He wrapped his arms around her and she wondered what he could possibly be thinking. Did he find it weird that a girl actually liked the movies? Nobody else really knew that about her. Ugh, please don’t let him think she’s a freak. When she looked up she noticed that he was smiling, not judgmentally, but as if he actually appreciated her quote. She relaxed when he spoke and hugged him tighter. “I’ve never let anyone know that I watched those movies, you should feel pretty damn special Mr. Hunter.” She giggled and just kept hugging him. The feeling she got when he held her was crazy, but in a good way. It seemed heightened considering she’d been held by several guys before. None of them (or so she liked to believe) had ever made her feel quite this good.

Adrianna looked up at him and rolled her eyes playfully as he spoke with a very determined tone. Clearly he was going to try hard, she’d just have to try harder. And she would. When he blushed darker than before she giggled evilly with a cute devilish look on her face. “Me? Devious? No way!” She smiled wider and tilted her head to the side when he agreed to the bet, but held his finger up before she spoke. “Off chance, psh! Fine, fine, my eyes only. And maybe my camera’s,” She giggled at first put realized he was completely serious. She stretched up on her toes and kissed him lightly, “I’m not that evil, I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of anyone else, just me.” She pulled back and smiled again hoping that he’d know that she was serious.

Adrianna was so relaxed, even with the hardcore dance music playing. She felt completely comfortable with Lani. And he was happy, which just made things better. Dark thoughts were gone and all she was focused on was the moment she was living in. And also the next time she’d get to see him. She was really excited for that part. Adrian smiled wider and nodded, “Exactly.” She took his hands and followed his movements. After all, the man was supposed to lead. He was actually keeping with the beat! She smiled encouragingly.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani allowed his mind to wander for a while but every thought turned somehow toward Adrianna. His sister was beyond happy that he finally had met someone. Of course she thought that Adrianna was already his girlfriend and nothing he did could say would deny her that knowledge. He had a soft smile, he actually couldn’t wait for the day he could go see her without having to sneak out. A decision that Lani had to think about now was that no matter what his sister would always come first. His sister and his family, were before everything and everyone. Including himself. He smiled pleasantly for once including his father in this joyous memory. He wanted to share his joy with Adrianna but he hadn’t told her about his problems with his father yet. There was so much going on there he didn’t even want to get into it.

Instead he simply smiled and said, “What a wonderful day it’s been.” His voice was whimsy and dreamlike as if he were thinking aloud. Well of course there had been a few blips, it had been a school day after all. And he had to make a decision about his future with no more guidance than from the people who only knew the one side of Lani. They didn’t, couldn’t take the thief Lani into account. That would be too dangerous. Graduation was coming up in a few months and he wasn’t sure if he was going to make the cut. He beamed and his eyes twinkled with an inner happiness that had been missing for a while. His dark eyes were usually only lit by mischief and the fire of anger. It was a nice change to have them sparking with happiness.

He breathed a little sigh of relief, glad she had missed his momentary plunge. He chuckled when her face glowed red and she tried to hide her face. He personally was glad to have a little nerd out. Lani was really very much of a closet nerd, he was able to hide his obsessions very well and most people would see him as a Star Wars fan. He and his father used to love watching those together. Good memories. Like father like son, some would say. Back then he would have agreed but at the moment that similarity was rarely seen and often comparisons were met with harsh response on both sides. “Why hide that?” He asked bewildered, “You’d be crazy if you turned around and said you didn’t like Star Wars!” He swayed a little pulling her to each side. “I just keep finding more reasons to like you,” Lani said a tone of something more in his voice.

“Ha! Devious, thy name is Adrianna,” he teased. His voice dropped a little and he pulled her close to whisper in her ear. “That’s ok, Devious you can all me Mischief.” He pulled away and gave her a wink leaving her to interpret that how she pleased. He was sure her conclusion would be fairly close to his meaning. He was reckless where she was cautious, he was mischievous, but she was also a little devious and honestly if that innocence he had seen in her eyes had spread through her entire being he might be a little freaked out. It was nice to see a side of her that was bold and daring, if embarrassing but then again he wasn’t going to lose to her. Lani was determined; there was a fire and a desire in his eyes. The rules were off the table with that. He raised a brow when she added the camera, a little less than thrilled but then she stretched herself up and kissed him and his will was shot. “I believe you,” he said with a light smile, “If you were that evil I don’t know what I’d do, you’ve got me rather trapped.”

With that he gave her an impish smile and pulled her back close to him and kissed her with more passion than before. He loved having her in his arms and he liked feeling just a little possessive. When he finally released her he found his head spinning a little. The beat was getting easier to keep and he alternated looking more at her eyes than at his feet. He pulled her a little away from the dense fray. She followed him and gave her a mock warning look, that was a dangerous move, who knew whether he was going to move her with the beat or take up an awkward one of his own. No one really knew. He was having too much fun to dwell on anything right now. This joyful romp was articulated by their laughter and Lani’s attempt to jig. He got to the point where he planted his feet and just moved as little as possible trying to keep the beat and at the same time trying not to take anyone out with his flailing arms.