For mysteriesabound1 - you make me smile

Stripes

"So, how d'you think I'm doing?" Letty asked as she eased the Mazda to a halt at the red light, it was so smooth that there wasn't even the slightest jolt when the car stopped.

Letty couldn't help but feel proud of herself for pulling off that trick, Dom had her taught that before you went hard and fast in a car you needed to know how to do it slow and gentle. Vince had said it sounded like he was talking about sex rather than driving and was he getting all confused when it came to his rides? Dom had ignored him and turned back to Letty, who had been trying not to blush, and pointed out that thinking like that was why Vince always came in second every time they raced.

"You're doing great," Dom said and he meant it, Letty was a quick learner, at home behind the wheel and seeming to instinctively know what to do. "You'd pass a test tomorrow, no problem."

"For real?" She asked a smile blooming on her face and causing a hidden dimple to appear by the corner of her mouth. She always looked so young when she ginned like that Dom thought as he opened his mouth to confirm what he'd said when the roar of an engine cut him off.

The car pulled up next to them, headlight blindingly bight in the darkness of the night. The engine rumbled and throbbed away like some beast, unlike the contented even purr of the Mazda. All money and flash, Letty thought listening to the sound, someone had paid out a lot on that car but didn't have any idea how to handle it. Driving wasn't just about looking good behind the wheel, anyone could to that. A real driver knew it was about understanding the car you drove.

"Hey Toretto," The all too familiar voice called out and Dom clenched his jaw as he turned to look at the speaker through the open passenger window, "I'll give you seventy five bucks for that heap of scarp, including your girl."

Letty flinched slightly but was glad that was the only reaction she gave, she didn't need to be getting into slanging matches with the likes of Johnny Tran. So she just kept her hands where they were, one on the wheel and one on the gearshift, and turned her head away from the car that had pulled up on the passenger side. The fact that her knuckles had gone white from the strength of her grip was something she would just ignore.

"Letty…" Dom said her name softly knowing that the insult had riled her far more than she was letting on. It was funny, but when she really needed to she could hold her temper better than he could. "Letty…"

When he said her name for the second time Letty knew that he wouldn't say anything else until she looked at him, he'd just sit there repeating her name all night. So reluctantly she did as he asked and over his shoulder could see the two occupants of the other car, a smirking Tran and a giggling blonde with pink highlights. It took all her willpower to keep from snarling at the pair of them.

"Letty," Dom said once again when her eyes settled on him, he leaned in close and then indicated the traffic lights with a tilt of his head. "Smoke him."

Her jaw went slack, and her eyes widened in shock, sure that she must have misunderstood him. No one ever raced Dom's car but him, no one, it was a rule. And she was sure he was only letting her drive it because he couldn't stand the pickup that was her family car. He couldn't have meant that how it sounded. Letty opened her mouth but no sound came out, her hand twitching on the wheel while Dom just smiled and nodded.

He patted her hand where it rested on gear stick and turned to give Tran a vindictive smirk. The Asian teen and his date just laughed clearly showing their opinion of Letty as any kind of racer, which just caused Dom's smile to widen. She had to admit at that point she kind of agreed with the two of them, she didn't even have a licence and Dom wanted her to race his car? And against Johnny Tran of all people? He was either out of his mind or he was crazy!

"You got this." Dom told her, his tone all quiet confidence that somehow caused the butterflies in her stomach to settle. They was he said it, as if there wasn't a doubt in his mind, caused somthing in her to relax as the understanding came that he wouldn't be telling her to do this if he didn't honestly believe she could.

Letty felt her lip twitch as the light changed from red to amber. Dom reached for the stereo and loud music and thumping base filled the car as the light changed from amber to green.

Dom couldn't help but laugh as Letty peeled out as if she'd been racing all her life, the Mazda was ahead from the start and he knew, just knew it on some bone deep level that Tran didn't have a hope in hell of catching them. And as their speed increased her smile widened and she laughed like a wild thing. It was infectious and so he reached out and flipped aside the small panel, revelling the switches.

She didn't need to be asked twice, accepting the silent invitation she hit the switch, NOS flooding the system and suddenly it felt as if she were flying.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Forget you licence," Dom said a short time later as Letty eased the car to the side of the road and killed the engine. "That little stunt just earned you your racing stripes."

"For real?" She breathed and when she turned to look at him her eyes were so bright they damn near shining.

He just nodded and from where he was sat could see her body trembling in the after rush, her breathing was coming in deep heavy pants causing her chest to rise and fall in a way that drew his eye. Letty looked like she'd just done a sprint set or, and once the thought arrived in his head he couldn't shake it, had really great sex.

"Fuck." She murmured and to his ears it sounded like she just had. He'd heard other girls sound like that, normally just after he'd finished with them in bed, but never from behind the wheel of a car and never from Letty.

And he knew what she was going to do even before she moved, the adrenaline high was raging through her and at that moment she felt invincible. Dom knew he should probably do something, shift away, get out of the car, hell even turning his head would have been enough. But he didn't, instead when Letty leaned across the space between them and kissed him full on the mouth, he just pulled her right onto his lap and kissed her back.

(A/N) Just a few more days to go until the trailer for Fast & Furious Six is realest, I don't know about you guys but I'm counting down the hours. I can wait to see Letty back on the Fast & Furious screen where she belongs.

Lamanth xx