*I do not own Beverly Hills 90210 or it's characters*
As promised, here's your second chapter for the weekend. I hope you enjoy!
Steve smiled widely and got up to lift Val into his arms.
"Val!" Steve said as he squeezed her tightly "God it's so good to see you." He put her down then raked his eyes over her frame. "You look hot." He said with a smile, wiggling his eyebrows before Janet hit him on the arm. "Ow! Honey come on, you always look hot." He leaned in to kiss his wife sweetly.
Brenda had tucked herself quietly behind Val, preparing herself. She'd felt Dylan's eyes on her as soon as she entered the door and it was already making her nervous. But she was trying not to let it get to her. She kept repeating Be stone, Brenda like a mantra in her head.
Dylan noticed she was keeping her distance and he tried not to stare. He moved his eyes around the table, trying to make it seem like Brenda hadn't doninated his attention the second she walked into the room. He noticed David's gaze move to Val. He looked a little uncomfortable at first, but then there was a sparkle in his eye as he smirked at her.
Brenda didn't miss David's look either. She was still behind Val so she couldn't see how her friend reacted, but by her sudden ranting Brenda could tell she was anxious. She immediately became very frustrated with herself. Yes she was overwhelmed but Val was her best friend, her sister, and she needed some support too. Brenda internally rolled her eyes at herself for being selfish. She cleared her throat to stop Val's rant and took a step to the side.
Dylan watched as she finally peeked herself out from behind Val, who put her arm around Bren's shoulder with a beaming smile, "Oh, and you already know my friend Brenda, right?"
Brenda shrugged, then did a little hip- pop and a half turn as if she was presenting herself for show and tell. She wore a glorious smile. "Hey guys, been a while."
Christ she looks fucking edible. Stop it, Dylan.
David was the first to move and scoop Brenda into a big bear hug. Then Steve and Brandon simply nodded at her with beaming smiles.
"Gosh Brenda. You're right, it's been so long since I've seen you." Steve joked. She laughed with him as they referred to their inside joke that Dylan fully understood. Her presence wasn't news to Steve.
"I hope you don't mind that we kidnapped your wife, Steve." Brenda said joking, bumping her hip against Janet's.
"I'm glad you did. Did you get to see Maddie before she left for the sitter? She's asked when she would get to see her Auntie Bren again, oh I don't know about twenty times now."
Brenda smiled brightly and nodded, "I sure did. Though, she's taken to calling me Snow White today?" She looked at him questioning.
Steve couldn't hold in his snicker. He glanced at Dylan quickly before placing his fist over his mouth, trying to mask his laughter as a cough. Dylan rolled his eyes at his friend and ignored him.
Janet eyed Steve and he straightened up and turned back to Brenda, "That's because she swears that you're really a beautiful Disney Princess in the flesh. Don't worry, it's a compliment. She even named the bunny you got her after your psuedo Disney twin." Steve chuckled softly.
Brenda brought her hand to her heart and made a clicking sound with her mouth. "Aww. That's so sweet. I swear, she is the cutest thing."
"Hey! I'm your only twin." Brandon interjected.
"Think again, Moron." Val snarked back.
Brenda interlocked her arm with Val and they both eyed Brandon. "Triplets, Brandon." Brenda said. "The better looking two of us." She pointed between Val and herself, "and then there's you." She pointed to Brandon now and tilted her head with a sassy smile.
Brandon smiled and shook his head. "God. I forgot how annoying you two were together." He joked.
Steve was chuckling beside Brandon, "They're not wrong though." He put an arm around both Brandon and Valerie. "I knew this was going to be fun." He laughed.
Brenda rolled her eyes playfully as she realized she hadn't introduced her friend to the gang, yet. "Oh! God, I'm sorry. Guys, this is Annie. Annie this is David, Steve, and my twin brother Brandon." She pointed to each of them that Annie hadn't met yet. As the greetings and introductions sounded off around her, Brenda decided that she needed to do something about Dylan. This was crazy. A weird situation surely, but she wouldn't make it awkward for everyone else, too. She could be friendly with him. They used to be best friends, practically family for crying out loud.
Dylan hadn't said anything to her, he just tried to sit back and watch her in conversation without being obvious. He was surprised when she faced him. And when she spoke to him, he felt his heart jump to his throat.
"Hey stranger." She said nicely. Brenda tried to keep her voice smooth."Remember me?" She asked him with a cute smirk and a sparkle in her eye.
Dylan's chest tightened at her words that called him back to their past. Did she remember every moment just like he did?
Dylan pretended to think, "Mmm, vaguely." He said. Then he flashed her that famous beaming smile. He didn't reach for her, even though every fiber in his body wanted to. Instead he just held her eyes in a stare, a silent acknowledgment that they were reliving a memory together.
Brenda couldn't look away. She wanted to. She knew she had to. But the moment the words left her lips she found herself trapped in time. Reliving a day where they reunited at the pit, a day where they went fishing together, a day back in time when they were Brenda and Dylan. Not strangers.
Dylan didn't know how long they were staring before Valerie cleared her throat and pretended to run into him, bumping his shoulder.
"Oh shoot, sorry Dylan." She said sweetly, like an innocent angel. Then she turned her attention back to Brenda. "Bren, they're playing my song. Let's dance."
Dylan took a deep breath, shaking his head at Valerie's less than subtle antics, and watched as she led Brenda out to the dance floor. He caught the guys beside him stifling their laughter in the corner of his eye.
"Shut up." Dylan said without looking at them.
"You know you could at least try to be more subtle, Val." Brenda said chuckling while she danced with the girls.
"Not my style." Val said casually with a shrug.
"Are you okay though, Bren?" Annie asked curiously
"Yeah of course, why wouldn't I be?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because Dylan just gave you his best eye sex and his eyes still haven't left you." She said nodding in the direction of the table.
Brenda risked a glance in that direction and caught Dylan's eyes before he quickly looked away.
Thankfully Brenda didn't have long to dwell on the situation with him because Donna and Kelly had spotted her on the dance floor as well.
"OH MY GOD BRENDA!" Donna said excitedly as she threw her arms around her old friend. She squeezed her tightly and let out a squeal. "I can't believe you're here!"
Brenda returned her enthusiasm and then rubbed her back before releasing her. "Donna, hey! Oh wow you look incredible!" She said as she looked at Donna's still tiny frame.
"So do you! This dress is gorgeous." Donna gushed.
Brenda thanked her and then her eyes found those of the blonde standing uncomfortably next to her. Brenda ignored the awkward tension that had suddenly risen and simply smiled at her. "Hey, Kel." She said sweetly. "It's good to see you."
Brenda noticed Kelly's eyes shift to the guys table, right at Dylan, and then quickly back to her. Well, that's interesting. Maybe they are together? Or maybe it was a reaction to their history and this awkward situation. Either way, Brenda told herself it was fine. I'm fine. It doesn't matter.
Kelly gave her a wide smile, "Hey, Bren. Yeah, it's good to see you, too. 8 years is too long." Her voice was bright and strong, but she was wringing her hands nervously.
"Yeah, I know. It's really weird being back here after such a long time honestly. I'm glad you guys could make it, I wasn't sure if you'd get my message in time."
"Oh it was perfect timing actually." Donna answered sweetly. "David had just told me about their plans for guys night right before we listened to it. It's incredible, the gang hasn't been all together since you left, Bren. Even Andrea and Hannah are supposed to be coming to visit. Apparently Brandon talked her into it. " Donna was always the most sentimental out of all of them. Brenda didn't miss the way Kelly's body slightly tensed at the mention of Brandon's name.
Before Brenda could respond, Val chimed in. "Well great! Gang's all here then." She sent a sarcastic smirk at Kelly. It was no secret that the women struggled to find common ground usually.
Kelly looked at Val with a knowing smirk. This was how it always was. She cleared her throat, "Val. Glad you could make it, too."
"Oh, I wouldn't miss this glorious reunion for anything." Val said sweetly with a grin. Her feigned innocence was laid on heavy.
Annie looked between the two women and spoke up then. "Hi, I'm Annie." She held her hand out to shake the girl's hands in greeting. "This place is really cool. I don't get to go to clubs often."
"This is my first time coming here too, actually." Brenda added.
"Well, let's get to the good stuff then, shall we?" Valerie asked. "Drinks anyone?"
Steve and Brandon got up to go get more drinks while Dylan and David hung back at the table. Dylan risked a glance at the dance floor and accidentally met Brenda's eyes. He quickly looked away. Good job, McKay. You're a stalker. His internal groan was loud. He was trying, with very little success, not to stare. But the way she was moving on the dance floor, swaying her hips, her tiny waist moving in sync to the beat. Fuck.
He noticed that Donna and Kelly finally found the other girls, and watched their brief interaction from his spot at the guys table. He couldn't hear anything but he paid special attention to Brenda's body language. No one else would notice how uncomfortable she was if they didn't know her like he did. She held herself confidently, but the way she moved her hand through her hair occasionally, and absently crossed her arms over her chest told him she was nervous. He chuckled to himself when Val slipped in next to Brenda and interrupted her conversation with Kelly and Donna. She was really going to hover over her all night wasn't she?
Dylan couldn't help but notice David observing the interaction as well, his eyes lingering on Valerie. He kept shifting in his seat. "Everything okay, man?" Dylan asked interested. He knew that there was a time David and Val really loved each other, and by the current look on his face, it seemed he would always have a place in his heart for her.
David breathed deeply and tried to act indifferent. "Yeah. It's just weird seeing everyone back together after so long, you know? Kind of surreal."
Dylan knew he was being less than truthful, but he didn't push. He hated when people did that to him. He chuckled and shook his head lightly, "Yeah, I know what you mean."
"What about you?" David asked.
"What about me?"
"Well come on, it's gotta be weird seeing Brenda again right?" He raised his eyebrows at Dylan.
Was it? Dylan wasn't sure if that's the word he would use. Hard. Overwhelming. Confusing. Incredible. Messy. There were so many different emotions he was feeling seeing her again, nothing was making any sense. So yes. Weird was as good a word as any.
Dylan nodded slowly, "Yeah. Yeah it's weird." He breathed out.
His eyes drifted to Brenda over at the girl's table. They had gotten drinks and were laughing together. He watched her as her chest vibrated with laughter and her face was stretched into a wide smile. It was so contagious that he smiled wide, too. God she's beautiful.
Steve and Brandon arrived back at the table with a round of shots for everyone in the gang that could partake and called the girls over. As they approached the table, Dylan and David scooted their chairs over to make more room. Janet sat on Steve's lap, Donna stood between David's legs, and Kelly nonchalantly placed herself next to Brandon. Annie stood next to them, leaving Brenda just a few feet from Dylan. She was so close he could smell her perfume. It was overwhelming him and he almost lost all sense and reached for her. His eyes caught hers only briefly before Val slid in smoothly right next to him.
"Hey Dylan. This spot taken?" Val asked the rhetorical question before grabbing the shot glass in front of her and raising it.
Brenda looked down and shook her head, trying to hide her amusement. Her best friend was nothing if not bold and efficient. "You know, you can cool it a little." She whispered into Val's ear for only her to hear. Val's only response was a wink in her direction. Worth a shot.
The gang all raised their glasses while Donna dove into her short toast. "To a night with friends, old and new."
Everyone clinked their glasses together and then took their shots at the same time. Brenda threw hers back then made a face and brought her hand up to her mouth.
"Brenda! You're ENGAGED?!" Donna's eyes went huge and she practically squealed. "Why didn't you say anything?! Let me see, let me see!"
Shit. She hadn't told Donna and Kelly yet. And she didn't know if Dylan noticed her ring before or not, but whatever the case, he knew now. Brenda felt bad briefly but Donna didn't wait before grabbing her left hand and marveling over the big diamond on her finger.
Dylan swallowed hard, trying to force down the bitterness that now lingered in his throat. As he looked at the girls admiring Brenda's ring, her eyes met his. He tried to force a small reassuring smile even though he physically ached inside. He failed miserably. Her big doe eyes looked into his intensely, wearing an apologetic expression. Could she see through him?
"So, who is he? When's the big day?" Donna asked excitedly.
Brenda's focus snapped back to her friend. She'd wished this conversation could happen somewhere else. Even though she and Dylan were over, she didn't want to hurt him. She remembered the feelings she had when he married Toni, and she cringed to think of Dylan feeling that way. But then she shook the thoughts away. No. She wouldn't feel bad. This was his choice. She looked back at Donna and smiled sweetly at her excitement.
"We haven't set a solid date yet but we are thinking maybe December? Winter in New York is insanely beautiful." She shifted her feet, and did her best to avoid Dylan's eyes. "And uh, his name is Chace...Cohen." She stumbled alittle. She never liked name dropping him, it made her feel uncomfortable.
Fucking Chace Cohen?! Is she serious? Fuck! Dylan almost couldn't hide his reaction. His eyes went wide briefly before he reeled himself in. Of course. Of course Brenda would be marrying someone that awesome. Being involved with a lot of environmental organizations himself, Dylan knew all about Chace Cohen and his contributions and philanthropic work. He seemed like a good person. A great person. Damn it. He didn't know if this information made him feel better, or worse.
The girls continued gushing and Brenda was getting increasingly uncomfortable with all the attention on her, so she decided to deflect. She asked them all questions of her own. She listened as Donna happily told her about the store she owned, and David told her about his show here at the After Dark. He was also expanding now that he getting more recognition and playing shows at other big clubs in LA. Kelly talked about how much she enjoyed counseling the students at West Beverly.
The night carried on much the same. The gang all catching up together and also enjoying separate girls and guys night as the drinks kept pouring. Because he wasn't drinking, Dylan got to watch with sober eyes as the others slowly started to lose ahold of their inhibitions. He noticed Brandon and Kelly engaging in what looked a lot like flirting through hushed whispers and soft touches. It appeared Brandon had taken her up on that dance as well. Dylan also noticed the slight glances David and Valerie kept stealing, always looking away from each other before the other noticed.
Brenda seemed to be feeling her drinks now, her body language appeared more relaxed and the tension in her shoulders had all but dissipated. She had kept her distance from him for the most part, which Dylan hated. He knew wanting to be closer to her was a bad idea considering the absolute turmoil that was his current state of mind, but it didn't stop him from wanting to be near her. Wanting to talk to her. He hated being a stranger to her, someone whose heart he'd held so firmly at one time. Someone who'd once been his everything, before he forced her out.
He'd hoped after her greeting to him tonight that she would have talked to him more, but she seemed content to avoid him altogether. Dylan was pulled out of his thinking by Kelly's voice.
"How you doing?" She asked concerned.
Dylan had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Was there a group meeting or something? A mass memo somewhere announcing his confusion? Hey everyone Dylan is falling apart.
"I'm fine Kel." He lied.
She gave him a smirk and shook her head. "You wanna try that again? Once more with feeling? I don't really believe you." She sat in the chair next to him and waited.
Dylan looked away and sipped his coke with a smirk, "Not sure why. I am fine."
She gave him a "get real" look and chuckled softly. "Please, you've been wearing your Brenda face since she walked in the door."
Dylan's eyes shot up, "My Brenda face?"He crinkled his face, questioning her with a confused yet amused expression.
Kelly couldn't stifle her laughter.
"Yes. Your Brenda face. Not to be confused with your tortured brooding face. They look similar actually." She joked. "Point is, I've seen that face often enough Dylan." She suddenly got serious. "Plus, there's the reason we broke up..."
Dylan looked away from her guilty. They'd already gotten past all of this but he still felt ashamed of the destruction he'd caused.
"So, let's try this again...how are you really doing?" She asked sincerely.
Dylan simply shrugged. "Look, I don't have Brenda face, okay? Whatever that means." He rolled his eyes. "And anyway, it doesn't matter. What's the point in dwelling? She's getting married to someone else."
"Mhmm, she is. And you have no feelings about that?"
"What do you want me to say, Kel?"
"I want you to be honest with yourself. For once."
Dylan looked down, desperately trying to hide how frustrated he was becoming. He was being honest with himself, wasn't he? Yes he loved her more than he ever loved anyone else. But that was all in the past now. It had to be. He made the decision to leave her for her own good. He had to believe it was for the best, otherwise his state of emptiness for the last four years was for nothing. He wouldn't back down now.
"I am being honest Kelly. It's for the best. I've been fine, I'll still be fine." Jesus, even I don't believe me.
Kelly gave a look that made it obvious she wasn't buying it, but before she could push further he turned the tables on her.
"And anyway, what about you? Seems like things are going well." He nodded in the direction of Brandon who was laughing with his two sisters, Brenda damn near taking his breath away with her sparkling eyes.
Kelly blushed and looked down with a shy smirk before meeting Dylan's eyes again. "You know it's funny. We run, and push, and challenge our happiness when it's right in front of us. Maybe we think we don't deserve it. Maybe we're afraid to scar someone else with our baggage. Our past. Our insecurities." She paused and shook her head. "We put ourselves through so much bullshit and pain, just for our heart to end up in the same place as before. It feels amazing, and wonderful, and like...well...like home. Because we were meant to be there all along." She looked at Brandon again and Dylan followed her eyes. "Then we're left to wonder why the hell we ever left in the first place."
"You got all that just from seeing him tonight?" He asked.
"It only takes one moment Dylan." She sent him a meaningful stare.
Dylan thought about that and understood what she meant immediately. The moment with Brenda at his locker, the moment on that pier, that moment in her kitchen when she thanked him for the medal, the moment before she left for London and then again when he'd found her there. Endless moments that told him everything he needed to know in a single stare. He nodded at Kelly, letting her know that he got it.
She looked back at Brandon again. "I just hope it isn't too late to go back."
"Is that what you want? To go back?" Dylan questioned her.
"Wouldn't you go back if you could?" She eyed Dylan knowingly then darted her eyes in Brenda's direction. She placed her hand softly on Dylan's shoulder before moving to get up.
Did she just Obi-Wan me? Damn reverse psychology.
Brenda stood laughing with Val and Brandon. She'd missed this. The joking with each other, the snarky comments and sarcasm but also the love and safety that surrounded her with them. Their adult relationships had become something so beautiful and she almost teared up at how amazing it felt to share such a special bond where she felt protected and loved. Maybe it was the alcohol making her sentimental, but she suddenly felt so grateful as she looked between her brother and sister. It was such a beautiful feeling that almost overwhelmed her to tears, until her eyes fell on Kelly and Dylan at the table. They were close and talking, and then she watched as Kelly rested her hand on Dylan's shoulder. It stirred some feeling in her that she didn't like. Stop it, Brenda.
Chace popped into her head at that moment. She focused on the memory of his sparkly blue eyes. His beautiful boyish smile and messy hair. She just missed him, that's all this was. It had nothing to do with Dylan. He belonged in the box, and that's where he would stay. Brenda's eyes shifted to her brother's face as he also noticed Dylan and Kelly together. She sighed a little, knowing after witnessing them together tonight that his brother still harbored feelings for his old flame. Fuck this was a mess.
As Kelly walked away from him, Dylan's attention went back to where Brenda stood. He noticed Val leading them out of the crowd and at that moment he couldn't stand it anymore. Maybe he could ask her to dance? Then he could be closer to her, just to talk to her. Find some sort of middle ground between them. At least that's what Dylan told himself. But with her human buffer around he wouldn't even get a chance to ask. All he could do is wait and hope he would find an opening.
It took another 45 minutes before he found Brenda by herself. Val had walked to the restroom with Janet and Annie. Dylan saw his opportunity and made his way toward her, nerves threatening to take him over. He walked up behind Brenda at the table as she sipped her drink, desperately fighting his natural instinct to snake his arms around her waist and bury his head into her neck like he used to. Instead he simply placed his hand on her shoulder so she would turn to look at him.
He gave her a shy smile and his hands went nervously into his pockets. "Uh, Hey Bren." He said. "Dance with me?" He asked holding out his hand. He was not as confident as his voice sounded. He was actually pretty certain she would turn him down.
Brenda looked down at his hand and the urge to take it was screaming at her. This is definitely a bad idea, don't do it. She opened her mouth to tell him no thanks, but instead her eyes met his and something else slipped out. "Sure." What?
Dylan was surprised when she took his hand, but her expression seemed blank. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, especially because all he could focus on was the fire that touched his skin as soon as their hands made contact. He walked her out onto the dance floor, not noticing or caring if any of their friends saw them. From what he could tell before, they were all otherwise engaged in their own drunken festivities anyway. Once he got to a space far enough away so they were semi hidden and the gang couldn't hear them, Dylan stopped and slowly turned to face Brenda. He pulled her hand a little to bring her closer to him. Not wanting to push his luck, he kept a respectable distance between them, placing one hand on her waist, and held the other firmly in his.
Brenda wasn't uncomfortable. In fact she spent a lot of her energy in that moment trying to ignore just how comfortable she did feel. As he brought her into him her free arm automatically wrapped around his neck. It's just a dance. No big deal. Brenda looked around at the crowd a little, trying to distract herself from how close he was. She finally looked up at him when she heard him chuckle lightly.
"Well, at least we're passed the awkward phase right?" Dylan joked. He hadn't been this close to her in 4 years and it was hard to ignore how amazing it felt. As he began to sway to the music, he looked into her eyes.
Brenda chuckled slightly, "Oh yeah, totally over it." she smiled a little uncomfortably before looking down again. She was purposely trying to avoid looking at him. This would just be a dance, and Brenda already knew how easy it was to fall under his spell.
Dylan could tell she was trying her hardest to avoid looking into his eyes. He hated it. He didn't want it to be like this. Not with her. Not after everything. "You know, Bren. It really doesn't need to be this way between us." He tilted his head a little so she had to meet his eyes. "I don't want it to be this awkward, strained thing when we're around each other. This is our third run-in since you came to town. Chances are there will be more. I mean we do run in the same circle." Dylan spoke softly and sincerely. He was honest. All of this confusion was weighing on him, but this tension between them wasn't helping.
"Dylan, I'm not trying to make it awkward for you. It's just..." Brenda blew out a breath. She tried to think of how to word what she truly wanted to say without letting him see how affected she was.
"Our history...I get it." Dylan finished her thought for her and she was relieved for it.
"Yeah. I just don't want this to be uncomfortable for you...or for Kelly. That's not my intention." She said sincerely.
Ummm what? Does she think I'm with Kelly? "Uh Bren, I'm not exactly sure what you're thinking, but, there's nothing going on with me and Kelly." He chuckled a little, trying to keep things light and friendly.
Brenda hated that she felt relieved at that knowledge, she needed to not care at all either way. And truthfully even if they weren't together now, it didn't change the fact that he chased Kelly after London. That he was always chasing her. Brenda was engaged. She loved Chace. None of this stuff with Dylan mattered anymore. Not his relationship status, not the way her body involuntarily responded to him, not all the unasked questions, the broken promises, or the missing answers. She would be civil while she was here. His friend in Beverly Hills and then she would leave and things would go back to the way they were.
Brenda shook her head, "It's okay, Dylan. It's not my business either way." Then she looked him in the eyes and added, "It doesn't matter to me."
Fuck that hurt. Did she mean it? Did she really not care? Her quick comment was like a knife to his chest. She really did move on, and the pain of that knowledge nearly knocked the wind out of him. He didn't know what to say, he simply nodded at her. They were quiet again while Dylan danced her in slow circles, trying to ignore the way the electricity hummed through his body at her nearness. He knew he had wanted to talk to her, but now that she was here with him he couldn't think of a single thing to say. He just wanted to relish in her closeness while he could. Her touch, her warmth, it was overtaking him and invading his senses.
Brenda let him sway her to the beat, hating the reminder of how in sync their bodies always seemed to be. His closeness was making it hard to concentrate on her resolve. Damn it, did he always smell this good? She had to think of something to say. She had to break the silence before she crumbled and asked him all the things she really wanted to know. A flurry of questions fogging her mind. What happened? Why did you leave? What did I do wrong? Why was I never enough to make you stay?
Instead she simply asked, "So, now what?"
Dylan looked at her and gave her his famous half smirk that always smoothly walked its way past all her defenses. His intense brown eyes raked over her frame then pierced hers, threatening to turn her into a mumbling idiot. Brenda wondered how she ended up in this piece of crap situation. She needed to get it together. Her body was in a weird state of shock, but she couldn't let him see that she was falling apart on the inside. Be an actress Brenda. Be stone, damn. He still didn't say a word, he just looked at her as if he could see inside her soul.
Dylan didn't know what to say. What did come next? He didn't know. Could they be just friends? Could it really be that easy? With the way he was feeling right now, it was highly unlikely. In fact, all he could think in this moment was that he wanted more. He needed to be closer. He needed her. He stood there moving with Brenda, her bright eyes looking into his, entrancing him, and he forgot everything. He couldn't force himself to look away. His pulse was racing. He couldn't make a sound. Suddenly everyone else around them was gone, and they were alone as the world melted away around them. She was the only thing he saw.
Dylan tried to restrain himself. He really tried to hold himself back, but he no longer possessed the strength to fight against the pull that always brought him to her. Before he realized it, he was leaning his head down into her neck. The moment his nose grazed her skin a jolt of lightning shot through his body. The heat within him rising to a dangerous level, causing him to act on instinct only, leaving all thought and confusion behind him. He pulled her into him and wrapped both of his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he did it. Not just because it was a bad idea, but because it was incredible. It felt too good. Too real. Too right. Dylan knew it was risky, and he was certain it wasn't appropriate, but God it felt amazing to hold her in his arms again.
Brenda wanted to take a step back. She wanted to protect herself, pull herself from his grasp, but as soon as his arms encircled her she had lost any fight she may have had still lingering. She let her guard down. She didn't know how much the alcohol from tonight had to do with it, but she seemed to lack any willpower to resist him. Before she knew it she was bringing herself even closer to him, and something deep within her seemed to awaken. Something she'd tried hard to bury. Brenda wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that were hitting her. After a moment of standing there shocked, she gave in and melted into his strong arms. She buried her face into his neck, getting lost in the scent that had brought her so much comfort in the past. It was familiar and safe.
Dylan felt her body mold against his and her arms found their way around his neck. When he felt her lips brush against his neck he was done for, completely lost in her. He slowly moved his hands up her waist, and brought one higher up on her back, while the other gripped around her head, brushing her hair down softly. Dylan brought his face closer to her head, inhaling her too familiar coconut shampoo scent. God, he felt so alive, more alive and full than he'd felt in 4 years. He knew he'd missed her, but he didn't know just how much until this very moment. How, after all this time, could she still calm him yet send him into a frenzy all at once? The sparks were igniting around him, dancing fluidly with the flames of desire he felt for her. It was heaven and hell all rolled into one, a whirlwind of intensity that he couldn't seem to make himself regret. The feeling was so overwhelming that he couldn't stop himself from what he did next.
Dylan moved his hand from behind her head and brushed her hair off her shoulder, "How?" He paused, trying to restrain himself from peppering kisses down her neck. "After all this time...How do you still make me feel this way?" He whispered into her ear. "God, I miss you Bren."
Brenda closed her eyes, feeling his finger tips brush against her neck. His lips grazing her ear were making her dizzy and her heart was pounding. His voice was full of emotion. Heavy with want and lust. It was the voice he used when he'd whispered poems in her ear countless times before. The voice he'd used when they were in the throes of passion. She'd missed his touch. His warmth. Her lip was trembling and her body erupted in goosebumps. She let out a shaky breath, squeezing her eyes closed tightly, fighting to regain control. "Dylan. Please don't do this." She said breathless.
He pulled back a little to look into her eyes, and brought his hand up to her cheek. He cupped her face, his eyes dropping to her full pouty lips. Dylan heard her words, he knew he needed to stop, but he couldn't think straight. It was like he had no control over his words or actions. He felt her in every part of him and it left him teetering on the edge of sanity, logic now evading every part of his mind. There was only her.
"It would be so easy, to just..." Dylan grazed his thumb over her bottom lip, absently licking his own lips before looking into her eyes again. Those damn sparkling bright blue gray eyes that pulled him in until he lost all sense of reason. It took every ounce of strength he possessed to not lean in right then. This was it. This was the moment. He'd experienced several of these with Brenda before, but this one somehow felt different. Like the locker all over again, only bigger and more defining. He felt a universal shift. He felt himself change. Who he was. Everything he believed to be true. Brenda was intertwined into his very being.
"How are you still so deep in here, Bren? How do I still feel you everywhere?" He asked in a whispered voice, almost as if he didn't mean to say it out loud. Could she feel the shift, too? Can she sense the air coming alive around them? He was relishing in exquisite torture. And that's what it was. To be so near her. To have her this close, and not be hers. Not be able to kiss her, or tell her all the things he has wanted to say since the day left her. She had to feel it. There's no way she can be steady when he was walking through hell.
Brenda was trying to keep her composure but his stare was sending her free-falling into the flood. His whispered words to her were unleashing a raging war inside, the feelings attacking her in waves. Looking into his deep brown eyes, her fingers gradually traced up his neck until they found their way into his hair. When she entangled her hands into his waves, his fingers began rubbing down her spine slowly. They dug into her skin more firmly as he began to pull her back into him. His touch was like fire, igniting trails of heat along her skin. She felt the warmth of his fingertips through the thin fabric of her dress. She was terrified.
Please Dylan. Not again. She refused to go back there. Back to depths of pain and destruction that only came with loving Dylan McKay. Why was he doing this? Why would he try to drag her back there? More importantly, why was she still standing here? Brenda wanted to move. She wanted to find her friends and get the hell out of here. Move Brenda. Why couldn't she break away from him? If he leaned in, would she have the strength to resist? She nearly stopped breathing when he used his index finger and thumb to grip her chin, slowly bringing his face ever closer. "Dylan..." She tried to whisper but she wasn't sure any sound came out at all.
"Ahem...Mind if I cut in?" Val said loudly resting her hands on her hips.
Thank fuck. Brenda finally remembered who and where she was. She finally remembered her own damn name. She took a step back, Dylans hand dropping as she did. She eyed him frustrated, channeling all her emotions into anger so she wouldn't break down in front of him. "Yeah sure. We're done anyway." She said it to Val but her eyes never left his. Brenda almost couldn't stand the look of hurt that hit his eyes at her words. She ignored the instinct to comfort him and walked away.
As soon as his hand dropped from her face Dylan felt cold. Her words 'we're done' seemed to have a deeper meaning than just a dance, and it only increased the feeling of hollowness that now touched his heart. He watched her walk away from him and his world crashed around him as he remembered reality. The reality that he dealt himself. The reality that she wasn't his. Not anymore.
Val looked at Dylan mad as hell with her arms crossed. "Damn it McKay."
Oof. Val is fixing to unleash the fury and I'm here for it!
I hope you guys are still loving it and I hope this chapter was easy enough to follow. It's really hard to do different points of view in separate chapters when they're all together at the same time anyway. so I wrote it intertwined together, playing it out like scenes.
It was important for me to develop Steve as someone that both Dylan and Brenda could depend on. I also wanted Dylan and Kelly's relationship to be established immediately as friendly only, but supportive. There will be no triangle BS between those 3 anymore because its exhausted.
If you're scratching your head a little don't worry. Questions are slowly being answered and truths will be coming to light. The story is unfolding, and our favorite couple is about to get a tough lesson in romantics. Thanks for sticking with me!
P.S. I just noticed that DylanLovesBrenda left me a review and im fangirling because I LOVE her stories so much. Going cry now. :')