You are the only one I can trust [cw]

Time: December 2019
Surroundings: Bar in Western District
CW: Sexual themes [smash]

Joaquin had been the one her parents had agreed upon, and she had accepted her fate. She had bowed her head, kept silent and pretended to love him, even though she knew both of them despised one another. Their parents wanted an alliance, one strong between two long lines of lycans. She had tried to escape it, and it had only ended up badly for her. The holiday season had begun, but to be honest, Valerie felt none of that, which was why she had just went in to a random bar in Western District. Snow had started to fall outside, a little too early in her opinion, but the seasons seemed to be pretty reliable here in Churchill. She had sat down, ordering a gin tonic before scrolling through her contacts. She had a lot of friends, but those friends she hadn't seen in so long, and she felt like it would be random to just ask them to meet her here. She felt a little sad by that fact. That her whole life had been almost wiped out when her and Joaquin had gotten matched up. But right now she had no-one. Well her family of course, but who wanted to stay with their controlling parents during this time of the year? Not this lycan. Her drink got served, as she reached a name on her contacts that she had named 'Drew'. For some reason her and that daemon had gotten along well, and a friendship had bloomed. Another thing was the fact that she hadn't told him yet of what had happened to Joaquin, and all of the other crazy things that had seemed to transpire in her life.
Breathing out she tapped on his name, starting to write a message, but she kept deleting it. It didn't feel right, it felt so impersonal, and he deserved better than dealing with her trying to drink away what ever mixed feelings she had. With Joaquin gone, who was she? She was no longer the "trophy-wife-to-be", but she hadn't really found her independence either. She wanted to be surrounded by friends, and yet she felt almost afraid to text anyone. Closing her eyes she tapped the little phone icon next to his name, holding it up to her ear. She would understand if he didn't pick up, or if he had deleted her number, but she had felt a genuine connection with him. Maybe it was because they both knew that any romantic feelings were off the table and they could just be two friends?
If he picked up she would sound visibly nervous, if not she would try and play it cool over his voicemail. "Hey, uh, it's Val - Are you busy tonight?" she started out, feeling a little more confident the more she spoke. "Well, I got a drink with your name on it, if you're up for it? I can send you the address?" she suggested, breathing out and shaking her head at herself. "I could really need someone to cheer me up right now, and it feels like you're the only one that can make me feel great so, uhm, yeah," she said, closing her eyes shut as she felt frustrated with her own word choice. "Hope to see you soon," she ended her call before sending the address to Andrew via text. Now the waiting began. Would he show up or not?

Life for Andrew had been boring as shit before Valerie, before that faithful night where he had accidentally stumbled into the lycan who had quickly concluded for the both of them to be friends. Andrew wasnt the kind of guy who had a lot of friends, because it seemed that every time he formed any sort of meaningful bond of any sort with someone, his family would quickly just swoop in and ruin everything in a flick of their fingers. It went that fast, that someone would cut their ties with him and go on with their lives without him.
Was it some sort of abandonment issue that had rooted deep inside of him? Most probably. But was it surprising? Not in the slightest. He craved contact with other people like it was some sort of drug and he was a longtime addict who had taken a cold turkey and now failed in their efforts to try and become free. Free from the slavery that was the drug, the need to talk to someone that didnt hold his blood in their bodies and shared all these memories from childhood. That was what he liked about the lycan. There was still so much to learn about her, he didnt know everything that there was to know about her.
But he was also scared, to think what would happen if his family found out. So he downplayed it to his best efforts, made it seem like he didnt really care when he in fact did care - But also had no proper way of knowing to communicate that. Cause the last thing he wanted was to make the impression that he was some sort of creep, a lonely creep who said all the wrong things at just the right time to ruin the moment and become the bad guy he felt like he was.
He had kept her number but even if he hadnt he would have recognized it. He was observant, he had always been. Just quietly taking in thing and brewing thoughts from what he saw and what he felt. He let it go on voicemail, because he couldnt have picked up and not sounded excited to hear her voice again. He tried not to think more of it and placed his phone back in his pocket just as the sound of a received message drew his attention right back at it. She had left a voicemail and he wasnt hesitant in listening to it right away. A small controlled smile crept up on his lips as Elora seemed to notice. "Just go see her," she said in a tired voice. Even though he hadnt told her anything, she could tell, she always had been able to. He hung up and looked at the adress, nodding a bit before he got up and went.

Arriving at the bar, he was hit by all the different smells in the air. From the unwashed armpits of men who had been working all day to now settle down for happy hour, the perfume of women who had prepared themselves since 3 o'clock and now sat with their friends and smoked cigarettes with their fancy drinks. He couldnt begin to understand the concept of mixed alcohol, but it was probably a thing for the mortals and those with regular taste buds. He quickly found her, the beautiful blonde that was his friend. He sat himself next to her when he was sure she wouldnt notice and ordered a regular whiskey, because the cold one just felt like he had put his tongue on a cold metal pole in the middle of winter. He smiled a little to himself before he couldnt help but chuckle, wondering just how long it would take her to notice, though giggling like a school girl definitely wouldnt help him much.

Voicemail. She should've guessed it. Now she probably sounded like a deranged ex-girlfriend, drinking alone at a bar. It wasn't like there weren't any other options, but she didn't want any of the strangers. She wanted the tall brute of a daemon to just sit next to her, let them talk about anything and nothing while she would surely get more drunk. Breathing out, she placed her phone back in her bag, grabbing her drink and taking a rather big swig of it, just to get her nerves under control. Today was a month ago since Joaquin had went to jail, he was still awaiting trial, but there had been enough evidence for the police to retain him. She could still remember how the police had knocked their door in and struggled to keep the large lycan on the floor as they read him his rights. Shuddering a bit she closed her eyes, she felt so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice anyone sitting down next to her. Opening her eyes slowly, her gaze was a bit distant, taking a sip of her drink as the voices around her melted in to one large mass. It wasn't before she felt a giddy feeling, no doubt a result of her empathic skills being on edge, and she turned her head to look at none other than the one person she felt like she could truly rely on right now. "Drew," she breathed out, a smile spreading on her face as she leaned over to give him a hug while still remaining seated. She wasn't really a big hugger, but for him she would do an exception. She leaned out of the hug, looking at him with a sad yet happy expression. She felt a little guilty, mostly because she hadn't really been the easiest to get a hold of, but on the other hand she always replied when he texted. "It's good to see you, how have you been?" she asked, looking at him. He had grown his hair out a bit more since last she saw him. Gesturing to her chin and lips she stated that she liked the beard. Of course it was dangerous for a lonesome woman and a devilishly handsome man to see each other like this, but she didn't see it like that.
She couldn't help but chuckle, grabbing her glass with both hands, looking in to the clear liquid, the ice melting slowly between her warm palms. Had she really sounded that desperate? Had he made a run for the bar when she had sent the address? She couldn't know, but it felt like she blinked and there he was. "It's been a while, huh," she said, mostly a mumble to herself. It felt like ages ago since she had actually interacted with other people. Well anyone besides her family and Joaquin and his family. She turned to look at him, her big green eyes looking at his. Why didn't she just spill it all? Tell him about what had happened merely a month ago, tell him why she had been so hard to get a hold of, or maybe just open her mouth and apologize? Breathing out she lifted her glass. "Cheers," she simply said, sending him a smile before taking a long sip of her drink.

It wasnt like him to be giggling and especially not in the giddy manner he had managed to spin himself into. There was just something heartwarming about her presence and he didnt even think twice about welcoming it. It made him feel so normal, like everybody else who went about their life. He had spent so much of his life doing what he was told and not ask questions or do his own thing. So finally just doing that and finding a way to get even just a small slice of what everyone else seemed so enticed by, he finally understood. Maybe he was just madly in love and hadnt realized yet, but he liked Valerie's company, even when it was scarce and they mostly only talked in person. Andrew wasnt a texter, he was a talker. Phone's were strictly business for him, so it had taken him a bit to get used to having texts that werent just something that he had to do.
The giggling stopped as she hugged him but the smile remained. A warm smile that he wasnt quite used to make. He got his drink and looked at it, shrugging at her question. "Up and down. But my life has always felt like a fucking rollercoaster, so nothing new to see," he replied, looking at her as she gestured to his beard. He chuckled as he lifted his hand and felt his sideburns hidden under his hair. He suddenly felt relieved about the fact that he hadnt just shaved it off this morning, as he wasnt the best to care for his beard.
"Tell me about it. Last time I saw you, was like months ago. I think you said something that your boyfriend didnt like that we were talking or some shit like that," he remarked with a sigh as he took a sip from his drink. The alcohol felt like water, as anything else he ingested that wasnt souls. "What was his name anyway? Whore-queen... Joaqwuinn....?" he speculated before he shook a head, looking ahead for a bit. Maybe it had been an insensitive remark, but Andrew didnt like the guy to begin with. "Bwah. I'm not good with fancy names," he then apologized, before he looked back at her. His chocolate brown eyes noticed the look in her eyes and he got curious - She wanted to say something. But then changed her mind as she toasted, he remained still and looked at her with serious eyes. "He hasnt hurt you has he?" he asked, even just asking made his blood boil.

Listening hadn't always been her strong suit, however she did care when people spoke. Her focus just sometimes seemed to wander, however when Andew spoke it was as if her whole body was like a radio, turned to his station as she indulged herself in his deep voice. She swore she could find herself enticed by his voice even when he tried saying the name of Joaquin, and she found herself chuckling, looking down in to her drink. "Joaquin," she breathed out, looking at Andrew with her sad eyes not being able to be hidden by even her brightest of smile. Of course though the brute daemon was big and strong, it didn't change how perceptive he was. He spotted the sadness, and she felt like she had broken the illusion for calling him here. Couldn't she just pretend for a little while longer? Just hide away for a while, pretend like nothing was wrong and everything was normal? However as he mentioned if Joaquin had hurt her, she couldn't help but scoff looking down in to her drink before taking a sip. "Something like that," she admitted. It was always with lycans that their temper was so affected by the moon, so her and Joaquin had had their fair share of fights, physical and verbal, but never something she couldn't handle. He wanted a submissive housewife, and she was a loudmouthed free woman. "He - Uhm - is in jail for murder," she said. Saying those words out loud felt like finally admitting to something that was supposed to be a family secret. "So I feel kinda torn right now ... On one hand, Joaquin being in jail is the worst thing that could happen; but on the other hand I've never felt so free," she said, frowning because it made her wonder if she was a bad person for thinking like that. She owed her family a lot, but she also didn't love the lycan. At least not how her parents wanted her to.

Even though she corrected him on the name, he would probably forget in a few hours. Or at least that was what he told himself. But in reality, the name was already stuck in his mind, that shithead boyfriend of hers that was being so controlling and dictating of her life. He really hated that, because it was something he could relate to. It was only that he wasnt going to focus on himself now, he was far too busy noticing how sad she was looking. His question was quite straightforward but that was because he needed to know.
But he hadnt expected, or more hadnt hoped that she would answer his question with a confirmation. He clenched his hand a little and made a deep sigh. He was just thinking of ways to strangle Joaquin, so he was just quiet, staring at his drink and up a few times like his brain was trying to figure out whether he should get up and venture onward to follow through with the strangulation or just sit tight and brew on the thoughts.
All his plans flew out the window as she mentioned his whereabouts. Jail. He frowned a little at the sentence. "Murder?" he asked, but it wasnt exactly a question she needed to answer. He looked at her and shifted between her eyes, letting her speak as he listened. "Fuck him. He probably put you in danger by getting mixed up in some shit that would make him murder someone. Or else, he's batshit crazy enough to kill someone and shouldnt be around you either way," he remarked, lifting his tasteless drink and downing it right away. Definitely a little cheap of him to be speaking of morale, but he would only guess that she made him want to be better. "Dont feel torn," he told her with a serious voice. "I'm serious. He didnt deserve you," he just outright said, shaking his head in a disapproving manner of her boyfriend... Or ex-boyfriend? "Drink," he reminded her, ordering a new drink for himself.

She didn't know why, but when he was listening, it felt like she was being heard. It wasn't just her parents sweeping her words under a rug and letting her live with the frustration of needing to be silent. However as he told her not to feel torn, she looked at him with a hopeful look. To be honest she just longed for a friendly face, she longed to be told that she was worth something, because it was wearing her down to be the only one in her life betting on her. He didn't deserve you. Such a simple sentence, but it had much more meaning to it than that. Reaching over, she placed a hand on top of his, her eyes turning soft as she just looked at him. Those words was more than enough for her to know that Andrew truly cared for her. As he reminded her to drink, she removed her hand, nodding as she emptied her own glass, grimacing at the strong taste. Ordering one along with Andrew, she breathed out, playing with a napkin that was laying half wet on the table. "My parents are in denial, telling me that he didn't do it, and that once he comes out, him and I will be together again," she said, placing her forehead against the table. "But what if I don't want that? What if I don't want to be with him anymore?" she mumbled, closing her eyes before she heard her drink being placed on the table next to her. She sat up, wiping her forehead clean off of the condensation before grabbing her drink. It was clear that she had had a few more drinks before even entering the bar, but she had been tired of drinking alone. Taking a sip of her drink, she bit her lower lip gently as she thought everything through. Her eyes turned, looking at the dark haired daemon beside her. "I don't love him ... Never have and never will," she said, her eyes sad and clearly hurt from saying the truth, but it was just that. The truth. Finally being said out loud, and it was only possible because she trusted Andrew so much.

It was odd to feel her reach out for him when he thought he had said something obvious. He didnt know what the rest of her circle was telling her, but obviously it wasnt anything useful from how he could now feel her hand on top of his. He wasnt complaining though, it felt quite nice actually. But at the same time, he felt like he wasnt quite deserving of the gesture and thus reminded her to keep drinking. He chuckled after she finished her drink, shaking his head. "Alright, maybe not all of it at once, you alcoholic," he teased her with a shake of his head.
He eyed her play with the damp napkin, frowning as she spoke of her parents stance on the situation. "Sounds to me like your parents want to marry the dude," he said with a wrinkle on his nose. Her mumble made him sigh, shrugging. "Tell him to fuck off?" he replied. It seemed simple to him, but maybe that was because no one could really make him do anything anymore. He could tell that she was tipsy if not on her way to a drunken haze. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded at the waiter when their drinks were delivered. He envied the concept of being drunk. Just not caring about anything, like really not caring.
He looked at her again as she turned her head and made her confession. He shrugged again. "I thought as much. If you had, you wouldnt have talked to me that night at the bar," he said, running a finger over the top of his glass before lifting it to take a sip. "But I'm glad that you did," he remarked before he looked at her. Maybe it was time to change the topic before he began admitting stuff that he wasnt quite ready to admit. "So....... what are your plans for solstice then?" he asked.

Him calling her an alcoholic seemed to make her chuckle lightly, closing her eyes as she listened to his comment about her parents. Nodding she shrugged, mostly because she didn't really want to know if she wanted to disclose everything just yet. There was a lot to unpack, and being frank, she was not in the mood to just dump all of that information on his shoulders. As she took a sip of her drink, he suggested asking Joaquin to fuck off, making her giggle and spilling a few droplets of her drink on the counter. She wished it was just that easy. But then maybe it was, if you weren't stuck in the middle of it all. It was just hard for her to ignore her parents' wishes, and even harder to find a way-out of being in this stuck position.
When he mentioned the time they first met, she felt a rush of nostalgia. It hadn't been that long ago, and she was sure it had just been by coincidence, but he had caught her attention. It was as if he had demanded it. God, she felt almost embarrassed at how she had giggled like a schoolgirl at his jokes. How she had wanted to leave with him and not her boyfriend. Sometimes she did what she felt right in the moment, and if it hadn't been because of her headspace at that time, she might've snuck away with him. A few hours in fantasy land was a much better thing in her mind, than a minute more with that boring lycan. He confessed that he was actually glad that she had mustered up the courage to actually go over to him. "I really had no choice, I mean, you were eyeing me with those puppy dog eyes and I couldn't resist," she chuckled sweetly as she looked at him. She felt like she wanted to say more, but as her lips separated, he had already changed the subject, making her take another sip. Duly noted, he wasn't interested like that. Why was she even thinking in those lanes? Perhaps because she was truly lonely. Because when she crept in to bed later it would be completely alone and it scared her a little. His question made her hum as she thought about it. "I think I'm gonna order chinese and watch some sad movie," she confessed, being completely honest with him. She had no real plans, no real goal as of now. It felt like everyone around her always had some plan for her, but right now she enjoyed just being. Well besides the lonely part. "How about you? Any plans?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink as she looked at him.

Thinking back was a fond memory of his. Mostly because it had been so surprising. He still remembered how he had thought she had simply been too drunk and somehow found him funny or entertaining enough to stick around for the evening. He remembered it had been a shit day, Simeon had been annoyingly crazy about some summoner that was getting on his nerves. Andrew didnt care about that shit, he wasnt up for ruling over any of the daemons at all. That remark had set Simeon off on a whole rant about how Andrew was taking all the knowledge he had gotten and the pureblood was simply an imbecile of a daemon.
"How else would I have gotten a pretty girl to look at me?" he defended himself, making a thoughtful grimace. But alas, he felt it was getting way too close for him to slip up and say something incredibly stupid. Solstice was the best topic to divert the situation. He could tell she didnt seem to happy about the change, which made him a little confused.
"That doesnt sound like a very solstice-y kind of action," he said with both his eyebrows raised. Wasnt she going to be with her family? Or were they just too suffocating for her to want to want to be around? He could get that feeling. "If I'm unlucky, my family might want to do something. We dont really celebrate... unless it's because of one of my sisters who hate being alone when she knows everyone else is celebrating. She's.... eccentric.... compared to the rest of us. She's very human," he explained before he shrugged. "I hate hanging out with all my siblings at once," he then admitted, looking at his glass. "Aaand, that's on oversharing a bunch of meaningless facts," he mumbled, sighing deeply.

"Hey, at least you have siblings; Being an only child means that you're under constant observation," she pointed out taking another sip as he went on to explain the family dynamic. It sounded a little wild, but she guessed it was the norm for him. Of course she couldn't be sure, but he had spoken about them being quite the sizable family. She breathed out, chuckling a bit. "You know, if you want, you could come celebrate with me?" she suggested, but she felt like taken the words back as soon as she said it. She must've looked very naive to think that he didn't have better plans, and how sad it was that she had no better plans herself. "I mean, only if you want, it's not going to be exciting or nothing," she added taking another quick sip of her drink. She was almost halfway done with it already, and she could feel the buzz in her body. When she looked at him she could feel her stomach flutter with butterflies; Or perhaps it was the result of her drinking on an empty stomach. Maybe she had been staring a bit, but she turned her head away, forcing herself to look in to her drink that she kept holding between her palms. She knew it would make her drink heat up, but at this point alcohol just tasted like alcohol, so she wasn't excactly ruining the taste or anything.
"I, uh, I actually live in a hotel at the moment, seeing as Joaquin and mine's apartment is being held captive for collecting evidence and such," she explained, frowning once more at her own rooms. She sure was a talker tonight, and it seemed like she wanted to spill everything at once. "It's not really far from here, so at least it will be easy to stumble back to my room," she chuckled. She kept thinking that she should stop speaking, but drinks were her chatting juice, it seemed. Placing a palm over her eyes she breathed out, chuckling to herself. "First night I stayed there, some guy in the room next to me knocked on my door, wanting to know if I could hang out," she giggled, taking another sip. "Of course I know what that means, but I slammed that door so hard the doorknob came off on the inside, and I had to call the reception to get a lock picker out," she giggled, which turned to laughter as she finished her sentence.

"Oh fuck no. I'd love to be an only child!" he objected with a bit of force in his voice. He chuckled and rubbed his temples. "They may be family, but fuck they're all just annoying in their own individual sense," he said and thought that individual sense was just about as smart as he would get with his wording tonight. He shook his head and decided that he didnt want to ruin the night by thinking about his siblings and get angry about how stupid he found the things they would do.
Her suggestion made him tilt his head a little curiously, before he simply nodded. Her addition made him shake his head, "I'm looking forward to it," he said to let her know that it had been set in stone the moment she mentioned it. He noticed her stare but he was unsure whether it was her being drunk or because she was actually staring - The latter seemed unlikely to him.
And then the truths started spilling, making him nod as frowned a little. Had the murder happened in their apartment? He didnt ask or let the thought hang as she mentioned stumbling back. Did she think he would leave her to herself if she was in a state of stumbling all over the place? Her story had been supposed to be funny, but he didnt see the fun in it. People like that could be dangerous as hell, especially if she hadnt known better, which luckily she did. He couldnt just let her spend another night there. "Holy shit. Why didnt you say that you were staying in a shithole? I have a big apartment not far from here. It's just me and my younger sister, but we have guest rooms," he said as he shifted between her eyes. It wasnt as much an offer as it was a demand. He wanted her to be safe.

Valerie shrugged, not really knowing why she hadn't told him. Perhaps because she was embarrassed, scared to admit that she had no real place to go despite who her parents were. "Stay ... At your place? No, I would be a bother," she tried brushing his suggestion off. She knew very little about how daemons lived, but she sure as the Abyssus knew that they didn't live like she did. However, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. "Maybe ... Maybe a trial period?" she ended up agreeing to, primarily because it seemed like Andrew wouldn't give it up. She chuckled a bit to herself, emptying her drink before she stood up from her seat. "Well, what are we waiting for then? The snow isn't going to get easier to walk through," she chuckled, paying for both of their drinks as she didn't really mind it. She had invited him there, it was only fair that she payed. However taking a step away from her chair, she felt her legs wobble a bit, chuckling as she leaned against the large daemon. "I'm such a lightweight," she giggled, leaning her head against his chest before she tried standing on her own again. This time she only seemed to stumble a little as she made her way towards the door. "Come on, or I'm leaving without you," she giggled, but truth was she didn't know where they were heading at all.

"Who said anything about housekeeping?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, a bit of a devilish smile creeping up on her face. "Oooooh - You would like to see me in a maid costume, is that it?" she teased, pushing her elbow softly at him, not to hurt him, but to tease him further. However the thought was strangely not repelling for her. She never did anything she didn't like, and in her head a wonderful fantasy wanted to spring to life. However she managed to keep it under wraps as they got up to leave.
She snorted, chuckling at the mental image he was giving her. Part of her knew that he could easily carry her, but she was stubborn when she was drunk, and it didn't always end with good things happening. However stepping outside, she sighed as the snow hit her face, closing her eyes as it started melting on her hot skin. He suggested a taxi, making her look at him with a frown. "I thought you said it wasn't that far, come one, lead the way," she said, gesturing with her head to let him lead wherever they were going. She was still stumbling a bit, giggling under her breath as she entangled her arm with his, leaning her head against his muscly arm. Closing her eyes made her walking a bit better, mostly because it didn't feel like it was spinning so fast. "I like the winter ... The snow makes everything so pretty and hides all of the imperfections this town has," she mumbled, sighing with content as she just kept her arm locked with his. It felt strangely safe to be with the daemon, not that she had expected something different, but he just made it better. She had spent many nights this last month just crawling in to bed and do nothing but sulk, but he had made her giggle and laugh.
"Did you ever end up going on a date with that friend of mine?" she asked curiously. She wasn't trying to be a home wrecker if he had a girlfriend, but part of her knew that she would feel bummed out about it. She really liked Andrew, liked how despite his size and demeanor, he was the most gentle and caring guy she had ever met. In reality her suggesting him to date one of her friends had been more of a ploy to keep him in her life. Even if she couldn't be with him, she couldn't be without him either. His eyes were all she could think about when she went to bed each night. She stopped, looking up at the daemon. "Are you in a relationship?" she asked quite seriously, perhaps more serious than she wanted to be. But the last thing she wanted was to break up something that he had worked for. Even more, she didn't trust herself once they got to his apartment. How would she react to everything? The full moon had passed, and she was coming down from her animalistic side, but she still had that instinct in her. "I'm sorry, I just ... I don't want to be a home wrecker or anything," she admitted, looking down at how she was holding his arm. Why couldn't she just ignore that feeling inside of her? He had seemed to make it clear that what they were were simply friends, and she had stated that back when she was with Joaquin, but now? Now she didn't know what to feel. Her heart was free, but it seemed like he had managed to capture it anyways. Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against his chest, just standing as the snow swirled around them. She was really drunk, but she felt like the more serious she got, the more sober she felt.

Her tease made him furrow his brows but he smiled anyway. "Holy crap, you're drunk," he chuckled with a shake of his head as he looked at her with bewildered eyes. What an accusation to make, even if she was just teasing! "You make me sound like I'm some sleazy pervert!" he chuckled on, thinking it was quite funny. "I mean, I wouldnt complain, but at the same time, I feel like you're judging me even right now for even saying that!" he said in an astonished manner of speaking, before he simply couldnt help but laugh.
The suggestion of a taxi had been due to him not wanting her to slide around in the cold slippery streets where snow was slowly melting. Even with the salt that was spread daily, it still happened that the streets would get a thin layer of ice from melted snow. "Fine fine!" he exclaimed as she didnt want to go along with his suggestion. He smiled and looked ahead. She really made him feel differently from his usual cold self, he barely even noticed how his cheeks were hurting from all the smiling.
He didnt mind her as she wrapped her arm around his, in fact it felt quite nice. He looked ahead and made sure to walk straight so he wouldnt be the reason why she might would've stumbled on the way home. "That's an odd thing to say. Western district is one of the prettiest ones, with the amount of our hard earned tax-payments that go into maintaining it," he said with a wrinkle of his nose. It actually seemed a little silly in his head.
Then a question came that he hadnt quite expected. About her friend that she had quite conveniently pushed towards him. When it had happened, it had felt a little forced, mostly because Valerie had seemed so certain that he would like her. He hadnt meant to be disrespectful towards her friend in any way, but she just hadnt been what he was looking for date wise. He didnt realize he was caught up in recollection as she stopped and looked at him. He looked back at her with a confused expression. "Am I what?" he asked, before he realized she was serious.
Where did the question even come from? He nodded at her confession before he chuckled a little to himself. "A homewrecker? Are you telling me that you have the intention of ruining a relationship I dont have right now?" he asked before he sighed. Guess he had to explain himself. He hummed as he thought about it before he gritted his teeth a little in shame. "I did go on one date with her, but I think I lost her number," he said with a small frown over his brows. She had seemed nice, and even made him smile, but the whole time it just hadnt felt as real as he knew it could have. He knew who that person was, but she had been with someone else and thus that had been the end of the line for him. "Lets get home," he said in a serious tone but there was some warmness to it underneath it.

Valerie frowned at his words about the town being well kept. That wasn't what she meant, but perhaps it was only because she had always felt like Western had been a bit off limits - at least after she got with Joaquin. However their conversation would soon change, her worry rising as she didn't want to ruin anything. She knew how angry Joaquin had been at her for even talking with Andrew, so she didn't want to think about some poor woman who had to deal with the lycan's antics. However his question made her chuckle a bit, smiling as she still felt very drunk. Despite her seriousness, she didn't want to worry him, and she was quick try and lighten the mood again. "I could probably find it for you ... It's in my phone somewhere," she said with a warm smile, looking up at him. Who was she kidding? She knew that as soon as Joaquin came out from jail, she would be right back in his care, and Andrew would again just be the one she thought about before going to sleep. But one thing kept her wanting to stay tonight; The fact that he had just admitted that he wasn't in a relationship. She wanted to just skip the awkward talk, wrap herself close to him and just ... No, she couldn't think like that, not now at least. Nodding at his words she turned and they started walking again. She giggled a bit to herself, clearly thinking of something funny, but in her drunken state she couldn't even tell him what was funny to her.
They reached the apartment complex, and she followed him inside the heat and up the stairs to his apartment. If he unlocked she would be sure to take off her shoes and jacket, placing them by the entrance before moving further in to the apartment. Then her eyes widened, because he had mentioned that he lived with his sister. "Is she home?" Valerie whispered, grabbing his hand as she suddenly felt rather nervous. She hadn't met any of his family, only heard about them from his stories, and she felt a little unready for making a proper introduction. "Oh gods, how do I look? My hair must be a mess, oh lords, my face," she mumbled, shaking her head a little. She must've looked a little stupid, the snow still in her hair if it hadn't melted completely already. She seemed to snap out of it, rubbing her cheeks a little to get rid of the redness, but it only seemed to make it worse.

He definitely wasnt too interested in getting the friend’s number so in a slighty awkward chuckle, he politely refused... while adding that it was more him being the issue than her friend. They soon arrived at his apartment, where he lived with his younger sister. He had always had a soft spot for the turned daemon, despite the fact that she wasnt viewed as a real daemon by the rest of their kind. She was still family and he had been there when she was going through her rough patches.
Inside the apartment, he was slowly getting out of his shoes and jacket, noticing how Valerie just went ahead. He didnt mind that, it felt more natural than the usual bringing home a woman who just stood awkwardly in the entrance and not knowing what to do. He noticed how her eyes were widening and for a second he would have thought that she was going to throw up or something, but instead she whispered, asking if his sister was here. Confusion softened up to a smile and a soft laugh, because he realized that he had been ready to run for a bucket or something in the likes. He looked down at their hands and controlled his laughter, shaking his head, "She's out," he assured her, chuckling a little as he went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He handed her the water and smiled, trying his best not to start laughing again, "You looked terrified! It's just my sister, why would you be nervous?" he teased her with a warm tone to his voice.

Valerie seemed to relax more when Andrew disclosed that his sister was indeed not in the apartment, but it didn't change how flustered she had felt. He looked at their hands, and she removed it briefly, a little embarrassed at her initial reaction, but she followed him as he headed in to the kitchen. She remained mostly quiet as he poured a glass of water, taking it with both hands as she took a sip. Chuckling lightly, she shrugged a little at his question, smiling apologetic at him. "I just ... fuck Drew ... I just want to give a good impression, and I'm honestly so drunk that I probably won't remember anything when I wake up," she giggled, closing her eyes as the room started spinning again. Placing the glass on the counter she sighed, looking at Drew once more. She didn't want to sleep now, so she just walked in to the living room, turning on the tv before she flipped to a channel playing music. Smiling as she recognized the song she looked to Andrew if he had followed her, skipping over the floor in her socks before reaching him, holding her hands out. "We didn't get to dance the first night we met in that club ... Dance with me now," she said. The song was nice, calming and slow as she hoped he would take her hand and pull her close.

"But why?" he chuckled and raised his eyebrows. It was endearing, but werent they just friends after all? Andrew could understand if there had been something exclusive going on between them, but he wanted his friends to know they could relax around his family - Even the part of it that he didnt like. He followed her to the living room and looked on as she turned on the tv. He thought she might have wanted to relax and watch something but then she switched to one of those musical channels.
He looked at her hands for a short moment before her words made him look at her in surprise. Why would she even remember if they had or hadnt? Guess it made sense with the fact that her boyfriend was around so she had no business dancing with another man. He swallowed hard and lifted his hand, gripping hers firmly yet gentle as he pulled her closer. He placed his hands on her hips and started moving along to the beat of the song playing next to them. "Your crazy fucking boyfriend would have tried to knock me out if he saw us right now," he chuckled but then his face turned a little more serious. "Will you go back to him if he comes out?" he asked.

Valerie shrugged at his question about why. To her it was obvious. She wanted to show her best sides to those he cared for, and she knew deep down she hoped that there was something more brewing between them. She hoped that he could feel it too, that it wasn't just one-sided.
He took her hand, and she swore her heart dropped as he pulled her closer by her hips. She wanted to sigh, press herself closer just to feel like she could belong to him. Her mind was still drunk, but it felt more like she was drunk on love. She wanted to be loved by him, and she didn't even care if it would ruin her down the line. Valerie hungered for something real, something that would move her heart and soul with one gaze or one touch, and truth was she felt that right now. Chuckling, she looked up at him, her eyes turning soft at the mention of her boyfriend. She had never loved Joaquin, it had all been arranged by their parents and all she wanted was just to be free to choose. "I will have to ... If he comes out, that is," she admitted, looking down as she didn't want to show how talking about him made her upset. Why couldn't they ignore him for one night? Why did her life always have to be about him? Joaquin, Joaquin, Joaquin. Everything was about him, and right now she just wanted to focus on herself. "Unless I find some excuse," she mumbled, turning her head to rest her cheek against his chest. Just listening to his heartbeat, feeling his body close, it just seemed to soothe her. "I just want to forget him," she confessed in a soft sigh.

He knew it wasnt the best choice of topics, but he genuinely wanted to know. Even if it sucked to hear the truth that she would have to go back to him at some point. He just held her as close as was appropriate, not closer than their bodies less than an inch from touching. He nodded at her answer and felt a little bad when he realized this probably wasnt the kind of conversation she wanted in this moment. Her mumble made him frown a little as she leaned her head onto his chest. He lifted a hand to place on the back of her head, pressing her closer to him.
"Alright. I wont talk about him anymore," he said in a soft low tone, looking down at her. The music was a little odd, calming and slow were mostly incentives to romance, that much Andrew knew. But nonetheless he moved with her, like they were at a ball or those prom dates that he heard Elora talk about ever so often. "You.. smell nice," he said in a low tone, as he tried to find something else to talk about. Probably not to seem like an idiot that didnt know what to say now.

She wanted him closer, she wanted to dance with him to this calming song and most of all she didn't care how it looked from the outside. Andrew had something about him, a light shining for her in the darkness, and was she really a bad person for wanting to stand in his light for a little longer? He pressed her closer, and she felt the guilt rise in her. Was she taking advantage of him? Was she trying to fool him into there ever being more between them? Maybe this made her an even worse person, but she didn't care.
Valerie couldn't hide a smile as he spoke again, and she didn't know if she should take it as a compliment. "Thank you," she ended up responding, her arms moving to wrap around him. He was a tall guy, muscly as well; or that was at least what she could feel under his shirt. "You feel nice," she said. Were they just stating facts right now, or was there something more to this? His hand in her hair just felt good and she couldn't recall a time where she had ever felt this safe. He didn't hold her like she needed protection, more like he wanted her close, but she kept reminding herself that that fantasy would only end up hurting him down the line. He was a good guy with a good heart and ruining that was one thing she couldn't do. However her mind kept thinking in those lines. "Any girl would be lucky to have you," she whispered, but what she really wanted to say was that she wanted to be with him. She was still a little tipsy, but she knew that what she felt was real.

He nodded at her thanks and felt her arms wrap around him. Even in his wildest dream, he wouldnt have thought this was a reality. And even then, it felt like he was letting go of a perfect opportunity. Just to hold her close and pretend for the night, even if it meant he had to wake up with a sour feeling and a fond memory. Her compliment made him chuckle as he just kept her close to him and felt her warmth. Lycans were always so warm - He liked that.
Her whisper made him frown faintly, because he felt like he could strongly disagree. Not any girl would be lucky to have him because he didnt care about any girl. He cared about one and she happened to be right here in his arms and yet he was too chicken to do anything to express how he felt. Keeping it casual because he felt scared of the outcome. The calm and nice song ended and a more upbeat one started. He realized how close they were at this point and stepped away. If Raziela knew this was going on, he wasnt sure what she would do. She was such an advocate for daemons only being with daemons, and despite how much it annoyed him, it also scared him a little. "Hungry?" he asked a little bewildered, making more distance between them as he ran a hand through his hair.

Oh if they could just stay like this forever, just holding each other and not any of those annoying feelings getting in their way. Not having something looming above them, just feeling the closeness that she knew he liked as well. She could feel that, feel that he hungered to be close as well, even if it was scary. The song ended and Andrew decided to move away, and Valerie was left standing, trying not to seem like a needy child. Part of her wanted to cry, break down and just cry her eyes out because she felt so angry at herself. Instead she just shook her head, sending him a warm smile. "Bathroom?" she asked, and if he directed her she would go in that direction until she ended up in the bathroom, closing the door after her. She just needed a moment, just to cry and reconsider why she was here. Why was she trying to fool herself? She looked at herself in the mirror, and she saw how sad her eyes truly looked. Fuck. She really needed to get it together before going back out there. Grabbing a few pieces of toilet paper she tried getting her eyes to stop the water in her eyes from turning in to tears. She took a few deep breaths, shaking her head at herself. Andrew was good, he was perfect, at least in her eyes, and he didn't deserve to be worried about her.
Managing to talk herself down a bit, she walked back out in to the apartment. However as soon as she saw Andrew she just wanted to run in to his arms. She wanted to demand that he held her close, that he had to care for her; but she was not a cruel person. She could not force someone to care for her. "I'm, uhm, kinda tired," she said a bit timid.