Hadley & Ken :: you look beautiful tonight

[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

OUTFIT

Jack felt silly as he got out of his little blue Prius in front of Ken and Hadley's apartment building. It felt like his senior prom, when he wore a suit too big for him due to his height, and drove up in an old pick up. His date, Hannah Masters had a huge smile, covered in braces and her father had met him at the door with a shotgun, even though he liked Jack. Something about this felt similar, though he was going to be taking Hadley from her new gay roommate, but somehow it was just as scary. Maybe it also had to do with how much he liked Hadley, despite her being a recently homeless semi-stranger. That and the fact that if Ken was a fashionable gay, than his outfit was going to be under scrutiny too.

Jack adjusted his jacket. It was his best suit, tailored for his tall and slightly muscled form. Hopefully Ken wouldn't object, Hadley either. He got buzzed in and headed up in the elevator. Jack hesitated at the door before knocking. Ken, dressed like he too might be going to the party, was the one to answer the door.

"You must be Ken," Jack said with a smile, trying to read Ken. "I'm Jack, I'm here to pick up Hadley." He said, though it seemed pretty obvious that Ken already knew that much.

Ken said nothing for a moment. "So you're plaid boy huh?" He said, looking Jack up and down. Broad shoulders, tall, someone you could be safe with... if he was a good guy anyway. Of course, Jack couldn't know this but Ken had been peering as far down the hall as he could with his peephole since Jack had buzzed to be let into the building. Ken stepped aside and let jack into the apartment. "She's still getting ready, you know how women are," Ken joked because of course, he knew his sister but it wasn't girls keeping him waiting on dates.

Ken didn't call out that Jack was here, instead he walked a tight circle around Jack. "She has good taste." He decided stepping back to admire him. Jack felt momentarily relieved but then Ken got a serious look on his face. "Now if you do anything to hurt her, so help me god, I will rip your pretty face to shreds." Ken said.

Jack chuckled nervously. Ken certainly meant business, even if he was almost a foot shorter than he was. "Look, Ken," Jack started. "I'm not gonna try anything, and I'll have her home on time." He said. This really did feel like the prom.

Ken studied him for a long moment, his lips pursed and arms folded across his chest. Jack seemed nice, but looks could be deceiving. "She's been through hell, and if you're just going to take advantage of that..." Jack cut him off with a shake of his head.

"She has a broken wing," He said softly. "She doesn't have to tell me what happened or how it got that way. I think between the two of us, its mending, and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that."

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

OUTFIT

Hadley looked good. She wasn't being vain in the sentiment. It was simply a fact. Even in the fitting room, covered in bruises, she'd felt positively radiant in the shimmering party dress Ken had helped her choose. Now, with all of her bruising safely covered and a small collection of accents prettily accompanying the dress, she couldn't help but feel like a princess. Toying with a loose tendril of her hair, she stared at her reflection and tried to will the butterflies in her stomach to calm down. She couldn't remember being this nervous before any date. Of course, she hadn't dated often, and any anxiety she remembered from dating Phillip was very different.

As she tucked the last loose tendril into her makeshift updo, Hadley heard the buzzer indicating that someone was downstairs. A brilliant grin lit up her face and the butterflies in her stomach intensified. She didn't bother rushing for the buzzer; Ken would certainly let Jack in for her. Besides, she had just a couple more things to do, and she was sure Ken wanted a few minutes alone with Jack to try to intimidate him. Shaking her head at the thought, she crossed the room and picked up the sample vial of perfume she'd picked up while shopping. After spraying a bit on her wrists, elbows, and neck, she made her way toward the living room.

She hadn't quite entered the room when the sound of voices carried to her. Evidently, Ken wasn't quite finished intimidating her date, and Hadley couldn't help but hang back, curious as to what he would say and how Jack would take it. As their words drifted to her, she felt her breath catch in her chest. Briefly, she wondered whether Ken was going to tell Jack more than she wanted him to know. She needn't have worried, but she couldn't help but feel relieved when Jack cut him off. Jack's words, though, threatened to ruin her mascara, and she had to take a moment to compose herself before stepping into the living room.

Clearing her throat gently to alert them to her presence, Hadley wandered closer to the pair. "You are the most dashing penguin I've ever seen," she teased Jack. Teasing was infinitely more comfortable than acknowledging the way her heart was pounding.

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[KENNEDY DAVID MILLER]

Jack chuckled and half shook his head at her comment about being a penguin. Somehow she knew how to be light despite all the things going on in her life, and despite Ken's insistance that he do right by her. "You look, amazing." Jack said with a smile, looking her in the eyes. She did too. Her golden hair matched her dress, her delicate collarbones looked like they were sculpted from pale marble.

Ken watched the two of them silently for a moment. When he noticed Jack looking her over, he coughed, giving Jack a hard look. Jack chuckled again and ran a hand through his hair a little nervously. "I feel like this is the prom," Jack admitted with a laugh. "I keep waiting for you to pull out a shotgun to threaten me with." He said glancing at Ken. It was even funnier considering that had actually happened to him before.

This seemed to loosen Ken up, and he threw up his hands. "I'm too gay for that." He joked. He reached for a camera. "But I'm the dad in that scenario, so let's get some cute pictures, come on." Ken prompted, pushing Jack toward Hadley a little. Maybe Jack would be okay for her after all, they did look very natural together Ken thought. "Okay plaid boy, put your arm around her, no funny business." He directed, waving his hand.

Jack remembered how she'd felt when he put his hand on her back before, granted they''d just met then, though if they were going to dance, they were going to touch. "May I?" He asked Hadley quietly, hovering an arm out to wrap around her.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Despite her resolve to make light of the situation, Hadley couldn't ignore the pounding of her heart, the rushing in her ears, or the even more intense feeling of butterflies as she approached Jack. While guys generally felt like they were repeating prom when they dressed up, Hadley was struck by the realization that she, like most girls, she figured, found herself thinking about what Jack would look like standing at the end of the aisle of a church dressed in suit. Shaking her head, she forced herself to dismiss the idea. This was a non-date. This was certainly not the time to be thinking about weddings. Particularly not weddings in which Jack was the groom.

As his eyes met hers, she felt the rest of the world slip away. It was as if they were completely alone, and Hadley quickly crossed the room until they were standing toe to toe, eyes locked on one another. She'd nearly forgotten Ken's presence when she heard him cough. Blushing, she jumped back as if she'd done something wrong. Fortunately, Jack diffused the situation, explaining that he felt like they were going to the prom. With a good natured chuckle, Hadley took another step back, trying to make things feel normal again. Truthfully, talking about prom and about families made her feel far more tense than it should have.

When Ken reached for a camera, she fought the urge to complain. The last thing Hadley wanted were a bunch of pictures of herself. Besides that, pictures made the night feel that much more formal. It made her feel as if everyone had higher expectations for the party than she'd realized. Stifling a sigh, she turned toward Jack. It wasn't that she didn't want to be close to him. She just wasn't sure she was ready for all of this makeshift family stuff. Even so, she nodded in response to Jack's polite question and tucked herself against his side. The warmth of his presence eased her nerves a bit and she soon forgot about the awkwardness of the pictures entirely.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack noticed how quiet she was, but he didn't take it personally. This was a weird set up. It wasn't a date unless it ended well. It was impossible to know if this was going to be the start of a date or of a friendly outing until the night was over and that made it that much harder. Jack couldn't deny how he felt about her, but she'd admitted to having a tough ex, so what was she ready for? Jack would hate to chase her away.

As Hadley nestled against his side, Jack felt full, whole, like a puzzle piece had slid into place. He'd always felt so awkwardly tall and floppy, but he felt like a man next to her. He smiled for Ken, who snapped photos, demanding different poses of them, which just made Jack laugh.

"Well, I guess I don't need to keep you," Ken said, almost reluctantly. "I'll see you there though, soon as my man gets his sweet ass over here." Ken said glancing toward the door. He was looking forward to a real night out with Ethan, it should be fun.

Jack chuckled and gently took Hadley by the hand. "Then we'll see you there." He said, leading her toward the door. Then left with Ken shouting caveats at them (Be safe! She better come back in the condition she's leaving in! etc). The cool night air was refreshing somehow and Jack pulled open the door of his small blue Prius. He always felt silly for driving it, especially at his height, but he cared about the environment.

"Watch your head," He cautioned.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Shuffling through the variety of poses Ken ushered them into for pictures became less awkward as they went along, and before Hadley knew it, Ken was reluctantly agreeing to let them leave. Hadley beamed at him, hugged him carefully so as not to mess up either of their outfits, and headed for the door with Jack. "We'll see you there," she assured her roommate, only too glad to leave the apartment.

It wasn't until they got to the car that Hadley realized what an awkward situation they were really in. Maybe she should have had the guts to actually say that she wanted this to be a date. Calling it a non-date with the potential to make it more really seemed to be adding more pressure, which was the exact opposite of what she had hoped. Carefully, she ducked into the passenger side of the car, marveling at the fact that Jack cared enough to open the door for her. Offering him a rather shy thanks, she wondered what that meant for their evening.

She was so busy wondering how she ought to behave that Hadley barely registered their mostly silent drive to the party until they arrived. The moment she did, a blush flooded her cheeks and she had to bite her lip to keep from apologizing for it. Somehow, though, they made it out of the car and into the building without mishap. Still, Hadley wasn't sure how to act. Should she behave like she would if they were on a date? Or should she act like they were just friends?

Brow furrowed, she reached for Jack's hand and promptly tugged him to a relatively empty corner of the room. "This is weird," she told him, surprised by her own honesty. "I don't know what to do." The words sounded silly, and she wished she had a better way to explain herself, but that was really the best Hadley could do. Hopefully Jack could manage to make things a bit less awkward.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

The car ride was quiet, but that didn't bother Jack much. The silence wasn't awkward really, it was just sort of tentatively fearful of what could happen if they broke the silence. This really did feel like a date, but they'd agreed not to call it one. Maybe they'd feel better if they named in? They got to the resort and inside without much hassle. Jack always marveled at the set up. The ballroom was full of decorated trees, hanging garlands, christmas music mostly, a dance floor, drinks, snacks, a variety of people, colored lights...

Hadley pulled him into a corner and he followed, loving the feeling of her little soft hand in his large one. At her words, something about her face made him wish he could kiss her, but he figured that he probably shouldn't, but he gave her the advice that he himself wasn't taking currently. "What do you want to do?" He asked, figuring that was always good advice.

Jack looked down into her pale blue eyes and smiled softly at her and carefully reached up and tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. Jack fought the urge to pull her to his chest and kiss her softly, tenderly, the way she seemed to need to be loved. But Jack pulled his hand away slowly. He looked up for a moment, trying to break the tension but he noticed there was mistletoe above them.

Jack chuckled and then pointed up at it, "We could start by obliging tradition?" He suggested playfully, but immediately wasn't sure if he should have.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

The one thing Hadley had come to rely on since she'd come to Aspen was the fact that Jack gave good advice. He was, quite obviously, a decent person, and she knew that she could count on him to be up front with her. Which meant that she could count on him not to pressure her into anything an that she could count on him to recognize how difficult their current situation was even if he didn't understand the reason for the difficulty.

Her hand in his felt absolutely natural as she tugged him to the corner of the room, and she didn't want to let it go, so she didn't. She simply stood, her eyes on his as she waited for his response. Already, admitting that things felt weird had made her feel a bit more comfortable. That comfort wavered a little, though, when Jack asked what she wanted to do. It was a difficult question to answer. Mostly, she wanted to wrap her arms around him, rest her head on his chest, and get lost in the warmth and security that was Jack. That seemed like too much to admit at the moment, though, and another part of her was quite convinced that the fact that she wanted to do so meant she should be running in the other direction.

In the end, the corner of the room she'd dragged him to seemed to be making the decision for her. Hadley followed Jack's eyes toward the ceiling, where she could see a bunch of mistletoe suspended. A half smile tugged at her lips. She probably ought to have been on the lookout for that, this being a holiday party and all. But she wasn't one to spoil tradition, so she turned her shy smile toward Jack. "I always kind of liked that tradition," she admitted, her cheeks stained pink. A kiss might be exactly what they needed to decide how to take the rest of the evening.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack caught her smile and smiled back at her, pulling her a little closer to him. It just so happened that he and tradition thought alike, and for basically the first time in his life, he loved his job to the bottom of his heart because through it he had found Hadley. That was entirely too mushy to admit though.

"I always kind of liked you," Jack said, using her words to echo her. Jack left one hand in hers, but he took his free one and cupped her cheek softly before he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. They were soft, warm, sweet and trembling. He let go of her hand in order to wrap an arm around her waist lightly. She was so small and warm and Jack just wanted to keep her safe more than anything in the world.

Jack pulled back and gave her a tentative, hopeful smile. he knew she'd wanted to keep this ambiguous, and that had gone right out the window. Inside he was a mess of emotions, he wanted to desperately to keep her there, like that, in his arms... but what if she just wanted to be friends? What if she ran because her last boyfriend had been so bad? Jack hoped she could see how badly he wanted her and how badly he wanted to care for her.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Within moments, Hadley was sure she'd made the right decision. Jack's free hand moved to cup her cheek and she instinctively nuzzled against his touch, her eyes fluttering shut. The touch of his lips on hers was soft and gentle, so much different than what she was used to. She'd only gingerly begun to kiss him back when Jack pulled back, and everything in her wanted to pull him back to her. They had definitely crossed the line into date territory, and she was more than happy to have that much defined.

With a sigh, she let her instincts take over and slipped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. "Can we call this a date now?" she asked softly. Maybe the label only mattered to her, but she wanted to be sure Jack knew that she wasn't planning to pretend she hadn't felt anything or that she didn't want anything more.

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[JOHN ADAM DAVIDSON JR.]

Jack grinned widely as she cuddled into his chest. "Yeah, we can." He said. It was a date, it had always felt like one. Maybe they were always supposed to be romantically involved, more than just friends. Jack stroked her hair gently and smiled down at her,holding her close. He wanted to say so many things, that he cared, that he wanted to keep her safe, that he wished he would never hurt her, that he promised never to hurt her like her ex did--even if he knew nothing about her ex.

"Shall we dance?" He said, gesturing toward the floor, and quoting one of his favorite chick flicks (the King and I). But he would have been content to stay in the corner and kiss her indefinitely. But that hardly seemed appropriate considering that he worked here, and he did't want to just whisk her away to his room to make out with her. Jack was willing to take Hadley as she was, on whatever level she was willing to give him.

"It was sort of awkward with Ken right there, but, you look amazing," Jack told her with a little smile. "You look beautiful in anything though." He said, thinking back to her worn clothes and the bathrobe... she'd always appealed to him. Jack couldn't help but care, and if he wasn't so worried about what she might say, he might even admit that he loved her.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

Hadley was overcome by warmth and joy when Jack agreed to call their evening a date. She wondered briefly whether she might have felt this way earlier if she'd only been brave enough to call it what it was from the start. It didn't matter, though. They'd gotten to that point on their own, however backwards their approach may have been. Closing her eyes, Hadley breathed in his scent and let herself relax. She wasn't used to being this comfortable, and a nagging sensation in the back of her mind kept reminding her that maybe she shouldn't be, but she was enjoying herself far too much to second-guess it just yet.

Much as she might have liked to spend the entire evening cuddled up to Jack in the corner of the room, she couldn't help but realize that they weren't alone. Jack, it seemed, had the same realization, and she supposed that it meant more to him since he worked at the resort. He had to be careful about his behavior lest it be reflected in his employment. With a sigh, Hadley stepped back a bit, though she quickly moved to lace her fingers with Jack's. Now that they were being honest, she couldn't convince herself to entirely stop touching him.

If they danced, of course, they could still be close. It was a pretty good suggestion, and she thought about agreeing to it, but she couldn't help wanting to take a moment to digest the events so far of the evening. Really, she was pretty desperate to replay their kiss in her mind several hundred times. Jack's compliment drew her out of her reverie, and Hadley instantly blushed. "Thanks," she murmured, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "I really don't think you look like a penguin," she added as an afterthought. "But I still think you look dashing." It was, perhaps, a silly and uncommon choice of words, but Hadley figured Jack was an uncommon sort of guy and he deserved something more original than "cute" or "handsome."

As the seconds passed, her cheeks became pinker still, and Hadley decided she needed to excuse herself for a few seconds. Offering him a half-smile, she placed one hand against his chest. "Hold that thought for a second, okay? About the dance, I mean. I just... I'm gonna get a drink." Before he had a chance to stop her (and she knew, being a gentleman, he would probably prefer to get the drink for her), Hadley hurried off toward a table laden with drinks.

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[JORDAN VALENCIA FAIRCHILD]

OUTFIT

So far the party hadn't been all that exciting, no huge names were there yet, probably running fashionably late or whatever. Ray seemed cranky and Jordan was tired of the act and feeling like she'd led them on a terrible wild goose chase. In any case, Jordan did want a drink (regardless of if Ray thought she was being over dramatic or not), so she wandered over to the drinks table. Ray wasn't too far off hand though, which made Jordan feel better.

She went and grabbed a glass of champagne, because why not live it up? She'd only be a fake rockstar for so long. Jordan grabbed a second one and brought it back to Ray, sort of like a peace offering. "Hey, got you one..." She said, holding the flute out to her sister and pretend bandmate. Jordan then lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip when she saw her.

Hadley, at the table she had just left. She looked beautiful, happy... but it had to be her. Jordan felt relief, then anger (if she was so happy and well why couldn't she call?!), then fear that Hadley would slip away again. Jordan choked on her sip and found herself pointing deftly at Hadley while simultaneously grabbing at Ray's arm (once she'd managed to set down her glass).

Once Jordan's throat was clear again she rushed forward, figuring Ray would follow her and it didn't even matter if she did. She reached out to touch her older sister's shoulder as she turned away from the table, forgetting her fake accent entirely. "Hadley?"

[RAYLENE NOELLE FAIRCHILD]

Ray was a little disappointed when Jordan went to get a drink, because Ray had a whole conversation she rehearsed in her head. It was going to be interesting, and impressive on Ray’s part. The conversation was going to be about their website, and Ray would tell Jordan about how months ago she, and a few other poets, got contracted by a recording company to record their recited poems for an audiobook. That led to several networking opportunities, a few of which Ray contacted for favors.

And the story got more interesting after that, but it didn’t seem to matter, Ray thought bitterly as Jordan’s back receded into the distance. It was a strange twist that Ray actually craved to talk to Jordan – but her sister was, after all, the only person now with whom she could actually talk to. For everyone else she had to act. Ray turned to examine a glass sculpture, proudly presented in the middle of a table lined with hors d'oeuvres. She resisted the sudden urge to cry. The sculpture gleamed; the minute facets glittered. “Get over yourself.” Ray mumbled. “You’re just water. And you gain nothing by being cold.”

From the corner suddenly champagne appeared, and Jordan stood there like the alcohol genie. Ray suddenly felt a bit warm inside. Being looked out for always felt nice, but until that random act of kindness, Ray hadn’t realized how badly she felt she needed someone on her side. Ray smiled, but didn’t let it reach her eyes, because if the emotion got so far, they’d push those tears overboard. “Thanks.” She said softly, and brought the glass to her lips. Before sipping, though, she thought of something. Extending her glass towards Jordan, she offered, “Cheers?”

But Jordan started choking and Ray reached out to pat her back but hesitated (were you or were you not supposed to do that?) And before Ray could even ask what was the matter, Jordan pointed forwards. And before Ray could even get a proper look, she was being pulled in that direction. She felt the glass swish in her hand and some champagne pour over, leaving part of her hand sticky. In the midst of trying to protest, her eyes finally caught what Jordan had already seen.

Hadley Jordan said.

But Ray was thinking maybe she’d been thrown back in time, like to Hadley’s prom so many years later. Hadley had been beautiful and glowing; her date practically beaming in the satisfaction of having snagged her. There had to be some sort of time travel at play here because … this … Hadley and the way she looked … wasn’t what they were supposed to find.

How did it add up? Ray stared at her oldest sister, not sure what to say or what she was even feeling.

[HADLEY CLARISSE FAIRCHILD]

With an odd mixture of relief and longing, Hadley made her way toward the drink table. Logically, given the fact that she was distracted enough by her feelings for Jack, she figured the most logical thing for her to do was to get punch, soda, water, or anything else that didn't have alcohol in it. On the other hand, though, a little champagne might help her relax a bit, which would keep her from overreacting to anything else that might happen that night. Tugging absently at a strand of her hair, Hadley looked at the array of glasses in front of her. Finally, she decided that a little champagne really couldn't hurt and reached for a glass of the sparkling liquid.

She had just raised the glass to her lips when she felt fingers on her shoulder that were much too small to be Jack's The voice that reached her ears confirmed her suspicion, and the color promptly drained from Hadley's face. She knew that voice. She'd grown up with it. Without warning, the glass of champagne slipped from her fingers, shattering on the floor and splashing the sticky liquid up her legs. Closing her eyes, Hadley swallowed anxiously before finally turning toward Jordan, only to find that the girl was not alone. She'd brought Ray along, as well. Wasn't that just splendid? All at once, her expression became fearful.

"I thought I told you not to look for me," she murmured in disbelief. It wasn't the looking that bothered here, though, really. It was the fact that they had found her. Had she really left such a simple trail to follow? And if she had, wouldn't Phillip be following that same trail all too soon? Anxiously, she searched the crowd behind them. Reassured by the fact that she didn't see him anywhere in the room, she returned her attention to her sisters. Truthfully, she hadn't seen them in so long that she wanted to launch herself at both girls and smother them in hugs. She couldn't very well do that and expect them to walk away, though, so her best bet, she figured, was to pretend she really didn't want to see them. Carefully composing her features into a frown, she crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff. "Look, you both really need to leave," she hissed, though she wasn't stupid enough to think it would actually be that easy.

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