TILL I TRADE MY MISTAKES [FADED <3]

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] let me save you ( WORDS ) ENOUGH ( TAGGED ) FADED ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Darby had been right about having the best sleep in a long while. Once she saw Ryden’s eyes shut and heard his breathing slow to an even pace, she wiggled herself around until she could rest her head on his chest. The girl liked being able to hear the steady beat of his heart in her ear and feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest. All of it was a physical reminder that Ry was still alive and was still okay. He was here with her, out of danger and resting so he’d get back to his best. Besides, she would be lying if she didn’t say she enjoyed the way it felt to be cuddled up next to Ryden. She felt like she fit perfectly right there, nestled against his side. Darby felt safer than she ever had and she was asleep in a matter of moments. the next morning It was the first night since Ry disappeared that Darby slept through the entire thing without waking up. There wasn’t a single nightmare to wake her up and no worry to keep her from falling asleep. She wouldn’t be surprised if she hadn’t even so much as twitched all night from how deep of a sleep she was in. Not that the firetamer was complaining; it was a good thing that she had had such a good sleep after so many nights of barely sleeping enough to function, and she couldn’t think of a better place to be sleeping than here with Ryden. Despite how deep of a sleep it was though, Darby still seemed to be completely attuned to Ry and his movements. She must’ve still been a little bit on edge about his well being, even though by this point she was pretty sure he was doing better. Still, she felt Ryden shift and felt the weight of his arm on her waist and it woke her up. Slowly, of course. The girl wasn’t in any sort of hurry to leave this cuddle that she was currently apart of. So she stayed as she was for a few moments, still enjoying the slight movement of Ry’s chest. But then she wanted to see if he was awake too or if he was simply moving in his sleep. The firetamer tilted her head slightly without lifting it from his chest, trying to see if his eyes were open. They were, and it caused an instant smile to spread across her features. Darby wriggled so her head was on Ry’s shoulder so she could actually look at him straight on and lightly rested her arm across his middle. This. She could stay like this. Staring up into his big brown eyes while safely curled against his side? Darby honestly didn’t think she could get luckier. And she’d definitely never get used to being able to be this close to someone so perfect. Her heart still seemed to race when she was around him and she still found it hard to form actual words when she got caught in his stare. It was the best thing she could ever wake up to. But eventually Darby could make her brain work enough to manage a slight bit of conversation. “Morning,” she mumbled, the smile still firmly on her lips. Yup, definitely the luckiest girl alive. “How are you feeling?” Her voice was still groggy from sleep and she couldn’t help but inwardly cringe at the sound of it. She was sure everyone’s voice kind of sounded like that when they woke up, but Darby didn’t really have anything to compare this situation to other than what she saw in movies and she knew in movies, people rarely had that gravely wake up voice. It didn’t matter though, since she doubted Ryden would judge her on that. She hoped Ry was feeling much better than he did when he fell asleep. He definitely was looking better, even though she didn’t have the greatest light to examine him in. And that was Darby’s moment when she realized how long they had actually been asleep. She remembered the sun still being up and still shining in Ryden’s bedroom window. Not enough sun to be obnoxious, but enough to put the room in a soft light. Now though, the room had that slightly gray appearance rooms got as the sun started to rise but before the sky started to lighten. Oh gosh. She hadn’t meant to sleep that long, at all. Of course, in the long run, it was a good thing since Darby needed the rest, but she felt guilty that she hadn’t been checking up on Ry. She doubted he really would’ve taken a turn for the worst, seeing as how his body was healing itself and all, but she still should’ve been keeping an eye on him. What was done was done though, and Darby, as bad as she felt about that, doubted she would’ve even been able to stay awake. She could try to make up for it now, though. “Are you hungry or anything? I can go make breakfast,” the firetamer offered. She didn’t really want to move from where she was (ever, to be perfectly clear), but she couldn’t help but think Ryden would be hungry at this point. She doubted those awful hunters had fed him much – if at all – and his body had just gone through a long healing process. Darby would much rather make sure Ryden was completely comfortable than lay here lazily while she could do something to help him out. ksjdalkdjsalkdjsalkdjsalkdjas i just </3

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by panic! at the disco

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

I'M ALL ALONE AND I NEED YOU NOW

Fallen angels might not have needed more than a few hours sleep a week to survive but Ry felt like he had been without it for months and the moment his eyes closed he was out cold. At that moment it was literally the best thing he could have done though. Rest. And he really couldn't think of any better way to go about that than nestled against the girl beside him. When she was with him he felt completely and utterly content and relaxed. Every single worry, care and fear of the last few days completely vanished now that she was here with him. Ryden wasn't even sure she realized just how much strength she gave him just in being there. He could tell just by one look at her face she was still very much worried over him and the state he was in, which was amazingly enough better than when she'd first found him back in the warehouse.

The fact that he was going to be ok didn't seem to make her feel any better about it either though he imagined it was the only thing keeping her from going completely insane with worry. As it was she had looked just as exhausted as he did and it hadn't been long before both were sleeping deeply. Waking up beside her for the first time was beyond wonderful and his lips turned upward in a slight smile, taking in every plane of her face, looking peaceful for the first time since she'd found him. He was pretty sure he could have stayed right there and stared at her for the rest of the day, rest of the week even, and been absolutely perfectly happy. Unfortunately that wasn't possible but he was going to enjoy the time he was being given just now as much as possible.

Despite how deeply she still appeared to be seeing his slight movements were all it took to bring her awake, slowly and it was an adorable thing to watch. She squirmed a tiny bit next to him before those long eyelashes fluttered open to reveal a sleepy pair of beautiful brown eyes that blinked for a second before flicking upward to glance at him. There was no way to even describe the feelings that ran through him upon seeing the huge smile that lit up her face at seeing he was awake. It was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen and the knowledge that he not only was it all for him but he could lay claim to being the lucky man who had the chance to see it every single day. She was just...perfect. Every little single thing about her and not for the first or likely the last time he wondered what on earth he'd done to deserve having someone like her in his life.

She had scooted up a bit so that her head was on his shoulder, their faces just inches apart and Ry took advantage of that fact by leaning in to place a good morning kiss on her forehead. It was almost ridiculous how perfectly she fit next to him and all he could think, sappy as it might have sounded, that she'd been made to fit there. For a few moments they layed there quietly, the only sound their quiet breathing, both clearly happy to drag out this moment for as long as possible. Not that he was at all upset when she finally did break the silence with a sleepy voiced 'good morning', smiling at how even more adorable the rough little morning voice made her seem just then. "Morning, beautiful," He murmured back, a gravely timbre to his voice as well, a blissful sort of smile turning up the corners of his lips. Her concerned question made him want to just kiss all those worries away and he reached over to absently brush back the hair from her face. "Better," He returned softly, the truth of that statement obvious simply in his features. The pale, drawn look had all but vanished.

His brown eyes studied her features for a moment, glad to see the dark circles under her eyes the day before were no longer so prominent. Even if he hadn't been as exhausted and in need of rest as he had been the angel still would have made her stay and sleep if only because she had looked completely worn down. The thought of just what she'd gone through not knowing where he'd been, what had happened, it made him grimace inwardly. "How are you feeling?" He questioned gently, intertwining his fingers through her hand laying across his stomach. True he might have been physically worse off but he had healed through the night. Darby on the other hand didn't have that advantage and mental exhaustion was sometimes worse than anything. Honestly the thought of moving anywhere right now was almost impossible because he was just so very comfortable where he was, Darby nestled against him. However, when she asked him if he was hungry it made him realize that he actually was more than ready for an actual meal. He'd been lucky to get a cup of water a day while he was held captive in the warehouse and even though as an angel he didn't necessarily need food to survive it certainly helped him stay stronger overall.

"Breakfast sounds good," He murmured, still loathe to move from the bed though. Brushing his nose against hers in an eskimo kiss he angled his face to find her lips for a real one, pulling back only enough to add almost reluctantly, "And I need a shower but that means getting up and I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet," A playful little smile tugged at his mouth before pulling her closer and kissing her again, letting it linger this time and simply enjoying the moment. One he had almost thought would never happen again.

WORDS ENOUGH TAGGED DARBY<3 NOTES I CAN'T EVEN WITH THESE TWO

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] let me save you ( WORDS ) ENOUGH ( TAGGED ) FADED ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Even though they had been dating for as long as they had, Darby didn’t think she’d ever get used to it. Used to him. When Darby had turned 19 without ever having held hands with a guy, she was pretty sure she was resigned to a life alone. It sounded melodramatic of course, but she was convinced. She felt like all the girls her age had at least had one boyfriend and had already had their first kisses ages ago. She was behind, dramatically so, and she didn’t think she’d ever be able to catch up. Well, to revise the statement, she knew she wouldn’t be alone, alone. Her parents would have set up some sort of arrangement with some other prominent firetamer family to make sure the Ellis legacy was carried on. But the kind of forever love that Darby read about in books? She was sure it wasn’t in the cards for her. And then Ryden came along, practically out of the blue, and he was everything Darby could have ever imagined and more. Much, much more. She didn’t think there could be perfect people in the world but if there ever was one, it was Ryden O’Conner. Darby was done questioning what she had done to deserve him; she knew she’d never come to an answer. Instead – especially after this experience where she almost lost him – the little firetamer decided she was just lucky to have him in her life and that she shouldn’t take his presence for granted. She was thankful for it every day. A fact that she was reminded of when Ryden kissed her forehead and Darby could feel her body tingle all the way to her toes. She would’ve been fine with just that, but then Ry had to go ahead and call her beautiful and the firetamer could feel the blush begin to grow. She didn’t think she’d ever not react that way when he said that. It didn’t matter how many times he said that; Darby wouldn’t believe him. Especially when she was sure she was anything but right after waking up. Her hair had to be a knotted mess and there had to still be sleep in her eyes and she was far from beautiful, but the fact that Ry thought so anyway brought a small smile to her face. The smile only grew when the angel pushed her hair away from her face and assured her he was feeling better. “Glad to hear that,” Darby said, knowing that she wouldn’t have believed he was doing better until he said it. She didn’t think he’d lie to her about feeling better and he certainly was looking healthier. Though Darby did feel a little self conscious under Ryden’s gaze. She wasn’t quite sure what he was examining for exact, until his question that made Darby feel instantly guilty. He wasn’t supposed to be worried over her. She hadn’t been through nearly as much as he had. Though of course the firetamer wasn’t going to argue with him. “I’m definitely better now that I know you’re safe,” Darby said, lightly squeezing Ry’s hand that was intertwined with hers. Which certainly was true. She wasn’t being overly sentimental and sappy, or at least she didn’t think she was. Knowing Ryden was safe was literally the best knowledge she could ever have. Even though they might’ve disagreed over who had the blame for this whole mess, it didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that the angel was still alive and breathing and here with her. As long as she knew that, how bad could anything really be? Darby had the feeling she could face anything as long as he was by her side. She had never had that feeling before, which made it even scarier to think about losing the person who caused it. Not that Darby had too long to worry over that; before she knew it, Ryden was rubbing his nose against hers in an Eskimo kiss and then pulling her into a real kiss. She wished they could’ve done this before, just the simple snuggling. Sure they had snuggled before, like when they sat on the couch together and watched a movie or something, but never had Darby woken up next to him after spending the night curled up against him. There was just something different about that then every day snuggling. She smiled into the second kiss, waiting until the very last second to pull back. “Then you need to go shower. You’ll feel better,” Darby murmured, starting to disentangle herself from Ry’s side. She didn’t want to, but she knew if she didn’t move now while she had the inititive to, she wouldn’t ever. “Besides, no one ever said we couldn’t snuggle in bed for the rest of the day,” she said, a tiny smile on her face. She quickly placed a light kiss on his cheek before leaving the room, allowing him to get ready to go take a shower. She decided to head towards the kitchen to see what she could make. Unfortunately, Darby wasn’t a master chef. She barely even knew how to cook. There wasn’t much she could come up with. So the firetamer began to dig through Ryden’s cabinet and finally found instant pancake mix, griddle, and a spatula. That she could work with. So Darby set about making pancakes, most likely more than necessary. She really wasn’t sure how much to make or really how to measure the ingredients to make a certain number of pancakes, so she just made as many as she had the mix for. All the girl knew was that by the time she was done, she had a pretty sizeable stack. And true to her word, Darby decided to bring them back to Ryden’s room along with two forks and syrup. They could snuggle and have breakfast in bed, right? She hoped that wasn’t being too forward, but she didn’t think it would be after spending the night together. Darby placed the plate and forks on the end table and snuggled back into the spot she had been in earlier, waiting for Ry to come back. ksjdalkdjsalkdjsalkdjsalkdjas i just </3

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by panic! at the disco

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

I'M ALL ALONE AND I NEED YOU NOW

Ryden couldn't help but worry over her. The whole time he'd been held captive all he could think about was what must have been going through her head. How she must have felt when he never showed up at the coffee shop that morning. The thought that she might have felt he had abandoned her without a word and just left had killed him inside and still made him want to cringe now. If there was one thing he planned on letting her know from this point forward it was that he would never ever just leave on her. If something ever did happen, God forbid, that forced him to leave Manuka she would be the first to know. And if he had his way she'd be right there beside him, depending on the circumstances of course. If it meant she'd be put in danger that would be another thing entirely. But he would come back for her there was no questioning that. Who knew how long she had been left wondering though until finding out the truth behind his disappearance.

They hadn't had a chance to talk about what had happened yet and honestly he was ok with holding that conversation off for a while longer. For now simply having her with him was all he wanted. Bringing up the the events leading up to this moment seemed like it would just bring an uncessary cloud over things. Just seeing the dark circles and tired lines etched around her eyes told him enough and there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to pack them both up and get her away from her family asap. He didn't doubt that they loved her but it seemed there were certain conditions that came with it and he was not on that list. In the angel's experience if you really loved someone you wanted the absolute best for them no matter if it fit what you might think they needed or not. The question of whether it might eventually come down to Darby having to chose between him and her family was one that floated through his mind occasionally though he normally chased it away as quickly as possible.

Losing her was the last thing he wanted. Just the thought of it wrenched his heart. But when it came down to it he loved her enough that if letting her go was what was best for her he would do it. Whether or not he'd ever be the same without her was another question entirely but for now it didn't need answered. Because right now she was nestled against him and giving him a happy little smile at hearing how much better he felt. He could already feel that his body had healed almost completely and the strength he'd been lacking the day before had returned. Darby's body though, couldn't do that which was why he persisted in worrying more over her than himself. She assured him she was feeling much better now that he was safe and he took her at her word though a bit more sleep probably wouldn't hurt her either. "Good," He returned with a half smile, fingers curling around her hand as she squeezed it reassuringly.

It was amazing how much one person could change your whole life and make it feel happy and complete. He'd never put much stock in the belief that everyone had a soulmate out there waiting for them. It just didn't seem probable. There was too much that could happen, too many choices you could make that could keep you from ever crossing paths for something like that to be true. Yet there was absolutely no doubt in Ryden's mind that he'd found his soulmate when he'd found Darby. He would have been perfectly happy simply staying here beside her for the rest of the day, stealing kisses and holding hands, but she was right he would feel better after a shower. So reluctantly she made the first move of getting up but not before adding that that there was no reason they couldn't lay in bed afterward either. The words and light kiss she placed on his cheek before heading out of the room brought a smile to his face as he too got up. It was almost ridiculous how empty the bed had felt without her next to him even just for those few seconds. This was the first time she'd even spent the night at his place thanks to her parents strict curfew and Ry figured it was probably for the best seeing as he would want her there with him every night if he had his way.

Grabbing a fresh change of clothes from his dresser he headed for the bathroom adjoing the bedroom and pretty soon stepped beneath the hot spray of water coming from the shower head. Darby was right he was already feeling better, the soreness in his muscles relaxing as he washed away the reminders of the last few days. Almost all of them that is. There were still a few scars left from where the sword had pierced through his skin and though they'd likely fade with time they probably would never fully go away. But it seemed a small price to pay if it meant being alive. By the time he had stepped out of the shower the smell of something cooking had wafted its way into the room and he came out of the bathroom to be greeted by the sight of Darby back on the bed with a tray of pancakes and syrup on the nightstand beside her. The sight brought a happy smile to his lips, running his towel through his hair to dry it off a bit more before pulling on the white t-shirt hanging over his shoulder.

"Breakfast in bed? And not only that but my favorite breakfast food of all time?" He remarked with a grin as he climbed back onto the bed next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders to pull her a little closer. "Can I keep you?" He whispered teasingly, before placing a quick kiss on her forehead. This right here was absolutely heaven to him.
.

WORDS ENOUGH TAGGED DARBY<3 NOTES I CAN'T EVEN WITH THESE TWO

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] let me save you ( WORDS ) ENOUGH ( TAGGED ) FADED ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Normally, the little firetamer was a very patient person. She didn’t feel right rushing anyone to do anything. If people could give her that decency, then it was only right. Everyone would get stuff done on their own time. It didn’t matter how long it took. For the most part, she stuck to that philosophy. Not in this case though. It was fair to say that Darby wasn’t the most patient person when waiting for Ryden to come back. She was glad he was finally getting a chance to shower and to wash off everything bad that had happened but at the same time, she didn’t like being in his bed alone. Not when they could be cuddling. So Darby pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, every so often glancing at the bathroom door. She was being silly – almost preteen girl silly – but every time she glanced towards the door, she couldn’t help but picture Ry naked on the other side. Darby had only ever seen one guy naked and that had been on complete accident. He had decided to go skinny dipping at the old gym and Darby had decided to go to get some time away from her family. Of course neither of them had expected to find the other, especially in that situation. The firetamer had felt so awkward at that point that she swore she never wanted to see anyone naked again. Turned out she was wrong about that one though, because the thought that she kind of did want to see what was on the other side of the bathroom door entered her mind. The thought was so sudden and so out of nowhere and Darby could feel her cheeks instantly going a bright red. Oh god. What in the world was wrong with her? She buried her face in her knees, telling herself that she had to get the thought out of her mind. The girl definitely didn’t need Ryden to come out here and ask her why she was blushing like an idiot. She didn’t think she’d be able to explain it to him nor would she be able to come up with an excuse at all. Darby thought she had it pretty much under control and she lifted her head when she heard the bathroom door open. Of course, what she saw made her blush like crazy even more. She hadn’t been expecting Ry to walk out shirtless with that huge smile. Honest to god he looked like a real life model. The firetamer had already known that he was too perfect for her. Darby had never met someone so kind and caring and genuinely good as the fallen angel was. On that basis alone, Darby knew she’d never deserve him in a million years. But throw in the flawless appearance? Ryden could literally have any girl he wanted. Yet, Darby was the one who was sitting here in his bed – not someone else – and that knowledge made her happy in a way she couldn’t even begin to vocalize. The firetamer smiled back at Ry as he crawled into his bed and put his arm around her shoulders. She uncurled, stretching her legs out and letting the one closest to Ryden bump against his leg. Darby lightly rested her head against Ry’s shoulder, her grin widening at his comment. “Well I guess it’s a good thing that’s the only thing I know how to make,” she responded, glad that her only cooking talent happened to line up with Ryden’s favorite food. If that wasn’t fate, she didn’t know what was. Darby giggled lightly at his next question. He already had her, of course, and she couldn’t stop the happy tingle that went from head to toe the moment Ry’s lips touched her forehead. “Maybe you should try them before you ask that.” She stayed snuggled against Ryden for a few more moments before she felt her stomach gurgle. Darby must’ve been hungrier than she thought, though it only made sense. She couldn’t quite remember the last time she had eaten an actual meal and enjoyed it. During the past couple of days, food tasted like cardboard and felt like cement settled in her stomach. Darby hadn’t even felt like eating all that much but she knew she had to. That was what worry could do to a person, she guessed. She never wanted to go back to that again. Though it looked like Darby wouldn’t have to, not when she was here nestled again Ry’s side. Placing a light kiss on Ryden’s cheek, Darby shifted so she could grab the tray. She really hoped that the pancakes were still warm and that they tasted okay. It’d be just her luck to mess them up. She balanced the tray on their laps and then reached for the forks, handing one to Ry and keeping the other for herself. “You get first bite,” she said, glancing up at Ryden with a light smile. Please let these pancakes be okay. ksjdalkdjsalkdjsalkdjsalkdjas i just </3

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by panic! at the disco

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

I'M ALL ALONE AND I NEED YOU NOW

If Ryden could have heard the thoughts going through Darby's mind right at that moment he probably would have started chuckling as he showered. She was most definitely the epitome of what the rest of society would define as a 'good girl'. In other words she didn't go out and party, didn't do drugs, and didn't sleep around. He was sure it was something that quite a few people would scoff at and wonder what in the heck was wrong with her but Ry wouldn't change a thing about her for the world. To him she was perfect exactly how she was and honestly he loved that she wasn't one of those girls who enjoyed getting wasted or wanted to go clubbing every weekend. It certainly wasn't something he did on a regular basis or ever planned on doing either. He could probably count on one hand the number of times he'd been in any of clubs or bars in the city.

The fact that they could have a ridiculously good time simply cuddled on the couch watching a movie or just talking was what he loved most about their relationship. Waking up with her nestled beside him had been the best feeling in the entire world. The angel honestly couldn't say when he'd felt more content or relaxed which, after everything that had happened felt like an eternity ago. If he could have his way she'd be there beside him every night but he highly doubted her parents would ever agree to that happening. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were likely assuming there would be more than sleeping going on even though that was not at all true.

That particular topic had yet to even come up between them actually, not that Ryden hadn't thought of it. It was only natural to after all especially when it seemed that was what everyone seemed to expect you were doing if you'd been dating longer than a couple of weeks. More to the point she was absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous and he would have either had to been blind or dead to not think about it for that reason alone. That didn't mean he planned on bringing it up anytime soon though. As far as he was concerned she was it for him and therefore was in no hurry to force her into doing something she may or may not have been comfortable doing just yet. He knew she loved him, her actions the day before proving that beyond a shadow of a doubt. So until she let him know she was ready to take that next step he was fine patiently waiting.

At the moment simply snuggling with her for the rest of the day in his bed sounded like heaven and served to make him move a little faster until he was walking back into the bathroom. He hadn't really thought about not having his shirt on yet until he saw the bright pink flush that colored her cheeks, which only made his happy smile widen a bit more in amusement. Could she be more adorable? Choosing not to make the red in her cheeks darken any further he refrained from commenting on it even if her shyness was oh so endearing. Instead he mentioned the pancakes which smelled ridiculously good and made him suddenly realize how hungry he actually was. Angels technically didn't need to really eat to survive but three days with barely any sleep and limited food and water still left him un-energized. He gladly nestled back against the pillows as she curled in closer to him, a happy smile on her face even though she second guessed her own handiwork in the kitchen.

Shaking his head lightly in response to her following comment, he scrunched up his nose slightly. "Mmm, nah I think I'll keep you anyway, poison pancakes and all," A teasing tone laced through his words as they sat there together for a few moments, neither appearing too eager to move even for the still waiting breakfast. However, the delicious smell soon conquered the contentment of the moment and after placing an affectionate kiss on his cheek Darby reached over to grab the tray where the plate full of pancakes were sitting and balanced it on their laps. Taking the offered fork, Ry grinned cheekily as she said he got to take the first bite. "Oh so I get to be the guinea pig huh?" Punctuating the playful words with a wink he cut into the stack of pancakes and was soon chewing them with a pleased look. "Best pancakes ever, baby. I have been sorely missing out before this," He wasn't just saying that for her sake either; they really were the best tasting pancakes he'd ever had. Fluffy and perfectly browned they could rival anything a five star restaurant could boast.

WORDS ENOUGH TAGGED DARBY<3 NOTES I CAN'T EVEN WITH THESE TWO

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[DARBY GRACE ELLIS]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-color: #343434; padding:20px; border-top: 10px #af9390 solid; border-bottom: 10px #af9390 solid;] let me save you ( WORDS ) ENOUGH ( TAGGED ) FADED ( STATUS ) COMPLETE Even though the comment had been said in a teasing tone, Darby couldn’t help but feel a happy tingle run from the tip of her toes to the top of her head and a smile grew on her lips. Who wouldn’t react like that when the most perfect guy on the face of the earth said that to you? Just the thought of always having Ryden in her life was good enough for the firetamer. She knew it was a little hasty to be thinking so far ahead in the future, but it was hard to not picture Ry in the rest of her life. “At least you wouldn’t die from poison pancakes,” Darby said, thinking how much of a comfort it was knowing her boyfriend was nearly indestructible, even if it meant he’d outlive her by a long time. That was something the two rarely discussed and if it was ever brought up, they changed the topic as quickly was possible. It wasn’t an immediate threat, right? Darby planned on living well into her 80s and with any luck, maybe she could push it into her 100s. She knew Ry wasn’t the type of person who’d skip out the moment she started getting wrinkles and even though her growing so old wasn’t an ideal situation, at least they’d be together all that time. The little firetamer didn’t like thinking past that, didn’t like thinking that someday she’d die and leave him alone and that there was nothing either of them could do about it. No, but that was something that was much too serious for her to think about, especially when it was so far off in the future and she was here with Ryden now. Besides, the mood was light and playful and that was definitely something Darby preferred. It really didn’t take too much for her to swing right back into it. How could you think about anything awful when you were in her position right now? “I guess so,” Darby agreed, not being able to come up with anything witty. She was too distracted by Ry’s wink and him actually tasting the pancakes to focus on anything else. The firetamer would probably come up with the perfect response three days from now, which kind of happened to her all the time. But she really did hope the pancakes were okay. There was the fear that Darby had forgotten to do something, that she had missed a step and had made the pancakes unpalatable. Or the bigger fear was that she had somehow made them taste absolutely awful, even though it was a box mix and you really shouldn’t be able to do that. She just wasn’t a chef, not in the least sense of the word. Darby had never had that interest in learning to cook nor had she had a mother that was willing to teach her. In fact, Darby wasn’t sure of the last time her mother had even bothered to try to make something. It was the joys of being an Ellis, apparently. The tension disappeared as soon as Ry said they were good. She highly doubted they were the best pancakes he had ever tasted – there were master chefs out there who could make things you wouldn’t have even thought of but were still delicious – but at least they were edible. “They’re pretty much the only thing I can make so I guess you should prepare yourself for a lot of pancakes.” It was true. The firetamer could probably count on one hand what she could make: pancakes, grilled cheese, eggs (but only scrambled since she hadn’t quite mastered over easy), and boxed macaroni and cheese. She was pretty much hopeless when it came to fending for herself. Darby let the conversation rest for a little bit while the two of them picked at the pancakes. She hadn’t quite realized how hungry she was, even though it made sense since she had barely eaten anything over the past couple of days. And when the two had had their fill, Darby put the tray back on the nightstand so she could snuggle against Ryden again without fear of spilling syrup all over his sheets. “I wish things could be like this for forever,” she murmured, wondering how she had ever spent so much time not cuddled with him like this. If it were a possibility, Darby would move out of her house right now so the two of them could actually stay like this. There were major problems though; Darby had no money, couldn’t take care of herself very well, and really had no hope of finding a job with her shyness. Besides, she didn’t want to be on the rest of the Ellises’ bad side because it wasn’t the best place to be. But for now, Darby could pretend that she and Ry were the only things that existed. ksjdalkdjsalkdjsalkdjsalkdjas i just </3

table by CALIFORNIA DREAMING of CAUTION 2.0, lyrics by panic! at the disco

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

I'M ALL ALONE AND I NEED YOU NOW

Ryden quirked an eyebrow upward at her remark that at least if they were poisoned he wouldn't die from them. "Good point. So see you don't have anything to worry about then," He teased lightly, not at all worried either that the pancakes would be detremental to his health even if he hadn't been an angel and therefore immune to it. Although he imagined he could still get sick from it which would be less than pleasant. Thankfully though that wasn't something he would ever have to worry about seeing as Darby was the last person who would be poisoning anyone's pancakes let alone his.

He could still tell she was worried that they would taste bad period though, her eyes glancing from him to the plate nervously. Inwardly Ry found her actions more adorable than anything mostly because it showed how much she cared but he didn't imagine she would believe him if he told her as much so he kept that to himself to enjoy. As soon as he had taken that first bite and proclaimed them delicious he felt her relax and he almost chuckled. If he hadn't known better the entire fate of the earth might have rested on how these pancakes had turned out.

Her admission that it was a good thing he liked them because it was one of the few things she knew how to make did bring a full on laugh from him. "Well you aren't looking at a five star chef right now either so once we get sick of pancakes we can learn another recipe and make it until we hate it too," It really didn't matter to him if she cooked or they cooked together or if they simply ate out every night. Just being with her was the important part. The three days not knowing where she was or if she thought he'd just left her without saying a word had been almost worse than the actual torture itself.

For the next few minutes they sat in comfortable silence, eating the very much edible pancakes. Once they were finished with them, Darby put the tray back on the night stand and Ryden quite gladly shifted to pull her in closer as she snuggled up against him again. Her words brought a wistful look to his face and he rested his chin gently atop her head for a moment. "Me too. Someday it will be, promise," Punctuating the sentence with a kiss against her hair he reached out to pull up the comforter further before wrapping his arms around her and scooching them down beneath it. For now though he was going to make sure they enjoyed every moment of it while they had it.

WORDS ENOUGH TAGGED DARBY<3 NOTES I CAN'T EVEN WITH THESE TWO

TEMPLATE BY WE WERE INFINITE ! OF CAUTIO 2.0

[RYDEN MATTHEW O'CONNER]

AND THIS THREAD CAN BE CONSIDERED OFFICIALLY FINISHED AND MOVED TO THE ARCHIVES!