spectacular, spectacular [dylan]

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

Everyone had their talents. Some people could sing, others could dance, and some people could do both. Sometimes even simultaneously. Some people were skilled athletes, or writers. Callum had his photographs, which were always splendid, despite what he thought. Her brother Andrew had always been extremely talented with sports, and her sister Lily could memorize nearly any fact and spit it out off the tip of her tongue no matter how much time had passed. January knew she had her talents and skills; sports had come naturally to her, too, and she was decent at writing and doing her school work. Nothing academic had ever been difficult for her, and even when her siblings struggled with math or science, she could usually logic out the answers, or with a little research, could figure out the parts they were getting wrong.

Yet, as she watched the performers in the ballet company jump and twirl and dance like their spirits were pouring out of their bodies, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy that she never had talents like that. The music seemed to be attached to their bodies like strings that hoisted them up, just as the men in the company lifted the women above their heads, or twirled them in their arms with such glorious feats of strength that January was glued to their every move. The angel didn't have to breathe as she wasn't alive, but even if oxygen had been a necessity, she sincerely doubted that she would. She had heard about "Swan Lake" being spectacular, but words could not do it justice. This was mesmerizing.

She had always been sensitive, and could find her own feelings during movies, or after hearing certain songs, or during plays - she had always loved the arts. And at the end of "Swan Lake," when the music came to its final bars, and the story was swirling to a close, she felt a tear prick at the corner of her eyes and let it release. Then more came, and she tried to stop herself before she became a sniveling mess. After the curtain call, and January had mostly composed herself, she scampered toward the exists, trying to be quick about it since she had gotten into the show through... sneaky means. She hated being dishonest, but since she didn't actually live on Earth and wasn't alive, she didn't have money, so she had to sneak into shows instead of just paying the ticket price like everyone else did. January just didn't want to get caught because then she'd have to turn herself invisible, and wouldn't that be a mess?

She burst through the door, and felt it give a little bit, like resistance, and only when she saw a man stagger back did she realize that she practically had taken someone out with the door. Instantly, she ran to his aid, hands all flying around and apologies spewing from her mouth.

"Oh my! I'm so, so terribly sorry. Are you all right? Did I hurt you?" January rambled, and looked at the young man with kind, slightly nervous eyes. "I didn't even see you, was just leaving the theater, and oh, I'm such a klutz." January looked sad and pathetic, she was sure, but perhaps the man wouldn't be mad. Or rude. Or even worse, hurt.

[/justify]

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OUTFIT:[/color] Here!

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan walked towards st. amanda’s hall, needing some music to drown out the slight bit of agony and guilt he felt from earlier today. How could he have slept with someone else? He never thought he would be there, not under any circumstances. Apparently, being intoxicated was enough to push him there. He knew he’d never ever be going back to a bar in a long time unless it was with Dominic, of course if the male still wanted him after all this was over with. He was not exactly sure how long he could go without telling him, but he did know that telling him sooner was probably the better option, well not the better, but just the most honest option. He felt horrible about everything really and honestly did not want to lose the male. He’d beg if he would have to, anything to keep the love of his life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d have Dominic after that.

Dylan’s feet slipped on a patch of ice, easily catching his physical body, but in his mind, it had shocked him out of thought for a moment. Maybe life was telling him to just pay attention, but he felt on some level already heart-broken so what exactly could he do to make himself not think about it? He was not even sure music would help him pay attention to other things than this problem. He continued to walk, eyes dropped down to the sidewalk in a gaze, his breath forming clouds in front of his face. He had to talk to Dominic soon. It was eating him alive second by second. He simply walked up to grab the handle of one of the doors to St. Amanda’s Hall right when he was knocked back by it, stumbling back and slipping on the same patch of ice, landing on his back.

Dylan groaned softly, just lying there for a moment, wondering if this was a bit of karma. Oh my! I’m so, so terribly sorry. Are you all right? Did I hurt you? I didn’t even see you, was just leaving the theater, and oh, I’m such a klutz. He could not help but smile for a moment and stood up, just fine and said softly, ”It’s perfectly fine. I’m alright. I was not paying attention either to be honest. So lost in thought that I did not even see you coming.” He said, being honest, and he simply braced the wall because he still felt like he was about to slip again, this patch of ice obviously out to get him for the moment. Dylan eyed her for the moment, unable to help but think of Aariana at that moment, remembering them, although their relationship seemed to have happened years ago.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

The man braced the wall, looking unsteady on his feet, and January instinctively looked at the ground. It was icy out, which made him falling even more tragic somehow. The poor thing... "I really am sorry, I'm usually not so thoughtless to just go... busting through a door like some kind of crazy person." January explained, talking with her hands as she usually did. January looked down at the ground, and steered clear of the icy patch, making sure that she wouldn't slip as well. Even though she wouldn't get hurt, she didn't want to go heels over head... talk about undignified, and in front of a very nice looking young man. Which made her feel even more guilty; he looked stuck in his thoughts, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. She bit her bottom lip and tilted her head to the side. Even though she wasn't bothered by the cold; she didn't regulate temperature the same way she had when she was alive, even though she was currently in a humanoid form, she knew it was cold outside.

"There's concessions inside the hall; hot chocolate and stuff. It's cold outside. Can I buy you a cup of cocoa? Make up for knocking you down?" January asked. She knew he'd be hesitant, and she really did feel guilty, also, she knew was a good listener, and maybe he just needed somebody to talk to. Kill two birds, in one sense, even though January had never been fond of that particular expression. She understood what it was like to feel alone in the world, because even though she had always been fortunate enough to be surrounded by friends and family, she had seen enough sadness in the world to know that she was one of the lucky ones. Most people didn't have her life... well... the life she had, at least. When the young man looked hesitant, she put on her brightest, most lovely of smiles and stood a little closer, widening her hazel eyes and attempted to look insistent, even though she wasn't pushy by nature. "Oh, please? It's the very least I can do." Then, she paused. Maybe the fact that she was a stranger wasn't helping her cause, so she extended her hand. "I'm January."

A few more people came rushing out of the hall, and she placed her hand tentatively on the young man's shoulder and attempted to steer him out of the way of the crowd, lest he be unfortunate for another time and slip. She was getting the hang of this guardian angel business, and even though this one wasn't her charge... he certainly wasn't her Callum, she still wanted to look after him. Human life was a special, fragile, and precious thing, and she knew that it needed to be guarded. She had done so when she was alive, and had even died saving the life of another, innocent human being. So she didn't want him to get hurt. When the crowd passed, she tilted her head toward the door, and smiled again. "I bet it's less crowded now. So, what do you say?" She didn't have much in the way of money... only a little bit that she picked up here and there; every now and then, she did odd jobs. Courier work, deliveries, temp jobs. Something to make ends meet and give her a bit of what she liked to call "functional" pocket change so she could look more normal when interacting with the human population. They were the jobs where people didn't need you to fill out actual paperwork, and the questions they asked were ones she could answer fairly honestly, so she did okay for herself, thirty or forty dollars at a time. Today, she was down to her last fifteen, which was why she hadn't paid to see the show, but she could scrounge up enough for a cup of cocoa - especially to ease her conscience and hopefully lift this man's spirits, because he looked rather glum.

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

”I really am sorry, I’m usually not so thoughtless to just go…busting through a door like some kind of crazy person.” Dylan laughed softly and nodded, ”Don’t worry, it’s fine! I’m fine. You just knocked the air out of me a little.” He teased softly, seeing how rather sweet she was and simply felt like she needed a bit of break. He couldn’t hurt her because she didn’t mean it at all, at least that much was obvious. ”There’s concessions inside the hall; hot chocolate and stuff. It’s cold outside. Can I buy you a cup of cocoa? Make up for knocking you down?” He blinked and opened his mouth, not wanting to make her pay for him or even apologize. He felt pressured though as she said please. ”Fine, just go with me though. You don’t have to pay for it though,” he smiled pulling out his wallet and looked at her hoping she wouldn’t challenge him on that, hating when people spent money on him.

”Nice to meet you, I’m Dylan,” He said as he took her hand, just getting the feeling of Aariana in her, just slightly more positive than her. I bet it’s less crowded now. So, what do you say? He simply nodded, hoping that he could still pay just simply trying to step inside, opening the door for her before following in and simply pulling out a ten dollar bill. ”Please let me pay. You’re such a nice lady and it’d be upholding my social law to not be a gentleman and pay. I’m find so don’t worry about bumping into me,” he said simply ordering two hot chocolates as he tried to put his money forward. He was not usually pushy but in this case he wanted to be the one to treat someone else. Aside from that, she again reminded him of Aariana. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of a void in his heart now that she was gone.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

His offer to pay took her off guard for a moment: she had run into him, thoughtlessly, and now he was being nice to her? January smiled; the goodness of humanity really gave her something to be hopeful about. Up in the clouds, she saw the good and the bad as she watched the humans go about their daily life. So, whenever bad things happened, January always tried extra hard to look for the good in the world to restore her faith in humanity. She knew there was talk of a war between supernaturals who wanted to be on equal footing with humans, and not cause them any harm, and supernaturals who would rather rule them, and use them for their own selfish needs. The idea of that made January sick; even if they were given special powers, they were no better than anyone else. But, Dylan's kindness certainly cheered her up.

"Well, if you insist on being a gentleman, how can I possibly refuse?" They went inside and Dylan even opened the door for her, and bought them two hot chocolates. "Thank you," January said, both to him and the person who was working the concession booth, and then moved to find them an adequate table. "Join me?" January asked, as she started to walk toward the little, circular tables that were sparsely covering the floor area near the concession booth. She picked one by the window, and sat down on one side, waiting for Dylan to join her after he got change for their drinks. Then, he sat down and January took a sip of her cocoa. "This is really good. I'm a sucker for sweet things, most of the time." Then, she continued. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything. Were you on your way in, or did you see the show?" He seemed like a really nice guy, and reminded her of her brother Andrew, just a little bit. His soft spoken tone, his chivalry, and the way he was genuinely nice to her.

January always felt like if you put good things into the world, you'd get them back, and so far, she was proving her own theory correct. "I saw the show; it was beautiful. But, I love that kidn of thing, so. Well, my whole family has. My mom used to take us, because she wanted us to experience live theater, and that was really kind of her, because she's deaf, so she could never really appreciate the musical aspect of it. But the sights, and the ambiance... she always told us that she got something out of it. Even if it was just spending time with her kids, you know. Do you like theater?" January was rambling, as she often did when she was trying to fill gaps of silence. She was overly friendly sometimes, and bubbly by nature, but she didn't want to just knock the man down, accept his gift, and have nothing in the way of conversation to give back. She just hoped that he wasn't annoyed or bored with her talking so much.

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan had spent so long in such a cruel place that he thought he almost had never seen the light of day or the good of people. When he had left, there was part of him that had so desired to be mean, but then the other part of him had seen the kindness of people like his twin brother. That’s why when he died, things had become harder for him. He was here now and he could really use his brother with what he was going through. Everything seemed so complex now and he was scared to lose the man he loved, how could he not be? He had fell in love once before with Aariana and that had hurt so much before. He had never completely picked up all the broken pieces and the heart isn’t meant to be broken, much less twice. He felt his stomach twist at that thought, his eyes lowering to the ground for a silent moment as he was stuck in his thoughts yet again.

He smiled at her words lightly and nodded, not liking making anyone pay for him, not even a good friend. ”You’re welcome and of course,” He said as he followed her to a table and sat down in one of the chairs, simply listening to her and smirked softly, ”I have a sweet tooth too. My brother got me hooked on chocolate and candy and all that stuff,” he murmured as he listened to her and shook his head idly, ”You’re not keeping me from anything really. I just thought about seeing a show but I just really wanted to distract myself for a bit right now.” He shrugged softly, really hoping she would not ask why because he did not want to have to put his problems on anyone nor show how ashamed he felt to anyone but Dominic. He only wanted to have to tell someone once about this, but part of him wanted to open up because Owen was gone and he would not come back, so the person he usually talked to no longer existed.

Dylan listened to January talk a bit, smiling at her words, perhaps it easing his thoughts to learn about her a bit. He sipped on his hot chocolate slowly and said, ”I’ve never been really too much. I was supposed to go with my brother and his girlfriend but it didn’t end up working out.” He said softly, not realizing that he was starting to tear up already. All these raw emotions were eating at him, not just from knowing he cheated on his boyfriend, but knowing his brother died and that the girl he considered his sister was basically not herself anymore. Everything pained him and he feared being alone on some level, but he knew he could if he had to. He just simply looked at his hot chocolate, holding it between his hands gently, letting the warmth of the cup spread to his palms and fingers.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

The sadness poured off Dylan in waves, and his words were melancholy, even though he was continuing with their conversation. January had always known that she was a gentle soul, and had been told by many people that she was easy to talk to. She was a good listener, even though when she got going, she could talk a lot, but she was always willing to allow someone to bend her ear when they needed to just spill their guts. Dylan was still holding back, and the angel knew to tread carefully, because she didn't want him to burst into tears right there. She knew that many young men (and older men, too) had something against crying in public, and thought it was rather silly. The expression of emotion was a beautiful thing, in her opinion, because it meant you could feel. There had been a memory when she'd gone to the movies with her brother: a sad, romantic movie that had been her selection, not his. As predicted, she'd ended up in tears by the end of the film, and Andrew had, too, but when she rubbed his shoulder to comfort him, he got defensive and claimed that something was in his eye. What a typical response for men. There's nothing shameful about it.

January tilted her head to the side and took in Dylan's words, trying to figure out what the best response would be. It was a gift to be insightful, and she had always been the person that her group of friends and family both had gone to for advice when she was alive. Now, she really only had Callum and Arya, and she wasn't close enough to Callum yet to give him advice or be asked for hers, though she wanted to be that close. Arya sought her out for a number of things, both serious and light-hearted, and she enjoyed the trust that the elder angel placed in her. It made her feel special, and needed. And right now, it seemed like Dylan needed somebody, too, so she'd repay the kindnesses that had been given to her. ”It seems like something heavy's on your mind. Forgive me for overstepping, but I'm here to listen if you just want to talk.” That was a good response; simple, honest, and to the point.

She learned that this had been a distraction, and deduced that perhaps these emotions were triggered by something that hadn't happened, and he'd only realized it when ended up doing the same activity alone. Perhaps he was supposed to go to St. Amanda's Hall with his brother and the brother's girlfriend, and something happened, and being in the same place had caused him to recall a sad event. She wasn't going to jump to conclusions, however. January preferred to just listen. ”Are you close with your family? Your brother, his girlfriend?” It was a little strange being spoken to about deep, sad secrets and personal information by a stranger, but she didn't want to leave him alone, in case he had nobody else to come for him. Nobody deserved to be left alone when they were vulnerable, so January sipped her cocoa and stayed put. She'd be there for him; it was the right thing to do.

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan felt more tears build, attempting to pull them back, but he did not want to cry, although it was more because he did not want her to see how troubled he was on the inside as opposed to being embarrassed. He had not known much of how men really were embarrassed about such things as much as he just had not seen them cry really all too often. Dylan felt like he was not going to hold out much longer so that’s why when she said the next words, It seems like something heavy’s on your mind. Forgive me for overstepping, but I’m here to listen if you just want to talk. he had just simply broke on some level. Tears slowly began to fall as he held back the words for a few moments, wondering why he was so fragile in this moment, why he had to break down now. He simply set his hot chocolate on the table and looked into her eyes at her words after that and nodded, ”Are you close with your family? Your brother, his girlfriend?”

He was trying to gather everything within him to be able to say this in the lightest possible way, but nothing about either of the situations he was in was light. He had never been in a situation where anything was light for him. ”My brother was killed and after, my brother’s girlfriend ended up losing her memory and she seems to think that my brother wanted to attack her. Something must have happened before he died to make her think that way. I found her finally and she’s scared of me because I look like him. She’s my last tie to him though and she’s my sister, well I consider her to be. I just lost them both really,” He said as tears flooded his voice a bit because for once he was like that little boy locked again in a room, being forced down and cut over and over until he obeyed Dahlia’s commands. Eventually he had learned to give in or simply not get upset or not feel the pain when she tried to torture him.

But now I’m losing someone else because I was stupid. He was the one person who helped me through all of this and I got drunk and I cheated on him, He simply let the words slip out because sometimes you couldn’t just hold onto anything anymore. He rubbed his eyes back, feeling horrible as he just simply looked down at the table, wondering how he could screw up like this. He had never cheated on someone nor intended to nor wanted to. Just because of one night of getting drunk, he was stuck here and now and there was no going back.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

Dylan started crying, and January felt her heart break a little for him. Sure, she wasn't able to feel the sadness as well as she had when she was alive, and that familiar heart-wrenching sadness no longer existed, but her being a genuinely caring person hadn't changed. If anything, now she had more sympathy and care in her heart for people, because it was her job to be a protector of the people. ”Oh, Dylan: I'm so sorry.”

It was heartbreaking to think that he had lost his family, and she understood what he was feeling, except her situation was the opposite. Her family had mourned her death, probably like Dylan was doing about his brother, and she hurt knowing that they had likely shed so many tears over her. Her siblings, Lily in particular, had been a wreck, and Annabelle blamed herself. Marco was her brother, and January had died saving his life, but there had been no correlation between his falling down into street drain and Annabelle's neglect. He was young, and young children did reckless, silly things.

For the moment, she was at a loss for words, but tried her best to be considerate and comforting as he kept talking. This young man was a stranger to her, and yet she just wanted to hold his hand or hug him and tell him that he'd get through all of this.

She knew from experience that even the deepest of pains passed. Her family still mourned her after her being gone for two years, and they missed her, but they were able to go on with their lives, and remember her fondly instead of being sad all the time. January watched them, and saw that they were adjusting, and still held high hopes for her siblings, since they had so much potential for greatness. Both so smart and capable, she felt a strong sense of pride that they'd carry on to amazing things, and she'd be able to watch it.

But since she didn't know this man enough to trust him with her biggest secret, she wasn't able to tell him her story to help ease his pain. ”Maybe one day, when she has time to heal, she'll come back to you. Sometimes, all people need is time,” January said quietly, reaching out and being careful, but placing her hand over the top of his, hoping that it would comfort him. ”Time really is the healer of all wounds; it's not just an old saying.”

She knew this first-hand, and hoped that he'd believe her. Seeing people in such pain hurt her, and she wanted to give him some kind of hope to hold onto. Dylan continued, telling her about someone he had cheated on; a significant other, and January nodded. She'd never had a significant other, but she knew that love was powerful, and if it was real, there was always room for forgiveness. ”I've never been in love,” January confessed, and gave a small smile. ”But I've seen enough of it to know that it's precious, in all forms, and if you love this person, and he loves you, with a little time, he'll want to talk to you. If you apologize, and mean it, I think you'll find that forgiveness comes rather easily.” January patted his hand a little. ”Things will get better, Dylan. You just have to believe.”

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan heard her apologize and shook his head, knowing this was not her fault at all, how could it be? She was not involved and he knew it was her sympathy. He felt as if he did need someone like her though, someone that would listen to him, to the overwhelming situation he was in at this time. Everything seemed all too complicated and all too much to deal with. Losing love was not easy to deal with and it was possibly his greatest fear as of now.

He knew he had his parents, but they too were full of grief of losing the son they had had for over 20 years, not the one that they had for 2 years. How could he blame them? He was the spitting image of his brother, there barely any difference between them. He wore the same clothes, talked similarly, and were overall very close to each other. Best friends if he would venture to put a specific label on what he felt their relationship was like. Best friends was the best he could think of it considering he felt like they were more than twins, they were more.

Now that the male was gone, he felt somehow lost, at least part of him was. He felt like he should die with his brother somehow, but knew his heart still belonged to Dominic. What would happen though if Dominic did not forgive him and left him?

He would beg and possibly cling to Dominic, then again how could he stop the male when he had the right to break their relationship. More tears slid down his cheeks as he felt the urge to fall into the darkness come over him once more. Maybe he could run until he was in a completely different area in the world or perhaps he could kill himself? More and more as time passed, more and more this idea became appealing. This time he knew how and given that Dominic left, it would practically break him, so why not die?

Dylan listened to her and just nodded softly, feeling like he was on the brink of an even larger meltdown, but she was helping him. He grabbed her hand after a moment, being gentle but he felt like she was some lifeline for him, like if he let go it would be the end, that he would let himself be taken over by the darkness in him, ”What if she never does though?” He asked softly, unable to look at anyone else in the room but her at this moment in time.

Dylan listened to her words and they were comforting, it was just the doubt that he would not forgive him, that he would be so hurt he would push him away like he predicted. Then again maybe he would forgive him, ”You really think so?” He felt like this was a cliché response, but he had a hard time processing that things could actually turn out alright in the end of everything, that they would have no issues. Then again, he was sure that they might end up having some issues, that he could not trust him to an extent now and he would take that over breaking up and prove that he could be.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

She could feel the sadness coming off Dylan in waves, which was something new that she would have to deal with. While her siblings had gone through troubles in their lives, she'd never had to council them through this level of sadness. This kind of sadness was something she'd only seen after she died and watched her family mourn from her new place in the heavens. Every now and then, she'd wonder what she could say to them to ease their sorrows if only they were allowed to meet. But they never could again, so she tried not to dwell on it too much. Instead, she focused her energies on the good she could do, in a way that was considered legal by the other angels and their code of conduct. And this, this melancholy young man who sat before her, was a chance to do some of the legal good that she so desperately wanted to do. January took a sip of her hot chocolate, and watched Dylan get lost in his own thoughts in front of her. For a moment, she struggled with what to say, because she didn't know the depths of what he was thinking. The best she could do, really, was let him know that she was there to listen.

Apparently, he was stewing over her previous advice, because he asked her about if his brother's girlfriend never came around and wanted to be a part of his life again. ”There's no telling what people will do, really. But I feel it's best to stay positive than dwell on 'what if's.' Loss is a painful thing for a person to deal with,” January said, feeling that this was completely true. She'd never experienced such a close loss, but she'd seen her family go through the mourning process after her death, and they all reacted differently. Her mother cried herself to sleep every night. Her father didn't sleep at all, and his work, his life became completely affected, and he almost became a shell of himself for a good two months. Her sister started rebelling: sneaking out in the middle of the night, smoking, and acting out in other ways against her family because she believed that if God could take her sister, then life wasn't fair. Andrew, her brother, had thrown himself into school, athletics, and work, and barely talked to anyone, but worked his body to exhaustion every night just so he could sleep. Recently, when she'd checked on them, she noticed that they were started to heal. They were starting to go back to how they were, even though a hole was missing from their lives. ”Everyone does heal, though. With time, I know she will, too, and perhaps then you can work on picking up where you left off. She'll need you, because she won't want to be alone.”

Then, he asked about his relationship, and January smiled softly, hoping that it would ease his pain and worries. ”I think love is powerful enough to conquer all trespasses. And, when he does forgive you, you'll have to earn his trust back. It''ll be a long road, but if you love him, you should be willing to put in the hard work.” January said, then pushed his hot chocolate closer to him. ”My mother always made me hot chocolate when I was sad, as a child. It helped. You wouldn't think it would help, but it does. For me, at least.” January nodded when his hand neared the cup, and she took another drink of her own. Dylan was still lost in his thoughts, and she tilted her head to the size, looking at him for a moment before speaking. ”Whatever's still on your mind, if you'd like, you can tell me. It's not good to hold negative emotions inside. My father used to say that sadness rots you from the inside out. And you seem like such a good person, Dylan.” It was true. He seemed to be inherently good, even though he was sad and troubled. But, January never turned someone away if she could help them. So she wouldn't turn her back here.

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan simply felt like he would be sick, that somehow all of this had pushed him to that point of being so deep in pain that he wanted to throw up. Why did things have to be this complicated? That question kept racking his brain along with, why did he have to be so stupid? He felt like he was already lost, even if she was right, even if that meant forgiveness would come. He had a feeling maybe forgiveness would come easily, but trust would not. How could he ruin this for Dominic? This was his first relationship; he was Dominic’s first love. He felt like a complete jerk for doing everything he had then and that tore him apart. Dylan had never felt so strongly about someone either. Sure there had been Aariana and Basil, but they had reached some superficial part of him and just touched his heart before they were separated. The feelings he had for Dominic ran so much deeper which was obvious through his emotions in this moment, emotions that on any other day he would want to keep hidden, but he could not anymore.

Dylan listened to every word, but not wondering what would happen and hypothesizing seemed an impossible task for him in this moment considering he was possibly on the verge of losing what he now believed to be the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He was scared more than he had ever been before, so how could he not jump to the ideas that seemed like a nightmare to him? He bit his lower lip, looking at the table, needing to calm down or at least try, so he reached for his hot chocolate, his hand shaking as he simply took the cup and sipped it. Maybe the small hot chocolate would help calm him through this. The little things in life helped, like the woman before her despite his crying, was still helping manage him get his thoughts on track, even if it was just a small feat. Dylan listened to her words, wondering if she was indeed right about this too, frightened that Dominique would never come back from this though. She was the last closest connection to him aside from his parents and he needed her more than ever, more than she thought he would.

Dylan and says, ”I am if he lets me back in.” He simply would do anything and everything Dominic wanted after, hoping with every fiber of his being that this would end up working out in the end. He nodded, managing to a small smile, ”It is helping me a little.” The words did not exactly sound like his normal self, like some changed person that was too enveloped by sadness. He nodded softly, ”Thank you. I appreciate it more than you know.”

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

January liked to think that she could give some pretty sound advice. However, nothing was foolproof, and she didn't want to give people advice that would end up making things worse. She tried to always be mindful of what she said, and supportive, so the person in need of advice would know that they aren't alone. Sometimes, whenever situations in life have someone feeling blue, the best medicine is just to let them know that someone's out there to listen. Even the ears of a stranger can soothe the hurt from time to time, and January was more than willing to be that listening ear, even for someone she didn't know, just because they needed it.

Dylan seemed a bit more collected, and January gave him a warm smile, hoping that she was doing some good. The hot chocolate was maybe helping, too. For some reason, when she was younger, that had been one of her mom's favorite methods to “cure sadness.” A cup of her favorite hot chocolate, some romantic comedies, or a TV show that she had loved as a child. And they'd always watch it together, and if things were really bad, she could curl into her mother's side, and her mother would braid her hair. January always had kept her hair longer because it was so soothing when people played with it. It was a strange little quirk, but people couldn't help what made them feel better, and she would never scoff on someone's coping methods or tricks to cheer themselves up. Everyone was different, and January felt that those differences were what made the world a better place. She'd always been a fan of diversity, especially growing up with a mother who was deaf and being taught sign language along with regular English. All three of the Goodwin children had learned the complete ASL alphabet and were fluent before the age of nine, and it was important, because even though their mother could read lips very well, it helped her and made her more comfortable to be able to sign back and forth with her children.

Now, January found the skill to be even more useful because it allowed her to communicate freely with her charge, Callum.

The angel felt that a change of subject was probably in order, since Dylan seemed to be feeling better . Besides, January was a little curious about this guy that had Dylan all tangled up in knots. ”So, tell me more about this guy of yours. I'm going to be completely optimistic and say that you'll work it out. True love conquers all, you know,” January said with a bright smile on her face. Sometimes, she knew that love didn't always work, but in her mind, that was only because it wasn't supposed to. She had seen the real thing with her parents, and knew that true love existed. Even though she'd never experienced what it felt like to be in love, she held out hope that one day, she'd find her own prince charming, and hoped that this guy Dylan found was the right one, since he seemed to care for him so much.

”Something random. Something like... how you two met! Or... what's his favorite color?” January asked, lacing her fingers on the table in front of them and hoping that he wouldn't completely shut down and want to stop talking. It was touch and go, the business of cheering people up and patching their mood back together, but sometimes, recalling happier moments made the mood lighter, even in the face of trouble. Besides, it wasn't like she was in any mood to go repeating what he told her: she was a stranger, but sometimes there was safety in telling a stranger your life's troubles and heartaches. ”You don't have to tell me, of course. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, Dylan.”

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan sipped on his hot chocolate as if it was some safety net and could actually comfort him. Then again, it was soothing him slightly. She was right about it actually helping, wondering why such a simple thing could be so effective. Then again with how she was simply listening and attempting to comforting him verbally, he was calming down even more as well. January was that much more important because Dominic had been the one person he always talked to after Owen. Now that he was having issues, ones that he did not quite want to tell Dominic about, he did not have anyone. January had helped him by listening and also helped reassure him that maybe everything would be alright in the end. Maybe Dominic and Dylan had something they could work with and this cheating instance was not the say all, end all to their relationship.

Dylan simply smiled and laughed lightly for a moment at her words through his tears and his sniffles, "He is so kind and he is protective. He is so strong, more than he really realizes I think. He's so good looking, just he has tattoos and such, just like he is some piece of art. It's not trashy, just simply beautiful. He sort of doubts himself though I think. He doesn't give himself as much credit as he deserves. He's been through a lot, but he's survived and that's what made him strongest." He simply felt happier simply by talking about him, it obvious that he adored the male. He cared for him and would probably do anything at this point for him, even fall dark for him or if he needed to he would leave, but that was not his choice this time.

"I will tell you how we met though," he said, smiling, figuring if she did not mind and it was helping him calm down, why not keep going? Then he continued to talk, "I was basically being attacked by someone and he found me randomly in the park and helped me with clothing and such. Then from there out we simply were good friends until one day we both admitted we wanted more, that we liked each other more than as friends." He smiled thinking about all the good memories they had together. "Thank you so much for letting me talk. It's helped," he said, blushing softly then, but smiled gently as well, feeling embarrassed yet a bit less distressed and emotional. He knew what he had to do and knew that at some point it would be alright.

[JANUARY ROSE GOODWIN]

Since the hot chocolate seemed to be helping, and January was finally getting Dylan to open up, she put on her best listening ears and just let his words wash over her. The guy he was upset over really did seem like someone special, and the angel could hear all the fondness in the world within Dylan's words. January was a firm believer that anything worth fighting for would work out in the end, because true love really could conquer everything.

Her parents never fought much when she was younger, but they did have their differences, and through even the worst of it, always managed to work things out because they loved each other. That was the kind of love that January hoped she'd find one day; the kind that lasted, even when there were dark skies ahead.

”I don't think tattoos are trashy,” January said honestly. None of her friends had ever been heavily tattooed, but Annabelle had a cute little tattoo of angel wings for her mother on her angel that January thought was beautifully sentimental and adorable. ”When done correctly, I can see how they'd make someone really striking, and in a good way. He sounds like a wonderful man, Dylan.” January smiled at him, and hoped that this kind of cathartic talk was making him feel better. Sometimes, she knew that getting everything out in the open to someone who was willing to listen was the best medicine, although chocolate never hurt, either.

Dylan decided to also tell her the story of how they met, and she leaned forward on her hands a little bit, ready to hear some sort of sweet, heartwarming story, but was saddened to hear that Dylan was attacked. At least the other man had been something of a knight in shining armor, which was something she could appreciate. ”That's horrible! Why would somebody attack you? Did the police catch them?” January asked, stunned.

”At least you know he's heroic, though. That's kind of... well, hot.” January said, giggling a little. Callum wasn't really the knight in shining armor type, but he was more precious to her than any action hero. Just thinking of him made her smile. She didn't really talk to anyone about Callum except Arya, because she knew she could trust the other woman with her secrets, just like Arya could talk to her freely about Sebastian. The more time she spent with her charge, the more January was starting to realize that she didn't just care for him the way most guardian angels cared for their charges. She spoke of Callum to Arya just like Dylan spoke to her about his guy. ”What's his name?”

[/justify]

[DYLAN JAMES COLLINS]

Dylan heard her comment about tattoos and smiled, “I’m actually thinking about getting some. He’s sort of inspired me, but he’s just an entire work of art. Tattoos are so beautiful.” He simply said as he thought about the male, simply listening to her next words, “He really is. I’ve never met someone so strong hearted or caring.” He simply sighed as his thumb brushed over the side of the warm cup, wishing there was an infinite amount of it in his cup in that moment. He had a feeling chocolate would become sort of his comfort up until he told Dominic. He hated sounding so pathetic though, even in his thoughts it was traumatizing him. He knew he needed to own up to his mistakes openly in front of Dominic.

Dylan simply heard her ask the question, afraid to explain and his eyes flashed with that and simply leaned in to whisper, “I need to tell you something, but please don’t freak out. I’m a werewolf.” He said quickly, wondering if she would think he was crazy, wondering if he should not have done something like that. “I’m sorry,” he said, being so rather full of apologies as he continued to talk to her, curious if it was too much for one conversation. Dylan laughed at the next words though, “He is…I mean was…It’s a very sexy trait.” He smiled as he looked at her, unable to hold back the blush that heated his cheeks just then. His name… “Dominic,” he said as he smiled, feeling that much better.

“Listen, you’ve helped me so much. I’d like to talk to you again, if you would want to too. So maybe we can hang out when I’m not such a mess,” he simply suggested, hoping she would like that idea.