Dexter Harrison

hailie-tyler :

Shut up. [ Still, she very much smiled into the kiss ] Just like I always wanted… Which is entirely embarrassing so tell no one. You look beautiful too but we better get out of here before my dad decides to make an appearance.

[ 100% jumped the fence between their gardens and pops up beside them, draping his arms around their shoulders ] Hey guys! Did you see that limo out there? Did you arrange this, Dex? Very smooth. Oh, wait. Is your dad not coming to take pics? He always gets my best angles. [ some ott pouting ]

@dexter-harrison

You keep calling me beautiful and I’m going to start noticeably blushing. [ legit jumps as Jason appears ] Uh... hey, Jason? [ looking at Hailie like ‘did you know he was coming?’ ] Yeah, that was me. Are you... ready to go, or are we waiting on your date too?

Well it is if you haven’t DTR’d! Not exactly? What does that… Oh. Oh my goodness. You didn’t! I mean, that’s big. That’s such a big, huge deal! And you didn’t even DTR? Dexter. You have to define your relationship with anyone who you [ she stage whispered- ] sleep with. Look at the size of this town, it’s not as if you’re never going to see them again. Plus, assuming this wasn’t some “one night stand” thing… Then yes, absolutely! She should be your girlfriend. Don’t you want her to be? Don’t you just, I don’t know, feel it?

Why? Why is it precarious? I- Okay, listen. It wasn’t exactly a DTR moment, Faye. We’ve never even been on a date before, it was just- I mean it wasn’t just... I-... There was no opportunity to even think! She-... No, of course not. At least... that’s not what I want. I want-... She should be my girlfriend. I want her to be my girlfriend.

Oooooh… You and Hailie. Uh uh, no way. You must say it.

Spill this tea, honey.

You’re literally killing me.

I knew it! I- You’re getting very close there, Dex. You might not want to have rumours flying around town when you’re in such a precarious spot with the redhe- … With Hailie. [ gasps! rather audibly ] Wait a minute, I know what you’re saying, yes. Ohmygosh. You DTR’d! She’s your girlfriend!

It’s precarious? [ slight panicked look ] I- Well, I mean, no. Not exactly. I- We-... [ coughs and whispers ] We slept together. You know... in the non-sleeping way? We haven’t-... We’re not-... Should we be?

Pinky promises even, they’re way stronger and as of today…claw free. Not that I’m putting much stock in that but just so you know, you’re safe. For now. [ Of course she’s trying and failing not to smile, her fingertips brushing his stupid face ] Mhm? Yes. Yeah, tonight would be perfect. Dinner even better.

Unfortunate. [ coughs awkwardly like who tf said that? ] Don’t think you could ever make me feel not safe, Hailie. [ perhaps brushing some hair from her face ] Okay. Right. I’ll get it organised. I- I’ll get a table and... I’ll let you know a time. Dinner. Definitely a better option than most things. We should all... eat more dinner.

Talk shmalk, Hero Hair. You oughta give this ass the time and attention it deserves before it’s too late. … Ugh, god. Take a breath already. What do you want? Let it out. Don’t be shy, Kitten.

Hero hair? [ a brief look of confusion, but it passed quickly ] Okay, you’re acting more extra than usual, but I’m going to choose to ignore it because I just-... Me and Hailie, we-... please don’t make me say it.

Ooh. There you are, Dexter. A little too much actually, did something happen…? Ah, no I didn’t make them personally, don’t worry. [ raises her eyebrows pointedly ] Well? Don’t tell me! It has something to do with the redhead?

Great. [ taking a bite of the cupcake ] Um... well-... [ laughs nervously ] Yeah, it has something to do with Hailie. I-... [ lowers his voice and leans in close ] We had-... We-... I-... You know?

Dexter! You need to help me find Ian. Please, please tell me you have some sort of magic to locate him. All of this… isn’t the way I wanted it. And it’s all my fault.

I-... No. I don’t have any magic; none of us do. Hey, slow down. Just-... Somehow we’re all human again so just... deep breaths, okay? You’re human, Meghan. Human.

[ Admittedly the more he talked- babbled- the less she started to like him. Okay so not really but still. How was he still not getting it? They’d been going back and forth and back forth… She’d wanted to kiss him ever since that stupid party and then she had at another stupid party but then what? Hailie, as shocking as it might have been, was perfectly capable of flirting. Actually she was pretty good at it or so she thought but judging by his current reaction, she’d picked the most oblivious boy in town. Smart but so, so stupid. A small breath passed her lips as she suppressed an old urge to roll her eyes. Be patient. She let silence hang in the air between them when he finished stumbling out the last of his words before smiling. God, he was really going to make her say it… Thinking that almost made her want to run and it took more than she knew she had in her to stay. With her hand resting on his chest, she finally spoke. ]

No studying, no talking. If you need me to write that down and colour coordinate it, I can. As much as I might not have strictly needed every single tutoring sesh, you did teach me a lot. I—

Can’t believe you’re going to make me say this. I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this to be honest with you. I think hell might be freezing over as we speak but um… I like you. You’re pretty much a mess right now but in your defence, it’s not like I sent a detailed pre-warning text. Anyway, I- Am not going to spell this out for you, Dexter. You’re a smart boy, you can figure it out… But, if you want, I think we should cement our ‘no talking’ rule immediately and get back to making out.

[ Dexter was stunned into silence to be quite honest. How could this possibly be happening? Of course he had thought about her as more than just someone he tutored-- as more than a friend-- but he really had missed all of the signs that she was feeling things for him too. And he had always thought of himself as an observant person. Guess not. He just stood there looking at her with a stupid smile plastering itself on to his face with every word she said. Did she just admit that she was only getting him to tutor her so that she could spend time with him? Was that what that meant? Hailie Tyler was a literal angel and she... liked him? What was he supposed to do with that information beyond spontaneously combusting right where he stood? How did he get this lucky? Dexter’s life wasn’t awful, of course, but having Hailie look at him like that? Hearing her say those words? Could his life ever get better? He wanted to hear her say it again; half just to hear it again, and half for confirmation. When he spoke again he couldn’t hide his goofy grin. ]

You like me?

You’re gonna have to wait 5-10 working days, at least. [ tilts her head ] But I’m sure I could soften the blow of the overall heartache you must be feeling.

I’m sure I can deal with the wait if you’re making promises like that. [ I mean he’s so close, he’s definitely just booping her nose with his ] So, uh-... [ clears his throat as he tries to keep it together ] Can I take you out for dinner later? Tonight?

What’re you doing? More importantly, why isn’t it me? Involving me, I mean.

Uh... I- Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly-... I’m just texting Ian, so... yeah.

Yeah, see, the whole not campaigning for prom queen is kind of part of my whole strategy. On account of the whole not wanting to be nominated for prom queen. Thanks for the interest.

Are you seriously not campaigning? Blair, it’s prom. Do you get what that means? The people have spoken. You have to at least try.

It’s not that big of a deal, I have smiled before in my lifetime. Just because there’s not a giant bowl of cheese fries in front of me to claim responsibility doesn’t mean you should alert the media.

[ swooping in as if from nowhere, but totally not in a scary way ] You owe me a new bed.

[ Hailie had almost forgotten what this was like. Just… Not thinking. To want to kiss someone so bad you didn’t hesitate or stumble and even when you couldn’t hardly breathe, you didn’t stop kissing them. This was the part she could enjoy, the part that didn’t scare her. When he smiled against her lips though she felt herself relax. Giddy elation made her want to laugh but she smiled back instead while her nose bumped his in time with the door closing. Hailie had spent so long building up a wall around herself so no one could ever hurt her again that she’d almost forgotten how good it felt to just do something. Just jump. Say yes. His hands were still in her hair when she pulled back just enough to catch her breath. She really liked him. ]

No studying.

[ He might be dying right now, he might actually be dying. Okay, so they had kissed that one time at Isabel and Quinn’s birthday party, but there had been alcohol and Kanye and it definitely didn’t feel like this. And they, of course, had all those study sessions, but that was all they did. They studied and Dexter tried to be respectful, and not stare at her for too long, and form coherent sentences. How was he supposed to know that it had been leading to this? Was Hailie Tyler really into him? In what world did that even make sense? He felt her pull away and he immediately removed his hands from her hair. Perhaps it was just a little one time thing? A one time thing that had happened twice? That was okay though. Maybe she was having a bad day and just needed a little pick-me-up? He should go get his textbook. ]

I- No. No? No on the- on the studying? Yeah, okay. I can- I can get- Or we can-... What do you want? Not in a- in a ‘what are you doing here?’ kind of way, just... What do you want to do? Here? With me?

[ Was this impulsive? Totally. But still, how many study sessions that she didn’t actually need had she sat through now with this boy? And still nothing? Then, of course, he’d asked her to Faye’s birthday party too but that had been… Well, not good. Then things had been a little messy, a little emotional but now they were better. Faye was alive. Plus she was partly blaming this on being a werewolf thing because that was the only logical explanation for why she was knocking on his door under the false pretense of studying. Hashtag study and chill. ]

Hey, Dexter.

@dexter-harrison

[ Honestly, Dexter had no idea what to expect when he opened the front door, but this hadn’t crossed his mind. Well... as a concept, this had definitely crossed his mind- multiple times, in many different ways- but for Hailie to actually be there kissing him? Pressing up against him? Literally making every brain cell explode? Jesus Fucking Christ. But somehow there he was, managing to kiss her back and was his back against the wall? Dexter smiled against her lips as he moved his hands up into her hair, taking the opportunity to subtly use magic to close the door behind her. ]

H- Hey. Hi.

Yeah, no. You can take this shit back immediately. Do I look like I’m interested in your prom campaign? Or… Whatever the fuck you’re doing. I’m not.

Honestly, can you believe these assholes?

Oh... Wow. I should probably start my own campaign. Not here though, not at you. I promise I’ll keep any baked goods away from you. Unless you’d want some? Not in a ‘vote for me’ way, just a... ‘here’s a cake’ way.