| "Wanna get a cup before you bury yourself in homework? It's the least I could do for you, 'my knight in shining armour'" he teased. "Well when you put it like that.." she giggled. "Why not?" Taylor smiled happily and ran around to open her door. "Thank you, angelface." she said and hopped out. Taylor chuckled, "That's a new one." "What?" she asked, confused. "Day, you never use my NAME anymore. Unless you're pissed at me. How come?" he finally got up the nerve to ask, holding the door to the coffee shop open for her. She smiled at him and went through the door, found a table and smiled again as Taylor held her chair out for her. He sat across from her, so he could see her pretty face while he talked with her. Besides, he wanted to make sure she was telling the truth when she answered his question. "What question?" she asked, after he had placed their order. He rolled his eyes, "You're avoiding it, Day. I want to know." he said. "Know what? What am I avoiding?" she asked. "You never use my NAME, Day. Unless you're pissed off at me, that how I can tell.." he grinned. "Why? Why don't you use my name?" he asked again. "I give everybody nicknames, angel." she said. "You do not. Occasionally when Zac is being obnoxious you call him Zacman, but I have never ONCE heard you call any of my brothers, or my sisters by a nickname. WHY?" he pushed the issue, wondering why she was avoiding it. Dayna's heart pounded in her chest, he was really gonna make her tell him and she didn't know how. "Day, why?" he asked again. "Beacuse you're special. Different than your brothers, angel suits your personality, and the rest of them come from the fact that I am most comfortable with you, when I am in your home. Okay?" she said and looked at her hands. Taylor's heart leapt in his chest. "Really?" he asked. The girl brought their coffee out and set it on the table. Taylor scooted Dayna's closer to her. "Day? Oh man. I'm sorry Day. Now you're uncomfortable. I always wondered, I just really wanted to know." he told her placing his hand over hers. "That's okay, baby. I just never thought you'd ask. You always just answered me. I didn't think you minded." she said. "I don't. It's getting to where I dread hearing you say my name, you only use it when you're mad at me. I hate it when you're mad at me." The words were out before he could stop them and he wanted to kick himself. She looked at his hands on hers, and she began to shake. Suddenly she wanted him to lace his fingers through hers and not let go. "You're shaking Day. Are you okay?" Taylor asked her. |
| "Too much caffeine already, baby. I'm alright." she said extracting her hands from his, then slipping them under her thighs, sitting on them to keep from brushing his hair out of his eyes for him. "Kay." he said, feeling like a huge jerk for making her uncomfortable. "Hey, you never said what grade you got on that paper.." he changed the subject, wanting to make her smile and talk to him again. Her face lit up and she sat straighter, "You're lookin' at the only person this semester to squeeze an A out of the old geezer." she said. "That's awesome, Day. I still think you should try writing..you're good at it." he told her. "That's very sweet angelface, but I am NOT a writer, believe me." she rolled her eyes. "You could. If you decide to try, I'd like to read some." he said. "When pigs fly and I decide to write, you'll be the first to know both." she laughed. "Deal." he grinned. Dayna looked at her watch. "I'm sorry angel. I have to get my butt in gear. Got a side job to do and a mountain of reading.." she apologized. "I hate to see you have to work your ass off the way you do Day." he told her. "Why? You work just as hard, it's just different. A little hard work never killed anybody. Made 'em dog ass tired, but not dead." she laughed, and he laughed with her. He walked her to her car and held her door. "You'd be a great writer.." he said. "And thanks for trying to smooth thing over with my parents. My brothers would have hung me out to dry." he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "If your computer crashes, you can always hang out and use mine. See ya, Day." "Bye Angelface.." she said, her voice barely audible. She was trembling as she got into her car and headed for her next job. |
| Dayna spent the next couple of months buried in schoolwork and shuffling between her job at the Hanson's and a few other side jobs for a few extra bucks. Taylor noticed more than anyone else that she looked really tired lately. She was on her knees in the kitchen, washing down cabinets when he saw her stop and sigh, brushing a stray curl that had escaped her ponytail off her forehead with the back of her arm. He started to worry when she didn't move from her position and stared at nothing for a couple of minutes. "Hey.." he said as a warning, so as not to startle her, and strode all the way ito the kitchen. She rewarded him with her warmest, brightest smile, though her eyes still looked tired. "Hey angel.." "Day? You look tired, wanna take a break? I don't want to drink my coffee all by myself.." he grinned. "Sure baby. I could probably use a shot of caffeine." she told him. "Old bastard's tryin' to kill us...stayed up late reading, got another paper due soon." she said as she dried her hands and moved her things so that no one would trip over them. Taylor poured her a cup and brought it to the table for her. She flopped down into the chair he placed her cup in front of, and brushed the stray, blonde curl out of her eyes. "Better get a haircut, before I walk into a wall.." she grinned as he sat down across from her. "Don't cut it, Day.." he said. She snapped her head up to look at him, his tone was very serious. "Why not?" she asked. "Because. I like it..." he blushed and didn't finish his sentence. "I'll hold off a little longer then, sweetie. What's been going on with you? Don't see you hangin' around here much anymore.." she told him. She really missed him when she was here and he wasn't home. "Aww, we're just trying to get some new songs written, we want to get back in the studio.." he smiled. "You'll come up with some good stuff I'm sure angel, been listenin' to your last one while I do my homework." she said. "Really?" he asked surprised. "Yup! What do you think I am? Musically challenged? I like it." she told him. "Wow. Thanks Day.." "Just callin' it like I see it, or hear it in this case." she laughed. "Have you tried any writing?" he asked her. "No angel. I told you, I am NOT a writer." she patted his hand, then had to snatch hers away quickly. The feel of his skin under her touch set her on fire. "This semester's almost over right?" he asked. "Yup! Then I can catch up on sleep for a couple of weeks." she said. He smiled then, "I knew you were tired. But think about taking a writing class next semester, Day. Please? For me?" he batted his eyelashes at her and she had to laugh. "Don't gimme those puppy eyes, dollface." He grinned and clasped his fingers together, then rested his chin on them and batted his eyelashes at her again. |