Static Shock (Dalton Rapattoni)

Damn Those Damsels In Distress

Selcouth
(adj.) unfamiliar, rare, strange, and yet marvelous.

Chapter Five.

They had been at the party for a long time. Kiera glanced at her phone only to see three hours had passed since they arrived. "Dalton?" She yawned and tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, "Can you take me home now?"

The bleached blonde turned, "Hmm?" A light sparked in his eyes, "Of course. Hey, Trent?" Dalton smiled at Kiera as Trent turned back around. "We're gonna head out now, it was nice seeing you again."

Trent flashed a toothy smile, "Of course, man. Thanks for coming!" He waved, "It was lovely meeting you, Kiera."

"The pleasure's all mine." Kiera replied softly as Dalton linked his arm through hers. "Gotta take this Princess home so she can get her beauty sleep." He said over his shoulder as he led her out the door.

"I'm no Princess." Kiera huffed, "I'm too badass."

"Who said there can't be a badass princess?" Dalton chuckled, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Well, no one. But typically the first thing someone thinks of when they hear the word 'Princess' is some dainty and delicate
lady. I'm neither of those." She retorted with a grin.

"I think Princess means someone who's worthy of respect and awe. They're someone that little girls should and will aspire to be like." Dalton said softly as he opened the car door for her.

The brown eyed Beau was left speechless. Her fingers pulled at a loose thread on her knee. "I never thought about it that way," she admitted softly as Dalton plopped down into the driver's seat. Kiera pulled her seat belt on as the car rumbled to life.

"Well, Princess, it's all about how you perceive things."

A comfortable silence fell over them for a few minutes. They each both had things they were thinking intently about. A warm hand slid over Kiera's bandaged hand; she glanced over and received a small smile. She managed to smile back as she desperately tried to ignore the butterflies that tore at her stomach like they were trying to escape a mosh pit of feelings.

"Hey, Dalton?"

Dalton hummed in response; not taking his eyes off the road like a good driver.

"Can you do me a favour and drop me off at a friend's?"

"Of course, just tell me how to get there."

***

It wasn't long before Dalton was pulling into the driveway of Leah's house. He made a few wrong turns along the way but all that mattered was that she made it there. All the lights were off except one, which Kiera knew was Leah sitting up waiting for her.

Kiera had started to get out before Dalton gently placed his hand on her shoulder, blue eyes seeming to sparkle despite the darkness of the car. She could the echo of her heart beat in her ears, "Y-yes?"

"Can I walk you to the door?"

"Oh... Normally I'd say sure, but Leah's parents are probably a sleep which means it's the window for me." Kiera played off the disappointment somewhat easily. She diverted her eyes to her hands which now rested, alone, in her lap.

"That's fine. I'll walk you to the window then."

Kiera sputtered, "What? Are you serious?" She looked at his smiling face and saw no evidence of a joke, "You're kidding, right?"

Dalton shook his head. "I'm not kidding at all. I won't though if you're so against it." He was the one to look away this time.

"No, I'm not- it's just. Well, what the hell. Why not? Come on." Kiera laughed softly as she opened her door.

Dalton ran out to her side, the chain connected to his wallet and jeans sounded loudly compared to the softer atmosphere. He grabbed her hand as they quietly made their way to the window. She couldn't help but wonder if this was some odd dream. Pleasant at the time, but when it was over it would leave her wanting more and heart broken over the reality of it all.

She stopped at Leah's window and turned to Dalton; a smile painted on her lips. Looking at Dalton, she wanted to walk with him to a million windows. "Thanks for inviting, Dalton. I had a great time with you and Trent. I still can't believe I met you guys." Kiera shuffled her feet but her smile remained.

"Thanks for coming with me. Sorry about Trent though, he's a huge flirt. I'm actually really happy we've met. You're not like anyone else I've met." He chuckled softly and wrapped her into a hug.

Kiera hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, "Good night, Dalton." She whispered as he released her.

"Good night." Dalton whispered back before leaning in and placing a kiss on her cheek. His breath ghosted her skin, leaving her with goosebumps on her arms.

"Bye, Princess." He waved before turning around and heading back towards his car.

Her fingertips brushed her cheek and she felt her face warm up. "Bye..." She whispered, almost dumbfounded. She attempted to recollect herself as she knocked softly on her friend's window. "Leah! Oh my God, let me in."

The window creaked a bit as it was lifted up. Kiera scrambled in quickly, almost taking the blinds down with her as she crashed onto the floor.

"Well, that's one way to make an entrance. I think you skipped the elegance part though."

Kiera looked up at the pretty face of Leah, "Oh shut up. Look, I got a lot to tell you."

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Sorry for the short chapter but I liked how it turned out. I've had such a bad writer's block and I rewrote this chapter like 7 times.

Anyhow, love you guys!

xoxo
~Desolation