so much for holiday spirit [dominic]

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

OUTFIT RIGHT HERE!

It was the holiday season and spirits were high, at least most of them were. Couples were falling in love or showing each other their love. They danced together and held each other, it was sweet to watch but also melancholy for those that didn't have someone to turn to. Aaliyah had spent most of the morning convincing herself to go the dance and had finally started getting ready. She had chosen a deep purple, floor length, strapless dress that was adorned with some crystals and sparkles. Everything else revolved around her dress including her make up, jewelry and shoes. It was times like these that being tall and slender came in handy because it made the dress sit on her frame perfectly. The dress was tight in the bodice and then flared out from the waist down to the floor. Liyah had decided to leave her hair down, most people put it up but she liked it down better. She had curled it all in big barrel curls and then called it good.

By the time she finished getting ready it was time for the dance and she could already hear people in the Great Hall. Taking a deep breath she entered the giant room and looked around at all the people already gathered there. The dancing had already started, the music loud and most of the people were crowding the dance floor. Few people sat at the tables at the moment, she figured that would change as the night wore on and people got tired. Liyah found herself a seat and watched the people around her. She could feel the stares from those around her but no one ever approached her. Despite all her efforts at school to fit in and hide what she was it didn't seem to work. She was a predator and the humans around her were prey, they knew it and so did she.

After about an hour a boy did approach her, she didn't know him but he seemed to knowing something about her. He asked her hand to dance and she accepted hesitantly. Once on the dance floor they only danced for a few moments before he leaned over and whispered to her, he wanted her to bite him. Looking at him with disgusted eyes she shook her head and pulled away from him. Weaving through the people she removed herself from the overcrowded hall and found a bench right outside the doors to sit on. With a sigh she rested her face in her hands and shook her head slightly. Why was it that everyone just wanted to either hate her or get bit by her. The only person that she really cared about was here with someone else. She had promised him that it didn't bother her but of course it did. She was jealous and lonely and tired of being treated like either an outcast or someone who could provide an adrenaline rush.

Sure it was tempting, all the juicy and warm humans around her, so helpless despite them thinking they weren't. She could easily feed on them, easily take them down, but she wouldn't. It wasn't in her personality to feed on a human no matter how willing they were, it may be her nature but she did her best to suppress it. I shouldn't have even come to this stupid thing she thought to herself. Really she had just come to try and have a good time but for her a good time wasn't an easy thing to come by. Now instead of having a fun and happy night she was sitting out in the hallway by herself. And though she would never admit it to herself she was thirsty as well.

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[dominic]

Payton was a lovely girl and Dominic did enjoy spending time with her. She was bright and humorous, her company always pleasant- but friendship was as far as things would go between them. Before Aaliyah had come into his life in this new capacity he had thought that maybe there could have been something between Payton and himself, but it turned out they were better suited for a platonic relationship. Someone else had captured his heart. He didn't regret coming to the Yule Ball with his friend but the subtle glances he had sent in Aaliyah's direction throughout the night only made him crave to be with her.

The night had been filled with laughter and dancing. As it were both he and his date were skilled in the art, though his was classical and hers centered mostly around ballet, they still were a hit on the dance floor. His gaze seemed to wander over to Aaliyah when she had finally excepted a dance offer from a suitor. Dominic had mixed feelings on the matter. On the one hand he was glad to see her participating in the night and on the other he was jealous that it wasn't him she was dancing with.

As Aaliyah took flight leaving her dance partner on the floor with a perplexed look etched into his features, Dominic excused himself, shot a stern look at the boy for whatever it was that he had done, and followed after Liyah, though got stuck in the crowd, his movements not as quick or elegant as hers. Spotting her outside alone on a bench, such sadness taking hold of her demeanor, he approached cautiously. "Aaliyah," His tone was tender not wanting to make things worse. Smoothing his traditional black tux out he took a seat next to her, his hand raising to rest on her back as comfort, hopefully. "What happened in there?"

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

It was only a matter of moments before the silence that was holding onto Aaliyah in the hallway was broken. The voice was soft, tender and familiar. It was a voice that was probably the only one she would accept being near her right now. It was the voice of Dominic. She had watched him throughout the night, subtly of course. He was having fun, smiling and laughing and dancing with Payton. But why shouldn't he? They were both great dancers and Payton seemed like a really nice girl. Liyah couldn't help but feel jealous that it wasn't her in his arms but that didn't make her hate the girl or Dom at all.

Liyah felt his hand on her back and lifted her face from her hands and looked over at him, her blue eyes a mix of sadness and displeasure. "He wanted me to bite him" she growled in a quiet tone. At that statement she frowned and furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. "People are either afraid of me or want me to feed on them, I just don't understand it. I am tired of this school, I don't want to be here anymore" she added, tears brimming over her eyes. She knew that she shouldn't have come to the dance, she should have just stayed in her dorm and let the night pass her by like any other night.

As she spoke and her emotions ran on high she could feel the burning in her throat, the yearning for blood. She had gone too long without feeding even on the animal blood that she was partial to. Looking into Dominic's eyes for a moment was too much, she had to look away. Maybe she should just leave school and go live on her own for a while, away from the prying eyes of everyone around her. Even Dominic wasn't safe around her, she was slowly losing her grips on reality, she was slowly letting it all slip away. It was just getting too hard to go through life the way she was. "You look nice" she muttered, not looking back towards him.

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[dominic]

He couldn't relate to her plight but he could understand where she was coming from. Being part vampire had been something that Aaliyah had been struggling with as long as he had known her, longer even he suspected. To have the pressure of her giving in to the thirst from her family was one thing but when the offer was flaunted in front of your face regularly, that temptation couldn't have been easy to deny. "Many are foolish and whether you are at school or out there in the world you'll encounter them all the same." Always the voice of reason, Dominic was.

Not just for her sake was he trying to persuade her to drop that kind of thinking. It was also because he very much would like to spend their seventh year at school together. "Besides if you leave whose to keep me company during seventh year?" His finger hooked under her chin tilting her head to look up to him just a little bit more. Flashing her a charming smile Dominic did hope to lighten the mood. It would be a shame if her night ended on a negative note and he was trying to prevent that.

Removing his hand to straighten out his already perfect red tie his smile tugged harder at the corners of his mouth. "I pale in comparison to you." Nothing but the truth escaped his lips. "You remind me of a cool summer breeze rippling the surface of a lake." As poetically sweet as the compliment had been Dominic felt it best to elaborate just what he meant by that. "When I first saw you tonight my heart felt like the lake, something so simple as the sight of you can cause pleasant tremors in my heart."

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

Dominic could always be counted on to put things into perspective. It didn't matter how bad things seemed, Dominic always had something to say about them, usually the things he said made her feel better but not always. "I should be used to it by now" she replied with a small sigh. She had grown up around it, it should just be second nature for her to live with it but it bothered her more than the others in her family. Maybe because they actually fed on people and some of her family actually killed their victims, people took them serious. Some people feared her but others wanted to feel what it was like to be bitten, to have their blood drained. It was a disturbing matter in general.

As his fingers hooked under her chin he made her face turn back up towards him, her eyes meeting his once more. "At least I have you" she said softly. He was the only person she felt like she could rely on, the only person she could turn to. But he was also the only person that tempted her like he did. Others tempted her of course but not to the extent that he did. He was right though, they could keep each other company. Liyah had few other friends besides him but that was mainly by choice, she chose to keep people at arms length in the hopes that she wouldn't get hurt or hurt them. Isolation was her most practiced lifestyle.

"Thank you" she smiled as he told her that she looked nice as well, of course in a much more romantic way. Always the gentleman and always the romantic, that was Dominic for you. It was those qualities that Liyah loved in him though, no matter how down she was feeling about herself he could always make the situation at least a little bit better. "Are you, well were you, enjoying yourself?" she asked, wondering how good of a time she was interrupting right now. She felt kind of bad that he had left his date to come out and talk to her. "I don't want to keep you from your date or anything, I should probably get going pretty soon anyway. I have been foolish and pushed myself to far" she admitted knowing that he would know that she was talking about feeding. As much as she wanted to stay here, especially with him, she didn't know if she should or could for that matter.

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[dominic]

Dominic had always had a way with people. He kept things realistic yet somehow also optimistic, which in the world that they lived wasn't the easiest thing to do. Perhaps it was because he didn't have anything in his life that he felt was worth fretting over, or that before his mother passing she had taught him how to appreciate everything that he had and to remember that when things got difficult. It was a mentality, that when the opportunity arose, he tried to grace others with the ideal. He was practical about everything that he did.

Aaliyah didn't have to worry about losing him. Dominic was loyal to those that he cared about and he didn't mean in the general common courtesy way that he was also prone too, but the non-fleeting type. No matter what happened between them Dominic would never stop caring about her and when he was needed, would be there for her. "That you do." Dominic agreed smiling at her warmly. He had a feeling the he had her too, but now wasn't the time or place to lay claim to such a thing.

"You're welcome." Compliments from him were never from seeking gratitude but an expression of how he felt at any given moment. Payton had been snagged away by another when he had left her company, the boy obviously wanting to try his hand at dancing with such a graceful beauty. He shook his head lightly. "She is being well occupied." Dom understood what Liyah was referring to and respected that. "Yes, of course, but might I have the pleasure of a dance first?"

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

He wanted to dance, she should have remembered. Last time they had met with each other they had discussed the dance and he had expressed his desire to dance with her at least once during the time of the ball. With a small nod Liyah held his gaze "Of course you may, I am sorry that I forgot" she replied softly. She truly had forgotten, watching him with Payton had drawn her attention away from what had been said previously. Plus then the boy had ruined the evening for her, at least part of the evening at least. It was hard to say no to the boy though, she was tempted to go back in there and do as he had asked, to feed from him.

She turned her focus back to Dominic, trying to push away the thoughts that were now creeping into her mind. The words that Viviana had spoken to her, those many weeks ago, still echoed in her mind. The blood that coursed through Dominic at this very moment was singing to her, drawing her in. It was almost hypnotic, hard to ignore. She caught herself as she felt her eyes drifting from his eyes down towards his neck. Before they could catch sight of his jugular vein she brought them back up quickly. With that she stood and grabbed Dominic's hand "Shall we?" she asked, determined to distract herself.

Liyah knew that if she could get him back into the Great Hall, surrounded by all those people, that she would have better control over herself. Looking at him with a mix of anxiety and desire she decided it would be best to warn him of her thoughts right now. "Sorry to be so hasty but I fear that if we stay out here too much longer, where there is no one else around, the night may not end the way it should" she stated. Dominic was a smart man which meant she could tell him things in ways that sometimes weren't that straightforward and he would grasp the concept.

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[dominic]

With the way that Aaliyah's night had been going he wasn't offended in any way. It had been quite some time since he had requested that she saved him a dance the night of the Yule Ball. Dominic had been looking forward to it, though held the anticipation at the back of his mind so that he could be courteous to his date. Those fleeting glances that he had stolen of the beautiful girl before him were small blessings at keeping his patience in tact. "Its alright. You've had a rough night. I only hope that I can make it better for you."

She had sprung up to the offer rather quickly and at first he wasn't sure why, but the next moment his mind made the connection. Aaliyah had insinuated her need to feed soon and as such she probably didn't want to dilly-dally or follow typical ceremony. Dominic couldn't help but to smile at the irony of her taking the lead. "But of course." His head bowed slightly allowing her to guide him back into the Great Hall.

Just his luck a waltz was being serenaded to the crowd and Dominic swept Aaliyah up into his arms in the appropriate posture, a hand on her waist, resting so lightly that one would barely notice it even there, and the other holding her hand. While he had humoured her leading him inside it was his turn to take the lead. The simple four step repetition turned in a box motion, Dom picked up the dance keeping her at the respectable distance for this particular dance though his body buzzed to hold her closer. "I can feel the room rife if envy. You outshine all the girls here."

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

Liyah couldn't help but smile when she was with Dominic. Even though the night had been rough so far it was like all her worries faded away the instant they stepped onto the dance floor. A waltz, that was familiar to her and easy enough. It was a simple dance and Dominic took the lead without hesitation. The only thing she wished was that this particular dance called for closeness of the partners. The waltz was a formal dance, and being formal it meant that she and Dominic stood at a respectable distance from each other. Her hand enclosed in his and her other hand resting on his side.

Liyah laughed a little at his last statement "It helps having a partner that puts all of the other men in this room to shame" she replied with a soft smile. Dominic was a great dancer, very graceful and smooth. It was easy for Liyah because of her being half vampire to be graceful, but he had a lot of grace for a human especially a human male. Liyah didn't have eyes for anyone else in this room, he was the only guy she saw now. Granted she hadn't taken notice to many guys even before Dominic had entered her life but now she really didn't.

"And yet every girl in this room is jealous that I am the one in your arms" she said softly to him. The dance changed from a waltz to just a slow song, a sweet and romantic type of song. Liyah took it all in stride and moved herself closer to him. Her head rested on his chest and she tilted it so she could look up at him "Maybe just one more dance" she smiled sweetly. Afterall, the waltz had already begun before they had entered the hall so technically they hadn't gotten a full dance together yet. Plus when she was here, with Dom, nothing ese mattered. She didn't even feel the room full of people around her, her thirst was barely noticeable, all she felt was his arms around her and all she heard was the soft thudding of his heart. They rarely got time together and she didn't want to ruin it now.

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[dominic]

Dominic wasn't entirely sure if grace was to thank in this instance. He had spent his youth in a very refined environment and learning to dance was just one of those things that had been expected of him. His grandmother had hired a dance instructor for him when he was about seven. While it might have been enough to leave it up to the woman, his grandmother liked to sit in the room doing her backseat instructing to make absolute sure that they were getting their monies worth. Dominic had been trained with the discipline of a professional and each time he put that learned skill to that, he felt, was what made him seem so graceful. "Compliments of Madame Belalucie, my dance teacher." A soft, yet deep, chuckle sounded from his lips.

As the song changed so did his positioning, his arms wrapping around Aaliyah's waist to pull her into him for a more intimate dance. If he was being honest he could care less about other girls in the room. Dominic was very charming and did have an appreciation for females like few other males could claim, but when it came down to it he was a one woman kind of guy. Dom didn't need to be a player or have girls fawning over him if he had that one special girl in his life and by fate he had found that early on in his life in the form of Miss Aaliyah D'eath. He counted himself very lucky.

"One more dance." Dominic agreed, his voice soft as to not disturb the moment of bliss that was encasing them. He thought it was likely that he could dance with her all night. This notion was considered even, though he remembered that he had a date and that Aaliyah was thirsty. Their previous conversation came to mind. She had said she wanted to resist the temptation, and Dominic had understood. He wasn't one of those boys that wanted her to bite him but he had told her, that if it would help, he would allow her to. It was strange, holding that nugget of potential in the back of his mind. Looking down at her a smile touched his lips. "I wish I could have spent the night with you."

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

The closeness that came with the slow dance was amazing. "I could spend every night like this" she sighed softly against him. Liyah would be perfectly content to just spend her days and nights with him, but it was going to be a while before that was going to happen. Liyah and Dom had a complicated relationship to put things nicely. There was a mutual feeling for each other but they were both waiting for one thing or another before taking things to the next level, before making things official. It pushed Liyah's self control the limit when she was with Dom in any sort of intimate situation.

They had kissed once, on dare, and things had spiraled on from there. That one kiss had ignited everything. It had brought to the surface all of the feelings that Liyah hadn't even realized she had for Dominic. Now he was the only guy she even took the time for anymore, the only guy she ever thought about. Liyah could see herself spending the rest of her life with him because he was gentleman, he cared about her and he was the only one she truly trusted in her life. It was true though that being with him was hard because unlike any other guy before he tempted her like crazy. Even now, with all these distractions the temptation was still there, just slightly hidden away.

"Somehow you have managed to turn my entire night around, how could I regret coming here when I got to end the night with you" she replied softly. She tilted her face up a little, his scent filled her nostrils. Despite knowing better, despite it being against everything that she knew she was supposed to do, she leaned up and let her lips brush softly against his neck. His neck was somewhere she tried to avoid and not think about because it tended to result in bad thoughts. But tonight the music and the feeling of being close, the closeness of those around her, caused her to throw caution to the wind. She had been reserved around Dominic enough, it was Christmas and people were supposed to be happy.

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[dominic]

A tender smile found its way onto. His lips at Aaliyah's words. It was nice to know that he had such a positive effect on her. Wasn't that how things were supposed to be between two people that loved and cared for one another? Dominic believed so. It did seem silly that they were putting off something that they both wanted. He sensed, or at least hoped that he did, that Aaliyah wanted to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her. If that was the case why should they put off something solely because he had yet to get permission. It was more of a formality, a sign of respect than it was a deciding factor. Whatever answer that Dominic got, the end result would be the same; he would be with her.

Holding her gaze for a moment Dom sighed at his internal struggle. It was easy to be respectable when temptation to be otherwise wasn't tearing away at you. Dominic was known for always doing the right thing as well as encouraging others to do so as well. He waa bit of a Jimney Cricket for those with wayward individuals, and even sometimes with the most practical of sorts. Everyone, including himself, slipped on occasion. It was simply human nature. His temptation had never been stronger than it was when he was around Aaliyah.

Dominic stiffened one moment only to relax the next, the split second of tension only occurring because of all tin, with her reluctance, he hadn't expected her lips, those soft luscious lips, to place themselves against his neck. A night gone from ruined to mended all from a dance. To some it might have seemed silly, but feeling the way that he did, Dominic completely understood how it could have come to pass. He figured that it was similar to the effect one might have from hearing a funny joke after a bad day or getting a hug from someone that you cherished when you were feeling blue. "Is there anything else that I can do for you?" This he asked carefully not wanting to upset her, quite the opposite actually. The only thing Dominic wanted was her happiness, at whatever cost.

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

Liyah felt his body stiffen for a moment and then relax. In that moment she realized that he was just as worried that she might slip up and bite him as she was. It caused a pang of guilt to course through her. She didn't want him to tense up when she moved towards him, but at the same time she completely understood why he did. She removed her lips from his next, not wanting to cause the situation to escalate too much. Then Dominic was speaking to her, his voice was soft, careful, like he was trying not to say anything that might trigger a bad reaction from her.

She couldn't blame him for this either, she had a tendency to lose it over stupid little things. At times she was overly sensitive and lately even more so due to how stressed she was feeling. She wanted to answer the question truthfully, she wanted to say yes! Yes because she wanted him to kiss her again, because she wanted to be with him and because half of her wanted to taste him. Viviana made it sound like it wasn't a bad thing if your partner was willing, but the difference here was that Dominic wasn't really willing. He was willing to do it to try and make her happy but Liyah wasn't blind, she knew he wasn't keen on the idea.

As much as she tried to keep herself from human blood, his was the hardest to resist. Finally she answered him softly "I don't want to ruin things for us" the words came out slowly, carefully, almost like his had. What she meant by the statement was many things. She didn't want to ruin it by going to far or by biting him, it could work for either option. "I'm sorry, I just, got caught up in the moment" she added stumbling over her words a little bit. It was rare for her to feel nervous with Dominic but as mentioned earlier, it was a tense time for her right now. The biggest thing she hoped was that she hadn't crossed the line too much. Her and Dominic had a very reserved relationship with clear boundaries, boundaries she was intent on pushing as much as she could but maybe not for the best sometimes.

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[dominic]

Being in the moment was completely nature, just as his tensing had been nature. That didn't, however, mean that it didn't have great effects always. For example, his tensing had caused her to take a step back from the situation and perhaps misunderstand his meaning behind it. He wasn't tensing because she was a vampire he was tensing because she was a beautiful girl that he cared about. He wasn't sure if Aaliyah understood that though, especially considering she had moved back from him. It wasn't what he wanted and he certainly didn't want her feeling as though she was ruining anything.

Dominic didn't like the nervousness in her voice. "You never have to be sorry with me. I accept you." This had already been something that he thought he had made clear to her but it seemed that Aaliyah needed reminding. Her self-esteem would be boosted by him whenever Liyah may need it, but deep down he wished that if she couldn't accept herself yet, she could at least accept that he did. Dominic was a patient young man though and he was willing to let things happen it their own time.

Bringing her closer to him, as though that were even possible in the first place, his hand moved up her back slowly. "I know that I said we should wait until it was given blessing, but I'm not sure that I can anymore." Maybe if they were offically together he would have better chance of helping her through her problems. "Perhaps I'm being too bold- I can't help how I feel though." He always had been one to express the honest truth that he was feeling at any given time.

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

Liyah felt like she needed to explain to him what she had meant by the statement, but it wasn't something that was really that easy to just outright say. It was no secret that she had a low self esteem and self confidence level and Dominic was always trying to boost that for her. "I know you accept me Dom" she said softly, with a small smile. "It is just, well, it is getting harder to resist you. Both my vampire side and my human side are slowly losing control, I can feel it slipping through my grasp" she admitted. She didn't want to admit that she was struggling with her control but it was the truth, it was why she had apologized. Despite years of practice and forcing herself to control any and all urges she was slowly starting to lose it all.

Liyah felt his hand on her back and then she was right up against him again, this time he was the one to break that boundary. Usually Liyah was the one that ended up crossing the line, Dom always being the one to follow their strict rules. It was interesting to know that he was struggling just as much as she was, he always seemed so controlled that sometimes she wondered if it was hard for him at all. "I'm far too bold most of the time, I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that was struggling with this. I can't just keep being with you from afar" she sighed looking up at him. "We should be together" she added moving her arms so that they wrapped around the back of his neck.

Being with Dom was the only thing that Liyah wanted. She had just been waiting for the time to be right, or for the permission to be achieved, there was always something in the way it seemed. As much as she tried to lie to herself she knew that she wanted Dominic in every way that she could have him, including his blood. Maybe she was finally understanding all the hype behind human blood, but not just any human blood, she only wanted his. She would wait though, they had already talked about it once and even though the temptation was almost too much to bare right now she didn't want to bring it up again so soon.

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[dominic]

Temptation was something that just Aaliyah had to deal with. Contrary to popular belief it wasn't a unique circumstance, in some form or another everyone was tempted. In her case she wasn't only tempted as a female, but also as a vampire. She did have double the struggle, but she also had him there to assist her, whether it be in succumbing to it or resisting. It came with accepting her- it meant that he needed to accept her choices as well. Dominic had already told her that he was willing to do whatever she needed to in order to get through her struggles. "Its natural." He assured her.

"Sometimes we do slip in life. That doesn't mean that you are losing your grasp." The last thing he wanted was for Aaliyah to be plagued with guilt over something that was noting more than human nature. As much as she might have viewed herself as a monster that wasn't true and reminding her that she was human, whether fully or not. His composure was always that of a gentleman, not the modern day knock off that many believed to be but in the most archaic form. His granparents had raised him around the ancient traditions of English chivalry, and for all his sixteen years he had followed it to the letter.

Him mentioning they go against the proper code of courtship was a big step for him, but Dom really hated putting it off any longer than he had. "I promise to do everything according to courtship, but officially we'll be together prematurely...back peddle." Dominic offered. If Aaliyah knew anything about the old ways she would know that it was all very romantic. Peotry notes and flowers sent to her, other gifts of affection, the blessing from her father- it was the way Dominic thought things were supposed to be, that the care taken in wooing his interest was what the girl deserved. Smiling at her he spun her out only to bring Aaliyah back in his arms to hold her tight.

[AALIYAH RAYNE D'EATH]

Liyah nodded when he told her that it was natural, all of these things that she was feeling. It was likely that this only freaked her out because she had never experienced it before. Liyah had never let someone in, she had always kept her walls up for anyone that ever tried. For Dom she had dropped these walls and he was closer to her than anyone, including her family. She didn't hide things from him and he knew her in the raw exactly how she was. Losing those walls made her feel less in control because she had given herself to Dom which gave him an immense power over her that she wasn't used to anyone having but herself. She knew Dom wouldn't ever hurt her on purpose, but it was still a strange feeling to know that she had let someone in.

"You are probably right. This is all just still so new and strange to me. I never thought I would find someone that would be able to get over or through my walls" she admitted with a small laugh. Granted she had sort of let Dominic in, but he had also proven to her that she should and that letting him in wasn't going to be a bad idea. He was a true gentleman, he cared about her and that was why she had allowed him to be so close to her mentally and emotionally. "It isn't easy to find someone that you can just be yourself around, in the raw" she replied with a small smile. That was the truth for sure.

"I can agree to that" she smiled, liking their new little arrangement. Really she didn't know what to expect from a courtship as she had never been courted. Not many people still practiced the art of courtship, but it was in the movies so she knew what it was at least. It was pretty much every girl's dream to be courted. Guys just weren't like they were in the olden days anymore. Guys just dated a girl and took her for granted, whereas guys like Dominic really cared about doing what was right. Liyah wasn't sure what her part in the courtship was supposed to be though, was she supposed to do things for him in return? She would have to figure that out. She felt herself spin away from him through his guiding and then come back against him. "You know, I bet you broke a lot of hearts tonight. If anyone had doubts about us before they probably don't have it anymore. A lot of girls were banking on me messing things up or scaring you away" she laughed catching some of the envious looks that were getting shot at them.

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[dominic]

Dominic rarely said things that could be considered farce. To hear that he was probably right tended to be a common occurrence for him and yet he ever remained humble. There were times when his grandfather had told him that he should take more credit for his sage-ness but Dom just didn't see how it was all that worth while. It wasn't as though he offered advice and opinions for himself, to get praise for it, but rather, genuinely, to help that person he was talking to at the time. Smiling at Aaliyah he was glad the was beginning to see the enlightenment he offered her. It seemed to be a pattern. He believed that she didn't need persuading really, the notions were already there inside of her, but that she just needed someone to remind her and tell her that she was right.

"I'm glad you did let me in." It couldn't have been easy for her. There was a commonality about wearing one's heart on their sleeve, it made them more prone to being hurt, which was why, he believed, the majority of people didn't. "Affairs of the heart are risky. One must trust the person who they give such a cherished possession to and that you have given that honour to me, I'm in awe of you." If the question of whether she had been granted the same courtesy was now fresh in her mind, Dominic wanted to clear that up. "You've had my heart for quite some time now."

When it came to the other girls around school, Dominic didn't disregard them. He did feel bad that some would possibly be heartbroken over his single status being revoked, but he couldn't please everyone. "The only heart I'm motivated to please is yours. I just hope that I can give it everything that it deserves." Pretty words strung together meant little, it was the action that counted and Dominic had every intention of doing everything that he could to do right by her.