DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT //

[ELLIOT DELILAH WILDE]

THERES A SHE WOLF IN THE CLOSET

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open up and set her free[/size][/center]

Elliot's apartment building was new, it was pretty and clean, it wasn't in a bad area of town, it was close to town, close to her little girls day care, near both of her jobs and not too far from university. It was almost perfect, the only trouble was the size of the place. Decorated with a plain boring cream paint, bland and boring through and through. All walls as you enter the tiny apartment decorated with pictures of the pretty little blond girl, her mommy and her baby bunny, with art work from day care. 2 box bedrooms hardly big enough for a single bed and a small bed side table, the kitchen basic and just about wide enough for one person to navigate their way around it. The living rooms description was much the same, a small television, a small 2 people sofa, and an end table. Oh and not forgetting cotton tail in his hutch in the corner. Yes, the apartment was tiny, barley big enough to live in but it was a roof and it was what they could afford.

The apartment was an embarrassment in Elliot's eyes, that was why she hated having anyone over and generally avoided inviting guests around. It was only desperate times that anyone came over, one desperate time being a well deserved girls night out that she hadn't even been given the option of declining the offer, dragged was a perfectly acceptable term for what had happened. She had left her darling daughter in the safe hands of her best friend, James and he had borough her daughters child hood bestie to keep her company.

That had been at nine pm, over six hours passed before she reached her front door, fumbling with her keys the clearly drunk 21 year old just about managed to let herself into her apartment. The door closed a little louder than planned and she turned, holding her finger to her lips "Shhh" she scolded the inanimate object. This led to a stumble backward and then tiny giggle at herself. She hadn't been out for so long never mind been this drunk, not that the shoes helped but they weren't completely to blame.

Despite the state she was in, her hair, her make up and her dress all looked as they had before. Her shoes were a little scuffed from stumbling a little but otherwise she looked impeccable as she held onto the wall and pulled her black platforms off her feet and placed them out of the way. With a sigh of relief she headed toward Issy's room and poked her head around the door to check she was OK. Not that she doubted it but it was just her motherly instinct to make sure. Once that was done her made her way, using the wall as support on the odd occasion, to the living room and tapped on the door with her finger tip before she slowly opened the door to where she knew James would be on the sofa "James?... James?" she whispered, holding in another immature giggle.

[JAMES LIAM SCHRAFT]

James had offered to watch Issy while Elliot went out for the first time in forever. He absolutely loved the little girl like she was his own daughter, he loved her mom just as much but he would never tell Elli that. That would, quite possibly, ruin a friendship that he had tried to make. So, that left him watching the little one and her friend. It had been quite the interesting night with two little girls wanting to play with James every waking minute until it was time for bed. Not that he minded playing with the little girls but after awhile of attempting to play with his non-existent hair, it got annoying. Issy put a clip on his ear because he didn't have any hair and yeah that hurt like a bitch, but she was little still. At least he didn't yell at her like some people would have, he had practically raised four boys so he knew what worked and what didn't.

By the time the little ones were ready for bed, James was ready for bed. Little ones could really wear out even the most in-shape person in the world and James was definitely no exclusion to that one. So, he settled himself on the couch to watch a movie while he waited for Elliot to get home. He had no idea how long she would be so he figured he would just stay over since she might get in really late. It wouldn't be the first time he stayed over nor the last, so he had brought a bag of his clothes with him forgetting that Elliot probably had already stolen a bunch of his clothes. Girls always stole guys clothes, no matter what, Elliot was no exception to that. It didn't take long for James to pass out cold on the couch, the TV playing on since he had opted to not watch a movie. James heard Elliot come in since she was drunk enough to not realize how loud she actually was.

The door slamming made him stir a bit but he went right back to sleep. Of course James didn't figure Elli would be coming in to wake him up, then again he didn't know just how thoroughly drunk she was. Waking up all the way this time, he opened his eyes to look at the very plastered Elliot and he let out a sleepy chuckle. "Looks like someone had some crazy fun," he shook his head gently and moved so she could lay down on the couch with him if she wanted to. God this girl was so awesome, even drunk off her ass she was amazing. "You should go to bed is what you should do." Knowing she was this bad he would definitely stay over to make sure she would be ok and to take care of Issy in the morning while Elliot slept off her hangover.

[ELLIOT DELILAH WILDE]

THERES A SHE WOLF IN THE CLOSET

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open up and set her free[/size][/center]

Elliot had already said before she left James and the kids that he was welcome to stay the night, especially since he had brought Mason round and he was obviously sleeping at this ungodly hour of the morning. Sure the sofa wasn't the most comfortable place but it saved him driving home late and then coming to pick Mason up in the morning. Besides, Elliot probably be in the mood to look after two excitable kids once the morning came around. To say she would be hungover was an understatement and a half.

Elliot laughed a little when he assumed she's had some crazy fun. "It wasn't that crazy... just a few too many shots me thinks" she spoked quietly and finished the sentence with a hiccup. She giggle a little at herself, she never usually got like this, it had just been that long since she let her hair down and she felt like she deserved it. All she ever did was look after her baby girl, work to keep a roof for her baby girl or work hard at college to get a degree so that she could do more for her baby girl so you couldn't really blame her for the state she was in.

"Naa I just wanna sit and talk for a bit... I'm not tired yet" she smiled to James before she rested her head on his shoulder without thinking or even caring about it. "Have they been good?" Elliot quizzed with a sigh, she didn't doubt that they had behaved, they were both good kids most of the time, Issy did as she was told and she was a little excitable but what kid wasn't? "You haven't spoiled her too much have you?" she laughed a little, he was great with Issy but he had a habit of letting her get away with murder and the little girl knew it and took advantage, she loved being looked after by uncle James, she got pretty much anything she wanted, and she got to hang out with Mason. It was a win win situation.

[JAMES LIAM SCHRAFT]

James wasn't a huge drinker, he used to be but since then he's preferred to stick to being primarily sober. Of course he had a drink every once in awhile to keep himself happy, but hell, he had made enough mistakes as a kid he didn't need to make more. Seeing Ellie like this brought back memories of his own drunken mess days but he didn't push her away. Instead, he actually pulled her to him so she actually sat down and he let his body relax some. "For you, that's pretty crazy considering you do nothing but work your ass off," he said with a soft sigh, letting his fingers softly rub her arm. My god she was gorgeous even when she was drunk. "You like never sleep."

As far as James knew she didn't, especially considering he got texts from her at all hours of the night. Actually, that meant they were both rarely sleeping since he tended to be awake when she sent those messages. "They were angels, especially at the water park. Issy was so happy, I let her go down the big slide all by herself," he smiled at the memory. That little girl was hysterical, and brave because Mason wouldn't even go down the slide by himself yet. Although he did go down the smaller slide by himself for the first time after some urging from James so he overcame a fear that he was happy about. "I was doing my best to not let her get away with anything, and I didn't so bite me. I know that was your next question." James laughed with a shake of his head, playing with Elliot's hair. It had a light smell of cigarettes and most definitely booze, something he expected since she had been out drinking.

"I'm just gonna stay here tonight, you're gonna be such an angel in the morning," he said, with a heavy tone of sarcasm at the end of it. Elliot would probably be a miniature beast in the morning because of her hangover so he was definitely going to stay. Little kids and hangovers never, ever mixed well. Mason was sound asleep on the floor in Issy's room despite James' urging the little boy to not sleep there but he did anyway. "Oh, and I gave Issy a bath. I know how her hair gets when it has chlorine in it so I figured I'd not cause her pain with brushing her hair in the morning and be a nice Uncle James." Damn, James knew so much about Issy it was really as if she were his kid. Multiple people had asked if she was his daughter while they were at the water park, most recognizing that Mason was his brother. Mason was the spitting image of his other brothers and James couldn't deny him, but it surprised him that people thought Issy was his daughter. Man, it would be nice to have a little one of his own. Turning back to Elliot, he looked down at her with a sigh.

[ELLIOT DELILAH WILDE]

THERES A SHE WOLF IN THE CLOSET

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open up and set her free[/size][/center]

Elliot had never really been the party girl, had become pregnant at 17 so she hadn't really had much chance so when she did get out she got a little wild, she was always so sensible, always had to be so careful, always had to do things exactly how they should have been so it was no wonder really. That was why she was in the state that she was that night, it wasn't even that she was a light weight, she could handle her booze to a point, she had just drank far too much for her own good. She laughed a little and nodded her head wobbly "Hardly, theres no time to sleep, I have far too much to do to sleep. Not that you can talk Mr. your always up too." She stuck her tongue out childishly at him and giggled to herself.

Elliot rolled her eyes at him, "I'm sure I won't be that bad" she had always been quite good when it came to hangovers, she was used to working through pain, she didn't have the option of being ill and a hangover was no different but she wasn't going to argue with James, She didn't want him to leave so why should she? As his arm went around her she snuggled up to him and pulled herself closer wrapping her arm around him. As she buried her face into his chest the smell was just so... amazing, just like the rest of him. How could she not love him? He was just so amazing.

Before she knew what she was doing, she reached up and pressed her lips to his and kissed him, and she didn't even question herself. She was drunk but that didn't mean she didn't want to kiss him, it just meant she wasn't thinking about the consequences, didn't think about what this could do to their friendship. If she had been in her right, sober mind, she wouldn't have thought twice, it would have been an urge she forced away like she always did. She wasn't prepared to mess things up between them by changing things. The idea of change scared her and so did the idea of letting him in that much. Everything about this was wrong but it felt so right that drunken Elliot didn't stop herself.

[JAMES LIAM SCHRAFT]

"I really do stay up late and I shouldn't. Especially when I have to be in work so early," he shook his head. James was always up to the latest hour possible, sometimes he didn't even sleep until he got home from work. Just like Haiden, he had a mild form of insomnia that rendered him sleepless half the time. So instead of attempting to sleep, he watched movies, played on the computer and played games to occupy himself for the long night hours. Elliot would text him at crazy hours of the night so he was usually up, but on rare occasion he was actually asleep he waited until morning to respond to her. James couldn't remember a time when he did actually sleep at night, other than when he was a baby or a little kid. When you are as young as he was and attempting to raise younger siblings you worried too much and rarely did something for yourself. Lucky enough Haiden had agreed to stay home so James could hang out with Issy and Mason.

Now, James was all for dating Elli but at the same time he wasn't. There was a constant fear of fucking their relationship up completely. Losing Elliot was not something James wanted nor could afford to do. So, he kept control of himself and made sure he wasn't plastered while around here just so he didn't do something stupid beyond repair. Of course, little did James know he was doing something stupid by just wrapping his arm around her but it was a simple gesture. He let her snuggle up to him and relaxed, hearing a noise from Issy's room but it got quiet again. This time, though, when he looked back at Elli they kissed. Something that James thought would never happen did, and he wasn't so sure what to feel about it. Elliot was drunk, he was sober. So that meant he was supposed to be the responsible one and stop her from doing anymore.

"Elli," he said gently, shaking his head. "Not how I exactly imagined us kissing for the first time." He laughed a bit in hopes she wouldn't get mad. "You're wasted, I think we just need to chill out and talk in the morning," he spoke softly, brushing his fingers through her hair but made no move to take her into bed. Ok, so even if it was wrong to do it he wasn't going to stop himself completely just yet. James had amazing self control when he wanted to. Instead of stopping himself again, he kissed her and just prayed he had enough sense to stop if anything else were to happen.

((blech bad post I'm sorry :( ))

[ELLIOT DELILAH WILDE]

THERES A SHE WOLF IN THE CLOSET

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open up and set her free[/size][/center]

Elliot nodded, she knew she was terrible when it came to sleeping she had a good excuse, ot so she though. Besides, when she didn't eventually get to sleep she never got very deep into it, if it wasn't Izzy waking her up because she had a nightmare or was scared of the boogie man under her bed then it was her own nightmares and memories waking her up. Her past was behind her and she didn't speak or it or even let herself think about it if she could help it but she couldn't control her subconcious and it wasn't a rare thing for her to wake up in a cold sweat reliving her past, usually it was her time in the horrific first and only foster home.

With Elliots dark past, it was no wonder she had such serious trust issues and it was no wonder she never let anyone in. James was the one who had got closest and even then she still held him at arms length, let him think he was in but never told him about her past nor how she felt about him, the only person who knew how she felt about him was Ava. It wasn't even that she wanted to keep him away, it was a wall she put up and could never bring herself to pull down, it hurt to much even thinking about the pain caused by being let down by people you let in so why would she want to feel that way ever again, it's better to have loved and lost than to not love at all, they clearly hadn't been in Elliots situation.

Even though Elliots feelings alone hadn't been able to pull down her protective walls, pared with alcohol it hadn't taken long or a lot of pushing. The hearts what it wants and with an intoxicated brain, it hadn't had that to get in its way. That was her probelm, always letting her head take over every decision without her heart getting a word in. She thought far too much, even when she was spontanuous she thought it over before she went with it, kind of detetes the purpose doesn't it.

Elliot felt a little rejected when he stopped and said she was wasted, that it wasn't a good idea. In her mind that had been him saying no and turning her down, not that the feeling lasted long, he was soon kissing her altering the feelings completely and letting a completely natural smile sink into her lips as she kiss him. When she finally pulled away she just rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat quietly for a moment before she spoke again. "Have you noticed how I never talk about my past?" she thought aloud running her fingers up and down his arm feeling completely safe and comdertable with him in that moment.