dinahperlman-sb

[dinahperlman-sb]

seanvaughnwilliams​:

Status: OPEN FOR ALL

Location: Backyard of Sean’s House; 6:00PM

Sean loved the outdoors. Nature was something he found calming over the years when nothing else would help. He isn’t a green thumb but he does have an knack for planting herbs, flowers, and other greenly things. It was around six o’clock when Sean finished setting up the bonfire.

“I sure do hope you like s’mores.” He said to the other as he tended to the fire pit. He then laid out a bag of Graham crackers, Hershey chocolate, and a bag of marshmallows. “Bon appétit.” He exclaimed, clearly impressed by his own work.

the weather slowly began to turn into dinah’s favorite, and the woman sure would spend as much time outside as she possibly could, before summer’s heat became unbearable, at least. sean’s place was beautiful, and dinah kinda sighed as she took it all in: the nice weather, the nice greenery surrounding her, the pleasant smell of the fire pit. “oh man, you’re spoiling me. i love s’mores.” she responded with a wide smile. “this looks real nice, you know. you’re making me question my living situation... i would kill for a backyard like this.”

Status: OPEN FOR ALL

Location: Backyard of Sean’s House; 6:00PM

Sean loved the outdoors. Nature was something he found calming over the years when nothing else would help. He isn’t a green thumb but he does have an knack for planting herbs, flowers, and other greenly things. It was around six o’clock when Sean finished setting up the bonfire.

“I sure do hope you like s’mores.” He said to the other as he tended to the fire pit. He then laid out a bag of Graham crackers, Hershey chocolate, and a bag of marshmallows. “Bon appétit.” He exclaimed, clearly impressed by his own work.

[dinahperlman-sb]

soulcfaman​:

      The clock on his bedside table marked 2:45 a.m on Friday when his phone started ringing, making the blond frown with worry. The kids were supposed to get to him the next week and he had been too much of a wreck and a nervous ball to even attempt to sleep, so he had been catching up on some paperwork he had brought home after deciding to take a few weeks off from work to make the transition for the kids a lot less harrowing when Dinah’s name shined bright on his phone, startling him.  The agent and his ex girlfriend hadn’t speak much since the festival, if anything a couple texts here and there (including the one where he had told her about his plan of fostering the kids) and then, radio-silence. Alas, how nerve-wracking it had been to receive a text from her in the middle of the night, palms sweating as he unlocked the gadget and began reading the text. 

      A soft sigh escaped the agent’s lips once he had finished reading the message from a visibly intoxicated Dinah, asking for help and sending her location. Alexander knew he could try to go on and on to himself as of why from all the people in her life she had called him, and yet all he could manage to do was check the place she had sent him and decisively grabbed a few essentials and exited his home without a second thought, jumping to his car and shooting Dinah a reply. 

[text]: I’ll be right there, alright? Twenty minutes tops. I’ll take you home soon :)

      As promised, twenty minutes later (and a silent prayer there was no transit making him late), the agent found himself parking a block away from the venue Dinah had told him she was at. As he walked closer to the bar, an unsettling pit on his stomach forming as he reached the venue, suddenly faced with the sight of Dinah standing outside, chest tightening every so slightly. With one final sigh, the agent approached the brunette, taking off the sweatshirt he had been wearing all night and placing it on her shoulders once he was by her side. “Hi, how are we feeling?” Alex inquired, worried blue eyes glued to her face as he looked for any indication of anything abnormal, one hand coming up to meet her face, fingertips caressing her cheek gently. “Are you ready to go? Is there anything you need to do here before we leave?” // @dinahperlman​

.

for the last few years, dinah had attempted to channel all her negative emotions — which easily outnumbered the positive ones — into physical movement. for a long time she had practiced an array of self-defense techniques, only to stop once she realized she never did it for peace of mind, but out of pure frustration turned into anger. dancing was different, though. going out during the evenings and dancing her life away made her feel both young and free — she had spent her twenties worried about so many things. but it appeared that even that which you loved could betray you — which she knew — as that evening, the woman felt sick after having a couple of drinks. she never pegged her usual club’s patrons to be creeps, but out of pure caution and fear, dinah decided to cut her night early. only that, when she made the decision, it was past 2 am — last she had checked it was sometime near one in the morning. panicked, she contacted alex and asked him for help. him, of all people, after the awkwardness and the silence (mostly on her end) and the news of his upcoming foster parenthood. alright, maybe the reason why she turned to her ex-fiancé was because she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since the park, even less so after he’d dropped the news on her.

the way her mind couldn’t quite focus on one thing was also worrying — the drink, the weather, the time, the past, the present, the future... but his response to her call for help made her feel a bit better, and although she didn’t text him back after that, she kept her phone close to her as it that would get her any closer to the man.

“you actually came,” she thought out loud — and kinda blushed immediately after, as dinah knew she wasn’t meant to say that. “oh, um. thank you.” her voice was unusually soft and her cadence slower, but she held onto his sweatshirt, clumsily slipping an arm into the sleeve and letting the warmth it held from being on his skin cover her, since after all, her outfit was a bit revealing. “tired, thirsty. a bit dizzy. i don’t know if i overdid it or if something else happened, but i don’t really wanna think about it. i just...” she shrugged lightly, trailing off into space for a second. she actually looked up at him and smiled. “no, no. i’m ready.” she paused for a second there, and furrowed her brow. the petite woman patted her side and slid her hand into her purse, and after feeling for the contents, she looked back up at alex, a sheepish child-like smile on her face. “yep, ready.” with that announced, she held on to his arm like she did when they were younger. out of habit, maybe, but she had always done it, whenever they walked together at school, on the streets, anywhere. “thank you for picking me up... it’s so late. what would i do without you, huh?”

[dinahperlman-sb]

six years. six years since her sister and best friend had died, eight since she had last seen her. dinah had lied to herself for all that time, telling herself she did not regret her choices, telling herself she didn’t wish she’d done anything different. the universe gave her almost an entire decade to figure out her life, and after miserably failing at keeping a normal, balanced life... it decided to give the poor woman a hand. the sign had been alexander in that elevator, his reaction to her, and just how warm it had made her feel to be in his life again. and ever since that faithful encounter, all dinah could think about was natalie. natalie, and more specifically, her daughter — she had walked past aristóteles’ restaurant many times, while working on a case in the bronx, but never walked in. until she did. perhaps a bit too late, but as a direct result of her overthinking the decision for most of the afternoon. she came up with an excuse for the waitress, talking about how she wanted to speak with the owner about an event she’d be hosting and the catering options... although a lie, it was most likely the only way that she would be able to speak to the man.

her heart skipped a beat when she actually saw him, but she waved at him. he looked so much older than she remembered — which was obvious, but... he seemed weathered. life really had just been really unkind to everyone even remotely involved with the perlmans, hadn’t it? “hey ari, long time no see. this place is really nice... i’m sure nat would love it.” | @aripineda

[dinahperlman-sb]

thevillageaurora​:

Going out and drinking was always a gamble for Aurora. She always felt more comfortable while in her own apartment, curled up with a book, watching a show on Netflix, or knitting something new for her daughter. But, she had been trying her best to push herself to be a bit more social. I mean, she was in New York City. There were so many opportunities to have fun and engage with people from all walks of life. The blonde found herself at one of the local bars she was in the middle of her second round of the night. Chatting it up with an older man, things were going alright. It wasn’t until she could feel a hand snaking behind to grip on her waist and pull her closer. Nope, nope. Why were men like this? She turned her head to the closest person near her and flashed a smile of pure desperation.

“Oh my gosh, Hi! I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight,” she responded to them. She could only hope and pray that the other individual could see that this was a cry for help. Get me out of this situation with this creep.

.

it was always nice to leave the apartment every once in a while — even if for dinah, that every once in a while meant literally every weekend, sometimes a week night, depending on how work had gone or if her friends’ hectic schedules happened to match her own. knowing full well she had to drive home and wake up early for court the next morning, dinah did not do much drinking that evening. she was actually on her way out, had just closed out her tab and waited for the server to give her the receipt, when she made eye contact with the young girl next to her, the look of distress evident. dinah went into protection mode right away. the tone she spoke in was just confirmation.

“oh wow, hey girl!” dinah responded excitedly, firmly yet subtly pulling the younger women away from the obviously older man’s grasp and into a casual hug, using her long mane to mask her intentions. “do you need a ride?” she asked quietly, so only the girl could hear. “you should’ve texted me, we’re having a little gathering over there... you know, you’re totally welcome to join if you want.” her tone was louder now, excited, as she grinned back, completely ignoring the man. 

[dinahperlman-sb]

Morgan: I'm almost ready for a night of Netflix and chill.

Morgan: Only one question remains.

Morgan: Pizza or sushi?

Dinah: Sushi! Please!

Dinah: You totally read my mind. I've been thinking of sushi all day.

Dinah: What are we watching?

[dinahperlman-sb]

as the song faded into yet another beat, dinah stopped to catch her breath and grab her friend’s hand, pulling her out of the dance floor. “come on, let’s get a drink, on me!” she half-yelled, hoping morgan could hear her over the speakers. at the bar, dinah quickly got the tender’s attention, and asked them to put whatever her friend wanted on her tab, after asking for just water for herself — it had been a while since they had gone out just the two of them, and dinah felt so full of energy she needed quite the amount of hydration to keep herself going. she brushed her long hair off to the side and wiggled her shoulders at the woman with a smile on her face. “i love this song, i love this place.” she grinned now, continuing to dance a little where she stood. “i’m so happy you came out tonight — i haven’t had this much fun in what feels like a decade.” | @thatmorgangirl

[dinahperlman-sb]

soulcfaman​:

      There’s a chuckle that filled the air upon hearing the brunette’s description of his dog as he started to feel way lighter than he had in years. He could easily blame the few drinks he had before meeting his ex fiancé, yet he knew he couldn’t lie to himself and the real reason resided somewhere or with someone else. “A real life Teddy bear, if you don’t mind waking up to 30 lbs on your chest every morning” the agent jested, a smitten smile directed to his phone. The blond, in fact, didn’t mind no matter how much he liked to joke about it. In a sense, it was almost comforting. It had always surprised him how well Dinah could understand him, even early in their relationship. The blue-eyed had grown accustomed to unspoken conversations, the type of intimacy and understanding that only came when two people truly knew eachother. One could’ve expected things to be different, based on the time they had spent apart from eachother; yet the comment on the name of his dog was a quick realization that it really hadn’t. Alexander chuckled in disbelief, his neck turning a shade of red “Yeah— the one in the gemini constellation. I’m hoping one day I’ll get Castor” a pause, “You know, no one who has met him got that reference that quickly… you are really something else” he chuckled again. Then, the blond hummed “That’ll be the end of me. Are you kidding me? You two teaming up against me is something I cannot handle” Alex quipped, lips curling up slightly. “Nothing would make me happier than have you two meet.” 

      Saying he wasn’t slightly tipsy would be a blatant lie. He felt like he was back in Hermosa Beach all over again, age seventeen and gathering enough courage to talk to the pretty girl he wanted to get to know. At the time, he had used his friends as a distractor to keep himself from going insane about talking to her, Whiskey had been his weapon of choice almost twenty years later; he couldn’t hide that fact. Saying it was just the alcohol running in his veins talking however, made his stomach churn, if anything for the thought of Dinah possibly believing he was nothing but honest about his statement. Years later, she was the one person he couldn’t quite get his eyes off no matter how hard he tried. Yet, unsure f that statement would help his case or only make it worse, he simply shrugged in response to her query. “I’m sober enough,  can recite a poem by Cummings as evidence” he commented with a serious tone that immediately broke when he grinned. Regardless, he recited one of his favorite quotes, dramatically so “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.“

      Any lighthearted joke or easy feeling, however, quickly vanished as he sense the woman resting her head on his shoulder cry, a lump forming on the back of his throat he almost felt dumb for having in the first place. Years of introspection, battles with himself and therapy had helped him realize how shitty of a partner he had been, especially during those last days. The agent had handled badly his fear of hurting and losing the one person he loved the most and had, in return hurt and lost her and that was something he still couldn’t quite forgive himself for. Seeing Dinah, all these years later although equally painful and fulfilling— was eye-opening in many ways. For one, how much he had missed her, or how much lighter he felt when she was around, the only light he had known for a period in his life to how wrong he had been all along. How, even though he thought so highly of her from the day they had met, he hadn’t given he enough credit to handle what he had gone through all those years ago, even though deep down he knew she would’ve handle it much wiser than he and probably the vast majority of the people involved had. Another realization hit him like a ton of bricks, taking the air out of his lungs: the woman crying next to him he knew the very basics of. He knew he past of course but she was a whole new person he had yet to meet and even so— he loved her; there was a big chance he always would, judging by the way his body had reacted just by seeing her back in the elevator and how it was reacting to seeing her cry in a bench in the middle of a festival. “I’m so sorry” he whispered again as he tried to gulp down the lump on his throat to no avail, only making it harder for himself and as her tender hand came in contact with his cheek, so unexpectedly, the blue-eyed inhaled shakily as he leaned into her hand. Alexander could feel his own eyes getting watery, so he closed them as he continued whispering his “I’m sorry” repeatedly. There were many reasons to be sorry, the most recent one ruining the moment for Dinah and making her cry. The agent reached over, wiping away some of her tears, blue eyes completely focused on her as if the world around them didn’t exist. He chewed his lower lip, the proximity between the two of them making the agent’s lips tremble and, he leaned in, kissing the brunette’s forehead gently, a good distraction from the thought roaming around his head. “As much as I enjoy the idea of you seeing my home, meeting Pollux and spending more time with you and trust me, I really enjoy those concepts” he breathed out as he faced her again, taking her delicate hand on his and planting a small kiss in it “I don’t want you to come because you have to. I promise you I’m conscious enough to get there in one piece and even make dinner and walk Pol” he vowed solely, chewing his inner cheek. “If you want to join me, I’d genuinely be happy to have you in my home to hear about you and anything you want to say to me, but you really don’t have to. I don’t want to impose, Din.”

.

“i don’t think i’d mind,” dinah breathed out, almost in a dream-like state. the idea of waking up next to alex’s dog... hell, next to alexander himself. that had been the goal — that had been the whole point of her moving to new york, the reason her life went the way it did. the thought was bitter, and the woman’s cheeks flushed red as she realized she had actually said that out loud. hopefully the agent wouldn’t pay much attention, and hopefully she hadn’t crossed any lines. she still wasn’t aware of where he stood now in his life, where he had gone, and who’d gone with him. for a brief second, dinah wondered who’d taken her place, but the pang in her chest stopped the though as quickly as it’d appeared. “another dog?” she asked, “castor. that is adorable. i love that idea, i can’t wait to see the pictures.” she gave him a quick grin, which changed into a somewhat abashed expression. “ i know you pretty well, still, it seems. i don’t know if it’s silly, but that makes me feel kinda proud. or maybe you just haven’t changed.” she took a moment to listen to his words, letting the smile on her face widen, although the tears in her eyes welled up. “aha, there it is. you haven’t changed, then — you’re still very sweet. i’d love to meet him and plot your downfall with him,” she joked.

dinah would be lying if she didn’t at least suspect his warmth towards her to be a product of the alcohol he’d consumed that day — as one of the last, most prominent memories she had of him was the cold shoulder he would give her while they shared a bed; the short, sometimes curt conversations they’d have towards the end of their engagement... to this day, dinah wasn’t able to tell what had gone wrong, what she had done — part of her wondered if there was someone else involved, but she never had the heart to ask, because she truly believed that she understood alex’s heart well enough to know he would never do that to her, or well, to anyone. hearing the man recite the quote got a slight chuckle from her, which then made her realize she had been frowning that entire time. it made sense, as she still fought back her sobs, but... it was odd. so many emotions, so many thoughts... she barely had any time to catch any. “alright, alright; i’ll believe you. beautifully recited, too.” although the tears rolled, she playfully bumped his shoulder with hers. after all, dinah had always been good at hiding her feelings.

‘i’m sorry.’ dinah heard the words in her head, even after he spoke them, and the urge to kiss him returned, a little stronger this time. but he did — a kiss that felt more intimate than any of those shared during passionate encounters, just his warm lips on her cold forehead sending a chill down her entire body, making her want to squeeze his arm and just... never let go. dinah would do anything just to have that moment last forever. instead, she refused to let go of his face, she let him stay there, resting on her palm, and she took the moment to look at him. how he obviously hurt, how he was looking at her. how much older he looked than when she had seen him last — how tougher, yet softer. her heart ached to soothe him just like it always did all those years ago... and how it always would, apparently. “what happened to you?” she asked him under her breath, just low enough for him to hear, before finally letting go of him. his concern for her brought memories that she had fought hard to forget — almost ridiculous how she had tried to convince herself that the alexander that stopped loving her had been the same alexander she had loved so much. “you really are sweet. you haven’t changed a bit. i’d like to come with you... just to make sure you do make it there in one piece, safe and sound. and... to be honest with you, because i’d like to make this little moment last as long as possible.” she smiled shyly at the agent. “it’s... weird. you’re here... you’re really here. i don’t think i want to let go of you just yet.” a sorrowful sigh left the small woman. “shall we?”

[dinahperlman-sb]

noraajune​:

Nora finally looked up as the brunette took the seat opposite her, noticing that she seemed a little frazzled. “No problem, I’m happy to help.” She stopped her doodling and set her pen down on the table, picking up her drink and taking a slow and careful sip - god, she loved coffee. “I hate it when people drag their feet like that - getting things done at the very last minute is so frustrating, not to mention super inconsiderate.” She had little experience of this in her day to day life, but thinking back to her college days when she had to work with other students, there was always one who didn’t pull their weight. 

“I’m guessing whatever it is is pretty important? Not that I’m trying to pry or anything.” Nora took another sip of her coffee, offering a small smile. “Next time you have to do something for whoever sent you it, you should make them wait.” She laughed softly.

the girl’s kindness made dinah’s shoulders relax, it helped her ground herself and remember she wasn’t being scrutinized... at least not right in that moment. as long as she did her part, her job would be done. in response, the woman gave her a smile, and attempted to multitask the sending of the e-mail and giving some attention to her new acquaintance, who had seemed to take an interest in her. “right? worst part is i can’t tell if they’re doing it now because they forgot, because they’re just slow as hell, or just to spite me,” she chuckled as she shook her head at the thought. she wouldn’t put it past some people in the office. “are you working, too?” she asked.

“kinda, yeah. important enough to have been ready yesterday, but you know... it is what it is, i suppose.” she sighed as she watched the box letting her know the e-mail was sent disappear, taking a lot of her nervousness with it. “now you’re talking, i definitely will. it’s crazy to think they might just do it again if i don’t do anything... god, people really don’t ever grow up, do they?” dinah raised her eyebrows, before chuckling. “i’m sorry about the whole rant. thank you for letting me invade your space.”

[dinahperlman-sb]

annaxdolo​:

Anna let out a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully. “Thank you.” She said. “I am new to city. It’s…strange.” Her lack of English made it difficult for her to really phrase how she felt, but ‘strange’ was definitely still a good word. She had been to a lot of cities in her time, but none of them held the same claustrophobic, tense, uncomfortable atmosphere. Maybe it was because of the circumstances that lead to her being here.

.

“of course, no problem.” the woman quickly responded as she turned towards the direction of the museum. it was almost a little funny to her, how such a big city felt so small after living in it for so long — hell, she felt like she could probably navigate it better than she would her actual hometown, or the city she grew up in. “it is strange alright,” dinah agreed with a smile. “you moved here? here’s an official welcome to the city, then. it’s not as scary when you get to know it,” she assured the woman, as if the city was a new friend.

[dinahperlman-sb]

soulcfaman​:

      Pollux’s insertion on the subject makes the blond grin almost immediately, pulling his phone quickly and showing the brunette an instagram post of the two of them proudly. “His name is Pollux, he’s a little over a year now and a force to be reckoned, you’d love him” he hears himself say. He knows that statement is real, Dinah would adore the puppy and he would adore her back— somehow the idea of them interacting making his chest tighten, angry at himself enough to let the glitter afterthought pass by. The feeling however quickly subsides as the brunette compliments his shirt, his neck turning red upon receiving her compliment. It’s his favorite shirt and having her from all people say she likes it, the agent couldn’t help but cement his kinship on the piece of velvety fabric. “It’ll survive” he reassures the brunette as blue eyes look for a couple of rich brown ones. “You look beautiful, always have and always will” and there’s no trace of doubt in his words, it’s simply Alex stating a fact he has always been sure of. All those years later and Dinah is still the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

      A silence was Alexander’s initial response as he listened to Dinah’s train of thought coming from somewhere on his shoulder, frozen to his seat as his blue eyes looked straight ahead; wondering if the entire ordeal was a type of joke he wasn’t understanding in the first place. Was it an elaborate ploy, to have the only woman he had ever loved, the person he had hurt all those years ago by being a spineless idiot telling him now, the second time they had seen each-other since the breakup, that she missed him? But alas, the blue-eyed decided as Dinah’s hair caressed involuntarily his neck, that whatever it was; a dream, a joke, an apparition created by his drunk and overestimated brain— he would indulge himself. Reason why trembling hands reached out for Dinah’s, taking the closest one and slowly, giving Dinah time to recoil if she needed, intertwined their fingers together. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed the brunette to know and yet he understood speaking about it would ruin the moment for Dinah and the least he could do was give her what she had asked of him. Instead, he turned his face lightly to plant a kiss on the crown of her head, tender and ever so longing. “I miss you every day of my life” he whispered onto her hair. It was perhaps the truest statement Alexander had made on his lifetime; hard as he tried, there wasn’t a day where she didn’t cross his mind. It didn’t fix the broken hearts, it didn’t make any wrong right, but saying it out loud somehow eased the tension on his shoulders he had been carrying along since the breakup. 

      The last thing the blond wanted was to say something wrong that would ruin the moment for her, that would drive her away. As painful as it was hearing Dinah talk about the mess their breakup had created, knowing he had been responsible of hurting the person who had loved him despite his biggest flaws and worst of times, Alexander was aware there was no other place in the world he would rather be. It was fucked up, undoubtedly, the way he could feel his heart flutter on his chest with every string of hope it could grab a hold onto but alas— he couldn’t bring himself to fully stop. His thumb caressed soothing lines on Dinah’s pulsepoint, eyes closed as his head remained rested on top of hers idly for a couple seconds wondering if his ex fiancé could hear the thump of his heart through the music being played nearby; if she could and it gave him away, then so be it. “I really don’t want to fuck things up for you, that is really not my intentions here and I really hope you know that” a pause as the agent contemplated how much easier it was talking to her when he wasn’t really looking at her, at least when it came to this individual situation ���But I do, I do think of you daily. And I miss you every goddamn day” Alexander had to bite down his lower lip to stop himself from talking even more as he looked back at the brunette who, to this day, still held his heart. “There’s so much I’ve planned on telling you, you know? I have— speeches and written letters and drunk voice recordings of all the stuff I’ve wanted to tell you throughout the years and I thought I never would… and now I have you here and I am blanking” a dry chuckle escapes him. He knows he is in the verge of ruining the entire thing, of having her run away from good but the next words that leave his lips spill out intentionally “But only two really matter. I’m sorry.”

.

the moment dinah’s eyes fell on the fluffy creature on alexander’s screen, a smile appeared on her face. it took her another second to fully process how the wide smile on the man’s face made her heart skip a beat, and another second to wonder whether or not she needed to know who aubrey was — eventually deciding that she didn’t need to, even if she wanted to. she didn’t need to know, she simply wanted to know if the knot in her stomach was called for, but she knew that in every situation where the question was posed, the answer was no. she had no right nor place to feel jealous over alexander, never did. thankfully, her little processing hiccup could’ve been attributed to her admiring the agent’s dog, as her smile hadn’t really changed. “he’s adorable, he looks so soft.” she finally commented, and then his words actually hit. that sense of dread kind of vanished when she realized he had implied he’d want her to meet his dog... something he wouldn’t do if he had a girlfriend, right? “pollux, huh? like the star. still a nerd, i see.” she teased, offering him a wider smile. “i’d love to meet him someday, yeah.”

his compliment caught her completely off guard, though. she had to control her urge to laugh — it wasn’t funny, of course not, but she wanted to laugh at herself so bad. so many years being suspicious of men, so many years keeping people at arms’ length, the amount of times the woman had announced she had lost faith in humanity and romance, only to be slapped in the face with an urge to kiss the man sitting next to her, still so beautiful when drunk; still as beautiful as he’d always been, the kind of beauty that transcended physical appearance. some things never change, it looked like. but she didn’t, instead she just squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, inhaling deeply. “oh alex, how drunk are you, really?” it wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the compliment, it would probably live in her head for the next few days, but he had left her without a good answer. he just rendered her speechless, all her argumentative skills thrown out the window. and while her question was an attempt to sound nonchalant, the tears building in her eyes gave the poor woman away.

her eyes were shut when he grabbed her hand, and while she was yet again caught by surprise, she didn’t pull back, although she did flinch. this wasn’t going at all how she had expected it to go — never in a million years would she had expected to be touching knees with alexander, resting her head on his shoulder, holding his hand. she had thought this encounter would be something short, yet now she would do anything for it to last forever. he spoke to her, and it all felt so unreal. yes, they were young when it all happened, but it did make her wonder... where would they be now if they had never separated? the thought, mixed in with her emotional turmoil and the words alex spoke were the straw that broke the camel’s back — by then, dinah couldn’t stop the tears that rolled down her face. she mouthed the word stop, but the sound never came out. she wanted to believe that this was just his intoxication speaking, but she knew he was being honest — his irregular heartbeat spoke louder than his words could. “oh god, alex,” she half-sobbed, half-laughed — a coping mechanism of hers. after avoiding his eyes for what felt like ages, the brunette met his gaze and found the love of her life, a decade younger, and she was... happy. she felt light, like she did when everything was good with her life. “oh, alexander. alexander, alexander, alexander.” her voice was soft as she repeated his name, a little lower each time she did. “you can’t just say things like that to me, you know.” she raised an eyebrow at him, and though she was smiling, her eyes were still pooled with tears. the sigh that left her felt like it brought some life back into the woman. “it’s okay,” she mumbled, returning the honesty he had given her, and carefully cupped his cheek with her free hand. “it’s okay, you... you silly man.” instead of kissing him, she gently caressed his face with her thumb. “should we get you home? i can come with you, if you need to make sure you get there in one piece.” dinah tried so hard to sound all put-together, but her voice cracked at least twice as she spoke, and the tears just kept on rolling down.

[dinahperlman-sb]

it wasn’t that her lifestyle was hectic, it was probably just as busy as an average new yorker’s, but dinah’s mind liked to trick her into constant stress and doubt; dropping classes and picking new ones up, which landed her in a new gym where she was surrounded by strangers — the anonymity gave her this odd sense of safety... which was ejected out into space the moment she spotted a familiar face, the face of one of the pillars of her life when she was younger... a pillar that was left to ruin after so many years of distance. it was almost a little funny, how she seemed to run into alex and then yaz, almost back to back. part of her wanted to believe it was a sign from nat, reminding her she didn’t have to be alone. “yazmina? oh wow, it’s been a minute... you train here?” she asked, no real friendliness in her voice, but pure shock and confusion instead. | @yazsanchez​

[dinahperlman-sb]

𝙏𝙀𝙓𝙏 ➟ 𝘿𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙃

Alex: Oh, have a nice lunch. What are you having?

Alex: I uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.

Alex: Not... a bad thing I guess. And I'm not even sure why

Alex: But after the other day, I just had to.

Dinah: Thank you! Nothing too exciting, going to this little hole in the wall place by the office.

Dinah: To be completely honest with you, I don't know why you'd want to either, but I don't mind.

Dinah: I like hearing from you. And I'm here to help, if you need any help.

[dinahperlman-sb]

𝙏𝙀𝙓𝙏 ➟ 𝘿𝙄𝙉𝘼𝙃

Alex: Hey.

Alex: How is your day going? Am I interrupting anything?

Dinah: Hey. It's going alright, stepping out for my lunch break as I type, actually

Dinah: So, no, not interrupting. What's up?

[dinahperlman-sb]

annaxdolo​:

Anna furrowed her brow at the subway map, face almost contorting into a scowl as she tried to make sense of the lines and words. She had been spending the time since her arrival in New York getting a better grasp of English, but she was still as lost as the day she first arrived.

She probably should’ve paid more attention when her husband first tried to teach her all those years ago.

“Um, excuse me?” She tentatively caught the attention of a passerby. “Could you help me? This,” she gestured to the vexing poster, “it makes no sense to me. I am trying to get to MET, you know it?”

.

the blooming cherry blossoms and all of the trees coming back to life in central park really helped dinah calm herself down, as she had found herself to be more on edge than usual. days like those, she wished she had a dog she could walk, or someone to talk to, just so she didn’t seem so out of place in the city she called home.

the woman’s voice caught her attention, it wasn’t rare to hear a strong foreign accent in the city — yet it was always surprising, in a nice way. “the met? oh. yeah, of course — it is a bit odd to navigate, as it is in the park... are you visiting? i wouldn’t mind walking you there, if you want.”

[dinahperlman-sb]

soulcfaman​:

      It was almost laughable how painfully easy it was to talk to Dinah, how easy it was to let go of all his anxiety and self doubt and be himself in front of one of the two people in his life who genuinely knew him. Years had passed since the last time he and Dinah had held a decent conversation, since the last time he had allowed himself to consciously think of the woman he had once chose to spend the rest of his life with; a lot had changed since. And yet— the familiarity of it all was comically painful, the easiness of his own smile over the tiniest details was catastrophically terrifying, the feeling on the pit of his stomach upon seeing her smile an honest, warm smile directed to him from all people, torturously enchanting. “Oh, I expect it to be. I can imagine it’s gonna be a fun time at work on Monday, being at home is gonna be a pain in the ass” he chuckled before pausing for a second to revaluate his own words before cleaning his throat. “My dog, he sleeps with me and it’s gonna be a task on its own to make sure he doesn’t eat it all” he concluded. There was no reason behind his explanation, yet he only stared ahead, rolling his eyes comically at the nickname used. “You do know I’m a year older than you, right, kid?” his lips curled up involuntarily, his smile going from teasing and playful to astonished and sincere as Dinah sat down, a gesture that almost felt like a white flag which caused a disquieting feeling on the pit of his stomach, a feeling he knew quite well and he had promised himself he wouldn’t allow himself to feel: hope. 

      Her next set of words (thankfully) distracted the agent, making him look down at his clothes to try and smell himself as a small chuckle escaped him. A part of him wondered if it was truly teasing, if her easiness meant she wasn’t the nervous wreck he had been all day from the moment her name popped on his screen, if it mattered at all. “To be fair, half of that is because someone made me spill half of my drink on my shirt earlier today” he recalled, gingerly as he realized, even after all the years and time apart, Dinah’s opinion meant more than anyone else’s; not that he’d be saying so out loud, yet a part of him hoped she knew. As Dinah began to talk, Alexander’s full attention focused on her, her mannerisms and gestures, on the words and the meaning behind them, the meddlesome feeling on the pit of his stomach growing every so slightly. Had Dinah been thinking of their meeting all day long, just as much as he had been? 

      ‘I left feeling like you saved my life, once again’ pierced his ears, making him blink rapidly in place, a lump forming in his throat immediately. He hadn’t even considered it that way, even after leaving and spending endless sleepless nights thinking about it; coming always to a final conclusion: there wasn’t anything Alexander wouldn’t do to make sure Dinah was safe. “You don’t have to thank me, Dinah” he began, looking at the brunette for a brief second. “I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. I appreciate this” he pointed at the space between them before redirecting his gaze to his lap, unsure. “But you really have nothing to thank me for. It was a no brainer, it wll always be a no brainer” the blue-eyed chewed his inner cheek. “Not like I’d ever want you to go through anything that stressful again I just—” Alex scoffed at his sudden inability to express himself; unable to find the right words for the brunette sitting next to him. “Your well being means a lot to me. I didn’t do it because I felt like I had to, I couldn’t think of anything other than making sure you were out of the elevator safe and sound” he shrugged lightly, looking straight ahead again “You being here, that’s all I care about.”

.

talking to alex so casually in the middle of the park felt almost like a fever dream. if there weren’t a multitude of people around them and if the music weren’t as loud as it was, dinah would’ve asked the man to pinch her. years. it had been years — it wasn’t supposed to be so easy to talk to him, it at least should’ve been uncomfortable, something she felt she should do out of principle and not because she wanted to. he had decided to move on with his life without her, much before she’d ended their engagement all those years ago. as much as she wanted to trick herself into believing that she didn’t want to be there, everyone and their mother could tell that she was happy to be there, she was happy he was there, as bizarre as it all felt. once you know someone, you don’t really ever forget, she thought.

alex’s clarification of his private life made the brunette raise an eyebrow — did the poor man feel obligated to tell her who he was going home to? the whole thing made her chuckle a little, as she couldn’t even imagine how his thoughts had to be scrambling together as he spoke — it was cute. he was, he’d always been, very cute. she tried to ignore how oddly angry such cuteness made her feel — angry that it wasn’t hers anymore, nor had it been for a long time, and agry that it could be someone else’s. “you have a dog!” her words were an exclamation, pure joyful surprise in her tone. “i can’t believe you have a dog. but you know, i think i read somewhere on the flyer that the glitter is eco-friendly. that probably doesn’t make it edible, but at least makes it non-toxic?” she commented, as if it mattered, as if anything she could say would make his worries disappear. thankfully, his comment on their age difference distracted her from the melancholy of her previous thoughts, and dinah scrunched her nose at the agent in protest, but didn’t fight him about it.

when he mentioned the incident with the drinks, dinah took a second to look at the shirt he was wearing, and smiled a little bit, once again. “that’s a shame, it’s a nice shirt. you look good, alex.” the words left her before she could think them through, and a slight warmth filled her face. she listened to every single word the man she once loved with her entire being spoke to her, and with every word he said, she came to realize she had never stopped loving him — not entirely. “my god,” she muttered under her breath, no real emotion conveyed in her tone. “you really are a lost cause, warren.” there was a slight shake in her voice... she was tearing up. “ah, fuck,” she mumbled to herself mostly, and without thinking about it too much, dinah closed the distance between them by resting her head on the blond’s shoulder. “let’s just... stay like this for a moment, yeah?” she couldn’t even look at him. “please.” her voice was but a mumble by that point. “i don’t know how long this will last, and i don’t know why this is happening now... after all these years... after all the work it took for me to move on.” she took a rather long pause... both trying to extend the moment and scared to say the words. how ridiculous. “but god, i’ve missed you.”

[dinahperlman-sb]

soulcfaman​:​

      The night had started with one beer— and that one beer had quickly escalated upon seeing Dinah’s name on his phone, something Alexander thought he’d never get to experience again in his lifetime and yet there he was, walking towards her as the world around them enjoyed the concert, moved along with their lives right as his stomach and chest tightened at the sight of his ex fiancé. It almost seemed like a fever dream, like the elevator had trapped him in an alternative universe where Dinah asked to meet during a spring festival without wanting to rip off Alex’s eyelashes (not like he didn’t deserve it). The blond was sat on a bench, hands clasped tightly as he tried to act as sober as he could muster; realizing only then how fool he had been, allowing himself to try and calm his nerves with alcohol. And yet, as Dinah arrived next to him, Alexander couldn’t help but grin gingerly, looking up at her from his seat. “Hey” he echoed, humming in response. His first instinct was to say he of course had showed up, but remained quiet knowing he couldn’t blame her for her doubting. “The drinking, indie bands and flower-crown-making? Yeah, I was around. Pretty sure someone dropped some glitter on my head” he mumbled nervously, blue eyes looking up at the other “But what about you? Were you around for the whole thing? Have you been having fun?” he questioned,, genuinely interested to hear her response, to know more about the woman he once loved, if she allowed him to.

.

alexander’s smile would’ve frozen dinah into place if she weren’t better at hiding how she felt at all times. it was so odd, and even more annoying — how she felt like she could trust him with her real feelings, while simultaneously not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing at all. some of those real feelings, those that begged her to be let out, were wondering if he felt any similar to how she did: seeing him again, after all those years. how familiar he felt while still being a virtual stranger. how she kept realizing, very painfully so, how much she had missed him — but for that, she had the smile to blame. she stood in front of him by the bench for a moment, her arms crossed and one foot forward, trying her best to assert her confidence, although she wasn’t very sure as to why she was doing it. she gave him a slightly dry chuckle at the mention of the glitter. “oh man, that’s going to be a real bitch to get out. good luck, kid.” she mused, a cocky smile on her features. her muscles relaxed at his question — oh, how badly she wanted to doubt his actual interest in her day, but his voice was so honest that dinah couldn’t help herself. she gave him a real smile, before sitting next to him on the bench, making sure to leave a good amount of space between them... after the whole ordeal at the elevator, it didn’t make much sense, but the woman did anyway. 

she laughed a little bit, scrunching her nose. “i can see you were there for the drinking part — or rather, i can smell it.” she sighed. “you’re a hopeless cause, aren’t you, alex?” that was more of a joke, although based on where they stood... it was unlikely that he’d see it that way. “but, to answer your question,” a little pause so she could sigh. “i actually had to go into the office earlier today, i missed the flower crowns and the glitter. but... it gave me some time to think.” she chuckled dryly and spoke again, before he could interrupt her. “who am i kidding... it just gave me more time to keep thinking. about what, you might ask — well... about the whole thing in the elevator. and well, about you. but really...” she looked down at her hands for a moment, as her cheeks began to feel warmer than usual. “i just wanted to say thank you, in person. i... i really appreciate what you did for me. i know you probably felt like you had no choice but to, but... i don’t know. i left feeling like you saved my life, once again. and i had to thank you for it, so — thank you.”

[dinahperlman-sb]

noraajune​:

Nora had woken up early that morning, getting herself out of her apartment to avoid that strange feeling of cabin fever that often overtook her when she spent too long indoors. Heading out for a walk, she soon decided that a caffeine fix was needed, and picked up a coffee before finding a table right in the window of the cafe she’d chosen. She picked up a napkin and dug a pen out of her jacket pocket and began doodling mindlessly while she waited for her drink to cool. 

A presence nearby half caught her attention, but she was too engrossed to look up. “That seat isn’t taken if you’re looking for somewhere to sit.” Nora said, gently nudging the chair opposite her with her foot.

.

dinah had left the main office a bit earlier than she had expected to, as she was out to interview some people for the case she was working on. and yet, the person supposed to send her relevant documents and information had failed to do so. she wasn’t late quite yet, but she would be if said information did not get to her soon, as she had to make sure it got to her supervisor. stressful, how some people refused to do their work! 

as an attempt to calm her nerves as she waited, dinah got herself some coffee. she thought she’d just walk out the door with her drink and make her way elsewhere, but as soon as she grabbed the cup with her name on it, her phone dinged. frantically, she stepped into the sitting area, looking for an empty table. the girl’s voice almost scared her, yet she looked at her all wide-eyed, while the other didn’t lift her gaze. “oh my god, thank you.” she hurried onto the chair, left her cup by the edge of the table, and quickly fished her work-laptop out of her bag. “not like i’ve been waiting on this thing for over a day, or anything. why won’t people do their jobs?”