In Love with the Prince (of Darkness, That Is)

Dreama put up a glass and began filling it with alcohol for the man in front of her. She saw Taylor come in over his shoulder and waved. Taylor spotted her and sauntered over, looking less-than-pleased.

"Hey, baby," he said.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm going to have to cancel on us tomorrow night. My parents sprung this last-minute thing on me, and I couldn't say no. Can I take a rain-check?"

"Of course. I'll spend the night with Gem, and I'll see you on Saturday. We can hang out at my place before my shift."

"All right."

"So what are you doing with your parents?"

"Some weird banquet thing. I'd bring you along, but you'd be bored out of your mind."

"I don't mind. I don't get to dress up anymore." She came around the bar and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And besides. You have to introduce me them sometime."

"Trust me, tomorrow is not the night. They're so strung out about this thing--it's a nightmare."

Dreama pouted. "You promised I could meet them."

Taylor groaned. "God, you're very close to irresistible when you do that."

"Very close?"

He chuckled and dipped his head to kiss her. "How about you come to my place? I'll drive you home on my way to work."

"That sounds like fun."

"Okay, lovebirds, she's still on the clock," David teased from behind the bar.

*~*~*

It was just after seven thirty when Dreama walked into her apartment, and only Craig was still there.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "With your little boyfriend again?"

"He's older than you."

"Gem called to say she's coming over."

"Cool."

"Tom's coming tonight."

"Thanks for the warning."

"You're still not cool with him?"

"Oh, I'm fine. He seems to be under the impression that I'm harbouring some great unrequited love for him."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Well, no one said that he was brilliant."

"No kidding."

"So you were with him?"

"Taylor? Yes."

"So what's up with you and this guy? 'Cause you're, uh... you're different lately."

"Really? How so?"

"You're happy."

"I was happy before, Craig," Dreama said, sitting on the arm of the couch next to him.

"No, you weren't. Even before Dad died--you always looked like you felt trapped. Like a caged lion or something."

"I love it here, Craig," Dreama protested, only half-heartedly.

"You'd love it a lot more in New York. At least, that's what I thought until a couple months ago. Ever since this... guy started coming around you've been a completely different person. You like being here."

How was it that Craig, the brother who was never home, the brother that she got along with least, was the only one to see this in her?

"Do you love him?" Craig asked when Dreama had no response to his observation.

Dreama shrugged. "I've never felt like this, Craig. I don't really know what to call it." She sighed and leaned back against the couch, staring at the ceiling. "I can't see myself, you know, married to him or anything. But I can't see myself without him right now, either. Not happily."

"So you haven't yet reached the 'jump in front of a bullet for him' phase?"

Dreama chuckled. "Not quite. I'm not... committed, really, but we've gotten to the point that we do have to do anything together. Last night, we just... lay there. We don't have to talk, or touch... he just needs to be there." She blushed, wondering why she was telling her brother this.

"So what's holding you back then?"

Dreama sighed and turned her head to look at Craig. "I feel like he's keeping something from me. Like he feels he can't trust me or something."

"Aw, Dray, I don't think that's true. Why shouldn't he be able to trust you?"

"I don't know. I've don't think I've ever done anything that would make him think he can't...."

Craig wrapped his arms around his sister in a strange moment of affection and pulled her against his side. "Any guy's lucky to have you, doll. Don't ever forget that."