All My Heart

31st October 2010

"Come on! You look hot." Dan urged, knocking on Aria's bedroom door; which was locked for the simple reason that she thought she resembled a slut.

"I look like a whorish whore." Aria deadpanned from inside her bedroom, eyeing her costume in the mirror with distaste. Trust Dan to pick out the sluttiest costume that she'd ever seen in her entire life.

"A whorish whore?" Dan echoed, laughing. "Come on, Ari. It's a Halloween party. I'd bet you fifty pounds that there'll be other girls in sluttier outfits."

Aria pulled open the door with a sigh, narrowing her eyes at how Dan had managed to rock the Captain Jack Sparrow look. "You're right. Let's go." She pushed past him gently, walking over to the front door of her flat.

Dan, however, had his eyes glued to her body - and her face. She was clad in an extremely short and tight nurse outfit, set with the blue rubber gloves. Dan couldn't pass up the opportunity of seeing her dressed up as the girl in Blink-182's album cover. But damn, Aria looked good as a nurse.

"Pervert." She laughed, playfully slapping his face as he jokingly scowled at her.

The pair headed on to the Halloween party that Max was holding over at his house. People were everywhere, grinding on each other while armed with red solo cups. Most yelled out greetings to Dan, only to have their eyes locked on the nurse that was walking by him - male and female alike.

Dan narrowed his eyes at how some of the guys in the house were eyeing his best friend up like she was a piece of meat. Maybe the whole nurse outfit was a bad idea.

"Do you want something to drink?" Aria called over the music, nudging him with her elbow.

He grinned at her, raising an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

She laughed, "You're too busy spacing out. Come on, let go a little. It's a party." She emphasised, rolling her eyes as she slid between bodies; probably making her way into the kitchen.

Dan watched as she walked away with a soft smile on his face. Shaking his head lightly, he turned to look for Max, only to be interrupted by a female dressed as - what seemed to be - a belly dancer. Her lips were painted a bright red, as were her nails that lightly dragged down his chest.

"Dance with me?" She asked, her voice low and seductive, like a temptress.

And Dan was definitely tempted. With a charming grin, he pulled her into the middle of the living room which was now rid of the couches, as he danced with the temptress. He didn't even know when he got a drink in his hand, but that drink turned into two, and then three, and then four. He'd danced with several other females at the party, but the temptress was the one that kept coming back; and he actually liked it.

She smiled at him seductively, biting on her bottom lip. Dan smirked, leaning forward as his hands pulled at her hips. Within a few milliseconds, they were making out as though they weren't in public with other people around them. Less than a half hour later, they found themselves in bed, having fun amidst the sheets.

He awoke the next day with the worst hangover that he'd ever had in a long while. Blinking repeatedly, he rubbed at his head as he slowly sat up in bed. As Dan turned to the side, he caught sight of the woman that he'd slept with the night before also stirring, groaning as she probably felt the same hangover that he had.

"Uh..." He stuttered out, scratching the back of his neck.

She jumped, turning to face him and then scrambling to pull the sheets around her bare body. Then she sighed, "We had sex, didn't we?" Dan nodded. "I know it's the guys who usually do this but, uh, that was a one night thing. Alright?"

He chuckled. "Thank you for being the only woman who's not yelled at me." He grinned.

"No problem." She laughed. "I should get changed so... Uh... Can you...?"

"Oh yeah, fuck, sorry." Dan got out, grabbing his boxers that were discarded on the floor and pulling them as quick as lightning before darting out of the room. There was no bloody way he was going to use his costume again. Max wouldn't mind lending him some joggers and a t-shirt, even though the guitarist was smaller than the drummer.

"Where were you?!" Max yelled the moment he spotted Dan in the hallway.

Dan winced, rubbing at his temple. "Quiet, mate. Please." He begged.

"Quiet?!" Max yelled again. "Aria's taken off to the hospital and she kept saying she needed you but you were off fucking some slut!"

Dan's eyes immediately widened as panic rose up in his chest. "Why is Aria in the hospital?"

"She's not the one in the hospital, you git. Just... Go to her!" Max all but ordered, shoving a pair of joggers and a plain white t-shirt in his hands.

Dan was dressed and out of the house in less than three minutes. By the forth minute, he was in his car, speeding towards the hospital. By the fifteenth minute, he was bursting through the automated hospital entrance doors. By the sixteenth minute, he was cradling a sobbing Aria - who was changed out of her nurse's outfit and into Max's girlfriend's clothes.

By the eighteenth minute, they were both crying; for they received the news that Aria's mother, was no longer.

***

Dan wouldn't let go of Aria's hand as he drove her to the hospital. He wanted to break the speed limit so badly, but he knew that that would only bring them to the hospital sooner and Aria did not want that.

Aria had always hated hospitals. When she was young, she'd had a nasty fall from the swings and had to get stitches on her forehead. It hurt.

Then it was in a hospital that her mother was told that she'd miscarried Aria's future baby sister or brother.

And it was also in a hospital that her mother died.

Given a choice, Aria would've opted to just stay home and heal up on her own. But Dan was adamant on bringing her to the hospital. Her bruises... They were so bad. So, so bad. It made Dan hate himself for not protecting her, for not being her shelter when he promised that he always would be.

He pulled the car to a stop, reluctantly releasing her hand as he exited the car. He walked over the passenger's side of the car, opening the door and holding out a hand for her to take. But she never took it; she just sat in the car, wringing her hands together while resting them on her lap. With a small sigh, Dan kneeled on the ground, so that he would be able to look at her.

"Ari, please. We have to get you checked out. Please."

"I don't want to go in there." She spoke softly, her voice sounding like she was but a child.

Dan gently ran his fingers through her knotted hair. "I know, baby doll. I know. But I promise I won't leave your side when we go in there. You have my word." He assured her, again wishing that he could just hit himself for not fulfilling his other promise to her.

Aria let out a small sigh, stepping out of the car and slipping her hand into Dan's larger one, as she struggled to stay on her feet. She walked with a slight limp and Dan just opted to gently pick her up by placing an arm around her neck and the other at the back of her knees.

The woman sat behind the desk straightened up as a handsome young man walked in with a girl in his arms, face buried in his chest. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of some of the bruises on the girl's body.

"Sir?" She called.

"Just get me a doctor. I don't have the fucking time for anything else." The young man with brown hair spoke, his voice low and gruff.

"What happened, sir?" The woman asked, remaining calm. She needed to at least know what had happened.

"My best friend was attacked and almost fucking raped, that's what." He spat harshly. "Are you going to get me to a doctor or what?"

The woman's eyes widened as they darted back down to the girl. She looked like she fallen down a set of stairs and then banged a piece of furniture, or something. The extent of her bruises weren't like the ones she assumed would be product of someone's abuse.

"Don't be so rude," the girl spoke; though her voice was weak.

Instantly, the man's eyes darted down to the girl's - softening drastically. He let his head drop a little so that his forehead touched her hair and then he sighed, looking back at the woman. "I'm sorry. Just please... Get me to a doctor."

The woman nodded, guiding them to where she knew a doctor was free. Couples like them were rare these days; and although it was in the worst of circumstances that she got to see a couple so in love, she was still glad to know that couples such as the two still existed.

They were young and in love, even if they themselves didn't know it yet.