Hunger Games 2

Dayton held the cigarette between his lips and arched a brow. Now this was someone he had never met before. He was used to people falling under his gaze or swooning. He was the player. He was the guy everyone wanted to be or be with. So this...this was not cutting it. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can continue that cycle, but I want to be in it this time. Let's call it....acquaintances with benefits," he said with a light smirk. Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I know that isn't water. So don't try to fool me." He stood upright again and threw the bud of the cigarette on the ground. "Just give it a thought. This is a game we can both play." With that, he walked off. Drake returned the hug and kissed the top of her head. "I did too. But I also missed you." He glanced up as he heard a car pull up.

Aimée watched him for a moment, and she bit her lip. This guy sure wasn't like other guys that she had met. Usually with a rude comment or two they would leve her alone, but that didn't seem to be the case with this guy. He was persistent, she'll give him that. "I will think about it, but it will more than likely be a no. I need some proof if you are really worth my time," she said with a smirk. When he whispered to her, she watched him. "Just a warning, I don't appreciate wasting my time when I know I'm going to get my great broken when I leave." Angel smiled brightly when she hard the car. "Oh, this is going to be perfect! I know it, I just know it," she smiled, and she quickly ran to the door.

Dayton shrugged and twirled the lighter in his hand. "Worth your time, huh," he repeated, arching his brows. "You drive a hard bargain," he muttered with an eye roll. "But I will tell you something, buttercup. If a good time is what you want. Then a good time is what you will get." He winked in her direction and strode down the street. The moment he walked in the house he ran into Tyson, who didn't comment on the smell of smoke on his breath but on the fact he was talking to the new girl. Drake chuckled as he watched his wife. He loved her so much. Ann stepped out of the car and went to the back and pick up her son. "Can you get the bag, baby?" she called over to Aspen as she nudged the door.

Aimée watched the guy for a moment, and she rolled her eyes. This guy was insane if he thought that she just wanted a good time. If she was going to be with a guy, it was because she felt something for him, not because she wanted some "fun." Aspen nodded, and he grabbed the bag from the back of the car. He looked up, and Angel already had the door opened. He couldn't help but roll his eyes and smile. "You guys are just in time!" she said with a bright smile. Behind them, another car pulled up, and Dimitri got out. He gave them a wave before he went to get one of the twins. "I've got Noah if you got Peyton," he called to Lindi.

Dayton grumbled a quick explanation and watched as Tyson walked out the door. He wouldn't doubt if he were going to see Mackenzie. Seating himself by the window, he found himself being a Peeping Willow as he looked out to watch the new girl and to see if she were still outside. Lindi stepped out of the car and nodded. "Sounds good," she agreed, taking Peyton from the car seat and throwing the diaper on her other shoulder. Drake followed Angel out the door and chuckled softly at his wife's enthusiasm.

Aimée glanced up at her mother as she came back out. "That boy was handsome, wasn't he?" she said, and Aimée rolled her eyes. "Mom, stop, please. I'm going out to explore the town," she said, and she got in her car, making sure to bring her "water" with her. Dimitri grabbed his son and the bag with all the bottles and diapers before he went inside, greeting his mother with a hug. "It's good to see you guys," she said with a bright smile. She glanced at the table arrangement before she quickly went back inside. "I bought a few highchairs for the kids," she said, pulling them out. Dimitri's eyes widened a bit. "Mom, you didn't have to," he said, but Angel shook her head. "No, I did. Now, let me see my grandchildren."

Dayton had been staring intently out the window when a hand rested on his shoulder. He jumped and looked up to see Grace standing over him. "Nathaniel, my have I never seen you so swoon," she said with a knowing smile. He shrugged off her hand but that didn't stop her from nudging him to the door. "You are going to do what you want to anyway, so go. Follow her." Dayton wanted to voice the fact that he wasn't going to follow her but Grace knew what she was talking about, especially since she helped Mackenzie's parents get together. He grunted and stepped out the door with another cigarette wedged between his lips. He started up his car and headed off in the direction he had seen the girl take. Drake had already taken Peyton from Lindi, who looked both relieved and nervous. However, Drake seemed as if he was on cloud nine with his little granddaughter in his arms. "Come on," he said, turning to his family. "My wife didn't make an amazing meal for nothing." He then lead the way inside.

Aimée drove off, looking for any place where she could be alone. After a few minutes of driving, she found a place, and she parked. She reclined her seat and closed her eyes, trying to forget about everything. She just needed a few deep breaths. Well, that and alcohol. She took a swig of her drink and sighed contently. Dimitri carefully handed Noah to his mother, and he smiled. He kissed Lindi's head. "Come on, it's time for dinner," he said, and he walked over to the table. He pulled a chair out for Lindi, and he smiled. Aspen glanced over at Ann. "This is a nice change." he said.

Dayton arched a brow as he followed her along; he hoped he was being semi subtle. With his windows rolled down, he let out a long drag of smoke and sighed. What was he doing following this girl around like a lost puppy. He had always been known to chase people, but this was taking it to the next level. Parking the car, he did the first thing he could think to do. He went to her car and opened the door. "Hey bud. Long time no see," he said, leaning back in the passenger seat. Lindi smiled slightly and followed after him. She glanced at Drake and Angel, who both seemed the happiest they could be. She was glad to see her in-laws seemed to be happy at least. She took the seat beside Dimitri. Ann glanced over at the door as she watched her family go in. "Yeah it is," she agreed, motioning for Aspen to follow her inside. She missed this side of her dad.

Aimée was peacefully drinking her alcohol when she heard the door open, and she almost spit out her drink, making her choke. "What the-" she was about to curse, but coughing stopped her. "What is wrong with you!" she asked him, and she ran a hand through her hair. "You scared me," she said with a small sigh before she took another sip. She then realized something. "Did you follow me?" she asked him. Aspen smiled, and he looked at all the food set up on the table. "It looks great, Angel," he said, and Angel smiled in response. "Thank you, Aspen," she said before she set Noah in one of the highchairs by Lindi. "Take whatever you guys want. I think I made a bit too much," she said with a small laugh. Dimitri smiled, and he glanced over at Lindi. "I think the kids can handle a little bit of the ham and potatoes."

Dayton leaned back in the seat and made himself at home. He smirked slightly at her reaction and held the cigarette in his mouth. "Wrong with me?" he repeated, tilting his head. "Besides the fact I smoke, live with my cousin, grew up with only a mom who is a drunk and when she isn't drunk she is kidnapping people....hm, nothing really," he stated, shrugging nonchalantly, even though he wouldn't be so nonchalant without his cigarette. Her question surprised him but he said with a smirk, "No, this just happens to be my favorite place to smoke." Ann smiled at her mother and moved to give her a quick hug. "Proud of you mom. I guess Aunt Hannah is not the only cook in the family after all," she stated before sitting down to fix herself a plate. Lindi nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. Can you fix me a plate while I get their food ready?" she asked, leaning over to kiss Dimitri's cheek before standing and starting with setting ham and potatoes in front of Noah and then Peyton.

Aimée looked at him with wide eyes as he spoke. Was he sure that he wasn't drinking something. "You are kidding right? I don't want to be with a psychopath," she told him, giving him a look. She soon finished her drink, and she sighed and threw the bottle on the ground in frustration. It was her only one, and who knows how long it would be until she got another. Then again, she was sure that she was drunk. Angel smiled, and she shrugged. "It's not as good as hers, but I sure do try," she said. Dimitri nodded, and he quickly fixed her a plate before his fixed his. Noah was in his highchair beside his father. He made a few noises before grabbing some of the potatoes with his hand and placing them on his father's cheek. Dimitri laughed a bit. "That's not my mouth, Noah," he said, and his son proceeded to place more on his nose. "That's not it either," he laughed. Dimitri took some potatoes with a fork before feeding them to his son. "Right there," he said before wiping the potatoes off his face.

"Psychopath?" Dayton repeated, sputtering. "You think that low of me?" he asked, shaking his head as he threw the bud of the used cigarette on the ground. "If I must add this in order to protect some of my dignity, I saved my cousins life. So I am more of a hero. But I guess psychopath works too." He shrugged indifferently. "So, now can I ask a question....?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Do you drink for the same reason I smoke?" Lindi smiled at her husband as he basically played with Noah. Well, Noah played with him. Either way, it was one of the cutest things she had seen. One thing she could say about Dimitri, he was a good father. She scooped up some potatoes and fed them to Peyton. Ann smirked and said, "D, do we need to get you a bib too?"

Aimée listened to him, not believing a word he was saying. He was crazy if he thought that she was going to buy his story. "Really? Next are you going to tell me you grew your first chest hair?" she asked him with a smirk. When he asked his question, she smirk on her face grew to a frown. She glanced away and closed her eyes. "Why do you care? It's not like you can change anything," she said quietly. Dimitri rolled his eyes at what Ann said. "No, I am perfectly capable of feeding myself without making a mess," he said, and he took a spoonful of potatoes and was about to eat them, but his missed his mouth and hit his nose. His face grew red with embarrassment. "That didn't happen," he said, quickly wiping the potatoes off. Angel laughed, and she smiled softly, holding Drake's hand under the table. "I miss times like these."

Dayton rose his brows at her comment. "Do you honestly think I care about chest hair?" he asked, shaking his head. "Since when did I become a dimwitted jock?" When she answered his question with a question, he let out a long sigh. "I am not trying to. I am just trying to get you. You are different." Ann smiled lightly over at her brother. Gosh, who would have thought one person created such a big change in their family. Drake smiled as he listened to his family and lightly rubbed his thumb over Angel's hand. "I did too, Angel. I did too."

Aimée glanced away from him, a bit scared to look up at him. She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she felt something for this guy, and she was terrified of it. "There is nothing to get about me. I'm nothing," she said quietly, and she looked toward the empty bottle that she had thrown on the ground. Dimitri smiled, and he began to laugh with them. He loved his family. He took some ham and placed it on a fork. He was feeding it to Noah, but then Noah took the fork with his little hands and pushed it toward Dimitri. Dimitri smiled, and with a little bit of help, Noah fed the food to his father.

Dayton paused when she spoke. He placed a hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You are something. Because if you are nothing, then so am I. I am a stranger, but there is one thing you should know about me...I have quite the ego. So I am something and so are you," he stated. Then, he added on, "I am Nate, but people call me Dayton." Lindi grinned over at her husband as she watched her two boys basically feed each other. "Like father like son," she murmured, grinning lightly.

Aimée got a bit scared as he placed his hand under her chin, but she didn't pull away. She was afraid of people getting close to her and getting to know her, but Dayton changed everything. She smiled softly at his words. "You should really be a motivational speaker," she joked quietly. When he spoke his name, she gave him a small nod. "I'm Aimée, but people usually call me "the new girl." she spoke, and she half smiled up at him. Dimitri smiled at his wife, and he kissed her head. "Do I need to feed you too?" he asked her with a laugh. He kissed her once more before he continued to eat his meal.

Dayton chuckled and shook his head. "I've considered it," he answered in the same joking manner. Besides Mackenzie, Aimée seemed to be the first girl he had had a connection with. She was different than most girls he would go after. She was one hundred percent pure. She wasn't a Mackenzie. But she was genuine. "Well, I am not people, and you are not just the 'new girl'. So Aimée it is," he stated with a small smile. Lindi laughed softly and rolled her eyes. "I am good, baby. But thanks for the offer," she stated before taking a bite of her food. Then, she proceeded to feed Peyton once more.

Aimée smiled up at him, and she tried to hide her blush as he spoke. "Well, thank you for not considering me as the new girl. That is usually what happens, and by the time people learn my name, I'm gone," she said. She was terrified of feeling something for someone. If she did, she would have to leave them behind. She glanced down at her phone to see her mother calling her. "Wow, she actually remembered she had a daughter and not just a job," she said sarcastically. Dimitri ate a bit more, and he fed Noah. Soon, he was finished with dinner. "It was amazing, Mom," he said with a smile, and he looked down at his son who was playing in the left over potatoes he had. "He loved them."

Dayton turned so he was facing her in the seat. He would have asked for her to elaborate, explain why she was always on the move, but then she received a call. "Answer it. It may be important," he stated, motioning for her to go on ahead. He thought of his own mom and snarled in disgust. Where was his dad? Why did Tyson deserve both of his parents that were nice. Why did he not deserve parents? He had millions of theories, because he wasn't the model citizen. But deep down, he was envious. Lindi was cleaning up Peyton and smirked lightly over at Dimitri. "I think he loved playing with them more than eating them," she said teasingly.

Aimée sighed before she answered the phone. When she heard next was not at all what she had expected to hear. Her father was dead. She hadn't seen him in years, and she didn't even get to say anything to him. She found herself crying. She never cried, not unless she was drunk. "You're lying!" she screamed before hanging up the phone and throwing it. The screen probably shattered into a million tiny pieces, but she could care less. She hugged herself and cried. Dimitri was in the middle of wiping off Noah's face when she spoke. "Yeah, that's true," he said with a laugh.

Dayton's eyes widened when he heard her scream. His mouth then proceeded to gape open as she cried. Great. Now what was he supposed to do? He was good at many things. Kissing, sure. Dates, of course. Dating advice...well, heck yes. His advice landed Tyson a date. But comforting people? That was like a foreign language. Why else had he stood there dumbfounded when Tyson had caught Mackenzie, and she had started crying - besides the obvious that he had been shocked he had been caught. He hesitantly reached out and patted her shoulder. "Hey, hey. There, there," he said in the best soothing voice he could muster. He sounded like a insane ax killer who was trying to calm down a baby. "What happened?" Lindi laughed along with him before she took Peyton out of the highchair and held her on her hip. "It was nice getting to spend time with you all. I have missed you guys."

Aimée glanced toward the ground, and she tried to stop the tears from flowing, but that wasn't going to happen. She could tell that Dayton never really did comfort people, but there wasn't much else he could do. She closed her eyes when he asked what had happened. The first step to accepting the pain was it say it out loud. "My dad's dead," she said to him quietly. She hugged himself, biting her lip. "Can I stay over at your house? I can't go home like this. Not when I'm drunk and a mess," she said quietly. Dimitri nodded, and he kissed his mother's dead. "It was perfect. I can't wait for the next one You know, this should be a monthly thing," he said.

Dayton wasn't sure he was being much of a help. At this moment, he wished he were more like Tyson. Tyson may be a dork, a very nerdy dork at that. But he knew how to comfort people. He had seen him with Willow plenty of times. Then there was Dayton. Who was the only child with just a mom, who he didn't want to be around now. He didn't know what it was truly like to feel loss. He just knew what he didn't have to begin with. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed, reaching out to rub her back gently. People did that right? Drake smiled over at his son and stood to give him a quick hug. "I wouldn't mind that a bit. I need to see you kids and my grandchildren more."