[center][h2][color=teal]Delaney Barlowe[/color] & [color=DC143C]Miles Price[/color][/h2]
[URL=https://lunapic.com][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/m25bL4g.jpg[/IMG][/URL][URL=https://lunapic.com][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/wDk7RIB.jpg[/IMG][/URL][/center]
[sup] A [@Sadie] & [@SouffleGirl123] post
Featuring [color=DC143C]Miles Price[/color], [color=teal]Delaney Barlowe[/color][/sup]
[hr]

The time had come for another of Miles and Delaney's regular catch ups. Between work duties and settling into the Montgomery household he'd barely had time to see his friend in the few weeks that seemed to fly past. It was almost odd what their times together had become. From getting blackout drunk together to unloading and processing this new, and more 'adult', stage of life they were entering. Miles waited at their usual spot at the bar, tapping his fingers against the wooden bench as he awaited his best friend's arrival. 

Delaney scrambled getting herself dressed and her hair done, already knowing she was going to be late for her date with Miles. Finally finding her shoes under the dresser, she slipped them on before running into the bathroom. She simply brushed her hair and let it hang before hurrying down the stairs. Giving Rowan a kiss and patting Sassy on her head, she hurried outside and got into her car. 

It didn’t take her long to arrive at work. Parking, she went inside and noticed her best friend at the bar. The last time they had been together like this, he dropped the bombshell that Lil was pregnant. What else could possibly be going on to make him look so…exhausted. Taking the stool next to him at the bar, she offered him up a grin. [color=teal]”Hey, you. How’s pregnant life treating you?”[/color]

It took Miles a good minute or 2 to register his best friend had taken a seat next to him. He returns her grin with a cheeky smile of his own. [color=DC143C]"Y'know, I don't think you've ever been on time to one of these things,"[/color] he teases, swiveling in his chair to face her. He wished he could say he looked as vibrant as his friend. Sure his work attire was neat enough but he'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed the bags growing underneath his eyes. He didn't want to imagine what it would be like when the kids were actually born. 

[color=DC143C]"I guess lucky for me I'm not the one carrying them. I'd be a lot worse for wear if I was."[/color] he replies, tapping the bar a couple of times more. [color=DC143C]"How's your hunky dunk going?"[/color]

[color=teal]”Oh, you shut up.”[/color] She rolled her eyes before grinning at him. As he turned to face her, she eyed what he was wearing and how he looked. He looked absolutely dreadful and sleep deprived. What would he look like when his three newborns were here? Delaney ordered both of their drinks with the bartender before looking back at Miles. [color=teal]”Dude, you look like hell. Lil running you ragged?”[/color]

At his mention of Rowan, a blush crept up her face and she shrugged. [color=teal]”Well, the day after the werewolf attacked, we confessed that we both were in love with each other. So. I did what I promised to do.”[/color] She ran a hand through her hair before grinning. [color=teal]”And yesterday he gave me a key to his house. I’m moving in this weekend.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]"I don't know what you're talking about, I've never been so handsome in my life. Sleep deprivation is the look of the decade, y'know?"[/color] Miles jokes, rubbing an eye. [color=DC143C]"Honestly Li hasn't been all that demanding. Not yet at least. I think she's trying hard to hang onto her independence. I guess it's everything else, I haven't been sleeping too good."[/color]

As Delaney recounts her latest news a smile crept upon the man's face. [color=DC143C]"Well you're very welcome for essentially making your relationship happen."[/color] he jokes, wrapping his hand around his drink as soon as the bartender places it on the table. [color=DC143C]"So are we expecting little Rowans running around soon then?"[/color]

She eyed the man as he spoke about not sleeping well. Was it all getting to him? Besides the three babies, he also had to deal with his father being around. Delaney shook her head before grabbing her shot and downing it. She set the shot glass back on the bar and nodded at the bartender for another. She wasn’t working tonight, so she’d be fine drinking. Besides, a lot had been going on and she wanted so badly to be in a drunken coma.

[color=teal]”Well, you better try to get as much sleep as possible. Once the babies are born, sleep will be a far away memory.”[/color] Her next glass was set in front of her before she looked at the bartender. [color=teal]”I’ll have my usual after this, thanks.”[/color] She downed the shot before looking back over at her best friend. A mixed drink was set before her hand and she sipped from the straw. 

She spit out her drink at the mention of little Rowans. Quickly grabbing some napkins, she cleaned herself and the bar off. Delaney shook her head and eyed the man. [color=teal]”I am too young for that. And we just moved in together. Give us time, man.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]"Huh. Don't remind me. I think I'll be cursed to never sleep again after they're born,"[/color] he replies half jokingly before downing his shot of whiskey before ordering a beer. It was only moments after that Delaney spat her drink across the bar causing Miles to chuckle as he handed her another napkin. [color=DC143C]"Chill Laney, I'm just teasing. One of us has gotta do this whole thing right and it's a lil late for me,"[/color] he laughs, taking a sip from his beer bottle. [color=DC143C]"Besides, I think only one of us can look disheveled at a time, we got reputations to uphold after all."[/color] 

He lets his words settle a while as he sips his beer once more. [color=DC143C]"I moved to the Ranch on Saturday. Felt like it was the right thing to do,"[/color] he says softly, turning to face the TV behind the bar.

Nodding her head shortly, she grabbed the napkin and resumed cleaning herself off. Great. She was absolutely going to smell like alcohol. Delaney sat back in her seat and looked back over at her best friend. She felt bad that his early twenties were essentially gone. While a twenty year old was still learning about themselves and discovering new things, Miles would be cleaning baby puke off of everything. [color=teal]”There’s no way in hell I’m going to chance getting pregnant any time soon.”[/color]

She nodded once more at him moving. [color=teal]”For the best. I’m sure a pregnant Lilith is very needy.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]"I think she's gonna try very hard not to be. If I'm being honest I think that worries me more,"[/color] he replies almost instantaneously. He rests his head in one of his hands as he swirls his beer bottle, his eyes getting lost in the golden vortex he had made. [color=DC143C]"I think part of her doesn't trust me fully yet."[/color] he says ever so softly. Although Miles himself was convinced that Lilith's darkest concerns were valid thoughts he couldn’t help the part of him destroyed by them, as much as he tried not to take them personally. 

Raising a brow in question, she arched a brow when he stated that Lilith didn’t trust him. Why wouldn’t- Oh. Realization hit her. Lilith didn’t trust that Miles would go find someone else and leave her behind. With their babies. While Delaney understood her worry, she watched the man in front of her and sighed. [color=teal]”Do you blame her? You two have a very tumultuous past. That’s all she can focus on. A lesser man would absolutely step out on a pregnant woman at your age.”[/color]

Miles gave the deepest sigh as he runs a hand through his hair. [color=DC143C]"No. No I don't. Not one bit. I guess I don't know if I trust myself to not be that lesser man."[/color] he mutters before taking another sip of beer. [color=DC143C]"Met up with the sperm donor the other day. Y'know he wrote my ma letters? 300 of 'em. Once a month from the day he left."[/color] He knew he was just venting at breakneck speed at this point. The thing he loved about Delaney was she was so close to him and similar to him for him to feel comfortable telling her all his worries but distant enough from it all that he didn’t didn't feel like he was taking away her right to vent on those same issues. It made it so easy to unload everything he'd been going through the past month.

She wasn’t surprised that Miles agreed with her, but it was good for him to confess to those feelings. It was natural for anyone to feel trapped by a pregnancy in their early twenties. But, knowing how Miles was with Lilith, she saw him staying and being the father that Delaney knew he could be. Lilith was the only woman Miles had truly ever loved, and he didn’t see him leaving her anytime soon. Or, probably never. Would a pregnancy keep him from straying? Delaney hoped so. Lilith needed him now, more than ever.

Her eyes widened a bit when he mentioned the other baby daddy. She shook her head and blew a raspberry before taking a sip of her beer. [color=teal]”That doesn’t change anything.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]"That's what I'm saying but you know what my ma's like,"[/color] Miles replies with a sigh, shifting in his seat. [color=DC143C]"He seems to think he can just waltz in and all will go back to the way it was. Talked about staying in Tanner 'just in case we needed anything'. What could I [i]possibly[/i] need from him?"[/color] He swivels his chair around to face Delaney once more. 

[color=teal]”Uh, nothing! You don’t need a single thing from him. Where’s he staying?”[/color] Her loathing of the man made her want to beat the shit out of him. She wasn’t afraid of much, and this proved it. Chugging the rest of her beer, she gave Miles a nod and grinned. [color=teal]”I desperately need to do something reckless. Let’s go.”[/color]

Miles raised an eyebrow as his friend chugged down her beer. [color=DC143C]"You really wanna do this now?"[/color] he asks. He didn't need to ask that question, he knew the answer. [color=DC143C]"Y'know I think he might have texted me the location, just in case I wanted to drop by. Didn't really properly look at it, don't get time for anything now John's got me working from the buttcrack of dawn and every moment I'm at the ranch. Gimme a sec."[/color] Miles pulls out his phone and scrolls through his messages until he finds those he'd shared with Al. He turns the screen to Delaney, [color=DC143C]"Seems he's conveniently at the motel right downtown. Fancy a walk?"[/color]

Popping her knuckles, she reached into her pocket and pulled out some cash. She handed it to the bartender before looking at him and nodded. [color=teal]”Come on, we have a man to destroy.”[/color] Beaming at him, she slid out of her chair and slipped her jacket back on. Fixing her jeans, she nodded before heading out the bar, hissing at the cold air. [color=teal]”Damn this weather. C’mon, Miles. Don’t chicken out on me.”[/color]

A sharp exhale escaped the man as he was reminded that Winter was closeby. He slipped his suit jacket back on with a small shutter. [color=DC143C]"'Course not,"[/color] he replies with a chuckle as he catches up with his friend. [color=DC143C]"I used to like the cold but you watch as Li's pawpaw has me tilling soil in the snow this Winter,"[/color] he complains, pulling his jacket closer. [color=DC143C]"So am I letting you take the lead on this or what are we doing?"[/color]

She smirked and shook her head slightly. [color=teal]”That’s farm life for ya, Miles. Have to get used to it if you and Lil are going to continue living there. Should probably get your own place sometime soon, though.”[/color] As they continued to walk, she shrugged. [color=teal]”Get him to tell you something personal. So then I can junk punch him.”[/color]

[color=DC143C]"I mean he's expecting us to take over in the near future so I guess it's time to buy a cowboy hat and pick up a southern accent, hey?"[/color] he jokes, rubbing his arms to warm them a bit more. Miles snorts at his friend's final comment as they walk closer to their destination.  [color=DC143C]"Sure, but be warned, if he talks 'bout how much he loves my ma one more time I might barf."[/color] 

The pair close in on their destination in 10 minutes or so, the upside to small towns being almost everything is within walking distance. Miles leads his friend to the door of Aloysius' room before delivering a couple of solid knocks to it.

She side eyed Miles and rose a brow. She couldn’t see him in a cowboy hat. Delaney shook her head as they continued to walk. [color=teal]”No barfing. We can’t show weakness to this man, okay?”[/color] When they finally arrived, she watched as Miles knocked on the door. Delaney clenched her hands into fists, her nails biting into the skin of her palm.

Aloysius was sat inside the motel room, staring at the TV as he lay on the bed. The place wasn't exactly upmarket, Aloysius hadn't had a chance to actually find a place to rent or buy yet. Hearing the knock her got up and shuffled over to the door. Opening the door slightly he saw that Miles was standing there. Pulling the door open he gave off a meek smile. [color=EE4B2B]"Miles. Hey. What brings you out here"[/color]

As they waited, she found herself bouncing on her heels as she waited for the door to open. And soon it did. Delaney raised a brow at the man; she could definitely see where Miles’ got his looks from. No- she couldn’t think about that right now. It was all the confirmation that she needed. Taking a step forward, she put a hand on the man’s shoulder before kicking at the apex of his thighs with everything she had.

Miles wasn't sure if he could say that his father made a fierce anger burn within him anymore. There was definitely anger there but it was far from as fierce as his friend's as she delivered a sharp kick between his legs. Miles couldn't help but sharply draw in a breath. Better Al than him. 

Aloysius found it somewhat strange that Miles didn't reply say anything back. Then he suddenly saw someone else come into view and before he could say anything else he was hit in the crotch. With a heavy groan, Al would stagger back a step, struggling to keep standing as both a mixture of pain and confusion adorned his face. 

Taking a few steps back, Delaney immediately beamed at seeing the man hunched over. She tilted her head before lowering her face to be in direct eyesight of the man. She smiled sweetly. [color=teal]”That’s only a taste of what I can do to you. Miles deserves better.”[/color] Straightening, she moved back until she was standing next to her best friend, her arms folded against her chest. A large grin was on her face before looking at Miles. [color=teal]”I’m all set to go if you are.”[/color]

Miles looked over his friend, shaking his head with a chuckle. Was it possible Delaney had just delivered the most damage to his father since he’d come to Tanner. [color=DC143C]"I got nothing else of use to do here.”[/color] he replies, turning his attention to Al to scan him one more time. [color=DC143C]"We’ve got no use for [i]you[/i],”[/color] he then says before giving Delaney a nod. He turns and starts walking away from the scene, pressing his nails into the palm of his hands. 

By the time he’d left the vicinity of the motel’s parking lot he couldn’t help but feel hot tears rise to the corners of his eyes. He hated how much seeing his father’s face affected him. Now a lot of the anger had subsided after the last few meetings; it'd exposed a deepset pain he wished he could ignore. Miles wasn’t a crier, he was far too stubborn to ever let tears fall from his face, but the weariness the past week or so had brought was making it harder than ever to get the sting under control. He quickly glances at Delaney, hoping she wouldn’t catch on but he knew she knew him too well. [color=DC143C]”My ma’s not gonna be impressed with that lil stunt.”[/color] he jokes meekly in a somewhat pitiful attempt to cover up what was forming behind his eyes.

Walking away from the motel, she shrugged her shoulders at his mention of his mother. Delaney was not concerned at all with what his mother would think of her hurting Al. She would do anything for Miles and she made sure that everyone knew that. As they continued to walk, she glanced over at him. Something was off. Tilting her head, she reached over and grabbed his hand. [color=teal]”I can handle whatever your mother dishes out on me. But- you okay?”[/color]

Miles couldn’t help but freeze as Delaney grabbed his hand. [color=DC143C]”Just fine,”[/color] he lies, running a hand down his face. [color=DC143C]”I’m just tired, that’s all. It’s been a long week.”[/color] He gives her hand a squeeze, taking a deep breath before looking back up at her. [color=DC143C]”So, you got someone in your life who needs a good beating? I need to return the favour,”[/color] he jokes lightly with a chuckle.

She felt him freeze and glanced over at him. Man, was he wound up. He needed a moment to release everything he was feeling before he burst at the seams. At his question, Delaney laughed slightly before shrugging her shoulders. [color=teal]”Well. There’s always Carlisle. I’m sure he’s done something that warrants a beating.”[/color]

Miles gave another laugh, rolling his shoulders to release some of the tension that weighed them down. [color=DC143C]”Rowan must have a thing for bruises with the way you’re asking for trouble.”[/color] he teases. [color=DC143C]”I think I’d rather throw back a few more shots though. Turns out sober me isn’t so keen on starting fights anymore for some reason. Wanna join me or is the rest of your night occupied?”[/color]

[color=teal]”Rowan loves me just the way I am, thank you.”[/color] She grinned at him and bumped him with her hip. [color=teal]”He knows this night is about you. So I’m yours for however long you want me. Let’s go get trashed.”[/color]