three times is a pattern { derek x dante }

I wake to the smell of cinnamon, and instantly, I am confused. The events of the night were a blur, and the stale taste of alcohol clung to my tongue like a disease. Rolling over, I untangle my legs from sheets made from 100% silk. At the bed's edge, I cradle my head and try to piece together how I ended up in a bed that was not mine. I mean, the answer was obvious. I had hooked up with some stunning chick after a night of too many drinks, good times, and sweet words.

Glancing over to the other side of the bed, I nearly choke on my surprise. Wait, what? Is that a dude? Frowning, I try to focus. Rolling onto the bed, I peek over their broad shoulders to confirm my suspicions, and yep, there he was, butt naked and all. Rolling back over, I stare up at the ceiling. My first dude.

After another moment, I slip out of the bed, finding my clothes before making my stealthy exit. I wasn't quite ready to face exactly what I had or hadn't done last night. When it came to the ladies, I knew exactly what to do, and I was damn good at it. But this was new territory, territory I wasn't sure I was ready to explore in much more detail.

Talking about the ladies, rumor had it that an attempt to hook up with Arcadia Fray during the goodbye meetings had failed terribly. I had heard some peacekeepers whispering about it over a cheeky beer at the end of their shift. They had walked in on Arcadia with a dark-haired fan who had demanded a good smooch, only to be left bare-lipped and embarrassed. The whole situation just screamed Dante. Her track record was beginning to show a rather depressing pattern.

That and the fact that I hadn't heard from her for the last four days had me under the impression that my best friend was the source of these rumors.

Abandoning the route home, I head towards her place. I don't knock when I arrive. Her folks knew me well enough to almost consider me a son. That's what I liked to tell myself, anyway. Pushing open her bedroom door, I spot her curled underneath her bed covers, and instantly I drop into the bed beside her, grinning from ear to ear. "So, rumor has it that Arcadia Fray almost added another to her kiss list. I was wondering if you knew anything about it?"