Worth Solving {Dylan O'Brien}

Chapter Eight

8.

{Dylan's P.O.V.}

"So what do you study at UCLA, Genesis?" Posey asked, the large group of us under the dim lighting of our favourite bar in Atlanta.

Gen pulled her soda away from her face, her small body quite close to me. "English. Just started my third year."

"And did you exchange just because of Dylan?" Crystal asked with her perky voice, the 28 year old wavering to more tipsy than sober.

I rolled my eyes, "She'd been looking at it before she'd ever spoken to me." I defended.

The group let out a judgemental laugh, not truly believing us.

Hoechlin let out a heavy laugh, off his ass drunk. "Well you know what i've noticed?" He laughed again between his slurred words, "That Dan and Genesis have really close accents." A limp hand pointed between the two Brits, a dumb grin on his face. "Not just relative like country-wise, like city-wise." But with another laugh, Hoechlin was out like a light.

Oddly enough, Gen kept drinking her Pepsi, as if she were refusing to look at Daniel.

Crystal laughed, "I sure as hell wouldn't want to be." She pulled up the subject of her and Daniel's breakup, her drunken word vomit about to surface.

Everyone sober enough bit their lip and sat back as Daniel looked down, knowing he'd get her point of view on their split.

"Personally," A hand came to her chest as she looked at Genesis, her eyes wavering between open and shut. "I enjoy Gen's more," She hiccuped, her second empty beer slipping from her hand.

Gen caught the beer bottle without looking and set it on the table, waiting for Crystal to continue as if it were nothing. She took in our surprised looks and shrugged them off.

"Wow." Crystal stated, "You're like superman or something." She giggled again, "Wayyy better than Dan." She shot a judging look at Daniel, who watched with slight amusement.

"You know," Holland attempted to stand up, "I should get her home-"

"Wait. I wanna hear this," Dan stopped, knowing that when drunk people went off on a rant, they say things that are true even though they wouldn't say it sober.

Everyone shuffled back into their seats, waiting for Crystal to go on. Holland reluctantly huffed, dropping back down to Max's side.

"You know," Crystal's eyes began to slip closer to shut as she looked over to Gen personally, "He's like an old man I swear." She gave off a serious face, "Grumpy much, Dan?" She laughed loudly, glancing over to Daniel, who infact looked bemused. "I just assumed all English people were like that, but you, you're different." By her face, we all knew she'd be out in a matter of seconds. "Hiding something though," She whispered loudly just before her head fell onto Genesis' shoulder, the group of us coming to silence.

"Okay then," Holland stood up abruptly, "I'll get her home."

Max stood up, "I'll help," Both Holland and Max pulled Crystal's sleeping body off of the sofa, quickly saying goodnight before shuffling out of the bar.

"So, what do we do about Hoechlin?" Keahu cut in, everyone mentally thanking him for stopping the silence. A tanned hand pointed to Tyler sleeping soundly, a brown bottle idly balancing in his hand.

Posey ran his fingers through his mess of hair, "I can get him back to his house." He rose to his feet, pulling Tyler up and wrapping Hoechlin's arm around his neck, "I'll call Brittany so she knows he'll be too hung over to pick her up from the airport tomorrow." Posey looked over to Gen, "It was nice meeting you. Bye everyone." He gave the best wave he could before dragging Hoechlin out of the bar.

"Is there a sort of buddy system you lot have for drunks?" Genesis asked with a light grin, taking down another sip of the dark liquid.

We all shrugged, seeing as it did actually turn out that way. 'yeah's' mumbling out from all of us.

Our group dwindled down as time passed, Ian next to leave after Posey and Hoechlin, Charlie and Keahu to follow. Which left it at Dan, Gen and I. At 1:23, the three of us and a pair of other people managed to hold up the bar, only one staff member shlumped down by the counter. For a while it stayed quiet, Gen sending her mom a 'Goodmorning' text and Daniel finishing of his second beer, able to hold his liquour.

"So," Daniel eventually said, "I suppose I should go,"

Gen and I exchanged a look, agreeing mentally that we should go as well. I pulled myself up, Gen following, "We should too,"

Daniel shot me a look, unreadable, but still something, "Right, well, see you at the studio tomorrow." He shook my hand before extending it out to Gen, "Genesis."

"Daniel." Gen replied, shaking his hand for a moment before setting her can on the table. "Have a nice evening," She offered up, walking behind me towards the door, Daniel choosing to take the side door.

"I know they're a bit weirder then you might've expected, but what'd you think of them?" I asked her, knowing that she'd been extremely nervous to be around them as friends instead of a fan.

"They're lovely, honestly." Genesis gave me a grin, clearly stating that she'd accomplished something she'd never've expected to do. "Thank you," She said in a small whisper.

"I was happy to." I stated, "I knew they'd love you." I shuffled my hands into my pockets, thinking over what Crystal said before she passed out. "Question. What was Crystal talking about...right before she went out."

Genesis shrugged, "Dunno." She attempted to play it off, but i'd grown to know her, and she wasn't all that convincing to me.

"You sure?" I watched as Gen tugged her arms around her middle, a sign she felt uneasy.

"Positive." Gen gave up a smile before running a hand through her hair. She nudged my side, "Don't you trust me?"

I grinned like an idiot, a hand coming out of my trouser pocket to push up at my hair. I glanced back down to Gen, an odd expression on her face. "What is it?"

"That thing you just did, with your hair." Gen used her finger idly to point up to my hair, "You do that when you're nervous." Raising an eyebrow as I flushed, she knew she had caught on correctly, "Dylan, are you nervous?"

How the hell could she do that with me? It only ever seemed to be things that she could see. "Err..." I watched as her eyes traced mine, my thoughts tumbling out at her. "You make me nervous." Why did I just admit to that?

Genesis stopped, biting on her bottom lip, her eyes brushing the ground to hide pink cheeks. "I do?"

I laughed shortly, a shake of nervousness rushing through it, "Yeah. A lot."

Gen forced her eyes to meet mine, fumbling her hands together. "Let's just say the feeling is, er, mutual..." She laughed at herself lightly, pressing a hand to the side of her face as we walked on, clearly embarrassed.

I grinned, happy to hear that she felt the same, but also at the fact of her reaction. I'd honestly never seen anything as cute as that. She sure was something else.

I glanced down to her free hand lingering by her side closest to me. So instead if ruining an opprotunity, I pulled my hand from my pocket and slowly laced my fingers with hers.

And she let me.

~~

A/N: Dylan and Gen though!
Short, I know, but I was feeling bad about not having updated in a while! I just started work and it's tough too, but I still want to keep up with this!
Crystal knows somethings up, as well as Tyler... Will they remember is the question?

Hope you like this chapter!