lesandra | Late Night Drive (for Dom)

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Late Night Drive (for Dom)

It was Friday night and Les was antsy.

Her already extended time in Los Angeles was coming to a close. She had less than a week left before she needed to be back home and while she had known leaving was going to be hard... she hadn't expected it to be this hard. Leaving Austin and Blake was always rough. They didn't get to see them much and when they did, it never seemed long enough before they were heading back. Now, she was leaving not only them but another family that she had grown close to.

Normally, knowing that there was a race somewhere in the city was enough that she'd go there and blow off some steam. Or, knowing that she'd see Dom and the other people she'd come to know during the month she'd been there the next night was enough but... this time it wasn't.

"I'm going to go out for a drive. I should be back before morning but if I'm not, I'll text or call you guys," she said, looking over at Austin and Blake as she packed a tupperware of brownies into a reusable bag filled with a few other snacks she'd started gathering. She'd only thought of the idea about thirty minutes ago but she was a quick packer.

Blake's mouth quirked up. "You know, I didn't expect an infamous Les road trip to happen while you were here. Should we be offended?"

"I'm kind of offended," Austin piped up before chuckling. Though, honestly, neither of them were at all offended. They'd known her for what felt like ever and sometimes she needed a drive to clear her head. They would have joined her on her excursion but both of them had to work the next day and couldn't

Les rolled her eyes with a laugh. "You still have several days with my face so you'll get to see me plenty before I head back home."

"Just be careful, ok?"

"Always," she assured both of them with a smile before kissing their cheeks. She picked up her phone and walked over to the couch before taking a seat. She could do this solo and had done so often enough but... before giving it another thought, she pulled up her messages and taped on Dom's last message.

I know it's 10 p.m. but let's go for a drive. Right now. I have snacks and a full tank of gas. You down?

Maybe it would only be an hour, a couple of hours or most of the evening, she wasn't sure. She didn't know where they'd end up either - it could be just a drive around the city or another town or city close by... honestly, it didn't usually matter. It always depended on her state of mind and the company she was in.

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"You know she goes home in a week, right?"

"I'm aware of that, Mia. I'm not sure why you're reminding me of this," he says, pulling a beer out of the fridge. He doesn't open it right away, gesturing at his sister with it though. "She's a friend. She'll come back and visit. Not like Austin and Blake aren't here."

"You really going up to the coast at Christmas?"

"What? No. I'm going in the fall."

She just stares at him.

Dom shakes his head, turning when he hears his phone buzz. Picking it up, he stares at the message for a minute before moving to put his beer back in the fridge, unopened.

Sounds like a plan. You wanna pick me up or was that a come get me?

Meeting someone that she was interested in on this trip hadn’t been the plan. But that didn’t mean she regretted it for a second. It just made it harder to leave him and Los Angeles. It was absolutely random to text him like this and hoped he would join her on a spur of the moment road trip. But it was a thing she did and if this... relationship worked out, she would want him to join her on these adventures sometimes. No she hadn’t been looking at her phone every second that went by after she messaged him.

Ok, she had been. The moment she felt her phone vibrate and saw the pop up response, she smiled.

I’m on my way. Be there in 15!

“Hey guys, Dom is coming with me. See you later,” she called to the two before picking up her purse, the bag of snacks and her keys. “Love you!”

She pulled up in front of Mia and Dom’s place fifteen minutes later and debated if she should go up to the house or text him. In the end, she shot him a quick text letting him know she was there.

It's late at night. They've spent days together, talked for hours by phone, worked together on Mia's car and he's enjoyed all of it so much. He loves the time they've spent together and how much he seems to connect with her. There's nothing in him that wants to say no. How could he?

Except he's not sure if this is an hour drive around town, or hitting up a hotel where neither of them have friends and family? And he feels bad wondering, but he's a practical man.

Though he considers the easiest thing. He throws a clean tee and boxers into a backpack with the quick travel things he always takes - emergency tool set, a knife, his wallet, phone and a couple of bottles of water. Leaving Mia a note that he's going out and will be back later, he's waiting in the kitchen, considering what this means in the flirting and teasing and not a relationship that has been building up between them.

When the text comes in, he's out the door in a minute. Sliding in the backpack into the floorboard, he settles into the passenger seat with a grin.

"If this is how kidnappings work, I'm all for it."

Being with Dom was easy and exciting.

There was no shortage of things to talk about or to laugh about and to work on together. While she always had fun working on cars, she can honestly say that working on Mia's car and the other random jobs she'd taken while she was in town was the most fun she's had in a while. She'd been able to bounce ideas off him and just talk to him like they've known each other forever. It's a really nice feeling, honestly.

She loved spending time with him. Les wasn't always the best when it came to feelings but she wasn't going to hide from this or run from this. She wasn't exactly a runner anyway, she fought and loved head-on.

While she didn't truly expect the drive to be more than a few hours at most, if it did then she always had the emergency change of clothes in her trunk (just in case). Les set her phone down into a cupholder and glanced toward the house, smiling widely when she spots him leaving his house.

It was late and yet he was here, coming with her.

That was a huge thing in her book.

She laughed when he got settled in and leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth. "Only the best kind of kidnappings," she agreed and turned the car back on.

"I'm not really sure where we'll end up," Les said, glancing at him. "Figure we'll hit the highway and just see where the road takes us. That good?"

Maybe he should have told someone. Not because he actually feels there is anything to fear from Les. Far from it. It was more a safety thing, in case anything happened to them, but he just wanted this time without any texts, without anything said, and for that he pulled out his thumb, setting everyone but Mia on silent before sliding it into the bag.

Smiling at that kiss, loving how easily they've come together and how close he already feels to her. "Sounds great to me. Notice all I said was come get me."

Though when she says they'll just see where the road goes, he laughs. "Guess I should be glad I grabbed an change of things, huh?" Pausing only a moment, watching her as he cants his head, considering her in the dark. "You do this often? Just take off?"

Les always made sure, if someone wasn't already in the car with her, that someone knew where she was going. Not because she really anticipated running into trouble but just in case something happened. It's why she told Austin and Blake. She was sure they felt comfort knowing Dom was coming with her. If they'd heard her. She'd text them later just in case.

She smiled. "I'm really glad you did. That you wanted to come tonight." Les knew he had his own obligations, his family, and life, so it was nice knowing he was willing to come with her.

"No, not often, just when I have a lot on my mind," she said after a moment of silence. She started to drive as she thought about the question and how much she wanted to share. Honestly, she found, she wanted him to know nearly everything about her.

It was a scary thought but also exciting.

"Being in a car and driving relaxes me. When I was younger and - as Austin would say - being an angry teenager," her mouth quirks up a little, "whenever Don or one of the others had to go across town, a nearby neighborhood or sometimes places like San Jose, I'd usually go along with them. Just being on the road helped."

"Even when I wasn't driving, it allowed a moment for my mind to calm down. I would be stubborn for probably a good five-ten minutes but then all the shit would start coming out of my mouth. They'd listen to the venting of a teenage girl. Sometimes offering shit advice but... the fact that they listened was enough." She paused and glanced over at Dom with a little smile. "They had a ton of patience - more than I sometimes give them credit for. I suppose now they're my rather 'infamous' road trips but they're not usually for too long... an hour or maybe three. Usually, if it's during the day, I'll go to the beach because that helps just as much. Abby would come with me or I'd drag Alex or Don - depending on who's not busy at the moment." She came to a stop at a red light and looked at him.

"I guess I was a bit antsy tonight," she smiled with a little shrug. "I know there's a race somewhere in this city but I didn't really want to do that either." The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was flighty or something because she really wasn't. But, when it came down to it, her "parents" abused drugs to escape, so at least driving was a safer alternative to that.

Despite his teasing, there was no thought in his mind about whether or not to come tonight. She had asked, and he had been more than willing. Whether they drove out to the valley, or to the ocean, or further than that if she wanted, he didn't care. Hell, maybe they would end up in San Francisco by morning. Whatever it was, being there with her, he's glad for it.

"Of course I'm here. You asked. What else would I say? We only have a little bit more time before you head back home. I'm definitely glad to have the time."

They've gotten closer, sharing how much they cared for one another's company. He has no reason to hide exactly why he'd gotten in the car that night, or why he's glad to be there with her.

He's quiet and he listens, but he turns in his seat as best he can with his seat belt on, facing her and paying acute attention to what she's telling him.

"Nothing wrong with going for a drive to clear your head. Smarter than getting into a race," he says, knowing it's the truth, even if it's what he does. Or practicing for the next job coming up.

"So what's got your antsy? Anything you want to talk about?"

Being with Dom was different than anyone else she'd been with before. It was one thing to have the level of dedication from the guys back home because they'd known each other for years now and they were family. But to have that same level of care and interest from someone who she was romantically and sexually interested in was... well, it hadn't been the norm if the past few failed relationships were any indication. It was no more or less than what she would do for him as well.

She smiled at the response and glanced at him. "I know but I also know that you have family and obligations as well and I realize that sometimes they come first," she said, there was no heat to her tone or anything accusatory because it was something she understood from her own life. It was something that she hoped, along the way, they would blend together.

It's not long before she's hitting the highway, her speed increasing to the limit and staying there, at least while they were in the city. She didn't really want to end this trip with another speeding ticket. "Isn't that for sure - I destroyed a car that way," Les said with a laugh though at the time it wasn't funny in the least.

Honestly, Les wasn't sure why she felt that Dom would not understand or not get her. History was proving to her so far that if anyone would understand... it would be him. "I knew leaving was going to be hard - it always is. But... now it feels harder," she finally admitted after a moment. Harder because she was going to leave behind this with him. Though, she knew, realistically, they would do what they could to remain in contact and visit.

Les came out of nowhere in his life. A surprise he had never expected. Someone with a smile and tenderness and a spine of steel. She's strong enough to handle his life, his family, his choices. Hell, he's half on the fence about talking to the others about bringing her in on the jobs if they ever needed someone.

If she comes back.

So much counts on that. It's good and easy when they're both in the valley, sharing a shop and going to races and doing things like this, running off together for a few hours.

"You have the same kind of obligations. Why much as I'd like to ask you to stay here for a bit longer, I get you gotta head back up North. You gotta take care of them just like I've gotta take care of my family here," he says. Because that he gets. He really does. For her sake. For the sake of her family. All of them.

"Wait, wait, you're driving me and you totaled a car in a race?" He's trying not to laugh, trying to look shocked at that. "Am I safe right now?"

Not even thinking about how they're heading out of the valley into the desert, out past Bakersfield and into more or less nothingness until Vegas. He's not thinking about that, focusing on Les more than anything.

"I'm kind of glad it's hard this time," he admits. "But I'm also not going to make it harder. We'll work things out, okay?"

Les nodded, knowing what he said was true. "I have to tell you, it's refreshing to meet someone who gets it," she said, looking at him. "Guys like to say 'oh I understand' but they don't." She rolled her eyes and looked at the road. "They really don't."

One of the things she'd miss the most would be sharing the shop with him and doing things like this or a visit to the beach. Not to mention, she was getting to know many of the regulars who attended their races down here and that is always fun, if you ask her.

She laughed at his shocked look and glanced at him. "Okay, maybe it wasn't during a race. I was in high school and I flipped it... not intentionally obviously. I was upset about something stupid," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's all kind of a blur but I recall calling Austin because I knew Don would flip. About twenty minutes later all of them showed up. Thankfully I came out of it okay, but I did realize a valuable lesson in all of that. Austin is a snitch," she said, trying to keep a straight face but then she laughed and looked at Dom. "He's not but I did learn that I probably shouldn't be driving when I'm really angry. Oh, you're as safe as I was when you drove." Though she had no doubt that he knew that.

When she started to see fewer cars and hopefully fewer cops, she shifted into the next gear and increased her speed a bit. She wasn't really paying attention to where they were going only that this felt nice - taking a drive with him and letting the road take them wherever. Maybe they'd turn around and maybe they wouldn't but for now, she was enjoying this time with him.

"I know we will," she said looking over at him and lifted a hand from the gearshift and slid it over his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I've really enjoyed my time in the valley... more than I anticipated. I mean, I knew I'd have fun hanging out with Aust and Blake but meeting you has made it even better."

Dom chuckles but it's definitely a rueful sound. "It's like the racing life. If they don't live it, they do't get it. You have a family like we do, and you get that a lot in the racing world, people have to know it to get it. Why you guys would be close and friends no matter what. You get family time, and you get not stepping on toes, but you can be..." He laughs then. "Cousins," he says with a smile.

Which isn't that far off from the truth. They really are cousins in many ways, and becoming more and more that way with one another as a group. Individually though, with them, it's becoming something else entirely and he's happy for that.

"I promise you that nothing in my control will ever get you hurt while I'm driving," he assures her, and he means it. He can't control everything but he'll do this best. For her.

He's quiet a moment, listening to her words, the hum of the engine, not caring where they're going or what happens. SO long as he's with her.

"I've enjoyed your trip too, Les, and I mean it. I want to work it out, okay? Not sure what it will all mean, but I will come see you and I want to plan for you to come down this way again too."

Whatever it takes so he can see her again.

Her mouth curled up before laughing. "No, you're absolutely right about that," she said with a nod. "Unless they live it, they don't really get it. Cousins sounds about right," Les agreed with a laugh, looking at him. Though between the two of them, it was becoming so much more and she really liked that. She wasn't going to over think it at the moment; she was just going to enjoy it.

"I know," she said simply, glancing over at him with a smile. "Same for you," Les promised. "Promise nothing in my control will get you hurt." In the things she can do and control, she'd never do anything intentionally to get him hurt.

Les watched the road, relaxed and honestly really glad she asked him along tonight. Not only was driving really helping but just talking to him helped. "Yeah, ok," she agreed. "Good because the guys back home will definitely want to meet you," Les said with a smile. For the first time, in a long time, there was no doubt in her mind that they would like him. Much like them, he was protective of his family just as they were protective of them. "I'm already thinking of when I can come down again."

"Of course, then you come up with another problem," he says, not that he thinks they're going to have that problem. He really hopes they won't ever have that problem, at least. "You bring them in, and you like them, and so then you end up with someone that's part of the family... and hoping you never break up."

He had gotten lucky with Letty. He hopes the same happens with Les, and the boys. He likes them all the way around. He just likes Les in another way as well.

He nods at that problem. "Hey, no worries. Do I look worried? I mean, you kidnapped me in the middle of the night and no one knows where I am and, honestly, I'm not worried." He couldn't even imagine being concerned, his focus on her and not her driving. Not in the least.

"What? They don't know who I am already?" He tries to sound hurt but only ends up laughing. "I'm thinking the same way to get away. We'll need to compare notes or risk passing one another on the highway," he teases.

Les went quiet for a moment as she considered his words and focused on the road ahead of her. "No, you're right about that," she agreed. "When Austin and I broke up a few years back - it was important to both of us that we remained friends, had each others backs and were still family. I can tell you this," she said, turning her head to look at him. "No matter what happens between us, you're basically stuck with me."

She was the type of woman that unless the other person truly did something unforgivable, she would still talk to them and still be there for them ride or die. Her family already liked Leon and Vince. It wasn't hard to imagine them liking Dom, Mia and the rest of them just as much.

Her mouth curled up. "No, you don't," she admitted then laughed. "I'm really glad you came with me tonight." She paused and glanced at him again. "Just spending this time with you has already helped." Les reached over and rubbed the back of his head.

"Honey, they know of you, they don't know you, there's a difference," Les said with a laugh before nodding. "Oh, absolutely. The last thing either would want is to arrive at each other's place and find out we passed each other. Besides, there are plenty of coastal towns along the way, we can always meet up halfway."

He nods at that because he totally understands. "I'm sure someone's told you me and Letty were a thing on and off for a while," he says. "We managed to stay friends and I'm glad you and Austin did as well."

But it's those next words of her that really stick with him. Smiling he reaches over and rests his hand over hers on the gearshift. "Good then. I won't seem like a creep when I hang around if it happens. Of course, not sure how much creepier I could get than being the kidnapper," he says, giving her a knowing look.

They've been out for a long drive, and he's not asked and she hasn't said. They're just driving into the dark and yet he can't help but tease her even if he doesn't mind.

"I'm glad I came too," he admits. "I'm glad to be here with you," he adds, laughing when she rubs his head. "That used to be a thing for luck," he teases.

"I can't say a lot of people know me," he admits. "But I really want you to be one of them," he admits. "And we can take that time getting to know one another on those trips. A nice B&B on the coast. I could live with that."

"They did - a few someones, including Letty," she admitted with a laugh, glancing at him. "She also warned me against hurting you." Honestly, Les hadn't taken it personal. She'd given the same warning to any woman who came into the guy's lives because while they could walk away and not interact with them again, Les would be damned if she let anyone hurt the guys she cared about. She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm glad too. On both of our accounts."

She smiles when his hand rests on hers then laughs at the kidnapping comment. "Hey, we have to play to our strengths," Les said, sending him a wide grin. "Mine just so happens to be a side of kidnapping. But it's always a fun kidnapping and not the murder kind." Not that she thought Dom was truly worried about that. They were in the middle of the desert and he hadn't asked where they were going. Hell, she wasn't sure where they were heading to... until the sign came up.

"Well, looks like we're about fifty miles outside of Vegas," she said with a laugh. "Shit, I hadn't realized... So, we can either turn around and head back home or head into the city and try our luck. Preferences?"

She stayed silent for a moment and glanced over at him. "I get that," she admitted, smiling. "I really would like to be one of them too." Les paused and sent him a smile. "I had just meant they haven't met you and I'd like for you to meet my family." Les thought about meeting up with him in some B&B on the coast and grinned. "I like that idea. We'll definitely have to plan on doing that for sure."

Dom winces at that, rolling his eyes as he does but he's still smiling a bit. "Oh that I'm not surprised about. Course, you've gotten farther than she's let others get," he admits. "So I think that's definitely saying something. "

And for him it really does. She could have well chased her off like Letty and Mia have done countless others. That they hadn't said a lot to him. He didn't need their approval but for family to work, he wanted it. They had to listen to one another. They'd never steered him wrong before and he trusts them now.

He jerks at that, turning to face the road and not Les, looking at the mile markers. "Well hell," he says, shaking his head. He hadn't even realized they'd been on the road that long.

"We're already here," he says, because fifty miles is nothing going the speed they are.

"Well you kidnapped me and brought me to Vegas. I think we're working on getting to know one another so you're definitely one of them, but I want that too, Les. I'm definitely going to come up north. When I'm not being kidnapped," he teases.

"Trust me, I expected her warning," Les said with a laugh. "And the fact that neither of them have chased me off, I'd count that as a win." She paused, considering. "Just, don't be surprised if after I leave Austin and Blake do something similar when I leave." Though, truth be told, she was a bit surprised they hadn't already. But they also knew better than to do it while she was there. Honestly, as much as she disliked it at times, the had grown to appreciate it and appreciate them looking out for her.

Les nodded. "We might as well," she agreed. "Besides, it's been a while since I've been to Vegas. If you have signal, do you want to try and find us a place to stay?"

"I'm really glad I have that change of clothing in the trunk now," she mused with a laugh. Les grinned in amusement. "I suppose you really can't come up north if you're being kidnapped," she said with a playful sigh before winking at him. "So I will try to resist the temptation."

Dom laughs at that, giving her a look. Watching the world pass by past her, realizing how far they've gone. It's been peaceful and fun sitting there together, driving along in the desert and talking. "And I expect they will. Hell, I expect I'm going to hear it from them when they realize I've been kidnapped to Vegas," he points out.

Or in the end, someone is going to call them to find out where the hell they are.

He laughs again. "I may have grabbed a tee shirt and a change of things in my bag. Not that I expected Las Vegas, but sure." He grins at her though as he says it.

Getting out his phone, he starts looking. "You want to do cheesy and tourist?"

"Probably," she said with a laugh, glancing over at him. "They knew I was dragging you with me on this trip. I just didn't know where we'd end up. Told them I'd call them if I wasn't going to be back before morning. Now your family may wonder where I've kidnapped you to and may send out a search party," she teased him with a grin.

Les grinned and shook her head. "I seriously didn't know we'd end up going this far," she said with another laugh, surprising even herself. It had felt so easy sitting there and driving with him, enjoying his company.

"Sure - it's either cheesy and tourist or what, one of the mega hotels on the strip with unlimited buffets?" Which honestly was not her cup of tea - the unlimited buffets that was. "I'm not exactly picky so long as we don't leave with some sort of bug...of either variation," Les said with an amused smirk.

"I guess maybe I should have told Mia where I was going. I could text her," he says with a grin but then he realizes that's not what he's going to do. "Or send her a selfie when we get to the hotel," he says, figuring that should do it pretty well.

"I hadn't even realized we'd been driving that long," he admits. "Just comfortable sitting here and talking with you," he says softly. "I have really been glad for all this time and the talking."

He laughs at that, picking out a hotel. "The Cromwell is a boutique hotel, which just means I guess intimate and not a huge chain thing. Highly recommended," he notes, figuring that works and setting up the reservation. "Just the night?"

Les laughed and sent him a grin. "We'll send selfies to both of our families then. You'll send it to Mia and I'll send it to Austin and Blake so they don't freak out and call the others," she said with a roll of her eyes. They were used to this from her but still, ending up in Las Vegas was definitely further than she'd expected.

She smiled. "Me too," she admitted, looking over at him. "It has really helped me, more than I'd expected."

Les considered the question and hummed thoughtfully. "Well, that depends, I suppose. I know we'll miss races tomorrow night but I'm sure between the two of us we can find a street race around here if we wanted," she paused. "Maybe two nights?" Her tone was uncertain though. They hadn't really been alone for more than several hours, and they'd always had one or both of their families around. This was the two of them. Ultimately, she didn't want him to get tired of her.

"Oh but they won't freak out that we ran away to the sudden overnight marriage capital of the world," he teases her. "Oh, we should send it from out front of a chapel," he adds, more amused than he should be by the prospect. "Not that I'm proposing."

He's still amused, but he wants to make sure that she doesn't think that he's serious.

"I'm glad I could help. I really am." He leans over, kissing her cheek with a smile.

He's quiet a moment and then pushes some buttons on his phone. "Let's stay the weekend and I'll put some feelers out and we'll see what we can find. I bet we could blow things away in Vegas."

Just them in Las Vegas enjoying life without anyone else.

"They may freak out," Les admitted with a laugh, looking over at him. "But I still think we should do it. The taking a photo in front of a chapel that is. Not the proposing part." She was equally amused and knew he wasn't being completely serious. She could see Austin giving her a call right away once she sent it. Not that she thought either of them would actually believe it.

She smiled at the kiss to her cheek. "I'm glad too." At the very least, she knew that whatever happened this weekend, they would work on their relationship after she went back home. That was important to her. And, he promised to come and visit her.

"Perfect. I have no doubt we can blow things away in Vegas. It'll be a ton of fun," she agreed with a grin. "I can put out a few feelers myself." She liked that they'd have a weekend together without anyone else.

"May have to make a quick shopping trip tomorrow... later today," Les said with a laugh. "Since I only have the spare change of clothes."

"May? May freak out," he laughs. "As in they will be rushing here to defend your honor and save me? And am I talking your boys, or Mia and Letty?" He laughs more at that, unable to help being amused by that idea.

"I'm checking a few things now," he admits, pulling up some chatboards on his phone that he uses to keep in touch with others. "There's a possibility of a race tomorrow night I'm sure. It's Saturday in Vegas, right?"

He can't imagine not being able to find a race in L.A. on Saturday, after all.

That gets a snort from him, giving her a look. "Yeah, we might both need that, definitely."

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