Tattoo

Kyle yelps as Dalton picks him up off Con, and squirms under his grasp. "Someone their own size?! What about me?!" He wriggles some more, not really fighting, but genuinely trying to get loose. His face is red from laughing and he tries to catch his breath, though forgets Dalton's name. "Help! The Hulk has a hold on me! Jason, this is the last time I try to come rescue you!"

"What are you blaming me for?!" Jason returns.

Con tightens his grip. "Oh, quit your griping."

Jason whips around, finally getting loose, though he stumbles into a chair, knocking it over.

From the table, Carson quirks an eyebrow. "Hey now," he reprimand gruffly, though humor is still in his eyes. "Tear the place apart and you'll be helping me clean up later." He shakes his head a little as he watches, a smile quirking the edge of his mouth. His elbows resting on the table, the short sleeves of his t-shirt have ridden up, exposing his modified tattoo.

Con immediately stops and raises his hands. "Say no more."

"Coward!" Kyle taunts.

Con puts his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't go name-calling if I were you.... not in the position you're in." He turns to Jason. "You just gonna leave your friend hanging or what? He went after you. I think you owe him."

Jason rolls his eyes. "Great. Make me feel guilty. Come on, Kyle, let's get you out of trouble."

As the battle continues, Kyle is surrounded by the three larger men, the antics continuing. Though muscle is used, the brawl is kept friendly, the laughter persisting. Soon, no one is sure just whose side their on anymore.

Laura shakes her head and sighs, watching the nearby ruckus. Glancing to Nate, she smirks. "Yeah, I can see that look in your eye. You want just as bad to join in with the little kids over there." She rolls her eyes. "Men."

She glances to Katie and Jamie. "Personally, I think it's about time we stepped in and showed them how to end a war so we can actually finish eating our pizza in peace, but..." She giggles, letting the implied intervention hang in the air.

Dani settles in quickly, finding it strange how comfortable she felt... One would think she'd be terribly uncomfortable in a group of strangers, let alone one as different as this bunch. But there was a warm feeling there...one that almost made it seem like she'd known these people all her life.

Glancing down the table, she catches Misty's eye and smiles, mouthing the words, "thank you." Returning to her pizza, she pauses, giving her brother a questioning look, then whispers in his ear.

Carson speaks quietly, his eyes drifting to Kyle once, then back down. Finished with an explanation, his eyes roam across to Misty. He hadn't dared to catch her eye before this, but it's as if he can't help it. His eyes hold a strange look...there is so much there, it's hard to decipher. His stare is as deep as the first time he ever looked her in the eye, exposing thoughts and feelings. He wanted to talk to her, but didn't know how. He wanted to sit with her, but knew he could not. He wanted to be her friend, but had lost the way. He missed her.

Swallowing hard, his eyes finally drop back down, and he fidgets with a napkin for a moment, not really hungry. Then as if hit with a baseball bat, something triggers where he needed to be. "Ohhhh shoot." Getting up quickly, he pats Dani's shoulder. "I'll be right back."

Hurrying from the group, he hits the phone in the back, dialing quickly. "Come on, Jess, pick up..." He groans inwardly as he closes his eyes and leans back against the wall. He'd promised to eat supper with her at her new place...he'd promised to go over there right after work. With Dani showing up, his mind had been thrown completely off track.

Listening to the rings, he tries to come up with something to say, kicking himself. Sorry, you're less important than this? Sorry, I simply forgot about you? He rolls his eyes. Way to go, Carson.