Soft light filtered through the thin purple curtains, the storms finally done as Ana lay deep under her covers. She stirred slightly as the sunlight began to rouse her sleepy body awake. Stretching like a cat after a nap, she peeked her eyes open and saw she was alone in her room. Racking her groggy brain, she tried to remember what happened last night.
Begrudingly pulling herself from the depths of her numerous blankets and pillows, she fumbled for the hair-tie that she kept around the bedpost. Locating it easily, she swept her mess of long, golden curls into a high ponytail. Satisfied that the curls were off her face and neck, she rolled out of bed. Padding through the hallway, parched, she still attempted to recall the previous night's events. She could vaguely recall running into the infamous AJ McLean and potentially breaking his fingers at the batting cages. Then drinks... Yes, they had gone for drinks... Sodas...
"With the way my mind is working, one would have thought we went on a binge," Ana muttered to herself, walking down the carpeted stairs. She began to remember something else. A fight... AJ had gone into chivalery mode and-- her thoughts stopped as she saw a mass of blankets on the couch.
Stepping into the living room, she leaned to the side and groped for the metal baseball bat she had propped in the corner of the room. Hoisting it to her shoulder and circle both hands tightly about the end till her hands blanched. She couldn't recall what had sneaked into her house, but from her years of watching horror movies, she would not play the vixen that died. Inching toward the mass, she was revolted to hear a loud, nasally snort. Raising the bat, she was convinced that she would crush whatever lay in hiding. Beast or man.
"Mmph..." it groaned again, brown spikes of hair peeking out fromm the blankets and deep brown eyes that soon followed that widened in terror at the sight before them. "HOLY SHIT!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE, MCLEAN?!" Ana shrieked in disbelief when he went diving over the couch in an entanglement with the blankets. Dropping the bat over her shoulder, she winced when it connected with her bare foot. "Damnit!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH A BAT?! I'M TOO YOUNG TO GET BEATEN TO A BLOODY PULP!" AJ shrieked back, attempting to get out of the tangles of blankets.
"THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN MY HOUSE!"
"YOU SAID I COULD SPEND THE NIGHT!"
"WHEN THE FUCK DID I--" When her knee came into contact with the cluttered coffee table, causing her to fall backward in the nearby Lazy-Boy, a jolt of memories collected in the recesses of her fogged memory. They had been having some sodas at some typical bar when a man had made a inappropriate comment. AJ had reacted as if he were her lover instead of annoyer... So, driving him to her home, she insisted that he come inside so she could tend to his hand. Somehow, they had continued to chat and she insisted that they watch some movies... "Jesus Christ..."
"And she remembers," AJ grumbled, slipping on the covers she had given him. He disappeared behind the couch with a thud. "GODDAMNIT!"
"I remember inviting you to stay for movies, not spending the night, though halfway through the movies I fell asleep..." Ana immediately reached to rub gingerly at her aching temples. She didn't even bother to check with the man who had disappeared behind the couch once more, too caught up in remembering the last part of the last movie. How had she fallen asleep? And how the Hell did she get upstairs?
"I carried you upstairs and I fell asleep down here," AJ grunted, peering from the edge of the couch. "I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."
"You're welcome," Ana returned, continuing to massage her aching foot.
"Freaking blankets!" AJ growled, finally kicking them away from himself. He crawled back onto the couch again.
"Where'd you find them anyway?"
"Umm... behind the couch and draped over the Lazy-Boy."
"Gotcha..." Ana trailed, using her opposite hand to give her stinging knee a good rub. Staring at the man slouched on her couch, she tilted her head in sheer wonder. The man had every opportunity to take advantage of her position last night, yet he had cast himself to a lumpy couch. "...Why didn't you just go home and leave me on the couch?"
"I didn't want to leave you alone," AJ shrugged, running a hand through his hair. In all honesty, he didn't think he would have been able to leave her last night. Something about her intrigued him.
"But you didn't have to carry my fat ass up to bed."
"You don't have a fat ass," AJ chuckled.
"I'm sure you copped a good feel when I was knocked out, huh?" Ana questioned, quirking her light blonde brows.
"Why would I do that?" AJ raised a dark eyebrow in return.
"Because I was fully open to whatever you wanted--"
"What I had wanted was a chance to talk to you and get to know you. While you were conscious."
Ana leaned backward in the Lazyboy, unable to hold such an aggressive front. Not when the depth of AJ's dark chocolate eyes burned with a sweet sincerity. She had never seen such honesty in a man. Nor had she ever let herself drift into such a deep sleep, especially in the presence of a man. Lightly tapping her fingers upon her bottom lip, she released the softest of sighs. "Thank you for taking me upstairs last night... That couch hurts my back something fierce when I sleep on it."
"I have no doubt that it does. That's why I carried you up to your bed," AJ shifted and grimaced as his back flared up.
"Don't exactly have the funds to buy a new living room set, y'know? Since having Stephanie move in here and... I make a decent living at the hospital... But..." Ana offered another shrug, studying the way AJ pulled his arms behind his back in an uncomfortable manner. "Why don't you take some of those pillows and lay on the floor? On your stomach."
"Okay," AJ grabbed the pillows and did as she suggested. "When I was first living on my own... people refused to sleep on my couch."
"Well, why would you make your girlfriends sleep on the couch when you had a perfectly good mattress in the bedroom?" Ana teased, waiting for AJ to become comfortable upon the floor. Then, she stood from the Lazyboy and walked over to where he lay. Carefully, she straddled his hips, feeling him immediately tense. "I'm not going to strangle you... I just want to give you a quick massage... Then I can make you breakfast..."
"Sorry, I keep remembering a bat hovering near my body," AJ chuckled as she began kneading the kinked muscles. "Whatcha making me for breakfast?"
"I thought there was a critter hiding beneath my blankets and I wasn't about to be some airhead that gets herself killed because she had to investigate a noise. Bash first and ask questions later," Ana explained with a grunt, hesitating for a moment before sliding the wifebeater up over his shoulders. Admiring the length of tattoos covering his back, she reached for her favorite lotion laying upon the coffee table. Squirting some into her hands, she hurriedly applied it to his back, hating how intense his muscles felt. "What's your favorite breakfast meal?"
"You watch too many horror--" AJ moaned as she hit a large knot. "Movies."
"You alright?"
"It's been a long time since I've had a massage."
"Maybe you should stop working yourself so hard and get one every now and then?"
"Easier said than done?"
"Story of my life," Ana agreed morosely, running her hands lightly up his back. Feeling him shiver, she actually smiled for a moment before rubbing his neck. "Guess you should hire a personal masseuse for the road. Or find a few more girlfriends."
"I'm getting tired of having multiple girlfriends... though hiring a masseuse might be a good idea."
"I only charge forty an hour... Not including the tip..."
"Would you consider it if I offered you the job?"
"Working full time and over time at the hospital makes it a bit impossible..."
"You would make three times what you make at the hospital."
"I'm a Registered Nurse, not a professional Masseuse. Besides, you want someone who's qualified and doesn't try to slaughter you every chance she gets. Besides, we argue horribly. I doubt I'd get you calm."
"I'm pretty calm right now."
"Why are you so insistant about this?"
"Because I need a good masseuse. You said it yourself!"
"I also said I'd make you breakfast, does that mean you're hiring me as a cook, too?"
"Hey... yeah!"
"I keep digging my hole even deeper," Ana groaned.
"You're just going to have to accept," AJ insisted, rolling beneath her so he laid upon his back.
"Never," Ana insisted with a small smile nonetheless, unable to help herself as she brushed her fingers down the side of his face. "But you can stop by any time you need a massage. Okay?"
"Can I come by just to come by?"
"I'm pretty boring... Stephanie uses me for my massaging and she lives here..."
"I don't think you're boring..."
"You don't?"
"Not in a million years!" AJ exclaimed, reaching out to catch a blonde ringlet that had fallen from her ponytail. "Who else would wake me up with a death threat?"
"I think some ex-girlfriends might..."
"The ex-girlfriends who used me for my fame, money or both?"
"I was thinking about the ex-girlfriends that you used," Ana answered honestly, climbing off his hips. Standing up, she made sure to offer her hands to him, not wanting to leave him on the floor. "I always thought you wanted more ass than a toilet seat."
"I didn't WANT it... I just... was having a hard time trying to find the right girl..." AJ trailed off, grasping her hands and standing up.
"So, you figured that getting each girl into bed would help you find the right now?" she continued to question, gesturing for him to follow into the kitchen. She couldn't have possibly been any different from the man. He sought to have as many relationships as possible while she averted any possibility of romance at every chance.
"I didn't say it was the smart way to find the right one," AJ shrugged, paddinng behind her.
"And now?" Ana asked, retrieving the carton of orange juice from the fridge. Shaking it vigourously, she opened it to take a large swallow without the need for a glass. She then offered it to him.
"Now I'm just kind of standing in the background... waiting," AJ grasped the carton and took a long drink.
"Waiting for what exactly?" she inquired curiously, gathering an abundant amount of ingrediants from the fridge. Enough to create a masterpiece of an omelete with sausage and bacon.
"Someone. That certain someone. Where your eyes connect and there's this click... like you've known them for years," AJ sat on a barstool near the stove.
"Your true love?" Ana guessed, though she was skeptical of the entire concept. She had never been one to dismiss another's hopes and dreams. Instead, she had entered a profession where she strived to help solidify hopes and dreams through caring for the sick. Giving them the strength to live another day.
"Yeah, basically," AJ watched her walk around the kitchen. "Do you want any help with breakfast?"
"How good of a cook are you?" Ana asked, regarding his lithe frame with a bemused smirk. When he scowled, she laughed softly and gestured for him to approach. "Why don't you mix the eggs and milk and beat them? You seem like a sadomachoist..."
"I only tried that once!" He scowled again and began mixing all the ingredients.
"I bet," Ana mused with a laugh, turning so she could prepare the pans. Though, throughout her work, she continued to glance at AJ, Just a casual glance every now and then, so if he caught her, he would merely assume that she was checking his progress. But, instead, she couldn't help but let her mind drift. He had been with so many women, yet he claimed that none of them had loved him. How could he have been so unloved given the circumstances... Sighing, she moved to drop slices of bacon within the pan, suddenly turning. "You say you're waiting? ...So, how long has it been since you had sex?"
"Wow, you don't beat around the bush," AJ chuckled, raising his eyebrows as he turned from the egg mixture.
"There's no point?"
"It's been about... three months."
"God, you're probably hornier than a duck--"
"Hornier than a WHAT?!"
"Ducks like to fuck?" Ana offered innocently.
"I thought it was that their quacks didn't echo..."
"C'mon, if your name rhymes with fuck, you know you enjoy the act. Kind of like Chuck... Every Chuck I ever met just wanted a chance to score--"
"That was a tangent I wasn't prepared for," AJ chuckled softly.
"Well you got me off--"
"I what?!"
"The original subject," she immediately emphasized.
"Oh..."
"Did I get your hopes up, McLean?" Ana questioned, turning around to regard what looked like such a deflated expression marring his handsome face.
"Well, no, I was just--"
"Why does it look like I stepped on your favorite sex toy, then?"
"Give me a minute. I'll come up with a good response..."
"You mean a lie," she answered, adding the links of sausage into another warmed pan. "...You know... For what it's worth... Watching you dance is something that I find extremely erotic."
"Really?"
"Really," she confirmed with a nod of her head, slicing and dicing the variety of ingrediants she would offer him for the omelet. "The way you move your body... Whenever I watch you, I can't look away."
"Well, it seems like you can't look away from me now, either," AJ murmured, noticing the way she continued to glance away from her work, making sure to observe him. He held a proud smirk upon his face, continuing to work the egg batter furiously. He had never felt so awkward around a woman before. Usually they were falling at his feet. Constantly. Now, for the first time in his life, he had to work for her attention.
"I just can't get over that you haven't had sex for three months," Ana hurriedly quipped.
"Because of how I perceived myself to the media in the past as a manwhore," AJ chuckled, watching her cheeks redden.
"Well, you wore the t-shirt, not me."
"I will be the first to admit that I have not always been the fashionista."
"And I won't piss on your leg and tell you it's raining."
AJ stopped beating the eggs for a moment and looked at the woman cooking. "WHAT?"
"I was just simply saying that I won't lie to you and say you were an expert in the fashion department."
"...Okay?"
"Are the eggs done?"
"I think they're beaten to a pulp."
"Good," Ana answered with a laugh, gesturing for him to come forward. Dividing the batter into two portions, she stepped to her side. "Use whatever you want for your omelet and I'll cook it."
After checking out all the ingredients, he chose green peppers, cheddar cheese, onions and mushrooms.
Taking his mixture, she moved to the final pan and poured the egg batter into the simmering butter. It crackled with life and she picked up a spatula. Feeling the heat of another body, she looked over to see him standing next to her, just watching. There was a sudden rush of delight that moved over her, but she dashed any hopes of it kindling further. "You're a hyper indivudual, y'know that."
"I've heard it for years from Kevin. In fact... he told me that last week..." AJ gave a cheesy grin and rested his chin on her shoulder for a moment.
"And you're probably spoiled rotten," Ana guessed with a soft murmur, shivering slightly at the touch of his warm breath over her bare skin.
"Yeah, but I don't act like a brat," AJ inhaled the soft smell of her rose shampoo and J.Lo Glow perfume from the night before.
"Unless you don't get what you want," Ana countered, closing her eyes for a moment in attempts to steady herself, though she found herself drifting within the spicy scent of his cologne.
"Even then..." He trailed off, entwining his fingers through her curls.
"Are you sure?" she questioned, turning her head so her lips were at his ear. Her soft breaths tickled him to the point where the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. Her lips stayed close to his ear and she had to resist the temptation to nibble at his lobe. "...Even when you want something so bad you can taste it?"
"I..." AJ trailed off, his body aching for something. Anything.
"When you know that it's something so sweet that Heaven itself would pale in comparison? When you want it so desperately that you feel like you'd die without it?" she continued to tease, her voice dropping into a soft, silky whisper.
"Ana..." he whispered, bracing his hands on either side of her against the counter. The temptation to crush his lips against hers was almost too great.
"Yeah?" Ana questioned sweetly, pulling her lips away from his ear so she could fold the finished omelet. Reaching for the nearby plate, she easily flipped it upon the plate with the bacon and sausage. Though, within a moment, she found the plate thrust onto the counter as she was turned in AJ's hold. Suddenly, she realized just how close he was as his hips pressed against hers. The telltale hardness of him grew against her and her indigo eyes widened with realization.
"I have dreamed about you since the night we met. I can't forget your breath on my skin... your voice..." He trailed his fingers over her plump lips. "Your eyes... your lips..."
"We just met--"
"Yeah, we just met. And?"
"So you couldn't have been dreaming of me that often," she attempted to argue, fighting to bite down on her bottom lip where his thumb continued to rest, knowing she would just as easily draw it into her mouth for a nibble.
"Never heard of daydreams?"
Ana took a sharp breath into the deepest recesses of her lungs, causing her chest to rise up, brushing against him. The mere touch sent a catclysm of electricity jolting through her body. She had never felt so alive in her entire existance, but still unsure of how to act. "A-fucking-parently not--"
He silenced her curse with a gentle but deep, yearning kiss and prayed she wouldn't push him away.
The descent of the man's lips over hers had frozen Ana in a state of shock. The rush of emotions that flooded over her caged heart was unlike anything she had ever experienced. The intensity of wanting was unlike no other. The need to have him close and desire to never let him leave. She could even feel how desperate he was within the softness of his lips. And, damnit, the sweetness of his taste was addicting. Weakening, she found herself giving into the kiss. Her lips yielded beneath his, allowing his tongue to slip within her mouth with a tenative coaxing. Soon, she weakly allowed their tongues to tangle. Drawing her arms upward, she tangled her fingers within his thick locks, pulling him closer. The yearning for something more struck deeper and finally she grasped the back of his t-shirt collar, pulling him away. Terrified. She was terrified. Gasping sharply, she held a hand up to prevent him from stepping closer. "Don't ever do that again."
Dazed, AJ's brow wrinkled in confusion. "But I thought--"
"Just... Jesus..." Pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger, Ana attempted to ward off the brewing migraine. Her entire body shuddered with fear at what she had just felt and revulsion into allowing herself the chance. "Enjoy your breakfast, okay? And just let yourself out when you're done. I need a shower."
"Ana--"
"Eat. You look like you haven't in a couple of days," she pushed by him and ran upstairs, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"What the fuck just happened?" AJ murmured to himself, rubbing the back of his neck in bewilderment.
Sighing heavily, he tried eating the omlette she made for him but couldn't swallow much of it. He wrote her a quick note before slipping on his shoes, grabbing the car keys and walking out of the house.
Ana,
I don't know what just happened, and I'm sorry if I crossed any lines. Sometimes, when my heart tells me to do one thing and my brain another... I end up going with my heart. I hope we can still develop a friendship. Please call me when you have a chance.
AJ
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Are you with me?"
Following the sound of Howie's voice, Stephanie was startled to find him so close when she finally dragged herself out of her thoughts. The sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline reminded her that Howie had offered to take her out for a romantic lunch. He had made a picnic lunch and went to a significant amount of effort to find the perfect flannel blanket and largest beach umbrella. It was a perfect afternoon, but her worries had gotten the best of her. It had been several days since the apparant disaster between AJ and Ana. Stephanie had found the note when she returned from Howie's house the next day. But Ana refused to speak about it. Instead, she picked up several extra shifts at the hospital, practically working herself to death... "I'm so sorry, Howie."
"It's okay... I know that this classical beach romance is overplayed, but, I figured--"
"No, it's not that. This lunch is absolutely perfect. But my thoughts are elsewhere and that's not fair to you," Stephanie sighed, running a hand through her newly cut locks. The front layers framed her face while the back was short and styled into messy spikes.
"Well... Where exactly are your thoughts?" Howie asked, offering her the chance to share whatever had turned her blue-gray eyes into the color of the darkest slate. He hated seeing her so gloomy, which was unusual. It caused his heart to feel a familiar ache that he hoped she had erased.
"It's just... Ana and AJ..." she chewed on her thumbnail. "I know it's not our business, but--"
"But you're worried," Howie finished with a soft, knowing smile. Shifting slightly, he reached into the picnic basket to retrieve some fresh strawberries he had dipped into chocolate. Offering her the container, he then pulled her so she rested comfortably between his legs. Then, he retrieved the container, holding it so she could eat.
"Yeah. I think I've seen her maybe ten minutes in the past few days," Stephanie leaned back against his strong chest, nibbling on the sweet concoction.
"Why so little?"
"When she runs into any kind of problem... personal problems, actually; she buries herself into work until she's almost burned out. She has maybe an hour inbetween shifts to either eat, sleep or shower."
"She works herself to death?" Howie questioned, making sure that he understood.
"Yeah. And she won't talk about what happened, so I get even more worried..."
"Aje is the same way right now... Well... Sort of... He just told me that he somehow 'fucked up big time.' But he won't tell me how he did it. He just keeps muttering about how pitiful he is... And he can't concentrate on work right now. He just spaces. I've never seen him so befuddled over a woman before..."
"I feel so guilty. Here I am, all happy and lovey with you... and they're... lonely..."
"You have no reason to feel guilty," Howie chided lightly, lifting up another strawberry for her to feast upon. "You're allowed to be happy, Stephanie."
"I know, but--"
"Making yourself miserable isn't going to help Ana feel better. She's going to need you when she crashes, which is going to be soon... She'll probably work so much she'll make herself sick or something... Besides, you're a gorgeous woman who deserves to be loved."
"And you're saying that Ana isn't?"
"No, not at all. But you've made the choice you want to be loved. Ana hasn't. And she needs to make that choice on her own."
"She wants to be loved. I know she wants to be loved. But she just can't let herself be loved, because of what happened to her... She's terrified, Howie. When I see her for those ten minutes... God, her eyes... It scares me to see her so broken and terrified... She's always been so strong--"
"On the outside. I don't think she's strong on the inside. It's like a mask... you and I have worn them over the years, and so has she. I know it's scary, but she needs to realize that love is about taking a chance. But no one can make her see that."
"I know, but..." Stephanie released a heavy sigh. "If AJ did anything to... He wouldn't have the gall to push her into... I'll kill him, Howie. I swear."
"Hey, hey, hey. I've known him for over ten years. He would never make a woman do anything she doesn't want to do."
Nodding, Stephanie retrieved a strawberry and held it to Howie's lips. "I know... I just... I know AJ wouldn't hurt her... But she's so vulnerable..."
"I know," he took a bite and some juice dribbled down his chin. "But we have to let them work this out--"
"Why can't we help them along?" Stephanie interupted with a pout, leaning back to cup her hands against his face.
"Baby..." Howie groaned with a chuckle. "They're adults."
"Ana's my little girl," Stephanie continued to argue, shifting slightly so she could face him. Leaning forward, she kissed away the remaining juice. "Please, Honey..."
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"Not when Ana's hurting so bad."
"Well... alright... but if this blows up in your face, I am hiding from the potential bloodshed."
"You'd let me in the line of fire? And how the Hell will it blow up in my face?!"
"I don't know, I'm just covering my ass!" Howie grinned, running his hands down her sides.
"Our friends are miserable and you're cracking jokes!" Stephanie admonished with a gasp of a giggle. Bolting into an upright position, she wrapped her arms about his neck, pressing warm kisses to his face in hopes that he'd stop the tickles. "They need us, Baby, and I wish I could tell AJ about Ana's past... What if he gets fed up and just quits?"
"Honestly, I don't think he's going to give up. I haven't seen him persue anyone like this since... well... ever," He relinquished his tickles for a moment, placing his hands on her hips.
"Well, he sure as Hell has stayed away for long enough--"
"And so has she. Just give them a little more time... you'll think of a plan by then."
"I want one now."
"Have you thought of a plan yet?"
"Well... no..."
"Then you're going to have to give yourself a little more time, which means giving them more time. Maybe she'll catch some kind of wicked flu and Aje can take care of her. I'll sweep you off on some romantic vacation so he'll be the only one left..."
"Oh, yeah? What kind of romantic vacation?" Her eyes began to twinkle.
"A very romantic vacation?"
"Where would we go?"
"Some private beach bungaloo. No one else around us for miles."
"Mmm... all alone... with no interruptions? That would mean..."
"No Brian or Nick."
"Talk about paradise!"
"You're way too hard on them!" Howie chuckled, pulling her close so he could steal a few kisses. "Besides, we could get a little kid with the sniffles, have him sneeze on Ana, then lock them away in the other bungaloo!"
"You're something else!" Stephanie giggled, burying her face into the crook of his neck for a moment.
"You wanted a plan right now," he chuckled, wrapping his arms about her and squeezing her.
"Yeah, but where are we going to get a kid with the sniffles?"
"Ebay?"
"Howie!"
"It was a suggestion!"
"If anything, I would want to have kids WITH you--"
"What?!"
"What'd I do?!" She jumped at his outburst.
"You want to have kids with me?" Howie questioned, making sure that he had understood her. Their relationship was just starting to blossom, so he wanted to be assured that he had heard correctly.
"Well, yeah. Not right NOW, but in the future... why not?" Stephanie looked down at her hands, chewing on the thumbnail yet again.
"I just didn't think that you were thinking about it," Howie fumbled to explain, blushing at his awkward outburst. Reaching for her hand, he pulled her thumb away from her mouth. "Don't ruin your nails."
"It was dumb to talk about it so soon--"
"I'm not saying that it was dumb to talk about it so soon," Howie immediately interupted, refusing to allow her to think it was an absurd notion. The statement had merely caught him off guard, just as it had caught many men off guard in the history of the universe. Becoming a father was a monumental decision and not many men could live up to the golden icon their father's had originally created. Or, at least, that's what they feared.
"Then what are you saying?" She kept her gaze on her hands.
"I'm saying that it was a surprise to hear you mention it. Don't slap me, but it's something that a fan would scream out at a concert... Y'know... To one of the other guys..."
"I know," she sighed, biting on her bottom lip since he wouldn't let her bite her thumbnail.
"Don't put teeth marks in my favorite part of your body," Howie immediately chided once more, reaching out to cup her face within her hands. "It's a little soon to bring children into the world, isn't it? Especially when I want to be greedy and keep you all to myself."
"It is too early. I don't want them right now, I just think about having them someday," Stephanie offered a shy smile.
"I think about having them someday, too, I'm not getting any younger," Howie teased lightly. "I'll be pushing into my forties pretty quick... After Kevin, of course."
"You're not that old," Stephanie laughed softly, pushing on his shoulder.
"Older than you!" Howie exclaimed. "Almost robbing the cradle when it comes to taking you out on romantic dates."
"What?!" Stephanie laughed harder, rolling her sparkling blue-gray eyes. "I am not that much younger, Mr. Dorough."
"Till the paparazzi mentions that I was popping zits in a mirror while my girlfriend was in diapers so many years ago," Howie continued to jib playfully.
"Howard Dwaine!" she exclaimed, pushing him down onto the sand and climbing onto his hips.
"It's true!" he chuckled, hardly bothered by the way she tackled him within the heated sand. Instead, he caught her wrists to keep her from lashing out with a fevor of tickles, easily pulling her down for a kiss.
"Hush now," she scolded lightly, keeping their lips mere inches apart.
"Okay, okay," he relented, craning his neck upward to catch her lips once more, nipping playfully on her bottom lip.
"Mmm... I'm going to go crazy when you guys go back on tour," she pouted.
"Me too," he promised with a soft sigh.
"How long do I have you until that happens?"
"About three weeks. Give or take... Why?"
"I was just curious," she braced her arms on each side of his shoulders, leaning down to kiss him again.
"Just don't start counting down the days and getting depressed, Gorgeous. Let me do that, okay?"
"Okay..." she was silent for a moment. "Why can't y'all do your concerts via the Internet and stay here in Florida?"
"Because fans would be absolutely devastated if they didn't have the opportunity to fight over Nick's sweat soaked towel that he flings into the audience like it's gold..."
"Ew..." she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "I love you, baby, but I would never fight over something soaked in your sweat."
"You wouldn't even try to buy it on Ebay?" he questioned with a dramatic gasp.
"Do you know how bad guy's sweat smells?"
"...I would hope that I do... I'm the one that gets into a group hug with four other sweating men about every night..."
"Then no, I would not try to buy it on eBay," Stephanie laughed at the look of horror on his face as he remembered past experiences.
"Besides, you might be ready to get rid of me. Especially when the guys find out from AJ that I'm dating again..."
"What do you mean?"
"They'll be on you like white on rice!"
"What? No way! Not the four men I met at the concert!"
"They're a friendly bunch when they're not water-logged, parched, and exhausted..."
"Howie," she laughed, kissing him again. "I love you and only you. No matter who comes along."
Returning the kiss and pushing back the blonde locks that had fallen into his lover's face, Howie's dark chocolate eyes widened in realization. "I didn't mean they were going to hit on you! Well, I mean, they might, but Kevin will squash that! I just... I meant that our alone time would vanish!"
"But you said-- Ohhh..." Her own eyes lightened with understanding.
"Brian and Kevin are too whipped by Leigh and Kris to even think about looking at another woman! And Nick... Well, Nick will try to ruffle feathers, but I'm guessing he'd be more apt to try for Ana because AJ is into her... Seems they have this rivalary. AJ stole one of his women in Prague... It was a mess..."
"A mess that I'm glad I didn't see," Stephanie shook her head with a chuckle. "Life won't be boring from now on?"
"God no," Howie breathed, bringing her down for another adoring kiss. "...Besides, like I would ever let another man put a hand on you..."
"Yeah?" She smiled, the sun breaking through and making blonde locks glow.
"Yes," Howie insisted. "You're my Goddess. Mine and mine only."
"And you're mine only. Always."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ana slipped into the quiet house, careful not to make a sound. She had just gotten done with a double shift and had a couple of hours before she had to go back for a colleague. Enough time to take a shower and a quick nap. Stephanie's car was outside and she was bound and determined to avoid the older woman until it was time to leave.
Knowing that their stairs moaned terribly whenever any weight was applied to them, Ana moved toward the back of the house. She had set up a small office in what was supposed to be another bedroom downstairs. She could rest on the floor amongst her scattered nursing articles. It would be uncomfortable, but better than the broken loveseat she had pushed in. So, sliding off her scuffed sneakers, she pressed them to her chest and crept toward the back.
It's not that she wanted to hurt Stephanie's feelings, but Ana was nowhere near ready to talk about what happened with AJ. Nor did she ever want to talk about it. She just had to push it away and forget it. She was good at it. Stephanie was good at digging things up.
The memories of certain emotions would be buried deep within the crevices of her blackened heart. If given enough time, she could surpress even the most frightening memories. Digging them deep into her unconscious where, if she was lucky, even her dreams could not touch. Though, given the past week, she was certain that she was not so lucky. Whatever was pure and good in AJ's kiss had been tainted by her past. Thick coils of black swirled around the sincerity till it was choked in an enigma of perversion.
"Ana!"
Lurching forward in shock at the explosion of sound evading her thoughts, Ana's shoes tumbled from her hands and created a road block. Stumbling in hopes to regain some kind of balance, she yelped as her ankle twisted, causing her to crumple to the floor. "Jesus Christ, Stephanie!"
"Well excuse me for being surprised! I haven't seen you in days!" Stephanie rushed down the stairs.
"I was working!" Ana insisted with a hard groan, reaching to cup her injured ankle.
"Ana, two days have passed where you have never gone home!"
"It's a huge chunk of change when you consider how much over-time I got! Have you seen how fucking shitty our couch is?!"
"If you wanted us to get a new couch, I could have picked up more overtime and pitch in to get one! You don't have to work yourself into the ground."
"You're the one that put me into the ground, Stephanie," Ana gritted, feeling a significant tightening within her injured ankle. Looking down, she noticed the way her sock began to cut into the flesh above her grossly swollen ankle. "Would you get me a pair of scissors or something?"
"Yeah," Stephanie jogged into the kitchen and grabbed the cooking scissors. "How did I put you into the ground?"
"I'm sitting here on the fucking ground, ain't I?" Ana quipped sarcastically.
"You don't need to snap at me," Stephanie whispered, handing her the scissors.
"I'm not--" Ana abruptly ended her sentence before she could continue with the lie. It was useless to pretend that she wasn't being nasty. Her mood had significantly altered. So, instead, she said nothing and used the scissors to cut away at the stretched sock. "God..."
"Do I need to take you to Urgent Care?"
"I was supposed to be back for another shift at the hospital, but that's fucking unlikely, ain't it?" Ana grumbled, but mostly to herself as she assessed the damage. Her ankle had swelled at least three times over and was badly discolored. A vast array of blues, purples, and blacks...
"Maybe if you hadn't been sneaking around the house trying to avoid me, this wouldn't have happened," Stephanie went and grabbed an ice pack out of the freezer.
"Maybe you did it on purpose..."
"Yeah, I made you sprain your ankle," Stephanie rolled her eyes and handed her the ice pack.
"It could be broken," Ana suggested with a firm scowl, taking the ice pack and towel from her friend. Wrapping it firmly within the towel, she then eased it onto her ankle, hissing softly with annoyance at the fire that exploded from the tips of her toes and worked upward.
"Am I taking you to the hospital?"
"I can take myself--"
"How are you going to drive? It's your right foot!"
"I can do it--"
"You can be so damn stubborn, Anastacia!" Stephanie growled with disbelief, looking down at her broken friend. The days of constant working had certainly taken a toll upon her friend's body. Heavy bags settled beneath her murky turquoise eyes. There was no playfulness left within her. Just an empty shell void of anything but hate. No doubt the ankle was broken. And it would be her own fault. "Fine! Go by yourself! Drive!"
"You probably have another date with Howie anyway, right?" Ana guessed, no hint of detest nor excitement. Instead, she carefully lifted her injured ankle and started to scoot her backside across the carpet.
"No, not tonight. He and the guys are getting ready for the upcoming tour. I was hanging out here hoping I could actually see my best friend and maybe spend some time with her, since she's bee non-existant for how many days?"
"Only a few," Ana grunted, clawing at the backside of their lumpy couch to pull herself up.
"Bullshit," Stephanie watched her try and put some weight on her ankle. "Ana, this is stupid! Just let me drive you to the hospital!"
After a significant period of silence, Ana offered what was merely a small nod. She hadn't the strength nor the conviction to continue the foolishness of such a petty fight. Instead, she allowed Stephanie to wrap her arms about her, helping her toward the car with a steady hop. Concentrating on simply moving, she bit down hard on her bottom lip to keep the tears from streaking across her pale cheeks.
"Why have you really been working so much, anyway?" Stephanie asked as she buckled Ana into the passenger seat.
"Because we need the money," Ana answered simply, averting her gaze to the window, certain something was lurking about their home. Some man...
"The bills get paid, we have food and rainy day money. So try again," Stephanie pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Ana--"
"For once, Stephanie, can't you just listen to what I'm saying?"
"Because you would never let me say that to you."
"It's not a monkey see, monkey do kind of thing."
"I care about you. God forbid."
"I know you care about me, okay?" Ana insisted, holding a hand to her face to conceal the tears that she would inevitably blame on the injury. Sniffing hard, she muffled a cough to stifle a sob burning at her throat. "The only person in this whole fucking world that gives a shit about me. I get it. But, for once, can you let me forget how insignificant I am in this universe?"
"But you're not insignificant!"
"Stephanie--"
"You're not."
"If I died tomorrow, no one would shed a fucking tear and you know it."
"That's a bunch of fucking bullshit, Anastacia Grace."
"I don't want to fight--"
"You do so much for people everyday at the hospital. You saved me from a doomed relationship. Michael would have killed me, and you know that. You do everything for everyone and nothing for yourself."
"It's my job," Ana whispered softly, rubbing away her tears.
"You have made it your life. And it isn't healthy."
"I don't have anything else."
"You have me. You could have something else as well."
"A new damn couch."
"Ana..."
"I'm serious! The damn thing is a back injury waiting to happen!"
"Then we'll get a new one tomorrow. But there's someone else."
"For the thousandth time, I am not dating the new intern on the floor, he's nothing but a walking STD--"
"Not Erik!"
"Then who the Hell are you talking--"
"AJ."
"No."
"Why? I know your past--"
"Cocci."
"Just hear me out. I know your past has made you scared of men... but not all of them are like your dad."
"I'm not scared of men--"
"Then what is it?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Ana murmured, insisting on taking the familiar route that protected her. She hadn't the strength to delve deep into her emotions, convinced that doing so would destroy her. She had faced so much and hid it all just the same...
"You're going to end up breaking down and land yourself in the psych ward if you continue to push everything away."
"Just come visit me on Jell-O day."
"Goddamnit, Ana..."
Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm sorry it's been so long! Not having a personal computer can be a hinderance... enjoy! **A big thanks to Ana -- I love you!**
