Rather bad day today. Lots of stress and mix-ups and all those things that go along with the end of the semester. So be super-nice and review.

Jason smiled weakly at Caitlyn as the bartender slid her a fourth drink. Yeah, he got it was her twenty-first birthday, but…Caitlyn was going a little overboard.

"Cheers, Jase!" Caitlyn said happily, holding her piña colada out to him.

He sighed and clinked his Coke with her glass. "Cheers."

Caitlyn smiled at him and leaned over. "Thank you, Jason. Really. I mean, my party's great and all, but seriously."

"No thanks necessary, Caity."

She grinned and patted his cheek. "That's why you're the best." She paused and looked over at the bartender. "But he's pretty nice too. Great arms. Mostly because of that sleeveless shirt. And the way he flips bottles and shit and winks at you when he gives you your drink."

Jason raised his brow at her. "Is that why you got so many drinks?" He really wanted to just go back to the room with his brothers and Mitchie and Ella and the other people Caitlyn had invited. But he also wanted to make sure Caitlyn wouldn't get into trouble.

Caitlyn smiled. "Maybe." She hiccupped and giggled as she covered her mouth. "Oops."

Jason tried not to notice how the bartender winked at Caitlyn.

"But that guy over in the corner isn't bad either. He's actually very nice. Very, very nice."

He sighed heavily and pulled Caitlyn's drink away.

"Jason!" she whined. "It's my birthday!"

"I don't care. I'm cutting you off before you do something stupid with a guy you don't know."

"As opposed to doing something stupid with a guy I do know?" she said as as she gave him a knowing look.

Jason paused and avoided her eyes. "N-no…that's not what I meant…" he stammered. Shoot. He'd have to be more careful. Telling Caitlyn how he felt about her should be done when she was sober.

Caitlyn smirked and scooted closer to him. "Are you jealous of the attention I'm paying other men, Jase? It's okay if you are, you know." She took a sip of her drink and stepped to the side to avoid a waitress who walked by the bar. Jason held Caitlyn steady as she stumbled and he stood up, ready to drag her away from the bar already.

She giggled and leaned into him. "You are jealous, aren't you?" She walked her fingers up his shoulder and played with the edge of his collar.

Jason snorted. "That's not the point right now, Caity. You're on your fourth drink of the evening and I'm concerned."

"Because honestly, Jase?" Caitlyn said, ignoring what Jason had just said. "You have a great ass." And as if to prove her point, she reached around his waist and gave his 'great ass' a slap. "It's all high and…firm…"

He sighed agitatedly and moved her hand away. She giggled and set down her glass.

"Don't brush off a compliment like that, Jason. Really. It's a great ass." Caitlyn smiled and leaned into him, squeezing his butt with both hands.

"Caity!" he yelled with a blush, pushing her away.

She grinned up at him. "Embarrassed that I'm doing this in public?"

"Just a little," he admitted.

She smirked again. "We could go somewhere quieter."

Jason looked down at Caitlyn. She was giving him what could only be described as a 'come-hither' look. "The only place you're going is home to sleep off what will be a massive hangover," he said sternly.

She cuddled against his chest, rubbing her face on his shoulder. "You can stay with me," she said shyly, sliding a finger down his arm. "If you want."

He groaned inwardly. "Fine. Someone should stay with you anyway to make sure you don't die of alcohol poisoning."

"Oh…wait…It's gonna hafta be your place…" Caitlyn said, realization dawning on her face. "Ella left her keys at Nate's and they're in a fight over something stupid right now, so I had to give her my keys."

Jason sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted a likely-to-vomit Caitlyn in his bed. Or anywhere near it. He was a vomit-phobe.

All of a sudden, Caitlyn just fell over. Jason caught her just before she hit the floor and she whined as he picked her up.

"I hate these shoes so much right now," she said. "I think I twisted my ankle." She rubbed it and Jason rolled his eyes at the extremely tall beige ankle boots she had on her feet. He didn't know why Caitlyn felt the need to increase her height with heels all the time. Her natural height was perfect to him. Whatever. Caitlyn needed some medical attention, and he could provide it to her.

"Good thing I have ACE Bandages," he said, adjusting his hold on her. "I can fix your ankle in a jiff." He left the club with her in his arms, hoping that the paps wouldn't be around to see this.

Caitlyn pressed a kiss to his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck and tucked her head into his chest. "You have a lot more going for you than just your great ass."

Jason rolled his eyes briefly as he hailed a cab. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I have a sparkling personality," he said as they got in the backseat.

"Sparkly like my jewelry," Caitlyn said in a singsong voice.

Jason smiled slightly as she shook the wrist encircled with a gold bird on it at him.

Caitlyn got a silly look on her face and leaned towards him. Then she slumped forward, passing out with her head in his lap.

He rubbed his forehead and sighed resignedly. Caitlyn was extremely difficult sometimes. He pulled out his cell phone and texted Mitchie, telling her Caitlyn was passed out, that he was taking her home to keep an eye on her and that she should go about ending the party. When she replied back, he sent her a thanks and stowed his phone in his pocket. Caitlyn stirred slightly and mumbled something about birthdays and friends and happiness. He shook his head and smiled, brushing a lock of hair out of her face and handed the cabbie some cash when they pulled up to Jason's brownstone.

He somehow managed to climb the stairs to the front door, unlock it, and carry Caitlyn up two flights of stairs to his bedroom. While there were two other bedrooms in the building, his had the shortest distance from the bed to the bathroom, something he thought Caitlyn might appreciate. And him too, only if for the fact that vomit was vile and he couldn't stand the sight or smell of it without wanting to throw up as well.

Jason placed Caitlyn on the bed, rolling her onto her side before taking off her shoes and jewelry. The shoes went on the floor by the nightstand and the jewelry on the top of it right next to her purse. He went into the bathroom and rummaged in one of the bottom drawers, pulling out an ACE bandage which he carefully wrapped around Caitlyn's ankle. Jason looked down at her face as he put on the clips to hold the bandage in place and bit his lip. Her hair was everywhere. Caitlyn had apparently gotten some mega-blowout that had also exponentially increased the amount of hair on her head. He reached for her right wrist, knowing she always had a ponytail holder there in case she ever needed it. And with four drinks in her system and most likely not much food, she probably needed it. Jason combed his fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her face and gathered it at the back of her neck before wrapping the thin band around her hair. She briefly came to and opened her eyes with a smile, sitting up a little.

"Thank Jason, you," she said slowly before she fell back against the pillows.

Well, he knew what she meant, right? "Welcome," he said, covering her with the blankets. He smiled at her again and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Caity."

When Caitlyn woke up the next morning, she frowned as light hit her. The sun never hit her in the morning. Her bedroom window faced west. She blinked as she looked around, her pounding headache making her wince as she took in the brown and green room. Her mouth felt disgusting. She was trying to remember what had happened last night when she heard the light breathing coming from beside her.

Caitlyn rolled over very slowly and gasped when she saw Jason lying on his stomach, clutching a giant bird plushie.

He stirred slightly and accidentally kicked her. Then he snored loudly and rolled over.

On top of her.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Caitlyn muttered as Jason's breath hit her cheek.

He was warm and heavy and smelled so, so good.

This could not end well for her.

She tried to calm herself down and breathe deeply, but Jason smiled and dropped the bird before sleepily nuzzling her neck.

"Jase…Jase…" she said softly, trying to scoot out from under him. "Curly Bird…" She didn't necessarily want to wake him up for real, rather, just enough so that she could move.

"I'm sleeping, Caity. Don't talk to me." It tickled when he spoke directly onto her skin like that.

"But…I can't breathe…"

"Breathing isn't always necessary, Caity."

She gave him an exasperated look. "I don't know what planet you're living on, Jase, but here on Earth, we quite like oxygen."

"But I'm sleeping!" he groaned loudly in protest.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. She hated resorting to physical violence, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She kneed him between the legs, just close enough to something vital and he overreacted, flailing wildly and falling off the bed.

"Was that really necessary, Caity?" he asked as he got to his feet.

"At least I can breathe," she said as she sat up.

"But I might not be able to reproduce now."

Caitlyn stared at him blankly. "You have two brothers. The family line will continue."

Jason looked at her like he was going to say something, but thought better of it and reached for his hoodie. "You want breakfast? I can make almost anything," he said as he pulled it on over his t-shirt.

"Eggs and bacon? And…waffles?" she asked with a small grin. "But only if you have frozen ones. You don't have to make them from scratch."

"I bought Eggos three days ago," he said with a smile. "Anything else?"

"Coffee and aspirin. My head is killing me."

Jason gave her a sympathetic look. "I figured as much." He bit his lip and sheepishly smiled. "Also…since you barfed last night…there's some Listerine and a spare toothbrush in the medicine cabinet next to the sink. Use them."

Caitlyn flushed in embarrassment. "Did I…?"

"Make it to the bathroom in time? Yes."

"I am so sorry, Jason. Really."

He shrugged. "No worries. Just be more careful next time, alright? That was a lot of liquor."

"Only if you're there," she said. "I'd probably do something really stupid otherwise."

Jason let out an uncomfortable chuckle. "Yeah, imagine you doing something stupid." She gave him a strange look and he shook his head. "I'm going to go make that food. Back in a bit. I'm not sure where the remote is, but check over by the dresser, maybe. I have Boomerang."

She grinned at him. "I'll be waiting, Man-Child."

He flashed her a smile and went down the stairs.

Caitlyn got up and walked across the room to Jason's dresser. There was a ridiculous amount of stuff scattered across its surface, mostly guitar picks and scraps of paper and coins. Five different kinds of cologne. Three bird figurines. A stick of Old Spice deodorant. His wallet. His cell phone. A spy novel. His watch. Another spy novel. She moved the guitar lamp to see if it fell behind the dresser, and as she was sliding it back into place, she paused.

Her sock with the pink and yellow birds and the music notes was lying on the floor next to the dresser. The one whose mate was in her mismatched sock bag at her place.

She frowned slightly and then saw something hanging out of top dresser drawer.

The pair of cupcake ear buds she had blown out a few months ago.

She blinked slowly and pulled the drawer open.

Wow.

Just wow.

There was an entire shoebox full of stuff she thought she had lost.

A sample bottle of perfume. A dangly owl earring. A tube of Burt's Bees. Her yellow Wayfarers. Her turquoise Sharpie. A hair pin with a dove on it. A tiny bottle of apple-scented hand sanitizer. A ticket stub to Music and Lyrics. A post-it note she had written two weeks ago and stuck in his guitar case. It said, "High-five, Curly Bird! Hearts and shit, Caity". That Nicole Jordan romance novel she had really been enjoying until it went missing. And her cow beanie.

She growled. Jason had stolen her cow beanie. She took it from the box and put it on her head. Then she picked up the novel and flipped through it. Her eyes widened. A grocery list served as a bookmark on one of the more…risqué passages. A grocery list in Jason's handwriting.

Shit. He had been reading her book.

A book he had klepto-ed from her.

And kept in a box in his top drawer along with several other items of hers.

She was somewhere between flattered and angry, with a large amount of confusion clouding her brain.

And then Jason walked in.

She was standing in the middle of his room, wearing a wrinkled blue party dress, a cow beanie and reading a romance novel.

He stopped short when he noticed her, his face going white as his eyes fell on the hat on her head and the novel in her hands.

"Shit," he muttered softly. Caitlyn gave him an amused look.

"You wanna explain something to me?" she asked. "I found your little…collection."

He laughed nervously and set the breakfast tray down by the chair in the corner. "Um…well…it basically started with the ear buds. You threw them out, but I rescued them. Because even though they were broken, they were still cute…and reminded me of you…and then there was the movie ticket. You found it in your wallet and didn't have any use for it, and you handed it to me to get rid of it, but it was something of yours and it had music and lyrics written on it, so I sorta just kept it. And then I sorta just started keeping certain things of yours. Some of them you left here and others I kinda just…took."

"Like the hat?" she asked devilishly.

Jason blushed. "That was an accident."

"And the book?"

Jason blushed even more. "I just wanted to know what had you so absorbed that you weren't paying attention to me."

"And what's the verdict?" she asked, stepping closer to him.

He laughed nervously and turned even redder. "I wasn't taken in by its powers of absorption."

Caitlyn quirked a brow at him. "Really? I think you've read it at least once. Or maybe you've just read certain parts."

"W-why would you say that?" he asked.

She smirked. "Your bookmark is on this page…" she said, opening the book and clearing her throat. "For a moment Rayne's gaze lowered to her full breasts. He could imagine stripping off that ugly black gown and wrapping her luscious body in something softer and more inviting, a rose-hued silk, perhaps. Or a deep lavender to bring out the depths of those remarkable eyes… Rayne felt his loins stir with a renewed ache—"

"Enough, Caity!" he said, his entire face so red that he looked sunburned.

"Too much for you to handle?" she asked mischievously.

He wrinkled his nose and smiled sheepishly. "After dealing with you for seven years?" He shook his head. "Not a chance."

Caitlyn laughed and pulled the box out of the drawer. She flopped down onto the bed and tugged the lone sock on her foot. "But seriously, Jase. Why do you have all these things of mine?"

Jason ran a hand through his hair and scratched his cheek as he sat down next to her on the bed. "It's really dumb and sorta creepy."

"Dude. The day we met, you followed me all over camp because I wouldn't tell you my name."

"I was curious."

She laughed and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Still, I think we're past dumb and creepy."

He picked up the hairpin and twirled it between his fingers. Inhaling deeply, he looked down at her. "They remind me of you."

"You've said that."

"Caity…" he said with a sigh. "I collected the stuff because if I had all those things, it was sort of like I had you. Even though I really didn't."

Caitlyn blushed and avoided his eyes. "Um…keep going…" she said, fiddling with the sunglasses.

He sighed in frustration. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

Jason growled and gave her a look of dislike. "You're evil, you know that?"

She smiled. "Just finish what you were saying…"

He rolled his eyes. "I sort of have this intense fixation on you, Caity."

"Just a fixation?" she asked slowly, almost shyly.

"I…I told you Caity, I want you."

She let out a long, frustrated breath. "Go on…"

He chewed on his bottom lip and picked up the hand sanitizer, flipping the lid open and closed.

"Jason," she growled warningly.

"I like you, okay?"

"Um…" Caitlyn said with a blush.

"I just do. I mean, you're pretty and funny and smart and you dance like a gazelle and you smell good and I really sort of enjoyed how you grabbed my butt last night."

"I…grabbed your ass last night?" Caitlyn asked in embarrassment.

"Yeah. You said I had a great ass and groped it. Twice. I mean, I realize you were drunk when you did it, but still."

"And I dance like a gazelle?"

Jason blushed. "I watch a lot of Animal Planet."

"And me dancing, apparently."

"Look, can we just move on from that?" Jason asked.

She smirked. "Aw, feeling embarrassed again?"

"No," he said stubbornly.

Caitlyn sat up and scooted closer to him. "Good. Now be quiet for a second," she said, putting her hands on the sides of his face.

"Caity…" he said.

She let out a low growl. "I told you to shut up."

"Wh—"

She suddenly pulled his face against hers and covered his mouth with hers. Her hands slid from his face into his hair and she parted his lips with her tongue, yelping in surprise when Jason finally responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pushing her off his lap so that she lay back on the bed.

He breathed heavily as he stared down at her. "Oh. So you could do that."

She laughed at the look of comprehension on his face. "Do you know how adorable you are?"

"I'm twenty-four. Please don't refer to me as adorable."

She rolled her eyes. "What word should I use for a man that sleeps with a gigantic bird plushie?"

"Awesome."

Caitlyn let out a giggle and played with the knotted leather band Jason wore on his wrist. She looked up at him and smiled softly. "You really do have a great ass, you know."

He grinned. "Lots of ladies say that."

She gave him a stony stare. "You want to keep that great ass? Don't talk about other ladies. Just me."

He shrugged. "Or we could just do something that doesn't require talking," he said with a grin, bending down to press his lips to hers.