AN: This is my entry for the Croctober 2 challenge. Thanks to Creddiefans for putting this challenge together.

Summary: When Carly starts questioning her relationship with Freddie, she finds herself fighting her feelings for him. Will she listen to her inner voice? What is it telling her to do?

This one is going to be pretty short, I think. It is written from Carly's POV. It's kind of like her stream of consciousness.

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly-or anything else for that matter!

R&R!

iHave a Devil on My Shoulder

Chapter 1

God! Look at him, lying on my bed like he belongs there. All stretched out on his side, watching me with that smirk of his. That smirk is so sexy! Wait, what? No, no, no…I didn't just think that. I mean, come on. This is Freddie we're talking about here. Freddie!

Freddie…with the overbearing, overprotective, and—let's face it—severely unbalanced mother. Freddie…with the AV Club entourage and the unnatural obsession with Galaxy Wars. Freddie…with the deep, soulful brown eyes and the smile that lights up a room. And that dimple! Oh, my God, that dimple!

Whoa! Did my knees just wobble when he smiled at me? That can't be. Good thing the bed is here to catch me. How did I get to the edge of the bed, anyway? Wasn't I just standing on the other side of the room?

"You okay there, Carls?" His voice is soft and low. It sounds like it rumbles in his chest. I'd love to run my hands over that chest and feel it vibrate under my touch. Holy mother of pearl! My brain is just going in all sorts of weird directions today.

"Y-yeah, I'm f-fine." That was pathetic. No wonder he has that look on his face. I call it his "Bullshit, Carly!" look. It's the one he gives me whenever he thinks I'm full of it, and he's usually right. Like now.

Wow! His skin is hot. It feels like my wrist is on fire where his hand is wrapped around it. "What's wrong?" Is he pulling me down to the bed, or am I sinking down to him on my own? Does it even matter?

"N-nothing." My voice is shaky and weak. I have to do better, or he'll never believe me. I don't even believe myself. I can't tell him what's wrong, though. I haven't even figured it out yet.

"Talk to me, babe," he says in a whisper. He started calling me that about a year ago. He doesn't do it often. It just slips out every once in a while. I don't think he even realizes he's doing it.

My arm is tingling where his hand is running up and down from wrist to elbow. It feels amazing. "Why do you call me that?" Great. Way to go, Carly! Why did I ask him that? Do I really want to know the answer?

"Call you 'babe' you mean?" I feel awful at the hurt look on his face. I wish he hadn't just taken his hand off my arm. It's still tingling, but now it feels cold. All I can do is nod my head to answer his question. "I don't know. It just felt right, you know? Natural. And you never seemed to mind before." So I guess he did know he was doing it. He looks embarrassed…and something else. Ashamed? He won't meet my eyes. "I kind of thought maybe you liked it, or…. Anyway, I'm sorry." Rejected…that's it. He looks embarrassed and rejected.

"It's not that I don't like it, Freddie." I can't look at him when his eyes leap up to mine. They're so full of hope, and I can't stand it. My fingernails are suddenly very interesting. Oh, look. The polish on my pinkie is chipped. "I was just wondering is all."

"Oh." His voice is so low I can barely hear him, and he's not looking at me again. "Okay." I wish he'd quit nodding his head and hold still so I could kiss away his frown.

"Freddie, I-I…." My lips feel so dry. Wetting them isn't working, either. My tongue is too sticky and dry to do any good. "I…."

"You what, Carly?" There's that hope again, like a spark flaring up in his eyes.

"I just…."

"What up, home fries?" Son of a preacher man! Could Sam have worse timing? What's she doing here anyway? Oh, right. Costume shopping. Ugh!

"Hey Sam!" My smile feels as fake as a Playman centerfold's boobs.

"Ready to shop 'til you drop?" How can she be so chipper? She hates shopping.

"Yeah! Can't wait!" Yep, I'm definitely going to win an Oscar someday.

"'Kay! I'll be downstairs. You got ham, right?"

"Yeah, Spencer restocked yesterday."

"Sweet! Later nub!" There she goes with her blonde curls and my perfect moment trailing after her. I wish she had raided the fridge before coming up here. Five more minutes was all I needed, and I could have been kissing him! Dang it!

"Shopping for what?" His awkward smile is sad and adorable at the same time. He's trying to pretend nothing just happened. Well, technically nothing did.

"Halloween costumes. For Tasha's party." I guess we're both pretending something didn't just almost happen. I can barely follow my own logic on that one. I'm going insane!

"Oh, okay." The bed is shifting under me. Freddie's moving. He's getting up. He's walking away from me. He has a really nice…no! No, I am not checking out his butt! Where's he going, anyway? "You girls have fun. I guess I'll see you at the party tomorrow." I wish he had called me 'babe' just now.