we're the perfect two (baby, me and you)
author: Erika (Her Name Is Erika)
rating: T
summary: He's a guy. She's a girl. That's as obvious as it gets. KevinChloe.
show: Young & The Restless
pairing: Kevin Fisher & Chloe Mitchell
disclaimer: nah, just borrowing them. i'll give these characters back to the Bell family and CBS when this is finished, kapice?
notes: i was working on another oneshot – my beastly Billy and Victoria oneshot (42 pages, no joke!) – when i decided to take a break and write something considerably shorter (way shorter than 20k words, at least). this story is not told in any particular order, so bear that in mind. i heart these two crazy kids together and this was spawned from the lack of Fanfiction about them and my withdrawal.

Avril Lavigne basically sums it up:

Kevin Fisher is no punk and Chloe Mitchell is no ballerina.

Here are the punch-lines: it's pretty much impossible to head-bang to old 80s music and Mosh Pits aren't his thing. He'll just pull a Ferris Bueller, watch baseball with the boys and call it night.

And really, Chloe thinks tutus are a stylistic sin and a crime against fashion. Besides, Katie Valentine isn't graceful or skinny enough to pirouette with enough precision or land an arabesque.

.

He's a guy. She's a girl.

(Can that be any more obvious?)

.

Kevin still can't see the upside of having a toddler and her high maintenance mother move into his apartment – yeah, it's his now Post-Divorce & Post-Jana – with a trail of accessories, clothes with toys and stuffed animals he's bound to trip over sooner than later.

Yet there's something about Chloe – she's persistent and she won't let up – and she's stubborn but then so is he.

Kevin sighs, as Chloe hugs him like he actually agrees with this whole arrangement.

She leaves Crimson Lights with her vanilla soy latte in hand, and leaves Kevin to still wallow in his sea of cynicism. Because really, it comes down to her spying on Chance across the hall and Kevin still so angry about Jana and Ryder he's just too numb to care anymore – to numb to fight and keep banging his head against a brick wall for something that's dead.

So, Kevin agrees to have Chloe as a roomie with her own pink key.

This won't go well so here's to hoping for the ordinary.

.

Chloe moves out of Katherine's house and into Kevin's apartment with Delia (note: she knows Billy's anger isn't going to something she can dodge but well, Chloe stops caring about Billy a long ago) because she loves Chance so much. There's wedding plans and she would like an end-of-summer wedding.

It'll be great because they're crazy about each other and well, Heather Stevens isn't that pretty anyway. She has that whole school librarian, Plain Jane look and her manicure is horrendous. Most likely, that little briefcase she carries around like it's all about law and junk, is a knockoff.

Chloe has a sixth sense for the Fashionably Wrong and the Tragic Knockoffs.

(Restless Style says that in spades.)

So, Chance can't possibly be attracted to something like that. Chance is her fiancée so Chloe is inclined to find out what's up.

Her heels tap against the wood floor and Chloe presses her ear to the door.

.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh—" Chloe attempts to swat at Kevin, but only get air. She hisses, "It's not unconstitutional to check on your fiancée. Be quiet."

"Yeah, because you're not insecure," he intones, tone dropping with sarcasm. "Not even a little bit."

Let's get something straight: Chloe Mitchell isn't insecure. No, she isn't. But Heather's giving off that slutty vibe. She knows girls like her – girls who are all put together and ordinary on the inside but all they have is an Inner Whore.

She laughs, throwing the obvious sarcasm back at him.

"Because someone like Heather Stevens gets to me. She makes me, for once, question my worth as a woman," Chloe says, with fake seriousness and then deadpans, "Help me, Kevin."

He scoffs, and rolls his eyes. If she isn't busy trying to hear through the door, she'd totally flip Kevin off. Chloe is able to see past Heather's ugly suits and unhighlighted hair. That's all. Nothing to worry about here.

And then the voices get louder (is Kevin still here?), the door clicks open and Chloe almost jumps back out of her skin.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?"

"Going for a walk."

She can feel Kevin's glance shaming her, and really she doesn't care. This isn't a crime.

Chance raises an eyebrow, not really buying it, "Chloe."

Oh, he knows her that well. Maybe, that's the first step to a good marriage (she's still waiting for her happily ever after and looking quite fashionable doing it). Maybe that's why Chance and her have fun together and she can sorta respect him waiting until marriage and having values.

She's never fallen for the good guy before.

Chloe merely flashes her fiancée a mega-watt smile, slinging an arm around Kevin's shoulder. They're friends and it's part of the Best Friends and Roommates Clause.

"Meet your new neighbour."

.

They'll all be one happy neighbourhood – or something like that.

(Honey, not even close.)

.

Guys and girls can be just friends, Kevin thinks as they sit on a Friday night watching Back to The Future with Michael J. Fox.

Delia sleeps at Mrs. C's place with Esther for the night. It's one of those Fridays where Kevin discovers that Chloe's idea of fun is the same as him in some aspects. They like indie bands, the mainstream have no idea about. Old eighties music keeps them from battling over the Fashion & Beauty channel and the Sports Channel, containing the highlights when the games are out of his reach.

Prince is starting to grow on him, but just don't tell her that. Chloe will never let him live it down if she catches him humming When Doves Cry without thinking about it.

Chloe is in sweats and a t-shirt at least one size too big while she throws her head back and laughs at something in the movie – something about travel that seems hilarious. It's the kind of laughter that makes her eyes light up as they fling popcorn at each other and toss back a couple of drinks.

And Kevin finds himself laughing too.

.

"Hey," Chloe nudges her little foot against his thigh, "Kevin."

"Yeah?" he replies, taking a couple more swigs of beer.

"This right here," Chloe says, pointing to the spilled popcorn and the beer that's half gone with the brown bottle half empty. There's still laughter, hanging in the air and a smile on her face. Kevin smiles too, remembering how good it feels to do that after everything going on in his life right now and what a mess it is, "is actually better than going out. I had fun tonight."

A beat passes down between Kevin and Chloe, making their friendship stronger.

"Believe it or not, I did too."

Chloe's eyes glint mischievously, "I knew you would," she shrugs, voice with an air of confidence and playfulness. "I'm where the fun's at, Pumpkin."

Kevin merely grabs a Ferris Bueller's Day Off DVD from the pile of other DVDs and slides it into the player. Pretty In Pink is saved for the very last and then Kevin splits the last piece of pumpkin pie in the fridge with her.

.

Kevin is still a guy. Chloe is very much a girl.

What it comes down to is: they're best friends and a walking, living and breathing oxymoron – two people with really dark pasts (note: please refer to the chronic Claustrophobia and the crippling Fear of Abandonment she never wants anyone to see) but really good people deep down, capable of going against the constraints of the Crazy Chipmunk and the Man-Stealing Homewrecker.

Now, Kevin is a sane member of society, owning Crimson Lights – a son, a brother, a brother-in-law and even an uncle. Maybe, all those things with time, overshadow being a husband. And Chloe is the best thing she could possibly be, better than a stylist, a fashion consultant and better than any job position money can buy: a mommy.

.

Chloe sighs, running a hand through her hair.

Maybe it's her – back to when she makes men crazy enough to break her heart and cut her loose, back to where she's always the Booty Call or the second priority and back to where she's left in pieces and if Chloe even attempts to pick them up, the jagged edges cut her deeper than before.

But Chance is different.

He's the guy who a Gentleman – the guy who opens a door for her, goes to his own house and waits on his own doorstep for a date, the guy who is straight and has all of the traditional values of a normal guy. Chance isn't the type of guy she'd never bump into in a club as she parties until dawn and drinks until she can't stand on her Jimmy Choo heels. But he's sweet and Delia adores him when Billy doesn't give their daughter the chance to. Chance is as close to perfect of a guy as Chloe can get.

And Chance isn't the type of guy to be like all the rest and give into someone like Heather, right?

Kevin walks in, as Chloe taps a manicured nail against a glass of dark red wine.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I guess," Kevin agrees, dropping his keys on to the kitchen counter. Opening the fridge, he pulls a bottle of beer out of the fridge, popping the top open. Crossing over, Kevin takes a seat next to her and sighs deeply. When those five words tumble out of Chloe's mouth, it's something. Then again, Kevin also realizes that the coffee house isn't his favourite place in the world – not anymore. "I've learned never to stop you anyway."

"Tough day at the coffeehouse, perhaps?"

He totally avoids her question by chugging at least half of his beer before answering, "Something like that," Kevin glances at Chloe and sighs, "More of Jana wanting second chances and me not getting over her sleeping with my brother. Oh, and I can't forget that she took out a loan on the coffeehouse to bail him out and feed his sorry ass," he shrugs, cynically, "but that's life."

Chloe rolls her eyes, a slightly annoyed sound escaping her.

"I know, it's a little raw for you," she says, before putting the glass of red wine down. She'll get back to it later. Matter-of-factly, she states, "Jana's a bitch."

Kevin swigs more of his beer, offering her a half-smile that's the consolation prize.

"Yeah," he replies, and changes the subject. "So, what's going on in the pretty little head of yours?"

She sighs, "Right. Well, I'm starting to feel the way I did when I suspect that a guy is cheating on me. Cane and I were never in a relationship. I lied to him and made him think he got me pregnant, partly because I knew he'd be responsible. Billy and I had this fling in New York and then he ends up here in Genoa City," she rolls her eyes, replaying the memory in her head, "and even though I was madly in love with him, he cheated. He broke my heart. The only good thing out of my relationship with Billy was Delia," she glances down and then back up into Kevin's face again. "Giving my daughter a happy home with two parents was why I even put with it. And then I meet Chance and he's great, we're engaged but he's body guarding Heather freaking Stevens twenty-four seven. And I just don't know."

Kevin smiles at her. Nobody's perfect and he would know: there's a list of arson cases, suicide attempts, murder attempts, a couple psychotic breaks and even breaking and entering in his past.

"You're only human and the old Kevin is not a guy you'd want to be friends with but you and Delia are great together," he explains, making her grin slightly. Chloe can't help it when Delia is mentioned. "And you're a surprisingly great roomie."

Courtesy of earplugs, Kevin sleeps like a baby and doesn't stumble over that many stuffed animals. He sets his beer on the table beside her wine, a visual reminder of maybe how kindred they really are.

Chloe gets a smug expression on her features. "Ha! I was right!"

"I'm not admitting to that," Kevin rebuts, and then with a sigh, cracks a smile and sort of admits, "but yeah, it's not bad. Look, I didn't know about the old Chloe and what made her tick, but I'm getting to know you and I like it," he admits, honestly.

"Oh, wow. I think I need to hear this."

"You're smart, you're funny and you're kinda beautiful."

That's probably one of the nicest thing anyone says to her.

"Thanks, Kevin," and then Chloe giggles, nudging him. "You're not a bad guy either."

.

Kevin thinks this is the moment where Kevin & Chloe stop being roommates and start being best friends – the kind where they laugh about everything and hey, Delia grows on him in spades.

Speaking on whom, is at Tiny Tots; Billy drops her off.

Chloe is about to head to Restless Style while Kevin finishes up his coffee before heading to Gloworm (because there's always something when it comes to Mom and the phone ringing never ends) when there's a knock on the door.

"Oh," Chloe glares, and Kevin looks like a deer in the headlights (it's in his eyes). "Jana."

Jana stands there, "Hello, Chloe," and then she glances at Kevin through reserved and slightly pleading eyes, "Hello, Kevin – I was just wondering if we could talk. Alone."

Bambi's mother isn't shot so really, Jana should stop that innocent (Heather's a slut and Jana's a ho) doe-eyed look like it erases what she does to someone that's supposed to be her husband.

"No. No, you can't talk to him."

Jana replies, "I'm sure Kevin can speak for himself."

"I know he can," Chloe spits out, anger and indignation fizzing underneath her skin. "But you're still not talking to Kevin. The preschool's not paying you to stand here."

"I don't owe you an explanation, Chloe. But Liza didn't need me today."

Chloe smiles, sarcastically, "Oh, look at that! Neither do we. Goodbye now."

Kevin shoots a grateful glance at the woman manning the door, coffee leaving a bitter taste in his taste buds and sharp against the roof of his mouth. Some days, Kevin can still feel the dull ache in his chest like he still gives a damn (and it's not fucking fair; he shouldn't).

"Chloe," Kevin interrupts. "I can handle it. Thanks."

Chloe gives her the once-over. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Chloe relents but she's still disgusted and angry. Jana and her will never, ever be friends. Turning her attention to Jana, she grips her clutch tightly than she realizes, "If you hurt him again, I will hunt you down and make you pay. You don't deserve him. You never did."

And that's the exact moment Kevin realizes how awesome Chloe is as a best friend – as his best friend. Just don't tell her.

She'll milk it to Kingdom Come in that endearingly funny way that's so her.

(Kevin thinks she knows.)

.

Jana talks and begs – tries to rationalize what the hell she does and her motivations, how the aneurysm makes her lose emotions and she's just with Ryder because Jana wants to feel anything, how she wants to be able to laugh, cry, be angry even and not feel so damn hollow.

Kevin stops caring, stops feeling compassion and only sees the residue of his brother on his…ex-wife. He sees the image of Jana and Ryder naked in bed etched in his brain, and branded behind his eyelids when he's asleep and the silence is too loud –

"I think you should go, Jana. Now."

Jana looks solemn. "Okay, Kevin," a beat passes between them and Kevin can't even look at her the way he does before (when he's so in love with her and they're so crazy and obscure, Kevin&Jana don't care about the molds). Inhaling sharply, she grabs her purse and positions it on her shoulder and they take careful steps towards the door. "Can I call you?"

"I…" he begins, and sighs. This is too much. "Jana, I don't know. I'll be busy and stuff and it's not the best time."

"Oh. Okay. Take care, Kev."

"Yeah, uh, you too."

(The Awkwardness is not a nice surprise, like the air being sucked out of the room.)

.

Delia spends the night with her grandmothers Esther and Jill on this Friday night (careful, the house will spontaneously combust) with Chloe calling every so often to check in on her baby.

Kevin sits in silence with her, after watching Sixteen Candles.

Now, Pretty In Pink is playing and there's the popcorn and two best friends who like each other's company – just like Andie and Duckie.

"Hmm," Chloe muses, chewing on popcorn, "We'd make a better Andie and Duckie for sure. Hell, I'd probably do a way better job than Molly Ringwald. "

She rests her head on his shoulder in that non-platonic way and that's okay with him.

But Kevin's not going to talk about his palms sort of starting to sweat and his heart racing in his chest because it's not happening. He doesn't like Chloe like that and anyone who theorizes about that is nuts.

"Yeah," Kevin finds his voice, "we'd make the best team."

.

Chloe likes watching Pretty In Pink on Fridays with Kevin, where there's no strings attached and he's the dark, awkward guy whose sort of hot in the non-conventional way.

Kevin is just her best guy friend.

This is the first time, Chloe starts a friendship with a guy and it doesn't end in bed after mediocre sex.

She puts her head on his shoulder (it's so easy to find in the dark) during the Andie and Duckie scenes and can partly understand the symbolism.

.

Gloria may have had the right idea when she basically forces Kevin to go out with the nice Spray Tan Girl – known as Allison; he hasn't gotten around to a full name basis yet.

"Angel, it'll be good for you," she says, with a few barbs about Jana here and there or something like that.

"Mom – "

"Ah, ah, ah – don't protest, Kevin. She's a great girl," his mother explains like a sales pitch. He sighs while Gloria raises her hand to lightly tap his cheek in her own brand of affection. "Go out and have a good time," she adds. "Jana obviously didn't think about you or your feelings when she had sex with Ryder. So," Gloria smiles, straightens his jacket when it doesn't need straightening to begin with, "have fun. Besides, you're a hell of a catch. I gave birth to you, remember?"

Kevin merely thanks his mother (he doesn't mean it and in other ways, he does) because in her own way, she loves him and Michael. He'll take it – despite the fact that he has one of the craziest (read: Obviously Weird) family trees out there.

.

Allison's blond and sweet. She's as nice as Gloria says.

And then there's the dead air between them, even though conversation and atmosphere is alive at the Club. It honestly feels like being in a fish bowl and Kevin watches the world around him function and move on. All the while, he is on a long, continuous phase.

Kevin slouches in his seat slightly, glancing up at Allison and his water is half-empty. Like she possess some kind of telepathy, Allison's lightly glossed lips curl into wry smile that doesn't seem quite real.

He's starting to feel like an asshole essentially on top of the myriad of things that press against his skull, something that slightly nags at his heart and quietly hums beneath his skin. Allison's a great girl, maybe and if he's actually give it a shot. Jana, not feeling anything for him after the aneurysm; after Daisy, Sara and Ryder (Calliope still plays like Mental Background Music in his darkest nightmares) is the bitter icing on a cake that he doesn't want – one he never asks for, and one he never imagines in his wildest dreams.

And Kevin's heart splinters every time Jana looks at him with vacant eyes, as if the whole relationship never happens.

"This isn't working, is it?"

Allison's voice snaps Kevin out of his reverie. "I'm sorry – what?"

"This," she replies, "the date."

Kevin can't try saying he's put in some kind of effort for sure, he likes Allison – enough to be friends, but he can't.

There's a lot going on and this is a bad idea – good intent on Mom's part because in her head, she's a parent which in turn, makes Gloria allows to brass knuckle anyone who hurts her children.

"No," Kevin admits, with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. He exhales. "This stuff with my…wife has been really screwing with my head."

Allison stands up, smoothing the silk fabric of her purple dress. Kevin follows suit and stands, burying his hand deep in his pockets.

"Well, this was a bust but you're a sweet guy nonetheless. Your wife really lucky to have a guy like you."

He sighs, heavily, his wish for Jana to be the way she is before the kidnapping, turning into a pipe dream. Kevin just wants to push the rewind button on the horror show masquerading as his life.

Allison offers a tight smile in his direction. "Goodnight, Kevin," and then adds as a humorous afterthought. "The offer for a free spray tan still stands. You know, as friends. I may even do it for free."

Kevin isn't sure when it's the last time he smiles much less chuckles. But he does. "We'll see about that free spray tan."

And then he leans over, pressing his lips to Allison's cheek lightly because it just seems like the proper, right End of the Date thing to do.

"Goodnight, Allison."

He watches the blonde of hair and the blur of purple walk through the Club's revolving doors and the goes over to the bar, ordering a strong, stiff glass of Scotch.

.

Sometimes, Kevin thinks as the dark brown liquid leaves a trail of liquid fire down his throat, a person has to come to a point where cutting losses and bailing is the safest option.

(The wedding at the ashram, underneath a multi-coloured California sunset is dust in the wind now. Newsflash: everything is.)

.

There's nothing, absolutely nothing in the story books about Prince Charming cheating on Cinderella with the Ugly Stepsister and in Chloe Mitchell's world, that's reality.

"I was right about Heather," she says, when Kevin walks through the door of their apartment. She sits near the granite counter in the kitchenette of their apartment, tracing the rim of her wine glass with the pad of her finger. The green bottle of wine is three quarters full and damn it, the alcohol isn't high enough. Chloe remembers enough to realize that Chance is like every other man on the planet.

He's not any different. The End.

"Meaning?"

"Oh, nothing – just that she's a fiancée-stealing slut with bad hair and an even worse wardrobe. And her manicure, to put it bluntly, sucks," Chloe muses, taking a sip. She uses her peripheral vision to see that Kevin sits beside her after he grabs a beer of his own out of the fridge. He can be honest with her (honesty is refreshing a little foreign). Kevin is just her best friend. "Turns out I wasn't insecure. I went to school with ho-bags like Heather. My hunch was actually valid because Chance cheated like I knew he would eventually. I just figured that we were so crazy about each other that he wouldn't. But," Chloe hides a sniffle, chokes back a sob because boys aren't worth crying over. Chloe tells Delia that every day – learn from Mommy's mistakes, "he did."

"That blows. And if it's any consolation, Chance is an idiot to throw away a girl like you," Kevin shrugs. "His loss."

"I know, right?"

"Yeah,we've established that you're awesome."

She merely nudges him playfully and no verbal thanks is needed because Chloe knows he's happy to be here and put up with her.

But hey, in Chloe's defense, she's really fun to be around anyway.

.

Kevin remembers Chloe's birthday: he takes a medium sized box of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes Beth bakes fresh and ices from Crimson Lights, uses a candle left over from Fen's third birthday because he's just going to have make do with what he has. Kevin walks out of the kitchen to meet a dressed down Chloe and presents her with a cupcake on a pate, the candle on top and bright.

Her eyebrows are raised slightly in silent questioning.

"What are you doing?"

"Well, it's your birthday, so I have a surprise," he explains, wary of the candle slowly but surely on the way to becoming wax. "Give me a beat before you have to eat wax."

Chloe relents and cups her hand over her mouth. She begins to give Kevin a backbeat while he attempts to rap and make some kind of coherent sense. It's a birthday rap and it doesn't even rhyme, he's aware – nobody says anything about Kevin being Grandmaster Flash or even Eminem.

He can see the beginnings of a grin and something like laughter when Chloe skips over the beats, eyes starting to light up before he ends with something like, so happy birthday to you!

It's so hilariously bad that when Chloe chuckles, he does too.

"Blow."

She rolls her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips and blows the candle out.

"What's with the third birthday candle?"

"Michael and Lauren let me have it. Something left over from Fen's third birthday," Kevin explains, off-handedly says, sincerely. "Happy birthday, Chloe."

"Thanks, Kevin."

"You're welcome."

(Here's something Kevin also remembers:

she takes the plate from him, setting the cupcake on the cupcake. With something like a promise to eat it late, Chloe hugs him. She wraps her arms around his neck and entirely by default his arms end up wrapped around her waist. Sure, there's the smell of her shampoo and her perfume that makes her heart kind of race in his ribcage.

Let's not think about that.)

.

"Dude," Daniel says at Jimmy's, slightly nodding in Chloe's direction, "you're totally Duckie."

"No, I'm not."

That's the second time today; first Mrs. C and now Daniel. Duckie likes Andie in Pretty In Pink but can't tell her, yeah – that's how the story goes, but it's not the same with Kevin and Chloe. He can tell her anything and somewhere in that fashionable façade is a genuine good person and an even greater mother. That's all.

"Yeah," Daniel replies, with laughter in his voice. Kevin glares. The artist tosses back more than half of his bottle of beer. "Guess not. Because Duckie's cooler than you."

It's the same damn thing (herewegoagain) – Kevin could start to wonder and ponder it. Hell, he's a guy and yeah, the thought crosses his mind.

Everyone needs to stop over-analyzing what isn't there.

"You're my best friend, but seriously shut up," Kevin glares, and adds, "I don't like Chloe like that."

Daniel raises his palms outward, in quiet defense.

"Whatever helps you sleep, man."

.

Here's a secret: sometimes, when it's really quiet in the apartment and Chloe and Delia are asleep, he's not. Kevin is still getting used to how big the bed is now that Jana isn't snuggling up to him in it. And on the other times, when the day hinges on dead night and sunrise, Kevin thinks about what ifs and the maybes.

Maybe he and Chloe can be something more and maybe they'll always be in the Perpetual Friend Zone. Who knows?

Because Kevin doesn't.

.

Her belated (read: Chloe's real birthday is on a Tuesday, three days ago) birthday begins with seeing her mother (Esther always fusses and Chloe will always be the fabulously dressed maid's daughter; her mother's Katie Valentine) and her daughter because Delia trumps everything. She holds her baby girl close, whispering I love you's in her hair, and then Chloe is surprised by special birthday pancakes topped with fresh strawberry slices arranged to look like a flower.

In the middle of her day, Chloe avoids Chance at all costs, goes to Restless Style for works and doesn't park in Billy's spot this time because it's not fun today of all days – it would be an instant parking free-for-all. She goes through the motions of being what she does best.

And then somewhere between Lady Gaga's Bad Romance playing on the radio while she drives to Crimson Lights for a soy mocha latte with light whipped cream and seeing Ronan in her peripheral vision on the coffeehouse patio, Chloe decides she wants revenge.

The Birthday Present that just keeps on giving.

"Hey."

Chloe pulls up a stool and sits, crossing her legs underneath.

"Hey," Kevin replies, and is hunched over papers and charts. There are a lot of numbers in front of him; Chloe knows that much – she's not a mathematics kind of girl. "How's Delia?"

"Great. Hanging out with Billy before he gives her back to my mom for the night," Chloe says, wistfully. "My mother loves Delia and Delia feels the same. I'll miss her, as always."

"Even when you're partying tonight at your own party?"

"Especially then," Chloe answers and then claps her hands, effectively changing the subject immediately. "Okay, so I was thinking – "

Only then does Kevin actually look up from Crimson Lights' books and fix her with a look of somewhat disdain with a little warning. "Whatever you're planning right now, think through it. Don't do it. I'm not even going to ask what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

She's offended that her best friend would think so low of her; at the same time, Chloe is a little flattered that Kevin knows her so well and can tolerate it.

"See, that's why we're such good friends. But I'm getting revenge. It's not fair that I don't get to hurt Chance the way he hurt me. If Ronan had just let beat Heather's skanky ass into the ground, I would have let her having sex with my fiancée go."

Kevin smirks knowingly, arms resting against the counter and the coffeehouse accounts begging to be finished and balanced.

"You and I both know there's no such thing as letting anything go with you," he deducts, glancing at the books and rubbing a hand over his face. "At least not right away – luckily, this place is in the black. Just barely. We're making just enough so that the useless loan Jana took on this place doesn't bury it. And then there's Mac helping. The numbers don't lie."

"Yeah – just men."

"Well, I'm sorry our XY chromosomes make us behave stupidly."

Chloe giggles, smiling truthfully for the first time since seeing Delia this morning.

She shrugs, loosely like the idea of cutting her ex-fiancee just as deeply doesn't sting – partly because the self-gratification outweighs the hurt by a very wide margin.

"It's my birthday weekend. I'll have my cake and eat it too."

Kevin chuckles, "Hey – I'm not judging you. I'd like to snap Ryder's neck myself and I have the double misfortune of being Tom Fisher's son and having Ryder as my half-brother. I'm not in any position to judge you," he resolves, closing the books and taking a break. He'll balance them later and he's almost done. Reaching over, Kevin grabs a cup and begins to be her usual order – a soy mocha latte. "Here's your usual on the house."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Although I should stop spoiling you with the free cupcakes and free coffees before your head grows."

Chloe smacks Kevin's chest with the back of her hand, half-indignant and half-amused.

Through her amusement, however, Chloe can't help but turn her head to spot Ronan, leaving the coffeehouse.

.

Kevin is not overly keen on going out tonight but he has to or Mom will never let him live it down by guilting him into oblivion. Besides, Michael and Lauren are going so it's a Baldwin-Fisher family by default. Thirty minutes go by as she he sits on her couch, waiting for Chloe to actually make an appearance so they could go to the Grand Opening of Gloworm. This really shouldn't surprise him; it takes her roughly an hour and a half to get dressed on a typical day – him, not so much.

.

He's a guy:

It's takes a wash, a shower that lasts no more than three minutes – five if it's Critical – and clothes Kevin yanks out of his closet to get of the apartment like clockwork. But not before Kevin watches Yo Gabba Gabba and Dora The Explorer on the mornings that aren't so hectic.

And Chloe's a girl:

She showers, belting out old Backstreet Boys songs, accessorizes, colour co-ordinates and makes picking clothes in the morning a science; an art form only she can perfect. And Chloe is a girl of the Girly Girl Variety, there's make-up and perfume.

Here's what Kevin can't bring himself to say out loud: Chloe doesn't have to wear makeup because she's naturally pretty and yeah, beautiful. Casual buddies don't admit things like that.

.

It's one of those nights after Kevin sings the Yo Gabba Gabba song with DeeDee and she's long asleep, the conversation with Chloe shifts from Michael J. Fox and Back to the Future (the end credits are rolling) to something much deeper. Even John Hughes can't make this into a screenplay if he tries: love gone wrong and love lost.

"Back when I used to give a damn about Billy," Chloe starts and then says so quietly Kevin has to strain his ear to catch the rest. It's one in the morning; both of them are too wired and enjoying each other's company to sleep, "he was, like, my Peter Pan."

Kevin sips his coffee with a snort, before setting the cup on the table.

Oh, right, Peter Pan, Never Never Land and ever wanting to grow up.

And Kevin knows Billy well enough.

"He didn't want to grow up."

"Yeah – classic Billy Abbott," Chloe exhales, deeply and yawns, putting a hand to her mouth. He starts to think of himself as Chloe's human pillow. The scent of her shampoo is faint but wafts around with the usual sting on the coffee aftertaste in his mouth.

That's okay.

It's still too raw to talk about Jana – she loses the last thread of his trustloverespect anyway.

.

That's the first night he falls asleep on the couch with Chloe's head on his shoulder, bodies pressed together (read: it's totally Platonic, Non-Romanic and wrought with Genuine Friendship). Chloe breathes in and out softly in a dreamless sleep while Kevin, himself, indulges in the most peaceful sleep he has in a while.

.

Sure, the light of the television leaves the living room in a bluish glow and his coffee and forgotten.

But having coasters around, is Jana's thing a long time ago, but now, Kevin is asleep and could care less.

(It's the best sleep Kevin honestly has.)

.

Kevin calls Chloe, Sparkles, because he she tells him that when Chloe's a little girl Disney movies are her favourites. She loves Peter Pan the most and really, it's all about Tinkerbell for her. She's the fairy with all of the magic and the trail of pixie dust, glittering all around her. Tinkerbell is small but she makes her presence known.

And Chloe starts calling him, Pumpkin, because when he's a little boy and Kevin doesn't spend his days tremblingscreamingcrying in a locked and dark closet. Thanksgiving is his favourite holiday. It still is because Kevin has memories of Gloria doing whatever she can to make the holiday special. His mother takes him and Michael to a pumpkin patch. He smiles up at Gloria proudly which he picks out the biggest pumpkin he can find and Michael (back then, he's just Mikey) smirks affectionately, ruffling his dark hair.

Thanksgiving is the one day where the Monster that is Terrible Tom doesn't climb out from under his bed only to shove him into the closet. There's no drunken rage, the alcohol so strong on Tom's breath, Kevin puts all of his strength into not flinching and moving an inch.

.

Don't move an inch. Don't blink. Don't cry. Don't pee your pants. Don't breathe.

"Please! Let me out!"

"I'll be a good boy, Dad. I'm sorry!"

"Mommy, help me!"

"Mikey, don't leave me! Please, don't go!"

.

An eight year old Kevin eats slice of pumpkin piece topped with whipped cream bought from the local Mini Mart two blocks down and the crappy two bedroom apartment starts to feel like home for a day.

.

"Yo, Sparkles!" Kevin calls down the hall. "You ready?"

"Yes," Chloe replies, attaching an earring to her ear and holding a small golden clutch purse underneath her arm – yeah, that's called a clutch, as she tells him. Her hair is up simply in a bun. She wears a light purple dress that is true to her nickname and so her. There's makeup but it's light and she wears golden shoes on her feet. Chloe grins brightly, and twirls like it's a runway, an invisible spotlight all hers for the taking. "What do you think?"

"I think," Kevin answers and stands, offering Chloe an arm, "you look great."

"Why, thank you. And," Chloe pats the lapel of his light brown jacket with a slight smile on her glossed lips. Her brown eyes framed with dark mascara-coated lashes sparkle up at him. She looks him over, "I think you cleaned up quite nicely, Pumpkin."

"Thank you. To Gloworm we go."

"Mhm – and here's to a night of full out fun and no drama," Chloe declares, holding Kevin's arm in a comfortable grip. "Well, no drama that we're not connected to anyway," she giggles. "Other people's drama is always hilarious."

.

Kevin realizes this much as Chloe leans over slightly and turns the car radio. It lands on the oldies rock radio on the way to Gloworm's grand opening: he begins to feel his romantic feelings for Jana lessen a little each day. Although Kevin will admit that the smallest part of him will have something like love for the girl who sees him all of him – and doesn't treat him like a diseased leper.

On the other hand, Chloe's right. It's a No Exes Zone tonight. It's all about having a good time, living in the moment in the process, living in the moment.

So, why the hell not?

Kevin turns the volume dial slightly to increase Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me and join into her musical jam session when he taps his hands against the steering wheel.

He can't help but chuckle as Chloe dances to the song in her passenger seat.

"You're crazy."

"At least, I can pull of crazy while looking amazing, so there."

(Touché, Chloe. Touche.)

As he drives closer to Gloworm, he finally joins in the chorus, tone deaf as she is.

.

Chloe Mitchell doesn't hang out with guys like Kevin Fisher, that's a fact.

And yet here she is, having the best time with this guy that has easily become her closest friend. Usually with a guy, she's in a club flirting with him before Hot Guy becomes another conquest in her bed, or rather, his. It really depends who is less drunk.

Then there's Kevin: this guy with a sort of dark, sexy, and slightly nerdy Borderline Genius Appeal that a girl would find kind of hot.

.

The 1950s Restless Style cover says it all, and if you look closing enough, there's steam and smoke coming off the glossy page.

Yeah, they're sexy.

.

And here's the deal breaker for Chloe that goes past just being roommates for the sake of holding on to a relationship that has: the way Kevin adores Delia and the way, Delia loves him as Uncle Kevin just the same.

.

Chloe doesn't hang out with guys like Kevin Fisher, but facts change and now here's another fact:

Kevin is the closest friend she can ever have and this fact won't change.

.

Kevin is a guy, and Chloe is a girl.

But they're best friends until the very end.

(That's as obvious as it gets.)

EDIT: This has been edited for typos - some really quite hilarious ones in fact, lol. I wrote this at four in the morning in May: big mistake. Thank you, Christina for pointing them out to me. I appreciate it. Kindly lemme know if there are any more and I'll get them fixed right away :)

A/N: This is really my first full-on Kevin/Chloe piece. And I'm quite happy with it. My muse decided to deviate from my original but I'm proud of it. This was written all by hand while I saved the first half while I waited to get my new laptop – which is a sexy colour of champagne by the way.

Please let me know what you all think: your opinions are very important so don't hold back. I'm a writer but I'm also human and there's always room for improvement. I wanted to write about their romance in this way, but didn't because I love their friendship. It wasn't rushed and just flourished in a really organic way. And I hope I got their characters right and captured their awesome dynamic.

Sigh. I have a 42 page Villy oneshot I have to force myself to concentrate on but after watching today's Canadian episode, I'm too sad for them to write anything. Damn.

Reviews&comments are love.

-Erika