A/N: Sorry for the delay, since I last updated I started a new job, and things got really busy. Hope I didn't lose too many readers. Please rate and review to let me know if you like the story!

I awoke in a cold sweat, wishing I had removed my sweatshirt and pants before passing out. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and looked over to the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was 2am. I threw the comforter aside, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and quickly stripped down to my boxers and t-shirt to escape the suffocating heat of my clothes, and tossed them aside into a pile on the floor.

The sound of rustling covers and creaking bed springs made me turn back toward the bed, hoping I hadn't woken Scott when I sprung out of bed. Luckily, he was still asleep. He was now lying on his back. One arm extended away from his body, his hand hanging over the edge of the mattress. His other arm was draped across his head, as if he was intentionally trying to display his muscular arms and chest. He looked so peaceful. I carefully climbed back into bed, and pulled the covers over my bare legs. Staring at the ceiling, I focused on the rhythm of Scott's breathing and tried to go back to sleep.

I couldn't believe I fell asleep, crying, in Scott's arms. As much as I hated the idea of anyone seeing me in that state, I'm glad it was Scott. I wonder how long he let me lay on top of him before he rolled me onto my back, removed my shoes, and tucked me into bed. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks when I remembered that Scott had been naked the entire time. I peeked under the sheets, and was relieved to see he had taken the time to put on some boxers.

Scott had been naked plenty of times in the locker room, along with most of the lacrosse team, but seeing someone naked is very different than being held in their arms. In the moment -I was broken- I didn't consider the homoerotic context of the scene; I just melted into my grief. Out of that moment it was hard to ignore.

I always liked to pretend my friends are asexual, that the stories of their conquests are fiction, but seeing Scott's solo performance through the window and my proximity to his naked body made it hard to ignore his sexuality. Thinking about Scott's sexuality felt incestuous, we were practically brothers, but it did raise other questions. Why was the experience erotic at all? If I thought of Scott as a brother, why was I still thinking about his naked body? Had I ignored my own sexuality? Was I attracted to guys?

I didn't want to have sex with Scott, but had I ruled out other guys as an option? I needed to have sex to save my own life. I let myself forget about the imminent danger that I faced as a virgin in Beacon Hills. My grief had allowed me to ignore the sense of dread hanging over me. I needed to have sex as soon as possible, and up until now the only times I thought about sex were when I watched porn, and when I thought I was about to have sex on Heather's birthday. Heather…

My thoughts left me cold and alone. I turned toward the wall, and rested on my side. I balled the corner of the comforter in my arms and held onto it like a security blanket. I pulled my knees closer to my chest, and stared straight ahead at the wall. I tried to clear my mind, to go back to sleep.

The mattress sloped slightly toward Scott's shifting weight. My eyes fluttered open at Scott's movement, abandoning my effort to sleep. The sheets resting across my back were pulled away from my skin and replaced with cool air. The breath on the back of my neck told me Scott was now sleeping on his side. The blanket draped across our shoulders now allowed cold air to move freely between our bodies. The chill of the night air sent a shiver down my spine. I scooted back to close the gap.

I released a sigh, and let the tension escape from my body. The warmth of Scott's body through the thin layer of my cotton t-shirt was soothing; his body felt like a protective shield. A feeling of safety washed over me, allowing me to finally relax. The thoughts swirling around in my head faded away. Nothing could harm me. Scott would protect me.

The next time I opened my eyes, the orange glow of sunrise was visible through the window. At least I managed to get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Scott's body was still pressed firmly against mine, and now his arm was draped over me. I arched my back slightly to stretch out my stiff muscles. I didn't expect Scott to react to movement, but his arm pulled me closer to his chest, and I felt his morning wood begin to rise between my ass cheeks.

I panicked a little bit, not really sure how to react. Snuggling with Scott was one thing, but this was his fully engorged cock pressed against my ass with only two thin layers of fabric between us. I would like to say that I pulled away from him and moved closer to the edge of the bed, but I just stayed where I was. I felt too good to pull away from his warmth, away from his unyielding muscular chest, away from his penis.

Oh God! Why was I thinking about Scott's penis? Scott moved his hips a bit, sliding his dick along the crack of my ass. I stifled a gasp as my own penis rose to full mast. Then his body stiffened. Scott moved his lower body quickly, his cock no longer pressed against me. He must have woken up. I did not move, pretending to be asleep. His arm retracted slowly, as if not to wake me. I felt the cold air return as he moved to the other side of the bed and rolled over. I was so mortified that I continued to act as if I was sleeping. I'll let him think I didn't feel anything; it's better that Scott doesn't know what went through my mind, and how reluctant I was to move away. I slowly turned onto my stomach, making sure to seem like I was just moving in my sleep, and buried my face in the pillow.

I must have drifted off once again because I was startled awake by the buzz of Scott's alarm clock. Scott reached over me to hit the blaring machine next to my head before returning to the far side of the bed. I turned to face him. "Hey."

"Hey," Scott replied with a smile, "how did you sleep last night?"

I made an effort to smile back, but only managed to raise the corner of my mouth slightly, "I woke up a few times, but I managed to get some sleep." Taking the time to really look at Scott, all I saw was my best friend. If I had any sexual attraction to Scott, that smile would have had a much different effect on me. I don't know why I reacted to his body so much, but I'm glad I didn't need to navigate a sudden romantic attraction to my best friend.

"Good to hear." Scott roughly tousled my hair before getting out of bed, "I'm gonna hop in the shower now, otherwise we'll be late for school"

I sank back into the pillow, relieved, but still a little confused.