Greetings, friends. :) Care to listen to a personal view of mine, instead of an excuse as to why this is so late? Yes? No? Well, here you go anyway.

I. HATE. SUMMATIVES. HATE 'EM. THEY'RE SO MUCH GODDAMNED WORK, AND TOTAL BULLSHIT. THAT IS ALL.

So yeah, that kind of explains my procrastination. Not really, but meh! My birthday's coming up, so might as well try and get a couple chapters out before then. :P

Trent continued to stare ahead, in utter disbelief at what he was seeing, while Courtney just grinned happily, ecstatic at his reaction. He turned to her, while and she nodded encouragingly. He undid his seatbelt and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, catching her off guard. Courtney's eyes widened and she blushed as Trent hugged her close, glee radiating off of his figure. She smiled and awkwardly pats his back.

"O-okay, are you just going to crush my lungs or are you going to go take a look?" She questioned, her voice a bit strained due to the fact that Trent was nearly squashing her in his arms.

"Where…what… How!" Trent sputtered, making Courtney giggle.

"I took a drive a few weeks ago, and I saw it! I'm surprised they didn't tear it down when they demolished the area…" She murmured, her heart starting to race at the warmth bleeding through her cardigan as it exuded off of Trent's body; it was making her cheeks redden. She shut her eyes and smiled before slowly reaching up to run her fingers through his jet-black hair.

Before she could, his drew back and sent her a childish grin, while hers faltered slightly. Now that she wasn't in his arms, an instant chill went through her body.

"Well, come on, Coco, let's go!" He beamed, dashing out of the car as if it were on fire, shutting the door behind him.

Courtney simply stared after his retreating figure, blushing and smiling reminiscently. 'Coco' was Trent's childhood nickname for her, ever since the time he accidentally spilled hot chocolate all down the front of her new white dress. She had cried, making him run around panicking at what do, until his mom showed up and made things all better. Like she always did.

Trent's mom had gotten Courtney a new dress, which happened to be a warm chocolaty colour, complimenting her complexion and eyes nicely.

Every time Trent called her 'Coco', it made her miss her childhood, and how simple things were back then. Now, things were different; things were real. She sighed and got out the car, and shut the door behind her. Courtney shivered as the frigid air nipped at her skin through her clothes, and she hugged her arms around herself for more warmth as she approached Trent.

He was staring up at the rotten building; it was cold and forgotten, like an old memory. Childlike wonder shone in his eyes, and a soft smile graced his lips. Courtney couldn't help but follow his gaze and smile herself, as her hair billowed behind her ears.

"Hey, do you remember that time when we were seven, and we…" Trent trailed off quietly, while Courtney's face lit up.

"How could I forget?" She grinned, inching a bit closer to him. Trent's smile widened as he turned to her. "You fell off the tire swing after Duncan pushed you too hard, and he got all scared when you started to cry and he ran away, only to trip over his untied shoelace and break his collarbone…" Courtney giggled.

Trent raised an eyebrow at her amusement towards that situation. "Courtney, you're kind of scaring me… I've never seen this sadistic side of you before. Or, at least, not in a while."

Courtney blushed, and smiled meekly before waving him off.

"And then," she continued, "I pulled you guys over to the oak and bossed around the girls telling them to go get me supplies so I could mend your 'booboos' with my extensive Junior CIT first-aid knowledge."

Trent winced but couldn't stop the smile spreading on his lips, as he rubbed his elbow, as if the wound had reopened just by mentioning its origin.

"I still have the scar…" He chuckled.

"And I bet Duncan still has a kink in his neck…" Courtney added, smiling lopsidedly. The duo chuckled, before walking up a few paces.

Trent still couldn't believe his eyes; that Courtney had found their old fort. He remembered the day his dad built it in their large backyard, and was amazed at how even though the house is gone, the fort still remains. He shot a quick glance to Courtney out of the corner of his eye, and felt his stomach flip. Was this a symbol of their friendship?

Or…more?

Were they supposed to be together forever?

He walked over to the wooden structure. The wood had rotted, but many of the words carved or Sharpied on were still there, albeit barely.

The ladder was still there, along with the "Main Lodge" which consisted of a moth-eaten couch, a small worn out table, and a few plastic stools. The walls were covered in coloring pages, messy drawings, handprints from that one paint fight, and posters of tween idols such as Riley Tyrus, Jack Zefron, Liza Lohman, and Gillery Cuff; back when they were cool, and weren't on cocaine.

The old look out tower was still intact, and the telescope was completely rusted over. The toy box had a few toys left, after being forgotten by their owners. Bridgette's stuffed dolphin was there, missing an eye and dirt and grime was pretty much cemented onto its plushy pelt.

The clouds were grey, and cast a forlorn feeling of abandonment over the fort.

Courtney noticed Trent's distant gaze, and how intently he was staring at their old little safe haven; she walked up to him, the snow crunching beneath her boots.

"You okay?" She asked, quietly; her voice rang out across the empty lot, cutting through the silence and the howl of the wind.

He smiled crookedly, and shut his eyes briefly. He shook his head and ran his gloved fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, it's just… I can't believe it's been so long…" He murmured.

Courtney followed his gaze, before grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers. Before she could meet Trent's skeptic glance she nudged her head underneath his chin and rested her cheek against his chest, smiling to herself.

Trent flinched subtly, eying Courtney with surprise, before his expression softened and he let his free arm drape around her waist. She snuggled into his embrace, her warmth breath tickling the exposed skin on his neck. Trent felt a knot well up in his stomach and his eyes widened. He quickly clenched his legs together in a haste effort to impede arousal and a feverish blush crept over his face.

Courtney pulled away slightly, as she felt something brush up against her pelvis and she bit back moan and she clenched her legs together to stop herself from tackling Trent and ravaging his body, her face reddening dramatically.

The two gawked at each other, before quickly untangling themselves and taking two steps back from each other, covering their crotches with their hands and blushing wildly as they stared at each other like deer in the headlights.

Unknown to the both of them, they were each thinking back to ten years prior, when a similar occurrence transpired…

xxx9xxx

Courtney sat with her legs dangling off of the sky deck of her and Trent's fortress, swinging them back and forth as the warm summer air ruffled her long, flowing, brown pigtails. She picked up a pair of binoculars, and held them up to her dark eyes. She shielded her forehead from the sun with the other hand.

The blue sky was sprinkled with the occasional cloud, providing little to no shade on this warm summer day. The brunette pulled the binoculars from her face and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, as she blue her bangs out of her face; they were in desperate need of a trim, she remarked. But she was growing her hair out for grad, and she needed them a certain length in order to complete her look.

"Where is he…?" Courtney wondered, pulling her legs off the edge and pulling them up to her chest as her brow furrowed. Her voice was of higher pitch, but not too shrewish; she seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. She wiped the sheen of sweat appearing on her tanned forehead, and pulled her cotton candy pink spaghetti strap shirt down a bit, to let some of her body heat escape. Her short shorts were white with pink plaid over top, and she had long abandoned her flip-flops when she arrived at the fort.

Courtney yawned, before resting her chin on her knees and shutting her eyes. She let the sun kiss her skin, and let her eyes rest for a few moments.

At the bottom of the ladder, a boy of the same age with overgrown messy black hair and green eyes crept stealthily upwards, making sure his "weapon" was still securely resting over his shoulder. He wore a red and white muscle shirt- despite not having any, and black board shorts with fire decals on the pant legs. He smirked mischievously when he reached the loft, and tiptoed through the Main Lodge. He stood in the doorway which led to the look out tower (which was basically just a balcony with a railing) and grinned when he saw that Courtney's back was turned to him.

Trent slid the water gun off of his shoulder, and pumped it up quietly before aiming it at the brunette's exposed shoulders. His finger rested on the trigger, before he pressed it down releasing a jet of ice-cold water.

As the water splattered Courtney's shoulders, her eyes shot open and she screeched in alarm. She whipped her head around to find Trent laughing hysterically, and she glared heatedly.

"TRENT! THAT WAS SO. NOT. FUNNY!" She screamed, getting up to her feet. "You nearly scared half to-" Before she could march up to him, Trent sprayed her again, soaking her hair, shirt, and smudging her eyeliner. Courtney shrieked in surprise again, before narrowing her eyes even further.

Trent let out another fit of laughs, before his eyes landed on the brunette and he instantly silenced. He blushed as his eyes widened when they caught sight of Courtney's wet chest. Last time he saw her, which was before he left for a six-month cruise with his family, she didn't have… those… Things!

Underneath Courtney's low cut spaghetti strap shirt were a pair of perky C-cups, which Trent was having a hard time removing his gaze from. Last time he checked, Courtney was pretty much flat.

But…seeing Courtney more developed was kind of scary; he felt as if she was a girl now, and not just… Courtney.

Luckily, Courtney was too focused on the water gun in his hands to notice Trent blatantly staring at her chest, and she stormed over to him and shoved him into the wall before trying to wrestle the gun out of his hands. She successfully pulled it away and grinned victoriously.

"HA!" She cheered, before aiming it at Trent. She pulled the trigger, soaking him and giggling when he yelped out in surprise.

"Ah! AHH! Okay, okay! I give, Courtney, I give!" Trent laughed, shielding himself as best he could. Courtney joined in on the laughter, tossing the water gun aside as she ran up to Trent and threw her arms around his neck. Trent hugged back and his eyes widened again, when he felt her curves against his taut body.

When did this happen!

"You have no idea how much I missed you!" Courtney grinned.

"Y-yeah," Trent replied, cursing his voice for cracking, "me too."

Courtney pulled away and bounced up and down, forcing Trent to avert his eyes to avoid looking down at her chest. "So, what'd you get me? Huh? Huh? What!" She asked, excitedly.

Trent smiled nervously, as he fished around his wet pocket for the present he got her. His fingers grasped the cold silver chain, and he pulled out the charm bracelet. It shimmered under the sunlight and Courtney gasped as all expression left her face.

Dangling on the bracelet were a few charms, such as a crown, the letter C, a violin, and a Golden Snitch. Courtney smiled at Trent and he smiled back, blushing slightly at the look of pure admiration on her face. She held up her wrist, and he clasped it on, and she held her arm up for more time than necessary, before she flung her arms around his neck with so much force that Trent stumbled back a few steps before tripping and falling to the ground with Courtney on top of his chest.

"It's beautiful! Thank you SO MUCH! I LOVE IT!" Courtney exclaimed, not noticing Trent's large blush and gaze on her chest against his. Her legs were on either side of his, and neither were aware of the fact that she was straddling him, or the suggestive position they were in.

"It-it's no problem…" Trent squeaked, smiling awkwardly. He forced a more confident smile, and tried to smooth out his messy hair; but his position was making it rather difficult. "Anything for you."

Courtney beamed at him, before her eyes landed on his lips. All expression left her face as she got a good look at Trent.

He'd grown up, that's for sure. The braces had fixed his overbite and given him a gorgeous smile in return. His features were more grown up, and he was starting to build a little muscle mass. He had gotten a tan from his cruise, and his eyes were as green as ever. Courtney had never noticed how green they were before; they were almost blue. She also never noticed how cute he was; he wasn't just Trent anymore, he was a young man.

Trent's eyes flickered over Courtney's face, and he noticed how pretty she was. Her long brown hair, her eyes, the way her freckles splashed her nose…

They each shut their eyes and slowly began to lean in. As their lips inched closer together, a knot formed in Trent's stomach and he felt his pants tighten. His eyes shot open and so did Courtney's as something poked her groin.

"Oh…" She moaned, melting into his body and trying to press her body closer to his, before her senses returned and she blushed fiercely. "O-oh!" Courtney shrieked, as Trent blushed deep red. She rolled off of him, sat up, and covered herself, embarrassedly. Her cheeks were bright pink.

Trent sat up and covered his crotch, his blush deepening drastically.

"What the HECK was THAT?" Courtney exclaimed, trying to stop the fluttering in her lower stomach.

"I-I dunno!" Trent cried, wincing. "But… I think… uh, my mom is calling."

Silence.

Trent covered his mouth with one hand, while the other covered his crotch, and looked away from Courtney's glaring and slightly lustful eyes.

"Trent, time for dinner!" He called, in a bad female impression; his voice kept cracking as he tried to use his falsetto.

Courtney's glare deepened and she crossed her arms over her chest.

"One: that was SO not your mom. And two: it's three in the afternoon, idiot!" She scolded.

"P-perfect time for an early dinner! See ya, Court!" He stammered, quickly clambering to his feet and dashing into the Main Lodge, leaving the still slightly wet Courtney sitting alone.

She stared after him before scowling and sliding off her wrist. She chucked it into the Main Lodge somewhere out of aggravation, frowning at the butterflies she felt in her stomach.

Why was he making her feel this way?

And why did she never want it to stop?

xxx9xxx

Trent and Courtney each regained composure, and started to approach their fort. Courtney sent Trent a half smile, before starting to climb the ladder.

"Be right back!" She called, as Trent eyed her worriedly.

"Be careful, Court…" He murmured, as she reached the floor of the Main Lodge. She sent him a smile, before disappearing into the room. She had to duck to get under the doorway, and Trent kept his eyes on the room, watching it closely.

"Now, that bracelet has to be around here somewhere…" Courtney mumbled to herself, tapping her chin in thought as she eyed the dusty room. She scowled at herself for even throwing the bracelet in the first place, and forgetting about it all those years ago.

She spent the next few minutes checking under old pieces of furniture, and in every possible nook and cranny she could find. After ten minutes of searching, she was starting to get a bit disheartened. Courtney's eyes watered slightly at the thought of never being able to find the bracelet; overwhelming guilt clouded over her and she sniffled.

"Courtney?" Trent called, startling her; the floor creaked beneath her, making her stomach tingle. She walked out onto the terrace, and stared down at Trent. She hid her tears, and pulled the collar of Trent's jacket closer to her neck, to try and stop the chilly air from nipping at the exposed skin.

"You okay?"

Courtney forced a smile, as her cold hands gripped the railing tightly; her hair whipped around in the wind.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She called back, before smiling wider. "You know, I'm oddly reminded of that play, you know… Romeo and Juliet-"

Crack.

Courtney drew in a quick breaths as her stomach dropped to her boots. Her eyes widened as the raining cracked off and she was sent falling forward off the ledge of the look out tower.

Trent's eyes widened as he gasped, and he sprinted over to where she was going to land, as Courtney screamed and flailed. As gravity took its toll, Trent held out his arms and braced himself for impact.

Courtney continued to scream as the ground approached at an alarming rate, shutting her eyes tightly to avoid having to look.

Courtney landed front first on Trent, knocking him off his feet and into the snow, splattering snowflakes into the wind. Courtney panted as she slowly opened her eyes, and sniffled as tears leaked out of them at the corners, as she looked down at Trent.

She was lying on top of his chest, and his hands were calmingly rubbing her back as he murmured quiet reassurances.

"T-Trent… A-are you okay?" She sniffled, trying to regain composure.

"Are you?" He asked, quietly.

She glanced into his green eyes and was instantly brought back to when she was fourteen. Courtney pushed some of his bangs out of his eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yes. Thank you, Trent…" She breathed, as a smile graced her lips. "For always being there to catch me when I fall."

Trent smiled, looping his cold fingers through her hair.

"Anything for you." He whispered.

Courtney closed the distance between their lips, shutting her eyes and resting her hands on his shoulders, as Trent kissed back, shutting his eyes and running his hands up her sides, the knots of lust welling up inside them easily forgotten, as they just let their lips mold.

Who knew what the future held?

What their future held?

But for this short-lived moment, they'd live for now.

This is SO late, but I liked it. A lot of you guess Courtney was taking him to a museum, and to be honest… When I ended the chapter, I had NO CLUE where she was taking Trent. XD So that's partially why this is so late.

Another reason? EXAMS. 'Nuff said.

And as you can tell, this has been a pretty big turning point for Trent and Courtney's relationship. And if you're wondering about the fall, it wasn't too bad- only about nine or ten feet. :P

Now that it's summer, HOPEFULLY the next chapter won't be too late and I'm sad to inform that there will only be three or four more chapters, at best. :/

This is sort of a late birthday present for myself, I wanted this updated by my birthday, and I just missed the deadline, which was yesterday. Ah well, close enough! XD

Speaking of birthday presents, a special thank to TrueJackVP408 for her awesome one shot that she wrote for my birthday, so in return, I dedicate this chapter to my awesome ninja buddy. ;)

Wow this is a long author's note, so I will wrap this up now. Thanks for reading!

Please review!

~Alexex