;A; I am sooooooo sorry for the 21987398217392817398217 years since my last update! Between work and having pets and everything else-... {Also a severe case of 'Lazy'.} This chapter is a little longer than my others but it's mainly focused on Shinobu. Now, you may be wondering, HOW IS THIS MIYAGIXSHINOBU? THEY AREN'T EVEN TOGETHER! HERNERNERNEEEEER! It's because it's more or less about them getting BACK together after a series of trials. ~w~ So bear with me a little longer! Love will return them to each other soon enough.

Shinobu's exams came and went like a daydream. He scored high, just like he knew he would. Tests were the least of his worries. Things between him and his roommate had gotten more and more complicated. First off, Colin an Dollie had broken up after a huge fight, and since then, they had not been on speaking terms. For whatever reason however, she insisted on going to the beach house with Colin and Shinobu regardless of the break-up.

According to her, there would be a party to celebrate the passing of exams and everyone attending summer term was invited. This little bit of news didn't go over well with Shinobu, who wasn't really into the whole party idea to begin with. However, it was impossible to get out of it, having already promised both of them that he would go.

The second thing that had happened during exams was the sudden blossom of a romance between the boys in room two-sixteen. Every night since the first night they'd kissed, Colin had found a way to convince Shinobu to do it all over again. He would crawl into the smaller's bed and for a bit it would be casual chatting, then Colin would make his move and Shinobu would fall into his trap every single time.

This, was one such night...

For the third time in a week Shinobu's roommate was on top of him, the blond's lips against his own. As the kissing got more frantic, the two boy's breathing sped up along with it, coming out in heavy puffs. The gray-eyed boy had wrapped his arms around Colin's neck and was now running his fingers through soft blond hair, tugging it free from the hair-tie holding it. The Aussie seemed to like this, because he groaned softly in approval, the sound sending a little shudder up Shinobu's spine.

"Shino-... Mate, we have to stop." Colin huffed, pulling away from their kissing. It was only then that Shinobu noticed that they had both become shirtless and his own pants were undone. He laid still for a moment, his breathing beginning to slow, as he tried to recall when such things had happened. The memories didn't return to him and he knew they never would. "As much as I would like to take things further, I don't think this is the time or place."

"What makes you think we're going to go any further?" The grumpy one demanded, trying his best to sound irritated. Instead, his voice came out sounding more breathless.

"You were the one taking your clothes off."

"I was not!"

"My hands have hardly moved since we began." Colin looked amused as he spoke, smiling impishly. "I took my shirt off and that was it for the most part." Shinobu looked away in embarrassment, the blond was right. One hand had been on the smaller's waist and the other behind his head, stationary throughout most of the kissing session. To avoid further shame, the honey-haired boy turned over so that his back was to the other boy.

"Can I ask you something?" Shinobu spoke slowly, his heart beginning to race. It had been something he had been wondering since their first night of kissing.

"You just did."

"Shut up, you know what I mean... …Are we dating?"

"Mmm..." Colin didn't answer at first, shutting his eyes to chew over the question. "Do you want to be?"

"Dunno." It was mostly an honest answer. Shinobu really wasn't sure what he thought of Colin. He had already decided that he at least liked him enough to consider it, despite the fact that he was still a little hung up on Miyagi. "My ex was a man."

"Oh really?" Though he couldn't be sure, Shinobu thought he had heard a little bit of nervousness in the blond's voice. "So what are you anyways? I mean... Are you gay or something?"

"I don't really think I have a prefference. I've only ever liked one person before all this."

"You've never dated a girl before?" The news was obviously shocking to Colin, and he continued, his words coming out rushed. "You're totally the kind of guy that girls would go for. Good looking, smart, lots of money. Of course, your personality is a little-..."

"I don't really understand girls." Shinobu confessed. They had always seemed odd to him, like there was a barrier around them that he couldn't get inside. They were a mystery to him, though not in a romantic sort of way.

"Ha! Join the club mate. You aren't the first man to have that problem."

"What are you talking about? Girls are all over you all the time."

"I guess it's just because I've always been interested in them." The blond shook his head lightly, his strong arms snaking around Shinobu's waist. "You're the first guy for me though. Guess this means I'm part gay."

"Part gay? There's no such thing." The gray-eyed boy snorted, pulling the blankets up over them both. He then reached over and turned off the light on the nightstand, bathing the room in darkness. "Are you really going to hang on me like that all night?"

"You betcha~"

"Fine, but just tonight." Shinobu had long since lost count of how many nights he had uttered those words.

Gray eyes stared out the window as the scenery flew by. Colin, Shinobu, and Dollie had been in the car for almost two hours, on their voyage to the beach house. They weren't far from it, according to the map that the blond had brought along. He was at the wheel, steering their vessel along the winding dirt road in front of them. The scene felt very familiar to Shinobu, as they had both met one another in a car weeks earlier. It had been the start of a very dysfunctional relationship.

"I can't wait to get out and stretch my legs." Dollie sighed, glancing over at Shinobu. He could see her face reflected in his car window, looking at him with an odd expression. "What about you Shinobu? Are you ready to get out of this car?"

"Yeah, it's been a long drive." The Japanese boy wasn't feeling chatty and that's just what the dark-haired girl had insisted on doing the whole way. She had spent a good half hour trying to get him to talk to her before giving up and settling on a more approachable victim. Though Colin and her had just recently broken up, they were back on speaking terms and getting along like old friends once more.

Something that worried Shinobu, though he would never admit it to anyone. Would his late night make out sessions continue if Colin and Dollie got back together? It would seem that they were headed in that direction, but he couldn't be sure. For all he knew, they might have simply been acting chummy for his sake. Either way, the closeness Dollie and Colin shared made Shinobu feel a little jealous.

"Here we are!" Colin gasped from the front seat, pulling up in front of a two story holiday home. The front half was attached to the driveway, while the back half ran out into the sand, coming over it like a little overhang. It was held up by large wooden columns, that disappeared into the beachy ground, almost like they were being sucked down into it. The house itself had many windows, lighting the interior with natural light. "What do you guys think?"

"It's amazing!" Shinobu had never seen anything like it before. It's construction, it's shape, even the overall look. He climbed out of the car the moment it was parked and took a few steps towards the structure. Collin and Dollie soon joined him, glancing at one another, smiles on their faces. "This is the place?"

"Yeah, I didn't bring you here to ask stupid questions." The two boys gave each other playful looks at the blond's words, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by the third member of the group. Her curiosity was soon smashed away, as Colin lead the way to the front door and unlocked it. He stepped inside and the other two followed.

The inside was more impressive than the outside. Glossy pine flooring covered the ground, gleaming in the sunlight from the windows. Meanwhile, modern and stylish furniture decked out the living room and kitchen. Up a spiral staircase there were four rooms, the master leading out onto a small terrace that overlooked the ocean beyond it. Though pleasantly mild, the scent of sea water filled the house, giving off a light salty fragrance.

"Honey! I'm home!" Colin called, his voice echoing up into the vaulted ceilings. He grinned at Dollie and Shinobu, who were still marveling at the house, taking it all in. "You two can stop drooling, it's not that impressive."

"Bull, you were going on and on about how awesome this place is the whole way here." Shinobu scoffed, though he had to admit, the house was impressive.

"What's that? I was right?"

"For once." Dollie tacked on playfully, giving Colin a little shove. "C'mon boys, we have a party to set up for."

It took nearly four hours to set up for the party. Putting up tables, decorating, cooking food, preparing drinks, rigging the surround sound system to play music. When all was said in done, Shinobu was surprised they were going to have the party at all. If Dollie and Colin felt as tired as he did, he couldn't imagine why the would still want to hold the event.

"Here." The blond walked over and sat next to Shinobu, who was currently taking advantage of the patio off the master bedroom. When the gray-eyed boy looked up, a bottle of beer appeared in his face. "The drinking age here is eighteen. You've got to be at least that."

"Nineteen." He murmured, taking the bottle. It was already open causing a pungent scent to fill his nose. With little hesitation he put the bottle to his mouth and tilted it some, letting the liquid bounce down into his mouth. He scowled a little at the flavor, not used to having the strong drink. "It's kind of gross."

"I know, but you get used to it real quick."

Colin pulled up one of the deck-chairs and sat down next to Shinobu, his eyes fixating on the sea ahead of them. It was like he was staring out into a crowd of people rather than an empty shore, the fascination clear as day on his face. All the Japanese boy at his side could do, was stare at him. At his blue eyes and his long hair and his nice jaw-...

"I think I've drank too much already." Shinobu shook his head a little, trying his best to push the odd thoughts out of his head. Sure, Colin was good looking and maybe a good kisser, possibly even someone considered 'datable', but the smaller boy was still unsure. Unsure about Colin himself and unsure about the ex girlfriend they had left inside. "Are you still in love with Dollie?"

"Mmm... I'm not even sure if I ever was in love with her." The Aussie began, his eyes still reflecting the ocean. "I've always liked her. We've been friends for a long time and after a while it just sort of evolved into something else. I'm not sure what to describe it as. It's kind of like we both felt we had to fall into those roles and so we just did."

"Do you think she loves you?"

"I think she probably does, but it's not the kind of love we're both looking for." Colin spoke slowly, as if trying to decide exactly how he wanted to phrase his words. "She's important to me and I would do anything I could for her, but the romance just isn't really there. I feel in someways I was forcing myself to be with her, the hugs, the kisses, the dates, the sex-..."

"You guys-...?" Shinobu was caught of guard by the thought. It wasn't as if he and Miyagi hadn't done it themselves, but Dollie and Colin? Even more surprising, was the feeling of jealousy welling up in the boy's chest, rushing in like the waves crashing in on the beach.

"It's not exactly a secret Mate. The whole school knows. Dormitory walls aren't exactly sound proof."

"Wait... So you mean-... Someone could have heard us?"

"I wouldn't go that far." Colin said, a cheeky grin spreading across his face. "Although, there have been rumors-..."

"You're not serious." Panic set in and for a moment Shinobu wracked his brain for a solution, before he finally caught onto Colin's scheme. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Then don't be so easy to scare." Colin jumped from his seat on the porch and fled inside, the honey-haired boy in hot persuit. For the first time since he had arrived, Shinobu really felt like he had made the right decision to leave Japan. No, better yet, he had made the right decision to leave Miyagi.

In a matter of an hour or two, the trio had turned the beach house into a chic party-house. There was music, food, beer, anything and everything a college party needed and then some. A bonfire lay out in the sand, ready for use, a volley-ball net was set up behind the house, not to mention enough barbecue and smore supplies to feed a small army. The sight was impressive and Shinobu couldn't help but feel a little excited, even if he still felt a little apprehensive about the party.

It was half an hour to show-time and the honey-haired boy was busy in the shower, scrubbing away the car-ride up to the beach house. He was busy humming to himself over the blare of the water when he heard the bathroom door open. He froze a bit, wondering if someone had walked in on accident, but he didn't hear the door close again. Cautiously he peered around the side of the curtain, dumbfounded to see Dollie standing before him.

"What are you doing?" Shinobu exclaimed as one of the dark-haired girl's hands slipped over his mouth. She winked at him and for the first time he realized she was wearing a towel. "D-Dollie?"

"Shh!" She shooshed him again and pulled her hand back. Carefully she let the towel fall to the floor and did a little twirl, much to Shinobu's relief, sporting a cute little strapless bikini. "I wanted to show you this."

"Couldn't it have waited till I had gotten out?"

"You were taking too long." With a pouty look on her face, she bent down to pick up her towel. "It's not like I have xray vision. Your naked body is safe behind that curtain." A little splash of red spread over the boy's face and he turned away from her.

"Looks good. I'll be out in a bit." He grumbled, slinking back behind the curtain. He waited a bit for her to leave, groaning mentally when she didn't. Once more his head appeared. "Can I help you?"

"You said you would be out in a bit, right?" Dollie smiled naively, playing the innocence card. Shinobu shook his head a little and went back to his shower, deciding to ignore her. It had obviously worked, because Dollie had grown tired of waiting and had left the bathroom, leaving Shinobu to shower in peace.

Clean and in a fresh pair of clothes, he worked on deciding how he wanted to wear his hair. His gray eyes appraised himself in the mirror, while he combed his hair this way and that. A little pang of shock ran through Shinobu as he realized the only time he had really taken much interest in his hair was when he was going to be around Miyagi. The action had always embarrassed him, seeming more like a girl thing.

"Mate, what's takin' you?" Collin's voice echoed through the door, causing Shinobu to jump a little.

"Coming." He wrenched open the door and strode out, his heart picking up a pace or two when the blond's eyes took him in. He wondered if he looked good or just looked how he was feeling, unprepared and full of nerves.

"You sure got dressed up."

"I don't go to parties a lot. Not sure what to wear." He didn't feel dressed up, he felt dressed down. Self consciously, Shinobu glanced down at his clothes. At the present moment he was simply dressed in what he thought beach-wear was like, a plain tank-top and swim-trunks. He had spent a good ten minutes trying to best match up his swim-trunks with the other clothes he had brought, with no avail. "Spent a long time picking this out." That was another thing he had done with Miyagi, spent more time picking out clothes than he felt was necessary

"You look fine." Colin insisted, grinning wickedly. The blond had changed clothes too. Actually, it was an understatement to say he had changed clothes. Colin's idea of 'beach party' was swim-trunks and no shirt, just a silver chain with a very cliché shark-tooth hanging from it. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." The gray-eyed boy whispered, following his friend downstairs, music instantly blasting his ears, as if someone had flipped a switch the moment they had reached the bottom landing. There were already a few people there, congregated in little groups around the living room, some drifting towards the kitchen.

A few school-mates that Shinobu recognized waved to him or called out a music-drowned hello. He did his best to acknowledge them, all the while sticking close to Colin, hoping the blond wouldn't get annoyed at having an extra shadow. It was another reason that he never went to parties, they were awkward for him and he felt very out of place. Even knowing a few people, he couldn't seem to find his niche.

The two of them migrated outside and stood with a small group of Colin's friends. Shinobu listened politely to them talk and occasionally offered up a few words himself, finding it easier to relax when he saw how happy his roommate seemed. The blond's crooked smile was infectious and soon Shinobu had forgotten about being shy, at least for the most part.

"Shinobu, come dance with me." Dollie's words were hot and breathy in his ear. He jolted a little and turned away from the conversation he was having to see the dark-haired girl standing close behind him. She was still just as she had been earlier, wearing her little strapless bikini, but now her face sported more make-up. "You can dance, right?"

"G'on mate! Dance with the little Shela." One of the boys in the group yelled out, making the fair-haired boy blush in embarrassment. He didn't know a thing about dancing and he wasn't too keen on showing that off. Obviously not taking no for an answer, Dollie grabbed one of his hands and carted him back into the house, a loud and rambunctious song playing.

The living room furniture had been pushed out of the way, making a make-shift dance floor. Dollie pulled Shinobu right out into the middle of the area, the boy glancing around frantically to see if anyone was watching them. The crowd was too busy dancing in couples or groups to notice, so Shinobu did his best to follow whatever Dollie was doing.

"You can dance!" Dollie cried over the music, beaming up at him. He smiled stiffly and nodded, his gray eyes straying back towards the back door, praying that Colin wasn't watching, but at the same time hoping to see his face. The blond was nowhere to been seen.

"I'm getting kind of thirsty." It was both the truth and an excuse, he needed to get out of the crowd of hot, sweaty college kids. It was his third song dancing with Dollie and he was finding himself drained. She obviously hadn't caught what he said, because her face was deadpan.

"What did you say?"

"I NEED A DRINK!" Having raised his voice to compete with the music, Shinobu found himself speaking rather harshly. The dark-haired girl looked a little taken-aback, her face falling some. The honey-haired boy hesitated, a moment too long, because a slow song started up. Looking around, he saw that people were pairing off to slow dance and the once who didn't have anyone were skulking away.

"Stay for one more dance." Dollie said quietly, keeping her eyes on the floor. Feeling a little guilty for snapping at her, he saw that he had no choice.

"Alright."

Dollie jerked her head up, breaking out into a huge smile, as if Shinobu had just made her night. She threw her arms eagerly around his neck, pulling their bodies so close together that it was almost uncomfortable. He didn't know what was worse, the sappy song, or the way Dollie was hanging from him. The whole thing felt odd, but he did what he could to play along. His arms slid around her tiny waist and the two of them swayed back and forth, the motion making Shinobu feel like he was on some kind of drunken sail-boat.

"You're a really nice guy." Dollie murmured next to Shinobu's ear. Her arms locked tighter around his neck and he resisted the urge to push her off.

"Thank you." Shinobu's voice was stiff, but she didn't appear to notice, too busy mouthing the lyrics to the song.

Four painful chorus repeats later, the song was over and Dollie had removed herself from Shinobu's body. She wasn't done with him however, on her way to the kitchen, her hand locked around one of his.

"You look like you could use a beer."

You have no idea. He thought sardonically, taking an ice-cold can from her. He opened it up and took a few harsh gulps of it, ignoring the burn in his throat.

"Oh that's just great." Shinobu turned to look and see why Dollie sounded so disgusted, his eyes spotting Colin across the room, his arm wrapped around a little red-head girl's waist. A little wave of shock splashed over Shinobu, his pulse thumping viciously in his neck. "Hasn't even been broken up with me more than a couple weeks and he's already on another girl."

"Why's he doing that?" Shinobu asked dumbly as his mouth found it's way to the can in his hands, his eyes still watching Colin and the girl, who was now whispering into the blond's ear. Sensing the waves of distress coming from the Japanese boy next to her, Dollie hooked one of her arms around one of his and steered him towards the back door and down to the beach. "Dollie, why's he doing that?"

Shinobu didn't like it, not one bit. He was finally happy in Australia, finally had gotten Miyagi out of his head, was finally starting to like Colin. Shinobu's reason for leaving Japan was cheating and now it was happening again. Although, the Aussie had never specifically said that they were together.

"He's a player." Dollie said, sitting down in the pale sand. The ocean was a wine-red, the sun setting up above it as it washed on and off the shore. Blood was pounding in Shinobu's ears, his eyes transfixed on the endless span of water, not really seeing it. "Why do you think I broke up with him? He didn't want a serious relationship. He wanted to play around and only use me when he needed me."

"All men are the same..." Shinobu grumbled, not caring if Dollie figured out the meaning behind his words or not.

"Except you."

"Yeah, except me." He had to agree, he had never cheated on anyone and couldn't imagine doing so. Technically he had used Colin to get over Miyagi, but that was a different category and Shinobu was willing to overlook it for the moment.

"Let's go for a walk." The brunette suggested, standing up to brush the sand off herself. Shinobu nodded, the idea sounding better than going back to the party. The two of them began walking along the beach, not really saying anything, simply leaving footprints for the tide to wash away. After some time, they arrived at what looked like a restored lighthouse.

"Colin told me about this lighthouse. I have the key if you want to go inside." Dollie slipped a silver bangle off her arm, a small key dangling from it.

"I've never seen a lighthouse before." Shinobu stared in marvel at the tall tower. Though it was no-longer in use, the structure was an amazing sight.

"The light still works. Let's go up and turn it on!" After unlocking the door, Dollie crept inside, glancing back at Shinobu expectantly.

"Are you sure it's okay to be in here?" He wondered, looking around a little after entering the doorway. It was dark inside, but the rising moon was providing just enough light to make-out a staircase.

"Of course it is." Taking the steps two at a time, Dollie started up towards the top, Shinobu following hesitantly. The circular room at the top was simple, nothing more than a giant empty area with a light in the middle and a control console against one of the walls. The real treat was the windows on all sides, looking out over the beach and the ocean beyond. "What a view!"

Impressed, the gray-eyed boy walked over to one of the windows and looked out, able to see the beach-house they had left behind. It looked minuscule from up in the lighthouse. As he peered out into the night, Dollie worked on turning the light on. When it started up, two beams of light began to rotate inside the room, shining out across miles of ocean.

"What do you think?" The dark-haired one came to stand by Shinobu, watching the lights along with him.

"This is really amazing Dollie. Thank you for showing me," he would have said more, but Dollie's hands had gripped his shoulders and pushed him to the floor. Now her body was on top of his and her lips were moving against his. His whole body tensed and for a moment his head drew only blanks. It wasn't until her tongue had found it's way into his mouth that he finally pushed her off. "What are you doing?"

"Hush..." Dollie said, her voice a little husky. She placed her hand delicately over his mouth, smiling impishly. "Don't talk. It's more romantic if you just keep quiet."

"No, this-... We can't do this!"

"What...? Are you a virgin?"

"No, nothing like that." Shinobu tried to think of how to explain and while he did she was back on top of him, this time her hand grabbing at his crotch. He grabbed at her hand harshly. "Stop it!"

"Are you worried about not having protection?" She looked a little annoyed, her free hand reaching down into her bikini top to pull out a little square packet. "I have us covered."

"I'm not having sex with you." Shinobu said firmly, releasing her hand. Dollie's eyes flashed with fury, striking him with an open palm across the face.

"Just do what I say!"

"No, get off." Face stinging a little, the honey-haired boy placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a little shove. He was about to stand up when the sound of footsteps approaching caught his attention. "Wait... I hear someone."

"I bet it's the police." Dollie hissed, shoving Shinobu onto his back. "I'll hide you." She sat up a little and began to look around, as if trying to find a good place for them to stash themselves, her arms snaking around behind her back.

"What are you doing now?"

The dark-haired girl didn't bother explaining. She simply slipped her bikini top off and grabbed one of Shinobu's hands, placing it over her exposed chest. She resumed her kissing as the door to the light room was opened and two figures walked in. Obscured by the bright beams of light from the lighthouse's lamp, Shinobu couldn't really see who had entered, but a sinking feeling in his stomach gave him a good hint.

D: THAT HOE! Forcing herself on Shinobu! What could Dollie's motives be? :3 Stay tuned.