Disclaimer: I wish I owned them... And I also hope that I'm not sued for copywright infringment, because let me tell you what: They will get nothing other than debt. Woot.
Zoe and Brian had settled on attending the University of Michigan. Their parents had been okay with it; their only problem was moving in. James and Greg both rented vans for the weekend to take their kids to Michigan. Allison and Lisa would be driving; the men claimed that they couldn't be emasculated by driving mini-vans.
Once everything was packed and ready to go, they were on their way to the school. The drive took ten long hours, but they got there with few problems and were allowed to move the two young adults in early so as not to inconvenience the parents. Greg's name still had pull at U of M, and he was oh-so-glad for it.
Zoe slung a bag over her shoulder and frowned. "I still think it's utter bullshit that they don't let boys and girls room together. What are we going to do?"
"Have copious amounts of kinky sex," Brian called out from his van, picking up a large box. "Hello. We're teenagers."
Zoe made a face. "It's shit."
Allison snorted. "Deal with it, honey. At least your father and I sprung to get you a single room. You ought to be thanking every god that there is right about now that we didn't make you get a roommate."
"They paid for a single?" Brian asked, outraged. He turned to his parents. "They paid for Zoe to get a single!"
"They spoil her more than we spoil you," Lisa snapped, dropping a box on top of the one he already had. "Deal with it."
"They make less than you two do and they got a single," Brian continued to grumble.
"You want to put the boxes back in the van and we'll go home and you can go to Princeton?" James asked with a frown. "Because we can do that."
"No," Brian muttered.
"Then let's get the two of you moved in already."
Zoe walked beside Brian as they made their way to the dorms. "Someone's parents are grumpy," she said in a singsong voice.
"Bite me, tyke," he growled in response. "I can't believe your parents got you a fucking single."
"You can sleep over," she muttered to him out of the corner of her mouth.
"He can not!" Greg called out from behind the two of them.
Zoe frowned. "He hears everything, I swear."
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Once Zoe and Brian were all settled in, their parents stayed with them before saying goodbye. It was harder for Zoe than she expected it to be. Why did it have to be so hard to say goodbye to her parents?
"You gonna be alright here?" Greg asked casually, leaning against the closed door to Zoe's dorm room.
"Yeah," Zoe said quietly, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I think so."
"You know that if you ever need to come home, all you have to do is call," Allison said gently, wrapping her arms around her daughter and holding on tightly. "We'll fly you home quicker than you can say 'subacute brucellosis.'"
Zoe laughed and held onto her mother. "Only because it's a long term."
Greg smirked from the corner of the room. "Hey. If it weren't for subacute brucellosis, you wouldn't be here today."
Zoe frowned and looked at her father curiously. "What?" she asked, confused.
He gave her a smile and limped over to sit on the edge of her bed, patting the spot next to him for her to come sit. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Your mother is fifteen years younger than I am," he told her.
"Jesus," Zoe whispered in awe. "I didn't know you guys were that far apart. You never brought age into your birthdays or anything."
"I was her boss when we got together."
Zoe blinked and went slack-jawed. "Holy shit. That's … really unethical. And kind of hot."
Greg and Allison laughed, and Allison sat on Greg's other side. His free arm went around her waist. "Before your mother, I had been with a woman who'd left me. Not only because I had a disability, but because I was a total asshole."
"You're still a total asshole," Zoe pointed out.
"Yes. But now, I have a daughter and a wife to be an asshole to. Look, the point here is that… I understand that people can change. I also understand how powerful an unexplainable attraction can be. If something does happen with Brian-"
"Oh my God, Dad. Stop."
"If something does happen with Brian," he repeated forcefully, "I want to know. Or I want you to tell your mother. Hell, tell Lisa or James if that makes you more comfortable. Call up Foreman, even. Just … tell someone."
"So you can butcher him?" Zoe asked flatly.
Greg grinned. "So I can kick your ass and say 'I told you so,'" he replied, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Right… So … how does subacute brucellosis tie into this?" she asked curiously.
"We were working on a case," Allison said with a small, fond smile. "He thought it was subacute brucellosis. I didn't. We argued. He shut me up by kissing me."
Zoe's jaw dropped. "That's awesome," she stated with a laugh of disbelief.
"Yeah. I was great in my younger days," Greg drawled sarcastically. He checked the clock on the wall and frowned. "We need to go, sweetie."
Zoe bit her bottom lip and tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh… Okay…"
Greg smiled and kissed her forehead. "You'll be fine."
"I know," she said with a teary-eyed smile. "It's just … a big step. I'm gonna be pretty far away."
"You've got Brian here with you," Allison said, tears already pouring down her cheeks. They all stood and Allison wrapped her arms around her daughter. "We'll call when we get home, honey. Love you."
"Okay, Mom. I love you, too." She gripped her mother tightly, almost afraid to let go.
Allison pulled away and moved to the side, and Greg stepped in, hugging Zoe tight to him. "Don't screw up, okay?" he asked roughly.
"I won't, Daddy," she whispered with a smile. "I love you."
"Love you, too, kiddo." He let her go and headed for the door, holding it open for Allison. Once they were out the door, Zoe sat on her bed and sobbed. When the parents left to go home, the men had to drive; the women were crying too hard.
As soon as Brian's parents were gone, he went to Zoe's room and knocked before entering without waiting for an answer. When he saw her sobbing on her bed, he rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked gently.
"I just… They… They're gone, Brian," she cried out. "They're gone. They just left me here!"
"What did you expect them to do, Zo?" Brian asked with a small chuckle. "Transfer to Michigan?"
"No," she whispered. "I guess not. I just… God, Brian, I'm not ready for this."
He pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried. "You're going to be fine, Zo. You're going to be great here."
She held onto his shirt and sobbed into his chest. "I should have gotten a roommate," she said brokenly. "I don't want to be alone right now. I don't want to be alone tonight, Brian."
He rubbed her back and rocked her gently. "Shhh. I'll stay here tonight; don't worry about it. You won't be alone." As he held her, he settled his chin on top of her head. "I'll never let you be alone."
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Brian stuck to his promise, too. Toward the end of the school year, Zoe had a bad breakup with the boyfriend she'd hooked up with sometime in late September. Brian was the first person she called. He'd been to her room in an instant, finding her throwing things at the wall. There was shattered glass all over the floor in the corner, and she was getting ready to hurl another glass.
Brian ran up and grabbed Zoe's wrist. "Hey!" he exclaimed, taking the glass from her. "Stop. Enough. Tell me what the hell is going on."
"Peter. Fucking Peter!" she yelled, reaching for the glass. Brian snatched it out of her reach. "He broke up with me!"
"I guessed that," Brian said calmly. "Stop yelling. Tell me what happened."
"He broke up with me. He'd been cheating on me with fucking Stacey Morris. That bitch."
"Wait… Stacey Morris? That girl who looks like a toothpick and has a huge gap in her front two teeth?"
"Yes. And they fixed her teeth. Now she just looks like a toothpick," Zoe said through gritted teeth. "This is what always happens, Brian. Always! Men leave me for those models." Tears popped into her eyes and she sagged onto her bed, defeated. "I've been the star in every show this year. Every show. The first freshman ever to do that. And he still cheats on me with some gorgeous girl."
Brian set the glass down and slowly sat down next to Zoe. "He doesn't value you," he said softly. "Not like he should. You're beautiful, Zoe."
"You're just saying that because-"
"Shut up," he snapped at her. "Shut up and let me finish." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You're always putting yourself down; other people are always putting you down and I never understood why. You are beautiful. I think you're absolutely lovely and I've never once lied when I said that. I like your body; it's sexy. You're sexy, Zoe. Those hips and thighs and God… Your breasts. I've fantasized about you since I was, like, thirteen."
Zoe let out a small laugh. "You have not," she said, shaking her head.
"I have." He cupped her chin in his hand and brought her eyes to his. "You choose the worst men to go out with, Zo."
"Like you're one to talk. Alyssa Mackay, the cheerleader who thought she was psychic?"
"Hey, everyone makes mistakes." He stroked her cheek with his thumb and felt his heart jump when her eyes shut just a bit and she moved her face into his caress, almost like a kitten. "I've wanted you since we started high school," he admitted in a murmur. "I don't care if that ruins our friendship right now… It's about time you realized that someone cares for you and respects you for who you are. And who wants you as you are."
"Brian… I … I don't know what to say," she whispered, dumbfounded. Her father had been right, damn him to hell.
"You don't have to say anything," he said softly. "I'll just… I'll go." He stood to leave, but Zoe rushed to him.
"Don't," she demanded, grabbing his wrist. She looked at his wrist in her hand and was quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say. "I… You really do think I'm attractive?"
"Zoe, tons of guys on campus find you attractive. All of the men in my hall want to jump you."
"You'd kill them if they tried."
"Damn right, I would," he growled.
She gave him a smile and stepped closer to him. "I've been a fool."
"You're admitting it?"
"Just this once," she whispered, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and bringing his lips down to hers. "Just this once…" She brushed her lips lightly over his, experimenting, making sure this was okay. And, oh, but it was.
His hands went to her hips, pulling her closer, and he ran his tongue along her bottom lip hesitantly. Her eyes flew open, focused on his, and she deepened the kiss. They should have done this much sooner, they both decided. This should have happened a long time ago.
They somehow worked their way to the bed, Brian sitting on the edge and Zoe straddling him. As she reached for his shirt, her cell phone rang, causing her to jump. She glanced at the LCD. "It's my dad," she said with a smirk.
Brian, catching his breath, smirked back. "You should answer it."
Still breathless, she opened the phone. "Hello?" she answered huskily.
"Zoe?" she heard her father's voice. "Please don't tell me I interrupted something."
"Oh, the snark," she said, rolling her eyes. She gave a soft gasp when Brian placed a playful nip on her neck.
"Jesus, Zo, hang up the phone. Call me back when you finish."
"I'm not having sex, Dad," she said with a laugh.
"Not yet, at least," Brian muttered.
"Is that Brian?" Greg asked with a snap.
"…Yes."
"What the fuck is going on over there?"
"I'm making out with Brian. Can I call you back later?"
She heard him clearing his throat. "Yeah. Later." And the phone went dead.
Back in Princeton, Greg looked at Allison. "She's going to call back later."
"You didn't even tell her about her coming home surprise," Allison said with a frown. "Foreman's picking her up from the airport."
"I … don't think she cares much about Foreman at this minute," Greg replied, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "We need to call Jim and Lisa."
"…Why?"
"Our kids are making out right at this very minute."
Allison dropped the plate she'd been holding. Greg smirked, laughing soon after.
"I can't believe I owe Foreman three hundred bucks!" Allison exclaimed angrily. "That bastard doubled up on me!"
