*Author's Note*

Sorry peeps, I have not abandoned you or the story line. I'm just in the middle of some major wildfires right now and had to book it to stay with some friends out of harm's way for a while. I'm a volunteer to help move animals to safe zones, so I'm busy like you wouldn't believe and barely have time to be online. Just thought I'd finally get this out to you to tide you over (it's a little rough, didn't have the time or concentration to really edit it yet), don't know when I'll be back.

May 23rd, 10:38 AM

Sunday morning daylight sliced into the bedroom, and cut an unfortunate path right across my face.

God I need some real curtains in here, these threadbare things aren't giving me that 'cave of doom' feeling I need to sleep in late.

It took me a moment to groggily come around to being fully awake. It took another few seconds to remember why I was waking up with an arm tossed over my naked chest. Smiling to myself, I stretched and looked over at Trent who was still completely knocked out; sleeping on his stomach with his face turned towards me.

I wonder how long he'll sleep today? He sleeps over twelve hours a day even when he hasn't done anything physically taxing, so last night just might have been enough to send him into a coma.

That first round had been amazing. We both had these repressed urges and feelings for each other for so long that the release was raw, fast, and bordering on the edge of violent. It was almost like a fight where you did know if you wanted to be the winner or the loser because both sides tend to get theirs when the weapon of choice is sex; or perhaps it was more like a competition. Considering the pushes, bites, licks, shoves, hair pulls, tongue tricks, even a few face slaps … I'd say we tied in ability.

I think I might have a slight edge in winning though considering Trent's utter shock. To him it was astonishing that I not only thought about those things but had some skill in pulling it all off, so that makes me the victor due to a surprise attack, right?

After we had collapsed in a pile, trying to catch our breath and unable to say anything, we just laid on the floor of the hallway staring into each other's eyes. For a long time it felt like if either of us moved or spoke it would break the spell and it would all disappear. Eventually we got up and took a long shower together, gently and reverently washing each other till the water ran cold.

I was on such an endorphin high that I didn't even notice the water was icy until I was shivering and Trent's lips turned a little blue. I had no idea it was so easy to get lost in someone like that …

Round two had been a surprise for me, never knowing that a guy could have sex more than once in twenty-four hours before. We had been lying in bed talking after the shower; we really needed to clear up some things from our past. I gathered that he had believed, or was at least in denial about the real world, that I was still a virgin despite my dating history. When that came up we decided that we needed to hash out our partner histories; he had a visibly pained reaction when I explained the despair that had led to my first time and that it had been Tom while I tried real hard not to wall myself back up as his list hit the double digits.

I'm glad we got that all out and that he handled it well. I was afraid considering his earlier reactions tonight that he might lose it again, so I really didn't expect that we would segway from that into how we felt about each other, or that that conversation would lead to a gentler bout of fooling around.

We kept talking until 5:00 AM. The hidden meanings behind past conversations, the little things about each other that were torture to be around, anything and everything we could think of came spilling out. Both Trent's and my eyelids were beginning to flutter closed when we reached out to kiss goodnight (or good morning, whatever), and it had ignited the need in both of us to go again. Yet that time we were half asleep so it had been slow and soft; if the first time had been a roaring fire then the second time had been a slow smoking of the embers. We had worked ourselves into a spooning position, and I reached back to loosely grip Trent's hair while we whispered to each other with every thrust.

Wow, just thinking about last night is driving me crazy again … stop it, I can't get riled up now … he'll be comatose for most of the day. I on the other hand, will not be able to go back to sleep with the light in my face. Need coffee …

Trying to slide out from under Trent's arm, I soon found myself thwarted as a hand grabbed my waist and pulled me back to the bed. At first I felt my eyes bulge, thinking that there was no way he could go again. Three times in a span of 9 hours was not humanly possible, right? Trent just nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck and stilled, breathing heavily with sleep once again.

"Trent?" I questioned, not entirely sure that he was really awake.

"Mmmph."

"You can stay in bed but I need caffeine and if you make me choose between the two of you, you will not be happy with the result." I laughed gently in his ear before I kissed his cheek.

"Mmmph," was his only response, but at least this time he didn't fight me when I tried to get up and toss on my robe.

Stopping in the bathroom first, I took out the contacts that I had forgotten to remove last night and did an inventory of what was in the mirror.

Well, I'm definitely not looking my best this morning. Glad that he isn't going to be waking up to this; red eyes with bags under them, swollen lips, seriously messed up hair, and I think one side of my face is a little red from his stubble burn. We just might have to go a little easy next time … or focus on the other side.

Finally making it to the kitchen and surviving the wait for the coffee pot to finish brewing, I poured a cup only to be interrupted by the frantic pounding on the door accompanied by some liberal use of the doorbell. Seeing that it was only 10:00 AM I contemplated calling the super or the cops, but then I heard Jane's voice yelling through the door to open up.

CRAP! Not ready for this conversation, not ready at all.

Opening the door I looked sheepishly at my friend who had a guilty, repentant look on her face.

"DARIA!" Jane exclaimed as she studied my face. "Have you been crying? I'm so, so, so sorry. I tried calling you but you didn't answer, so I decided to come prostrate myself before you and ask for your forgiveness. I honestly had no idea how badly Trent would blow up."

"Umm, how did you know what happened? I couldn't get through to you last night no matter how many times I called …" I maneuvered to block the doorway, hoping that Jane wouldn't rush in the apartment.

"Trent called me last night after your big reveal. He chewed my ass out for almost an hour; asking things like if this was something the both of us planned and if there was anything else sordid going on in your life. I explained to him that this was completely my set up, my last-ditch effort to push you two together. I was about to tell him that other than the stripping you practically lived like a nun, but he just all of a sudden disconnected me. No 'Go to Hell Jane' or anything …"

I think it's time to let Yenta dangle in the wind for a bit, I like this groveling.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's when I finally came out of the club and he spotted me. He started yelling at me, and at one point insinuated that I might be a drug addict. He really freaked out the bouncer; Eddie thought that Trent might hurt me."

"That son of a bitch yelled at you!?!? I'll kick his ass if he hurt you Daria, just say the word!"

"Actually Jane, I was really more hurt by this set-up than anything. I trusted you with something about myself that I really didn't want to get out there; yet now not only has your brother seen me dance but all of the guys from Spiral have watched me as well. I don't know if I can ever face any of them again, I just ran when I saw them coming over to talk to me."

"Fuck, Daria, there's nothing I can really say to apologize for this, huh?"

"Nope, last night will be forever burned into my brain."

As the best god damn night of my life! Now if I can get you to leave I'll prolong that into the best day as well…

"Hey Jane? I know you're really concerned and all, but I'm not going to pull a Sylvia Plath over this. I'd really like some alone time right now."

"I'll only give you your space if you tell me right now that I can fix this. That our friendship might be shaken right now but that it isn't in danger. If that died, I don't know what I'd do. We've worked out our issues before; please tell me we can work this out too."

Wow, she looks like she's about to cry. Now I almost feel a little bad about letting her sweat … almost. Might as well let her twist another moment or two longer for all of those years of torture.

"Jane, I'll always be able to tolerate your presence above all others. Let's meet up tomorrow and we'll talk about this more, ok?

Jane was about to respond with a what looked like a statement of relief but she froze midsentence, suddenly very distracted by whatever was going on behind me.

Checking over my shoulder, I saw a zombified Trent walk out of the hallway towards the fridge. He was wearing nothing but the bed sheet that he held in place wrapped around his waist. Trent grabbed a bottle of water before walking back obliviously down the hallway. With half-lidded eyes he glanced at the door and managed to say "Hi Janey. Daria, come back to bed, please? Bring a book or something; I just want you there with me" in his raspy voice before stumbling blindly back into the bedroom.

I turned back to face my friend's shocked eyes. Jane was quickly scanning the rest of the room behind me; taking note of the over-turned end table, the couch askew, the picture frames messed up on the wall or even knocked to the floor, and the men's and women's clothing discarded in a trail down the hallway.

A seriously devilish smile spread across Jane's face.

"So tomorrow, pizza sound good? I'll bring a sketch pad; we need to start design work on your big white dress."