Ashley and Chris laid on Chris's bed, his arms encompassing her. They spent a lot of time just… lying together. They fell asleep next to each other a lot, each unaware that it was quite possibly due to the incredible trust that bound them together. Sleeping next to someone is the most intimate and trusting act human beings can perform together, and Ashley and Chris's relationship had no further it could go anymore, no depth that it had not reached.

Chris's arms encompassed Ashley as she texted Sam. Chris had his head resting on her shoulder. "How is Sam?" he asked, his voice calm though holding a hint of concern for the kind girl that he had always shared Josh's respect for, even more so now. He wished he had the courage to talk to her more, but it seemed like when they were together, their hatred and blame for not doing anything to help Josh—or Hannah and Beth for that matter—was only intensified.

Ashley rolled over, "Why don't you talk to her more?" she asked suddenly, her eyes deep and questioning. She could turn on and off like a switch between thoughts and moods. Chris struggled to keep up sometimes, but he never minded. If anything, he loved her more for it. She was so intriguing on so many levels… and now that they were getting closer, she was slowly revealing all of her to him, all of the ways she was unique and quirky, that her shy exterior betrayed.

Chris looked down and shrugged, "I dunno…" he muttered. Sam and Chris were both quiet-natured when it came to talking about feelings—they'd wait for someone else to come to them first.

"She needs us right now, Chris," Ashley almost seemed to be begging him.

Chris looked up, "I know…" he admitted defensively. "We just… we've all been dealing with our grief…"

"But don't you think it's time to stop grieving and start moving on together?" Ashley asked with a hint of desperation in her eyes.

Chris didn't know what to say.

Ashley leaned up on her elbow, suddenly determined. "I'll ask what she's doing right now." Chris didn't protest. He really did care about Sam and want to see her; somewhere deep down he wanted to help, to make sure she was okay. As much as they both hurt, she was a good friend of his, and vice versa.

"She said she'd be home tonight if we wanted to come over."

"Are you sure she's okay with that?" Chris asked, eyebrows raised.

"You know Chris, Sam seems very… independent, but deep down… she's lonely. She needs friends too." She paused, "And… and you know she blames herself too… for what happened to Hannah and Beth… and… for leaving Josh too…" her voice was much quieter. She knew Sam now almost as well as Chris.

Chris nodded slowly. He hadn't thought about it, but he was sure she did. Suddenly he felt like a horrible friend to one of the only other people who loved Josh just as much as he did.

As Chris breathed in Ashley's comforting scent, worried about the coming night, he remembered Josh talking about Sam a few months before the incident, when Chris had told her that he and Ashley were hanging out together one night.

"So," Josh turned on Chris quickly, giving him his mischievous smile, though his voice was suddenly questioning, "You're takin her to the bone zone tonight right?"

Chris's mouth dropped open a bit as one eyebrow raised, "…. 'The bone zone…'?" He should've known better than to question his eccentric friend at this point.

"Man, you've been talking to her for months," Josh complained dramatically.

"Oh my God Josh, leave me alone," Chris said in an exasperated voice, eyes wide, though smiling.

Josh leaned on one leg, pointing accusingly at Chris, "Come on, bro, when are you gonna make a move—before someone else does?"

Chris sighed deeply. But then had an idea. "I will when you will."

"Hey, that's not fair," Josh protested, looking down at the ground.

"What? How's that not fair?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know…" he muttered.

"Uh huh…" Chris smiled in understanding, began circling him slowly like a shark, "What, are you scared of her?" he asked. The tables had turned.

"Nah, man, it's just… you know… she's…" he shrugged, tilting his head to one side, "Independent… strong…" he trailed off, thinking about everything he loved about Sam.

Chris nodded, "Dude, you're so in love with her… You gotta tell her."

"I can't. She's like…" he paused, voice even quieter than usual, "She just means a lot to me, you know?"

Chris understood. Josh didn't want to lose perhaps the only other person in the world who shared his feelings over his sisters' deaths. They'd always been friends, but their friendship had grown even stronger lately… He wouldn't risk losing her to have the relationship he wanted with her. Chris smiled; beneath all his bad boy attitude, Josh was such a good guy.

"You and Ashley on the other hand…" Josh looked back up at Chris with a small smile.

Chris shook his head and lifted his hands to protest. "I'll kiss Ashley if you'll kiss Sam," he came back.

Josh shrugged proudly, "I already did, bro."

"That doesn't count, you were drunk!"

Josh punched Chris's shoulder softly, laughing his smooth laugh, "More than you can say."

Memories were probably the hardest things for him to deal with. It felt like they plunged him into moments of intense relapse. He got better slowly, felt time naturally closing wounds that had no business healing any other way; and he could make himself better with the help of, and for the sake of, the people around him, but there was no way to keep memories away. He felt tears out of nowhere and then cursed himself for crying again, every time.

And then he turned to the one thing that distracted him from all of this. The only thing. Ashley.

He shoved his lips to her aggressively this time, his face wet and his lips salty from tears. He just wanted to forget it all. All of the dark thoughts, the torture of the things he couldn't change, that he couldn't forget, but he couldn't live with either… he couldn't handle this weight, this pain, but she was there to help him forget when it got unbearable… This time, though, he attacked her with a sudden force that made it seem as if he were trying to physically force the thoughts from his head. As soon as he lurched toward her, she knew, like she always did. She knew he needed her to distract him… and she'd do whatever Chris wanted her to do.

Ashley immediately returned his sudden kiss, matching his eagerness, which she actually found very hot… He wasted no time, wrapping his hands around her small body, pushing her face to his with his hands on the back of her head. He kissed her intensely, moving his lips impatiently down her neck. Suddenly, he picked her up and threw her onto the bed, rougher than he had meant to, but she understood. He wasn't messing around today. She'd never seen him quite this fervent before, but she knew how upset he was. She'd be what he needed. It was the least she could do.

As he climbed onto the bed on top of her, she grabbed his back and dug in with her nails, matching his roughness. Chris let out a loud moan that rumbled in his chest, and felt a shiver run through his whole body simultaneously. He breathed out a hot breath onto Ashley's neck, making her shiver as well.

"Ashley…" came his shaky whisper, and then he leaned closer to her ear.

"Take me…" It came out before he even had a chance to think about what he was saying, his intense need overwhelming him.

She reacted impulsively, caught him off guard as she grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him down and pinning him on his back. In her attempt to mount him, though, she accidentally kneed him between his legs. "Oh crap I'm sorry!" she gushed as Chris's body cringed in reaction. But he did not retract in pain. Instead, his hips involuntarily thrusted upward into Ashley, and he bit down hard on his lower lip. Ashley smiled understandingly.

Chris's mind subconsciously told his body that he needed to feel his pain physically too, that he had to be punished for what he did. Chris didn't know this, nor did he care to give it enough thought, he just knew he wanted, he craved, more. More pain.

Ashley lunged forward and bit down on Chris's lip. Hard. Chris's body squirmed underneath her, and she felt like she was on fire having this kind of control over him to pleasure him—he'd never reacted like this to anything she'd ever done. She bit down as hard as she could and he let out a sharp, "Ngh!" as his body jerked suddenly. She pulled back, noticing a tiny trickle of blood on his lip.

She grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and dabbed his lip, "Sorry…" But then he took her small hand in his suddenly, shoved the tissue out of her hand and then shoved it onto the crotch of his jeans, wrapping his hand around hers to squeeze roughly as his eyes squinted at the feeling. He didn't know what to say—didn't know how to say what he wanted to—he wanted her to destroy him, to break him until there was nothing left of him.

Ashley looked down at him, her eyes sparkling, "Are you sure? This is what you want?" she asked in a suddenly tender voice. Chris grunted in response, nodding his head, his eyes closed, both in anticipation and pleasure and in avoidance of looking at her. Part of him didn't want to admit that he enjoyed this strange kink, insecure that she would judge him for it. But that was the furthest thought from her mind right now.

She moved her knee up to jab it into his crotch, and he let out a deep breath, an intense sound of pain mixed with pleasure. Confident that it was what he wanted, her heart beat fast, an excited smile on her face, "Wow, you are full of surprises…" she muttered

Chris looked up at her with his head tilted slightly, his eyes holding an apologetic look as his eyebrows lifted. He seemed to curl into himself shyly a bit. "No, no it's… really hot," she whispered reassuringly, her voice cutely unsure as well. Knowing that she liked it now, Chris smiled, but it turned into a small smirk. "Mmmm… know what you should do?" he whispered seductively, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh!" Ashley rolled over and reached into the desk by the bed and pulled out a pair of scissors suddenly.

Chris sat up, "Wait wait wait wait…"

Her smile faded, "What…?"

"Now—now hold on a second…" He lifted a hand in front of his face, glancing down at his crotch nervously.

"What?" she asked in a more playful voice, her smile returning in a mischievous way, as she approached the bed again, climbing up to lie on her side next to him, "I was just wondering…" she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, then slid it off his arms, and traced the tip of the sharp, cold metal scissors up his bare stomach, applying only gently pressure, "If you wanted to have some fun is all…" she trailed off in an oddly innocent voice.

Chris's head fell back and his eyes closed and he exhaled a long, shaky breath as the scissors scraped against his sensitive skin. The way Ashley was talking, combined with the feeling of the cold pressure and the imminent pain, was way too much for him. He wanted to ask where the hell this Ashley came from—but he was realizing that Ashley's complexities grew deeper each day.

She took his silence as a yes and began to trace circles on his stomach, pressing down harder until red lines were left on his skin. Chris couldn't control the noises escaping from his lips.

"Good?" Ashley asked with a small smile.

"… Fuck…" was all he could manage.

She giggled, "I'll take that as a yes."

Chris swallowed and it was all he could manage to choke back whining noises and twitching. Control, he told himself over and over, closing his eyes tightly in focus.

But Ashley seemed to have a different thought process.

"Why are you trying so hard?" she asked skeptically, then leaned closer to his face, "Lose control…" she whispered, her smile slowly growing as she simultaneously pushed the tip of the scissors to his skin on his the sensitive area on his side.

Chris did what Ashley said. A sharp noise escaped his lips as she pressed the tip hard against his skin, sounding like a high-pitched whine that was broken and wavering as it faded. He grabbed the sheets with his hands, pulling them almost off the bed. His knees bent as his legs squirmed. Ashley couldn't believe how sexy she found it as he squirmed in pleasure under the work of her hands.

She ran the scissors lightly over the crotch of his jeans, barely touching them, and Chris panted at the light, tempting touch, his member growing through his pants. Ashley unzipped said pants and pushed them down, then ran the scissors across his underwear this time.

"Ahhh—ahhhh—ngahhhh…." Chris groaned, eyebrows furrowed in desperation at Ashley. But Ashley was having too much fun. She suddenly shoved a hand into his hair and grabbed a handful, pulling it, as she grabbed his crotch with the other hand, pressing with increasing pressure. Chris grabbed onto Ashley's chest with both hands, squeezing back in return as his hips thrust involuntarily at the feeling of his body being abused by her. Ashley bit her lip in response, and tilted her head to look at him with her gorgeous big green eyes sideways, her golden orange hair falling a bit in front of her young, round face. And that's when Chris completely lost control.

He shoved his lips to hers, meeting resistance from the hand still in his hair, which jerked him back. He hissed in pain against her lips, and they moaned into each others' mouths as their lips danced against each other, Chris's warm breath hitting hers as he grunted in response to her tugging and squeezing. His hands roamed her entire body, pressed tight against her lean muscles, coming to a hault to hold her round bottom.

He pulled it to him as tightly as he could, and she smiled down at him in response. She pushed her pants off and climbed on top of him, very slowly, so that her underwear rubbed against his, and then slid herself up and down against his hard member. She leaned down and bit down into the sensitive skin on his neck with her canines as he cursed in her ear in impulsive reaction to the pain, his hands fumbling with her shirt before finally ripping it off in frustration. His hands held her breasts tightly, fingers groping at her small nipples, his tongue dancing around them in between his teeth grinding and winces of pain.

Ashley slid her hand down to remove his underwear, his member standing tall and incredibly hard as she pulled them down. She took it in her mouth while she traced his nipples with the tip of the scissors in the other, pressing down against the pink skin. She began to run her teeth along his hard member, and she could feel it twitch in response and Chris's muscles tense under her. His breathing was completely uneven now, and he winced, his eyes closed tightly as he tried just to hold himself together.

He exhaled a long, slow breath. "Ashley… I'm gonna…" he warned through a grunt. As if in response, she bit down hard and his hips thrust into the air, "FUCK—SHIT!" He dug his nails into the soft skin of her back as his seed shot against her chest suddenly.

Ashley collapsed next to him, the metal scissors dropping onto the floor next to the bed with a dull clank, leaving small red marks on her hands from the handles. She stared at the ceiling as if trying to take in what just happened for the first time.

Chris only panted loudly through his teeth, his eyes still closed. He grimaced in pain, basking in the sweet sweet release he felt in it.

Ashley rolled over and pressed her lips to Chris's one more time, biting his lip and pulling it as she pulled away. Chris watched her go breathlessly, as she picked up the scissors off the floor and carried them back to the desk, twirling them on her fingers. He then watched her prance into the bathroom and heard the water running moments later, the faint sound of her voice singing under it. He smiled despite himself, still breathing heavily. Could he really make her happy?

As soon as they were patched up and meticulously covered, they were at Sam's. She ushered her friends into the living room. "Oh, hey, I'll make some tea," she said with a small smile, happy they were there.

Chris turned his head to look at Ashley with raised eyebrows, giving her a shocked expression of mock sophistication at Sam's fanciness. "Why, yes, just don't forget the scones, my lady," he came back flawlessly in a perfect British accent with his head lifted and his eyes closed.

Sam looked back before she entered the kitchen and smiled at Ashley's laughter, "Screw you…!" she replied in a playful singing voice.

Chris crossed his arms in front of his chest. "No offense Sam, but that's Ashley's job…"

In the kitchen, Sam heard Chris's sudden cry of pain at Ashley's punch and stifled her laughter.

She returned to the living room a few minutes later, "Okay, so I know you were kidding but I totally have scones." She sat them down on the coffee table with the tea. Sam sat down on the couch next to Ashley and handed her a warm glass of tea, which Ashley took in her small hands. As she began sipping it, Sam noticed the red spots on her hands, which were somewhat swollen now, but before she could say anything Chris reached forward to get a scone from the coffee table and Sam saw the small spots of dried blood on the back of Chris's neck. Then she connected the dots.

She laughed under her breath, "So what's with the uh… thick clothes huh? You guys cold?" she asked smoothly as she dropped a cube of sugar into her tea and stirred it calmly, leaning back on the couch.

Ashley looked up with sudden panic in her face. Chris responded with the first thing he could think of, "Uh… n—no we just uh… I think we're getting sick so we didn't wanna take any chances."

Sam nodded slowly, "Mmm hmm…" she muttered skeptically. At their confused expressions, she explained, "Your 'sick' is showing," she motioned to the back of her neck, and Chris reached back to touch the same spot; then his face turned suddenly blood red as he pulled his hand away and saw the spot of red. Ashley froze. She never wanted anyone to know about this part of her.

After a moment of Sam's smug expression and genuine attempts not to laugh, Chris sighed and slid off his sweater to reveal the t shirt, giving up on the charade. Sam raised her eyebrows at Chris's bruises and band aids all over his arms and the part of his chest that was visible at the top of his t shirt, and her mind formed a very vivid mental image.

Her eyebrows raised. "Wow…" She had only hoped that their… "alone time" would go well—knowing they were both virgins—but she had no idea it would've gone this well for her two shy, awkward friends. She was honestly a little blown away by learning this about them. "It's always the quiet ones, isn't it?"

Ashley's face shifted from embarrassment to vengeance as Sam laughed.

Sam noticed her expression and said more seriously, "Ash, it's okay. It's just me, remember? I'm not gonna tell anyone. Besides, it's nothing to be ashamed about…"

But Ashley did not want to talk about her darker side. "Chris, hold her down for me," came her quiet and threatening voice as her eyes narrowed on Sam.

"Wait wait wait wait—!" Sam pleaded with her hands up, through her laughter. But Chris already had her pinned.

Ashley stood over the squirming blond menacingly. "Ash, please, let's talk about this!"

"About what Sam?" Ashley asked, her head tilted to one side.

"… About the bone zone!" she barely got it out through her laughter.

"You're dead to me!" Ashley screamed, falling on her friend with relentless tickling. Chris joined in to help his girlfriend, an adorable wide smile on his face as Sam squirmed helplessly beneath the couple.

Sam regretted nothing. Like Chris, she was beginning to feel that maybe she could be happy again.