Phil and Ickey were getting along really well. Years of living with his mom had paid off. He did his own clothes, his own dishes and generally cleaned up after his self unlike Eddie.
They just kind of fit. Even Pizza Girl had started to get a little jealous of their relationship as she commonly referred to it much to their dislike. They thought it sounded girlie.

"Phil, sweetie can we pass on actually watching supreme combat and just do the pasta tonight" Pizza Girl said to Phil carefully
"okay" he replied as he read his magazine
"okay" she said slowly as she drew out the word
"yeah, okay" he repeated as he stood up to get the remote
"I have never been more in love with you than I am right now this very minute" Pizza Girl said as she jumped onto Phil, wrapped her legs around his waist and began to kiss him like there was no tomorrow.
"Wait……why are you so in love with me….." Phil said as he stopped kissing her briefly but still kept his hands gripping her thighs.
"I'll tell you in a few minutes" she said then planted a sexy kiss on him and squeezed him tighter. Phil didn't argue. He just went with the moment which landed them in the bed. There was so much more to Pizza Girl than most people knew. She was gentle and loving but at the same time she was free and uninhibited, a combination that usually caused sparks in the bedroom. As they lay side by side Phil once again asked "So, are you going to tell me what that was all about" he asked "Yes I am" she replied
"well" He asked grinning
"you said okay, instead of obsessing over something trivial, it's so much more than baby step" she answered
"I love you" he said simply as he rolled over to give her a kiss

"I had a feeling you'd be back" Lizzy said as she opened her door
"ohh, No..I didn't…that's not why" Ronnie said devastated that she thought he was only there for sex
"Would you like to go to dinner with me" Ronnie blurted out and she stood in silence
"Yeah, I think I would like that" she answered shyly
"I'll pick you up at seven" he replied then ran as fast as he could to the one person that could help him.

Janet had been watching Eddie out of the kitchen window while she did the dishes. Quietly she laughed at herself, Ms. Homemaker all of a sudden she was cooking Eddie's dinner, cleaning his crumbs off the couch, folding his laundry, and paying their bills, hell she was even writing out Eddie's checks for his truck note; She had done all these tasks for her self for years but somehow it felt different now. At least she didn't have to do the damn yard anymore or fix stuff when it broke she thought to herself. She noticed Ronnie walk up but decided it was probably none of her business so she stayed inside. Eddie kept about his business when he noticed Ronnie.
"Who is she" Eddie asked Ronnie as he was bent down straightening some roots on a bush he was planting
"How do you know " Ronnie asked
"Come on man Aubrey, have you learned nothing from the whole Owen/Ickey thing" Eddie said with a serious face as he glanced up at Ronnie
"No, well yeah but.. I don't know" Ronnie answered as he rubbed the back of his head
"Have you told Nick" Eddie asked as he stood up and began to shovel dirt over the roots
"He knows and we're cool, Aubrey loves him she was just hurt and I put my self in the cross fire, that's why I'm here" Ronnie was a mess and he could tell but Eddie also had little tolerance for lying and cheating.
"I thought I loved Aubrey, but the more I'm around this other girl the more I realize the difference between lust and love" Ronnie said hesitantly
"We all learn that lesson sooner or later" Eddie said still keeping to his work
"It's just so easy to talk to Lizzy, I can hang out with her and there's no gap in conversation, no thinking of what to say.. it just is" Ronnie spilled his guts and it felt good
"Lizzy huh" Eddie said and Ronnie noted is implication
"Seriously I need help, she agreed to go to dinner with me but I don't know where to take her and I figured seeing how you've probably bought a million dinners you would know" Ronnie asked waiting on Eddie to snap at him but he didn't
"That depends on what kind of relationship your after" Eddie stated "Are you looking for a good time or a little more than that "Eddie asked
"the latter" Ronnie answered nervous with his hands in his pockets
"Before you start anything you should know that hooking back up with your first is going to come with some feelings at least on her part" Eddie lectured him
"It kind of does for me to" Ronnie said slightly embarrassed
Eddie told him about Hugo's Hideaway. He also filled him in on all the possibilities of the long ride there and back. Feeling more confident Ronnie headed home to get ready for his date and seeing how it was nearly dark Eddie put away his tools.

Janet was glad she was just about done with the dinner and the dishes, all she wanted to do was sit down, so far she had done a really good job of keeping her emotions in check when that time of the month came around but this time it didn't seem to be so easy and she began to get cranky, her back hurt and she ached all over. Eddie came through the back door managing to track mud on her freshly mopped floor. Janet quickly ordered him to take his dirty clothes off at the door. "You can't wait until I take a shower" Eddie asked so full of him self "ohh, I can wait and so can you" she replied mischievously knowing she didn't feel the least bit sexy "What did Ronnie want" she asked as she gathered the clean laundry she had folded earlier "Girl troubles" Eddie answered caught off guard by Janet handing him the stack of laundry "What's this" Eddie asked teasing "Laundry" Janet retorted "Yeah I know that, but why are you handing it to me" he asked "Because it needs to be put away" she replied a little irritated he was trying to get out of the one thing she asked him to do and Eddie mumbled something about house work not being a very manly "What did you say" she snapped "Your right I can wait" he said and turned to walk off again not realizing the power of his comment "Is there something you wanted to say Eddie" Janet asked very perturbed. Up until this point she had found it all a bit amusing but his inability to bend even a little had instantly stomped her nerves. Eddie stopped cold in his tracks "As matter of a fact there is" he ranted as he turned around thinking about the foul mood he had been doing his best to avoid all day "oh yeah, and what's that" she asked becoming a little pissed off at the complete lack of consideration he seemed to be having and giving him an I dare you look. "I don't do laundry, I don't buy groceries, and I certainly don't like being bitched at" He said as he stomped off to the shower and she let out the biggest "uuggggggggg" he had ever heard but he kept walking with a little grin until he heard something break against the wall. While in the shower he realized he should have kept his mouth shut, he found out that morning why she's wasn't in a good mood when she turned down his advances, that's the reason he went outside to work in the yard in the first place. Janet was curled up on the couch when he got out of the shower
"I suppose that was meant for me" he asked stopping just shy of the couch. "Must have just slipped out of my hand" Janet said sarcastically surprised that she gotten that mad that fast but never looked up at him. Eddie knew she wasn't ready to talk so he went to the kitchen and found his dinner sitting on the table where he sat and tried to eat alone. His attempt was unsuccessful as he felt guilty for his comment when she had obviously been busy cooking his dinner. He fixed a bowl of Rocky Road with two spoons and tried to sit down on the couch but Janet didn't seem to want to move her feet for him so he picked them up and sat down resting them in his lap but she just moved them and sat up. "Seriously" Eddie said causing tears to run down Janet's face "Just leave me alone" she told him "No, I'm not going to leave you alone" Eddie informed her "You've done a damned good job of avoiding me all day so what is you want from me now, Eddie" she asked a little snippy "I want us to deal with this" Eddie said as the door bell rang and Janet went to her room with their ice cream in hand.

It was Nick. Eddie was beginning to wonder why the hell they all kept coming to him for advice when he had just recently been ducking dishes.
"Now's not really a good time, Nicky" Eddie said
"Sorry, It's still early I didn't think I would be interrupting anything" Nick said as he turned to leave
"Hold on" Eddie said as he stepped out onto the porch
"you sure…..what goes on" Nick asked
"Mother Nature" Eddie said slightly laughing
"All a part of the package" Nick reminded him
"Word of advise Mother Nature can be a Bitch so don't tick her off" Eddie said only half joking about the situation
"You didn't come over to hear my problems" Eddie said leaned against the porch rail. Now it was dark outside.
"It's Aubrey, we still haven't...I mean it's been a long long time Eddie, what could she be waiting on, we're back together just not together" Nick asked
"Maybe she's waiting on you" Eddie suggested Nick might not be putting in the effort
"Maybe she's really in love with Ronnie" Nick said sadly
"I don't think you have to worry about that one, him and Lizzy are on their way to Hugo's as we speak" Eddie said with a smirk
"Hugo's, huh"
"Works every time" Eddie said and Nick thanked him as he left

Eddie knew Janet was going to wear her not so sexy pajamas and pile her hair atop her head like she always did around this time. It wasn't a secret, Eddie had caught glimpses of Janet's irrational behavior before but now that they were living together there wasn't a way to escape it wasn't like he could lay low for a few days. Eddie knew this day would come but he had hoped to avoid it as long as possible.This was defiantly a new frontier for Eddie. He thought it best to give Janet her space, she's come around when she was ready and pushing her would only make it worse. He had been sitting on the couch watching TV for a few hours when a sleepy Janet came waltzing in and stood at the end of the couch.
"Still want to live with me" Janet asked as Eddie patted the couch for her to sit with him.
"Of course I do, it's going to take more than this to get rid of me" Eddie replied as she and her blanket curled up in his lap "Well as long as it's only once a month" he added laughing and she swatted him in the chest
"Do you really expect me to go along with the whole it's a woman's job thing" she asked looking up at him
"Honestly, I've always thought that's what made a woman sexy, You women can think what you want but nothing is sexier than that not just because they do the laundry and buy the groceries( Eddie said with sarcasm) but because their strong and they hold everything together like you do, it's a reminder that I can't do it with out you, the same thing goes for me I would like to think you need me, whether it's for the yard or fixing the sink as long as I know you need me, I'm okay" Eddie spoke completely from his heart
"I need you so much more than you know" Janet said as she curled tighter against him
"It's okay, I don't really mind helping with things" Eddie said as he kissed the top of her head
"Truth is I don't really mind doing them for you" Janet confessed
"I just can't believe we had our first fight and there's not going to be any make up sex" Eddie snickered
"Still don't know when to shut up" Janet mumbled and she feel asleep in her prince Charmin's arms.

Nick decided to skip taking Aubrey to Hugo's while Ronnie was there that night but he had made reservations for a few nights later.He picked Aubrey up at the door with flowers and borrowed a few pages from Latekka's book. He opened her door, pulled out her chair and played the gentlemen all night. Eddie guaranteed it so he figured it was worth giving it a shot.
"This is nice" Aubrey said as the waiter poured the wine.
"I can't take credit, Eddie helped me out" Nick shyly admitted
"Don't get me wrong I love this place but I was talking about you and me and the fact that your trying" she replied causing Nick to laugh
"I'm glad to see this amuses you" she said upset
"I'm sorry I was just thinking about something Eddie said" Nick replied
"okay, enough about him I am more interested in us" Aubrey said leaning forward and using a whisper. They talked through dinner and seemed to come to an understanding about where each was coming from and where they were headed.
"Nick, I guess I'm just worried that all this is what you think just happens, that you grow up settle down and life goes on without a care in the world, that's not how it works" Aubrey never had a problem speaking her mind
"I know, I've been thinking about that and I decided that it's not just what happens when you get older, you have to want it..really want it" he said
"Well do you really want it" she asked
"I really truly honestly do" he answered
"Suddenly I'm not in the mood for dessert, you want to get out of here" she suggested as she got up to leave. Nick knew what she meant and threw some money on the table way more of a tip than he thought was necessary but he sure wasn't hanging around for change. Nick was figuring out why Eddie told him Hugo's worked every time. It was painfully apparent to Nick that he wanted to be with Aubrey but it was a long ride back home and he didn't think Aubrey would really warm up to the idea of the backseat. But Eddie pulled though for him because the directions he had written down landed them sitting in front of a very romantic Inn. Nick had a little trouble convincing Aubrey that he had nothing to do with it at first. That night Nick made love to Aubrey. It was the first time in his adult life he truly made love to a woman instead of just being tender because he respected her.