So, even I didn't know where I was going with this, but what I do know was that it came out of procrastinating my own university homework.

Thus, an AU/AH Sydrian moment was born. Enjoy.

SPOV

Mum always used to say to me that every time I made a new friend, some part of my heart would keep them no matter where we moved. Of course, father always had the opposite look on the matter. He believed on letting people go after they had served their purpose in our lives and moving on, keeping them only if they would come good as a contact for business someday. I still haven't picked a side to be honest. As I flicked on the lights to my new apartment, I sighed and leaned up against the door behind me.

I didn't want to be here. I wanted to be back in my dorm room with Jill, laughing over crappy sitcoms and fighting over our small bathroom again. I wanted my usual café with Trey knowing my usual addiction and having it ready by the time I reached the counter. I wanted my Thursday night diner dates with my friends back. I wanted my usual desk at the library. I wanted Eddie's reassurance I was doing the right thing by moving again. I wanted Angeline to force me out to some party again for the third time that week. I wanted to pass notes again through my lectures to Adrian who would drop a smirk and a comment on everything that could be taken sexually. God, if anything I wanted Adrian here; he'd understand.

But it wasn't what I wanted that mattered. It was what I needed apparently.

I needed to finish my residency. I needed to isolate myself to become the best doctor I could be. I needed to rely on no one but myself. My father would say my friends would get me nowhere in this field, but they were really the only thing holding me sane. I needed them more than what they probably needed me and that's what really scared me. I was never someone who needed to rely on people to get by, but then college changed me. Forced into a profession that I never really wanted to live my life in, my friends were my only source of comfort other than knowing it pleased my father and his father and so on and so forth. I was a long line of Sage's going into the medicinal field with the family name heavy on my shoulders.

My stomach rumbled but I ignored it and went and curled up one of the armchairs. I pulled my mobile out of my back pocket and scrolled through the messages from Jill I'd ignored all through my 10hr clinical shift.

"Syd, when are you free next week? Road trip home?"

"Trey gave me two coffees thinking I was bringing one back to you like usual. Miss you!"

"Please don't M.I.A. on me babe."

"Adrian's gone again. I may have to take him back to the clinic for anti-depressants again. God, it's like 2010 all over again."

"Wait, he's actually gone. Shit."

"Syd, he's not replying to my calls. Can you try? I know you're at work but he may answer you. I know you guys were close."

I frowned and frantically dialled Adrian's number. When I'd first met Jill's cousin back at the start of college life, he'd been severely depressed and on the verge of self harm. He'd never been the most stable person, but after a year he had cleaned up, gotten over his issues and was happy again. We'd bonded over that first year, finding our lives almost reflective of one another's minus the fact that I'd lived a restricted life and his was a free one. At first, I'd found myself attracted to his stories of his travels, high school anecdotes and his all-round roguish, adventure-seeker attitude but after a while it had turned into something more.

I'd never had anything in my life that felt like it was truly mine or made me feel like I belonged in a certain niche, but Adrian made me feel like that. I didn't want to admit it but losing him had been probably one of the biggest blows of leaving Palm Springs. I felt lost and to know he was going off the rails again, to realise I had done that to him and put him back to where he was four years ago, it broke my heart even more.

I held the phone to my ear as I listened to the dial tone go on for a while until finally I heard the phone click over to answering machine.

"This is Adrian. I'm probably off doing something that I shouldn't be so leave a message and I'll get back to you after the bail's been posted." "ADRIAN! You can't just say stuff like that!" "Do what I want Sage, now leave m-" BEEP.

No matter how many times I'd told him to change that message, he'd refused on the basis that it captured the essence of his life.

"Adrian, pick up the phone! Jill's got me worried and this is just making it worse. I miss you and you won't hear me say that personally now. Call me back as soon as you get this." I disconnected the call and took it into the bedroom with me if it rang as I got changed out of my work clothes.

I was worried sick now. My father would hate the fact that I'd grown so emotionally attached to a bunch of college kids, but they were practically family to me now. Jill had often joked how we had all been sold off as babies and her sole purpose in life was to bring us back together. I had also often pointed out afterwards that that would make us a very incestuous family and she was our fifth wheel.

"She'll never be an odd wheel while she's my cousin, Sage, more of third counterpart. Just be glad she doesn't sleep in the same bed as us," Adrian said, pressing a kiss to my temple while his thumb brushed over the lily tattoo on my wrist.

Just as I pulled on an old fraternity shirt of Adrian's that I'd stolen off him in sophomore year, the phone buzz. I glanced at the caller I.D. and answered it.

"Adrian, where are you? Are you okay? Jill and I are worried sick, you can't just-"

He chuckled under his breath. "Sage, calm down. I am allowed to leave campus you know."

"Yeah, well, when I get home from work and get messages from my best friend, your cousin, saying that she's worried you're going through a relapse and you've taken off, I'm going to be a bit anxious. Surely that's understandable."

He sighed, " I know Sydney, and don't worry about me. I'm not going to go back to what I used to be like. I- I just miss you, you know. Sure I'm happy you've moved to finish your degree but that doesn't make me stop missing you like crazy. Even Eddie seems like he's lost a bit of his usual spark."

"I know. I miss you all like crazy too; you especially. Anyway, where are you?" I said, skipping over my own emotion. I just wanted him home and looked after since I couldn't do it myself. Too many times over the years, Id found myself picking him up from somewhere because of that protective instinct I have. It would never have beaten Eddie's but it was still there that I had to look after Adrian no matter what.

"Sage, I don't know how to put this-"

"Well at least call Jill and tell her if you're not going to tell me," I said, trying to rush through the call. I needed to get off the line. This call was making it harder for me to regain that separation I had built up between us, even though I didn't want it there.

"Sydney-"

And with that, he hung up. Or cut out. I don't really know which but he wasn't on the line any more.

Oh God, what if he'd been lying to me and really slipped back into his own ways. Where was he? What if he was on the verge of something bigger that self harm? I felt sick to my stomach as I sat down on the edge of my bed, my hands shaking. He'll be fine, he said he wasn't going backwards, I told myself.

My head perked up at the sound of knocking at my door. I stood up brushing the moisture from my eyes and smoothed down the old t-shirt that came to just above my knees as I made my way through the small apartment. Probably the old lady who lived down that hall come to ask me to look after her cat again. Wouldn't be a first, I thought.

I opened the door, expecting Mrs Goulding in her usual floral dress with Fitzgerald in her arms, but instead of the being eye to eye with an elderly woman, I found myself staring at a familiar painted shirt and pale limbs. I looked up in shock at the messy brown hair and emerald eyes that seemed to glimmer down at me as a smirk spread across his face.

"Adrian, what- how-" I managed to splutter out, before he leaned down and pressed his lips against my own. I greedily kissed him back and pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him and pressing me up against it. My arms wound around his neck and my legs around his waist while his own hands ran up and down my sides. It had been too long since I had felt this feeling: Adrian's soft kisses down my neck, my own breathing laboured and heart thumping like I was running a marathon. He pulled back and cupped my face between his hands and kissed my forehead as we caught our breath. I leaned my head against his shoulder and smiled.

"Adrian, you would not believe how happy I am to see you," I said.

He chuckled. "Probably not as happy as I am that I decided to skip college and drive all the way to Sacramento to find you hidden away in this crappy apartment block."

I stole a quick kiss and ran my fingers through his hair. "You know I really was worried about you. When I got Jill's message that she couldn't find you, I practically had a heart attack."

"Good thing I know CPR then, however you seem to be fine now. Maybe a tad out of breath," he said, carrying me over to the couch and sitting down with me still straddling his waist, "I like the shirt, by the way. I was wondering where that went."

"Psh, you hadn't even realised it had been missing until now," I said, laughing, "But really Adrian, what are you doing here? You realise I would have visited within the next couple of weeks."

He shrugged. "I know, but I thought I'd come up here, check out the sights and hopefully find a place to live."

I blanched. "What?"

"Turns out one of the college's here will give me full credit for courses so I can finish my degree here in Sacramento. I've talked to the others about it and they are in full support of me moving, it's just you I haven't told. Which is also why I'm here, not just to give you some loving," Adrian said. He smirked and played with the hem of my shirt at my thighs, not meeting my eyes.

I couldn't believe it. He was moving here of all places. For me. Nobody had ever done such a big thing for me before and I felt like my heart was going to burst. I kissed him hard on the mouth, catching him by surprise. He was want and what I needed. He was my everything and I refused to let him go now he was within my grasp again.

He broke away first. "So I take that as a good sign that you want me around?"

I kissed him lightly again. "I always want you around. In fact, don't bother with accommodation. There's a spot here for you."

"Sydney, are you sure?" He asked.

I smiled. "I've never been more sure of anything."

"Well with that settled, you better give me a tour of this place. It's very you I have to say." He looked around; eyeing the few things I had put up over the last few months, including a certain golden lily painting he had done for me back when we had first started dating.

I pulled him to his feet. "C'mon, we'll start with the bedroom first."

He laughed and took my hand as I dragged him across the apartment. "I love you so much Sage."

I looked back at him and smiled. "I love you too. Now hurry up before I reject the request for a tour."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Adrian replied as he closed the bedroom door behind us.

Short and sweet. I may even play around with this idea some more, but for now I'm just going to leave it as a one shot.

You can find me obssessing over Sydrian on tumblr at whiteandderpy dot tumblr dot com

But for now, ciao cupcakes!

Bowvs. x