Victims of Unsynchronized Passion

"I can't say how every time I ever put my arms around you, I felt that I was home." - Ernest Hemingway

Kelly headed into the Peach Pit to find Brandon sitting at the counter.

"Hi..." She breathed out as she made her way over to him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He teased, followed by her shaking her head, trying not to chuckle.

"Guess I deserve that." She sighed

"Sit down." He offered her a seat beside him. "How are you?"

"I'm... okay." she said finally

"I heard..." He nodded and she looked up at him in bewilderment, "Steve." He answered for her, explaining how he knew of her divorce.

"Oh. Yeah, heard you work together." She concluded

"You sure you're alright?" Brandon observed her. He squeezed her hand.

"Yeah..." She offered a faint smile. "Thank you... for being... how I remember."

"You've got a friend in me... If you want one." He assured and she smiled.

Kelly crawled into bed with Brandon once she got home from Dylan's house. Still shaken up about the whole thing, she tried to remain calm to not wake Brandon, but he did anyway.

"How'd it go?" He asked in his sleepy voice

"Fine." She murmured, pulling the covers over her.

"You okay?" He asked

"Yeah... I'm just glad I'm home." She kissed his forehead.

"I'm glad too." He turned to face her and kissed her. She pulled him toward her for comfort, deepening the kiss. He was surprised by her neediness, but he loved to comfort her. He crawled on top of her and trailed soft kisses from her lips to her cheek. She tried to stay present and forget, but her mind wouldn't shut off. Even as Brandon's hand trailed down to her thighs, her mind was elsewhere... until he felt a scrape under his thumb.

"What's that?" He asked, getting a good look at the cut.

"Nothing." She quickly shot back, "You know me... clumsy." She laughed it off. He hesitated, narrowing his eyes on the area, but his gaze was interrupted by her pulling him towards her and kissing him.

Brandon made his way over to Dylan's. He wanted to make things easier for him, but realized that hiding the fact that he was with Kelly only made things worse. It was time to see him. He owed him a conversation.

Dylan groaned when he opened the door to Brandon, but Brandon let himself in. Brandon was surprised when he got a good look at his friend. Dylan was clearly hungover and the house was a mess. He followed Dylan outside who had gone to sit out there and sip his beer.

"You just gonna stand there?" Dylan sneered

"...Dylan, I came to apologize. I didn't want you to find out like that." Dylan scoffed at his remark. Brandon took a big inhale and tried again, "Look, I know you're mad at me-"

"-Stop." Dylan cut him off, "Spare me, Brandon alright? You went for my girl. You betrayed me. My best friend. So whatever speech you prepared on your way over here... do us all a favour and shut the hell up."

"Dylan." Brandon said firmly, "You're sounding a little hypocritical right now... In fact, you've done a lot worse. Or did you forget what you did to my sister."

"That's different. You of all people know what Kelly means to me." Dylan glared at him.

"You don't get to change the rules when you get hurt, Dylan." Brandon warned. "I think you know exactly how these things can happen. Betrayal isn't always malicious."

"Thanks for the life lesson. Put it in writing, I'll even sign it. Now get out!" Dylan growled. Brandon shrugged and headed over to the door.

"Dylan." He stopped to face him, "I'm about the only friend you've got right now..."

"With friends like you... who needs enemies." Dylan scoffed, grabbing his beer. As he grabbed his beer, Brandon noticed multiple cuts on Dylan's hand.

"What happened to your hand?" Brandon asked, walking back over to him

"Accident." Dylan mumbled. Brandon grabbed his hand and took a closer look

"...What did you do?" Brandon's voice was firmer. Dylan rolled his eyes, trying to get out hand out from his grasp.

"Did you do this to Kelly?" Brandon warned. Dylan then pulled away and shoved Brandon off of him.

"Don't talk to me about Kelly." Dylan hissed. Brandon let out a deep breath.

"You know what? You just lost another friend." Brandon glared at him before walking out.

"Why would she cover for him, I don't get it." Brandon paced around his own living room.

"I told you..." Valerie sighed, "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do."

"So... Valerie?" Kelly asked and Brandon laughed

"Don't start."

"Start what?" Kelly asked

"I know that look. You're about to judge her."

"I wasn't..." Kelly shook her head

"Look, I know my wife can come in guns blazing at times... but she means well."

"You okay?" James asked as he parked his dad's car.

"Yeah... I was tired of everything being swept under the rug. It's a weight lifted... Was I sad? Sure, but I know my dad loves me. I know he'll always be around." Pamela affirmed before getting out of the car.

Come on." Pamela encouraged as James hesitated to get out of the car.

"Sure your mum won't mind?" He asked

"She's too preoccupied with the divorce. She'll hardly notice we're here." She assured. They then headed up to her front door.

As they headed into the house they found Kelly at the kitchen counter.

"Oh, hi mum." Pamela greeted

"Hi" Kelly headed over to them. "James." She greeted

"Hi, Mrs San- I mean Miss-" He struggled at whether to appear in the know about the divorce or not.

"Kelly." Kelly insisted, chuckling.

"Listen, we were just going to watch a movie here if that's alright? Jim's parents are having a cast dinner at the house." Pamela explained. Brenda's back, Kelly thought. That explains why she hadn't heard from Dylan again.

"It's fine." Kelly glanced at James and smiled.

The kids snuggled on the couch as they put on a movie.

"No, not a chick flick." James groaned.

"But it's pretty woman!" Pamela whined, "Humor me? And don't worry, I'll rescue you right back!" She joked

"Fine..." James rolled his eyes as Pam squealed in excitement. "But I'm warning you..." He began

"What?"

"If I forget to tell you later, I had a really good time tonight." He grinned

"See, you love it!" She kissed him, happy that he quoted the movie.

"I don't know why I keep coming back for this torture." He joked and Pamela playfully nudged him.

Kelly decided to take her glass of wine and enjoy it on the porch while the kids watched their movie. She couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter and James' banter. But she also couldn't help but wonder why she too kept coming back for the same old torture.

Kelly woke up in the middle of the night to excessive banging on the door.

"Kel, open up!" Dylan yelled at the other end.

Kelly groaned before opening it. "What do you want?" She hissed, blocking the doorway.

"Let me in." He urged

"Dylan, you're drunk." She acknowledged

"Come on." He groaned, pushing past her. He walked around, eyeing the clutter on the table.

"Dylan... Clare and Donna could wake up at any moment." Kelly whispered

"You never did care who was watching us." He joked but she wasn't laughing.

"Dylan, I'm asking you nicely. You need to leave."

"Was that a question?" He asked and she huffed. She walked over to him and stopped him from picking up a magazine.

"Please." She urged. He sighed in response and stopped to stare at her.

"I want to stay..." He uttered

"Dylan." She said sternly

"I want to apologize for the other night."

"Okay..." She said breathlessly

"That was it." He shrugged, and she rolled her eyes. She then walked over to her front door and opened it, signaling for him to leave. He began to head towards her.

The closer he got, the more nervous she felt as he never broke his gaze off of her. Once he made his way to her, he closed the door. She looked from the door, back to him, whose hand remained on the doorknob.

"How's Brandon?" He asked

"Fine." Her voice cracked, "He wouldn't be too happy with you being here." She began to tremble as his fingers twirled a strand of her hair. He incessantly watched her lips as they moved.

"Does he make you happy?" He asked

"Uh... yes." Kelly replied, barely audible.

"Does he... satisfy you?" His fingers now released her hair strand and trailed down her neck.

"Dylan." She found herself succumbing to that paralyzing feeling under his touch.

"What names does he call you when you make love?" His head lowered down, his lips hovering closely over her collar bone.

"Where does he... put his hands?" He continued, his hands slid down her body to her hips. "Does he know what makes you scream?" His lips finally came into contact wit her skin, kissing her neck. Finally feeling her skin beneath him drove him wild. Kelly closed her eyes, struggling to not give in to desire.

"Give in to me." He pleaded. "Give yourself to me." Kelly breathed heavily, wanting to surrender.

"Dylan." She moaned as his lips trailed down to her chest.

"Have sex with me." He begged, "Just one more time. I need it."

"What?" Kelly quickly snapped out of it. She realized then that she was his addiction. He needed her like he needed a fix.

She pulled away, leaving him panting. "Dylan! This is crazy." She said breathlessly. He felt some pleasure in the fact that he still hand a strong effect on her. "You need to leave."

"It got to you." He smirked

"It was a moment of weakness. I won't let it happen again." She sneered

"Good luck resisting. But I guess there's some excruciating pleasure in that..." He drawled

"What?" She snapped

"Now you know what to do to get off."

"What does that mean?" She said, frustrated

"It means..." He leaned forward, "I know that when you're with him... you think of me."

She slapped him across the face. Hard. He remained still, unfazed by the slap.

"Good to see you're still in there somewhere." He shot back before letting himself out. As the door closed behind him, Kelly sunk to the ground as a tear ran down her cheek.

Kelly brought her now empty wine glass to the sink after wallowing in her memories. She then went up to bed, remembering that night all too well. That was the last time she saw him before urging Jim and Cindy to get him to go to rehab.

"Thanks for a great night, Bren." One of the actors said as he head out the door after the others, "Take care Dylan."

"Good to have you guys over. Drive safe." Dylan said, about to close the door behind them.

"Hold on." The actor called back, picking up an envelope off the floor. "This is on your doorstep."

"Thanks." Dylan chuckled. Once he closed the door behind them, he observed the envelope that was addressed to him.

"Honey, you coming to bed?" Brenda called from the bedroom.

"Just a sec, babe." He called back. He then proceeded to open the envelope and read the letter inside.

"Dear Dylan...

Thanks to the wise words of one great author, I decided to take the leap. I was encouraged to find you. Not to hold onto anger or hold a grudge, but to simply search for a purpose. Why was I born to these parents? Why didn't they want me? Maybe in finding you, I'll find my answers. I don't mean to disrupt your life. You have a wife and a son already. I have adoptive parents that love me. But I just want to know where I came from. Spare me a few minutes. Get to know your flesh and blood while we still can.

All the best

-Cameron."

Dylan stood there in shock.

Give me all your true hate and I'll translate it in our bed,

into never seen passion, never seen passion.

That is why I am so mad about you...

Trouble is your middle name,

but in the end you're not too bad

Can someone tell me if it's wrong to be so mad about you...

Mad about you - Hooverphonic