Chapter 9

Chris walks upstairs sleepily in his boxers and t-shirt; he walks into the kitchen and slumps down in a chair opposite his dad. His dad is busy flicking through the back pages of the newspaper reading up on all the local sport.

"Morning" His dad says passing him a mug of tea and some toast.

"Mmm I guess it must be" Chris replies rubbing his eyes and yawning, "What time is it?" he asks taking a bite out of the plain toast, his mom was cooking breakfast.

"It's nearly 10.30, were you up late last night?" she asks as she brings him over a plate with a full cooked breakfast on it. She sits down and goes through their mail picking out a brown envelope and studying it.

"Yeah" Chris mumbles, he'd been on the phone most of the night to Steph. Ever since she'd rung him a couple of days ago they'd kept ringing each other and set up times to talk. It was costing her parents a fortune, Vince hadn't let Steph go home to her own place and insisted she stayed with him and Linda where he could keep an eye on her. The phone starts ringing in the hall "I'll get it!" Chris yells jumping out of his seat and running to get it. Ted rolls his eyes and goes back to reading the newspaper.

"At least he is eating and sleeping as long as they ring each other," she says putting the mail down and clearing some of the empty bowls and plates on the table.

"I thought parents didn't have to go on with the teenage love problems, you know girlfriends father and hour long phone calls once their children left home!" Ted moans.

"When am I going to see you?" Chris asks Steph down the phone, he walks into the lounge and sits down.

"Sooner than you expect, I told you" Steph giggles, she still wasn't letting on what she was up to. Chris couldn't help but smile listening to her like that; it made him feel that she was ok and happy. Not as happy as she would be with him he thought, but happy for the time being.

"Well when then!" Chris laughs getting impatient.

"Ok, ok. You want to know when?" Steph laughs, Chris knew she was just winding him up, she'd been doing it ever since that first phone call. At first he was worried about what she was going to do but now he just couldn't wait to see her again. "Go to the front door" Steph orders, Chris sighs.

"That's not even funny Steph, please stop playing with my emotions like this. You know how badly I want to be with you right now" Chris moans.

"Then get your little Canadian ass to the front door now and let me in!" Steph yells down the phone, Chris couldn't believe it, was she really here!? She couldn't be..of course she could, She's a McMahon! Chris hangs up the phone dropping it onto the couch as he hurries to the front door, he opens the front door. "About time too, it's freezing out here!" Steph laughs grabbing him and wrapping her arms around him tightly. His parents walk out of the kitchen after hearing her voice and stand in shock. "Nice choice of outfit might I add" Steph looks him up and down as he stands in his boxer shorts and old t-shirt.

"Oh my god, you're here, your actually here!" Chris yells picking her up and spinning her round; he puts her down and just looks at her. She holds his hands tightly and smiles at him, he leans down and kisses her passionately pulling her into him.

"I missed you so much" Steph sighs; taken back from the intense kiss she'd just shared with him. He grabs hold of her again pulling her into a tight hug as she buries her head into his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?!" Chris laughs, tears running down his face. He'd never been so happy to see anyone in his whole life. "Look what you've done to me, you've turned me soft!"

"Quite the opposite I'd say" Steph winks at him and laughs. "I waited till dad trusted me to be on my own and not run away and I did exactly that, I'm a grown up. He can't stop me from doing anything!" Steph laughs, Chris's mom couldn't hold herself back anymore. She runs over to Steph and hugs her.

"Come on you, we'll leave you two to it. I'll take you shopping or something" Ted drags his wife out of the house taking her coat with him.

"Shopping, I love shopping!" she squeals as she follows him out of the door, she waves to Chris and Steph and they leave in the car leaving them on their own.

"What are you going to do when your dad finds you gone?" Chris asks, he doubts that Steph had really thought that far in advance but he didn't care, she was there with him right then. Chris slips the coat from her shoulders and hangs it up.

"I'm not sure, he can't make me do anything. He'll know I'm here though, there's no where else I would go" Steph takes his hand and leads him downstairs, she sits on the bed and pulls him down with her and kisses him. "How can a man I was supposed to hate for all this time drive me this crazy!"

"It's a talent of mine" Chris chuckles, he lays her down on the bed and kisses lightly down her neck and across her throat. He slides his arms underneath her resting them on her lower back pulling her into him.

"Chris, what if your parents come home?" Steph whispers as Chris brushes his lips softly over hers, he leans down and kisses her deeply silencing her. She gives up not caring about his parents anymore and pulls his t- shirt off of him and continues to kiss him.

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Chris lies back next to her and rolls onto his front with his arm draped across her stomach. He leans up and kisses her and rests his head on her shoulder as she runs her fingers through his hair. He runs his finger round her belly button making her squirm.

"Oi stop it, that tickles" Steph laughs grabbing his hand and slipping her fingers between his as they lock their hands together. "Do you think your parents are home yet?"

"Na I don't think so, I would go check but I'm too comfortable here with you" Chris mumbles as she runs her finger down his back drawing invisible pictures into his skin. "What's this?" she asks as she draws a big heart on his back and his and hers initials in it.

"Ummm, I dunno" Chris tries to look over his shoulder "But it feels nice" he laughs putting his head down again. She starts rubbing his back, shoulders and neck.

"I could stay here with you forever" Steph says as he rolls over and wraps her up in his arms, she lays her head into his chest and closes her eyes.

"Me too, but forever wouldn't be long enough" Chris smiles as she starts to fall asleep; Vince wasn't going to take her away from him this time. Chris closes his eyes too, he hears the front door of the house bang closed, his parents must be home by now.