A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 3 – Old Feelings Never Die

Hearing a distant buzzing, Gordo fought against his body's protest to stay asleep. Slowly opening his eyes, he lifted his head and looked at the clock on top of the TV, "Seven am." Hearing noises come from the bedroom, Gordo realized he had heard Lizzie's alarm clock.

Putting his head back down, he was trying to decide between getting up or going back to sleep when he heard Lizzie stumble out of the bedroom and crash into bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Gordo laughed to himself, neither of them was very much of a morning person but as she got older, Lizzie was a bear when she was forced to get up early.

A few minutes later, Gordo rolled onto his side and with a grin watched Lizzie stumble out and head towards the little kitchenette. She had on a baggy t-shirt and a pair of beat-up pink sweatpants. As she walked, she kept picking up her feet and rubbing them on the back of her calves and rubbing her arms, trying to warm and wake herself up. "She looks adorable," he thought with a laugh but deep down, he really meant it. In addition to all that, her hair was a little bit all over the place and her eyes were barely open.

Rolling off the bed, Gordo got to his feet and walked up behind her. Pulling down the arms of his sweatshirt, he wrapped Lizzie in a hug from behind. "Cold?" he asked and gently rubbed his arms over her's.

Lizzie, who was still in a bit of a fog, just made inaudible noise and leaned back into Gordo's chest. As Gordo held her, he could feel something stirring in him that he hadn't felt in years. Trying to push it aside, "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make some breakfast."

"All I have is coffee and cereal," Lizzie mumbled with her eyes now closed. Gordo could feel her starting to fall back asleep in his arms.

"Geez, McGuire. Don't you ever go grocery shopping?" He could feel her laughing in his arms and it just made whatever was inside him grow stronger. "I'll make the coffee and we'll eat when you're done." When he got no response, "Lizzie?" Looking down, he found Lizzie asleep. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he tried not to laugh. "Liz. Wake up."

Lizzie just groaned, turned around, and snuggled closer to him. Trying to ignore his body, Gordo let go off her, took her shoulders and gently shook her.

"I'm awake," Lizzie mumbled, "I'm awake."

"Good. Now go take a shower," he said playfully swatting her behind.

Lizzie looked over her shoulder at him as she walked towards the bedroom to get her robe. "I'm so use to just walking around in a towel, but thanks to you I gotta go get my robe."

"Hey, don't change your routine on my account," he shot back with an evil smile.

"Dork." Lizzie mumbled under her breath as they laughed at each other. "I'll be out in like fifteen minutes. The filters are in the cabinet, second from the left, and the coffee is in the fridge," she said before disappearing into her bedroom.

About a half an hour later, as Gordo had just finished pouring the coffee into two mugs, Lizzie walked out of the bedroom carrying her bag and dress boots.

Hearing the bedroom door open, Gordo looked up, "Whoa." She was wearing a black business suit with very thin white pinstripes on the jacket and pants, and a white blouse underneath the jacket. Sitting down at one of the table chairs, Lizzie put her boots on, unaware of Gordo staring at her.

"Gordo, can you grab me the Cheerios?" she asked him as she pulled her last boot on. She then stood up and went to grab the bowls and spoons.

Gordo quickly closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to restart his brain. Grabbing the box, he walked to the small table. As Lizzie sat down across from he watched her quickly pull her hair up into quick bun. "What the hell is going on?" he thought to himself, "This isn't the first time you've seen her dressed up like this. But damn if she doesn't look good." After breakfast and Lizzie finishing getting ready for work, Lizzie left, leaving Gordo to take a really cold shower and to get ready for his meeting.

That night, Gordo was sitting on the couch and flipping through the TV channels waiting for Lizzie to get home. His meeting had gone pretty well. His publishers were incredibly happy with the way his first book selling and wanted him to create a sequel to it. Now it was just a matter of them and his agent agreeing to the details of the contract.

Hearing the door open, Gordo looked over his shoulder and watched Lizzie walk in. Her hair was hanging loosely over her shoulders and could tell from her eyes she was exhausted. Putting her bag on the table, she walked over and just dropped next to him.

Gordo smiled a little as he watched Lizzie let out an annoyed breath. "Gordo, do you mind if we just stayed in?"

"No problem. I did a little grocery shopping after my meeting," he told her with a smirk. "I can make a small dinner."

"You shouldn't have to do that. You're my guest."

He covered her mouth his hand. "I also haven't been working all day. And pasta is just boiling water and canned sauce."

"Your grandmother is rolling over in her grave," Lizzie teased him as she giggled a little.

As Gordo started cooking, Lizzie went to change, and a few minutes later came out wearing a pair of beat up, baggy sweatpants and an over-sized NYU sweatshirt. Seeing her, Gordo laughed. When she glared at him with the shadow of a smile, he explained. "You look like a cute little girl dressed in her father's sweats."

"That's because I am a cute little girl," she shot back with a smirk. As she helped him cook, they fell into an easy banter and the occasional sarcastic comment. As they sat down to eat, they started talking about Gordo's meeting.

Lizzie looked across the table at Gordo. "So how'd your meeting go?"

"Pretty good. They want me to start work on a sequel as soon as we agree on the details."

A small smirk danced across her lips. "Who knew your little real life fairytale would be such a big hit. I didn't realize you were such a romantic at heart. Though I think he should've ended up with the blonde. But that's just me," she said as the smirk got wider.

"Don't start with me. I already have to put with Miranda's constant teasing." Gordo had based the characters in his book off of people he knew in real life, and the two biggest female roles were of course based on his best friends.

"The ending alone, she would've made fun of you. Naked in your bed, basically saying come take me. Skip dinner and go straight to desert," she said as she started laughing. "I didn't know you thought of her like that."

"I don't really. Its just a story," Gordo said, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Lizzie and Miranda loved teasing him about his story, especially over the fact the romantic interest was so clearly based on Miranda.

"If Miranda isn't the sex goddess of your dreams," she said, "than how come the main character got together with her and not the character based off of me?"

Gordo sat there for a moment, spinning some extra sauce left on his plate with his fork. "I don't know," he said softly. "Yes you do!"

Feeling the mood shift in Gordo, Lizzie looked across the table at him, "Gordo?"

"Uh?" he said suddenly, looking back at her. "Sorry. Just spaced out a little."

Lizzie saved the rest of her teasing for later knowing Gordo was hiding something. "I just don't know what."

After cleaning up a little bit, Gordo took two of the bottles of beer that he had bought, and they settled on the couch. "What do you wanna watch?" Gordo asked her.

She just shrugged, "Put on football, I don't care."

As the game progressed, Gordo finished his first beer. "I'm gonna get another one, I can sleep in tomorrow." Getting up, he started to walk towards the fridge.

"Gordo can you get me another one too," Lizzie called after him, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"You sure? I mean you have to go to work tomorrow."

Lizzie looked over the back of the couch, "One more beer isn't going to hurt me."

"Since when?" he teased. "I remember having to carry you from several parties back in high school."

"Well, I'm not sixteen anymore. I learned a lot in college," she said with a half smile. Gordo laughed softly as he went to the fridge.

As the game was coming to an end, he felt Lizzie lean against his side. He knew the alcohol was starting to take effect. No matter what she said, Lizzie had a hard time handling a lot of alcohol. It wasn't exactly her fault, her size put her at a marked disadvantage. But the big problem was a drunk Lizzie became very affectionate.

Lizzie lifted his arm and snuggled against his side. "Gordo," she said very softly. "Do you want to stay a little longer?" she asked as she draped an arm over his chest and put her head on his shoulder.

"I guess I could stay a little longer, I don't have to be back in Hill Ridge until Hanukkah. Why?" he said as he tried to ignore the chill he felt from her breath on his neck.

"Cause I miss you," she said sleepily. Then feeling her breath slowly even, he knew she had fallen asleep.

Sighing softly, Gordo set the alarm on his watch. Shutting off the television, he watched Lizzie sleeping in his arms. All of his old feelings for the blonde beauty were rushing back to the surface. It amazed him that just a simple look at her could turn him back into the fourteen year old boy who only wanted his best friend to like him back. Sighing again, Gordo gently kissed her forehead before settling back on the couch and try to fall asleep.