Note: There is a time and a place for graphic sexual content. This is neither. I refuse to put any hard-core smut into this story despite having conquered the fear of writing it; it doesn't fit and I don't think that I would want it to. I shall attempt to do this as tastefully as possible. There really isn't much left to this story, and I'm exceedingly happy and grateful seeing as how whenever I look at it, all I see are the glaring mistakes.


Bed of Roses (PG-13)

This takes place over the course of the summer…

"Ooh, look at this!"

Elizabeth looked over at what Brenda held in her hands and rolled her eyes. "Brenda, I hardly doubt that you'll need black and white tweed boots for college."

"So?" the brunette pouted, stroking the leather clasp and resenting her friend's rational comment. "You never know – maybe I will."

"The only thing those can come in handy for is changing a flat tire," Elizabeth groused, reaching into her purse for some breath mints. "And you've already got plenty of stilettos that'll do the trick."

Brenda gaped at her friend and set the shoes down, following her as she walked slowly away from the brightly lit shoe department at Wydhams. "What? What's this about changing tires?"

The little brunette shrugged nonchalantly. "Jason showed me how to change a flat tire using a pair of stiletto heels because he knows that I'll probably never have the proper tools in the trunk. He did try to get me some – he said he'd find me pink ones if I wanted – but I wouldn't let him."

"So he showed you how to change a freaking flat tire with one of your shoes."

"Yup."

"That boy's got way too much free time on his hands."

Elizabeth shouldered her friend, grinning, and just shook her head as the taller brunette stumbled atop her high-heeled sandals. "He's just trying to help – he knows that there's a chance I'll take my car to Columbia and he wants me to be prepared in case I run into trouble. I also know how to change my oil, attach and remove snow tires-"

Brenda just rolled her eyes. "You know, you're supposed to pay people to do things like that."

"Why pay someone to do it when I know how to?" Elizabeth replied reasonably.

Her best friend just shook her head. "That boy should be a mechanic or something. Not that I'd trust him with Pat, though."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and grabbed her friend's arm. "Come on – summer's winding down and we still haven't done anything. Let's go get what we need."


"I think we definitely need a pair of leather pants."

"Brenda-"

"A pair of tight leather pants, maybe a lacy bustier-"

"Brenda-"

"Seriously!" The brunette's chocolate eyes sparkled mischievously as she turned them on her best friend. "Can you even imagine what Jason would do if he saw you in this get-up?"

"BRENDA!"

The cashier – a tall brunette with multiple body piercings and very dark, Gothic makeup – smirked at the two girls and Elizabeth could only clap her hand to her forehead. Brenda had dragged her out of Wyndham's, claiming that they would be able to get much more accomplished at the mall, and had promptly pulled her into Hot Topic where she found t-shirts promoting all sorts of obscure bands and some questionable clothing that looked like it belonged in a shady S&M shop.

"Oh, come on, Beth, you can't expect to come to the Hot Topic with me and not hear a couple sex jokes," her best friend chided. "Now, seriously – should I have Marilyn Manson over there wrap up this bustier for you or what?"

Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle as she buried her face in her hands. "No."

"You'd look great in it-"

"No."

"And just think of what Jason would do to you-"

"NO!"

By this time, Brenda was nearly falling over from laughing so hard. Clamping a hand over her mouth to contain the giggles that spilled out, she managed to hang up the bustier and move on. "Okay, so what do we need?"

"School supplies, towels, bed sheets, lamps, shower kits, sweaters, bathrobes – nothing that can be found here."

But Brenda was barely listening. "Ooh! A Poison Ivy sleeper tank! It's perfect! That settles it – I'm so getting this." She tossed it over her arm and continued to ruffle through the long tank tops. "Hey! I found a Harlequin tank for you – it's so cute! You have to get it – we'll be all Batman-ish at night. It'll be fabulous."

Elizabeth wanted to roll her eyes, but Brenda made a point – Batman did rule, and Harlequin was her favorite villainess. "Fine. We're done here. Let's go."

"Hair thingies," Brenda announced, grabbing a bucket of clamps and bringing them over to her. "We can never have enough hair thingies."

"You know, pencils work just as well," Elizabeth pointed out, absently running a hand over her ponytail.

"Yeah, for losers, maybe," Brenda scoffed, pulling out a handful of multicolored alligator clamps. "Grab a bunch – they come in handy."

"Okay, so now can we-"

"Wait – ooh, what have we here?" Brenda was peering wickedly at her from above a little shelf and despite her better judgment, Elizabeth followed her around it to see what she was looking at. "Well, well, well, think you need to stock up, Bethie?"

The brunette gaped down at the merchandise. Spread out before her was the largest collection of black, Gothic-style underwear she had ever seen. More bustiers, nighties, slips, negligees, boy shorts, hot shorts, panties, thongs – most with creative little phrases or pictures on them. "Holy crap."

Brenda elbowed her roughly, fingering a pair of lacy black boyshirts with pink lace trim. "Might I point out that these are a real crowd-pleaser?"

Elizabeth stifled a groan. "Can it, Bren – I don't want to hear about what gets Sonny off."

Her best friend burst out laughing and the cashier who was stocking a nearby shelf and had managed to hear the tail end of the remark also chuckled. "Dirty mouth, girlie. Hey! How about a whip? Think you might need any of these in the near future?"

Elizabeth let out a guffaw as she took it from her friend's hand. "Jesus, what could you do with this that wouldn't hurt?"

The cashier, whose name tag did indeed read Marilyn as Brenda had noticed earlier, slid her an amused glance. "Sometimes the pain is worth it."

Brenda giggled behind her palm, watching as the tips of Elizabeth's ears pinkened. "So, Marilyn, any recommendations for my prudish friend?"

Elizabeth shoved her shoulder, unable to keep from laughing herself, as Marilyn grinned. "Well," she started, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she looked at Elizabeth. "You don't seem like you're into the kinky stuff, so don't even set foot behind that beaded curtain."

"Good to know," Brenda muttered, intrigued and already making a mental note to check out the forbidden lair.

"I say go with the lacy bustier or the boy shorts and matching bra," Marilyn recommended. "But, hey, it's all good."

Elizabeth just shook her head as the girl resumed stocking the shelves and turned to Brenda. "All right, Jezebel, you've succeeded in corrupting me today, so can we please go get what we really need-"

"Hey! The Cure!" Her best friend was now running over to the massive t-shirt display on the wall. "Oh, my god, Beth – they have everything! T-shirts galore! Hey, check it out – The Cure, the Clash, The Doors, Dashboard Confessional, Green Day, Flogging Molly – god, I hate that band – and My Chemical Romance…Chili Peppers! They've got Chili Peppers! Oh, that settles it – I'm buying all of these."

Elizabeth was about to protest the fact that they really didn't need to be here – nothing they needed for college was to be found in this little shop – until she saw a black t-shirt mounted on the wall near the top corner. Queen: A Night at the Opera. A small smile ran across her lips as she reached for an appropriately sized shirt. Yup, this was something she would most definitely need for school.


"Brenda! Wake up!"

"Goomph."

"Save the sweet talk, sister – move it!"

"Mphththphb."

"Same to you, sunshine. Get up!" Huffing, Elizabeth reached for the covers and tugged at them. "Come on – it's two o'clock in the afternoon and you've slept enough. We have to go shopping! School starts in like, a month and a half, and we have nothing."

"We have stuff…"

"We have nothing," Elizabeth corrected, pulling the covers entirely off her best friend's body and then pulling up the shade for a double whammy. Brenda moaned when the afternoon sunshine hit her eyes and curled into a ball. "And why do we have nothing? Because you keep dragging me off to buy shoes or belts or S&M gear – and what about that time we spent two hours in the pet store, Bren? What could we possibly need for NYU or Columbia that could be found at a pet store?"

"Gloonk."

"How eloquent – thank you for that, Alfred Lord Tennyson. Now get up! I'm not going shopping by myself and since we have less than two months left, I'm starting to panic a little."

"Fine," Brenda huffed, sliding her legs off the edge of the bed. "I'll go if it'll make you shut up."

"Fabulous. Now move your butt."

Glaring at the back of her best friend's head resentfully, Brenda slid out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom, leaving Elizabeth to grab her jeans and one of the band t-shirts she had bought the last time they went shopping.

Elizabeth sighed when she heard the water running and sat back on Brenda's beanbag chair. She knew that she was being somewhat of a Nazi as far as back-to-school shopping was concerned, but it really wasn't fair to blame it all on Brenda. Her own attempt at getting the right supplies had been half-assed at best. It seemed that despite what she told herself, she still hadn't completely come to terms with the idea of leaving home.


"Okay, so we got, like, a bazillion folders, right?"

"Right."

"So….does that mean we can treat ourselves and go underwear shopping? I mean, we're going to need underwear at school, after all – lots and lots of underwear. Tons, since we'll have to wash our own laundry."

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile and shake her head. "Fine, Bren, let's go underwear shopping."

"Hooray!" Practically skipping with glee, Brenda grabbed her elbow and made a beeline straight for the shop that she had already had her eye on. It was done up in pink – pink trim, pink carpeting, pink pillows randomly thrown around, pink walls, pink tables, pink freaking everything – and smelled very flowery, as all underwear shops did.

They dropped their bags at the door and walked into the store to shop. Brenda knew the little shop like the back of her hand and navigated with determined ease; Elizabeth, on the other hand, merely wandered and browsed. It wasn't the first time this summer that she had found herself in a random undergarments' shop and by this time, she had pretty much picked out the types of styles she liked and knew she'd feel comfortable in.

She just had yet to purchase a specific item.

There were too many things to choose from, even from her already selected stash. Too many styles, too many forms, too many textures, too many colors. And besides the fact that she frequently tarried in indecision, there was also a symbolic importance of purchasing something that made her think twice. For the first time, she wasn't shopping for just herself; she was shopping for someone else, too.

It was a thought that had been plaguing her for a while now and it hit her once more as she flipped through the nightgowns and pajamas. She knew that few of her friends treated the situation with the same gravity and significance that she did – but she knew that most of them said that they wished now that they would have waited.

Her fingers caught on a pair of pale pink silk boxers and Elizabeth chewed her lip thoughtfully, rubbing the material between her thumb and forefinger.

She was done waiting.


"We're such dorks." Brenda Barrett popped another cheese-covered tortilla chip into her mouth and reached for her iced tea. The brunette's bare feet – clean bare feet, she had assured her friend – were propped up on the edge of the counter, something she never would have attempted had any of the Webbers been home. But Jeff and Caroline were away at a conference in New York City and Steve and Audrey were visiting friends up in Maine and no doubt having their fill of the butter pecan ice cream they loved so much.

And so it was just her and Elizabeth, alone in the large house. They had gone on sporadic shopping sprees for the past two weeks but never really accomplished much of anything. So far, all they had were about seven folders apiece, a handful of hair accessories, a few really cool pairs of boots, two pairs of ripped and stonewashed denim jeans that looked like they had barely survived a trip through a Freddy-Krueger-esque washing machine, a lifetime supply of underwear, and a hell of a lot of band t-shirts.

"We still have absolutely nothing," Brenda continued, licking a glob of cheese off her index finger. "And do we care? Oh, no, not us!"

"There's still time," Elizabeth rationalized half-heartedly. "Want me to pop some popcorn?"

"Ooh, yeah," Brenda nodded. "I'll get out the ice cream and let it thaw for a minute while we eat. Man, good lunch."

"No kidding."

"Do you wanna hear something sick?"

Elizabeth eyed her best friend as she stuck a bag of popcorn into the microwave. "Maybe."

"The guys are totally done with their shopping."

Her jaw dropped. "No way."

"Oh, yeah," Brenda insisted. "They've got their notebooks, filler paper, binders, folders, pens, clothes, robes, shower stuff, and everything else they'll ever need."

"Losers."

"I know. I hate them, too."

"Boys have it so easy."

"Don't they?" Brenda reached eagerly for the popcorn as Elizabeth set the bowl on the counter between them. "We girls get jipped every time."

"Well, I figure we can still do it if we get our act together," the shorter brunette announced, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "By the way, have you started packing yet?"

Brenda snorted. "What, are you kidding? Have you?"

"Yeah, maybe in another dimension. I got nothin'."

"We're such dorks."


Elizabeth tucked her books away on her bookshelf, arranging them so they wouldn't topple over. After letting them lie around on the floor and various other surfaces in her room for the past few months, it was time to put them away. And put them away she did. She also straightened out her dresser and put all the random knick-knacks away, threw her clothes into the closet and shut the door securely, dusted off the furniture, and even vacuumed.

Being so busy at school for the past few months had spoiled her tremendously and her parents only enabled her. She had gone for a very long time without cleaning her room and in retrospect, she didn't altogether know how she managed to live in it herself.

But that was all different now. The room was swept and dusted, vacuumed and cleaned – or at least, it gave off the somewhat deceptive guise of cleanliness.

Butterflies danced in her stomach as she fixed the edge of her bedspread for the millionth time. She didn't know if feeling slightly nauseous with excitement was a normal feeling, but she certainly hoped so. At least she wasn't nervous – no, not anymore. The excitement and anticipation, along with the conviction that she was indeed ready, overshadowed the twinge of nervousness. Besides, there was really nothing at all to fear.

The house was silent as she grabbed her towel and shuffled out into the hallway in the direction of the bathroom. It may be empty now, she mused as she walked toward the shower, but it wouldn't be for long.

Jason shifted his car into park and killed the engine before sliding out and locking the door behind him. The nighttime breeze was cool against his rough cheeks as he ambled up the driveway to Elizabeth's house. He knew her parents were away and the structure looked very big and dark. Thinking better of ringing the doorbell when he saw the light on in her bedroom, Jason walked around to the side of the house and climbed the trellis up to her second-story room. It was easy to get on the lightly sloped roof and before long, he was crouching by her open window.

"Hey."

She was sitting at her desk, writing something in the glow of the lamp, and looked up at the sound of his voice. A smile instantly claimed her lips and she waved for him to come in.

Shifting his weight, Jason slid one leg over the windowsill and then crawled in through her window. Her large bed separated them and he looked around as if he were standing in her bedroom for the first time. It was a lot….cleaner than it was last time he had been in it. Granted, they had both been by her bookshelf, tossing books over her shoulder as they searched for her copy of No Exit to use for their paper, but still. She had also moved her beanbag chair over to the other corner since then, and the pictures on her wall had changed again.

"Hey, yourself," she smiled back, hurriedly trying to finish whatever she was working on. It was most likely a list; Elizabeth and Sonny were very alike in the fact that they both worked best with detailed lists. "Come in, come in. You hungry? Thirsty?"

"I'm good," he nodded. She had called him earlier, asking him to come over because she had a couple things she needed to return to him and although he hadn't understood the urgency of the request, he had agreed. "What are you working on?"

"A list," she answered, not surprising him at all. "I have so many things that have to get done that I thought I'd better write 'em down before I forget. Speaking of which, I have a bunch of things that belong to you that you need back." Setting her pen down, Elizabeth got up from her desk and moved toward her closet.

Jason gaped at her back, blinking rapidly to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Elizabeth was dressed in a pair of pale pink boxers and a matching camisole with white trim, and her hair was down and curly. Her feet were bare save the silver toe ring she sometimes wore, and her nails were clean and unpolished. He had thought she was wearing a silky-looking tank top or something with her jeans or pants underneath, but it was when she stood that he actually got a good look.

She turned back to him and wasn't the slightest bit fazed by how he was staring at her. "Here." She extended a couple items to him which Jason accepted numbly. "Your Queen CD and your Godfather DVDs. I didn't really like the third one that much, but those were nine hours well spent. I meant to return them to you earlier since they're your favorites, but I just totally forgot."

"It's okay," he managed to get out, scolding himself for looking somewhere other than her eyes when he spoke to her. Damnation. "Uh…anything else?"

He was hoping there wouldn't be anything else so that he could get the hell out of her bedroom. It was just cruel for her to be wearing that and expect him to retain a grip on his self-control. Cruel.

But he was out of luck. "Yeah, actually, there is," the little brunette smiled as she walked over to her dresser. She crouched down on her heels, letting him catch a glimpse of those silk boxers cupping her bottom like a lover, and pulled open the last drawer. She withdrew a box and stood up, smiling as she walked back and extended it toward him. "This is for you."

He quirked a brow at her and set the CDs and DVDs on a nearby chair before reaching for the box. There was no ribbon or tape and he opened it easily. Folded up inside was a black t-shirt bearing the Queen logo.

"I thought you might like it," she shrugged. "I mean, I know it's not a totally original gift or anything, but I saw it and thought you might…I don't know, like it."

"I do like it," he smiled at her, lifting it out of the box and fingering the logo. "And you know that I can never have enough t-shirts."

She giggled and helped him fold it back up. "Good. I'm glad."

Against his better judgment, Jason set the box down on the chair with his other belongings and leaned in for a kiss. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close but not too close, and his fingers delved into her silky chocolate curls. Elizabeth responded beautifully to him, opening up like a wilting flower receiving the kiss of an early morning sun. She sighed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, molding her soft body to his.

Jason tensed but couldn't for the life of him seem to pull back. Instead, he cupped the back of her neck and angled her head, using his grip to get better leverage. He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her greedily, and the little brunette mewed into his mouth. Her arms moved down to his back and she rubbed long, broad strokes up and down his spine through the fabric of his blue cotton t-shirt. Growling under his breath, Jason nipped her plush bottom lip. She kissed him back just as hard and slowly backed up one step, then another, until Jason felt himself being pulled across the carpet.

Abruptly breaking his mouth away from hers, he forced his dark, stormy eyes open and stared into Elizabeth's equally passionate ones. "Elizabeth."

She let out a low, soft moan and pulled him down for another kiss. Their lips met, mingled, and by the time he had the presence of mind to pull back, they were both gasping for air.

"Elizabeth, tell me to leave."

A smirk made her lips twitch and the brunette speared her fingers through his blonde hair, quirking one brow defiantly at him before brushing her lips over his. Jason's hands fell to the narrow pinch of her waist and his thumb reached under the cool silk to brush against her warm skin. Before he could do anything to stop himself, his other fingers were following suit. Elizabeth's lips moved insistently over his and she protested softly when he broke for air once more.

"E-Elizabeth, please, tell me to go."

Those curly raven lashes fluttered, revealing pools of cobalt blue underneath, and then Elizabeth's soft words fluttered over his lips. "Don't go, Jason."

The sweet command was all it took for Jason's control to crack. Elizabeth's small hands framed his face as she kissed him deeply, shifting in his arms and sending his hands under the silk of her camisole. Her own fingers blazed a smooth path down his neck and chest to the waistband of his blue jeans, and he could feel her gently tug the fabric out of his pants.

His breathing was deep and ragged as his rough palms explored the creamy expanse of skin hidden under the pink silk. Blunt fingertips delved under the waistband of her silk boxers before he tugged her toward him, grunting when her soft body crashed against his hard one.

"If you want me to stop, you've got to tell me," he whispered when her fingers first danced beneath his shirt, exploring the carefully sculpted muscles that quivered from her touch. "You've got to tell me, Elizabeth."

She only kissed him deeply in response to that, and Jason could feel her small hands settle on his waist and begin to urge him to follow her toward the bed. They stumbled back awkwardly, too taken with each other to care for being graceful.

He tried to avoid crashing down on top of her when her knees hit the edge of her bed, sending her backwards onto the soft mattress, and failed. But Elizabeth didn't mind. She only pulled him closer, wrapping one leg around the back of his thigh to keep him nestled in place. Jason's hands roamed over her body, sending blazing trails of fire racing through her limbs with the path of his rough palms and fingers.

She explored his body with curiosity and wonderment, but Jason could sense the timidity in some of her touches. Pulling back just enough to gaze into her sapphire orbs, Jason somehow managed to force out a ragged whisper. "We don't have to do this, Elizabeth." She huffed and rolled her eyes, but he cut her off. "I…I don't want to scare you again."

Those enchanting blue eyes softened and she gently stroked the hair at his temple. "You didn't scare me before," she informed him quietly. "The…situation scared me. But you never did, Jason."

With that, she slid her hand smoothly into place around the back of his neck and hesitantly tugged him forward. He complied willingly and their mouths mated with ease. His hands continued to mold to her soft flesh and he guided hers as well, encouraging her to touch him, to feel him move under her palms. Elizabeth's sighs and murmurs were music to his ears and Jason forced himself to move slowly, wanting her to enjoy this as much as possible. He undressed her adoringly, pressing light kisses to every inch of flesh exposed. This time when their mouths met again, the kiss was hungrier; tongues dueled fiercely, teeth clashed with blatant need.

She was restless beneath him and they both knew that the moment was upon them. Jason moved slowly, hesitantly, letting her body adjust to him and forcing himself to remain still until she stroked his cheek, letting him know that she was okay. Their bodies began to move together, slowly at first but faster as they accepted their rhythm, and the moonlight streamed into her darkened bedroom as Jason and Elizabeth found a surge of love and faith.