A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 4 – Birthday Kiss

Miranda lay on top of their bed starring at a wedding photo that sat on top of her dresser with a smile. "Its been eight years," she thought as she toyed with her wedding band. Quickly doing some math in her head, her smile widened, "I can't believe we've been together for thirteen years."

Telling Samantha those stories made Miranda keep thinking about their past. In fact, one memory kept coming back to her, their first kiss. It wasn't just the first kiss they shared but it was also her first kiss ever. "I wonder if he remembers? He prolly thinks our first kiss was when we got together."

Hearing the door open, Miranda looked over and watched Gordo walk into the bedroom. "Sammy give you any trouble?"

Gordo had been tucking Samantha into bed and reading her story before she fell asleep. "Nah. I barely finished the story before she was out. She's gonna want another story tomorrow, she got a kick out of hearing them."

"I'll think of something," Miranda said as she watched Gordo change for bed.

"I'm sure you will," he said sarcastically. He then smirked, "Sammy wants to hear about you and Uncle Matt," Gordo said laughing as he leaned against the doorframe that lead into their bathroom. Miranda glared at him and chucked a pillow at him. Still laughing, he caught it easily. "We could always tell her about how you dressed up like a guy and not only crashed my date with Brooke, but also followed me into the bathroom," he said with a grin.

Miranda groaned, "You saw that?"

"It was kinda hard to miss. At first I wasn't sure it was you but after I saw what you were wearing when you and Lizzie crashed into the waiter and got spaghetti dumped all over you," he said laughing softly at the memory, "I recognized you from the bathroom. It wasn't one of your finer moments."

Tossing the pillow back at her, just as she caught it, Gordo jumped onto the bed and rolled on top of her, lightly pinning her to the bed.

Miranda looked up at him and smiled as she saw the wolfish grin on his face. "And what exactly are you planning on doing?" she asked sarcastically.

Gordo comically waggled his eyebrows at her. "I was thinking maybe we could play a little before going to sleep." he said before leaning down to give her a deep kiss.

As she released his lips, "If you can answer my question, I'll play with you," she told him with a sarcastic smirk.

Rolling off and laying next to her, he ran his fingertips across her stomach. "What's the question?"

"When did we first kiss?" Miranda asked him with a smug grin and trying to ignore the electricity that flowed as his fingertips skimmed across her skin. "He's gonna say Halloween senior year."

Smiling, he laughed softly under his breath. "She's trying to set me up." Pausing a moment for dramatic effect, "Your thirteenth birthday," he said softly and watched in amusement as her face changed from smug to a mix of surprise and delight that he remembered.

-----

It was Miranda's thirteenth birthday and she, with Lizzie and Gordo, were watching horror movies in the Sanchez living room and pigging out on junk food. Lizzie and Miranda loved horror movies, they got a rush out of getting scared and then after watching the movie a couple times, it was fun to make fun of it.

As the current movie was reaching the end, Miranda and Lizzie were intently watching it. Lizzie was sitting in an armchair and Miranda and Gordo were sprawled out on different ends of the couch.

As the movies hero supposedly killed the movie's killer, the music cranked and the sound of the hero's gun firing was incredibly loud. Both Lizzie and Miranda shouted, startled. Lizzie fell out of her chair and Miranda, on reflex, reached out and tightly grabbed Gordo's wrist.

Looking at her in surprise, Gordo glanced down at his wrist and then back at her face. Miranda quickly let go and looked away, embarrassed. She was supposed to be tough, not let anything scare her, and even when it did, she never acted like that before.

Grabbing another slice of pizza, she quickly took a large bite, "Can't talk with my mouth full."

Gordo gave her a confused look before turning his attention back to the movie.

As the current movie ended, Lizzie switched DVDs and Gordo went to get another soda. Miranda played with her crust, absentmindedly starring at the television, as her mind wouldn't let go of what just happened. "It was nothing. I just got startled, I jumped and Gordo was sitting next to me. Yea, that's what it was. Just a stupid reaction," her brain rationalized. Feeling comfortable with that, she took a bite of the crust.

As Gordo walked back into the living room, he looked at her for a moment and Miranda felt her stomach tighten. As Lizzie started the next movie, Miranda slouched against the couch, trying to push aside the strange feeling. Ever since his relationship with Brooke, Miranda had found herself looking at Gordo differently. He was still her best friend but it was like now she was seeing him as a boy too and it brought a lot of conflicting emotions.

Trying to block his presence out, she focused on the movie. Unfortunately, it failed. She spent more time trying to do it, than actually doing it.

After the movie ended, Lizzie had to go home and Gordo stayed to help Miranda clean up a little.

"Are you alright?" Gordo asked her as they were picking up their garbage from the living room.

Miranda fumbled the soda can she had just picked up. "I'm fine."

Chuckling to himself, he grabbed an empty bag of chips and walked towards the garbage in the kitchen. Grabbing the soda can she dropped and then the remaining ones, she followed Gordo into the kitchen.

"I've just been a little distracted," Miranda said as she dumped the cans into a recycle bin.

"With what?"

Sighing, "Me and Lizzie were talking about guys." When Gordo snickered, Miranda playfully poked up in the ribs. "Anyway, we got to talking about what its like to, uh," she paused getting a little embarrassed, one of the downfalls of having a boy as a best friend.

"What?" he asked as he turned to face her, curious as to why she stopped.

"Uh, we were talking about what its like to," Miranda paused again and took a deep breath, "kiss a guy."

Gordo looked at her for a moment, "Oh."

Really embarrassed now, Miranda quickly walked into the living room. Gordo slowly followed her, "What about it were you guys talking about?"

"First kisses," Miranda mumbled as she grabbed the empty pizza box.

She smirked to herself as she figured out a way to turn the table, a way to embarrass him. "Lizzie told me, when she was six, she chased you around the house and trapped you in her closet," she said with a smirk, and then looked over at him. Snickering softly, she watched Gordo trying to hide the blush creeping on his face. "She said you were a good kisser," she teased and laughed softly as Gordo grabbed the remaining trash and quickly walked into the kitchen.

"What about you?" Gordo shot back over his shoulder. "What was your first kiss?" Miranda's smile vanished and she quietly followed him into the kitchen and threw out the empty box. "Miranda?" he asked curiously as to her sudden shift in emotion.

"I've never really had a first kiss," she mumbled. She shrugged, "I was always the tomboy and now, the wild one. I guess nobody wants to kiss me."

Gordo snorted and Miranda looked at him strangely. "Trust me, guys want to kiss you. In fact, I know of one in particular."

"You say his name, I swear I'll knock you out," she warned, knowing who he was talking about.

Gordo chuckled, "Ok, ok. There are other guys who are interested in you," he told her as he got ready to go home.

"But I'm tired of waiting," she joked as she walked Gordo to the door.

Opening the door, Gordo paused for a moment. "Miranda." When she looked at him, Gordo quickly leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Pulling back, he grinned at her flustered expression. "Now you have a story too."

Finding her voice, "What? My best friend felt sorry that I've never had a first kiss before, so he kissed me."

"No," he said with a grin, "That on your birthday, when you officially became a teenager no less, your incredibly cute best friend gave you your first kiss not because he felt sorry for you but because he wanted to know what it'd be like to kiss you."

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that."

He just grinned and nodded. "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Miranda leaned against the doorframe, and shook her head, "Bye." As she watched him walk across the front yard, a small smile spread across her face. Even though it did feel a little strange kissing him, it wasn't as weird as she thought it'd be kissing her best friend. In fact, now, she could see why Brooke would want to kiss him.

-----

"Do you think if you hadn't gone away for the summer, something would've happened between us?" Gordo asked her curiously. Miranda and Lizzie had gone away to summer camp for a few weeks that summer and Gordo went with his parents to Europe in mid-July.

Miranda smirked, "Maybe. But in hindsight, I like how things played out. You had to go through your Lizzie phase anyway and if we got together, I would've just been road kill."

Gordo grinned playfully at her, "So you liked the kiss," he teased.

Miranda rolled onto her side so she was facing him, "Well I didn't have anything to compare it to," she shot back with a grin.

Grabbing her around the waist, he pulled her to him. "You're lucky I love you."

"Oh please, like anyone else could stand you." Pushing his chest, she rolled them so she was now on top. Straddling his hips, "So you were mine and Lizzie's first kiss. If you tell me you were Kate's, I will have to hurt you."

Laughing softly, "No. I never kissed Kate," he then quickly added, "One of my greatest disappointments." Miranda then slapped his side and he grinned up at her. "Play time?" he asked like a little boy, with a smirk.

Miranda rolled her eyes and then leaned down and kissed him. Barely pulling back from his lips, "How can I resist?" she whispered softly before kissing him again.