Ok. So yeah thanks for reading this after I didn't update like all summer. I'm a terrible person. But anyway I have the entire fic done and in my documents file all edited and ready to go, so I thot id just post it like nearly all at once! Please review like every chapter cus a lot is going to happen and I want to see your guys' reaction to everything! Hehe I know, I'm high maintenance.

Chapter 4: I Can't Stop Touching Her

My friend assures me, "It's all or nothing."
But I am not really worried

I am not overly concerned
You try to tell yourself the things you try to tell yourself
To make yourself forget I am not worried
"If it's love," she said, "then we're going to have to think about the consequences."
She can't stop shaking I can't stop touching her and...

After four rings, a beep sounded, and Charlie and Sandy's voices flooded through the receiver.

"Hey you've reached Charlie Griffin--"

"And Sandy Cohen"

"We're not here so leave us a message and we'll be sure to get back to you. More likely Sanford than me. Just kiddin' Claire baby!" Beeeep.

"Sandy. Hi. It's me-- Kirsten-- again… I'm sure you knew that. Well-- just because what other girl is calling you? Right? I mean-- there shouldn't be another girl calling you? Right? Jesus, I'm starting to sound like you. Hmm… well I would assume you're at class or something, otherwise you'd probably be with me… right? Ok then…. I'm just sitting at home… trying with all my might to NOT study for awhile… unfortunately its terribly difficult… so just call me back when you get this… I'll be waiting."

Kirsten hung up the receiver and grabbed Sandy's Berkeley sweatshirt sitting on the back of the couch. She pulled it on, and wrapped her arms around herself, leaning back into the couch, shivering despite the infernal heat of mid May. She heaved a sigh, and inhaled the obvious taste of extreme boredom.

Her relationship with Sandy was better than ever, or so she thought… why hadn't he called in two days? She couldn't get a hold of Claire or Charlie either, so she had resorted to calling Sandy and leaving him multiple messages.

Where is he? Why didn't he call me after the other night together? We insist that this is "casual dating" but it's not like he's seeing anyone else… right? This HAS to be a real relationship… like he calls, most days, we ARE together, right? I mean, I have one of his sweatshirts and like fifty of his stupid show tunes albums for God's sake!

Instantly, someone knocking on the door interrupted her train of thought. She got up to answer it and sure enough, Sandy dropped the flowers he was holding to envelop her in a hug and a kiss.

She broke away almost immediately, however, and started interrogating him as if she were now the law student.

"Sanford Cohen, where the hell have you been for the past two days? Hmm? After we spent that PERFECT night together, dinner and dancing, the whispering in my ear and kissing me, and above all--sleeping" she said, lowering her voice as to only be heard by him, "with me, completely SWEEPING me off my feet… and then you just CHOOSE not to call for two days, and all of a sudden you are completely unreachable? Why would you put me through that? You know I like you A LOT… I thought you felt the same way…" she said finally, staring at her feet in concession.

"Well well, look at little Miss lawyer-- the other night really was perfect, wasn't it? I'm really, really sorry babe, I've been completely swamped. Charlie is god-knows-where off with Claire, and between internships and my exams this week, I was going to call you--"

"But you DIDN'T! Sandy, I was worried sick, I figured you were dead! Or worse-- off with some other girl! What was I supposed to think?" she paused, before adding defensively, "and it's not my fault I sound like a lawyer. I've been hanging out with you too much."

"Technically, I did not break the three day rule. " Kirsten gave him an 'I-might-shoot-you' look before he continued, "You know," Sandy said, trying to sneakily slip his arms around her waist and get her to forget her argument, except she pushed him away. "When you argue and get all worried about me, it's really hot. Like I just get the sudden urge to do this…" he lifted her chin with his fingertips, and kissed her tenderly.

"That's it? I'm not good enough for the-" Kirsten began to argue, but Sandy cut her off with another kiss, dragging her closer to him and intensifying the kiss. "bedroom." she finished quietly, after he pulled away and looked at her with a grin playing across his face.

"No, see, I just figured I should probably win you over before CARELESSLY ripping MY sweatshirt off of you." he said, airily playfully, throwing one hand up in the air, only to be snatched and held by Kirsten, weaving her fingers with his as if her life depended on it.

"Well you better get to it because you've got some brownie points to earn back, mister." Kirsten pointed out.

"Yes ma'am!" Sandy said, saluting her before Kirsten grabbed his hand again and drug him inside.

"WAIT!" Sandy said, after stepping over the threshold. Kirsten held her breath for a moment, but didn't let go of his hand.

He's not going to change his mind is he? Oh, God, what did I get myself into?

A loud roar sounded outside and there was a purplish flash of light flooded the room, and just as quickly exited.

"Come outside with me." Sandy said absentmindedly. He led her by the hand, in the opposite direction of the apartment.

"Sandy! It's pouring rain. Why are we going outside? You're insane." Kirsten said, not taking him seriously.

"No, c'mon-- it's a heat storm… thunder and lightning and hot rain; we'll go out for like ten minutes. Besides, we have a thing about making out while we're wet. We got hit by a sprinkler before our first kiss. Don't deny it."

Sure. He uses something sappy to win me over. That and that stupid puppy dog face. Too bad it's working. Shit. Now I'm going to get all wet. This is just asking for a head cold. He's going to be so pleased with me tomorrow. If he calls…

"Please Kirsten…?" she hesitated, and finally relinquished.

"Fine, but only a few minutes; we'll get sick."

"Wow, look at you, first a lawyer, now a doctor… good thing its only like a thousand degrees outside. C'mon it will be over soon! I don't want to miss it!"

"Oh no, that would be terrible…" she replied sarcastically. Sandy kissed her quickly, thanking her silently for coming with him.

He led her down the three flights of stairs and out the door as fast as possible. The faster he ran the tighter Kirsten held on to his hand, and the louder she began to shriek as Sandy pounded towards the storm.

Opening the door to the muggy, drenched exterior, Sandy inhaled deeply, absorbing as much as he could of the fresh rain's scent. He shut his eyes, his smile relaxed and exhilarated, every grain in his body electrically charged with passion and spark.

Kirsten watched in amazement, wondering just how wrong she had been about this guy, he was not the shy and silly boy she had met at a party. Well, he was still silly. But he seemed to get so much more out of life than he had that first night when she had been the energetic one when they went on that first walk together, before getting attacked by that godforsaken sprinkler. Maybe he was just happier now… yeah… he was.

Because of me… Kirsten smiled at her thought as she watched Sandy howl loudly at the storm, even though there was no moon present.

Lightning flashed all over the sky. Sandy opened his eyes, as he noticed the brightness. He turned to Kirsten, smiling toothily, who just stood watching him, absentmindedly, not paying attention to the storm.

He released the hand the hand that held hers and turned to face her, putting his left hand on the small of her back, pulling her close to him, and kissed her, stroking her cheek with his right hand. After a short and tender kiss, Sandy broke away from her, plunging his gaze into unfathomable paradise of her blue eyes.

"Kirsten, I just want you know I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. And I know that I did, but that's the last thing I wanted, believe me. I'm willing to take this leap if you are. Even if you aren't. I'll wait. I'll see your heart, and I'll raise you mine."

Kirsten could feel her cheeks burn with a satisfying intensity; it was as if she was gushing out her insides, glowing at his cheesy sincerity. Her mouth lost all capability to form words. Her vocal cords were frozen. Her lips, however, found their way back to Sandy's. Her left fingertips swept over the 5 o'clock shadow that had accrued across his cheek since that morning's shave, while her right thumbed through the thickness of his dark hair at the back of his head.

He pulled her closer, pressing her chest to his heart, feeling hers beat rapidly against the vigorous pounding of his. He started to move, for the rain was still falling, the violet lightning bolts still lighting up the night like neon, and they were both wetter than water itself.

He pulled away and pulled her by the hand as he raced her back up the stairs and into Kirsten's apartment, spinning her around by surprise over the threshold.

Kirsten shrieked in the pleasure of his silly romantic side. Sandy set her down on the ground again, and kissed her, pulling her close and dancing terribly to music in his head. Taking the lead, Kirsten waltzed them over to the couch, and pushed him down onto it, and soon joined him for a feverish mess of kisses.

Making out on the couch turned to heated making out in her bedroom. Heated making out turned to him taking off her clothes and stitching towards foreplay, but before Sandy could return to her lips after leaving a sufficient mark on her neck, she stopped him suddenly.

"Sandy?" she asked him quietly, and rather nonchalantly.

"Mmm?" he replied, covering her lips again.

"What are we doing?" she said, breaking away from his lips long enough to ask him.

"Well that's sort of a silly question isn't it? You really aren't so good at that lawyer bit." he said, laughing at her sudden nervousness.

"I mean-- like, in the bigger sense. Are we together or just hooking up, or just using each other to get over our exes, or 'casually dating' like see-eight-people-at-once kind of dating? I mean what's going on?" she started to ramble.

"Well no matter what we're doing, I seem to have rubbed off on you." Sandy said with a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Don't mock me!" she said, feigning defensiveness.

"Never!" he replied, playing along.

"Please, just answer me. I need to know."

"Well, to be honest, I was never just hooking up with you, or using you to get over Rebecca, or seeing seven other girls in addition to you. I mean, it was more like four." Sandy answered her, joking with a straight face to lighten the situation.

"Sandy!" Kirsten swatted him playfully.

"Kirsten!" he replied, in a mock high-pitch voice. "Ok so I'm only seeing you right now-- you know that, I like you a lot, I'm not just hooking up with you, or using you to get over her. I am over her, because of you, but I like you, a lot. And I hope this isn't anything casual!" he explained.

"So are we together then?" she asked nervously.

"Well, only if you'll let me be your boyfriend." Sandy said, trying to take control of the awkwardness.

"Of course." she replied smiling, and kissing him. "As long as you never pull what you did the last two days!" she added quickly.

He kissed her button nose and pulled her closer. "Well now that what we're doing here is settled, may we continue?"

"You better…" she smiled and leaned into his kisses, satisfied with his answer.

She seems so insecure about it… I'm not insecure about this. Why should she be? I know exactly where we stand. We are 'officially in the relationship'… guess…why is she making a big deal about the terminology, I mean; I want to be in a relationship, right? This is what I want. SHE is what I want. Not a girlfriend, Kirsten. Kirsten is what I want. I am happy about this. I AM happy about this. Charlie doesn't know what he's talking about. Besides, this isn't anything super-serious, no one is dying, no one is getting legally bound to each other tomorrow, and we are just together.

"Sandy?" Kirsten asked, awhile later, as they both lay in her bed, his arms around her bare body as they drifted off toward sleep.

"Hmmm?" he replied, half asleep.

"I'm really happy about this." she said, smiling. Sandy didn't reply. He just pulled her closer, left a few kisses on her shoulder and arm, and nuzzled her neck: making sure she knew he was happy too.

And so we hereby mark the beginning of the relationship following and expanding on the principle: "Actions speak louder than words…"

This time when kindness falls like rain
it washes her away and Anna begins to change her mind
"These seconds when I'm shaking leave me shuddering for days," she says
and I'm not ready for this sort of thing

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a/n-Ok this was a short chapter, but I've gotten in the habit of writing like 8 chapters at the same time cus I'll get an idea for one while I'm writing another… hmm yeah… so new posts soon this time? Please please please review… please? Stick in there, I know what you guys want to read about… its written and its coming soon! Oh, credit for the "I'll see your heart, and I'll raise you mine" goes to bell x1... Its one of my fave songs by them!