AN: Guess what!!!!! My birthday has occurred within the last few weeks!!!! Yeah, I can't say more than that on the internet. But still, I'm excited! Yay! I got the Pink CD and the Fray CD and the Motion City Soundtrack CD and the Charlotte Church CD, and the Rent DVD (FINALLY!!!!) and the VM DVDs. And all I have to say is, SWEET!!!! How well do my friends know me?

Anons:

Bohogirl – I am back! Aw, thanks so much. It was interesting, I'll say that. I know, I've been out on the whole fanfic thing lately to (obviously), reading as well as writing. I heart Benny, too! He was so sad in the movie when Mark wouldn't take his lease. Maybe you should be worried. Maybe I'm screwing with you. Who knows? (evil giggle) You'll just have to read on to find out about the RoMi (my new name which is horrid, I know) thing. I'm glad you like Dave. I do, too. Hee. Thank you so, so much – you're so sweet!

Sorry about the wait. I will do better, I promise! School is just so damn busy. Oh well, enough of that. I'll just start writing.

Disclaimer: I finally own the DVD, but that means nothing in Corporate America.

Mimi: Sleepless Early Mornings on Cruddy Couches

Mimi couldn't stop tossing and turning. The restlessness and the cold sweat that was starting to inch, slimily and erratically, down the indent of her spine reminded her of withdrawal. But she doesn't have the callused hands to hold her still this time, to wipe her face, brush back her hair. Roger wasn't there because she was so goddamn stupid.

It killed her, it really did. She'd been the one yelling at him forever about trust and honesty in their relationship, telling him how much he needed to learn to talk to her in order for this to work. And here she was, doing the dumbest shit she could think of doing. Dios mio, he'd been the one to encourage her to join a real dance team in the first place! It was like her tight clothes had gone and squeezed all the common sense out of her. Maybe she should ask Joanne if she could borrow some of hers.

Giving up on sleep, she ran her fingers delicately over the duct tape that lined the corners of the couch, which she hadn't left since Roger had walked out. She ripped off a corner and rubbed it between her index and thumb pads. If she did this thing, and she earned some money, she was going to buy a new couch. That would make it up to Roger for leaving, and to Mark for taking away his best friend, and Abby and Benny and everybody for leaving. In a small part of her mind, she knew this was ridiculous. Even if she made money from this, it was gonna have to go to rent. The new company that had bought the buildings wasn't too bad, but rent was still a problem, even with a grand total of five people living in the loft. But all she could think about, as she scratched the bit of tape with her nail, was that she could buy them a new couch and it wouldn't matter anymore that she had left them and dragged Roger away with her. That she had taken them away from the city that existed inside and outside of them.

He should have been part of it all. He should have read the pamphlet with her, spent hours on this couch debating whether this was the best thing for everyone, their hands entangled slightly as he ran a finger over her wrist. He should have been standing behind her when she filled out the application, holding her hair back as he pressed kisses to her neck and added things he thought she missed while she laughingly shushed him. He should have kissed her every time she checked the mail in vain and guide her to the coffeemaker so she wouldn't start clenching her hands like she did when she was nervous. He should have picked her up and spun her around when the good news finally came, and locked them in their room for several hours of congratulatory sex.

She was going to buy a really big couch. With lots of cushions and those little button things that to play with and pick at when she was bored.

Mark had taken it better, at least. He had disappeared into his room with Abby almost immediately after she'd told him, looking smaller than usual and completely dejected, but at least he'd been able to give her what appeared to be a sincere, "I'm so proud of you, Meems." And Abby had squealed a little. So maybe leaving wasn't as wrong as it felt right now. Maybe it wasn't the horrible idea she currently thought it was. Maybe ... aw, damn it. She seriously wished at this moment that she was an asshole like her father, because it would be easier to sleep with no conscious. Or brain. And he'd lacked both, lucky bastard, may he rot in hell.

Pick. Pick, pick, pick. Scratch. Scrrrrraaaatttttcccccchhhh. Pause. Pick, pick, pick.

Maybe she should just go find him. How big was NYC, anyway? She was small, in love, and determined. She'd find his cute rocker ass in minutes. Ok, she definitely needed sleep.

The noise of the key turning in the lock made her lurch upright. She stared blurrily at the door, knowing it was at least three in the morning, and who the hell came home to their apartment at three in the morning? Because it couldn't be...

Roger's head was down as he slid the keys into his leather jacket pocket, his mind apparently on something else. She watched him as he walked past the couch, thinking sleepily how nice he looked when he walked. Like a grizzly bear cub, powerful but adorably sweet. A nice, fuzzy little – wait, Roger?

Mimi's mind finally snapped awake as he neared the door of their room. "Roger," she croaked her throat suddenly dry just from the sight of him.

He jumped a little, obviously as tired as her, and looked at her. She gasped a little at the intensity in his eyes that had made her stop and look that first time on the balcony. It was stupid and cliché, but it really did burn her a little, when he looked at her like that. She was on her feet before she even knew it, and standing in front of him awkwardly. She took a shaky breath and clutched her hands. "Baby, I'm so sorry ..."

He jerked her to him, and his lips crashed against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, as tears of relief filled her eyes. His hand was embedded in her back, bringing her so close to him his jacket zipper indented themselves in her stomach.

When they stopped for necessary air, they were back on the couch. Mimi put her head on his chest, pressing her lips on the skin that showed through the openings of his button-down shirt. "Te quiero, te quiero, te quiero," she murmured between each kiss. "I'm so sorry."

Roger raised her chin so she could look at him. "I love you, too. And if you leave New York, so do I."

She shook her head. "We belong here. Our family is here – Mark, Collins, Benny, Maureen, Joanne, Abby, Dave, everyone. How can we leave them? Ellos son nuestra familia."

Roger chuckled. "And that's weird in itself." He twirled a piece of her hair in his fingers. "Look, this is too big for you. You can't turn it down. And you're the only family I need. If you're here, I'll be ok. Just don't tell anyone. It'll ruin my tough-guy rep." He smirked down at her cockily.

She looked at him seriously. "You're too good for me." She grazed his cheek with the palm of her hand and trailed her fingers down his neck. Suddenly, she cracked a grin. "Why is it we always cause drama?"

He raised an eyebrow. "We always cause drama? You cause drama."

She wrinkled her nose. "I do not. You asked me to marry you without telling anyone else. You ran off to Santa Fe. You jumped off the stage and punched some ..."

He cut her off in an amazingly effective way as he lightly touched his lips with hers. She stared at him hungrily, wanting more. His smirk widened. "Let's at least attempt to make it to the bed," he whispered hotly against her mouth as he picked her up off the couch. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her tongue in his mouth. He grabbed her ass and stumbled as he made his way to their room.

They at least managed to close the door, even if they never quite made it to the bed.

AN: I say again, BAM-CHICA-BWAM-BWAM!!!! Hee. I'm sorry for the relative shortness of the chapter, but I'm very tired, and must soon sleep. Also, I'm sorry for the Spanish, again, but I really couldn't tell you if the free translation site gave me Spanish or Scandinavian. So I apologize for that.

Good news! This fic has officially reached thirty whole chapters! This is a major milestone, so clap in happiness. Ok, so just like Mimi, I need some sleep. I'm gonna sign out. Love? Hate? Review!