Author's Note: Hey, everybody! Gosh, what a frenzied week, trying to get Christmas shopping done for presents and lunch tomorrow. I'm supposed to be making chocolate mousse. But I thought I'd update the story for your viewing pleasure since I don't want any more people crying over the past few morose chapters - you know who you are...aisforangelaaa ; ) A special thank you to the following people for getting this story past 100 reviews:
Fanfic-Reader-88, RemDiamond, sockstar, baronvonmilo, The Earl Of Sandwich, damnreality, DoctrineDark, BlackRoseForever and aisforangelaaa.
Warning: This is a super-long chapter. In sockstar terms, you'd better go camping and pitch a tent. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly or 17 Again.
Carly went straight to bed soon after seeing the finished hammock on the wooden deck in the backyard. But for all its worth, Carly could've stayed on the deck all night long because it would've amounted to the exact same thing at the end of it. Because she found herself standing in the same position as the night before, short of carrying a blue slip of paper in her hands along with Freddie's wedding band which he had discarded so indifferently.
The hammock was all she could see right now, her corneas pointedly ignoring the lushness of the trees covering the outskirts of the backyard and the freshness of the flowers blooming at first light. It was Corrie who finally strolled through the patio doors and roused her from her deep reverie.
"Mom," Corrie stated softly.
Carly spun around and faced her teenage daughter for the first time all morning long. She had expected Corrie to be frosty towards her after the party at Gibby's house a few nights ago when Felix had kissed her. More than expecting it, she knew she deserved it. She was the mother in this scenario, the adult, the one of the two parties who should've known better than to encourage the advances of a teenage boy.
But Corrie had surprised Carly by blaming Felix wholly for the entire debacle, citing in a derisive tone that the latter had taken advantage of the current atmosphere in their home by making himself indispensable in light of Freddie's absence. Carly was relieved that her relationship with her daughter wouldn't be irrevocably ruined because of what had transpired at Gibby's house. Carly knew she had been fussing and worrying about Matt lately because he was the youngest and the baby of the family. But that didn't mean that she didn't care about her daughter's well-being in ways that bordered on psychotic and overprotective.
She knew how hard it had been for Corrie since Reed had broken up with her. Carly had been intensely relieved at this sudden turn of events because of her own dislike for Reed. But she had kept most of her feelings to herself on that particular topic, happy that she could finally focus on the things that mattered most to her right now: her kids and her new entrepreneurial venture.
"It's time to go to the game," Corrie reminded gently.
"Right, of course. Let's go," Carly replied with a small smile on her face as she approached Corrie.
The two of them got into the family car a few minutes later and drove off slowly down the road out of their neighbourhood. Matt wasn't with them, having gotten a ride with Nicole to Ridgeway an hour prior; Spencer was running some errands in town and was planning on meeting them at the school right before the game. For the most part, the two women drove in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Hey, Mom. Are you ok?" Corrie asked finally, her voice laced with concern.
Carly turned to face her daughter and gave her a small smile.
"I'm fine, honey. Just thinking about everything that's happened lately," she admitted truthfully.
"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry that I've kind of been wrapped up in my own world," Corrie apologised meekly.
"Sweetheart, there's absolutely nothing to apologise for. If anything, I'm sorry that I've been so self-absorbed during all of this. I know it's been a tough time for you and your brother. But I want you to know that I love you so much, Corrie. You and Matt are my everything; if there's anything that I know for certain that I've done right in my life, it's the two of you. No matter what happens from here on out, I will always be here for you." Carly declared vehemently.
With one hand still on the steering wheel, Carly reached over and clasped Corrie's hand gently in hers, her thumb grazing softly over her hand. She was secretly pleased when Corrie grasped her hand back, squeezing it ever so slightly.
"Thanks, Mom. I love you too," Corrie replied sincerely, giving Carly a small smile in return.
Carly reluctantly turned her eyes back to the road. But she smiled to herself when Corrie's hand remained in hers all the while as they drove towards Ridgeway.
Bounce.
Squeak.
Swish.
Thud.
Bounce.
Freddie continued on with the repetition in his mind, focusing on the words by themselves while he concentrated with all his might on his basketball drills. He was practising in the gym at Ridgeway an hour before the final basketball game of the season like he did every other time. But he knew this would be the last time he ever did so, therefore he worked himself even harder than ever, beating his body into submission the longer he practised.
He dribbled the orange basketball in his hands from left to right, the yellow wood of the gym floor reflecting off of his bare chest, glistening with copious droplets of sweat. The movement was so much a part of him now that he barely gave it a second thought as the ball left his hands, sailing through the air with the greatest of ease as it bounced off the backboard and flew through the hoop.
The scouts would be coming out in the hordes today, anxious to find the next Dwayne Wade amongst this group of skinny and awkward teenage boys all too ready to prove themselves at all costs. Freddie was ready to do the same, ready to do anything that helped him avoid the awful pain in his chest of everything he would be gaining today as well as all of the things he would be losing.
But it was too late to go back now. He'd gotten everything he wanted in the past two months. He'd spent enough years going back on every single one of his promises, he wouldn't falter on this particular one. He owed his family that much to finally give them the happiness that they deserved, without him.
Coach Lennox approached Freddie while he continued shooting a couple of perfect free-throws from the 3-point line.
"Nice shot, Gibson." Coach Lennox praised in a gruff voice.
"Thanks, Coach." Freddie replied meekly.
"Why not save some for the game, huh?" Coach Lennox asked rapidly, referring to Freddie's shooting.
"Just warming up, Coach." Freddie remarked casually, a strange sense of dejavu sweeping over him, remembering last time he'd said those exact words.
"I got some inside info for ya, Gibson: The scout from WSU is back, and the coach is with him. If you play half the game I know you're capable of, you're gonna be playing college ball this time next year." Coach Lennox declared seriously.
"That's the plan, Coach." Freddie responded with a distant look in his eye, matching his tone.
That's when everything began moving faster during the day, like a film in a fast-forward sequence. Suddenly he wasn't alone in the gym anymore; the rest of his team mates flooded the court, including Matt who slapped high-fives with him in greeting. The photographer made his way along the wooden floor as the team got into position for their group photo which was going into the yearbook. Freddie caught sight of the basketball mascot, a kid named Max, who was sporting a costume with the head of a bulldog over his face. Such a vast difference from the days when Gibby used to run onto the court with his turtle mask on, getting the crowd hyped alongside the cheerleaders right before each game.
"Alright, jock-straps! Gather round, it's picture-time!" Coach Lennox barked loudly.
"Try not to break the camera," he suggested sardonically.
Freddie barely noticed when the camera flashed blindingly into his eyes several times as he held up the placard for Ridgeway's basketball team, a plastered smile etched onto his weary features. Then all of the boys were traipsing back into the locker room, pulling on their basketball vests over their bodies, each lost in their own thoughts as they prepared themselves mentally for what lay ahead. And then they were stepping out onto the court, running through a wide banner and; as each player came to a standstill, they stood in position and waited for their other team mates to pass by, slapping their hands as they went as per Ridgeway basketball tradition. The crowd was screaming and cheering for them and the team began their drills as they prepared for the game. The cheerleaders began their routine; then Nicole was at the top of the pyramid before being spun around and caught by another male cheerleader, a beaming smile painted on her lovely face.
She don't know who she is
I can take her anywhere
Do whatever comes naturally to you
Carly and Corrie weaved their way through the crowd, making their way up a flight of stairs. Corrie caught sight of Reed staring at her and rolled her eyes pointedly.
"I can't wait to get to Stamford and start dating college boys," she murmured dryly.
"Sounds like an exciting endeavour, honey." Carly remarked loyally, lost in her own thoughts.
The two of them found an optimum spot in the middle of the bleachers and scanned the rows for somewhere to sit. Carly frowned when Corrie suddenly snorted disdainfully beside her.
"What's wrong, Corrie?" Carly asked in concern.
"That's what's wrong," Corrie quipped scathingly, shooting daggers at someone below them on the basketball court.
Carly followed her daughter's gaze and her eyes locked on Felix, who was staring back at her. She felt her heart-rate quicken involuntarily in her chest at the penetrating look that he was currently giving her. Recollections of her latest dreams began flooding her mind and colouring her cheeks with a distinct shade of rouge. How could someone she barely knew have this kind of affect on her?
You know she just don't care
You know she just don't care
"…I still can't believe the nerve of him. And here I thought that he was hanging out with Alex to get to me. Turns out he was after you the whole time. " Corrie continued on indignantly.
"Don't worry about it anymore, Corrie. No one will ever come between us, I promise," Carly stated softly while placing a reassuring hand on Corrie's shoulder.
Corrie looked at Carly and nodded as the two of them took their seats.
Freddie turned away unwillingly from the crowd and back to the court where his team mates continued with their drills. He had fully expected to get nothing but 'the stink eye' from Corrie, but Carly was another story altogether. She didn't seem angry with him, far from it. If Freddie were being honest with himself, he thought that she looked sad, but more than that, she looked speculative. The thought alone made Freddie feel surprisingly giddy and light-hearted for a moment, as if all was not entirely lost.
Tasha was seated not too far away from where Carly and Corrie were in the huge gym. Her hands were resting across her lap while she stared down at the court without really seeing anything. She heard a strange commotion to her right and she thought she heard someone call her name.
"Tasha!"
She whipped around to stare at Gibby, who was pushing through the crowd to get to her from a few paces away. And he was wearing a very strange cloak of sorts which covered his neck and went down to his ankles over his jeans, T-shirt and sneakers.
"Excuse me! Coming though! I'm sorry me! Pardon me!" Gibby chanted incessantly, weaving his way through a group of disgruntled spectators who kept shooting him looks of annoyance.
Now I see her again
I asked to be a hummingbird
And then he was finally standing (or hunched over) in front of her, trying to catch his breath. Tasha instinctively got to her feet and steered Gibby over towards the railing and away from the crowd behind them, watching their every move intently.
"Tasha, I really need to talk to you," Gibby began breathlessly.
Whisper words in her ear
"Gibby, what are you doing?" Tasha demanded softly.
Gibby took a deep breath before continuing.
"Ok, I practised this before coming here, so I'm just gonna spit it out. I have just seen my best friend lose everything that means anything to him. Maybe you and I will never get to that point, but-"
"Gibby, wait…" Tasha intercepted rapidly.
"I hear what you're saying, but I just don't see how it can work between us. It's just too complicated. I'm a high school principal and you're the parent of one of my students. I just can't be seen with you." She added morosely.
And now you know I just don't care
You know she just don't care
Gibby tried a different tact when Tasha looked away from him to stare at the basketball players on the court below them.
"But Tasha, how can you be seen with me when I'm wearing a cloak of invisibility?" Gibby questioned cleverly with a pointed glance at his clothing.
'Cause I am always where I need to be
Tasha turned to face Gibby in amazement. Then she followed his gaze as they rested on his strange attire. Now she understood what he was getting at. It brought back a flood of memories from a few nights ago when they'd had dinner together, as if she really needed help remembering. They had talked about 'Lord of the Rings' almost the entire time they sat together as well as 'Galaxy Wars' and a host of other topics. She couldn't remember having ever laughed so hard or enjoyed herself so immensely in the company of a man before she'd met Gibby Gibson. She had enjoyed herself so much that for a fleeting moment, she had actually considered breaking her rule about having sex on the first date. The memory immediately put a reluctant smile on her face, which pulled at her cheeks and eyes like a puppeteer's string. She could feel a blush creeping slowly onto her cheeks as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.
And I always thought I would end up with you eventually
"Tasha, all I'm asking for is a chance for us to be friends and to get to know each other. I just wanna know what you're all about and I want you to know me too. Because…you're the one I want by my side when…I'm storming the Elvish Castle of Ganakinesh." Gibby declared seriously.
Tasha's breath caught sharply in her throat at the deep sincerity evident in Gibby's tone.
"Gibby…" she murmured painstakingly.
"Yes, Tasha?" Gibby asked gently.
"The only thing I can possibly say in response to that is…" she trailed off slowly.
"You can plunder my dungeon any time," she concluded seductively, meeting Gibby's gaze bravely, her eyes ablaze with a certain emotion.
Gibby's eyes opened wide in astonishment before he stared back at Tasha with a smoldering look on his face.
"I'll bring my long bow," he replied in a husky voice, causing Tasha to bite her bottom lip.
"You wanna get out of here?" he asked suddenly, catching her off guard.
"What did you have in mind?" Tasha questioned curiously.
"Let's get to know each other," Gibby suggested sincerely with a small smile on his face.
Tasha eyed Gibby for a few seconds before nodding vigorously, a big smile on her face. Then she acquiesced when Gibby held out his hand to her, taking it in her own as the two of them strolled out of the row of seats and down the stairs amidst the screaming spectators.
"Well, that's new," Carly murmured in awe, watching Gibby and Tasha leave the gym together.
"Urgh, old people." Corrie remarked with an involuntary shudder, causing Carly to grimace at her ever so slightly.
The two basketball teams were already on the court, standing together in two tight huddles, going over the plays with their coaches. Ridgeway's huddle placed their hands together in the middle and did their traditional chant before breaking apart. Freddie stepped away from the group of teenage boys until he was facing the crowd again and well within Carly's line of sight. Corrie had taken out her cellphone at that exact moment, so she missed the non-verbal message that passed between her mother and Felix. Without thinking twice about it or the fact that he was in an auditorium filled with people, Freddie suddenly blew Carly a kiss and mimed shooting a basketball through a hoop in her direction.
Carly's gasped sharply, feeling like she was about to go into cardiac arrest. That simple gesture brought up a multitude of memories that hadn't gained momentum to break the surface of relentless time. As far back as she could recollect, Freddie had greeted her with that same gesture whenever he stepped onto a basketball court when he was a teenager. She was always closer to the bench where his team mates sat during each quarter. But he always found a way to pick her out of the crowd, far or near. Then he would blow her a kiss and pretend to make a shot with his two hands. It was his signal for her, one of few that they shared together that no one else knew about, the only one reserved just for her alone.
'Cause I'm always where I need to be
And I always thought I would end up with you
Eventually
A symbol of his love.
"Oh my God," Carly whispered in horror.
She didn't even realise she was on her feet till Corrie was staring at her in surprise and a few people began murmuring in irritation behind her.
"Mom? Are you ok?" Corrie asked in confusion, unable to read her mother's unfathomable expression.
"I can't be here again. I have to go," Carly mumbled vaguely.
Then she began fighting her way through the crowd, leaving her daughter to stare after her in amazement, trying to find her way to the stairwell that would lead her to freedom and relief from the persistent past that wouldn't give her a moment's rest.
The game was in full swing now, players racing to and fro with blinding speed, a flash of orange passing between them as they tried their hardest to possess it. Freddie had turned his back immediately on Carly after gesturing to her, so he hadn't seen her leave her seat and make her way to the stairs. But when he made a clever steal from the opponent he was blocking and held him off valiantly, he turned around to face the crowd and came eyeball to eyeball with Carly.
I'm a man, I'm a man
I'm a man on the scene
I'm a man and I can be so obscene
She was leaving.
That's when the world crashed right into the sun, incinerating it into a million pieces of smouldering rock. The pieces scattered far into space, sailing into deep chasms of blackness that swallowed them right up.
Because I always think that I know how to be
He knew she wasn't coming back, not this time.
But I always thought I would end up with you eventually
Without planning to, Freddie started replaying a similar event much like this one in his head: the day that Carly told him that she was pregnant with Corrie, the day that he thought later on in life had been the end of all of his hopes and dreams.
But it hadn't been the end, it was the beginning of everything that he wanted and needed in his life.
The girl he'd always been in love with.
Carly coming into Bushwell Plaza for the first time.
The first time she leant in over him and kissed him while he lay on his bed.
The woman that he knew he'd love till the day he died.
Freddie interrupting Carly's protests before kissing her and lifting her up into the air while he held her in his arms and spun her around the dimly lit hallway.
Two children that he loved with everything he had in him.
Matt waving to him with a smile on his face when he had encouraged him to go talk to Nicole at West Seattle Bowl.
Corrie clinging desperately to him while he hugged her after Reed had broken up with her.
A family.
His family.
He had it all and he forgot his way forward.
"I used to be somebody back in high school!" Freddie exclaimed heatedly at a forlorn-looking Carly.
He convinced himself falsely that he had given up on everything he aspired towards.
Freddie's foot slipped right over and he was falling faster and faster…swallowed up completely when he finally made contact with the water.
But he'd had it all along.
He and Carly were dancing together in their living room: he, a young and awkward teenage boy and she, an older, sophisticatedly beautiful woman, staring deeply into each other's eyes while Freddie spun her around on the spot, holding her tightly in his arms all the while.
There was nothing to replace, no need to change anything.
The only 'do-over' he needed was to do everything just like before.
This was what his spirit guide wanted all along, that elusive lesson which became absurdly clear now.
Coach Lennox was going out of his mind, spittle flying haphazardly from his mouth while he continued yelling at Freddie, his roaring muted by the deafening din of the crowd. The spectators gasped sharply when Ridgeway's star player suddenly smirked right at them before taking the basketball in his hand and jogging off the court towards Matt, who sat on the bench, eyeing his movements with wide eyes. He got to his feet abruptly and Freddie ran right up to his son, beaming so wide that his smile threatened to rip at the corners of his mouth.
"It's your turn now," he murmured seriously while handing him the ball and patting his son's shoulder with pride radiating out of his very pores.
The scout from WSU shook his head and scribbled something onto a clipboard, shaking his head ruefully.
And then to the crowd's amazement, Freddie Benson sprinted out of the gym at Ridgeway a second time for yet another unexplained reason. The only person who didn't look surprised was an elderly man with a white beard and sporting clothes similar to that of a janitor. He was standing in the balcony right above the entrance which Freddie had just run out of, smiling conspiratorially to himself.
The referee grabbed the ball from Matt's surprised hands.
"Travelling! Green ball!" he called out promptly before blowing sharply on his whistle.
"What are you waiting for? Get in the game, Benson!" Coach Lennox barked impatiently.
"Yes, Sir," Matt squeaked, feeling strangely elated as he clutched the basketball in his hands, shrugging rapidly out of his tracksuit as he jogged onto the court.
Freddie jogged haphazardly down the dimly lit hall outside the gym without any clear destination, only eager to find Carly and make her see reason even if it killed him.
"Carly!" Freddie yelled out sharply.
"Carls!" he exclaimed loudly.
He was completely unaware that he was travelling down that very hallway he had chased Carly down 17 years ago. And he certainly wasn't paying attention when he sprinted past the Ridgeway trophy cabinet and through a distinct wet patch of water on the floor. In his hazy state of mind, Freddie realised that he felt strangely cold and clammy, like he had been swimming in the sea for hours. And as he passed through a strange patch of silvery blue light which gave him a familiar sense of dejavu, Freddie was gasping for air, his lungs on fire, feeling unusually tired.
Carly hadn't sprinted very far; she had just made it around the corner to one of the exits in the school nearest to the cafeteria. She rested her back against the wall behind her and stood hunched over while she struggled to get her breath back. That's when she heard someone calling out her name.
She knew that voice. It had been two months since she had last heard it. And it was so vehement and desperate, much like it used to be when he was still trying to win her over without much success when they were kids.
And then he rounded the corner where she was, jogging past the corner in which she stood, breathing heavily and walking slowly. He was still shrouded in shadow, so she couldn't see his face. He had his back to her, clutching at his hair painstakingly while he stood in front of the fire escape. But Carly knew that it was him, that he had finally returned.
"It is you," she murmured in awe, finally letting her eyes sweep over him when he eventually came into focus.
It was Freddie.
He was wearing a Ridgeway basketball uniform, much like the one Felix Gibson had been wearing a few minutes ago, which looked decidedly tight around his abdomen in particular. But he was older, the same age as she was. His hair wasn't shaggy anymore, but cut neatly like before, his fringe gelled upwards instead of falling over his face. The frown lines across his forehead were still as prominent as ever. But it was him, all of him.
Freddie turned around sharply on the balls of his feet, astounded that Carly was suddenly behind him. Carly emitted a loud sigh, feeling like she was about to finally discover the truth behind everything that had transpired lately.
Neither of them moved forward, but sideways instead as they surveyed one another carefully.
"Hi." Freddie greeted awkwardly.
"Hi?" Carly asked blankly.
"I can explain," Freddie continued blankly, moving a few steps closer.
"You can?" Carly questioned in a shaky tone, her eyes wide with shock.
"Nope, not at all," Freddie quipped assuredly.
"You didn't have to come after me again, Freddie." Carly declared in an unsteady voice, taking a step back as she spoke, unshed tears forming in her brown eyes.
"Yes I did, because I love you, Carly." Freddie intercepted vehemently, coming closer each time he spoke.
"You're the best decision that I ever made. I just forgot," he breathed sincerely.
"And then I fell off a bridge and things got pretty weird after that," he added in a dubious tone.
"But I'm never gonna forget again, Carly. I promise," Freddie concluded earnestly.
Then he went for broke and stepped even closer till he was towering over his wife.
"I know that I've been in a bad mood for the past…17 years. But if you let me, I swear that I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I love you, Carly Benson." He stated genuinely.
Carly was frozen to the spot, unable to formulate coherent words while she continued staring at Freddie like she was seeing him for the first time in her life.
"I thought I wanted a second chance at life. But now I know that I just want a second chance with y-"
Freddie was cut off from talking any further when Carly suddenly grasped his face tightly in her hand, pulling his cheeks and lips forward and mashing them together. He stared at her in confusion, wondering what she was doing. Carly met Freddie's eyes and bit her lip nervously.
"Weird," she marvelled, half in shock, half in elation.
"Yeah," Freddie agreed through a mouthful of Carly's hand.
She let go abruptly a second later and just stared deep into Freddie's brown eyes for a few seconds.
"I missed you," she breathed in a husky voice before throwing herself into Freddie's arms and kissing the crap out of him.
Freddie bent his head forward and kissed Carly back, closing his eyes as he drank in her heavenly scent. Carly wrapped her arms around Freddie's neck and held him close while their lips stayed melded together. Without another thought in his head, Freddie lifted Carly up into his arms and began twirling her around on the spot while she held onto him tightly.
After nearly six successful resolutions, Freddie gave up and put Carly haphazardly back down onto the ground.
"You know…this was a lot easier to do before than it is now," Freddie murmured sheepishly while massaging the small of his back tentatively.
Carly moved into Freddie's personal space once more, her hands slipping around his waist.
"I see what you mean. You did have that really nice six-pack when you were 17," she murmured with a sly grin on her face while giving Freddie a furtive once-over.
"Any chance I'm gonna see all that muscle ever again?" Carly asked coyly.
"Maybe. If I hit the gym like…500 times a week for 20 more years after this." Freddie teased jovially, causing Carly to laugh uproariously.
"Wow, it sounds like you've got some big plans ahead of you, Fredward Benson," Carly joked lightly.
"It looks like it. Maybe I should jog home today," Freddie suggested airily.
"Maybe you should start jogging tomorrow. Right now, I have a much better idea for how we can spend the rest of the day," Carly replied in a seductive tone.
"I like the way you think, Mrs. Benson." Freddie praised cheerily, staring deeply into Carly's eyes for a moment and loving what he saw.
And then they instinctively began walking as they continued their conversation, entwining their hands together as they made their way to the fire escape.
By the time the basketball game finished, it had begun raining heavily all over Seattle. But the crowd hauled up together in Ridgeway's gym were completely unaware of this as a group of teenage boys carried Matt Benson, the boy who had clinched victory for his team, on their shoulders, cheering and screaming wildly. Matt hooted along with his team mates and smiled broadly, feeling too euphoric to be described adequately into words.
They eventually lifted him back down to the ground and Corrie came pelting towards him. She completely ignored Reed who stood in her path, bowling him over and launching herself into her younger brother's arms and hugging him warmly.
"Matt, that was amazing! I'm so proud of you!" Corrie gushed earnestly, sounding exactly like an older sister right then and there.
"Thanks, Corrie. I think that's the first time you've ever said that to me," Matt replied with a big grin on his face.
"Well, don't get too used to it," Corrie retorted lightly, grinning back at him before playfully ruffling his hair.
She caught sight of Nicole making her way over to them and rolled her eyes dramatically, knowing full well that an insurmountable amount of PDA was about to ensue.
"I'd better give you and your new girlfriend some privacy," she remarked dryly in greeting.
"I'm heading over to Jamie's house now, talk to you later."
"Have fun," Matt called out brightly to Corrie's retreating form.
Corrie turned back one final time to smile at Matt before joining her friends. Then Matt faced Nicole, who quietly came over to him and slipped her arms around his neck.
"You know the whole school loves you now, right?" Nicole asked cleverly.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well, what about you? Do you love me at all?" Matt asked with sudden intrigue, placing his hands around his girlfriend's waist.
"Meh, I guess you're ok. I was cheering for the other team," Nicole teased, feigning nonchalance.
"Well, fair's fair, I guess. But just so you know, I may just have to find myself another girlfriend since I'm such a big superstar," Matt teased back.
"You are so gonna pay for that," Nicole promised with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Matt didn't give Nicole a chance to exact her revenge before crashing his lips against hers. She responded enthusiastically and pushed herself even closer into his chest, her hands going to cup his cheeks. When they eventually disentangled themselves, Matt was grinning widely.
"Consider that my first instalment," he replied smoothly, a sly smirk reminiscent of his dad etched on his face.
Nicole laughed heartily at this and pulled her witty boyfriend into a warm embrace. Matt cupped the back of her head while he hugged her tightly, ignoring the rest of the crowd milling around all them, spilling onto the court as the celebrations continued.
It was raining harder than ever outside while Tasha and Gibby walked around together. They found themselves unexpectedly within the confines of the Japanese Garden located inside the Washington Park Arboretum. Both of them were soaking wet, despite Gibby's best attempts to shield Tasha's body with his cloak, which he had taken off and was currently holding above their heads. But Tasha didn't mind in the least while she told Gibby about Felix's unexpected visit to her home the day before as they strolled amongst the plush green trees and cobbled pathways.
"I'm gonna kill him," Gibby mumbled in mortification when Tasha finished telling him about Felix giving her his poem.
"Don't be mad at Felix, his heart was in the right place. I'm really glad that he came to see me and that he gave me the poem. It gave me a lot to think about," Tasha replied earnestly while stealing a look at Gibby out of the corner of her eye.
"Let me get this straight: you were actually considering giving me a shot? So why did you give me such a hard time in the gym earlier?" Gibby demanded laughingly.
"The poem touched me. But I was still undecided when you cornered me off before the game. You caught me off guard when you showed up in that stupid cape, I didn't really know what to say. It was only after you said your piece that I really started considering a 'you and me'." Tasha confessed truthfully.
"So there's a 'you and me' now?" Gibby asked hopefully, coming to a stand-still to face Tasha.
"There will be…on one condition." Tasha declared seriously.
"Which is?" Gibby asked curiously.
"You write me more poems," Tasha answered lightly, a small smile gracing her lovely face.
Gibby laughed loudly at this as he cupped Tasha's face gently in his hands.
"Well, it just so happens that I might have plenty more where that last poem came from," he admitted conspiratorially.
"Awesome! Let's go to your house right now – I want to read the rest of them!" Tasha declared with sudden spontaneity.
"In a minute. I've got something a little more pressing on my mind that I'd like to do first." Gibby replied softly.
Then he inclined his head towards Tasha's and planted a gentle and chaste kiss on her lips. Tasha responded in kind, closing her eyes and deepening the kiss while she ran her hands through Gibby's brown spiky hair. In one swift manoeuvre, Gibby managed to drape his wet cloak around the two of them as he and Tasha continued standing together in the park, kissing in the pouring rain, enclosed in their green sanctum.
After breaking nearly ever traffic rule known to the state of Washington, Freddie and Carly made it back to their home in record time. Completely rain sodden down to the bone, they parked Carly's car haphazardly in the driveway before sprinting frantically towards the backdoor. After unlocking the door, their lips collided together, letting the door bang on the hinges as they caressed each other.
I remember when I was young
And so were you
With one sweep of his hand, Freddie cleared the knife-set and the cook-books off of the kitchen counter; with the other hand, he scooped Carly up off of the floor and onto the marble surface, melding his lips to hers once more. Carly's hands wrapped around Freddie's neck and back, her legs moving around his waist as she kissed him with abandon. Freddie's hands crept through Carly's wet black tresses while his lips moved across her cheeks and temples, mumbling her name repeatedly against her clammy skin. When they finally broke apart, both Carly and Freddie were panting audibly.
But look at how times have changed baby
You know why
"Spencer?" Freddie asked curiously.
"Hanging out with Socko." Carly replied rapidly.
"The kids?" Freddie questioned just as quickly.
"Both gone till tomorrow. Corrie's sleeping over at Jamie's and Matt's hanging out with some of the guys on the team," Carly explained gently.
Before Freddie could claim Carly's lips once more, another horrifying thought occurred to him.
"Sam?" he asked worriedly, knowing full that Carly's best friend had a key to their house and would be likely to drop by unexpectedly at any time of the day.
"At an exotic meats' convention in DC," Carly responded, giggling at Freddie's anxiety.
Freddie grinned happily at this and began stroking Carly's cheek gently with his calloused finger, causing her to blush profusely.
I can never say no
I can only show you how
"Then I guess I'd better make the most of the time," he whispered seriously, his nose grazing briefly against Carly's.
My love goes down
My love goes down
Sweep your feet right off the ground
I got that good love for you
Carly didn't answer, choosing instead to pull Freddie's head back down before kissing him fiercely. She wrapped her arms tightly around Freddie's neck, clinging desperately to his wet shirt as he let her down from the table. Then it was a comical trip to the master bedroom: bumping into furniture, stumbling over their own feet, Freddie trying to carry Carly in his arms, but growing too impatient with the endeavour and taking her by the hand as they staggered over the threshold.
I remember when I did you wrong, made you cry
Made you feel so sad
I knew I had to apologise
Carly began tugging at Freddie's basketball shirt, pulling it over his head as her lips traced his moist skin. Freddie started unbuttoning Carly's blouse, popping a few on the way down as he peeled it impatiently away from her skin. Carly buried her face deep into Freddie's chest as her arms wrapped around his body, pulling his shorts down, panting in time to his racing heartbeat. And then Freddie was the one steering her towards the bed and pushing her down into the mattress, covering his body with hers.
So I pulled you close baby
And I laid you down on the bed
While keeping his lips attached to Carly's, Freddie's fingers traced a burning path over her shoulder blades, stopping at her bra straps as he pushed them down with edgy anticipation.
Took of your clothes baby
Girl, you know the rest
Carly's eyes were shut tight as she drank Freddie in like water touching the lips of a dehydrated man stumbling through an unforgiving desert. Her hands closed around his neck like shackles, stopping him from escaping, even if he had felt so inclined. Her tongue traced his top and bottom lip as they gave themselves over to each other for what would hopefully be the first of many occasions to come.
My love goes down
My love goes down
Down, down
Sweep your feet right off the ground
I got that good love for you now
I got that real love for you now
Musical References:
1) "Always Where I Need To Be" by The Kooks
2) "Love Goes Down" by Plan B
Author's Note: Shoo, glad that's over with! Note: The Castle of Ganakinesh is from 'Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers' if I'm not mistaken. For anyone who's watched the film, my story's not quite done yet. This would've been the ideal place to end it, but I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve where Creddie's concerned ; ) Now I really do need to go make the chocolate mousse - 6 hours to go before it's Christmas my side. I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's! Cheerio!