HELLO YOU BEAUTIFUL READERS! This one is shorter, but I think I made up for it with a decent amount of fluff. That's what happens when we get into double digit reviews! Yay! Let's see if we can get it up to 15 reviews? You're wonderful people with wonderful reactions and it would be wonderful if you would share them with me :)


I slammed the door to my room and fell onto my bed. My roommate Juliette gave a huff and asked me what was the matter with me, but I just ignored her and curled up under the covers. Now was time for crying and then sleeping. Tomorrow: Ice cream.

After what could have been anywhere from five minutes to an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Juliette answered and I heard her discussing something with whoever was there. I couldn't even make out their voice enough to determine a gender. Juliette's voice got louder and I could hear her say "Not now, tomorrow" and footsteps towards me. Juliette left but kept the door open. A large warm hand was laid on my shoulder and I flinched away from the contact.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Len's voice filled my ears and I hated how comforting his gentle tone was. I didn't want to want him. I didn't want to open up to him. I didn't want him to see me. I didn't respond. He sat on the edge of the bed.

"I broke it off with Lindsey, if there ever was anything to break off. I wanted more than anything to keep dancing with you that night, but when you sauntered off I figured you had only asked me because Jim was occupied and you were a little drunk. I only danced with Lindsey because I didn't want to go back to sitting alone at the bar. But I guess we're both just too damn good at guarding our emotions." He said slowly and quietly. We sat in silence for a while.

"Do you hate me? I wouldn't blame you…" I finally said, turning to face him.

"If I did would I be here, telling you that I think I love you?" He looked me straight in the eye. I sat up and crossed my arms against the cold. I was still wearing just my bikini and shorts. Leonard gave me his sweatshirt and this time I took it.

"Isn't this the part where you kiss me?" I asked. He smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear while he pressed his lips to mine.

"I love you too." I said after our kiss broke.

"Thank God." He smiled and pulled me in for another kiss and I wrapped my arms around his neck. We got lost in each other for a while until Jim popped into my head. I put my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back.

"Jim's mad." I said.

"Jim slept with you even though he knew that you were trying to make me jealous." He countered.

"He was too drunk to know at the time. He must have realized later. The way he acted the next morning, he didn't know. He's not some asshole who just screwed me over, he got plenty screwed too." I trailed off.

"How so?" Leonard pushed.

"Well I sure as hell didn't act like I only slept with him to get to you the next day."

"But I thought you said you actually liked him. How would continuing to date him help you get to me?" He asked.

"It wouldn't, that's not why I did it. After that night I did start to like him, but he thought that I choose him that night, he thought that I wanted him. We started with a lie." I trailed off.

"What's it matter if it's over now. Unless you don't want it to be over now, in which case you probably shouldn't have told me you love me…" He looked down uncertainly.

"No! No no no, I want it to be over and I DO love you. It's just that I feel bad about HOW it ended. Jim didn't deserve that." I tried to reassure him.

"Can we please stop talking about Jim now?" He pleaded.

"Absolutely." I responded with a smile. Talking about your ex-boyfriend who you broke up with that day in front of your new boyfriend who is best friends with you ex-boyfriend probably wasn't the best idea and when did I become THAT girl? I went from in a relationship to heartbroken to in love with another guy in like no time flat. That wasn't me. And Jim couldn't know that it happened so fast. It wouldn't be fair to him. I had hurt him enough. Wait, no. No more thinking about Jim. Bad Addy. Bad.

I straddled his hips and kissed him again. He tasted like honey and salt and warmth and safety and his hands felt perfect on the small of my back. I ran a hand through his hair and laughed when sand filtered out of it.

"What?" He asked.

"You have sand in your hair." I giggled. I put both hands on his head and shook as much sand out as I could. "We could build a whole new beach!"

"How did you manage to keep your hair sand-free?" He asked, running a hand through my dark hair.

"Everytime we ended up in the sand, I ended up on top of you." I smirked and he planted a smiling kiss on my lips.

"Are you too done?" Juliette asked impatiently from the doorway. Len and I stood up and I blushed furiously.

"For now, I suppose." Leonard responded before kissing me a quick goodbye and leaving the room. I stayed where I stood for a while, just processing everything that had just happened.

"He's hot." Juliette commented.

"Yup." I replied. It was the first non-forced civil interaction between the two of us. Things seemed to being going pretty well for me. But all that goes up must come back down.


Ahh ha ha! Happiness is a fleeting thing, Sally. - Anybody? Anybody at all? Anyway, I can never do JUST fluff. Where's the fun in that? Okay, you guys know the deal. Concern, comment, or question, review! Everyone who reviews gets a puppy, okay? :D

-KT