MANDY

I woke up to a dull, pounding headache, a feeling I have come to attribute to too much alcohol and a wild night. A couple of seconds later though, I realized that many things were not right with my situation...

Why am I naked?

Whose t-shirt am I wearing?

Whose bed am I in?

How did I get here?

... ... ... ... ...

Whose ARM is around my waist!?

What happened last night?!

I looked around frantically, my eyes adjusting to my dim surroundings.

...Wait a minute...I know this room...

I looked down at the hand of the man snoring behind me and saw the rings on his fingers that were oh so familiar to me.

Ringo...

Panic set in as I began to imagine what might have transpired last night. What did we do... What did this mean? Were things going to be different now? What does he think of me? Was this just a one-time mistake? Are our moments going to awkward from now on...

I found myself playing with the rings on his fingers. We'd do this often when we were together yet not doing anything. Silence would overcome our conversation and I'd take his hand in mine and absent-mindedly twirl around and fumble with his rings.

I felt a tear run down my cheek, followed by a few more.

Have I lost this?

"Dee..." I turned my head at Ringo's raspy morning voice, "what's wrong?"

I saw the concern and care in his face, and then I realized... he wouldn't do anything to hurt me. He wouldn't even consider something if there was the smallest possibility of upsetting me.

I laughed. I began to laugh at myself and my trivial thoughts and worries.

Ringo's expression changed to confusion, "What!?"

I spoke through my laughter, "We didn't have sex last night!"

Suddenly, I was pinned down with my hands above my head and Ringo hovered over me, his face a breath from mine.

"What makes you think that..." He replied with a low, rough voice. He had a serious, nearly menacing, intent in his eyes, yet I was calm under his gaze.

I spoke softly in return, "Because you love me too much..."

He released me from his hold and fell on his back beside me.

He sighed, closing his eyes, and ran his fingers through his hair, "yeah... ... I love you too much..."

I turned on my side and looked down at him, "So, how did we get here?"

"Hmmm?" He hummed without opening his eyes.

"What happened last night?" I repeated, clarifying my question.

He chuckled and looked up at me, "You really don't remember anything from last night?"

An involuntary smile spread across my face as I took in his blue eyes, shining in amusement, "Not a thing..."

He turned on his side, facing me, and cleared his throat, "Well... I was just about to go to bed myself when you knocked on my door. I opened it and you proceeded to latch yourself on me and try to kiss me-"

"Being the perfect gentleman I am..." He wiggled his eyebrows at me teasingly to which I rolled my eyes dramatically.

"I pulled you off me, but then you removed your jacket to reveal your attire of just some skimpy bra and panty combo."

"What!" I exclaimed.

He held a hand up, "Just wait, there's more."

"oh, no..." I could tell that this wasn't going to be good for me.

He continued, "You kept coming after me whilst stripping and you backed me into a chair. Then you climbed on top of me, completely nude, and started kissing my neck and grinding on me-"

I buried my head in my pillow and groaned in embarrassment. He didn't continue; I looked back at him to see him smirking, obviously enjoying my distress.

"So what next... " I asked reluctantly. "Since nothing happened, how did you stop me?"

He reached over and started stroking my back, which he does whenever I'm stressed or upset, "I calmed you down like I do any other time..." I felt myself relax and gave a sigh of contentment.

"Andthen you passed out." He stated abruptly, breaking the relaxed silenced. We both broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Ok, so you brought me to your bed after I was out," I started after our laughter subsided, "But why then did I wake up with you beside me?"

"Well, I was going to sleep on the couch, but then you insisted that since I wouldn't give into your advances that I should at least spend the night with you."

I buried my head in his shoulder, "I'm sorry for all the things I put you through, Richie..."

"That's what I'm here for, Dee."

After a short period of silence, Ringo spoke, "Hey, can I ask you a question now?"

Without leaving the comfort of his shoulder, I replied a muffled, "Sure."

There was another span of silence and then with a deep breath he finally asked, "Do you want a deeper relationship?

... A romantic relationship?"

I pulled away to answer, yet my eyes wouldn't meet his, "I'm happy with out relationship now. I don't want to lose anything that we have. It's just that- I feel... If we become something more than friends- I don't want anything to change. I guess-"

"Dee," Ringo interrupted forcefully, causing my eyes to draw to his, "You're skirting the question."

I looked down again, took a deep breath, and tentatively placed my hands on his chest.

I looked back up at him, "Lately... I have been thinking about us becoming more than friends. I haven't acted on it, I suppose, because- I'm afraid of change... But to answer the question, maybe..."

I studied his face for a reaction, but it was unreadable, "What are you thinking?"

His expression didn't change and he seemed to not have heard me as he asked a question of his own, "Can I kiss you?"

I pulled away in surprise, my hands leaving his chest, "k-Kiss me?"

He brought a hand up to cover mine that had left him and spoke with conviction, "I want to kiss you..."

I answered breathlessly, "..go ahead..."

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. His hand moved up my arm, along my neck, and followed the curve of my jaw into my hair. My eyes remained locked on his and I saw his eyes jump from my eyes to my lips and back and forth. He moved in closer and closer. He stopped with his nose against my cheek and our lips so close that they touched in the slightest sense. My eyes were still open, gazing into his clear, blue ones. Only when I allowed my eyelids to finally droop close did he press his lips into mine, and again, and again...and again... Everything felt right in the world, as cliche as that may sound, and all of my worries about change faded away as I melted under his touch.

He eventually pulled away and there was a moment of just looking in each other's eyes. Then he looked away and gave a little nervous chuckle.

I giggled with him, "What's so funny?"

He laughed again, making my heart lighten at it's sound.

He looked back at me with twinkling, bright eyes, "I'm just happy..."

I curled into him with my head against his chest.

"You're too cute," I breathed a sigh of contentment, "I like you."

He chuckled again, wrapping his arms around me, hugging me tightly, "I think things can only change for the better with us, Dee..."