A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys! I'm only a few short weeks away from getting my Master's degree, and I've been quite busy. I've also recently read the entire Hunger Games trilogy. Sheer and utter brilliance. I wrote a fan fiction for it if you're interested. I'd love some additional feedback.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 6

"So wait, let me get this straight," Spencer repeated, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. "You're going to avoid him…to show him how much you like him."

"Exactly!" Hanna declared, throwing her hands in the air as if to display excitement that Spencer finally understood. The side of her mouth puckered as she blew a wisp of hair out of her eyes, doodling hearts around the 'PROS AND CONS OF DATING HOLMES' list that Spencer had tried to facilitate. She hadn't written much – the paper mostly consisted of girly sketches.

"Okay," Spencer began slowly with a heavy sigh. "I really hope you know that to anyone else, it sounds completely counterintuitive."

"Counter your own 'tuitive'," Hanna said defensively, trying to hide the confusion on her face.

"No, Hanna – I mean – it doesn't make a damn bit of sense."

"Of course it does!" Hanna protested, setting aside her notebook to devote her full attention to her explanation. "You see, if you ignore someone and pretend you're not interested, that's when they figure out how much they like you!"

"I seem to recall you trying that with Sean Ackard," Spencer scoffed. "And I also seem to remember it not ending well."

Hanna scrunched her nose in disdain. "Sean had rocks for brains," she insisted. "Nothing worked on him."

Spencer rolled her eyes at the current irony of her statement.

"Besides," Hanna continued, feigning confidence, "once Holmes gets a look at me tonight, he won't be able to keep his eyes off me."

"Tonight?" Spencer demanded. "Wait – why? – What's tonight?"

Hanna's face turned scarlet in an instant. "Uh…family night?"

"Family night?"

"Yeah! The three of us," Hanna sputtered. "One big, happy family."

"Hanna," Spencer pressed urgently. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Panic descended on Hanna's face. She looked desperately around the room, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "You know…it's…well…" She jumped off the bed suddenly when she heard the door opening downstairs, forfeiting her attempts at explaining. "Coming, Mom!"

"Hanna, your mom isn't – " Spencer began, but before she could finish, Hanna had already raced out the door. Spencer sat alone for a moment, dumbfounded by the current insanity of her best friend. Determined to figure out the source of Hanna's instability, she stood up hurriedly, stomping into the hallway.

"Hanna, I swear to God – I don't know what you have up your sleeve, but – "

Spencer stopped dead at the sight that lay before her at the top of the stairs. She instantly pinched herself to check her state of consciousness, her heart leaping into her chest. All the pinch resulted in was a sore bruise developing on her skin, for the mirage did not disappear.

There stood Toby in his army uniform, smiling ear-to-ear.

"Hey, beautiful," he stated softly.

The sound of his voice broke her from her reverie. In a flash she had vaulted from her stance in the hallway, catapulting herself into his arms and wrapping both legs around his waist. He stumbled a bit in surprise, grasping onto the banister with one hand and chuckling.

"You're home!" she declared stupidly, absorbing the scent of his skin and the feeling of his heart beating against her breast. If this was a dream, she was going to be sure to commit this moment to memory. Just in case.

His hands massaged small circles on her back, pulling out of the hug enough to gaze into her eyes. He brushed a stray hair from her face, planting a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose. This did not suffice for her, however, as she hungrily dove for his mouth. He stumbled once more, losing his footing completely this time. In a flailing knot of limbs, they tumbled down the first few steps to the landing, laughing in surprise. Spencer was on top of him now, straddling his hips. She propped herself up on her elbows to proceed with her questioning.

"How did you? – When did you? – Did anyone else know?" she stuttered pathetically, feeling as though her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.

He laughed. "One thing at a time, babe," he said, raising his lips to hers. This kiss was less dangerous, and Spencer took her time with making it count. She nibbled softly on his lower lip, indulging in the feeling of his hands on her hips. It was over as soon as it had begun.

"I told Holmes a few days ago, when I got the news," he explained, kissing her between breaths. "He didn't tell Hanna until today."

"Oh," Spencer breathed, realization dawning on her. "Oh, that sneaky bitch…Family night, my ass…"

"What?"

"Nothing," Spencer dismissed, unable to mask the good-natured resentment in her voice.

"Already? Seriously?"

This new voice startled them both as they turned towards the bottom of the stairs. There stood both Hanna and Holmes, grinning like Cheshire cats.

"Get a room," Hanna added to Holmes's comment, shaking her head in mock disapproval.

"You two," Spencer began, using the best angry voice she could muster with her heart beating as wildly as it was. She pulled herself into a sitting position, Toby following suit. "You – I can't believe that you – " She paused suddenly, turning over the possibility in her head that Hanna and Holmes had been faking the entire altercation tonight. However, upon longer examination, she did see that they were avoiding one another's eyes. They were together at this exact moment for the mere sake of creating a pleasant atmosphere in which to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

"Can't believe Hanna didn't say anything," Holmes jeered good-naturedly, but still did not look at her. Hanna rolled her eyes, crossing her arms indignantly.

"She came pretty damn close, there," Spencer protested. "Right at the end of our conversation." She raised a brow in Hanna's direction. "What did your mom want?"

Hanna smirked slightly. "It was the best thing I could come up with on the fly," she insisted.

"All right, all right, you two lovebirds take your time," Holmes began, taking Hanna by the shoulders and wheeling her in the opposite direction. "We really are going out tonight to celebrate, though, so be ready by 10."

Before Spencer could protest, they had already gone from the room. She was content to simply lie in his arms for the rest of the night…However, she owed it to Hanna and Holmes for helping orchestrate the whole thing. They were excited, too. And she'd have the rest of her life to hold him, now.

Toby stood up brusquely, reaching a hand out to assist Spencer to do the same. She accepted, feeling the bolts of electricity shooting through her fingers as she did so. Silently he led her to the room they shared, glancing back at her occasionally as if he also needed reassurance that her existence was real.

He took a seat on the bed, beginning to unlace his boots. She took the liberty of closing the door and turning the lock purposefully, giving her best attempt at a sexy saunter in his direction. His eyes were on her immediately, roving her body with a gaze. The fire in her belly was beginning to consume her as she realized he was mentally undressing her.

"I missed you so much," he murmured softly as she sat on his lap, wrapping her legs around his thighs. He buried his face in her hair, planting short kisses down the side of her neck. She shuddered involuntarily, releasing a small sigh of enjoyment. Judging by the arousal pressing against her thigh, he was instantly on the same page as her.

He leaned back and trapped her lips with his own, softly molding the shape of his mouth to hers. She carefully swept her tongue against his, delighting in the taste of the kisses she had missed so dearly.

His hands were working their way under her t-shirt, gingerly reaching upwards towards her shoulder blades to pull her closer. With one gentle shove by Spencer, Toby was on his back, staring up at her, his azure eyes burning with love and desire. He gripped her buttocks with both hands, pulling her up to his hips where the sensation was more pronounced for both of them. She moaned quietly at the ripple of pleasure that seized her body momentarily. It wasn't enough – she needed more.

She was fumbling with the military-issued belt that separated his body from hers. Her hands shook in a mixture of excitement and nervousness, creating a far more difficult task than necessary.

"They make everything as hard to get into as Fort Knox, huh?" she joked quietly. Toby chuckled into her shoulder.

"No amount of tower guards could keep me from making love to you," he whispered. The moisture of his breath at the crease of her neck made her shiver once more. As if to illustrate his point, he effortlessly detached his belt, kicking his pants off instantaneously. Impatient, Spencer was already quickly disrobing herself. Before she knew it, they were both completely naked, taking a brief moment to drink in the beauty of the other's body.

Then, in one swift movement, Toby had grasped her under the armpits and flipped her over onto her back. He hovered over her, brushing her hair from her face with one hand. "You're so beautiful," he murmured.

"I love you," she replied. And then, she couldn't wait anymore. She curled her fingers around the chain of his dog tags and drew his face back to hers once more.

One glass of wine wasn't enough, Hanna realized quickly, as she began pouring a second. She and Holmes were silently watching reruns of Family Guy on the television, impatiently attempting to patiently wait for their friends to be ready. She knew that they needed – well, couple time – but it didn't change the fact that their timing couldn't have been worse. There was most assuredly an unnamed elephant in the room, making an attempt to squeeze between them on the couch.

She had pointedly sat as far to one end as possible, and noticed that he did the same. The second glass of wine was gone almost as soon as it had been poured, and she was reaching for the bottle again.

"Hey, hey," Holmes protested, reaching out to snag it from her grasp. "Take it slow."

She scrunched up her face indignantly, yanking it back from him. She did not say anything else, but merely eyed his third beer purposefully. If he was going to drink, so was she.

He sighed heavily, watching as her trembling hands strived to steady themselves for pouring. The wine was in danger of missing the flute entirely. Without completely considering it, Holmes had reached out to hold her pouring hand steady. Warmth traveled from his fingertips and through her arm, causing her alcohol buzz to flutter all-the-more.

"Got it?" he asked quietly, studying her face. She could feel his eyes burning into her, but she purposely ignored their gaze.

"I'm fine," she insisted, but allowed him to finish helping her pour. When he had pulled his hand away, an inexplicable chill ran through her body. It was likened to the echoing inside a tin can – an emptiness returning to its natural state.

They were silent once more.

This lasted for several minutes, broken only by a brief bumping and giggling noise from upstairs. Hanna smiled somberly to herself, realizing that she had not seen her best friend as happy as she had been tonight. Though Toby and Hanna had never been close, she could feel her own heart swelling at the vision of his homecoming today.

Holmes was also looking towards the ceiling, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "They don't waste any time, eh?"

Hanna laughed involuntarily, then covered her mouth as soon as it had happened. This action made the situation even more awkward, as she had attempted to stifle her reaction from him.

This didn't go unnoticed by Holmes. He exhaled heavily and set his beer down on the coffee table with a heavy clunk, looking to her for explanation.

"Listen…Hanna…about earlier – "

"No," she blurted instantly before she had thought it through. She knew he was right – they should talk about it. But something inside of her was too scared to carry on with this conversation right now.

"I have something I need to say," he persevered firmly.

"I don't need to hear it," she insisted, standing and making her way to the kitchen. For what, she didn't know. Space, perhaps.

He was following her anyway. She pretended not to notice him as she began rummaging through the cupboards for something to eat, like potato chips. Comfort food. Something to distract her brain and her hands.

But he had gripped her by the shoulders and wheeled her around to face him. There was a fire bleeding from his eyes, a look she had never noticed from him before. It was both frightening and strangely exciting all at once. If she was being honest, his dominant side was a bit of a turn-on.

"I'm only going to say this once, and then I'm going to let it go," he began sternly, releasing his grip from her shoulders. His hands curled around the curves of her jaw, below her ears. A strange humming noise accompanied this contact. She could not have protested again even if she wanted to – the touch was almost debilitating.

So instead, she waited quietly for him to continue.

"You are the most aggravating – most incomprehensible, stubborn, crazy…beautiful, generous person I've ever known," he declared. The pseudo-anger in his voice was rapidly disintegrating, leaving tenderness in its wake. He absent-mindedly brushed her cheekbones with his thumbs, his eyes exploring the angles of her face. Despite his apparent distraction, he swallowed hard and went on.

"You have no idea the impact you have on people," he said quietly. It was almost a whisper. A pin drop would have prevented her from hearing him. "You have so much love for everyone around you. Your heart is big enough to make room for everyone you meet, so much so that you often forget to make room for yourself. You watch other people and envy their happiness, but you sublimate it into something selfless. Like tonight. Helping Toby surprise Spencer."

Hanna's heart was racing wildly now, her breath caught in her lungs. He did not stop.

"Your smile lights up the room, even when it's fake. And it's fake more than people realize. You have a smile that you use when you're feeling heartbroken…but people don't know how to tell the difference. But I know how. You have such high expectations for yourself and your life, and you're devastated when something doesn't add up. Your favorite movie is The Notebook because it's the epitome of what you think love should be. No facades, no games, no pretenses…just pure, honest faith in a person."

Tears were pricking at the corners of her eyes. She was attempting unsuccessfully to hold them back.

"Let me tell you something about me," he was saying, his eyes flashing wildly with determination. He licked his lips to gauge his own confidence before continuing. "I have never had a good relationship in my life. I go for people that I feel like I have to save – people who are broken, and flawed, and in desperate need of mending."

Hanna shook her head fervently. "Holmes, I'm broken…"

"But you're not," he said firmly, smoothing her hair down to the sides of her face, taking her chin in his hands once more. "You're amazing because you put the broken pieces back together yourself. You don't need help – you don't want help. You just want someone to hold her hand while you do it. And I've been there to see it."

The warmth of the tears trickling down her cheeks was sobering. The effects of the wine had worn off almost entirely now. "You're my best friend," she replied. Even in her heart, she knew it was true – she loved Spencer dearly, but Holmes always got her…

"You're mine too," he stated, smiling softly. "And the best relationships start with best friends…"

She peered into his eyes, seeing now that they were shining with moisture, too.

"I love you," he announced confidently before taking a step back to give her the space to think this over. "I love you, and I'd be an idiot if I didn't at least see where this could go."

Hanna did not reply. Sobs wracked her body, making it hard to breathe, much less talk.

"It's okay if you don't want the same things," he added quickly. "But I've always been an honest man – and I don't plan to stop now."

With that, he began to leave the room.

Hanna grabbed desperately onto his wrist. "Wait."

He turned to her, his jaw squared in frustration. She could tell in his eyes that there was hurt – hurt that she had not responded right away. Hurt that she had been crying rather than smiling.

She wanted to say it. Wanted to say the three words that would comfort him – would seal everything up in a nice package with a neatly-tied bow. But somehow, they got stuck in her throat, beaten like a drum by the persistent tremors of her heart.

So instead, she flung her arms around him, planting her lips on his. As before, there was a sense of familiarity – like this was a place she had belonged forever. Like déjà vu in its purest form, insinuating that her lips had been here before, in a lifetime past.

He reciprocated the embrace, lifting her up into a sitting position on the counter. He stood between her legs, holding her face in his hands like a delicate porcelain doll. He was gentle, there was no doubt about it. Fiery – but gentle.

When it was over, Hanna paused to stare at him. He stared back, and she knew he was awaiting some sort of verbal response. She should have known better – kissing him wasn't going to be enough to get her out of "the talk." She would have to say something. Anything.

"I'm confused about love," she said at last. She felt instantly stupid as it came out of her mouth, and rushed to amend it. "I mean – all of this Caleb stuff…it's just…so…"

"Fresh," Holmes finished, sad realization dawning on his face. His brow was creased guiltily. "You're right…I'm sorry."

"I think I want this though," Hanna continued desperately. "I'm sorry I can't tell you that I love you…but I can't stand to lose you. I can't stand the thought of you being with anyone else, ever. I don't know if I want it to be me…but you don't make sense with anybody but me." She inhaled sharply. "Does that make sense?"

He smiled a bit, rubbing away a tear from her eyes with his thumb. "As much sense as a normal Hanna Marin explanation."

She batted at his shoulder indignantly, insulted for only a moment before cracking a smile.

"It's okay," he repeated. "I know it will be worth the wait."

And something about the way he said it made her want to kiss him again. She leaned forward to do so, but he stepped back.

"When you're ready," he decided. He ran his hand through her blond curls quickly before retreating from the kitchen.

So there she sat on the countertop, nearly hyperventilating in confusion, going over her mental "pros and cons" list in her head.

Pros: Great friend. Great kisser. Best complimenter ever. Great smile. Great sense of humor. Takes care of me.

Cons…

And suddenly, there was only one.

I'd die if I ever lost him.