Seth's alarm blasted through quite room before the sun was up. She groaned and reached for the phone, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. He sighed and turned, wrapping his arm around her. Outside the window, rain was beating down in sheets.

"Morning."

"Oh um, hey."

"Sorry," he chuckled, pulling himself away from her. "I…I forgot."

"No, no, that's okay," she turned back towards him. "Me too, sometimes."

"You forget?"

She shrugged, "I reach for your side of the bed and you're…"

"Not there?"

"In bed with someone else," she rolled her eyes and looked up to the ceiling.

"Okay… I deserved that."

"Ya think?" she laughed.

"I know what me messing around looks like…"

"Looks like?"

"I know, but it's not to make you jealous. I wish you never knew about it all. It's not because I'm angry, and it's not because I've moved on. It's because I haven't. That's the truth, baby."

"Yeah, me neither."

Her eyes flickered up to him softly. She sighed, rolling over and curling up to him, her head on his chest.

"Oh," he said, surprised.

"Shut up and hold me,"

"Okay," he ran his hands over her hair, listening to the rain beating down outside. She looped her leg around his and he jumped, trying to tilt his hips away. "Um sorry,"

She laughed, "well that's like old times."

"Glad my embarrassment is amusing you, Sash."

"You want some help with that?" she asked, sighing.

"Wha- really?"

"I mean," she shrugged, propping herself up on her elbows. "What the hell, right?"

"Oh I see," he smirked.

"What? I'm being gracious, that's how you rebuild."

"Uh-uh, I don't think so. I know that look in those beautiful eyes of yours." His voice came out thick, wanting.

"Ha, alright," she rolled her eyes at him, but they quickly locked on his bulging boxers.

"You want it, don't you?"

"I-ha," she turned bright red, biting her lip. "You think you're cute, but I'm not the one who's turned on right now."

"Oh you sure about that?" he smirked, pulling it out and watching her eyes graze him hungrily. "Ha ha ha you offered."

"Right I did offer, so are we gonna get to it, or are you gonna milk this?"

"Baby you know I'm gonna milk it to the last drop," he lifted his eyebrow at her, stroking up and down. "And this is kinda hot, isn't it?"

"You're a tease."

"You love it. Look at you,"

Her breathing was getting heavier, she was shifting her hips, and flushing all the way down her chest.

"You're just eating this up, aren't you?" he watched her eyes follow his thumb, rubbing the tip. "Oh you want it, bad."

"No more than you do."

"So quick witted," he chuckled, "yeah that's what I thought. But I like knowing for sure."

He lifted his hand from his teasing and pressed his thumb to her lips. She looked down at, the flush in her cheeks deepening, and slipped her tongue out to meet it. He grinned.

"Ah there we go. I figured you'd like a taste."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, long lashes flickering upwards. "Are you satisfied? C'mon, enough of the foreplay."

"You're the boss," he smirked, pulling down his boxers.

"Yeah and don't you forget it," she slipped down in between his legs.

He groaned as her lips started moving up and down, tangling his hands in her hair. It was better than he'd remembered, her lips, her tongue, her hands on his thighs. Nothing was as good as the real thing…or maybe had she picked up a few new tricks? He tried not to let himself think about that, knowing this might be fleeting. Moaning, his hips bucked and it sent a wave of pain through his ribs.

"Ah-fuck-"

She lifted her head, looking him square in the eye, "is this hurting you? Cause I'm not doing it if it's gonna hurt."

"No, no, I'm fine,"

"I'll stop if-"

"Sash, please," he ran his fingers through her hair, rolling his hips, "that'll hurt more, trust me."

She hesitated, but went back to what she was doing. Slow, painfully teasing licks made him rile under her, going into sensory overload. If anyone knew exactly what would turn him into a moaning mess of a man, it was Sasha. She didn't hold back, moving her lips down to just the head and letting a hand work on the rest.

"Oh god- Sash-"

That was one of her secret weapons, something that would get him no matter how tense he was. It was working, making him squirm as he groaned her name. But it also sent shooting pain through his ribs as he struggled to catch his breath. She was moaning around it, making sure he knew she was enjoying herself, and before long, it all sent him over the edge.

He arched his back, scratching at her shoulders and bucking his hips. The sensation of pain in his ribs was matched by the satisfying feeling of coming undone underneath her lips. Crying out her name, he panted and collapsed back into the sweaty sheets. She curled up under his arm, smirking at him smugly.

"Oh man, Sash, that was unbelievable" he wiped his face with his hands.

"Mhmm," she grinned, moving her hair from the front of her shoulder to behind.

"Sorry about the, yeah," He wiped her lip and she chuckled, "I know you don't love that."

She shrugged, "it's alright, this time."

"That was one hell of peace offering, baby,"

"Can't let you forget I'm the best, can I?" she winked.

"Get on your back."

"What?"

"C'mon," he sat up, "neither of us are getting out of town until this storm passes. Get on your back, let me remind you how good I am to you. Please?"

Rolling over, she sighed, "I mean, I guess the sex was always pretty good."

"Pretty good," he scoffed, pulling her panties down and rubbing his scratchy chin against her smooth skin. "I'll show you pretty good."

"Oh-" she yelped as he gave her one quick lick.

"Ha ha ha, now that's what I'm talking about." He slinked up, his chest against hers, and tried to push away his screaming ribs while he snuck his tongue under the cup of her bra.

"Shush," she said, breathing heavily, "it's been a while."

He stopped and his eyes ran up to meet hers, "How long is a while?"

"Uh the night after dinner with your parents?"

"You haven't been with anyone since then?"

"No."

"At all? Xavier?"

"I told you, I'm not with him."

"There's been no one else?" His stomach twisted in a knot as she shook her head. "Well I feel like a jerk."

"Weren't you supposed to be doing something?"

"Sure," he went back to running his tongue over her nipple and she moaned, pulling on a fistful of hair.

He kissed the skin of her cleavage, her ribs, her stomach, in between her hipbones. She shuddered at his touch and he figured he owed her one hell of a finish. That, at least he was confident he could deliver, running his hands all over her inner thighs. Her hands grazed over the top of his head and she was quickly melting to his long, purposeful licks.

"Seth-" she whispered.

"Mmm," he picked up the pace. Whispers wouldn't do.

Soon she was grabbing at the sweaty sheets and arching her back, pushing her hips up towards him. He grabbed her thighs firmly as she shook and moaned loudly, losing it beneath him. She was breathing heavily, looking up at the ceiling.

"Ha ha ha," he lay down next to her on his side as she came down from the high. "When do think the last time I made your toes curl?"

Sasha exhaled sharply, releasing all the tension in her body, her shoulders, thighs, down to her toes.

"Roman and the bus."

"Wow you really do keep score don't you?" he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "How'd I do this time?"

"Not to shabby."

"Oh yeah?" he laughed, holding her close and feeling her heart beat slowly return to normal.

They didn't speak for a few minutes, the only sound was the constant rain outside the window. It was nearly 8 am, but if the sun had risen it was covered by clouds. The darkness made It feel like it was one of their late night fooling arounds in the king bed of his tour bus. And that, that felt like home.

"Hey," he leaned in, wanting to kiss her and tell her how much he missed her, no bullshit. But just as he touched her lips, she pulled back.

She put a hand on his chest, keeping him at arms length. "I-"

"Are you kidding me?" his voice was sharp. "You just gave me the best fucking blow job of my life but you're not even gonna let me kiss you?"

It wasn't fair, but he didn't care, he was hurt.

"This wasn't-"

"Like hell this wasn't!"

"You know can be a real brat when you're not getting what you want."

He pushed the covers off of him and got to his feet.

"Well excuse me for thinking that this, you and me, that it meant something to you. That I meant something to you!" He shuffled through his duffle bag for a fresh pair of underwear.

"Do not put that on me Seth," she sat up, tears in her eyes. "Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me?"

He slunk to the edge of the bed, looking down at his feet.

"I know. But all I want is you…just let me back in. Please."

Sasha wiped away a tear and said with a shaking voice, "not right now."

He sighed and handed her jeans to her from the floor.

"Thanks," she said so quietly he barely could hear it.

"I've gotta get you back, Sash," he ran his hand through his hair as she pulled on her tank top and the open sweater. "Someway, somehow, I have to. I need you to let me try."

"Okay." She nodded.

Slipping on her shoes, she smiled shyly at him, and made her way to the door. Her hand reached the handle when he called after her.

"The girls, they're gone," his tone was defeated, but he hoped she'd feel his sincerity. "All of them. I promise."

XXX

Brandon was laughing hysterically, sitting on Seth's side while they ran around a Halo map on his big screen TV. He was hesitantly telling his brother about Sasha coming down to his room and spending the night in his bed.

"I'm not through with the story, alright?"

"Bro I'm pretty sure I know how this one ends," he said through a laugh. "Alright, alright, so you were teasing her into going down on you,"

"Yeah, what's so funny?"

"That you actually think you were the one in control."

"I mean, she, you know, likes that, but I-"

"Got played."

"I did not get played! I got what I wanted,"

"She got what she wanted. She's figured out exactly what makes your tick, huh?"

"Fuck!" he tossed his controller down as his character stepped on a grenade. "But yeah, she's always known. Whatever, we both had a good time, so what?"

"Hey I'm not criticizing,"

"Good, you better not be slut shaming me."

"I've been slut shamming you since you were 16 man," he laughed, "but when a girl gets your heart, you're wrapped around her finger. Big time."

"Think she knows it?"

"Do I think she knows it?" Brandon chuckled."Yeah I'd say so."

"And you think she came up to get some. Because she could."

"I didn't say that. I'm sure she came up to apologize like she said she did. Don't forget you were the one who saw an opportunity to get her cuddled up with you, and took it."

"So what's your point?"

"My point is she's a lot like you, that one. I think she saw an opportunity and she took it."

"An opportunity to get what she wanted?"

"Sure looks like it. So let me ask you, what'd you do afterwards?"

"I uh-" he felt his face flush.

Brandon cracked up. "That's what I thought. Yeah she took an opportunity all right."

"Okay, so maybe she played me a little. Got me to think she was the one who had to work for it. Whatever, that's always been our game. Back and forth."

Snickering he said, "more like back and forth and forth and forth-"

"Alright!"

"She's the forth if you didn't-"

"Yeah I got it!"

"Chill out, I think it's great. She's great, you're great together. It's good."

Seth paused for a moment. "She doesn't want me back."

Brandon's head snapped over, his expression stunned. "Oh shit, I thought this was-"

"Yeah me too, when it happened."

"I'm sorry, I thought- you sounded so happy."

He smiled, looking down at the controller. "Well thinking about it made me happy. But she doesn't want that. Not right now at least."

"What're you gonna do?"

"I…I gotta find a way." He shrugged, "I don't want to get over her and find someone else. I want her."

"Well you're stubborn as hell. If anyone can do it,"

Seth nodded and picked up the controller again, starting a new game.

"I told her the other girls were gone, hopefully she believes me."

"What other girls?"

"Oh uh-"

"Wait. Were you sleeping around in front of her?"

"Uhh-"

"Dude!"

"Okay, wait,"

"No wonder she doesn't trust you."

"I was lonely, I needed the distraction."

"You're lucky she didn't punch you in the face."

"Man," he said, shaking his head, "you always take her side."

"You want my advice?"

"Yeah, always."

"Quit fucking around, be someone she can depend on."

"I'm trying to be. Really trying to be."

"She'll come back, she loves you."

"What makes you so sure?"

Brandon smiled at him. "I'm not. But you gotta believe it if you're gonna do this."

"That's encouraging," he rolled his eyes.

"If you don't believe you deserve her trust again, she sure as hell won't."

Seth sighed and looked over at his brother. "Thanks."

"Anytime."