Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

When I stopped laughing I went to go check on Dylan, he was sitting in our room in one of the armchairs by the Spanish fireplace he had his head down, with his elbows on his knees, while he rubbed his hands through his hair.

I closed the door quietly and moved over to him, "while the realisation that your parents have a sex life is a normal trauma this reaction seems a bit much." He had looked up as soon as I spoke following me with his eyes, I could clearly see that I was right this was nothing to do with his parents. When I reach his side I gently push him to sit back and rather than take the other chair I climb onto his lap. "They got to you badly today."

It was a observation not a question, he answered anyway. "I could understand when we first got together… if any of our daughters bring a guy like that home I'm going to move them to Alaska- the guy not our daughter's. I was a good boyfriend right? I had dinners regularly, I studied at your place, talked to your parents. I know when I lived with mum at the start of junior year I was a mess-"

I stop him, "Dylan you didn't do anything to deserve his, their treatment of you-"

"I know getting married this young would have never been okay with them regardless of the guy, it wouldn't have been okay with my parents but it's you they understand this between us. I know your parents are different they love each other-"

"They do but love is different for everyone. Ours, well whether it's twin flames split by the god's or just an intense love at first sight love, regardless of what you want to call it it's not something my parents understand it's too all consuming for them. You are right though marriage would never have been okay with any guy at this age for them, it's not because it's you."

"And I understand that but take out the marriage why wasn't I good enough to date, what's so bad about me? I thought once they saw how I love you how important you are to me that… well I thought your dad would change his mind, he didn't not really. I was never good enough, my love for you was never good enough."

"Dylan the earring, the family name, the money, the car, the experience I think he could have got over all that but I don't think he would ever get over the fact that from the get go I choose you over them. I went on our first date, you know the one you stood me up for, I went when dad said no. I pretended I was going to the movies with Kelly and Donna. From the moment I met you you became someone I couldn't give up, someone I'd choose over everyone else." As I speak I rub soothing circles on his back his body relaxes on each sweep, "remember when we were on the beach sophomore year and you mentioned running away because of the Minnesota job offer? I would have gone with you, if you asked properly I would even then have chosen you. From the first kiss I was yours. I think that is something my Dad will never be able to forgive, that I loved you more in an instant. Without you doing anything I just knew I was meant to love you forever, that I had always loved you. Dad knew from the moment he saw us together that I was no longer home with them. You are my home."

He grabs my face and kisses me, as his tongue caresses mine I become overwhelmed with his taste. It's a feeling I'm completely familiar with but am always overwhelmed by, he's my drug of choice. He is addictive. He moves to the edge of the chair, and while he has lost weight due to being sick he's still strong, he carries me to our bed and lays me down gently.

We don't speak again he's too busy unwrapping me like a present. He's delicate with me like I'm the most precious valuable gift he's ever received, and while he has already seen me naked this afternoon he responds to every new inch of skin uncovered like it's his first time ever. His lips gliding over my skin, leaving goosebumps in his wake.

It's slow, deep and if you asked me even when I'm eighty I'd swear time stood still and the world stopped rotating just so we could completely sink into the other. I have never felt loved like that it was palpable.

Hours later he's rubbing my foot as he rests his head on his hand at the end of the bed, he's smiling at me as I lay on a pillow at the other end with the sheet twisted barely covering either of us.

"Dylan I'm serious I think Steve and Andrea would be cute together."

"Baby what would they even talk about? Andrea would have to use small word's-" I mock kick him but he grabs my foot quickly and begins tickling. "Wife that's not very nice."

I'm actively squirming trying to move away from him, "either is calling one of our friends dumb."

He tickles up my legs, up my torso until he is hovering over me, the sheet is completely pushed aside. "I didn't call him dumb I called him inarticulate. Now no more talking about the guy who thought he may have a chance with you-"

"He didn't-"

"In his dreams he did and even that's not okay."

I roll him over, he wasn't expecting it. "When did you become so jealous?"

He reaches up and kisses me and then pulls marginally away, "when he got to spend more time with you than I have. I've missed you."

"Show me."

He smiles and reaches for my lips again.

We never made it down for family dinner, we went down much later and grabbed snacks. As we walked back up the stairs Jack caught us and just shock his head. "I told your mother it was wishful thinking that there would be a family dinner this week."

The morning on her birthday I wake her with kisses, she smiles in her dazed sleep. "Happy birthday wife! Do you feel older?"

"Considering I can count on one hand how many solid hours of sleep I've had in the last two nights I feel very old, ancient old."

"What happened to my nymph?"

"She's still there but needing more sleep."

I suck on her earlobe, "sleeps overrated."

"Hmm well for Halloween I'm going to go as an insomniac or a zombie- no makeup required."

"So much grumbling it's your birthday you should wake up excited."

With her eyes shut she speaks into the pillow, "I did when you woke me at midnight, two-thirty, four-twenty, six am but at seven am after twenty minutes of shut eye I'm less than thrilled."

"So no present then?" Like magic her eyes open and she smiles, "kisses you keep your eyes closed through, but present I guess is the magic word."

"So where is this present husband?"

I kiss her nose. "You are wearing it."

She gives me weird eyes, we've been wearing nothing in this room for day's, only getting dressed when we need food or have class. She looks at her left hand and sees her rings, then with her right hand feels for her necklace it's then her eyes light up and she looks down at her right wrist. "I thought I needed to even out the jewellery distribution, your right hand looked very jealous of your left."

She's holding it up looking at the white gold bangles that surround the diamond and white gold bangle. "Dylan they are beautiful."

"Well I wanted something you could wear regularly and we are coming into our third month of marriage. Our third year together soon. I thought three was a good number, you know the three circles are the sign of eternity."

She leans over and kisses me, "I love them, thank you."

When she goes to kiss me again I pull back, she gives me confused eyes. "Come on you can show me how good they look when we are in the shower. I promised B I'd get you there before the bell today, he wants to see his twin first thing."

"We could have invited him over here for a birthday breakfast."

He smiles as he leads me into our ensuite, "yeah I love our brother but let's not go that far. I mean our mornings are pretty full now, with the back washing, the leg washing, the hip washing, the everything washing. I already feel rushed getting you there five minutes before the bell I mean what if I miss an inch like yesterday- I had to start all over again."

She's laughing and jokingly coughs, "obsessive."

"I've earned a few weeks of it, and don't pretend I'm alone in the obsession or do I need to remind you of our study desk, the kitchen when my parents were out at dinner last night, the staircase, the garage when we got home yesterday afternoon?"

"What I was familiarising myself with our home."

"Well if that's what you do in new homes, we should look to creating a property portfolio."

Over an hour later Brandon is waiting by the carpark for us to arrive, "McKay's cutting it close."

"Hey we are earlier than yesterday just like I promised."

My wife has got out of the car and gone to hug her brother, they quietly whisper their birthday greetings conversing in their twin way. They miss each other. I give them a minute as I grab our books from the back.

When I walk over I give my brother-in-law a quick one arm hug. "Happy birthday brother! Good morning so far?" He grimaces but doesn't say anything. The Walsh house was back to being miserable, though unlike the summer where it was Cindy disappointed with Jim it's now both parents venting about me, her, us, how we won't last, how she's ruining her life. Brandon had filled me in yesterday while we were in the Blaze office. I hated hearing it but my wife's words from Monday night kept running through me- it wasn't me it was that she loves me so much, that she would always choose me, they knew that from the start and couldn't stand it.

I don't ask Brandon to elaborate on his morning further, neither does my wife.

Lunch time we all decide to head off campus for lunch. It's a quick burrito followed by ice cream to celebrate the twins birthday, when we get back onto campus and walk towards the quad we are laughing at Steve who is trying to get a piggyback ride off Brandon. The girls are chatting about this weekend.

"Bren come on it's Halloween."

"It's not Don it's a Halloween party days before Halloween."

"Well that's because Halloween is midweek this year. It will be fun, right Kel?"

"Hey after last year, I'm still in two minds of going to another Halloween dress up party but if the gang goes I'll be there." My wife gives Kelly understanding eye's.

"Guy's it's our last one don't you want to celebrate together? Andrea help me out here please."

"Well I didn't go last year and haven't been to a dress up party, it could be fun. Maybe we could dress up as a group or something?"

Steve stops annoying Brandon and turns his head, "like superheroes? I'm superman."

"Yeah I'm not wearing a leotard to a party, not after last time and that's all superheroes really wear."

"We could go as Grease, like the pink ladies and the T-bird's."

My face must give it away as my wife squeezes my hand and laughs out an "I don't think so Donna."

Donna's next suggestion is better but only just, "okay we could go as the breakfast club."

"Don unless someone is going as the janitor and principal there isn't enough in their group for all of us. What about that movie we watched this summer Dylan?" I feel my wife's hand tense in mine, "you know Brenda's favourite because of Patrick Swayze and yours because of the surfing." She loosens up slightly.

"Point break?"

Steve almost jumps up and down, "I'm Patrick Swayze's character." It's my turn for my hand to tense, my wife's love of Patrick was well known.

Donna jumps in, "there is like one female in that movie we'd all have to go as surfers, it's not exactly what I was thinking."

Andrea then jumps in, " characters from Shakespeare?"

"I'm not wearing tights."

I chime in, "I'm with my brother-in-law no tights. Hell why do we even need to dress up?"

"You liked being Clyde last year."

"That's because that costume was cool, and your Bonnie was hot."

Silver who had been quiet interrupts, "we could go as a band or maybe each being a different artist from like the 70s or 80s, it's not scary but its original at least."

Donna practically jumps up and down, "I could be Cindy Lauper."

Kelly smiles, "I could be Madonna."

Bren looks at me, "you could be The Boss, Bruce Springsteen isn't hard to do with jeans and a white T-shirt."

"Can I be Billy Idol I have the hair?"

Brandon slaps Steve on the back, "sure buddy but I'm Bowie."

Silver jumps in next, "I'm George Michael then."

Andrea timidly says, "with my short hair do you think I could get away with Debbie Gibson?"

Donna responds instantly, "yes I have the perfect hat for her and if we straighten your hair it would be almost the perfect length for how she wore it."

I squeeze my very quiet wife's hand, "if I'm dressing up you are as well, so?"

"Dressing up? You are wearing jeans and a T-shirt but yeah Baby we'll call that dressing up. What do you think about Joan Jett?"

Before I can answer Kelly does, "with your bangs and hair colouring that would be perfect. Okay so it's decided then Halloween is 80s pop star, it's original and after last year I think perfect."

As Kelly continues talking about the party and organising how to get there I pull my wife closer and whisper in her ear, "you in black leather pants oh think of the possibilities. We are staying all of twenty minutes on Saturday night."

Her giggle and whisper of obsessive is met with a head nod from me. God I loved being married and having her with me.