*The Next Morning*
Brian and Shayla came down the stairs playing with each other and laughing as they walked into the kitchen kissing and touching each other.
"Hey get a room," said a voice startling them.
"AAAHHH! Oh geez, AJ, what are you doing here? You scared us to death," Shayla said. "How'd you get in here anyway?" she asked kissing the top of his head and going to the coffee. Brian followed behind her.
"Nick let me in. He's sleeping on the couch. I came over early to see how everyone was and find out what this plan is all about," AJ said as he drank his coffee. "I brought donuts."
"You're up awfully early and you look awfully chipper this morning bone. You must've gotten laid last night," Brian chuckled.
"Brian!" Shayla exclaimed laughing.
"Yes I did," AJ grinned. "And from the looks of it so did you."
"AJ it was your first date," Shayla said.
"So?" AJ said.
"That's our AJ for ya," Brian said pouring his and Shayla's coffee.
"Hey how come you didn't try and have sex with me on our first date?" Shayla asked half teasing and half really wanting to know.
"Because you were to pure and innocent," he stated taking a bite of a donut.
"PHFFFT" Brian had taken a drink of his coffee and spit it out all over the place choking at AJ's statement and started laughing. Shayla smacked him upside the head.
"What? She was," AJ said.
"Wait a minute. I know you two never slept together but you did kiss her right bone?" Brian asked.
"Yeah, of course," AJ grinned at Shayla and she smiled back.
"Well one round of tonsil hockey should've told you she wasn't so innocent," Brian laughed.
"Shut up!" Shayla said playfully punching him.
Brian pulled her in and kissed her passionately. "You weren't so innocent last night lil girl," he said with a smirk. "Using your feminine wiles to get your way."
"What?!" AJ exclaimed. "Man, I knew I should've jumped on ya!"
"You wouldn't have gotten it on that first date and you know it," Shayla said sitting next to him.
"Second date?" AJ asked looking at her questioningly. "Had there been one if we hadn't had to leave for tour right away?"
Shayla grinned and raised one eyebrow up and down teasing him. AJ put down his donut and bounced up and down in his chair stomping his feet like a child pretending to throw a tantrum.
"Damnit! See what I gave up for you," AJ whined at Brian.
"Thank god," Brian said smiling at Shayla. "You really would've slept with him on a second date?" he asked looking disappointed.
"Trust me bro, we wouldn't have done any sleeping, mwahahaha!" AJ laughed evily.
"I slept with you without any dates," Shayla reminded him.
"Yeah, but that was different. It wasn't like we just met each other and said, 'hey let's go have sex'," Brian said. "Although the thought did occur to me the first time I saw you," he laughed. "We knew each other for a long time and had gotten really close and it was just like there was some kind of connection between us."
"If you say so," Shayla said like she didn't know what he was talking about.
Brian put his coffee cup down with a bang and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. Shayla winked at AJ and he let out a stifled laugh.
"Oh gosh Brian, you know I'm just kidding and no I wouldn't have slept with him on the second date either," Shayla said patting Brian's head as she went to refill her coffee. "At least I don't think so. It would depend on whether he got me real drunk or not," Shayla said trying not to laugh at the expression on Brian's face. AJ was watching her and laughing. He loved these little games they played.
"Ya know, I know you're teasing him but you're bummin me out," AJ said to her. "Let's change the topic of conversation."
"Yes let's," Brian said being grumpy.
Shayla came back with her coffee and planted a kiss on Brian's head. He patted his lap and she sat down putting his arms around her. "What should we talk about then?" asked Shayla.
"Anything but sex and happy couples," grumbled Nick walking into the kitchen half asleep. "Could you guys make any more noise?"
"Sorry buddy," Brian said.
"I'm gonna go get a shower," Shayla said. She kissed Brian and AJ lifted his head and puckered his lips. Shayla acted like she was going to give him a little kiss but Brian pulled her away and shoved her toward the doorway.
"He got enough last night," Brian said as AJ pouted. "It ain't gonna work for ya to pout either, you got ya a woman now, so keep your mitts off mine now." Brian and AJ laughed and did some kind of boxing thing at each other. Shayla shook her head at them and left to take her shower, giving Nick a glare as she left.
"Ooohh looks like she's still upset with you Nicky boy," AJ said.
"Yep, the only thing worse than having one woman pissed off at you....." Brian started to say.
"Is having two of them pissed off at you," AJ and Brian finished together laughing.
"Nice guys, thanks, thanks for the support," Nick grumbled.
"Sorry man, but I warned ya," Brian said.
"How come she ain't mad at you?" Nick asked.
"Cuz I'm not the bonehead who came up with the idea and who has to do it," Brian said. "Plus she finds me incredibly irrestible."
"In other words he screwed her brains out last night to get out of it," AJ said.
"Must you be so crude? It was a beautiful thing," Brian said. "And for your information she screwed my brains out. Hahaha!" Brian laughed at AJ.
"Damn man, you're killin me here," AJ said throwing himself back in his chair.
"Can't you see McKenzie's point of view on this?" Brian asked Nick.
"Yes I can. I just thought she could trust me and would be more understanding," Nick said.
"How would she understand what you wanna do?" AJ asked. "You're asking her to let you flirt with Mandy. Hell, I wouldn't do it."
"I don't know. I just thought she would," Nick said.
"So what are you gonna do about it? She basically broke up with ya last night dude," AJ said.
"She didn't break up with me, she was just mad. I guess the first thing is to see if I can get her to let me into the bedroom this morning," Nick said.
"Good luck buddy," Brian said as Nick left the kitchen.
"Dead man walking," AJ said laughing after he was gone.
"No doubt about that. She was ticked off last night," Brian said picking up the sports section of the paper, while AJ looked through the comics.
"So, looks like you and Shay are cool though? That's good," AJ said.
"Yep, we're gonna be just fine," Brian said not looking up from the paper. They sat discussing this plan of Nick's in between moments of silence as they read the paper.
Nick knocked lightly on the door. "Kenz, can I come in?" he asked.
"I guess," Mckenzie answered from the other side.
Nick cautiously opened the door and stepped inside. McKenzie was still in bed with the covers pulled up around her. He caught her eye as he came in though and could tell she'd been crying. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her. He pushed a strand of hair off her face. She could see by the look in his eyes how sorry he was. Sorry, he put the plan together, sorry he brought it up when he did, sorry for almost calling her a bitch. But she wasn't going to let him off easy, he could see that. She didn't know if she wanted to. She couldn't believe he would do this to her and that they'd had such a turbulant arguement.
"What do you want Nick? I'm not changing my mind. What you did to me last night in front of everyone was inexcusable," McKenzie said turning over so she didn't have to look at him. If she had to look into those eyes it would be too hard to hold her ground.
Her rolling over gave him the perfect opportunity. He laid down next to her caressing her side. She kept her back to him but didn't push him away. "Baby please," Nick begged. "Will you look at me? I love you and I just want you to understand that I'm doing this for you."
McKenzie turned onto her back to look at him. Her eyes burned through him like fire balls. He almost jumped the look scared him so bad. "So you're still going to do it?" she asked.
"Well yeah," he answered like last night never happened.
McKenzie pushed him away trying to get up but he held her down by his arm around her. "Let me go Nick," she yelled.
"No, not until you let me explain and make you see what I'm doing is to help you and protect you," he said struggling with her. They pushed and pulled back and forth a while as McKenzie tried to get away from him and he wouldn't let her. McKenzie finally gave in and broke down sobbing as they fell back onto the bed with his arms around her and she cried into his chest.
"I can't believe you did that to me in front of everybody last night," she said sobbing as he held her tight.
"I'm very sorry for almost calling you a name. I had no right to do that and it was very wrong. I don't think that way of you at all," he said kissing her head and rubbing her back. "You don't know how bad I wish I could take that back."
"I'm sorry I yelled at you and cussed at you but you just shocked me so bad wanting to do something like this. Can't you understand how it's going to make me feel seeing you act that way around her, and be around her?" McKenzie asked.
"Yes of course I can. I'm not completely insensitive about this like you might think. I just thought you'd understand and trust me enough to do this. Don't you know you can trust me Kenz?" he asked.
"I thought I could but now I'm not sure. I would never have thought you'd do something like this. What if you get to caught up in it and you end up falling for her again?" McKenzie said.
"McKenzie, that's not going to happen. I would never have those feelings for her again. I have no intention of losing you. I hope you were just angry when you said we were through last night because I'm not letting you go that easy," Nick said squeezing her.
"I don't know," McKenzie said. "If you go through with this I don't know if we'll make it, so we might as well end it now."
Nick rolled her onto her back and laid on top of her. "No, I'm not going to end it now or ever. We can make it. We can do this Kenzie. We're strong enough, I know it. I never would've suggested it if I didn't love you enough to think we could pull it off."
"Oh, that's not playing fair and you know it. You can't say something like that. It makes it too hard to stay mad and hold my ground that I don't want you to do this Nicky," she said.
Nick smiled one of his most sexiest smiles making her completely melt. He knew when she called him Nicky, she was going to give in. Nick kissed her passionately pushing himself against her. McKenzie moaned but pushed him away.
"I'm sorry Nick, I don't wanna do it. I don't want to go along with this plan," she said.
"You have to trust me on this. I know what I'm doing. I promise not to do anything that's going to hurt you," he said. "We can discuss everything and I won't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable."
"I don't know. I do trust you. It's her I don't trust. What if she tries to kiss you or something?" McKenzie said.
"I promise, I won't kiss her, and I won't let her kiss me. I won't lay a hand on her, promise. I can do this without having to do any of those things," Nick said.
"You promise to tell me everything and not keep anything from me?" McKenzie asked searching his eyes.
"I promise," Nick said eagerly, happy that she was going to go with the plan. He started kissing on her.
"I mean it Nick, I don't want to be left out of anything. I have to know everything and you can not touch her. You go against my rules just once and that's it. I will never have anything to do with you ever again," she told him seriously.
"I love you," Nick said. "I'm sorry about last night."
"I'm sorry too. I missed having you next to me holding me last night," she said putting her arms around him.
"I can't believe you wouldn't let me in our bedroom last night," he said, a high pitched squeal in his tone.
"Our bedroom? This is my bedroom," she said. "And of course you weren't coming in here last night. You were in the doghouse baby."
"It's basically 'our' bedroom," Nick whined. "And I'll have no more of that missy," he said starting to tickle her as she shrieked with laughter. "Next time even if we're not happy with each other, we still both get to sleep in our bed and be in our room got it?" he said laughing as he continued to relentlessly tickle her.
"Aaahh, ok, ok, I got it," McKenzie shrieked tossing and turning. "Stop, stop it," she yelled finally grabbing hold of his hair and pulling until he stopped.
"Hey not the hair. I gotta keep my blonde locks," he said laughing at her. When he finally stopped tickling her they stared into each others eyes as he laid on top of her still. "So are we ok now?" he asked stroking her hair.
"Yeah, we're ok," McKenzie said smiling at him.
"I'm sorry I hurt you last night. I didn't mean too," Nick said. He did feel really bad about calling her a bitch. "It kinda slipped out on accident out of habit cause Mandy was a bitch," he chuckled. "But you're not and I'm gonna have to learn to watch what I say and that you're different when we disagree."
"I love you," McKenzie said kissing him lightly on the lips. "You really think of it as our bed and our room?"
"Well yeah. I mean this is where we're living right now, so, yeah, it's our bed and our room......and so, you can't shut me out anymore ok," he said as they both laughed.
"Ok next time I won't lock you out," McKenzie giggled.
"Next time? Hopefully there won't be a next time. Not if I can help it anyway. I hated fighting with you and seeing that look on your face. I love you too much and need you too much. Plus, you're one tough cookie," he laughed. "Tell ya what, to make sure there isn't a next time I think we should start looking for our own house at the end of the summer. We can find something in between here and school for you. That way were always together when I come home, and you don't have to live on campus."
"Really?" she said excited.
"Yeah, what do ya say? You think you can handle living with me in our own house?" he asked loving the look on her face.
"Sounds great to me. I can't wait. Now enough talking, shut up and make love to me Carter," McKenzie ordered as she started kissing and sucking on his neck.
"mmmmm," Nick moaned. "You don't have to tell me twice." He removed his shirt and took off her night shirt and began kissing her all over.