"Fuck...!"

Zac cringed when he heard his brother curse and then the blaring of a series of discordant notes as he slammed his fists down on the keyboards for perhaps the dozenth time that afternoon. He watched with interest as Taylor forced his fingers through the sweat dampened strands of his newly shorn hair and sighed in frustration.

"I need to take a break, guys. This just isn’t working right now..." Taylor trailed off then silently slunk from the room, leaving the door rattling against it’s frame as he half-heartedly slammed it shut.

"What’s that about...?" Isaac turned to Zac expectantly and Zac only shrugged, his gaze riveted to the direction Taylor had just exited. He had no clue was what wrong with his brother, what could possibly be bothering him so much that he couldn’t manage to concentrate long enough to complete the rehearsal of one song. "You guys aren’t fighting again, are you?"

"No..." Zac said, snapping out of the semi-daze he’d fallen into. "We’re fine...everyone’s fine..."

"Oh..." Ike said as he shrugged out of his guitar, carefully replacing it onto the rack housing his others. "Thought it might have something to do with Michele, maybe..."

"Nooo..." Zac said, quite perturbed that Isaac would suggest such a thing, especially since he hadn’t thought of it first and the fact that it might quite possibly be *exactly* what was bugging Taylor. He’d been acting strange the entire day; well, ever since he’d walked in on the two of them sharing a rather heated kiss against the kitchen counter. Of course, Zac reasoned, he should be used to it by now. It seemed that in the three weeks they’d all been sharing the split level house by the bay, not a day had passed that Taylor hadn’t managed to interrupt some sort of interaction between Zac and Michele. More often than not, it was just a simple imposition into a situation where Zac and Michele were physically close and their own embarrassment and awkwardness had proved a bigger intrusion than Taylor’s presence had. But this morning, they were wrapped in a fairly heated embrace; one that had involved crushing lips and roving hands and a nice-sized erection Zac had to press up to the counter to hide. Taylor had simply breezed on through, continuing his trek out the back door; but the embarrassment, awkwardness, and tension had risen to an undeniable level - one that Taylor was apparently still feeling the effects from.

"But it’s gotta be weird, right?" Ike asked, eyeing Zac curiously and knowing full well the answer to his question.

"Nah...I mean...it’s..." Zac shrugged casually, trying to dismiss the thought, then furrowed his brow when he realized he couldn’t. "...well, yeah...I guess. But not any more so than we’d anticipated, I suppose..."

"So you...anticipated...weirdness...?" Ike grinned, playfully impressed by his brother’s choice of words.

"Well...yeah..." Zac said dryly, oblivious to Isaac’s attempts to mock him. "I mean...all three of us living in the same house..."

"...sleeping in the same house..." Ike interjected with a pointed glare.

"Yeah..." Zac smiled sheepishly, hoping his brother didn’t choose to press the issue.

"Speaking of..." No such luck, Zac thought sardonically. "I’m guessing Taylor doesn’t know about the sleeping arrangements you and Chely have....arranged..."

"What do you mean...?" Zac laughed nervously, getting up from his kit to sift through the mini refrigerator, searching for something to relieve his suddenly parched throat. He knew he was faced with a perfect opportunity to let his brother in on the true workings of his relationship with Michele and as much as he thought it might be nice to have someone to discuss such...things...with, he still wasn’t ready to talk about it.

"Come on, Zac. I’m not stupid," Ike shot his brother another pointed glare to keep his lips zipped against any sarcastic comment. "And besides, Michele tells Lexi everything..."

"Everything...?" Zac gulped around a whimper reminiscent of his voice pre-change and Isaac laughed at the suddenly petrified countenance that had taken up residence on his face.

"Well, not everything, but, you know... I mean, I know you guys are...you know..." Isaac said shyly and it was Zac’s turn to laugh at his brother’s expense. "And I’m assuming..." Isaac began again after regaining Zac’s attention. "...that Taylor doesn’t know..."

"No..." Zac said, solemnly and Isaac could see the indecision and guilt hidden behind his brother’s eyes. "...and I want to keep that way...at least for now..."

"Well, I’m not gonna say anything, man..." Isaac assured and Zac offered an appreciative smile. "...but Tay’s not blind, you know. He’ll figure it out eventually. Maybe it might be best if you go ahead and tell him..."

"I can’t, Ike..." Zac sighed and flopped back on the leather couch that adorned the longest wall of the studio. His hair fell over his eyes when he landed and he lazily swiped it back behind his ears. His fingers rubbed over his tired temples, trying to ease the throbbing that seemed to have begun the instant their current conversation did. "I don’t really wanna talk about my sex life with anyone...especially Taylor..."

"Cause it’s his ex-girlfriend you’re fucking..." Ike said bluntly and Zac immediately cringed.

"Don’t say it like that..." Zac scowled, his eyes glaring into Isaac’s beneath a furrowed brow. "It’s not like that, Isaac. I love her."

"I know you do, Zac..." Isaac soothed, sliding onto the sofa beside his brother. He paused before he spoke again, choosing his next words carefully. "But, I think...on some level...Taylor still does, too..."

Zac only stared ahead, thoughtfully preparing his own words to match the emotions Isaac’s words had provoked. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind, that it was true. Taylor did love Michele. He’d probably always love Michele, in some form or another. It was just the depth of that love and the ways he chose to exhibit it that bothered Zac sometimes. And knowing that, more than likely, his abiding love for her coupled with the trauma of seeing her intimately involved with him was the instigator of his earlier behavior bothered Zac even more. He knew Taylor would always have a place in heart specially reserved for Michele and if he took the notion, brother or not, he’d do anything to get her back.

"But I love her more."

--

"Hey babycakes..." Michele grinned, poking her head around the doorway leading to the studio room Isaac had informed her Zac was occupying. And occupying he was; so immersed in the paper he was furiously scrawling on that he paid no attention to his girlfriend’s greeting. His face was pursed in something resembling a thoughtful scowl and Michele frowned. She slipped quietly into the room, one hand instinctively smoothing over his hair as she came to stand beside him. "Zaccy...?"

"Don’t call me that..." he mumbled, his hand leaving the paper only long enough to swat hers away. He went back to his writing, Michele unable to detect if his ignorance of her was purposeful or unintentional. She knew he could get quite involved with his writing, but he’d never shrugged her off before and it had her slightly worried. So, she refrained from touching him but decided to make light of the situation.

"Call you what? Zaccy or babyca--"

"Nothing....just....I’m busy right now..." he cut her off, his voice unusually curt and slightly demeaning. Michele glared at him, torn between alternating emotions of anger, confusion, and hurt. But Zac remained oblivious, his pen affecting the room’s only movement.

"Fine..." Michele murmured haughtily under her breath, knowing full well he couldn’t hear her and wouldn’t have noticed anyway with all the busy-ness he was doing right then. She turned sharply on her heel and stalked to the leather couch, plopping herself at the end farthest from Zac and crossing one leg defiantly over the other. She crossed her arms against her chest and poked her lower lip out, intent on ignoring him until he eventually came around and acknowledged her.

After sitting in silence for nearly ten minutes while Zac wrote, Michele decided that she’d had enough. She wished she could say she couldn’t remember a time when Zac had been so inconsiderate and rude, but unfortunately those memories were firmly implanted in her brain along with all the good ones. But it had been a while and she couldn’t think of any logical explanation for his behavior. So instead of sitting there twiddling her thumbs while being ignored by her boyfriend, she decided to explore. She noticed that one of Taylor’s keyboards was set up against the opposite wall, so she got up and sauntered over, but not before stealing a peek at Zac to see if he’d noticed, which it appeared he hadn’t. She saw that the keyboard was plugged in and an annoying blinking red light apparently signaled that it was, in fact, turned on. She ran her fingertips lightly over the keys, smiling at the gentle tinkling they made. She noticed that Taylor had it turned onto a higher setting, which afforded the light, soft sound the keys made. Must be writing a love song, she smirked lightly. She trailed her fingers over the keys again, trying to void her mind of the images of Taylor’s own lithe fingers dragging over the ebony and ivory, dragging over her skin in caresses so gentle they made her pores sing much like the soft notes her fingertips drew.

"Goddammnit...!"

Zac’s harshly out-of-character voice drew her from the reverie she’d slipped into. She lifted her eyes to his, wide with surprise and the slightest twinge of something resembling fear. He’d finally lifted his own eyes from his work, but they were narrowed and angry, tiny orbs of dirty brown replacing their usual soft caramel. Michele bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering with the emotion welling up into her chest and behind her eyes.

"I’m sorry..." she whispered, her voice escaping in a tiny, choked cry. She crossed the room quickly, her vision blurred by impending tears. She barely heard Zac’s voice call her name as she slipped past the door, closing it gently behind her.

--

"Baby...?"

Michele slowly lifted her head from the table at the sound of the voice floating from the entrance to the studio’s kitchen. She discreetly wiped her eyes of any remaining tears and exhaled a heavy breath, her heart jumping into her throat as she slowly turned around. She vaguely realized that she’d paid no mind to that particular term of endearment and the way it had fallen so easily from his lips.

"Hey...Taylor..." she breathed, hastily getting up from the wooden chair she’d been sitting in for the past twenty or so minutes. She pretended to fiddle with the coffee cups and accessories laid out on one end of the counter. "Want a cup?" She asked, hoping he’d accept the small talk and not question the position he’d found her in.

"Sure," he shrugged, pulling off his rain coat and draping across the back of one of the chairs.

"Still raining?" Michele asked around a sniffle she couldn’t hold back. She mixed a cup of coffee for Taylor and began working on one for herself.

"Yep," Taylor said, throwing himself in the closest chair and stretching his arms across the table. "Like a bitch..."

Michele couldn’t help but chuckle as she turned around, meeting Taylor’s amused smile as she placed the cups on the table. He took a searing sip of his, blowing gently before raising the mug to his lips.

"You remembered..." he said once he’d tasted the hot liquid. Michele smiled awkwardly when he purposefully met her gaze.

"Well, it’s...black..." she said with a dash of her typical wryness. "Not a whole lot to remember..."

"True..." he grinned and Michele couldn’t help but return it. They sat in a contented quiet for a few moments, enjoying their coffee and the sereneness that seemed to fairly hang in the afternoon lull of the kitchen. It was in this gentle solitude that Taylor began to think about the circumstances he’d found her in. She’d had her head buried in her hands on the table and come to think of it, her cheeks did look a little flushed and her eyes a bit red. "Hey...are you okay...?"

"Yeah...fine..." she shrugged. "Why’d you ask?"

"You seemed kind of...upset...when I came in..." he said, taking a sip of his cooling coffee. "Everything all right?"

"I’m fine," she said again, offering him a sincere smile. She had to admit, she was quite touched by his concern and it sent an unbidden smattering of red onto her cheeks at the heat that suddenly rushed through her. "But, thanks...for asking..."

"Of course..." he said, his voice soft in it’s sincerity. "I still care about you, you know..."

"I know..." she whispered, averting her eyes from his in the hopes that the quickly escalating emotional direction of their conversation would halt. Getting into an emotional conversation with Taylor was the absolute last thing she wanted to do; now or ever.

"I’m sorry..." he whispered back and had every intention of placing his hand comfortingly over hers when the soft clearing of someone’s throat at the door snapped it quickly back around his mug.

"Chely...?" Zac’s voice floated across the room in a quality much softer than the tone he’d used before. Michele swallowed thickly, her eyes flitting briefly up to Taylor’s before languidly drifting over to Zac. "Can I talk to you?"

"We were just having a cup of coffee, Zac..." Taylor smirked around a sip of coffee and Michele’s gaze snapped back to him, wondering why he felt the need to explain a situation which was obviously innocent and blatantly harmless.

"Chely?" Zac repeated his request, ignoring his brother’s comments to focus only on his girlfriend and the knot that was twisted in his stomach. Michele glanced at him again, nodding slightly.

"Thanks for the coffee, Taylor..." she said standing, her eyes dropping briefly back to the impossible blue of his. "...and for the chat..."

"Anytime..." he smiled and Michele turned to the sink to avoid that heart-stopping grin of his. She kept her eyes averted from his as she crossed the room and even though she’d left with his brother, Taylor couldn’t help the smile that was stretched across his lips.

--

"I’m sorry..." The words left Zac’s lips as soon as he and Michele were back safely in the quiet of the abandoned studio. She’d slipped her hand into his as they left the kitchen, but dropped it and hugged her arms to her chest once they’d passed into the other room.

"What was that all about, Zac...?" she asked quietly, tightening her arms around her torso in a subconscious attempt to fend off the reminders of his earlier behavior. After Taylor had been so comforting and gentle, she couldn’t let herself be so forgiving of Zac’s earlier behavior.

"I don’t know, baby..." he said, the guilt and shame evident in his heavy eyes. "I’ve just been having a shitty day and rehearsal was awful and...I know that’s no excuse to take it out on you..."

"You’re right, it’s not..." Michele said plainly, eyeing him seriously. She tried to hold her intense gaze, but she knew it was pointless to even attempt to stay mad at Zac. She sighed heavily and uncrossed her arms. "But I understand..."

"Don’t say that if you don’t mean it, honey..." he said earnestly, his palms settling on either side of her shoulders. "Be mad at me if you want..."

"What?" Michele eyed him curiously, but settled into his embrace when he circled his hands around to enclose her waist. "Why would you want me to stay mad at you? You do know that’s virtually impossible, don’t you?" She smoothed his hair behind his ears as she spoke, her hands coming to rest on the sides of his neck.

"Yeah, well..." he grinned smugly, tightening his embrace of her. "When you get really, really mad at me, it’ll be more fun when we make up..." he trailed off suggestively, raising his eyebrows to complete the effect.

"Says who...?" she asked, returning his seductive smile as she snuggled up to him, leaving her mouth a teasing whisper from his.

"Read it in Cosmo..." he said, his lips reaching for hers. "Don’t say a word..." he warned with a grin before pressing his lips gently upon hers. He moaned as she began to return his kiss, her tongue sliding over his bringing forth memories of their earlier excursion in the kitchen. "Mmm...so...am I forgiven...?" Zac mumbled against the workings of her mouth swirling hotly against his.

"I thought you wanted me to be mad..." Michele murmured against his skin as she let her lips trail down to his neck, her tongue darting over all the sensitive spots she’d come to discover were hidden beneath his sweaty skin.

"Mad...?" he choked, then swallowed thickly when she began sucking on his Adam’s apple. "Nah, I said...bad. I want you to be bad..." Michele grinned at his obvious vulnerability, then slipped her hands beneath his t-shirt to elicit the groan she knew was waiting in his throat. She smiled triumphantly when it arrived and added one of her own to render him completely helpless.

"You’re such a dork, Zachary..." she smiled, planting a tiny kiss on the tip of his nose once he’d sufficiently captured her entire body in his warmth and his arms. "But, yeah, I can be bad if you’d like..." she teased, her tongue drawing an indulgent lick against his top lip then pulling away when he tried to reciprocate.

"So...go for it..." he urged, sliding his hands down to her ass to pull her into his pelvis and the stiffening product of her relentless teasings.

"Hmm...as much as I would like to take you right here..." Zac gently ground his hips into hers as she spoke, her suggestive comment rising an even greater tension in his shorts. "...Taylor happens to be right next door and his track record would have him barging in here and interrupting probably before I could even manage to get my hands in your pants..."

"God...don’t talk like that..." he groaned and Michele grinned. "Just promise you’ll be over tonight...I don’t think Tay will interrupt us there..."

Michele only smirked and placed her arms back around his neck and her lips back on his.

--

"Isaac thinks we should tell Tay..." Zac’s voice broke into the stillness of his bedroom. A gentle pattering of rain against the window had proved the only sound until his soft voice interrupted. Michele raised her head from his bare chest, curiously meeting his gaze.

"Tell Tay what exactly...?" she asked, resting her chin on his chest as he lifted a few damp strands of her from her forehead and smoothed them back. "He knows everything that everyone else does..."

"Everything except that we’re sleeping together..." Zac explained and Michele sighed softly before replacing her head on his chest, closing her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the distressing thoughts that were threatening to ruin her otherwise perfect evening. He paused a moment to gauge Michele’s reaction, then decided further explanation was needed. "He thinks he’ll figure it out eventually and it’ll be better if we just go ahead and tell him..."

"He’s not gonna know, Zac. We’re being too careful. No one is gonna know..."

"Isaac did..." Zac countered.

"And Lexi probably told him..." she said, suddenly sitting up, tugging the sheet up to cover herself. "I don’t want Taylor to know, Zac..." she said seriously, holding his eyes steady to hers. "Maybe Ike is right, this could all blow up in our faces, but I don’t want him to know. I can’t...face him....knowing that he knows..."

"You faced me..." he pointed out. "...when you were fucking him..."

Michele turned her back to him and Zac himself cringed when that particular choice of words left his lips. He sighed as Michele slid to the edge of the bed and tightened the sheet around her naked body. He sat up slightly and propped on his elbow, reaching one palm out to settle on her still warm skin. He inwardly cursed himself when she slightly flinched, hating himself for bring up such a delicate topic especially at such an inopportune time. He then almost laughed in spite of himself; in some strange way, Taylor had managed to interrupt them from within the safe confines of his bedroom.

"I didn’t mean it like that, baby..." Zac cooed and breathed an inward sigh of relief when her shoulders slightly softened and she released an audible sigh. "I’m just...I don’t know what to do..."

"Me neither, Zachary..." she whispered. Her mind was racing with muddled thoughts as she tried to process the day’s events. She felt like she’d been riding a boundless roller coaster of emotions the entire day. First Zac’s crudeness, then Taylor’s kindness had left her feeling uneasy and unsettled. Added to that, Zac’s seeming insistence to reveal to Taylor the true depths of their relationship was making her stomach twist up in knots and her heart to pound in wild anticipation. She knew that Isaac was probably right; telling Taylor now would be better than him finding out some other way later. But that was like having to choose the lesser of two evils. She couldn’t even imagine what Taylor’s reaction might possibly be, but she knew for sure that it wouldn’t be civil. Because she feared the real reason why they could never tell Taylor the truth. The knowledge that she was sleeping with Zac would be just the thing to push his emotions overboard and then his behavior would be untellable. She knew how he felt about her when it came to sex and intimacy and that he wouldn’t hesitate to reveal the details of their torrid affair should he feel his position as her lover be compromised by anyone, especially his brother.

But she knew she couldn’t exactly reveal those fears to Zac, for he’d never understand. He’d never forgive her knowing that the entire time she was courting and seducing him, she was still fucking Taylor behind his back. And she’d already seen enough hurt in Zachary’s eyes to know that she never wanted to see it again, let alone know that she was it’s source. So, she really had no choice but to keep it inside, no matter how vigorously it tugged at her. She took a deep breath and pulled herself back to reality, the rhythmic strokes of Zac’s hand on her back providing a calm she hadn’t expected.

"I’m sorry..." she breathed, turning back to him and accepting the open invitation to snuggle back into his arms. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and let her eyes flutter when he brushed his lips across her forehead. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fend off any remaining images of Taylor and her deceit, and silently wiped at the first tear before it tainted his warm skin. "I’m so sorry..."

Taylor sighed lazily, his eyes fluttering in the contentment he felt with the feeling of soft, warm skin beneath his searching fingers. The air in his bedroom was hot and stifling, and laced with the slight undertones of lust. He held tightly to the hips of the girl who sat astride him, rotating torturous circles above his aching pelvis, slipping ever closer to the hardness that protruded against her quivering belly. When her warmth fully surrounded him, he bit into his lower lip, a shuddering groan rising from his throat. His chest fell into a straggling rhythm, desperate to keep up with the air his lungs were exhaling. His mind spun in dizzying circles, alternating emotions of pleasure and pain crowding his senses, filling him with a heartening ache coupled with a serene completeness he hadn’t felt in months. His hands slid along sweat-slickened skin until his palms covered the girl’s breasts, their centers rising to tight peaks beneath his kneading fingers. A delicate whimper escaped her lips and Taylor groaned again, the tension in his groin rising tenfold when he felt her tight warmth begin to close in around him. Without warning she crushed her lips to his, the pressure in her belly finally drawing a long, shuddering climax. He thrust into her shivering heat, the constricting folds forcing a violent orgasm to rip through his body, his back arching from the warm sheets.

The girl tore her breathless mouth from his as her body sank onto his, her name escaping Taylor’s lips in a whimpering breath.

"Michele...."

--

Taylor’s eyes fluttered open, his fingers reaching for the warmth he expected to be occupying the space beside him. Instead they found only cold and he visibly shivered, his eyes falling languidly shut as realization crept in. He slipped his hand beneath the sheet and sighed when he felt the sticky warmth seeping through the thin fabric of his boxers. He threw back the covers and slid from the bed, standing on shaky legs that were still recovering from the intense climax he’d experienced as a result of the rather vivid dream he supposed he’d had. It had all seemed so real; he could still feel her on his skin, feel her body wrapped around his and the sweet vulnerability he always felt when he surrendered himself to her. But as he walked across his darkened room, his head fell heavy with the knowledge that the chances of Michele actually being in his room at 2 am, much less in his bed making love to him, seemed greater than slim to none. It was actually a totally ludicrous idea, he reasoned as he crept into the dark hallway, but he guessed his residual feelings for her - however undefined they were at the moment - were enough to make at least his body think she was still there, still pleasuring him in that way that only she could.

He tried to shake the thoughts from his head as he neared the bathroom. They were causing a dull ache to spread from the center of his chest and making his arms long to wrap around her and his perpetual attachment to her build again. The vague thought of someone stepping from their room and seeing him in such an embarrassed state crossed his mind and he hurried on towards the bathroom, not particularly noticing the soft, dull light that seeped from beneath the door.

"Ahhhh...!" A piercing cry filled the darkness as Taylor swung the door open and his heart immediately jumped into his throat as he furiously grappled for the light switch he knew was just inside the door. He finally found it and his fingers flipped the switch, dousing the room in blaring white light. His eyes widened when he saw her standing before him, hands clutched to her chest as it rose and fell with each ragged breath she took. "Taylor....God...." She breathed, one hand sweeping through her hair as a hint of relief washed over her face.

"Michele..." he whispered, too caught up in the sight of her to say much else. His heart was still reeling from the dream he’d had and it took all the willpower he owned not to wrap her in a crushing embrace, vowing to never let go. He thought she looked so innocently beautiful at that moment, though her hair was mussed from sleep and she was wearing what appeared to be one of his brother’s wife beaters and a pair of boxers. He ached for her as she stood silently before him and he imagined sliding his hands beneath her shirt and over her heaving chest. He imagined her slightly parted lips devouring his before slipping over an aching hardness he could already feel twitching in his boxers again.

"Taylor...? You okay...?" Her gentle voice drew him from the reverie he’d slipped into and he blushed, a familiar heat coursing through his veins and settling on his cheeks.

"Ye..yeah..." he stuttered, then caught sight of his reflection in the mirror behind her. His cheeks *were* flushed, more so than he would’ve imagined and tiny trickles of sweat still clung to his temples and dampened the hair behind his ears in yet another testimonial to the intensity of his dream. His eyes visibly widened when he remembered his original intentions for coming to the bathroom and he slipped quickly past her, pressing the evidence against the counter while trying to behave as normally as possible. He met her confused eyes through the mirror and half-smiled, hoping she wouldn’t question his behavior. "Yeah...I’m fine..."

"Are you sure?" She pressed and took a step forward, Taylor’s heart rising to a lump in his throat at her proximity. "You look kinda...shaken..." He drew in a shaky breath as she smoothed his sweaty hair behind his ear in a gesture that had previously only been comforting, but was now nothing but arousing. He shivered slightly and hastily turned on the water, bending over the sink and splashing a handful of water on his face, silently praying she wouldn’t notice the effect she’d had on him. "Tay...?" He rested his elbows on the edge of the sink, his head falling into his hands when she slid her hand down the length of his back, her skin against his drawing alternating waves of heat and chill as her fingers smoothed down his spine.

"I’m okay..." he said, swiping his face with a hand towel as he suddenly straightened and met her eyes in the mirror. "Really. Just a....dream...that’s all..."

"Oh," she smiled, Taylor inwardly shivering when she let her hand drop from his back.

"What about you?" He asked, his eyes unable to halt their languid sweep of her body’s reflection in the mirror. "Why’re you up so late?"

"Just wanted a drink of water..." she casually lied, crossing her arms over her chest in the slight chill the tiled bathroom held. She’d been on her way back from Zac’s room and stopped in to freshen up a little before returning to her own room. The guys had an early interview the next morning, so she wanted to make sure she was out of his room before Walker arrived to wake him up.

"In the dark?" He scrunched up his nose playfully and Michele laughed, pointing to the tap-light that sat nestled beside the sink. "Oh..."

"I’d just turned it off when you opened the door," she said, grinning. "Thanks for scaring me half to death, by the way..."

"My pleasure," he grinned back, appreciating the rather friendly banter they were engaged in, especially considering that it was 2 in the morning and the result of a Michele-induced wet dream was still sticky against his skin. He smiled even wider when she laughed and he felt his heart flutter with the sweet sound, thinking that it’d been much too long since he’d seen her *really* laugh and smile that genuine Michele-smile. He also felt those familiar tugs at his heart when he remembered that *he’d* been the primary reason why those laughs and smiles had been so few and far between. And he had to strain to swallow around the lump in his throat when he realized that she *was* happy, now. Without him. And with Zac. His brother had managed to make her really and truly happy, and as much as he was thrilled that she’d finally found something that satisfied her, both emotionally and physically, it hurt to know that he wasn’t the one providing it. He was glad his brother was happy and his own heart felt lighter than it had in months without the constant stress and worry that always seemed to accompany his relationship with Michele. He just wished it hadn’t taken such a long, winding journey for all of them to find the peace they’d longed for. But for perhaps the millionth time in the past three weeks, he selfishly wished that *he* could have been the owner of that peace.

"Tay...?" Michele’s questioning voice brought him from his thoughts for the second time that night, only this time when his eyes met hers in the mirror, they were brimming with a wetness he couldn’t manage to keep inside. "Baby..."

The first tear spilled over when that tiny, gentle word escaped her lips and he bit his quivering lower lip to dare any more to fall. Michele gently touched his elbow and another tear followed the first. He slowly turned to her then, not managing to care about the embarrassing spot on his boxers, only wanting to fall into her comforting arms. Michele slightly tensed when his arms slipped around her waist, but her hands tentatively settled on his back when he dropped his tear-stained cheek to her shoulder.

Taylor clenched his eyes shut, but the tears came anyway, eventually progressing into choking sobs that rippled through his entire body. Michele closed her arms and her body around him, trying to comfort his wracking sobs as he wept against her shoulder. Through her confusion, she felt the intense familiarity of him sweep through her and haze her senses. She struggled to keep her mind off the way he felt pressed against her and concentrate only on the emotional pain he appeared to be in. But she couldn’t help but be acutely aware of the gentle contours of his body, each assaulting her with a familiarity she couldn’t shake, but a tingling newness that nearly made her shiver. It had been such a long time since she’d felt the closeness of his body against hers and the thin wife beater she wore did nothing to counteract the heat of his body or the dampness of his tears.

"Taylor..." she began, her own voice shaky with a mixture of emotion and worry. "...tell me what’s wrong, baby..." She vaguely heard him mumble something against her shoulder and she gently prodded at his waist until he slowly lifted his head and met her eyes.

"You’re happy, aren’t you?" He said suddenly, taking Michele off guard and nearly stealing her breath. His tone was soft and gentle, if slightly defeated, and held no element of disgust or accusation.

"Um...yeah..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around her torso and discreetly trying not to meet his intense gaze. She couldn’t imagine why he’d be asking her such things when he had to know he was only setting himself up for more hurt.

"With Zac?" He asked, his pointer finger beneath her chin gently guiding her eyes to his. As painful as he knew it would be, he wanted to know the truth and he wanted to look in her eyes while she revealed it. "He makes you happy?"

"Yeah, he does, Taylor..." she said, her voice strong and assuring, but still quietly calming. "He makes me very happy."

"Good," Taylor said with what initially appeared to be false conviction, swiping at his eyes and sniffling harshly. "I’m glad, Michele. I really am. I’m glad you guys are happy."

"Do you mean that?" She met his eyes pointedly and Taylor winced as her gaze struck him, seeing through any facades he hid behind. He sighed and took a reflecting moment to search through his soul, wondering if he *could* be happy for her - happy for the relationship she was flourishing in with his brother.

"I’m trying to..." he admitted softly, his eyes relaying the true difficulty his mouth was having saying those words. But his honesty was overwhelming and it made Michele’s knees weak and her heart to flutter in her chest. The genuine sincerity she saw in his eyes and heard in his voice was something she’d rarely known from him and it sent a shiver through her she couldn’t quite identify. "I really am, Chely. I’ve always wanted you to be happy."

"Well, I am," she said again, verbalizing the sentiment in words strong and firm enough to reassure herself as well as convince him of its truthfulness. "I haven’t been this happy in a long time..."

"I’m sorry for that..." he whispered, his eyes lowering to the cold tile between them. Michele instantly felt guilty, her chest aching when she realized that she probably sounded a bit more harsh and insensitive than she’d meant to. She didn’t want to hurt Taylor any more than she’d already had, but she wanted him to know that she *was* happy and that she’d moved on and created a new, healthier life for herself.

"Let’s stop being sorry, okay?" She said softly, gently cupping one palm against his cheek, her eyes warmly meeting his. "Let’s just be happy; be happy for each other..."

Taylor nodded gently, a fresh gathering of tears brimming in his already reddened eyes. He tried to sniffle them away, but one slipped free and trickled slowly down his bare cheek. Michele only slightly hesitated before licking her lips and pressing them to the salty tear, a whimpering cry escaping Taylor’s throat as his emotions gave way again. She gently enclosed him in her arms, sighing when he reciprocated and circled his arms tightly around her back. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, letting her familiar warmth comfort him, even though it was that same familiarity that was eliciting the relentless ache in his chest.

"I love you, Michele," he choked against her skin, the dampness and heat of his breath coupled with the passion weighting his raspy voice making her own body shiver with tears. She let the first one drop onto his shoulder before begrudgingly swiping at her eyes to ward off any others. She felt her composure begin to slip and the control over her emotions begin to weaken with every whimper he released against her skin.

"I know you do, Tay...." She whispered, swallowing around the thick lump in her throat and tightening her arms around his shoulders. "I know you do...."

--

Taylor crawled slowly out of bed the next morning, his feet hitting the floor with a gentle thud and the instant remembrances of the previous night’s events. He ran his fingers through his tangled hair and sighed, trying to discern the memories as they blurred into a shadow in his head. He remembered running into Michele in the bathroom and then engaging in a rather emotional conversation where he was sure he’d said some things he probably shouldn’t have. But, he reasoned, it had all been the truth. He had a vague recollection of falling back into bed nearly an hour later with his mind fairly weightless and at ease. He couldn’t remember a time that he’d slept so soundly and contentedly, his heart finally at peace with itself over his body’s decisions.

But now that the harsh light of day had shown it’s face, nothing seemed peaceful and the knot in his stomach was anything but content. He figured it was probably due to the mere two hours of sleep he’d gotten and silently prayed that it wasn’t because he was falling victim to his desire for Michele once again. He found himself feeling like he wanted to cry, like the pressure in his chest had to find some sort of relief, but to his surprise, no tears came. He sat on the edge of the bed for a few more moments, waiting for the indecision to either subside or inflict its woe. When it did neither, he shrugged it off, supposing that it was the lack of sleep that had him all out of sorts. He stumbled over to his dresser to retrieve the clean boxers he never got around to putting on the night before. A blush rose to his cheeks when he thought of the dream he’d had and then actually confronting Michele in the bathroom only moments after remembrances of her had shaken his body with an unbidden release. He then cringed when he recalled that he’d actually hugged her, pressed his body - damp boxers and all - against hers.

"Damn..." he chuckled to himself as he tugged on his boxers and prayed that she didn’t notice.

He got dressed quickly after he heard one of his father’s familiar knocks on his bedroom door, signaling that they had to get a move on. He slipped out of his room around 10 minutes later, stuffing his wallet in his back pocket as he walked and humming a tune that had been in his head the past few days. His ears perked when he heard the quiet murmurings of a voice that resembled his brother’s and his pulse sped up when he realized it was coming from the room Michele and Alexis shared.

He slowly crept to the door and discreetly slipped a peek past the doorjamb. The sight before him was enough to leave him breathless and cause that knot in his stomach to retighten itself. Michele and Alexis both appeared to be asleep, despite the early dawn sunlight that crept in between the slits of their curtained windows. Michele lay on her back, her head tilted to one side and her hair fanned out on the pillow behind her. He watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest and smiled at the way the soft sunlight cast bands of light and shadow over her face until an inconspicuous movement shook him from his reverie and brought him back to reality. The brushing of gentle fingertips over her forehead, tender hands smoothing back stray strands of hair suddenly made him aware of his brother’s presence and he fully took heed of the scene before him.

Zac was kneeling beside Michele’s bed, one arm stretched across her waist, the other crooked near her head. Taylor half-smiled at the innocence his brother seemed to exude; his hair was wet from a shower, his clothes slightly wrinkled and his feet bare except for socks. But the thing that struck Taylor the most was that his face bore an expression of pure adoration as he lovingly stroked his girlfriend’s cheek. Taylor swallowed around the thick lump in his throat as he watched his brother, the love he held for Michele evident in his every tender gesture and sweet glance. He leaned his shoulder against the doorframe as he watched Zac, his heart swelling with pride then constricting with familiar ache at the sweet words he heard his brother whispering to his sleeping girlfriend. Taylor held in a sigh when Zac leaned over and placed his lips gently against Michele’s cheek, his eyes fluttering closed when he touched the soft kiss against her sun-kissed skin.

Taylor clenched his eyes shut when Zac began murmuring softly to Michele, and slunk back behind the doorframe. He felt strange for eavesdropping in the first place, but he knew he couldn’t stomach hearing his brother whisper those heartfelt words that seemed so sincere and undying when they came from his lips. He gathered his senses with a heavy exhalation of breath and decided to continue on downstairs, trying to pretend that he’d never witnessed the scene in the bedroom. He’d made it halfway down the hall when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Tay, man. Wait up..." Zac called to his brother and Taylor turned to see him gently closing Michele’s bedroom door. "Hang on a sec..."

Zac stopped to pull on his shoes, grinning when he struggled with one as Taylor stood silently, his mind still spinning with unbidden images and emotions. He could easily see how Michele could’ve managed to fall in love with Zac. He was always so gentle and playful and everything Taylor felt he wasn’t. Zac had always carried a special affection for Michele that had its foundations in a friendship that, Taylor had to admit, was the basis for many teasings on his part. He had always thought Zac’s friendship with Michele was silly and contrived and mostly consisted of Zac following her around while she attended to his childish whims. But before his eyes, he’d watched their relationship blossom into a caring, loving friendship built on trust and honesty and real, deep-seeded feelings of love - something that Taylor himself had never managed to accomplish. Sure, he loved Michele. He loved her so much that just the mere thought of her made his chest fairly ache with heaviness of love for her. But he wasn’t ashamed to admit that, as much as he loved her, he probably wanted her even more. His desire for her was hearty and carnal and bordered on obsessive. He had an overwhelming physical craving for her, to control her, make her vulnerable to him and his lust. And he knew that was ultimately his downfall. She found someone who could love her in the way she wanted - and deserved - to be loved. He just figured it was just his bad fortune that it had to be his brother.

But it was a resolution he knew he had to accept sooner or later. Michele and Zac had made it quite obvious, if indiscreetly so, that they were happy and were seriously committed to each other. He knew owed it both of them to be as tolerant as possible and he figured it would probably take as much willpower and strength as he owned to be truly and fully accepting of their relationship. But the one remaining concern he had for Michele was her happiness, and if she was half as happy as she appeared to be with Zac, then the would deal with any heartache he might have to suffer. He mentally resolved to do it if it killed him.

Taylor snapped out of his daze when Zac caught up to him and they began the trek down the stairs. Taylor snuck glances at his brother as they walked side-by-side, his need to say something, to satisfy his own selfish concerns rushing steadily to the forefront of his mind. He jammed his hands in his pockets and exhaled the heavy breath he’d realized he’d been holding.

"You really love her, don’t you...?" He mumbled as they walked, Zac instantly stopping in his tracks when Taylor spoke. He turned to his brother with a slightly knit brow and swallowed thickly around the sudden lump in his throat.

"Ye..yeah....I do..." he choked, struggling to keep his brother’s steely gaze. He recalled his conversation with Isaac and the revelation that Taylor probably still held some sort of love or affection for Michele. That information made him nervous, but the sincere look in Taylor’s eyes was nothing but calming.

"I’m glad," Taylor nodded, his eyes still boring into Zac’s. Zac could tell he was struggling with his words, but that the determination to get them out was slowly, but surely, winning over. "You guys....ya’ll deserve to be happy...."

"Thank you," Zac whispered, wondering where the sudden seriousness of their conversation had come from. It seemed such a heavy topic for barely 6 in the morning. But he was grateful to see the sincerity with which Taylor spoke those words. Since his conversation with Isaac, his mind had barely been filled with anything but worries over how Taylor might attempt to reassure Michele of any residual feelings he might have. A strange silence passed between the brothers as they stood on the stairs, one filled with hushed admissions of acceptance and quiet acknowledgements of appreciation.

"You, um..." Taylor’s voice was hushed and cracked when he spoke again, but Zac was touched by the amount of emotion evident in the quiet tones. "You gotta take care of her, man...she’s so....I just...."

"I know, Tay...." Zac nodded his understanding and Taylor half-smiled in appreciation. "And I will. I promise."

"I’m sorry..." Taylor said quickly, suddenly realizing how possessive he sounded.

"Hey, it’s okay..." Zac said, gently touching his brother on the shoulder. "I understand. She’s an...amazing woman and...I..I understand..."

Taylor smiled again, this time widening into a grin that spread onto Zac’s lips as well. "Thanks, man," he whispered around the redness that crept onto his cheeks. Zac only grinned wider when he saw Taylor blush.

"Come on. Let’s get going before Ike gets pissed again," Zac said and Taylor chuckled. Zac pursed his lips in a devious smile and cast a sneaky glance at his brother. "Race ya..."

Taylor eyed him curiously before suddenly taking off, Zac startling with a grin before yelling and running to catch up with his brother, weeks worth of tension left crumbling in the wake of their heavy footsteps.

--

Michele sighed and stretched lazily beneath her down comforter, her eyes softly fluttering against the light that evaded the thick curtains half-covering the windows. She smiled against her pillow and remembrances of pleasant dreams began to wash over her. She had a vague recollection of Zac being in her room sometime around dawn and of his gentle lips placing a sweet goodbye kiss on her cheek before heading off to an interview. She lay in bed a few more minutes, her eyes closed, savoring the sweet memories and the general sense of contentment she realized she suddenly felt.

Her eyes fluttered open again a few moments later and instinctively flitted to the bedside clock. She was surprised to see the glaring red numbers signaling that it was past noon. She yawned and threw the covers back before sitting up and stretching, wondering why she’d managed to sleep so late and if the guys had returned from their interview yet.

When her feet hit the floor and she headed for the bathroom, the memories came rushing back. Fleeting images of Taylor - his watery eyes, his strong arms, his breathy voice - danced through her mind, accounting for her lack of sleep and the strange sense of contentment she felt. She remembered the conversation they’d had, bits and pieces of admissions and acceptance floating across her consciousness and providing an overall calming effect. She could scarcely remember the last time an encounter with Taylor had left her feeling so comfortable and hadn’t evoked that typical anxiousness and unease that usually seemed to follow their interactions. She supposed it was simply due to the fact that they were both getting on with their lives and accepting that their futures *were* going to be wonderful and fulfilling even though they weren’t going to be together.

Michele slipped into the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth before pulling a long t-shirt over her tank top and panties and heading downstairs. She noticed the house was eerily quiet as she strode down the stairs and she wondered if perhaps everyone was out. When she reached the bottom, her suspicions were confirmed when she entered the empty kitchen and found a post-it stuck to the dining table. Apparently Diana and Alexis had taken the kids out to meet the guys and Walker for lunch and then had a shopping excursion planned for after lunch.

Michele only shrugged and decided to take advantage of the peace and quiet. She began rummaging around in the refrigerator for something to eat and finally settled on fixing herself a bagel. After grabbing a Dr. Pepper to accompany it, she sat down at the table. But before she could take the first bite, she heard the front door open and the heavy scuffing of footsteps barging through the living room. She rolled her eyes and laughed at what she knew was the guys horsing around again.

Zac appeared first at the entrance to the kitchen, face slightly flushed and out of breath. Michele smiled at his mussed hair and he grinned back. Taylor appeared right behind him, out of breath and wearing a similarly skewed appearance. He pushed past Zac, who’d paused to catch his breath, and barged into the kitchen.

"Hey baby," Zac breathed, a wide grin gracing his lips. Michele grinned back and he strode over to her, dipping his head to gather a wet kiss from her lips. "Good morning..." he whispered above her mouth, licking his lips to test the taste of her.

"Morning..." she smiled and reached her mouth back up to his, feeling a sudden confidence that she realized she’d been missing of late. He returned her kiss and then gently squeezed her shoulder while he maneuvered himself around her chair to seek refreshment from the fridge. "How’d the interview go?" She asked as Taylor plopped down in the chair opposite hers.

"Same old..." Tay remarked, taking a long swig of his bottled water. "I swear if I hear the words ‘Mandy’ and ‘Moore’ again, I’m gonna hurl..."

Michele laughed and Taylor grinned in spite of himself. Their eyes met across the table and an unspoken understanding passed between them. Memories of the previous night floated through their locked gazes and Michele offered him a warm, caring smile which he eagerly returned. He gave her a sly wink and Michele grinned around a sip of her drink, Zac’s sliding into the chair beside her disrupting the connection with Taylor.

"They have ya’ll running laps or something?" Michele teased, running her fingers through Zac’s tangled hair.

"No, we parked down by the beach..." Zac said, swiping one half of Michele’s bagel and taking a bite. "...ran all the way back..."

"Why?" Michele asked, glaring at Zac with mock irritation for swiping part of her breakfast. "And I thought ya’ll were having lunch with your mom and the kids..."

"Well, we just felt like running and I prefer my lunches with no shopping attached, thank you very much..." Zac mumbled with his mouth full, then stole a swallow of Michele’s drink to wash his food down, Taylor chuckling when she shot him another semi-incredulous glare. Zac only grinned sheepishly, but took the hint and got up to grab his own drink.

"So, where’s Ike?" Michele asked, taking a bite of the bagel Zac had just assaulted, not failing to notice the way Taylor had attached his eyes to her the instant Zac had gotten up from the table. She lowered her eyes insecurely as she chewed, his intense gaze suddenly making her skin crawl. She couldn’t put her finger on the source of her unease for only moments before she’d felt perfectly comfortable with him. Maybe it was just that familiar penetrating gaze of his, that one that always seemed to see right through her, to know her like no one else could. Noticing her slight discomfort, Taylor smiled warmly, if only to assure her that his intentions were nothing but honest and sincere. Michele half-smiled back, but didn’t fully revert to her old self until Zac resumed his post beside her.

"Lexi made him go," Zac said simply, unscrewing the cap from his Dr. Pepper. "Ike said they’re thinking about taking off to Tijuana for the weekend and they had to get some....supplies..." He trailed off suggestively, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. Michele returned his devious smile and bit her lower lip seductively, their smoldering gaze relaying unspoken memories and hints of things to come. Their little moment wasn’t lost on Taylor and he gently cleared his throat, Michele’s cheeks slightly flushing before she turned her attention back to her breakfast.

"So, what do ya’ll have planned for the rest of the day...?" Michele asked, attempting to change the subject and alleviate some of the tension that suddenly flooded the room.

"Tay’s got some keyboards to lay down," Zac began, Michele’s eyes flitting briefly to Taylor as he stood from the table to stand at the sink. "But I am all yours..." He raised his eyebrows and propped his elbows on the table to lean his mouth to hers when Michele grinned. She accepted his lips over her smile and gave him a quick taste of her tongue. "Why don’t you go upstairs and put on something skimpy and we’ll head down to the beach to get the Jeep and....stuff...." He whispered, his eyes briefly trailing over to make sure Taylor was otherwise occupied. Michele followed his gaze for a moment before agreeing to take him up on his offer, but deciding she needed to talk to Taylor first.

"Okay..." she whispered, biting her lower lip when Zac’s face lit up in a heart-stopping grin. Michele playfully rolled her eyes at his eagerness, but slid her fingertips behind his ear and placed a tiny kiss on his cheek before whispering in his ear. "But, I gotta talk to Tay, first. So, why don’t you go on up and change...?"

Zac only nodded and stood as he gathered his drink, trying to hide his curiosity. Michele stood beside him and he purposefully pressed his lips to hers, splaying one hand possessively along her hip. "Hurry..." He met her eyes pointedly and Michele nodded, letting Zac pass by her and head out of the room.

Michele waited until Zac had had enough time to get upstairs before taking a deep breath and silently crossing the kitchen to stand beside Taylor at the sink. "Hey..." she said, nudging his elbow with her own. "How’s it going?"

" Good," he said simply, taking a final swallow of his water before screwing the cap back on.

"Sleep okay?" Michele glanced up at him, her eyes slightly squinting under his concentrated gaze.

"Not really," he admitted, his countenance revealing nothing but honest, sincere emotion.

"Must’ve been some dream..." Michele said lightly and Taylor half-smiled, forbidden memories rising a slight flush to his cheeks. Michele cocked her head curiously and he vaguely contemplated telling her the real reason he’d been in the bathroom at 2 in the morning.

"It was..." he said sexily, his eyes purposefully dropping the length of her body, indirectly letting her in on his secret. Michele smiled around a blush as the realization crept in and Taylor grinned, that confident, sexy grin Michele was used to seeing stretched across his face. And it made her feel slightly better - seeing some semblance of his old self, even if it was laced between provocative suggestions of typical Taylor-perversion.

"Well," she said, pursing her lips into a knowing smile. "I’m glad you’re feeling better."

"I am," he whispered, the sudden brush of his fingertips on her cheek evaporating any remaining amusement. She could read the double entendre in his eyes and it filled her with that sense of peace she’d been feeling lately and she only hoped that he was on the road to discovering some of that peace for himself. "Thank you," he said purposefully before slipping his hand behind her neck and searing his lips against the cool skin of her forehead. Michele’s eyes gently fluttered at the contact, but she forced them open when he pulled away. He met her gaze with a warm smile which Michele returned, hopeful for the first time in months that everything just might really be okay.

--

Taylor stood tersely on the back porch, fingers curled tightly around the railing, eyes narrowed as he watched the waves crashing against their rocky shore, that thundering roll that he realized was beating in time with his pounding heart. His eyes drifted along the beach, falling upon scattered shells as he traced the meandering path of two sets of footprints. He watched as the couple strolled along, leaving their prints side-by-side in testament to their obvious closeness. He then smirked when an angry wave pounded the shore and swiped at the indentions, drowning them into its maddeningly blue depths. His eyes narrowed as they drifted further along the shore, his breath drawing sharper as he watched his brother walk hand-in-hand with the woman he loved.

"We should rent a boat," Zac said wistfully, his eyes scanning the length of the horizon where it met with the deep blue of the ocean. He was propped on one elbow beside Michele on an oversized blanket, relishing in the feel of the warm California sun glowing against his skin. The guys were enjoying their first day off in weeks and Zac was eager to take advantage of every second of it.

"What?" Michele glanced up from her position beside him, her eyes flitting over the top of her sunglasses. She was sprawled on her back, the open pages of a novel resting against her stomach as she took a break from the reading she’d been doing for much of the afternoon. Lying on the beach with a book had pretty much become the center of her lifestyle since she’d been in LA. With the guys in the studio all day, she and Lexi had busied themselves perfecting their tans and just enjoying the relaxation of having absolutely nothing to do. And even with Zac beside her for the day, she felt too rested and serene to do much else.

"A boat..." he repeated, his eyes gesturing to the horizon. Michele followed his gaze, her eyes drifting over the random assortment of boats that littered their view of the ocean.

"Okay..." she shrugged lazily, picking up her book and scanning the page to find where she’d left off.

"I’m serious..." he said, slipping the book from her grasp to gain her full attention. He dog-eared the page she was on and placed the book aside, Michele glaring at him with mock consternation. "It’ll be fun..." he cooed, smoothing his palm over the warm skin of her stomach. "Come on. We need to be alone..."

"Oh, I see..." Michele teased, her lips sliding into a grin when his true motivations were revealed. Zac grinned back, but she could see the seriousness of his offer hidden in his pleading eyes. Not that she could blame him, though. For the past week and a half, he’d half-heartedly agreed to share his room with his younger brother after Mackenzie had complained of several nights’ worth of nightmares. And Zac, being the adoring older brother he was, complied with his mother’s demands and offered up the trundle to his little brother. And while he really didn’t mind Mack’s presence, it put a serious damper on his midnight rendezvous' with Michele. Obviously, he couldn’t sneak her in to his room, but he couldn’t even sneak into hers without risking Mackenzie revealing to everyone the next morning that Zac hadn’t slept in his own room.

"Come on, babygirl..." Zac pled, licking his lips before attaching them below her jaw and beginning a gentle suction against her slightly salty skin. "I want you so much..."

Michele whimpered as Zac’s voice and full lips assaulted her. She had to admit she was just as needy as he was. Since the first time they’d been together, rarely a night or two had passed when they weren’t intimate. So, the past week without him had proved to be something close to torture. And the way his mouth was beginning a gentle suction below her ear was rising a heat beneath her skin that was far too needy for the light of day. But, despite their fairly public position, Michele couldn’t help but respond. She cupped one hand behind his neck as their lips met, his tongue instantly seeping out to find hers. Zac eagerly reciprocated, sliding closer to her and slipping his hand from her stomach down the length of her thigh. Michele moaned into his mouth as his soft hand slid over her skin and her knee involuntarily steepled against his side when she felt her body want to writhe with want.

She exhaled a shaky breath when Zac’s lips left her own and began to travel along her jaw and then to the sensitive skin of her neck. He sucked a trail along her collarbone before dipping his head to nuzzle between her breasts. He licked the sweaty skin from the hollow between them before closing his mouth over the center of one, rising a response even through the cotton of her bikini top. When Michele sighed favorably, he continued his trek, letting his thumb replace his mouth as his lips slid along her ribs to her navel.

"Damn, baby..." he mumbled, his breath against her skin causing Michele to shiver even in the intense heat. "California has been so good to you..." He lifted his head and met her eyes as he slid one admiring palm from between her breasts down to the point where the fabric of her bikini bottom disappeared between her legs.

"You..." she breathed, licking her lips as he began to gently grind the heel of his hand against her. "...are so good to me..." Zac smiled as he watched the familiar expressions of pleasure began to creep onto her face. She slipped her fingers between the strands of his hair as he replaced his hand with his mouth, beginning just below her navel then wetly sliding down over the skimpy fabric. "Zac...stop..." she whimpered when she felt his tongue dart against her. "...stop...we’re not doing this...here..."

Zac instantly raised his eyes to hers, his lips working into a sultry pout as he begged her. "Please, baby....I can’t wait anymore..."

"We’re not fooling around on a public beach. Someone could come out here at any second. No way," she said again, her voice a little more firm once the distraction of his mouth was taken away. Zac whimpered again, using all the tactics he’d previously discovered usually got him whatever he wanted. "No," she repeated, locking a pointed glare with him.

"Fine," he playfully spat, rolling off her and onto his back at her side. He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Michele only rolled her eyes at his childish behavior, then grinned when he realized he had to readjust his trunks. "That’s not funny," he said, shifting his hips on the towel as he tried to get comfortable around the erection that strained behind his fly.

"You poor baby..." she cooed, sliding her hand across his stomach before pampering him with a series of tiny, feathery kisses placed across his chest. He pretended to be oblivious to her attentions but the stoic expression he’d forced onto his face began to falter as she began to languidly swirl her tongue around one nipple. When she placed her lips around it and gently sucked, he released the breath he’d been holding in a shaky sigh, Michele grinning as he gave in. "You know I’m sorry, baby..." she mumbled against his skin. "I want you, too..." She proved her point by swinging one leg over his hips, Zac groaning when her pelvis landed upon his.

Zac’s hands instinctively went to her hips, gripping them tighter when her lips found his, her tongue teasing the corners of his mouth before letting him close his lips around it. Michele whimpered as they kissed, trying not to concentrate on the lump she could feel below her, pressing into her damp bikini bottoms. She had to force herself to keep still, to keep her hips from involuntarily grinding against his, to keep her aching womanhood from begging him to fill her up. But when she felt him slightly twitch beneath her, she lost any control she might’ve had. She began rotating her hips over his, slowly at first, then with more pressure when she felt him begin to respond. She tore her lips from his and placed them below his ear, sucking hotly at his sweaty skin. He subconsciously began thrusting against her, his hips rising off the blanket as her motions grew more deliberate. He groaned when he felt the tension rising in his groin and he knew that if she continued, he was going to lose control.

"St...stop..." he breathed, his brain having to struggle to force his lips to move. "Stop. You’re gonna make me cum..."

"I thought that’s what you wanted..." she gasped, raising her head to look at him. His breathing was shallow and thick beads of sweat had risen along his brow and upper lip. Unable to resist, she swiped at his mouth with her tongue, Zac hungrily reaching for her languid movements.

"Not like this..." he breathed against her mouth. "I wanna cum with you...inside you..." Michele shivered at his breathy words and felt her own body flooding with warmth and desire. He placed his hand behind her neck and forced his lips back onto hers, the other hand sliding deftly behind the elastic of her bikini bottoms.

"No," she whimpered, her body involuntarily shuddering when his fingers touched her wetness. "Zac, we can’t..." She reluctantly grabbed for his hand, sliding it slowly from her body. "I’m sorry, baby. Tonight...I promise. We’ll find some way..." She trailed off as her mouth fell against his again, his slightly parted lips too inviting to decline.

"I can’t wait that long..." he mumbled against her lips, grinding his hips up against hers to prove his point. Michele groaned as his hardness pressed against her and her mind spun with indecision. She wanted him so badly and she had to force her mind to stay clear enough to remember they were not exactly in a secluded place. She suddenly sat up, hoping to put some distance between his searing body and her own, but the separation was too much for Zac and he sat up against her, pulling her body back against his. Michele wrapped her legs around his waist and tangled her fingers in his hair as their lips met and he continued circling his hips against hers. He reached between their pressed abdomens and gently tugged the fabric away from his aching erection, Michele whimpering when she felt his heat against the suddenly sensitive skin of her stomach. "I can’t help it. I’m gonna cum now, baby. Please..." he pled, his voice lowering into a raspy growl. He reached for one of her hands and lowered it to his groin, Michele’s fingers expertly wrapping around him. She placed her mouth over his as she began stroking him, ready to muffle the groans she knew were to come. She gasped when he gently bit her lip seconds before she felt him tighten beneath her hand and release a ragged groan as his warm seed showered the space between them.

Zac rested his head in the crook of her neck as his breathing slowed and his body recovered from their trembles. He lovingly kissed her collarbone when she gently tucked him back into his trunks. He sighed heavily, his arms resting languidly around her, and waited while the contentment spread throughout the rest of his body. "Thank you, baby..." he politely whispered a few moments later, his breath cooling the sweat on Michele’s skin. "I owe you one..."

"Yes you do," she stated firmly and Zac raised his head to meet her shining eyes. "And I intend to fully..." She cupped her hands beneath his jaw and teasingly flicked at his mouth with her tongue. "...completely..." She licked his mouth again, this time briefly slipping her tongue between his lips. "....thoroughly....collect on that later tonight...." Zac grinned when she met his lips again, sealing her promise beneath the languid crush of his mouth and then sucking on his bottom lip as she pulled away. "But until then..." she sighed, her eyes dropping between their bodies as she tried to hide the wry smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, I guess we’ll *have* to get in the water, now..."

"Oops..." he grinned, blushing slightly as he glanced between them. He pressed his lips to hers once more and then slid his hands beneath her hips. Michele looked at him curiously, then had to quickly grab onto his shoulders as he struggled to lift her as he stood. She curled her legs around his waist as he took off for the ocean, Michele laughing heartily the entire way.

--

Michele lazily strolled up the length of the stairs, a sated smile stretched across her features. Her skin was still tingling and her knees weakened from the past few hours she’d spent in the hot tub with Zac, making up for the time they’d lost while Mackenzie had been bunking with him. They’d barely made it home from the beach before he was pulling at her clothes again and pressing that perpetual hardness against her. Luckily they’d found the backyard empty and had taken full advantage of it, enjoying the rediscovery of each other’s bodies for nearly three hours before they were interrupted by the slamming of a series of car doors. They’d reluctantly separated, but not before agreeing to meet down on the beach at midnight for a continuation of their escapades.

And the feeling of his warmth was still coursing through her and left her feeling free and content and even as she passed by Taylor’s slightly ajar door, she couldn’t help but notice that the feeling remained strong. Empowered by the confidence and ease she felt, she decided to put into action a plan of sorts she’d been secretly developing the past few days. The nights she’d lain in bed without Zachary had proved to be quite enlightening. She’d lain awake for hours most of those nights doing nothing but thinking - about Zac, mostly, but also about Taylor and her relationship with him. After a few nights, her thinking turned into analyzing and she’d practically re-played their entire relationship out in her head, hindsight allowing her to realize exactly when and where they’d gone wrong, and making her see the one thing that was, and always had been, lacking from their relationship. Even though she’d probably known it all along, it had suddenly became clear to her; the reason why she and Tay always managed to hurt each other: there wasn’t a real element of friendship existing in their relationship, then and even, now. When they were lovers, it was simply that: love and lust and sex. And now, when they weren’t anything to each other, the absence of any real, true friendship was glaring. So, she’d resolved to change that. She figured that if they were all going to be cohabitating for awhile and, especially since she was planning to be a permanent part of Zachary’s life, she might as well try to build a friendship with Taylor.

So, she let her knuckles brush lightly against the wooden door, her insides still torn as she had the sudden urge to run back down the stairs when she heard him shuffling around inside.

"Come in..." His voice floated through the wood after a moment and she took a deep breath to steel herself before flattening her hand against the door and gently pushing it open.

Her breath nearly caught in her throat as she found herself suddenly unprepared for what she saw. Taylor was standing in front of his floor length mirror, donned only in boxers and apparently mulling over what should accompany them. He was in the process of holding an iridescent maroon button-up to his torso when the creak of the door announced her presence and drew his attention.

"Hey..." His eyes momentarily widened, then returned to normal as he tried to disguise his surprise. A wash of awkwardness passed between them and Taylor’s eyes dropped to the floor, suddenly self-conscious about the mess of discarded garments littering his floor and his half-nude state of undress. His mind flashed back to the night he’d dreamt of her and a flush crept over his skin, causing his mind to race and his hands to grab for the nearest t-shirt and tug it quickly over his head.

"Is...this a bad time...?" Michele stuttered, her gaze dropping from Taylor’s obvious state of embarrassment. "I just...um..." She gestured back to the door, signaling that she could leave if he wanted her to.

"No," He said quickly, running a hand through his hair in a subconscious attempt to tame it. "I’m sorry...come on in...don’t mind the mess...I’m just..." He rambled as he flitted about, dragging clothes from his dresser, then the foot of his bed as an invitation for her to sit.

Michele obliged and gingerly settled herself near the end of his bed, one arm wrapping around the thick post. She could vaguely smell the familiar scent of him wafting from his sheets and the wave of memories that filtered through her mind was thick and shuddering and she had to literally shake them from her head to remind herself of her original intentions. Her eyes settled on Taylor again. He’d turned his back to her to resume his primping, but she could still catch his gaze in the mirror and though it was merely a reflection, his eyes were still as penetrating as ever. She remembered the night in the bathroom and hoped their openness and comfort with each other then might somehow be a catalyst for the friendship she so longed for.

"So..." She began, slightly timid and unsure how to start. She was struck with the vague realization of how odd it was that she felt like she could barely talk to him, even after all they’d shared. But then again, she reasoned, the reason she could barely talk to him was probably *because* of all they shared. "What are you up to? Got a hot date?" She inwardly cringed as she realized how lame she probably sounded and her attempt at a joke would probably be anything but.

"Actually..." He began, his eyes leaving hers as he whooshed the t-shirt back over his head. "I do..."

Michele’s eyes had momentarily been occupied by the muscles in his back as they stretched then relaxed as his shirt was removed, but they darted to his when he affirmed what she’d only meant as a joke. "Re..really...?" She half-stuttered, hoping she didn’t sound as startled as she felt. "That’s...great, Tay..."

"Yeah?" He moved closer to the mirror, pretending to examine a non-existent blemish on his chin in order to gauge her reaction without her seeing. He saw her eyes divert from him and her throat bob as she swallowed thickly, her fingers unconsciously curling and uncurling around the bedpost. He allowed himself a slightly devious grin, pleased at the effect his little revelation had on her. "So, what about this one?" He turned around, holding up the maroon shirt for inspection.

"Looks...nice..." She said, still trying to recover from the slight shock. It wasn’t a lie, she reasoned, but she felt strange advising him on clothing choices for a date he had with another woman.

"Sure?" He asked again and she nodded, Taylor accepting her approval and sliding the thin shirt over his shoulders. "And I, um, will be wearing pants...you know..." He smirked when he glanced down at his partially clad body and imagined he looked quite absurd.

"Yeah," Michele grinned and let the slightest chuckle escape her throat. She met Taylor’s eyes again and felt comforted by the gleam she saw there, the flicker making the brilliant blue even more so. "But, seriously, Taylor, you look really nice. I like...I like your hair...like that. It suits you..."

"You don’t think it’s too short?" He turned back around to the mirror, his fingers tucking the gentle fly-aways behind his ear. "I just kinda cut it on the spur of the moment, you know? So, I’ve been kinda stressing about it..."

"It looks fine..." Michele said, rising from the bed and coming to stand beside him, her fingers attentively arranging his collar, then smoothing out the tiny wrinkles on the shoulders of his shirt. She was barely aware of her own actions as she attended to him, but when the sudden realization struck her, she didn’t even so much as flinch, deciding that it was a perfectly "friend" thing to do. "So, who’s the lucky lady? Anyone I know?" She fiddled with the buttons a bit more before meeting his gaze in the mirror as he continued dressing.

"Nah. Just this girl I met at the museum the other day. No big deal..." He tried to shrug it off; with Michele suddenly so close to him, going out with some one else seemed exactly that: someone else. And since they’d broken up, he proved to himself time and time again, that no one could ever compare to her. But then again, he reasoned, he *had* rather enjoyed that glimmer of jealousy that crossed over her face when he first mentioned he had a date. So, he decided to play the cards he’d been dealt. He did have a date, with a cute chick he’d met while browsing the abstracts, and while he’d never intended for Michele to know about it, things were currently falling perfectly into place. He’d also never intended on purposefully *trying* to make her jealous, but since it appeared to be so easy...

"Oh," She responded simply, taking a few steps back from him. She knew he wasn’t being completely honest with her and that the date had to more than "no big deal." Despite Taylor’s penchant for being gorgeous, she knew he’d never take the time to get so dressed up just for a simple date. And the thought of him lying to her bothered her for reasons she couldn’t identify. "So, um...I hope you have a good time...and I guess I’ll see you later, then..." She inched away as she spoke, her awkwardness and his sudden remorse widening the gap they’d spent the past few minutes closing. "Bye.."

"Bye.." He whispered, his breath hot against he sudden chill in the room. He turned back to his reflection, wondering when the indecision was ever going to go away. "Fuck..."

--

"Fuck..."

"Fuck what?" Zac growled, sneaking up behind Michele as she stood at the kitchen counter apparently fixing herself something to eat and cursing under her breath. He slipped his arms around her waist, letting his fingertips slide beneath her shirt, and placed his mouth at her ear, delighting in the shiver that he felt dance down her spine. "Fuck you? Fuck me?"

"Mmm..." Michele let her head drop back against his shoulder as his sultry voice assaulted her. She momentarily forgot about the task at hand: fixing herself something to eat while trying to dislodge any and all thoughts of Taylor from her head. And Zac‘s attentions were proving to be the perfect distraction. "Later..." She promised, tilting her head back to accept a teasing kiss before turning her attention back to her snack.

"You’re not gonna *eat* that, are you...?" Zac asked incredulously as he rested his chin on her shoulder and finally got a good look at what she was doing. He watched in disgust as she doused a saucer full of cheese cubes with barbecue sauce.

"No, Zachary, I’m doing it for my health..." She teased, rolling her eyes. "Of course I’m gonna eat it, you doof..." She turned around, holding the plate enticingly beneath his nose, which Zac immediately crinkled up in disgust. She laughed at his expression and sat down at the table, taking a swallow of her bottled water before delving into her snack.

"Since *when* do you eat cheese with...barbecue sauce...?" He shuddered as the words left his lips, his face scrunched up as if the mere thought of such left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Since...always..." She replied dryly, searching his face for some sort of recognition. "Zachary, where have you been? I eat this all the time..."

"No you don’t..." he replied knowingly, sliding into the chair beside her. "I’ve known you for 3 years, Michele and I’ve *never* seen you eat that."

"Zachary..." She repeated again, more firmly this time and Zac cringed at her continuing use of his full name. He wondered what the hell was bugging her so much all of a sudden that would cause her tone of voice to narrow. "I eat this all the fucking time. Do you pay any attention to me at all?" She hissed suddenly and scooted away from the table, the chair scuffing harshly against the hardwood floor.

Zac sat confused and bewildered as Michele loudly emptied her plate and glass into the sink. He bit his tongue to keep from lashing out as he found himself somewhat enraged by her outlandish behavior. He knew something else *had* to be bothering her; she’d never acted so crude before without a reasonably good excuse. He pulled himself up from the table and stood quietly behind her where she stood taking relatively deep breaths at the sink. He hesitated a moment, contemplating his next move, before drawing a heavy breath and placing his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "Baby..."

"Don’t touch me, Zac..." She spat and shrugged off his touch, Zac’s hands dropping loudly back to his sides.

"What did I do, baby...?" He sighed, knowing full well he’d done nothing wrong, but wanting to do anything to appease her.

"Nothing," She said sharply, hoping he’d take the hint and leave her alone. She didn’t want to have to explain her suddenly defensive attitude. She didn’t want him to know that the knowledge that Taylor had a date was starting to bother her the more she thought about it. She knew she could never explain it to him because she didn’t fully understand it herself. She only knew that she’d been feeling anxious and slightly nauseous ever since she’d left his room nearly an hour before.

"Okay," Zac retorted, his voice holding an equal amount of curtness. Michele sighed, guilt instantly welling tears behind her eyes. She opened her mouth to attempt an apology, but he cut her off. "Fine. I don’t know you at all. I’m not gonna touch you. I’m not gonna do anything..." And then he was gone, in a blur of heated voice and heavy footsteps, Michele’s fingers rubbing at her eyes to fend off the tears that never came.

--

Her eyes washed over his solid form, sitting hunched on the sand, arms on knees, long hair billowing behind. A blanket of shadows enveloped him, broken only by the faint glimmer of a myriad of midnight stars. She exhaled a deep, longing sigh and made her way across the sand, a cool ocean breeze rising a path of goosebumps down her nearly bare arms. He looked so fragile, sitting against the raging sea, looking as if it might swallow him up at any moment. She paused behind him and heard him exhale, and she felt the slightest hint of relief wash over her.

She dropped to her knees behind him, pressing her cheek against his t-shirt covered back. She slipped her arms around his waist and held herself to him, waiting for the tension to drain from his body. When it finally did and his body relaxed against hers, she placed a soft kiss between his shoulder blades and sighed. "I’m sorry, Zac..." She whispered, sliding one palm along the length of his back, relishing in the silent strength beneath her fingers. "I love you..." She breathed against the crash of the waves when she felt his breathing deepen and a soft moan escape his throat.

"I love you, too..." He sighed, leaning his head back against hers, smiling slightly when he felt her fingertips swiping at his hair, then her lips placing a kiss on the revealed skin at the nape of his neck.

"So, does your offer still stand...?" She whispered at his ear, her lips unable to resist capturing the lobe and tugging gently.

"Hmmm...what....?"

"Fuck me...?" She smiled against his skin when she felt his muscles tense beneath her words.

"I’d rather make love to you, but I can definitely do that..." He grinned, his voice rasping as he turned around in her languid embrace to finally crush his lips against hers. Michele accepted him eagerly; her lips parting, legs separating, her entire body anxious to have him. Zac braced his elbows beside her shoulders, letting his body cover hers, letting his budding hardness press against the part of her he was sure was made especially to fit him.

Michele pulled tenderly at his pants, trying to keep the desperation from her motions. She didn’t want to feel like she was letting sex fix the little tiff between them; making love with Zac always felt more sincere than that, so she moved slowly, touching him gently and lovingly.

"Here..?" He breathed at her ear when she guided his hands to the readiness between her legs.

"Here," She affirmed, biting her lower lip as his fingers probed her softness, sliding the damp nylon of her panties to the side. "No one’s watching us, baby. Only the stars..."

Michele closed her eyes to the tiny diamonds when he slipped inside her, one thick stroke filling her completely. Gentle sighs and rustled fabric replaced the pounding of the waves as Zac fell into rhythm with the ocean, each press and withdrawal stealing his breath and finally bringing a shuddering release he passed to her with his final stroke.

And later as they lay in the silence of the bliss they’d created, her cheek against his chest, his fingers in her hair, Michele couldn’t help the lazy smile that had permanently attached itself to her lips. It was times like these, when her body was still tingling from it’s union with his, when her heart was fairly soaring with the love he’d shared with her, that she felt completely at ease. She relished in the moments, because it was then, and only then, that she could make herself forget that she’d ever loved Taylor Hanson.

"We finally finished that song today," Zac murmured, his fingers smoothing languidly over Michele’s hair. His eyes lay closed against the darkness of his room, a comfortable silence blanketing the after-midnight stillness. "The one I was telling you about?"

Michele nodded against his chest, her mind too drowsy with sleep and her body too spent from his touch to manage anything more.

"I was beginning to think we’d never get it done," he continued, his voice a low, gravely rumble that spread thickly through the room and only managed to soothe Michele further towards the slumber she was beginning to drift into. "But Tay came in with this great idea this morning and it was perfect..."

Michele’s eyes fluttered slightly at the mention of Taylor’s name and she had the vague realization that she hadn’t seen him in a few days; more precisely, she hadn’t seen him since the afternoon before his date.

"Hey, you still awake...?" Zac smiled down at her when he felt her eyelashes flickering against his skin.

"Hmmm..." Michele mumbled, lifting her eyes to briefly meet his before they fluttered shut again.

"Sorry, baby..." He whispered, brushing his lips lightly over her hair as Michele half-yawned and sleepily stretched her arm across his stomach. "I’m just excited ‘bout the record. Everything’s been going so smoothly lately. Tay’s been like this...bucket of inspiration all week and..."

Michele’s eyes popped open as Zac’s voice trailed off and her mind drifted once again to Taylor. She found herself suddenly wondering where that inspiration had originated from; if had been a result of their recent encounters or something that had just occurred naturally. Or if had anything to do with his recent escapades with what Zac had dubbed "the mystery woman." According to his brother, Taylor’s evenings of late had been spent dining, clubbing, and dancing the night and much of the early morning away. Michele wondered if he’d been spending all that time with the same woman, the one he’d been preparing to see the other day; or if he was playing the field, reverting back to his typical Taylor dating habits, the ones he’d abandoned when they started seeing each other. Either way, she inwardly cringed when she felt a tiny hint of jealousy well up in her chest. She tried to shrug it off; remind herself that she was currently lying in the arms of the man who loved her - the man *she* loved. So she closed her eyes and snuggled closer into Zac’s embrace, willing herself to stop thinking about Taylor.

"I’m sorry, sweetie..." He chuckled, accepting her cuddles and scooting down further in the bed to better accommodate her. "Enough shop talk, eh? Let’s get some rest..." Zac murmured around a yawn of his own, his lips reaching to place a gentle touch upon hers. "’Night, baby..."

"Goodnight..." Michele responded, feigning tiredness as she sleepily accepted his kiss. Zac sighed heavily, a deep, sated sound that matched the lazy smile on his lips, as he waited for sleep to come; but now that thoughts of Taylor had invaded her mind, Michele found herself anything but sleepy.

She lay quiet and still in his arms, trying to concentrate on the feel of his arms around her, keeping her naked body pressed securely against his, and the rhythmic hitches of his breath as it became deep and even when sleep eventually overcame him. But she couldn’t make herself fall asleep and when she heard the faint slamming of a car door, she knew she never would.

She figured it was Taylor, returning home from his late-night adventures. She gently shifted within Zac’s embrace, just enough to read the digital numbers glowing from the bedside clock. 2:37. She was a bit surprised at the late hour and her mind involuntarily filled with visions of all the things she imagined Taylor could have been doing. She angrily shook the thoughts from her head and tried to re-concentrate on sleep, but the seed had already been planted. Her blood was swirling, mind racing, curiosity fairly itching to find out what he’d been up to. Knowing sleep was, at least temporarily, out of the question, she didn’t even hesitate to begin the task of creeping from Zac’s bed without him waking. She slipped her body cautiously from his, her breath catching, then relaxing when he sighed in his sleep and turned over, tucking his hands endearingly under his pillow.

She crept slowly through the darkened room, searching for the t-shirt and boxers she’d been wearing earlier. She slipped the garments on quietly, her eyes occasionally darting back to the bed to make sure Zac was still sleeping soundly. Once she was fully dressed and had pulled her bed-ruffled hair up into a ponytail, she tip-toed out of the room, carefully opening and closing the door behind her, cringing with every tiny creak it’s hinges produced. Once in the hallway with the door closed safely behind her, she exhaled the breath she’d been holding and began the trek down the stairs.

When she reached the half-way point and saw that a light was indeed on in the kitchen, she felt her pulse slightly increase and a few beads of nervous sweat form along the back of her neck. She vaguely began to wonder why she’d even started down in the first place, why it mattered so much to her who or what Taylor was doing. And as much as she tried to convince herself so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more than mere curiosity that had her sneaking from her boyfriend’s arms at 2 am to find out what her ex-lover was doing. She even tried to make herself believe that she was merely acting out of concern for him, worried that he might be participating in behavior that might be potentially harmful to him. But she knew those were merely excuses; justifications she was providing herself with to mask her fear that Taylor was starting to get to her again, that she was still holding on to him, that she would never be able to truly, fully, let him go.

But, still, onward she kept, drawn as much to the light filtering from the kitchen as to the uncertainty she knew lay within. She tugged self-consciously on her t-shirt, smoothing it down over her hips, suddenly wishing she’d had the presence of mind to slip into her own room and change into something that didn’t belong to Zac.

Michele found Taylor leaning against the kitchen counter with a handful of saltine crackers and a bottle of hard lemonade on the granite beside him. He had the appearance of someone who’d done their share of hearty partying: his hair was damp with sweat and pushed tightly behind his ears and his t-shirt bore tell-tale sweat stains around the collar and beneath his arms. Still, in the glow of the soft light over the sink, she thought he looked unnaturally beautiful.

"Hey..." She said softly, her eyes lowering as she advanced into the kitchen.

"Hey..." He repeated and she noticed he didn’t sound surprised to see her up at that hour, as if he had expected her to be waiting up for him.

Michele awkwardly went to the refrigerator, suddenly realizing she’d have to find some excuse as to why she’d come downstairs in the middle of the night. She pulled a Dr. Pepper from the fridge, then thought to retrieve one for Zac, as well. She closed the door gently, the icy air not managing to slice through the tension between them.

"How was your date?" She asked suddenly, then nearly slapped her forehead in what she thought was sheer stupidity. She didn’t honestly want to know about his escapades with some other girl, but some subconscious level of curiosity or...jealousy wouldn’t let her be.

"How do you know I had a date?" He asked and she knew a smirk had to be curling his lips though his back was to her and she couldn’t see for sure.

"I just....assumed," She began, wishing she sounded more pissed than flustered, but his smugness only managed to have it’s predictable effect on her. "You went out, so...."

"So....nothing..." He said smartly, shrugging his shoulders and Michele suddenly wished she hadn’t even bothered and almost turned to go back upstairs. "But, yeah, I had a date..."

"Oh," She said simply, her curiosity peaked now that he’d been somewhat secretive. She decided to stick around and see how much information she could drag out of him, as long as she kept reminding herself that she was only acting out of pure concern. "So, you have a good time...?"

"Yeah," He replied, pushing a cracker into his mouth. Michele shifted around in a subconscious attempt to watch him, her gaze riveted to his lips as he chewed. When his tongue darted to retrieve a crumb from the corner of his mouth, she had to turn away for fear that mere watching wouldn’t be enough. She walked over to the pantry and pretended to peruse its contents, settling for a box of Goldfish.

"Gonna see her again...?" She asked, her voice muffled from behind the pantry door. Taylor grinned at her obvious attempts to be discreet, loving the way he could always manage to get to her. Even though he knew she was seriously committed to his brother, he knew he’