When Daniel pulled the jag up to the curb, half a block away from the party, he began to wonder why he had let Molly talk him into coming without her. He had been to enough of these things to know what was going to happen. He would watch half the student body of St. James forget about their proper etiquette and get sloppy drunk on a couple of kegs and varied wine coolers. Amazing. For supposed upper class society brats, they still insisted on scraping the bottom of the barrel for alcohol.

Then, undoubtably, if he stayed long enough, he would witness at least three people getting sick, one person passing out and no less than two couples and one or two friendships end over stupid drunken fights. All of which would be forgotten by Monday. Though the stories of the latest party would live on, being passed from person to person, until the entire school had gotten a chance to laugh about it.

So...why had he come? Why did he always come?

As he approached the door of the large white mansion, it was thrown open by one of the boys and he grinned. That was why. No matter how stupid they were, those were his friends and had been for nearly his entire life.

"Daniel! My main man! Come on in!" Greg called out happily. He was far from drunk even though he reeked of cheap rum. He clapped Daniel on the shoulder and with his other hand, which still held a bottle of some sort, swept his arm across the entranceway. Daniel looked around for a moment and came to the conclusion that Greg was just about the only one that wasn't drunk or at least on the fast track to getting there.

"Charming." He rolled his eyes as one of the boys walked by, a pair of black lace thongs on his head.

"So...where's the new wifey, Hobbs?" he heard one of the other guys call out as they passed through the living room. Hobbs flipped him off in a general reflexive response to such ribbing. But on the inside, his stomach began to flutter with thoughts of Molly dressed in white, walking towards him as he stood in front of their friends and family.

"She's too good to hang out with scum like us! Right Hobbs?" Greg laughed, effectively snapping Daniel out of his little fantasy.

He smiled, thinking that was closer to the truth than he cared to admit. "What'd I miss so far?" He asked, pulling a beer from the large tub of ice in the kitchen.

"Not too much. Trysh punched out some public school girl that came with Shawn. Apparently she isn't over the breakup yet."

"Hmm. Apparently."

"Jo and Alison were all ready to kick each others asses over who got to pick the music. They are both, of course, drunk out of their minds, since we all know that Ross wouldn't let anyone touch his precious four thousand fucking dollar stereo. Oh, and Rachel and Jensen were all in each other's faces. And I'm not talking about fighting. Seems like they're gonna get back together. For the fifth time. I think they disappeared about an hour ago. Upstairs." Greg leered at him.

Daniel scoffed. Sometimes Greg was worse than a gossip queen on Liberty Avenue. He stopped himself just short of voicing his thoughts and wondered what they guys would say to such a comment. Would they let it slide? Would they ask him how he knew? Would they start in calling him names, all in good fun. Would he care? Once he might have. No...once he would have shit bricks at the thought of it. But now... None of it seemed to matter as much.

"Daniel!" Every eye in the room swivelled towards the sound of Chelsea King's silky but quite raucous voice. She was beautiful, no doubt about that. Her chestnut hair hung in loose curls all the way down her back. Her eyes were the color of green apples. She was smart, though she chose not to show it. She was the ideal girl. Or so everyone seemed to think.

Slowly, she made her way from the doorway to the stove, where Daniel was standing. Each step a lesson in sensuality to the poor bystanders that looked on. "Daniel," she purred. "Here alone?"

He looked to his left side. He looked to his right side. Then he looked at her and shrugged. "It would seem so," he replied as if speaking to an idiot.

If she was offended by the tone, she didn't show it. Chelsea would one day be famous for her outstanding country club composure, he was sure of it. "Did you hear about that incident with Jamie and the bottle of champagne? She is never gonna live that down!"

Daniel smirked bitterly. "You'll make sure of that, won't you Chels."

Ignoring him, she laughed and went on. "Still couldn't top last month's fiasco with Lizzy and K going apeshit when they realized they had worn the same outfit. Then proceed to tear out equal parts hair and fabric! Priceless!" She shook her head and continued to giggle until she saw the slight scowl on Daniel's face. "As I recall, you thought that was hilarious at the time."

"Uh-huh," he replied stoically. "What do you want?"

She shrugged delicately and gave him her brightest smile. "Well, I was just going to ask you why you didn't bring your girlfriend?"

Daniel bit down on the inside of his cheek to control his temper. "Her name is Molly. You should know that. You were her best friend for like nine years of your life."

Her brilliant mask never even cracked. "Of course. I just wasn't sure..."

"What?"

"Well...has she..."

"Has she...? Won a bowling tournament recently? Channeled the spirit of Elvis? What?"

"Has she met your family yet?"

Daniel held his breath and counted to ten. Not because he was angry but because if he didn't, he was gonna have a panic attack or something very similar. She had just brought up the one topic that was sure to get to him. "Um..."

"I don't mean to pry of course."

"Of course not," he breathed with an edge of sarcasm.

"It's just that...I know how difficult your family can be and I just..." She tilted her head to one side and stared up at him with wide eyes. If she was going for an innocent look, her attempt was simply laughable.

"�You just' what? Wanted to help her? Help me? What?"

"I wanted to tell you that...if you ever need anything," she ran her hand up his arm and he struggled not to flinch, "I just want you to know that I'll be there for you. Like I've always been there." She smiled softly and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. And with the last gesture she was gone.

Greg, who had been close by during the entire conversation, made his way back to Daniel and put his hands on Daniel's shoulders, forcing Daniel to face him. He shook him slightly and glared. "Please tell me you are gonna take her up on that! You know Chelsea still has the hots for you!"

Daniel brushed his friend's hands away and shook his head. "It's over between us. She knows that.

"No, captain. It's pretty obvious. That message has yet to be received."

Staring at the door that Chelsea had disappeared through, Daniel sighed and, for the first time, was happy that Molly hadn't come. He had the sinking suspicion that if she had, he might have been feeding her to the wolves.

***

For the seventh time that night, Molly caught herself staring at the clock on the wall, wondering just what Daniel was doing. If he was having fun. If he was going to go back to his friends and remember just how different they were and why he shouldn't be with her.

She laughed in spite of herself. Why was she so worried? After his showdown with Justin that afternoon, how could she possibly believe that he might drop her so easily?

Half an hour after she had gotten there and had managed to ramble off the entire story to Lindsay, he had called her. She smiled, just thinking of his shaky voice. You couldn't help but feel bad for him. She had been on the receiving end of Justin's little tirades before. But from what Daniel had told her, this had been nothing even remotely similar to the ordinary big brother act.

"He went completely nuts, Mol!" He had whispered. Justin had probably been close by and he was doing all that he could not to provoke an actual negative response from her sibling.

"What did he say?" she asked, completely amazed, but also overjoyed that Daniel was still standing.

"It was all some big hoax or something. He isn't mad. He just...wanted to force my hand as far as I can tell."

"Force your hand?"

He must have picked up the teasing tone because he laughed softly. "Fine. He wanted to know exactly where I stand, where you're concerned. What my intentions are."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What are they?"

"Moool-ly!" he whined playfully. She giggled into the phone but the laughter quickly died down when she heard him murmur something softly.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"Then maybe I need to hear it again."

"I said...I love you." A megawatt smile spread across her face and she was sure that he could feel it radiating through the telephone. "Well?" he asked after her silence stretched on.

"Well what?" she managed to squeak out.

"Don't you have anything to say to that?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to say that you love me too. But really...a thank you would do for now."

"Thank you," she whispered, breathlessly.

It had been the perfect thing to say. He always seemed to read her so well. Like the pages of a book. Lines of a poem. He could see through her hidden meanings. He knew that she wasn't quite ready for the L word. He accepted it all.

Daniel had immediately asked if he could come over and see her, but she had already promised Gus that she would hang out with him for the rest of the evening. It had been a chore, but she had finally convinced him, for the second time that day, to go to the party at Greg's.

She was sticking by her assessment that they needed a little time apart. Yet now that they had been apart for close to six hours, she was going into withdrawals. It was sickening how much she cared about him. How accustomed she had grown to being with him. Never had she imagined that she could be around someone so much without feeling as though her personal space was being invaded. No. He was now part of her personal space. And it no longer felt complete without him there.

Molly glanced back at Gus, who was sprawled out on the couch, snoozing quietly until his mommies returned home to tuck him in properly. It had been a long night for both of them. But now that he was finally asleep, she was going to do what she had been wanting to do all night.

Silently, without making any loud noises or sudden movements, Molly pulled a dvd off of the small shelf beside the television, pulled it out of the case and placed it in the dvd player.

She plopped back down on the floor just as a catchy little theme song began. "Now this is the life," she giggled as she watched Spongebob Squarepants flounce across the screen.

***

"Hey Boy Wonder."

"Hey Michael. Where's Ivan tonight?"

Michael smirked and pointed towards the dance floor. "Breaking hearts left and right."

Justin looked out towards the crowd and immediately spotted Ivan, his large muscular frame swaying back and forth between two men. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"What?" Michael asked, completely oblivious, as usual.

"That he does that. That he's so..."

"All over anything that moves?" Justin nodded. "Probably about as much as it bothers you when Brian does it. You love �em, you learn to deal with it."

"So, why don't you do it?"

"Trick?"

"Yeah. I mean, if he can do it..."

"Uh-uh. Ivan can't trick either. He just likes to think he can. Besides, that trick and trick alike crap...that's you and Brian's little arrangement."

"Brian and I don't have an arrangement."

Michael arched an eyebrow at him. "Yeah. Okay," he drawled sarcastically.

"We don't. We can fuck each other, we can fuck anybody else. No attachments, no regrets."

"Justin! Come on! When are you going to stop quoting Brian and figure it out for yourself?"

Justin rolled his eyes. Just what he needed! Michael giving him advice on his love life, er...sex life. "Okay. I'll bite. Figure what out?"

"That you're getting tired of it. The random guys, coming, cumming and going. I can see it in the way you refuse to do anything when Brian's here. Even though he still has a reserved space in the back room."

Justin winced. He had him there. "Yeah, but-"

Michael cut him off, not quite finished proving his point. "You have this...non-relationship. You guys are in the same place you were six years ago, only difference now is you live apart and tell yourselves that it's nothing but fucking." He made this little snorting sound in the back of his throat that sounded like he was choking, but Justin recognized it as his little �I'm amused with my own thoughts' laugh. "If you ask me, you should just shack up together again. Save a couple hundred a month in rent." The man shrugged and Justin desperately wanted to hit him or just pinch the holy crap out of him to wipe the little smug shit-eating grin from his face.

He and Brian were beyond definitions. They didn't need to assign some name to what they had. They were wonderful together, but they could exist apart. They didn't need to rely on one another for every little thing. But Justin was still secure in the knowledge that he could depend on Brian for anything.

Except for flowers.

Except for candles and wine and romance.

Except for forever.

FUCK! Weren't those the same thoughts that had tripped them up every time? No. He wouldn't put himself or Brian through that romantic bullshit again. After all, who really needed flowers and romance? Not him! He had survived just fine without them for a long time, and it still stung to think how he had nearly fucked his life up the last time he foolishly went looking for such grandeur.

He would leave that all to Molly. She was romance and poetry personified. Maybe it would work out for her. Daniel seemed to have potential in that field. But for him... For him it was some silly naive fantasy.

Justin watched silently as Michael finished his beer and strode out onto the dance floor, towards Ivan, who was still playing with two little blond boys. As soon as Michael came close, Ivan snaked his hand out and pulled Michael to him, brushing the twinks off without another glance.

Yeah. Who needed promises of forever? Certainly not him. All he needed was the promise of a good hard fuck.

As the two blond boys, that had previously been dancing cheek to cheek to cheek with Ivan, walked towards the bar, Justin intercepted them. "Hi." He smirked at the pair that couldn't have been much older than nineteen or twenty. They might have been twins, or at least brothers, but he couldn't be sure in the subdued light of the club.

The boys looked at each another, then back at Justin, looking him up and down. Evaluating the possibilities, smiling coy smiles. "Hey!" they said in unison.

***

They had taken a cab to the townhouse, since Molly had commandeered his car. It was only fair, after all he had told her to get the hell out. What else could she have done? Hopped a bus? Walked? He would overlook the car jacking, since it had meant her safety.

As soon as they had waved down the cab outside of Babylon and gotten in, the driver looked back and rolled his eyes. It was quite obvious that he didn't care for his latest fare. What exactly had he expected to pick up, driving down Liberty Avenue? The mayor?

Justin had decided to give the jerk a show and immediately began pawing and kissing the boy to his left. The other guy must have felt left out because he soon got with the program and began massaging Justin's growing erection through the front of his jeans.

It had been the fastest trip he had ever made from Babylon to his home. He was sure that the driver had broken several laws, and possibly a land speed record, getting them there.

The three of them giggled as they piled out of the cab. "Shhh!" Justin held up a finger to his lips, shushing them, so that no neighbors would hear their arrival. He unlocked the front door as he was attacked from behind. Kissing, licking, nibbling and roving hands, the boys' arsenal against him.

When they finally made it up to the second floor and into the living room, Justin finally realized that too many lights were on. "Justin? That you?"

He sighed. "Yeah." He grinned at his little sister, who was sprawled out on the couch watching an old episode of the Cosby Show. "Whatcha doin?"

"Relaxing. I had to keep Gus tonight, remember? I think Lindz and Mel should seriously look into medication for hyperactivity."

Justin laughed. "Nah. He was just happy to see you, I'm sure."

"So what have you been up to-hoooo...oh!" The boys had finally reached the couch and were now staring down at Molly as well. "Hmm. I don't know about you guys but this is definitely an interesting development in MY night." The blondes laughed. Justin simply stared at her to see if she was going to say more. She didn't disappoint him. "Justin, can I see you in the other room?" Without a word, Justin walked into the kitchen, leaving Molly to follow. "Don't worry guys, I'll have him back in just a sec."

"Before you say anything -"

"I'm not going to say anything."

"You're not?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"You want me to say something?"

"Well...no...I just figured..."

"I'm not your mother. I'm simply the child. The child that you have guardianship over for the next few months. The very impressionable child that-"

"Impressionable?" He asked, skeptically. "C'mon Mol! It's not as if you've never seen me bring tricks home."

"True. But you haven't in a while. Guess now that Brian's out of town... When the cat's away, right?"

"It's not like that. You know that." Justin huffed. Why was he having to defend himself to everyone? "What? Are you and Mikey in cahoots now?"

"Cahoots?" She laughed at the word.

"Nevermind. Look, just...take my car and go...I dunno...to a late movie or something. Just...give me a few hours. Please."

Molly shook her head, her hands flying to her hips. A sure sign that a verbal bashing was on the way. "Justin Taylor! Don't you dare pretend like this is any more than you trying to one-up yourself! Brian goes away and you instantly take up with the first available dicks you see so you can justify all the sucking and fucking that Brian does when he isn't with you!" She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Don't mess with me pally! I actually GO to MY therapy sessions!"

Justin couldn't help but to smile at her. She was always so self assured in these things. He almost didn't have the heart to tell her she was wrong. Almost. "You are so off, Mol. Brian and I...we are friends. We...give each other space."

"Uh-huh. Like the space...between your ears. Right." Just as she was about to give in, the phone began to ring and she checked the caller ID. "So...you and Brian give each other space?"

"Yes," he sighed, relief filling him that at least he could count on Mol to understand.

"So...if he were to...show up or something...you'd still have your little tea party with the Hardy Boys in there?"

"Of course."

She picked up the phone and thrust it at Justin. "Well here ya go, Nancy Drew. Looks like Brian's decided to reach out and touch someone."

***

Molly walked out of the kitchen, grinning like an imbecile. She couldn't have timed that better herself! Nothing like being proved right.

She knew that there was no way Justin could or would be dragged away from that phone until Brian finished speaking.

Making her way around the sofa, she sat on the floor in front of the coffee table, since the blonde duo had taken over the couch. "So..." she said, in hopes of striking up some conversation. Okay, so they were there to fuck her brother. That didn't mean she couldn't be civil to them.

The two sat there quietly, staring down at her.

"Got names?"

"Cole."

"Benji."

"Oh yeah? Like the dog?" Benji looked down at her as if she were insane. Molly shrugged. So, not a fan of loveable tv/movie dogs. Hmm... "You guys wanna play scrabble?" she asked, already pulling the game out from the cabinet beneath the television.

Just then, Justin walked through the living room. The phone was still attached to his ear and now a grin was fixed on his face. "What am I wearing?" he asked playfully. Without so much as a glance towards the three people in the livingroom, Justin bounded up the stairs towards his room. She stretched her hearing until she heard the door shut and turned back towards their company.

Benji and Cole looked at one another and then back to Molly. "Strip Scrabble?" they asked in unison.

Molly's eyes widened and she nodded slowly. And people thought she was unbalanced.

To Be Continued...