Cookie: Wow, this story sure got popular in a couple of days, even with the sudden wattpad melt down. XD THANK YOU my readers! *sniff sniff* For those voting, I appreciate it! The comments are great as well, I love chatting with my readers. Its so interesting. So please continue to...

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(Fay's POV)

"I really missed you," Austen held me tighter, burying his face against my hair. "I'm happy to be back."

I felt myself slumping against him, suddenly feeling weak on the knees. Oh boy...I was in deep doo-doo.

"Okay,'' I said quickly, pushing him back. "Um...yeah, I just remembered that mom wanted me to help out with dinner so I'll see you tomorrow okay?" Tomorrow was Sunday so it would give me an extra day alone with him before we went to school. I need to sort out this whacky thoughts in my head and get used to this new and improved Austen.

"Alright," he smiled, "I'll call you later than?"

"Sure, sure," I stumbled back towards the door. "I'll talk to you later."

"Vals," he reached out for me, causing me to squeak and back up faster. "Watch out!" Too late, I tripped over a bag and went down. Hard. I stared up at his ceiling, blinking.

"You okay?" Austen's handsome face loomed over me, eyes filled with concern. He helped pull me up to my feet and I stumbled against him.

"I don't remember you being clumsy," he chuckled against my ear, causing me to shiver. "That's my job remember?"

I pulled back and would have almost tripped over the bag again if he hadn't pulled me against him again. My face smacked into his chest...nice firm chest...on no...I had to get out of there!

"Okay, sorry, thanks," I jumped back, this time avoiding his bags and making my way out his room. "See you tomorrow!" I left before he could say anything else. My face was as red as a cheery and I kicked myself for acting like a silly school girl with a crush. This wasn't me. Not. At. All. I was thinking things about Austen that I shouldn't be thinking...

I seriously needed help.

( NEXT DAY.....)

"My,my,my, who is that hunk of burning love?"

I grimaced.

Luis Alexander, my next door neighbor and partner-in-crime stood beside me on my porch. Together, we watched Austen washing his mothers car...topless. I hated to admit it, I mean reeeealy hated to admit it but damn he looked good. His nicely tanned muscles gleamed under the sun, slippery and wet. It took all I had not to keep staring at his firmly shaped six pack...okay who was I kidding? I was staring and staring hard...and so was everyone else in the neigbhorhood. I swear I saw several cars pass by more than one time just to get a good look a him.

"Yum," Luis grinned, nudging me, "looks like our little Austen filled out pretty well over the summer eh? That boy is bringing sexy back."

I glared at him. "If you knew who he was than why the hell did you ask me?"

He smirked. "You're just mad cause your little puppy turned into a hunky stallion."

I smacked his arm. "Shut up, I don't care."

"Weeeeeeell," Luis glanced at Austen, who was now playing fetch with his golden retriever, Dolly. It was like some commercial for an ad or something. You've got to be f-ing kidding me. "If you don't want him, than can I have him? I just wanna eat him up!"

"Touch him and I'll break your fingers."

"Oooh," Luis wiggled his brows. "Kinky."

Sometimes I really couldn't stand Luis. Luis Alexander, who liked to be called Little Luie, which I'd rather choke on vomit than call him that, was a raging African-American homosexual. Yeah, he played for the other team if you catch my drift. Its mostly true about what they say, you know, about most of the gay population being good-looking. Luis was a good-looking guy, a cutie with a curly mop of dark hair and light brown skin. He was rude, reckless and wild...and that was the reason why he was a good friend. The two of us together usually spelled trouble for people.

I sighed. "That guy isn't Austen, not really."

"Hm hmm," Luis rolled his eyes. "Maybe if you keep saying that it will come true. Not."

"Shut up you homo," I attempted to kick him but he dodged, laughing.

"Name calling, Fay?" He wiggled a finger at me. "At least I'm honest about my feelings and be true to myself, sugar."

"I don't know what you're babbling about," I ignored his rude snort. "Anyway, if he comes to school looking like that, its gonna be hell."

"Oh yeah, I can see the ladies now," Luis sighed dramatically. "They'll be throwing themselves at him and poor Fay will be abandoned."

"Keep it up and you'll find my foot up your ass."

"My," he chuckled. "Aren't we a bit touchy? What's wrong, Fay? You on your period?" I stomped on his foot-hard- and this time I didn't miss. I left him there, cursing me to hell and back, holding his right foot while hopping on the left. It made me feel a little better. Just a little.

"What do you think you're doing?" I barked at Austen as I stepped over the mini white picket fence separating our lawns. Honestly, why they bothered to even put that there was beyond me. It certainly wasn't going to keep any burglers away.

"Vals!" Austen waved at me, kneeling down and petting his dog.
"Take a look, Dolly's pregnant."

"Congrats," I said distractedly, "now tell me why in the hell are you walking around outside like that."

He squinted his eyes at the sun and looked up at me. "Walking around like what?"

I pointed an accusing finger at his naked chest. "Like that, dufus!"

Austen stood, his muscles flexing as he moved. I closed my eyes to count to three than opened them again. I needed to built an immunity to this guys body and looks. Fast.

"It's hot," he replied, shrugging, "and I'm washing my moms car, I didn't want to get my clothes wet."

"Put something on," I snapped.

He blinked at me, taken aback.
"What?"

"Put a freakin shirt on!"

Just than a yellow car passed by, three girls giggling and waving at him from inside. Austen grinned at them, giving out a wave of his own causing them to give another burst of giggles. I've seen that same car pass by three times already, this being the third time.

"That's it," I threw my hands up, "put on a god damn shirt!" I stomped to his porch steps and grabbed his plain gray shirt, throwing it at him. "You're making a fool of yourself!"

"I am?" He caught the shirt, staring at it.

"Yes, you are. Now put that on before you embarrass me any further!"

Austen shot me a wounded look and I flinched. There I was again, hurting him. I didn't mean to! Honest! It was just...disturbing to watch people ogle at him.

Silently, he pulled on the shirt and looked at me, as if waiting for further instructions. That made me feel like an ass but...it also made me feel a little better because...well...he was acting like the old Austen I knew so well. This Austen I can handle. Okay, go ahead, call me controlling.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, Vals," he said quietly. Oh god, the look he was giving me, that I'm-a-cute-puppy-please-adopt-me look. On the old Austen it had been somewhat cute...but on this new Austen...it was too much. Was my nose bleeding?

"Its okay," I ruffled his wet hair. I had to reach out to do it. On the old Austen I didn't have to. "Hey, I have something to give you."

"Really?" He smiled that adoring smile at me. In his eyes, I was still his hero, the one who drove the bullies away.

"Yeah," I pulled my hand back. "Since you had your birthday overseas, I didn't get to celebrate it with you or give you your present." Austen's birthday was on July 23rd. We always celebrated our birthdays together, but this year, since he went to Europe, we didn't get to celebrate his...well I didn't.

"What did you get me?"

I suddenly felt nervous. I never felt nervous when I was giving him something, NEVER. Now I suddenly felt self concious. What if he didn't like it? What if he was disappointed? Why the hell was I caring about this now?

Before I could chicken out I pulled a tiny wrapped present out my pocket. I handed it to him, flushing. Austen took it, his smile so goofy that I had to smile too. I watched as he opened it, waiting for his reaction. He pulled out a chain with a golden ring hanging on it. On the ring it read, AZM, for his initials, Austen Zander McKennzie.

"Well?" I asked, impatient.

He caressed the ring with his thumb, remaining silent. My heart crumpled. He didn't like it...he didn't like the ring. I should have just given him money or something. How the hell would I know what a 17 year old boy wanted? With each passing second that he remained silent, staring at the damn ring, I wanted to crawl off somewhere. Why oh why did I have to get him a damn ring?

Oh yeah, cause I had remembered that he'd given me one for my 10th birthday, though it had been cheap, straight out of a 50 cent machine, the 10 year old me had cherished it and I still do. Austen had been right when he said that I still kept it hidden in my scrapt book...it's NOT a diary...I prefer to call it a scarpt book.

Anyway, since he was older now, I wanted to give him something that he could keep with him forever. I thought that giving him a ring with his initials had been a cool idea at the time, now, seeing the new Austen with it, I wanted to take it back. It seemed too intimate somehow.

Like giving a gift to a lover.

Whoa. I blinked. Where the hell did that come from?

"Here," I held out my hand, "if you don't want it give it back. I'll just get you something else."

"No," he shook his head. "No, I love it, Vals."

"Huh?" I said stupidly.

"I said I love it." Austen lifted his head and what I saw in his eyes caught my breath. That adoring warship look was etched on his handsome face...that and something else I didn't recognize, something stronger, more intense.

"I'll keep it with me," he said, taking the ring off the chain and sliding it on his ring finger. The finger where you put a wedding ring thru. I'd rather die than admit this out loud but seeing Austen wear the ring made me feel possesive, as if it proved that Austen had always been mine, which was rediculous right? Austen didn't belong to me, not in a romantic sense anyway. But what I did know was that he had always been mine to watch over, to protect.

"Hey," he smiled. "It fits perfectly."

And it did. I was glad that I had decided to get it a little bigger, hoping that Austen would one day grow into them, thats why I got the chain so he'd at least be able to wear it around his neck. But, since he had a sudden growth spurt over the summer, it fit his finger just right.

I smiled with pride. My little Austen had grown up. My smile vanished. But how much had he grown up? How much had Austen grown up without me over the summer? These thoughts disturbed me.

Was my little Austen gone forever?

"Vals," Austen's voice brought me back to the surface. He was still smiling at me, an innocent shy smile that the old Austen gave. I stared at him, studying him.

Yes...Austen's body may have changed but not Austen himself. His innocent boyish smiles weres still the same, his adoring gazes...yes this was still my Austen, still the guy I needed to protect. I frowned, suddenly annoyed. Well I'd have to protect him against girls now too. Damn.

"Vals," he took my hand. "I was hoping to give it to you on your birthday but since you gave me this ring...I want to give it to you now."

"Give me what?"

"Wait here," he said excitedly. "I'll be right back."

I watched as he ran in his house, tripping over his dog who followed closely on his heels. I chuckled. Same old Austen. What had I been so worried about? This was the same Austen McKennzie that had left three months ago. The only difference was that he was good looking now, too good looking but still the same Austen.

I smiled like a fool, feeling much better.

A few minutes later Austen came jogging back out and stopped before me. "Here, I bought this in Europe. When I had seen it I knew I had to get it for you."

I stared at his outstretched fist. What was it? I opened my hand and he dropped something small onto it. I peeked at my hand.

It was a ring.

I blinked, staring at it. The ring was beautifully craftedm a large violet diamond gleaming at me under the rays of the sun. It looked antiqued and expensive. I fell in love with it at first sight.

"I know violet is your favorite color," I heard Austen say quietly. "Its perfect for you."

"It's beautiful," I croaked. Damn, now I was gonna start bawling.

"You're crying," Austen accused, paniced.

"No I'm not," I lied, sniffing.

"Here," he took the ring, "I'll put it on for you."

I held my breath as he took my hand and slid the ring thru my ring finger. He did it slowly, looking up at my face as he did so. It was a perfect fit.

I felt my eyes burning. Oh no, oh no, I was seriously going to start crying any second. For some reason this moment was precious to me.

"Don't cry, Vals," Austen pulled me in his arms, tucking his chin on the top of my head. "Don't cry. You know I hate to see you cry."

"I'm not crying," I sniffed, "and If you tell anyone about this I'm gonna kick your ass."

I felt his chuckle vibrate through me. "I'm glad you like the ring, Vals."

I didn't just like it, I loved it. Maybe far too much than I should. It must be because I haven't seen him in a while. Yeah,that's it. Because I was glad that he had been thinking about me even when he was across the seas. That's all. Nothing more.

I wad trying to convince myself that.

"I have an idea," he said, pulling back a little to look at me. "Lets go to The Rage." The Rage was a "club" for 16 to 21 yr olds. It was the only club in the area that let ametuer bands play in it. That's why it was so popular. In fact, my own band often threw gigs in it.

Damn, I had forgotten about the band completely. We weren't world famous or anything, just popular around the area as the band who knew how to get a party going. I'm the lead guitarist, sometimes singer but I was mostly a guitar person. Luis was the singer and we sometimes shared the singing spotlight. My band, Blue Crush, had just been a hobby for us in the beginning, nothing too serious but during the summer we became somewhat popular.

"Actually," I sighed, "my band has a gig there tonight."

"That's great," he pulled away from me. The sudden loss of his heat made me want to pull him back. Hell I wanted to crawl in his shirt and hybernate like a bear.

Because he's my bestfriend and I missed him, I told myself. Nothing more.

"I'll get ready," Austen backed away.

I frowned. Was it me or did Austen look kind of funny? "Austen you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," he backed away some more. "I'll see you later okay?"

I opened my mouth but before I could say anything he was already taking off, running into his house as if the hounds of hell were after him. I turned, walking back to my own house.

That was weird.

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Cookie: Theres a pic of our shirtless Austen while washing his car and playing with his dog. Lol, Like Fay said, it's like a commercial ad. He has a winning smile! XD ------------>