In Love with the Prince (of Darkness, That Is)

No one answered when Dreama rang the doorbell at Taylor's house, and he didn't answer his phone when she tried to call, so she sat on his front step and waited.

He pulled his car into the driveway just as dusk was closing in, and Dreama stood and went over to meet him.

"Hi," he said quizzically as he stepped out of the driver's side door.

"Hi."

He waited for a minute, and Dreama chewed on her lip. Finally she admitted, "I, um... I've missed hanging out with you."

"Yeah, it's been pretty lonely around here without you bugging me every day."

Dreama smiled. "Well that was a compliment... of a sort."

"Yeah, well, I'm still stinging a little bit from the other week."

"It really was nothing, Taylor. I was...." She sighed. "Look, I've been freaking out, okay? I've never... been serious with a guy. God, I've never been serious about a guy. I mean, I'm not a virgin, there have been others, but not like this."

"What is 'this'?"

"See, I haven't gotten that far yet. I don't know, really, what we are. I was, uh... hoping you'd invite me in. So we could figure that out together?"

Taylor nodded. "Yeah, I think I could do that." He took her hand and led her through the house to his room in the basement. As soon as he'd closed the door behind them and stepped off the bottom stair, Dreama turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, crashing their lips together.

Taylor moaned and put his arms around her. "We have to be quiet," he said huskily. "My parents are home."

"I can be quiet." She backed him against a wall and began to lift his shirt over his head.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure." Dreama took off her own t-shirt, then jumped and curled her legs around his hips as he stumbled toward his bed.

*~*~*

"So he found a job?"

Dreama nodded. She was lying snuggled against Taylor's side underneath his arm, playing with his ear between her fingertips as they talked.

"Yeah, the day after. Things are still a little rocky between he and Nate, but, hey--they're guys. They'll figure it out in their own time."

"How's he holding up without a girl to run to?"

Dreama shrugged. "How'd you do?"

Taylor pretended to think about it for a few seconds. "Lousy. It's really hard to dance by yourself."

"Oh, that's the only thing you missed about me, huh?"

Taylor grinned and brushed his fingers across the purplish formation a few inches under her collarbone. "I might have missed a few other things," he whispered, dipping his head to suck on her skin again.

"I don't know how I'm going to explain this one to Gem," Dreama chuckled.

"Well, I'll remember to place the next one somewhere less... visible," Taylor said, with a mischievous smile. His fingers began a slow descent down her body, and his mouth followed.

"Taylor--"

"Shh. I'm busy."