He's kissing me!  Her mind screamed when Brian stepped close to her and pressed his lips to hers without warning.  This shouldn't happen, Dani thought.  I've been drinking, so has he, this can't happen.

    "Don't." She said pushing him away.  She saw the look of confusion on his face

    "Don't what?" he said.

    "Don't kiss me like that if you don't mean it."  The words were hard to say, all those times she'd wish he'd kiss her and here he was finally doing it and she was scared it wasn't coming from the right place.

    "Maybe I do." Brian said looking her right in the eyes.  Dani looked away, her emotions so high and confused, he didn't move from her doorway and said nothing, he just watched her.

    "I need to sit down for a minute." he suddenly said ending the moment, pushing past her into the bedroom.

    "Brian, don't." Dani yelled in a whisper, grabbing his arm and pulling his back.

    "Dani please?!  Just for one second.  I really have to sit."

    "I don't want you to wake up Jody, c'mon I'll take you back to your room." She said growing maternal and taking care of her friend.  "Let me grab my key thing." Dani pulled it off the bed table and pushed Brian from the room, shutting the door behind herself.   She folded her arms across her chest as she followed a step behind him until they reached his room, he fumbled with the key card and finally opened the door, stumbling inside and kicking off his shoes in the middle of the floor.  Dani looked around the room, noticing Trevor wasn't there and sitting down on a couch, her head still spinning.

    "Do you want a drink?" He asked, kneeling in front of the open mini bar.

    "No and you shouldn't either, you're drunk."

    "One more won't kill me." He laughed.

    "It might." She said.  Brian laughed even harder, but made himself a drink using a can of coke and a small bottle of Rye.  Dani's stomach turned at the combination, but Brian drank it without so much as a sour face.    Dani closed her eyes, thinking about the kiss and sort of wishing it hadn't happened, it was like getting a mouthful of water when you're thirsty.  It just left you wanting more.

    "So did you guys have fun tonight." Brian asked sitting down on the bed across the room, finishing his drink in four gulps.

    "Yeah, I guess." She vaguely said, getting up and going to sit next to him,  "You guys?"

    "Until I got into a fight with Trevor." He sighed.

    "Why did you get into a fight with Trevor?" Dani asked.

    "Because of you."

    "Why?" She asked incredulously.

    "He was saying you were flirting with him at supper and he was going to the club to hook up with you."

    "Why did you even listen?  You know I wasn't flirting with him."

    "I know, but I was jealous.  I thought he'd find you and sweet talk you and  that you'd end up....you know." He said with hint of embarrassment in his voice.

    "Back in his room sitting on his bed?" She smiled, pointing out the irony of where she was.

    "Ya know, you look beautiful tonight." He said, running his fingers lightly through the hair that framed her face.  She looked at him with disbelief as he continued playing with the strands that hung along her cheek.   "I've been wanting to do that all night." He sighed.

    "What?"

    "Touch your hair and your skin."  He ran his fingers across her jawline and under her chin.  "It's soft."

    "Brian, what are you doing?" Dani asked.

    "I don't know." He said with a shake of his head.  "But I meant it Dani."

    "You meant what." She said with confusion.

    "I meant that kiss.  And I mean this one too." he said leaning in and kissing her again, this time a little harder, and a lot longer.   Dani hesitantly pushed him away, getting off the bed and pacing the room, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

    "Why are you doing this?" She asked.  "This isn't some way to get back at Trevor or Joey or Sofie is it?  Because if it is I need to know.  Why did you kiss me Brian?"  Brian sat on the edge of the bed looking over at Dani.

    "I can't explain why I kissed you, but this isn't a way to get back at anyone Dani.  I just.....you are.... we can.....argh, I  can't explain it, it's just everything's changed with us.  We aren't just friends Dani, at least I don't want to see it that way anymore.  Do you?" He asked getting off the couch and standing in front of her, peering into her eyes looking for the answer.   She shook her head lightly and the side of his mouth rose in a smile.  His arms came around her back as she leaned in to kiss him.  He pulled her body tight against his, the feeling of his hands running along the bare skin of her back sent shivers up and down her spine.   She didn't know if it was the alcohol that made her loose her inhibitions or the fact that it was Brian, but she wasn't concerned with what her mind had to say anymore, all she listened to was the feelings and emotions that soared in her.  She wasn't going to rationalize herself out of this, she wanted him, and at least for the moment, he finally wanted her too, as more than just his friend.

    "Brian what are we doing?" Dani said amidst unending  kisses.

    "We're putting a good end to a good night." Brian's kisses covered her face and neck.

    "We're drunk Brian, do we even know what we're doing?"

    "I know what I'm doing."  His mouth covered hers.  "I don't know about you."

    "Is this the stupidest thing we've ever done?"

    "Probably." He laughed, stepping backwards, flicking off the lights in the room as they passed the switch and moving across the room, pulling Dani with him.   They fell down onto one of the beds, Brian crying out as he fell on something.  Dani laughed as he pulled a shoe and some clothing out from underneath himself, tossing them across the room, and rolling over so Dani was under him.

    "I don't want this to ruin our friendship." She said as he slid the straps of her shirt off her shoulders, kissing beneath them.

    "It won't." Brian replied, sitting up and taking off his shirt.

    "No regrets Dani." He said in a hushed breath before kissing her again.  "Promise."

    "I promise."

Lyrics Taken From:
"Never be the Same Again" Melanie C
Written by: Chisholm/C/L/L/M
© 1999 EMD/Virgin