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Rose smiled secretly while she and Brian swayed back and forth on the dance floor. His arm on the back of her neck, and his breath tickling her ear ever so lightly, she couldn't remember a time when she'd ever felt this good before. It was like the world around them had faded away, the lights had dimmed, and all that was left was she and Brian.

"Penny for your thoughts." Brian said suddenly, snapping Rose out of her reverie.

She looked up at him (which she could do now, with out blushing), and smiled. "I was just thinking how perfect this is." Rose was surprised at her own bluntness, but, somehow, she wasn't at all embarrassed about it. "How perfect you are."

Brian smiled. "One of us is." He assured her.

She pulled him slightly closer to him. "What happens when you leave?"

The question was sudden, and unexpected, but it was necessary, and even though neither of them had realized it, it had been on the backs of their minds ever since they'd met. "I'll never leave." He said lamely, but Rose shook her head.

"Yes you will. You'll leave next Saturday. That's one week, Brian. And then I'm never gonna see you again."

Brian's face fell, and lines of worry creased his forehead. "Don't say that, Rose. You're going to see me again."

Rose's eyes started to water, and she furiously blinked back the tears. "I'm sorry, Brian. I shouldn't have brought it up. It doesn't matter. We have this week." She burried her head in his shoulder, and they started dancing again, but it was different now. They pulled slowly away from each other while they moved in time to the music, and neither of them looked each other in the eye. After a few awkward moments, the song ended, and Rose pulled away from him. "I'm gonna go sit down." She said, then turned and walked away before Brian could offer to join her.

A new song started blasting over the loud speakers, but suddenly Brian didn't feel like dancing any more. He stood in place for a moment, rocking back and forth on the balls of his heels, and looking around at all the other couples. Across the room, he spotted a group of girls looking over at him and whispering excitedly. Why now, of all times, were they starting to recognize him? Why now, after he'd just hurt the one woman in this world that he seriously cared?

"Brian?" One of the girls called out hopefully. Brian diverted his eyes. He turned on his heal, and walked quickly away.

"Rose." He said softly, sitting down next to her. She met his eyes for a minute, her own clouding up with tears, and then she shook her head.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She whispered.

Brain took a hold of her wrist, and tried to pull her back towards him, but she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "You just went to the bathroom!" He called after her. Rose didn't stop walking.

The girls across the room were staring at him again, all giggling now, and shoving a tall blond one in his direction. He quickly looked away. Sure, they were fans and he had rule against being mean to his fans, but now wasn't the time to play Brian Littrell- Pop Star. Now was the time to play Brian Littrell- Boyfriend. Not that he was exactly Rose's boyfriend. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure exactly what he was to her.

"Hey big boy." A female voice interuped his thoughts. Brian looked up, ready to see the blond fan, but instead his eyes landed on Heather. Se held a drink in each hand, and her dress was even lower-cut than he'd remembed. "What happened to youe little woman friend?" Brian shook his head, and took the drink she offered him. It smelled like something a little stronger than Coke, even though he was pretty sure that they weren't supposed to be serving anything but pop. He took a long drink. Heather raised an eyebrow. "That can't be good for whatever illness landed you in that hellhole of a hospital."

Brian shrugged. "It's not that bad." He said.

Heather laughed. "Yeah, not for those of us who use hospital visits as an easy and conveinent way to meet easy and conveinent women."

Anger sent a flare through his system. "Rose is not easy and conveinent." He spat, narrowing his eyes at Heather. "Rose is beautiful and amazing."

"Whoa, boy." Heather held up her hands in mock surrender, and backed dramatically away. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get your undies up your ass. But, hey, look." She brushed some lime hair behind her ear. "I just came over here to ask you if you wanted to dance, since Rose The Beautiful And Amazing seems to have vanished."

Brian glowered at the table top. He was discovering Heather to be one of those people who possesed that uncanny talent to grind his last nerve. "Fine." He said, standing up.

Heather winked at him, and took his hand, leading him onto the floor, just as the lights dimmed, and the music suddenlt became soft and melodious. "Wow, what good timing." Heather said slyly, as she rested one hand on Brian's neck.

Litlle pricks of sweat popped up on his forehead. Brian couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this nervous. Or this. . . dirty. Like he was doing something wrong. He felt Heather's hair tickle his cheek as she leaned in closer to him. Her hand moved up and down on the nape of his neck, catching the tiny hairs under her fingernails. Her eyelids fluttered closed.

Brian pushed her away. There was more force than necessary behind his shove, and she stumbled backwards. "What the fuck!" She snapped, her face hardening. "What's up, pretty boy?"

Brian looked at her, searching for a trace of Rose in her face. "Thanks for the drink." He muttered, then turned and hurried away, towards the restrooms.