February 9th around 9:30 at night...

----------

--Lips touched lips. Her strands of ebony hair got caught in the spring breeze and wrapped around to brush his ivory face. The thunder of the storm that filled their hearts passed over the navy sea spilling forth its contents of rain, lightening, and wind. Drop after drop fell from the sky to the earth, coating them with the love from heaven.

Then like an unexpected clap of thunder he pulled away. His strong hand lightly fell from her cheek and her eyes opened and looked directly into his. She couldn't tell if he was crying or if it was just the rain. She wasn't physically or mentally prepared for his words. They were the two words she had dreaded from the moment she had met him. And now they were out in the open and flooding her mind like a great rushing wave.

"I'm leaving."--

She jumped when she felt warm air steadily blowing on her neck. She then heard the familiar chuckle. "Sweetie, do you want to eat some dessert I made? Its rrrreally good."

She sighed tiredly and turned in the plush leather chair, situating the blanket around her and laying the open book down in her lap. "Justin I'm at my favorite part."

"You've been reading that book since you GOT here. The only time you haven't been reading it was an hour ago while we ate. Just give it a rest for a while and spend time with me." He rested his chin on the back of the chair and pouted at her. Her head shook and she dog eared her book and placed it on the table beside her and then her glasses went on top of that.

The blanket that was covering her was thrown aside and she stood her lankly body up and stretched her arms. As soon as her body had stretched its length and she was standing on her tiptoes, two strong arms wrapped around her tiny waist. She giggled and relaxed into his embrace.

"I made sundaes. With caramel and chocolate syrup and sprinkles and those little cherries."

"I don't like those cherries." She turned in his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his cologne.

"I love cherries..." He paused and let his lips barely touch her earlobe. She could feel his breath as he whispered. "...can I have yours?"

His soft, velvety lips moved down her neck right to where the neckline of her shirt was. Only then did he straighten back up and look down at her with a crooked smile. Her icy-blue eyes were round and wide and shocked.

"What?" He chuckled, searching her face for clues as to why she was so shocked. She pulled away from him and turned to her side and then back to him with that same look on her face. "Lexia...what is it, babe?"

"Don't play dumb." She narrowed her eyes and pushed him forcefully. The back of his knees hit the chair she had once been sitting in, and he fell back giving her an unbelieving look as she walked out of his living room and into the kitchen.

"Leeexxxiiiiaaaa..." He whined, pushing himself out of the chair and shuffling towards the kitchen. He walked through the kitchen and looked around trying to find her. It didn't take him long because she had become a statue outside the dining room. He slowed his pace and a grin came to his face as he stepped closer and stood beside her. "...I don't know what I said, but I'm sorry."

Her head turned and she had on a distant smile. "You did this for me?"

"I wanted it to be a little, ya know, romantic." He shrugged sheepishly. "You've been at my house all evening but we haven't spent any time together. So I figured I would do something about that."

Alexandria turned back and slowly stepped towards the dining room table. The whole room was dark expect for the glowing light coming from 2 long candlesticks. There were two bowls at each end of the table filled with ice cream sundaes with spoons, placemats and only two chairs, and a elegant vase in the middle of the table with a single red rose in it.

She let her fingers run over the smooth, shiny mahogany wood towards the chair and bowl at the end of the table farthest from the double doors. "There's only one problem." She crossed her forearms on the top of the chair at that was there and smirked at him.

"Ohh honey, there ain't NO problems!! You just sit that cute little tush of yours down and we will dig in." He half walked/half danced to the chair closest to him and pulled it out.

"No." She softly said.

"Lexia, what is it?" He encouraged her with his facial expression and she giggled and walked over to him. She picked up his bowl of ice cream and spoon that was lying beside it and the place mat and walked over to the other end of the table.

"Get your chair."

He picked up his chair and followed her. She had set up his little placemat and sundae right beside hers. He shook his head and sat down right beside her. She picked up her spoon and pointed at him. "Cheers"

He picked up his own and clinked spoons with her. "Cheers."

And they dug in.

They enjoyed their ice cream and fed each other lightly talking about nothing of importance. And finally they got BACK to his original question. "So, can I have your cherry?"

"JUSTIN!! Stop it, it's not funny!" She defended herself.

"I'm not making a joke LEXIA!! Dammit, I just want your cherry."

"Justin, I'm sorry. But I'm just not comfortable with this perverted little joke you got going on, ok? If you want to know seriously? I don't KNOW! Ok? GOSH! I've never done that before so I just, UGH!"

"What are you talking about? What haven't you done?" He looked at her unbelieving. "SEX, JUSTIN! Gosssshhh..." She groaned in embarrassment.

"OH MY GOD!" He yelled and then began laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair. "I, umm, I wanted to have THIS cherry Lexia, not THAT cherry." He reached over and picked the bright red berry from her bowl and raised his eyebrows as if in question. Her eyes darted back and forth from the cherry in his fingers to his curious face.

"I, ohh, well, see, oh man." She pushed her empty bowl away from her and laid her head on the table in embarrassment.

"Lexia, you thought I wanted to have sex with you." He poked at her shoulder like a little kid and she turned her head just in time to see him pop the stem of the cherry and slowly devour the small red fruit.

"Ohh shut up. I think I need to go now." She pushed back her chair, stood up and began walking out of the dining room.

"Wait up. Wait wait!" He chanted picking up their bowls and blowing out the candles as he followed her. He dumped the bowls in the sink and followed her to the living room where she was picking up her glasses, book, purse, and jacket. "Lexia, don't leave."

"I have to go." She ignored him and almost attempted putting her jacket on. But he snatched it away from her. "Alexandria."

That's what made her stop. The sound of his smooth, comforting voice saying her full name was new to her. She froze and he gently laid her jacket down on the couch and came behind her and let his hands skim up her arms to her shoulders where he kneaded the tight skin. "It's ok, Lexia. It's ok."

"I just made a complete ass outta myself, so forgive me if I feel a tad bit embarrassed and don't really want to be picked on right now." Her voice quivered and was unsure and trembling.

He let go of her shoulders and reached down for her hand. He pulled her towards the big chair she had been sitting in and sat down in it himself. He then pulled her down in-between his legs and held her there against his body. "Don't be embarrassed. You were just taking it the wrong way. I just wanted your- I just wanted that piece of fruit on the ice cream. It was just a misunderstanding, babe. That's all."

"But now you think that I've been thinking about it, and I haven't, well not really. And it scares me because I'm a virgin and I know that you aren't and I don't know what-"

"Ohh and just how do you know that I'm not a virgin?"

"Well, I just kinda figured, since Britney spent the night here and John said all yall ever did was stay in bed together."

"We SLEPT in the same bed, that's all. But I'm a virgin Lexia. So is Britney. She's waiting til marriage, but I doubt that will stand up. I know its mean, but sometimes the things she does, well they make me wonder. I've never had sex Alexandria. I don't know when I will or if I will soon. I'm not going to say I haven't thought about you in that way, because that would be a lie. But there is no pressure from me ok? We can take this as slow as you want. All right babe?"

He turned his head down towards hers and she tilted hers upwards and nodded. "Oh, and please don't ever be embarrassed in front of me. I'm sure we are both going to say and do a lot of stupid things from here on out. You don't have to be perfect for me Lexia. I like you the way you are." He brought a hand to her cheek and drew his lips towards hers in a loving kiss.

---

The lights in the living room had been dimmed to nothing and the only light was coming from the table beside them. A blanket was wrapped around their snuggled bodies as they talked about past relationships and crushes.

"Ok, so who was YOUR worst kiss?" Justin looked at her with a curious face.

Her eyebrows connected and she thought for a moment. "Ohh yeah, there was this one guy who just, ugh. He had no idea what he was doing. I think his name was Jason. No, no wait. I know, it was Justin. Justin Timberlake." She slowly moved her devilish expression to his puppy dogface.

"Fine, I just wont kiss you anymore."

"Thank God." Alex mumbled under her breath.

His navy eyes narrowed at her and he pinched her under the blanket. "I'll have you know I am a master at kisses."

"Oh really?" She moved slightly so that her back was against one of the armrest and she was looking at him, but still sprawled out on his lap. "Who declared you this "master of kissing"?"

He smirked and pulled her back closer to him. He licked his lips and grinned knowingly. "You did."

"No I did-" She stopped when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. He claimed them in a dance and parted them with his tongue, letting it sweep through her mouth and then finally pulling away by releasing her bottom lip and resting his forehead on hers.

"You did, too. Yesterday when I brought your bookbag from moms and I greeted you with my little hello kiss. I think I recall you saying, 'Justin you are the master of kissing.' Yes that's it."

She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder letting him hold her. "I've been missing this."

"What?"

"Companionship. A relationship with someone my age, a relationship with a male. I'm glad I have a boyfriend." She leaned in closer to his ear. "And I'm really glad you are my boyfriend."

He started to whimper and tried to push her away. "And I'm really glad you just decided to put all your weight right on my crotch." Finally he got situation and sighed contently.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's quite all right." He looked at her lazily and smiled. "So who was Jon staying with tonight?"

"Billy and Caleb were having a mini camp out in their backyard, so all the boys went over there."

"We use to have camp outs in Memphis. I use to be the best camper."

"OH YEAH, RIIIIGHT." Alex said unbelieving.

"I did."

"Honey, come to Alaska where at night it gets down to -10 degrees and you DO have to worry about grizzly's and cougars. Oh yeah, Alex Smith almost got made into a grizzly bears snack when she was 8."

"Oh my Gosh, are you serious?" Justin's mouth dropped.

"Yeah, Andrew somehow saved me."

"Oh..." Justin didn't know what to say, she suddenly became quiet when her brother was mentioned.

She finally cleared her throat and reached over him to the table where her book was placed and grabbed it, opening it to her desired page. She then handed it to him. "Will you read to me?"

"Sure." Was all he said. She pointed to the part where she had stopped and he picked up right where she had left off.

He coughed lightly and let his smooth voice flow over the words.

" 'I'm leaving.'

She didn't know what to say to him, so she reached out and clung to him like he was her last hope for survival. It was a tragedy really, at least in her mind. The only person she had ever loved was leaving her for a better life. A life away from the stormy weather of this girl's heart. They stood there for hours; holding each other and letting the storm soak them and then dry them with its fierce winds.

And soon the pelicans began their annoying calls again and the- "

He stopped and looked down at the sleeping girl using his body as a mattress and smiled. The book was gently placed on the table and the light was turned off, leaving them in peaceful darkness. Justin resituated the blanket and wrapped his arms around Lexia, soon falling into a peaceful slumber himself.