He's Forbidden, as am I

Matt smiled when he walked into his house, seeing Val's bag packed by the door. Her and her sister were going on a spa weekend, and he made it home before she left. "Babe!" he called for her when he closed the door. "In the kitchen!" her distant voice sounded. Matt's smile got wider when he walked, and seen her, humming to herself as she wiped down the counter. He walked up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her, "Why are you not resting?" he asked as he pulled her to him.

Val let out a small sigh of content, and rested against him as he started to gently rub her very extended belly. "I got a little stir crazy waiting for Michelle." she said, looking up at him with a small smile. She has been counting down the days to this weekend. Everything hurt, and she was so ready to get rubbed down and pampered for two days. It'll make this last month easier to get through.

Matt chuckled a little as he smiled down at her before leaning down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. He moved a hand up to cup her face, holding her tighter as the kiss got more heated. He pulled back ever so slightly, their lips barely touching, "How much time do we have?" he asked low, his voice full of desire. Val bit her lip, wishing they had time. Fortunately she didn't have to be the bearer of bad news as they both heard the front door open and close before she could respond.

Matt let out a groan, and dropped his head to Val's shoulder as she giggled. "Sorry, baby." she told him as she ran a few fingers through his hair. "Oh, am I interrupting?" Michelle's voice sounded from behind them. "Kind of." Matt grumbled a little harsher than intended. Sometimes it slipped out that way. "Matt." Val whispered with a little warning. He straitened out as he released her, and smiled at her. "I'm going to go put your bag in the car." he said, giving her a quick kiss before he turned to leave, passing Michelle without a glance. He remains civil as possible with her for Val's sake. She didn't need the added stress of her fiancé and twin sister's tension on top of the pregnancy. Doesn't mean he has completely forgiven her for what she did to Brian.

Michelle let out a sigh when he left, and met her sister's sympathetic eyes. "Think he'll ever forgive me?" she asked. Val smiled sadly at her, "Maybe when Brian does." she said walking over to her. "Guess I kind of messed up big there huh?" Val gave her another smile, "Oh sweetie," she said trying to hug her the best she could, "You're my sister, and I love you," she told as she pulled away a little, and held her arms in her hands, "But yeah you did." Michelle let out a small chuckle. "Can always count on you to slap me with the cold hard truth." she said. "I'm your sister, that's my job," Val grinned at her, "Now lets get on with this weekend." she said as she linked their arms, and left the kitchen.

Matt shut the trunk on Michelle's car after he put Val's bag in it, and started to walk back to the house. He got about halfway to the door when it opened, and the twins stepped out. Michelle held the door open for Val, and Matt jogged the rest of the distance to her, grabbing her hand, and walking her to the car. He opened the car door, and helped her in before leaning in to give her one more kiss goodbye. "Have fun, baby. I love you." he told her as they pulled apart. "I love you too." she replied, smiling up at him as he stood up. "And remember, no hot tub." he said, pointing a finger at her. "Ha!" Val let out, "My ass isn't leaving the massage table." she told him, earning a chuckle as he closed the door.

Matt watched them pull away before turning, and jogging back into the house. He still needed to shower, and pack a bag for himself. He had already made arrangements to crash in Brian's guest room this weekend. Sleeping in his bed at home was damn near impossible without Val there, and he was planning on being barely able to crawl to bed tonight.

Brian walked into his empty house, and tossed his keys on the little table by the door. He set his leather brief case on the couch, and walked to the kitchen for a beer. He walked back to the living room, loosening his tie, and unbuttoning the top two buttons on his shirt, and dropped down on the couch. He took a swig of his beer, and set it on the coffee table, grabbing the stereo remote, and turning it on. He reached over, and grabbed his brief case, opening the main compartment.

Brian pulled out the thick stack of papers he had to grade, and set them on the table next to his beer. He still had a few hours before the guys got there, and wanted to get this done and out of the way. He probably wouldn't get another chance till Sunday, and he was planning on using that day to recover. He grabbed his red pen out of one of the small front pockets on his case. Taking another drink from his beer, he scooped up the papers, and kicked his feet up on the coffee table as he leaned back into the couch.

One by one, Brian read through the poems, marking grammar, and punctuation mistakes. For the most part, they were all fairly good. Brian had a variety of students, from different grades. His class was an elective, which meant you didn't have to take it if you didn't want too. He could always tell what students actually tried and did well. There were the students that tried too hard, and over do it to the point he could understand what they were saying. The ones that tried, but just didn't have the knack for it. Brian usually took it easy on them when he graded just for the effort. Then there were the ones that just skated by, only took the class for the extra credits they needed to graduate. He wasn't so easy on them, and had no problem giving them all failing grades.

Halfway through the stack, Brian felt his stomach growl. He glanced at the clock on the wall, seeing it getting late in the evening. The guys would be showing up soon, and should probably eat something before the night starts. Brian set his papers aside, and grabbed his beer as he stood from the couch. He killed it off as he walked into the kitchen, and started looking through the refrigerator for something to eat. A frown crossed his face at the food lacking shelves, and he shut it before turning to the cupboards. He grabbed a box of cereal, and made a mental note to buy food one of these days.

Brian went for a bowl when he paused....milk and beer....probably not the best combination. With a sigh, he put the cereal back, and thought about just ordering some pizza's. The guys would probably be hungry, shit Jimmy was always hungry. He dug his phone out of his pocket, and was about to call for delivery, when his front door opened, and the smell of the very thing he wanted filled his house. "Brian!" Matt's voiced called, "Come help me with this shit!"

A chuckle escaped when Brian seen him, a case of beer dangling in his fingers as he tried to hang on to six pizza's, and keep his bag on his shoulder that just didn't seem to want to stay there. "You read my fucking mind man." he said taking the pizza's from him. Matt chuckled a little, "I got sick of sitting at the house, and decided fuck it, might as well grab some pizza and beer, and come over." he told him as they walked into the kitchen. Brian set the pizza on the counter, and Matt put the beer in the fridge, grabbing out two for them. "You get enough?" Brian asked as he laid the boxes out, and took the beer from Matt, "You Jimmy will probably eat two of these." he said with a smirk as he pulled out plates. "Yeah, but I figure Johnny will only eat maybe two pieces. He's been watching his gnomish figure, so it evens out." Matt told him with a chuckle.

They loaded their plates up with pizza, and moved to the living room. Brian took his seat back on the couch, and Matt set his stuff on the coffee table. He dropped his bag in front of the tv, and started digging out video games, and controllers. "You brought your Xbox?" Brian asked as he took a bite. "I wouldn't have to if you would get one." Matt told him as he started to hook it up to the television. "I don't play video games. Why would I get an Xbox?" Brian mused. "So I wouldn't have to bring mine." Matt said in an obvious tone, spinning around on his butt, and grabbing his food and beer. He spun back around, and set the stuff on the floor in front of him before turning on the console. Brian let out a chuckle, "Tell you what, buy me one for Christmas, and I'll let you play it whenever you want." he said as he grabbed the papers he had left to grade. "Deal, but you aint getting nothing else."

Brian held back the urge to be the grammar police, and went back to grading his papers as he ate. He tuned out Matt cursing at his game as he read through the poems, rolling his eyes when he came across Scarlette's. He almost felt kind of bad, and embarrassed for her as he read the descriptions of him, and some very suggestive things she wanted to do to him....almost. He gave her a zero, and left a little note at the bottom about how inappropriate it was, and if she wanted credit, she would have to rewrite it. Brian chuckled to himself as he set it aside. Maybe he'll give her 50%....maybe.

The front door opened, and Brian looked up. "Hey I found a stray," Jimmy said motioning to Johnny following in behind him, "Thought we'd clean him, give him something to eat, and warm bed." he said, draping an arm across his shoulders. "Ha, ha." Johnny sarcastically replied. "What'd you bring him here for? I don't want him." Brian asked looking back down at his papers. He was almost done. "Matt?" Jimmy questioned the man who hasn't even glanced at them. "Nope. Take him back to the alley you found him in." he told him, not looking away from his game. "Oh you guys are a fucking riot." Johnny said, not being able to hold back his smile as they chuckled around him. "Watch it. Bad gnomes sleep in the garden," Jimmy said pointing a finger at him, "I smell pizza." he sniffed, making a bee line for the kitchen.

Brian and Johnny chuckled at his retreating form, Matt still zoned out on his game. "Get me a beer!" Johnny yelled at him as he got ready to sit in a chair. "Get your own damn beer!" Jimmy yelled back, stopping him half way down. "Get me one too." Brian told him, shaking his empty bottle at him, but not looking up from the papers in his lap. "Me too." Matt said, setting his bottle behind him. Johnny rolled his eyes, but grabbed the two empties, almost running into Jimmy with a full pizza as he turned to leave. He stepped around him, and headed for the kitchen. "Hey I forgot mine, get me one too!" Jimmy hollered after him as he took the chair he was about to sit in. Johnny chuckled, and shook his head, "Get your own fucking beer!" he yelled as walked into the kitchen, putting the empties in the trash, and grabbing four. "Sounds to me like the gnome wants to sleep in the garden." Jimmy smirked as he came back into the living room.

Johnny walked over to him, and got down on one knee, bowing his head, "Your beer, your highness." he said holding it out for him. Jimmy looked at it then cocked a brow at a smirking Johnny. "You're not going to open it?" he questioned, earning another eye roll. "No, I am not opening your beer." he said, shoving it between Jimmy and the chair. He heard a tisk, tisk as he turned to Brian, and shook his head, "Someone's not getting a blanket now." Jimmy said as he shoved pizza In his mouth. "That sucks," Brian said as Johnny held out his beer to him, "Those rose bushes have thorns." he told him, not taking the beer from him.

Brian looked between the bottle and Johnny, a smirk plastered on his face. "No." Johnny said simply, dropping the beer in Brian's lap. He heard a sigh as he turned away, "So hard to find good help these days." Brian said as he opened his beer. Johnny let out a sarcastic laugh like Fire Marshall Bill, and walked over to Matt, holding his out to him. Matt looked at the beer with a frown, and went back to his game. "Seriously?" Johnny grumbled. "Come on man. I'm busy, and my hands are full." Matt told him, holding his controller up, but not looking away from the tv.

At this rate Johnny's eyes will be rolled into the back of his head before the night was over. He let out a sigh, and opened the beer, catching Matt's smirk as he set it next to him. "You just earned your blanket back." he told him. "Nuh-uh motherfucker, I took that away." Jimmy said with yet another mouthful. "And I'm giving it back, bitch. The gnome opened my beer." Matt shot back. "Why do I put up with you guys?" Johnny asked as he moved Brian's brief case to the floor, and sat on the couch. "We've been asking the same thing about you." Brian said with a small chuckle, finally getting to the last of the poems.

He took a drink from his new beer, and set down his pen. He probably wouldn't need it until he put the grade on it. Tammy was usually pretty good about spelling and grammar. A small smile came out when he read the simple title, Forbidden, knowing he probably wasn't going to get what he was trying to get as he started to read...

To follow my heart, I fear it misguides.
Through a whirl wind of emotions I know I can't hide.
To follow my mind, where logic resides.
Makes my soul yearn for the one I'm denied.
Then I see his soft eyes, that calm the storm inside.
A smile so kind clear the clouds in my mind.
My heart aches as the emotions collide.
I see that it's wrong, but isn't love blind.
The thought of his touch cause goose bumps to rise.
The sound of his voice sends shivers down my spine.
This battle within will be my soul's demise.
I scan the Heavens for some kind of sign.
Answers to questions I'm sure I won't find.
Someone just tell me this love is a lie.
These feeling are strong, but I keep them confined.
For a love that can't be, because he's forbidden, as am I.

Brian let out a chuckle as he put the A at the top of the paper just before it was snatched out of his hands. "What's so funny?" Jimmy asked as he looked at the paper. Brian was going to snatch it back, but decided against it. He would hate to have to explain to Tammy why she was getting her assignment back taped together. He just smiled and shook his head slightly, "Tammy. Tried to pull her away from the sad, depressed, tortured soul shit with a love poem. Should have know I would get something like that." he said as he started to put his stuff back in his case.

Johnny stood and moved behind Jimmy's chair, "Something like what?" he asked reading over his shoulder. Brian gave them both what the fuck looks as they invaded his students privacy. He watched smirks come out across their faces, and looked at them confused when he was met with cocked brows. "What?" he question as they looked at him with their smirks. "Nothing." they both said looking back down at the paper. "So this is a student?" Johnny asked taking the paper from Jimmy, and reading over it again. "Yeah." Brain said kind of slow, wondering where he was going with this. "Teacher's pet." Jimmy whispered loudly, and Johnny chuckled. "She is not the teacher's pet," Brian defended, "A teacher's pet is a kiss ass, and Tammy is far from a kiss ass."

Jimmy and Johnny just smirked at him, and Brian rolled his eyes. "Can I have that back?" he asked holding out his hand to Johnny. "No, now hang on," Johnny said holding it closer to him, "Sad, depressing, tortured soul shit you say? Got anything else of hers." Brian narrowed his eyes at him. "Why?" he asked having a pretty good idea. Johnny was a freshly graduated psychiatrist. "I just want to take a look at them." he said innocently. "No I don't, and even if I did, I wouldn't let you read them." he partially lied.

Brian did have a couple photo copied. He was going to see if she would let him send them into a few literature magazines. He wasn't going to let him read them though. "Why not?" Johnny whined a little. "Cause you're not psycho analyzing my student." he told him, standing and snatching the poem back. "Come on I need the practice." Johnny pleaded. "No," Brian stayed firm as he put the poem with the rest in his case, "Here, you want to analyze someone," he said digging out Scarlette's poem, "Tell me what the fuck is wrong with this one, and why I can't get her to leave me alone." he said shoving at him.

Johnny chuckled almost all the way through the poem. "Boy she don't hide it does she?" he laughed a little, handing it back to him. "No, and it's driving me fucking crazy," Brian said not nearly as amused as Johnny, "I'm about ready to drop her." he stated. "Wish I could do that." they heard Matt mumble, still playing his game. "Maybe you shouldn't have taught a required course." Brian said with smirk. Another thing about teaching an elective class, teachers could drop bothersome students. The student would just be placed in a different elective.

Matt finally pulled himself away from his game once the match ended. "Yeah well if I can get Kim to join the basketball team, it'll be one less place I have to dick with her at." he said as he stood and stretched before grabbing his beer from the floor. "Wait is this the same chick." Johnny asked. "No." Both Matt and Brian said with eye rolls as they finished off their beers. "Have you told her you're engaged with a baby on the way?" he asked getting a nod in reply. "You ever thought about giving yours what she wants, and maybe she'll back off?" Johnny asked with a smirk looking a Brian. "No! She's my student, and I'm sure when Zacky gets here he will tell just how very illegal that is." Brian said, not believing he would suggest that. "I know man. I was just fucking with you." Johnny chuckled. "Hey were is Zack anyway?" Jimmy voice piped up getting shrugs in reply. "Call him." Brian told him grabbing empties, and walking into the kitchen, "And tell him to hurry up," he yelled from the fridge, "We're almost out of beer, and he's suppose to bring more."

Zack tossed three cases of beer, and a bag with a few bottles of liquor in his back seat. He had been nominated to bring the start up booze. It cost too much for them all to get drunk at a bar. It was always better to get a head start before they went out. Zack climbed in his car, and put the key in the ignition, but didn't start it. A hooded man caught his eye running into the gas station, and he had a good idea what that man was about to do.

Grabbing his phone from the cup holder, Zack dialed 911 while watching the man pull a gun on the clerk. "This is off duty officer Zack Baker," he spoke when the operator answered, "I have an armed robbery in progress at the Quick Stop on 4th and Main," he told him as he grabbed his badge and gun from the glove compartment, "Requesting backup. I'm going in to apprehend the suspect." he said, tucking his cuffs in his back pocket. Zacky waited for the confirmation that units were on the way before he hung up, and tossed his phone back in the cup holder.

He kept his eyes on the man inside the whole time as he climbed out of his car, gun in hand, ready to go in. The man snatched a bag from the clerk, and took off towards the door. Zack ran to meet the man as soon as he came out, and speared him hard to the concrete ground. The man's gun slid away when they hit, and he tried to get to it, but it was useless. "Don't you fucking move!" Zack barked, holding him down with a knee between his shoulder blades. He brought his hands back, and tucked them too beneath his knee before tucking his gun in the back of his pants, and grabbing his cuffs.

Zack made sure the cuffs were going to hold before yanking him up to his knees. He let go of him, and grabbed the bag of money, and the gun off the ground. He didn't bother telling the man his rights. The officers on their way would take care of that. Instead Zack waited for them to show with a firm grip on his arm. His eyes shifted to his car when he heard his phone start to ring. He pulled the man up to his feet, and drug him with him to his car, slamming him against the side. Holding him there with one arm, Zack reached in his open window, and grabbed his phone.

A grin crossed his face when he seen Jimmy's name on the screen, and answered, dragging the man back to where they were. "What's up man?" he greeted. "Dude we're almost out of beer." Jimmy didn't even giving him a hello. Zack chuckled, "I got held up man," he started to explain, "Sit down." he told the robber, shoving him to sidewalk. "Are those sirens?" Jimmy asked hearing them through the line. "Yeah, I was leaving the gas station, and some dumbass decided to rob it," he told him, getting a dirty look from the man, "Don't look at me like that. You know it was stupid." Zack told him, hearing a chuckle from Jimmy.

The on duty officers started to pull in, "I just gotta hand him over, and give a statement. I'll be there in 20-30 minutes." he told him. "Well hurry the fuck up. I don't think what we have is going to last that long." Jimmy said hanging up without waiting for a response. Zack chuckled and shook his head as he stuck his phone in his pocket. "Thanks. I'm late now." he told the wanna be robber, earning an eye roll.

Notes

Okay no hate on my poem (Not that I think my awesome readers would:) I haven't written one in over a decade, so I maybe rusty.
For those that have read my other stories, I realize Johnny doesn't stray far from what he was in them, but I had two roles that would give them the most story time, and Zack just seemed better for the cop role :)
Sorry for the wait. Christmas stuff happened. Shopping, decorating, baking, you know all that good shit :D
So here's a rare Sunday update for you :)