July 4, 2001

"So, Brian's birthday is in a few days," Raury announced from my closet. "Any thoughts as to what you're gonna get him?"

I knew by the tone of her voice what she thought I should get Brian for his birthday. I'd been toying with the idea of sleeping with Brian for almost a year, but he'd been on the road so much there hadn't been a chance to actually put any plans into action.

"I'm not going to get him what you're thinking of," I said sarcastically. I stepped in front of my full-length mirror and surveyed my outfit with a sigh. Being seventeen, I didn't have a stellar body image, and no matter how many times Brian told me I was gorgeous, I still harbored insecurities. "God, I think I need to go on a diet or something," I pouted, jabbing at my stomach with my index finger. "I'm so fat."

"Oh, not this shit again," Raury sighed. She emerged from my closet, a shirt tossed over her arm and trendles of her red hair falling from her messy bun. "Senoma sweetie, you're not fat." My friend dropped her chosen shirt on my neatly-made duvet and shuffled over to me; she threw her arm over my shoulder and grinned. "You're sexy as hell. And you know Brian wants to get his hands on your sexy body!"

"I do not have a sexy body," I countered, a blush blossoming up from my collarbone. Raury's words reminded me of the last conversation I'd had with Brian when he'd said almost the exact same thing verbatim. I'd believed him, so I don't know why I couldn't believe Raury. "My stomach's all pudgy, and my legs look like sausages."

"Oh my God, I'm tired of hearing you say that shit," Raury grumbled. She whipped out her phone and took a picture of me before I could stop her, and sent it to someone via a picture message. "We'll just ask Brian what he thinks," she added slyly.

"Raury, you did not just send that picture to Brian!" I gasped. I have no idea why I even asked; I knew she had. In lieu of a verbal answer, Raury wiggled her iPhone in my face, the picture message to Brian flashing on the screen. "Raury Zaliski, I'm going to kill you."

"No, you won't!" Raury chirped. An alert came to life on the screen of Raury's phone, announcing to both of us that Brian had replied to her picture message. "Ooh, let's see what Brian says about you thinking you're fat." Raury's brown eyes eagerly scanned the message she'd received from my boyfriend, and shortly thereafter, her face turned a lovely shade of green. She thrust her phone into my hands. "I don't think I was supposed to read that. Fucking disgusting."

When she started walking away, the shirt snatched from my closet in her hands, I chuckled. "Where on earth are you going?"

"To the bathroom to change clothes and wash my brain!" she shouted back.

Okay, Brian's message honestly couldn't have been that bad. Raury was known to have a flair for the dramatic, so it was probably nothing. When I finally read Brian's message, I saw that it wasn't 'nothing,' but certainly not enough to warrant Raury's dramatic reaction.

Hell no Senoma isn't fat. She's fucking sexy.
Received from: Brian Haner at 2:46 p.m.

Using Raury's phone, I sent a reply to Brian. Normally, Raury didn't approve of me having access to her phone - she mentioned something about dirty text messages from Jimmy, which I did not want to hear about - but I'm sure she wouldn't mind just this once. After all, I wouldn't be looking through her inbox, just texting Brian.

Brian Haner, why would you send something like that to Raury's phone? - Senoma
Sent to: Brian Haner at 2:49 p.m.

Because I knew you'd be reading it, baby
Received from: Brian Haner at 2:51 p.m.

"Are you texting that pervert on my phone?" Raury gasped. She rushed forward and snatched the phone from my hand. "Shit, the last thing I need is to have two sets of dirty messages on my phone."

"Having a bit too much fun sexting Jimmy, aren't we, Raury?" I asked my red-headed friend wickedly. Raury blushed and I smirked; that happened very rarely. What made this funnier was the fact that Raury and Jimmy hadn't even had sex yet.

"Hush your mouth, Senoma," my friend grumbled, ducking her head. "If you don't, I'll show Zacky this dirty message from Brian."

"You wouldn't dare," I growled playfully.

"Try me," Raury quipped, wiggling her phone teasingly before scampering out of the room. I wonder how long it'll take her to realize Zacky isn't even home yet?

♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪

"Senoma, would you answer the door?" Mother called out from the kitchen. She was in the kitchen making Zacky's favorite lunch in preparation for his arrival home, which I suppose was now. "I think your brother's home."

Wordlessly, I rose up from the couch where I'd been watching MTV and went to the door. Just before I opened it, I could hear Zacky bickering with someone, and the second voice caused my heart to flutter sporadically. I swung the front door open, and just as I'd predicted, there stood my brother and...Brian.

"Hey Senoma," Zacky greeted, stepping forward to give me a hug. He sniffed the air. "Ooh, what smells good?"

"Mother's making roast beef sandwiches," I replied. A smile split my brother's face and he hurried into the kitchen, giving Mother a hug before inquiring about his sandwich. I closed my eyes chuckled, nearly forgetting Brian was standing there.

"Don't I get a hug?" he pouted, holding out his arms. Without a second thought, I moved into my boyfriend's welcoming arms and he wrapped them around me, enveloping me in a deliciously warm embrace. "I missed you, Senoma," he whispered against my ear.

"I missed you, too, Brian," I mimicked. "Even though you just texted me this morning."

"Ah, but words can never replace the real thing," Brian mused. His hands slid down my back, coming to rest just above the swell of my backside. A small vine of a blush began to creep up my neck. "You're coming to my birthday party, aren't you, baby?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied, looking up at Brian's face. He took this as a prime opportunity to attack my lips in a hungry kiss. Brian nibbled on my bottom lip, causing me to let out a small yelp, and he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I gripped on tightly to his upper arms, grateful for his arms, grateful for his arms that were wrapped tightly around me; otherwise, I was sure I'd melt through the floorboards. Our kiss became a bit more heated before we were finally forced to break apart for air. And just in time, because not long after Brian and I separated, Zacky came barreling out of the kitchen, his mouth stuffed full of Mother's roast beef sandwich.

His green eyes narrowed suspiciously at the sight of Brian and I with our arms wrapped around one another. I quickly ducked my head in the opposite direction and wiped the excess saliva from my mouth. Brian may have been an excellent kisser, but when there was tongue involved, things tended to get a little messy. "Whafs goin' on hewr?" Zacky asked through a mouthful of food. I grimaced. How disgusting.

"No need to worry, Zacky," Brian said smoothly. He raised his hands away from me and held them out to the side. "See? No hands on your precious baby sister."

Zacky swallowed his food. "Yeah, and it better stay that way," Zacky warned. "I told you before, I don't care if you're dating Senoma, just as long as you keep your perverted hands off of her."

"I understand," Brian stated, nodding his head a bit overzealously. I forced back a snicker. At this point, Zacky walked away without another word, but I knew he was still watching and listening. Brian, obviously, did not. "No promises, though," he added quietly.

"Brian!" Zacky yelled. "I can fucking hear you!"

"Zachary James, watch your language," Mother admonished from where she now sat in the living room. Zacky let out a strangled groan, and Brian and I shared a laugh.

"This is way too much fucking fun," he chuckled, and I agreed.

I peeked around to make sure Zacky was out of sight before taking Brian's hand. "Let's go up to my room," I suggested.

"After you, sweetheart," Brian replied with classic Synyster Gates smirk and allowed me to lead him quietly up the stairs to my room.

♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪

"Hurry up, Zacky," Father called out. My brother was the only one still in the house; the rest of us were outside ready to set off fireworks. Earlier in the evening, Father had cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, and we'd all taken a dip in the pool.

"I'm coming!" Zacky hollered back. The sound of the sliding back door opening and closing could be heard, and then Zacky came barreling into the backyard. "Sorry," he apologized. "I was webcamming with Gena." My brother said this with an obvious smile on his face, and I knew why. I'd learned all about Gena from Brian earlier that afternoon. She and my brother had met while the guys were on the road, and the petite blonde and my brother hit it off instantly. Brian jokingly informed me that Zacky didn't have the balls to ask her out himself, so he had Jimmy do it, and even I knew that was a mistake.

"Looks like big brother's in love," Brian said softly, nudging me in the ribs. "You think maybe now he'll leave us alone?"

"I can hear you, Brian," Zacky commented flatly, not looking over at us.

"Damn," Brian cursed. "Every time. Hey Zack, you think you could turn off your super ears for just a minute?"

After a short period of silence, Zacky hissed, "Thirty seconds."

Obviously surprised that Zacky had granted his request, Brian blinked his lighter than milk chocolate brown eyes. I nudged him slightly to bring him back to reality, and he smirked. Leaning in close to my ear, Brian whispered, "Senoma baby, for my birthday how's about you let me bend you over my kitchen counter and finally take you from behind?"

At about the same time that I blushed brightly enough for it to be seen in the dim light of Father's first firework, Zacky shouted, "Oh, I don't fucking think so!" My brother jumped up from his seat and shoved at Brian. I shrieked as Brian was knocked to the ground right next to me, Zacky leaning in close to his face. "You'd better phrase that a little more respectfully," he growled at his friend.

"Zacky, he was just kidding," I whispered so that no one could hear. Meanwhile, I was mentally pleading that Mother, Father, or Matt would look over at the three of us. But they were all far too occupied with the fireworks.

"Yeah, I was just...kidding," Brian wheezed, the effect of having Zacky's full weight pressing down on his chest. Zacky glared at Brian, not seeming to believe him, and Brian added, "I'm serious, Zacky. I've got more...respect...than that...for Senoma. I love her, man."

After a split second of contemplation, Zacky climbed off of Brian and allowed him to sit up. As Brian brushed the grass from his chest, Zacky stared at the two of us sitting next to each other as if he were truly thinking hard. "You really love her?" he croaked after about thirty seconds.

"Since I was eighteen," Brian confirmed, his voice strong. He took my hand into his, threading our fingers together, and my brother let out a heavy sigh.

"Well now I feel like a douche," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck, He sighed again. "But I guess if you really love her, then I have no business trying to keep you two apart."

"Am I hearing what I think I'm hearing?" Brian asked teasingly. "After two long years, we finally have big brother's blessing?"

"Yes Brian," Zacky chuckled, grinning. "But I'm telling you up front, if you hurt my sister, I'll fucking kill you."

Notes