A/N: this is a sequel for anyone who didn't read my story Life after Destruction, I recommend you read that first. You will be less confused. :3 For everyone who has read it this starts off in at the beginning of that summer. So I skipped the end of winter and the whole spring season. Please remember that some of the plot lines in this story are pretty soap opera-y. :/ I know this. They just popped into my head and I had to do it….

Chapter1.

I clenched my hands and flexed my fingers. I hadn't felt this nervous in- I don't know how long. Probably since Caleb, the manipulative bastard he was. No, I guess I was more nervous around him, but still. It was a big deal to do what I was about to.

"Hey Mom?" I asked finally, my voice cracking slightly. Shit, that wasn't going to do any good.

I saw Arthur out of the corner of my eye and wondered if he was going to object to what I was about to say. I hoped not. I hoped he wasn't going to get mad at me. We had been solid up until now; I just hoped since I hadn't even bothered really talking about this to him he wouldn't get mad.

Mom looked kind of worried as I stared at her. I guess she sensed my nervousness. "What is it, honey?" she asked cautiously.

"I-uh," I licked my lips, "I wanted to know if I could maybe possibly get a job." I hadn't worked - really worked - since I quit the club, and doing nothing wasn't doing it for me. I had to work someplace. I didn't care if I wasn't going to get to strip – hell, I was done with that. I just wanted to do something.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Of course you can, Dustin. I'll even help you fill out applications if you want."

I smiled. Here came the hard part, the part she might not like. "And then - when I save up enough money, of course - could I maybe get an apartment?"

Her smile dropped. Crap. "Dustin, I'm not sure that's the best idea," she told me with a hint of worry in her voice. "It hasn't even been a year since you stopped having panic attacks. It's only the beginning of summer."

"But I lived on my own before - sort of. And I just like living like that more. I'll come visit on the weekends if you want, or something," I pleaded. I needed my independence back.

I watched her think about it, cringing as she did. "I don't like that idea," I heard from the side of me in a strong voice. "I don't think Dustin should move out." Obviously Arthur didn't like this.

"I- please, I need to do this."

"Maybe," Mom said, surprising both Arthur and me. Arthur even stopped glaring at the side of my head long enough to look taken aback.

I got a really excited feeling in my stomach. "Really?"

"We'll see how having a job goes first. But you're eighteen; I can't really stop you." She looked slightly distraught. "And yes, if it does so happen that you move out, I'd love you to visit." She paused. "All the time. That's the only way it's going to be good with me."

"But Mom!" Arthur yelled, getting up off the couch. "You're seriously just gonna let him leave? Without stopping him? What happened to searching for him and keeping him here forever?"

"Arthur, I can't baby your brother. He is eighteen; I have to let him go if he wants to. I just hope he'll want to visit, and if he does have any problems he'll come back for a while until he feels in control again." She said the last part to me, and I got the message loud and clear. No freak-outs or she was hauling my ass straight back home.

Arthur was pissed; I could tell. "You want to go for a drive?" I asked Arthur, hopeful. Since I had gotten my drivers license I loved taking him on rides.

"Fine," he spat and walked towards the front door grumpily.

I walked behind him and opened the door as he put his shoes on. I already had mine on; I was somewhat expecting this. We walked out to my car, a present from my family on my birthday. I also got driving lessons from George, who was very calm, even when I jumped several curbs.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he barked once we were in the car. "I thought we didn't keep secrets."

"We don't. I just wanted to know if I could or not. And it's not like I told anyone before you knew," I pointed out, shifting into gear and pulling out of the driveway. I freaking loved my car, even if it was just a normal car. It was mine, and I could drive it wherever I wanted.

He slouched in his seat. "You didn't exactly tell anyone after me, either. You told Mom and let me overhear. That's pretty mean."

"I wasn't trying to be mean."

"You could have discussed it with me. I don't want you to move. I like having my boyfriend literally in the next room at night. I love being able to sneak-" He stopped abruptly. "Sex," he whispered. "Whenever we want."

"Stop being such a coward about the word sex. That's so immature," I commented off hand.

Arthur turned towards the window. "You so don't want to be pissing me off more right now."

Well excuse me, princess, I thought with one eyebrow cocked. I drove us to our spot and parked the car.

"Arthur, I can't live like that. In a house with family and rules? It doesn't work for me. It's like I'm suffocated. I need some air." To emphasize my point I took a deep breath and let it out.

He chuckled. At least it entertained him.

"Okay, I get that. But why do you want to be away from me?" he asked, and I swear he sounded so broken.

I tried to search for the right words. "It's not that I want to be away from you," I started and searched some more. "You can come over whenever you want, and it'll be more- private? Yeah?" Okay, I totally pulled that line out of my ass. "But I'm not going to lie. The main reason is I want to live without your mother telling me curfew or what to eat or if I can stay up or not." I flat lined a look.

"And suffering through those great tortures is impossible for you?" Arthur asked very sarcastically.

"Quite frankly, yes," I replied shortly. "I still love you, but I need my own real space."

He melted quickly. I swear I could probably get him to jump off a cliff if I promised I loved him. Not that I would, and that's because I really did love him.

"Fine. I guess it would be nice to not have to bite pillows to keep quiet," he conceded.

I snorted. "Did I ever tell you how cliché that is that you do that?" I asked with a hint of playfulness in my voice.

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "Well I don't see any pillows in this car. You could- uh try and break me from my habit." He smirked at the end, but it didn't change the fact he sucked at flirting.

It was cute that he tried, though.

"Nah- I have to go pick up some applications from different places and see what I can do." I paused. "Want to come with? Maybe you could get a job too, and we can work together."

That would be perfect. That way I would get to see my boyfriend every day - even when I did move out of the house.

"Yeah, sure. A job might be fun," he said, and I think he was happier knowing there was a chance this meant even more time with me. It made me happy knowing he would be there for me, too.

We wound up picking up applications for a pet store, a CD store, a second-hand clothes store, and a privately owned restaurant inside the mall. They might have not been the most interesting of jobs, but they paid and that's what I wanted. Cash. I don't mind as long as it's enough to pay rent and get a decent amount of food.

"Where do you think we'll wind up working?" Arthur asked anxiously. "I liked the CD store. That would be cool. We'd get to be DJ's, sort of. I mean we get to recommend songs and play music in the store."

He sounded so excited I couldn't help but smile. He was just so damn cute.

"Sorry I get excited about these things sometimes," he muttered as he noticed my staring.

"No, go on. I don't mind," I insisted. I just wanted to hear his voice some more. I freaking loved his voice.

He blushed. "No seriously, I'm done. Where are you hoping to work?"

"The restaurant," I answered honestly. "It pays the best, and the benefit of tips never hurt anyone," I replied with a smile. "After that the clothing shop would pay the best."

"So not the CD store," he deadpanned, sounding slightly depressed.

I shook my head. "I'll go anywhere willing to pay me."

"But you don't want to work there," he insisted.

I shook my head again. "I want to work anywhere you are. And it does sound like fun from how you describe it." We got into the car, and once the doors were both closed I sighed. "But jobs aren't always about fun. I'm sure I'll have fun, though, if I'm with you."

"That's sweet," he said in his adorable voice.

"You're welcome."

"You're also bull-shiting compliments so I'll have sex with you tonight, aren't you?" he asked in an equally sweet voice.

I smirked right back at him. "Yep."

Later that night, when everyone had gone to bed, I creeped out of my bedroom and into Arthur's. He was waiting for me, sitting perfectly on his bed - and completely naked.

That was a sight to be seen. I felt a rush of heat flow south, and I slowly licked my lips.

"I was wondering when you were coming around," he said with a slight smirk.

I took a deep breath. "I would have been here sooner if I knew what I'd be seeing," I commented in praise.

Arthur had gotten very sensual lately. It was like he was horny one-hundred percent of the time. He had also gotten into the romantic side of things. It would not surprise me an inch if he covered his bed with rose petals one night.

He crawled towards me on his bed and put his hands on my chest. "You're wearing too much clothes," he whispered into my ear with a flavor of husk to him that made my mind go wild. He pulled on my shirt until I lifted my arms so he could lift it off.

"Pants?" I asked.

"Sure," he replied, thrown off balance by my question; when he gets in his moods like this he sometimes doesn't know how to act when I ask a question.

He put his hands on my belt buckle and made swift work of it, brushing his fingers over my clothed erection as he did so. It was a motion that would have made his face flame a couple of months ago, but now he just looked calm and euphoric as he did so.

I stared back into his eyes and leaned forward, not able to help myself, and kissed him. "I freaking love this," I told him as he got my pants down to my knees. I shimmied them the rest of the way down and stepped out of them.

I led him down on the bed and continued to kiss him until he was losing control and quietly making tiny noises - just soft gasps and muffled curses.

"Are you ready?" I asked Arthur, knowing he was. I knew so much about his body.

He nodded, and I reached towards where he kept the lube and condoms. "Good, because you might need that pillow tonight."

A/N: and you always leave them wanting more! Lol I just had to end it there. No full lemons to at least the third chapter. I'm just not that kind of girl ;D

SO nothing too eventful in this chapter but I think it was an important beginning. :D

Reviews from Life after Destruction I didn't get to answer:

Exocteid: Expect more Soap Opera moment's in this one. As a hint I'll say that this story is the one where I fit in the moments I thought to impossible to put in the other one or too much. But it's gotta have a plot right?

I'd want George as a step parent too. He'd be way awesome. I thought step parents were never done justice and I also thought it would make sense that Dustin liked a step parent more because the real parent would probably hover too much around him.

Caleb was an excellent character…. But I'm a bit bias. I also hate his guts….

I hope my writing skills continue to improve  I think this site has helped me a lot. Before it I had never finished anything. In fact I had never gotten past chapter six of anything. So as long as I'm on here I think I'll be improving. Which is the whole point right?