Updattte. We've been so immersed in getting this written, that we keep forgetting to post xD So here it is, chapter 5. Joe's POV. Don't forget to review, we love your guys' feedback! Thanks again :D

Enjoy~

5 – Hangin' Around

Talking on the phone with Abby made me giddy and fidgety, the want and need to be there and talk to her face-to-face strong enough to surprise me. The want in general for her - well that's a whole other story. I sleep soundly that night, despite missing the warmth of a body next to mine, and I wake with renewed vigor. Shower, gather my book bag, off to uni for classes and studying. By the time I have to leave for work, I have two essays nearly half finished and a new respect for those online bibliography websites. So much easier than doing it yourself.

Throughout work, I think about meeting Abby's friends. Brock seemed really nice, a bit of a ladies man and attractive enough to be one. Hailey reminds me of a lot of April's best qualities, only sweeter and more refined, definitely a lot more personable. I think about Abby, mind flashing to April and wondering what she's been up to since the wedding.

Elijah's left me two whole trays of a new white chocolate macadamia strudel he created, and I pop them in the oven for a test run. If anything, I can send some home with the boys tonight and give some more to Abby for her and her friends. And if they turn out bad, I'll send them all home with Elijah. I snicker at the thought, setting the timer on the oven before heading to the fridge to get some dough to set out so I can work it later.

The nerves hit around six, when I really start fretting about bringing Abby with me to dinner. I mean, I know everyone will get along and everything, but I'm nervous. Introducing friends to a potential date is nerve-wracking. Scenarios play out in my head - Abby deciding my friends aren't good enough, Elijah and Mike deciding Abby's just too different for me and that I shouldn't date her. Irrational, stupid things, but by the time I get out of work, I'm stressed and worried. I test out the strudels Elijah made when they're done baking, and I'm surprised to find they taste really great. I drizzle some white chocolate over top and put them in the fridge to chill, boxing them only just before I leave.

I hurry home, change, comb my hair, put on some cologne, and have just enough time to say hi to the birds while I give them more food before I'm rushing out the door to Abby's.

She's waiting on the porch, chocolate-brown tea coat jacket that hits about mid-thigh, buttoned and belted up and it accentuates her hips and bust in a way that makes me wish she's wearing a more revealing shirt because I bet her cleavage looks awesome. She hurries down, kicking aside a few leaves with her slouchy off-white boots as she goes, ducking inside my car out of the wind. I'm patient enough to wait for her to buckle up and get adjusted before I lean over and kiss her, soft and sweet on the lips. She's blushing when I pull back and I smile a half-smile at her just so I won't blush right back.

I ask her idly about her day, and she shrugs, briefly mentioning a first year tutorial that ran late before switching the focus to me and asking how my day was. I shrug also, telling her about Elijah's strudels, which are sitting in two pastry boxes in the back seat, and she smiles at this.

We're at the Sicilian at twenty-after, find a parking spot right out front, and I hurry around to open Abby's door for her, taking her hand when she steps out and gripping it tight when she goes to pull it away as soon as she's out of the car and standing. She catches my eye and blushes, gripping my hand right back and I match her steps as we walk up to the door. Mike and Elijah are in the same booth we sat at the last time, talking idly and sipping sodas. Elijah smiles at me when he spots me, look turning to one of surprise when he sees me holding a girl's hand. Mike's look matches when he glances up, though he grins at me like the cat who caught the canary.

I sit down across from Mike, Abby across from Elijah. There's a split second of silence, semi awkward, before Mike nudges my foot under the table and I come to my senses.

"Oh! Mike, Elijah, this is my... Abby. Abby, this is Mike," I point, and his shit-eating grin broadens. "And Elijah." Elijah reaches across to shake her hand, telling her that it's nice to meet her.

"Well," Mike says, sighing as he looks over at Elijah. "I guess your plan to invite Joe for a threesome is now defunct." I can feel my jaw drop, and all I can do is glance over at Elijah, whose face is blushing furiously and looking somewhat horrified. The only thing that breaks the silence is Abby's giggle that breaks free before she slaps her hand over her mouth and loses it, laughing into her hand.

I feel a blush burning in the apples of my cheek as thoughts flash through my head - thoughts I shouldn't be having about two guys when my prospective girlfriend is sitting next to me, and I clear my throat, grappling for something else to talk about.

"So uhm. Oh! I baked those new strudels you designed, Elijah. They turned out really good, I have them in the car. I think if we got some sliced macadamias and crumbled them on top, they'd be perfect." Elijah looks relieved for the distraction, Abby's still trying to stifle her giggles, Mike looks thoroughly satisfied, and I can't even stay mad at him.

"Maybe we can have them for dessert," he offers, and I nod. Abby clears her throat, grin in place as she finally composes herself, and I reach under the table to find her hand. She jumps slightly when my fingers brush her thigh, but I grip her hand and she calms, blushing slightly and the waiter comes just in time with the menus.

We're all indecisive, so we order a party tray, a good mix of appetizers and four different main courses for us to share. The waiter takes our orders, brings us our drinks, and conversation starts. Mike asks where I met Abby, and Abby and I take turns talking about the wedding night, blushing and skipping over the part directly over that. I beam when I mention that Abby made me breakfast out of the nothing I had in my apartment, and Mike grins at this, nudging Elijah.

"Elijah has those same skills. He pulls out things I didn't know I had and makes a meal of it." Elijah nods, grinning. Abby takes her turn to lead the conversation, asking Mike and Elijah how we know each other, and I'm a little embarrassed that I hadn't told her. Nobody thinks anything of it, though.

"So you've heard all about how we met - how do you guys know Joey?" Elijah takes the lead.

"Well, I work for Joe's grandparents at the bakery. But we met before then. Joe actually used to date Mike's ex, Seth." I watch her carefully, nonchalant and cool, but the fact that I am... was gay still might upset her. She just nods, eyebrows knitting slightly at Elijah's disdainful tone when he mentions Seth. "Small world," Elijah comments, and we all nod. "But yeah, the sleaze had been cheating on Mike with Joe." Abby's eyebrows raise a fraction.

"And you two are friends now?" She sounds a bit surprised, but more curious than anything. We all nod.

"Seth was a bloodsucking, good-for-nothing, piece of shit–"

"Elijah," Mike warns, reining him in before he really got going. Elijah grins sheepishly.

"I think I get the point," Abby smirks at him before she asks Elijah a few more questions. "How long have you and Mike been together?"

"Oh, um. A month now, I think," he blushes, and Mike smiles over at him, reaching over to wrap his arm around Elijah's shoulders, and they're so adorable. We all chat idly before our food comes, carry on random bits of conversations during the meal. I watch Abby's reactions to the delicious food, reveling in the new tastes myself, but reveling more in the fact that I'm eating next to Abby and experiencing something new with her.

There's a few moments when we're all through eating, we're still picking here and there, waiting for the waiter to come back by so we can get to-go boxes, when Abby gets up to go to the restroom. And Mike and Elijah pounce, asking me all about her. Do I like her a lot? Are we going to date? How was the sex? Wasn't her vagina scary? I laugh and shrug it all off, blushing slightly and stumbling over the, "I'm not sure." that I spit out about whether we'll be a ... thing.

Elijah and Mike both kiss Abby on the cheek when we leave, and I make sure to send them off with some of Elijah's strudels and all of the food leftover because I know I won't be home enough to eat all of it in the next few days. Abby and I decide in my car to go back to my place for drinks, and a few vodka mixers later to loosen my tongue - I finally ask.

"So um. Is this... I mean, are we something? Dating?" Smooth, Joe. I cringe, and Abby laughs through a slight blush.

"I'm for it if you are," she says, and my face nearly splits in two with my grin. I lean in to kiss her lightly, but the kiss ends up full-on and heavy, leaving my heart thumping. We both go back to nursing our drinks, and Abby yawns, checking the clock on the main oven before sighing.

"I'm so beat, today was the longest day ever." I nod in agreement, even though my day was fairly decent length-wise. I stretch out with a groan, and Abby yawns again. "I should call a cab," she says, and I fight off the mope that threatens to eat me.

"You're welcome to stay." It's out before I can stop it, but I don't really mind. I want her to stay, I liked waking up next to her warm body. "I mean, if you're fine with it. I have clothes you can wear, and I can drop you at your house any time in the morning." She considers it for a moment before yawning again, cringing for some reason.

"You wouldn't happen to have a spare toothbrush, would you?" She asks sheepishly, and I grin, nodding before taking her glass, rinsing it with mine in the sink, and leading her to the bathroom. We brush our teeth, get ready for bed. I get out one of my old shirts and hand it to her, and she blushes slightly as I hand her a pair of boxers with pink hearts all over them, one of the pairs Lacy got me and I never wear, but Abby smiles at this and goes to change. I strip down to my boxers and climb into bed, waiting patiently for Abby to come back out.

She carries her clothes with her, her shirt and pants folded neatly. She's not wearing a bra, and despite how she hunches forward and curls one of her arms around her torso self-consciously, I can't help but be mesmerized by the way the bounce softly as she walks. I want to touch them. I want to rip my own clothes off her and have my way with her, but she's tired and I highly doubt she'd appreciate me going horny!animalguy on her.

She slides into bed, shutting off the lamp on her side of the bed, leaving mine the only light in the room. She edges toward me, and I take the lead, reaching out and meeting her eyes and she immediately curls up against my side, head resting on my chest. I wrap my arm around her, shut off my lamp with my free hand, and fall into the best, deepest sleep I think I've ever had, curled up in bed with my girlfriend.

AN.

Remember to REVIEW!!! (please?)

xx

The Sham & broucoli