The morning dawned bright and clear. Pip rubbed herself against Chance's bare chest and shoulder. It wasn't a bad way to be woken up. He lifted a lazy hand to run his fingers over her head. "You ate less than six hours ago."

Edward cracked an eyelid to look at both of them. His arm tightened around Chance and he pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "The way I see it, we can spend all day in bed and get up for a few hours this evening or we can get up now and I can drag you back here at an incredibly early hour tonight."

"Mmm, tough choice. Instant gratification does have its good points but I have plans for today and they include making very sure that my bad luck is really well and truly over so I'll take option two."

"I was afraid you'd say that. Okay, let's get a shower and some breakfast."

"You go ahead. I'm going to feed this purring bottomless pit and I'll be right there."

Half an hour later, they were in the kitchen helping Elena cook a pancake breakfast. She turned suddenly to Chance. "Oh! I almost forgot. You got something in the mail yesterday. We never checked it because we got sidetracked with the party. It's in the usual place."

Chance went to the table near the front door where mail was placed and found the envelope with his name on it. He tore it open as he headed back into the kitchen and scanned the contents.

"What is it, sweet?" Edward asked, noticing his grin.

"I was accepted for the internship I wanted. I'm not taking a full class schedule this semester so I went for it."

"I didn't know you'd applied for an internship. Why didn't you tell me?"

Chance grinned wider and showed him the letter. Edward immediately recognized the stationary as being from his own company. "I didn't want you to interfere. I'm pretty sure that the people I'll be working with have no idea who I am in relation to you and I'd like to keep it that way."

"I agree. I won't deny it if anyone asks but I respect the desire to have your work judged based on its own merits. So you won one of the coveted Dacy Corporation internships. We only do three a year, you know."

Chance nodded, puffing up with mock conceit. "I'm a very impressive candidate."

Edward smiled and pulled him close. "You are very impressive. You could have gone somewhere else, you know, applied somewhere else. I wouldn't have minded."

Chance shook his head. "There's an expression: I'd rather be lucky than good. I'm planning on being both so I like the idea that all of my hard work and good luck are going to be to your benefit. To work anywhere else seems like a conflict of interest."

"Breakfast," Elena called, putting the last pancakes on the stack. "By the way, Edward, I'm going to Hannah's for a while after breakfast. I'll probably eat dinner with her family."

Edward nodded as he stacked pancakes on his plate. He completely missed it when his sister gave Chance a wink and when he smiled back at her.

Lunch found Edward and Chance at a picnic in the garden, close enough to the house that it could still be seen in the distance. Chance had insisted on packing the picnic basket himself, saying he knew exactly what they needed.

As it turned out, he was right. Edward would have packed things like plates and silverware that were completely frivolous. Chance had cut everything into bite-sized pieces and put the food into plastic containers. He transferred everything from the container to Edward's mouth via his fingers. Some people might have thought this a romantic gesture but Chance's purpose was to be nothing less than sexy. Edward caught his hand after the first strawberry, sucking the juice from each finger.

"What is all this, sweet?" he asked while Chance tried to turn his brain back on.

Chance looked up. The sky, which had been clear, blue and endless that morning, was quickly gathering clouds. "I told you, I'm making sure that my bad luck is really over."

Edward's gaze also went upward. "A picnic is a fairly tame way to tempt fate. It's a good idea."

Chance grinned. "The picnic isn't the test. It's more of a prelude."

"To what? And sweet, the clouds are getting dark. Are you sure your bad luck is really over?"

Just then, the rain began to fall. "It's certainly over," he assured. "Only the best of luck could make it rain on such a clear day." He pulled a sheet of plastic out the picnic basket and wrapped it tightly around it. The rain fell harder, not quite a torrent. It was warm, summer rain, only slightly cool against their skin.

"I don't understand. How is rain falling on our picnic good luck?" Edward asked blankly.

"How else are we going to make love in the rain?" Chance asked, utterly matter-of-fact. His fingers went to his own shirt, undoing the buttons.

Edward had a moment of stunned remembrance, of warm, moist air and a fantasy that Chance knew, despite the fact that he had never actually articulated it. His mind came back to the present as Chance peeled his wet shirt from his chest, sucking on the nipples that were revealed. "What would you have done if it hadn't started raining?"

"The same thing," Chance conceded, "only drier. This is your fantasy, love. How do you want it?"

The answer was immediate. "I don't care how as long as I can feel you in me and the rain."

Chance smiled in response and reached for Edward's pants. With minimal help, he pulled them off and tossed them aside, underwear following shortly.

Chance stood to fumble out of his own clothes, letting the rain fall unhindered on Edward's naked form as he avidly watched Chance undress.

Unadorned, Chance knelt again, only to have Edward hold him still so that he could lick away the raindrops trailing down his body.

Chance pushed him gently backward. "You lie back and enjoy." Their kisses tasted like rainwater, cooling their tongues as they slid together. Edward was on his back, Chance above him as he spread Edward's legs. "I don't think the water by itself will be enough. That's okay, I came prepared."

He fumbled with his discarded pants, locating lubricant. His hands were shaking as he squeezed the tube and he had only a vague notion of why. Something to do with the heady feeling of being part of someone's fantasy and the slight, niggling fear that he would disappoint.

"You don't have to be quite as careful as I was last night, sweet," Edward told him. "A little experience goes a long way and I want to feel you."

Chance slid one finger gently into his lover's body. A slight frown of concentration formed on Edward's face as he tried to make his body relax.

A slow smirk crossed Chance's face. "I think you need a little help, baby. Fortunately, I've been doing a little light reading." He lowered his head, sucking the water from Edward's inner thighs before continuing downward.

When a hot tongue found the sensitive skin of his sac, Edward's body shuddered, swallowing Chance's intruding finger to the knuckle.

For his part, Chance couldn't decide which of his new toys was more intriguing, the tight heat that enveloped his finger or the delicate spheres he was rolling around in his mouth. He used his teeth gently, barely scraping across the tissue-thin. A bit-off curse sprung from between Edward's clenched teeth.

Chance added a finger but it didn't seem to be uncomfortable, since Edward was unconsciously beginning to push back against the intruding digits. A slight shift found his prostate. When Chance hit the magic button, Edward came unglued. His legs spread wider, his hands clutched at the wet fabric of the blanket and from his mouth sprang his request. "Now. Now, please, sweet, now."

Chance paused and thought about this as long as it took him to swipe his tongue up the length of lover's erection, paying special attention to be sure that it collected all of the fluid that gathered at the tip. Edward made a small sound that might have been protest or encouragement.

There was something urgent about that sound so Chance picked up the lubricant and coated his aching arousal with it. He shook his wet hair out of his eyes and watched the rain for a moment as it danced across Edward's chest. "Is this how you want it? You won't feel much rain this way."

"On your back," Edward decided quickly. "I want you deep."

Chance obeyed and in seconds Edward was on top of him, calves pressed into his sides, lining their bodies up. Tight heat began to envelop Chance before he was quite prepared. He hadn't fully appreciated the night before how slowly Edward had gone, how careful he had been.

Careful was not a concern on Edward's mind as he lowered himself onto Chance's erection. It felt so good, better than anything, ever. Even the slight discomfort of not being fully prepared made it better, made him appreciate how amazing the rest was. Then even that was gone and all was shining pleasure.

Rain still fell on their fevered bodies and as Chance nearly forgot to breathe with Edward shook his head, sending droplets everywhere. He was so beautiful that it was almost painful to look at him. Drawing deep on his well of self-control, he resisted the urge to move his hips, knowing that if he went too quickly he could hurt Edward. He would let him set the pace.

His patience was rewarded when Edward raised himself a bit and then slammed back down, as deep as his body would allow. He gave a strangled whimper but repeated the action immediately, which meant it hadn't been from pain. "Move with me," he instructed.

Chance started out a little uncertainly but his body knew instinctively what to do and within a minute he was plunging into Edward with wild abandon.

Their bodies met roughly, again and again. In a pleasure-induced haze, Chance wondered if this felt as good to Edward as it had to him the night before. He knew that this frantic joining couldn't last long so he wrapped a hand around Edward's erection and began pumping.

Edward opened his eyes to find himself staring into Chance's eyes, as startlingly jade green as they'd been the first time Edward had seen them. His body tightened and shuddered as Chance hit his sweet spot.

Watching Edward's face closely, he saw the slight change and duplicated the movement that caused it. This time, Edward cried out, hardly aware that he had done so. Chance had a moment for a satisfied smile and then Edward's body tightened around him as he reached orgasm.

It took all of the Chance's remaining strength to thrust once more and then he, too, reached the peak.

Chance tried to catch his breath as Edward slid off of him and curled against his side. The rain lessened, but didn't stop as they lay there waiting for their hearts to calm.

When he could move, Edward put a firm hand on Chance's neck and pulled him close, kissing him deeply.

With a laugh, Chance pulled away. "Whoa, down boy. I don't think either of our asses is up to another round just yet."

Edward shook his head, smiling. "I love you, sweet."

"I love you, too, baby. C'mon, let's go inside. We could use a bath."

They gathered up their wet things and went back into the house. Chance put their wet clothes in the laundry while Edward ran them a bath.

As they sank back into the warm water, Edward wrapped his arms around Chance's chest. "So, what's left? You've got a house, a car, an internship, money for college, and a sex life. Your cat even came home. Is there anything left that you want, sweet? Anything I can give you to make you happy?"

"I didn't need any of those things. Well, Pip is family but the rest of it doesn't matter. You make me happy, Edward. The only thing you could give me to make me happier is a promise to stay with me for the rest of our lives."

Edward smiled, warmed to his toes. "It's yours. I promise, Chance, the rest of our lives. There's...something you can do for me, too."

Chance looked over his shoulder into Edward's face. "Name it."

"If we're promising forever, I want you to wear a ring, so everyone knows you're mine."

Chance didn't mind. It sounded like a good idea to him. "You'll wear one too?"

"If you like. It's only fair."

Chance settled back against Edward's chest. "We have a lot of shopping to do tomorrow after school," he noted. "I still have to pick out my car and then we'll head to the jewelry store."

"I'll pick you and Elena up in the limo. She can take it home after dropping us off at the dealership," Edward decided. "I'm glad that your luck finally changed."

Chance shook his head. "I've been thinking about that. My luck has never changed. According to a bestselling pop sensation, I was born under a lucky star. You're living proof that good luck has followed me every day of my life. Some unpleasant things have happened but nothing I couldn't handle as long as I had you."

Edward grinned and ran his hands slowly down Chance's body. "I don't know anything about stars or whether I even believe in astrology, but my own intuition tell me that you're about to get very lucky."

Chance's lips stretched in an answering grin as he rubbed himself against Edward's body. "Babe, I don't think that's intuition."