Bob Seger Saves the Day
by Zoe Elizabeth

The piano riff was ultimately the thing that did me in. Unquestionably I was skeptical at first, especially when I stripped off my sweat-dampened pants, suddenly standing there half-naked in the foyer of the Sigma Theta Beta house. Scurrying into the laundry room, I discovered one of Nikki's boyfriend's button-up shirts hanging there, separated from the rest of the house's. Losing my t-shirt in the laundry hamper and slipping on the smooth white shirt, I hustled back to the living room.

By the time I hit replay and the piano intro echoed throughout the house, I was ready. I slid all the way across the foyer to the other sitting room, not even caring every curtain in the house was cracked open a couple inches. I leaped onto one of the couches and picked up the feather duster off of the coffee table. Holding it like a microphone, I jumped back over the back of the couch.

"Just take those old records off the shelf! I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself. Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock and roll."

I brushed the feather duster quickly against the mantel, then turned to skid back across the foyer to the room housing the speakers

"Don't try to take me to the disco. You'll never even get me out on the floor. In ten minutes I'll be late for the door. I like that old time rock and roll."

"Whoa!"

I jumped in the air and flipped on my back, kicking my socked heels in the air as Bob Seger continued to serenade me with his beautifully raspy voice. I popped back up and continued to dust haphazardly about the place, blatantly leaving gaping spots full of dust. It had been well over three hours since the sisters had packed up and peaced for the day, and while I was their designated Cinderella I refused to be as helpless. There couldn't be any harm in rocking out to some good ole classic rock anyway, right?

"Won't go to hear them play a tango! You know I'd rather hear some blues and funky old soul. There's only one sure way to get me to go. Start playing old time rock and roll."

I jumped off the couch just in time for the second verse.

"Call me a relic, call me what you will. Say I'm old-fashioned, say I'm over the hill. Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock and roll."

I continued dancing all around the living room, fusing in my interpretation of Michael Jackson's moves that I'm sure would make some people cringe. But I was all alone in the Sigma mansion so it didn't really matter... Until I whipped around during the saxophone solo and saw Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome standing just inside the front door.

I mean... Mr. Super Mega Awesome Foxy Hot.

No. Wait. His name started with a B... I think.

Regardless, I yelped and leaped to hide behind the only wall that would give me shelter from the guy that I knew was some gorgeous upperclassman representative from one of the frats nearby. As I buried my burning face in my palms, I could hear him laughing. Great. First encounter with a frat boy and I'm caught dancing in my underwear. Good job there, bud.

"Um... hi. I rang the doorbell a couple times, but I guess you didn't hear it. This is my fault, though. I should have figured. Who couldn't pull a Risky Business to that?"

I fanned my fingers and stared at my toes against the floor. This was awful. He was being a nice guy about it. Why couldn't he just be a jerk? Then I would know how to deal with it, seeing as how that's exactly how Tanner would have responded. Now that he's being so... so swell... Damn.

"Hey, if Nikki's here... I was just going to drop off my guys' money for the party Sigma's hosting tomorrow night. If not I can, uh, just leave it somewhere..."

I winced and, keeping my eyes closed, I pointed around the wall to a small, round table in the middle of the foyer. I hoped he would be able to deduce where I meant; I was ninety-nine percent sure I was pointing at the floor ten feet from where I was standing. But when I heard a heavy envelope thump against the vase sitting on the table, I heaved a sigh of relief.

"K. So I'll just leave in a second or two. Do you mind if I just check the laundry room first? I think Nikki has one of my dress shirts."

"No!"

My squeaky voice even startled me as my eyes almost immediately popped out of my skull. I tightened my fingers against the shirt buttoned very loosely around my body. I convinced myself that at least now there could be no other possible way the combination of events that had just transpired could get any worse.

"Is there a reason you don't want me to walk over there? You can stay right there and I won't even look at you."

I could sense the assumed tone in his voice. Letting my head fall back, I stepped away from the wall. In seemingly slow motion, I took half a step into the foyer. When I got a look at the guy standing twenty feet away from me, I recognized him within half a second and immediately felt the muscles in my face droop and blood gush to flush my cheeks.

Brennan Goodson was standing there noticing what had to be his best damn dress shirt being baggy and used while house cleaning.

"Oh," he said with a small chuckle. "I see."

"You... You're Brennan Goodson. Oh God, I am so sorry. Here. You can take it back now."

I took another step toward him and subconsciously undid the top button. As my fingers moved to the second button, he rushed over and placed a hand on top of mine.

"It's fine. Really."

He was still smiling, but when I saw the dusty pink suddenly coloring his cheeks all of my limbs went numb. My eyes widening again, I took an instinctive step away from him and tightened the shirt around me.

Way to dig yourself a grave.

"Um, right," I mumbled, mirroring his efforts to avoid eye contact. "You would probably want it washed again... It's probably gotten a little, uh... a little dusty. And maybe sweaty. Mostly dusty though." I mustered the courage to look at him, only to see him squinting at me in such a way that I could almost physically feel me kicking myself.

"Right," I repeated with a nod. "I'm just gonna... I'm just gonna go and change."

Nodding again, I began walking back towards the laundry room. He was going to leave, right? There's no way that anything that occurred within the past five minutes suggested that I was either sane or normal. If he had been paying attention to every fact that clued into the fact that I was a rather peculiar young girl, he would have no other choice but to leave.

"Where is everyone?"

Maybe not.

I turned and looked back at him. I imagined I looked a lot like what they refer to as a deer caught in the headlights.

"I think they're on a service trip or something like that."

I turned back towards the laundry room, seeing my sweatpants within a couple step's grasp.

"Then why are you here and not with them? I assume you're not just some random person who goes sneaking into sorority houses to dance like Tom Cruise."

Excellent. We have a joker on our hands.

I forced a smile on my face as I turned to face him again. "I'm a pledge."

He furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms across his chest. The look almost made me crap the pants I was not wearing. My secret was out.

"Sorry. I mean I'm a pledge, sir."

He laughed. "This isn't the military."

I nodded. "Yes, of course... And I am going to take this opportunity of you being nice to remind you that I am severely under-dressed for me to be seeing anyone right now, much less the president of one of the most popular fraternities on campus. This being said, I would like to just slip into the laundry room and fix this situation for the sake of the both of us."

He didn't say a word, so I ducked into the laundry room before I could have an arrhythmia from excessive exposure to awkwardness... I'm pretty sure that's a real medical threat. Pressing my back against the door, I remembered all I had were sweatpants and a grungy t-shirt. I wrinkled my nose and contemplated snagging something from the hamper, until I convinced myself stealing more clothes isn't what I needed right now.

Facing Brennan Goodson in my grease-stained t-shirt it is.

As I began unbuttoning the shirt, I faintly hear footsteps taping back and forth outside the door. I furrowed my eyebrows. What had I done to make him nervous? Oh wait. I was dancing half-naked wearing his prized dress shirt. Almost forgot about that. Damn.

"Is everything alright?" I shouted nervously through the door, tossing his shirt on top of the washing machine and instantly replacing it with my own.

"Yeah, totally. I'm just curious because you're a pledge even though rushing doesn't officially start for another month..."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my sweatpants out. Maybe that'll dilute the smell of Five Guys out of them.

"Nikki did it as a favor to my brother," I said as I slipped the burger pants over my legs.

"Who's your brother?"

I opened the door and jumped to see him leaning against the door frame.

"Tanner Ferguson." I reached behind me a grabbed his shirt off the washer. When I held it out for him, he immediately snatched it from my grasp, his mouth hanging open.

"You're Tanner Ferguson's sister?"

I crossed my arms around my chest. "No need to say it like that."

A smile slapped across his face and he laughed, tossing his hands out in front of him defensively.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I've heard him mention you a couple times, but I never thought that someone as un-Tanner as you could ever possibly be the Riley Ferguson, you know?"

I cracked a smile at the way he said my name, sending a little tickle around the back of my neck. He returned the smile, which made my left knee quiver slightly. I bit my lip, telling myself it would probably be a bad idea to burst out in song like Tracey Turnblad. But his eyes were so pretty... I stepped out of the laundry room, smiling.

"So you've been here for quite a while..."

He chuckled. "Yeah."

I flashed a quick grin, the words I wanted to say getting temporarily clogged in my throat. As my lips fluttered for a few moments, Brennan's eyebrows steadily crept further and further up his forehead. Then it was like his befuddled little grin performed a conversational Heimlich, propelling whatever thought was trapped in my brain out from my mouth.

"Would you like something to drink?"

A swing and a miss, Riley. A swing and a miss.

Brennan laughed in such a way, though, that his entire face lit up, and the tickle I had felt behind my neck now traveled to the back of my arms above my elbows. I felt like tween-y schoolgirl when I smiled back, following him into the kitchen.

"You know... You really are nothing like Tanner," Brennan said over his shoulder, snapping back to remembering what it's like in the real world. "Are you sure the two of you are related?"

A question! Now's your chance, Riley. Get back on track, pal.

I rolled my eyes playfully and opened the fridge, pulling out an assortment of drinks.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Cause you know, my brother is the ultimate American child. He played baseball and football. Got into his top pick school, where he immediately pledged the same fraternity that our dad went to. Now he's president of said fraternity, and me? I just came here to get the sibling discount."

Brennan leaned against the counter and grabbed a Coke, cracking it open while simultaneously seeming to investigate me. I twisted the cap off a water bottle and settled down onto one of the stools. He walked around and sat on the other one, all the while keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"So you're nothing like him and yet you're rushing a sorority..."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Tanner told me Nikki owed him a favor or something and that he'd be able to get me in with Sigma before all the other freshmen. Offer like that doesn't come around very often, so I figured what the hell. Turns out the whole experience is exactly like I was anticipating."

I shrugged a shoulder dismissively. Brennan smiled at me. "Then you should just ditch it."

My eyebrows leaped up my forehead. "No. Tanner would slaughter me."

"So?"

"So... The last thing I need right now is more tension between me and my brother. Thanks for the suggestion though."

I rose to my feet and headed towards the pantry, craving some munchies. I rooted around for a little while before returning with a pack of Oreos.

"I still think you should just walk out," Brennan said, grabbing a cookie as soon as I opened the package. I raised my eyebrows.

"You think I should just leave right now?" I asked. "Why?"

The way he smiled was boyish and way too innocent for a 22-year-old. Tapping his fingers against the counter, he shrugged.

"You have a party to get ready for," he said vaguely.

I tilted my head to one side, suddenly completely lost. "A party?"

He nodded. "Yeah, you know it's this crazy thing where a bunch of college students get together and have a good time. There's usually nice music and stuff, you know?"

I rolled my eyes. "I know what a party is."

"Well then why didn't you tell me?"

I laughed and shook my head, flipping an Oreo in the container. "What party is it?"

"My guys are hosting a little thing tonight. Probably will be one of the last parties before rushing starts." I looked up from the Oreos. "And I'm pretty sure it won't be the same without your wicked dances moves."

He threw his arms above his head and started weaving them back and forth through the air. I scoffed and covered my face.

"Are you... Are you making fun of my dancing?" I asked quietly.

"Of course not," he replied, acting thoroughly offended. I laughed, letting the thought sink in that this guy had discovered my secret girls-only dance moves and was now suggesting that I attend a college frat party. Me. Riley Ferguson. The ditzy, awkward girl who should never be having any sort of conversation with a guy the caliber of Brennan freaking Goodson.

"So I should just leave?"

He smiled, patting his fingers free of Oreo dust. "Or better yet trash the place and leave."

I laughed. "You've got spunk, dude."

"You're one to talk, Mrs. Seger."

I narrowed my eyes, resting my elbow on the counter and leaning forward to try and see if I could call a bluff. But the way he defiantly smiled back at me, with arms tight across his chest and chin pointed slightly in the air, I could tell he was being somewhat earnest. He willfully just went there.

"What would you suggest I do?" I asked innocently, leaning away from him.

He shrugged, thumping his hands against the counter. "Nothing too, too crazy. Wouldn't want to break anything. But you could... you know, squirt ketchup and honey and stuff all over the counters. Spread their dirty laundry all over the place. Flip some of the furniture upside down. I'm sure you could come up with some pretty creative stuff."

I smiled, picking at the corner of the Oreos package. "I'm going to take that as a compliment."

He laughed, somehow making the tingle travel to the tops of my knees. Our eyes locked, and I took in how brilliantly blue his eyes were. As the smile stayed stuck on his face, his eyes seemed to sparkle. Feeling myself blush for the millionth time, I looked away, forcing myself to remember that I was in enough hot water as it was; I shouldn't bring Brennan into the whole mess of things.

"I should get going."

I looked up from the Oreos with a puppy dog sadness in my chest. He was still smiling, this time making me feel not as giddy as before. I suppressed the urge to ask him to stay, instead nodding and rising to my feet. Brennan stood next to me, suddenly awkwardly close due to arrangement of the stools. My nose was within inches of his, and as he chuckled at me I could feel his breath gush warmth across my cheeks. I smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," I mumbled. "You have a party to host and fancy stuff like that."

I laughed as playful a laugh as I could muster while simultaneously trying to maneuver my way around my stool. Just as I thought I could quit focusing on how my lower extremities were being moved, my ankle caught one of the spokes and I fell forward. Lucky for me, Brennan was still standing there to prevent me from cracking my head open on the counter. When his arms caught my torso, my muscles seized. I could smell the fresh scent of his laundry detergent in his shirt. I stopped myself from nuzzling my face against his surprisingly soft shirt and straightened myself back up.

"Yes," I sighed, nodding to nothing in particular. "Thank you for that."

Brennan laughed. "No problem."

As we shared a smile, I noticed his hands were still held against me. I blinked to reassure myself that this was, in fact, not a dream. When I glanced down to confirm it was his hands against me and not a mutant cookie of some sort, his arms were launched away from me like I was the potato in a game of hot potato. I frowned for a fraction of a second and then looked back up, shocked to see Brennan's cheeks were a furious shade of red.

"I... I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's fi-"

"I should probably get going though. You know?"

"Yeah, I under-"

"See you tonight?"

"Totally."

I smiled at him, which he apparently ignored as he rushed out the front door, his dress shirt creating a white blur trailing behind him. I felt a frown pinching at my cheeks, and I slapped the top of the Oreos package in frustration. When a puff of Oreo dust emerged and scattered across the counter, I swore loud enough for it to echo back to me from the foyer. As I began scooping the mess off the counter and into my hand, I froze. I looked up at where Brennan had disappeared into the entry way, and then back down at the black powder collected in my hands. I sent a breath across my hands, sending the crumbled Oreo across the floor and counter, and I smiled.

Idea time.

------

I felt like an idiot. I knew it was a bad idea. Nikki was going to undoubtedly find out, and she would kill me. Then she would tell Tanner, who would come to resurrect me, only so he could kill me again. And he would probably get away with it too.

It also probably wasn't helping the situation that I was embracing the humor of everything that had transpired within the last couple hours by dressing like Tom Cruise from Risky Business. It was probably as dumb an idea as me showing up to this shindig. I could barely see anything through my wayfarer sunglasses, and the gray jacket I had decided to wear was making me itchy.

Every light was on at the Kappa Delta house, and I could hear the dull throb of music pulsating out from the house from where I was standing across the street. Taking a deep breath, I wedged myself between two cars and walked up to the front door. When I knocked, I propped my sunglasses on top of my head and was surprised when the door unlatched and simply swung open. I stood on the porch for a couple seconds longer before deeming it safe to walk in.

Stepping in the house, I instantly fell into the corralling movement circulating throughout the first floor. I kept my eyes peeled for the one person I needed to see before I could book it back to my dorm and reconvene my life as being a lowly freshman. I pretended that it was taking so long because he was roaming around looking for me like in one of those teen heartthrob movies. But when I happened upon the stereo, I saw him laughing and elbowing his way around one of the other frat guys to attempt to gain control of the playlist selection. I pursed my lips into a small grin and wedged myself over near a break in the crowd. He finally was able to declare seniority and plugged his iPod into the dock, laughing as he did so. A smile still on his face, he turned away from the speakers and our eyes locked.

I couldn't feel my heart in my chest any more.

"Riley," he said so plainly it made the awkwardness of the situation cut a little deeper.

"Hi... Brennan." It felt odd saying his name so casually.

Suddenly, a broad smile snapped across his face, catching me off guard.

"I'm glad you made it."

I blinked, trying to determine whether this was happening or not. "Really?"

He stepped forward, closing the thirty foot gap that had been between us. As he did, the music thumping in the background seemed to quiet. When he gently touched my arm, a smile spread across my face. I briefly contemplated trying to fall over again, because maybe he'd catch me and I'd be able to smell his shirt again. But then I realized that would be too weird... Not that he didn't think of me as some freak-a-zoid already.

"You ok, Riley? I know you're introducing yourself to the whole college-social scene, but it makes me feel a little creepy when you just stare at me like that while avoiding the question."

I blinked, realizing he must have been talking while I was thinking of which was the most natural way for me to fall into his arms. Of course, that makes sense for him to be talking. Talking is normal. I, on the other hand, appear to be the complete opposite of normal. And, accordingly, I couldn't bring myself to ask him to repeat the question.

I nodded. "Yeah, sure."

Brennan raised his eyebrows and laughed. "You positive?"

A feeling in the bottom corner of my stomach told be to just ask what the hell he was talking about, but against all odds I found myself nodding again. Without saying another word, he turned and abruptly switched the song. The steady piano tune was unrecognizable, but that hardly mattered when Brennan turned back to me, offering his hand.

I felt my stomach shaking back and forth. "Uh... What's this?"

"Bob Seger," he replied with a coy grin. "'Brave Strangers.'"

I chuckled, my fingers growing tingly. "Yeah, so? What are you doing?"

As he began bouncing to the beat, he latched on to one of my hands and twirled me, all without answering. When I turned to face him, I felt a small gasp escape my throat at the shock of how close his face was to mine. The smile on his face was adorably contagious, and he began mouthing along with some of the words as enthusiastically as I had been earlier.

"We weren't lovers, just brave strangers," he suddenly sang, his eyes meeting mine as I finally felt my feet tapping against the floor. I giggled as he spun me again, slipping his hand to my waist as he sung it in my ear. "... Taking it easy, taking any comfort we could find. Didn't need the real truth, didn't need the meaning. Straight ahead ignoring every sign."

He winked at me as we continued to dance. Wait. We? We were dancing? I peeked over my shoulder and only saw one or two people looking at us, and they were smiling behind their Solo cups regardless. I looked back at Brennan just as the tempo slowed down significantly, warming my cheeks a little. He remained amazingly gentlemanly, his hands staying well above the belt line. Swallowing hard, I looked straight into his eyes. What were you trying to do, mister?

Before I could ask, his breath warmed my forehead as he spun me out and back as the beat picked right back up. As we continued to bounce and sway, he pressed his face against mine, warming me into a schoolgirl grin.

"I meant to ask," he said into my ear. "How'd your mischief turn out?"

I smiled. "Oh, you mean the mess I didn't make at the Sigma house?"

He raised his eyebrows, and I laughed. "Let's just confess to the fact that I started by writing 'Sigma Theta Bitches' on their fancy little island in mustard."

He laughed, and I could feel the vibration in his chest against mine. "Creative."

The song swooned to a stop, and we both stared at each other. A smile slowly slipped from one corner of Brennan's mouth the other, and suddenly I felt our noses brushing against one another. The sensation sent my muscles into a momentary spasm, and I stared at the ground trying to sort out what was happening. We took a step away from each other. When I looked back at Brennan, he looked surprisingly embarrassed. I smiled, coaxing a smile back across his face as well.

"I'm... sorry," he said while wrinkling his nose a little.

I laughed. "For what?"

I think we both entirely knew what kind of situation we were in, how I would be shunned from all sorority life if Nikki figured out what had been going on and how he could be judged for finding a girl who dances half-naked to classic rock. But as Brennan's lips fluttered, I could tell it would be difficult for either of us to verbalize that. If I tilted my head to one side, I thought I could see the gears in his brain as he tried to string words together that would be coherent and appropriate. When I smiled and broke eye contact with him to glance around the room again, he sighed.

"Would you like something to drink?"

My eyebrows raised, I looked at him, laughing internally at the worrisome and defeated expression cast across his face. When I realized he had asked if I wanted to drink, I frowned. The last thing this situation needed was alcohol...

Widening my eyes, I shook my head. He nodded in response, finally pulling away his hand that had been lingering on my shoulder.

"Well I'm going to grab some water," he said slowly, as if he wasn't sure whether that was the correct thing to say. "I think the couch in the other room might be free. Want to rendezvous back over there?"

I smile broke across my face, and I nodded politely. He returned the grin before he disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone to navigate to this mysterious other room. When I found an empty couch, I immediately sat down and only then finally came to terms with the circumstances I had found myself. Not only was I at a frat party because of a personal invitation by Brennan Goodson himself, but I was setting myself up for a night being with him. And why? Because he walked in on me dancing? This made no sense.

A couple moments later when he broke through the slightly less dense crowd and approached the couch, I couldn't help myself from wondering why this was happening. I partially told myself it was because of my girlish charm, until I realized my so-called "girlish charm" never got me in situations such as these before.

When Brennan finally sat himself next to me, I flashed him a smile before he took a swig from his Solo cup. I bit on my bottom lip for a second while I figured out what I could say to him. I looked back at him and said the easiest string of words I could think of.

"Would it be bad for me to ask why you invited me here?"

I cringed slightly, figuring it probably wasn't the best thing to have brought up. But Brennan nodded nonetheless, continuing to drink from his Solo cup in such a way that I could only see his eyes. I couldn't wipe the wince from my face as I waited for his response. When he drained his cup, he swirled the remaining couple drops. He finally broke concentration and stared wordlessly at me. After a few moments, he shrugged a shoulder and looked back in his cup.

"I've known Nikki since orientation. I know how she treats her pledges. You just needed a night out, right?"

I felt all the positive anticipation that had been building in my chest throughout the night settle to the bottom of my toes. My shoulders dropped, and I nodded. I got my answer. It was just all pity.

"That came out wrong."

I shook my head. "No, it's fine. You don't need to sugar coat it or anything."

I struggled to my feet, still almost completely enveloped in the squishy cushions of the couch. When I finally stood on my own two feet, I took a deep breath and walked through the swarm of people crowded in the living room. I didn't notice whether or not Brennan was following, and I didn't particularly care. I really just wanted to get back to a place that was familiar, where I could lay down at look at the ceiling trying to forget all the social crimes I had committed within the past twelve hours. Stepping out into the relatively cool, late summer air, I tried to think where I had finally taken the last bad turn. I figured it was going to be something simple like my choice of underwear. Figures.

I frowned as I approached the Sigma house, all its lights still out except for the porch lights from when I left. In an undetermined amount of time, Nikki and her sisters would stroll back home to find the house in the exact opposite condition that they were anticipating it to be. My dwindling hopes of being in a sorority would be permanently extinguished, especially once word traveled around that Brennan Goodson- her Brennan Goodson- was seen dancing with a freshman matching my description. As I paused on the sidewalk in front of the house, I could picture Nikki's face becoming an undiscovered shade of red and steam puffing out of her ears. The image allowed the corner of my lip to curve upwards ever so slightly, and I sighed a small chuckle.

"Riley!"

Brought back to reality, I remembered that Tanner would probably refuse to acknowledge the abomination of a little sister he had, and that my hopes of scoring any guy from any frat were as good as gone. But, perhaps more importantly, there was somebody else charging down Greek Street, and that somebody was the man of the hour.

I knew I should probably start to walk down the street again, but I was frozen. My shoes must have settled on two massive mounds of gum because they simply weren't budging. And my head! The muscles in my neck were paralyzed. I couldn't even turn to look away. All I could do was stand completely rooted to the spot as Brennan walked closer and closer and closer.

When he finally stood in front of me, his mouth hanged open for a couple seconds then abruptly closed. We stared at each other, and I felt my heart tighten as his face fell slightly. He bowed his head, shifting the hair on his head slightly.

"You really don't have to say anything," I said quietly.

Brennan lifted his head and our eyes locked. He heaved a sigh and took a glance around us, shaking his head slightly.

"I do, though," he said as equally quiet.

I shook my head, anxiety starting to pummel my chest "No, I get it. You're Nikki's boyfriend. You just wanted to be nice to me."

The corner of his lip tilted upwards. "I'm not Nikki's boyfriend. I broke up with her a couple weeks ago."

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to figure out what he had just said. His smile broadened, signaling that he wasn't lying about it. He and Nikki weren't dating.

"But... Your shirt. Why would you still have stuff at the Sigma house?"

"She's being Nikki," he explained, looking down at his feet. "She refuses to put all of my stuff together. Like if I take ten trips to the Sigma house I might change my mind."

I blinked at him as he lifted his head again. He was smiling, making his eyes sparkle in the faint streetlight. My lips curved upwards slightly.

"So then it seems that I don't really know anything," I muttered.

"I wanted to see you here tonight because I know what Nikki is like," Brennan continued. "She's treated me the same way she treats all of her pledges. It's not at all fair, and I wanted to give you a chance to maybe see that."

I grinned softly, looking deep into his eyes. "So you're a good Samaritan, huh?"

Brennan chuckled quietly, letting his hands swing forward and catch mine. I felt a small jolt in my arms as I felt his thumbs move across the backs of my hands. I suppressed a giggle as I continued looking at him.

"Well I guess I'm just lucky that the person I ended up having to help turned out to be one helluva girl."

My cheeks suddenly felt multiple degrees warmer, and their temperature spiked even more as he took a small step towards me. Our feet were right next to one another and our bodies were practically completely flushed against one another. As I looked into his eyes, they seemed to swirl. I found myself smiling, trying to press myself even more against his delectably warm body. One of his hands escaped mine, and I gasped as it touched my face.

"None of this makes sense to me," he whispered, his breath so warm against my face it made me ease my eyes shut. "I don't even know if what I'm feeling is supposed to be wrong or right. I just know that I can't get you out of my head."

I opened my eyes again, shocked at being able to see his face so close to mine. I raised a slightly numb hand to stroke my thumb against his cheek. He smiled and I could feel the muscles in his cheek tighten. I returned the smile, touching our foreheads together. The sides of our noses were touching, making my heart thump wildly in my chest.

"I don't know what to say," I found myself whispering. My breath reflected off his lips and warmed mine.

"I don't think we need to say anything, right?"

His eyes were too close to focus on, too blurry and becoming two separate entities as supposed to eyes. My hand slid along the side of his face and behind his neck. My other hand rode up his back, pressing me even tighter against him. I felt my lips crack a quick smile, before his lips pressed themselves against mine. I captured a gasp in my throat and rose to the tips of my toes as Brennan's kiss sank in. Kiss. Brennan's kiss. Brennan was kissing me.

As I sank back onto my heels and we pulled apart, I stared at him and he stared back. A smile spread simultaneously on both of our faces. Nothing mattered, such as the fact that we were still standing out front of the famous Sigma house or that I was pretty sure a group of people had paused across the street to scope out the situation.

"You know you missed 'Hollywood Nights,'" Brennan said, his voice abruptly filling the silence between us.

I chuckled. "You mean there's more Bob Seger?"

He scoffed playfully, moving far enough away that his eyes came back into focus. "There's always more Bob Seger."

A/N: Hey everybody! This is the first one-shot that I've written in quite awhile so I am up to whatever all of you have to say. I'm totally up for editing, and even though I am pleased with the final product there's always room for improvement, eh?

Anyway, thank you very much for stopping by and I'd love to see a review or two for you all!

:)