"It's so good to see you," Daph smiled as she hugged Zac tightly around the neck.

"It's good to see you too," Zac whispered into her ear.

"You ok?" she asked with a smirk as she pulled her head back to look at him.

"Yeah," he said suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Yeah, kinda," Zac muttered as he put her bags in the back of the van.

"What?" she asked.

"You doing that to me," he replied sounding almost mad.

"Doing what?" Daph asked confused.

"You know what I'm talking about, looking at me like that when I start to show just a lil bit more emotion that you expected, like I'm silly for being, I don't know dramatic I guess," Zac replied without looking at her.

"Oh babe," she started.

"No, don't oh babe me, I've missed you so much, and now you're making me feel dumb for it," he almost snapped.

"I'm sorry," she almost whispered.

"I guess sometimes, I just don't seem to believe that you could care that much about me," she muttered looking out the window.

"Well, news flash I do."

"I do too," she said looking over at him.

His big brown eyes looked upset. His eyebrows bunched together, his lower lip slightly pinched up. Her heart twinged as she realized that her own self doubt had hurt the one person she cared the most about.

"I"m so sorry," she exclaimed suddenly lunging over hugging him tightly.

"It's ok, just you know in the future, realize that sometimes you kinda come across as condescending."

"Ok," she replied slightly confused.

"When you give me those 'you're being silly' looks, like you're saying I'm silly for feeling the way I do, that makes me so mad."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to," she replied quietly.

"Let's talk about this at home," Zac sighed as he pulled away from the curb, still just as angry as he was a few moments ago.

*          *          *          *          *

"Good grief," Tay woke in the middle of a constant bouncing in the car.

"Sorry," Will giggled.

"Where the hell are we?" Tay asked looking out his window.

"Well I was thinking of a place that'd be really romantic," Will started.

"The wilderness?" Tay exclaimed still looking out the window.

"We are slap in the middle of Hollywood," Will defended.

"Oh, yeah really and since when did Hollywood look," Tay started to reply when he looked across and out Will's window and saw the gleaming Hollywood sign not too far up ahead on the mountain side.

"Holy shit, dude this is a private road," Tay exclaimed.

"I know," Will smirked.

"How did you?" Tay asked in shock turning around to look out the rear window.

"I drove around the gate," Will laughed.

"Ok, remind me to never let you near my car when we get home," Tay laughed nervously.

"Finally," Will smiled as they leveled out on a small dirt road that led them up beside the letter 'H' in the sign.

"We could get into so much trouble up here," Tay exclaimed glancing around.

"I know, but doesn't that help add to the excitement?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I guess, all I know is I'm awake now," Tay giggled his eyes sparkling in the darkness of the car.

"Come on, lets get out and stand outside."

"God those letters are huge," Taylor muttered quietly as he walked around to the driver side beside Will.

"Well, yeah I guess they'd have to be, to be so big from a distance you know," Will replied.

"Didn't it used to say 'Hollywoodland?'"

"Yeah," Taylor replied.

"But it like fell apart or something way back," Will kept on.

Before he knew it Taylor had turned him around and covered his mouth with his.

"Mmm," Will nearly purred as he sank into Taylor's embrace.

"God, I love you," Tay whispered each word between a deep moist kiss.

Will tried to respond but all he could manage were a few whimpers as he felt himself slowly laying back on the hood of the car as Taylors body pressed down against him.

Will slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at the stars as Taylor licked and kissed at his neck and jaw line. His head spinning, his heart racing he ran his fingers through Taylor's hair and moaned quietly as he felt Taylor pressed against his thigh.

"Taylor, shit, out here?" Will gasped as he felt his zipper lowering.

"You've got a point," Tay snickered looking up, Will in his hands with a smirk on his sweat glistening face.

"Wanna do it in the car?" he asked with a playful look in his eyes.

"Never thought I'd say this," Will smiled.

"But, oh hell fuckin' yeah," Will laughed out loud.

"Back seat?" he asked?

"Sure why not," Will laughed as he put himself back into his pants.

"Aww," Tay frowned in mock sadness.

"Hey hey, you'll get it back in a second," Will winked as he pecked him on the mouth.

"Ok," Tay smiled.

*          *          *          *          *

"Hey sweetie where's Zac at?" Diana asked as she peaked her head around the corner from the hallway.

"He went out for a walk or something," Daphne sighed staring at the floor as she sat in the den.

"Something's wrong isn't it," Diana asked as she walked over and sat down next to her.

"Yeah, me," Daphne muttered.

"Come on, I know Zac better than you do, believe me he has a way of being extremely difficult to please at times," Diana smiled.

"Yeah, I noticed," Daph smirked back.

"It's just, ok I've had feelings for him for so long, before we really got a chance to start dating, and sometimes," Daph searched for the right way to explain it.

"Do you feel maybe you love him more?" Diana offered.

"Well not so much that, but when I see him acting affectionate towards me it sometimes catches me off guard," Daphne explained.

"I'm used to the Zac all the fans see. You know the snobby jerk who likes to give people dirty faces or make them feel stupid. I'm used to that Zac more than I am to the," she paused.

"To the real Zac," Diana smiled nodding.

"The real Zac," Daph looked over confused.

"Daphne, that Zac, the one who's rude and snide and all the things we've gotten onto him for being isn't the real Zac, well to an extent it is but it's not the majority of the real Zac, it's just one facet," Diana sighed with a smile.

"I'm confused, I mean," Daphne started.

"It's like this, Zac has seen how people treat Taylor and Isaac. He's seen people fake friendships and play up to them. Something Zac can't stand more than any of us are people who are two faced. So his defense against that is being a jerk to everyone. Because, if a person really does like him, or really does want to be his friend, they will see through it, and they'll stick it out long enough for him to realize they are real," Diana explained.

"Deep down I knew that, and I remind myself of it daily when I'm around him it's just," Daph began as Diana cut her off.

"Sometimes he acts like that to you too. It catches you off guard when the soft warm and cuddly Zachary that I know appears," Diana smiled sweetly.

"Exactly."

"You need to tell him this."

"Oh yeah easier said than done," Daphne laughed.

"Daphne, when you sit Zac down and talk to him seriously you'd be surprised at how he'll react."

"Actually no, I'm well aware of his ability to be serious and truly listen to a person. We have had our serious moments. It's just right now he's so angry with me, and I'm so upset with myself that I don't even know how to begin to tell him these things."

"I understand," Zac muttered quietly from behind them.

Daphne spun around in shock to see Zac standing in the doorway looking a bit ashamed of himself.

"I'll leave you two alone," Diana smiled as she stood and moved past Zac.

"I'm sorry," Zac whispered still standing at the doorway.

"No, Zac I'm sorry," Daphne began as she stood up.

"No, it's my fault, it's a bad habit of mine, I'm gonna try from now on to switch off the jerk mode around you," Zac replied quietly.

"Zac you are a jerk, you can't change that," Daph replied smiling as Zac suddenly looked up at her with a shocked look on his face.

"Hey," he replied in defense.

"Babe, what I mean is, just be you, don't stifle the," Daph searched again for the right words.

"The soft warm and cuddly Zachary," he smirked quoting his mother.

"Exactly, I can handle the Jerk, so long as my prince is around," Daphne said quietly walking closer to Zac.

"You mean the Jerk formerly known as Prince?" he snickered quietly as she stood in front of him.

"No, I mean my prince," she said gazing up into his big brown eyes.

"My princess," he whispered leaning down as his arms wrapped around her.

"I love you Zac," Daphne whispered quietly as their mouths met.

*          *          *          *          *

"Oh God," Will moaned loudly as he braced himself against the back seat.

The view of the hill through the back windshield was concealed by the thick layer of fog that had coated all the windows.

"You like that?" Tay breathed hard as he thrusted against Will.

"Oh God yes," Will gasped as he looked back over his shoulder at Taylor.

Taylor shifted, pushing his right leg back behind him his heel hit the stereo and it turned on.

The soft warm low husky chords that droned from the speakers registered in both of their ears instantly.

Will slowly slid down onto the back seat on his stomach as Taylor shifted and laid down on top of him. After a slow re-entry he began to move with the pace of the music. Kissing and licking Will's ear and neck Taylor moaned quietly.

"I love you so much," Taylor whispered his voice husky and deep with passion.

"Taylor," Will gasped as his entire body began to tremble with the impending orgasm that was mere moments away.

"Oh God Will I'm gonna," Tay moaned loudly as the bridge of the song over took them both.

Their bodies pressing together. Taylors in a downward thrust. Wills in an upward arch. Eyes squeezed shut, mouths and tongues wrestling wetly. Collapsing gently into each other they both heaved and exhaled. Their minds drunk with love and pleasure, as the voice of Terri Nunn crooned the final lines of that famous love song.

"Take my breath away ... "

*          *          *          *          *

After pulling into the driveway and seeing that all the lights were out Ike knew he was in it deep. Even though he had shown up at the restaurant only to find that they had already left it was going to be tough to face Shiye.

He shut the front door and put the keys on the side table. The lights were out and there was no noise. After making his way to the bedroom he found Shiye asleep. A box of Kleenex on the bedside table, Ike knew she had been crying.

He slid into the bed beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. Before he could attempt to wake her she smacked his hand off her shoulder.

"I'm tired and I don't feel good, talk to me tomorrow morning," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," Ike started.

"The couch," she replied without turning over.

"Huh," Ike asked confused.

"The couch, is waiting for you," she replied.

"Oh," Ike replied as he pulled back and stood next to the bed.

He thought about saying something, about trying to explain. But he knew that it was his own fault. If he had just told Rochelle that he had to leave and that was final he would have made it in time, he would have been there for dinner. He would have made Shiye happy. But he didn't stand up to Rochelle. He knew it was his fault.

"Night," he said quietly as he took his pillow and left the room.

Shiye squeezed her eyes shut as a tear fell from them.

"I have to be tough," she thought to herself.

"If I just act like nothing happened he'll do it again," she tried to reason with herself.

All the reasoning in the world, no matter how justified didn't help make her feel any better. The entire night she had wanted him by her side. She had ached for his presence, and now. The moment he was with her she wanted him to go.

She buried her face in the pillow and cried herself to sleep.

*          *          *          *          * "You wanna head home?" Will asked as he maneuvered the car around down the dirt road.

"Actually I was thinkin' we could hit some clubs," Tay exclaimed as he checked himself in the visor mirror.

"You pop an energy pill when I wasn't lookin'?" Will laughed.

"No, why are you tired?" Tay asked glancing over.

"Not really tired, just," Will paused.

"Hey if you wanna head on back that's fine we can do it another night," Tay smiled as he rubbed the back of Wills neck.

"Yeah I'm sure we can do it another night," Will grinned wickedly.

"However I do wanna go out with you so, where too?" he smiled.

"Why don't we just cruise until we see a joint worth stopping at," Tay replied.

"Sounds good to me," Will replied as he pulled around the gate and out onto the small street.

"I'm amazed that you found this spot, seeing as how you're not from Los Angeles," Tay exclaimed over the gusts of wind that blew in through the open windows.

"Hey, you know it's not that hard to find your way around here, just get lost a few times and suddenly you realize all the street connect at one point or another," Will laughed.

"Yeah, I did notice that myself," Tay smiled.

"Look at the line there," Tay exclaimed as they rolled past a club on Hollywood Boulevard.

"Wanna go there?" Will asked.

"Roll up to the front."

"Alrighty."

"Naw, I don't know the door man," Tay started.

"No wait, yeah I do, hold on a sec," Tay said pulling on a baseball cap as he got out of the car.

A few moments later he re-emerged from the dark entrance past the line of people and got in the car.

"Yeah pull around to the side and park we're goin' in," he smiled as he took off the hat.

"Not wearing the cap inside?" Will asked.

"Nah, only outside, but since we're not going in the front it doesn't make a difference."

"Oh ok," Will replied still not sure what was going on.

"One thing we can't do too much of," Tay said as he turned and faced Will.

"What's that?" Will asked as Taylor kissed him.

"Oh," Will smiled as Taylor pulled away grinning.

"You mean we can't make out like wild sex fiends on the dance floor?" Will laughed wiping his mouth.

"Not at first at least," Tay laughed as he got out.

"Ah, I see, so which way does this club swing?"

"Every which way," Tay smiled.

"No wonder you know the dude here," Will laughed.

"I've only been twice before, back during the MAST fuck up," Tay commented as they approached a black door.

"Hey dude," a large muscular man exclaimed as Taylor pulled it open.

"Hey Mike, been a while," Tay smiled.

"Yeah it has, how've you been," he asked.

"Great actually," Tay smiled.

Glancing over at Will as he walked up behind Taylor Mike gave Taylor a glance.

"He's with me, this is my friend Will," Tay exclaimed.

"Oh, ok, heh, cool," Mike chuckled to himself.

"Anyone else here tonight?" Tay asked as they walked inside.

"Drew was here earlier not sure if she's left yet, and Alex Band apparently is here, but I haven't seen him, and one of the guys from some band I can't remember the name of."

"Oh really," Tay asked.

"Phantom something," the guard almost asked not sure himself.

"Ah gotcha, is VIP open," Tay asked.

"As always," Mike smiled.

"Great."

"Drew?" Will asked.

"Barrymore," Tay smiled.

"Oh, surprise surprise," Will laughed.

"No, she's really cool," Taylor defended.

"No, it's not that."

"What then?" Tay asked with a smirk.

"Is this starting to feel like some fanfic off the internet, or is it me?"

Taylor laughed.

"Yeah, all we need is Cher to show up and then have Robert Downey Jr. get busted right in front of us for possession," Tay laughed.

"No, that's too realistic for a fanfic," Will snickered as he tickled Taylors sides.

"Oh god," Tay laughed.

"How about us fucking on the dance floor?" Tay smiled wickedly.

"There, now you're talking, right in front of God and everyone," Will laughed.

"I'll have to keep my eye out for that one to be published," Tay chuckled.

"It's sure to win some awards," Will laughed.

"Oh really," Tay raised his eyebrows as they sat down on a couch in the VIP area.

"Yeah, you know 'best sweaty sex scene in a love story,'" Will laughed.

"Yeah, a real Oscar worthy award," Tay winced shaking his head with a laugh.

"Right up there along side Driving Miss Daisy," Will smirked.

"Anyway," Tay signaled the shift of the conversation.

"So," Will muttered glancing around as the music kicked in from below.

"Want a drink?" Tay asked.

"Yeah, that'd be good, you however shouldn't," Will smiled.

"And why not?"

"You have the tolerance of an eighty year old man," Will laughed.

"How the hell do you figure?" Tay almost snarled jokingly.

"Um, because everytime you get sloshed you fall asleep," Will giggled poking Tay in the side.

"Hey," Tay began to defend himself when Drew Barrymore walked up.

"Taylor Hanson," she exclaimed with her slight speech impediment which made Will giggle slightly.

"Drew Barrymore," Taylor replied standing up.

"How've you been girlfriend?" she exclaimed hugging Taylor.

"Girlfriend?" Will mouthed quietly to himself as the two hugged.

"Oh you know the usual," Tay lisped at her.

"Oh tell me about it," she laughed as she turned to Will.

"And who might this fine young man be," she grinned.

"This is my friend, Will," Tay smiled as Will stood up to shake her hand.

"Oh, how adorable," she almost squealed as he stood.

"Nice to meet you," he smiled.

"Aww, Tay he's so cute, so much cuter than," she started as Tay coughed suddenly.

"So anyways, how long have you two been seeing each other?" she asked sitting down between them pulling them both to sit with her.

"Uh," Tay stuttered slightly.

"Honestly," Will started drawing Drew's attention away from Taylor.

"Off and on for a while now," he replied.

"Yeah," Tay smiled.

"Well I think that's just great, it's about time you found someone you can connect with, and not have to worry about flapping their mouth," Drew grinned.

"You seeing anyone right now?" Will asked.

"Naw, I'm a single girl," she grinned.

"So," Tay said as she turned to face him.

"So what?" she laughed.

"So, who's all here tonight?" he asked as she started to rattle on about the people she had seen a few moments ago down on the dance floor.

Will sat there listening to her ramble on. His mind drifted back to Taylor. He glanced over at him and watched him listen to her. He seemed to really be soaking up what she was saying. His mind drifted back a bit more and he began to wonder who Drew had been speaking about when Taylor cut her off. He shook it off. He was aware that it had been quite a few months between the initial MAST experiment and when he and Taylor had gotten back together. Even though they were together now, the thought of Tay being with someone else before unsettled his nerves.

"Will would you mind terribly?" Drew exclaimed as her voice shook him from his thoughts.

"Mind what?" Will asked glancing over blinking his eyes.

"If I borrowed your beau for a few minutes, I promise I'll return him in the same condition," she smiled.

"Rats, you mean you won't bring him back sex starved and craving my body which he would begin to ravish on sight?" Will laughed covering up his reluctance to let Tay go, if even for a moment.

"Well, we'll see about that," she smiled as she pulled Taylor up and away.

Tay glanced back at Will, who's face had become somber.

"Love you," Taylor mouthed quietly with a wink over his shoulder.

Will winked back and took a deep breath and stood up. After wandering across the VIP room he stood near a pillar and over looked the dance floor. Masses of people thrashed to the music that cranked from the large speakers that were scattered about.

"Did you see, my God he's only gotten more gorgeous?" Will heard a female voice exclaim from a couple that came up the steps and stood on the other side of the column.

"Yeah, I know, far cry from the little blond girl everyone thought he was," the other voice laughed.

Instantly Will knew they were talking about Taylor.

"I didn't know he was friends with Drew," the first voice exclaimed.

"Yeah, neither did I, I doubt they are dating."

"Oh, I highly doubt that, I think he's still dating Alex."

"Band?"

"No, Greenwald, you know Phantom Planet," the first voice exclaimed.

"Oh, I thought I heard something about that, think he still is?"

"Well, I don't know but looks like if he isn't they are having a little reunion down there," Will suddenly jerked his head downward and scanned the crowd.

"Where?" the other girl asked just as Will asked himself.

"Right over there, next to the blue neon bar," she replied.

Will followed the crowd across the dance floor to a blue neon lined bar. Sure enough standing off to the side visible in the blue light was Taylor and Alex. Taylor, whom was standing fairly plainly shifted back a bit as Alex leaned in closer. Will felt his fists clenching. He glanced around, Drew was nowhere in sight.

"For some reason I was sure he came with another guy," the second girl exclaimed.

"He did," Will almost growled as he walked past them, not seeing their faces drawn in shock as he went down the stair case.

Making his way through the crowd, Will caught glimpses of Taylor and Alex standing close together talking. Each step closer he grew more and more angry. Only feet away his entire game plan shifted to one that he hadn't considered until the last moment.

Walking up behind Taylor Will slid his arms under his and wrapped them up around his chest and kissed Taylor on the cheek.

"Hey babe," Will grinned at a slightly shocked Taylor.

"Oh hey," Tay seemed startled.

"I got lonely, where did Drew go?" Will said nuzzling Taylors cheek as he turned him away from Alex.

"She was going to find some friend of hers she wanted me to meet and left me standing here."

"Oh ok well," Will started as he pulled Taylor towards the dance floor.

"Will, wait, I want you to meet someone," Tay almost struggled to get out as Will kissed him on the mouth.

"Oh, who?" Will asked turning to face the crowd.

"No, over here," Taylor almost laughed nervously.

"Oh, sorry," Will exclaimed facing Alex.

"This is Alex Greenwald, he's in a band here in Los Angeles," Tay exclaimed nervously as he eyed both Will and Alex looking at each other.

"Nice to meet you, funny Taylor has never mentioned one thing about you," Will smiled.

"Oh, well, we've only hung out a little bit," Alex exclaimed looking at Taylor with an expression that almost resembled shock.

"Yeah, well it was nice to meet you," Will said grabbing Taylor by both hips pulling him towards the dance floor.

"Um," Tay tried to exclaim over the music but Will had won and pulled him into the crowd as Alex stood there looking almost a bit angry.

"What the hell was that about?" Tay asked with a sharp tone to his voice as he dipped and swayed to the loud music that caused the crowd around them to grind and bump together.

"What was what?" Will asked pretending he had no clue why Taylor was startled.

"You kissing me like that in front of him," Tay exclaimed looking Will dead in the eyes.

"What, afraid he'd find out about me?" Will replied with a blank face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Taylor asked as an expression of anger and hurt washed over his face.

"You know, me you us," Will backtracked as he saw his confronting Taylor on this wasn't going to go over well.

"Oh," Tay muttered so quietly Will could only tell by the motion of his mouth.

"I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore," Will exclaimed as he turned and began to move away from Taylor on the dance floor.

"No wait, shit Will stop," Tay yelled as he grabbed Will by the wrist and pulled him back.

"I'm just not," Tay tried to explain as he realized with as loud as the music was that it was damn near impossible for Will to hear anything.

"Come on, damn it, you got me out here now dance with me," Tay yelled smiling brightly.

While Will had a hard time understanding him, he saw the smile and caught the word dance.

"Hold on girlfriend," Will laughed as he grabbed Taylor by the hips and began to grind against him.

"That's more like it," Tay smiled.

Even though for the moment Taylor was feeling better he knew that he would have to honestly face Will. Especially if Will cornered him in the Alex situation. He knew that the moment would come. But right then it wasn't time. It was time to dance, time to have fun and most of all it was time to be happy. Mixed in with everyone around them, pressed tightly on all sides by other bodies Taylor and Will danced. Chest to chest, groin to groin, mouth to mouth. No one paying them a bit of attention.

Or so they thought.


On to Chapter Four

Back to Chapter Two

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A Love Incognito is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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