Jeremy was surprised at her question, but the words were leaving his lips before he even thought about them. "I thought you were." His hands snaked around her waist and hugged her as he kissed her again, this time a little bit longer. His brain tingled and went numb, and he knew that this time, something was different. This time, it, whatever it was, was real.

The two found their way towards a desk, Jeremy sitting first, then Amy sitting on his lap. It felt so good being with the boy, the actress observed. It felt right and wonderful, and if she could, she'd want to feel like this forever.

At that moment, Chris walked in with a water bottle in hand. "I eerrr, got you a water Amy."

Jeremy's first reaction to the door opening was to quickly remove his hands and stand like nothing was wrong. However, after a moment's hesitation and the realization that it was Chris walking in, he left his head resting on her shoulder and nuzzled against her neck, his arms around her waist holding her too him. It felt so right to be with her...

Not even moving, Jeremy greeted Chris. "Hey Chris. Thanks for the water. Want to bring it over? We don't feel like getting up." Jeremy gave Chris a wink and he gently kissed Amy on the neck.

She couldn't help but blush by how brazenly Jeremy acted in front of Chris. He was so calm and cool, but warm and cuddly with his hands around her waist. Amy sighed as he nuzzled himself against her neck and kissed it; how did he know that was a special spot to her? Guiltily, she straightened her dress, so it didn't show everything.

Chris grinned, happy the two finally figured out their feelings for each other. "Congrats you two. But get the water bottle yourself, Amy darling." He grinned, placing the bottle onto the piano before ducking out of the room once again.

Jeremy pouted. "But we're so comfortable..." Then he smiled and looked to Chris. "When do you have to audition?" He winked, reavealing his true purposes fr asking. A though seemed to occur to him, and he turned slightly toward Amy. "Speaking of which... When is your audition?" All thoughts of flirting and courtship were abandoned as he imagined Amy, for the first time ever, losing her part because she was late. And all because of him. He didn't voice this, of course, knowing that it would cause her to panic once more.

Amy rolled her eyes towards Chris. He was wonderfully sweet, but so much more a Prima Donna than she would ever be. "Please Chris? Pretty pretty please?" A bit of batted eye lashes and pouty puppy dog lips got her friend to do the deed and bring the water bottle over to the new couple. "Thank you Chris. You sweet boy." She began taking long drinks as though she were a fish out of water.

"Oh, I just finished my audition. Amy's is in a half hour." Chris spoke on her behalf as she was nuzzling into Jeremy's shoulder once more. She seemed happy. Content, and most certainly not as stressed as she was earlier. Which was most certainly good for Amy, Chris mused. She worried too much about the stage, it was time for her to take a break and make new relationships and enjoy her time with someone else.

"Only half an hour?" Jeremy paused as Amy's nuzzling distracted him, and it took a second for him to compose himself again. "Maybe you should practice?" He asked Amy, kissing her on the cheek lightly, just as Chris looked away for a moment. Then a sly, playful smile spread across his lips, and an idea creeped into his mind. "No... You wouldn't need to practice. Not the great Amy. The amazing Amy. Diva of the stage and queen of the theatre." He teased lightly, though secretly he meant every word. "You would be able to walk up there and sight-read a song, and they would still give you the lead." All hints of sarcasm, of teasing, were gone. This time Amy could tell that he meant it.

He kissed the nook connecting her neck to her shoulder, and lay his head there. He loved Amy so much... He could feel it. Deep within his bones. And, as he sat there with Amy on his lap, he realised that he always had loved her. Ever since he met her.

"Yes, Only a half hour. Gasp! That's the perfect amount of time for me to prepare for this silly audition." Amy's teasing tones matched her lover's, but a light blush spread across her cheeks at the realization he really did mean every word. "I'm not really all that Jeremy. Don't lie to me."

What was this that Amy felt? It was a... tightness in her chest, where her heart was. Love? Adoration? Both? Neither? Defiantly not neither. It was something that made Amy feel delicious, she didn't want it to go away.

Ever.

He kissed her right behind her ear, his breath hot on her skin. "I wasn't lying..." he whispered. Then, with great hesitation and reluctance, he lifted Amy from his lap and helped her stand up. "But you should practice anyway. Even though you don't need it, you probably should." There was a sort of sadness in his voice at the prospect of leaving her to her work. He didn't want to ever leave her side.

Not even for a second...

The bright lights blinded Amy as she walked onto the stage. It was a moment of conscientiousness. Too ugly, too skanky, more cleavage, less ass. Somehow, Amethyst was so scared that she wasn't going to be perfect for the part of Titania, or that these directors were going to completely mold her into a playboy nymphomaniac.

Even though that was what The Faerie Queen was at points.

Titania also commanded respect and honor and pulled forth dreams of moonlight forest cleanings and true love and kisses and... amaranthine eyes? Just like those of Mr. King... how strange, they were exactly like his. And strange that she felt those exact eyes on her now. Amy handed her sheet music to the accompanist and worked through the motions. Smile, greet yourself, try to ignore the fact that you feel like your walking on pillars of sand...

She covered Lady Gaga's acoustic version of "Poker Face." Amy was sure she blew it, but as the next person went before the lights and more judgment of the revered elders, she felt herself relax slightly in the darkness of backstage.

"Mighty fine performance." A voice as smooth as silk pulled the words through lips that any girl would kill for. A gentle hand brushed violet hair away from amarinthine eyes. Those purple reflective orbs flashed, and a wave of memory blinked in Amy's mind. A night in the forest. Terror, then... bliss?

Daniel smiled. "You conveyed perfectly the character of a Fairy Queen. Almost as if you've had practice..." He chuckled, the throaty gargle somehow moving through the air like honey down a sore throat. "But of course you would. After all, you are an actress." Amy's hand was swept up as Daniel bowed dramatically, bringing her hand to his lips and lightly kissing it, infusing just enough magic to give her a warm, tingly sensation in her less obvious parts. He straightened, her hand falling from his grasp as if it was a feather being released into the wind. He flashed her a dazzling smile, and then dissapeared into the shadows of the backstage area.

Jeremy walked up just as Mr. King was leaving. A look of confusion twisted his features as he asked, "What was that about?" Then he waved it away with a muttered "nevermind" and drew Amy into a hug that sent her twirling through the air. "That was amazing! As expected from the perfect Amy!" A goofy smile was plastered on Jeremy's face as he flung his excitement onto her. "There's no way you're not getting that part!"

((OOC: Hey... Guess who's back? Yeah. Meh. Know you missed me. 'Cause I missed you too. ;) A lot! Now, enough chit-chat from me, time to post!!))

Amy's intentions once backstage were to relax, to let her creative energies loosen and unwind from the stress she bound them in during an audition. But beyond the curtains, a murky force waited for her with... unpleasant intentions. The compliments Mr. King gave her sounded mock, but underneath there was a shadow of truism to his words. And that frightened Amy. Did Mr. King have anything to do with the reoccuring visions that left her with a taste for something more? He couldn't know, he was only human.

Or was he? Were any of us only human? Or was there something more to each person, hiding within the shadow of the moon. Amy speculated much about the world like this quite often, it went with her Wiccan beliefs. The blond's head spun with the words Mr. King spoke.

He had to go and kiss her, leaving a buzz of obscured arousal in his wake. And then he was gone, like candle smoke in the night. Amy was flustered all over again when Jeremy walked up to her. He asked what had happened between the principal and the student, but then waved off a never mind before she had a chance to reply.

Jeremy's hug spun her in the air, making her dizzy and excited and happy all at the same time. She giggled, the feeling of being in the redhead's arms amazing and feeling like strawberries and sparkles.

"I don't know Jerry, it's all fair game. Anyways, let's go get something to eat. I'm STARVING!!"

"Ah, yes! Food!!" The redhead's eyes flashed with sudden remembrance of this important practice. "Feeding you would be important. Hmm... But where shall we go?" Jeremy's hand fluttered up to his chin, rubbing an invisible beard. He snapped his fingers in realization. "Ah! I know!" Then he pointed the finger to Amy. "What are you in the mood for?"

Meanwhile, back in the concealing shadows of the curtains, Mr. King watched. Every time Amy looked at Jeremy, he flicked his finger at her, and a wave of arousing magic gently wafted over her. With every glimpse of the sweet boy's face, her body became more and more hungry. Whenever he blinked, or drew a breath, Daniel's magic was there. Carressing Amy with a soft touch, smoothly running its tendrils up her spine, causing her body to shiver. Before long, a small existance floated between her legs, begging her to open up to him.

From the concealment of the shadows, the demon lord did this. Purple orbs watched the young woman as his undetectable (by a special enchanment) magic embraced her.

The blonde rolled her eyes at Jeremy's... absentmindedness. Goddess, he had been like that since freshman year! 4 years of friendship meant knowing so many flaws and secrets and details about Jeremy (and Chris as well) that it was so in his character to forget something as important as eating.

And Amy liked to eat.

A lot.

She mirrored Jeremy's invisible (-coughcough- non-existent -coughcough-) beard thoughtfully, her eyes going up to the rafters above. When Jeremy snapped his fingers, she arched her wrists and had her fingers pointer at herself (as if saying "oh, moi?")

"I'm in the mood for..." Amy stopped mid-sentence as she looked at Jeremy. The colour drained from her fair face for a moment, but at the same time a blush formed on her cheeks all the way down her neck until that dress covered her up. What was she going to say? Hard to tell, as all her thoughts of food simply vanished, replaced by thoughts of a... different huger. This hunger simply grew with looking at Jeremy, which made her blush even more. Could he tell? Amy's mind followed her body, struggling to keep control of the situation.

"Ummm, I ummm.... Let's go get Chinese back at my place, ok?" She began walking away from the back stage area of the auditorium. "Let's ditch this place as soon as possible," Amy said with a wink.

Jeremy watched Amy curiously. After 4 years of almost constantly being together, Jeremy knew Amy almost entirely. But today she was acting strange... What was that look in her eyes? Was it the same as what he had been feeling for a long, long time? And the flush of her skin. Was she hot? It was rather warm backstage... The boy tugged at his collar, then moved to follow Amy.

"Chinese it is then." He said with a smile, catching up to her and entwining their fingers together. With her touching him he felt... complete. As if life couldn't get any better.

However, in the violet demon's eyes the situatioon was very different. A knowing smile played on his perfect lips as he watched her, a certain lust forming in his core. He had to have her. It had been so long, and no other woman had been able to compare...

At the red-headed boy's touch, Daniel's magic grew exponentially. What was once an annoying but noticeable trickle became a torrent, until it was barely controllable. Mr. King smirked. "Better get out fast, before you make a scene." he chuckled, and the shadows swallowed him.

Why did Jeremy have to go so slow? Couldn't he see? Couldn't he tell? Boys usually were the ones who initiated, but then there was Jeremy. Sweet, innocent Jeremy who wasn't like other boys, the gentile heart, a gentleman's mind. Amy tugged at his wrist as she dragged him out from backstage, through the hallways (into the practice room to quickly grab their bags) and soon enough they were out on the busy streets of the Windy City.

Amy loved this city- more than she could ever love London or New York. There was a certain urban magic that still believed in a bit of melodic blues and grit that flavored the new organic artsy scene spread around. Breathing in Old Town was like breathing everything good in the world. Quickly the two boarded a bus, waiting quietly as life moved around them. Amy felt like a quickly ticking bomb. Why did everything have to move sooooo slow? Couldn't the bus drivers hit the gas pedal? Well? The energy in Amy was electric- sweet Jeremy had no idea what would hit him back at the apartment.

And then.... they were at the apartment building. A snap of the fingers. The blond tried to clear her head of the foginess it felt, the lack of energy that made her go dizzy. It cleared as she ascended the steps. It wasn't really an 'apartment building' more like a series of amazing lofts in an old factory building. Up the elevator they went, and then they were inside...

Holding her hand was heaven.

In all of Jeremy's dreams, they had been together. Amy and him, walking and talking or sitting or even sleeping together. But he was not ambitious. He knew that all they were were friends, and that they would forever stay that way. He did not allow himself to dream of what he truly wanted. Of what he desired...

As the beautiful blonde dragged him out of the theatre, his mind was elsewhere. He thought she must be hungry, or she had something else to do. It was only when they got to the bus that he thought something was wrong. "Hey, weren't we going to go eat?"

The boy's words went unheard as Amy pulled him off the bus and toward her apartment building. Well, more like an old factory. But it had been refurbished into a series of fantastic lofts, so it became an apartment building of sorts.

Jeremy had only been in Amy's apartment twice before, and that had been nothing more than quick visits to pick up her books or some such. He didn't want to lose her as a friend, and so he vainly hoped that it was once again something like that.

When they entered her apartment, the door closed behind them. And without them noticing, the deadbolt slid shut.

~~~~~

When their minds had drifted off into sweet slumber, the demon moved forth from the shadows. A hand slithered out and brushed golden hair away from the blonde's forehead. Soft lips kissed her flesh. "Remember..." His voice was sweet, the evil hidden behind layers of innocent seduction.

In the morning, Jeremy opened his eyes to find himself dreaming. Laying on top of him was the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world, and he could feel her deeply breathing. He brushed a lock of golden hair away from her forehead, and kissed her soft flesh. "I love you, Amethyst Branwyn Darkmoon. Goodmorning." The man's lips curled into a smile, waiting for her to open her eyes.

Within her mind, locks began to come undone, rusty gears started turning after four years. The mind's eye showed a subconscious Amy her last night in a land far away. The showed her a clearing in a forest, A clear Beltaine evening where everything turned wrong. Proclamations of love, the act of love itself, and a man... A man this conscious knew. Purple hair, purple eyes, attire pitch, midnight black.

Amy had made love to her principal, Mr. Daniel King in a clearing in a forest when she was only fourteen. Was that even legal? Was that even real? It seemed real to Amy. It seemed crazy, actually. If she told anyone, she'd be deemed as damned. As insane. The girl always had an over-active imagination. It bothered Amy as she awoke, her brow furrowing in her light sleep, but did not say anything.

But when her eyes opened, a smile curled her lips. She kissed Jeremy's lips, rolling herself off of him. "Good morning Jeremy Le Chevalier. How art thou on this merry morning?"

"Absolutely delighted." The boy paused, propping himself up on his arm after she rolled off him, and rubbed his eyes. "Was... Was last night... real? Was it just a dream?" Doubt filled his expression, and fear dwelled in his eyes. Jeremy turned to Amy and took her hands. "Amy, did I hurt you? Did I..." Tears, almost invisible, welled in his eyes. To lose her, especially after this... "Are we OK?"

Purple orbs saw the flash in Amy's eyes as she woke up, and knew she remembered. Did she also remember her promise? To become his... he had waited so long to own the body of a wytch princess.

"I'm glad you're delighted, I'm delighted too." Amy giggled slightly, tucking a curling lock of hair behind one ear. "Yeah, last night was real. No, it wasn't a dream." She let Jeremy grab her hands, using her thumb to caress his skin as he held her tightly. "You didn't hurt me, why would you think that? I don't even feel sore, I feel fantastic, actually." She smiled, leaning over to kiss his lips tenderly. "We're OK." Hoping that this would calm the boy down, the blond got her hands out of Jeremy's and entangled her own in his hair.

Glancing over at the clock, Amy's eyes widened a little bit. "Errrgh, we gotta get going to get over to school, they're going to post the audition results today and I wanna see. And class will start in two hours. Wanna go get breakfast though?"

Jeremy's face was beaming. Every words she uttered was a confirmation of the flutterings in his heart. Every time she spoke she told him it was OK, he was allowed to love her, and it was even felt on both sides.

"Absolutely." He responded. Flesh slid against flesh as he moved his hand to cradle her head, and then their lips touched once more.

Within the man's chest, his heart soared. Here, before him, was the woman he loved more than anything. The woman he would do anything for, even at the cost of his own life. Even if it meant losing her... For she was his life. And she meant everything to him.