AN: The story you've all been waiting for! The sequel to Midnight Kiss! Anyways, I'm gonna get started! I hope to see familiar as well as new faces!

Note: Just to be clear, they are in high school.

Disclaimer: I don't own DWAB.

Avery grinned, reaching out to intertwine her fingers with Karl's. He gave it a quick squeeze, looking with pride into her bright blue eyes. They were doing this. They were finally together.

And they couldn't have been any happier. They descended down the stairs together, Karl looking at each step, always the careful one when it came to his phobias.

Avery was too busy looking at him with stars in her eyes that she made a small misstep, causing her to almost catapult down the stairs. She squealed, the memory of her doing the exact same thing with Wes.

Except for this time, a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist, keeping her in her spot. Her heart was thundering in her chest. This was embarrassing.

"Are you okay?" Karl asked. He sounded like he had just ran a race. When his Avery wouldn't look at him, he realized that her cheeks were red, and her eyes were wide. Was she remembering something?

Why was she so clumsy when it came to guys she liked? When he asked her a question, she couldn't speak. The words were caught in her throat. The shock of history almost repeating itself was taking toll. She opened her mouth, but snapped it shut with her loss of words.

He let out a soft chuckle, bringing her around to face him. She wouldn't look at him. Amusing, he decided. Soft brown eyes now studied her actions. The way she was interested at something lying on the ground, the way her intriguing mouth opened and closed, and the way she was tensed up.

"I think you are cute when flustered." He murmured, lifting her face with two fingers so that she was looking at him. Her eyes met his briefly and looked away just as quickly. "Look at me."

Avery looked at him, just as she was told. As her eyes met his, nervous giggling erupted from her. At first, they were just rumbling in her chest. Soon, though, they became louder and louder, until they resonated throughout the house. She was dying inside of embarrassment, yet the laughter wouldn't stop.

Pretty soon, Karl joined in. Together, they both attracted the rest of the houshold. Stumbling over one another to get up the stairs, the family hurried. The laugh was the mere sound of the mother's laughter, so of course they were scared.

"What the he-" Tyler shouted. He stopped just in time to see what he wanted to see. What he saw was Karl holding his little sister, who was obviously freaking out. The eldest put two and two together, and lunged at Karl.

Avery saw her brother just in time to tell at him to stop, to tell him nothing was wrong. She was a moment too late, for a moment later, her boyfriend was tackled up the stairs. Being the one pushed out of the way, the blonde tripped. Falling, she was caught by her father.

"What's happening?" He demanded and set her down. He took a step up the stairs when Avery caught his arm.

"Nothing!" The force of the words scared even her, since moments earlier, she had been unable to say anything.

"But you were laughing like me..." Her mother reasoned.

"And so was he! I almost tripped down the stairs when he caught me! Tyler, stop!" Avery yelled.

"But you were laughing like me..." Her mother repeted, looking lost.

The blonde cringed. "I know. It was honestly disturbing." She cringed again.

By then, Tyler had stopped, hearing what he needed to. He dusted Karl off, starting a long string of apologies. "I'm re-"

"Don't worry about it, Tyler. It looked wrong. I understand." Karl interupted him. He dusted himself off.

An awkward silence ensued the misunderstanding. It was palpable, and Avery was sure she could taste it. She needed to get out of here. It wasn't a tasty taste, either. "Let's go, Karl," she held out a hand for him to take, "I want to show you something."

Karl wasted no time, as if he was experiencing what she was. He took her hand, and together, they quickly made their way down the stairs.

Before they made it out the door, Avery heard, "But she was laughing like me!" Karen yelled. That was when the door slammed shut.

-later-

"Where are we going?" Karl asked, giggling as she led him by the arm to where she wanted to lead him.

"Quit asking questions." Avery answered, looking back to wink at him before continuing. "We are almost there."

Just as she said so, her safe place came into view. No-one knew she had a place, and that was the way she liked it.

"What?" He was honestly confused. Looking around, he surveyed the surroundings. It was nothing special, really. Just a large tree admidst the other large trees in the park.

She giggled, pulling him around the tree. Tall grass brushed her bare legs, reaching up to touch the bottom of her knees. It might seem like just any tree, but it wasn't. Once they reached the other side of said tree, Avery was pulled to a stop. "Not so normal now, is it?" She teased.

Karl was staring at the massive hole in the tree. It was like a mouse hole, but only it was magnified. He let Avery pull him into the hollow tree. He wanted a look around.

"I found it after Wes broke up with me." The blonde started, letting his hand go, just to run hers along the smooth inside. He followed. As he ran his eyes over everything, his girl explained it. "I fell in love with it, and it calmed me. I knew I needed to furnish it. I could make it mine."

Pieces of her house were situated in the place. It even smelled vaguely of Avery. Karl ran his hand against the painting of a woman pinned to the wall. His eyes trailed to the back of the tree, where a piece of the tree jutted out. It was as if the tree knew Avery was going to find it, and so it left a little bit of itself for her to make a seat to sit upon. It was adorned with a hand knitted blanket and two pillows of different colors. It amazed him.

As she studied her boyfriend's reactions, she fell for him harder. Before this, it had seemed as if he was incapable of being this deep. She was finding out that she could be surprised by a lot. Avery had to let go of the fact that she didn't know everything. He walked over to finger the fabric of the blanket.

"I made that over the course of me getting over Wes." The blonde murmured, walking up behind him. She grabbed his hand and led him to sit on the makeshift chair. "I had to cope somehow."

Her hand played with his, memories washing over her. Not exactly images, but feelings. She had felt so alone, so out of place.

"But you seemed perfectly fine." Karl spoke up, brushing hair out of her eyes. He gazed at the rug that lie on the ground. Hollows in the walls provided places for books and various other things.

"That's what I let everyone think." She looked at him and smiled. "Inside was where I was dying." After admitting that, she liked how he looked genuinly concerned and interested. She leaned up and gave him a kiss.

He pulled back after a few moments. "You are very strong. I like that about you." He pulled her in for a hug. That was how they sat for a bit. A comfortable silence surrounded them. He rubbed her back, and she relaxed into it.

-later-

"How do you keep your stuff here?" Karl asked, breaking the silence. His lips moved against her hair as the words were murmured.

A few beats of silence ensued as Avery untangled her tongue in her mouth. The silence had been so comfortable that it had grown lazy. "What do you mean?" Her words slurred.

He didn't say anything, as if he was planning what he was going to say. "What if someone stumbles upon this-your-place? How do you keep them out?" He stroked her hair. It was silky to the touch.

Avery thought about it for a moment. "I don't know." She paused again. "I guess that since I found this place, I thought that it was mine. The thought never crossed my mind."

"Ah. You feel as if no one would find it because you found it in your time of need. Since you feel a connection to it, the thought of someone else coming here is absurd." He finished, kissing her head.

"I guess that's it." She confirmed, feeling right about what he said. "Do you have a place like this?"

"Yes, but people know about it. Of course they avoid it though. They avoid me. It is my garage." His voice cracked.

Avery turned in his embrace and cupped his cheek. Looking into his eyes, she could see the loneliness in them. "Stan did. I do."

He smiled softly. "Do. That implies now. But I don't care about that. All that matters is that you," he pecked her on the lips, "are here now."

Her heart swelled up several sizes. She brought him down for a deep kiss. Pulling away, foreheads still touching, Avery spoke. "I'm glad I am. I'm glad that I am with you, and you are with me."

He turned her back around, and she cuddled next to him as she had previously. The wind blew outside, caressing the grass and the leaves gently.

Avery felt his stomach rumble. "Are you hungry?"

As it grew stronger, she realized that he was laughing. "But she was laughing like me..." Karl cracked, his laugh making Avery laugh.

She also cringed at the memory. "Jerk. It was disturbing. I don't know why I was, either."

He said nothing as he continued to laugh.

"You are honestly horrible!" Avery laughed, and struggled out of his arms. She tagged him and darted away. "You're it!"

"Oh no you don't!" Karl shouted, finally managing to get out of his seat. He ran after her. "Get back here!"

If this is what human interaction felt like, Karl could definitely get used to it.

-later-

"You can bring some things to leave there, if you wanted too." Avery offered. They were now on her porch in the dark.

Karl smiled. "I think I might." Giving her a kiss, he stepped back. "I'll see you tomorrow on our run?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes. Goodnight, Karl." She watched his face. It glowed in the light of her porch. She had the urge to say something that had been on her mind all night. "Karl, I- I am glad that all of this happened. I l-" the words froze in her throat.

"I am too, Avery. Goodnight." With that, he turned and left.

"I love you." She whispered, heading inside. She expected to come face to face with her parents, but to her surprise, they weren't. Maybe tomorrow, she decided, heading up the stairs to her room. She was tired.

And she couldn't wait until the next morning. She had Karl all to herself, and it excited her. She sighed contentedly as she fell into bed, and into a dreamless sleep.

AN: well, longer than I imagined it would be. I guess it is because I am just realizing that if I have my imagination, I can write a chapter that can go on forever.

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