Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Wow, has it really been 2 weeks since I stopped writing 'iLost And Found'? Very surreal indeed. But the good news is that the story's far from over. I've decided to be nice and post the first five instalments of this story on FF for your viewing pleasure. I think we're going to have a lot of fun together from here on out ; )

Disclaimer: I still don't own iCarly or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the Bollywood film which catapaulted this story into an overnight Internet sensation : )


7 March, 2026

San Francisco – The Westin St Frances Hotel

Carly's eyes were alight and darkened with desire the closer Freddie got towards her. He had closed the gap between them in seconds and attacked her lips ferociously. It wasn't long before they fell back onto the bed, Freddie on top of Carly as he continued kissing her and kneading her skin with his finger tips. Carly shuddered from Freddie's ministrations as she felt all of her clothes suddenly being removed in one swift manoeuvre. Now, she was completely naked before him and he before her as his hands traced every inch of her bare skin, his eyes blackened with lust.

Carly felt her back hit the duvet beneath her as Freddie covered his naked body with hers, kissing her fervently all the while. Carly was drowning slowly in Freddie's sweet embrace, aching to be close to him in every way possible. She took a moment to just trace the skin on Freddie's cheek as she gazed up at him with wonder in her eyes.

"I've wanted this for so long," she murmured truthfully.

"Me too. And now we can have it," Freddie agreed slowly, finding her lips in the darkness once more.

Carly held her breath as Freddie placed himself at her entrance, then she gasped in pleasure when he filled her up to the core. They began moving together in perfect unison; first slowly, then rapidly with each passing second. Carly's trembling hands moved towards Freddie's shoulders while his hands moved to her waist as he began thrusting into her with painstaking precision. They panted and moaned together as their joined bodies moved in sync with each other's approaching orgasms.

"Oh, Freddie, I want you so much," Carly moaned.

"I want you too, Carly. I'm not going anywhere." Freddie answered truthfully in-between pumping himself in and out of her.

"Freddie," Carly sighed in bliss as Freddie continued pleasuring her with torturous persistence and patience, his raspy breath like music to her ears.

"Freddie…"

"FREDDIE!"

Carly awoke to the sound of her own voice calling out Freddie's name in deafening clarity with a sudden jolt. With her heart hammering erratically in her chest, Carly pushed the sweaty clumps of her hair out of her face and glanced at the alarm clock on the pedestal beside her. It was just after 3am. Carly groaned and fell back against her pillow with disappointment, all too aware of the moisture that had begun pooling between her legs during her erotic dream about her fiancé.

It had been like this ever since she and Freddie had finally decided to embark on a romantic relationship. In the beginning, it had been an endless array of trips back and forth between New York and San Francisco while Carly and Freddie figured out how to organise their lives. While all of this had been happening, Carly had asked Freddie if they could take things slowly, since they'd been out of each other's lives for so long. And that had included not having sex. The last thing Carly wanted was for them to rush into anything and push the boundaries of their romantic relationship too quickly before they were ready to take the next step, which would be marriage. But that didn't necessarily stop Carly's imagination from working on overdrive whenever she was near Freddie, especially when she considered just how madly in love she was with him.

If Freddie had had his way, he would've proposed to Carly right after she had come to San Francisco and told him that she loved him. But out of respect for Carly's feelings, he had decided not to overwhelm her too much. After all, she had just run out on one of her weddings; the last thing Freddie wanted was to scare Carly off completely. It wasn't as if they didn't love each other; but they both knew that after everything they'd been through together and apart, things needed to unfold as slowly and as naturally as possible.

So for Freddie, the first order of business was getting Carly to finally agree to move to San Francisco and move in with him, his daughter and his mother. It wasn't that Carly hadn't wanted to do that in the first place. But again, it was mostly a question of wrapping up her affairs in New York. And that involved getting out of her lease, quitting her job at Random House and moving all of her stuff over to Freddie's home, which had taken at least 3 months. And then there was a question of finding a new job once she got to San Francisco. Carly went to numerous interviews at local radio stations before she got the job at WILD 94.9. And once all of those issues had been resolved, Carly and Freddie were finally free to pursue their newfound romance without too many distractions.

It was a complete whirlwind for both of them from the start. Neither of them anticipated just how easy it would for them to take this step in their lives as well as the sudden ease and comfort of their interactions. Every time that they went out on dates together, Carly always marvelled at Freddie's ingenuity at being so romantic each time, wondering idly if he'd ever been this creative with Sam. Freddie in turn watched Carly's natural interactions with his daughter, as if they'd known each other all their lives, and it made Freddie's heart swell thinking about how perfectly Carly fit in with his family.

Whatever the case, they found themselves falling in love with each other more and more as time passed. So, it shouldn't have come as a surprise when Freddie proposed 4 months into their relationship. But it was still unexpected when Freddie whisked Carly away on an unexpected trip to New York so that she could visit all of her friends and favourite places in the city. She should've instinctively known when they ended up at the Empire State Building at the end of the night and there wasn't a single drop of rain in the sky. While Carly had been fiddling around in her purse trying to retrieve her digital camera, she failed to notice the mischievous grin etched on Freddie's face while he watched her:

"Come on, Carly. You've got to get a picture of it!" Freddie implored impatiently with a wide smile on his face.

"I'm going as fast as I can, Freddie! Sheesh, what's the rush?" Carly demanded wonderingly as she glanced up momentarily at Freddie.

"I told you, there's a low-flying aircraft flying in the distance. If you hurry, we can still catch it and get a good picture to show to our friends." Freddie answered rapidly.

"How do you know it's not a UFO?" Carly quipped dryly as she finally found her camera and moved towards the observation deck.

"It could be. All the more reason to take the picture. We could be stinkin' rich if we sell it to 'The Enquirer'." Freddie teased lightly.

"Perfect. Something to tell the grandkids one day." Carly returned, matching his tone as she began toggling the 'zoom' button on her camera to get a decent view.

Instead of seeing the low-flying aircraft that Freddie had mentioned, a huge object had taken that particular opportunity to float slowly past the Empire State Building, right in front of Freddie and Carly on their right.

"Freddie, that's not a low-flying aircraft, that's a blimp!" Carly exclaimed in disappointment.

"What does it say?" Freddie asked curiously, referring to the message written across the blimp in shining neon lights.

Carly groaned audibly and trained her camera onto the blimp to get a better view. She read through the message at least three times before it finally sunk in. It read:

CARLY SHAY, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Carly gasped loudly and turned around to face Freddie, who had gotten down on one knee with a small box in his hand.

You gave me something like loving

And took me in so soon

You took my feelings from nothing

And came back at noon

"Oh my God," she whispered in awe as Freddie looked up at her with a serious expression on his face.

"I've been waiting for just the right moment to do this. But I wanted you to be the first to know. I love you, Carly Shay, I always have. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?" Freddie asked seriously, his eyes looking strangely moist.

Just meet me

I'm ready to show myself to you

"Oh, Freddie. Yes! Yes, I'll marry you!" Carly exclaimed exuberantly and practically bowled Freddie over when she jumped into his arms.

"Hmmph," Freddie mumbled as he steadied both his and Carly's weight so that they didn't end up plummeting to their deaths on one of the happiest night of their lives.

So if I lose my patience

You must try to understand

Try to understand

So if I lose my patience

Oh yeah

Carly then wrapped her arms around Freddie's neck and kissed him passionately. Freddie reciprocated in turn, holding onto her tightly as he hoisted her higher into the air. Carly was still kissing Freddie when he put her down, standing on her tiptoes and holding him close to her own body. When they finally broke apart, the two of them had radiant smiles on their faces. Carly began crying when Freddie reached out for her left hand and gingerly placed the engagement ring on her fourth finger. Carly glanced down at her hand and gasped. The ring was perfect in every possible way: 24 carats with a medium-sized glittering diamond in the middle and tiny sapphire stones encrusted around it.

"It's beautiful," she murmured truthfully as she finally locked eyes with Freddie.

"You're beautiful," Freddie stated as his eyes swept over Carly.

"Freddie, you don't have to keep flattering me. I've already agreed to marry you," Carly teased airily.

"Well, too bad. You're staggering." Freddie responded earnestly as he traced Carly's cheek with a lone finger.

"How did I get so lucky? I love you so much, Freddie Benson." Carly replied genuinely as she cupped Freddie's face in her hands.

"I love you too, Carly Shay. Always." Freddie stated sincerely as he enveloped her lips with his own once more…

'Cause you make me feel

Yeah, yeah

'Cause you make me feel wild

You touched my inner smile

You got me in the mood

Come on, make your move

And free me

Carly glanced down at her engagement ring with a dreamy grin on her face. After making a reservation for the night in the exact same room at the Plaza where they had shared their first kiss, it was a wonder that Carly hadn't ended up ripping off Freddie's clothing during their stay. But then again, they had been sharing a bed for months now after she'd moved in with him; they were able to cuddle together each night without things getting too overheated. Most of the time.

So many weeks of preparation and anticipation, and the day was finally upon them. In just a few hours, she and Freddie were finally going to be husband and wife. She couldn't wait to talk to him, even if she couldn't technically see him before walking down the aisle. With a smile etched on her face, Carly leant over towards the pedestal, grabbed the hotel phone and began dialling Freddie's number.

Freddie laid awake on his bed the floor beneath Carly's room. He too had been contemplating the pending nuptials and his heart soared at the prospect. He gave a start at the phone ringing suddenly beside him and glanced quizzically at the alarm beside it. Was it already 3am? Had he really allowed himself no sleep, thinking of Carly all the while and their future together? He leant over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he asked quizzically.

Carly bit down on her bottom lip with exhilaration as she heard his scintillating voice drifting through the receiver.

"Hey, it's me. Did I wake you?" Carly asked tentatively.

"Carly? Hey. No, I was already awake. What are you still doing up?"
Freddie questioned wonderingly.

"Couldn't sleep. So I thought I'd call and say 'hey'." Carly answered shyly.

"Aw, that's so sweet of you. I couldn't sleep either." Freddie admitted gently.

"Thinking about tomorrow?" Carly asked curiously.

"Uh-huh. I'm so excited, Carly. I can't wait to be married to you." Freddie declared in exhilaration, his face brightening of its own accord.

"I can't wait to be married to you too, Freddie. You finish writing your vows?" Carly asked curiously.

"Carly, the wedding's tomorrow. What do you think?"

"So no, then." Carly teased flippantly, causing Freddie to roll his eyes.

"Very funny, Carly." Freddie quipped dryly.

"I'm sorry, but you left yourself wide open, Freddie. Last time I asked, you hadn't thought of anything to write besides 'I love you'." Carly joked lightly.

"Well I happen to think that's a pretty good place to start when writing one's own vows." Freddie retorted knowingly.

"Sure, but you've gotta have way more than that since we agreed to write our own personal vows." Carly pointed out seriously.

"Well don't worry your pretty head over it, because I'm finished writing my vows. Are you finished writing yours, Smarty-Pants?" Freddie demanded.

"Of course I'm finished writing mine. Why would I be giving you a hard time about not finishing your vows if mine weren't finished either?" Carly questioned in bewilderment.

"Because you like winding me up on purpose." Freddie offered sardonically.

"Oh yeah," Carly remarked devilishly before giggling.

"In a million years, did you think we'd end up here after everything we've been through?" she questioned seriously after a few seconds of silence.

"Honestly, no. Do you think it's lame to feel this happy?" Freddie asked laughingly.

"No. There's nothing lame about finding happiness and grabbing hold of it tightly so that it never goes away." Carly answered pensively.

"You're right. And that's why I love you." Freddie answered, a wide grin curling on his lips.

You make my wishes as much as

Your kisses make me blue

You've found my river

Now will you escape away too?

He was surprised when he heard Carly suddenly sigh heavily into the receiver.

"Hey, why the sad face?" Freddie asked intuitively.

Carly sighed again before answering Freddie.

"I love being able to talk to you like this since we can't see each other till the wedding. But I think I should probably hang up soon." Carly responded reluctantly.

"Why? We only just started talking." Freddie stated dejectedly.

"I know. But you're driving me crazy, Freddie." Carly admitted frankly.

"Excuse me?" Freddie asked with a soft chuckle.

"Well, I can't blame you entirely, since I'm the one who called you. I wanted to hear your voice." Carly admitted truthfully.

"And that's bad because…?" Freddie trailed off quizzically.

"Because the reason I can't sleep right now is because I had a dream about you that made me wake up and now I can't get it out of my head." Carly replied shyly while twirling the phone cord idly around her index finger.

"What was the dream about?" Freddie asked in an intrigued tone, gripping the phone even more tightly in his hand.

"You know what? Forget I even mentioned it. I'm hanging up now," Carly interjected self-consciously.

"No, wait, Carly! What was the dream about?" Freddie pressed eagerly.

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise I won't laugh."

"Okay, well…I was kinda having a dream about you."

"Really? What was I doing?" Freddie questioned curiously.

"Me." Carly answered simply.

But baby, I'm ready

I'm falling into you

Carly's straight-forward response took Freddie completely by surprise. He glanced down awkwardly at his bare chest and realised that even more moisture had formed along the rivulets of his toned chest at the mention of Carly's dream. He didn't dare look further south to see what Carly's words had done to the rest of his body.

"W-w-what's funny about that?" Freddie asked hoarsely, trying very hard to make his voice sound as normal as possible.

"I guess it's not funny in the strict sense of the word. More like inconvenient." Carly answered wryly.

"Why inconvenient?" Freddie asked idly.

"Because…I need to get a good sleep, considering that we're leaving for our honeymoon straight after the reception. And all these dreams about you are keeping me awake." Carly responded wearily.

"Dreams, as in plural? Just how many are we talking about here?" Freddie asked with an elated guffaw.

"Freddie, you promised you wouldn't laugh." Carly whined.

"I'm not laughing, I swear. How many?" Freddie asked more calmly, eager to hear more.

"A few."

"How many is a few?"

"A few is a few, Freddie." Carly retorted exasperatedly.

"Aw come on, Carly. You can't leave me hanging here." Freddie complained vehemently.

Carly shook her head with a wry grin on her face and leant back against her pillow once more.

"Okay, I've been having these dreams pretty much since we got together. But they've been occurring even more since you proposed and we spent that night together in New York." Carly conceded.

"I have dreams about you too." Freddie admitted seriously.

So if I lose my patience

You must try to understand

Try to understand

This caused Carly to sit upright in her bed once more.

"Really?" she asked in awe, her grip on the phone increasing with each passing second.

"Of course."

"How often?"

"Carly, I'm a guy. How often do you think?" Freddie asked laughingly.

"Seriously, Freddie." Carly pressed.

Freddie sighed before answering.

"Okay. They pretty much started before we even got together, probably after that time we spent at Camp Dreamland when we got caught out in the rain. But I guess I'm always thinking about you because I just want to be with you. But I understand why you wanted to wait; it was the right thing to do for both of us, considering what we've been through together and apart. I hope you know that I would never have pressured you into that before you were ready." Freddie stated sincerely.

"Of course I know that, Freddie. That's why I love you so much; you're always so considerate of my feelings, no matter how irrational they are. But sometimes, my mind does wander…" Carly trained off demurely as her hand unconsciously moved towards the nape of her neck where she liked Freddie to touch her the most when he kissed her.

"Me too." Freddie confessed softly as he idly began tracing a circle around his naval with a lone finger, imagining that it was Carly's.

"We did the right thing to wait this long, right?" Carly asked uncertainly while pointedly ignoring the hardening of her peaks beneath her pyjama tank top.

"Of course. Besides, we'll be married tomorrow and then we can do whatever we want after that." Freddie answered stoically while ignoring the bulge in his boxers beneath the covers.

Both of them were resting their heads against their pillows once more; lying flat on their backs with their hotel phones propped up against their ears.

So if I lose my patience

Oh yeah

"Think about it. In just a few hours, we'll finally be able to start our lives together." Carly murmured wistfully.

"I can't wait." Freddie answered earnestly.

"We should probably try and get some sleep now," he added more reluctantly after a second or two.

"I know," Carly agreed wryly.

"Just a few more hours." Freddie promised softly.

"Just a few hours." Carly agreed readily.

"Good night, Carly. Sweet dreams." Freddie greeted with only a hint of teasing evident in his voice.

Carly chuckled aloud at that.

"You too. Oh, and more thing," she added seriously.

"What's that?"

"I love you." Carly concluded simply.

Freddie smiled broadly at this, feeling like his heart was literally expanding with long-repressed joy.

"I love you too." Freddie answered without hesitation.

'Cause you make me feel

Yeah, yeah

'Cause you make me feel wild

You touched my inner smile

You got me in the mood

So come on and make your move

And touch my inner smile

Come and get my inner smile

Smile, smile

Yeah

"Do you think you could stay on the line for a couple more minutes? Hearing you breathe helps me fall asleep." Carly stated quietly.

"Sure." Freddie responded gently.

Sometimes I need to be alone

Sometimes I need for you to phone

He pressed the receiver closer to his ear and listened intently to Carly's breathing on the other end. She in turn kept her phone close to her own ear as her eyes fluttered between opening and closing. The rhythmic pattern of Freddie's breath was slowly lulling her right back to sleep, as if he was lying beside her. Freddie would've happily stayed on the phone all night long listening to Carly breathe if he didn't hear a distinct snore escape her mouth on the other end.

"What am I marrying? The woman of my dreams or a lawnmower?" Freddie joked more to himself.

"Carly?" he asked tentatively.

When Carly made no response save to snore some more, Freddie knew that she was in fact fast asleep.

Sometimes you make me feel so high

Sometimes I ask myself, 'why?'

"Night, Carly. Love you." Freddie greeted one more time before gently hanging up the phone.

Then he went straight back to what he had been doing before Carly called: thinking about her.

The phone had slipped from Carly's ear down towards her chest where she still held it as tightly as ever. A wide smile had spread onto her face while she slept soundly, possibly dreaming of certain happiness which was just a few hours away now.


Musical References:

1) "Inner Smile" by Texas


Author's Notes: Alright, folks. Give it to me straight: how did I do? Sorry if I wound anyone up with the Creddie lemon at the beginning of the chapter. What can I say? I'm a tease till the very end. But you won't have to wait too long for a real Creddie lemon in this story. In fact, you should expect lemon as in plural for this story ; ) What? Don't give me that look. The sign clearly says 'M-rated chapters'. So there's still time to bail if you don't want to read further. But don't blame me if you miss out on all the fun. Now, onto the next chapter. Cheerio!