Disclaimer: I do not own Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.

Summary: Picks up right after Alex kisses Brittany at the end. Is she really ready to accept his out of the blue proposal? "Te quiero, damn it, I love you!" First part of one-shot series.

Warning: Scenes of sexual nature. Language.

First Alignment of the Solar System.

Even though we are breathless when we finally break apart from the kiss I feel like it is the first breath I have taken in nearly a year. Just the first glimpse of the back of Alex's head was enough to set my body aflame, but now it feels like red hot flames are licking at my skin.

I can tell Alex feels something similar because his forehead rests against mine and he inhales deeply while his hands clutches at the bottom hem of my plain white t-shirt. I may be the changed Brittany Ellis, but I still wish I'd dressed prettier right now.

After Alex's grand gesture a few aware patients, including Shelley, and the staff had clapped, but now the attention is died down and Shelley gurgles a noise that I know means she's bored. Reluctantly I remove myself from Alex and sink to my knees next to my sister's wheelchair, taking her hand in mine "Do you want to play another game of checkers with me?"

She nods and smiles while finding the game on her computer. Alex sits on her other side and when his dark eyes catches mine I lose my breath a little. Right now I can't help but feel a little happy that my sister can't tell exactly what I feel, happy or sad yes, but not this desire raging through me and making my hands tremble when I reach out to press a button on the computer.

During the game another patient's family visits and it's a loud gathering. Small children scream while running around playing, everyone are in brightly coloured clothes and carry presents they hand out while singing happy birthday.

Shelley gets so wrapped up in watching them that when the computer has blinked for the fifth time I gently let her know it's her turn. She can't return her focus and get's so frustrated she pouts and refuses to play. Alex makes a play on her behalf and even though I think he looks almost ridiculous in the fancy clothes he's wearing, the white and blue is gorgeous against his brown skin.

I still want to rip it off though.

But Alex's move makes my game weak and Shelley get's interested again. She's absorbed with winning and I try my best to make that my only thought too, except a million other things keeps distracting me. Like Alex's arm almost touching mine when he got us all a glass of water, his 'Nombre de Dios!' when he notices how short my denim skirt is and that one excruciatingly brief moment when he touches a lock of my hair and tells me he likes the new style.

Shelley pulls out a magazine and points a picture of Dakota Fanning with her hair styled like it was in 'The Runaways' so Alex knows where the inspiration for my haircut came from. He nods to let her know he understands, but then she points to a picture of Zac Efron and types into her computer that she thinks Alex should get hair like that.

His look of complete disgust makes me burst into laughter until he reacts by tickling Shelley. She squeals and struggles and I get nervous. Nervous that he's too rough with her, that she'll go back to pulling chunks of hair off, nervous that this situation is out of control.

But then I catch a glimpse of her face, more beautiful than usually because she's smiling and laughing and for once someone's not treating her like she's made of porcelain.

We stay for another hour, until it's time for Shelley's dinner and she actually asks me to leave. The impossible has happened and my sister has made friends, who she'll rather sit with at dinner. The first time I was rejected by her I cried for three days, but I've learned to appreciate it and be grateful.

This time I'm happy to be sent packing, because before we've even walked out the door Alex takes my hand and as soon as we're in an empty corridor I'm pushed against a wall with his mouth on mine, pressing against his hard body.

Tugging at his shirt I moan "I can't get close enough to you." I finally get a button undone so I can let my palm rest against his muscular chest.

His kisses are frantic and never in the same place twice, like he wants to reach all of me "I know preciosa." He wraps his arms tightly around me and I hug him back, finally grasping that he really is with me. It's not another one of my dreams or fantasies.

He buttons his shirt and kiss me briefly "But we can't do this here, I'm a law obeying citizen now." Alex winks at me and starts walking backwards waiting for me to chase him. And of course I do. He starts running away for real, making it hard for me to keep up and I think he actually slows down to let me catch him. I wasn't a cheerleader for anything so I set off and jump on his back, wrapping arms and legs around him.

Laughingly he gets a tight hold on my legs once he finds his balance so I don't fall off and I bend my head forward to nibble at his earlobe.

"Donde podemos hacer esta, nena?" he asks me excitedly.

I leave his ear alone "I took French, remember mon amour?"

He pinches me and I give him a light slap with my purse "I asked where can we do this, babe?"

"Hmm…" I tap my chin and pretend to think about it until Alex threatens to throw me off "my roommate is out and the dorm is fifteen minutes away." I sum up.

The bus ride back feels longer than the one to Sunny Acres because everyone is staring at Alex and me. I stick my chin defiantly in the air and meet the stares of those who don't immediately pretend not to be looking. Two young girls point to Alex and giggle together, eating him up so obviously that I mark my territory by inching closer to him.

As soon as we're in my dorm Alex shuts the door with his foot and I dump my purse unceremoniously on the floor before kicking off my white sneakers. Alex gives me that smile and drawls "Should I hang a sock on the door?"

"If you don't start undressing I'll tell you where to put that sock." I threaten him with a sickening sweet smile, turning off the horrible ceiling lamp and lighting a candle instead. I jab his chest with my finger "Comprende?"

"Si." He smiles and my heart melt while my knees buckle "Where did you get all this attitude guerita?"

I shrug my shoulders while working on those damn shirt buttons one more time "You were gone a long time." He looks so hurt by my words I immediately regret them, but soon enough he's smiling again and backing me up towards my bed.

The Latino Blood tattoos and many new scars mar his beautiful chest. Alex blankets me with his body and doesn't notice my eyes welling at first, not until he's pulled my skirt off and my hands gliding over his back finds the large, pink scar that makes me gasp.

My first reaction is to pull away and unfortunately, Alex interprets it as disgust. That's when the tears fall "They did this to you."

I trace the scar with the very tip of my finger before touching all the new ones on his chest. Alex nods "How do you know these are from that night?" he stops my exploring hand with his own, letting them match each other like we once did so long ago.

"Because every night I've seen you. The image of you is burned into my brain. I know you completely." I can't keep more tears from falling and Alex gently cradles me.

"Don't be upset querida, I would happily pay this to be able to be with you, for this moment, for you and me." He shakes me to get through to me, but I sniff and snot unattractively. So far from perfect.

I blow my nose with Kleenex from my nightstand and wipe my eyes with the back of my hand "I feel so horrible that I made you go through that." I finally confess and Alex's reaction surprises me. His hands close around my wrist before he stretches me out of the bed "Woman, you don't make me do anything."

He gives me a crooked smile before catching my mouth in a kiss, our tongues duelling while Alex lets go of my arms to further undress me. With numb fingers I manage to unzip his chinos and he helps me get him out of them, abandoning the pants at the foot of the bed.

Before I can get his briefs off he pulls the t-shirt off of me, mussing up my hair and then blows my mind by opening the front clasp of my bra with his teeth. His palms are rough and calloused which feels wonderful when he slides them up my sides to cup my pert breasts. My nipples stiffen and ache to be touched while I tug at Alex's hair begging for more.

He lowers his talented mouth from my spoiled collarbone to one nipple, enveloping it and once he begins using his tongue I'm gone. I moan, writhe and claw at his back. His fingers make similar circular motions on my other breast and I slide my hand from his back to his front, following his trail of black curls into his briefs before I grasp his arousal, copying his motions with my thumb.

Alex stalls for a moment, eyes wide open, inhaling my vanilla scent and not moving again until I begin to pump him, my free arm wrapped around him to keep him close to me.

"Mhmm chula, you are wild." he moans, drawing intricate designs on my stomach with his thumb, the light tickling heightening my sensations.

No one but myself has touched me like this in ten months and even if someone had, it will never be the same as Alex's touch, so damn right I'm wild. I cup more of him in my hand and when he growls and removes my hand I'm afraid I've hurt him.

"Por favour, I won't be able to last if you keep that up Britt." he nuzzles my neck while placing my hand at my side and I mew in contentment, guiding his hand to my satin panties. Alex wastes no time getting them off me and undressing himself as well. The way he looks at me, the love in his eyes and his body's obvious reaction to me makes my cheeks flush pink.

"Do I need…"

I shake my head "No, the pill."

He kisses each of my burning cheeks before easily sliding within me.

We find the ghost of the rhythm we settled so long ago easily and move together as good as if we were dancing together. It's give and take until our slow dance turns into a passionate salsa. The speed increases and I rock against Alex with wild abandon. He spouts off words in Spanish I don't understand, but even so I still comprehend everything.

He thrusts deep within me, "So big!" I cry out, wrapping my legs around his waist.

"In Spanish." he begs and I giggle "Grande."

Hearing me speak in his tongue does it, he loses himself in our act and I go there right along with him, curling toes and mixed sweat the evidence of our satisfaction.

Afterwards both of us are so spent we can't even move away from one and other. Our eyes are closed and just the small movement of Alex's breathing sends shivers through my body. I suspect he's half-asleep while my satiated mood is wearing off and getting replaced by a panicked one.

I'm technically engaged. Before properly starting college. My mom is going to yell at me. Sierra will call me an idiot for taking Alex back so easily. Isa's going to freak out. And after trying to imagine their reactions to this I realize I don't care. What I care about is that I'm freaking out. Big time.

I look at Alex in his sleep and get a mental picture of what he's looked like as a little boy. Total cutie.

Outside it's getting darker and the last rays of light falls on the ugly scar from his branding. I know that should tell me he's out of the Latino Blood for sure, but I can't help but doubt. He might fall back with his old crowd, or not live up to his promises. He might hurt me again.

Has this entire year really not made me smart enough to not let Alex saunter that effortlessly back into my life?

I get myself worked up into a frenzy and become so infuriated that Alex can just sleep from any emotional turmoil that I shove him off the bed.

"Fuck!" he sits up with his hair in disarray and a confused expression "What happened querida?"

I bite my lip to keep from laughing at him, just a little "I don't know, you were moving around in your sleep. I tried to catch you before you rolled over the edge." I lie trying to go for a wide-eyed innocent look.

He rubs the back of his head while I sit up and wrap myself in my duvet in one fluid movement "But now that you are awake again I was hoping we could talk."

Alex gets on his feet completely unabashed about his naked body "Sure, about what?"

I twirl the corner of the duvet between my fingers "This whole proposal?"

His shoulders sink and he starts to get dressed "What about it?"

"Well …" I fish my panties from the floor with my toes and wriggle into them "I've just been thinking that this has moved very fast." I cautiously confess.

Suddenly Alex grins and leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead and hand me the rest of my clothes "Don't worry about it nena, that's four years from now."

I get up from the bed and fumble with the clasp of my bra "I remember, but don't you think it's a little crazy for two people as young as us to commit like that?"

"So now you all of the sudden don't love me enough? Don't need me anymore?" both of us are getting enraged and can barely figure out how to put our clothes on right "Because carrying this around," he grabs his old bandana that has fallen out of my purse from the floor and holds it up for me to see "makes me think you missed me!"

"Of course I did!" I yell at him, flipping my phone open "And this means I was a sentimental fool in love. Who are you in this picture? I'm supposed to trust you when the only reason you ever got involved with me was because of a bet?"

Alex takes the phone to look at the picture "That night I stayed in a different gang's turf because you love to dance. I risked taking a beating to make you happy. I risked my family's well-being for you and me to be together. I faced death so I could for real offer you to be with me. Te quiero, damn it, I love you!"

My lips begin to quiver and I hide my face at his chest "Thank you. I needed to hear you say that."

Alex rocks me back and forth "You know that I love you."

I nod, but it was still nice to hear knowing that there was no bet looming over him, urging him to confess feelings he didn't have.

We quietly apologize to each other, laugh at how quick we fall back into our old pattern of fighting and since we've dressed so quickly I ask Alex to take a walk with me. This time I leave the bandana in the room.

"Where are we going?" Alex asks after I steer him away from campus and through a wooded area. He pulls me to the ground and despite my protests he rolls me around in leaves and what else, kissing me to admission.

"I found a little lake nearby where I like to go. It reminds me of home."

He manages to keeps his hands to himself "Well let's go then, don't waste time playing around." he teasingly accuses me.

Once we reach the lake we both fall quiet. The pale moonlight reflects in the still water and it's one of the most stunning things I've seen. Alex stands in front of me, his back turned to the lake. Okay this is the most stunning thing I've ever seen.

"Let's go in."

"In where?" my perfectly plucked eyebrows knit together.

He loses his pants "In the water."

After much debate and bribing kisses that drugs my senses Alex has talked me back out of my clothes. I dip a toe in the water before jumping in. Even though Colorado is warm, the water feels freezing for me.

So I decide to take it in steps while Alex merely jumps in and I shriek at the drops of water landing on my naked body.

"Chicken!" he calls out, swimming back and forth to keep warm.

I take a deep breath and walk so far in the lake that eventually my breasts are just covered by the water.

"You have to duck all the way under."

I shake my head while my teeth chatter and I feebly move my arms around a little to try and get some kind of heat.

"Si, all the way under or no more Mexico lovin' for you nena."

I try to laugh but I'm shivering too much. To please him I get some huevos as Alex would have called it and hold my breath while sinking under the water. It feels like I'm being pricked with pins and needles so I'm happy that Alex carries me out of the water and uses his shirt to dry me off.

With my arms wrapped around myself I shoot daggers at Alex with my eyes "Why was this so important to you, imbecile?" I insult him in French as his punishment.

"Because I had already been under to wash away all the girls I've let touch me simply because they looked like you. I wanted you to be clean of all touch that isn't mine." he explains while what little colour I had gained drains from my face.

"No one touched me." I get out between gritted teeth.

I can see on his face that Alex realizes his mistake "Lo siento querida, I didn't think … don't let this ruin anything. They meant less than nothing. Please?"

Hearing his honest begging convinces me and it's not like I have been under the illusion that he had joined a monastery in the time we had been apart. I'm still pissy though when we're both dressed and about to walk back to campus.

Alex senses it and pulls out the keys for his dorm, pushing the ring of the keychain on my finger "You're still marrying me, no?"

Smirking I drag him close for a kiss "Si." I answer before shaking the keys off my finger and into my palm. Alex holds out his hand to escort me back, but before I take it I hurl his keys deep in between the trees "See you tomorrow mi amor."

A/N: So my first Perfect Chemistry fic. Man, I loved that book. First, English is not my first language and I don't have a beta so I hope there's not too many mistakes. Second, if you have any questions about the French or Spanish used, just ask. Third, if people like this I'm planning on writing more oneshots with highlights from their lives. And fourth … please review, it makes me so happy!

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