I could get used to this;;, Robert. May 31st, 2003.

May 31st, 2003.
6:00 p.m.
Indianapolis Aquarium

She certainly wasn't a vixen, and even in these three inch heels, she didn't feel any different than she normally did. Prom was overrated, especially to the less than average folks of Evergreen Highschool like Kailyn Black, she just wasn't the pretty princess type but her mother insisted she dress up, it was her senior year and everyone was going. Barely eighteen for a few weeks now, Kailyn was hesitant on going tonight. Her changing factor was her boyfriend, Robert Manning. He would be going away for a few weeks after graduation for military camp.

She had come to accept that fact that the military would be a huge part in their lives, she knew she'd be able to keep herself busy though, she had University starting up in the fall, school would be enough to keep her company when he was gone for periods of time. Tonight would be special, it had to be because it would be the last thing before graduation, the last night to just be young and carefree. The dress, the hair all in place, everything was ready as she walked downstairs and into the foyer where she met Robert, and the slew of parents armed with cameras.

The first seven camera flashes were okay, then they wouldn't stop. Pushing away from the mob, she yelled her goodbyes through muffled pleas for more pictures and made her way outside where their limo waited. Provided by her parents, Kailyn couldn't have felt more like royalty or something. It was nice, getting that one night where you could just feel like a princess and not have to worry about the simple stuff. It was all about the dress and making sure her hair didn't fall down and her boyfriend, of course.

The limo driver opened the door and Kailyn climbed in, waiting for Robert to follow before scooching herself into the back seat. ”This is the best night, ever.” And they hadn't even arrived at the prom yet. ”And you, Mr. Manning.” She kissed him before pulling away, ”Are looking very dashing tonight, I'm impressed.”

Robert was almost unable to believe how beautiful his girlfriend looked as he picked her up for prom. He had known only what color her dress was so that he could get her a corsage and even match a little with his bowtie, and he had never seen anyone look as beautiful as she did in that dress. He knew that it was one of their last times to be together before he went to boot camp, and he had wanted to make the night very special, deciding that they should definitely go to prom, even if it wasn't really their "thing" in most senses...and now he was glad that they had decided to go, because if the only thing he had to do was look at her all night, he would have been happy.

"You look really amazing," he stated, sliding into the limo beside her. He knew that she was beautiful, he had always known that, but there was something special about how she looked now and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt silly in his suit and while he knew that he was plenty popular, he couldn't help but wonder what people would say when she walked in on his arm. People knew that they were dating and they seemed fine with it, but he wondered if any of the guys would try to steal her away from him when they saw her tonight.

"So, tell me, Kai, what do you want from your prom night?" Robert was determined to make this her night, to give her what she wanted and not focus on himself. He wanted to make her happy and he hoped that he would be able to, that she would say what she wanted. "I want to make this one of the best nights of your life, and I need you tell me how I can do that." He leaned in, kissing her softly on the cheek, wondering where the night was going to take them.

Dashing, Robert looked absolutely dashing for their last hooray of the school, no more formals, semi-formals or school events. Now she'd be going off to Butler and he'd be on his way to becoming a Marine and they'd get old and for all the knew, this could very well be the last big night they ever had, they could decide that the whole long distance wasn't for them, he could meet someone and she could very well do the same, no one really knew exactly what the cards had in store for them until they were done being laid out.

She was just so happy, she didn't want to think about what could happen and what couldn't, she just wanted to have fun and have a great night with her boyfriend and if those two things could be put together and fulfilled, well it would be like a dream come true. Most girls stressed over being prom queen and winning that plastic tiara but Kailyn could have cared less, it wasn't worth it in her book, the memories lasted longer than the plastic crown the winner got to take home. She was with a great guy and wearing a pretty dress, what more could she ask for?

"It's already perfect just because you are here with me tonight." A smile on her face, she kissed him gently, "But, I told my parents that I might not be coming home tonight, after parties and what not," Knowing full well that Kailyn Black didn't get invited to the cool kid parties unless she was with Robert and tagged along. "But, I booked a hotel room, just in case." Prom might was supposed to be special, so she came prepared, "No pressure or anything like that, of course." She would let things happen as they happen, things always just had a way of running their own course.

Robert smiled, glad that he was enough for Kailyn. He had really been enjoying their time together and he knew that he was rapidly falling for the girl that he had seen only as a friend for so long. He had never expected to be one of those people who fell for his best friend the way that he had, but he wasn't disappointed by it at all. He loved the way that he felt when he was with her, the way that she made him feel about himself. He felt like he could tell her everything and even though he didn't, he knew that if he ever did, she would be there for him.

He froze, however, when she mentioned the hotel room. They hadn't really talked about having sex at all, and he hadn't told his parents anything about the night other than that he was going to prom. They trusted him, knowing that he would be going to boot camp soon and as long as he didn't do anything to jeopardize that, he would be able to stay out all night with Kailyn. Drugs would be something that got in the way, but sex was not something that could hurt his chances at boot camp. He cared about Kailyn and if sex was on the table, well, he wasn't going to say no.

"Wow, you...you did all that?" He gulped, looking at her, his eyes wide. He knew that prom night was a big night for a lot of couples and if it was going to be for them, then he wanted to make it special. "I think we should stay at the hotel room." He smiled. If nothing else, they could watch a movie and cuddle and if something happened, then it happened. He didn't have anything by way of protection, but he knew that his friends did and he could easily grab a condom off of a friend at the prom. "But I think we should talk about our options for, you know...um...what we uh, do at the hotel."

There was a moment of fear after the suggestion, Robert and Kailyn hadn't exactly had the sex talk, nor had they even slept together. There were times where they could have, times where they had gotten just a tad bit carried away but they were young and they were careless at times. But had they ever done anything remotely close? Never. It wasn't like they were entirely hormone driven teenagers, Kailyn liked to believe that they had some brain cells between them, whether or not they used them in the right ways was a whole another story entirely, she was sure.

This was a super big step in their relationship, the whole losing of the virginity and the whole first time dilemma, but she loved Robert and she didn't think that anything bad could come out of him being her first, besides it was best to have done with the man you love than a person you didn't at a university. Who was to say it was going to happen anyway, they could spend the whole night just cuddling or watching a movie, they didn't have to take their clothes off for that, like she always believed, things weren't set in stone.

"No pressure of course!" She said frantically, she didn't want him to think the only thing on her mind was sex, because it wasn't. It just seemed like the thing to do, and if the timing was right and everything flowed together, so be it. She looked at him, wondering what was going through his head at the moment, she should have been more prepared, she wasn't even on the pill or anything but she was sure nothing would happen. "As far as what, Bobby?" She blinked for a few brief moments before speaking again, "Oh, you mean like protection?"

Robert nodded as he looked at her. Of course he wanted this, what boy in his position wouldn't? He had been 18 for a few months now and she was 18, so everything that they would do would be legal, he just wanted to make sure that she was ready because he knew that he was. He didn't really know how that worked, why girls always took longer to be ready than boys did, but he absolutely planned on respecting her wants and needs. He loved her, and when you love someone, that's what you do. Of course his friends harassed him about whether or not they were sleeping together, but he had been honest and told them that they hadn't.

He laughed slightly at the idea that she might be pressuring him. He wanted sex, he always had but he hadn't wanted to be the one pressuring her which is why he had avoided saying anything to her about it. He assumed that he would just wait for her to bring it up and now that she had he wasn't quite sure how to respond to it. He didn't want to seem overzealous and scare her off, he wanted her to know that he loved and respected her and he was going to make sure that all of that came across in the way that they spent their evening.

"You're not pressuring me," he said softly. "I want this, I do." He would be a fool not to, after all - with a girl as nice as her, a girl as beautiful. "I love you, Kai, and if you're ready than so am I." He smiled, leaning in and kissing her softly, his hand gently brushing over her cheek as he did so. She was so beautiful, so much the girl of his dreams and he was glad that they were living this out. "And I can get protection from one of the guys because, lets be honest, they're all hoping to get lucky tonight." He smiled, taking her hand as he looked at her. "I just want to make sure that you're really ready for this and not making a decision because I'm going away after graduation."

She wasn't sure of what this night would bring and while most teenagers on their prom night had things pretty much figured out, Kailyn did not. She didn't know what tomorrow would hold, whether she'd be waking up in a hotel bed by herself or with her arms wrapped around Robert. She didn't know what was considered right and wrong and at this moment she wasn't sure if that even mattered as long as she was doing what her heart considered right. This was right, he was right and she'd never been more sure about anything in her life, well maybe except her overall feelings for Bobby.

There'd been times where they could have, times where she wanted to but it just wasn't the right time and maybe it was better that way, make it special in a hotel room where it was only them and they didn't have to worry about getting caught or feeling pressured. If they didn't want to, they didn't have to. No sense stressing completely over things when really it was something totally simple. People did it all the time, literally all the time and they had no worries so why did Kailyn feel so nervous?

”Good, I don't want you to think that, like ever.”
That would have been totally lame, for sure. ”I love you, and I'm plenty ready, Bobby.” The talk of protection was enough to make her head spin, it was a needed thing, definitely. She didn't want any children yet, they had time for that once they were married. Still, his words hit her in a way she wasn't expecting,”I wouldn't do that, as a goodbye present or a last effort to cling onto you, I promise.” She attempted to smile but the thought of him leaving left that twinge in her heart, ”Let's just make the most out of tonight, okay?”

Robert was glad to hear that Kailyn wasn't deciding to sleep with him because he was leaving soon. He wanted it to be because she was ready and because she wanted him, not because she felt like she had to and he was incredibly relieved to hear that she wanted this for her own reasons and not because she felt that she owed it to him. The last thing that Robert wanted was to hurt Kailyn. He cared about her, loved her so much, and he wasn't going to let sex get in the way of how he felt about her, even if that kept him a virgin awhile longer...though that didn't really seem to be the case.

"Alright." Robert smiled and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He was glad that she could be so open with him, and while he was worried about leaving, about going to boot camp, his concern wasn't that she was going to sleep with him to try and hang on to him. That didn't seem like a very Kailyn thing to do, and honestly, he was more worried that she would meet someone else while he was gone. He was going to be surrounded by other men, and while he was alright with other people being gay, well, he only had eyes for women, specifically Kailyn.

"And you know that you don't have to do anything to hold onto me, right?" He looked at her, his eyes meeting hers. "I know we haven't really talked about it much, but if you want to, I would at least like to try and stay together, you know, while I'm at boot camp, and if we can make it work then, well it'll be a nice trial of the future." He bit his lip, looking down. "I mean I know you're going to college and there will be lots of other boys, so I understand if you don't want to, but think about - you don't have to tell me tonight, like you said. Let's enjoy the dance and...whatever comes after. I just want you to know where I stand." He leaned in, kissing her softly.

Deciding it was best to leave the future in the air for tonight, she just simply nodded at his statement. She didn't want to make him promises and she didn't want him to make her any, things could change. They'd be apart for so long, no one could really tell whether or not they'd stay together, he might find a fellow Marine to date and she could date someone at Butler, things happened, and they really couldn't try and make something work if it wouldn't But for tonight, they'd ignore all that, tonight it would just be Kailyn and Robert and their last night together before all the chaos started.

The dance was everything she'd expected it to be, fish themed and very aquatic. That's probably why they had it in an aquarium, to add to the theme. It was kind of cool, seeing the couples dancing next to fish tanks and having everything cast with a blue over glow. It didn't take long for the two to find a seemingly decent place to dance, the moving of the music sent her hands on his shoulders, moving in sync with the music, it was all nice and private even in a room full of people.

She kissed him softly before leaning into his frame, ”No matter what happens, I'll always love you.” Even if she was eight years old, had gray hair and a dead husband she'd still know Robert as her first and only love. She could barely hear as the roar of Prom Queen and Prom King were being announced. It was not secret that Robert had been a shoe in to win, but never did she realize that it would actually happen, and as her eyes flickered to the stage, the microphone bellowed out that Robert Manning had won Prom King, ”Oh my gosh, baby! You did it!”

No matter what happened, she would always love him. Those words made Robert smile, made him feel good about himself. He had never really thought of himself as the guy who would have the steady girlfriend through high school - hell, he hadn't really anticipated having any girlfriends at all during high school, but now he did and he was crazy about her. With high school coming to an end, he wasn't sure what lay in store for them, but he hoped that it would be something good, something amazing. "I'll always love you too." He leaned in, kissing her softly. Maybe they wouldn't be together in a month or a year, but she was his first love and that would never be forgotten.

He wasn't sure what to expect from his life after college, at least not in the respects of romance. As far as career, well, he had boot camp and then he was sure he'd be shipping out. That was what his family did - marines for life and he knew that he had what they needed. He was hard working and dedicated, he had loyalty and he knew how to follow orders. Hell, ever since he was born he had been groomed for a career as a marine and while so many people actively fought what their parents wanted for them, he wasn't that sort...even if going to war wasn't something he wanted for himself, he was going to do it. For them.

When he won prom king, he was a bit more surprised than everyone else. Maybe he was a shoe-in, but he wasn't the kind of person who ever let himself be certain about winning anything. He smiled lightly and kissed Kailyn on the cheek, going to the stage and accepting the crown. It was prom QUEEN that was a big deal, so he didn't have to say anything, just stand there and wait for the girl, and he was glad for that. He had always been rather quiet. Madison Harper was the prom queen, and because she was his friend's date and a friend of his herself, he didn't mind the spotlight dance, though he did look over her shoulder at Kailyn and smile, unable to fight the feeling that Kailyn Black was the girl for him, and that no trip overseas was going to change that.

She probably should have been peeved, her boyfriend getting to be Prom King and all, dancing with another girl but Kailyn didn't care about petty little things about a plastic crown or sash. The fact that it was HER boyfriend up there, made her feel proud. It was like seeing someone who love win the lottery, totally awesome and just watching it made you feel all warm inside. Given the fact that this was the last night they'd really have before he went off to boot camp, she wanted things to be the best ever, she wanted it to go out with a bang.

As she waited for the dance to end, she ended up getting a drink, the song ended and she made her way back over to Robert, a grin on her face. ”So, who is a better dancer? Her or me?” She teased as she pulled him into a quick kiss. She reached into her bag, searching for the hotel key. ”Whenever you get tired of this,” She motioned to the group of people dancing, ”Just let me know and we can get out of here.” She was completely serious, she wanted to be with him alone just one more time.

She wouldn't lie, she was worried that him leaving would change things, her ultimate plan for things. She wanted to marry him someday, she loved him too much to just believe what they were having was a silly puppy love. She wanted the whole shebang, but he was going off to training, he could find someone else, he could be deployed and find someone overseas. Things like that happened all time, but she didn't want it to happen to them. ”i'm ready when you are.” She added, so that he'd know they were on the same track with things.

Kailyn had nothing to be jealous of. Robert was friends with other girls and he talked to them, and in some cases, like this one, he danced with them, but his heart belonged to the girl with whom he had come to the dance, and prom queen or not, he felt deeply that she was the only girl for him. Sure, they were young and there were a lot of things that could go wrong, but he wanted to be with her, he wanted her to love him, to spend time with him and he wanted her to wait for him when he went to boot camp, even though he would never beg her to do that.

When he finished his dance with Madison and went back to Kailyn, he was all smiles. He kissed her back when she kissed him and took her hand when they separated. He wasn't huge on public displays of affection, but he was crazy about this girl and he didn't really care if his friends or classmates teased him. It wouldn't be long before none of them were in the same place anymore, anyways, besides...he truly did care for her and he wanted her to know that. "Well I'm not such a hot dancer myself, so I don't know who is actually the better dancer, but..." He pulled her into his arms and started dancing her around. "I know that I prefer to dance with you."

When she mentioned that she was ready to leave when he was, he took a deep breath. This was a big step for them, but it was definitely one that he wanted to take. He nodded, and smiled at her. "One more dance," he stated, putting his hands on her waist as a slow song came on. This was their prom, after all and he had come here to dance with his girlfriend, not just waste time until he could go get laid. He wanted to prove to her how much he cared, that he wouldn't ditch her and leave her high and dry once they had sex.

Being here in his arms, it felt nice and safe like she didn't have to worry about the other things, didn't have to worry about the next few months where she'd be at school with exams and he with training. She didn't have to worry about the big things for the time being, like her mother pressuring her about getting her head in the game, to worry more about grades than a boyfriend. It was an argument that started ever since Kailyn mentioned the desire to marry Robert so that she could follow him wherever he was shipped off to.

As silly as it may have seemed, Kailyn knew she wanted to marry Robert, the only thing stopping them was Robert wanting to marry Kailyn because if he was like any other boy she knew, that ring wouldn't be coming for a very long time. She'd be basically wasting away on the off chance that some day those soft kisses and whispers of love would eventually lead into wedding bells at the Chapel in town. They were still young, but at eighteen years old, Kailyn had a lot on her mind, far more than she would have even liked.

As she danced with him, she couldn't help but smile. He was always the king of cheesy lines and smooth talking, but that's what made it great because he wasn't a player; he could have been with his good looks but he was a sweet guy overall and for this moment and hopefully the future, he was all her's. ”You know,” Mumbling against his ear as her hands went to his shoulders, ”This could be us on our wedding day, maybe ten years from now. I could be Mrs. Kailyn Manning.” She laughed because the odds of that happening were like one in a million. ”You never know what the future might hold.”

Robert was young and he was about to go into the Marine corps, he wasn't going to be around for awhile and when he did it would be off and on and she would be away at college anyways. He wasn't sure where this was going to lead them, if this was going to lead them away from each other or closer together. She was beautiful, and he was certain that that would not go unnoticed with the other men at her college when she did end up there. He wanted her to be happy, and while he hoped that, even from a distance, he would be able to make her happy, he wasn't sure.

He had not really thought much about marriage because that would mean that he had thought that far ahead. He didn't want to get his hopes up, to assume that she was still going to want to be with him in 10 years, even though he wanted that. Then again, his parents had also told him that what you want as a teenager and what you want as an adult are often very different. Maybe now they wanted each other, but in 10 years, maybe she wouldn't want him anymore, and while he couldn't see it happening, maybe he wouldn't want her either. There were a lot of questions to be answered still.

"Who knows?" he shrugged, smiling as he kissed her lightly on the cheek. He didn't want to have such a deep discussion about the future, not when there's was so up in the air. He was afraid of the fact that the distance could tear them apart, but he was also slightly aware of the fact that his career was dangerous, he was putting himself in a bad situation...and there was always a chance that he wouldn't be alive to marry her in ten year's time. "Why don't we focus on tonight?" he said. "And we'll talk about marriage when we get older." He didn't want to write off the possibility of being with her forever, but he didn't want them to get bogged down. "What matters is that I love you, and I want to be with you tonight, tomorrow and the foreseeable future. Where matrimony plays into that, we'll just have to wait and see."