Lilly peered down at the mark on her inner hip, her fingers dusting over the black words, and sighed. The mark that she'd been born with. The special mark that tied her to someone in the world. Her soulmate. It seemed unbelievable that she would find this person in her lifetime. Billions of people in the world and the chances seemed slim even if the whispers suggested otherwise. Rumours of the inevitability of meeting your soulmate; successful stories that boasted happily ever afters.
But Lilly read the scientific facts and the candid responses from the experts on the soulmate theory. The percentage was higher during your early to mid-twenties to meet your soulmate. And as each year passed, the percentage lowered until it was highly unlikely that you'd ever find your soulmate.
The world liked to believe in the happily ever afters, but the truth was soulmates weren't always destined for success. A soulmate didn't determine your happiness. But that never stopped Lilly from obsessively dwelling on the words that marked her skin.
That's adorable
She didn't believe that anyone could say that to her, especially as their first words. But she memorized them, like a fool, anyways. It ran through her head when she reached an age when love and soulmates seemed more realistic than some childhood dream. But Lilly had suffered enough rejection and mockery for her quirks and idiosyncrasies that she thought she was cursed. To be marked a soulmate and still have them reject her. Even if they found each other.
Her phone beeped loudly from her bed and Lilly shoved her tank top down without a second to lose. She was late again. Throwing on a navy blue cardigan over her yellow tank, she hurried out her door and rapidly texted her friend. Thankfully, the walk from her apartment to the cafe wasn't very far.
Stacie would kill her if she was late again.
"Lilly!" An alto voice rang out in the cafe just a few walks from her apartment and on the edge of campus as Lilly stumbled through the door. Stacie Conrad, a gorgeous brunette who had no qualms about enjoying the attention of men and women, waved enthusiastically at her from a corner table at the back of their favourite hangout.
She wasn't good at making friends, but Stacie refused to be scared away by her uncomfortable comments and unwavering stare ever since they met back in freshman year. It was a friendship that Lilly cherished when everyone else seemed to either avoid her or mock her.
Especially since Stacie was friends (and sometimes more) with everyone and she really didn't need to keep Lilly around. Too caught up in her insecurities, an unfortunate habit, Lilly tripped over a bag, just a bit in the way, and fell forwards.
Someone swore from the table to her left and she closed her eyes preparing for impact. It never came as a hand reached out to steady her.
"Jesus, Beca, look what the fuck you did to this poor girl because you left your bag lying about." A guy in a thick rimmed glasses said.
"Fuck, I'm sorry," The girl in question said, her hand still keeping Lilly steady, before turning back to the guy, "Don't be such a dick,"
Lilly blinked at them and smiled thinly unsure of what to do. The guy seemed to open his mouth to bicker more with the girl – Beca? – but instead rolled his eyes. She wanted to laugh when Beca stuck out her tongue, but found it lodged in her throat instead.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Lilly was always been awful at meeting strangers. Her defenses guarding her from any potential bullets, which usually made people uncomfortable. She blinked at them for an awkward moment before blurting out at the pair, the first thing that popped in her mind, "I set fires to feel joy."
A friendly and amused laugh filled her ears and Lilly turned to the source, the darker skinned guy with thick, black glasses grinned at her and said, "That's adorable."
Her eyes widened and her heart stilled at the words so often echoed in her mind. Words that she truly believed would never be spoken to her. The city of Atlanta wasn't small by any means.
But she had found her soulmate in the middle of her favourite cafe just a block away from her university.
Lilly realised that he was staring at her equally intensely and she blushed. It was as if it had only dawned on him what she had said. As if he was going through the same realisation. He probably was, and Lilly felt even more uncomfortable. This was a moment she had always dreamed of, but everything was overwhelming rather than euphoric.
"You're my soulmate," he said, his voice carrying over the warm chatter in the cafe, and Lilly nodded once, still unwilling to break the tension.
It caught Beca's attention, her eyes fixed on her now, too, and Lilly wanted nothing more than to push them both away. To go back to a dreamland where her soulmate was simply a childhood wish. To go back to the illusion that her soulmate would accept her and love her. Because in this moment as he stared at her incredulously, Lilly feared his rejection.
"I left a frozen zombie frog in the bottom of my cupboard," Lilly announced in a soft voice hoping that they'd stop staring at her, hoping that they'd think she was weird. She edged out of Beca's loose grasp and rushed out of the cafe, without another word or glance at either of them, forgetting that she was supposed be meeting Stacie.
In her hurry, she didn't see his amused smile that bordered on some sort of affection. Nor did she see Stacie march up to the two and quickly start up a conversation. Lilly couldn't handle her sudden reality and hurried down the street to her favourite spot in the nearby park. She had found her soulmate and she didn't even know his name.
It was mid-afternoon when Stacie sat down next to her, the grassy hill serving as a comfortable place to rest, and smiled fondly at her. Her eyes crinkled at the edges and her lips curled into a sweet smile that was far different from the sultry one she normally favoured.
Lilly eyed her friend warily before turning back to stare at the people meandering through the park. People-watching calmed her down.
"You know he's damn attractive, Lilly, and concerned when you ran away. I'd say you got yourself a catch sweetie." Stacie grinned and bumped her shoulder.
"When pigs freeze and hell flies."
Stacie laughed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I know you read about people's meetings with their soulmates, but the euphoric feeling isn't instant …" She trailed off, her thoughts turned to her own soulmate, "But it creeps on you with every minute that you spend with them. Until you feel empty when they're away and suddenly you're crying at night with no idea why you feel so dependent."
Lilly bit her lip and shrugged, "He's not gonna like me."
"You can be happy without your soulmate."
She remembered his laugh that coated her body in familiarity and the amusement that she had never encountered before. It wasn't spiteful. It was warm. It was something she'd like to hear again.
"Are you?"
Stacie fiddled with the sleeve of her blouse and Lilly simply waited for her friend to speak. She didn't know much about Stacie and her soulmate, it was a bit of taboo to ask someone, but she had an idea that he or she wasn't around. Stacie sighed – it seemed bitter and sad yet resigned – "Happy as I can be given everything. He's … still in my life, I just decided to give him the space he needed. I have the time to spare after all."
Lilly entwined her hand with Stacie for a moment to express her sympathy, her distress at her friend's pain before letting go and muttering, "I should try it out."
"If he doesn't fit, you can always return him," Stacie quipped with a large smile that tried to cover the emotional turmoil inside.
"Where do I find him?"
Stacie grinned sheepishly and Lilly narrowed her eyes at the brunette, "What. Did. You. Do?" Her voice was quiet but deadly.
"You'll thank me later, Lilly," Stacie said, clambering to her feet and gesturing to where a familiar guy with black rimmed glasses hovered near them. She ambled down the hill back towards campus and waved her fingers impishly leaving the two newly found soulmates alone.
Lilly buried her face in her hands, her hair draping over her until they touched her jean covered thighs, and tried to persuade herself to stay. When it came to flight or fight instincts, Lilly had always been more of a flight person.
The sounds of footsteps echoed in her ear louder than she thought possible until they stop; he was sitting next to her now, quiet and still as if he was waiting for her to break the silence.
"My name is Lilly Onakuramara and I eat zombie frogs for breakfast."
"Donald Dravid and I don't eat zombie frogs for breakfast, but I'm open to trying them."
Lilly peered at him from behind the tips of her fingertips and asked with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity, "Are you actually real?"
He–Donald– (the name repeated in her mind as if his name reminded her that he was a reality) laughed genuinely and nodded, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, "From what I know, I am. But who can really say that this life we're living is real and not just a figment of imagination."
There was a hint of mischief written in the quirk of his lip, the depth of his brown eyes and the inflection of his tone. It was a sound that she enjoyed. Lilly caught his gaze, her hands pressed against her thighs, and stared at him unceasingly, trying to soak him in.
Donald Dravid. Her soulmate. She smiled at the thought.
"But I guess, if you want me to be a figment of your imagination, I can. At least try. Soulmate's prerogative and all."
Lilly laughed and shook her head with a sigh, "You're unlike anyone I've ever met before."
"I'm gonna take that as a good thing," he quipped as he leaned back against the grass and smiled.
She gave him her number hoping that he–their story wouldn't end in broken hearts. The truth was that some people just weren't meant to be with their soulmate. And the uglier truth was that some people didn't want to be with their soulmate. But Lilly was an idealist in a pragmatic world. She hoped for the best, she hoped for happiness with this person the universe fated her with.
He called her on a Tuesday when she was curled up in a ball on her sofa, drinking expensive Sake that her cousin sent her for her birthday. She was a little tipsy, but she answered without greeting him, "You're only supposed to wait three days before you call a girl back."
Donald chuckled, "My bad. I only got back from California today. Sorry Tiger Lilly."
Her breath hitched at the nickname. It warmed her more than the Sake, drifting through her insides until her cheeks were tinged with pink, and she whispered, "Tiger Lilly?"
"Oh uh shit. My sister was on a Disney kick all weekend and I just … It reminded me of you. But if you don't like it, I'll stop."
Lilly shook her head unconsciously before remembering he couldn't see her, "No, no it's fine. An aboriginal princess beats the blue dress any day."
"Harsh, but not untrue. Wendy's a bit of a drag. But, uh, I'm actually calling to see if you'd go out with me."
"Whiny and pathetic. And like a date?"
"My sister would agree. And yeah, a date, are you free tomorrow afternoon?"
Lilly paused at the question and ran through her schedule for the day before shaking her head again and stumbling over the words when the silence went on for too long, "Uh she...she's got good taste. And no, uh no, no I'm free."
She heard a smile in his voice and she smiled unconsciously at the warmth radiating just from him as he said, "In everything but people. And great! I'll meet you outside the cafe at 3pm?"
"Maybe she likes to kiss frogs. And okay."
Her morning seemed to extend and extend with no end in sight. Her professors droning on and on even if she usually found her classes enlightening. But Lilly was excited at the prospect of seeing Donald. He was constantly surprising her, and Lilly, though still wary, was willing to give him a chance. It was only a date after all.
Standing outside the cafe, Lilly fiddled with the ends of her hair, unable to decide if she wanted it over her shoulder or down her back. Inside she was a mess trying to convince herself that this wasn't going to backfire; that it was worth taking that leap of faith. Even if people tended to let her down more often than she liked.
"Hey Lilly!"
She blinked a few times at Donald, who appeared out of nowhere, and smiled shyly, "Hello, there's no lightning bolts in the sky,"
Donald cocked his head upwards and chuckled, "Someone probably kept Zeus happy." He turned back to her and grinned, "Ready to go? The thing starts at 3:30 so if you want to get some coffee or something, we can."
Lilly shook her head, her stomach queasy from her nerves, and tugged at the ends of her hair, unsure of what to say. She was curious where they were going, but was willing to wait patiently to see.
Donald didn't seem bothered when they lapsed into silence, Lilly might dare suggest that it was comfortable, and led the way to the venue of their date. He stood close to her but didn't touch her other than the occasional brush of arms. It made her feel comfortable and for that she was grateful.
She noticed that they were headed back to campus and it sparked a question, which flew out of her mouth before she could stop it, "You're not taking me back to campus for another lecture are you? To bore me to death?"
Donald chuckled and gave her a look –that warmed her from within and visibly showed on her now red cheeks- that could only be described as affe–amused. (She wouldn't dare think that he felt affection for her this soon into their acquaintance.) He gestured for them to take a sharp right, "Definitely not a lecture, I had enough for one day. There's only so much economics I can take."
Sometimes she wished she could break silences with the ease and grace that Stacie could. Stop the over thinking and the social awkwardness that sent people running. But Lilly wasn't built that way so she chose to remain quiet as they continued to walk between the buildings. Donald seemed to be far more extroverted,with a grin and a greeting shared with people they passed. Within the building that he led her into, Lilly noticed that he seemed to know everyone.
It was nice. It made her feel warm inside at the obvious ease that he held. She couldn't understand why fate would bond their souls together. It seemed unfair to him.
"So, uh, if you don't like this, we can for sure go somewhere else," Donald reasoned with a sheepish grin.
Lilly blinked curiously at the basement room where people seemed to have congregated, and wondered what student event he had brought her to. With a nod, she stepped into the room and was greeted with a thundering vibration.
A cacophony of sounds echoed in her ears and travelled down her body until she trembled with excitement. Beatboxing was a skill and a love that she held close to her heart. Something that she had shared with her cousin in Japan before they moved at the end of her second year in secondary school. It was a skill that only Stacie knew about.
"You brought me to a beatboxing club?" Lilly exclaimed softly, a hitch in her voice that betrayed the obvious pleasure she felt, "I didn't know this existed."
Donald beamed back at her, an inexplicable glint in his eye that he would describe as affection, "Yeah, it's kinda new, a friend of mine started it last year. And it really isn't advertised much. Your friend, Stacie, mentioned it and well, I'm kinda a member so yeah..."
He trailed off awkwardly, but it didn't bother Lilly, who just bounced on the tips of her toes and fixated on a nearby crowd of people where two people were battling, "Can I battle someone?"
"Fuck yes. Come on, Lilly." Donald reached down and took her hand, but stopped mid-step and peered down at her with a crooked smile, "You're awesome, you know that?"
Warmth filled her from the heels of her feet to the crown of her head and she blushed profusely at the compliment. He thought she was awesome. Fuck, she was screwed.
Lilly discovered that flying above the clouds, where everything seemed happy, was euphoric. She often muttered that to him in the drowsiness of sleep that he made her feel like she was flying. He always tucked his arm closer around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head with a chuckle that warmed her insides. Donald Dravid, she soon found out, was ridiculously into cuddling. But Lilly had no complaints as she sunk deeper into his embrace and felt more content than she ever believed possible.
The days blurred into each other as she fell further and further into dangerous territory where love was more than just a word and a dream. It was four months after their first date when Lilly realized during a simple lunch date at her (their) favourite spot that she was in love with him.
It was the way he didn't bat an eyelash or throw a fuss when Stacie called, in a fit of tears, needing her. It was the way he showed up later that evening, kissed her on the cheek and left her with a grocery bag filled with ice cream and alcohol. It was the way he beatboxed under his breath when they were in the car, walking down the street or lounging around in the apartment.
It was the way he smiled and laughed and responded seriously no matter what she said. It was the way he understood when she nodded over the phone or the different sighs that she emitted, and how to coax her out of her mind. It was the way he seemingly seemed to accept her without judgement and without fail.
It was fucking terrifying how far she had fallen and how quickly. And ultimately, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The shoe dropped at his ex-roommate's party. They had been together (dating seemed inapplicable considering their soulmate status) for almost six months, but had never hung out with each other's friends. Lilly had told him all about Stacie and her other two closest friends: Benji Applebaum and Fat Amy. Donald, in turn, had explained his tight knit group of friends (she was envious whenever she listened to his stories about them).
There was Beca Mitchell, the sarcastic aspiring DJ, Donald's best friend, whose bag she had tripped over (and the reason for their meeting so Lilly forgave her). Jesse Swanson, Beca's soulmate and film enthusiast, who kept Donald and Beca from destroying their friendship in fits of irritation and verbal barbs. Unicycle, his friend from childhood, who didn't go by anything else after a phase when he would only travel by unicycle. And Chloe Beale, the sweet laid back chef, who had joined their group after Beca and Jesse discovered that she was Beca's other soulmate. It was a complicated story that made Lilly appreciative she only had one soulmate.
So when Lilly decided it was time to meet his friends, she was ready to impress them and was even a little excited to meet people she had heard so many anecdotes about. But she hadn't been ready for Donald's ex-roommate's mean spirited comments or for her insecurities to multiple in one night.
It had started out fine, well even. The party was in full swing by the time she arrived with Fat Amy in tow. Stacie was out of the city dealing with her soulmate problems, and Benji was worse at parties than her. Fat Amy merely patted her head, pushed her (what she called skinny butt) towards Donald and sauntered off to find alcohol. Apparently, Donald's ex-roommate was fucking loaded.
"About fucking time we met her Dravid." Beca said unceremoniously and most of the sentence was directed at Donald when he introduced her to them.
"Why? So you can trip her again with your bags and shit?" was the last thing Lilly heard before her attention was taken by his other friends.
Jesse Swanson rolled his eyes at the two and held out his hand in greeting, "Don't mind them. We only start worrying when they stop fighting."
"Yeah, you think they'd be on their best behaviour, but alcohol makes Beca aggressive," a redhead shared as she threw her arms around her shoulders for a split second before giving her a wicked grin, "But can't say Jesse or I have any complaints at the end of the night."
Lilly forced a smile on her face despite the creeping uncomfortable feeling inside. These were people who were familiar with each other and it reminded her that she was the outsider. It was Donald's gentle intertwining of their hands that grounded her and she replied with only a hint of awkwardness, "When I first met Donald, he and Beca were arguing, too. I am glad I was not the reason."
There's an awkward pause because she didn't know these people outside of the stories Donald had told her. And they didn't know her from a bar of soap.
But Lilly smiled and tried to find something to talk about, constantly reminding herself to speak louder, when a boisterous guy pushed his way between her and Donald.
"Bumper," Donald greeted with a semi-cordial nod.
He was shorter than Donald with boring brown hair and an obnoxious grin that Lilly already disliked. He was vastly different from Beca and she shied away from his leering gaze.
"Donald my man," Bumper greeted him loudly, "You made it and you brought your soulmate." He gave her a long lecherous look and commented, as if she wasn't around, "Don't know why you keep her around. She's not much of a looker."
Lilly gnawed on her bottom lip and hated the claustrophobic feeling that edge up from the pits of her stomach and into her throat. She struggled to breath and her vision swam as anxiety took hold of her. His comments reminding her of the spiteful words said to her throughout her life.
She barely realised what was happening around her -Donald spitting out that Bumper was an asshole before punching him in the face when he retorted that she must be putting out for Donald to defend her so fiercely - as she tore her hand out of Donald's and rushed away from the scene.
The walls were closing in and she breathed short gasping breaths, her throat constricting as her chest heaved, while she pushed her way out of the apartment. It seemed to her that everyone was calling viciously after her - her old bullies turning into the forms of those she had met tonight and even into Donald - and she needed to get away. Behind the hazy fog of illusions, Lilly could hear Donald calling for her, but she refused to stop.
She slammed the door behind her and hurried down the stairs and into the warm night. Lilly fumbled with her phone, tears streaming down her face as she gasped repeatedly for air, and called Stacie.
She leaned against the brick wall, her body crumbling into fetal position, and gasped into the phone unable to find the words to speak.
"Lilly. Lilly. Just breath. Slow steady breaths. Count with me: one, two, three." Stacie said immediately understanding what was wrong. This wasn't the first time she has seen Lilly go through a panic attack. They had lessened in the last year, but Stacie was going to kill Donald for putting Lilly in a situation that sent her spiralling back down, "One. Two. Three. Breath. You are safe. You are in the present. You are loved."
Stacie's soothing voice helped Lilly regain control as she clawed her way out of a panic attack. Her cheeks are stained with tears and mascara, but Lilly could only stare blankly at the dim streetlamp. She faintly recognised Donald lingering nearby and she only has the strength to hand him her phone with shaking fingers. He took it carefully and talked to Stacie in quiet tones that Lilly could not decipher.
She curled into herself, her arms wrapping around her torso and her legs pressed into her chest, and waited for him to give her back her phone. She expected him to leave her. He had witnessed her breakdown; why would he stay now that he knew she was pathetic and obviously broken.
"Lilly. I'm going to help you stand."
She nodded with a blank stare and leaned against his body when he helped her to her feet. He whispered apologies to her again and again and again; Lilly breathed in his scent as best she could, trying to memorise it for the future. At least she was happy for a little bit.
When they reached her apartment, the cab drive and the walk upstairs blurring into each other, Lilly clung to him but lacked any energy to speak. Donald had stopped apologising and gently coaxed her into the her room; he helped her out of her clothes and into bed before pressing a kiss to her forehead. It felt bitterly like a goodbye.
At least she had a taste of love, at least she had the memory of love. It was all she really deserved.
Lilly refused to get out of bed the next morning, refused to speak to Donald - who had stayed on the couch in her studio apartment - because she couldn't bear the thought of him seeing her in this state. (And maybe she couldn't bear the thought of hearing him tell her that he couldn't be with her.)
He wanted to help, he wanted to take care of her, but Lilly had crawled her way back to the surface before. She would do it again.
It was only when he left, the feeling of his lips on her forehead lingering long after he was gone, that she tumbled out of bed and crumbled in the bathtub. The hot water scorching her skin and reminded her that she was alive, that she wasstrong enough. Lilly felt drained as if the light in her had burned out.
Weeks went by as she steadily avoided Donald. She forced herself to go to class even if she only wanted to crawl into her bed and never leave. He called sometimes leaving messages on her voicemail, which she listened to when sleep evaded her. He often rambled about different topics, but he always ended the message by simply reminding her that he was here and he wasn't going anywhere.
Somewhere among her insecurities and that bitter voice in her head that never let her forget them; Lilly heard something in his voice, something that made her think he maybe he wouldn't abandon her.
A whole month passed. Lilly spent most of her time with Stacie and Benji in familiar silence as they prattled on. It was Benji who never pushed her, who arrived with Chinese food and magic cards and Harry Potter dvd's, and only kept her company. Benji who she had known since first year of University and had experienced this before. But it was ultimately Benji who Lilly opened up to when something within her began to burn again.
It was a Thursday night and they were steadily working their way through the fourth Harry Potter movie. Magic cards lay abandoned on the floor and plates of sushi teetered on their laps precariously.
"Stacie thinks I sabotage my relationships." she muttered when the Durmstrang school was introduced to Hogwarts.
"Stacie thinks I hide behind magic and Star Wars." Benji replied in a honest way that he struggled to show to anyone else.
Lilly reached over to pat him on the shoulder, "I like your magic."
"You're the only one. But we both try to scare people away. It's why we don't go to parties. Or have other friends. At least you have Donald."
Benji didn't mean anything when he mentioned Donald's name, but Lilly found her throat tighten at the very thought of him. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in a month and he still called every night. Stacie was right, she did try to sabotage her relationships.
"Do you think he'd pull a Ron Weasley?"
"He calls you every night Lilly, I don't think it's possible for him to pull a Ron Weasley." Benji sighed and shook his head, "He's your soulmate, you're destined to be with him, you deserve to be happy."
Lilly nodded and shifted over so that she could steal a salmon roll off Benji's plate. She tapped his arm gently and smiled in an effort to be positive for his sake. She didn't know if she believed she deserved happiness, but he still hadn't found his soulmate and it reminded her that she should be thankful.
There was always a chance that he'd leave her in the future, but maybe it was time to take that chance.
She called him later that night with apologies on her tongue and a desire to explain herself in a way she's never felt before. It's on the tip of her tongue as he answered the phone almost warily and surprised and she dived into it without preamble, "I need you not to talk because this is probably the most you'll hear me speak, especially over the phone. And I know I should do this face to face, but I just… I'm not strong enough."
She paused and breathed heavily, her heart pounding in her ear, "I've never had a lot of friends much less boyfriends. And anytime I get close to someone, they often abandon me because my mannerisms become too difficult to handle. I'm...I'm a difficult person to handle, I know that. My family tells me that, my teachers have told me that, my classmates have told me that. So I just I know. And I have self-esteem issues and insecurities that sometimes make me push people…push you away. And I've never been good in big groups of people and I've always been judged by my weirdness. And so sometimes I have panic attacks. But none of that changes the fact that I love you more than I could possibly express. And I'm just so sorry because you didn't deserve the way I treated you this past month. And I just, I want to try to be happy with you."
And though she believed that he would break up with her for being such a bitch, Donald simply told her to open the door because he was coming over. Because he loved her too. Because maybe happiness and love wasn't destiny, but rather a choice that people have to make.
And when he stormed into her apartment and kissed her deeply and whispered that he loved her too, Lilly felt that warmth she'd been missing burn within her.
She was choosing to be happy. She was choosing to be in love with her soulmate. Because she wasn't destined to be happy, but she chose to be.
A year later Lilly stood in front of her mirror, her fingers pressed against her soulmate mark, and sighed. The words, that's adorable, were still etched against her skin reminding her that her soulmate was somewhere out there. She was so engrossed in inspecting a mark she had already memorized that she didn't hear Donald come inside.
"You're staring at it again." There's amusement in his voice and a hint of affection laced in his words.
Lilly playfully glared at him and pointed at the bruise forming around the mark, "Cause someone ruined it."
Donald wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips, "Yeah well, I think it looks better."
"You would, you're the one who has an obsession with it."
He pulled her flush against him and grinned impishly at her as his hands began to wander along her exposed skin. Lilly swatted his hands away and shook her head, "No no, we've got a house warming party to get to."
"Come on babes, Chloe practically lived there before I moved out."
"No, we can't be late again even if it's not really a house warming party."
Donald laughed at the pout on her face and tugged her back towards him as he leaned down to kiss away her frown, "You're adorable Tiger Lilly."
Lilly smirked at him as she ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "I guess we don't have to be there exactly on time Ducky," before kissing him soundly on the mouth. He always knew how to get his way with her. And after all, it wasn't like she liked parties anyway.
- The End -