Well I'm back again, with yet another Lash/Layla oneshot. They deserve each other. :D
I only thought this up last night, getting through half of it and deciding that I needed to finish it - post it on I'm waiting for more reviews for my Comfort Zone! Or I won't friggen update anytime soon!
So I give you a treat. My version of virtual ice cream. Lash and Layla. The good girl - bad boy dish. :sigh:
She didn't exactly enjoy the bruises that were brought to her skin.
She didn't exactly enjoy the fact that he laughed at them.
She didn't exactly enjoy the reasons why he did it, either.
So once again, she stayed once more behind - one more evening at Sky High.
Just to get away. Because she didn't exactly enjoy Will Stronghold.
Not anymore.
Sighing against the library cubical, she shivered, her eyes closing against the polished wood. Breathing in deeply, she self-consciously began to rub her sore arms, sensing the silence creeping up on her, the ringing in her ears echoing painfully.
Yet now, as she exhaled into her shoulder, she heard the soft click click of Principal Power's heels, the sound of the Library door opening slowly.
Quickly shuffling her feet to a sitting position, she grumbled into her fingertips, her eyes still closed as her mouth clamped shut. The click click of the woman's heels had faded into the rug, and then scuffed to a stop, making the girl realize that the older woman was behind her.
"Layla Williams, why are you still here?" Her eyes opened, her fingers closing over her long green tee-shirt with a sigh, holding them tightly against her wrists. She had to hide the bruises.
"Uh, oh - Principal Powers, hello." She breathed, standing up and gathering her things into her arms. "I, I just, accidentally fell asleep while I was working on a project for," she breathed slowly, her mouth moving too fast for her mind to catch up. With a close of her eyes, she exhaled again, opening them to finish her lie. "Mr. Medulla. Midterms coming up shortly, you know." Powers tilted her head, crossing her arms as she nodded.
"Yes, well," she placed a hand onto Layla's back, and she tried not to flinch. Will had tossed her against the couch's armrest the other day - it led to leaving her sore for a few weeks. "Let's have you off the grounds shortly, shall we? I just need to collect Lash and send you both on your way.
There's going to be a bus out front shortly to have picked him up," they walked to the Library door, and Powers locked it as they exited, sauntering down the hall. Layla could now hear the click click click of her heels, and wished forevermore to never hear them again. They, sadly, were never a comforting sound to her. She just couldn't remember why. "But since you're still here, I guess Ron'll have to drop you off at home, as well, now won't he?" Layla gave the woman a weak smile, tucking her books into her shoulderbag as they continued to walk.
"Lash is still here?"
"Yes," she sighed loudly, and they turned a corner as Layla watched her flick a piece of her hair away from her eyes. "He sent a few students into the bathrooms this afternoon -" Layla gave her a smile as they reached a white door, the older woman hitting the side of the wall before the door opened automatically. "I can guess that you know what he'd been caught doing..."
She could only nod. Layla was too caught up in the fact that she was going to have to spend the bus ride with an ex-con. She shivered to herself, then instantly regretted it, feeling a cut above her shoulder blade open right back up. Powers entered the detention room, a smile on her face as she walked away from Layla momentarily. The young girl winced, her eyes rolling back into her head in pain, her hand flying to her back to cover the damage. In a flash her hand was back, covered in streaks of blood. Oh no.
She fished through her bag, looking for her usual leaves to help heal the wound.
"Lash, you've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble lately - you've got yourself out of jail for goodness sakes! And you're right back to where you started right before the Homecoming dance!" Layla could hear him grumble something in response. She could only wonder what it was - but right now she was leaning against the wall, frantic about her back wound. She gave a relieved gasp, holding up a few leaves. Yes - she was going to be okay.
For now.
"You'll see her when you get out of here. Now collect your things, boy - you've got to go home now. Detention's over." She gaped at how quickly it began to sooth her, and sighed loudly, not seeing the two figures exit the detention room.
"Fuckin' Williams?" He growled, his hands shooting up to wave in her way as Powers exited the room behind him. Layla could only wince, her head tilting to the side. She was sympathetic. His long striped arms hung low at his sides, a scowl on his face as he walked right by her. She dodged a shoulder nudge, and she hunched over slightly, sighing to herself. "Let's go," he grumbled, his eyes on the floor as he shuffled in front of her. With a weak wave she said goodbye to the Principal, turning to face Lash's backside. "Fuckin' sidekick bitch." he whispered, smacking his fist into a locker beside him.
"I don't think that's a good idea," she piped up, trying to get into step with him - but her aching legs and bruised stomach was giving her a bit of a trouble. "You'll just end up back in there tomorrow if she catches yo-"
"I don't need to listen to you, Hippie." He murmured, glaring down to her from the side, a sneer on his face.
"I'm only trying to help, really."
"'Help' someone else." he spoke, stretching his damned leg away from her, leading himself down a hallway ahead of her. Fingering the bloody leaf in her hands, she whimpered a whisper.
"I tried to help myself, believe me." Her head shoved itself to the floor, and ignoring the fact that she was now alone, a door ahead of her creaking.
Tears dared to teeter on the brim of her eyes. She wiped them away quickly before she stepped into a fast walk.
"Hurry the hell up, Hippie, I don't have all night." She hobbled into his sight, and he scowled at her footing. "Why the hell are you limping?" Rolling his eyes he let her go through the door, and she shied away from his figure, her eyes to the floor.
"No reason." She grunted, fiddling softly on her schoolbag. There was silence as she leaned into the entrance door, pushing heavily to open it. It didn't move. Layla heard a snicker from behind.
"It's labeled 'pull', you idiot." She stood tall, brushing away her shame, and pulled it open, ignoring the laughs coming from behind her. She kept telling herself the same thing, over and over again.
She wasn't in any rush to get home. She wasn't in any rush to face Will.
"I forgot." She muttered, a dark look on her face as she turned it up to look at him. An amused expression lay on his features. "What's so funny to you?"
"I don't think I have to tell you that." He snickered out, rolling his eyes as they walked silently down the stairs and into the dimming light. She stumbled, her feet scuffling the ground as she fell onto the first landing. For a moment he laughed loudly at her clumsiness, but then stopped, seeing the blood from her last cut over her shoulder blades. He shook his head, debating on asking if she was okay when she grasped the railing and pulled herself to her feet. Her face was in a stiff expression, her right hand clasping over her knee, where there was a large tear, a bleeding cut rushing through her denim jeans. Okay, now he had to ask. "Y'kay?" he muttered, hoping to whomever was watching him that she hadn't really heard him.
"Mmm..." she said, her body shifting even slower down the steps than before. "M'fine." She whispered, her eyes closed as she reached the grassy ground. Lash shrugged, his hands in his pockets as he scanned the bus strip for a bus. There wasn't one waiting, but he had heard a faint grumble of an engine - far away. He knew it'd be here soon.
Shortly after, he heard a hiss. He thought back to a bus pulling in, but it was behind him. "Fuck." Layla whispered, her eyes on her own body.
"And the Hippie swears - who knew." he chuckled, and looked back to her. "What the hell, bitch." he grumbled, and sent her a dirty look. "What happened."
She didn't care if he was an ex-con anymore. "My cuts opened again..." She sighed, lifting her shirt on her side to check the damage. Sure enough, there was a long gash going across her stomach, leaking into the top of her jeans, down her skin. "Oh, damnit and I don't even have any extra clothes..."
"What the hell?" he asked loudly, coming back to her, his left hand gripping the cement wall as she ripped her eyes away from the marks on her body. "Falling down doesn't cause that."
"Well, duh, Livingston." she growled, her eyes avoiding his own as she pulled her shirt down, wiping away the blood trying to continue down her body. "But it's not like you'd ever care." She bit right along, limping down the best she could to the empty bus strip.
"That's true." He smirked, looking away and into the sky. His arm jammed itself into his pocket, wrinkling his nose as he stared up at the sun. Layla hobbled away from him, and he caught up with her with a stretch of his leg. "So what happened?"
"Why are you so interested?" she rolled her eyes, sighing loudly as she leaned against an oak tree.
"Hey, I love the silence, but you just happened to show off your body to me and tell me that you've got open cuts." The back of Layla's head hit the trunk of the tree she leaned up against, and she dropped her shoulderbag, her closed eyes rolling.
Damnit.
"Nothing."
"That's a lie." he grumbled, and she felt him move against the grass, leaning against the tree. Her ears perked up to the sound of his pockets being searched, and a light grunt leave his lips as he successfully found something. A lighter flickered, and she gasped.
"And that's a cancer stick you're going to stick in your mouth, that's disgusting." She heard him snicker, and the lighter flicked a few times. "Ew, please don't tell me you're smoking next to me."
She heard him inhale. "I'm not smoking next to you." The puff of smoke hit her in the face. Her eyes opened with a glare. "What? You told me not to tell you!" Layla watched his shoulders hunch over as he inhaled again. A piece of Eclipse peppermint gum hit him in the forehead. "And you lied to me, so I lied to you." He smirked as he pocketed the piece of gum.
"How would you know that I was lying to you?" she asked, holding her breath skillfully as her head turned away from him. Wishing her legs weren't in such poor shape, she scowled as he blew another puff her way.
"'Cause you're a hippie. And you suck at lying." She growled as her hand swatted the air, trying to get the disgusting smoke away from her nose.
Instead, she hit his cheek with the back of her palm. "Ow, hey, what the hell." He growled, and she opened her eyes immediately, watching the cigarette fly into the air and onto the ground. Layla's eyes gazed into Lash's angry ones, and she gasped. He was too close.
"Get away," she whimpered, her hands flying in front of her face as she ducked slightly beneath his tall form. "You're too, too close." she whispered, her hands hitting his chest and shoving him lightly. He stumbled back a few steps, and grumbled, picking out the gum from his pocket.
"Whatever." he muttered, chewing to himself. "Tell me." She slid to the side, her fingers gripping a branch on the tree as she shivered.
"No." She gasped as she felt his hand cover her wrist. "Let me go, Lash!" she cried out, and he instantly held a bit tighter to her. It wasn't the strong, menacing hold that Will gripped her with - but a stiff, confident grasp. His eyes locked with hers.
"No." he mocked, stepping close to her and slowly sliding his other hand up her sleeve, letting it slide right on up with his fingers. With a blink of his eyes they flickered to her arm, and she grimaced at his face. Then it dawned on him as he stared at the bruises, the hatred pasted into her skin. "That boyfriend of yours beats you, doesn't he?" he snickered, tossing her hand to her side without a care. She gave a hurt cry as it clocked her shoulder into the tree branch, but he stood strong, his nose in the air as he breathed deeply, waiting for her answer.
Layla nodded slowly.
"I don't even know why I'm telling you this." She whispered, pulling her sleeve back down. Lash's eyes wavered in worry. Or was it sadness? Layla blinked. What? Lash - a human being? What was she doing? Dreaming? It had to be, because he really looked like he cared.
The bus pulled into the strip, and she sighed with relief. But then she froze, looking to the empty sky. She took this moment of frozen time to think things over. Layla was going home. With Will waiting for her. She could almost see the dark look in his eyes as she got off that late bus, his arms folded, a snarl in his eyes.
"Shit shit fuck." she whispered loudly, and Lash was silent, his footsteps close behind her as they walked. Stumbling through the grass with a hand clapped over her knee, she winced the entire time as she fumbled with the shoulderbag teetering onto her arm.
"Gimme." Lash said, taking the bag into his hands and stepping a bit quicker ahead of her. Layla tried to call out to him, make him stop, but he wouldn't have listened to her anyway. She watched him walk into the bus, stopping to talk to the driver. Layla watched Ron nod a few times, a large gulp swallowing through his neck. Lash looked back at her, and waved his hand to try and make her hurry. Straightening her figure out, she grimaced as she felt the warm blood trickle down her calf. He rolled his eyes, tossing her bag down the bus aisle and stretching her way to grab a hold of her.
He reached for her back. "No!" she screamed, and he recoiled his fingers.
"What." he asked sourly, glaring down at her.
"It hurts."
"What does." he said simply, watching her lean against a tree. The bus beeped its horn. "Wait a fucking minute, will yah?!" He cried out, scowling his way to Ron.
"My back?" she stated, and he voluntarily pulled up the back of her shirt and held back a gasp. "Do you even mind? Do I have any personal space around you?" She growled, tugging it back down with a glare.
"Where else?" he snarled darkly, a glare challenging her own. She shook her head. She wasn't going to say anything else. "Where else." he whispered, stepping closer to her, his left leg leaning in-between her own. Layla whimpered.
"Lash leave me alone." She whispered, taking steps closer to the bus, grabbing a hold of the rail to take a few steps inside. His hand caught her wrist gently, tugging her into his chest. "Lash, seriou-" His gaze made her stop her words. It sent a chill down her spine, and he just stood there.
"Anytime now." Ron called, an impatient tone seeping through the door.
"Can you tell me why he does this." he said, more of a demand than a question, if Layla thought any of it. She shook her head. "Then why are you with him?"
"Why do you ask so many questions about this, Livingston?" she whispered, feeling his grip on her wrist weaken, his head ducking lightly over her face.
In a blink his right hand was caressing her cheek gently, and her breath hitched, her eyes searching his. "I can't spend all day here, kids." Ron grumbled, opening and closing the bus doors over and over to catch their attention. Layla wasn't fazed at all by this, since her eyes were glazing over in confusion, her mind lost. Lash, though, was completely focused on what he was doing.
"I may be a bully, but I wouldn't abuse you." he whispered, and Layla blinked. What?
His hand stroked past her ear, into the back of her head, down her neck. Layla couldn't stop him. She didn't even really know if this was even true.
What was going on? "What are you saying?" She murmured, watching his face lower even closer to her own.
Slowly his lips grazed hers, and she closed her eyes, waiting for pain, waiting for a wince to appear on her mouth. But his bottom lip flicked her top, and she mentally blinked. Many times. Quickly his mouth covered her bottom lip, a gentle nibble being placed upon it. Just as quick as this kiss began, it broke, and he climbed into the bus, crashing into a seat. Layla stood dumbly as she tried to recollect what just happened. Ron gave her a smile, not actually seeing the liplock beside the bus, and let her take a seat by the front as Lash watched her from the back, a cold stare upon her as she sat down. The seatbelts came down immediately after the door closed, and Layla shivered against the dimmed window.
What the hell just happened?
--
She fell asleep. A surprise to even herself when she was swatting whatever was caressing her arm. Gasping her eyes open, she saw that Lash stood above her. "C'mon." he muttered, his hand out for her to take. Layla took a second to look out the window.
"Since when did I live around here?" she asked herself, ignoring his hand as she grasped the seat in front of her to lift herself. He chuckled as he took her hand with his own, ignoring her whispered protest. Lugging her bag over his shoulder he led her out of the bus.
"Since never - I live around here." He stated, a smirk on his face as he looked over at the redhead.
"Why am I here, though." She took small steps, and he waited patiently for her, which sort of shocked Layla. At Sky High, he was a bit impatient after he found out what Will was doing to her. But now, now he was waiting. And doing it patiently.
"I'm walking you home."
"But I live on the other side of town. And why walk me home?" His smirk got bigger.
"Cause I want to know things."
"Things you won't figure out." she muttered to herself, a smug look on her face as he rolled his eyes.
"And so I can tell Stronghold off." he finished, and Layla paled.
"...Wha...?" Her hand flew into the air, trying to stop his feet, but he merely took it with his own, linking two fingers with hers, squeezing. "Wait, what the hell?"
"Shut up." he dismissed the gesture, the hands holding together as he played with her shoulderbag. As they passed the few people they knew, Layla whimpered in fear, but Lash shrugged, holding her fingers tighter against his own.
"And what was with the damn kiss?" she groaned, smiling as he let her fingers go. But then his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his tall being. "And now this?" she cried, her left hand waving in between the two of them. He smirked, and the left hand that was around her shoulder began to curl a chunk of her hair between his fingers.
They entered her neighborhood, and she could see Will in the distance, arms crossed, his hair over his eyes. And she could just imagine the damned look on his face. He could spot her. He could spot her with Lash.
And he began walking up the street, his hands in fists and his mouth in a scowl. Layla gulped, and Lash could only snicker loudly. "What's so funny to you?!" she cried out in a whisper, her eyes scanning his own.
"The fact that he won't get to you while I'm here."
"Oh, and when you leave?" she growled, now hating the scene that was playing over in her mind. She was worried. About Lash.
"I'm not leaving," he laughed, and Layla tossed it to the side. "I'm merely going to be...well, I can't figure out a word for this, so, I'll just say that I'm still going to be there."
"And you began to care about me, at what point of the day, today?"
--
"Layla, where were you after school?" Will snarled, clearly seeing the hand wrapped around her shoulder. "Are you fucking cheating on me?!" He screamed, his hand clasping over her left wrist. Lash hissed through his teeth, a glare in his eyes.
"Don't fucking touch her, Stronghold." Will sneered.
"This coming from the one with the arm around her." He turned to Layla, a grimace on his face. "Did you fuck him, too? Like Warren last week?"
"Will, I haven't done anything with anyone! Why do you even accuse me of these things?" She cried out, tears brimming into her eyes as Lash unwrapped his striped arm. He quickly shoved the shorter boy into the street.
"Get the hell away from her." he snarled, brushing his dark hair from his eyes as he stalked over to the short boy. "She's done nothing to you, Stronghold. And yet you think she deserves those fucking bruises?" Layla leaned against a tree, her eyes closed as she tried to breathe deeply, trying to think up a plan to stop the fight from beginning.
She gasped loudly as she heard a body hit the ground, and her eyes opened against the dark tree trunk.
"Will, don't hurt hi -" She took notice to who was on the ground. "Lash, how'd you -" He was at her side in seconds, a groaning Will on the pavement. The boy was turned away, and Lash snickered at Will.
"Kicked him." he said simply, snaking an arm around her shoulder. "There."
"Do you mind not doing that?" she asked, shaking it off and stepping to the side, a weary look on her face as she ran away, over to Will. But Lash's arm wrapped around her torso gently, pulling her back to him.
"And yet you just need to crawl right back to him. Does it make you feel good, to know that he's made those bruises? That he laughed at you for them?" She tugged herself away, a scowl on her face.
"Lash, he's my boyfriend. My best friend. And I'm his -" He gave her a silencing glare.
"Personal punching bag." He growled, taking his eyes away from her to give the moaning Will a biting snarl. Lash pointed to Will, who rolled onto his side, gripping the cement and trying to lean up on his elbows to get to his feet. Quickly his leg stretched to kick the boy in the shins, and Will just laughed it off, finally getting to his feet, stalking forward.
"Layla, let's go home." He muttered darkly, and Layla whimpered behind Lash's form. She wanted to stay. But she wanted to go home. She wanted to split in half, and stay with Lash, but then she wanted to make Will happy - make him avoid hurting her. Layla felt safe where she was, but she wasn't going to actually admit it.
Lash's arm gripped her wrist in the same demanding way from when they were a thousand feet higher. She looked at him for a moment, catching the pleading look in his eye before it turned black. Will snorted at them. Layla's eyes darkened.
"Shut up, William." She didn't look away from Lash, and he stepped forward, much closer to her now. Will's mouth dropped at her words.
"Excuse me?" he asked, taking a few moments to recollect her words, grasping the ground with his shoes. He took steps towards them, and Lash's fingertips stroked Layla's cheek gently. She stood still, watching his eyes, feeling the world melt away, Will disappearing right along with it. Somehow his left hand linked with her right, and Layla didn't hear the loud, menacing growl escape Will's lips. "You know what?" he asked, backing his footing. "I'll deal with you later. And I'll see you at fucking school, Livingston." Will's footsteps faded into the background, and Lash leaned down to meet the girl's gaze. "S'fuckin' done, Layla. I can't trust you anymore."
Tears began to stream over her eyes, and Lash made each one disappear with a wipe of his thumb. She didn't notice what was going on until she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck. Lash dipped his head into her own, breathing in deeply as she cried. Stronghold may have abused her physically, but she still clearly loved the boy. Lash sighed silently, gently stroking her back, avoiding any of the harsh bruises he'd seen. This was definitely weird for him, but he kinda liked the feel of her arms around him. In fact, he held her just a bit tighter just so that she was formed into his own being. There were no messy, awkward moments of time here, and he liked this.
"I'm a terrible person." she whispered, squeezing him once more before letting him go. His hands rested at her hips, and she didn't take notice to this, since she was looking away, into the empty street. Lash shook his head.
"If anything, I am. But whatever, that was last year." He shrugged as she lowered her face, staring at their shoes. "Hey," he whispered, trying to cup her cheek. She shook her head. "Hey, look at me." His finger was under her chin in seconds, and he pulled her up, making her blink a few times.
"What." she asked, twiddling her fingers behind his head.
He smirked. "Be with me."
"What?" Layla dropped her hands, and he slid his own away from her body, unsure. "What?"
He sighed, and closed his eyes as he breathed out. "Be with me." She shook her head.
"I couldn't." She whispered, taking a step back. He grasped her two fingers, and leaned down slightly, his lips barely touching her own. She didn't stop him.
"Why not." he whispered, and she took in a breath, making him chuckle against her soft lips. He didn't dare touch them yet. Not now. The hand cupping her cheek had stroked back her hair, holding her neck in place.
"I...I just - Lash," She started, and fell back into his hands. Layla felt weak, unable to completely think straight. "Whoaa..." she whispered, trying to stand up tall, only to become completely dizzy and stumble. Lash caught her quickly, and she brushed her lips under his chin, letting a sigh be released from her mouth. "Sorry." she murmured, her eyes closing.
He smirked as his top lip flicked her own, and he breathed in her scent. "Why not." he repeated, feeling her arms droop heavily across his shoulders.
She was quiet for a while, and he stood silently, patiently as he watched her shut eyes become calmer, almost asleep. "Layla..." he muttered, smirking as her eyes flew open as her name rolling off his tongue.
"Because I don't think Will would -"
"Screw Will." he muttered darkly, his breath hot on her face. "Will doesn't matter. What Stronghold thinks shouldn't make you second guess things in life." Layla gasped lightly. "He shouldn't have control over you." She exhaled, and nodded.
"I know that now." Slowly his face lifted so that his lips touched hers softly - almost barely.
"So be with me." Lash whispered huskily, his eyes closing against her cheek. He could feel her nod.
He smiled a rare smile against her face, and whispered the words he spoke long before, kissing her passionately. "I may be a bully, but I wouldn't abuse you."