A/N: I tried to write a oneshot, really I did... But, like Snoe, this has turned into a multi-chaptered five-shot! Oopsy. Anyway, it's all about love and friendship. Years of friendship. The time will jump a little, but it's not too confusing. This story is inspired by Kylie's summer single 'All the Lovers' which I've grown to really like :) Plus the music video is HOT.
Disclaimer: You know how it goes...
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Of All the Lovers
All the lovers that have gone before,
They don't compare…To you.
Don't be frightened,
Just give me that little bit more.
They don't compare – all the lovers…
The Month of July in the Year 2035
It had all led up to this one night and Lilly Truscott didn't know where everything started, but she could just about pinpoint vague dates in her clouded memories. The years had fluttered by like butterflies released from a basket, and in all honesty time had flown faster than she could ever have thought possible.
She was now in her early forties and living in a small house in Malibu, which she was able to afford on her teacher's salary. Her life was full of exciting people, of many diverse ages, including her adopted nieces and nephews; the offspring of her two best childhood friends, who still remained close to her heart and near in proximity to her address.
It was this closeness to one particular best friend from all the years since elementary school had ended, that Lilly had to blame for the current nerves and trepidation which rattled her system. She had waited tens of years for what was about to happen, in the space of the night which would begin in less than an hour's time…
Lilly shook her head and chuckled to herself. "My god, I never thought I would actually end up going through with this."
The middle-aged woman checked her reflection in the mirror opposite for the ninth time that summer's early evening. Her hair had been neatly styled into loose waves and hung placidly curving about her face. When she had reached the halfway point of her thirties Lilly had cropped her long hair short so that it was a bob-cut that stopped about an inch above her shoulders. This different hairstyle suited her busy routine with the early starts and late finishes of a typical working day.
Lilly took a step back to view her outfit choice in the full-length mirror before her. She was wearing a floral, summer dress, which hugged her curves flatteringly. She looked good for her age since she attended the gym every other day and had never had the chance to produce children of her own. As a result, her stomach was still flat and toned and her arms had not yet succumbed to gravity, so the unfortunate ageing side-effect of 'bingo wings' was relentlessly being defied.
The creases in Lilly's dress were smoothed away by hands that were naked of rings or symbols of attachments to other people. Lilly remained single, unmarried, and she lived alone, but these details had never brought her down throughout her life because, within her most secret of hearts, Lilly was devoted to another so entirely that any truly committed relationship would only serve as a distraction. Lilly still smiled even though she ticked the 'Ms.' box on every form she had filled in from about the age of twenty-five. There was always the promise that the best was yet to come.
Lilly leaned closer to her reflection once more whilst she flicked the mascara brush lightly over her eyelashes. Around her eyes bore the first symptoms of her age, small lines akin to crows feet were beginning to spread out from the corners of her eyes. Lilly had never minded and was going to accept the maturity of her years with an optimistic spirit; there was no sense in trying to fight age, it was one of the only inevitable things about life.
She drew back from the mirror for a moment and jostled her small make-up bag for her lip-gloss, "There you are…" Lilly murmured to herself as she pulled the item up from where it had been buried beneath the rest. She had to tear off the packaging seal, and cursed the fact since her clear coat of nail varnish was not yet completely dry. Eventually she was able to drag the soft brush across her plump lips and stand back to admire the effect it had produced. "I haven't worn lip-gloss for over two years." Lilly reflected, "Maybe I really am getting old?"
Lilly's reflection smiled brightly back at Lilly whilst she pondered the fact. Her eyes crinkled up in the same delighted fashion they had always assumed since her very first smile ever. Sky-blue irises were twinkling brightly from a youthful-looking face and Lilly was finally pleased with the result of her efforts from an afternoon, followed by evening, of grooming.
Soft music played in the background to her preparations and she began to sing quietly along to the current track. She was feeling particularly nostalgic and the sweet familiarity of the song had Lilly lost in a timeless place whilst she packed a small handbag with needed belongings, "…Ain't about how fast I get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side…"
There was a knock on the front door. "…It's the climb." Lilly finished shortly and looked towards the clock next to her bed. She wasn't running late yet, in fact she was before the time they had set. It was the other person who was early and Lilly swallowed, feeling the nerves creep up on her once more. "One minute!" Lilly called down the stairs and quickly turned back to give herself a last viewing.
The other Lilly in the mirror had wide eyes set into a serious expression. Her hands were clasped in front of her, thumbs brushing against each other nervously, as fingers squeezed together until her knuckles turned white. Lilly inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "Relax… Breathe…" Lilly murmured to herself and slowly blinked her eyes open once more. Her reflection was beginning to smile at her now, brightly, and a swirl of emotions twirled around her stomach, edging up into her chest and filling her with an almost burning excitement. She felt as if she was fifteen again and living life like no one could figure her out.
Lilly shook her head and picked up her bag, unable to delay the inevitable for any longer. She was terrified when she almost tripped on the top stair whilst she attempted to jog down to the door. This called about the need for another calming pause and after an additional breathing exercise Lilly was stumbling to the last step.
The front door was bolted and Lilly's shaking hands felt weaker than ever as she fumbled with each of the catches until she was squeezing the handle and easing the door open. This all happened in slow motion, and every action was a gradual build up until the person on the other side was revealed.
"Hello Lilly."
Lilly wanted to weep; the emotions within her at that moment seemed almost too much. Her breath was caught up in her chest, trapped somewhere between a frantic heartbeat and a dry mouth that had been drained of all sensation. She felt physically numb, yet she was also very much alive and eventually she was able to shake herself back into action.
"Miley."
Miley Stewart was smiling shyly back at her best friend of the years, her sapphire eyes gazing demurely from beneath dark, sweeping lashes.
"I'm sorry I'm so early." Miley apologised quietly, and Lilly's lips curled up into a smile of their own, for Miley had never lost that twang of Southern accent which lingered in her voice.
"Are you early?" Lilly contradicted teasingly.
Miley grinned back, "Emily told me I should wait a while longer because it's just not cool. But, well, here I am. I never could wait for a good thing to happen."
"You're being too kind." Lilly replied and found that now it was her turn to be modest.
Miley shook her head as she gazed upon Lilly with brazen wonder in her eyes, "This night has been a long time coming."
Lilly chuckled, "Yes." She cleared her throat, "Are you ready then?"
"For our date?" Miley nodded slowly and her eyes were sparkling, "Let's go." Lilly laughed lightly and stepped out onto the porch, carefully closing and locking the door behind her. When she felt Miley's hand on her shoulder, she finished her actions and turned to look into her best friend's eyes. "Lilly, you look gorgeous tonight."
Lilly's own eyes began to drift. Miley's body was swathed in a dress of almost navy blue which caused her deep, sapphire eyes to stand out from her paler skin. Her chocolate brown hair was its usual heap of curls, which had never changed in all the years that Lilly had known her. They cascaded down Miley's neck and loose strands swept across her cheeks, bringing Lilly's attention constantly back to the other woman's full lips, lined that evening with alluring lipstick…
"You're beautiful Miley." Lilly breathed in response.
Miley smiled warmly and turned to offer Lilly her arm. On linking up with her female companion Lilly was able to reflect that she had dated many women, but none had made her lose sight of everything else; only Miley Stewart.
x-x-x-x-x
The Month of March in the Year 2011
The night beyond the windows of the bedroom was dark and starless. The moon was eclipsed at this point in the monthly cycle and there was nothing to highlight the ripple of the waves on the ocean. All of these factors had driven Lilly back to the room she was now sharing with her best friend and she had submitted at last to reading a novel.
"I pay very little regard," said Mrs. Grant…
Miley was singing in the bathroom adjoining the bedroom and Lilly's lips twitched as she attempted to press on with digesting the words of Jane Austen.
"I pay very little…"
"Because when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe it. Gonna believe it!"
"…said Mrs. Gra-…"
"When you're fifteen and living life…"
"Miley!" Lilly squealed.
Something was thrown into the sink and quick footsteps swiftly found their way back into Miley's room.
"What's up?" Miley asked as she appeared in the doorway, a towel in one hand and a smear of toothpaste at the corner of her mouth.
Lilly giggled, before holding up her book, "I'm trying to read."
Miley quirked an eyebrow skillfully, "Is that all?" Miley drawled, "I thought you were being attacked by spiders or something."
"Or dying cats." Lilly replied, "I still don't get why you have to practically shout fifteen whenever you sing that song."
Miley grinned, "I like to put emphasis on certain words."
"Well, I wish you wouldn't."
Miley scowled back playfully, "Artistic license, what would you know?"
Lilly pretended to contemplate her best friend's argument, "You're right. I wouldn't know anything about being creative. It takes a real genius to screech words when they're singing and paint toothpaste all over their face."
Miley stormed from the room and Lilly's bright laughter followed her friend out.
"I pay very little regard," said Mrs. Grant, "to what any young person says on the subject of…"
"What are you reading?"
Miley had returned toothpaste and towel free and was now climbing up onto Lilly's bed to sit beside her. Lilly rolled her eyes, "I was reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen."
Miley nodded sagely, "So that you can teach it to your students when you become a teacher?"
"Yeah, because that's going to go down really well in elementary school."
"You never know."
"Really, I'm not a huge fan of our friend Jane."
Miley chuckled, "What does she have to say in this one?"
"I guess I would know if you didn't keep interrupting me!"
"Sorry." Miley apologized and adopted a serious expression, "I will be good now."
Lilly tried to fight back the smile as Miley leaned nearer to her and peered over her shoulder. Miley's warm breath was tickling Lilly's neck, but the blonde didn't mind. It was so comfortable to have Miley's soft being pressing against her own.
"I pay very little regard," said Mrs. Grant, "to what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person."
"Hmm." Miley exhaled and Lilly lowered her book, knowing that the silence had been too good to last.
"What is it now, Miley?"
"I was wondering… what do ya reckon Austen means by that?" Miley asked and stretched an elegant fingertip to the passage that Lilly had just been reading.
Lilly re-read the dialogue and her brain processed an answer, "It's obvious, isn't it? Mrs. Grant is saying that people should only marry people they actually have an affinity too, rather than someone they don't. That they only have a negative view on marriage because their assigned partner isn't suitable."
"Simple answer." Miley shrugged, "But in Austen's time things weren't so easy. Women couldn't just pick and choose their husbands like that."
"I know." Lilly replied, and tried to continue with the text.
"Do you think you'll ever get married Lilly?" Miley inquired suddenly and Lilly felt her whole body seize up in a moment of shock.
"I-I dunno." Lilly spluttered, "Maybe… I just haven't given it much thought yet, okay?"
Miley frowned and Lilly tried to pretend that she just wanted the company of her book, but this was never enough for Miley, "Lilly, you're a girl. Of course you've thought about it." Miley reprimanded.
"Nope. Can't say I have."
"Come on. The big white wedding, with the dresses and the bride's maids and the little cute flower girl everyone falls in love with. And the person that you choose to marry and spend your life with…"
"Uh-huh." Lilly grunted.
"Have you never imagined him? Even if it's just a blank face on a random body, can you not see him waiting for you at the end of the aisle?"
"No." Lilly squeaked and then cleared her throat, "I cannot imagine him."
"…I swear we've had this conversation before and you were giving me different answers." Miley contemplated slowly.
"People change Miley." Lilly murmured, "Sometimes things aren't as simple anymore."
"What are you saying?" Miley asked gently, concern lacing her voice now instead of amusement.
"I-I'm just saying," Lilly took a deep breath, "that I can't see myself getting married to a man anymore."
"Why?" Miley almost whispered.
Lilly turned at last to look at Miley, and away from the words in her book, she met her eyes and sighed, "Miley, I can't see myself getting married to a man anymore."
"No…Man…?" Miley repeated steadily.
"Yeah."
"Woman?" Miley's eyes widened and as she looked at Lilly, her eyes were filled for a fleeting second with something that looked like disbelief, but Lilly's lips parted and she nodded.
"Yes."
Miley sighed, "How long have you known this for?" Miley's eyes were slowly flickering backwards and forwards over Lilly's own.
Lilly swallowed, "Not long. I don't know Miley. Just, after the whole Oliver thing, I've lost it. Any attraction I had to guys has gone."
"You like girls?" Miley questioned, her voice was still churning out these different thought processes at a snail's pace.
"I do." Lilly confirmed.
"You're gay." Miley wasn't asking questions anymore, she was stating facts and Lilly was frightened as to where this was leading.
"I think so." Lilly sat and watched Miley helplessly. She could almost hear the other girl's brain clicking this new information into place. Miley's eyes were round and steadily growing darker, "You hate me now, don't you?" Lilly whispered and she loathed herself for how pathetic she sounded.
Then Miley's arms were there, wrapped around Lilly's shoulders and twisting the other girl so that she could settle into Miley's embrace fully whilst Miley pressed warm kisses into Lilly's hair, "Never say that again." Miley breathed against Lilly's cheek as she moved her face to rest next to that of her best friend, "I could never hate you. I love you like I love my father and my brother. You mean more to me than anyone, apart from those who share my blood."
"…I could share your blood too, if I was a vampire." Lilly whispered.
Miley laughed and Lilly felt her body shake in reaction to the sound, "God, I really do love you, ya know?" Miley said as she drew away and her sparkling eyes collided with Lilly's once more. "You're just so Lilly." Miley shook her head as she looked her best friend over appraisingly, "And I just want you to be happy."
Lilly found herself smiling with Miley, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"You told me, Lilly." Miley stated firmly, "And I can understand why it would take a while. It's going to take a little bit of time for me to fully get used to this but, heck, you're still my BFF. Now I'm just going to have to change all my guy chat to include ogling the girls."
Lilly laughed, "You wouldn't…"
"Anything for you darlin'." Miley grinned, "It might be fun anyway." Miley winked at Lilly, and then her tone turned more serious, "There's no need to get all worked up about it, because there's nothing wrong with just being yourself." Miley paused before finishing, "It's more than enough."
Heat crept into Lilly's cheeks as she blushed, "Thank you." Miley squeezed Lilly tighter into her arms, "Thank you for – just being Miley."