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By Any Other
By koinekid
DELETED SCENES
1. The Dinner Scene
Chapter 2 began with our favorite couple washing dishes after dinner. This scene depicts that dinner and contradicts the published version of chapter 2 in one respect: who played with whose foot under the table.
Lazuli brought a forkful of pasta to her mouth, tasted, and nodded her approval. The pig grinned, pleased with what was from her a glowing compliment, and resumed an in-depth discussion of the recipe with Krillin and the old man.
Though she rarely took an active role in their conversations, she did listen and appreciated that they thought to include her. It hadn't started out that way.
For weeks after she joined this strange household, dinners remained tense. Krillin treated her with respect, but the old man and the pig acted as if they expected her to attack at any moment. She was tempted.
Sometimes she avoided the table entirely and spent mealtimes holed up in her room or walking along the seashore, returning to the kitchen only after everyone else went to bed. One such night, as she prepared to scrounge whatever she could from the cabinets, a note directed her to the oven.
Inside she found a plate wrapped in foil and containing rice, veggies and what she recognized as the prime cut of the meat. She'd eyed it hungrily as she slipped out the front door earlier that evening. The food grew cold as she stared at the plate, trying to fathom why they would save the best for her.
It grew cold, but she ate every bite and washed her dish and utensils afterward.
Every time she skipped dinner, the pattern held true: a carefully prepared plate awaited her in the fridge or oven and always contained the best portion of whatever had been served. She never asked which of her roommates set aside the food for her, but she suspected it wasn't the old man or the pig.
The memory brought a smile to her face.
When Krillin smiled back at her from across the table, she realized she'd been staring at him—and rather blatantly with her elbows propped up on the table and her cheeks resting in her open palms. She lowered a hand, but before picking up her water glass, her fingers "accidentally" brushed the back of his hand.
They'd courted danger this way most of the evening. Every stolen touch and covert glance—some admittedly less covert than others—chanced drawing their roommates' attention, but they couldn't seem to stop themselves. For Lazuli, it was as if their kiss caused a dam inside her to burst, and all her affection came spilling out.
So too did a gasp when Krillin's foot began to caress hers under the table.
The pig glanced their way. "You okay, Eighteen?"
The old man merely watched them, eyes inscrutable behind his dark sunglasses.
2. The Morning After Dinner
This scene, which would have been the start of chapter 3, takes the story in a slightly different direction. In the published version, Krillin was reticent about having Lazuli in his bed as his girlfriend. In this version, Krillin has no such compunctions.
Lazuli fought the urge to sigh. Krillin was taking forever to wake up.
When she stole into his room early that morning, she intended to crawl into bed with him, snuggle up, and drift back to sleep. But as she gripped the edge of the blanket, something stopped her. Lying on his bed was one thing, lying in bed with him was another. Knowing Krillin, he would be as thrilled to find her in his bed as she'd be to find him in hers, but she owed him the same respect he paid her when he refused to enter her bedroom without permission.
Briefly she considered shaking him awake and demanding permission. Instead, she settled into his desk chair and settled for watching him sleep. Granted, he was awfully cute when he slept, but she wanted him awake and aware, kissing her and flirting with her, starting their first full day as a couple—potentially the last day they'd have before their roommates figured everything out and passed the gossip to all Krillin's friends.
Maybe she ought to go back to her room, let the man meet the day on his own terms, shower and shave and come to her when he was ready. It was silly being this enamored over a man anyway, and she—
"You look cold over there."
The corners of her mouth curved upward. "We live on a tropical island, Krillin."
He lifted the covers. "Humor me."
She practically leapt into bed and into his arms, hearing him "oof" as she slammed into him. She started to apologize, but her words were lost in a deep kiss as he pulled her close and lowered the covers over them in one motion.
"That's more like it," he said.
She scooted down the bed so she could lay her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat. "Is it weird that I missed you? We saw one another only seven hours ago."
"I missed you the moment I closed my door."
Lazuli liked hearing that. It meant she wasn't crazy, or that they were both equally crazy. She could handle that too. "Okay, but is it weird I was watching you sleep?"
He laughed, and she felt the rumble in his chest.
"I'd be a hypocrite if I said yes."
"When did you watch me sleep?"
"Maybe you nodded off on the couch one night."
"In this house, too risky."
"I'd have protected you."
"Not if you were asleep too. You always fall asleep when we watch a movie together."
A chuckle escaped his throat. "I'm not there for the movies."
"Then, what are you—? Oh." She made a happy noise. "Wait, does that mean my company puts you to sleep?"
"It means I'm comfortable with you."
"Good answer. So, it wasn't on the couch. And I lock my door at night. That reminds me—we need to buy a lock for your door too. The last thing I want is for someone to walk in on us." She looked up, expecting to see a splash of color in his cheeks. "What, no more blushing?"
He smiled. "Guess I'm getting used to the idea that you want to be with me."
"Mmm, you'd better get used to it." She tapped the spot where his nose would be before leaning up, intending to give him a quick peck. But his tongue teased her bottom lip, and she sort of lost herself in the moment. "Slow down," she said when they took a breather. "We don't have that lock yet."
Just like that, his blush returned. She smirked.
"Proud of yourself?" he asked.
"Terribly." She patted his chest. "Now, seriously, when did you watch me sleep?"
"Babe, you fall asleep in my bed all the time."
"I do not."
"You do. Usually only for a few minutes, though."
"I—I remember waking up in your bed one day, but you were sleeping at your desk."
"You slept for hours. I figured you'd wake up as usual, so I kept reading. Then it got dark, and I knew you'd realize time had passed, so I pretended to be asleep so you wouldn't be embarrassed."
"Let me get this straight. Instead of waking me up and sending me off to bed, you laid your head on your arms and faked sleeping for hours, just so I wouldn't feel uneasy?"
"It wasn't that long."
"Amazing," Lazuli said. "I am dating the most considerate man in the world."
"Yeah, you are pretty lucky."
"Speaking of dating, I've got an idea for our first one."
"Oh yeah?"
She nodded, and a grin spread across her face. "Let's go shopping."
The look of dread on Krillin's face was comical, but she resolved not to make this trip too excruciating, not to load him down with too many packages, and to put a little extra oomph in her modeling of outfits.
They'd been shopping before, and while she always treated him like a boyfriend on these trips—he'd carry most of her packages and she'd model for him—now she would get to compare what it was actually like…
And that's where the scene ended. Who knows where it would have gone? I think the story would have reached the same destination, but the road would have taken different turns.
I'd like to thank everyone who posted reviews for By Any Other. I figured I'd get maybe ten, but 50. Wow! You guys are the best and have given me the confidence boost I needed to keep writing.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed the epilogue: GrizzleGreerTrash, sincity27, SuperWG, Ultimate10, Tachi-Doragon Tentei, Krillin Fan, LuthaDie18, and my friend from my Stargate Atlantis fanficcing days (and beyond), RoryFaller, as well as many faithful reviewers from previous chapters: Cj4dj, Deadly Beauty, and others. Thank you so very much.
There's plenty more K18 to come. I've been working on a few scenes involving Lapis reacting to his sister's newfound relationship as well as a one-chapter summary of what was going on in Krillin's head during the story. Back to it, then.
Thanks for reading; reviews are appreciated.