A/n: Because Gilliam is full of win and needs more love. I decided to take up the one sentence challenge.
Warnings: It's Lords of the Underworld. C'mon guys, is it even necessary to say? Also, punctuation abuse due to challenge
Disclaimer: Gena Showalter owns this wonderful series, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Houses Made of Twigs
1. Introduction
When William was first introduced to Danika's little friend, he'd found it difficult to keep his eyes above her neck—and then he was told her age and he hid off into a dark corner for a bit until Anya came looking for him whining about Guitar Hero.
2. Complicated
Old enough to be my great-great-great-great-great-great-(it went on and on, really)grandfather, Gilly often thought to herself; but he was beautiful and all she wanted nonetheless.
3. Making History
He liked to tell her his stories, all his past adventures—at least the ones he was proud of—and she'd always say, "I hope to be as infamous as you one day, William," with a devious little smile that he never doubted.
4. Rivalry
Gilly had always though no one could be as competitive as Strider, due to his demon, but she supposed, watching William and Anya rock out on the Wii, the promiscuous man was a close second.
5. Unbreakable
"You won't ever be able to hurt me as much as my family did—so stop holding back."
6. Obsession
It wasn't an issue, really; it wasn't even a crush, William though, but if it had been, oh, he had it bad.
7. Eternity
She'd not immortal, she's normal, and she figures that's why everyone treated her like a child, even though she was forced to grow up way too fast.
8. Gateway
"Do you believe in Heaven?" she asks, and William can't find it in his heart to tell her it was a loathsome place were gods and goddesses used and abused one another to save themselves, so he shook his head and said, "No."
9. Opportunities
He told her countless of times that dating was dangerous, but she liked to think he was just jealous; even so, she went out with whatever boy at school asked her, and his silent fuming never failed to amuse her.
10. Death
He was going to live forever; she didn't have that luxury.
11. 33%
With sad eyes, Gilly watched the love of her life walk out of the bar with some random, older woman and she couldn't help but think they'd taken two steps back, even though they'd never gotten very far in the first place.
12. Dead Wrong
He knew she often wished she were different—taller, older—because she thought he liked that sort of thing; in reality, he couldn't (wouldn't) ask for anything better.
13. Running Away
For such a brave warrior, Gilly mused, William was awfully cowardly when summer time came around and she decided to go tanning (nude) with the girls; he'd escaped the balcony they were using faster than anything she'd ever seen.
14. Judgement
"She's too young—You'd hurt her—Hasn't she been through enough?—Why can't you see that you're doing something wrong?—Don't you care about her feelings?"
15. Seeking Solace
She could put on a brave face most of the time, but she couldn't escape the horror her family put her through while dreaming, so she often found peace in William's bed, not touching, just... talking.
16. Excuses
"I'm almost legal age, William—Don't pat my head condescendingly!"
17. Vengeance
Sienna may have housed Wrath, but Gilly had wished many times she could see William's sins like Sienna could, because he'd never tell her—and forgive him and love him regardless.
18. Love
"You're too young to know the true meaning of that, Gillybean."
19. Tears
Gilly crying was like having his heart ripped from his chest and eaten before his very eyes—and he'd know exactly what that felt like—but worse.
20. My Inspiration
"I get most of my inspiration for painting from Reyes, because I just love him so damn much—don't you have someone like that, Gilly?"
21. Never Again
Their first kiss was graceless—she'd initiated it with sweaty palms and blushing cheeks—but the moment of contact had William fearing he'd never get to taste this new kind of Ambrosia ever again.
22. Online
Facebook, William decided, was his greatest enemy—How could Gilly have over 600 friends and he only 12?
23. Failure
She saw him hold back tears as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from her side, choking out a strained, "I'm so sorry."
24. Rebirth
He watched her spin and spin and spin some more before she collected some flowers and braided them in her hair, a bright smile on her face, and he found himself feeling young.
25. Breaking Away
"I've gotta tell you, kid, if I ever ran away with someone, it'd be you."
26. Forever and a Day
They sent her away for her own safety, but it was on her return, when he took her in his arms, that she felt truly at peace.
27. Lost and Found
She was like a puppy, he guessed, one abandoned without any hope; and they—he—took her in because they cared and possibly maybe probably loved her.
28. Light
She was innocence incarnate.
29. Dark
He was a sad soul in need of love.
30. Faith
"After everything I've been through, I don't think there's an actual God, but if there were, He'd probably hate me anyway."
31. Colours
His eyes were such a light blue—so different from her dull brown; then again, weren't they always completely opposite?
32. Exploration
In his dreams, he knew every inch of her body, every subtle curve, every nook and cranny; in his dreams, she writhed and moved under him, begging for release; in his dreams, he imagined.
33. Seeing Red
I hate every single woman he's with, she thought furiously, I hope that they're Bait, just so the others will rip her throat out; and then she promptly felt bad and went to hide in her room like the angst-filled teenager she was.
34. Shades of Gray
Their boundaries were vague, but limitless—they couldn't kiss, couldn't make love, but they could talk about their lives as if they'd be together forever.
35. Forgotten
"You don't care about me, not really; you're just waiting for the chance to throw me away just like everyone else in my pathetic, mortal life has."
36. Dreamer
He sometimes wished he had Scarlet's demon—he wanted to make Gilly's fantasies realities.
37. Mist
Every time she thought she had him, William just slipped away through her fingertips.
38. Burning
She got him hotter than a girl her age should get any man.
39. Out of Time
His nightmares consisted of her on her deathbed, old and aged, and him being able to do nothing about it.
40. Fork in the Road
"Let's forget about Hunters and focus on the real question, guys: Should I go to Harvard or Yale?"
41. Knowing How
"No, not like that, Gilly, you're supposed to put your lips around it—watch your teeth! Okay, now use your tongue to—dear gods teaching you how to blow up a balloon shouldn't be nearly this difficult."
42. Start
She was oh, so young—she didn't need him holding her back from life.
43. Nature's Fury
Fun fact—Gilly on her period was worse than 10 pregnant Ashlyn's, who wasn't that bad anyway, but, gods, the teenager could whine.
44. At Peace
Gilly smiled and inhaled deeply through her nose; William may be out "taking care of business" AKA, getting laid, but she had his shirt, and it calmed her down a little bit.
45. Heart Song
He laid his head on her chest while she was curled up next to him—he wasn't copping a feel, he just liked hearing the proof of her vibrant life.
46. Reflection
She called him old a lot, and he laughed it off, but found himself later staring into the mirror, looking for laugh lines and other wrinkles in his perfect skin.
47. Perfection
If there truly was a God, Gilly thought, even He couldn't be more lovely than William was.
48. Everyday Magic
Perhaps it was just the fact that she sort of maybe missed her old life, but her heart squeezed pleasantly in her chest whenever she heard Ashlyn sing the twins a lullaby, because it reminded her that life hadn't always been so painful.
49. Umbrella
He fancied himself her shield; when he did, she fancied him a nuisance.
50. Party
For her 18th birthday, he promised to throw her a big bash; she'd declined and said she'd rather visit somewhere exotic with him instead.
51. Troubling Thoughts
"Sometimes, I think about where I'm going be in 20 years—will I still be caught up in all this crazy-ass demon stuff, and will you still be there?"
52. Stirring of the Wind
Their relationship had started out innocent enough, and he often wondered when it had escalated into quiet, mutual feelings.
53. Future
He was her goal; and she'd be damned if she let him slip away for something as silly as an age-difference.
54. Health and Healing
When Gilly was sick, she hallucinated as he nursed her back to health; in her delirious mental state, she often told him how much she loved him.
55. Separation
It was only when she left for a few days that he allowed himself to get anxious and follow her wherever she had went (it could be dangerous for her, after all).
56. Everything For You
Gilly cooked and cleaned and nursed and loved, all for him—and he didn't even care.
57. Slow Down
Whenever he told her to take a break, she'd laugh at him and give him a tired smile before returning to whatever it was she had been doing.
58. Heartfelt Apology
"Gilly, please come out, I swear I didn't mean it—I never, ever wanted to hurt you; just come out and let me explain.
59. Challenged
As her Prom rolled around, William found his biggest enemy was a good two feet shorter than him, with glasses and freckles and holding a stupid corsage while wearing a suit too big for him—and the smile he had received.
60. Exhaustion
"Gilly, I'm too tired to play around today; can you just lay with me, please?"
61. Accuracy
William was akin to believe he was right 98% of the time; he was adamant that only Gilly beat that last 2%.
62. Irregular Object
It was like he was a heart-shaped box locked with a key she didn't have yet.
63. Cold Embrace
Her family fucking deserved everything he gave them, and more.
64. Frost
She blew on the frozen window, smiling and childishly tracing her finger over the fog W+G.
65. A Moment in Time
It was just a second, unobserved by others, but their eyes met and there was a clear message between them, "Be safe."
66. Dangerous Territory
Uncharted and unmarked, she was; easy terrain, she was not.
67. Boundaries
He wondered if falling asleep on each others shoulders was somehow crossing a line; then he discovered he really didn't care.
68. Unsettling Revelations
When she came home with not one, but three hickies, he learned that his little Gillybean wasn't as innocent as he believed.
69. Shattered
She cried and wailed and screamed at him, allowing herself to be the petulant teenager they all believed she was.
70. Bitter Silence
He couldn't believe she'd asked him to go to her family's funeral with her—after all he did to make it possible.
71. The True You
He was selfish, egoistical, and too physical—but he was tender and loving and just lovely all around.
72. Pretense
He hoped it wasn't just a game; he hoped they weren't inevitable.
73. Patience
She might not be able to wait until she was an adult, but he most certainly could.
74. Midnight
"William, you're not my father, and I'm not Cinderella—so I'm don't have a curfew."
75. Shadows
Hell made him distraught; she calmed him by holding his hand and talking.
76. Summer Haze
Maybe it was the heat, the sun, the warm sand—or maybe she really just wanted to kiss him a second time.
77. Memories
He never got to see her past, and he often wondered if he should be thankful for that.
78. Change in Weather
High off Ambrosia, he grabbed the sides of her face and crushed their lips together, not sweetly like the other times, but hotly, dangerously.
79. Illogical
...What about their relationship was logical?
80. Only Human
He was just an immortal not-god with deathly good-looks, charm, and the world on his shoulders; he couldn't handle her.
81. A Place to Belong
If she were a little more sappy (which she totally wasn't) she'd say she was happiest in his arms, however fleeting that time usually was.
82. Advantage
He may have had years of experience on her, but she always had those things that Anya called "feminine wiles."
83. Breakfast
It was certainly awkward when Gillian tried to surprise her crush with breakfast in bed, only to discover he sleeps in the nude.
84. Echoes
"You filthy, good for nothing brat; you asked for this."
85. Falling
His heart raced, his stomach trying to leap into his throat, his palms sweaty as he held her hand.
86. Picking up the Pieces
They were both a little broken.
87. Gunshot
"You're too reckless," she sighed, stitching him up once again as he grinned rather childishly at her.
88. Possession
He was hers, whether he knew so or not.
89. Twilight
"If you seriously like those stupid books, why don't I take you to see some real vampires, huh?"
90. Nowhere and Nothing
On her birthday, she wanted nothing more than to stare at the wall, remembering her last; he wouldn't have it, and made her go out to party.
91. Answers
"Hey, William, do you think you could ever love me?"
92. Innocence
He was far too old to know the concept of purity.
93. Simplicity
It was the feeling of his hand on hers, of his shoulder beneath her cheek, of his arm around her waist.
94. Reality
"It hurts, it hurts way too much."
95. Acceptance
He liked her liked her, and he was way too old for crushed, dammit.
96. Lesson
She unknowingly taught him what it meant to live again.
97. Enthusiasm
Like everything else, she would learn the proper ways of love-making with an excited and great gusto (now, if only he could teach her).
98. Game
Back and forth, they played.
99. Friendship
It was supposed to be enough.
100. Endings
She didn't care if she grew old and grey; she'd stay by his side, whether he liked it or not.
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A/n: This took way too freakin' long. Asdfghjkl. I enjoyed it though, and I hope you did, too.
R&R!