AN: I wanted a Weslah idea, and I saw this prompt, it was perfect: What did he see in her that others could not see?
There were many things to Lilah that didn't meet the eye.
Wesley felt as if he were a blind man slowly regaining sight the more he spent time with her. Every time something new would be discovered, something would become a little more clearer. It was a jigsaw puzzle, really. Some days and moments clicking perfectly together, others outcasted to be later connected. As more and more events clicked, the clearer the picture became. Given enough time, the picture would be whole.
For one thing, Lilah grew up as one of two women in the household, surrounded by men, brothers. Those brothers turned out to be drug addicts, rapists, and criminals. Each and every one of them wound up in jail. Because of this, Lilah had to grow up fast, learn to defend herself. Then, when she was just sixteen, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers. With brothers in jail and no father to speak of, the weight was burdened on Lilah's shoulders.
Not that Wesley had ever intended on knowing that much about her, ever. It just happened, her telling him, piece by piece. It was very apparent that no one else ever got her comfortable enough to talk about her past, and something told him no one else ever could. What surprised Wesley, was how much he could actually relate to the woman who he at first believed to be the enemy. Took him about three months to realize that she was simply deeply misunderstood.
The woman was build like a turtle: tough, hard shell to protect the softness dwelling inside.
Even with parts of her past out in the open, pieced together, Wesley never once thought - never once expected she would ever cry, especially not in his presence.
Yet, one night, late after a steamy session of sexual passion, it happened.
They had both been sleeping contently - Wesley's arms even wrapped around her, when her cell phone chirped annoyingly.
"I swear," Lilah grumbled. "If that's work..."
"You'll have to answer, anyway," Wesley reminded her in a murmur.
Lilah groaned, rolling over on the bed to reach her phone on the nightstand. She happened to see the time on his alarm clock. "Fuck, it's three in the morning." Whoever had called was going to get an earful for calling so late. However, when she saw the number on her phone's caller ID, she knew it wasn't work, and that it must be important. She grabbed the phone and padded out of the bed to stand just outside the door, for privacy.
Wesley had almost fallen back asleep when Lilah returned to the room, and when he saw the state she was in, he was wide awake once more. "Lilah..." He pushed himself into a sitting position.
There were tears sliding down her cheeks rapidly, and her usually pale cheeks were flaming red. Her cell phone was held in a death grip in her right hand.
Wesley reached out to her, and she let him ease her back onto the bed next to him. He didn't try to ask questions, he simply pulled her into his arms and held her as gently as he could. He recognized pain when he saw it. If she would even talk, it wouldn't be until after she calmed down. He didn't even try to say, 'It'll be okay', because for all he knew, it wouldn't be. Their relationship wasn't one for false hopes and promises, anyway. Instead, he settled for gentle caresses of the back and stroking of the hair.
It wasn't until they'd awaken for the second time that Lilah told him what had been wrong.
"The call last night," she began in a quiet voice. "Was the hospital my mother's being kept in. She's dead."
Wesley looked over at her, briefly wondering if she was going to cry again. "I'm sorry."
Lilah shook her head. "Don't be." She looked into his eyes. "If I were anywhere but here when I heard, I would have gone insane." She knew that she hadn't embarrassed herself in front of him.
Wesley realized then that he had been there for her, and that she had been thankful. "You're welcome." It was as sincere as he could be.
They both seemed to realize at the same moment that Lilah would bear the burden of organizing the funeral. Their hands found each others and clasped together. In that moment, they shared mutual understanding: Wesley would help her get through her grieving period, and Lilah would be forever grateful. They sealed it with a kiss.