*Disclaimer: I don't own Lilly and Oliver, or Loliver, whichever you prefer. I wish I owned Mitchel Musso. Oh, the lovely things I would do with him…like sharing a pie…or something. (:
It was a Saturday evening, the autumn air crisp, creating goosebumps on her arms as she walked through the many trees she had been surrounded by throughout her seventeen years of life. Each path that wound through the endless wood held its own special destination, some paths taken more than others. The sky was a pink grapefruit color, a faint orange streak piercing through the clouds at various spots.
Lilly breathed in the clean, musky smell as she tightened her spotted book bag absentmindedly against her shoulders. She had escaped from her home only a few moments ago, tired of the constant bickering between her parents. It had been easy, to no surprise, escaping through the garage door and following the worn down trail she and her father had made when she was only in kindergarten, to the comfort and serenity of her treehouse in the woods.
She came out of her thoughts when she heard a deep voice coming from behind a cluster of trees a few yards away. Her pulse quickened as her feet guided her swiftly the distance to the teenager ahead.
"Oliver, what are you doing here?" she whispered furiously, tossing her blonde hair back behind her shoulders.
"Lilly, it's-"
"Were you just talking to a squirrel?" she cut in, crossing her arms over her chest.
"He took my almond Hershey's bar!" he exclaimed, running a hand through his shaggy, black hair angrily.
"What are you, twelve?"
"Ouch, Lilly. I'm shocked at your tone. It's so, what's the word, bitter?"
Her blue eyes widened in surprise, but instantly turned cold as she drew her arms in tighter.
"I just wanted to be alone, okay? This is my place, not yours."
He frowned. "Last time I checked, it was both of ours, Lillypop."
Instantly, she cringed at the sound of his old nickname for her. They hadn't spoken in months, and the way he made it sound so awful pierced her heart like a knife.
"Don't you dare call me that, Oliver. We aren't friends, remember?"
This time the words slapped him across the face like a burning wind, leaving him wounded. Just for a moment.
"And why is that, Lilly? I wasn't the one that ended it, remember?"
"How could I forget?" she replied as she walked by him, brushing his shoulder purposely, making her way towards the treehouse.
He caught up to her immediately. The sky was turning black, and the stars were beginning to appear in odd shapes against the never-ending sky.
"Listen to me, Oliver Oken," she said slowly, turning around to face him as they stood not even an inch apart. He could smell her apple shampoo, and his mind went fuzzy as he took note of her rosy pink lips, paying absolutely no attention to the words coming from them.
"And you aren't even listening, are you?" Lily finished, brushing her hair back behind her ear, only to have it fall back into place.
Without thinking, he leaned in and brushed it back, reveling at the soft skin of her jaw line.
Her eyes closed on their own accord, and she resisted the shiver that was threatening to overtake her entire body at the lost contact as he pulled his hand away.
Pink spread over her cheeks as she opened her eyes, searching his intently for an answer as to what had just happened. She found none.
"Your hair still smells like apples," he said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah, well, I guess some things just don't change," she said back coldly, turning to climb up the ladder that led into the treehouse.
He entered after her, taking in the renovations she had made over the years to his hideout.
Two brown rugs covered the floor, along with a wooden table in the back. The walls were still bare, with an occasional drawing here and there. Two chairs stood, parallel to one another, in one corner of the area. A box filled with their many collections they had garnered over the years leaned against the wall opposite the table.
"I haven't been here in so long," he spoke aloud, running his hands over the walls and along the chairs.
"I haven't really, either, to be honest. I just felt like today was a good day to visit the 'ole fort." He couldn't figure out why this comment calmed him, but it did.
"Weird how we both ended up here on the same day, huh?" Oliver spoke through the air, placing his hands in his jean pockets nervously. Waiting.
No response. She had her back towards him, leaning against the wall.
"Lilly, I'll leave if you want me to. We can go back to the way things were, not talking at school or in public, being enemies…"
"Is that what we are, Oliver?" she wanted to kick herself for letting her voice break when asking the question.
Her voice cut through him deeply, and he had no choice but to walk towards her. To be there, unlike he had been lately.
She felt his presence like a drug, slowly overcoming all of her senses. She found it hard to breathe all of the sudden, considering their close proximity. His hand found it's way to the side of her face, but she turned her head sharply, forcing his hand to retreat slowly.
"Don't." Her soft whisper was almost a plea, as her eyes clouded over with pain and pity. Pity for herself, for Oliver, her parents. It was all too much.
"What's too much, Lilly?"
Once again, the need to kick herself was only increasing as the evening went on. She hadn't realized she had spoken aloud.
"This, Oliver. You came back into my life and try to comfort me, which is odd considering we haven't talked in months. Months. Life's been hell for me, and now you decide to care?"
"I've never stopped caring about you. God, Lilly, you forget we've been friends for at least seven years, possibly eight. I know you better than you think, so don't think for one second I forgot about you," he replied harshly, taking her face in his hands.
"Prove it." Two words, but they made such an impact.
Leaning forward cautiously, he placed his mouth a centimeter or two from her ear. "You had a crush on Jake Ryan a few years ago, and it killed you when he chose Miley over you."
His warm breath tickled her ear, but her heart was slowly beating as he continued.
"You used to hate your glasses, but you looked so damn good in them. They fit you, and did not make you look like a nerd. I promise."
"Your hands, they're so tiny, and you hate them. But-" he gently took her hand in his, rubbing a pattern soothingly on her palm before intertwining his with hers, "I marvel at how well they fit with mine."
Relaxation kicked in, and it took every ounce of her being not to just fall into him.
"Anything else?" she managed to whisper, finally able to breathe for a moment. Only a moment.
"There's one more thing. You put on this act for people. It's like you're some cold, emotionless princess to most people, but not to me. I'm the only one that knows you for who you really are. In fact, I'm the only one that can make you break."
For a moment, she felt her blood run cold through her veins. She immediately dropped his hand and stepped back a few paces. The wooden wall met her back, and it was then that she knew she was trapped.
Her narrowed blue eyes met his warm brown ones, and once again he was in front of her in an instant.
Tilting her chin up slightly, his eyes probed over her entire face. Her visage was emotionless, as she struggled to keep her icy exterior.
"Hmm. Lilly, you sure have changed over the years. Where did that pin straight hair of yours go?" he asked, running his hand through one of her full, blonde and curly locks.
"Your eyes still sparkle, though. Your ocean blue eyes," a whisper from his lips as his brown eyes stared lovingly into hers.
"Since when did your hair turn black?" she finally mustered, running a tentative hand through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. She smiled as his eyes closed and his body shivered at the contact.
"I was serious about being able to make you break, though," he whispered huskily, opening his eyes to meet hers once more.
Before she could speak, his lips were on hers. He cupped her cheek and poured all of his emotions into the kiss, begging her to respond. She was as still as a statue, and she almost cried out as he pulled away. Yet, she secretly knew he was no where near finished.
"Come on, Lilly. Stop over thinking this, analyzing this. I know about your parents, okay? I'm here now. I'm here for you, if you need me. I'll be your friend, hell even your best friend. But, if you want me to be more, I-"
Now her lips covered his completely, and she was running her hands under his shirt and up his back to rest at his neck. Her skin was hot, he noticed, as he rested his hands on the exposed flesh at her hips. They moved even closer, if that was possible, as he boldly deepened the kiss, enjoying the satisfying moans coming from within her throat.
He pushed her harder against the wall and began to kiss his way down to her neck. His lips were glued to her pulse point, and he sucked on it gingerly as she bit back a moan.
His lips met hers once more before she gingerly pushed him away, already missing the way his lips had felt against hers.
"Lilly," he said slowly, trying to catch his breath as she continued to play with strands of his hair.
"Oliver, I missed you."
He froze and carefully met her smoldering gaze. She never lied to him.
"I missed you, too, Lillypop," he smiled, placing his hands on her hips once more.
"I can't believe this is happening," she softly said, a smile playing on her pink lips.
"I've wanted it to for a long time. Haven't you?"
"Yes," she said back honestly, licking her lips out of habit.
He leaned in to kiss her once more, and her response was immediate. Before she could deepen the kiss, he pulled away briefly.
"What-" she began, but he cut her off impatiently.
"Lilly, I love you."
He felt her stiffen, and instantly he began to apologize for saying it so soon.
"No, Oliver. I was just surprised, that's all. I love you. Always have."
"Always will," he said back, leaning back in to kiss her lips sweetly.
"Mm, you taste like chocolate," she replied once they had pulled away for air.
"Stupid squirrel," he muttered, but smiled as Lilly fell against him, resting her head on his shoulder as she laughed wholeheartedly.
Soon, he joined in as the two's laughter began to shake the entire treehouse.
"I think it's about time we rebuild your place," Oliver mentioned, rubbing his fingers lazily against Lilly's cheek as his eyes roamed over the aging hideout.
"Our place," she corrected him, pulling him in for another sweltering, passionate kiss.
The stars lined the sky, but one twinkled especially bright that night. The same star that had led the two together for the first time in the same spot so many years ago.
*And it's done! Hah, finally. I've had this idea for SO long, but I was too lazy to actually start on it. Forgive me and review, pleaseeee? (;