I'm not dead, I swear! And neither is this story. Unfortunately my house has been inundated with just about every virus known to man and after multiple trips to the doctors, we are all finally starting to get better. I have 2 more weeks for this quarter and then I have a couple weeks off and I plan on doing some major writing during that time, if not before.
This chapter is pretty much all fluff, as is the next, as I prepare to take things in a much darker and more serious direction. I wanted to get the fun stuff in while I could. I am actually really excited for the stuff to come. I have lots of ideas that will hopefully take this story in a new and different direction.
I hope this chapter is ok! Fluff, yes, but progress none the less! As always, let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and reviews are SO LOVED! They really help motivate the flow of ideas!
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"How did you manage to work this out?" Eric asked as he finished the last bite of spaghetti on his plate, a victorious grin edging the corner of his mouth. With the promise of help, Lux had finally agreed to try to make the dish once again. This time, the results couldn't have been any better.
It hadn't escaped him that Lux had watched his every expression while they ate, no doubt waiting for him to render a verdict.
"After everything that has gone on recently, I thought Cate and Baze were going to surgically adhere themselves to me and Tasha, but the station is hosting some event in San Francisco and I was able to convince Cate and Ryan that them leaving for a weekend wouldn't bring about the end of the world. Baze is going, as well, to try to sign some singer to his dad's firm. They won't be back until Sunday, but I practically had to push them out the door with the promise that Tasha and I would be fine." Lux exclaimed as she pushed her plate away and leaned back in to the couch.
Eric began collecting the dishes. "Well, I mean, you can't fault them for being worried. Hell, I don't like to be away from you longer than a few hours."
"Yea, but that's sexy! They're just…parental." Lux declared as she pulled a face.
"So we've got the whole weekend?"
"Pretty much. The only way they would leave is if I promised on pain of death not to ignore their calls. Cate swore that the first time she couldn't get a hold of me on my cell she was coming back. So I'm calling her every day so she won't worry." Picking up their cups, Lux followed Eric in to the kitchen, placing the dishes in the sink.
"A preemptive strike, huh?"
"Yep. Two birds, one stone. Cate won't freak out and we get the entire weekend to ourselves."
Leaning back against the counter, Eric pulled Lux against him. "Dinner was great!"
Lux smiled, forgoing any attempts to down-play his compliment. "Thanks!" Her success at dinner, with his help of course, and as silly as it sounded, filled her with a certain amount of pride. There actually was something that she could be good at if she really tried.
"I'm going to jump in the shower, but how about a movie afterwards?" Eric conceded as he pushed himself from the counter.
"Sounds like a plan."
As Eric showered, Lux curled up on the couch; thinking. While she tried not to for many reasons, sometimes it was hard for her to not compare her relationship with Eric to the one she had had with Bug. Bug was just about her first as far as everything went and while she didn't regret her past with him, she couldn't deny the problems that had existed between them. His anger towards his own screwed up past had not helped Lux when she needed him the most. When she had first found Cate and Baze, she didn't know what to believe as her entire life turned upside down. Looking back, it bothered her how easily she had let him push her around when she was struggling with where she fit in with Cate and Baze, and with him. Simply put, he had never encouraged her to dream of a future bigger than some run-down apartment he could barely afford to make rent on. Eric was constantly pushing her and while his vision of what she was capable of was largely out of proportion, his enthusiasm was contagious. When she was with him, and even when she wasn't, she found herself, for the first time, actually believing she could do something with her life.
"Lux! Hey, are you in there?" Eric laughed as Lux stared off in to space, not even flinching when he waved his hands in front of her face.
"What? I'm sorry, I was just…thinking." Lux trailed off as her focus shifted, realizing for the first time that Eric was standing a few feet away, his hair still wet and uncharacteristically wild. Wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else, Lux felt her cheeks flush.
Pushing herself quickly off the couch, Lux escaped to the kitchen to get some water. She had seen him in only his boxers when he tried to teach her to swim, why was she blushing now?
Eric pulled a t-shirt on; noticing the way Lux had become flustered. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like that he had that effect on her, but he also knew that things couldn't go too far between them this weekend. There wasn't a set time or date when they would take things to the next level, but all Eric knew was that that time was not now.
He mentally wrestled with the justification of how it was ok for them to spend the night together, even if sleeping would be all they were doing. Shades of grey were everywhere but Eric refused, however, to think about anything negative this weekend.
This weekend was going to be about him and Lux. He had resigned a long time ago to not being able to stay away from her, and truth be told, he had never once regretted that decision. He was going to make the most of every minute they could get and not look back.
Following her in to the kitchen, Lux kept her back to him as she sipped slowly on a glass of water, willing her cheeks to return to their normal color and not give her away any further. Eric laughed to himself as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Umm, I was just thirsty…I…" Lux stuttered, trying to cover as best as she could.
"If this is too much for you, I can take you home if you want." Eric sighed as he kissed the spot just behind her ear that he knew she liked. "Believe me, I want you to stay, but I also don't want things to become awkward between us, for whatever reasons, so if this is too much – or not enough – for you, we can stop this right now."
Lux leaned back in to him, closing her eyes for a moment and taking everything in. The moral dilemma was there, of course, and logically she knew that this could end so much worse for him. But when it felt right, it felt right, and who was anyone else to judge or put such a crude label on their relationship. Because of an issue that they didn't even realize they had when they first met, they were deemed immoral and inappropriate. Yet, Lux also couldn't deny the fact that Eric still wanted to be with her, no matter the risks. And she wanted to be with him as well.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily." Lux smiled as she turned to him, kissing the corner of his mouth.
"I'd hope not!" He replied simply, his hands resting on her hips.
Lux changed in to a pair of sweats and a tank top, throwing on her favorite pair of fuzzy socks. On her way out of his bedroom, Lux spotted Eric's sweatshirt that she had worn the night he took her ice skating. Smiling to herself, Lux shrugged it on, breathing in his scent from the worn fabric. Making her way out of the bedroom, she spotted Eric looking through his DVD collection, trying to locate one in particular.
Smiling wildly, she ran towards him, sliding the last 10 feet on the wood flooring crashing lightly in to his side. Eric could barely contain his laughter as he steadied her against him. "I don't even want to know," he smiled as he shook his head in amusement.
"Probably not!" Lux exclaimed as she stretched up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek before heading to the couch.
With the movie finally selected, Eric returned to the couch as Lux curled up beside him. As she snuggled closer, he pulled at the sleeves of her sweatshirt. "I'm seeing a pattern here."
Lux blushed but held her chin defiantly. "I just hope you're not too attached. This is so comfy, I might just have to snag it for myself."
"Well, like I said, looks better on you anyways." Eric stated softly as their attention turned back to the TV. Just as Lux was about to ask what movie it was, she recognized the familiar 80s music that filled the air.
"No way!" Lux squealed as she playfully slapped Eric's arm. "Ferris Bueller is my favorite movie ever! How did you know?"
"That night when we tried to go to the ocean, the night we first met, we were talking about our favorite movies and you said that you liked the 80s brat-pack movies, but you especially liked Ferris Bueller."
"My god, that's right. I remember…you said you had never seen it before…"
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Eric smiled at the memory. "And you practically berated me for that. You said, and I quote, "you haven't really lived until you've seen Ferris Bueller." So one day when I was at the store, I came across it and picked it up, wanting to see what all the fuss was about."
"And?"
"Well, I mean, it's no cinematic revelation, but I definitely understand why everyone loves it so much. It's addicting in a weird way."
"I really must educate you on the many awesome movies that came out in the 80s. The tables will turn my friend – the student shall become the master." Lux exclaimed dramatically.
"How is it that you have such an affinity for movies that came out well before you were even born? If anything, I should be more familiar with them then you."
"Oh, don't give yourself too much credit; you were barely out of diapers before the 80s were over with. In fact, Ferris Bueller came out in 1986, so if my math skills hold up that means…ohh wait a minute…YOU weren't even born yet, either." Lux said as she stuck her tongue out at him.
Eric couldn't argue with that kind of logic. "Touché."
"Ohh this is my favorite part." Lux yelled as she leaned forward, reciting the scene word for word. "You make me get out of bed, you make me come over here. You make me make a phony phone call to Edward Rooney? The man could squash my nuts into oblivion. And-and-and then, and then, you deliberately hurt my feelings. Classic!"
Eric found himself watching Lux watch the movie, more than watching the movie itself: Smiling when she recited random parts of the movie, and laughing hysterically when she wiggled beside him before jumping up and dancing around the coffee table during the parade scene after her failed attempt to get him to join her.
Noticing Eric's amused expression, Lux explained. "At Sunnyvale, they didn't have the newest movies, so there were a lot of 80s and 90s movies that Tasha and I would watch when we were younger. We can recite "The Pest" front to back. Awesome movie, completely underrated."
Lux sat back down on the couch with a huff, settling in to finish out the rest of the movie.
As the credits roled, Eric stood up, smiling down at Lux as she stretched out sleepily on the couch. "I'm glad you enjoyed the movie."
Lux reached out her hands as Eric pulled her off the couch.
"I haven't had that much fun in a long time." Lux said, smiling as she hugged his arm to her. Turning off the TV and the lamp beside the couch, they made their way slowly back to his room.
Eric was glad to hear her say that. His main goal lately had been to try to get her mind off of everything that had happened recently. Even though he was a bit older than her, she had gone things he could never even imagine. Her age did little to mask the reality of her past. He hoped to change that, if only a little bit.
Lux followed Eric to one side of the bed, diving in as soon as he had pulled back the covers; before he could object. Eric playfully raised an eyebrow at her before she started laughing and rolled to the other side of the bed.
"Fine."
Once Eric laid down, Lux instinctively scooted over to his side, wrapping her arm around his waist, his arm behind her neck pulling her closer to him. Both relaxing and taking comfort in how naturally they fit together.
Truth be told, even though they had spent the night together on his couch once before, this was completely different. This was a whole new level. They had each secretly worried that this would prove somewhat awkward initially. The last thing either of them wanted was a repeat of the night they had spent at that bed and breakfast.
"When I am with you…" Lux said, breaking the silence as she twisted the hem of his shirt absentmindedly between her fingers, "I forget for a little while. When I am in here with you everything else just melts away." Lux stated quietly, her head resting on his chest.
Eric ran his fingers through her hair, contemplating her words. "Good, because I don't like it when you are hurting, and you've been hurting a lot lately. The Lux I saw tonight is the Lux I want to see more of…and I am going to do everything I can to keep her around."
Sitting up, Lux leaned forward, their lips connecting briefly. "Well, she thanks you for that."
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"Can someone turn the sun off?" Lux groaned, pulling her pillow over her eyes.
Tossing her arm beside her, she was surprised when her hand hit the empty mattress.
Where was Eric? And what time was it?
Pulling herself up, Lux sat in the middle of the bed, looking around groggily for a clock, but settled on using her phone instead. Taping the screen, Lux exhaled loudly "8:30am? Really?" She shouted as she curled up in the middle of the bed, throwing the covers over herself, trying to block out the light, and the annoyingly delicious smell of bacon and coffee coming from the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Lux felt the covers being pulled back as she squinted against the onslaught of the sun. Eric laughed, shaking his head in amusement.
"You're cute when you wake up, you know that?" Eric stated playfully, pointing to her wild hair that fell in every direction on the bed.
Lux stuck her tongue out at him. "It's criminal that you are up this early when you don't have to be…and what's worse, you're too perky." Lux groaned. It was too warm and comfortable in his bed to even consider getting up. Motioning to the mattress beside her, Lux worked her best pout. "We don't have anywhere to be today, lay back down with me."
"I'd love to, but I've got stuff cooking, and if I don't get back out there it's going to burn."
"Ehh, I've had worse." Lux shrugged, thinking back to those days in the beginning when Cate had tried to make breakfast that entire first week, burning everything she touched until Lux assured her that cereal and a banana would be just fine.
"Well, coffee is ready whenever you are." Eric smiled, leaning in to kiss Lux as she quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head..
"Morning breath!" Lux exclaimed, her voice muffled, as she jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.
Eric shook his head and laughed as he made his way back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Lux emerged from the bathroom; teeth brushed, face washed, and hair pulled back in to a messy ponytail. Eric was struck by how naturally beautiful she was. Pulling her into a kiss, Eric could taste the mint on her lips and smell his soap on her skin.
Dangerous combination!
Lux pulled away after a few moments, heading over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup of the steaming black liquid.
Even though Lux had seen his kitchen countless times before, he still felt the need to apologize for its lack of proper furnishings. "As you can tell, home décor isn't a top priority for me."
"Hey, I've definitely seen less in a place. It doesn't really bother me at all." Lux said pushing herself up on to the counter as if to emphasize her point.
Sitting on the counter, sipping her coffee, she watched Eric as he cooked, noticing how perfectly his t-shirt hugged his broad shoulders as he moved around the stove.
Lux shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts.
All of a sudden it was really hot in the kitchen.
As if he could read her mind, Eric turned around, a wicked smile pulling at his lips, as he walked towards her. Stepping between her legs, his arms snaked around her waist. His lips found her neck in a slow trek towards her mouth. Lux leaned in to him, angling her head for better access, getting lost in the moment.
Nothing…
Else…
Mattered…
Except for her cell phone that decided to ring at that very moment.
Someone had the worst timing.
Eric pushed away from the counter; away from her, to finish making breakfast.
Glancing at the screen, Lux rolled her eyes, clearing her throat.
What a buzz kill!
"Hey Cate!" Lux answered with a little too much enthusiasm. She could tell Eric was laughing at her by the way his shoulders shook slightly.
She threw a dishrag at the back of his head.
"Yes, I'm fine. No, Tasha stayed at her place last night…she's doing better, I promise…yes, I will call her…actually," Lux said as she pulled the phone away from her ear and looked to the screen once again, "she's actually calling in right now. I promise I will call you later…ok, I will…love you too."
Lux quickly flashed over, worried for a second that something might be wrong. Ever since that day with Gavin, whenever Tasha's name showed on her caller-ID, Lux found herself holding her breath.
"Tasha?" Lux questioned before sighing in relief.
"Hey, are you ok…I can come over, it will only take a couple minutes to get there." Lux hoped off the counter as Eric looked to her, concerned.
Lux stopped abruptly, however. "You want to come here?" Lux questioned, surprised, as she looked to Eric who nodded without hesitation. God she loved that about him. "Wait, you know I'm not at Cate's…or Baze's, right? Ok, yea sure…see you in a few minutes."
Hanging up her phone, Lux looked to Eric with a shocked expression. "Umm, she's been having a hard time staying at her place, but she actually said she wanted to come here."
To say she was surprised would be a huge understatement. Lux and Eric both knew how Tasha felt about their relationship, so for Tasha to come out here…well, it was kind of a big deal.
"Do you mind?" Lux asked as she looked to Eric who was piling bacon and eggs on to large plates and putting bread in the toaster. "I know we were supposed to…"
Eric walked to her, silencing her with a quick kiss. "Of course I don't mind. This is a good sign, I think."
"I hope so." Lux exclaimed nervously as Eric kissed her forehead.
Lux looked around the apartment, suddenly worried. They were both still wearing their pajamas, almost like a weird repeat of the last time she had been here when she found them the last time Lux had stayed the night. But as far as bedclothes went, sweats and t-shirts were pretty harmless.
Maybe I should change?
Too late!
A knock sounded at the door as Eric smiled reassuringly. Taking a deep breath, Lux opened the door, stepping aside so Tasha could enter.
"I know it's early, and I'm sorry if I'm intruding…" Tasha exclaimed as she looked around the room ready to turn and leave, second-guessing her ridiculous reasons, or lack there-of, for coming over.
"No, wait!" Lux said as she quickly shut the door before her friend could leave. "Tasha, of course you're not intruding."
"Are you sure?" Tasha asked as she looked sheepishly from Lux to Eric.
"Hungry?" Eric asked, motioning to the food that was piled on the counter.
"Umm, sure." Tasha said as she slowly removed her coat and scarf, searching Lux's face for assurance that everything was ok.
Lux nodded, laughing as she led her best friend in to the tiny kitchen. They grabbed the few plates that Eric had as he pulled the butter and jelly out of the fridge, setting them on the counter; he waited for the girls to get their food.
He was suddenly glad he had decided to make extra food. For as small as they were, they sure could eat a lot he thought as he laughed quietly to himself.
By the time they were finished, all the food was gone, and the awkward tension had all but disappeared. Eric excused himself to go get dressed before walking out of the bedroom and grabbing his car keys.
"I've got a couple things I need to get at the store, I won't be too long. Do you guys want anything while I'm out?" Eric asked, shrugging on his coat as Lux and Tasha sat on the couch laughing about some story from when they were younger.
With no specific requests, Eric left the girls to themselves, relieved that Tasha seemed to be in better spirits then the last time he had seen her.
"He didn't leave because of me, did he?" Tasha asked quietly once the door shut behind him.
"What? No, he really doesn't have any food in here. What we ate for breakfast was literally all the food that was in his fridge. I mean, I think he is trying to give us some time alone, but its fine." Lux shrugged as she turned to her friend.
The marks on Tasha's wrist and neck had since faded, but a few deep welts remained, the black eye she had was now reduced to a sallow color, but was much easier to cover up with the right makeup.
Lux smiled when she thought back to the first day Tasha returned to school after the attack. Cate had let her stay out while the swelling around her eye was still noticeable. Not wanting to have to explain the markings or have to lie about their origins, Cate had helped Tasha cover up the visible signs with makeup until you couldn't even tell anything was wrong.
"I have to say, I am surprised that you came over here, though. Not in a bad way." Lux corrected herself. "Definitely in a good way. I just know how you feel about all of this…"
"I just…I kept thinking about Gavin, and how we used to all be together, and it was the four of us against the world; you know, me and Gavin, you and Bug. We were all that we had. But…at the first sign of things becoming normal for us; Bug leaves, he just ditches, and Gavin wants to gain something from all of it. He was so different, Lux. I've never seen that look in his eyes before." Tasha whispered as she settled further in to the couch.
"I just can't believe he did that to you."
"But it just made me realize that I was being sort of unfair to you about this whole thing with you and Eric. I mean, I don't like the lying, especially to Cate and Baze because they are the closest thing I have to a real family, and I really want them to like me. But after realizing how poisonous some of the people in our past have been, it seems kind of silly to criticize what you have based on what others believe is right and what's wrong."
Tasha's hands clenched in nervous agitation as she made herself continue.
"I'm sorry about leaving after you told me about Trey. I had so many things running through my mind; I wasn't sure what to do. I was upset that you hadn't told me before and then all I could think about was that, no matter how short of a period of time it was, I had lived in the same house as that man. Yea, I was upset that you told Eric first, but after everything that has happened, it's kind of made me realize that if he was the person you felt comfortable telling that to, the important thing is that you did tell someone."
Lux started to speak, but Tasha stopped her.
"Wait let me finish. It's still really illegal, what you two are doing, but after what Eric has done for you, and what he did for me with Gavin, it's not so black and white anymore. I know this really doesn't change anything for you, but I just wanted to let you know that I get it, ok? We were never taken care of the way the law said we would be, in foster care, so what's a little law-breaking of our own from time to time, right?" Tasha smiled as she tried to lighten the mood.
"That means a lot, Tash! It has killed me more than anything how we've sort of grown apart from all of this. And I know I said it a while back, but I still promise that I am not going to ask you to cover for me ever again. From now on, this is only on me and Eric. It was really wrong for me to do that to you before."
"Yea well, I know this must suck for you two as well. I mean, he's not even YOUR teacher. If you were just a few years older and out of school, it wouldn't even be an issue." Tasha laughed as Lux rolled her eyes in response.
"Tell me about it." Not wanting to spend the entire day rehashing old wounds, Lux changed the subject. "I've got an idea! How about we get out of here for a little bit?"
"What about Eric?" Tasha hesitated.
"I'll text him and let him know we'll be gone. Believe me, he'll be glad we are out. I'm not trying to champion him to you or anything, but he has been pretty upset about how his involvement with me has affected us." Lux cautioned as she stood up from the couch.
"He does seem more invested then I originally thought. It took a lot of guts for him to do what he did when Gavin showed back up. He could have gotten into a lot of trouble." Tasha exclaimed, her voice lowering though it was just the two of them in the small apartment.
Eric had risked a lot that day, Lux knew. "Honestly, I think that is just who he is. Even if nothing was going on between us, I think he would have done the same thing regardless."
"I believe it, now." Tasha smiled as she pushed her friend away from the couch. "Come on, go get dressed. Let's blow this popsicle stand. We've got lost time to make up for!"
I'm going to try something new, tell me if you like this idea or not.
Here's a sneak peak at the next chapter!
Vintage costumes & wigs
A night out on the town for Lux, Tasha, and Eric
Someone's coming to visit Eric
