Lydia stared down the tiny face rocking in her arms, enormous grey eyes looked curiously back. She smiled, flashing her teeth in a gentle way, and the small boy's forehead creased. For awhile, he almost looked angry, then his face relaxed, and he gave a toothless smile of his own. A giggle erupted from him, and Lydia's heart fluttered happily at the sound.
It was Monday, a few days after her date with Gage, and the first time Lydia was allowed some actual quality time with her new little brother Maxwell. And boy did she enjoy it. That Saturday, after the new addition to the family arrived, her parents had expected her to completely flip out. She had every right to. They had completely hid the fact of adoption, and didn't even bother to ask what she felt about it. But to their immense relief, Lydia was all too overjoyed. She squealed, and laughed, and hugged Beetlejuice so tightly he complained of a broken rib. However, just because she was excited didn't mean Maxwell was. The poor boy was so exhausted from the trip, all the rest of the weekend he did almost nothing but sleep.
Now, however, it seemed he did everything but.
"Hey Babes!" Beetlejuice shouted, morphing into a cat and circling her on her bed. "What's a guy gotta do ta get a little pussy?"
"Beej!" Lydia exclaimed in embarrassment. "Don't say that around him!"
Beetlejuice snickered, crawling closer to peak into the bundle she held.
"Right, mind like a sponge," he cackled, only to yelp as Maxwell's hand shot out and yanked his whiskers.
Lydia laughed, letting him squeeze her finger so he wouldn't bother Beetlejuice.
"Geez kid!" he grumbled, rubbing a paw over his furry cheeks. "How old is he again?"
"Almost two."
"What? Seriously?"
Indeed, it was a little hard to believe. The child was small, abnormally so, and it had worried the original parents. The doctor's had assured them nothing was wrong, and that all his systems were functioning normally with no signs of disease, but the pricks wouldn't listen. They wanted nothing to do with him, and so led to the opening of the Deetz's arms.
"Maaaaax," Lydia sing-songed, causing her to gain his undivided attention. "I'm gonna set you on the floor, okay?"
He did not answer, only stared blankly. Scooting off the bed Lydia gently unwrapped his small form from the blankets. Carefully she sat him on his back where he laid still, glancing between his sister and Beej's cat form. His brow creased again, taking on an absolutely venomous look before giggling profusely. Beetlejuice cackled, licking his lips and stalking towards the boy.
"Say Maxy boy. Whatch'ya doin there?"
Max turned his head to follow the cat's movements, opening his mouth and gurgling as he attempted to tilt his head back. Beetlejuice's paw lightly tapped his forehead, and Max squealed in delight, arms coming up to touch it and legs beginning to kick furiously. Lydia laughed as their banter continued, but gasped when Max did something unexpected. The child suddenly rolled onto his stomach, got to his wobbly feet, and began sprinting. Beetlejuice, completely taken by surprise, jumped away and began to skitter across the room. Though not nearly as fast, Maxwell tried his hardest to keep up, and almost tripped over a stray shirt had Lydia not scooped him up.
"What the hell?" Beetlejuice cried, changing back into his original form.
"I don't know!" Lydia panicked, equally freaked out and confused.
"Lydia?" came her father's voice, and Beetlejuice immediately hid.
Charles came into her room, looking around in alarm until he was sure nothing was amiss.
"What is it pumpkin?" he asked gently, walking towards her and taking Maxwell.
"Max! He was walking! No- running!" Lydia explained in a rush.
Charles only sighed, chuckling and placing a kiss on his son's cheek.
"Lydia, he may be small, but he still has the abilities of children his own age," he explained with some amusement, watching his daughter blush hotly at her ignorance. "We were informed he could walk, it's just talking he hasn't quite got a hold of."
Lydia smiled in relief, going over and patting his amber hair.
"You little squirt, I almost had a heart attack!"
Maxwell giggled, hand reaching for hers and giving it a firm squeeze. Lydia smiled, as did Charles, and unknown to both, so did Beetlejuice.
XxXxXxXxX
"I'll let you borrow my dildo."
"NO!"
"Come on, I never used it!"
"Eew, just drop it!"
Lydia sat firmly down in her spot on the bleachers, pointedly ignoring all of her friends' pitying stares. They knew what Gage had asked of Lydia, the whole non-sexual-relationship-thing, and they all understand the frustration she was going through. Even Hannah, being the prude she was, knew how awful it was to be denied carnal pleasures. Ashley, who sat next to her, draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.
"Look, you've been cranky because of being deprived, we all see it. We're just trying to help you out." Ashley tried to make her words assuring, but it was a little difficult due to having to shout over all the other voices of the student body residing in the gym.
Lydia softened at her friend's words, relaxing into the hug.
"Yeah I know…" she muttered.
"So we shouldn't be spending all this time worrying about you moping! We should be spending more time having fun!"
Lydia slowly lifted her head at Ashley's forced tone. Her eyes held questions, but it seemed only Hannah was able to answer.
"You mean you…forgot, Lydia?"
She nodded her head once, tears springing to her eyes as she remembered.
"This is our last week…until you two graduate…"
A sob came barreling from her throat, and Lydia coughed as she failed to choke it down. The twins swallowed, eyes glistening as well at the idea of Ashley and Hannah leaving. It was two weeks into June, yet the school had not closed at the beginning of summer. Because of an abnormally snowy winter, the school had gone over it's snow days and were forced to extend into summer break. The girls had all been ecstatic, but of course, graduation could not be held off forever.
"Don't worry, we're both going to be at the university! It's only an hour and a half away!" Ashley chirped, and the girls all lightened. All except Lydia who, including her sexual frustrations, was an emotional wreck. She cried, and the only one's to hear her were her comforting friends. Nobody paid attention as the pep rally raged around them.
XxXxXxXxX
Gage hugged Lydia close, his nose seeking solace in the depths of her hair. They'd just gotten back from the movies, and it was already very late. Lydia knew she shouldn't be lingering in her driveway knowing her father was pacing anxiously in the living room, but being close to Gage was just something she needed right now. She held him closer, and Gage sighed into her neck before straightening up. They didn't speak, but neither had to. He gently stroked her cheek with a calloused thumb, and Lydia sighed at how masculine his hand alone was from only a few years of hard labor. He was a working man, able to fix cars, build houses, and do just about anything considered 'man work'. This caused him to have a rather rough appearance and feel, and it wasn't really Lydia's type (hell, she really didn't even know her type!), but spending time with him made her forget all that.
He kissed her, slowly and full of need. She responded, but held back her passion. Gage wanted to take it slow (which was odd, considering that was normally the girl's need) and Lydia respected that.
Though, that didn't necessarily mean she was thrilled about it.
She was surprised, however, when Gage's grip on her shoulder's tightened a good amount. She opened her eyes and found his face scrunched in frustration. She wanted to lean back, ask him what was wrong, but he gave her no time. She was suddenly crushed to him, and her arms went instinctively around his neck. His kiss turned feverish, and Lydia could only follow his lead. One hand left her shoulder and grasped her ass, kneading one cheek before moving to the other. Lydia gasped, breathing suddenly erratic as his opposite hand gave the same treatment to her breasts. In her mind she silently cheered, happy he'd broken down.
Then just as suddenly his body was gone, and instead he bent forward while holding her shoulders at arms length. His breathing was heavy and uneven, mimicking her own. It was a while before either were able to speak.
"I'm guessing the slow phase is over?" Lydia mocked, yet her voice was hopeful.
Gage only chuckled, his crystal blue eyes meeting her chocolaty ones.
"No, I just…lost control."
Lydia laughed, hiding her disappointment well as he walked her to the door.
Aching.
Needy.
And Desperate.
XxXxXxXxX
It wasn't long until Lydia finally succumbed to her desires. It was already 11:00 pm, Beetlejuice had not come to hang out, and her arousal had not diminished in the slightest. So finally, sitting in her bed and blushing furiously, Lydia did the only logical to do in her situation.
Nervous hands slithered underneath the covers, sliding slowly, uncertainly, down her torso until they reached the band of her underwear. Hesitantly, having never done this before, Lydia pulled the fabric down to her ankles. She dared not to look under the covers, feeling slightly ashamed and enormously embarrassed of what she was about to do. The first touch had her jerking, having immediately touched her pearl of nerves Gage had always paid so much attention to. Swallowing, she did it again, the light touch causing trembles to wrack her spine. She was so sensitive, and a brief nudge against her folds revealed just how ready she was to be fucked senseless. It took awhile, but Lydia adjusted enough to not cry out every time she rubbed her secret place. She started a rhythm, and soon she was panting freely. Her lower body was heated to the point of sweat, and Lydia had no second thoughts as she kicked off the covers. Now she was completely exposed, legs spread wide and bent at the knees in the air. The moment the cool air hit her however, it was her undoing, and she came as quietly as she could, Gage's name fleeing her lips, broken by haggard breaths.
She shivered, the post-orgasm spasms wracking her body violently. She tried to tell herself she was satisfied, that once was enough, but her body had other plans. She began again, this time having her other hand join in. She grasped her right breast tentatively, breath hitching as her nipple immediately peaked. It must have been the rush, the heat of the moment or something like that, but for some reason, her ministrations felt…amazing. Better than what Gage made her feel. Briefly she remembered Ashley saying something about a woman knowing her own body best, and Lydia figured it to be true. As her hand traveled the expanse of her body, Lydia knew instinctively all her pleasure spots. She shivered as her hand brushed against her jaw line, roughly grasped at her inner thigh, nearly screamed when-
"Lyds?"
Lydia stopped, head snapping to the source of the voice. Beetlejuice stood in the middle of her room, and she could tell, even through the dark, his eyes were ready to pop from their sockets. Letting loose a silent shriek, Lydia gathered the blankets around her, rolling into a taco so that he could see absolutely no part of her body. She was sure her entire being could rival a tomato, and tears of embarrassment began choking her. Beetlejuice remained quiet, but his footsteps were soon heard approaching the bed. Lydia froze as she felt the bed shift under his weight, yet he did nothing but lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Lyds, come out," he spoke softly, and Lydia shook her head fiercely.
He chuckled, not pushing her.
"Well guess we're even."
Lydia's brow furrowed, wondering what the hell he was talking about.
"You saw mine, now I saw yours."
She blushed hotly at that, trying to remove the images that suddenly invaded her mind.
"Don't worry babes, it's okay. I've seen a million of'em."
This, for some reason, compelled Lydia to peak out from her taco cocoon and glare heatedly at him. Beetlejuice grinned, patting her head and ruffling her hair.
"There we go! There's that fire!"
Lydia couldn't help her smile, and she sat up, the blanket falling off her pajama clad torso. She was about to say something when her attention was diverted decidedly southward, and Beetlejuice started at her object of attention.
"Oh fu-, shit, sorry 'bout this," he cursed, using a bit of excess blanket to hide the obvious erection encased in his striped pants.
Lydia swallowed, watching his flustered movements with a fascination that scared even herself. His face was turning a unique shade of purple, and she could practically see his mind trying to will the offending object down. Yet…Lydia didn't know whether it was from a sudden burst of boldness or blind curiosity, but when she spoke, the words left them both speechless.
"Did I do that?"
Beetlejuice stilled, head snapping to face hers in shock. Her eyes stared back with determination, looking as if she didn't regret the question at all. Which she didn't. She was able to admit to herself something was definitely up with Beetlejuice, and it most definitely involved her. And it was high time she found out what was going on, especially if it was going to effect their friendship. Something had been bubbling in the back of her mind recently, that whatever Beetlejuice's problem was it wasn't something innocent. Looking back briefly, she realized just how much she'd denied the possibility that his situation had involved carnal pleasures. That bubbling had evolved from just a whisper after her revelation of Beetlejuice being a man during the sleepover. She still wasn't sure of all the feelings she was experiencing, but one thing she knew for certain.
Beetlejuice was troubled, and it seemed over something only she could help him with.
She was finished with denial.
Beetlejuice studied her, looking as if he wanted to do nothing more than juice himself out of there. But Lydia stood her ground, shifting to get a better position to stare him down. It took awhile, but he finally sighed, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly.
"If I said yes…would you be mad?" he asked, flinching slightly as if preparing to get smacked.
But Lydia didn't move at all. Instead, she let a breath, seemingly releasing all her pent up emotions. Her gaze slid away from him, and her faced glowed hotly. She had a strange urge to smile, but she fought it down hard, opting instead to talk to the wall.
"I'm not mad…" she trailed quietly. Then she looked at him. "But why?"
Beetlejuice gave her a confused look, turning his body fully to face her.
"Why? Why do I gotta boner from watch'n you finger fuck yerself?"
His tone made the question rhetorical, and it made Lydia feel ignorant, and young. It made her realize just how much she didn't know about the opposite sex, and her experience with Gage was the only thing she had to go on. She was startled when Beetlejuice started laughing, and in his twisted merriment he began floating towards the ceiling, the blanket once covering his obvious arousal slipping off.
"Seriously Lyds!" he cackled, holding his stomach. "You're so naïve!"
Lydia made a sound of indignation, and she huffed while crossing her arms. Beetlejuice grinned, coming down just enough to be face to face.
"Babes, I'm a guy! It doesn't matter who it is, if a woman's sexy, I get turned on!"
Lydia's eyes widened, jaw going slack with disbelief.
"You think I'm…sexy?"
"Uh, yeah! Isn't it obvious?"
Lydia shifted, his words sending a strange sense of electricity through her that went straight to her nether regions. Her face held a look of open horror at her body's response, and Beetlejuice misunderstood her inner thoughts for being disgusted at his declaration.
"Whoa, Babes I-! Uh, sorry if that makes you…uncomfortable."
His dejected tone broke Lydia's heart, and she quickly reached for his hand.
"No, I…that's not it…" she stammered, blushing furiously at the contact of their skin. She was still so sensitive, and the effect he was having on her confused the shit out of her! "Beej I-…I'm not uncomfortable. I just…didn't know you were attracted to me…"
Beetlejuice's face lit up for a moment before falling again, his other hand reaching to cup hers as well.
"Lyds, listen. I'm yer best friend, we've been through just about everything together. Don't get it in yer head that I'm gonna try and jump yer bone's every chance I get. I don't want ya worried over someth'n like that. Yeah, yer hot, I'll admit it, but don't think I'm gonna treat ya like all the other ghouls I fuck."
Lydia nodded along, her lips suddenly gone dry and she tried desperately to moisten them. But once her tongue darted out, Beetlejuice's eyes locked onto the movement, and her breath hitched at the look dwelling within them.
It was out in the open now.
Beetlejuice was attracted to her…
"Thank you," she whispered. "For being honest."
He made a face, gagging at the idea of doing something 'good'. His over reaction dissolved Lydia into giggles. Maybe it was the atmosphere, or the lightness she felt of the situation that compelled her to do what she did next. But whatever it was, it opened up a new door of affection between them. Without thinking she leaned in, delivering a slow, tender kiss to his cheek. When she pulled back, Beetlejuice's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. He smiled however, and Lydia ducked her head to hide her own.
"Now, is that gonna be a regular occurrence?"
He chuckled, and Lydia blushed, embarrassed as her thoughts answered his question almost immediately afterward.
Yes.
XxXxXxXxX
You've really outdone yerself this time Beejy boy! Beetlejuice thought as he watched Lydia skip around Babble Beach in her new spider web bikini. He grinned to himself from his place on their beach blanket, waving like a child when she looked his way. She waved back with a smile, and his eyes followed the light jiggle of her breasts.
But he wasn't the only one enjoying the view.
"Lydia!" came a clear tenor voice, and Beetlejuice snarled at it's owner.
What the fuck was he doing here?
"Vince!" she exclaimed, seemingly forgetting her state of dress as she ran out of the water to give him a hug.
Beetlejuice glowered as he studied the boy. He'd grown over the past couple years, no longer the awkward kid who once thought there was nothing worth being happy about. And he would continue to grow until he wished the aging process to stop. That was one of the few perks of being born dead. Spirits born from spirits could grow until they felt right in their bodies, but once they stop they're stuck for all eternity or until they're eaten by a sandworm. Beetlejuice was considering the latter.
Prince Vince looked shocked for a moment, his tongue tying as his hands settle on the bareness of her back. Lydia smiled, innocent and blind to his flustered reaction. He finally just smiled, stepping back to kiss her hand hello. Lydia giggled, saying something that caused him to brush the bangs out of his eyes. They chatted for awhile before Lydia waved a hand to their beach blanket. Vince nodded shyly, grinning from ear to ear as she grabbed his hand.
"Beej, make room for Vince," she said, sitting in front of Beetlejuice with her back facing him.
"Sure thing Babes," he replied none too politely, suddenly getting an idea when the prince sat facing Lydia. "Hey, yer get'n a little burnt on yer back."
"Can you get that for me?" she asked, indicating the sun tan lotion. "I can't reach."
"Got it."
Beetlejuice squirted some lotion on his hands, rubbed them together, and then began massaging Lydia's shoulders.
"So how've you been?" Lydia asked, wanting to catch up after not seeing him for almost half a year.
"It has been a bit of a bore, to be honest. I missed spending time with you, but my parents have been pestering me with becoming king for some time."
Lydia looked sympathetic, but Vince wasn't looking at her anymore. His eyes were locked in a match with Beetlejuice, and he felt a bit confused and uneasy with the strangeness they held. His gaze fell down to Lydia's arms where Beetlejuice was rubbing in the lotion. The motions were languid, sensual, and possessive. Vince become nervous, thoughts coming to his mind he'd rather not think about. Something had changed between the two…
"Hey! An eye-scream man!" Lydia exclaimed suddenly, pointing to a headless man that was carting a portable stand a few yards away. Beetlejuice let go as she darted off, a few Neitherworld bucks in her hand and firm ass cheeks jiggling enticingly. As soon as she was out of earshot, Vincent seethed.
"What's going on?" he spat, bewildered and slightly hurt.
"Whad'ya mean brat?" Beetlejuice snarled.
"Why were you touching Miss Lydia in such an inappropriate manner?"
Beetlejuice smirked, turning fully to face him. The two stared for a moment, Vince getting more and more angry at the mocking air Beetlejuice held.
"Let's jus say Lydia and I have…taken a step up in our friendship."
Vincent let out a breath, wheezing as if somebody had just punched him.
"You t-two…are together?"
Beetlejuice scoffed.
"No," but he sounded disappointed, and Vince picked up on that.
"You…want…to be with her? But…she doesn't want to be with…you…"
The slow way he said it made Beetlejuice's juice boil. He was about to give the brat a piece of his mind when Lydia came back with three eye-scream cones.
"Hey guys, here," she said, handing them each their own flavor before sitting back down.
Vince wasted no time on his treat.
"Lydia, if I may be so bold, are you in a relationship with anyone at this moment?"
Lydia flushed at the question, her cheeks turning a charming pink as she smiled.
"Yes, I have a boy friend. His name is Gage."
Vince's gaze slid over her shoulder at Beetlejuice, a small smiling playing at the corner of his lips.
"…Oh I see."
XxXxXxXxX
Gage shifted uneasily in his spot next to Lydia, jumping at the loud clatter the fork against his dinner plate made upon contact. They were all seated at the dining room table late that Wednesday afternoon, all the Deetz's, and Gage starting to regret wanting to come over to dinner with her family. Lydia had come to him earlier that day during lunch at school, begrudgingly telling him that her mother had invited him for dinner. At first he'd been ecstatic, grinning at the thought of winning over Charles Deetz's approval and getting one step closer to Lydia. He'd been nervous and giddy all at the same time when he parked in their driveway. And his stomach had fluttered happily at the image of Lydia's beautiful face inviting him in. At the door, after ringing the bell, Gage grinned when he heard footsteps.
Then it all went to hell.
The last person on earth he wanted to be around opened the door instead of Lydia.
It was the best friend.
Later he found out Delia had invited him too. It seemed it was a last minute arrangement. Lydia said she was sorry, but her mischievous smile signaled otherwise. To him it looked like she enjoyed the way he stood by or held her possessively whenever Beej came around. Her mother thought he was just smitten and cooed her envy, but Charles saw it a different way. When they finally sat down to dinner, Charles made sure to be at one end of the table and he at the other, glaring heatedly while stuffing mashed potatoes in his mouth. Gage swallowed some meatloaf, trying to ignore him.
But the fatherly threat of chopping off Gage's balls was not what was making him anxious.
"And you remember when Ginger missed and that mud hit you in the face?" Beetlejuice cackled.
"That wasn't funny! It took me all day to get the smell off!" Lydia huffed, but she was smiling at the memory.
They continued to laugh, heads bumping each other tenderly as they leaned closer and shared the moment. They'd been like that all throughout dinner. All buddy-buddy and sugary sweet with nostalgia. It made Gage want to puke. Or throw Beej out the kitchen window, into the yard, and then proceed to pound his face into a bloody pulp. He still wasn't sure which one would make him feel better the fastest.
"Oh Mr. Beetleman it's been too long!" Delia cooed, her voice oozing sugary delight. "And my have you cleaned up!"
Beej grinned, flashing pearly whites in the most charming way.
"Yes mam it has been awhile."
"Two years?"
"Around that, but me and Lyds kept in touch."
His arm went around Lydia's shoulders, and Gage thought the pulsing blood vessel in his forehead would burst.
"Well how come you never paid us a visit I sure would like for you to be around more often," questioned Charles, and Gage felt a little jealous at the kindness in the older man's voice. Beej was on good terms with her father? Fuck!
"So what about you Gage?" Delia asked, her attention suddenly on him. "How did you meet Lydia?"
Gage's ears turned red at the question, the memory of his and Lydia's first encounter something he did not wish to share. A glance at Lydia showed her embarrassment as well, but it seemed she was willing to answer for him.
"We, uh, met at the baseball field at the all boy's high school."
"Oh, you play base ball?" asked a pleasantly surprised Charles, pleasantly enough to stop glaring daggers at the boy.
"Yes, actually," Gage said with a more confident smile. "I'm mostly the pitcher, but the coach often puts me in any position he feels is right at the moment."
Beej suddenly snorted, trying to hide his grin behind his coke glass.
"I'm sure the coach loves switching positions with you," he mumbled, only loud enough for Gage and Lydia to hear. Lydia blushed hotly and elbowed him swiftly in the stomach. Beej grunted, but it came out as a chuckle.
"So you play any other sports?" Charles asked, oblivious to the perverted comment.
"Um, yes," Gage said while clearing his throat, trying not to lose his composure.
"Basketball?" Beej suddenly cut in. Gage leveled him with a look, clearly suspicious.
"…Yes"
"Football?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Tennis?"
"Erm, no."
"What? You think tennis is a game for wussies?"
"Wait what-"
"You think tennis is for wussies?" Charles seethed.
Gage stuttered, unsure what to say or how he'd suddenly ended up on Charles's bad side again. It had all happened so fast! When he locked eyes with Beej, the blond smirked, and Gage immediately knew this was what he'd planned.
"No! I don't think tennis is a wussy game!" Gage finally sputtered, desperate to diverge from the subject.
"Oh, so now it's just a game? You don't even consider it a sport?" Charles continued, not exactly sure why he was even making a big deal out of this but just wanting to get mad at the boy.
Lydia, unable to speak due to shock, sat bewildered in her chair. What was wrong with her father? He didn't even like to play tennis! She looked over at Beetlejuice for help but he was watching the fight, a satisfied smirk settled on his face. Then she noticed something. His arm was moving…Lydia bit her lip, slowly bending her head down to look under the table. What she found made her angry. Beetlejuice's fingers were wiggling, a faded light shining in the direction of her dad. He was manipulating her father!
"Beej-!"
"Oh my! Do you hear that?" Delia suddenly exclaimed, and everyone went quiet.
There was a soft cry, and the only person it could belong to was Max.
"I'll take care of him," Lydia declared, and Gage excused himself to follow her. Beej stayed.
"Hey Maxy," Lydia cooed sweetly, picking up the fussy boy as he whimpered. She held him in her arms gently, rocking him slightly until he settled. She kissed his forehead, brushing her nose in his amber locks and sighing at his baby scent. Gage watched from afar, admiring how Lydia was able to calm the child. She looked so beautiful with a baby in her arms…
"Gage?"
"Yes?"
"You wanna hold him?"
Gage stiffened, his throat going dry though he desperately tried to swallow.
"Uh…" was all he managed, hands curling into fists as he eyed the small child. "…sure."
Lydia blinked at his odd reaction, slowly lifting Maxwell to Gage. Stiffly, he took her brother into his arms, keeping the child a notable distance from himself. Lydia watched Gage's tense form, taking in how it seemed he wanted to touch Max as little as possible. Max gurgled once, and Gage jumped, his mouth turning into a thin line as he looked anywhere but at the babe.
"Gage…what's the matter?"
Gage licked his dry lips, motioning for Lydia to take her brother back. When she did he heaved a sigh of relief, shaking out his arms like he'd just been rid of an enormous burden and was trying to get off any excess of it.
"Babe, I just…well I-…I just don't…like…kids…"
Lydia stared at him for awhile, a look of complete bafflement on her face. Her brow knitted together as she shook her head, placing Maxwell back in his crib before turning to Gage.
"Well…I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she said slowly, her voice devoid of any genuine apology. Gage caught on, but one look in her eyes told him she hadn't meant for it to come out like that. She was uncertain, not completely sure how to feel about his phobia. Pedophobia to be exact. The fear of children. Though it wasn't extreme, he had just never been comfortable with children. They'd always made his skin crawl, what with the diapers, and the crying, and vomit. He'd never planned on having any, and it had never even crossed his mind of having kids with Lydia. Though…now that he thought about it, it didn't sound too bad of an idea. So long as he didn't have to deal with them…
"Hey, maybe I should go," he said. "It's pretty late."
Lydia's eyes widened in surprise, but she nodded anyway. Back downstairs Gage was met by the sounds of laughter. Great. That Beej fucker again. Gage said his goodbyes but Delia only gave him a split second of her time to wave, and Charles was too enthralled in the conversation to even glance up. Lydia walked him out onto the porch. She'd softened up by then, taking his hand and bringing it to her cheek.
"You're not mad?" he asked, nervous beyond belief.
"No, no, it's just…well, I hadn't expected that."
"Lydia-" he began, leaning in for a kiss to show just how sorry he was.
"LYDIA!" came the gravelly call of her best friend.
Lydia gave Gage a smiled apologetically, but did nothing else, only turned to go back in the house. No kiss. No hug. Just a "See you tomorrow". When the door closed, Gage felt a cold dread fill his fingertips, his hands grew clammy, and his body felt fragile. He was loosing her…he was loosing her to that…
"FUCK!" he screamed when he'd reached his motorcycle, kicking it to the ground to try and satisfy his anger. The dent he created did no such thing.
"FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK!"
Gage pulled at his hair with both hands, his breathing heavy and shallow. The chilly night clashed violently with his heated skin, only making him dizzy. He was alone with his thoughts, and he couldn't control them.
Fuck! I'm such a pussy! Why couldn't I have just held the damn kid! I pussed out…I ran…I'm such a coward!
"If you would be so kind, I'd rather you stop shouting profanities outside a lady's humble abode."
Gage jumped at the smooth voice, whipping his head around in alarm.
"Who's there?" he whispered into the dark, doubting the person had heard him.
"Someone you can trust…you see, I know you and Miss Lydia are having a few…problems."
"She's probably going to break up with me…" Gage began, a depression washing over him. Then he remembered where he was, and how it wasn't wise to spill your guts to someone you couldn't even see. "Come out."
The person made no sound, but emerged from shadows of the night into the light of the moon. Gage stiffened at the figure of a boy, one that seemed not a day older than himself. The boy was tall, and thin. He had raven hair, the color of Lydia's, brushing just at his shoulders, the bangs hiding his eyes. But Gage was sure they were black as pitch. The boy wore strange attire, one of medieval royalty, or at least, that was what it looked like to the extent of Gage's knowledge. His cheekbones were high, and cheeks sunken, but his flesh was greenish. Surely a trick of the light.
"What do you want?" Gage asked, bringing himself up to full height.
The stranger was not intimidated.
"I have noticed your relationship with Miss Lydia. The one known as Beej is in the way…yes?"
"How do you know that?" Gage was panicking on the inside.
"I am an old friend of Lydia's. In fact, I used to fancy her just as you do now, but the idiot, you know who, came between us."
Gage licked his lips, knowing exactly which idiot he was talking about. But still, what did this person want?
"Who are you? What do you want?"
In the dark, it was hard to see, but Gage caught the smile that stretched along the young man's face. It was unsettling, unnatural even, like this person wasn't meant to smile. Or it was just a rare occurrence. Either way Gage was scared shitless.
"My name is Vincent, and I am here to help."
A/N: OH MY JESUS HALLELUJAH! FINALLY! Phew, bet you thought I abandoned this story, huh? Well, I didn't. Just couldn't find the time to get back into the swing of things. Hope you enjoyed the cliffhanger, and don't worry, I'll get up another chapter soon. Peace out!
