If you're curious, too, I'll let you in on what I've been doing for so long.
Disclaimer: I own no one familiar to the movie. End of disclaimer.
Never thought that Lash and Layla had a past relationship beyond the movie? What? You never thought they could have been friends? Are you kidding me? Here! Have the story! My goodness, you've been missing out.
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Past
"Mom said a long time ago that that's how she and dad got together." She looked away. "Do you wanna see?"
Layla finished his sentence in her mind. 'If we go together?' She turned to him again; a blush on her cheeks while he held his confidence high.
Slowly she nodded, and he leaned over, holding her cheek before his lips touched hers. Layla's eyes closed, and the kiss lasted a few seconds - her insides tingling; jumpy even from her first kiss. Lash broke away, looking over into the pool. "Feel anything?"
"No," she lied, and he nodded, scratching his arm.
"Me either."
--
"They do it?" said a voice from the phone.
Sarah stood straight, her fingers lifting away from the blinds of the kitchen, giggling. "Of course!"
--
It's been a few years now. Lash has just started high school, and Layla was going to middle school, a big smile on her face. But that wasn't all that has happened.
More than a few times since Layla began fourth grade; Sarah's been over her house more than usual. Especially at night. Layla could sometimes hear the door creak open, sobs floating into the house.
"'Manda, he did, he did it again." She couldn't stand the sound of another person crying, and sometimes cried herself to sleep, not understanding what was truly happening - until Sarah spent nights over, and Layla would see her on the pull out bed in the living room, bruises going down her arms, cuts on her face.
"Sarah." She had whispered one morning, and the older woman startled awake, a hand clutching her chest in fright.
"Oh, it's only you, Layla. Good morning, love."
Layla gave her a small smile. "Morning." She peered around the room, placing a hand on the woman's bruised shoulder. "Lash didn't stay the night too?" Sarah's eyes watered, and Layla crawled up onto the bed, hugging the older woman.
"Oh, no, dear. He's still with his dad. They..." It took her a few moments to speak again. "They took a vacation." Layla smiled another small smile, a look of sympathy on her face as she glanced over Sarah's bruises.
"What happened to you, Sarah?"
"Oh, nothing." She sniffed, wiping her eyes and holding onto Layla's arms. "Don't worry, sweet." Layla crawled off the bed and wandered into the kitchen. "Honey?" She turned back to Sarah, who hunched over and stroked the blanket covering her. "Don't let a boy hurt you in any way, okay?" Layla nodded, slightly confused at her words.
-
And then there was another time, when Sarah opened the door with her own key, rushing Lash and herself inside, locking the door again. Amanda had run in from the kitchen, a look of worry on her face as her hand hit the doorframe. Layla was slowly getting to her feet, clutching a pain in her chest like she couldn't breathe. Peeking her head into the living room, she gave a glance to a sallow-looking 14 year old boy, a look of pure fear on his face. "Set out two more plates." Amanda whispered, and Lash took the duffel bag of clothes and tossed it by the couch, shaking his entire body as he passed Layla into the kitchen. "Layla, put two plates on the table? I need to talk to Sarah." Layla nodded dumbly, and watched her mom place a hand on the back of the other woman, taking her into her room.
--
"Lash almost walked into the room when he did it, Panda."
Sarah shook against Amanda's shoulder, almost wincing at her touch as the other woman stroked her spine in a comforting hug. "I, I just had to get out of there. Took Lash before Harry could say anything." She wept more.
"Sarah." Her head lifted quickly, eyes searching the other woman's. "You need to get out of there."
"I, I am."
"No, I mean really - really get out of there. Move away. Divorce." Sarah gave a frightened squeak. "Sarah." Her arms wrapped around Amanda fast, and Amanda wavered her hand across her back, fearing that the large bruises there might make her stray away.
--
"Think you could stay in Layla's room, Lash?" Sarah whispered over the table, nibbling on the Caesar salad placed in front of her. He nodded slowly, but looked away, out the window.
"How long are we staying?"
Sarah got quiet.
The whole table got quiet, actually, until Amanda shot her hand up, looking pointedly at Sarah. "As long as you need to."
No one said a word as Sarah shed tears into her salad, but Layla gave a silent look to Lash, who stared right back, as if pleading that they needed help.
--
Layla turned around and took off her shirt, placing a long nightshirt over herself before she took her bra off underneath. This was normal to both of them, as Lash had taken off his jeans without a care that Layla might be looking over at him. "I get window." He whispered, and she turned around, taking off her pants without a slight worry that he might see her underwear.
"Do you want another blanket?" She asked, and he tore off his shirt, exposing the muscles he was sort of working on. His arms were toned, and his chest was getting there, but Layla didn't look like she cared about it. He shook his head, and she put cotton nightshorts on, climbing into bed after he pounced on it.
She gave him a slight peck on the cheek goodnight, and turned off the light, the nightlight forgotten from years before. He dug deep into her pillow, and she turned away from him, closing her eyes and breathing lightly. "Goodnight, Layla." He whispered, running a hand softly through her hair before turning to stare out the window. She shivered beneath his touch, and hugged her pillow.
Slowly she turned his way, a hand on his shoulder. "I miss when we were younger."
He nodded, his hair covering his eyes as he turned towards her, stretching his lips to her forehead. "Me too, Lahlah."
--
So now (As I've told you...) Lash was experiencing his first year of high school - a taste of the real life. Sky High. Layla was starting middle school, passing most of her classes - except Gym. But her mother wouldn't hold that against her.
But Layla got a call one night while she was in her room, studying for a math final. Her personal line had begun to ring, and she turned her body towards it, curious as to who would call her at 11:30 at night. Quickly she had crossed the room, and picked up the phone. "Hello?" A sniff carried to her ear from the other line.
"Layla?" Her eyes sent a confused look to the phone.
"Lash?"
"Can I...Can I stay the night?"
"What? Why?" She heard faint yelling in the background.
"Harold, stop this!"
"My parents, they're having...having another fight." Layla sat down on her bed, a hand flying to her forehead in realization.
"Oh." She breathed in as she heard another sniff. "I'm, I'm sorry, Lash." Layla closed her eyes.
"Can I?" Layla opened her eyes and nodded, a tear falling into her lap as she heard the small jump Lash gave as they both heard a distinct slap.
"Yeah Lash. I'll tell Mo-"
"Don't." He sniffed, and she sighed, understanding. "Leave your window open, okay?" She grunted lightly, and there was silence. "Thanks." More silence - a thud in the background. Layla gasped. "She'll get back up." She heard him whisper hopefully to himself, and then sighed in relief as he heard her clamor against the walls.
"Lash?"
"Mm?"
"Do your parent's know that yo-"
"No." He growled slightly, and she leaned back onto the bed. "And don't tell 'Manda, either, Lahlah."
Layla sighed. "Alright."
"I'll be there in five minutes." He hung up. Layla sighed, her breath shaking as she tossed the phone beside her onto the bed.
Glancing towards the desk on the other side of her room, she shivered - now thinking that that math final wasn't such a big deal to her now. She rolled on her bed to the other side, and reached up to open her window, taking out her screen to let Lash in when he got there.
Setting it down beside the bed, she went back to the desk, slamming the math book shut with a snarl. The papers scattered, and she let out a growl of her own. A gasp left her lips suddenly, and many tears fell. Slamming the book back into her schoolbag next to the desk, she cleared the desk of scattered papers with a swipe of her hand, a struggled groan leaving her mouth.
"Don't." Layla turned to see Lash climb in, a plastic bag tied around his wrist as he placed the screen back onto the window. "That's how it all started tonight."
She frowned. "Throwing papers around?" He sighed, nodding. His face was still as stone, his eyes narrowed at a memory.
"Mum was tired and took a nap, and Dad came home, screaming that the house wasn't clean, and he took the papers on his desk from their room and smacked them towards her." Layla walked over to him as he sat down on the bed, tossing the bag on his wrist onto the floor beside them. "Some cut her face - I saw some of it before I called you." Layla whimpered, and placed her arms around him, climbing into his lap.
He was shaking still, and she rubbed his back, closing her eyes as her cheek hit his shoulder. He held her tightly against his chest and breathed deeply, making Layla cry more tears. "Why didn't, didn't Sarah come with you?" He released her, looking into her eyes as the moonlight from the window hit them.
"She told me last week that if I ever heard or saw the two of them fighting, that'd I'd leave before my father realized where I was."
She nodded. "So you came here. Why?"
"I trust you." She gave him a weak smile.
"Speed?"
He shook his head. "His dad's been remarried, but he's lived with that same woman his whole life, so he really wouldn't understand."
Layla shook her head. "And I do?" He shrugged his shoulders.
"I know that you actually pay attention to what I say. That - I value. Speed, he only hears what he wants to hear." She nodded dumbly, and hugged him again.
"Sorry Lash." He chuckled for his own need.
"It's okay." He glanced at the clock at the same time she did, and he picked her up, placing her beside him. "Time for bed with you."
"And you?" She questioned, throwing the plastic bag in his face. He caught it quickly, and smirked.
"I'm skipping school tomorrow. I need sleep."
She put her hands on her hips before he reached over and ripped her shirt off. "Hey!" She almost screeched, but he covered her mouth with his hand.
"You're going to school tomorrow, Lahlah. And I'm locking your door when you leave so Manda Panda doesn't know I'm here." She scowled up at him as he smirked back down at her, taking his hand away from her mouth.
"Don't think that's fair." He walked to her dresser and pulled out a nightshirt, throwing it her way before speaking. Or staring. Leaning against the dresser, he crossed his arms and watched her watch him, and he gave her a short pleading look. "But I'll let it slide this time." He nodded, and he observed as she put her shirt on, not placing her arms through the sleeves yet since she had to take off her bra. "Just, don't eat all the ice cream when she leaves for work?"
"She's got work tomorrow?"
"Yeah," she whispered, taking off her skirt as he walked towards her, unbuttoning his pants. "At 7, right around the time I leave for school, dimwit." She smirked up at him, and he tore off his shirt before pulling down his pants, exposing his black boxers.
She crossed the room, not understanding why she just blushed his way, and opened her dresser, getting a new pair of nightshorts and underwear. He threw the plastic bag on the ground, his shirt and jeans being tossed to the side for later.
She looked at him for a bit as he put his clothes into a pile, careful not to hit the squeaky floorboard beneath him as Layla hit the one on the opposite side of the room. It'd be clearly evident to a listening mother that there was two people upstairs, not just one. Layla sighed, and pulled on her shorts as Lash turned back to her. "Ready yet?" She nodded, stepping close by him as he pulled back the covers. "Which side?" She whispered, and he smiled at her.
"Your bed. You choose." She glared at him.
"But you always call whatever side you want like it's your own!" He smirked, and picked her up with ease, and she gave him owl eyes. "What are you doing?!" She gave a cried whispered, and he slowly brought her down, his lips touching hers. Layla's eyes widened in confusion, the jumpy feeling in her chest was back, but he set her down on the floor, letting go, her feet on his as he lifted one leg to kick her over and onto the bed. "What was that for?"
"They were just there!"
"Doubt it!" She whispered, and she looked to where she lay. The window side!
Slowly he crawled in after her, knowing that the fact that she had made the bed squeak with movement might cause a stir downstairs to her mother. She rolled over as far as she could, and stuffed her face in a pillow, huffing. "We still getting married, Lahlah?" He chuckled, and took one arm and stretched it beneath the covers, bringing her closer to his own body.
She curled beneath him as she blushed against the moonlight, and turned towards him, a small smile on her face. "You remember that, too?" She whispered, and he nodded, letting her move away some of his hair from his eyes. They closed shortly, and she smiled wide, remembering a song she used to sing to get him to sleep.
"Thank you for being, such a friend to me. Have I ever told you - how much you mean to me?" Lash slowly nodded, his face barely moving. "Oh you mean so much to me..."
He reached beneath Layla to wrap his arm around her entirely, holding her close. Her cheek hit his chest, and she closed her eyes, feeling his heart beat slowly, calmingly. She breathed a sigh against his chest, and felt him shiver. Layla lifted her head slightly to make herself comfortable, and tilted her head into his collarbone. "'Night, Lash."
His thumb stroked her shoulder as he smiled, breathing in deeply into her hair. "'Night, Lahlah."
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So reviews are cool. You should probably do just that, because uh…I like getting mail telling me I've got fans. Thanks!