Chapter 8
Lily woke up to the sun streaming through the window panes, gracing Rufus' sleeping features. She grinned and untangled her legs from his, managing to sneak out of bed without waking him up.
She pulled on his discarded flannel from the day before and tiptoed into the bathroom. She examined her reflection briefly in the mirror before brushing her teeth and washing her face. She threw on a pair of skinny jeans with a plain white t-shirt, leaving her hair down and adding her 'Lil' necklace to the ensemble before exiting the bathroom.
When she got into the kitchen, Rufus was already in there, wearing a pair of clean boxers and an old Lincoln Hawk t-shirt. "Good morning beautiful." He said with a wink, his voice thick with sleep.
She chuckled and smoothed down his wild hair, pecking his lips with her own. "Good morning to you, sleepy head. What are you making?" She popped a grape into her mouth and hopped up on the counter next to him.
He grinned. "Waffles, what else?"
She laughed and disappeared into the pantry. When she reappeared she had the Nutella they had bought the day before in her hands.
Rufus laughed. "They should be ready in a few minutes. I figured we can eat real quick and head over to the gallery since it's already 10:20."
Lily nodded and made them both plates with assortments of fruit and poured them glasses of OJ as Rufus finished their waffles. Once their breakfast was all ready, Lily spread some Nutella over both of their waffles and they sat down to eat at the bar.
"Mmm, you're right Lil, this stuff is amazing." Rufus said through a mouthful of waffle.
Lily giggled and wiped a glob of Nutella off of his cheek with the pad of her thumb.
Once they finished their breakfasts, they left the dishes unattended in the sink and walked together to the gallery, not bothering to hide their hand holding for no one in Brooklyn was likely to rat them out.
Rufus unlocked the doors and Vanessa met up with them 20 minutes later. After having her word not to mention anything to Dan, her and Rufus got to work signing papers and such while Lily admired the art and made herself a cup of coffee.
Before she knew it, it was already 1:30 and Rufus was all ready to go.
"So, where do you need to go pick something up?" Rufus asked, hailing a cab to take them across the bridge.
"Barney's. But I just need to pay for something and there's a Victoria's Secret next door if you still want to get something..."
Rufus smirked. "Barney's it is, next stop Victoria's Secret." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes as the cab pulled to a stop outside of Barney's.
They were in Gossip Girl country now, which meant zero hand holding or PDA, so Rufus and Lily kept on the downlow as they entered the huge store.
"You know, before a couple of months ago, I'd never even heard of Barney's and here I am, for the second time since then." Rufus noted.
Lily laughed. "Barney's is my home away from home. You better get used to it darling."
He chuckled. "Let's just get those clothes and head next door."
Lily rolled her eyes but they found a worker anyway.
When they left Barney's, Lily had purchased not only the dress she had on hold, but Rufus had also coerced her into buying a pair of short, denim cut off shorts resembling a pair she once owned and wore frequently during their time together on tour. She had no idea how he talked her into it, but he just seemed so excited and nostalgic when he saw them... in the juniors section.
Rufus went straight to work once they entered Victoria's Secret. He was very indecisive, but he wanted maximum quality and minimum fabric, which required him scrutinizing nearly every piece of lingerie in the store as Lily flipped through the fall catalogue.
Finally he made his choice, but he wouldn't let Lily see it. He simply got her size and paid for the lingerie, keeping it well hidden in the obnoxious pink Victoria's Secret bag.
They decided to get a late lunch at the Cafe Express on the corner.
Once they were seated in a booth, Rufus set the bag down right in front of Lily, just to torture her.
She rolled her eyes at him, despite the smile on her lips as he ordered for the both of them. "Just give me a hint. Color? Style? One piece or two pieces? Anything, you're killing me Rufus."
He shook his head and took a sip of his coke. "You're just going to have to wait until tonight to see. If it helps, not seeing you in it is killing me."
Lily scowled, but let it go. "So, what do you want to do tonight? I mean, before the unavailing of the lingerie. As much as I enjoyed our private evening last night, I really want to go out tonight."
"I was actually just thinking the same thing. I want to take you out for a night on the town, if that's okay." He raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question.
Lily beamed, a wide grin gracing her features. "That sounds lovely. What do you have in mind?"
Rufus shrugged. "I figured we could go to a nice dinner and maybe go dancing. Then of course have our own private party back at the loft." He winked at her, laughing as he noticed her deep blush.
"Rufus?" Both heads swiveled to the side and 4 eyes grew wide at the sight of Rufus' not-quite-ex-wife.
"Allison, hello." Rufus said flatly.
"It's lovely to see you." Lily said with a fake smile.
Allison wasn't so polite. "I wish I could say the same, Lily. So, it didn't take you two very long, or were you already having an affair the last time I saw the two of you together? Clearly neither of you have a future in acting, your flirting was almost painfully obvious."
Rufus' jaw twitched. "Not that it's any of your business, but we weren't seeing each other while I was still married. And who the hell do you think you are to accuse me of doing so now?"
Lily stayed silent, glancing back and forth between Rufus and Allison during their heated exchange.
Allison nodded towards the Victoria's Secret bag and Lily's cheeks flushed fuchsia before she grabbed the bag and set it on the floor at her feet. "Excuse me for drawing my own conclusions. You really can't blame me since no one seems to be telling me what the hell is going on anymore."
Rufus rolled his eyes. "Come on Lil, let's go." He slammed a twenty down on the table and took her free hand, leading her out of the store and hailing a cab.
They rode in silence for a minute. "I need to get some things from my apartment." Lily said quietly.
Rufus nodded and gave the driver her address before reaching across the seat and taking her hand. "Sorry about that. She just makes me so... ugh."
Lily nodded and smiled as he brought her hand up to his lips. "I understand. Our exes bring out the worst in us, it's a fact of life. I'm sorry you were put in that situation, and that my being there did the opposite of help."
Rufus shook his head. "I wouldn't have been able to keep my cool if you weren't there. If Allison brings out the worst in me then you clearly bring out the best in me."
Lily smiled as the cab pulled to a stop. Rufus got out first and sprinted around the car to open the door for her.
Lily thanked him and together they rode up to her penthouse.
Rufus sat on the bed in her room as Lily rummaged through her closet, selecting the perfect outfit for their 'night on the town.' He reached under the bed and pulled out the shoebox of memorabilia from their time together just as she came out of the closet with a bag in her hand.
"Do you mind if I bring this? I kind of want to look through some of this old stuff..."
Lily nodded. "Um, sure that's fine. It's pretty much just old ticket stubs,CDs, photos of you and love letters though." She said, grabbing some heels as he began shuffling through the contents of the old shoebox.
"What's this?" Lily turned around to see him holding up a thick envelope with a puzzled expression.
She shrugged. "Beats me. I usually just look at the photos, I can't remember what's in there."
Rufus opened the envelope and pulled out what looked to Lily like some photos. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Oh my god. I remember this."
"What? Remember what, Rufus?" Lily walked over to him and grabbed the photos out of his hand. As soon as she saw the first photo in the stack the memories of that day came flooding back to her crystal clear. Her cheeks burned bright red and she brought her hand to her mouth.
Lily and Rufus were staying in a hotel room for the night, sick of the community living in their cramped tour bus for the time being. Lily was halfway through changing when she saw a flash in her peripheral vision and turned to see Rufus with her camera in his hands and a goofy grin on his face.
She was wearing a pair of itty bitty denim cutoff shorts, her necklace from him, and a pair of his tube socks. She was completely topless and had her hair up in a sloppy bun and not a stitch of makeup on.
"Rufus, what the hell? Did you just take a photo of me?"
Rufus ginned at her and the flash went off yet again. "Nope."
Lily got up off of her chair and headed to him but Rufus backed away, snapping photos all the while. "Rufus give me my damn camera!"
He grinned again. "Come on Lil, just a couple of photos. The lighting in here is perfect and you look so beautiful right now."
Lily blushed deeply and he snapped yet another topless photo of her. She laughed. "Rufus, cut it out!"
He grinned and took another one of her laughing. "Come on Lil, for our eyes only, I swear. Just a few harmless photos. Please?" He gave her his most convincing puppy dog eyes.
Lily rolled her eyes but grinned nonetheless. "Oh alright. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. What should I do? Pose?"
Rufus nodded, beaming as he snapped photo after photo of her. He took some of her doing her makeup, some of her jumping on the bed, dancing, singing, laughing, and a few where she tried her best to mimic real life model poses, but she usually just ended up in a fit of laughter when she tried those.
The photos were raw, and real, and the two of them had so much fun making them that they almost missed their hotel checkout.
"Oh my god." Lily flipped through the photos. She had to admit, they were really great pictures, the lighting really had been perfect.
Rufus grinned at her. "You haven't aged a day." He stood up and wrapped his arms around her torso from behind.
Lily rolled her eyes but grinned. "Oh shut up. You just want into my pants."
He shook his head into the crook of her neck. "Well obviously, but I mean it. I bet, if we recreated these photos, no one could tell then and now apart."
Lily's face reddened. "What? No way."
He chuckled. "We could try? You've got the shorts now." He winked at her.
Lily blushed. "We can discuss it later. Let's go back to the loft."
Rufus nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "So you'll consider it?"
Lily chuckled as they stepped on the elevator and Rufus took her bag for her. "Don't push it."
He grinned. She was as powerless to resist him as he was to her.
•••••
It was 3:00 by the time they returned to the loft, and Rufus had made them dinner reservations for 6:50 so Lily decided to take a shower.
"Can I join you?" Rufus asked.
Lily sighed. "I suppose so. But you have to run the water while I put this stuff in your room."
Rufus grinned and nodded. Lily started to walk past him into his room to put her bag away, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. "Hey,"
"What, Rufus?" The annoyance in her voice was slight but clear as a bell.
He smiled down at her. "I love you."
Lily's expression softened. "I love you too." She leaned up on her tiptoes, brushing a soft kiss to his lips before disappearing into his room.
By the time Lily entered the bathroom, the mirror was already fogged over and she could hear Rufus' singing above the shower head. She chuckled to herself and stripped down, before silently pulling the curtain aside and stepping in behind him.
Rufus jumped as he felt two slender arms encircle his waist from behind and a very petite, very naked form press up against his backside. "Hey you," He heard her purr into his ear.
He turned around in her arms and wrapped his around her waist. "Hey. You scared me."
Lily giggled. "I could tell. Keep singing."
Rufus quirked an eyebrow at her but kept singing nonetheless, keeping his eyes on her as she shampooed and conditioned her hair.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh simple thing where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
Oh simple thing where have you gone?
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin
And if you have a minute why don't we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don't we go
Somewhere only we know?
Somewhere only we know?
Lily joined in on the last verse and grinned at him when he finished the song. "I missed your singing."
Rufus pulled her slender frame into his for a hug, kissing her wet hair. "I know baby. We have a lot of time to make up for, sure. But isn't that one of the things that makes this so exciting?"
She nodded her head against his chest and he tilted her head up to his, kissing her softly.
Lily deepened the kiss, lifting her left leg and wrapping it around his waist in an attempt to bring their bodies closer yet.
Rufus moaned into the kiss and backed her up against the shower wall, supporting her weight and allowing her to wrap her other leg around him.
Lily reached between their bodies but Rufus grabbed her hands to stop her and shook his head. "No foreplay baby, I need you now."
Lily nodded and allowed him to lift her hands up above her head as he positioned himself at her entrance, swiveling his hips a few times.
Lily groaned. "What happened to no foreplay?"
Rufus chuckled. "Sorry, babe." And with that he thrusted into her. Lily did not bother to lower the volume of her voice as she screamed in pleasure.
"Talk to me, baby. I want to know how good I feel and every other dirty thought I know is running through your mind right now. No filter." Rufus muttered as he pounded into her.
Lily moaned and arched her back in pleasure. "Oh god where do I even start. You. Feel. So. Fucking. Incredible. Inside of me. Don't stop. Don't hold back. Make me come in the way that only you can." She murmured seductively.
Rufus moaned, thoroughly enjoying the sound of her voice as these dirty words slipped out from between her swollen lips. "Shit. Keep going, baby, don't stop now." He urged her on.
Lily screamed in pleasure as he slipped into her deeper than before. "Oh my God Rufus! Fuck me harder, that's right. Stay there. Yes! Faster. Holy shit Rufus!"
Rufus smirked as her mouth dropped open in pleasure, knowing she was too wrapped up in sensation to continue this dirty talk, he picked up where she left off. "Mmh, baby you're so nice and tight. And so wet, you're always so damn wet for me."
Lily whimpered as she felt herself nearing her peak, spurring Rufus on as he pumped into her sharply and quickly.
"I know that I'm the only one who can make you feel this way, the only one who gets to see you like this. Do you like that? Or should I slow down?" Rufus slowed his pace, easing in and out of her inch by inch.
Lily practically growled. "Don't. You. Fucking. Dare."
Rufus chuckled as he sunk into her and stilled momentarily. "What do you want?"
"I want you to keep fucking me" Lily murmured seductively, rotating her hips towards his.
Rufus moaned and slammed back into her hard. Within moments, he had her screaming his name in ecstasy as she came to pieces against the shower wall. Lily's chest heaved and she fought to return her breathing to normal as Rufus pumped in and out of her several more times in hopes of finding his own release.
Moments later Rufus fell over the edge himself. He cried out her name as he spilled into her. He leaned his forehead against hers, supporting half of her weight and allowing the shower wall to support the rest of it as they came down off their orgasmic highs. The water droplets spilling over their heads were long since cold by now, so Rufus eased out of Lily and set her down in order to turn off the shower.
Lily shivered as they stepped out into the bathroom and Rufus, seeing this, wrapped a towel around her thin frame, planting a kiss to her forehead as he tied a towel around his own waist.
Together they walked back into Rufus' room and got dressed. Lily pulled Rufus' old t-shirt over her head and wrapped her hair up in a towel before pulling on a fresh pair of underwear. "How long do we have until we have to go to dinner?" She asked, rubbing some lotion on her long legs, thankful at that moment that she had them waxed recently.
Rufus glanced at his watch. "Well, the reservation is at 7:15, so we should make it on time if we leave by 7, which leaves us with three and a half hours. It's 3:30."
Lily nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll start getting ready around 6:30."
Rufus nodded and pulled a shirt over his head. "What do you wanna do for now?"
Lily shrugged, then got an idea. "Ooh, we could make that brownie mix we bought yesterday."
Rufus chuckled. "Okay Lil. Let's bake."
They walked into the kitchen hand in hand and got out the brownie mix along with milk and eggs.
They had a blast mixing the brownie batter, smearing trails of chocolate across each other's faces and licking it off, feeding each other spoonfuls of the batter, and laughing and reminiscing.
Rufus caught Lily staring into space with a small smile as he was putting the brownies in the oven.
"Penny for your thoughts, Lil?"
Lily blushed lightly, shaking her head out of her reverie. "I was just thinking… about us." She saw his brow furrow and reached up to cup his cheek. "All good things, of course. Actually I was thinking about my life turning out the way it has. About the bizarre fact that I'm staring my forties in the face and I'm making brownies in my underwear in Brooklyn with the only man I've ever really loved while our kids are on a camping trip for their school. And I do feel guilty about hiding this from them but I just feel so ridiculously happy right now, just being here with you. Baking brownies and watching movies and just being us. I really, really love us."
Rufus' face split into a wide smile before he turned his head to kiss her palm which was still resting on his cheek. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her sweetly on the lips before pulling back slightly to whisper "I really love us too. Lil I love you and I feel really good about this, about us. Maybe we should have a conversation at some point this week about telling the kids about us when they get back. They might feel odd about it at first, especially Dan and Serena, but they're all good kids, they love us and want us to be happy. I think they'll understand. Plus I'm beginning to think I may have been wrong about us being good at sneaking around. We've already been caught by your mother and Eleanor, Allison saw us the other day at lunch, the society bloodhounds know you're seeing someone so they're bound to figure out that it's me sooner or later, and Vanessa knows."
Lily giggled, nodding her head. A small smile graced her face at the prospect of no longer having to hide her relationship from her children. "I agree. You're terrible at being sneaky!" She teased.
Rufus scowled at her playfully, sliding his hand down to give her ass a slight pinch, which she jumped at, her musical laughter reverberating through the kitchen.
"Let's talk about telling the kids later though I'm dying to sink my teeth into one of these delicious smelling brownies!"
When the brownies were finished Rufus went to get them out of the oven and he and Lily let them cool for a good fifteen minutes before trying them out.
"Mmm, these are delicious!" Lily exclaimed with her mouth full of brownie.
Rufus nodded his head in agreement and grabbed the milk carton out of the fridge, pouring him and Lily each a glass to wash down their brownies with. "Right? Who would've thought a box mix could taste so great."
Lily accepted her glass and sipped the milk. "What time is it now?"
Rufus glanced at his watch. "4:40."
Lily nodded and slid off of the counter. "If I take a quick nap, could you wake me up around 6:15?"
Rufus nodded. "Actually, I'm a bit sleepy as well. How about I just set an alarm and we can both take a nap."
Lily nodded and they went back into Rufus' room where he set and double checked their 6:15 PM alarm.
Rufus laid down behind Lily who was facing away from him and drew her body up against his, kissing the side of her head before drifting off to sleep with her in his arms.
•••••
Their alarm rang promptly at 6:15 and Lily slid out of bed, disappearing into the bathroom to curl her hair and do her makeup. When she came out of the bathroom, Rufus was awake and already dressed.
Lily grinned and strode past him to grab her dress which was hanging in the closet. Rufus grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, careful not to mess up her makeup as he kissed her.
When they pulled apart Lily scrunched her nose at him, turning away with a laugh and getting dressed.
She wore a kelly green shift dress with gold accents and a matching gold clutch. She tried her hardest to cover up the many hickeys she had been given by Rufus, but they could clearly be seen in the right lighting, which she prayed they would be able to avoid while out for a romantic evening. Thank god ambient lighting was usually forgiving.
They were both ready by 6:50 and Rufus called a cab to take them to their nice dinner.
Lily's breath caught in her chest as they exited the cab. "Rufus..."
He studied her reaction intently and grinned. "It's the hotel we ate at on our first date. Given, we aren't in Oregon, but it's a chain. I figured we could make tonight special."
Lily beamed and kissed his cheek with a loud smack. "It's perfect."
He took her arm and led her into the restaurant, where they were seated almost immediately on a balcony with a breathtaking view of the city. Rufus pulled out Lily's chair for her and they were both reminded of him doing so on their first date nearly twenty years ago.
They enjoyed a fine meal, laughing, reminiscing and discussing their plans to stay at a bed and breakfast on Thursday night. Lily had made them a reservation for a nice one in Connecticut.
About halfway through dinner, Lily heard her phone ring. She glanced down, sighing when she saw her daughter's name on the screen. "It's Serena. I should get this."
Rufus nodded his head in understanding and Lily picked up the phone.
"Serena? Hello darling."
"Hey mom, Eric and I just wanted to see how you are doing other than missing us terribly."
Lily laughed. "I'm just fine actually. I finished my book, I've had a nice, lazy, and pleasantly child-free week so far thank you very much." She could hear her daughters laugh on the other line. "And you? How's the camping trip?"
"It's alright. The weather hasn't been great, but we're making do. Eric and I have been hanging out with the Humphreys a bunch."
Lily smiled at that and reached across the table with her free hand, taking Rufus' hand in her own. He brought their hands to his lips and kissed hers lightly.
"Well that's great to hear. Listen darling, I'm at a dinner and I should go." Lily half-lied.
"Okay, bye. I love you," Laughter was heard in the background. "Eric says ditto."
Lily laughed. "Bye darling, I love you both too."
She hung up the phone and replaced it in her purse before turning back to Rufus. "Sorry about that."
"It's fine. How are your kids? It's nice to hear that one of our kids cares enough to call."
Lily laughed. "They're fine, apparently they've been spending time with your kids in the nasty weather they've been having."
Rufus nodded and they went back to their meals.
Once they had both eaten, Rufus paid for their dinner and they left the hotel restaurant.
"So, where are you taking me 'dancing'?" Lily asked.
Rufus grinned and took her arm, "It's just down the street."
They walked down the block to a nightclub and went in. They found a semi quiet corner and both ordered drinks.
"I forgot how loud these places are." Lily yelled over the noise.
"Huh?" Rufus yelled back.
Lily laughed. "Nevermind."
Just then their drinks came out. Lily downed a few shots of patron and stood up. "I wanna dance." She grabbed Rufus' hand and pulled him onto the dance floor.
He laughed. "Maybe I should've kept track of how much wine you had at dinner."
Lily started moving with the music. "I can't help the fact that the waiter just kept on refilling my glass." He laughed and started dancing with her.
After a few songs they went back to their booth and had some more to drink.
They were sitting in their corner when a slower song came on. Lily gasped. "I love this song. We have to dance, come on!" She disappeared into the crowd, leaving Rufus to chase after her.
Rufus called her name as he wandered through the mob of drunk twentysomethings. He felt a hand grasp his shoulder and spin him around.
Rufus found himself face to face with Lily who smirked. "You found me."
He returned the expression. "Actually, you found me."
"Details." Lily murmured before their lips crashed together in a heated union.
They kissed for as long as they could stand, their bodies pressed firmly against each other. There were comments of "Ew" and "Get a room." But they didn't care.
When they finally pulled apart, breathless, Lily smirked at him and began to gyrate her hips to the rhythm.
Rufus watched her intently as she moved in slow deliberate motions along with the music.
"What are you staring at?" She asked him, knowing the answer to her question full well.
Rufus' eyes were hooded and dark with lust. "You know exactly what I'm looking at. Maybe we should, um, get back to the loft. Like, now."
Lily smirked. "Just a few more songs, please?"
Rufus sighed. "Alright."
Lily smiled and kept dancing, unaware of the many pairs of eyes on her. Rufus, however, noticed all of the hungry stares she was getting. One bastard even started making his way over to her. Enough was enough, Rufus stepped toward her, invading her space and claiming what was his with a kiss.
Lily grinned against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. She began grinding her hips against his own.
Rufus had to bite his lip to keep from moaning, she knew full well what she was doing to him. He held her hips to still her movements and rested his forehead against hers. "Let's get out of here." He breathed. "Please."
Lily grinned and rotated her hips against his one last time. "Okay fine."
They gathered their things and took a cab back to the apartment.
"Where is the bag?" Lily asked.
"Huh?"
"The Victorias Secret bag."
Rufus grinned and disappeared into his room to find the bag.
When he handed it to her Lily went into the bathroom to change while Rufus stripped down to his boxers and laid on the bed waiting for her.
He heard the bathroom door open and glanced up to see her silhouette outline in the doorframe. "Damn." He breathed.
Lily grinned. "What do you think?"
Rufus raked his eyes up and down her perfect form. She was wearing a lacy red baby doll bustier with a matching red g-string, and red garters held up the lacy floral stockings which came halfway up her thighs. He sucked in a breath. "I think that I have very good taste in lingerie, don't you?"
Lily nodded, sashaying slowly over to the bed. "Yes you do have an excellent eye."
Rufus pulled her to him when she was within arms length. Lily giggled and placed one knee on either side of him before wrapping her arms around his neck.
He grinned and kissed her softly. "Seriously, you look so beautiful."
Lily blushed and laid him back, attacking his pectorals with a flurry of kisses as he unhooked her garters.
Lily shifted on top of him and tugged at the waistband of his boxers, snapping the elastic against his skin and giggling.
"How much did you have to drink tonight Lil?" Rufus questioned, causing her to giggle again.
"A lot." Rufus laughed and captured her lips with his own as he slid her g string down her long legs. Lily mimed his movements and pulled his boxers off, wrapping her frail hands around him.
Rufus exhaled and gazed up at her. She was focusing intensely on the task at hand and her hair was falling in front of her face as she bit her lip in concentration. She was so sexy and god damn gorgeous.
Lily felt him grow in her hands as she stroked up and down, spurring on his arousal. She felt his hand on the back of her neck and glanced down at him. He pulled her down slightly and grasped her hand which was stroking him, waffling his fingers with hers as his other hand rested on the bottom of her back. Lily scrunched her nose at him and he kissed her hard.
Lily groaned slightly as his tip teased her ready entrance. She swiveled her hips twice before sinking down, allowing him to fill her slowly. A hiss escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered shut as she began her movements up and down along his length.
Rufus gazed up at her as she moved up and down on him, her eyes shut tight and her mouth slightly agape as he filled her.
He leaned up slightly, capturing her parted lips with his own and moving his hips up to match her movements.
Lily groaned as she felt his hips crash against hers. "Aaah, Rufus."
"I love you." He murmured against the crook of her neck.
Lily closed her eyes once again, reveling in the intimacy and passion behind their love making. Every time with Rufus was amazing, but this time felt different, more special even.
She rotates her hips and sinks down on him, increasing in speed with each passing moment. "I. Love. You. Too. So much."
Rufus thrusted up to meet her movements. "Oh god." He hissed.
His warm breath splayed over her chest and she shivered. "Mmm, I'm close Rufus."
He nodded into the crease of her neck, sucking and grazing his teeth over a spot he knew would drive her wild. "Mm, me too baby. Don't stop."
Lily sped up her movements, sliding up and down along his length. He breath hitched "Oh, oh!" she cried.
Within moments she felt the most intimate muscles in her stomach clamp down as her heart rate increased significantly. "Oh God, Rufus! Yes!" Her eyes were still shut tight.
Rufus continued to move within her until he found his own release, spilling into her as he cried her name.
Lily slumped on top of him and he wrapped his arms securely around her thin frame. Her chest was still heaving against his own.
After a few minutes, Lily stood up off of the bed, pulling on the old Lincoln Hawk shirt and a fresh pair of underwear before crawling back into bed with Rufus, who had put his boxers back on.
She curled up against the right side of his body and moved some hair out of his face before leaning up to plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "I love you Rufus."
He wrapped his arms firmly around her, holding her body tightly against his own and kissing her hair lightly. "I love you too Lily."
He glanced down at her but her eyelids were shut and her breathing steady. "More than you know." He murmured into her ear, before joining her in satisfied slumber.
•••••
When Rufus woke up the next morning Lily was laying across his chest. Her hair was splayed out all around her, perfectly framing her sleeping face.
A glance at the clock on his nightstand told him it was 10:15. He kissed the top of Lilys head and whispered into her ear. "Wake up Lil."
Lily's eyes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings briefly before her eyes landed on him. A soft smile lit up the features of her face. "Good morning my love."
He grinned. "Good morning."
"So do you have anything today?" Lily chewed on her lip as he shook his head no.
"Nope, you?"
She shook her head as well and he grinned.
They got out of bed and walked out into the kitchen. "What do you want for breakfast Lil?"
Lily leaned up against the bar. "I'm craving a bagel. You don't have any bagels do you?"
Rufus shook his head. "No we don't, but I can run down the block to Einsteins if you'd like. What kind of bagel do you want?" He disappeared into the bedroom and Lily followed him, watching him pull on a pair of jeans and a burnt orange shirt.
She shrugged. "Just a plain one I suppose."
He grinned, "Alright Lil, I'll be back in fifteen with one plain bagel and cream cheese."
She grinned and pecked his lips before he left the apartment.
She sighed and began to rummage through her bag to find something to wear. Her Barney's shopping bag caught her eyes and she pulled out the itty bitty blue jean cutoff shorts. She smirked to herself and grabbed a lacy black bralette, a short, oversized, white button up, men's style shirt and the shorts, disappearing into the bathroom to change.
Lily was flipping through the channels when Rufus came back in with a white to go bag.
She stood up and followed him into the kitchen. He handed her her bagel and she started eating her breakfast as he bit into his own blueberry bagel.
"You want some orange juice Lil?"
She nodded and he poured them each a glass. "Thank you."
"No problem. I see you're wearing the shorts." He said with a knowing smirk.
Lily blushed lightly. "If you're going to act like that you'll never get a photoshoot." She said matter of factly before sipping on her glass of orange juice. She saw Rufus' jaw drop and his eyes widen in her peripheral vision and fought to keep a straight face.
"So you'll do it?" Rufus asked hopefully.
Lily kept her eyes trained straight ahead of her. "I don't see why not. But you have to let me finish my breakfast."
Rufus beamed and cleared her plate away for her as soon as she was finished.
"Don't move." He instructed her before disappearing into Jenny's room. When he came back he had a camera in his hands.
Lily shook her head at him, a warm smile gracing her features as she stood up. She faced him, trying not to blush as the began to slowly unbutton the white shirt, allowing it to slide from her shoulders. He was already taking photos of the undressing process and she smirked a bit at his eagerness.
She stood there in the shorts and bralette and suddenly felt silly, not knowing what to do with herself on this side of the camera lens. She felt so exposed and suddenly self conscious at the prospect of taking off the bralette. She felt her cheeks heat up and Rufus snapped another photo before stepping closer to her. "Don't be embarrassed. You're beautiful. Why don't we take a few like this until you're feeling more comfortable in front of the camera?"
She nodded gratefully and he grinned before leaning in to kiss her. She moved her hand up to cup his cheek and he lifted his camera holding his arm above them, capturing the moment in a photo. Lily chuckled and shook her head at him as they broke apart. "I can't believe you just did that."
Rufus grinned and captured a photo of her laughter. "Don't you know me at all?"
She stuck her tongue out at him and he snapped yet another photo. She laughed and shook her head, a loose strand of hair falling out of her hair clip and across her face. "So what should I do?"
Rufus shrugged, reaching around her to pull the clip out of her hair and watching it tumble down around her bare shoulders. He preferred it down anyways. "I don't know. Pose, do whatever feels natural. You can look at the old photos for reference if you'd like." She nodded her head and he disappeared into the bedroom, reappearing momentarily with the aforementioned photos in his hand.
Lily snatched them away from him and began shuffling through them, only vaguely aware of Rufus snapping pictures of her from her right.
She found one posed picture she liked and did her best to mimic it. She crossed her arms across her chest and covered her breasts with her hands, trying her hardest to keep a straight face. After the first few photos she burst out laughing and Rufus grinned, capturing photo after photo of her natural beauty.
She was vaguely aware of her phone ringing in the bedroom but she was enjoying herself too much to care.
After about ten minutes she was feeling comfortable enough to remove the bralette and the risqué photoshoot continued.
She bit her lip and gave him her most seductive stare. She then countered that with her most innocent one. This wasn't so bad, she felt more comfortable with each passing moment. She gave him a silly face, squeezing her eyes shut and sticking her tongue out.
Rufus laughed and snapped photo after photo as Lily practically danced around the loft giggling and posing like there was no tomorrow. She laid down flat on her back on his couch. He snapped a picture. She flipped through a magazine. He snapped a picture. He got some shots of her reading the paper, drinking coffee, writing, reading, laughing, twirling, chewing fun, jumping, dancing, grinning, and a few serious in the moment snapshots. He even got a few of her pantomiming doing her makeup just for the fun of it.
They agreed to get the photos developed the next day and before they knew it, it was 1:00. Lily pulled on her bralette from before and Rufus' flannel shirt she had grown to love and buttoned the three middle buttons so it would stay on as Rufus got out materials to make grilled cheese sandwiches.
They scrolled through the photos as they ate, each of them pointing out ones they particularly liked.
When they had finished their meal, Lily placed their dirty dishes in the sink and walked back over to him, hopping up on the counter and swinging her legs. Rufus got up and stood between her legs as she ran her hands through his hair. "Mmm, so what do you want to do now?" She asked.
He placed his hand on her thigh and slid it upwards tantalizingly slowly in answer to her question. She grinned and leaned towards him, placing a hand on either side of his face and wrapping her legs tightly around him, crossing her ankles behind his back. He kissed her, softly at first, but the passion was undeniable and rose quickly to the surface. Lily pulled his shirt up and over his head and began tracing the outline of his abs as his left hand slid further up her thigh and under her shorts. His right hand undid the few buttons of the flannel and pushed it gently off of her shoulders. It slid halfway down her spine, stopping at the bend of her elbows and revealing the bralette. Distracted by her kisses, Rufus abandoned his mission to get her topless and moved his unoccupied right hand to cradle her lower back beneath the material of her shirt (which was really his shirt). Her other hand went to the back of his head, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.
Neither of them heard Rufus' phone vibrating in the next room. Neither of them heard a lock turning in the door. Neither of them looked up until a voice pierced the atmosphere of the room which had been silent save for their moans.
"Oh my God."
Rufus and Lily broke apart and gazed in the direction of all four of their shocked looking children.
"Dad?"
"Serena."
"Mom?"
"Dan."
Jenny cleared her throat. "Um, hello? We're here too, Jenny and Eric? Your children? Remember us?"
Rufus stared at the ground and slid his hand out from under Lily's shorts, allowing her to hop off the table and button her shirt back up over her bralette.
"What the hell is going on?" Serena spoke up.
Lily ignored her daughter's question. "What are you kids doing back? You aren't supposed to be back until Friday afternoon I thought."
Eric spoke up. "They sent us home early because of the awful weather. We called but neither of you picked up."
Rufus and Lily shared a look, both guiltily remembering the ignored phone calls from that morning.
"Anyways, the bus dropped us off at the school and since no one appeared to be home, the Humphreys generously invited us to come watch a movie. Now, what the hell is going on?" Serena repeated.
Rufus retrieved his shirt from off the ground and pulled it over his head before running a hand through his hair. "Umm well… We just were um…."
"Making out, obviously. But why?" Dan asked in a softer tone than his girlfriend.
Lily looked flustered.
Eric glanced back and forth between his mother and Rufus. "Did this just happen since we left or has this been happening for longer?"
Lily bit her lip and gazed up at Rufus who answered for them. "Um, yeah. This isn't very new."
Jennys voice trembled as she spoke up. "How long dad?"
"Almost six weeks."
Serena looked shocked. "Six weeks mom? You've been seeing my boyfriend's father behind my back for six weeks and neglected to tell me? That's pretty low."
Lily nodded her head and gazed at her feet. "I know. I should've told you. I just wanted to be sure about us first. Sure that we would last and that our feelings for each other were real, not just leftover passion from our youth."
"And are they?" Eric asked softly, sensing his mother's distress.
Lily and Rufus shared a look and they both nodded.
Rufus tore his eyes from Lily's, looking guiltily at his children. "I know that this is difficult, kids, with everything going on between me and your mother, but I do love Lily very, very much. I hope you can understand that and be happy for me."
Serena gazed at her mother. "Mom?" she asked softly. She knew what her mother was going to say before Lily even opened her mouth. The look of affection in her eyes spoke for her.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I truly am, but yes I am in love with Rufus." Lily said softly. Their kids watched as Rufus pulled her body into his and stamped his lips against the side of her head. Lily seemed to visibly relax in his embrace.
"Oh. Um, okay." Serena and Dan shared a look.
Rufus and Lily shared a similar look. "Um, if you guys have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them. I'm sure you're... confused."
Eric shook his head. "Not confused, just curious."
"Wait, you said six weeks? That was the Snowflake Ball, wasn't it?" Rufus and Lily nodded slowly. "Is that where you disappeared to?"
Rufus nodded. "Sort of yeah. We kissed that night and then Lily got all flustered and ran away so I chased after her."
Their kids nodded and their eyes swept around the room for the first time. There were clothes and bras and underwear littering the floor. Lily quickly retrieved her lingerie from off the floor and threw it into Rufus' room, but her kids had already seen it.
Serena cleared her throat. "So are we going to watch a movie or not?" She turned to her boyfriend who nodded.
"Yeah. Dad, Lily, you're welcome to join us if you want to. We picked up 'The Devil Wears Prada' on our way here."
Rufus nodded. "That sounds perfect. You kids hungry? We have lots of food." He disappeared into the kitchen and when he came back out he was holding the remainder of their junk food from the weekend. He had their cold pizza leftovers, strawberries, Hershey's kisses, grapes, whipped cream, pretzels, and M&Ms.
Jenny's jaw dropped. "Where did all this food come from?"
Rufus shrugged. "We went shopping."
"Shopping for crap." Serena added with a laugh.
Lily shrugged. "My sweet tooth was acting up."
They all laughed at that, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and settled into the living room to watch their movie. Serena and Dan on their usual chair, Eric and Jenny on the floor, and Rufus and Lily shared the couch. Lily layed down and put her head in Rufus' lap, allowing him to play with her hair as they watched the movie.
By the end of the movie Lily was fast asleep and so was Jenny. Rufus held a finger to his lips to tell Serena, Dan, and Eric to stay quiet as he softly eased out from under Lily's sleeping form.
"I'm gonna go. Dan, Eric, either of you guys want to go get some coffee or something?"
Dan nodded and left with Serena and Eric.
Lily stirred on the couch and Rufus stroked her hair out of her face. "Lil?"
Her eyes fluttered open and she moved to a sitting position. "Where are the kids?"
"Dan, Eric, and Serena went to get coffee. Jenny fell asleep like you." Rufus informed her.
She hummed and ran a hand through her hair. "This apartment is a mess." She noted.
He chuckled. "We destroyed the place."
"Why don't we clean up some before the kids get back? I just realized how much of my clothes are on your floor."
Rufus chuckled. "Okay, I'm going to use the restroom real quick." He pecked her lips and disappeared into the bathroom.
Lily sat there for a moment before pushing herself up off the couch and gathering up the junk food on the coffee table.
She heard a movement behind her and turned to see Jenny awake and stretching.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
"Hi." Lily broke the silence with an awkward smile.
Jenny chuckled. "I won't bite, I promise."
Lily smiled at the wise fifteen year old. "I-I know, I'm just... nervous I guess."
Jenny smiled sincerely at her. "Well don't be. Serena and Dan are just weirded out that their parents are dating and Eric... I don't really know what he's upset about."
Lily bit her lip. "I do."
Jenny raised an eyebrow at her. "You do?"
Lily nodded. "On the night of the Snowflake Ball, Eric saw Rufus and I kiss. Then later that night after Rufus stopped by, he asked me point blank if anything was going on between Rufus and I and... well, I blatantly lied. I'm not proud of it but I just wasn't ready for him to know." She groaned and ran a hand through her hair. " I hope he's not too upset with me."
Jenny shook her head. "I wouldn't be too worried about that, Eric isn't exactly one to hold a grudge. The ones to be worried about are Dan and Serena. Probably Serena will be slightly less understanding."
Lily peaked up at her. "You aren't upset in the slightest?"
Jenny shrugged. "I'm not upset. It's just going to take some getting used to. I'm still having a hard time with the divorce, but I see the way my dad looks at you, the way he has since he first met you, or, re-met you, whatever."
They heard someone clear their throat and turned to face Rufus. "Hey dad, we were just chatting."
Rufus raised an eyebrow but remained silent as he began to tidy up the apartment with Lilys help.
It was 5:30 by the time Eric, Dan, and Serena returned.
Lily glanced up from her spot in the kitchen with a warm smile. "Hello! How was coffee?"
"Um, coffee was fine, I guess." Serena shrugged and sat down on the arm of the couch.
"I was wondering if you all wanted to maybe go to dinner tonight? Now that you're all back earlier than expected."
Serena shook her head. "Nope. Sorry mom, I'm happy for you and what not, but it's too soon."
Lily nodded, hiding her disappointment with a forced smile. "I understand. I won't push."
Rufus walked in with her bags. "So you're going back to the penthouse tonight?" He asked dejectedly.
She nodded with a sad smile. "Yeah, I should probably talk to my kids one on one, you know?"
He nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah. I should probably do that too. We are still on for Connecticut Friday night though?"
Lily nodded and leaned in to kiss him goodbye but stopped herself when she noticed four pairs of eyes on them. She blushed lightly and pulled the fridge door open to block them from their kids view as they kissed.
Rufus grinned against her lips and placed his hands on her sides. He chuckled when they pulled apart slightly. "Clever, Lil."
She laughed and pecked his lips once more before shutting the fridge door. Eric was miming gagging and their kids were laughing along with him.
"Ha-ha, very funny." Lily teased, her lips and cheeks tomato red. "Come on Van Der Woodsens, let's go home."
Her kids nodded and they said their final goodnights to the Humphreys before heading out.
•••••
The car ride back to the penthouse was awkward to say the very least. Serena was on her phone, avoiding her mother's eyes while Eric gazed out the window in silence. Lily's eyes darted between her two uncharacteristically quiet children before lowering to her lap where she was twiddling her thumbs nervously.
Eric was the first to break the awkward silence, and not until they were safely back in the apartment. "Do we have any hot tea?"
Lily looked up at him and nodded shyly before disappearing into the kitchen to fix some tea for her and her kids. She could hear Eric and Serena's muffled conversation from the living room.
"I don't wanna talk to her, Eric."
"Well I don't either, but if we don't talk now we never will. You know how good people in our family are about avoiding confrontation. This could become a week long Cold War if we leave it be."
"I guess you're right. It's just awkward. I mean, Dan is my boyfriend. Why do things always have to be so complicated?"
Lily sucked in a breath before heading out into the lion's den with her tray of tea. "Hi, kids."
They mumbled their hellos and the three Van Der Woodsens went about silently preparing their tea, avoiding making eye contact with each other.
Lily glanced up and sighed. "I know you both have things you want to say and keeping them in isn't benefiting any of us, now is it?"
Eric met his mother's eyes for the first time in a half hour. "I'm just hurt that you lied to my face. Sneaking around behind people's backs? That I can oddly almost understand, but I asked you point blank if you were involved with Rufus, and you blatantly lied, Mom."
Lily nodded guiltily and glanced at her hands which were folded neatly in her lap. "I know. That was horrible of me, I should never have lied to you. I was just... I don't know. I guess I was nervous."
"Nervous about what? What made you so nervous?" Eric probed.
Lily blushed. "Him. And not in the way you are thinking either. Rufus Humphrey is a mystery of science, you never know what's running through his mind. I wasn't sure what we even were at the time, if he wanted a real relationship or something else. He's the only man with that much power over me, always has been, and that honestly scares the hell out of me. I know I sound like a teenager 'I wasn't sure how he felt about me,' but it's true, and I wanted to be sure that we would work before dragging you two into it. I wanted to be absolutely certain that he was the same Rufus that I knew and loved, my Rufus. And he is. It's plain and simple really. We both have changed, I mean, we must have, it's been over 18 years, but underneath all those changes he's still that crazy young rockstar. And I suppose that somewhere deep deep down is the ghost of the wild groupie he once loved. We have both changed, but we've changed for the better."
Lily glanced up, slightly out of breath from her little speech and glanced at her children. Eric was smiling very slightly and Serena was gazing at her adoringly. She blushed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say all of that, I suppose I got carried away." She let out a nervous laugh.
Serena shook her head. "Wow." She breathed.
Lily bit her lip as Eric spoke up. "Well I'm happy for you mom, for getting your second chance with Rufus. God knows, after all this time you totally deserve it." Eric glanced between mother and daughter who had locked eyes. "I'm going to bed, I'll leave you girls to talk." He stamped a kiss to his mom's cheek before disappearing down the hall into his room.
"So...? You gonna yell at me? Go ahead, I'm all ears, really."
Serena shook her head. "Nope. Despite what you might think, I'm not a horrible person, I'm not going to stand in the way of your happiness." She said with a shrug.
Lily shook her head. "I don't think you're a horrible person, Serena. I just didn't expect you to be so understanding about all of this, God knows I wouldn't have been at your age."
"Well it would be pretty damn hard to be bitchy to you after that little shpeel of yours. I never knew you felt that way, mom."
Lily shrugged. "He was my first love. A part of you never forgets a first love, no matter how hard you try. I understand if you need a little time to warm up to the idea of me and Rufus together, in the meantime, we will try to keep on the downlow for you and Dan's sake."
"Thank you mom, I really appreciate that." Serena embraced her mother.
"Of course, your happiness is my top priority." Lily rubbed her daughters back and stamped a kiss to her forehead before both blondes retreated into their respective bedrooms, leaving the now cold tea on its tray, forgotten in the living room for the night.