Rocky Horror does not belong to me; it belongs to the eternally awesome Richard O'Brien.

I'm back, and it only took me (just under) three months! *insert angry ramble about struggles with motivation here*

All the songs mentioned and quoted in this chapter belong to their respective creators and rightsholders.

Enjoy!

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14. Expectations

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She couldn't take it anymore. She had to dance or go out of her mind.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she stretched her right leg and took a deep breath; no flinching, which would just make this harder. When she was positive her nerves were settled, she slowly flexed her toes, counting One, two, three…One, two, three in her mind. She expected a flare-up of pain and was relieved at only a dull ache.

She wasn't back at 100% yet, she knew that, but she could at least start easing herself back into tap. Take it very slowly, concentrate on her good foot. The doctor said four to six weeks, and barely two had passed. Whatever they were putting in the water in Denton worked wonders in the many ice packs she had gone through (although Magenta might have hinted the ice had some Transylvanian chemical in it. She wasn't sure; she'd asked and didn't get much of an answer). She still couldn't walk well without leaning on something (or someone, usually a helpful Phantom), but she had the good-foot-hobble down and could get around enough on her own.

Breakfast was uneventful. Rocky barely looked at her (which she couldn't blame him for, after what she said the other night) and she couldn't try talking to him with Frank sitting at the head of the table. Hopefully, since they were somehow good at running into each other, she'd find him later and explain herself.

With that decided, she stopped at her room after breakfast to grab her radio and headed up to the lab. There was no sign of anyone else claiming the lab for the day - no doubt Riff Raff had secured everything the night before - and the only other presences when she arrived were a couple of Phantoms who slinked away. No matter; she didn't want anyone watching her (probably pathetic) attempt at re-teaching herself to use both feet. Actually, she was getting excited as she took a seat on the wooden platform (dancing while standing up wasn't an option yet unless Frank had bars put on the walls, very unlikely).

Now if only she could find the right song to match her mood. She set her radio on a shelf and switched it on.

"Some people call me the Space Cowboy, yeah,

Some call me the Gangster of Love…"

"The Joker," huh? Not her first pick, yet a quick turn of the dial let her know the other stations were either at commercial or just DJs cracking jokes. She couldn't wait any longer, so it would have to do. This wasn't the kind of song with energy for tap, but it had a rhythm nonetheless that she could work with. She started by just tapping the toes of her left foot, initially out of sync with the music, but quickly finding a groove.

Of course, that was when the song ended, and something a little more workable - "Ramblin' Man" - came on in its place. The song bolstered a surge of energy in her and she started tapping her heel now. Before she knew it, the Allman Brothers changed to Stealers Wheel, and she was back to a full shuffle. Her bad foot had started to join in on its own, doing the little twitch needed to keep her good foot straight. The best part was that she didn't notice any pain coming from her toe. By the time the block of songs ended for commercials, she was feeling pretty good.

That's when she caught sight of Rocky in the doorway. (How long had he been there?)

"Hi." He shuffled, nervously.

Stay calm, be nice. "How's it going?"

"Can I come in? I need to ask you something?"

A brief flash of throwing her shoe at him and screaming "GET OUT!" ran through her mind, but she squashed it, and the ensuing guilt, back down. "Sure. Come on in."

He did so, finding a place to stand by her, still looking uncomfortable. Ok, she could make the first move. "What can I do for you?"

"Is it true what you said to Frank?"

He didn't need to say any more. She hadn't thought anything of what she said at the time, other than that she didn't want Frank pissed at her for daring to be alone with his "beautiful creature." It must have worked since he'd pretty much ignored her afterward (which stung, but she'd take it over being on his bad side).

Still, she'd talked about Rocky like he wasn't even there, like he was just a thing that wasn't worth her time and could be handed off to someone else.

She knew what that was like.

Either she'd never really paid attention before (very likely) or the kicked-puppy look was something new for him. Regardless. she forced herself to look him square in the face. "I'm really sorry about that. When I said it, I was just trying not to piss off Frank, but that's no excuse." Her mouth went dry. She wasn't the best speaker, but words usually didn't fail her like this. Her mind raced for something else to say, but everything else she thought of just didn't feel right. If she started babbling now, everything might come out sounding hollow.

Except for one thing. "And I really did enjoy getting to teach you poker. If we get another chance, I can teach you some more."

That brought a smile out of him. She didn't think seeing his smile would have much of an effect, but her guilt evaporated. Did he forgive her, just like that? She knew she meant her apology, and short of getting him to read her mind (very unlikely), he must have believed her. A smile crept up her own lips and the tension was gone.

"What are you doing up here, anyway?" he asked, gesturing to the expansive room. Relief flowered in her chest; if he wasn't going to linger on the past, neither was she. "Since I haven't really been able to tap for a while, I'm trying to get back into it." She motioned to her bad foot. "Right now, I'm taking it easy, since my toe isn't quite ready yet."

He looked down at her feet and tilted his head in a way that was kind of adorable. "You can tap dance on one foot?"

She giggled. "That would be something. Sadly, no, but I figured if I could get my good foot back into shape, that'll make it easier when my toe is healed." Of course, she had no idea if that was true, but it was probably better than just guessing when she was ready. His nod of understanding bolstered her confidence in her theory.

What she wasn't expecting was for Rocky to shrink back, as though she'd scream at him again. Did she look like she was ready to?

"Can I…Can I watch you?"

The DJ announced the start of another block of songs, getting both their attention. She panicked, looking back and forth between the radio and Rocky. Was she ready? (Of course, she wasn't. She hadn't been able to dance for the last few weeks.)

Did he care if she was ready?

"Y-Yeah. Sure, you can." As he moved to take a seat on the floor in front of her, she tried to recall if he'd actually seen her tap. Sure, there was the Christmas party, but he'd been swarmed by guests, and by the time they were alone together, she sure hadn't felt like dancing.

Ok, she could do this. She put on a smile as the opening keyboard of "Dancing in the Moonlight" poured out of the radio. "Here's hoping Frank doesn't decide to join us."

"He went into town," Rocky said. "I don't know when he'll be back."

She wasn't expecting to feel relieved at this, but she'd take it. "Ok, here goes." Picking the shuffle back up was easy, even more so since "Dancing" had a perfect rhythm for tap. At first, she took it slow and concentrated on her foot (which was probably unprofessional, but she wasn't a pro, to begin with), not sure if she could handle looking at her new audience. Around the second chorus, she risked a glance.

The awe on his face almost made her stop. She was barely doing anything, but he looked at her like she was Eleanor Powell, Ann Miller, Ginger Rogers, and all the other greats rolled up into one.

Well, if that's what he thought, she'd be glad to show what she could really do, broken toe or not. "Bang a Gong" was next in line, and she found such a groove that her feet seemed to gain a mind of their own.

"Bang a Gong" became "Tiny Dancer," which - as she found herself standing up and dancing a circle around Rocky - became "School's Out," which became "Kodachrome."

And dancing on a still-recovering toe caught up with her. A spike of pain shot through her foot, nearly doubling her over. Her mind screamed to get off her bad foot, but that would mean moving, which would mean using her bad foot. Short of falling over and crawling everywhere, she was kind of stuck.

"Do you need any help?" He was halfway to standing up.

Maybe she'd have snapped at him a month or so ago, but now, well… "Yes, please."

She threw an arm around his shoulders and leaned into him. "I just need to sit down for a second." She said, motioning with her head towards the platform steps. With his help (she figured he was strong with those muscles, but not that strong), she was sitting on the steps in no time and took off her right shoe with a sigh of relief. "I guess I still need to take it easy, huh?" Despite her best efforts to speak and laugh at the same time, the frustration in her voice was painfully obvious.

She looked up at him to see if he found something funny in this. Instead, aside from a small, nervous smile, he might as well have been a statue. His arms hung at his sides, and he kept his feet rooted to the spot in front of her. What was he afraid of, moving when she didn't tell him to?

No, wait, that was exactly it. He offered to help, she took it, now what?

She patted the space beside her on the step and offered a hopefully-reassuring smile. After some hesitation, he sat down. For a while, the radio did the talking as the DJ segued into "Taxman," and then "Just You 'N' Me." During this time, she couldn't help but notice his efforts to keep some space between them, even as he looked ready to fall off the edge of the step.

Wow, she'd really done a number on him if he was afraid of accidentally brushing against her.

"Hey," she said gently, "think you can help me stand up again?" He looked at her in surprise, although she couldn't tell if it was because she'd asked for his help or if he worried about her toe hurting. (Why was she wondering what he thought? She wasn't a mind reader.)

"O-Okay." His voice was hesitant as he stood up slowly.

She held out her arms before he had a chance to look lost and confused again. "Get your arms around my waist and I'll lean into you with my left side. That way, I can support myself without using my bad foot." Did that make sense? Who knew, but it was enough for him as he did exactly what she said.

A little test pressure on her right foot got a heavily-dull ache as a response. That was enough for her to stand on her own two feet as she pulled her arms away. He seemed unsure again before putting his arms back at his sides as well.

Now, they just stood looking at each other, the lab seeming to go still around them. She wasn't about to let another awkward silence sink in. "Thanks for helping me back there."

"Any time." He said with a small smile.

Something about his smile was growing on her, along with the realization that he kept stumbling across her. One of these days, she had to stumble across him for a change. He'd helped her before. Wasn't there something she could do for him?

"Can I ask you something?"

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He stood before the mirror.

It had been a couple of days, but the words were still fresh in his mind. "Don't worry, Frank. You can have him."

He knew Frank cared; of course, he did. He wouldn't be here if his creator didn't care for him at least a little (enough to steal someone else's brain, anyway). Despite this, Frank had to remind him how much he cared as he stuck close to him in the past couple of days. No going out, no work occupying him in the lab; Frank's days consisted of nothing but staying by his beloved creation's side. He should have enjoyed his creator being around (for once), and he did. Kind of.

Frank being around all the time meant he didn't have to be alone with his thoughts, to let his mind wander and maybe have another conversation with Eddie. Thankfully, Frank had woken him up today with a cheerful "I think you've learned your lesson about wandering off." His creator continued on and on about trusting him enough to be left alone as the two of them went through the motions of their morning routine.

It felt good to hear, but not enough to shake what Columbia had said. Nevertheless, Frank's arms winding around his waist and a kiss pressed to his neck broke his concentration. "What are you thinking about at this time of morning?" His creator whispered, a hand slipping up to tease his hair.

He shook his head, "Nothing. Still waking up, I guess." If Frank trusted him again, what was the point of swaying what he was really thinking about? He wasn't about to undo this good mood just because he was thinking about Columbia instead. Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about it slipping out as Frank, not one to let quiet moments go on too long, sighed dramatically. "It's a shame I have to get dragged to the DTV station today."

"You're leaving again?" He cringed at the desperate sound of his voice, but Frank just looked amused. "Purely for business reasons, darling. My sources say that someone at the station is curious about our castle on the outskirts of town and I have to talk them out of investigating us. Don't worry, I'll be home in time for lunch." Another kiss on his cheek and Frank slipped away, leaving him alone again. Not that he minded today; he had a mission for himself.

Kid, Frank was right there. What could she say? He didn't have an answer to that as he hurried through breakfast. It was strange without Frank at the head of the table for once and despite the company of the Phantoms, being alone with the servants was unnerving enough. Once he was back in the hall, he started searching, peering into every room and behind every door and piece of furniture for a trace of red hair or a squeaky voice. He had to know for himself.

After thorough searches (with some Phantom help) of a few rooms led nowhere, he stopped to catch his breath

You know this. Where does she like to spend her days? Oh, of course. He could kick himself for not thinking of the lab. It took all his self-control to not bound up the steps, even while taking them two at a time. Outside the lab doorway, with a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart and a reassuring You've got this, kid, from Eddie, he stepped towards the combined sounds of music and tap shoes.

There she was, seated on his platform - Was it really his when he only used it once? - concentrating on her feet while her little radio played beside her. It wasn't long before she popped her head up and saw him.

The last time she caught him in the doorway, he had to dodge a flying shoe, but now she smiled and gladly invited him in. His stomach was cold regardless as he asked her about what she'd said. She only hesitated for a few seconds, but in those seconds, everything around them seemed to freeze.

She meant it; she really did. The silence after she trailed off wasn't awkward, it was…easy. If she had started babbling a longer apology, he probably wouldn't have believed her. He wasn't sure how he knew, or if Eddie was having some influence. He just knew that he believed her. (The way she put it, he could imagine doing the same thing if faced with Frank like that). See, didn't I tell ya? And she actually enjoyed teaching him poker? That just made a happy warmth spread inside him.

On top of that, he thought he could feel the tension breaking as they smiled at each other. Maybe that's what inspired him to ask if he could watch. The tremble in her voice as she told him he could briefly lingered in his mind while he took a seat on the floor. However, that was quickly forgotten as she began to tap her good foot properly, and she was incredible. He remembered glimpses of her at Frank's party, but now, to see her up close, even if she had to be careful with one foot, blew his mind.

A thrill ran through him as she stood up and danced around him, further into the lab. He spun around to see her better, the lab doorway catching his eye. The little non-Eddie voice in his head warned him to watch the door, that if he was enjoying himself with Columbia, it meant Frank would enter the room at any second.

When she stopped, looking ready to fall over as her face contorted in pain, his legs moved faster than his thoughts. Yes, she apologized, but what if she still wouldn't want his help?

Kid, relax. You know what to do.

"Do you need any help?" The next moments as she gladly accepted his offer and they sat down together didn't sink in until he realized how their arms were nearly brushing and edged away. The last times he'd stepped in to help her, he was always wary of getting in her way. Either Eddie had to say something to get him moving, or she had to invite him herself (regardless of her mood). Now, here he was, jumping up to help her for no reason other than that she needed someone, and he was right there.

A new, troubling thought came to mind. He had jumped up to help her without thinking twice, but what if the same thing happened with Frank? He knew the only reason he was alive was because Frank wanted him around. Frank, who expected him to do nothing except look good and do what he was told, yet put so much effort into caring for him, helping him understand this world, making him feel wanted (loved crossed his mind).

What was he doing about it? He'd seen what his creator could do when things didn't go how he wanted; that's why he stayed quiet, thinking of how to avoid making Frank mad at him. All he did was think. How could he just let go of his thoughts and fears for once and just act? Why couldn't he do something for Frank for once?

Really, kid? She's right there. You can't be so afraid of her all the time, and she knows Frank the best out of the three of us.

He'd question why he didn't think of that before later. All right, here goes. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"It's about F-" The name caught in his throat. He knew his creator's name, why couldn't he just say it?

Well, he probably didn't have to, as a knowing look grew on her face. "What about him?"

"How can I…" What was with him today? He knew what he wanted to talk about, right? "How can I…do more for him?"

"What do you mean?"

That was a good question, one he hopefully had an answer for. "I don't really do anything when we're together, other than go along with whatever he wants. That's probably what he likes most, that I'm not…" His cheeks warmed as he trailed off again. There had to be a better way to do this.

You're fine. Just relax. He took a deep breath. "He does so much for me, for us and our relationship. I feel like I should be doing something just for him, some way I can really say 'Thank you.'"

You're kind of doing that every time he screws our brains out.

"Other than that!" is what he wanted to indignantly respond with, before remembering she didn't hear anything. He settled for saying, "Aside from what he made me for, I mean."

She nodded, already looking deep in thought. "Do you have any ideas of what you want to do?"

He could only shrug and shake his head. "He puts a lot of thought into everything. What if I put that much thought into something that I think he would love, and it upsets him so much, he rips me to pieces?"

More nodding as she took this in. "I gotcha." She bit her lip and for a moment, the only sound in the room, aside from the radio, was her nails tapping on the wooden step. "Well, you're right about one thing. You don't know how Frank will react. But you do know some things to never mention in front of him."

Is this making any sense to you? Maybe. "Like?"

"Like sleeping with someone else, or saying that something he's done isn't the greatest thing ever. Point is, if there's one person he's not going to completely freak out with, it's you. He's trying to go all out with this relationship, and, yes, we both know what he's capable of, but he's not trying to bullshit you. What you see with him is what you get.''

That was a good point. Frank always tried to make their interactions special, and he hadn't tried to hide anything (although sleeping with other people and being sent out of the room when he got a call from Transylvania came to mind, but he didn't think it would help to mention that). Couldn't he do something like that?

"So, what can I do?" He asked. "I just sit there and let him take care of everything. He treats me like…like I'm the only one in the room. How can I take care of him and treat him like that?

"Ah-ha!" She grinned, holding up a finger. "That's the problem. You're thinking big."

"I am?"

"Well, in general. We both know he likes to go all out. I know you're thinking candlelight dinners and movie nights, but that's really him showing off. Think smaller. What kind of little things has he done? Hold your hand under the table? Compliment how you look today?"

Now that she mentioned it, Frank slipping up behind him earlier wasn't as big as some of his other gestures, but it was giving him an idea. A nudge to his ribs made him look up from the spot on the floor he'd been staring at to find a Phantom pointing at him. Once she had his attention, she pointed down.

What the hell does that mean? Since he didn't respond, she repeated the gestures with a little more emphasis.

Oh, wait a minute. That could only mean one thing.

"I think he's back." Disappointment sank in his chest, not helped by the little "Oh" she murmured. He turned to her to find her head down, but she at once snapped it back up to look at him. "You better get out of here. I don't think either of us want another incident with Frank." That was certainly true.

Still, he couldn't just leave her. He held out a hand, which she took, leaning into him, and they stood up as one. "So, you really think doing something small will work?" Granted, neither of them actually said it, but they were out of time to plan. She could only shrug. "Now's your chance to find out."

He hoped so. "Are you going to be ok?" She grinned. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I can take care of myself from here."

As he turned to leave, it hit him. Had they just been sitting there, talking? Were things really getting that much better between them?

Kid, this is only the beginning.

"Hey, uh…if you ever need any more advice, or…just want to talk…" she trailed off and started playing with her hair.

"Thanks." He felt better, much better than when he came in, and it must have showed on his face. She gave him a smile to match, and he kept that image in his mind as he headed downstairs. As he reached the ground floor, a familiar voice trailed into the hall, and he followed it to one of the sitting rooms. There was Frank, sprawled on the sofa with the phone to his ear, in a very animated conversation. "Of course, I saw the cover, Lee."

Whoever "Lee" was responded, and Frank scoffed. "You know that's not what I would have done, but at least your headline is bigger than poor Natalie's. Besides, who can compete with Liz?" He took a hesitant first step into the room as Franked at whatever "Lee" said now." "Oh no, I give it a year, tops."

At this, his creator sat up, his voice taking on the tone of somebody ready to hang up. "Alright, then, talk to you again soon?" His heart hammered as he watched Frank say goodbye, wanting to time this just right. The click of the phone being placed in the cradle spurred him on. He watched Frank stand up, stretch…and wrapped his arms around his creator's waist, careful not to squeeze him tight. A gasp quickly melted into a quiet chuckle. "Oh, what brought this on?"

Uh-oh, what was he supposed to say? No, wait, she said don't overthink it. Here was his chance to relax a little more and go with his gut.

"I missed you," he murmured into the crook of his creator's neck and heard Frank's breath catch. "Oh, darling." A gloved hand settled on top of his as the other reached up to tease his hair again.

How long they stood like that, he couldn't say, but eventually, Frank slipped out of his grip and over to the large radio in the corner. The stations blended together as he turned the dial, until he settled on the sound of piano and a woman's low voice singing, "We've only just begun to live…"

Frank returned to his arms and guided him in a gentle sway. "You couldn't make me listen to the Carpenters, but I think I can tolerate them this one time, just for you."

And he makes it about him. Why the hell not? Despite Eddie's surge of irritation, he felt rather good about the events of the day. He could (and would) sit down and talk with Columbia again, and for once, he didn't have to be so on edge with Frank.

Where to go from here?

Would he have to talk to Eddie again?

Yes, he definitely would.

For now, he was content to hold his creator close.

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Thanks for reading! See you next chapter!

Here's a fun game. Can you guess who "Lee" was?

Magazine referenced: Rona Barrett's Hollywood, January 1974.