A/N: welcome to chapter five, lalala, you know the drill. There's only one more chapter after this. All the Buddha stuff Travis says is complete BS, at least as far as I know. But yeah. On with the fic.
Knowing that something needed to change was all well and good; actually doing something about it was a completely different story. Luckily enough, though, Ray was tired of watching Lily waste away and he had decided to do something about it for her. At school the next day, Ray cornered Lily by her locker.
"Lily, we need to talk."
Lily ignored the thrill of fear that ran up her spine, both at his close proximity and the momentary flash that maybe he Knew. "What about?"
"Lily, don't pretend. I know. Meet me at lunch in the studio."
Lily blinked, trying her damnedest to not betray what she was thinking and to maintain a mildly puzzled expression. "Okay, Ray. Whatever."
Lunch came, and Lily walked to the studio. Ray was already there. She walked in, and Ray locked the door behind her.
"Ray, why'd you lock the door?" Lily asked, getting scared in spite of herself.
"Look, Lily, I know what happened, and we're not leaving until you admit something's wrong."
"What? What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong, Ray. Really."
"Lily, you've lost weight, you don't talk to me or Travis or anyone anymore, your grades are going down the drain, you almost never say anything on RFR. Lily, stop hiding. I know what happened. I found you lying in the street and walked you home."
"What? No one walked me home!"
"Aha! So you admit you needed walking home!"
"No, I… Gahhh!" Lily punched Ray in frustration.
"Lily, usually I let you win the fights, but not this time. I am not backing down this time."
"Ray, I'm fine, it's my problem, I can deal with it!"
Ray grabbed Lily's arm where the burn was and pulled it up. "Then what's this?" he asked, indicating the Band-Aid. Lily wrenched her arm from his grip.
"You're insane," she informed him.
"No one's denying that, but I'm also right. Lily, you were attacked, and you need help. I don't know what happened or who it was, but I know that something happened, and it was someone, so please, Lily just tell me!"
"No! Nothing happened!" Lily shouted. She suddenly rushed at Ray, fists flying, in the only way she knew to try to show him the pain she'd felt. It didn't really hurt, she was too physically weak and emotionally drained for that, so Ray just let her beat his chest with rapidly decreasing aggression, until she finally fell sobbing into his arms. Ray stroked her back and let her cry for a while, until he became aware that she had stopped crying so hard and was trying to speak.
"I'm sorry…it's just…he's a shadow in the night…I can't seem to make him go away…I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't think I could deal with reliving it…he didn't even get my pants undone but I was still so messed up over it I didn't know what to do, I felt so stupid and weak…I'm sorry…"
"No, no no no, don't be sorry. You were attacked. If you were mugged, would you feel stupid and weak and be sorry for it?"
"I was afraid…I was afraid of getting hurt more."
"It's okay, Lily. No one's going to hurt you any more."
And he kissed her.
At first Lily was afraid it would remind her of Him, like so many things did these days, but it didn't. Where that had been rough and taking and devoid of any emotion except desire for control, this was gentle and soft and warm and comfortable and perfect. They continued to kiss until Travis and Robbie were due to arrive. Then they pulled apart and Lily bit her lip, trying to find words to express what she was thinking.
"What is it?"
"I'm gonna need time, Ray. I mean, I can't just jump into this. I…"
"Shhh. It's okay. I know exactly what you're saying. We'll take it slow. I promise."
Lily smiled and kissed him again. She didn't know how she could have dreamed a better guy into her life. At that point, they heard two pairs of hands slowly, sarcastically clapping.
"It is about time," Robbie pronounced, smiling.
"Buddha teaches that, while a good builder of character, self-denial is not the key to enlightenment," Travis said wisely, also smiling.
Lily dropped her head onto Ray's chest and spoke to him. "Make them go away." Ray smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I'll make it all go away. I promise."
Knowing that something needed to change was all well and good; actually doing something about it was a completely different story. Luckily enough, though, Ray was tired of watching Lily waste away and he had decided to do something about it for her. At school the next day, Ray cornered Lily by her locker.
"Lily, we need to talk."
Lily ignored the thrill of fear that ran up her spine, both at his close proximity and the momentary flash that maybe he Knew. "What about?"
"Lily, don't pretend. I know. Meet me at lunch in the studio."
Lily blinked, trying her damnedest to not betray what she was thinking and to maintain a mildly puzzled expression. "Okay, Ray. Whatever."
Lunch came, and Lily walked to the studio. Ray was already there. She walked in, and Ray locked the door behind her.
"Ray, why'd you lock the door?" Lily asked, getting scared in spite of herself.
"Look, Lily, I know what happened, and we're not leaving until you admit something's wrong."
"What? What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong, Ray. Really."
"Lily, you've lost weight, you don't talk to me or Travis or anyone anymore, your grades are going down the drain, you almost never say anything on RFR. Lily, stop hiding. I know what happened. I found you lying in the street and walked you home."
"What? No one walked me home!"
"Aha! So you admit you needed walking home!"
"No, I… Gahhh!" Lily punched Ray in frustration.
"Lily, usually I let you win the fights, but not this time. I am not backing down this time."
"Ray, I'm fine, it's my problem, I can deal with it!"
Ray grabbed Lily's arm where the burn was and pulled it up. "Then what's this?" he asked, indicating the Band-Aid. Lily wrenched her arm from his grip.
"You're insane," she informed him.
"No one's denying that, but I'm also right. Lily, you were attacked, and you need help. I don't know what happened or who it was, but I know that something happened, and it was someone, so please, Lily just tell me!"
"No! Nothing happened!" Lily shouted. She suddenly rushed at Ray, fists flying, in the only way she knew to try to show him the pain she'd felt. It didn't really hurt, she was too physically weak and emotionally drained for that, so Ray just let her beat his chest with rapidly decreasing aggression, until she finally fell sobbing into his arms. Ray stroked her back and let her cry for a while, until he became aware that she had stopped crying so hard and was trying to speak.
"I'm sorry…it's just…he's a shadow in the night…I can't seem to make him go away…I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't think I could deal with reliving it…he didn't even get my pants undone but I was still so messed up over it I didn't know what to do, I felt so stupid and weak…I'm sorry…"
"No, no no no, don't be sorry. You were attacked. If you were mugged, would you feel stupid and weak and be sorry for it?"
"I was afraid…I was afraid of getting hurt more."
"It's okay, Lily. No one's going to hurt you any more."
And he kissed her.
At first Lily was afraid it would remind her of Him, like so many things did these days, but it didn't. Where that had been rough and taking and devoid of any emotion except desire for control, this was gentle and soft and warm and comfortable and perfect. They continued to kiss until Travis and Robbie were due to arrive. Then they pulled apart and Lily bit her lip, trying to find words to express what she was thinking.
"What is it?"
"I'm gonna need time, Ray. I mean, I can't just jump into this. I…"
"Shhh. It's okay. I know exactly what you're saying. We'll take it slow. I promise."
Lily smiled and kissed him again. She didn't know how she could have dreamed a better guy into her life. At that point, they heard two pairs of hands slowly, sarcastically clapping.
"It is about time," Robbie pronounced, smiling.
"Buddha teaches that, while a good builder of character, self-denial is not the key to enlightenment," Travis said wisely, also smiling.
Lily dropped her head onto Ray's chest and spoke to him. "Make them go away." Ray smiled and kissed her forehead.
"I'll make it all go away. I promise."
