~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Liz's PoV
"Liz, wake up...Liz, there's a nice, warm, bath waiting for you." Ben says, and I opens one eye sleepily. I smile, yawning.
"Are you lying to me?" I ask, giving him a mock-stern look. He brings his hand to over his heart, rubbing it.
"Oh, Liz, my dear, you wound me." he tells me, smirking that famous smirk. "Of course I'm not lying. Why would I derive pleasure from lying to a woman as lovely as you?"
"Because you're a man." I deadpan, and then let out a grin. "It's a known fact that your sex likes to lie to the fairer sex- i.e. women." I inform him, and his eyebrows raise up, giving me a nice view of those gorgeous green eyes.
"I am appalled! And to think, I spent over a half an hour making your bath perfect for you!" he huffs, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the doorframe, trying not to smile.
"Aw, poor baby! Are you mad at me?" I ask him, doing my best puppydog pout. I stand up a bit wobbily, and he's immediately there, his arms around me, keeping me safe.
"Never." he tells me, and through his grin I see the truth in that statement. I lean against his chest.
"I know. I'm too cute to get mad at." I tell him, and he nods. "Well, if you excuse me, I'm going to go take a bath." I tell him, and he walks me to the bathroom. I kiss him quickly, on the cheek, telling him, "You're such a gentleman." just as I close the door. Smiling inwardly as I turn the lock.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ben's PoV
She takes everything so well. I mean, she's just abandoned everything she's ever known, and yet she's so happy.
I meant what I said, about making her better. I'd do anything in my power just to make her smile.
I turn the tv on, but don't really watch it. After a while I pick up a book and read it, feeling like I've been living the storyline...
God, Shakespeare was deep.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`Liz's PoV
I stay in the bathtub for a while, enjoying the warmth on my cool skin, reviewing my hate for Manticore and my not-so-hate for Ben. After the water gets cold, I shakily stand up, cursing my legs that won't work. I pull on my favorite cherry-covered pajamas that Ben so sweetly laid out beside the tub, and turn the doorknob soundlessly. Ben's deep asleep on the bed, a book on his chest.
I make my way to the bed and look at the cover. Hmmm...Romeo and Juliet; I never took Ben to be a hopeless romantic. Suddenly I'm tired- really, truly, fall asleep standing up kinda tired. I lay down on the bed, pulling up the covers and sliding between them.
It bugs me how much I care that I'm in bed with him. He's my brother, for god's sake. But even though I'm bothered by it, I love how comfortable I am when I'm close to him. How much I can let my guard down.
I roll into him, grateful for the warmth. "Goodnight, Ben." I whisper, snuggling into his chest as his arms wrap around me in his sleep.
"Love you, Liz." he murmurs, kissing my forehead. I smile, hoping that he wasn't meaning brother-sister love, and sink into a dream.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dream Sequence
A line of children, tethered to the bottom of a ten foot deep pool- The Tank. Words that strike fear into the hearts of soldier-children, and a sight to bring humanitarians to their knees.
Liz looks around her. Ben gives her an encouraging wink. She tries to smile back, but her cheeks are so full of stored air that she can't. Then Tally starts flailing against the restraints, her face colored with fear and panic. Lydecker watches from above, his face not betraying the guilt at letting one of his kids die. But he has to. To teach them a lesson.
One none of them will soon forget. The restraints come undone, and Tally's lifeless body floats to the surface, and along with it their dreams of their whole family escaping. They know now that they are expendable...they don't matter...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Liz's PoV
I gasp, sitting straight upright as air whooshes into my lungs. Ben sits up immediately, pulling me close to him as I try to block out the painful memories. "Nightmare?" he murmurs against my shoulder, and I nod, settling into him. "It's okay now. I got you." he whispers, kissing my shoulder.
"I know you do, Ben," I tell him, glad for his strong arms keeping the bad things away. "I trust you with my life, you know that?" I ask him, turning so I can see his face. He smiles a little.
"I had guessed, speculated even.." he says, trailing off. I frown, and he smirks, causing my spirits to rise again. "I had hoped. A lot." he tells me and I smile.
"You're a jerk, you know that?" I tell him, semi-mad that he made me make a fool of myself.
"Yeah, but you love me anyways." he says, and I stare into those beautiful green eyes and say the first thing that comes to mind.
Which, unfortunately, is, "yeah, I do." I freeze instantly, realizing my mistake. Ben tenses behind me, and I close my eyes, wanting more than anything to have the ground open up and me to fall in, or a giant bird to swoop down and carry me away. Anything to take away from the almost painful embarrassment.
"Are you serious?" Ben asks, his voice soft, not a hint of mocking in it. I nod, then avert my eyes.
"It's funny how the ground never swallows you whole when you want it to." I mumble, and his finger lifts my chin, bringing my gaze to his once again.
"I feel the same way, Liz." he tells me, his emerald eyes full of truth. I smile, letting the breath I didn't know I was holding out in a happy sigh. He leans in, kissing me softly on the lips.
"I'm so glad you found me." I whisper, not knowing why I feel the need to. I snuggle into him and he pulls the blanket over us.
"Me too, Liz. Me too." he says, pulling me close. I close the distance between us with a kiss, unable to stay away from the warmth and safety that his touch gives me.
Okay, so maybe splitting up isn't that bad of an idea. It's only a week, right? A week all to ourselves...
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A/N: So, you like? Sorry if y'all wanted me to write more detailed, but what can I say? I don't really know how to write it. Hope I did a good job-tell me if I didn't. Please ReViEw!!!!! I'd love ya forever and ever, not that I don't already...you know what I mean!!!
Drop me a line!!!!!! oh, I've updated some other stories, if y'all are interested in them, too.
by the way, I am totally outraged by that new Lay's commercial, the Wisconsin Cheddar chip one- we so do not talk like that!!!!! argh!!! please, my fellow cheeseheads, give me some support to get through this hard time. Every time I see it I wanna cry!!!! *sniffs*
luv ya!!
Molly Jeane :D