Muchas gracias everyone for your reviews! We heart them.
Uhm... runs to board up our windows and doors ...be gentle. Heh. Enjoy!
---------------------------------------------
Lilian sighed softly as
she looked herself over in the mirror. Putting down her brush she
walked over to Dave's bed and climbed under the covers. Part of her
expected to be sharing the room with him, but he insisted she stayed
here while he took the guestroom.
"Face it Lil, Kurt was right, he's the only one who finds you attractive."
Dave had his hand poised to knock when he heard her talking. With a frown, he pushed the door open slightly. "Lil, can I come in?"
"It's your room, I can't exactly keep you out," she replied flatly.
"I uh...I was just coming to say good night." He walked over to her side and leaned down, attempting to kiss her cheek, but she moved away.
"Night Dave."
He stood up, trying to hide his sadness. "Goodnight, Blondie."
Once she was sure he was out of earshot, she turned away from the door, holding one of the many pillows tightly against her and began to cry. She clung to the pillow as if it were the only thing keeping her from going off the edge. Eventually, she cried herself to sleep.
Meanwhile, Dave was in the large living room, his eyes on the plasma screen TV. Jay Leno was on, but he wasn't watching. He raised his hand to his forehead, massaging his temples. With a sigh, he stood up and turned the TV off. He walked down the hall, past Lilian's room and into the guest room he was staying in.
-----------------------
"Huh? You fucking bitch! Don't think I didn't see that kiss tonight!" Kurt shouted.
"No, I…," Lilian pleaded.
"No, what? Fuck that! You know damn well you enjoyed every last second of it, you whore."
She tried to back away from him but he was too quick. Within second he had her pinned against the wall, his hand connecting hard with her cheek. She bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying out. She closed her eyes, trying to block his movements from her mind. She felt herself being thrown onto the bed, his hands on her skirt, tearing the material…
"Lily...baby, wake up you're having a bad dream." Dave hesitantly reached out, gently grasping her by her shoulders.
She screamed, struggling against him. "No please not again...please, I'll be good!"
"Lilian, it's Dave, baby I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He took a chance and pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly as she started to sob. "Shh, it's okay."
Lilian buried herself in his chest, crying until her body could produce no more tears. When she caught her breath and finally pulled away from him, she shook her head. "I'm…I'm really sorry, Dave."
He pulled her closer, squeezing gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about." He rocked her a little, trying to soothe her as much as possible. "Do you want to talk about it?"
She used one of her hands to wipe her cheeks and his bare chest, sniffing. "It was just Kurt, as always."
"Want to tell me what happened?"
Lilian took a deep breath. "It was just what happened the night Charlie had to kiss me on RAW."
Dave's jaw immediately tightened. He could just imagine some of the stuff Kurt would do. "It's okay, Lil, I won't let him do that to you anymore."
"I appreciate that Dave, but I don't think there's a way to change Kurt."
"You could leave him," he suggested softly.
"I...I don't want to get into that. Not tonight." She paused briefly, chewing on her lip. "Dave, if I ask you something…will you tell me the truth?"
"Of course, you know I'd never lie to you."
"Well...why don't you sleep in here with me?"
He looked down, his voice soft when he replied, "Because I didn't want something to happen between us. No, that came out wrong; I do want something to happen I just...not like this. Does that make sense?"
She looked up at him with a small smile on her face. "Yes, it does." She let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you thought I was disgusting because of everything Kurt's done to me and that you didn't want to be close to me." She rubbed her eyes, still sniffing a little. "I'm sorry, I guess that sounds stupid, huh?"
"Of course not, Blondie." He lifted her chin up so that their eyes could meet. "I would never think you were disgusting. I just thought it would be better if we stayed in separate rooms. I didn't want you to do something you might regret."
"Okay, thank you." She gripped the sheet with her hands, wringing it a little. "I'm sorry, I must look like a mess."
He shook his head. "Stop apologizing, you aren't doing anything wrong."
She smiled softly and eased back against the pillows. "It's just a force of habit I guess."
He laid down beside her, gently pulling her against his chest. "Well, we'll have to work on that then."
She snuggled against him, for the first time in a long time, she felt completely safe. "You're gonna help me through everything you can, aren't you?"
He nodded his head. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, you try and get some sleep, I'll be here if you need anything."
She leaned up, lightly kissing his lips. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I mean that, David. You're really helping me, in more ways than you can possibly know."
He smiled, rubbing her back as she laid back down. "Anytime, Blondie, anytime."
The next morning, Lilian was awoken by the smell of something burning. She looked around, noticing that Dave was missing. She quickly jumped out of the bed, running down the hall, towards the kitchen. Immediately, she began laughing as she saw the scene in front of her. "Having some problems?"
Dave was standing at the stove, with a used fire extinguisher in his hands. "You could say that," he said, chuckling. "Uhm, I kind of burned the eggs and bacon."
She stepped closer, looking at the contents of the skillets. "Dave, you did more than just burn them. I think they're permanently stuck to your pans."
He sent her a pitiful pout. "I wanted to surprise you."
She couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "More like trying to kill me!" She giggled and moved him out of her way. "Go sit, I'll cook."
He stood behind her, resting his hands on her hips as he kissed her neck softly before backing away. "Yes ma'am."
She shivered and sent him a playful glare. "You're gonna be in trouble for that later on."
Dave chuckled and held up his hands. "Oops?"
"Oops my ass!" She brushed past him and dumped the burnt food into the trash can. "Do pancakes work for you?"
"Sounds wonderful, though I should probably ask, you can cook right?"
The blonde arched a brow. "Yes I can cook! I mean seriously, who burns breakfast…well besides you!"
He pouted and reached over, gently pulling her to him. "Your laugh is the only thing stopping me from complaining about the damage my ego is currently taking."
She smiled. "Really?" she asked, flattered.
He grinned. "Yes, really. Your laugh would make anybody cheer up."
"Aww," she cooed. "You're so sweet, Dave."
"I'm also very hungry," he joked.
She laughed, pulling away from him. "You're the one that burned breakfast. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get fed. Now then, where do you keep your milk?"
His jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"I'm only kidding. Go watch…football or whatever it is you men watch."
"Can't I just sit here and watch you?"
"You could, but you're kind of distracting." She sighed playfully, resting her hands on her hips. "You could help me though..."
"Help you how, exactly?"
She walked over to him and pulled him to his feet. Leaning up, she gave him a quick kiss. "By getting out of the kitchen of course!"
"But Lil..."
"Bye David."
"Lily I wan-"
"David Michael, go!"
-------------------------------------
Later that evening, the two watched After the Sunset and ate take-out Chinese. When the movie ended, Dave turned to Lilian who was cuddled under his arm. "Are you ready to go back tomorrow?"
She reached over to place her carton of fried wantons on the coffee table. "Yeah, it's just a house show though. But, it'll be nice to see Trish, Maria and them too."
"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked, running the backs of his fingers over her cheek.
"I'll be fine, Dave, I promise," she said, smiling.
"I know you'll be fine, that isn't what I asked," he answered. "I asked if you wanted me to go with you and wait for you backstage while you're announcing."
"Dave, you know how much everything you've done for me means, but I think it'd be best if I go alone. With my luck, Kurt'll show up and I'm not really in the mood to hear him."
"Which is even more reasons why I should come with you," he reminded her softly.
"I'll be fine, I promise. I'll call you before and after the show so you know how I am, okay?"
Knowing she wasn't going to give in, he nodded his head. "Alright, but don't be surprised if the girls complain about my constant calling to check on you."
She laughed softly and moved to sit in his lap so that she could snuggle into his frame more. "I'll just let them beat you up when the time comes."
He laughed a little. "Well thanks; I'm glad I can count on you."
She grinned and traced meaningless patterns on his shirt with her fingers. "You know it."
"Mhm, and I also know that you probably should get to bed."
She rolled her eyes and reluctantly crawled off him. "Yes, Dad."
Dave stood up too, and gasped. "Do I really look that old?"
"Yeah, you should probably buy some more of that wrinkle cream you use, old man."
"That'll hurt a man, you know," he commented, picking up the empty Chinese cartons.
She laughed and batted her lashes. "I'm sorry."
He nudged her gently, putting her on the couch so he could finish cleaning up. "We both know you're not!"
"Hey, I'm trying to be nice here!"
Dave smirked playfully as he made his way back to her side. "Don't hurt yourself."
"Now who's the mean one?"
"Still you." He winked and leaned down, lifting her into his arms. "Ready for bed Blondie?"
Despite stifling a yawn, she shook her head. "Nope."
By the time he carried her to his room, she had fallen asleep. Smiling, he laid her down on the bed, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before leaving to finish cleaning up his kitchen and living room.
When Monday night finally rolled around, Lilian was relieved to tell people she hadn't seen Kurt at all. On the other hand, she hadn't seen Dave either, but she understood.
"Hey Shawn!"
"Hey there, darlin'," Shawn said cheerfully. He gave her a friendly hug and kiss on the cheek. "How are you doing?"
"Great," Lilian replied, equally as cheerful. "I was thinking, would you like to come with me after the show to get something to eat? I realized we haven't really got to see each other a lot, and I really do miss talking to you."
"Are we invited?" came Maria's voice from behind them.
Trish followed and stood with her hands on her hips. "Yeah, what about us?"
Lilian exchanged a look with Shawn then sighed playfully. "I guess you could come."
The Canadian gasped. "Gee Lil, here I thought we were your best friends too. But I see how it is."
The youngest diva played along and started to pout. "I feel no love anymore. None."
"Oh God, you can come!"
The two ran over and hugged their friend. "Thank you, Lily!"
"Don't thank me, Shawn's treating!" she threw out jokingly, laughing as the two divas ran over to hug Shawn.
Shawn sent them all a stern look before losing himself to laughter as well once Lilian joined in on the hug. "You three are something else, you know that?"
"Well yeah."
"But you still love us!"
"Look whose talking!"
The three replies all came at once, earning a groan from the Texan.
-----------------------
Lilian went out that night with the most genuine smile she'd had on her face in a long while. Of course, all good things must come to an end. When she walked backstage, still smiling, there was Kurt. The smile immediately erased from her lips and she nearly dropped her book in terror.
"Hi Lil," he said softly, walking over to her.
"K-Kurt," she stuttered out. "What are you doing here?"
"I've had a while to think about things."
When she looked in his eyes, she thought she saw something different in the blue pools. "Okay, what's going on?"
"Can we talk privately?"
"Yeah, I uh...I just have to get my stuff."
He took her book from her hands and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Okay Lily."
The walk back to the divas' locker room was silent, when it came time for her to go inside he willing stepped aside. After telling Trish and Maria she wouldn't be able to make it, she slowly headed out of the room.
"All set?" he asked as he took her bag.
She bit her lip, nodding her head. "Yeah, let's go."
At some random corner where Kurt had to stop at a red light, he turned to face her. "Have you had anything to eat?"
"No, I was going to –" She cut herself off, thinking it wouldn't be the best to tell him of her plans that involved Shawn. "I was going to order room service," she lied.
"Okay, do you want to go get something real fast? I saw a Cracker Barrel up the highway."
"Sure," she agreed, trying to loosen up. "That sounds great." Suddenly, she was beginning to feel really guilty about spending a few days with Dave.
"How are you doing?" he asked when the light turned green. "How is your head?"
"I'm good, my head is too," she answered, smiling slightly.
"That's good," he replied, reaching over to take one of her hands that rested in her lap. "I've missed you."
His soft admission caught her off guard, but she forced her reply. "I've missed you too, Kurt."
A little over an hour later they made their way back to the hotel. He had even asked her permission before entering the room.
"Lil, I just want you to know how sorry I am for the way I've been treating you."
"It's okay, Kurt," she replied, fearing he would snap any second now.
"No, it's not. I love you, Lilian. I shouldn't treat you that way."
She nodded, her nerves on end on what his next move would be. "Is this what you've been thinking about?"
"Yes, and I know how wrong I truly was. Lilian, I look at you and I just wonder how I could've possibly done and said what I did to you. I'm…I'm so sorry."
Lilian swore she saw the hint of tears in his eyes. She relaxed completely and stepped forward to hug him. "I know, but that was then, okay? It will be okay," she assured.
He returned the hug, content in standing there with her. "How can you possibly forgive me?" Kurt shook his head, noticing that her hands would freely roam on his back.
"Because I know that you know it was wrong. You did hurt me, but that doesn't mean I won't give you another chance."
He pulled back and lifted her face so that their eyes were leveled. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm thankful for whatever it was."
She sent him a smile, surprising herself some when she leaned up, brushing her lips over his.
He returned the kiss, just as softly. "Is this a new start for us?"
"I think it is, and it's exactly what we needed."
Kurt smiled at her. "Me too." They stood there for a moment of comfortable silence. He lifted her hands into his. "Do you want to order a movie?"
"Yeah, I think that'd be great. Let me get changed first, okay?"
Kurt grabbed the remote off the table next to the couch and turned the TV on while Lilian pulled on a gray tank top and black, cotton shorts. Just as she was about to sit down, somebody knocked on the door. She raised an eyebrow.
"Are you expecting someone?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm really not." Confused, she walked over to the door and opened it to find Dave on the other side. "Dave! What are you doing here?"
"Hey Blondie," he greeted. Peering inside, he saw Kurt sitting on the couch and his demeanor quickly changed. "'the hell is he doing here?"
"Dave, he's my boyfriend," she explained. "He changed or something," she said, almost in a whisper so Kurt wouldn't hear.
"What do you mean he's 'changed'?"
She sighed softly. "I'll be back in a sec, babe." Turning back to Dave, she gently pushed him out into the hallway. "I mean exactly what I said. He apologized, and he's a lot like he was when we first started going out. I think this might be it."
"Lil…God, please don't tell me you're going to fall for his act!"
"David, people change all the time, Kurt can do it too. Now please, can I go back inside?"
"So that's it? He comes back acting all nice and you forget everything that happened?"
She rested her hand against her head. "Yes."
"What about us?"
She bit her lip, and looked away. "There never was an us."
"You don't mean that. If you did..." He reached over cupping her face, forcing her to face him. "If you did, you'd look me in the eyes when I said. And I could do this," he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a tender kiss. "And you'd say you felt nothing."
Forcing herself not to think about the sensations he was sending through her. She spoke up, her tone suddenly cold. "Kindly let go of me so I can go back to my boyfriend."
With no other choice, he let her go. "I'll see you tomorrow at the show then."
"I doubt it, Dave," she said and started to push her door open again. "Bye."
She closed the door, leaving him there to say his goodbyes to the front of the door.
