Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana.
–––
A/N: Thanks for all of you who read and reviewed. This chapter contains a bit of kinkiness (to justify the M rating), so I hope you like it :)
–––
Shooting Rainbows
–––
Chapter 4:
It's been four days since Oliver moved in with Lilly and so far, they hadn't really spent any time together to get to know each other and talk. They just never came across one another. He noticed she left for work in the evenings and came back in the wee hours of the night, when he was already asleep. When he got up in the mornings to leave for work, she was the one sleeping, and by the time he got back home, she was already gone again.
Oliver was beginning to feel a little awkward whenever he came home. On the one hand, he wished he wouldn't bump into her, because then he wouldn't really know what to say to her. On the other hand, he wanted to get it over with and have a talk with her already, so he could move on and feel at ease again. He hated being stuck in that situation. He wanted to be comfortable in his new home and was unable to whilst they kept missing each other.
It was around seven thirty when he got home from work that day. He had to stay longer than usual to finish backed-up projects. Expecting to enter the apartment for another evening of having it to himself, he was in for a surprise as he found Lilly sitting in the living room, watching TV.
He wasn't sure what she was doing there in such an hour. Judging by the evenings before, he thought she would be gone by the time he got home, but there she was, sitting on the sofa and watching Gossip Girl.
He closed the front door quietly. He wasn't sure if he did it because he didn't want to disturb her or because he didn't want her to notice he was there. He hung his coat on the hanger beside the door and took off his shoes.
He took a moment to look at her (or more like, the back of her head) and then studied the way to the hallway, trying to count how many steps it will take him to get there. He wondered how he was supposed to cross the living room to his bedroom without making her notice him. It seemed impossible. After all, she couldn't be that engrossed in her TV show. He realized had no choice. He had to get this over with, for the sake of having to live with her for at least a few months, like he promised Jake.
He cleared his throat loudly. "Erm... hey."
She turned her head and flashed him a smile. She didn't seem surprised or startled to find his presence there. He wondered if she did hear him come in, after all. "Hey, roomie!" she said cheerfully.
He returned her smile, shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers and walked over to stand by the sofa. "I didn't expect to see you here at this time," he said honestly.
She muted the TV and looked up at him. "I have the rest of the week off," she explained.
He nodded. He decided to be nice and start a small conversation with her. They had to start somewhere. "Do you always work so late at nights?"
"No, not always," she said. "I don't really have steady hours. I work on mornings and weekends, as well."
She got up and walked into the kitchen, leaving her show on mute. Oliver felt bad that he interrupted her. As his eyes followed her, he suddenly took notice of the delicious smell of food that filled the air. His stomach gave a loud growl and reminded him how hungry he was. For the past few days he had been living on the stale sandwiches that were served for lunch at work and take-out boxes for dinner, but today was so busy and chaotic that he didn't even had time to go out and eat anything.
"What smells so good?" he asked with interest.
Lilly moved over to the stove to check on a pot she left on the burner. As she lifted the lid, hot steam emerged out like a mushroom cloud and the smell in the room only intensified.
"Homemade mac and cheese. Want to join me?"
Oliver hesitated, but the pain in his stomach got stronger by the second and he couldn't ignore it anymore. He had to admit that her cooking smelled heavenly. Besides, it'd be a good chance to get to talk to her.
"Sure," he said. She smiled and stirred the contents of the pot before she pulled out two bowls from the cabinet above the sink and poured a generous helping for each of them.
Oliver helped with setting up the dining table. He pulled out two glasses and a Coke bottle from the fridge.
"Do you have a preferred seat?" he asked.
She chuckled. "I do actually," she said, her voice somewhat filled with awe. Oliver was sure she didn't expect him to ask and that she admired him for that. "That one," she said and pointed to the chair on the right end. He nodded and chose the one across from hers.
She came over and put the two bowls on the table in front of each seat. "It's not much," she said modestly as they both sat down. "But I just craved mac and cheese for so long now, that I had to make it."
Oliver took a spoonful into his mouth and groaned loudly. "Oh, my God."
Lilly stared at him with wide eyes. "What? You don't like it?"
Oliver swallowed and shook his head forcefully. "No, I do. It's delicious!"
She beamed with joy. "Really? You mean it?"
Oliver nodded as he hurried to take another spoonful.
"Thank you, Oliver. I love to cook, but Miley didn't use to like my cooking. When we didn't eat out, she insisted to take over the kitchen."
"I can cook, too, but not as good, so you can take over the kitchen whenever you'd like," Oliver said and Lilly gave him a grateful smile in return.
Oliver was interested to hear more about Miley. That was the second time he heard of her and he had no idea who she was. Somehow he got the feeling that she and Jake used to go out, but Jake never mentioned her before. It was weird, because Oliver knew all of Jake's past girlfriends and never had he heard about a Miley. True, Jake had a lot of girlfriends and remembering all of their names would be almost impossible, but a name like Miley isn't common, so there was no way Oliver would have forgotten her. He guessed it would be more appropriate to ask Jake about that later instead of going indirectly and ask Lilly first. He chose to forget about that for now and just ask Lilly about her relationship with her.
"So that Miley girl. She's your old roommate, I understand?" he asked as he poured them both a glass of Coke.
"Thanks," Lilly said as she took a sip of her drink and nodded to answer his question. "Yeah. We've been best friends since the sixth grade."
"Why did she move out?"
Lilly shrugged. "She felt like it was finally time for her to be on her own."
"Did you have a fight?"
"No, it wasn't anything like that. We're still friends and see each other all the time. She's doing really well in her job, so she bought her own house."
"Oh. Good for her," Oliver said, drinking from his own glass of Coke.
"Yeah, I'm happy for her. We shared a dorm room in college and after that we moved in here."
"So it must be strange for you to live with a stranger now."
Lilly looked up at him and gave him a nervous smile. "A little bit."
He smiled at her in reassurance. "Don't worry. Once we break the ice, we won't be such strangers anymore."
"Well, there's no better time than the present to get to know each other," she said. "Let's ask each other a few questions."
"Erm, okay," Oliver said unsurely. "Like what is my favorite color and such?"
She nodded. "That's a good start. What is your favorite color? Oh, wait. Don't tell me. Is it blue?" she said with mock cheek.
He chuckled. "No. It's brown, actually."
"What? Brown is not a color you can love!" she protested.
"Yes, it is!" Oliver contradicted.
"Fine, if you say so. I actually was kidding about the blue. To be honest, I thought it'd be pink."
Oliver wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Eww! Why?"
"I don't know... Because you have too many pink shirts?" she chuckled, eyeing the shirt he had on. It was a different one than when she last saw him wear when he applied for the apartment the other day.
Oliver sighed and buried his head in his hands. "That was a laundry accident. It was horrible. They used to be white." Lilly laughed harder at that. Looking back now at the situation, he thought it was hilarious. He chuckled at the memory.
Moving on with the conversation, it was his turn to ask her. "So what your favorite color is?"
"Green," she answered simply, stretching her neck as though proud of her answer.
He nodded. "Green is a good choice. Favorite singer or band?"
"Hannah Montana," she said without even thinking.
At that, Oliver let out a great laugh of his own. Lilly's eyes widened and she looked slightly offended. "I'm sorry. I just always thought of Hannah Montana as a teen's idol. Not many adults like her."
"Well, I have to like her."
"Why?"
"She's my boss," Lilly said without even blinking.
Oliver became silent after that. When the shock faded, he asked, "What?"
Lilly sat back in her seat and folded her hands over her chest, now looking smug. She raised an eyebrow, as if challenging him to say she was lying.
"What do you mean, she's your boss?"
"I told you before. I'm her assistant."
"You didn't tell me who you worked for. Wow. Hannah Montana. Jake used to date her, you know." Another one of Jake's old girlfriends, Oliver noted to himself. Only Hannah Montana was the most unforgettable of them all.
She nodded. "Yeah, I know. That's how we know each other. It was such a long time ago, though."
Oliver chuckled. "And he's still pining over her. He'd deny it, though, if you ask him."
Lilly smiled again. "I know," she said and added a wink.
They finished their food and put the dishes in the sink. Oliver offered he will wash them later and Lilly didn't object to that. They moved to the living room and sat comfortably on the sofa to continue their conversation.
"So besides Hannah," Oliver said, picking up from when they left off. "Name another music artist that you like."
Lilly gave it a thought before she answered. "Well, I like Muse, Radiohead, Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift. It's a strange combination, but I find them all good. Your turn."
"Taylor is awesome, I agree," he said and they both chuckled. "I really like listening to Coldplay."
They sat on the sofa for hours, sharing facts about themselves and telling each other stories. They talked about everything. Work, hobbies, people in their lives. Oliver never expected it to go so smoothly so quickly. He was glad they gave it a chance. He learned she was a lovely person and was more than glad to have her as a roommate.
At some point, Lilly suggested to open a bottle of wine she had kept under the sink. They both had a glass and the conversion continued to flow easily. Lilly suggested a fun game, when they had to dub the commercials that were playing on the still muted TV. It turned out to be hilarious and they ended up laughing so hard, they could barely breathe.
"'Look how fantastic our washing powder cleans!'" Oliver said in his worst imitation of a girl. "'With just one touch of Photoshop and the shirt is perfectly clean again!'"
Lilly snorted a laugh. Oliver laughed at the sound she made but thought it was cute. "'What we will never tell you is that it is actually a completely different shirt!'" Lilly said in a low voice in her attempt of dubbing a man.
Oliver let out a fake, exaggerated sigh. "If only it would have worked for my poor pink clothes..." They both laughed at that.
As the time rolled on, the bottle of wine began to empty and the conversation turned more to the intimate side. They neglected the TV and began talking about relationships. Neither felt it was going too far, too fast. On the contrary, it felt as if they'd known each other for years.
Giggly and slightly drunk, Lilly suddenly asked, "So, Oliver... Be honest. Are you a Bottom or a Top?"
Oliver nearly spat out his wine at her question. "Wha... What?" he squeaked, his voice higher than usual.
Lilly threw her head back and laughed. "You know... in bed."
Oliver began to feel flushed. He wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed at the question or it was an effect the wine had on him. "Wow, I didn't expect that question..." he said honestly. He gulped hard, packed up some courage and answered. "Uh, I'm a Top, I guess. Have to be in control."
Lilly laughed again and shoved his chest lightly. Oliver suddenly felt a rush of goosebumps run through his skin when she touched him. He quickly ignored it. "No way. I would've pictured you more as the Bottom type."
Then Oliver realized the way she imagined him in bed. It wouldn't be with a girl. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel about that. Should he be offended? Truth was that he didn't even had a clear mind to think about it too much, but just the idea that she even thought about it, of him in bed, no matter who it was with, boy or girl, made him feel even more flushed and even slightly excited.
"What type are you?" he asked boldly. He stared straight into her eyes, noting how large they looked through her glasses.
"Oh, I'm good either way," she answered and then drained the rest of the wine that was left in her glass in one large gulp. He decided if the conversation was turning this bold and open, he should finish his drink, as well. It was his third glass and the alcohol was now taking full possession of his ability to think and talk. He didn't mind it one bit, though.
"Ass Man or Front Man?" she asked again as she stretched out her hands, pushing her chest forward slightly as she did so.
A smile spread upon his lips. He couldn't believe she was asking him those questions. He realized she must be really wasted to ask someone she just got to know something like that.
He couldn't help but stare at her breasts as she stretched and groaned. It was such a sexy sound that he didn't expect to hear from her. He'd had to admit she had nice body and her face, though hidden behind her large, geeky glasses, was quite beautiful. He was so distracted watching her that he answered automatically. "One hundred percent a Front Man."
Lilly laughed at that, not noticing he stared at her and Oliver was glad for that. If she'd suddenly pick up on his behavior and realize he wasn't gay, the friendship they just built will crumble into pieces in less than a second. Oliver quickly averted his eyes away from her and fixed them on the TV, pretending to watch whatever was currently on.
"So, was the breakup from Alex hard for you?" Lilly asked.
Oliver frowned, not understanding what she meant. It was one of the effects the wine caused him. He squinted at her. "Who?"
"Alex. That's his name, right? You said you lived together. Was it serious?"
Oliver's eyes widened in shock mixed with disgust. "Oh, God no! We were only roommates."
"Oh!" Lilly said, her hands shooting to her mouth, to cover her embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I just thought... well, you let it sound like you were a couple."
Oliver shook his head and sighed. How could she even think he was gay? What was it about him that made him look like he was attracted to guys? Could it really be the outcome of wearing pink shirts?
He remembered what Jake told him. He just had to avoid that kind of conversations and never admit a thing. He hated doing this, but he had no choice. He didn't know how much longer was he supposed to play along with Lilly's assumptions and pretend, but he hoped he will be able to tell her the truth soon enough, maybe after she got used to having him around. He only hoped that whenever that time come, she wouldn't resent him.
"No, thankfully he's not my type," Oliver answered. It was the honest truth, after all.
"What is your type?" she asked, sounding interested.
Oliver thought about how to answer that question without revealing his secret. "Umm... I suppose I like them to be... more gentle, less hairy and not addicted to drugs," he said, carefully choosing his words.
Lilly giggled at that. She let out a sudden yawn and looked through heavy lidded eyes at her watch. "Whoa. Is it really the time?" she asked in surprise.
Oliver checked his own watch and noted it was now 2:40am. He sighed as he remembered he had to work the next morning. "Damn," he said as he and Lilly got up from the couch. Lilly turned off the TV and grabbed the empty bottle and glasses. "I have to get up for work in four hours. Will it be okay if I left the dishes for tomorrow?"
Lilly waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I'll get them in the morning. You go get your beauty sleep; I'll clean up in here."
"Thank you. I owe you," he said and leaned over to plant a quick peck on her cheek. It felt so natural, as though they'd been friends for longer than a few hours. "Goodnight."
"Night," she said in a sleepy voice as she headed to the kitchen and he to his bedroom.
–––
A/N: Did you enjoy it? Please review this chapter and tell me what you think. As per usual, I will post the next one once I get some love :)
