Disclaimer: I don't own Hannah Montana.
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A/N: Wow! Thank you for all of the reviews, follows and favorites! I really appreciate them and I'm glad you like this story! :)
Now, for this chapter: I've actually finished writing it in one day, but I only uploaded it now because I went on a vacation and only just now got the time to go over it and found that it needed a bit of fixing because the events seemed to be a bit too rushed for me, so I hope I managed to make it better.
And I will have to apologize in advance. You will find this chapter a bit hard to read at first, but hang in there and read it through. This is a Loliver story after all. ;)
And one more note: I've never been to LA, and I didn't want to use actual locations, because it can go all wrong, so I made up some of them, so just go with it. ;)
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Shooting Rainbows
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Chapter 7:
"Are you sure –"
"Oliver, if you ask me if I'm sure one more time –"
"I just wanna –"
"You look fine!"
"But the shirt –"
"It doesn't make you look gay!"
"And the jacket? Isn't it too much?"
"Oliver!"
Oliver sighed and looked down at his attire, checking again to see that the shirt he wore was absolutely white and didn't have a hint of pink in it. He needed to clear all the false rumors Julie had spread about him at work. "Fine," he said dejectedly, still feeling a little apprehensive, not just about his looks, but also about going out tonight. He was still unsure that this was a good idea. He never been on a blind date before and he wasn't even sure what he was supposed to do or say as it's been so long since he'd been on a date. He just hoped that things will go well, and if they didn't, he needed to think of an excuse to get home early.
Jake drove his silver Mercedes Benz to the bar they were supposed to meet the girls at. He shook his head at Oliver. "Seriously, you look nice. What's wrong with you all of the sudden? You were fine just five minutes ago."
"I'm just nervous," Oliver muttered. He lowered the sun visor in front of him and checked his face in the mirror, looking for unnoticed zits or if there was something stuck in his teeth. "What did you say her name was?"
Jake chuckled. "Does it matter?"
Jake drove through the streets of Hollywood. It was obvious he was very familiar with the area, but Oliver wasn't so much. He wasn't a high-life type of guy, like Jake was. His job paid him fairly, but still he wasn't wealthy enough to go shopping around here, and he wasn't the person to go out clubbing in dance bars and hook up with the typical LA girls, so he never found the appeal to drive through these streets before.
They arrived at a place called Amazonas. Loud music played from the interior and a line of people waited outside to enter. It looked as if the place was packed, and Oliver was already beginning to feel anxious. He never liked crowded places.
The girls were already waiting for them outside. Julie's hands snuck around Jake's waist. "Hey, Boo," she greeted him flirtatiously. Jake leaned in and gave her a long kiss, which made Oliver look away. He hoped he did a fine job hiding his disgust.
"Yum," Julie said as they pulled away and Oliver tried his best not to gag. "Oh, hey Oliver," she said, her voice suddenly changed and held a cold monotone attitude.
He faked a smile and mouthed 'hi' back. Oliver couldn't help but glance over at the girl who stood next to her, the friend that she suggested he will meet. As he predicted, she was an almost exact replica of Julie. He studied her from her toes up: starting with the shiny, six inch platform pumps, up to her well-toned long legs, to her tight black mini dress that was about two sizes too small for her; it was clear she only wore it just to accent her obvious fake boobs, as they almost spilled out of the garment; and finally his eyes landed on her face. It was covered with too much makeup for his taste, her lips were brushed with shiny pink gloss, her eyes were smoked with black eye shadow and her lashes were coated with too many layers of mascara. Her hair was unnatural sandy blonde and had bright highlights in it. Despite all that, she was very beautiful, he couldn't deny it. After all, he was a male and he wasn't blind. In Jake's rough words he could even define her as 'hot'. Oliver could never picture himself ever going out with a woman that looked like her. Not only because she wasn't quite his type, but because women like her usually never spared him a glance.
Oliver shifted slightly when his body began to appreciate her looks and he hoped his jacket was long enough to cover his groin. He took a deep breath to relax. "Hi, I'm Oliver," he said with a slight nod, trying to break any awkwardness.
She bit her bottom lip seductively in half of a smile and her eyes narrowed slightly as she took her turn to look him up and down. She swung her hips from side to side, obviously liking what she saw, to Oliver's great surprise and he couldn't help but blush at her reaction.
"I'm Bethany," she said.
Oliver nodded once more and gave her a small smile. "Nice meeting you."
Jake clapped his hands loudly. "Good, now that we all know each other, let's head inside," he said.
As they walked towards the entrance, while the girls began whispering and giggling to each other, Jake took the opportunity and leaned over at Oliver and whispered, "So?"
Oliver wasn't sure what to think yet. "What kind of name is Bethany?" he muttered to Jake. Not sure why, but it was all he could think about in that very second.
Jake laughed heartily. "The kind of name of a girl that puts out," he answered cheekily and nudged Oliver's shoulder. Oliver swallowed a lump that formed in his throat.
Jake left Oliver's side and caught up with Julie. He snuck a hand around her back as he guided her towards the door to the bar. Oliver shoved his hands into his pockets and he and Bethany followed them in silence.
Jake pushed his way through the waiting line, earning protests from the people who were there before him. He whispered something to the beefy-looking selector at the entrance. The guy nodded stiffly, muttered something into his walkie-talkie and let Jake through. Jake gestured with his head for Oliver and the girls to follow. As Oliver passed by the people in line, he knew he should feel delighted to receive special treatment for the first time in his life, but he knew it wasn't fair for them to cut in; even if Jake was famous, he shouldn't be using his name like that, and so he couldn't help but feel a bit bad for those people.
Jake was greeted by another guy inside, who introduced himself as Jeff, the manager. He had wavy black hair, dark beard stubble and whore a fancy black silk button down shirt. He walked them through the very crowded space and past the bar, to the other side of the building. Oliver realized this place was actually a dance club, rather than just a bar like Jake described, but he knew that Jake had to lie to get him to come, because honestly, if Oliver knew this was the case, he wouldn't have agreed to join his friend. The colorful laser lights flashed around and the crowd moved and danced heavily. He could feel the loud music booming through his body, mingling with each beat of his heart. He helped Bethany move easily among the thick horde, making sure no one will bump into them on the way. His hand moved securely to her waist in a gentlemanly way and she seemed to like it there, because her hand moved over his and held it close to her body. Oliver tried not to think much of it as they were led into a private room in the back, and Oliver guessed it was empty only because it was preserved for special guests like Jake.
The room was quite dark. It was only illuminated with stripes of LED pink and blue lights that circled the walls and a few candles that were placed on a low table that stood in the middle of a U-shaped leather couch. The music inside it was much more leveled and it was easier to talk to someone than it was in the main hall.
Oliver knew Jake was used to come to this kind of places, but in all the years he knew him, he never went along with him and never once had he seen with his own eyes his friend behave like the celebrity that he was, benefiting from his superstar status and earning special treatment, and it made him think that he never really considered Jake to be famous before. He was always just Jake, his friend, who he went to college with, and who happened to be working as an actor. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, though, because he knew Jake was living the highlife, but seeing and knowing were two completely different things.
Jake flopped down on one corner of the couch and Julie immediately rushed to sit by his side, circling her arms around him.
"What can I get you?" Jeff asked, obviously taking it upon himself to serve them, rather than leaving it to a waitress, or even letting them help themselves.
"I'll have a scotch. Make it a bottle," Jake said. "Oliver, what are you having?"
Oliver looked at his friend as he sat at another corner. Bethany mimicked Julie and sat by him; only to Oliver's great relief, she didn't cling to him as Julie did to Jake.
"Uhh... I'll just have the same."
Jeff nodded. "Wonderful. Girls?"
"I'll have a Cosmo," Julie said.
"Appletini for me," Bethany added.
Jeff nodded and left the room. For a second, Oliver wished he would have stayed, maybe that way it would have been easier to avoid Bethany, but on the other hand he needed to drink something quickly so he could ease up, so he hoped Jeff will be back soon.
Oliver noticed that Jake and Julie occupied themselves in an intimate embrace. Every now and then he heard Jake's voice mutter something and then Julie giggled in respond.
His eyes moved away the second they began to make out. Oliver hoped he wouldn't have to witness it anymore after tonight. If Jake says tomorrow that he couldn't break up with her, he would have to do it for him. He used to see Jake kiss girls all the time and it never bothered him like it did with Julie. He just couldn't stand the girl. He was only there to prove her wrong and make her correct the stories she spread about him to her friends around the office.
Realizing he wasn't doing a good job at it, he turned his eyes to Bethany and noticed she seemed rather bored.
"So..." he said and she glanced at him with curiosity. He didn't know how to start. "Bethany..."
"You can call me Beth. Everyone else does," she said. He nodded, thinking of something to say.
She scooted over closer to him and Oliver took a deep breath. He was beginning to regret touching her earlier. She might have gotten the wrong idea. The need for a drink began to grow. He needed a strong shot of alcohol now.
"Okay. Beth," he said, his voice getting slightly hoarse and he cursed himself for it. What was wrong with him? He was acting like he never talked to a woman before. He cleared his throat loudly, while at the same time wishing Jake would excuse himself for just a second from Julie's lips to help him out. Only he didn't. Oliver was on his own.
Luckily, he didn't need to finish his sentence because Jeff returned quickly, and Oliver made a mental note to himself to leave him a super generous tip for his fast service. He was holding up a tray of their drinks and a large plate of food they didn't order.
Jake and Julie finally broke apart as Jeff put the food and drinks on the table. "A complimentary plate, on the house, of course," he explained. He opened a brand new bottle of Jack Daniel's and looked over at Jake. "On the rocks, Mr. Ryan?"
Jake waved his hands in dismiss. "Neat for me."
The manager poured the amber liquid into a wide, clear glass. Jake took it and handed Julie her pink drink.
"And you, sir?" the manager asked Oliver, holding the bottle of scotch above another glass.
"Yes, thank you," Oliver said. He quickly grabbed the glass from the table, the cold ice cubes clunking softly inside. Bethany helped herself for her drink. Jake thanked Jeff and they were left alone once more. "Hmm... looks good," he said as he examined the food on the table. "Oliver, come here, have some."
Oliver noticed the plate was held a selection of sushi, shrimp cocktail and stuffed oysters. "Later," he said.
"You know, I read somewhere that oysters are aphrodisiac," Jake said, as though there was no hidden subtext behind his words. Oliver caught his gaze and Jake winked at him.
"Really?" Julie asked, sounding interested. "Then let me have some," she said and giggled. Jake chuckled.
Oliver rolled his eyes, managing more than fine with just his drink. As Bethany began eating an oyster, he took a large gulp of his whiskey, ignoring the way it burned down his throat. Normally, he would be fine with just a beer, but tonight he felt like he needed something stronger.
"So, where were we?" Bethany said in a seductive voice. To his great surprise, he suddenly felt her fingers beginning to play with the small hairs at the nape of his neck. He swallowed thickly and finished his drink in another gulp, hoping it will help him calm quickly.
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He really didn't know what was wrong with him. There he was, sitting with a beautiful woman, who might be drunk, but she was still nonetheless throwing herself at him and he couldn't help but feel a little put-off.
Why wasn't he just going for it? Could it be due to the fact that they weren't completely alone, even though Jake and Julie didn't even pay attention to them, as they were busy making out in the other side of the room, or maybe it was because he was a nice guy and couldn't take advantage of this girl like that? Maybe it was because he'd never done this before? All of this was new, unfamiliar territory for him and it truthfully scared him a little. Or maybe he was gay? Because there couldn't be a logical explanation to his behavior other than maybe that there could be something else on his mind.
"Or rather, someone else on your mind," said the annoying voice inside his head. Oliver thankfully was thinking of another girl, and not a man, so he could cross out the option of him actually being gay.
'No, don't go there,' he pleaded with himself. 'You're here because you need to forget about her. Think like Jake, think like Jake, think like Jake.'
The alcohol didn't help calm his nerves like he hoped it would and he was still over-thinking things. The strong need for another drink was great, and he didn't held back from pouring more into his glass and swallowing it in one go.
As his mind began to fog, Bethany's hand traveled down his back and slowly came to rest on his thigh. "Are you okay?" she asked in concern, her voice echoing strangely, the music around him disappearing and leaving only the beats of it vibrating through his skin. Her body lightly pressed to his back and the mixed scent of alcohol and her spicy perfume entered his nose. She had three drinks already (her last one was Sex on the Beach, which made Oliver almost choke on the piece of sushi he chewed on when she ordered it) while this was Oliver's second. "You seem... distant. Talk to me?"
They haven't exchanged much information. He only learned that she's 22, two years younger than him, and that she's an aspiring actress, who moonlights as a waitress. 'Aren't they all...' he thought bitterly.
Oliver shook his head, finally starting to enjoy the buzz of the alcohol on him. The feeling of her body against his and the pleadings of his brain to forget about anything else and just do what he came here to do, made him act. "I don't want to talk," he rasped.
Without thinking of it, he grabbed her and pinned her to him, his lips claiming hers furiously, making her emit a small, sexy sound from the back of her throat. He didn't even know what he did to make her want him in the first place. She seemed like she was one to sleep around, or maybe she just found his cold attitude towards her more appealing, he didn't know, nor did he care. Right now he was trying to focus, on her, on the kiss, and there shouldn't be anyone else on his mind right now but her. No other kiss should matter, other than this one.
Their lips moved together, their teeth clashed, their tongues brushed and it was sloppy and wet. Sort of imperfect. And yet all he could do was compare this kiss, this swap of emotions and need, a mark on a check-list he made for himself, or whatever it was, to the peck he had the night before with Lilly, the peck that may have been a little awkward, but flawless at the same time.
They pulled apart when the need for air got necessary. Bethany held his shoulders tight and he held her waist. She wavered slightly and he was sure that if they hadn't held each other, she would have fallen off. They locked gazes and there was a spark in her eyes that he knew the full meaning behind it. She didn't even have to ask him, but she did anyway. "Want to get out of here?" she asked, her voice heavy as she tried to settle her breathing back to normal.
Oliver could see from the corner of his eye that Jake was watching him. He looked at his friend and received a spurring nod in return. Oliver nodded back and then looked at Bethany, nodding to her now, and she smiled widely while excitement washed over her face.
He stood and pulled her up, helping her to steady on her feet as she almost lost her balance. He didn't know why she thought it would be smart to wear such high heels while going drinking, because those pair of shoes she wore should be considered suicidal right now, as she barely could hold herself up, let alone walk in them in a straight line. She linked her hands around his waist and Oliver pulled out his wallet to pay for their drinks.
"Go. I've got this," Jake said and gave him another wink.
Oliver nodded again in thanks and grabbed Bethany's hand as led her out. He passed by Jeff, the manager, on his way out. He didn't forget his earlier promise and shoved a 50 into his hand before taking off.
Once he and Bethany met the cold night air, Oliver found himself pressed to the wall behind the club and Bethany's hand and lips roamed all over his body.
"My place or yours?" she asked.
"Yours," he simply said, breathing shallowly. He didn't even want to think of the consequences if Lilly happen to see her in their apartment had he brought her there.
Her lips kissed his neck in a distracting way and Lilly evaporated from his mind once again. "I... I don't have a car." Not that he could (or should) drive in his state.
"Me neither. Let's take a cab."
They managed to find a taxi and ride it to her building. All through the ride, Oliver emptied his mind and tried to focus on just what was happening now. Their hands and lips never left each other and things got heated by the second.
Oliver couldn't even remember paying for the cab, but he guessed that he did because the driver took off instead of chasing after them, and he really didn't know how they managed to go up two flights of stairs without tripping. She didn't stop running her hands on his chest and kissing him all the way through.
They managed to find her apartment safely. Bethany pressed Oliver hard against the door and began to pull his shirt out of his jeans with one hand as she unlocked the door with the other. The door opened and crushed hard against the wall behind it. Oliver kicked it close and pushed Bethany inside. Still glued by the lips, they only stopped when they fell back onto the sofa.
Oliver groaned when she kicked off her shoes, straddled him and began to unbutton his shirt. She took control, which was something he wasn't used to in intimate situations like that, but the voice in the back of his mind tried to convince him to just let go and enjoy it. He knew nothing serious will come off out of this night, and even though he wasn't used to it, he decided to keep going. There was a first time for everything.
Her body was curvy and his hands traveled and explored, studying each curve, he ran them up and down her back and sides until they found her perfect round bottom and gave it a hard squeeze. She giggled at contact and a smile graced his lips in return. Her hands grabbed his and moved them to her front, ordering them to squeeze her breasts instead.
She helped him pull out of his jacket and shirt and threw them aside. When she lowered her hand to his jeans and unsnapped the button, that's when reality kicked in and he finally froze.
What was he thinking?! He can't do this! He didn't even know her, how could even have sex with her? Sex was something he always considered doing with someone he loved. When he had done it in the past, it was with a woman he loved, but he didn't love Bethany. He wasn't the guy to sleep with someone and then go home and not call her back because they both got satisfied and there was nothing else to say.
He knew it was wrong of him to lead her into thinking something might happen, and at first he really believed he would do this, but now he just couldn't. He knew he should be considered lucky she even wanted him. That didn't happen often. He wanted to want her, but just couldn't bring himself to go through with it completely.
She sensed his lack of touching and she stopped her actions as well. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked down at him in question. "What's wrong? Why are you looking like that?"
Oliver knew he must have scared her. The anxiously he felt must have reflected on his face. He felt the blood leave his face (as well as the lower portion of his body) and knew he must be looking pale. Her eyes studied him and he looked back into hers, noticing for the first time since they met that they were green. They were the wrong color, he noted. The eyes he was supposed to be seeing are blue, not green. Her hair was a different shade of blonde, her lips were much fuller, and her cheekbones were more prominent. She didn't smell of apples, or felt right in his arms. He felt like something was missing. What felt right at first now became a huge mistake.
He couldn't believe he was saying this, but yet the words left his mouth. "I'm... I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. His hands rubbed her arms gently up and down.
She looked at him, trying to understand what she might have done wrong, but nothing in his eyes will give her an answer.
He pushed her gently off of him as he sat on the sofa and rubbed his face. "I can't do this. I can't sleep with you," he said as he stared blankly into space.
She sat next to him, looking confused. "Is it something I did?" she asked quietly. "I can –"
Oliver shook his head. "No. No, it's not you. My mind... it's just elsewhere." He looked at her and noticed her disheveled look. He raised a hand to smooth her hair. "Besides, I respect you too much and you should start respecting yourself, too. Other men won't respect you unless you respect yourself first, and they especially won't respect women who give it too easily."
He stood and went to pick up his discarded clothes from the floor. As he pulled them on, he watched her, obviously battling with herself about what he just told her.
She finally looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She walked with him to the door. He walked out and turned back to look at her before he left. "I didn't look for someone nice and I really hoped to get more than that tonight, but I still had a great time. Are you sure you don't want to stay? We don't have to do much."
Oliver shook his head politely. He ran a hand on her cheek and gave her a small smile. "You take care, Beth." He took a step back and she closed the door behind him. He sighed, thinking about how he just dodged a bullet, but at the same time he just got himself into a deeper mess. Despite all his efforts, Lilly refused to leave his mind.
"Stupid Kiss Cam..." he muttered.
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Oliver fumbled with his key in the lock, his mind still a little fogged from the alcohol. After a few tries, he finally managed to open the door. He walked in and blindly felt for the light switch, but even when he pressed it, the light didn't turn on. He was sure he wasn't that drunk to forget where the light switch was. He tried it several times, playing with it, pressing up and down, but nothing happened and he still remained in the entrance of his pitch dark apartment.
He sighed, kicking off his shoes where he was sure was their usual place, and locked the door behind him. "Lilly, what have you done?" he whispered to himself, wondering why the power was out.
He slowly made his way through, taking small steps and reaching forward blindingly and hoping he wouldn't knock things over. He didn't do a good job at it. He crashed into the couch and banged his toe against it. "Oww!" he yelled in pain and began jumping in place while holding his foot. This action wasn't a good idea to do in the dark, either, especially not while being slightly intoxicated, and he slipped and hit his butt hard. "Fuck!"
"AHHH!" A loud scream filled the room and Oliver was startled at the dark silhouette of someone swinging a long object at him. He screamed and dodged the impact, managing to roll on the floor just in time before the object hit his head.
Oliver quickly grabbed his phone, pressed a button and the screen illuminated the room at once (Why hadn't he thought of it before?), one hand holding the phone high in the air, while the other protected his face from getting hit.
Lilly's figure appeared from the shadows; she breathed heavily and held her hand to her chest when she realized it was only Oliver in front of her.
"Oliver?"
"Lilly!" he gasped when he realized it was her. "What the hell is that?!" he gestured towards the weapon she just tried to hit him with.
"A baseball bat. A girl can never be too careful." She put the wooden bat aside and helped him up. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you. The power went out and I heard noises so I hid in my room in case it was a burglar."
Oliver straightened his clothes. "No, just plain, old me. So what happened? Why is the power out?"
Lilly shrugged. "I don't know. I came home and found it like this."
"Did you check the fuse box?"
Lilly plainly stared at him, her face blank. "I have no idea what it is."
Oliver rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a box, with fuses and electricity wires."
"Ohh! Is that what that thing is? It's behind the washing machine."
It was now Oliver's turn to stare at her. "You put the washing machine next to the fuses? What if there was a leak? You could have been electrocuted! Do we have a flash light?" He moved over to the kitchen, searching in the drawers, but he didn't find anything.
"Not that I can remember," Lilly said.
At the most inconvenient time, the light from his phone went out as the battery died. "Great... I need light," Oliver said and ran a hand through his hair.
"Oh, I know!" Lilly rummaged through the top kitchen drawer and pulled out a box of matches. Oliver opened his mouth to say that a match wouldn't burn for long and they will waste the whole box and still not accomplish anything, but he stopped himself when he watched her rush over to the living room and begin to light up all of the candles she kept on the window seat. She began scattering them around the apartment and they gave the room a dimmed glow. Oliver smirked, surprised at her idea. She brought over a large candle that gave the brightest light and handed it to him. "Careful, so it won't drip on you."
"Brilliant," he said. He grabbed the candle and took a sniff when a sweet scent entered his nose. "Really, Lilly? A scented candle?"
She pouted and put her hands on her hips. "That's all I have and it's the best we've got."
He rolled his eyes again, but then saw she was holding the baseball bat at the ready again. "Put it down!" he ordered.
She lowered it down, but a strange, scratchy noise left the washing room and she raised it back up at once. "Did you hear that?" she hissed, her voice quivering a little.
"I did," he whispered back. "Stay here." The same noise was heard again and Lilly whimpered involuntarily. Oliver pressed his finger to his lips to shush her. He took the bat from her, stretched his fingers tight around it, and entered the washing room in silent. Illuminating the room with the candle's light, he scanned it carefully, but the room was empty. "There's no one in here," he informed Lilly and she peeked through the door at his doings. He put the bat aside and carefully pushed aside the washer and gave a look. "Well, there's no leak, so we didn't blow a circuit."
Oliver bent down and checked the fuses and wires, sensing a smell of burnt plastic and rust. He aimed the light to see better and found that all of the wires were torn in half. "What happened here?" he muttered to himself. He stood up and walked out. He began rubbing a hand on Lilly's shoulder to calm her. "Everything is ruined; we will have to fix it tomorrow."
Once again, there was a scratchy noise from behind them and suddenly, a dark ball escaped the washing room. It darted between Oliver's legs and ended up hiding behind the fridge.
Lilly jumped and held Oliver tight. "What was that?!"
"I think it was a... rat." Sure enough, they could now hear squeaking sounds coming from behind the fridge. Oliver had an idea, which surprised him that he could even think this straight with the residues of alcohol still in his system. "Quick, get a bucket."
Lilly rushed to the bathroom while Oliver dished out a fork from the drawer, a loaf of bread from the kitchen cabinet and a large plate from the dish rack. Lilly returned with the bucket and handed it to him. All the while, Oliver's eyes were fixed on the place where the furry little creature had escaped to.
"Get me my sneakers," he instructed her as he tore a small piece of bread.
"You're not going to throw them at it, aren't you?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
"Of course not," he dismissed. "Those are brand new Adidas." At that, Lilly rolled her eyes.
She gave him the shoes and he immediately began to free the laces. He tied them together in each end, and tied one lace to the end of the fork. He put the piece of bread in the middle of the plate and placed it on the floor, and then he positioned the bucket upside down while he kept it up on one edge by the prongs of the fork. The trap was ready. Oliver motioned for Lilly to move back.
They stood at the entrance of the kitchen and waited. After a few minutes that nothing happened, Lilly yawned. "It knows we're here. It may take awhile until it comes out," she stated. "We can't stand here all night."
Oliver sighed. "You're right. What should we do?"
"Wait," she said and walked over to her room, and came back with one of her knitting threads. She tied it to Oliver's shoelace and rolled it carefully over to the living room.
"I really admire the way you can come up with ideas at this hour of the night," he said and she gave a shy chuckle at the compliment. They sat together on the couch, watching the bucket carefully.
"Did you have fun tonight at the party?" Oliver asked, while trying to pass the time.
Lilly yawned again and nodded. "It was fine."
Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Just fine?"
"It was Miley's party. I've been to hundreds of them already. They're basically all the same."
Oliver tried to stifle his own yawn, but with no luck. The various sweet, aromatherapy scents of the candles that filled the apartment, the late hour of the night and the mix of alcohol in his blood, started to make him feel sleepy. "When did you get back?"
"About twenty minutes before you did. I had to help her clean up."
Oliver frowned at that. "Clean up? Where was this party at?"
"At her house. It was sort of her house-warming party. Well, you can say it was more than just 'fine.' I had a nice time, actually. It was great seeing all our friends from high school and college again."
Oliver nodded and he leaned his head back. She slowly leaned against him and rested her head on his chest. He didn't mind. On the contrary, he held her closer and a small, content smile spread on his lips. 'This is how it should feel,' he told himself.
"But I missed you there. I wish you had come with me. Miley wanted to meet you."
"Oh, really? You should have told me, I would have come."
"I'm sorry."
"That's okay," he said. He began running his fingers gently up and down her arms and she sighed.
"Next time I will."
"Next time I will come."
She hugged him tight and buried her face in his neck. He heard her sniff and laughed. "What's with you and sniffing me?"
Lilly pulled back and Oliver noticed she held a suspicious look on her face. "Why do you smell like Chanel No.5?" she asked with a frown.
Oliver gulped at her words, realizing Bethany's perfume must have stuck to him. "Uhh... I'm not. It's vanilla, or whatever you lighted in here that you smell," he said and added a weak chuckle. He gestured towards the candles she left around the room.
Her eyes narrowed. "It's patchouli and lavender and it's not what it is. I know what I smell. My mum always wears this perfume and it's coming from you."
Oliver chuckled. "Pffts. You're way too tired, Lills. You're starting to imagine things." She ignored the new nickname and eyed him doubtfully. Oliver tried to think of a better excuse. "Look, I had a bit to drink, so maybe that's what you smell?" She didn't look convinced and her eyes studied him. Oliver began to feel sweaty and nervous at her gaze. Lilly couldn't find out that he lied to her, not after he was now starting to feel something for her. Finally, he came up with something different. "Oh, you know what? I think I know what it is. I went out with Jake and his date got really drunk, so I helped him carry her to his car. It must be her perfume."
He looked at her carefully, trying to read her face. She just nodded, finally believing the story he just told her. He hated lying to her, but it was best she won't know the truth. At least, for now. She laid her head back on his chest and Oliver listened to her rhythmic breathing. They slowly began to even and Oliver knew she fell asleep. He didn't want to move and wake her, so he just let her lay on top of him. He didn't mind, he loved having her so close to him. He sighed in comfort and closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him, as well.
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It was about an hour later that Lilly woke up. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself asleep on the couch, while pressed to Oliver's chest.
She studied him carefully, her eyes slowly going over his features, scanning the fresh stubble on his jaw and how his pupils moved behind his closed eyelids in his peaceful sleep. She blinked the sleepiness out of her eyes and wondered what it was that woke her up. She was too comfortable to wake up on her own.
A sudden movement in the kitchen alerted her. She raised her head up and watched as the rat slowly came out from its hiding spot and began to chew on the piece of bread Oliver left for it, softly making noises as it ate.
She quickly nudged Oliver. He gave a soft snore and woke up with a start. She smirked, but pressed a finger to her lips and then pointed silently to the kitchen. Oliver slowly turned around, careful not to make sudden movements. He grabbed the long string from the floor and pulled, making the bucket fall to the floor loudly and capture the rat inside.
"It worked!" Oliver chortled as they jumped to their feet.
They rushed over to the kitchen, watching as the rat scratched the walls of the bucket and made it move around. Oliver held it tight so it couldn't escape. Panicked squeaks came from within the bucket.
"Oh, poor thing," Lilly cooed. She looked up at Oliver. "What are you gonna do with it?"
"I'm gonna drown it," he said simply. He held the plate to the bucket and carefully flipped them. He removed the plate and looked at the little rodent that tried to escape the high walls of the bucket with no success.
Lilly's eyes widened in horror. "No! Oliver, you can't! You said you wouldn't kill it."
"No, I said I wouldn't throw my shoes at it, and I didn't. Lilly, this thing crapped all over the kitchen floor, chewed on the electricity wires and will probably go tell its friends what a nice place it found to chill out in, so tomorrow they will plan a mass invasion to our kitchen. I'm sorry, but we have to kill it. I'm gonna let the landlord know tomorrow that we have a rat problem. We need to call an exterminator."
"Oliver, we don't have a rat problem. We have a mouse. One, poor, tiny mouse. Look at it. It's so scrawny, weak and old, and it's probably scared. It doesn't look good. I bet it's hungry. You can't kill it. Please, please don't kill it."
Oliver sighed, finding it hard to say 'no' to her. "What do you suggest we do with it, then?"
"Leave it tonight in the bucket with some bread and we'll set it free in hills tomorrow morning."
"Fine." He did as she suggested and she looked pleased. He left the bucket in the bathroom and closed the door, just so it wouldn't run off if it managed to escape the bucket.
"Thank you, Oliver," she said and hugged him tight. "Goodnight."
He couldn't help but smile when he hugged her back. "Goodnight."
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A/N: So... what do you think? Don't forget to leave me a review on this chapter. I'm starting to work on the next one right now. :)
By the way, I don't know if I mentioned it before or not, but if you want to stay up to date with this story, visit my Tumblr (username is LittleSinner87), I post updates (and much more) in there. :)
