Chapter 12 – Insects and friends

Friendship. For some it's knowing that there's someone you can count on, for others it's sharing the good times and the pain. Other people think friends are the ones who you have fun with and for some, friendship is simply the best thing that has ever happened to them.

'I'm really sorry, Lily,' said Flack apologetically over the phone.

'It's alright, you're always welcome at my place.'

'Yeah, but I don't know how long it's gonna be. Fumigation always takes a while.'

'Even better, I've been missing your company,' she said earnestly.

'You sure? Maybe you're still arranging things.'

'I'm already installed in this new apartment, so don't worry about that. What time are you coming?'

'Round six.'

'Okay, I'll be waiting for you then. Bye.'

Ten past six, Flack was knocking on her door, carrying a suitcase and a box. With Lily's help they took his stuff to the guest bedroom and then sat in the living room.

'So, what do you think of this apartment? Better than the other one, isn't it?' asked Lily.

'A bit too much for me,' he said uncomfortably.

'I forgot you hated the Upper East Side,' she said with a smile.

'I don't, it's just too fancy for me. But I know how much you like it.'

'You'll get used to it, it's not that bad.'

'Is it living to your expectations having a home on this side of town?' asked Flack.

'So far, so good. Now tell me again, what's the matter with your building?'

'Roaches invaded an apartment two floors below mine and the super wanted to fumigate the whole building, forcing us to leave. I would have gone to a hotel but it's still a week 'til payday and I …'

'Sweetie, it's okay. You did the same for me. And I've told you a thousand times that you don't need an excuse to stay here,' she reassured him.

'Thanks, Lil, you're the best,' Flack hugged her.

Her cell phone rang and she took the call, quickly walking to the office she had set up in one of the spare bedrooms.

Flack turned on the TV and after a few minutes headed to the bathroom. He passed by the office and even though the door was closed, he could hear his friend scream to the person on the other side. He was going to continue 'It's none of my business, after all' until he heard his name.

'That's not gonna happen,' said Lily forcefully in a New Yorker drawl. 'That's not the way I work! I win cases fair and square, that's how I like it.' There was a pause that signaled the other person was talking. 'I couldn't care less; I'm gonna make this case with the usual resources and I'm not gonna use Don to gain information for our case, got it?'

Now there was a longer pause.

'If being a great lawyer is taking advantage of your friends and going against the law, I'd rather not be one. And if you ever try to talk me into something illegal or unethical again, I'm gonna go for your license, got it David?' she hung up and stormed out of the room, colliding with Flack.

'You okay?' he asked.

'Yeah, everything's fine,' she spoke yet again with a thick accent.

'Really? 'Cause I haven't heard that drawl for a while. Thought it was reserved only for when you were mad as hell.'

She sighed and hugged him. He, a bit flabbergasted, returned the gesture.

'Let me take you somewhere,' suggested Flack.

'Not in the mood, sorry.'

'It'll cheer you up, c'mon.'

'You're not taking no for an answer, are you?'

He shook his head and after grabbing their jackets they left the apartment.

'I love you. You're my favorite person ever,' said Lily gratefully between spoonfuls of ice-cream. You're a God among mortals right now. Wait, aren't you always? Arrgh, I shouldn't be thinking this!

'Knew you'd like it,' he was satisfied with her reaction.

'How did you know the place?'

'One of my ex-girlfriends worked here.'

Lily looked at the girls dressed in a pink blouse that showed a lot of cleavage and a pink mini skirt and smirked.

'Enterprising, wasn't she?'

'She was paying her way through college.'

'And I'm sure she wanted World Peace and to become a rocket scientist,' Lily continued to mock.

He couldn't help but laugh, always a witty remark from her.

Half an hour later, the couple was returning to her apartment.

'Thanks Donny, you're my savior. Don't know what I'd do without you.'

'You'd be just fine.' Unfortunately, you don't need me in your life at all.

* * *

'Would you do me?' asked Lily one morning while Flack was eating breakfast.

'Sorry?' he choked on a glass of juice.

'I thought it was a simple question. What do you think of the outfit?'

'Now it's a different matter. I think you look nice,' Flack said noncommittally.

'I'll go change, then.'

'Why? I said you looked nice.'

'I need to look sexy, hot, not nice,' she explained.

'Wear the pink top,' he suggested and blushed. Did I say that out loud?! Now I'm gonna look like a pervert, that's just great …

Lily returned to the room wearing a pink top with a sweetheart neckline and a pencil skirt that hugged her hips.

'Now?'

'Better,' he tried to sound nonchalant. 'Are you sure you wanna go to work dressed like that?'

'I don't but I have to. I'm having a meeting with the opposing lawyer and he's a total pig. I want to distract him so as to make a better deal; it's not very honest but it's the only way to negotiate with him,' she shrugged. 'I feel naked,' she covered her chest with an arm and laughed nervously. I always do around you …

'You know the other top would attract his attention anyway, don't you? You're always sexy. Now you're just showing more skin,' he commented. Me and my big mouth, this is getting better and better.

'Wish it were true.' If you keep saying it, I'll believe it …

'It is. And you don't have to go showing your body and feeling uncomfortable for a client.'

'It's the only way and he's losing more than I am …'

'More than his self-respect?'

'This conversation's the last thing I need. I already feel bad and don't want you to make me feel worse,' she wore a sad look. 'Would you do me?'

Somehow, the distance between them had reduced and they were standing really close.

'Yeah, wouldn't matter what you were wearing,' he said softly, looking into her eyes.

'Good, it's settled then.' Keep your distance, Lily, don't ruin your friendship.

'Are you that desperate?' he asked suddenly.

'Beg your pardon?'

'For a man. You're willing to reduce yourself to a piece of meat. He's gonna touch you and stare at you and you don't mind the slightest?' said Flack angrily.

'That's not true!' she tried to deny the accusation but he interrupted her.

'You're gonna let him do this to you,' Flack ran a hand down her side and her butt. 'Are you really that desperate?' he ran his other hand over one of her breasts.

'I can't believe you're doing this!' she tried to shove him but he had a strong grip on her waist and made it impossible.

Flack kissed her, pressing his body against hers. Lily shoved him hard and freed herself.

'You're a jerk,' she said with hurt in her voice and on the verge of tears before storming out of her apartment.

Flack sat on the couch, his head buried on his hands. He had made a big mistake and he knew it.

When Flack returned that evening, he saw Lily crying on the couch.

'I'm sorry. I was a total idiot,' he said, hating to see her like that.

'No, you were right,' said Lily between sobs.

'Lil, I'm sorry. Wanna file a complaint for sexual harassment?'

'It's okay, he didn't do anything to me, it's just … I feel worthless.'

'You're not. You're a wonderful woman, I'm sorry.'

'Stop apologizing! You were right all along; I'm desperate because nobody wants me,' she kept sobbing.

'That's not true, most men think you're beautiful. They just feel you're a bit out of their league,' he took her hands on his own.

'How can someone think I'm beautiful?' she asked with utter sadness, looking into his eyes.

'How can someone not?' he stared right back.

And then, almost with a magnetic attraction without realizing what they were doing, they kissed. It was a passionate kiss, full of hunger and desire. They were both trying to prove a point. A kiss led to another and then to another and soon they were making out like crazy.

Flack moved to her neck and hit the right spot. She moaned and started unbuttoning his shirt. Their hands roaming up and down the other's body, they managed to take their clothes off and go to the guest bedroom. Once on the bed, their underwear was thrown to the floor and they kept kissing and exploring the other hungrily.

The next morning Lily was the first to wake up. She cursed the small bed that forced her to be half on top of him, one of his arms round her waist. They would have been way more comfortable in her bed but she considered it sacred (no man was allowed in it). Apparently she could destroy a friendship but couldn't break one of her stupid rules. She closed her eyes when Flack woke up. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep she wouldn't have to face him. But luck wasn't on her side.

Flack kissed her neck twice and she opened her eyes. He continued down her chest.

'Don …'

'A quickie,' he pleaded and then concentrated on her chest which made her surrender.

When they had finished, she put her nightgown back on and told him they needed to talk about what had happened.

'I've never done this before, you know? Have a one night stand …' she explained. 'I'm sorry, I was desperate and I yielded. You must have been desperate too and so we made a mistake, sorry.'

'You're the first one to tell me it was a mistake,' commented Flack, trying to hide his hurt.

'It was. I mean, no. But it was,' she bit her lip. 'If it didn't make things so difficult I'd do it again, you know?'

'Make things difficult, what are you talking about?' he raised his voice a bit.

'We're friends, Don.'

'Ha, we stopped being friends a long time ago, don't you think? Ever since the first kiss we had.'

'I just don't want to lose you,' she tried to run a hand down his cheek but he pulled away. 'You mean too much to me, okay? I couldn't bear to lose you.'

'That's never gonna happen.'

'What if it doesn't work out?'

'It will,' he pressed her tight to his bare chest.

'But …' Flack silenced her with tender kiss on the lips.

'We'll leave those for later, Lil.'

'So, what does this make us?' she asked.

'We'll leave that for later too,' he slowly took off her nightdress.

A couple hours later Flack got to the first scene of his shift. Danny and Lindsay were already there.

'Who was she?' asked Danny after seeing his friend's smile.

'What you talking about, Messer?' His grin widened a bit more.

'Was it …? It was time, man. Told you so,' he smirked.

'Keep working, Danny.' Flack wasn't going to tell his friend how great his night had been, how much he'd enjoyed it or how happy he was.

* * *

'Who did you sleep with?' asked Emily as soon as Lily entered her home.

'Good afternoon to you too. What are you talking about?' Lily took off her coat.

'Ohh, I see what you mean!' spoke Mary excitedly. 'Who was it?'

'What gives you that idea?'

'Your face, after you sleep with someone you kinda glow and can't stop smiling,' answered Lisa.

'Plus you're walking funny which means he was very good,' added Meredith.

'Okay, you're all out of your mind!' Lily sat on a red armchair.

'I have my money on the detective,' Lisa smiled.

Lily blushed so deeply you couldn't guess where her skin ended and the couch began.

'Well he looked like a good lover,' Mary shrugged.

'Alright! Yes, I slept with him,' Lily confessed and bit her lip.

'We already knew it, sweetie,' said Meredith. 'So, how was it?'

'Good. And you know what worries me? I don't know what I feel.'

'How's that?' asked Emily.

'I don't really love him, at least not yet. But there's something about him that just makes me want to give myself to him, you know? It's weird. I want to but I can't.'

'Just give it some time. After a few dates you'll see what you feel about him.' Advised Lisa.

'Are you a couple or are you going out?' wondered Mary.

'Don't know yet. Don said we'd leave it for later and I'm glad. I have to sort out my feelings for him first.'

As usual, thanks to sparkyCSI. Please leave comments, suggestions, ideas in a review. By the way, sorry for the delay but life's been crazy.

Brace yourselves for the next chapter:

Chapter 13 - Fire and brimstone

LaUrIsHa-just me