[the 'ships i want' meme]

[newschool]

from here:

► spies. they're undercover (either having to pose as a married couple or siblings) and things spark.
► something unhealthy. the two partners genuinely love each other but they're just really bad for each other.
► dealing with workahol. most of my characters love their jobs (to the point where if the option was available, they would marry them) and need to be dragged away.
► one-sided love. one's in love, the other's faking it.
► vampires.

Comments

lily and aj ► workaholics

[instead]

[thislastrequest]

It's not that Abbie is a workaholic at heart - well, maybe that's not entirely true, she'd always gone above and beyond both at the library, and during school, and this was no different. She was brand new - brand new to the job, brand new to being a counselor, brand new to the school, and she wants everything to be perfect.

Although school is out for the summer, she still spends far too many hours in her office, pouring over files left over from her predecessor, decorating, making the room a comfortable, calming space for any child that might need to come and speak with her, while at the same time making it her own.

Maybe she's neglecting her home life, and maybe she's neglecting Lily, too, but it's not intention - could never be intentional. Which is why she's fully intending on leaving early today, on surprising Lily with something nice.

She makes one last cursory glance at her office, making sure her posters are straight, and her desk is set up precisely the way she wants, and she sends a little text, walking out to her car. You. Me. Lunch. Interested?

[instead]

Lily almost doesn't believe it when her phone jingles with the text alert she's set for Abbie. In fact, she picks it up and clicks the screen on, staring at the alert like her phone's malfunctioned.

Abbie ♥
You. Me. Lunch. Interested?

She doesn't believe that Abbie's been neglecting her on purpose - of course not - but it's difficult not to feel a little resentful and jealous of her job, because she's been paying a lot more attention to that than she has to Lily. Lily knows she's occasionally been guilty of it, too, especially when Lark's going to have a sale or is getting a new product in, but that's different because it's her. Or something.

She doesn't hesitate in replying. I'm yours. Where?

[thislastrequest]

It's her first counseling job since completion of graduate school and she just - she wants it to be perfect. That means spending far too much time in her office and becoming acclimated to her new position, and she knows that it's not fair to Lily, or to herself, and ...

They both need a break. They need some time to become reacquainted with each other. They need time to be.

Her text is returned almost immediately, and she can't help the way she laughs delightedly to read it. This is good - it's a good first step back into happiness.

The park. Our bench. I'll take care of everything else.

[instead]

Can't wait!

A moment later, another text follows: x

Luckily, it's a slow day at the shop, so it's easy to put up the 'Closed for lunch, back at 1:00" sign - although after a moment of consideration, Lily nudges the hour hand on the little cardboard clock towards the 2. Better to allow more time for meeting up with Abbie than less. She picks up her purse and slings it over her shoulder, making her way to the park.

Nearing 'their' bench, she slows, glancing around for the other woman, wondering if she's meant to be here first, then shrugs, drops onto the bench and crosses her legs, glancing around.

[thislastrequest]

Abbie's fingers itch, but she resists the urge to text back, to send I miss you, and I'm sorry, and I never meant to neglect you, please forgive me, please don't leave me, but those sentiments were better off said live and in person rather than over the phone.

Thank goodness Lily agrees to sharing lunch together. It's hopefully the first step toward making things good again.

So, she can't help the huge, goofy grin on her lips as she traverses the little market near her school, picking out drinks, and snacks, and those sandwiches that they both really like to have after a long day at work and they're both too tired to even think about cooking.

And when she finally shows up at the park, she's got the bag full of goodies in one hand, and a small bouquet of brightly-colored flowers in the other.

[instead]

Lily's on her phone while she waits, absently skimming through Facebook and tapping 'Like' on status updates while only half-reading said updates - she has to scroll back up and double-check she didn't actually 'like' on the status about a friend's brother breaking his leg. No? Okay.

When she spots Abbie, she smiles and waves, the bright expression covering the turmoil she feels within. She's feeling a lot of emotions all at once, and trying to untangle them from each other is a difficult task. She's upset, yes, but also angry and irritated and lonely and she doesn't know how to put all of those into words without falling into incomprehensibility.

So, instead, she stands up when Abbie's close, and smiles, and says "Hi."

[thislastrequest]

Logically, Abbie knows that she and Lily are probably going to have to have a long, serious talk about what's been going on with her job, and why she's so obsessed with making sure that everything is perfect. She needs Lily to know that it's not because she wants to stay away - it's not because she cares for the redhead any less than she always has, it's not for any other reason other than wanting everything in her life to go as planned for once, even though she's got to forsake one for the other.

"Hey," Abbie replies, voice soft, and even, although she feels like she might cry. Why had she been ignoring this? Why wasn't she spending every night reassuring Lily that their relationship is what she wants?

[instead]

It's not in Lily's nature to be cruel, per se, but it's certainly not above her to be a bit snarky when the situation calls for it, and this situation, in her opinion, calls for it. She smiles, but it's a little strained, and she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Long time no see." A beat, and she shifts slightly from one foot to the other, flats scraping quietly against the concrete. "How's things at school? I expect your room is lovely."

It is a genuine inquiry, because is Abbie's been spending all that bloody time at school, her room had best look like the Taj Mahal, or at least a Las Vegas approximation thereof. But her words are pointed, too; an underlying tone of was it worth it?

[thislastrequest]

Although Abbie's smile might falter at first, the words catching her by surprise, the meaning is clearly underlined within them, and then, after a moment of silence, her smile completely falls from her lips.

Was it worth it? At the time, maybe it was worth the time spent away from home if only because she was getting to know the lay of the school, and speaking to other teaches and administrators, and doing her best to get ready for the start of the new school year, but ...

Now? Knowing how hurt Lily really is, despite the way that she'd tried to hide it - no, it wasn't worth it. And now, she finds that she really worries that it wouldn't be possible to find themselves again.

"It's ... comforting, I hope. I - I don't want anyone that comes to see me to feel welcomed. M - maybe if you want to, you can come see it sometime. I'd like that."

And now she feels completely awkward, and not in a good way, like all those months that she had been too shy to ask Lily out on a date to begin with.

[instead]

Lily bites the inside of her lip. On the one hand, it would be the polite thing to do to say 'yes,' because this is something Abbie has been working so hard on, and it clearly means so much to her. But on the other hand, the selfish, childish hand, she hates that room. She hates that Abbie has spent so much time there and not with Lily, and she doesn't care how many posters with kittens in baskets there are, she doesn't want to see it.

"Well - maybe."

Devastatingly decisive as always, Evans. She doesn't meet Abbie's eyes as she sits back down on the bench, crossing her legs at the ankle, looking at the ground. "So you brought lunch?"

Food is safe. Food is stable. They can talk about food and Lily won't cry.

[thislastrequest]

Lily has every right to decline coming to visit Abbie's new school, and having to see the place that has kept them apart for so long. Honestly, she's surprised that the answer is a maybe instead of a flat-out no.

It still hurts, though, that tone of voice, and the way that Lily doesn't reach out for her hand, or offer her a hug, or a kiss, or ... any sort of comfortable, intimate contact, and -

Well. That's all Abbie's fault, isn't it? That's her fault for not making Lily feel as valued and as wanted as she really is. And for how desperate she is to apologize, to make Lily understand that her feelings haven't changed at all ...

All she can do is follow along, bags in hand, trying very hard to sound like everything is fine.

"Yeah. It's a nice day, I thought you might like to enjoy the weather a bit with me."

[instead]

"Yeah, of course." It's probably safe to look around now, now that she's gotten herself under control, and she glances up at the sky with a smile. As Abbie sits next to her, Lily scoots closer to her so their thighs and shoulders are touching. Although she's mad, so she's not being as physically demonstrative as she usually is, she missed this terribly. She's a very tactile person, and Abbie's warmth next to her is comforting.

"It's nice to get out of Lark for a bit, as well. Not a busy day."

[thislastrequest]

It still hurts, though, knowing that the distance between them was due to her own inattentiveness. At least now there's a chance to begin making up for it all.

She's ridiculously grateful for that chance, and for the familiar, comforting contact that just sitting together, arms and legs brushing each other.

It's not much, but it's a start. It's enough to give her hope that she hasn't ruined everything completely.

"I'm glad. I'd ... been meaning to ask you to do this for a while."

[instead]

"I know you've been busy." It comes out with more bitterness than Lily had intended it to, and she bites the inside of her lip. They're never going to get anywhere with this 'reconciliation' business if she keeps being petty - even though it feels good to finally spit it out and keep it from festering in her system, like it has been for weeks. "But it's such a beautiful day," she adds, trying to be fair. "I'm glad you thought of it."

[thislastrequest]

It's that tone of voice and the feelings that were clearly behind it that broke AJ's heart all the further. She wants to be a good girlfriend, she really does, but she also wants to be a good counselor, and she just hasn't ... found a happy medium between school, and their home lives.

But starting now, she's decided, things were going to change.

"I just wanted to spend some time with you, Lily. I know it's my fault that we've been so distant. I just want to ... I want that to change, and I want it to change right now. I miss you."

[instead]

Lily smiles despite herself, and she reaches out to take AJ's hand in her own, tangling their fingers together and holding it tightly. "I miss you too. You know," and here she laughs, because things can never get too serious, "there's a backlog on the DVR at least three weeks deep. I haven't made any headway on our shows."

[thislastrequest]

Oh, thank God. This is certainly a step in the right direction, or so she hopes, and so, she's going to cling until she absolutely cannot do so anymore. After all, at some point, she does have to let Lily get back to work, even though she doesn't particularly want to. "That's good news for me. I mean, if you were caught up, I'd just be lost. We'll catch up together."

[instead]

"You'd better be grateful," Lily teases, because it's easier to joke than to admit how heartbroken she's been feeling for ... long enough that it feels like she's always felt like this. "I have practically had to stay off Facebook to avoid spoilers. It's been terrible."

There's a beat, and she looks down at their joined hands, her thumb tracing the lines of AJ's.

"Will you be home tonight?"

[thislastrequest]

It is easier to swallow those feelings for now, but Abbie knows and accepts that it will all come out eventually - she's prepared to hear about every hurt she's inflicted on Lily these past months. But she's also prepared to do what is necessary to correct things, to soothe those hurts, and to make sure things got better from this moment forward. "Oh, I can imagine. We'll watch it all, and get caught up before the new seasons start."

She sighs, enjoying the sweet little gesture, quiet in the moment before she answers. "Yes. No later than five-thirty, I promise."

[instead]

"Promise." It's not a word that Lily tosses around lightly - she makes it a point not to make promises, but guarantees. Maybe it's two sides of the same coin, but the specificity of the words means something to her. With her free hand, she extends her pinky to Abbie, but she smiles, too, like gosh, isn't this ridiculous, but do it to make me feel better. "Please?"

[thislastrequest]

Anything. Abbie would do just about anything within her power to prove to Lily that she means what she says. Things have been going south for far too long - she's adamant that this is the first step toward making things right. Her smile widens, but there is no hesitation when she extends her hand, too, linking fingers. "I promise."

[instead]

"Thank you." Lily will deny forever that there might be a catch in her voice, just for a moment there. This means more to her than she can say - the feelings of abandonment had sunk deeper and held on more tightly than even she realized. It wasn't until she had solid proof that she wasn't being left that she realized that she'd even been so scared. A moment later, she flings her arms around the brunette in a tight hug.

[thislastrequest]

There's no need to mention it, even though Abbie hears it, and her heart beats just a little bit faster when she does. Oh, she's got a lot of missing time to make up for, but she'll gladly do it just to see that smile, and to know that Lily will still be waiting for her when she comes home from work every night. Her breath gets knocked out of her with the force of the hug, but she doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Lily in return, if only just to hold her just as tightly. "I'm gonna make it all up to you, I swear."

[instead]

"This was a nice way to start." She doesn't let herself pull back until she's sure she's not going to cry, because she's not going to be the Crying Girl on the Park Bench. Again. Lily leans back, but not all the way away, just keeping Abbie close. "But it's just a start. I expect to be coddled, d'you hear? Chocolates and breakfast in bed and ... oh, massages. I love a good massage." She's smiling, because she's probably joking, but there's just enough seriousness in her voice that might undercut it.