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eden

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Fresh out of physical therapy for the first time in over a year, Lily goes home, showers, dresses for a night out and then goes to get Eden. It's a sign of how much she cares for her, how much she respects her that she hasn't gotten high beforehand. Her muscles ache, mostly in her feet and her lower back, manipulated and manhandled by the therapist who'll do the same every week, whether Lily think she needs it or not. What she wants, more than anything, is a pill or a drink to dull the pain, but she doesn't take either.

For Eden.

She heads down one floor, passing by the apartment Spike said he lives in and for a moment, she contemplates stopping there first, inviting him out with them. She's wired, itching for a release and playtime is always more fun with three, but for now, she passes by. Eden's not expecting her, but Lily's sure she can convince her to head out anyway. The two of them have always had fun before and now they have a whole city right there for the taking.

She stops at Eden's door and knocks, leaning against the frame as she waits. They have the whole night ahead of them.

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The knock at the door comes as a surprise, drawing Eden's attention from the play in her hands. Origami wanders toward the sound and back toward the couch again, mewling, as her mistress gets to her feet and pads across, wondering who could be there. It's not as if there aren't people to come and see her here, and it's comforting in that respect, having friends who might drop by without warning (or stalk her for her own safety, in Jason's case). Still, she's always just a little cautious when she isn't expecting anyone. She's been in too much trouble in the past not to think it might well follow her here.

When she spots Lily through the peephole, she unlocks the door at once, smiling. This kind of trouble is well worth getting into. "Hey, gorgeous," she says. "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Mm, I braved the wilds of the stairwell just for you, because you and I? We need to go out," Lily answers with a grin for Eden, still leaning against the doorframe. "I don't care what we do, although dancing would be amazing right about now, but we need to find something. I'm going to go crazy if I have to sit in my apartment for much longer and you're my favourite person to find trouble with."

It's even more true here and now than it was on the island. There was only so much they could do back there, but here, they have all the options in the world.

"Well, I can't be responsible for your loss of sanity," Eden says warmly. Reaching for Lily's hand, she guides her back into the apartment. She loves being that, not just someone's favorite, but still trouble; there's something reassuring about the idea after years of trying hard to live a quiet, peaceful, compassionate life. Those things are part of who she is, but so are the nights out on the town, however much she struggles against temptation at times like these. Over and over again, she reminds herself, Lily is intoxicating enough all on her own.

"Give me a minute," she says, kissing her cheek. "I'll get changed."

"I'll be here," Lily promises, crouching to pet Origami, rubbing her ears. She's not much of one for pets herself -- mostly because she'd rather not have to be responsible for anyone other than herself -- but she likes the pets her friends have.

"I haven't even had a drink," she calls, standing again and brushing her hands off on her jacket. "I figured the two of us could still manage to find enough fun without having to worry about anything like that." It's much more than that, but Lily doesn't know how to say something like that, she doesn't know how to tell Eden it's because of their friendship that she wouldn't and so she doesn't. It helps, too, that Eden knows how to relax without needing any real help.

The words come as a surprise. It's not so much that Eden expects Lily to have started drinking before turning up; it's the implication of what she says, a kind of bittersweet solidarity. She shuffles through her closet, giving herself time before she responds. Drawing a dark purple dress from its hanger, she makes quick work of changing, grabbing a pair of stilettos by the straps as she heads out to the living room again.

"Well, you're right about that," she says warmly. "Pretty sure you could find fun anywhere."

"Especially with you," Lily answers, smiling at Eden comes back into the room. "God, you're gorgeous." As much as she needs to get out, find some fun, go and dance all night, there's a part of her that just wants to push Eden right back into the bedroom and forget about leaving for hours yet. Getting out is a good idea, though. It's only a lead up to a better part of the night, anyway.

"So," she says, her smile growing. "Where would you like to go?"

This is the dangerous part of the equation. Eden can handle Lily, fluid enough herself to roll with whatever the other woman sends her way. The destination is what's difficult. She's not sure there's a place in town they can have fun that doesn't double as a bar, drinks passing all around them, drugs in some places. She's less concerned with the latter than the former; narcotics were never the problem with her.

What she hates desperately, more here in the city than she has a long time, is how fucking careful she has to be, how she can't just trust herself not to give in.

"Anywhere," she says, leaning down to pull the straps on her shoes through the buckles. "Somewhere the music's good and loud."

There are a few bars nearby, all of them places Lily's been in the past several weeks. Sometimes she goes alone, sometimes with one or two of the dancers at the company, but with the exception of Eden and Eames -- and Neil, she supposes -- she's been keeping most of her interactions easy and light. Easy to be around, easy to get out of. She hasn't gone out with anyone else yet, not until tonight and she has to pause for a moment to think of where she wants to take Eden.

"I know the place," she says with a smile. "It's small, but I think they know me well enough already to let me in." And the music is always loud, but it's not quite the same as a regular bar. It's a bit more private, a bit more exclusive. Just the sort of place Lily wants to go with Eden.

Eden just smiles, shaking her head fondly. It doesn't surprise her in the least that this would be the case. Lily's the kind of girl who knows the best places to go and whom people always let in. It's not something Eden's ever had to worry about, though. She was only eighteen when she arrived in Los Angeles, but no one ever turned her away and no one cared what it said on her driver's license; she had her ways around all that. Now, she supposes, she still does.

Somewhere small, somewhere Lily's picked, sounds perfect. "I like the sound of that," she says. She grabs a purse, a wristlet big enough to hold money and ID and her phone but not to get in her way, and heads toward the door. Holding it for Lily, she gestures to the hall with a flourish. "After you."

"So chivalrous," Lily says with a teasing grin, stepping into the hall ahead of Eden and then turning to look at her. "I knew I kept you around for more than just your good looks." It's more than that. So much more, though Lily's always preferred not to get in quite so deep as she has here, but there's no avoiding it and she isn't sure she wants to either way.

She doesn't think she can fuck Eden up in quite the same way she fucked up Nina. It makes their relationship safer in its way.

"Really?" Eden asks. She waits for Lily to lock the door behind her, falling into steps as they head for the elevator. "Because I thought it was for my charming personality and the sex, but mm, chivalrous. I'll take it." For so long, she lacked confidence growing up, although her power put an end to that pretty quickly. It's hard not to feel certain of yourself when anything is yours for the taking. Even before coming here, though, there's something about Lily that's helped her feel so much more like the girl she used to be, back before dying left her less sure of herself. These days, it's easy to fall into teasing and flirtation without overthinking it like she did for a while there.

Once they're inside the elevator, Lily turns toward Eden, pressing her against the wall just long enough to kiss her, soft and slow. More a promise of the evening to come than anything else. "Chivalry, good looks, charming personality, sex... you've got even more going for you than I realized," she teases, a dark smile stealing across her features briefly. "I'm glad I got here first before everyone else in this city realizes what they're missing out on."

And she's sure it's just a matter of time. Lily's never been particularly possessive and she finds the thought of others wanting Eden this badly to be more of a turn-on than anything.

Eden holds to the bar behind her, enjoying the feeling of being pinned up against the wall and of having Lily's undivided attention. It sounds good, all of it, both the statement of the way Lily wants her and the suggestion that others will follow suit. As much as there's a part of her that would be happy to find the right person and settle down, until she does, she wants that, to be desired and to go home with whomever she likes, to not have to choose anything. It feels like such a long damn time since she was the girl who got to live like that, and she misses it more than ever here with it in reach again.

"I don't know about everyone," she says. "I'm not sure I have that kind of free time."

"Well, it's not as if you really need a job, right?" Lily asks with a grin. "I mean, with the money that comes into our accounts every month, you could probably find a little extra time."

The elevator doors slide open behind her and she smiles again before taking Eden's hand and leading her out into the lobby. "It's not far from here," she promises. "In five minutes, we'll be dancing."

Swinging their hands between them, Eden follows Lily outside, grinning. "True, I could skate by on that," she says. More than that, she could thrive on her power alone if she let herself, the fact of that always whispering in the back of her mind. She's trying so hard to resist, though. Give in to one temptation, and she doesn't know if she can withstand the rest.

"But I get bored so easily."

"We could always find some trouble to get into," Lily answers with a grin, even though she knows exactly what Eden means. No matter what else she has to do, no matter what kind of freedom has been given to her, Lily would never stop dancing. Even on the island, she danced every day. No company, no audience, no season of shows to put on, but she never missed a day.

"Do you have any shows lined up right now?" she asks, turning them down a back alley.

"Not at the moment," Eden says, rolling her eyes. There are times she feels kind of stupid for it, like she's pointed herself in the wrong direction. She still keeps auditioning, still keeps trying. If nothing else, she tells herself, she's getting experience. It's just not the experience she wants.

"Another audition in a few days, though. Until then, it's just the bookstore. Of course, if you want to make trouble, you can always drop by there. It's usually pretty dead."

"Does that mean there's more or less trouble to find there?" Lily asks, scanning for the small, subtle sign that marks the back entrance of the place she's looking for. That it's off a back alley makes her love it even more and she skirts around a dumpster before she finally spots the sign.

"You'll get something," she adds. "If this place had much of a film scene, I'd tell you to try that instead. You'd look spectacular on film."

Edited 2012-08-31 18:33 (UTC)

Eden glances up at the sign with a grin, brow lifting. A hidden place like this is always a good bet. "I made a movie once," she says with a laugh. "Back on the island, though. I'm not sure how much that counts." She nudges Lily with her hip. "I stole a diamond in it."

Despite her jokes, it feels good to hear. It's nice to know someone has that kind of confidence in her.

"Was it a really big diamond?" Lily asks as she approaches the door. It's opened before she can even knock and the man standing there looks at them for a second before he shifts to the side to let them in.

"If it was only a small diamond, I won't be impressed," she teases, then gestures for Eden to go inside ahead of her.

"Enormous," Eden assures her with a grin, gaze flickering briefly to the doorman before she heads inside. It's been forever since she got out like this, and for a moment, as she passes through the doorway, she closes her eyes, letting the music roll over her. "Now, this is more like it."

"Perfect, isn't it?" Lily asks, the word passing between her lips before she has time to think about it. Perfect. Nothing is perfect. No one can be and the word, said like that, is still haunting.

"Come on," she says, taking Eden's hand and slipping into the crowd. The club itself is small and it seems more crowded than it really is.

Fingers curling through Lily's, Eden follows, turning to face her as soon as there's a good space in the crowd. She likes it, actually, the warm press of bodies. When she was younger, it bothered her at first, but over the years, she's fallen in love with how easy it is to get lost in places like this, where no one matters, so she could be anyone.

There's no one else she wants to be, though, not when she's got Lily here with her. Slipping her arms up over her shoulder, she draws her close, moving to the music without thinking.

Eden's always made things easy and Lily slides her arms around Eden's waist, moving their bodies closer, shifting to the music. Easy is what she wants right now more than anything, to lose herself in the music and the bar and the feel of Eden pressed up against her.

It's so much easier to keep things light than to get attached and leave or be left behind. She's so sick of leaving.

There's a guy dancing close to them, closer than he needs to be and Lily turns slightly, then smiles at him in invitation.

Eden looks at the guy joining them, offering up a smile of her own. The majority of her attention, though, is for Lily, not some stranger, not tonight. If someone else joins in, she doesn't mind, same as she won't mind if he goes. On nights like this, the best thing to be is flexible, willing to adapt to whatever situation comes her way, and though she's crazy about Lily, she's not the kind to get jealous. If she were, she'd have had to find someone else long ago. Hands winding down to Lily's hips, she kisses her anyway, not caring about their audience. At least, not much.

Lily presses closer to Eden and she can feel the presence of the guy behind her, moving, dancing, and she's aware he's there, but nearly all her attention slides back to Eden quickly enough. Kissing her back, Lily's hands slip up Eden's sides, rising to either side of her neck, one hand pressing into her hair.

She could do this all night, she thinks. Sway to the music, feel it pounding through her, Eden's skin warm under her hands, her lips. Better still because she doesn't have to push. With Eden, she's never had to push.

Jealous or not, Eden can't pretend it isn't satisfying, knowing she can have Lily's attention mostly to herself so easily. That might well be all she really wants — to know it's hers if she wants it. Lily, she knows, never will be, not fully. It just isn't who Lily is, too free for anything so conventional. The trick is in accepting that.

She couldn't possibly do anything else, though, when she feels this good. Lily's fingers in her hair are just tight enough to tug pleasantly, and the room is hot, but she doesn't mind. Getting kissed like this is almost as good as being drunk, head spinning as she lets herself forget about anything and anyone else.

"Do you girls want a drink?" the guy behind them asks and for a just a moment, Lily almost wants to answer yes for the both of them. But this right here is good enough, it's more than good enough and there are certain places where Lily's willing to push just for the sake of pushing, but this isn't one of them. Eden doesn't need it and she needs Eden in her way. That's one thing she's not willing to risk.

She breaks the kiss, fingertips stroking the side of Eden's face as she turns to face him, all the while still moving to the music, shifting her body against Eden's. "We're good," she answers, then looks down pointedly. "But maybe you should get one. Cool down a little."

Eden stifles a laugh, gaze darting from Lily to the man. "Thank you," she says sweetly, with a firmness that suggests it means more that the conversation is closed. He's kind of cute, but she's otherwise occupied. Besides, that's the problem with coming to places like these now on her own. Not only is the temptation too strong to resist alone, declining those offers from men and women she might otherwise be interested in tends to complicate the conversation in a way that kills the mood.

The man backs off a bit, mouthing okay, and although there's a part of Lily that's a little disappointed to see him go so easily, she's certainly more than happy to turn back to Eden. "Now there's a man who knows how to do what he's told," she says seriously, even though she's grinning. "Just for future reference. Could be fun."

Eden laughs. "That was surprisingly easy," she says approvingly. With a quick kiss to Lily's lips, she smiles. "And I like the way you think." That's not exactly news, but then, this context is a little different. It's definitely appealing, though, either way. The advantage, too, of getting up to some kind of threesome is that, even if they invite a man back with them who turns out not to be worth their time, they still know they'll enjoy themselves.

"I'm full of bright ideas and fun things to do," Lily teases, taking Eden's hand, tugging her toward one of the booths in the small club. It's not exactly the type of place that serves food, but the booths are relatively private, much more so than the dance floor, and they can spend all night dancing if they want. For just a few moments, though, Lily wants Eden to herself.

What it is Lily has in mind now, Eden isn't sure, but she follows along readily, weaving through the crowd with her hand tight in Lily's. Whatever it is, she's in, willing to do just about anything but drink tonight. It feels good just to get out again anyway, to have a world like this to play in again. Sliding into the seat when she gets there, she tugs Lily's hand, urging her closer.

Lily doesn't need much urging at all and she presses against Eden, finding her mouth again. The music is loud, a heavy bass line pumping through her and she feels it centered in her chest, her skin vibrating with every pounding beat. It feels almost as good as Eden's lips under hers, the smooth skin of her arm as Lily's fingers wander up, exploring gently, having fun.

Eden laughs against Lily's mouth, arms twining over the other woman's shoulders as she shifts a leg over one of hers. "Did you just bring me here to make out?" she asks, raising her voice to be heard over the music. It's so loud, she doubts anyone else will hear her anyway, and that's how she wants it, a beat driving so hard she can feel it shaking through her veins. "We could have stayed home for that."

"Yeah, but sometimes it's more fun in public," Lily answers, her hand falling to Eden's knee, fingertips stroking gently against her skin. "Especially when it can be broken up with dancing." There's something about the act of dancing, of being out there on the floor in plain view of everyone that makes Lily want someone even more. Not that she's ever had a problem there when it comes to Eden.

"Fair enough," Eden says, smiling as she leans in to kiss Lily again, her hands sliding up to cup her face. She's all too aware of Lily's fingers on her skin, the way it sends a shudder through her spine even in the warmth of the club. It's the best possible distraction she could have from everything else here, the unmistakable smell of alcohol in the air; she just drinks Lily in instead. "As long as we don't break it up yet."

"No," Lily agrees, pressing closer, more than happy to forget anyone else who might be in this club right now, willing to put all that aside and in the past. The things she wants, they're mostly here in this city and she knows she should be grateful for that. Especially with Eden here. "No, not yet," she murmurs, her fingers creeping higher before her entire palm rests on Eden's thigh, her other hand stroking against the side of her neck as they kiss.

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