Here you go, next chap. Hope the others will catch up but those I think are nicer if I post them all "in a row" so to speak ;) And thanks for the reviews guys, I saw some new readers :D


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[b]Previously:[b]


At some point the microphone was gone, everyone was far away from them, and they were alone.
Well sort of. Greg was still bustling about around them.
But they were alone. As much as they always had been allowed to in such circumstances.
Hugh on his behalf was still trying to make the thudding in his ears going to cease. His eyes moving restlessly across room fluttering over each details of it without memorizing any. He had barely nodded at Katie. Lisa had said something like she would wait for them to be back. She was ok. She wasn’t tired. She’d better not lie down or sit anywhere too comfortable otherwise she would probably drift off instantly she had joked.
He ought to stop worrying so much.
He owed it to her.
They mattered more.
She mattered more.
He shouldn’t be so self-centered to…
But he made mistake to turn his head at some point meeting her eyes as she had them pointed straight up at him.
And the world turned once again.


.................................................


Lisa had leaned onto the wall: she had her back pressed against it, her arms casually crossed behind her back and she was now simply staring at him, with her head slightly titled to one side, just without saying a word.
But she was smiling. Smiling sort of bashfully maybe but also ever so impossibly endearingly to him; with a faint, tempting smile on her lips, barely noticeable, but that was already causing heat rushing all over through his veins.
And then there was that light….
Just that one-of-a-kind, engaging, familiar light dancing in her eyes that he really, truly didn’t know how he could possibly be thinking he might ever have the courage to be any more demanding than that.
It was a miracle. Plain and simple.
Just a few hours ago, he hadn’t even dared hoping half of a smile like this might belong to him ever again. Not after all that yelling. Not after what he had told her.
But now the problem was half of it wouldn’t feel enough for him, would it?
Not anymore…
He didn’t want the short-lived illusion of it.
He wanted it all.
Or at least it felt like it...
They looked at each other in the eyes for what felt like an everlasting time.
At least he wished it would be.
And what he wanted horribly thronged with what felt he wouldn’t be able to live without anymore, not even if he chose so.
Wish against need…
Lisa pushed herself a little tighter against the wall, slightly arching forward her belly; she tilted up her head a bit never taking her eyes off him.
It was a familiar gesture.
A familiar pose to him.
Something she had done to him one thousands time before, which he would never get used to. Or over…
It was need against desire.
Something so overwhelming he didn’t even have a name for it.
He wondered whether she was conscious of it, whether she was doing that on purpose, or whether it was just him the one who was irremediably too sensible to the way she moved. To the way she looked at him. To the way she was.
Especially tonight.
He couldn’t remember a time he hadn’t been though; a time he hadn’t felt this way about her.
Lisa kept quiet, just smiling up to him.
In the end he had to smile her back, tenderly.
Love over need…
He let himself drop sideways at her side, shifting a little bit closer and stared down at her, strangely suddenly aware of her eyes upon him.
He self-consciously started to crack his fingers a little.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, gently.
Lisa pouted lightly, a faint, luminous, little leer pulling at her lips; that cause some more blood pulsing down and a little bit more quickly through his body.
“Good…” she said, simply.
He kept staring at her, rather pensive with the feeling all he wanted, all he needed after all was just drowning into that smile; being drifted out to sea.
He desperately tried not to.
He heaved a silent, deep breath, licking his lips.
Lisa kept smiling. She made a face him, as if she was trying to make him smile again.
He watched her.
And he couldn’t help a lopsided grin to come to his lips then.
It was a losing battle after all. She was too much to him.
He shook his head, smiling.
She pulled her chin a little in bafflement “What?”
He stared down to the ground, moistening his lips with the tip of his tongue, without managing to stop smiling.
“I was just thinking….” he commenced, but then he paused as he thrust his hands into his leather jacket pockets and found something crackling under his fingers.
He looked down and took it out.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Greg stepped out of the bathroom space, sparing no glance on them. He quickly busily rushed to the camera he had placed at mean distance and went to check on the angle again.
Hugh lifted his eyes up to her. He sucked in his lips and arched his brows.
“For you…” he said, putting out his hand to let a small packet drop inside hers.
Lisa stared down. It was a packet bar.
He tightened his shoulders with his hands back into his pockets, studied her face a bit, bit his lower lip, “I just grabbed it on my way to the setting…..when you were still…dressing up…” he added, dismissively.
Something came through his chest as sharp as the edge of a thin knife, then.
So softly to be breathtaking: she had started to smile wider and wider, as turning the bar round between her fingers.
He had done it again.
“Wat lu tink dei are tellin each oder?” Katie asked in an undertone as glancing stealthy across the room from over her paper glass. She bit the border letting it dangle in between her lips.
David poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I didn’t understand a word of what you said….” he answered flatly without looking at her.
He raised his eyes then. Peter was standing aloof in a corner, one leg bent against the wall, hands in his pockets, staring away.
“What’s he holding?” Katie asked, warily outstretching her neck.
“Vosges Creole…” Lisa said softly. She looked up, turning ahead to him, “How did you know?”
Her smile had grown radiant in the meanwhile.
He had just done it again.
Sunlight was working its way through his chest one more time.
He had just done it again…
David made a puckered, sardonic face “I don’t know …a grudge on me?!”
Katie whirled round, averting her eyes then “What?!”
Lisa locked eyes with him and it really felt like his couldn’t help but fluttering confusedly over her face whenever she did that.
Greg passed them by again on that very moment, adjusting another light.
He lowered his tone, restraining a dismissive smile “I just remembered you used to have quite a soft spot for those....” he said gesturing with his chin to the packet.
He chuckled something suddenly coming to his mind, “…you stole me one once as a matter of fact….”
David made a disgusted face “Who forgot to put sugar to this coffee???” he clacked his tongue, trying to get rid of the sour taste “Goddamnit, what an awful night!!!”
Katie lowered her head closer to his, frowning “Dave, who’s holding what grudge on whom?”
A glassy, inexpressive bored look appeared on David’s face. He slowly turned to her, arching his brows “I lost myself in the middle of that sentence….”
“Who the hell are you talking about?!?!”
He blinked twice, “Peter…”
Lisa’s eyes smiled up at him for another second. Then she lowered them, going back turning the bar over in her hands. He realized he felt suddenly hotter all over his face.
Katie looked up at him, goggling.
“What?” he asked, looking baffled.
She shot him a look, “Now you tell me…” she started in a lower voice, tapping calmly with her finger against his chest. David’s stare dropped to her hand, “…WHO THE HELL FREAKING CARES ABOUT PETER!!!!!!” she finished in a chocked hiss, startling him.
Lisa kept on smiling. So much he was just about to lose himself into that smile.
He couldn’t feel his heartbeat anymore.
It came natural to him putting it down to a joke. That was just who he was, “…it definitely looked like you could use some magic white dust in that wardrobe room, you know….”
Slowly, Lisa lifted up her head again “It looked like I could use what?!” she asked, smiling.
“I’m not saying he hold any interest to me…” David said, moving phlegmatically away her finger “…I’m just saying…”
Katie rolled her eyes to the roof “Oh shut up! I’m talking about THEM!” she said and she shoved her fingers into David’s cheeks forcing him to turn.
Lisa made a such funny face that Hugh couldn’t help ending up stifling a chuckle, as dropping down his head “I just meant…” he laughed “…using a very lame teasing phrasing that you might use some sugar…” he said “…you looked tired I mean and a little bit worn-out to me that’s all…”
“Dei ar laffin it sins to me…” slurred David, with his lips forcefully stretched out into a tight pout “…an…yu’r hurtin me….”
Katie shook her head quickly once again, but she wasn’t listening to him this time “It looks like he gave her something, she’s turning something over in her hands….” she hissed narrowing her eyes as moving her head from one side to another and stealthy up and down as if looking for a better viewpoint.
David’s eyes moved slowly sideways in her direction. She took a deep breath “…YU’R HURTIN ME!!!”
Katie started immediately releasing her grip on his face, “What?!”
Lisa coughed a little laugh. She cupped her hands before her nose “I’m just so sleepy….” she said, rubbing her face“….feels like I haven’t slept in ages….”
Hugh kept on watching her.
There were so many things he wanted to tell her.
So many he didn’t know how to.
“I know…” he said, simply.
David was massaging his cheeks, “I said you were hurting me…”
Katie thrust her hands inside the pockets of her sweatshirts, pensively. She still wasn’t listening to him.
He raised his eyes to them, then wearing a scowl “…and they’re laughing…that’s all I see….”
She turned to him, punching his shoulder playfully at this point “Oh come on…you wanna pretend you’re not even a little bit curious too?”
Lisa shook her head; her face always sank inside her hands, “I must look terrible….”
Hugh was weighing his words, wondering whether there was really where he wanted to go.
David pulled a face, “Nope”
“Liar…” she mocked.
He turned his back to her, stretching forward over the table to grab a muffin “I don’t care…”
Katie narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms over her chest now “You’re just as curious as a monkey…and you’re jumping at everybody’s throat tonight around here ‘cause you’re freaking scared this is gonna screw up with your show….we’ve already been there…”
“You’re simply beautiful….” Hugh told her at last.
She suddenly moved her hands away, showing her face.
His stomach flipped.
“It’s not just that…” David said. He grabbed a bite out of his muffin.
“What then?” Katie prompted him.
But another revolted expression came to his lips. The muffin tasted stiff, “Who the hell took care of this catering?!” he snapped, angrily as spitting it out into a napkin “They are fired….”
Katie rolled her eyes again, “Jesus we are to the crazy firing stage…”
Lisa watched him, silently.
And he witnessed his hand reaching up to her face, totally out of control “….I’ve never seen something so beautiful as a matter of fact….” he whispered, as he absentmindedly brushed a lock off her forehead.
Her eyes followed the movement, always in silence, but some more color came to her cheeks, making him smile.
It looked like they were barely aware of other people’s presence in the room.
Katie suddenly jumped on David’s arm, pulling at his sweater repeatedly “Have you seen that?! Have you seen that!!” she said in an excited undertone “…I knew it, I knew it…”
David went to shake his shoulder “What…the…” he said clenching his teeth. He turned ahead, then his lips pressed against each other as he still tried to loosen himself free from her, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN?!” he hissed pushing down her hands.
He suddenly started to look around then, even stealthy as if making himself sure for anybody to have noticed that.
He froze.
Now wait a second.
What the hell was HE doing?
He wasn’t the one who was supposed to watch for this kind of stuff!!!
Hugh didn’t care.
He didn’t care whether someone noticed.
He didn’t care in that moment.
At least it felt like it….
But this was his world, his safe little comfortable universe.
What would happen when they have to face the outside world? Did she want to? Up to which point could they?
Lisa had to get her breath. She forced herself to avoid looking up at him for too long and simply smiled, gulping down “You’ve grown quite a flatter….”
Yeah. He had. Or maybe he was simply, cowardly testing the cheapest way to hold on not so tight to drive her away, ‘cause…what if he opened up completely and she left all the same?
The thought made him grow a little gloomier.
“Oh the hell, Katie!!! I can’t care about them, alright? I’ll have bigger fish to fry…” he whispered down to her as turning away.
He went to sit back down on his chair, his eyes checking up on them though.
He couldn’t care and yet he did….fucking, double damn it…
Katie followed him at quick, lively pace. She sat down next to him, crossing her legs, leaning forward to one side closer to him once more, “Oh come on, don’t be so dramatic…let’s just see how it goes…” she said “…look, I mean…you see the chemistry is all still there…I’m sure they’re gonna rock the house next year….”
David bent his leg at ninety degree over the other, “Yeah…” he said, swinging his feet.
He spared another glance towards them.
Hugh was keeping on whispering down to her. He softened his voice, “It’s just like saying stars glitter though you know….”
Lisa’s smile broadened, ever so unnoticeably. And he didn’t know what he was doing, but whatever it was, it felt right in that moment. He just didn’t know how much selfish it was.
“….it’s their nature….it’s what they do…” he trailed off.
She kept on smiling but then shot him a look he already knew the meaning of, “Really?!…is that what they do?”” she said as licking her lips, mockingly.
She was no pushover.
He had always known that.
He smirked. God he had missed her…
“Oh yeah…” he pressed on and he didn’t even know how he managed not to lose his composure on such moments but he had already concluded a lont time ago that there must be some witchcraft in what she did to him, 'cause there was simply no over explanation to it. He made a face, “It’s actually what they do their living….everyone needs to work their way through the world for their bread and butter you know….”
She burst out laughing quietly, bringing one hand to her mouth. And once again he couldn’t help himself: he tuck a strand behind her ear, sighing, “You see?” he said cherishing the words with his tone “You’ve just shined some more brightly….”
Katie got some closer to him, just shifting her body this time “He did that again…he did that again….Have you seen that?!”
David sank his cheek deeper inside his fist, “Yeah…I did….”
She lowered her head down to her cell-phone, pretending to be texting, as she kept on darting her eyes upwards, “What do you think that means?” she whispered, stretching her mouth to one side.
David stalled this time. It was no use pretending he did not care. He did. Even too much. And it was definitely time to stop beating around this bush. For all of them.
He watched them carefully for another second.
He thought it through.
“I think we should keep ourselves ready….” he said at last pushing himself straight.
Katie continued typing blankly, glancing up every once in a while, “Meaning?”
He swung his head, his eyes fairly darker than usual “Meaning we have to keep our eyes open….’cause, one way or another, this thing is gonna blow up on someone’s face….” he said, deadly serious now “….and it’s not gonna be nice….”
Katie’s face suddenly changed to that. She lifted up her head, stopping typing abruptly.
It took her a while to get what he meant.
“You think this is what gonna happen!?”
David turned to her. He kept quiet. But he didn’t have to voice it, ‘cause by the look on his face she was suddenly realizing by herself how much more willing at being thoroughly aware of the consequences of all of this he had been all along.
More than any of them perhaps.
He arched his brows “You know what I’d rather not to happen, instead?”
Katie could say nothing.
“That it doesn’t end up blowing on theirs…” he said, gesturing with his head to them “…the show will survive. FOX will cover my ass, yours and everybody’s around on production…but I’m not so sure they’ll watch out for their OR that they really know what they are doing….”
Katie could say nothing once more. She could just keep quiet, staring at them, as if she was seeing this thing under a completely different light for the first time ever in years.
They had always looked perfect for each other to everyone. A perfect match. On of those one would never say was down to earth. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. But they were real. Very much. What they had was a one-of-a-kind-thing. And yet there was just something about them, just something in the way they kept dancing around each other, something in the way they apparently were addicted to one another that proved him right somehow. Even right now.
And suddenly she wasn’t so sure they had pondered half of it as they should have either. “So…what can we do?” she found herself asking him, as if some part of her was expecting him to have some magic trick at his disposal to perform. Some light wand touch to cast on things so that everything would find their right place.
David licked his lips: it was just time to face this thing and start to work down on it. Plain and simple.
He checked his watch, then stood up firmly “We give them another extra minute before this time closes up on them….” he said and Katie was sure the time he was referring about wasn’t just a working-hours one.
He scratched down his nose sniffing, always without looking at her “…just give them a little without our upcoming dressing-down to ring in their ears for echoes….” he added. Katie was looking at him, half-astonished by now, “then we’ll think about something to come up with….”
She still wasn’t finding the words.
He motioned her to stand up then, looking carelessly “Come on…wipe that look off your face and stand up. I need to apologize to Peter…” he made a grimace “I’ve been an ass….it’s gonna be fun for you …”
She quietly started on walking by his side, still speechless.
Then slowly her lips began to curl up.
He promptly thrust his hands into his pockets, “Don’t….” he menaced.
“You’re adorably thoughtful at times…” she said, simply snuggling him.
He heaved a sigh, “Shut the hell up, will you?”
She laughed, “For how long, anyway?”
He picked it up instantly “Just a couple of minutes. They have no idea how light-hearted all of this will look like to them, compared to what they are putting themselves through….”
He casted another brief glance in their direction. It didn’t even look like Hugh knew what he was physically doing.
He just hoped he at least knew what he wanted.
He sighed for one last time, “Let’s just go fishing the others back in the meanwhile…”