The Girl Who Left Home to Find Out about the Shivers - Veronica Mars
Title: The Girl Who Left Home to Find Out about the Shivers
Author: mutinousmuse
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,245
Spoilers: 1x22
Characters: Lilly, Ensemble
Summary: Lilly decides she wants to learn what fear is.
Author’s Notes: Written for dasq’s Twisted Fairy Tales Challenge (challenge parameters listed at the end of the fic). Thanks to ladydisdain225 and shizam23 for the beta!
The Girl Who Left Home to Find Out about the Shivers
Lilly arched an eyebrow.
It was something she’d been practicing lately, ever since she’d seen a hot redhead do it on one of the Donut’s sci-fi shows. Not that she was watching the show… but it had been either that or actually attempt to do her math homework. And that was what Logan was for. Well, among other things.
Logan was, in point of fact, the recipient of the expertly arched eyebrow, and the effect was utterly lost on him.
“What?” he said.
“What do you mean, what?” Lilly gave up the arch and settled for an eye roll.
“You were making a funny face,” he said, sliding his fingers down her calf as he spoke.
Lilly crossed her legs, pulling her ankle from his grasp. “Um, Logan? You don’t get to insult my appearance and then grope me.” She stood and flounced across the quad, draping herself over the arm of a nearby senior and laughing effusively at some witticism he had just unleashed.
Logan stared after her, his face darkening.
“What a fucking bitch,” Dick said, plunking down next to Logan. “She must give really good head for you to put up with that shit.”
“Fuck you, Dick,” Logan snapped. He stood up and stormed into the building, passing a worried-looking Veronica on his way in.
She watched him pass, and then squeezed into a spot between Dick and Duncan at the table. “What was that about?” she asked.
Duncan inclined his head toward the center of the quad, where Lilly was attempting to pretzel herself around the leg of the Neptune Pirates quarterback. Veronica sighed, and reached into her backpack for her lunch.
“Why does she do that?” she murmured.
Duncan shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s been weird ever since Mom started making us go to that family counselor. She’s trying to convince him that she can’t experience normal human emotions.”
“Oh god,” Veronica laughed. “I can just imagine.”
“You should hear the stories she tells,” Duncan said. “Seriously, she must be getting them off the internet or something.”
Veronica leaned into Duncan, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Are we still going over there for movie night?” she asked. “Or do you think this spat will be a whole weekender?”
“We can go either way,” he said. “If Lilly wants to come, fine. If not, she can sit at home by herself and look up more psychoses to impress Dr. Kamen with on Monday.”
Veronica laughed, and took a bit of her apple. “If Logan’s going to be all emo, he’s not allowed to pick the movie.”
Duncan grimaced as they both recalled being forced to watch Stand By Me back to back with Say Anything while Logan sat in the corner of the couch nursing a bottle of vodka.
“Right,” he said. “I’ll bring the movies.”
* * * * *
Veronica tapped tentatively on Lilly’s door.
“Enter!” the voice on the other side called majestically. Veronica pushed the door open, and watched as Lilly put the finishing touches on her rather elaborate eye makeup.
“So you’re coming with us?” Veronica asked.
Lilly turned and delivered the arched eyebrow. Veronica gave her a small smile, and Lilly nodded a vague approval. “Of course I’m coming,” she said. “After all, we’re going to my boyfriend’s house.”
“We’d better get going then,” Veronica said. “It’s already pretty late.”
“Exhale, Veronica Mars. Deep breathing. It’s good for the soul.” Lilly sat down in front of her computer and flipped it open. “Dr. Kamen says so.”
“Duncan told me about him. He’s the therapist?”
“What he is,” Lilly said, “is Celeste’s attempt to be a mother about 16 years too late.” She shot Veronica a wicked-looking smile and then opened up Google. “He thinks my problem is that I’m not afraid of anything.”
Veronica sat down on the bed behind Lilly and began twisting her hair into a loose braid.
“Are you?”
Lilly was silent for a moment, and then merely typed in ‘the shivers.’
“What’s that?”
“That? That is what Dr. Kamen says I need to get.”
“How are you going to do that?” Veronica asked.
Lilly shrugged, closing the browser when it didn’t turn up anything interesting. “No idea.” She jumped up, and Veronica’s hands slid through her hair, catching fleetingly at the ends as Lilly floated away.
“Let’s go, Veronica.”
* * * * *
“Lilly.” The way Logan pronounced her friend’s name made Veronica feel strange - shivery, in fact - and she wondered for the thousandth time how Lilly could be so… Lilly. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere clapping wildly while Cave-Bob brings you a mammoth carcass?”
Lilly contemplating arching her eyebrow, but instead decided to breeze past him into the front room and settle herself on the couch. “I’m thirsty,” she announced.
“Hi Logan,” Veronica said, slipping past him to join Lilly.
“Hey man.” Duncan held up a handful of DVD’s. “Spielberg or Lucas?”
“Actually, I was hoping we could watch - ”
“Spielberg it is,” Duncan said. “A wise choice.” He brushed past his friend with a grin, picking up the remote control and settling in next to his girlfriend.
Logan eyed the remaining empty spot on the couch. Lilly grinned and patted the leather beside her. “Over here, lover,” she said, and then laughed.
Logan stared at her, hands clenched inside his pockets. Lilly’s smile faltered, and she crossed her arms.
Logan closed his eyes, willing the image of her smile to remove itself from the back of his retinas.
“What do you want to drink, Lilly?”
He heard her, smelled her as she walked past him. “I’ll get it myself,” she snapped.
Logan realized that Veronica and Duncan had gone very quiet, and he opened his eyes.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
“We shouldn’t have brought her,” Duncan said.
“No, it’s fine.” Logan popped a DVD into the player sat down on the couch. “She’ll be fine once she’s had a go at papa’s fine whiskey collection.” He grabbed the remote from Duncan and turned on the TV, determinedly ignoring the empty seat beside him.
* * * * *
Lilly placed the grate back over the air vent and shimmied down the dresser. She smoothed her skirt back down over her thighs and opened the liquor cabinet. Her eyes slid over the various labels - Stolichnaya Elit Vodka, Asombroso Añejo, Midleton Rare Irish Whiskey - and her fingers slid gently over the surface of the glass bottles.
A low voice sent the ghost of a breath dancing over the skin of her shoulder, and Lilly froze.
“I’ve always been partial to the classics, myself.”
A muscled forearm reached over her shoulder to remove the bottle she’d been reluctant to touch - she’d seen one like it in her father’s liquor cabinet, accompanied by a speech from Celeste about how even computer moguls don’t need to buy $700 bottles of alcohol - the 34-year-old Bowmore.
“Do you like Scotch?” the voice whispered in her ear.
She felt a firm torso press into her back as the arms slid around her to close the liquor cabinet. Strong hands rested themselves on her shoulders and began to slide down her arms, and she felt a familiar pressure against the flesh of her backside.
She nodded slowly, and her hands moved to cover the ones creeping forward around her. “Yes, I do,” she said, fascinated by the tremor she heard in her own voice.
“Good,” the voice responded, and then the hands were everywhere.
Lilly shivered.
~fin
The Challenge: Fairy Tale - The story of the youth who went forth to learn what fear was. The Twist - A character visits a shrink.
Originally posted here at fic_from_mars.
Author: mutinousmuse
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,245
Spoilers: 1x22
Characters: Lilly, Ensemble
Summary: Lilly decides she wants to learn what fear is.
Author’s Notes: Written for dasq’s Twisted Fairy Tales Challenge (challenge parameters listed at the end of the fic). Thanks to ladydisdain225 and shizam23 for the beta!
The Girl Who Left Home to Find Out about the Shivers
Lilly arched an eyebrow.
It was something she’d been practicing lately, ever since she’d seen a hot redhead do it on one of the Donut’s sci-fi shows. Not that she was watching the show… but it had been either that or actually attempt to do her math homework. And that was what Logan was for. Well, among other things.
Logan was, in point of fact, the recipient of the expertly arched eyebrow, and the effect was utterly lost on him.
“What?” he said.
“What do you mean, what?” Lilly gave up the arch and settled for an eye roll.
“You were making a funny face,” he said, sliding his fingers down her calf as he spoke.
Lilly crossed her legs, pulling her ankle from his grasp. “Um, Logan? You don’t get to insult my appearance and then grope me.” She stood and flounced across the quad, draping herself over the arm of a nearby senior and laughing effusively at some witticism he had just unleashed.
Logan stared after her, his face darkening.
“What a fucking bitch,” Dick said, plunking down next to Logan. “She must give really good head for you to put up with that shit.”
“Fuck you, Dick,” Logan snapped. He stood up and stormed into the building, passing a worried-looking Veronica on his way in.
She watched him pass, and then squeezed into a spot between Dick and Duncan at the table. “What was that about?” she asked.
Duncan inclined his head toward the center of the quad, where Lilly was attempting to pretzel herself around the leg of the Neptune Pirates quarterback. Veronica sighed, and reached into her backpack for her lunch.
“Why does she do that?” she murmured.
Duncan shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s been weird ever since Mom started making us go to that family counselor. She’s trying to convince him that she can’t experience normal human emotions.”
“Oh god,” Veronica laughed. “I can just imagine.”
“You should hear the stories she tells,” Duncan said. “Seriously, she must be getting them off the internet or something.”
Veronica leaned into Duncan, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Are we still going over there for movie night?” she asked. “Or do you think this spat will be a whole weekender?”
“We can go either way,” he said. “If Lilly wants to come, fine. If not, she can sit at home by herself and look up more psychoses to impress Dr. Kamen with on Monday.”
Veronica laughed, and took a bit of her apple. “If Logan’s going to be all emo, he’s not allowed to pick the movie.”
Duncan grimaced as they both recalled being forced to watch Stand By Me back to back with Say Anything while Logan sat in the corner of the couch nursing a bottle of vodka.
“Right,” he said. “I’ll bring the movies.”
* * * * *
Veronica tapped tentatively on Lilly’s door.
“Enter!” the voice on the other side called majestically. Veronica pushed the door open, and watched as Lilly put the finishing touches on her rather elaborate eye makeup.
“So you’re coming with us?” Veronica asked.
Lilly turned and delivered the arched eyebrow. Veronica gave her a small smile, and Lilly nodded a vague approval. “Of course I’m coming,” she said. “After all, we’re going to my boyfriend’s house.”
“We’d better get going then,” Veronica said. “It’s already pretty late.”
“Exhale, Veronica Mars. Deep breathing. It’s good for the soul.” Lilly sat down in front of her computer and flipped it open. “Dr. Kamen says so.”
“Duncan told me about him. He’s the therapist?”
“What he is,” Lilly said, “is Celeste’s attempt to be a mother about 16 years too late.” She shot Veronica a wicked-looking smile and then opened up Google. “He thinks my problem is that I’m not afraid of anything.”
Veronica sat down on the bed behind Lilly and began twisting her hair into a loose braid.
“Are you?”
Lilly was silent for a moment, and then merely typed in ‘the shivers.’
“What’s that?”
“That? That is what Dr. Kamen says I need to get.”
“How are you going to do that?” Veronica asked.
Lilly shrugged, closing the browser when it didn’t turn up anything interesting. “No idea.” She jumped up, and Veronica’s hands slid through her hair, catching fleetingly at the ends as Lilly floated away.
“Let’s go, Veronica.”
* * * * *
“Lilly.” The way Logan pronounced her friend’s name made Veronica feel strange - shivery, in fact - and she wondered for the thousandth time how Lilly could be so… Lilly. “Shouldn’t you be off somewhere clapping wildly while Cave-Bob brings you a mammoth carcass?”
Lilly contemplating arching her eyebrow, but instead decided to breeze past him into the front room and settle herself on the couch. “I’m thirsty,” she announced.
“Hi Logan,” Veronica said, slipping past him to join Lilly.
“Hey man.” Duncan held up a handful of DVD’s. “Spielberg or Lucas?”
“Actually, I was hoping we could watch - ”
“Spielberg it is,” Duncan said. “A wise choice.” He brushed past his friend with a grin, picking up the remote control and settling in next to his girlfriend.
Logan eyed the remaining empty spot on the couch. Lilly grinned and patted the leather beside her. “Over here, lover,” she said, and then laughed.
Logan stared at her, hands clenched inside his pockets. Lilly’s smile faltered, and she crossed her arms.
Logan closed his eyes, willing the image of her smile to remove itself from the back of his retinas.
“What do you want to drink, Lilly?”
He heard her, smelled her as she walked past him. “I’ll get it myself,” she snapped.
Logan realized that Veronica and Duncan had gone very quiet, and he opened his eyes.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
“We shouldn’t have brought her,” Duncan said.
“No, it’s fine.” Logan popped a DVD into the player sat down on the couch. “She’ll be fine once she’s had a go at papa’s fine whiskey collection.” He grabbed the remote from Duncan and turned on the TV, determinedly ignoring the empty seat beside him.
* * * * *
Lilly placed the grate back over the air vent and shimmied down the dresser. She smoothed her skirt back down over her thighs and opened the liquor cabinet. Her eyes slid over the various labels - Stolichnaya Elit Vodka, Asombroso Añejo, Midleton Rare Irish Whiskey - and her fingers slid gently over the surface of the glass bottles.
A low voice sent the ghost of a breath dancing over the skin of her shoulder, and Lilly froze.
“I’ve always been partial to the classics, myself.”
A muscled forearm reached over her shoulder to remove the bottle she’d been reluctant to touch - she’d seen one like it in her father’s liquor cabinet, accompanied by a speech from Celeste about how even computer moguls don’t need to buy $700 bottles of alcohol - the 34-year-old Bowmore.
“Do you like Scotch?” the voice whispered in her ear.
She felt a firm torso press into her back as the arms slid around her to close the liquor cabinet. Strong hands rested themselves on her shoulders and began to slide down her arms, and she felt a familiar pressure against the flesh of her backside.
She nodded slowly, and her hands moved to cover the ones creeping forward around her. “Yes, I do,” she said, fascinated by the tremor she heard in her own voice.
“Good,” the voice responded, and then the hands were everywhere.
Lilly shivered.
~fin
The Challenge: Fairy Tale - The story of the youth who went forth to learn what fear was. The Twist - A character visits a shrink.
Originally posted here at fic_from_mars.