#henryxlily

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 16

Eeek! How are we already on part 16?! I dunno, but here we are! I hope y’all enjoy this installment! Based on how I’m feeling about this story, I think we may be nearing the end 😳 but I’m not sure yet. We’ll see how things play out...

Word Count: 3,619

CW: none

taglist:

@maeleeme @andyrazzledazzle @henrycavillluv32 @fanfictionaddiction99 @blossom-a @jhenno2002

While Lily was getting dressed in sneakers and shorts the next morning, she smiled to herself thinking about the night before. After talking with Henry, they made love multiple times throughout the afternoon and evening. Lily couldn’t believe how easy it was to give herself to him so easily, but she did and found herself loving it. She felt safe when he held her, even sensually, and she hoped she was able to do the same for him. Now while it was still pitch black outside, they were up to take Kal out for a walk. Henry had bedhead galore and Lily couldn’t stop glancing at him, smiling the entire time. They walked around the city hand in hand for a while before Henry remembered that he needed to create an update for his Instagram account.

“My manager says I need to be more consistent, but I honestly forget about it half the time,” he says, rummaging to find his phone. Lily bobs her head as if she understands, but she hasn’t been on Instagram in three years, so she really doesn’t. When Henry did finally get his phone out, Lily stepped to the side to let him film a selfie. He took a picture of Kal practically burying himself in a bush he had found with a fascinating scent. “Taking the bear out for a walk on my day off,” he narrated as he typed a caption to go with the photo. He smiled as Kal snuffled loudly at a scent. “Kal,” Henry said quietly trying to get his attention. Kal ignored him and continued to stuff his face in a bush he found, snuffling loudly. Lily giggled and Henry glanced at her. “He sounds like a pig, doesn’t he?” he asked her. Lily nodded.

“A pig with a deviated septum,” she replied and Henry laughed out loud at that. He posted his photo, pocketed his phone, and grabbed Lily’s hand as they continued to walk along. They walked for a while then returned to her hotel while it was still dark outside. Henry dropped Kal off in the room then informed Lily he needed to get his fasted cardio in for the day. “Do you need to get into the gym downstairs?” she asked, but Henry shook his head no.

“Nah, I think I’m just going to run around town,” he said. Lily bobbed her head then told him about a park nearby that had a decent running trail.

“You should go there if you want,” she said. Henry smirked at her.

“Okay, I’ll go if you come with me,” he replied. Lily raised an eyebrow at him.

“You want to go up against a triple champ high school track star?” she asked incredulously. Henry stood up and continued to smirk at her.

“How long have you been out of high school? Exactly. I think I can take you,” he said sure of himself. Lily scoffed and smirked up at him.

“Oh, you’re on Hercules,” she replied. Ten minutes later, they were getting into Henry’s SUV and heading over to the park. When they arrived, it was still fairly dark out, though sunlight was beginning to lighten the sky. Lily stretched by the car, flexing and warming up her muscles. Henry did the same and after another ten minutes, they were ready to go. They started off with a slow jog, something that Lily wasn’t used to, but Henry needed. His large frame took a minute to get up to speed. He began huffing a little when an incline came and Lily began to find her rhythm. Running had long been her escape, but she was trying desperately to stay in the moment with Henry. But Henry was slow - well, slower than she was used to. Being smaller than Henry, Lily had a faster pace than he did, but he was keeping up fairly well. After about fifteen minutes of running, Henry pulled out his phone yet again. Lily supposed it was more filming for his Instagram account. She remembered Mar showing her something about him filming his fasted cardio sessions. Either way, she decided to pull ahead to give him space to film. Then she heard him say between labored breaths,

“Never agree to go running with a former track star,” Henry grunted a little and Lily giggled.

“You invited me along,” she said, quickly glancing over her shoulder at him. As she turned to face around again to avoid tripping, Henry turned his phone around to film her as she ran. Unaware, Lily kept her usual pace. After a minute or two longer, Henry called out to her.

“Lily,” he huffed. Lily glanced over her shoulder and slowed down so they were side by side again. “Is it alright if I post that?” he asked, huffing between each word. “I won’t if you say no,” he continued, his breath still labored. Lily smirked as she exhaled through her nose.

“That’s fine,” she replied. Henry bobbed his head in agreement. “Come on,” Lily said, picking up her pace. They ran the rest of the park and Lily pushed Henry to really pick up his pace towards the end. After running for 45 minutes, they were back at the SUV. The sun was halfway past the horizon, giving the scenery a golden/gray appearance. Henry pulled open the hatch of the car and grabbed giant waters for himself and Lily. Graciously, Lily took her bottle and began downing some.

“I think that’s the best run I’ve ever had,” Henry said, his voice and breath still labored. “I also think you almost killed me during the last leg just now,” he finished. He took a big swig of his water and sucked in a deep breath. Lily smiled to herself as she watched him.

“Sounds like you just need to get better at running,” she replied, taking a swing of her own water. Henry turned to her, his eyes just slits.

“I’m over 200 pounds!” he whined. “It’s not easy for me to do that!” he complained, gesturing to the park where they just ran.

“Excuses, excuses,” Lily sing-songed, laughing at the expression on his face. Henry reached out and grabbed Lily’s wrist, yanking her towards him. She shrieked as she collided with his firm frame. He wrapped his arms around her and began tickling her while she laughed and shrieked at the same time. When he finally stopped tickling her, he pulled her in for a deep kiss. Their sweaty bodies pressed together in a tight embrace. Lily snaked her fingers through Henry’s curls and moaned into his kiss. After a few moments, Lily broke away, sucking in breath after breath that she’d lost. Henry was doing the same thing. He sat down on the edge of the trunk and Lily ended up placing herself between his legs with her back to his chest. They both tossed back water before Henry cleared his throat.

While sitting there, Henry pulled out his phone and opened Instagram. He pulled up the video he shot while the ran and got it ready to post.

“You sure it’s okay that I share this?” he asked, his lips so close to her ear she could feel the warmth of his breath and it sent a shiver down her spine. She tilted her head up to look at him and smiled sweetly.

“Yes, it’s okay,” she said. Henry pressed his lips into her temple. Lily turned her head back to the watch the video and chuckled. “Honestly, all I can hear when I see this is my track coach yelling at me to pick my knees up,” she said. Henry laughed at that, then hit send. The video was to be shared with millions of people on his Instagram story and Lily genuinely didn’t care. Wrapped in Henry’s arm like this, nothing else mattered.

“You know,” he started suddenly. “Every year I run a race called The Durrell Challenge. It benefits this really great organization on my home island,” he paused, his arm resting simply around Lily’s waist. “You should consider joining me next year.” He leaned down to nuzzle her neck gently. Lily smiled and tilted her head to give him better access.

“I’ll think about it,” she murmured. They stayed like that for a while before finally getting up and heading back to the hotel. Back at the hotel, they showered again and got dressed in sweat pants and shirts. Henry admitted he was glad they agreed to stay indoors today because he actually did have several pages of lines he needed to review. After eating breakfast, they situated themselves on the couch so Lily’s legs were resting on Henry’s lap and his were on hers. She was just beginning into the second book in a series when she heard Henry’s words from the park. Occasionally, she glanced up to see him studying his script with a serious expression. She could hear him sometimes mumble the words out loud.

“Is that bothering you?” he asked at one point.

“Nope,” Lily said simply, not even looking up from her book. Henry smirked and went back to his studies.

And so, they sat on the couch for hours. Lily reading her book while Henry studied his lines. After a while, he grew tired of focusing on work and needed a break. Plucking the book from her hands, Henry climbed off the couch and pulled Lily up with him. On his phone, he pulled up the song “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton and turned the volume up. Then he pulled Lily close to him as they swayed to the music. Lily placed her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat.

“I love you,” she murmured into his chest. Henry squeezed her gently, pushing her body closer to his. He bent down and whispered in her ear.

“I love you, too,” his breath was hot on her skin, but she didn’t mind. Then the song stopped suddenly and Henry’s ring tone began to play. Curious, he picked up the phone and answered whoever was calling. When he hung up, he sighed and looked over at Lily.

“My day off has been cut short,” he explained. “Tom wants to redo a few of the shots and they need me back on set.” his blue eyes found Lily’s brown eyes. She gave him a gentle smile.

“Okay, no worries,” she said simply because it really wasn’t a problem. She loved Henry and she loved being with him, but work came first. That much was clear and she was okay with it. Henry came back to her and embraced her, kissing her passionately. She accepted everything before pulling back and out of his arms. “Shoo, shoo,” she said, waving her hands at him dismissively. He laughed and collected his things from around the room. Before leaving for good with Kal, he stopped to kiss her again.

“I think you might be the best thing that’s happened to me,” he said, kissing her forehead before darting out the door. Lily stood there for a moment until she was finally able to say out loud to the closed door,

“You are actually the best thing that’s happened to me,” she sighed as she shuffled back to the couch and picked up her book.

—

After a month and a half in Oklahoma, the movie moved to New Mexico where the majority of the movie was to be filmed. A huge chunk of pre-production was done in Oklahoma, so now the real ‘meat’ of the project was beginning. Lily was working closely more and more with the lead stunt coordinator. She was enjoying learning new moves and techniques. Thanks to Tom’s recommendation, she was a part of major background work in the beginning, but some of the more experienced team was on set and Lily was happy to let them take over more often. While she greatly enjoyed and appreciated everything she was learning, this experience was helping her to realize just how much she missed the Ninja Warrior community. Stunt work was incredible and taxing work, but she was slowly beginning to realize that this wasn’t the direction she wanted to go in. But, being a woman of her word, she refused to let it stop her from learning as much as she could. Still, every night in her room, she was on the Ninja Warrior site, her mouse hovering over the application button. She still had several months to send in her application, but her fear was getting the better of her.

In New Mexico, Henry had even less time than he did before. This left Lily to her own devices for the majority of her time, which was fine. She was used to it and even found herself enjoying exploring on her own. Where they filmed was near a national park, so when Lily wasn’t filming or training, she was hiking. She took her time walking the trails throughout the forests. She would pause for half an hour at times sitting on ledges, staring out at the beauty and scenery that was completely new to her.

When Henry did have a few moments to spare, their interactions were short and clipped. Surprisingly, it didn’t bother Lily. She understood that he was working and while more time would be nice, he had a job to do. As she got to know him, Lily came to understand that Henry wasn’t the type to half-ass anything. He worked as hard as he possibly could and then some. It was a character trait that she found she truly loved about him. It reminded her of Ray. A few mornings when Lily remembered, she got up in the wee hours of the morning with Henry to run with him during his fasted cardio. She forgot most mornings and slept until she was needed on set.

On the days that she was filming, the work was hard but rewarding. She had become good friends with the lead stunt coordinator and he enjoyed her work. They chatted often between takes or when they were needed on set, but not in a shot. Again, Lily truly enjoyed this work, but she was slowly beginning to realize this wasn’t what she wanted. Not truly. She talked about it with Mar one night on the phone.

“So how is it working on a movie set?” Mar asked, excited. Lily sighed.

“It’s different. The curtain has been completely pulled back, so I know pretty much what’s happening in most action movies now,” Lily replied. Mar noticed her tone.

“What’s going on with you?” she asked and Lily explained.

“I really enjoy doing this. The stunt work is fun and challenging, but I think this will be my one and only movie credit,” she paused, listening to Mar chew on some food. “As much as I enjoy this, stunt work just isn’t where I see myself heading.” There was a pause as Mar swallowed her food.

“Where do you see yourself heading?” she prompted. Lily sighed.

“I’m not sure yet,” she replied. Mar clicked her tongue.

“Well, whatever you decide to do, you know that I’ll support you completely,” Mar said. Lily smiled and thanked her. When they hung up, Lily opened her laptop again and found herself back on the official Ninja Warrior website. She took in a deep breath before scrolling over, clicking the application button, and beginning and submission form for the next season of American Ninja Warrior.

—

Three months later, Lily and Henry finally had some time to themselves. He had filmed the majority of his work, so all that was left were a few scenes with Tom and other cast members. Henry had a rare, albeit tumultuous, night off. Lily had to meet him at his trailer because he could get called back to set at any time, but that was fine with her. When she arrived, she knocked on the trailer door and immediately heard Kal bark. She smiled as the door opened. Henry stood in the doorway, dressed in simple jeans and a t-shirt while Kal peered defiantly from behind him.

“Hey beautiful,” Henry said when he saw that it was Lily. She walked up the three steps and into his trailer. Though it was small, it was still somehow spacious.

“How is your trailer still bigger than my actual apartment?” she asked sardonically, looking around. Kal was at her feet, sniffing every square inch of her legs. She giggled because his nose and whiskers tickled. Henry laughed at what was happening, then shooed Kal away. He pulled Lily in for an embrace and kissed her passionately. She stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him and felt his arms tighten around her waist. He moaned as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

“God, I miss you,” he murmured when he finally stopped kissing her. She smiled, her hand moving to cup the side of his face. Her thumb gently stroked his cheek.

“Mm, I miss you, too,” she whispered. They stood holding each other for a moment before moving over to the little kitchenette. At the table, Henry had laid out a dinner he ordered for them. She sat down opposite him and observed him. He looked exhausted, more so than usual. He was in good spirits, but she could tell he was feeling the last five months of work. “How has filming been going?” she asked. She hadn’t been on set in a few days. The work that was being done didn’t require her, so she’d been hiking and walking around the nearby town. Henry told her about the work that he was doing and she understood further why he appeared so exhausted. He was putting in 18 hour days while only getting about four hours of sleep a night. Plus he was working hard in the gym and on a majority of the training they had gone over back in Texas. He was working himself to the bone and that concerned Lily, but she also had to remember that it was his choice.

“What about you? How has it been going with Sam?” Henry asked, taking a big bite of his food. Sam was the lead stunt coordinator and now a good friend of hers.

“It’s been going good,” she replied. Henry immediately noticed how clipped her answer was. He looked up from his plate at her.

“What’s going on?” he asked, concern furrowing his brow. Lily sighed as her shoulders slumped.

“Oh man, I don’t want to sound ungrateful for what I’m about to say. Because I am beyond grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given,” she said, glancing at Henry.

“Okay,” he said, extending the word, prompting her to continue.

“I do love stunt work. It’s challenging and fun and different, but,” she paused. Henry’s eyebrows raised as he watched her. “I just don’t think this is for me. Not permanently.” she stopped, unsure of how Henry was going to respond.

He didn’t say anything and his silence prompted her to continue. Lily sucked in a breath.

“What I’m trying to say is that, as much as I find stunt work interesting and challenging, I don’t enjoy it. Not in the same way that I enjoy Ninja Warrior work. I’m taking in everything that I can with this opportunity, but at the end of the day, I want to be training in a Ninja Warrior gym; getting ready for the next season of American Ninja Warrior,” she said, a little breathless. Henry watched her for a moment before getting a quizzical look on his face.

“What do you mean, getting ready for the next season of Ninja Warrior?” he asked, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. Lily took in another deep breath a smiled a little herself.

“Well, that’s the thing,” she started. “A few weeks ago I started my application for the next season of the show,” she said. A wide smile grew across Henry’s face.

“Lily, that’s amazing!” Henry exclaimed. Lily blushed and smiled.

“Nothing is set in stone yet,” she said trying to bring everything back down. “I haven’t even finished the application. I have to film an entry video and I have no idea how I’m going to get that done. I don’t have a camera or a gym or a way to edit the video,” she trailed off as she realized how long that list was. She looked off to the side suddenly feeling rather discouraged. Henry noticed the shift and he reached out his hand to take hers. She looked back at him and realized there were tears forming in her eyes.

“Hey,” Henry cooed. He stood up from his side of the table and pulled Lily up, pulling her into an embrace. “Hey, you’re going to get that application in,” he started. Lily pulled her head off of his chest and looked up at him.

“I know, I just got scared,” she said quietly. Henry reached up a hand to caress her face.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out, together,” he said. Lily gently turned her face into his hand and felt a small weight fall off her shoulders. Rarely had she had anyone to help her with things, now here was a man - a man that she truly loved - admitting that he was going to help her.

“Yes, we will,” Lily replied, turning her head back to look at him. He smiled sweetly at her before groaning when a knock on the door interrupted them. He sighed deeply.

“Back to work,” he muttered, giving her a quick, hard kiss then darting out the door.

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 1

Welcome back to the world of Lily and Henry! Honestly, I have no idea how I ended up deleting my old account, but I’m genuinely more upset that I had no backups of my original work. That aside, I am beginning the slow process of rewriting my original series, A Ninja Warrior Love Story. I hope you enjoy it! 

Let me know of any other imagines or one-shots you’d like to see! Also, if you’d like to be added to the tag list, just send me a message!

CW: none

Word Count: 2,230

The Story: Lily is a single woman working at a parkour gym when she meets Henry Cavill. Are they meant to fall in love or is it just a one-time thing? 

At 4:30 in the morning, Lily’s alarm went off. She rolled over in her small bed and smacked her alarm to turn it off. Groaning, Lily pushed herself out of bed. With two steps, she cleared the small apartment bedroom and entered the even smaller bathroom. With the efficiency of a well-known routine, Lily got dressed in simple workout clothes. She glanced in the mirror to see a tired face looking back. For the past six months, she had been working hard to earn extra income so she could afford time off and a plane ticket to see her best friend at college. So far, it wasn’t really working out, but she had been able to save some money.

Once dressed, Lily dashed out to her beat-up old truck right outside her apartment. At 4:45 am, no one was out on the roads, so she wasn’t concerned about being late for one of her three jobs. Lily worked at a gym - not just any gym though. This was a Ninja Warrior gym. About four years ago, Lily met the gym owner, Donovan, who offered her a chance to work out at his gym. He remembered her from her track days and wanted someone to open his gym in the mornings since he was, in his words, allergic to any time before nine am. Lily quickly and easily agreed and almost immediately found herself in a world of her wildest dreams. She loved working out and training on the courses there and even considered applying to be on the show one day.

Five minutes to 5 am, Lily pulled up to the Hustler Ninja gym in Taylor, Texas. Taylor was about 45 minutes outside of the DFW area. It was basically the middle of nowhere with one good Walmart, a ghosted - albeit historic - downtown square, and surprisingly a very fancy looking Hilton resort. The keys jangling in the lock, Lily opened the gym and began turning on the lights. Donovan rented the building which was incredible in size. Large enough to house two ninja warrior obstacle courses, a half rock wall in the back, a decent-sized free-weight section, and even an outdoor mini-course. The whole place was huge and everything Lily wanted in a gym. Within two months of working there, she’d been promoted to assistant manager. She was here every Monday through Friday from 5-9, then Monday through Thursday, she went to work at her uncle's barbershop. Finally, on Fridays and Saturdays, she worked at one of the three bars in town to earn as much extra income as possible.

After dropping her gym bag in the locker room, Lily stepped out into the gym and looked around. Donovan and Daniel, or The Dude, did a good job cleaning up last night. It was actually a little surprising considering they rarely did any cleaning. Lily usually spent most of her time cleaning up after everyone. Weird. Regardless, she enjoyed the reprieve and made her way to the free-weights to start a warm-up. After 15 minutes, she was ready to begin her real training. It started with the salmon ladder followed by a few balance obstacles and finally ending with a grip training on the waving board. She was enjoying herself and almost didn’t hear the front door open again. Glancing over, she saw a tall, long-haired figure striding past her towards the locker rooms.

“Morning, Dude,” she called out. The Dude smiled and waved at her and continued on to the locker rooms. A few minutes later, The Dude appeared ready to go in long shorts, a fitted t-shirt and his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail. The Dude was the only guy Lily could think that could pull off the man-tail well. He saddled up to her and watched her jump down from the wave board.

“Morning Luck,” The Dude said to her. Lily groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Can’t anyone forget about that?!” she asked, jumping down off the raised platform and stood next to him. In comparison, Lily looked relatively tiny. Where she was about 5’5” of lean muscle, The Dude was 6’4” of muscle and weight. He got his nickname from his long hair and easy-going attitude. The Dude laughed, throwing his head back a little.

“Nope, it was too adorable,” he replied, making Lily roll her eyes even harder. “So you excited about tomorrow?” he asked when he finally stopped laughing. Lily looked at him confused.

“What’s happening tomorrow?” she asked in response to his question. The Dude looked down at her stunned.

“Tomorrow? The big celebrities are coming by the gym to check it out?” he said as if she should know already. Lily continued to look surprised by his information. “It was in the email that Donovan sent like, two weeks ago.” Lily scoffed.

“You are aware I haven’t actually checked my email since probably about 2016, right?” This time The Dude rolled his eyes at her.

“Aren’t you a manager here or something?” he asked. Lily laughed.

“Or something,” she replied. The Dude laughed with her.

“Girl, get it together,” he said, gently pushing her shoulder. “Tom Cruise and that guy that played Super Man are coming by to check out the gym. They need parkour training and Donovan is going to teach them.” Lily’s eyebrows shot up.

“Are you serious?” she asked. Tom Cruise was major. She remembered watching some of his old movies with her dad. Suddenly a pain gripped her chest and she forced herself back into the present.

“100% serious,” he replied. Lily was shocked. She definitely needed to check her email more often. They stood there talking about their favorite Tom Cruise movies for a few minutes when the opening of the front door caught their attention. Much to Lily’s surprise, her old “friend” Celeste walked in the door. Celeste was a tall beauty with olive skin, long brown hair, and stunning green eyes. She had on a matching navy blue sports bra and leggings which showcased her olive skin perfectly. Her brown hair was pulled back into a tight, clean ponytail and even from the distance she was at, Lily could tell the woman was wearing makeup.

“Well I’ll be damned,” The Dude said under his breath. Lily watched incredulously as Celeste found them and made her way across the room to them.

“Hey guys!” she said awkwardly breathlessly as she stopped just short of the two of them. The Dude and Lily exchanged a look before turning back to Celeste.

“Hey Celeste,” The Dude said cautiously. Celeste gave him a wide, fake smile that made Lily’s intestines turn. “What brings you back to the gym? We figured you didn’t have a membership anymore.” He didn’t have to look at Lily to know what she was thinking. Celeste waved her hand dismissively.

“No, silly,” she started. “I just took a few months off; went back to Cali for a few weeks; saw my brother in New York,” she made a point to look directly at Lily. Lily immediately dropped her gaze and felt her ears grow warm with embarrassment. The Dude cleared his throat.

“Sounds fun,” he said, disdain evident in his voice. Celeste picked up on it and smiled warmly.

“I just wanted to come back and get back into my routines,” she said. A thought occurred to Lily and her eyes shot up.

“You were hoping to see one of those celebrities,” Lily said, more accusation in her tone than she meant. It didn’t matter because she was right. It was evident on Celeste’s face. Celeste shifted in her spot.

“No, of course not, why would I be excited to meet a celebrity? I’ve met dozens of them already,” Celeste replied. Lily smirked realizing she’d made her uncomfortable.

“They’re not here,” Lily said, causing Celeste to look her in the eyes. “They won’t be here until later.” Lily glanced over at The Dude to see if he would correct her. He didn’t.

“Oh, okay,” Celeste said, glancing around the empty gym. “Well, I guess I’ll go get ready to work out then. It’s been great catching up with you two,” and with a small smile and shoulder shrug, Celeste bounced off to the women’s locker rooms. The Dude and Lily watched her leave and once she was safely away in the locker rooms, Lily looked directly at The Dude who shared a similar look.

“Fuck,” she sighed.

—

At around 8:30, Lily dashed from the gym floor to the locker rooms. She quickly showered and dressed in her usual barbershop attire: dark jeans, a blue or gray t-shirt, and her black and white Converse. Her general wardrobe consisted of these same pieces, with a few variations in the mix. She walked out of the gym to find The Dude helping another regular, Megan, on the rock wall. Though he was tall, The Dude was nimble and able to understand situations that required a certain skill. She walked over to them.

“Watch your heels, Rapunzel,” Lily called out to Megan. Her nickname came from the fact that Megan had insanely long blonde hair. It was beautiful and well-kept, but extremely long. Lily loved it. Megan grunted in response and did her best to heed Lily’s advice, but unfortunately couldn’t quite get it. She stumbled backward and landing on her feet on the mat. Groaning, she turned around to Lily and The Dude.

“I’m never going to get it,” she said with pained certainty. Lily smiled at her.

“You’ll get it,” she said. “You just have to stop pushing it and start feeling it,” she looked over at The Dude who was rolling his eyes at her.

“Haha, very funny,” he said, making Lily and Megan laugh. Lily smiled at The Dude.

“Well, I’m out y’all,” she said waving at both of them. Megan and The Dude waved back and Lily headed out to her truck. It was a very old, very beaten blue Chevy Silverado. It was actually her dad’s, but he had no need for it any more, so Lily got it. One of the few good things her dad did for her. She climbed in, started the loud engine, and puttered off into town.

The barbershop where she worked was in the historic downtown square of Taylor. Her uncle Ray owned the shop and had for several decades. Ray was an older, stout man of 60. He had a decent sized beer belly, a handlebar mustache, and piercing blue eyes. Ray wasn’t actually Lily’s uncle, but he was as close to one as she could get. He took care of her during her senior year of high school and later on when she returned from college to find nothing and no one waiting for her.

Parking her car just outside the shop, Lily got out and darted across the empty street to the diner. Inside, she ordered four cups of coffee to go and a few donuts for everyone. When she got her order, she once again crossed the empty street and walked into Ray’s shop. A few regulars were sitting in their respective stylists' chairs. Lily’s station was towards the front. She pulled a cup of coffee out for herself placing on her station, then went around the room handing the other cups of coffee out. Everyone greeted her with kindness and respect. They knew what she had been through with her parents.

Once everyone had their coffee, Lily settled in at her station and waited for her first customer, Mr. Ortiz. At 9:15, Mr. Ortiz hobbled into the shop and straight to Lily’s station. She jumped up and vacated her chair for him. He sat down and told her he wanted the usual, which for him meant a general trim of his hair and beard. Lily immediately got to work and 45 minutes later she was done and checking Mr. Ortiz out at the register. She sat back in her chair after cleaning up the area and decided to check her email. It was overflowing with spam and other junk, so she specifically searched for the email from Donovan. It was there postmarked two weeks ago. She opened it.

Hello team,

I hope this email finds you well. I want you to be the first to know that I have accepted the chance to teach and train two actors for an upcoming movie. They’ll be filming the majority of it in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, but we are one of the best-rated ninja warrior/parkour gyms in the country (go figure!). That means they will be here for a while getting the hang of certain moves and choreography.

The two actors in question are Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill. They are going to be here on Wednesday, the 17th at 7 am. We all know Lucky doesn’t read any of these, so someone please tell her. Other than that, you are all amazing!

Best,

Donovan Troy

Lily rolled her eyes at the line that she wouldn’t read the email. Though it was true, she hated how easy it was for him to read her. Anyway, she easily recognized Tom Cruise and could think of several movies she had seen him in. But, who the hell was Henry Cavill?

----

@taglist:

@maeleeme

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 6

Whew, we are on part 6 already! In this installment, we learn even more about Lily’s past, specifically her dad. We’re starting to get into some more challenging, difficult topics so, bear with me! 

Word Count: 2,672

CW: talk of alcoholism, rehab, dysfunctional families

taglist: 

@maeleeme @andyrazzledazzle

The days following Lily and Henry’s conversation were easy. There was a natural rhythm that developed between the two. Lily helped him navigate the obstacles and Henry did everything he could to make her laugh. She found herself enjoying his sense of humor. The following Monday, both he and Tom weren’t coming in because of an early morning meeting for their movie in Dallas. Lily, surprisingly, found herself missing Henry a little. He texted her a little while he was away.

Be honest, how do I look? Attached to his message was an image of Henry with extreme bed head. His curls were fashioned in a haphazard manner, going every which way around his face and forehead. Lily cackled a little at the sight and replied.

I think you’ve found your new look, Merida! Smiling, she hit send and got back to her workout. It felt good to be able to actually work out for a change without having to worry about someone else. While she was working out, her phone started to vibrate in her pocket. Confused she pulled it out to find Henry was attempting to FaceTime her. Though it was later in the morning and other people were at the gym, she answered anyway since she had headphones in.

“Hey,” she said, her brow furrowed slightly. Henry smiled at her. She couldn’t see where he was, but it looked like a hotel room.

“Hello, Lily,” he said, a smile lingering on his full lips. Lily gently smiled back.

“And to what do I owe this video chat?” she asked, a fair amount of playfulness in her tone. Henry’s smile turned sheepish at the question.

“To be honest,” he started. “I wanted to see you,” Lily felt herself blush and she dropped her gaze. Henry cleared his throat. “So how is it at the gym without me?” Lily chuckled a little.

“Miserable. Absolutely horrible,” she replied over Henry’s laughter. “I’ve got nothing to do and no one to please,” she cracked a smile and laughed with Henry.

“Well, I’ll be back tomorrow to end your suffering,” Henry replied, still chuckling a little. Lily laughed then sighed.

“Unfortunately, you won’t,” Lily replied and watched as Henry’s face changed. “I won’t be here tomorrow. Since you’re gone, I decided there’s nothing left for me here. I’m leaving and never coming back. You’ll have to work with Celeste from now on for your training,” she smiled wide at Henry who immediately caught on and started laughing again. Lily smiled, enjoying the sound.

“Okay, okay,” he said, his eyes flicking off camera. “My assistant is here, telling me I need to start getting ready for these meetings. Have a good day, beautiful,” Henry hung up the call before Lily could say goodbye or process the fact that he called her beautiful. It set off a fire in her cheeks and a thunder of butterflies in her stomach.

—

Tuesday morning, Lily got up with her alarm but didn’t get dressed for the gym. Instead, she put on normal street clothes, grabbed her bag, and headed out the door. Before leaving town, she stopped in at a coffee shop a few blocks from the Hilton hotel for a cup of coffee. On the way back to her truck, she didn’t notice Henry who was walking Kal a few yards away. As she was driving off, her phone rang. She saw it was Henry so she answered.

“Hey Henry,” Lily said, sleep clouding her voice.

“Good morning beautiful,” he replied, sending that thunder of butterflies off again. “You’re off to an early start,” Lily paused.

“What?” she asked. Henry chuckled.

“I saw you leaving the coffee shop. Kal and I pass by there most mornings for our walk,” he replied.

“Oh, so you’re stalking me now,” Lily said sardonically making Henry laugh.

“Complete and thoroughly stalking you, yes. Your nightgown last night was lovely by the way,” he replied, causing Lily to burst out laughing. “Okay, well, I don’t want you to crash, so I’ll hang up. Drive safe, love,” Lily chuckled and said goodbye. After hanging up the phone, she channel surfed the radio for a while before finally deciding to play a podcast on her phone.

The four and a half hours it took to get to Wichita Springs were filled with the sound of her podcast and her own thoughts. Last week she decided not to go see her dad, not wanting to deal with all of that on top of everything with Henry. Once things seemed to level out, she decided to take the time and see him.

Lily’s dad, Thomas, was once a good man. He was always a good man, but he had a problem with alcohol - he liked it but it didn’t like him. After her mom died, Thomas grew fonder and fonder of the drink. Lily was eight when her mother died, which meant she had over ten years of dealing with a shadow of a man that was supposed to be her father. This was the first time he’d had a real chance at getting clean and sober, but based on her interactions with him, it seemed like he didn’t care. Without Carla, his life had no meaning. Lily wondered if he even cared that she showed up.

Hours later, she pulled into the visitor parking for the Wichita Springs Rehab Hospital. She was a few minutes early for the visitor hours, so she sat in her truck scrolling through her phone. She decided to text Henry.

So how’s training going without me? she hit send and checked her time. She still had over 20 minutes before she could go inside. Wanting to stretch her legs, Lily got out of the car and began walking around the facility. Her phone chimed in her pocket, so she pulled it out to read the message.

It’s a spectacular failure. Tom has decided we simply can’t make this movie without you. Lily laughed a little at the idea, then replied.

I had a feeling. I have a sixth sense about these things :) hitting send, she felt the overwhelming urge to see him again. Impulsively, she opened FaceTime on her phone, found Henry and hit send. The connection took a moment to establish, but a few seconds later, Henry’s sweaty, tired face appeared on her screen.

“Well this is a change,” he said, smiling at her. His blue eyes seemed so much more blue than Lily last remembered. Maybe it was the shirt he was wearing.

“Yeah, I have some time to kill before visiting hours,” she said, instantly regretting it. She’d had no intention of giving away any information, but she always felt her guard down when she was talking with Henry.

“Visiting hours?” he asked. Lily swallowed hard, panic setting in.

“Uh, yeah, um,” she started, stumbling over her words. Her eyes darted to anything other than her screen where Henry’s stunning blue eyes watched her. “I’m meeting my dad,” she finally got out. Every word and breath was caught on the roof of her mouth which was now as dry as cotton. She sniffled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Henry bobbing his head.

“Oh,” he simply said. Suddenly his face contorted a little and he exclaimed, “Ow!” a black and white flash crossed her screen as Lily realized Kal was attempting to get in on the conversation. Lily laughed at the sight as Henry readjusted himself in frame. “I think Kal is jealous that I’m hogging the conversation with a beautiful woman,” Lily blushed a little at his comment. “Alright, Lucky Lily, I have got a wager for you,” Henry said, suddenly getting serious. Lily’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Okay,” she said, confused.

“If I can make it up the warped wall in one attempt, I get to take you out on a proper date,” Henry said. Lily chuckled.

“And what do I get if you don’t make it up?” she asked. Henry looked a little perplexed when suddenly, Lily had a thought. Her eyes lit up and she got excited. “If you don’t make it up the wall, I get to give you a shave.” Panic flashed across Henry’s face.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, a little dumbfounded. Lily cackled.

“Henry,” she started. “I’m a licensed barber. I’m one of four people in the area that can give you the closest shave of your life,” as she spoke, she realized she was giddy at the idea of being that close to Henry. It actually gave her goosebumps. Henry shook his head.

“I had better get up that wall,” she heard him mutter. She watched with amusement as he set the phone down facing the warped wall. And as he attempted a few times to get Kal out of the frame before finally settling on moving the phone. Finally, it was time to see who would get their reward. Lily watched as Henry placed himself at the start, got ready, then ran full-speed at the wall. Instantly, she knew he wouldn’t be able to make it up. Though Henry was clearly strong, he wasn’t built for speed. She watched as he gave his best effort though. His hands missed the top by inches and he slid down the wall in shame.

With his tail between his knees, metaphorically speaking, Henry walked back to his phone. Lily tried hard to keep her expression clear, but she knew her smile was ruining everything. Henry was breathing heavy and when he finally saw her smile, he squinted his eyes.

“You are so lucky you’re cute,” he said. Though embarrassed, Lily smiled wide at the camera. Henry laughed at her and even through the tiny camera, Lily could see that twinkle in his eyes again. She chuckled. Seeing the time, though, Lily realized she had to go.

“Well, times up,” she said. “I have to go,” Henry nodded and looked at her with those intense blue eyes.

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later,” he said. “Goodbye, beautiful.” they hung up and Lily felt a conflict of emotions. She was somehow very happy after talking with Henry, but she remembered where she was and why she was there.

—

Inside the rehab facility, Lily met the head nurse at the counter. She was a nice enough woman who clearly was exhausted by her job. Shelia, her name was, handed Lily a clipboard to sign in on. Then she asked for her ID and any personal belongings that could potentially be used as weapons. Lily handed everything over then was escorted by an orderly to the visiting room. It was a simple room with two tables, several chairs, and two windows looking out into hallways. She never liked this room.

After several minutes, the door opened and a younger nurse escorted her dad in. He was thinner than she last remembered. He had a serious amount of stubble on his chin and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Look who it is, Mr. Halliwell,” the young nurse said. “Your daughter has come to see you today.” Thomas’s eyes searched the room and when they finally fell on Lily, there was no recognition. It stopped being painful a long time ago. She stayed silent in her seat until the nurse had walked out and closed the door behind her.

“Hey dad,” she finally said, quietly. The man across from her didn’t acknowledge that she’d said anything. “How have you been?” she asked, knowing he wouldn’t respond. Thomas, however, was a man full of surprises, because he looked up from the table where he had been staring and replied to Lily.

“I’m tired, Lil,” he said, his voice shaky from lack of use. “I’m tired and I miss her,” suddenly Lily heard tears in his voice and she cringed. Her dad began to openly weep while Lily sat stoically on the other side of the table.

“I miss her too, dad,” Lily said. They sat like this for a little while, before Lily finally spoke again to do something to change the awkwardness. “I’ve been working at this gym in town, dad. I’m actually training actors for a big movie right now.” her dad had calmed down at this point. He wasn’t sobbing, but he was crying and sniffling. He looked up at her through his tears.

“You look so much like her, it hurts, Lil,” he whimpered before the sobs came flooding back. Lily sat there, uncomfortable, for several more minutes before finally telling her dad she’d leave him be. As she got up to leave the room, his crying and whimpering faded. Suddenly, he was angry in his seat. “That’s right, do what you always do. Leave me, just like your mother did,” his words dripped with venom and hate. Lily stood at the door, agony and anger holding her in place. She took in a breath, opened the door, and walked out without another word to the man. Back at the nurses’ station, she picked up her belongings. another nurse was there now and asking her questions.

“Is that your dad that you always come to see?” she asked. Her name tag said, Rachel. Lily nodded. “That’s so sweet that you come to check on him. Some of these folks don’t have anyone. Isn’t that sad?” Rachel the nurse asked. Lily wanted to tell her what’s sad was having a father less than 2 feet in front of you but he never actually saw you. Instead, she pushed her lips together and nodded stiffly.

Walking out of the hospital, Lily checked her phone to find three missed messages from Henry and one from her best friend, Mar. From Henry, it was two pictures of Kal looking at the camera with a very unimpressed expression. Henry sent the message,

He’s very concerned about this shave I have to undergo. A small smile escaped Lily’s lips as she read it, then went back to the images of Kal. They were in Henry’s hotel room which looked massive and spectacular. Lily was positive it was bigger and nicer than her own apartment. Going back to his message, Lily responded,

Tell Kal not to worry, I’m a master of my craft. She hit send, then went to read Mar’s message.

Hola chica! Don told me you were going to see your dad today, so I’m checking in to make sure you’re good. I’m about to go into class, so call me when you get home. I’ll probably be out of class “studying” by then. Love you!

Sighing, Lily climbed into her truck and drove home.

—

Hours later, back in her cramped apartment, Lily sat on her couch as the light dimmed from bright to sunset, to darkness. Finally, she decided to call Mar. After two rings, the line picked up.

“About damn time, Lily pad, I was getting worried!” Mar said in place of a regular hello. Lily smiled.

“Hey Mar’s bar,” she replied. Everything must have been in her voice because right away, Mar knew something was up.

“Hey, what’s going on?” she asked, her tone turning serious. Lily took a deep breath before finally spilling everything. She told Mar about Henry and Tom, the evening of betrayal, her sort of reconciliation with Henry, and finally the visit with her dad. She cried hard for the first time in a while and Mar let her get it all out.

“Oh Lily pad,” Mar said when she was finally done. Lily sniffled, the tears flowing freely at this point. “Babe, you gotta get out of there,” Mar said. Lily heavily sighed.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” she asked, even though it was more of a whine.

“Because you’re going to die in that middle of nowhere town!” Mar exclaimed. “You stay there because you have some twisted obligation to a man that didn’t raise you and a family that isn’t really yours,” Mar stopped. “I know I’m being harsh, but you’ve been there way too long. Get on a plane, get out, and don’t look back.”

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 7

You guys, we’re already on part 7. I’m so glad you all are enjoying this series! Be on the lookout for a Henry Cavill drabbled (or two) pretty soon! Also, let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list or send me an ask! 

taglist:

@maeleeme @andyrazzledazzle

CW: confrontation, crying, flashbacks, shaving

Word Count: 2,437

Wednesday morning, Lily woke up with a vulnerability hangover from hell. After her conversation with Mar, she turned her phone off and cried for the rest of the night. She knew in her heart that Mar was right, but it still was painful to hear. Lily hated that she couldn’t be angry at anyone but herself.

Rolling out of bed, Lily got dressed in a fog and left for the gym. She felt like she’d been hit by a truck, but she was hoping she’d be able to hide it. She pulled up to the gym to find no one there. Sighing with relief, she hopped out of her truck and trudged into the facility. Inside, she dropped her things off in the locker rooms. Coming out, she found Henry and Kal walking in. A pit formed in her stomach when he noticed her, smiled and began walking towards her.

“Good morning, Lily,” he called out behind Kal, who was already by her feet. “You went radio silent last night and I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you today,” his smile faded when he got closer to her. “Lily,” he started, alarm in his voice. “Have you been crying?” Lily shook her head no, but when she spoke, she gave herself away.

“No, I,” her voice was groggy, filled with excessive tears and lack of sleep. Henry’s brow furrowed deeply as he stared at her.

“Did something happen yesterday?” he asked. Lily could feel more tears pushing at the back of her eyes. She looked to the ceiling and sniffed, hoping to hold it all back.

“No, I mean, yes, it just,” she stumbled over her words. “Going to see my dad is always hard,” she said. “And then I haven’t been sleeping because I’m having nightmares, so I’m just. I’m tired,” she finally said. She couldn’t look directly at Henry because if she did, she knew the tears would come pouring out. She couldn’t stand to see the pity in his eyes at her sob story. Gently, he reached his hand out and took hers. Lily looked down at her hand in his. It filled her with so many emotions, they all bubbled up to the surface and she couldn’t contain them. Pulling her hand away, she apologized, turned, and ran for the locker room.

“Lily,” Henry called out after her, but she didn’t stop. In the locker rooms, she pushed her sobs down and best as she could. Shaking, she stood at one of the sinks and mirrors and did her best to compose herself. After a few moments, Megan entered the locker rooms.

“Lily,” she called out. “Don sent me in to check on you,” she stopped when she saw her. Lily glanced over at her.

“Hey Rapunzel,” Lily said sardonically. Megan stood there, her brow furrowed. “Just tell Don I’ll be out in a few minutes.” Megan, still looking very concerned, nodded and began to turn to leave, but she stopped suddenly.

“I’ve always admired you, Lily,” Megan started. “You’re so strong. I know what you’ve been through - I heard what your dad did. I think it’s incredible how you didn’t let that stop you. Whatever you’re going through, you’re strong enough to deal with it,” and with that, she left. Lily stared at herself in the mirror. Puffy eyes, blotchy skin, and tear marks streaming down her face. She chuckled a little thinking there was no way Henry would think she was beautiful.

Washing her face and taking a deep breath in, Lily decided it was time to head back out to the floor. Staying near the locker rooms, Lily took a survey of what was going on. Tom, Henry, Don, and The Dude were at the rock wall going over, what she assumed, was grip strength and technique. Megan was at the free-weights doing her own thing and Kal was lurking near Henry. Kal spotted her and immediately trotted over to her. He sat at her feet and leaned gently into her leg as if to comfort her. She smiled and gave him head scratches. Moments later, Henry was there.

“Lily,” he started. Lily looked up at him. Concern was written all over his face. “Are you okay?” he asked. Lily nodded.

“I’ll be okay,” she said and meant it. Gently, Henry reached out again, but instead of taking her hand, he cupped the side of her face. It was so sweet and kind, Lily closed her eyes and slightly pressed her cheek into his hand. For a brief moment, she felt relaxed. She didn’t want the moment to end, but it did.

“Lily,” Donovan called out as he trotted over to her and Henry. As inconspicuously as possible, Henry dropped his hand. Lily did her best to not look guilty. “Lily, hey, are you going to be okay to train today?” he asked, not acknowledging or noticing the moment between Lily and Henry.

“Uh, yeah, I think so,” Lily replied. Don nodded and told them to get over to the wall so they could all get started. Henry smiled gently at Lily and she smiled back. Together, with Kal in close pursuit, they walked over to the rock wall. Donovan explained the importance of grip strength and how rock climbing helped build that up. Lily was tasked with demonstrating certain moves that would help with grip, flow, and overall movement. Despite how she felt, Lily executed some of her best attempts. Overall, Tom was very impressed with her abilities.

“Lily,” he said when she dropped down from the wall. “Do you have any experience with stunt work?” he asked. Surprised, Lily raised her eyebrows and shook her head no.

“Uh no,” she started. “I was an English major in college and I ran track in high school.” Tom was surprised by this.

“Really?” he asked. “You definitely seem like someone that would do well in stunt work. You too, Don. I want to talk to the both of you later about some stunt work for this project Henry and I are working on.” he left it at that when they agreed to speak, then got started on his own attempt at the rock wall. Don and Lily stared at each other, shocked and excited. Lily looked at Henry who was beaming at her.

“Did that really just happen?” she asked him. He smiled wider and nodded.

“Yes, it did,” he replied. Lily suddenly felt very awake and very alive.

—

During a lull at the barbershop, Lily sat at her station and checked her phone. She had a missed message from Henry.

I didn’t get a chance to say it, but, congrats beautiful. Not just anyone gets offered an opportunity by Tom Cruise himself. You really are quite special. I think this deserves a proper date night to celebrate. Lily smiled at his text, feeling very special indeed. She replied.

I agree, but you need a shave first, mister

While she waited for his reply, Lily checked her shaving kit. In it she had her three straight blades, a natural bristle brush for applying shave cream, and a strop to correct the blade. Ray had recently had her blades taken in to be sharpened, so they were good to go when she needed them. Her phone buzzed, so she checked it.

I was REALLY hoping you’d forgotten about that. Lily laughed out loud, then looked around the shop.

“Sorry,” she called out to a room of muttering men. Lily grinned as she replied to Henry.

I have not once stopped thinking about getting to shave your face since I won that bet. Come by the shop tomorrow around 11. I’ll have a spot available for you. She hit send, then walked over to the front counter where the schedule was. On Thursday, she had open availability most of the day, so at the 11 am mark, she wrote in Henry’s name and her initials.

Back at her station, she checked her phone.

Fine, but tomorrow night then I get to take you out on a proper date. Lily smiled.

Deal. She replied before suddenly realizing she wasn’t sure she had anything to wear.

—

The bell on the front door jingled announcing Henry’s arrival. Lily looked up from her station to see Henry standing there looking slightly worried. She smiled and walked to him.

“Don’t look so nervous,” she said as she got closer. Henry smirked.

“I could never be nervous at the prospect of you touching me,” he replied. “Even if you will be holding a blade to my throat.” Lily rolled her eyes and laughed.

“Come on,” She gestured to her station and walked back with Henry following in close pursuit.

“Good morning, young man,” Ray called out from his station where he was trimming Mr. Ortega’s hair. Henry smiled.

“Good morning, sir,” Henry replied, smiling a little at Ray. Ray moved his gaze from him to Lily.

“What brings you in?” he asked, returning his gaze to Henry.

“I’m going to give him a shave, Ray,” Lily replied, giving him a stern look. Ray looked at her, grunted a little, then went back to his own customer. Lily gently rolled her eyes, then gestured for Henry to sit down. He did and Lily took stock of the situation. She examined his face, turning his head gently from one side to the other. “Alright, give me one minute. I need to grab some things from the back,” she said. Henry nodded in understanding.

In the back, Lily grabbed a few clean towels, a cup of water, a bowl, and a hot towel from the steamer. She balanced all of this in her arms as she walked back to her station. Henry watched her with great interest before asking,

“How did you get into this?” Lily smirked at him through the reflection in the mirror.

“I was really into Sweeney Todd as a kid,” she replied and laughed as Henry, at first, was horrified, then laughed when he realized she was joking. “No, my dad taught me and then Ray had me trained so I could work here,” she said. Henry bobbed his head.

“Tell me about your dad,” he said. Lily froze.

“Well there’s not much to tell really,” she said, her mouth getting dry. “Besides, you need to go under.” Henry looked at her confused. “Under the towel,” she said, grabbing the hot cloth. Pushing the chair back so Henry was lounging comfortably, Lily began to wrap the towel around his face. “Let me know if this is too hot or if you need anything,” she tapped his hand resting on his abdomen. “Just raise your hand, I won’t be too far away,” Henry muttered something she assumed was agreement from under the towel.

While he was steaming, Lily prepped her materials. She started with the shaving cream. Mixing equal parts water and cream so it created a frothy mix, perfect for shaving. Done with that, she pulled out a blade and the strop from her kit. Attaching the strop to the hook near her station, she began running the blade over the leather to correct it and make it ready for use. When all of that was done, she checked on Henry. He hadn’t moved since she put him under, so she hoped he was okay.

Placing a hand gently on the towel, she decided he was ready to go. First, she grabbed one of the clean towels and placed it across his chest. Then she unrolled the hot towel from around his face and used it to gently wipe the skin down.

“You okay?” she asked gently. Henry nodded, clearly relaxed. She smiled and grabbed the shaving cream. As she applied it, Henry stirred.

“That’s cold,” he muttered, as she swiped cream across his upper lip. She hushed him then continued applying everything to his cheeks, jaw, and neck. When she was satisfied with the application, she set the bowl down and grabbed her straight razor. Starting on his neck, she meticulously pulled the blade in fluid, upward motions. When she got to the right side of his jaw, she gently moved his head to the left so she’d have a better angle. Again, with fluid motions, she pulled the blade across his skin, removing the hair. After each pass, she wiped the blade on the towel across his chest. Henry’s breathing was steady and occasionally she could feel his heartbeat and it sent off fireworks in Lily. She watched as he relaxed into her hands and let her have complete control of the situation.

Finally, when she was done, she used the hot towel that she’d initially wrapped around his face to remove any leftover shaving cream. Satisfied, she removed the towels and grabbed the bottle of aftershave. With a small handful of the liquid, she turned back to Henry and began massaging it into his jaw and neck. He smiled a little, making it difficult for her to keep working.

“What?” she whispered. With his eyes still closed, Henry replied.

“I’ve been waiting patiently for your touch and you literally can’t go any further than my neck,” he said quietly. Lily snorted and giggled a little, making Henry smile harder. Finally done, Lily sat Henry up so he could get a good look at himself.

“Holy shi-,” Henry started, leaning forward in the chair to look at his face closer. He ran his hand over his cheeks and jaw repeatedly. “This looks like when they CGI’d my mustache off during the Batman reshoots,” he said, laughing. Lily chuckled a little and watched him enjoy the finished result.

As soon as he was ready, they walked to the front counter to ring him up.

“How much do I owe you, Lily?” Henry asked. Lily shook her head.

“No, Henry,” she started. “Don’t worry about it.” Henry looked back at her with determination. From the back of the shop, Ray called out.

“Shave is $30, plus tax and tip,” Lily dropped her shoulders and looked over at him. Ray knew he was in trouble, so he didn’t look at Lily, but stayed focused on his crossword puzzle. Henry smiled.

“Thank you, Ray,” he said, pulling out his wallet. Lily sighed heavy as Henry handed her a $100.

“Henry,” she said quietly, her eyes pleading for him to take it back. Henry reached out, grabbed her hand and placed the bill in her hand. Then he leaned forward and said only to her,

“If you do something well, don’t do it for nothing,” then he winked and said, “I’ll pick you up at 6:30,” 

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 3

And we back with part 3! Hope everyone is enjoying this series again as well as the updates I’ve been making! I’m really noticing a difference in my writing these days and it’s making writing so much more enjoyable. 

Let me know if there are any one-shots, imagines, drabbles, head-cannons, or anything else you’d like to see for Henry Cavill, Chris Evans, and more! 

taglist:

@maeleeme

Wordcount: 3,320 (it’s a long one, sorry!) 

CW: seeing others makeout; being excluded; being walked away from

At first, Lily didn’t mind Tom or Henry being at the gym, but as the days went on, their presence became increasingly more annoying. Even when they weren’t there physically, the knowledge of it had spread like wildfire. Every morning Lily pulled up to the gym to find hoards of women waiting to get in, most of whom she had to turn away for lack of membership. The ones that did sign up had no idea what they were doing inside and continuously got in her way.

She did empathize to a point with the men. They couldn’t control how others felt or when and where people showed up. Everyone was their own person and did what they wanted, but either Tom or Henry could at least help try to discourage loiterers, she thought. Regardless, after her first encounter with Henry, she hadn’t had the opportunity for more. Even if she did, she wasn’t sure she’d want to. She was getting rapidly annoyed with the increase of confused gaggle of women, Henry’s dog who immediately picked her out of the crowds and followed her around constantly, and a myriad of other issues. She hadn’t had the chance to properly workout in almost a week now and it was starting to mess with her.

Now on Friday, about a week and a half after Tom and Henry arrived, Lily found the entrance to the gym almost vacant. Surprised, she got out of her truck and walked to the front door. Taped to the glass was a handwritten note by Don saying that anyone caught waiting outside without a membership would be reported to the police. Lily smiled and chuckled at the note. Opening the doors, she walked inside and sighed, relieved she finally had the chance to workout again.

Emerging from the locker rooms, Lily popped in her headphones and began blaring her playlist filled with David Bowie, Elton John, and Tom Petty. She hummed along as she got started with a warm-up and was full-out singing by the time she was done. She trotted over to the obstacle course to get a few runs in before others started showing up. Tom insisted that he and Don meet most days at 6:30, so Lily only had a few minutes before that. She got started on the balance obstacles, typically the hardest for her, then quickly moved on to ones that required grip strength. She was hanging on the wave board when movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. It distracted her so when she went to move forward on the board, it moved just enough that she lost her grip and dropped to the mat below.

Looking over to the source of her distraction, she expected to see The Dude or Tom, but it was actually Henry. He was watching her intently, his dog next to him doing the same. She offered him a tight-lipped smile which he interpreted as an invitation to come over.

“Good morning, Lily,” he said, his voice still raspy with sleep. Lily softened a little.

“Good morning, Henry,” she replied, hoping any annoyance with him was not evident in her voice. His dog, Kal, still kept his laser focus gaze on Lily but shifted as if waiting for acknowledgment. Lily chuckled and smiled. “Good morning, Kal,” she said to the dog who immediately jumped up and trotted to her. Henry shook his head.

“I’m honestly very surprised at how taken he is with you,” he said. “Akita’s are pack dogs and generally are not fond of outsiders, but you,” he looked Lily directly in the eye. “I think he knows something that I don’t.” Henry looked at Lily with that twinkle that she didn’t fully understand. It made her heart beat faster and a flutter kick up in her stomach. She smiled in response and immediately changed the subject.

“So, uh, what are you doing here so early?” she asked him. He smiled at her, dropping her gaze for a moment.

“I’m meeting Tom and Donovan for some training,” he said, watching Kal who was now snuffling around Lily’s legs. She giggled a little at the tickling sensation. “Kal,” Henry complained causing the dog to look up at him. From Lily’s perspective, the dog almost seemed to be challenging Henry to stop him. Lily laughed at the scene.

“Do you know what you’ll be working on today?” she asked him, looking up through her eyelashes. If she wasn’t watching him, she wouldn’t have noticed the shift change in his expression. He stared at her for a second before quickly responding.

“Uh, the obstacle course, actually,” he replied, looking around the course. “What is this one called?” he asked, gesturing to the wave board.

“It’s called a wave board,” Lily said. “Our version is a piece of plywood that’s been sanded, attached by alternating mounts. The board itself is cut in a wave, as you can see, but it also moves when you grab it. So this particular obstacle requires a good deal of core and grip strength,” she looked back at Henry who was staring at her, a gentle smile on his lips and that same twinkle in his eyes.

“What?” she asked, but before he could respond, the front door opened. Tom and Don walked in, chatting about something excitedly. Henry and Lily smiled sheepishly at each other and watched Tom walk towards them. Donovan headed to his office to drop his things off.

“Good morning, Lucky,” Tom said brightly. Lily grimaced a little.

“Good morning, Tom,” she replied. Donovan jogged over to them.

“Good morning everyone,” he said. “I hope you’re ready to get started. Lily, do you want to help me with demonstrations?” he asked. She agreed and they got started with the training process. Donovan explained how each obstacle worked, which muscle group was needed for it, and ultimately how one was supposed to effectively beat said obstacle. Lily followed his instructions and did her best to demonstrate what he was explaining. She was acutely aware of Henry’s eyes on her, but she refused to let it affect her ability to perform. Running ninja courses was her favorite past time and no one, not even the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on, would ruin that.

By the end of everything, Lily was very much feeling the burn in her forearms and shoulders, but she loved it regardless. Donovan appeared very impressed with her as did Tom and Henry.

“Alright, so now how about we break off into pairs to go over each obstacle with a little more explanation and guidance?” Donovan asked. Everyone nodded or verbally agreed. “Great, Tom, you and I will work together on the back half; Lily, you take Henry to work on the front half,” he said. Lily’s heart lept into her throat, but she nodded in agreement. She and Henry walked in silence to the front half of the course which included a balance obstacle, the salmon ladder, floating hoops, and the wave board. At the start, Henry looked down at her waiting for her to give him a command.

“Start whenever you want to,” she said and Henry nodded. He stood for a moment getting himself ready then began. Swiftly, he made it through the balance obstacle with ease, then immediately came to the salmon ladder. “Okay, here, since you are taller and bigger than me, it’s going to be really important that you engage your core the whole time,” she offered him. Henry glanced at her and nodded in acknowledgment. Then he hopped up and grabbed the first rung. Lily nodded and cheered him on as he pushed himself and the bar up the four rungs. She was clapping as he reached out to the first floating hoops. Unfortunately, either his grip or his forearm strength gave out and he slipped, dropping to the mat. He groaned and looked to Lily. She smiled at him sympathetically. “At least you made it through the salmon ladder. That usually takes rookies out on their first try,” she offered him. He smiled a little at that, but the smile quickly faded when Celeste appeared out of nowhere.

“Hey Henry, you’re doing great! Do you need any help or advice?” she asked, completely ignoring Lily’s presence. Henry noticed and he stared Lily in the eye the whole time as he replied.

“No, I’ve got a great instructor,” he smiled a little, then flicked his gaze to Celeste who was clearly fuming but struggling to keep it together.

“Oh, okay, great!” she said, her voice too cheery. “I’ll just go check on Tom and Donovan then,” she gave Henry a smile then turned and bounced down the course to the other two. Lily snorted a little and looked to Henry who was shaking his head. Kal had come to sit in front of him almost as if he were defending his owner.

“Alright, let’s go again,” Lily said, hoping to bring Henry back. He nodded his head and started the whole thing over again.

—

Hours later in her apartment, Lily walked around the tiny space, picking up littered clothes and such. She had very few belongings, but what she did have was seemingly everywhere. While she was tidying up the minuscule kitchen, she heard her phone chime in the other room. Setting her things down, she went to see who was messaging her. To her surprise, it was Henry.

Hey Lily, I got your number from Don (I swear I’m not a complete nutter!) But I wanted to say thank you for helping me today. You really are a great instructor.

Lily smiled at her phone for several moments before she decided to respond back.

Hey Henry, it’s no worries. I don’t mind helping out and you’re a pretty good student! Hitting send, Lily dropped her phone back on her bed assuming that was it, but before she could even start cleaning again, her phone chimed. She went back to see Henry had messaged her back.

Ha, that’s kind of you to say! Listen, are you free tonight? Can I take you out for a beer to properly say thank you?

Lily read the message a few times over to fully grasp what he was asking. Henry Cavill was asking her, her out. She bit her lip and replied.

Thank you, I appreciate that, but I have to work tonight. Raincheck? She hit send then sat on the edge of her bed for the response. It wasn’t long before it came.

Sure. I’ll see you at the gym tomorrow then? Lily sighed, feeling a huge amount of disappointment.

Yes, you will.  She replied. Henry didn’t say anything else after that so Lily set her phone down and did her best to distract herself before her shift at the bar.

—

At 9 pm, Lily walked into the Lazy Dog bar, one of the three bars in town. It was towards the outskirts of Tayler, which meant that there were fewer people that frequented the bar. Even on a Friday night, the bar wasn’t normally packed. However, with the news of the actors in town, the Lazy Dog was more packed than usual. She smiled at Loraine, the wife of the owner of the bar, who also worked on the weekends with her. Loraine was a former beauty pageant queen and it showed. Her blonde hair was piled high on top of her head, makeup was caked on her face despite her own natural beauty, and she wore a tightly fitted black t-shirt, high-waisted jeans held up by a belt with a large buckle, and platform wedge shoes.

The two women were quite busy for a while, but around 10:30 things began to slow down. Lily was wiping down the counter after a tequila spill when she heard the front door slam open. She looked up and was surprised to see a just as surprised Henry standing in the open doorway. He sheepishly looked around before his eyes landed on Lily behind the bar. A smile grew across his face. He walked up to her and Lily took stock of him. Henry was dressed in a red v-neck shirt that showcased his chest hair, dark blue jeans, and flip flops. His eyes looked a little sleepy and that’s when Lily realized he was quite possibly a little tipsy.

“Hello, Lily,” Henry said, stepping up to the bar. Lily smiled a closed-lip smile.

“Hello, Henry,” she replied. Henry smiled at her wider.

“Uh, I’m sorry about the door. It was a lot lighter than I was anticipating,” they both turned to look at the door and Lily chuckled a little.

“It should be fine,” she said. Henry turned to look at her. His blue eyes pierced through her and she suddenly felt heat creeping up her chest and cheeks. Quickly, she cleared her throat.

“So, uh, can I get you anything?” she asked. Henry continued to look at her, that twinkle very evident in his eyes.

“Sure, do you have any dark beers?” he asked. Lily nodded. “Great, I’ll take one, please,” Lily nodded and stepped to the side to grab his drink. The entire time, she was acutely aware of the fact that his eyes were glued to her every movement. When she was done, she set the drink in front of him and he graciously took a sip. “Can I ask you another question, Lily?” he asked, after swallowing. A thin line of beer remained on his upper lip and Lily felt butterflies in her stomach at the site.

“Uh, sure,” she said, picking up a glass to begin cleaning it. Henry watched her hands move before he asked his question.

“How did you get the nickname Lucky at the gym?” He asked and Lily groaned.

“Ugh,” she started. “When I first joined the gym I was about as rich as a goat in a dumpster. I had very few gym clothes so I had to raid the lost and found on the first day. I found a pair of decent looking sweat pants and just put them on, not realizing the word ‘lucky’ was branded in giant letters across the butt until The Dude pointed it out,” Henry tipped his head back and laughed a deep, roaring laugh at her story. Lily laughed as well, smiling at the sound of Henry. She really liked his laugh. Lily noticed Loraine power-walking her way and got ready.

“Hey Lil,” Loraine said, rushing up to and around the bar. “I need 5 Dos Equis ASAP.” Lily nodded.

“Yes ma’am,” she said then looked to Henry who was smiling at her. “One sec,” then she got to work grabbing and opening the beers. She put all the beers on a tray so Loraine would be ready to go. That was the case when seconds later, Loraine reached around her, grabbed the tray and dashed off with the tray and a pitcher full of beer for a table. Lily smiled and laughed at the scene until another sight caught her attention. A woman was walking into the bar - no, not just any woman. It was Celeste.

She was dressed to the nines in skin-tight jeans, pointy clear heels, and a sparkly top with a neckline that fell far below her breasts. Almost immediately, Lily felt the self-consciousness wash over her. Tonight she wore blue jeans, a black tank top that showed off her defined shoulders and biceps, and her usual black converse. Unlike Celeste, Lily did not have a chest of any significance. Though it appeared better with the only decent bra she owned, in comparison to Celeste? She didn’t stand a chance. Henry noticed she was staring and turned to see what the source was. They both watched as Celeste sauntered up to the bar. She wore a smirk on her face that was just meant for Lily.

“Oh my god, Henry, what are you doing here?” she asked as if she didn’t know the answer. Henry held up his glass of beer in response then his eyes flicked to Lily, a silent plea in his eyes. Lily smiled as best as she could at Celeste.

“Hey Celeste, what can I get you?” she asked. Celeste turned to her and gave her a look as if she were seeing her for the first time.

“Hey Lucky,” she replied, her words already dripping with venom. “I’ll take a martini. Dry.” a tight-lipped smile was offered as a, please. Lily tersely nodded then got to work on her drink. While she was shaking the martini, Loraine swooped back to the bar.

“When you’re done with that,” Loraine said, multitasking. “I’m going to need you out on the floor clearing tables and running drinks,” Loraine finished what she was doing and darted off. Lily barely nodded in agreement before she was gone. When she finished Celeste’s drink, she went to drop it off, but neither she nor Henry seemed to notice. Henry was thoroughly engrossed in whatever Celeste was saying. It made Lily sick to her stomach to see how quickly he’d fallen for her, so she didn’t mind the distraction of cleaning up the bar.

Lily left the drink and immediately left to begin bussing tables. She focused on that so she wouldn’t be tempted to check the bar. She didn’t want to see what was going on over there. Occasionally, she did have to check to be sure no one was waiting for a drink. when she did, she’d see Celeste touching Henry and preening her body so he’d pay attention to only her. It was a masterful trick and it worked. At one point, Lily had to go to the back room to grab more napkins for tables. As she came out, she was struck by a sight she wasn’t prepared for. Henry’s mouth was on Celestes and though his hands were beneath the bar, she was sure they were attached to Celeste’s body. All the air in her lungs caught in her chest. Lily gasped for air before finally turning on her heel and walking back into the backroom.

She paced the small area, muttering to herself, “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” and when she turned around at one point, Loraine was standing there, staring at her from the doorway. Lily stopped mid-stride and stared back.

“This about that model-lookin man out at the bar?” Loraine asked, tossing her chin over her shoulder towards the bar. Lily nodded and Loraine bobbed her head. “He anything like the other one?” she asked. She was referring to Carter, Lily’s ex. The one that almost broke her. This time Lily sighed.

“I don’t know. No? Maybe?” she huffed. “I don’t know,” she felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes and a flash of anger washed over her. Loraine continued to bob her head then she pushed off the door frame and walked to Lily. She cupped one side of Lily’s face in her hand, gently, as a mother might do to a daughter.

“Sweet girl, you gotta get out of here,” she said. “There ain’t nothing left for you in this dead-end town. We all know you stick ‘round for Ray and Ellie, but they’d understand. They’d know it’s time,” Loraine gave Lily one last knowing look before dropping her hand and walking out. As she did, she told Lily to compose herself, then get back out there to help close the bar down. Lily stood still for a moment before wiping at her eyes before she realized they were wet with unshed tears. She took in a deep breath and walked out of the back room. The last thing she saw that evening was Henry being led out of the bar by Celeste. Watching that, Lily heard her heart crack audibly in her chest.

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

A Ninja Warrior Love Story - Part 13

Ahh! Part 13 is here and it took a very interesting turn! I have to be honest, I’m really just writing what feels correct in the moment. I’ve tried to force other storylines, but this just seems to be the direction Lily is going in. I hope you stick around, because things will get better, I promise! 

Word Count: 3,136

CW: crying, abandonment issues

taglist:

@maeleeme @andyrazzledazzle @henrycavillluv32 @jhenno2002 @blossom-a @fanfictionaddiction99

Saturday morning, Lily and Mar walked into the restaurant together. They were both dressed in simple shirts, jeans, and ballet flats. The resturant was in lower Manhattan and a few blocks away from NYU and Mar’s apartment. There were a few people with cameras lingering around, but because Lily and Mar were not famous, they didn’t seem to care. Lily pulled her phone out to let Henry know.

Hey Hercules, there’s a few photographers outside the restaurant. Not sure how you were planning on coming in, but I wanted to let you know. She hit send and walked in with Mar. They got a table for three and Lily requested somewhere near the back. The waitress took them to one then took their drink orders. Mar ordered a mimosa while Lily just ordered a coffee. Her phone buzzed with a message from Henry.

Thanks for that, but my team already talked to the owners :)

Lily wasn’t sure what that meant, but she assumed it meant things were okay. She simply said okay back and waited for him to show up. Mar sipped on her mimosa when it came, talking idly about her classes and what she planned to do when she got out of school. When the front door opened, Lily heard shouting so she looked to see what was going on. Henry was walking in and it sounded as though the photographers were yelling at him.

“Henry’s here,” Lily said, a smile crossing her lips. Mar turned around in her chair and almost spat out her mimosa.

“Holy shit, he’s huge,” she said, surprised. Lily laughed, still shocked sometimes by Mar’s direct nature. Henry sauntered up to the two of them, smiling. Lily stood up from her chair as he approached.

“Hello ladies,” he said and once again, Mar opened her mouth for a direct hit.

“Holy shit, he’s British!” she exclaimed, causing both Henry and Lily to laugh. Henry’s was a deep bellow that gave Lily the impression he was okay with the comment. He reached out his hand, smiling wide, the crinkles around his eyes deep with joy and laughter.

“You must be Mar,” he said, taking hers and shaking it. “Lily has told me quite a bit about you,” he said, glancing at Lily. Mar smiled wide.

“Only the bad things, naturally,” she said and Henry smirked.

“Oh yes, only horror stories and tales of mischief,” he replied. Mar beamed and glanced at Lily as Henry turned to her. He bent down to kiss Lily on her cheek and whisper in her ear, “Hello beautiful,” Lily smiled up at him then watched as he walked around to his chair. The waitress came over to take his drink order and while they waited, Mar grilled Henry on a few subjects. Mostly his work, what he was currently working on, what he planned to do afterward and such. When it was time, they ordered their food and found some downtime. Henry turned to Lily.

“Hey, by the way, you didn’t have to say anything about the photographers out there,” he said, gesturing to the men still hovering outside. The windows were tinted so they couldn’t see in. Lily shrugged.

“I just remembered what happened in Fort Worth,” she said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “It was stupid, I know, I shouldn’t have said anything,” she felt her cheeks growing warm and panic setting in. Henry noticed and he shook his head, though he smiled.

“No, it wasn’t stupid at all,” he said. “It was very thoughtful,” he looked at her gently and as Lily felt the embarrassment coursing through her body, Mar cleared her throat.

“I raised my Lily-pad well,” Mar said, causing Lily to snort with laughter. “Always thinking of others,” Lily glanced at Mar and smirked at her, trying to conceal a wide smile. Mar just beamed at her.

“Mars-bar, you were the only mother I knew,” Lily replied sarcastically. Henry laughed at their exchange loudly.

“You two are adorable,” he said, and both girls turned to smile at him. Henry looked at Lily with that twinkle that she’d grown to love but still didn’t fully understand. Her smile softened the longer she looked at him. Then, the two cups of coffee she’d downed in an hour hit her and she had to rush to the restroom. Leaving rather abruptly, Mar and Henry were left to their own devices, though Mar wasn’t concerned.

“She loves you,” Mar said as soon as Lily was far enough away. Confused, Henry frowned at her. “I mean it, Henry. That girl loves you. I’m not talking about some summer crush, I mean she is head over heels in love with you,” she paused to glance at the restroom. Lily hadn’t come out yet. Mar looked back at Henry who was gently smiling at her. “Since she was six years old, I have watched as Lily tore herself apart, hoping at least one person would love the broken pieces she had to offer. I watched as she died a little bit, every single time that plan failed. I will not stand by and watch her get hurt again. Now you listen to me, Henry. You break her heart and I will break you,” Mar set her jaw and stared at Henry for a moment. He stared back, his blue eyes stormy. Mar glanced at the bathroom again where Lily had still not shown.

“Believe it or not, Mar,” Henry started. “I’m head over heels in love with her as well. I love her very much,” he paused and Mar bobbed her head for him to continue, still not seeing Lily. “She’s different, very different from anyone else I’ve ever met. I have no intention of losing the one person that makes me feel,” he paused looking for the words. “She makes me feel like the man I want to be,” Mar and Henry stared each other down until Mar saw Lily emerged from the bathroom. They said nothing else and waited for Lily to return. Lily sat back down in her seat and looked at the two of them.

“What’s going on with y’all?” she asked. Mar picked her mug of coffee up from the table.

“Oh you know,” she said taking a sip of mimosa and looking at Lily from over the lip of her glass. “Just giving Henry here the big sister talk,” she said when she finished her sip. Lily squinted her eyes at Mar, then she turned her gaze to Henry.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I hope she didn’t scare you too bad,” Henry smirked and looked over at Mar. He spoke directly to her.

“Not to worry,” he said. “She scared me just enough,” he and Mar continued to smirk at each other. Lily squinted and glanced back and forth between the two. Henry finally shifted his gaze over to Lily and he winked. Their food came out and everyone dug in. It was silent for a while as everyone chewed on their food as well as the conversation that had unfolded previously. Eventually, Mar began to chat with Henry about her Master’s program and what she planned to do after school. Lily had heard all of this multiple times, so she stayed quiet and watched as the two discussed everything. Occasionally, Lily and Mar would tease each other and Henry would just watch with clear and evident amusement.

When it was time to leave, Henry explained that he would be leaving out the back. The three stood up from their table and began saying goodbye. Henry hugged Mar, who pulled him in tight.

“Take care of my girl,” she whispered to him. When they let go, Mar’s eyes were bright with tears, but she turned away quickly before anyone could notice. Henry smiled at her and said that he would. Lily walked with Henry toward the back so she could say goodbye to him in semi-privacy. At the door, Lily stood up on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Henry responded by embracing her and pulling her close to him.

“Do you have to leave today?” Lily asked him. Henry shook his head no.

“No, but I have a few errands I need to run,” he replied. Lily bobbed her head. Henry leaned down and kissed her gently. “But could you come by the hotel later? I have a surprise for you,” he smiled gently while Lily’s eyebrows shot up.

“Another surprise?” she asked and Henry nodded. She agreed to meet him and he agreed to text her later. She watched him walk out the door and toward his SUV, a strange mix of sadness and love filling her heart.

Back at the front of the restaurant, Mar waited for her on her phone. They walked out together and laughed when the photographers got excited then immediately dejected when they realized the girls were nobodies. Well, no one of importance to them. Lily tilted her head back and laughed at a joke that Mar said and for a brief moment, felt truly happy. That all came crashing down in a moment.

“Lily?” a familiar voice called out from across the street. Still smiling from laughter, Lily looked around and suddenly felt the air get knocked out of her lungs. “Lily? Hey!” the voice came from a figure jogging up to her and Mar. Lily sucked in a hot breath as it all came crashing down that the voice belonged to Carter. There he was, about as tall as Henry but by no means as wide. He was more lanky and gangly in his limbs. His skin was a shade lighter than Celeste’s, but he had the same chestnut brown hair and eyes. He smiled wide at the two of them as he trotted up to them. “Hey, how are you?” he asked when he stopped. His eyes darted back and between the girls. Lily’s mouth gaped open as she stared at him.

“Carter,” Lily started slowly. “What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“Oh, I was just in the area,” he replied nonchalantly. “I was just heading back to my loft when I saw you across the street.” he smiled at her in a way that made her stomach churn.

“Oh,” Lily said. It was all she could say. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined running into Carter. Mar hadn’t said anything yet, but Lily could feel her fuming next to her.

“Oh, by the way,” Carter started. “Have you had a had a chance to consider my offer?” he asked, looking at Lily expectantly. Confused, Lily was about to respond but Mar spoke for her.

“No, she hasn’t. We’ve been busy,” Mar said tersely. Lily looked at Mar intensely, but Mar didn’t look back. She stared directly at Carter who watched her with a strange amusement. He chuckled a little then looked back at Lily.

“Well, I need to get going. Is your number still the same?” Carter asked. All Lily could do was nod a little shocked. Neither she nor Mar waved or acknowledged when he finally left and ran off across the street. They were silent for a moment before Lily turned to Mar.

“What did he mean about an offer?” Lily asked. Mar didn’t look Lily in the eye and she didn’t say anything. Instead, she marched off toward her apartment. Lily followed her in close pursuit. “What did he mean about an offer, Mar?” Lily demanded. Mar glanced at her over her shoulder.

“It was in his letter,” Mar said over her shoulder. Then she looked forward and continued marching on. Shocked, Lily ran ahead of her and stopped. Mar tried to go around, but Lily prevented her from going around. Exasperated, Mar sighed and stared at Lily. “He offered you a job. He wants to work with you on some project,” she finally said. Lily glared back at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lily demanded. Mar clenched her jaw.

“Because it wasn’t relevant. It doesn’t matter, Lil,” Mar replied. Lily felt hot anger coursing through her.

“It does matter, Mar,” Lily said after a few moments.

“What?” Mar demanded in an almost shriek.

“It matters because that wasn’t your choice. It wasn’t your decision to make,” she threw back at her. Mar glared at the ground, clenching and unclenching her jaw. The people of New York just walked around them, though occasionally Lily could hear someone mutter about them being in the way. “That wasn’t your decision to make,” Lily said, her words dripping with anger.

“Excuse me?” Mar hissed.

“That wasn’t your decision,” Lily said. “I know that I’m a fuck up and I know that I make mistakes, but at the end of the day they are all my choices,” Lily spat the words out at Mar. “I never asked you to be some big sister to me. I never asked you to take care of me,” before she could finish, Mar’s head snapped up and she was yelling back at Lily.

“No, you didn’t but someone had to!” Mar screamed, tears running down her face.

“No, you didn’t!” Lily screamed back. “No one had to do anything! The only people that had to do anything chose not to! Just like you choose to act like the savior for the town’s charity case!” Lily was sobbing now.

“You’re not a charity case,” Mar replied, almost offended for Lily at the statement. Lily laughed sardonically.

“Of course I am,” she replied with pure disdain. “I’m the girl who’s mom killed herself and a dad who ran off when things got too hard!” Lily sobbed and Mar reached out to comfort her, but Lily pulled back. “Don’t,” Lily murmured. “I know what everyone thinks of me,” she said.

“No you don’t,” Mar spat back. Her voice was low, almost a growl. “You have no idea what anyone thinks of you because you are so stuck on this idea that you are the charity case. You think that no one could ever look at you and see the strongest woman on the planet. You think that any act of kindness is an act of charity. Here’s a news flash for you, babe: it isn’t. Sometimes, another person sees you suffering and all they want to do is be nice for the sake of being nice,” Mar glared at Lily, her mouth completely turned down at the corners. After a pause, she shook her head and pushed past Lily to walk away. “By the way,” she said, stopping and turning around. Lily turned to face her. “It wasn’t relevant because I knew you weren’t going to accept it. I knew you wouldn’t give him the time of day, but I’m glad to know you think so highly of me,” Mar finished, her words dripping with hatred. Lily cried in the middle of the sidewalk unabashedly. She watched as Mar marched off without her.

After a few moments, Lily began walking back to her own hotel. The one good thing about New York was that you could walk down the sidewalk, completely crying and sobbing and no one would care. Lily cried the entire time to her hotel and continued to do so once inside. Sitting on the couch, she folded over and just cried. She cried for the loss of her mother and in some ways, her father. She cried because she wanted to believe Mar, but she also remembered everything Carter said to her. She remembered every word of every sentence. Seeing him reminded her that she was nobody without someone like him. Someone that would hold her up because she never learned how to. She cried because Henry was the sweetest man she’d ever met and he had no idea how damaged she really was. After what felt like hours, though it may have only been minutes, Lily collapsed into a fitful sleep.

—

Hours later, Lily woke up stiff and sore. It was dark now with only a slight halo of light creeping in through the windows. Slowly, Lily sat up and felt the weight of the day lingering in her head. She groaned and felt her phone vibrating. Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw it was Henry. Not wanting to give herself away, she let it ring and go to voicemail. When her phone stopped ringing, she noticed she had three missed calls and sixteen new messages. She started listening to the voicemails. The first was from Mar, calling to apologize and make sure she got back to her hotel okay. The second was also from Mar demanding that Lily call her back. The third voicemail was from Henry telling her he was finishing up with his errands and she was welcome to head over when ever she felt like it. There was the new voicemail that Henry just left.

“Hey Lily, I haven’t heard from you and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Please come over when you’re ready. I have something for you that I’d really like to give you,” Lily sniffed as she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the text messages. Most of them were from Mar asking if she was okay, a few were from Henry checking in with her, and the two that startled her the most were from Carter.

Hey Lily-pad, I just wanted to know if you had any questions about the job offer

Hey, take your time, there’s no rush. Just reach out to me when you’re ready.

Lily sniffed as she read the messages, then decided to respond to everyone. To Mar, she said,

I got back to my apartment. I’m fine. To Henry, she sent,

I’m not feeling very well. Can you give me the surprise when we get back to Texas? It was cold and mean, but she couldn’t bear to see him right now. And finally, to Carter, she sent,

No, Carter, I don’t have any questions. I’m actually going to decline the offer. I’m happy where I’m at. She hit send and set her phone down trying to collect her thoughts. Her phone immediately began buzzing with returned messages. Immediately, Carter responded.

Hey, that’s okay, it’s not a problem. I know you’re connected, so do you have anyone else that would be willing or wanting to work on this project. Lily read the message and simply responded.

No. Not wanting to address anyone, Lily decided to send everyone the same message.

Hey, I’m not feeling well. I’m going to sleep until it’s time to leave for my flight tomorrow. I’m turning off my phone because I’d like to not be disturbed. Thanks.

And with that, Lily turned off her phone and cried herself to sleep on the hotel couch.

[kasdeyathebitterwoman]

Ninja Warrior Love Story lovers!

I'm currently working on the continuation of this series. I'm currently battling a weird neck injury (honestly, I have no idea how this happened) and a possible cold. So, it may be a few days, but have no fear! The story of Henry and Lily will continue on!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Stay safe wherever you are and do good ❤️