Young Writers Society

Lizzy's eye throbbed painfully. With a groan, she slowly opened the good one and looked around. She was in her bed, the sheets pulled up to her chin, freshly dyed brown hair fanning out against the pillow. And her right eye. It hurt, and the corner of it was swollen shut.

Sitting up slowly, Lizzy faced the mirror and bit back a small gasp. It was already a blackish-purple bruise. Damn you, Harvey, she thought angrily.

Lizzy shoved the covers off her and checked her phone. She had a bunch of texts from Simon and other people, but she ignored them. She definitely did not have the patience to deal with them right now. The time was four p.m., which means Pop was probably making dinner.

She noted that she was in her pajamas and figured Pop changed her into them, which was a bit embarrassing, but also sentimental at the same time. Brushing her hair back into a messy bun, she walked down into the kitchen and heard Pop speaking to someone. Figuring it was Sammy, she kept walking and entered the kitchen, then shrieked. "What are you doing here?!"

Harvey winced at her high pitched voice and stood up, looking awkward. "I'm here to check on you, Redmon." he began.

"Oh piss off with the bullshit!"

"Elizabeth." Pop warned, giving her a stern look that clearly read deal with it.

Lizzy shot him a look of betrayal and glared at Harvey, while speaking to her father. "Where's Sam?"

"At the park with some friends. I'm actually just about to leave and pick her up. There's noodles and sauce simmering. Watch them while I'm gone." He placed the mitts he was wearing on the counter and walked towards the front door, grabbing the car keys. On his way out, he stopped and smoothly tossed out over his shoulder, "Behave, Elizabeth."

Harvey snickered.

Once Pop left, Lizzy's fist smashed into his arm.

"Bitch! What was that for?" he yelled.

"For gaining my dad's trust!" For some reason, she was near tears. Pop never left her home alone with a guy, not even Simon. Somehow, this idiot had gained his trust in a small amount of time and Lizzy felt a flash of raw jealousy. "Why are you even here?"

Harvey Amos

Harvey scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Excuse me for making sure you were okay, princess."

"I didn't ask for you to be here!"

"Well too bad because ta-da! Here I am. God! You make it so hard to be nice to you! I don't even know why I'm bothering."

Lizzy opened her mouth to retort, but instead her face softened into a less harsh expression. Harvey noticed the change and his temper too subsided. He followed her gaze as she looked to the floor, and when he noticed the sad look in her eyes he knitted his brow in confusion. He wanted to reach out to her, but restrained himself. Why was it that every time they were alone like this something was wrong? What did he do this time?

"Fine," he said finally. "If you want me to leave I'll go. Just apologize to your dad for me this time. I kinda promised him I'd stay for dinner."

"Harvey, wait."

Harvey stopped as a hand grabbed the back of his shirt. With a sigh, he turned back around to face Lizzy again. The look on her face was still sad, and suddenly he got this overwhelming urge to cheer her up. On impulse, he laid his hand on her head and messed up her hair. Immediately her expression transformed and she batted his hand away while fixing the bun he'd disassembled.

"Cut it out!"

"I was hoping you'd stop me," he teased. "There's no food at my house and I'm starving."

Lizzy got a weird look on her face but she shook it off and replaced it with a condescending smirk.

"Oh, so you're using us for our spaghetti?"

"Yep."

She rolled her eyes and Harvey laughed.

"So are you going to give me a tour of your place," he asked while looking up the stairs towards the second half of the house.

"Oh no. I know that trick, Amos. You're not getting into my room."

Harvey ran his hand through his hair in defeat. A smile graced his face when he realized he was caught.

"Eh, I'll get up there one day."

"And what makes you so sure of yourself?"

"I can be quite persuasive when I need to be, sweetheart."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

He grinned down at her and after a while a smile slipped onto her face too. As soon as he saw it his heart gave a lurch and he felt the first heat of a blush creep onto his face. 'Not again,' he thought frantically, but it was too late. Lizzy Redmon was beautiful, there was no denying it, even with the bruise sprouting on her face. He reached out and traced the edge of it with her fingers. Faintly, he heard her breath hitch.

"You shouldn't jump into the middle of fights. I didn't want to hurt you."

He moved his hand to where it cupped the curve of her cheek. Her skin was so soft.

"Aw fuck it."

After moving his hands into Lizzy's hair, Harvey leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Lizzy was forming the words to scoff and tell him that she was fine, no thanks to him. But the instant his lips met hers, it was like a switch shut off in her brain. No more thoughts. She let her body take control, and control it did.

Her hands slowly slid up his arms, feeling his muscles coil beneath the sleeves. They trailed their way up his broad shoulders and tangled into his hair. She tightened her grip and yanked firmly, provoking a moan from Harvey's lips as he kissed her.

She smirked.

Her body pressed forward, against his, shivering as his hands rested on her hips, his thumbs finding their way beneath her shirt and slowly stroking her skin. His kisses deeped, and it was Lizzy's turn to moan, kissing him until she couldn't breathe.

They broke apart, both panting hard, her forehead pressed against his chin. His thumbs continued their slow circles against her pale skin and his nails lightly dug into her.

She trembled, and heard him smirk.

Tilting her head back, she glared up at him. "You still can't get into my room."

"Oh really?" His grin broadened and he had her pinned against the wall in a second, his hand playfully lifting her shirt. "Who needs a room anyways?"

Her cheeks flushed and she stared at him, unable to find words to reply. His eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Harvey-" Lizzy began, then heard a sharp hiss coming from the stove. "Shit!"

He quickly backed off and they scurried over to the stove, Lizzy stirring the sauce frantically while Harvey checked the noodles.

They worked in silence for a few moments until she turned the burners off and moved both pans to the back ones, to cool down. Then she turned to glare at him. "You almost burnt dinner."

"Pop told you to watch the stove, not me, Elizabeth." he sneered.

Lizzy's eyes narrowed and she studied him angrily for a moment. "I don't understand. What are we now? Friends? Or more? And if you say friends with benefits, you can get the fuck out of my house."

Harvey Amos

Harvey sighed and started opening cupboards, searching for plates.

"Do we have to do this now?"

He could practically feel her starring daggers at the back of his head.

"Yes. We do."

"Look," he said, turning back towards her, "you're mine. That's all I know right now."

Lizzy's face morphed into an unreadable expression and Harvey turned away from her quickly, not wanting to watch - and not just because the look made him squirm. It seemed as if the interactions between them now were so intimate. He wasn't used to seeing such pure emotion that wasn't anger or hate. The looks Lizzy gave him, unguarded and uncensored, made his stomach clench and his heart thump. He wasn't too keen on her seeing him blush.

"Is that okay with you," he asked while he grabbed a couple of glasses, trying to gather himself once again.

"Yeah. That's fine."

"Good."

"For now."

"Whatever."

The set the table in silence, the only noises being huffs and scoffs from when the two purposefully bumped into each other during their work. And Harvey couldn't erase the smile on his face. As Lizzy was checking to make sure the food didn't go cold, Harvey watched her quietly. Something in the back of his head was screaming, but there was nothing that could spoil his mood. They were a thing now. He didn't even know what that meant. He just knew that he wanted her. All the time.

Lizzy turned around to find Harvey starring at her. She startled slightly at his presence and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you doing, idiot, you scared the hell out of me!"

Harvey just approached her and grabbed her chin, tilting her head this way and that.

"Harvey, what the hell?!"

"Vinegar and water."

"What?"

"It'll help the bruise heal faster. That's what Jene always uses when I come home busted up."

"Jene? That your dad?"

"Ummm... sure. He might as well be."

"What does that-"

A loud throat-clearing directed both of their attentions to the opening of the kitchen, and when Harvey saw Pop standing there he jumped away from Lizzy as if she's suddenly burst into flames.

"H-hey, Mr. Redmon! Did hear you come in."

Pop just raised an eyebrow at the two and moved towards the stove.

"I noticed. Did I interrupt something?"

"No, I was just telling Lizzy ways to help the bruise heal faster. I wanted to see how bad it was..."

"Hmmm."

"He's back!"

Harvey turned his head towards the high-pitched voice that suddenly rang through the room. Before he even knew what was happening, a child was stood right in front of him, looking up with a wide smile on her face.

"Sam," he greeted as he ruffled her hair. "What's up kiddo?"

"Oh my god," Lizzy groaned.

"Hey Harvey! I didn't know you'd be here."

"Just doing damage control," he said before leaning down to whisper in her ear. "But I really came to see you. Don't tell your sister, she's horribly jealous."

Sam giggled, drawing the attention of Lizzy, who was helping Pop serve food.

"How about you two stop flirting and take a seat."

"Sorry, princess."

"Amos," Lizzy warned.

Harvey just shrugged and grinned wide. He only just caught the faint hint of her smile as she turned away.

"Well," Pop started, "if everyone's ready then let's eat."

Lizzy took her plate and slowly walked over to the table. There were four seats, and Harvey was sitting in hers, already chatting away with Sam.

Lizzy felt her face flush with jealously and roughly placed her plate down next to Pop's, who looked at her with an amused smile. He quirked his eyebrows and she scowled in response.

Lizzy shot Harvey a glare once he turned away from Sam, and his grin only widened. "You okay there, Redmon?" he cooed.

"Piss off."

"Elizabeth Redmon."

Lizzy scowled again and quickly finished her food, then continued to glare at Harvey until he was finished. His words kept ringing in her head. You're mine, Redmon. What scared her most was the burning pleasure that spread through her at his words. She liked being his. She liked it a lot.

When everyone was finished, Lizzy and Harvey helped Pop load the dishwasher, then stood there awkwardly. Sam ran off to watch a movie, and Pop studied Harvey for a moment, then announced that he was going to join Sammy.

Lizzy watched as he strolled down the hall and heard the door slam shut. Harvey looked at a lost for words. "Did he just-"

"He must really fucking trust you." she hissed, then spun on her heel and walked to the foot of the stairs. "Thanks for coming over and helping with the dishes. See you Monday."

"Whoa, Redmon!" Harvey called, following her up the stairs and towards her room.

She spun around in the doorway and glared at him. "What more do you want?"

He studied her quietly for a moment, then pushed inside. Lizzy's eyes followed him, and she closed her bedroom door, feeling her stomach twist. She watched, nervous, as his eyes scanned the room, taking in everything. How messy it was, how it smelt like her, how her schoolbooks were lying on the ground, papers scattered, the bed unmade, a Starbucks cup on the tv stand, and he started to laugh.

Lizzy shot him a confused look, which quickly turned to a glare, and she stormed forward. "What's so funny, Amos?"

"Your room is messier than mine is."

Her face flushed angrily, and he grinned. "Only joking. Why're you so topsy turvy today? One moment you're enjoying it as I kiss you and the next you're telling me to piss off."

His hands found their way onto her hips and she felt a fire form from his touch. "You have that effect on people." she managed to say, glaring up at him. "And somehow you weaseled your way into my room. Now what are you going to do?"

Harvey Amos

"Well naturally I'm going to take pictures and post them around the school," he said, smirking the entire time.

"Oh please," she groaned.

Harvey chuckled and drummed his fingers on Lizzy's waist, but stopped when he felt her tense up.

"Calm down," he teased.

"I am calm," she snapped back.

"Then relax."

"I am re-"

Harvey pulled her into his chest and laughed when she gasped.

"Stop messing around, Amos," she whispered, the anger in her voice subsiding.

"What's point of me being here if I can't mess around?"

With one swift movement, Harvey lifted Lizzy into his arms and directed them both to her bed. He hugged her to his chest and laid back.

"Relaxed my ass," he whispered. "Your heart is pounding."

"It's not pound-"

Suddenly, he smashed his mouth onto hers, effectively silencing her. Immediately she gave in. Slowly he wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled off the band holding it up. Her hair billowed out around her shoulders and he tangled it between his fingers. Her lips were soft and warm against his, and even though his body was literally shaking with need he forced himself to take it slow. Her body arched against his and he sighed softly when they broke apart for air.

"Stop interrupting me," she panted as she laid her forehead on his.

"You talk too much," he replied while moving to kiss her neck.

"You talk too much."

"Shut up, Redmon."

Harvey rolled them over and watched her face as he hovered above her. Her cheeks were colored red and her eyes clouded and dazed. Harvey's face softened as he watched her breathe, the slow careful rise and fall of her chest, and soon his face was hot. Everything was hot. The moonlight coming in through the window made her skin seem to glow. Her eyes were big and bright and...

"Beautiful."

He trailed his hand over the curves of her face, cupped her cheek, marveled in her soft skin under his rough hands. His breath caught in his throat as her eyes fluttered close and she placed her hand on his jawline. Before he could stop himself, he was lifting up her shirt and kissing trails up her stomach. Hurriedly she pushed her self up and started to pull at his shirt. Her skin was so hot. His head was swimming. His hands wrapped around her waist and held her tight against his heaving chest.

"Harvey..."

He gave a soft moan and nipped lightly at her neck. Soon they were rolling around and thrashing on her bed. Her hands were everywhere, in his hair, burning hot on his back. Her nails dug into his skin and he groaned against her mouth.

"Lizzy."

Her hands fumbled at his belt buckle and all of a sudden he snapped into attention. He grabbed her hands and pinned them to the bed, struggling to even his breathing.

"Wait."

Lizzy sat up carefully and starred at Harvey with a knitted brow.

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

He couldn't stop the laugh bubbled up from his throat, and when he saw the confused look still on Lizzy's face he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"No," he chuckled. "Idiot."

She frowned and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to do something we might regret," he explained. "You're going to have to confess your undying love before we do anything."

Something in his stomach fluttered as she laughed, and the classic Lizzy look was on her face again.

"Me? Be in love with you? In your dreams, Amos."

He tackled her back into the bed and hugged her close.

"We'll see about that."

With one hand he pulled her comforter over them and settled down to sleep. Everything was quiet and calm for only a few minutes before Lizzy spoke up.

"Wait... you can't sleep here!"

"Shut up," he groaned, while tightening his grip.

"Amos!"

"Shhh."

"Moron."

"Sleep."

"Pop's gonna kill you."

"I'll die happy then."

Lizzy gasped softly before slowly relaxing back into his chest. Harvey's hand over her heart reveled that it was pounding again. He chuckled and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"You're so in love with me," he whispered, already half asleep.

"Shut up!"

"Night."

"Goodnight..."

"You and this boy. I don't understand anymore. Weren't you two enemies three weeks ago?"

"Things change, I guess." Lizzy told Pop as she washed her hands. The water was cold, and then became too hot when she turned the handle, so she quickly shut it off and took the towel Pop handed her.

"So what are you now?"

"Well, I guess he's kind of my boyfriend."

"Kind of isn't good enough for my little girl." Pop growled over his shoulder as he concentrated on frying eggs. "You either need a 'Yes, he is my boyfriend' or get the hell out of that mess. You deserve better than a kind of."

Lizzy smiled at his words and held the plate as he dumped eggs onto it.

"When did he leave last night?" Sammy asked from the table.

"Eight." Lizzy lied. Truth was, she slept peacefully in his arms, and woke up at seven a.m. to him kissing her throat, awakening her with a moan. She helped him sneak out of the house and watched as his motorcycle tore down the road, realizing that he never said when he'd see her again. She assumed they'd see each other on Monday, then.

"I like him." Sammy declared, swinging her feet happily as her sister placed a plate full of food down in front of her. She snatched up the syrup bottle and drenched her pancakes, then looked up at Lizzy, "You should marry him."

"Samantha Redmon!" Lizzy sputtered, her face turning pink.

Pop snorted and quickly covered his face with a glass of milk, avoiding Lizzy's death glare.

**

Maybe I am in love with him. Lizzy thought to herself as she slowly approached Harvey's apartment door.

All day he'd been on her mind, and Lizzy couldn't deal with the maybes. He told her she was his. That meant he was her boyfriend, and she his girlfriend, right? For God's sake, he had to want her to be his girlfriend. He didn't come to her house and face her father for them to be pen pals.

Slowly, she walked to his door and stopped, standing there nervously. She told Pop she was going to spend the night at her friend Marley's house, but that was a lie. She wanted to sleep in his arms again. She wanted answers. And, her conscious hissed, she wanted him. His lips, his hands, his aggressive makeouts and the way he made her moan, or his tendancy to drive her wild with a single touch, or look. The way he made her feel, so angry and pissed off and annoyed and loved and desired and beautiful.

Her fist hit the door three times and she gripped her shoulderbag nervously, feeling her heart pound faster.

The door opened and he stood there in a baggy gray shirt and boxers, brown hair tousled. His green eyes studied her face and narrowed. "Lost, princess?"

"Piss off," came her standard reply as she pushed past him, inside.

He chuckled and slammed the door shut, then bolted it. Once done, he slowly turned around and studied her as she gazed around. "Did you run away from home?"

"I told Pop I was going to spend the night at Marley's house."

"But instead you came here," he chuckled. "Why? Did you miss me?"

Lizzy was quiet, her head lowered, studying the ground. Harvey frowned at the serious look on her face. "Redmon. Don't play games with me. Why are you here?"

"I'm in love with you." she whispered.

Harvey Amos

Harvey frowned and took a step back.

"What?"

He could barely get the word off his tongue, and it came out in a frail whisper. His blood had run cold. Every nerve was on edge and the loudest sound in his ear was his own breathing. When Lizzy turned to look at him his stomach lurched.

"I'm in love with you," she repeated, louder this time, more sure of herself.

"Stop," Harvey warned, his eyes narrowing.

The growing smile on Lizzy's face faltered into a frown. And when she'd started towards him, Harvey held up a hand.

"Harvey what are you-"

"I said stop," he snapped, glaring at her. But the expression didn't last on his face long. He'd heard her voice shaking, at he hated himself for it. "Why couldn't you just have let this be a good thing?"

"What are you talking about?"

Harvey shook his head and started pacing slow lines in front of the tv. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, every time he tried his eyes shot anywhere else but at her face. Cautiously, she came forward and placed a hand on his arm, but he shook her off.

"Harvey!"

"Get out," he hissed. "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

"How is me expressing how I feel about you ruining anything?!"

"I just need time to think!"

The following silence was nearly too much for Harvey to handle. The look in Lizzy's eyes was heartbreaking, and he wanted to reach out to her but the part of him needing to run away was drowning out every other emotion. You don't let people in too close. If there was anything Harvey learned from the life he lived that would be it. Arms distance always. That's how you survived. Don't let them in. He'd already let her too close, but was it so wrong for him to want at least one nice thing? He was okay on his own, but honestly it got lonely sometimes. Lizzy was the cure to that, but this wasn't how things were supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be this serious. He wasn't supposed to be thinking that he loved her too.

"Just please, Lizzy. Get out."

"I don't understand."

With a sigh, he slipped his hands in her hair and brought his mouth down upon hers in a soft kiss. He'd miss that, and knowing it he deepened the embrace. When his arms wrapped around her waist he didn't want to let go.

Too close.

"I know you don't," he whispered against her mouth. "Leave."

After planting a kiss on her forehead, he left and went to his room to get dressed for work. By the time he came out again she was gone.

When Pop asked why she wasn't at Marley's, Lizzy told him she wasn't feeling good. Which wasn't entirely a lie; she was feeling pretty bad after what went down at Harvey's house. But he didn't know that, nor did he need to know, so she told him her stomach felt queasy and he made her soup that she barely touched. Instead, she curled up underneath her sheets, that of which still smelled like him, and cried.

Sunday came and went and she still didn't get out of bed. Pop was growing worried but she reassured him she was okay.

Come Monday and she begs him to stay home. All she wanted to do was sleep; it's all she'd been doing since Saturday night. It was either sleep or think about him, or sleep or face him. She just wanted to sleep. So he let her stay home.

Lizzy slept in till about ten, then realized that she was incapable of sleeping any more. So she got up, took a shower, got dressed and went out for a walk. The breeze was nice and it eased her, took her mind off of things.

Last night, she allowed herself to think about what happened and how she should handle it. It hurt. She was hurting. Harvey sent her away, rejected her, and it hurt. Her heart was aching, and she was pretty sure it was broken. It had never been broken before; she'd never allowed it to break.

Maybe it was for the best, she thought. Maybe it was good for teaching her a lesson.

Her feet drifted and carried her aimlessly, and she found herself on Harvey's footsteps again.

"What the hell?" she snapped, angry with herself and turning to leave. But it was like her feet were drawn to him, to something that held his essence, and she crumpled, sitting down on the curb and burying her face into her hands, feeling her eyes sting.

"Stop crying." she mumbled, her voice muffled by her hands, a few tears slipping out before she managed to stop them. Stop crying. Knowing my luck, Harvey will probably show up and what will he see? Me crying.

Harvey Amos

Harvey collapsed onto the sofa, a bowl of chips in one arm and a beer can in the other. Marco only glanced over briefly before returning his attention to the TV screen, game controller in hand.

"Do you really think that's a good idea," he asked in an even voice, unblinking.

Harvey turned to him as he popped the beer can open.

"You're the one that brought the pack over," he countered while taking a sip.

"Yeah, for me. Whatever's bothering you, talk about it. Don't drown it down."

Harvey paused mid-sip and starred openly at his friend as he played video games. Marco always had a way of knowing things he definitely should not know, Harvey knew that, but his comment still took him completely off guard. In Harvey's head, he was handling his feelings well, as good as he could since he hadn't seen Lizzy since that night and he was extremely worried. But there was no way Marco could have known, he'd barely seen the boy these past few days too. After a short silence, Marco reached over and took the beer out of Harvey's hand, and Harvey didn't stop him. It was no use trying to hide things from Marco. The dude was practically psychic.

"So how'd you fuck it up," Marco asked after downing half the can.

"I didn't fuck up anything!"

Marco raised an eyebrow at Harvey and turned off his game. Turning on the sofa, he faced Harvey full on, starring him down, a hint of anger on his face. Harvey's posture stiffened but then sagged.

"I'm not gonna watch while you ruin your life."

"I just want to be done with her."

"Lie. If that was true you wouldn't still be thinking about her. I've seen you be done with girls, and it never takes more than a second's decision."

Harvey's protests stopped in his throat, and when the truth of Marco's words finally hit home his head hung low. Harvey buried his face in his hands and spent a long while just sitting there, thinking.

He couldn't get her out of his head. She was in every thought, every second, and it was driving him insane. She was already so close. He couldn't forget the way she smelled, how her skin felt on his, the exact mixture of color in her eyes, her voice, the look on her face when all guards were let down... Harvey groaned out loud and grabbed two fistfuls of his hair. Already she'd seen so much of him, any further down and she'd be shoveling up mud and corruption and all the secrets he needed to keep, and Harvey grit his teeth at the thought. It was dark in there.

Marco watched his best friend with sad eyes and a heavy heart. Harvey was one of the strongest guys he knew, and seeing him like this hurt. He could endure a lot of shit, so this girl had to be special to get that type of reaction from him. Redmon had better be worth it.

"I'm going to take out the trash," he announced quietly, already half way out the door. When he walked back in the trash was still in his hand, and his face was contorted into confusion.

"I think you have a package, bro," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Harvey looked up from his place on the sofa, already exhausted with the day.

"What? Who from?"

"Redmon's outside on the curb. Might wanna go pick that up."

The mention of Lizzy had Harvey on his feet in an instant.

"Lizzy?"

"I'll go around back and leave."

"Alright see you later."

"Yeah."

"Okay."

---

Harvey didn't even have a game plan to begin with, so seeing Lizzy on the curb crying put an effective stop on even the possibility of approaching the situation using rational thought. He sped over to her as quickly as possible and, without any announcement, puller her to her feet and into his arms. She struggled briefly before recognizing who he was and collapsing into his hold.

"Asshole," she sobbed. "Bastard."

Her body shook with the force of her tears and Harvey tried his best to keep himself together. Her hands were clutching his clothes and her face buried into his neck, he could feel her wet tears on his skin. His own shaking hands were smoothing out her hair, rubbing circles on her back, doing anything he could think to do to get her to stop crying, but he only seemed to be making the situation worse. He wanted so desperately to go back and redo everything, but all he had was that moment. Briefly he pondered if he was doomed to screw up every good thing that was to happen to him, because he was doing a great job at it so far.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I'm an idiot, I'm sorry. I lo-"

His voice was cut off by an agonized moan rising from his throat. Tornadoes had touched down in his stomach and everything hurt. Everything hurt. Opting to try again, he shut his eyes tight, abandoned every life rule he'd taught himself, and rest his forehead on the top of Lizzy's head. The words were slow and quiet and frail and not at all as stable as he wanted them to be. His voice shook and cracked and his hands fisted the back of Lizzy's shirt as if she might float away, but it was out, hanging in the air:

"I love you."

Lizzy buried her face into his chest and sobbed harder as he spoke, saying the words she wish he'd said a few days ago.

Harvey carried her inside and closed the door, then collapsed against it, cradling her against him as she wept. She felt his tears land on her neck and felt his shoulders tremble, though he tried to fight it.

Lizzy hiccuped and managed to stop crying after a few minutes. Her tears had left a big wet spot on his shirt and she was sure there was some snot in there. "Sorry." she sniffed, her voice no higher than a whisper.

He said nothing, merely continued to clutch her tightly, as if he was afraid she's float away. After a moment, he carried her down the hall and into a room she confirmed was his bedroom. It smelt like him, and it was, as he said, messier than her own. Clothes were tossed everywhere and his bed was a mess.

Harvey dropped her on the bed and took off his shirt. Her puffy eyes widened and she covered her mouth, staring at him numbly. She tried not to look but was helpless as his muscles flexed and rippled, as Harvey knelt down and took a clean shirt out of his dresser.

Then he turned around and stood there, watching her with shadowed eyes.

"Harvey-" Lizzy began, but before she could say what she was going to say, he was in front of her, hands locked on either side of her.

"I love you." he said again, his voice a growl.

Lizzy's cheeks flushed and she stared at him, mouth gaping open for a moment before she whispered, "I love you more."

Then he was kissing her.

Harvey Amos

Harvey woke up slowly, feeling calmer than he had in a long time. Lizzy was still asleep, resting on his chest, breathing slowly and evenly. He yawned and tried to stretch but the body on top of him was restricting all movement. A glance over towards the clock reveled it to be around dinner time, and his growling stomach confirmed the hour, but he didn't want to move. Harvey laid in bed with her for a few more minutes before shaking her gently.

"Lizzy," he whispered.

"Don't move," came her mumbled reply. "It's cold outside the covers."

"It'll be warmer with your clothes on."

In reply, she just nuzzled her face deeper into the crook of his neck and sighed. Harvey laughed out loud, but honestly he didn't want to move either. The scene was too perfect, her body was too warm, and he didn't want to let her go. But, reluctantly, he started to move her off of him. Her weak, half-asleep protests filled the quiet evening air and made him laugh.

"Harvey," she whined.

"Come on, princess."

Eventually he got them both showered and dressed and soon they were sat on the sofa, eating sandwiches and chips. Harvey had his head lay in Lizzy's lap, trying to get her to feed him, but so far it wasn't working and was only resulting in his hair being mostly full of crumbs. Harvey was in the middle of begging when a knock came at the door. He didn't even tell the visitor it was okay to come in before Marco was walking through the door. Harvey felt Lizzy tense up immediately and held her hand to calm her nerves.

"Hey, Harv."

"Sup, Marc?"

"I came back earlier, but you sounded busy so I left."

Harvey could practically feel Lizzy blushing and laughed out loud while sitting up.

"Yeah just a bit. She's not back yet?"

"Nope."

"Bitch."

"I know."

Marco opened the fridge and took out the half empty pizza box, just a quick detour on the way to the guest room of the apartment.

"Oh," he said before leaving the front room. "JJ mentioned stopping by later tonight to sleep over too, so you might want to... umm... take care of things."

When Marco left the room, Harvey turned to find Lizzy looking slightly offended, before she could even start being angry at him, he rested his head back in her lap and started playing with the longer strands of her hair.

"Marco's cool," he explained, "but JJ might be a problem. He doesn't like you too much. Hates you really, he won't take us lightly. I'd prefer to keep it a secret for now. That okay?"

Keep it a secret. He wants me to keep our love a secret.

Lizzy stared at Harvey silently for a second, then shoved him off.

"Aw, c'mon Redmon, I only mean for a day or two. I just want him to hear it from me. It'll be better if he hears it from me and not your idiotic friend."

"Simon is not an idiot!"

"I still want to keep it a secret until I get a chance to tell him."

"And when do you plan on doing that?" Lizzy stood and had her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"No more than a week," Harvey promised, standing up and moving over to kiss her forehead. "It's late. Let me take you home."

***

"Feeling better, I see." Pop said in an even tone as he opened the door, letting Lizzy inside. He then shut the door and watched quietly for a moment as Harvey drove away, then turned to his daughter. "And what, exactly, were you doing when you told me you'd be home all day?"

"I was feeling better and I was sick of being inside all day, so I went for a walk. I went to the park and Harvey showed up and we hung out for a bit," she lied.

Pop studied her for a moment, his face expressionless. She knew he was debating whether or not to believe her. He let out a sigh and decided to go with, "Fine. Did you eat?"

"Uh, no." she lied again.

"It's make-your-own night."

"I'm not hungry. Stomach is still the size of a walnut. I'll be in my room."

"Expect to be at school tomorrow." Pop yelled after her as she ran up the stairs and into her room.

Lizzy kicked her shoes off and flopped onto her bed, finally allowing herself to think about what just happened. She and Harvey Amos were in love. She had just lost her virginity to the man she once would have rather eaten acid than have sex with. And now, because of his stupid friend, they were forced to keep their relationship for a time being.

Her phone buzzed with a call from Simon. She let it go to voicemail and noticed that he had called at least three times that day. She felt a pang of guilt and realized that while Harvey was worried about telling JJ, she was worried about telling Simon. Oh, screw it, she thought. I'll just tell him. It's none of his business, anyways. It's no one business.

***

"Are you mad at me?"

"Huh?" Lizzy mumbled, half listening to Simon, her attention focused on staring out the window as they approached the school.

"I mean, you never returned my calls, you haven't spoken more than a "Hi" since you got into the car, and you look nervous."

"It's not you, Simon. I'm sorry, I'm just nervous about something else." she apologized, turning her gaze to him and smiling half-heartedly. She really did feel bad, but they had just pulled into the parking lot and her gaze was back to the window, looking for Harvey.

She jumped out as soon as they parked and scanned the lot, finally spotting Harvey and JJ across the way, under a tree on the school's lawn. Everyone was giving them a wide berth, and from the looks of it, the two guys really needed it. She couldn't tell from this angle what JJ's face looked like, but Harvey seemed to be explaining something to him.

Shit, she hadn't told Simon yet. She was planning on waiting until she could speak to Harvey before she did anything. Lizzy followed Simon up to the steps without thinking about it, her eyes watching Harvey.

His gaze caught hers, and dimly she heard Simon make a rude remark about "Amos and his pig-squashed face", but before she could kick him, she saw JJ whip his head around. His black eyes found hers and he started to walk towards her.

Well, shit.

Harvey Amos

"Why?"

Harvey sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down the headache that was throbbing at his temples. He'd been sitting underneath the tree for the longest time trying to explain his new relationship to JJ, who was taking the news harder than even Marco predicted. They'd been out there in the yard even before the school opened, and now people were gathering around them and Harvey just wanted to go back home and sleep until the whole situation passed.

"I can only explain this to you in so many ways," he sighed. "We're dating now, just deal with it. You'd think I'd killed your parents or something the way you're taking this."

"She's such a fucking bitch though!"

In a flash, Harvey's hand shot out and seized JJ by the collar of his shirt. JJ's eyes widened before narrowing to match Harvey's own expression.

"You feel like repeating that," Harvey hissed between clenched teeth.

Harvey could see that JJ felt like saying something, the boy's mouth hung open for a moment before closing in resign. They were the best of friends, but JJ crossed a line, and Harvey was still the bigger one of the two, the leader. He wouldn't take anyone talking about Lizzy that way, especially after he spent so much time explaining to JJ just how much she meant to him. With a small push he let JJ go and returned his hands to his face.

"You're just gonna have to deal with this, bro."

"You've changed, Harv."

"People tend to."

In the tense silence, Harvey finally began to rise. He was just about to suggest they ditch the place and go back home to chill out and calm down when he heard JJ scrambling to his feet and storming away. As soon as he looked up and saw Lizzy he jumped up too.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," JJ yelled in Lizzy's face just as she approached the school steps.

"JJ, shut up! What did I just fucking tell you?"

"Control your groupies," Simon barked, shielding Lizzy behind an arm.

Lizzy protested weakly while pushing him away, her eyes on Harvey. He met her gaze and she looked scared.

Did she tell Simon?

Harvey wanted to think so, especially since she got so mad at him yesterday for suggesting they lay low, but the look in her eyes made him think now. His shoulders sagged at the thought. A crowd was starting to gather around, causing Harvey's nerves to race and his anger to flare.

"What are you trying to do with Harvey, slut?"

"Okay that's enough!"

Harvey seized JJ by the back of the shirt and began to physically drag him away from the scene.

"Come on," he shouted. "All of you!"

---

A few minutes later they were all gathered on the side of the building, JJ barely containing his anger, much like Simon. Harvey's headache was now raging full force and he didn't have the strength left to restrain JJ when he approached Lizzy.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" JJ hissed in her face, so close that he had Lizzy pressed against the way. She could see a cold fire in his eyes and every syllable he spat was vibrating with rage.

Lizzy felt herself start to fold into herself, to shrink away from his anger, then her conscious awoke and mentally bitch slapped her. You are Lizzy fucking Redmon. Where is your backbone?

Her back straightened and she shoved him away, her eyes suddenly flashing with rage to match his. "What Harvey and I do in the bedroom is none of your business." she sneered.

JJ's face turned red at that and he took a step forward, then was blocked by Simon. "Piss off, freak," he snapped.

"You touch her and I will kill you." Simon said in a calm voice.

"I said, move!" his fist knocked into Simon's face and knocked him on the ground. JJ shoved past him and went for Lizzy again, but was blocked once more.

"Enough. You won't touch her, JJ." Harvey said quietly, throwing out a hand to slam against his friend's chest.

JJ met his gaze and, for a moment, was vulnerable as he gave Harvey a look Lizzy knew all too well, then shoved his arm off. "Fine. Have fun fucking a slut. Bet she'll give you herpes." He shoved past Harvey and walked away without a glance towards her.

Lizzy gazed after his quietly, then felt Harvey's hands on her waist, his lips brushing her ear. "Sorry about that."

"He's in love with you, Harvey."