Power Struggle [AlcaponxMad Madam Mim]

First topic message reminder :

Think of me. Think of me fondly once we say goodbye. Remember me once in a while please promise me you'll try. And if you find that once again you wish to take your heart back and be free, if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me.

~Phantom of the Opera

"I'm nearly done." He called back out as he finished whiping the counter and joined her on the couch. "I'm getting up at five to go to a 24/7 store, get breakfast ingridients. Would you like anything in particular?" He asked her while noting she had no bra under his shirt. Damn why wax he noticing this? He thought. Yes it was typical of him but he needed to remind himself she's just a guest who's his client too.

Lily turned to face him, crossing her legs on the couch and shivering a little. The wet hair on the back of her neck was making her a bit chilly...

"Ummm...Honey if you don't have it already?" she asked. "I put honey on everything I eat in the morning. I uh...I've got a bit of a sweet tooth, so it's a way of preventing my teeth from rotting out of my head." She blushed a little. "And I don't suppose you have any tea, do you?"

What was she thinking, tea? Of course he didn't have tea! He was a single man living alone, why would he have tea? But she couldn't help but try to prove something to him , and she didn't know why. Whatever the reason, apparently tea would help.

"Well I got tea leaves, ginger and honey all the time just in case I catch a cold. But if you prefer tea bags I can get." He said. "You want a blanket?" He offered noting she was a bit chilly.

"Tea leaves will be fine," she said, smiling a little, impressed that he even had loose-leaf tea. Lily shook her head at the offer of a blanket, though. "I'll be fine. Just a bit chilly coz of my hair. It just needs to dry, that's all."

ooc-Hon when you get this please get on MSN.

He nodded. "So...did my ex-wife call by any chance?"

Lily took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah um...she was dead drunk. Demanded to talk to Abigail. I let her talk to her, but she just let your wife know she was fine then hung up. She sounds like a horrible woman."

"Yep. A fucking gold digging heart breaker bitch." He chuckled. "Excuse my french."

Lily raised her eyebrows at the very strong descriptors.
"Married you for money then cheated, I take it?" she asked.

"Humiliated me. Married by law but left me on the altar for official ceremony in front 0f hundreds of guests carrying my child who she wished not to inform me until after her birth." He said bitterly.

The librarian raised her eyebrows.
"Oh my...No wonder you hate women," she mused quietly. "I suppose it doesn't help any if I promise you we're not all like that...?"

He smirked and looked into the librarian's eyes. "I know that." He said softly.

"I...uh...it um...doesn't seem like you do." Lily tried to re-adopt her slightly scathing tone, but the lawyer's look caught her off-guard. It was the first time they'd looked each other in the eyes while having a civil conversation. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of it...nor what to make of the look in his eye.

"The woman I fool around with are gold diggers or just in the game." He explained still not breaking eye contact. "Women who are serious, loyal, commited...I wouldn't play them." He finally broke eye contact and smiled lazily. "I think I talk silly when I'm sleepy. If we keep on more silly will come out." He nodded.

"You don't seem to go for the loyal and committed type," she commented casually. It was a relief when he broke eye contact. Lily shrugged. "I don't mind silly talk. But we can go to bed if you want." She tried not to think of how exactly that sounded.

He couldn't stop the smirk slowly forming across his face with her "we". "Well course I don't. Maybe when the right woman comes along, has some spine and fight back at me when needed..." He shrugged. "Who knows. Till then I'm one of the most wanted bachelors." He looked back into her eyes. "Don't remember if I said it but thank you for watching over Abby. I know I didn't ask but yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck and broke eye contact. Warning went across his head and he wasn't sure why.

When describing the sort of woman he'd commit to, Lily couldn't help but notice the similarities between this ideal woman and herself. She probably fought back at the wrong times, though.

Stop that! she thought forcefully, wondering why she'd been making the comparisons.

"Seriously, it's no problem at all. I love kids and Abby's a great young lady. She really is." She smiled a little, but the smile dropped when he suddenly broke eye contact. "So that's your ideal woman, huh? One who fights back? Why surround yourself with the opposite, then? Other than getting laid, what's the point? I'd rather sleep with one man the rst of my life than many men, if it meant true happiness."

Fear would have been his answer. Fear of giving it all again, thinking, believing this time he got the one. Yes fear of getting a broken heart again. Finally he answered flashing her his cocky smile. "I enjoy it too much. Nothing like great shags."

Lily was once again disgusted, but she'd seen something flash behind the laywer's eyes. Was it fear? Pain? Longingg? Whatever the reason, she knew he was at least partly lying.

"What if you meet The One and she's really great in bed?

His face lit up quickly, "My oh my, I'd be one hell of a lucky sod." He laughed.

"But you wouldn't be able to philander anymore," she pointed out. "I mean, a woman like that would leave if you did."

"She'd keep my hands full. They'll be no need to have other women. She'd be the one and only..." Devon said remembering back when he used to consider his ex-wife the one. It was the most wonderful feeling belonging to someone that actually meant something to him.

"And what if she was just alright in the sack, but not fantastic? What then?" Lily was curious now. This was a side of Devon she'd never expect to have seen.

"When there's love...Sex is always blasting fantastic." He felt corny by saying that, "Plus those who aren't good in the sack are surprisers when they get into it." He stated.

Lily smirked. "How crookedly romantic of you," she said plainly. "Never thought you were the type."

"You just judged my suit and my confindence. What's that saying librarian? Don't judge a book by it's cover." He got up feeling it was enough talk and him showing another side of him. "Well tomorrow getting up early to prepare breakfast." He winced a bit in pain since he got up too quickly and did his best to ignore. "You seem like you need some sleep anyway."