This Town is Changing

Originally shared on Sims Amino on July 26, 2016

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The first half of this post is written from Lilliana's P.O.V., while the rest is written in third person. It should be fairly easy to pick out when you get to the third person, but if it isn't, I apologize ahead of time.

Also, this'll be another long post like my previous one, so get your popcorn and bean bag chairs ready.

Does anyone even still use bean bag chairs? Whatever, STORY TIME

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Lilliana's P.O.V.

I sit in the darkness of my room, reflecting on the day's events.

Going by the local hot dog place.

Running into that shady guy, Alvaro.

And Licht coming to my rescue.

It doesn't feel that long ago that he was the one being saved by my brother. Now he's the one doing the saving.

One memory starts to surface right when I hear a knock at the door.

"Lilli? You in there?" Eve calls.

"I'm here."

She opens the door and walks in, Haru and Alex behind her.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asks me, a sweet smile on his face. Gosh, I just wanna leap up and snuggle him, but I'm pretty sure Haru, with his Alex-senses, would leap in the way. Because only he is allowed to snuggle Alex. Bro, you're a cheapskate.

"I'm fine," I say, shrugging.

"Licht called," Haru says.

I jump at his name and Eve looks at me with a curious sparkle in her eyes. I look down, avoiding her searching gaze.

"O-Oh yeah? W-What did he say?" I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.

Haru and Alex sit down on the floor in front of me and Eve throws herself on the other side of my bed. I squirm a little, uncomfortable about being trapped on both sides.

"He told me he saved you from some creep that was harassing you, and he was wondering how you were feeling after your ordeal," Haru says, searching my face.

"He didn't have to do that..." I mutter, feeling warm at the idea that he was worried enough to check up on me. "But why didn't mom and dad come to check on me?"

"I didn't tell them. You know how overprotective they can get and I know you don't like them fussing over you," Haru answers.

"Thanks," I say, my mind wandering back to Licht.

I can feel Eve's gaze as she whispers to me. "Your lovesick eyes are showing, Lilli."

I quickly elbow her in the ribs. I can hear her snickering at me while clutching her ribs. I shoot her a glare and she just grins at me. I turn back towards Haru and Alex, tuning back into what they're saying.

"...it's really strange though," Alex says. "This sort of thing happening. For so long this has been a peaceful little town, with nothing bad ever really happening. But now..."

Haru taps his finger to his lip. "First Licht, now my little sister. At least Licht seemed to know the guy that was harassing him, but did you know this guy, Lilli?"

I shake my head. "He just approached me out of nowhere and wanted me to go to his house. I kept telling him 'no' and to 'leave me alone,' but he wouldn't listen. I was so scared..."

Alex takes my hand, squeezing it in reassurance and Eve pats me on the back. Haru's expression turns into a scowl.

"That asshole..." He clenches his fist.

"Well what's done is done." Alex gently takes Haru's hand, rubbing circles on the back with his thumb, trying to soothe his anger. "While it was scary, it's in the past now, and Licht was there to help her." He looks at me.

I nod. "Yes, Licht was there to save me, so you don't have to worry about anything, big bro."

Haru glances between Alex, Eve, and me. He sighs. "You're right. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

Eve leans forward next to me. "Y'know, bro. You talk about mom and dad being overprotective, but I think you're pretty overprotective yourself."

He kneels forward and stares at her. She stares back. I shift away, getting out of the war zone I can feel is forming.

"That's because I am your older brother," he replies. "It is my job to get involved in your business when mom and dad can't."

With that, he brings his hand foward and with his thumb and middle finger, flicks her on the forehead.

Her hand flies up to her forehead, rubbing the little red spot, and she pouts at him. He smirks at her and stands up, holding his hand out to Alex. Alex takes it and pulls himself to his feet. As he does, Haru leans forward and kisses him on the cheek. He blushes and waves Haru away, pushing him to the door.

Eve rolls off the bed behind me and walks over to join them at the door.

"You're sure you're okay?" Haru asks, turning back to me. Eve and Alex turn too.

"Yeah, why?" I ask, puzzled.

"You just seemed kinda out of it when we were talking earlier. Like your mind was somewhere else."

An impish little smirk appears on Eve's face. "Don't worry about her. She's just a little lovesick, that's all."

I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks and know my face is as bright red as a tomato.

Haru looks over at Eve. "What do you mean?"

Alex shoots me a sympathetic smile and pats him on the shoulder, gesturing that they should just go. Haru shoots Eve and me a frown before following his boyfriend through the door.

"I hate you," I say, glaring at Eve.

"Just returning the favor, sis," she responds, smiling. "Y'know, from the other day with Mikhail."

She walks through the door, but before she closes the door, she peeks back in. "Oh and by the way, Licht would make a great prince."

I throw my pillow at her face, but before it can connect, she's already closed the door and I can hear her laughter floating down the hallway.

~•*°*•*°*•~

Meanwhile in Magnolia Promenade...

Yuudai knocks on the door to Licht's apartment.

"Hey Licht are you in there?"

He waits for a moment, waiting for a response. When it doesn't come, he sighs in exasperation.

"It's a school night and he hasn't come home? Damn it, Licht..." he mutters, taking his hat off and running his hand through his hair.

Suddenly his cellphone rings. Surprised, he places his hat back on his head and pulls his phone out of his pocket, wondering who could be calling this late at night. Glancing at the name, he sighs again.

"I knew this was coming. I'm surprised she waited this long to call though."

He taps the Answer button and holds the phone to his ear. "Hello Eloise. So nice of you to call on such a late night."

"Can it, Yuu. What is this I hear about Licht living with you and why did I just now hear about it?" The voice on the other end says, obviously irritated.

"Hey, he chose to come live with me himself. He didn't wanna go with mom and pop when they decided to go oversees, so he approached me and asked if he could live with me."

"I heard you guys were living in an apartment building," she accuses. "And that you aren't even living in the same apartment. What the actual hell, Yuu! He's still a teenager, he shouldn't be living in his own apartment!"

Yuudai leans against the wall, listening to her rant increase in volume. "It's a small apartment building, El. There's only four apartments. We're pretty much down the hall from each other. Besides, it's not like he's the only teenager living in his own apartment here, y'know."

"Apartments are expensive--!"

"These were cheap and my friend owns the building."

"The neighborhood--"

"--is safe, I assure you," he says, watching the overhead light swing back and forth with a bored expression on his face. "Are you about done coming up with reasons he shouldn't be here?"

She's quiet for a couple seconds, and in the silence, Yuudai hears the stairs creak as somebody steps on them.

"I'm coming over there," she says and he can tell by the tone of her voice that she is dead serious.

"You do that." He hangs up on her and pushes away from the wall, looking down the stairs. It isn't Licht, but Toki walking up. Hearing him, Toki looks up and upon seeing Yuudai, the corners of his mouth turn down in a little frown. His cheeks turn pink and he glances to the side, avoiding eye contact. This causes Yuudai to grin.

"Well fancy meetin' you here, sexy," Yuudai purrs.

Toki brushes past him. "I live up here, but last I checked, you live on the bottom floor."

Yuudai nods. "True, true. But I happen to have business up here."

Toki glances at him as he pulls his key from his pocket. "I'm not in the mood right now."

Yuudai's eyes sparkle. "Oh so you'll be in the mood later?"

Toki's face turns completely red and he drops his key. He kneels down to pick it up. Yuudai laughs and squats down next to him.

"D-Damn you..." Toki mutters, struggling to hold onto his key. Yuudai places his hand over Toki's.

"I'm sorry, you're just so cute when you get embarrassed," he murmurs in his ear, making the teen shiver. Then he leans back and speaks at a more normal volume. "I wanted to ask. Have you seen Licht?"

Toki looks at him. "Licht? Yeah he came back hours ago. He should be in his rooms."

"Ah, so he's elected to ignore me then..." Yuudai mutters to himself. "Well no matter. Guess I'll have to hang out with you then, Toki. You don't mind, right~?"

Toki looks away again, the tips of his ears red. "Damn it, Licht."

~•*°*•*°*•~

Licht sits on his bed, listening to the muffled sounds of his brother and Toki talking on the balcony outside his door. He knows he probably should've answered when Yuudai called, but he couldn't bring himself to open the door. His mind is too focused on the events of the day.

"Man, what was that about today? It felt too similar to what happened with Rafael. What made that guy approach Lilliana...?" He scratches the back of his head, trying to puzzle it out.

"He just seemed like a creep, but just that simple fact is strange in this town." Lilliana bites her lower lip, worry starting to rear its ugly little head in the back of her brain.

Licht leans forward, tapping his forehead with his finger. "And why was he back behind the hot dog restaurant in the first place? He didn't seem like a customer."

Lilliana flops back onto her bed. "He approached me and I was a little irritated by how forward he was."

"When I saw him back there with Lilliana...When he was grabbing her and wouldn't let her go..." Licht grips the duvet on his bed, wrinkling it in his grasp.

Lilliana rolls to her other side. "To get the guy to stop and leave me alone, Licht claimed he was my boyfriend."

"He didn't believe me when I said I was her boyfriend. He told me to prove it."

She flips onto her back, staring at her bedroom ceiling, remembering.

"And so I did prove it."

"By kissing her right then and there."

She moves her fingers to her mouth and barely brushes her lower lip, remembering how his lips felt on hers. They were warm and soft, not what she had expected. The surprise that he'd even considered kissing her still floats around in her head.

"I wonder how surprised she was," he wonders aloud. "I never even asked afterwards how it made her feel..."

He touches his lips. "It's been a while since I kissed anybody. The last one I kissed was...him..." He opens his eyes and turns his head to look out the window, remembering the day he stopped believing in love. Wondering why his heart is beating now like it did back then, before he locked his heart away.

She closes her eyes and giggles. "His lips tasted like ketchup and mustard."

She opens them again and smiles to herself.

"But... Not bad for my first kiss."

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