A Place For Us • •

[Lilia Jayne Sterling]

Lilia had known who she was before she’d ever stepped foot in New York City, thankfully. So she hadn’t changed when everything happened and she moved; not really. Sure, she spent less time, dancing until dawn with her friends and more time either behind the bar, slinging drinks or reading stories to her niece but that was to be expected. She hadn’t thought when she agreed to move and help out that she could do as she pleased and get away with it. There were things that needed to be done and Theo couldn’t expected to do it all whilst his little sister ran around town, getting herself into trouble. Not that she would, she was smarter than that, had a good head on her shoulders and knew what she needed to take care of. Her brother was a busy man with a full and then some; which was the whole reason she’d moved in the first place, to help out and make sure he wasn’t fretting over every silly little thing. And so he could actually have a life outside of working and the house.

Lilia had known back then that it had been too soon to talk him into going out and meeting people, having some drinks with friends but it had been a while now since his wife and mother of her favourite niece had passed on. He needed to get out there and mingle again! Of course, that also couldn’t be done when he was yelling at her to get out there and enjoy the city’s nightlife before she was stuck in a sterile building, wearing a white coat and being called doctor. He thought she wouldn’t have a life after she went into the hospital and she wasn’t about to tell him that it would be too easy to figure it all out. Busier people managed to do a hell of a lot more than she did. She’d always had her fair share of responsibilities and had managed up to this point to get all those things done and still have a good night out on the town. What would be the real difference between now and in a few months? She was just switching out school for the hospital at the end of it all.

Of course, tonight, she wasn’t concerning herself with the future or her responsibilities. She and Seb had been doing this song and dance for so long, it was difficult to think back on a time when it hadn’t been happening, really. But there had always been someone around, something stopping them from seeing what happened when they went a little too far with the games and the shameless flirting. A slow smile spread across Lilia’s glossed lips. “Excellent answer.” She told him, glancing quickly over at the table she’d left behind. She knew her friends would just call her up when they woke up the next day, or spam her with text messages demanding details and all sorts. Whether she answered them remained to be seen still, but for the time being, she wasn’t exactly planning on getting much sleep; at least, not until then anyway. Lilia took his hand and followed him out to one of the constantly waiting cabs. The ride over to his place didn’t take long at that hour and they were on the sidewalk outside Seb’s apartment before she could even think what this really meant; not that she would anyway. After all this time, something more was finally going to happen. She wasn’t about to think about what would happen when the sun rose.

Tag || sebastian finley whelan
Words || 641
Clothes || Birthday Beauty
Music || I Run To You --Lady Antebellum
Notes || <3

[sebastian finley whelan]

Bringing Lilia home had not been part of his plan for tonight. Seb hadn’t factored on bringing anyone home with him tonight. His bed was made up ready for him to simply collapse into – alone, when he thought he would stagger through the door in the early hours. He hadn’t even expected to see Lilia tonight, let alone flirt with her and see their flirting become something more. Seb definitely would have grown older and regretted it if he had never pushed to see what this thing with Lilia could have been, but at the same time, he had never expected it to turn into anything. He had Mattie to keep his attention on, and he knew she helped out her brother and niece as much as she could while still chasing her own dreams. He hadn’t wanted to step up and say anything more when he was only going to be able to offer more complications and distractions neither of them probably needed. That wasn’t to say Seb was going to turn her down. He was a man after all and Lilia was gorgeous; not to mention she had been driving him wild for months already.

It took a lot of restraint to keep his hands to himself during the cab ride. Lilia was so inviting, and after their kiss in the bar he wanted more from her. Of course, if she changed her mind he would let her sleep in his bed and curl up in the smaller single sleeper in Mattie’s room, but Seb really thought they had gone beyond that line a long time ago. He would go as far as to guess the night when Mattie had interrupted them had been the night they had ignored that line and dove right across it. Still, things could change, he assumed. He just had his fingers crossed that they wouldn’t.

When the cab did pull up though, and once Seb had paid the fare, he grabbed Lilia’s hand and pulled her inside. His lips were back on hers during the short elevator ride and once he heard the ding of the doors opening on his floor, he stumbled out, pulling her along. Lips still attached, he was behaving like a reckless teenager as he staggered down the hallway, using only his memory to count the steps to his front door. One glance at the number guaranteed he had the right one, and he pulled away from Lilia just long enough to get the key in the lock and shove the door open. Seb hit the light switch so that no one did themselves an embarrassing injury, just in case Mattie had dropped something on his way out. Tossing his keys into the bowl as he shut the door, he pulled Lilia closed and kissed her hard. “You best tell me now if this is going to end any differently, because I’m not sure I can behave any longer.” In fact, Seb was pretty sure he had stopped behaving the moment the cab pulled up at the curb, but he hadn’t had the chance to say anything down there; hormones had acted on his behalf then.

• • •

TAGGED! Lilia Jayne Sterling
WORDS! 530!
OUTFIT! Gorgeous Gent!
LYRICS! Thirteen ThirtyFive - - Dillon
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Lilia Jayne Sterling]

When Lilia went out, she made it a real night on the town. She got dressed up, put actual effort into it all and drank until she was near stumbling through the door at the end of the night. Those nights didn't happen often. She worked in a bar, she didn't usually want to spend her free nights there as well. She preferred spending those nights with Issy and her brother, dressed in sweats with her hair in the messiest bun she could manage and a highlighter pen stuck in there surrounded by her text books. It didn't sound like a good time, but Lilia really did enjoy those nights. And she would have been so happy to continue the tradition of those nights on her birthday, too but that apparently was not the proper way to celebrate in her brother's or her friend's eyes. They were young and they didn't have as many responsibilities as they would eventually have. These were the years to fill with party nights, drunk stories, embarrassing pictures and a morning of questioning why there's a stop sign in the living room. Lilia had some of those stories and she would always be grateful for them but she also loved the quiet nights in. She wasn't a picky girl, she was quite easy to please.

And lately that happened to be video games and pizza. Who would have thought it? She never would have guessed it in a million years. Lilia hadn't really been into computer games or things like it when she'd been growing up. She had been more interested in being out with her friends somewhere or hiding away in one of their bedrooms, talking. She was a good kid with a good head on her shoulders but she wasn't exactly a wallflower either. She'd had friends growing up, been invited to all sorts of parties and things but even then, her favourite nights were the ones she spent in with her family. So if anyone would have told her she would be in the back of a cab with Seb, heading back to his place for the night she would have laughed in their faces and called them crazy. They were flirty, toeing the line, if the line was even in sight. Lilia swore the nurses at the hospital had a bet going on how long it would take them to get together, officially. Flirting and sarcastic jabs were one thing, public PDA's and mushy, romantic talk were another; not that Lilia would ever accept anything mushy or romantic. In fact, the brunette is almost positive, she would gag.

There was no point in denying the chemistry between them. A couple people joked they could cut the sexual tension with a knife but Lilia wasn't the type to kiss and tell and the only way her friends would be able to question her in the morning is if they saw that steamy kiss the pair shared before skipping out on the night entirely to return to his place. The elevator ride up was too long and yet it wasn't long enough being pushed up against the side, being kissed senseless. This next step in their relationship, whatever it was, was inevitable. "We've already crossed that line, may as well see what's really on the other side of it." She teased, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Tag || sebastian finley whelan
Words || 565
Clothes || Birthday Beauty
Music || I Run To You --Lady Antebellum
Notes || <3

[sebastian finley whelan]

Seb didn’t pick up women on nights out anymore, as few nights out as he went on these days. When Mattie came his responsibility all of that stopped completely. His brother knew that Seb could be a flirt, could be terrible with Lilia, but Seb wanted to be a good role model for Matthew and seeing random women coming and going from their apartment would not make him that. Plus, in all honesty, he had lost interest in having flings and one night stands. He had grown up a lot and they just didn’t hold any reward for him after that. So it wasn’t like he had been at the bar tonight looking for someone to bring home while he had the apartment to himself for once. It wasn’t like that at all. Even after he saw Lilia there his mind hadn’t jumped to anything quite like this, despite the fact that their flirting had been pushing them further and further beyond that line; whatever that line was.

He wasn’t going to lie and say he hadn’t thought about this, because he had. Especially since the last time Lilia had been in his bed and what had happened and what almost happened then. An interruptive thirteen year old had left Seb to wonder about the possibilities and he wasn’t going to throw away an opportunity now that it came around and there wasn’t a chance of someone wandering out of the bedroom for a drink or a snack or anything else. Seb smirked, a low growl rumbling at the back of his throat as he shrugged off the waistcoat he had been wearing casually that evening and tugged his t-shirt over his head in one quick motion. “And it’s about damn time.” He mumbled against her lips, grinning wickedly as he spun her around and lowered her down to his bed, crawling slowly over her, his lips finding the hollow of her neck as his fingers started at her knee.

• • •

When Seb felt his eyes open, the first thing he did was glance at the clock on the wall. It took a few blinks and a long moment for the time to register with him fully, but when it did he sighed contently and closed his lids again. There was a good few hours before Mattie had said he’d be home. He rolled over, opening his eyes to smile at the body in the bed beside him. Seb draped his arm around Lilia and pulled her closer. He might not have stayed out until the sunrise, but that was about the time they finally fell asleep. He had to say, he very much preferred what was on the other side of the line to the teasing and the walking away kind of flirting they had been living with for too long to count. He pressed a sweet, lazy kiss to the side of her neck and curled up against her. He was in no rush to move just yet, and could quite easily spend the morning in his bed; something he hadn’t done in a long while.

• • •

TAGGED! Lilia Jayne Sterling
WORDS! 531!
OUTFIT! Gorgeous Gent!
LYRICS! Thirteen ThirtyFive - - Dillon
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Lilia Jayne Sterling]

Lilia hadn't been expecting much from her night out with her girlfriends. Drinks and dancing, maybe a little harmless flirting and then she would return home to her big, cosy bed and dream about whatever took her fancy that night. How the night turned out was a hell of a lot better than what she'd thought. And she would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it before now. She had, especially since that last night she had spent at his place. Not that she was wishing Matty had been anywhere else, it was his home after all but she had wished they'd been alone that night just to see how far they would have taken things. She had wondered since that night if they would have crossed that line that night if they'd been able to or if it still would have gone the way it did. Lilia didn't think it would have had the same outcome, but it was also pointless to dwell on it when there was nothing they could do to go back and fix it. They were seeing it through now.

Lilia felt a shiver race down her back, knowing there really was no going back from this now. They were alone, there were no teenagers, brothers or fitful toddlers to tear them away from each other in an instant and Lilia was thrilled at the idea of finally finding out what was on the other side of that line they kept toeing at. It was probably inevitable that they would reach this moment, or it might have turned out to be one of those things that continued on as it was forever. Lilia hadn't been fond of that idea and had hoped that they would see this flirtation to the next step of it. Giggling, Lilia kissed Seb back and knew without a doubt that this was going to turn into one very long night.

***

The sun was rising by the time they'd finally drifted off to sleep and Lilia couldn't find a single fault in that. She was very pleased her plans for the night changed not once, but twice. Without being forced out for her birthday, she wouldn't have run into Seb on a rare night out and they wouldn't have finally given into the chemistry between them. She was still in that state between waking and dreaming and wondering if it had all actually happened or if it was a blissful dream when Seb tossed his arm over her, pulled her closer to him. This side of the line was so much better than she could have imagined though it went against her nature to tell him the truth of it. That would give him too big of an ego boost and the man already had quite the ego on him to begin with. A ghost of a smile spread across her lips at the kiss. "You're insatiable." She told him, her voice husky from sleep still even as she nuzzled in closer to his side. She was in no hurry to get out of bed but she knew they were running out of time all the same. Eventually this little bubble of theirs would burst and real life would invade it once again.

Tag || sebastian finley whelan
Words || 545
Clothes || Birthday Beauty
Music || I Run To You --Lady Antebellum
Notes || <3

[sebastian finley whelan]

A few years ago and this dance would not have gone on as long as it had. Seb would have made a move on Lilia much sooner. Of course, back then he wasn’t the legal guardian of Mattie. His responsibilities were limited to showing up to his shifts at Tribeca and his classes. Going out, drinking, flirting…all of those things had been done without so much as a second thought. Seb hadn’t needed to worry about anyone else, or think about if he ought to be home by a certain time. It was an entirely different life. Now he put his wants and needs second. It was a sacrifice he was happy to make since Mattie needed him more than he needed to be in a bar and flirting with cute girls, but that was the real reason why this thing with Lilia had gone on for as long as it had. He knew she had commitments, too, which was why making a move, or even attempting to ask her out had been almost out of the question. Between school, work, the volunteer hours, and their home lives, he knew they barely had a moment’s peace. Last night had been a rarity – for both of them it seemed – and Seb had made the most of that. Thankfully, it hadn’t been in vain.

Seb chuckled against her skin, his lips pressing another soft kiss there. “If I remember correctly, I’m not the only one.” He teased, his voice deep and heavy as he spoke for the first time that day. He was probably going to be tired later in the day, and could easily have rolled over and gone back to sleep, but he wasn’t going to waste the time they still had together undisturbed. He didn’t know when Mattie would spend the night away next, or even when scheduling would allow plans. Life wasn’t exactly slow paced at the moment, and Mattie didn’t often go over to friend’s just because of how awkward it could be to get picked up afterwards if Seb was working late. Sleep could come later; he wasn’t wasting this chance now that he had it. Now that he finally had it.

He pulled Lilia close, wrapping his arms around her. “Did you sleep well?” He asked curiously, smiling lazily. His bed wasn’t exactly conventional. He slept on a sofa bed in the one-bedroom apartment. Mattie had the bedroom and Seb worked with the rest of the space. It might not look like some of the storage was in fact wardrobe space, but it was. The bed didn’t bother him in the slightest, but he could sleep anywhere. Lilia was the first person to take up the small space beside him though. It was hardly practical, or sensible, of Seb to bring women back to an apartment where a thirteen year old boy could wander in on them at any given moment usually. “And forgive me for not rushing to make breakfast, but I kind of like staying here right now.” He added with a boyish smirk. Seb really wasn’t in a rush to move.

• • •

TAGGED! Lilia Jayne Sterling
WORDS! 525!
OUTFIT! Gorgeous Gent!
LYRICS! Thirteen ThirtyFive - - Dillon
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Lilia Jayne Sterling]

When Lilia decided to move to New York, she had also decided to put her own life on hold. She needed to be there for Theo and Issy. It had worked for a while. She went to class because that had been part of the agreement for her moving so far away from home, to go to classes and then go back to take care of Issy when she wasn't in class and when Theo wasn't watching after his daughter himself. He was a big Broadway star, her brother and though she knew it killed him to have to leave Issy, one of them had needed to work. And it became abundantly clear rather quickly that Lilia needed a job as well, just to keep herself occupied. She had never been one of those people who could sit at home and do nothing; she needed to constantly be doing something and there were only so many times she could read through her text books. When it got to the point where she could easily read an entire novel in one sitting, both she and Theo knew it was time she got out of the house a little more. Still, she found herself a job at a club, working the bar at nights so she was still available when she needed to be.

The only times Lilia had ever been still were when she was sleeping and when she'd broken that leg of hers when she'd been nine. It had been her own fault, she knew better than to try and follow her brothers. She hadn't been ready to climb that particular tree but she'd done it anyway. Meeting Seb had in a way been another go at that tree. She'd known she shouldn't have done it, that being even remotely flirty might lead to something fun and exciting, something adventurous so she'd gone and done it anyway. At least so far, there had been no broken bones or shattered organs; though he might very well have ruined her after that night. She would never tell him that though; it would mean too much to his ego and Lilia was determined to keep that in check for him! Lilia chuckled softly. "I'll not be apologising for it either."

Lilia arched her back, pushing against Seb as she stretched out her still warmed muscles. "Mmm, what little sleep there was you mean? Someone kept me awake all night long." She said with a grin. She wasn't the least bit sorry about that either. Seb had been the first man in a long time to share the space beside her in a bed. She wasn't so freewheeling like some women she both knew and saw while she was on the other side of the bar during her shifts. She was too concerned about getting into the hospital for her residency, making sure Issy was well cared for when Theo wasn't around and making sure she was putting money in the bank so she could eventually afford to move out on her own. "Breakfast is for losers." She said, pressing herself against Seb and running her hand down his chest. She didn't know when Matty would be coming home but if Seb wasn't worried about getting her dressed and looking like she'd just popped by then she wouldn't worry about it either. Although when that time did come, she would have to remind him that she would be needing to borrow something of his to wear home. Her dress from the night before was not exactly morning light friendly.

Tag || sebastian finley whelan
Words || 595
Clothes || Birthday Beauty
Music || I Run To You --Lady Antebellum
Notes || <3

[sebastian finley whelan]

It didn’t matter where Seb was in the world or what he was doing; he would always have taken in Mattie and raised him after the shock and sudden death of their parents. He loved his little brother, and distance didn’t change that. Plus, while their extended family were wonderful, he simply couldn’t picture any of them raising him. He was probably being dramatic, but he always envisioned that there would be an ever looming cloud of grief over them, a constant darkness of the tragedy that had stolen their parents from the world. Seb preferred it this way. If Mattie needed to talk then there was always time to talk, but he seemed to be able to have a fresh start here, and focus on his future without being haunted as much as he might be back in Northern Ireland. He had his whole life ahead of him after all, and being consumed by grief wasn’t a way for him to go.

No, Mattie had school just like Seb did. Of course, Seb was closer to being done with all that than his little brother was, but then there was that considerable age difference between them. Even when Seb was working long hours, switching out textbooks for actual patients he would still put his brother’s needs first. If he didn’t do that then there was no point in him being Mattie’s guardian. Besides, he could remember how confusing being a teenager could be, and that was when he had been in a home he had known his whole life. Mattie was in a place that was still fairly new to him, and some kids acted like an accent from the other side of the planet made him an alien from out of space. Seb couldn’t wait to see what happened once high school came along and all the dynamics changed. Accents were less strange and more intriguing, and appearances could change and morph overnight it seemed; at least, it seemed that way to teenagers who often didn’t notice anything that happened right under their nose.

“I don’t think you’ve ever apologised for as long as I’ve known you.” Seb teased, nuzzling Lilia’s neck with a smirk dancing across his lips. He chuckled, rich and warm, and then pulled away, rolling over onto his back where he rested one arm behind his head. “Aye, blame me, but I remember you having trouble keeping your hands to yourself, too.” He grinned, though Seb was by no means complaining. If anything, he was rather proud that the night had ended like it had after all the time they had spent toeing this line together, pushing and pulling each other to fall over it. He wrapped his free arm around Lilia and pulled her close to his side. “The biggest of losers.” He agreed. Until the threat of Mattie loomed, Seb had no intentions of moving and getting dressed. He was warm and comfortable right where he was. Unless Lilia said otherwise, he could easily spend the rest of the morning there.

• • •

TAGGED! Lilia Jayne Sterling
WORDS! 515!
OUTFIT! Gorgeous Gent!
LYRICS! Thirteen ThirtyFive - - Dillon
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Lilia Jayne Sterling]

When Theo had called, asking for help, Lilia hadn't said no. Even if she had been able to, she wouldn't have. Theo was the big brother she had run to whenever something happened, he was the first one she tended to call with any sort of news; after their parents. She might have had two older brothers but she had always gotten on better with Theo. And that sweet little baby was a big reason she'd moved to New York to finish up her schooling. Theo had needed someone around who could keep a level head and as much as Lilia had loved her sister-in-law, she hadn't been the one married to her and hadn't been around her constantly. Sure, she hurt but she could compartmentalise and get things done. It had been a struggle but she wouldn't have changed any of it; well, almost none of it. She would change the circumstance that brought her to the city any day of the week. It hurt Lilia more to see a child grow up without their parents. Even though Issy wasn't going to remember her mother first hand, she would know the beautiful woman who had brought her into this world, Lilia and Theo would make sure of it.

Now that Lilia had been around for a bit, she was slowly starting to get back out there and have a life of her own. She wasn't always going to be around, she couldn't always drop everything to run to her brother's aid or even Issy's so she was trying to put the space there, even while not really giving anyone space. Baby steps as they say. This was the first time since Lilia moved in with Theo that she'd spent the night away without saying anything. She didn't have to check in but she would much rather not get lectured when she walked through the door so she did it anyway.

Lilia thought about that for a minute. "And it's very unlikely you ever will." She told him with a smirk. It was rare for her to apologise for anything at all, believing more often than not she was right anyway and just needed to wait for everyone else to catch up with her. In the rare cases she was wrong, well she just pretended like it never happened and moved on quickly. "Guilty as charged." Lilia agreed with a laugh. She took a minute to stretch her arms up over her head before dropping them back down again. Mornings were not her favourite time of day but if more of them started like this, she could get used to them pretty damn quickly. She let Seb pull her closer, once again curling into his side with a hand resting on his chest. "How much time do we have?" She asked curiously, letting her mind wander to what they could do to fill that time before they had to act like respectable adults once more.

Tag || sebastian finley whelan
Words || 495
Clothes || Birthday Beauty
Music || I Run To You --Lady Antebellum
Notes || <3