tell me, am i getting through?

Max looked up as he heard his name and grinned. He high key adored lilo. Doug aside, he was fond of her because she didn’t guard herself like most other people did. She said the first thing that popped into her head and didn’t care if she hurt other people’s feelings. She was authentically herself and that was…. Everything.

“Hey squirt. What are you doing out here?” Max closed the paper and set it on top of his skateboard, a grin on his face. “It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever. Where have you been?” He made sure she had room to join him if she chose to and looked out at the water. She was right. It was beautiful. “You aren’t wrong.” Max laughed and shook his head. “Definitely summer.” He paused, cocking his head like a puppy. “I wonder if forehead eggs would taste good.” He laughed and shook his head, his messy mop falling in his face.

Originally posted by suledins

“Just killing some time,” she shrugged. “I’ve mostly just been home. And with Doug. Which is usually at home.” She wasn’t going out as much as she used to. She’d be lying if she say Alphonse didn’t have something to do with it. She wasn’t afraid of him, really. But he was gross and dangerous. And she didn’t particularly want to cross his path again. Even if he did know where she lived...

“Summer is great, though. It’s the perfect time to surf.” Not that the cold had ever stopped her. She’d been scolded for being in the water when it was nearly freezing outside. Lucky she hadn’t gotten frostbite, yet. Still, it was never quite as fun without the sun beating down on your back, making you want to jump off the board and dive into the waves. “Are you gonna go swimming or just sit here and burn up?”

—  AND YOU LIKE ME BETTER AS A SISTER THAN A RABBIT, RIGHT?

Doug stopped holding his breath when Lilo answered him, relieved that he’d found a productive way to try to comfort her. He listened, watching the ocean waves become increasingly turbulent. “I love that he taught you to surf. I’d never have learned without you teaching me. You’ve got a big piece of him in you because of that, and maybe a bit in me by extension, too,” Doug commented, then he went quiet again to let her continue.

The hair on the back of his neck raised when she finished - bringing the pleasant memories to a screeching halt as she circled back to her trauma.

“What was he like with your mom? And Nani?” He asked quickly, taking his hand off of her back to gently pull her hand from her knees and entangle their fingers together with a little squeeze. “What was his favorite movie? Did he get you into Elvis? Did he like conspiracy theories?”

♡

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” She asked, softly. There was something so freeing about being on the waves. It was her favorite thing to do. It left her with a whole feeling in her chest to be standing on the board away from shore, balanced on top of the water. She was glad he’d taught her, too, and glad that she’d been able to teach Doug.

Lilo sat for a moment, thinking his questions over. They brought a sinking feeling with them, a realization that time really did erase things. As she’d gotten older, her memories had faded. It was harder to picture their faces, it was harder to remember the sound of their voices... the television shows they played while she got ready for bed...

“He liked Elvis,” she stated, she remembered that much. “And he had some books about conspiracy theories. But...” She shook her head, swallowing a lump in her throat. “I don’t know his favorite movie. I don’t know, I... I can’t remember.”

Doug’s nerves were all over the place, his head was reeling. He was used to taking orders and following them. To not have a plan or guidance on what to do here confused him and made him feel lost. “I’m glad I am, too,” he returned to her, and that was the truth. As anxiety inducing as it was, he had to remember what the alternative was. He could feel safe in Charles’ care at the expense of his happiness - or he could deal with the danger to love and feel loved. 

Doug could see that his anxiety was affecting her, and he bit his lip to try to hold himself together. Lilo didn’t deserve to deal with his fears and uncertainties. He frowned, looking down briefly while he chewed on his thoughts, not wanting to say anything that might trigger or upset her. When she pulled away to look at him, he instinctively rejected the distance and pressed his forehead into hers needily like if he weren’t touching her, she would disappear. “I’ll get stronger,” he whispered softly to her, cupping her cheek in his hand, “I knew this wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t want to admit it, but I think deep down, I knew I’d have to fight to stay with you. I won’t be so naive about that anymore. This fight isn’t over.”

♡

“I think you’re plenty strong.” She didn’t know what all he’d gone through, but it couldn’t have been easy. Saying no couldn’t have been easy. She’d seen the fear on his face just from the mention of it. How he’d dodged the questions she’d asked. And she had met Alphonse. Talk about bad vibes. She’d thought that before he’d tried to kill someone over Doug, and maybe even Doug himself. She shook her head to physically rid herself of the thought. “It’ll be okay,” Lilo promised. She didn’t know if that was true, but she felt like it was. She’d make sure it was true.

“Do you need to stay here? I’m sure Nani wouldn’t mind if you needed to stay here.” He practically did anyway, didn’t he? He came over a lot of nights. It wouldn’t be much of a difference, except he’d be there more throughout the day. Surely she wouldn’t have any complaints about that. Lilo would try harder to get a job. She’d reapply to all of the places she’d already tried. If she could cover the groceries, it wouldn’t be more for her sister to worry about. “I mean, I haven’t really told her we’re dating but... I think she’s probably figured it out by now...”

“Hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he said, still processing everything that had happened. He wasn’t sure he had made the right decision anymore. 

Doug was quiet for a moment, thinking about her question. He could put up with the physical pain. He hurt, it sucked, and he didn’t like it, but there was also a lot more going on in his head that he needed to sort through. His lips pulled into a thin smile, uncomfortable at the way she searched his face. “I’m here right now, aren’t I?” He said in reply, skirting around the question but also presenting a valid point. He kept his promise. He didn’t want to share how scared he was, but she could probably tell just by looking at him. Being on the wrong side of Alphonse’s wrath was worse than he ever expected, and he’d dragged Dominic and all of his friends into it now. Doug had wanted to be selfish, he’d wanted his own life, and a little freedom – but not like this. He knew there would be consequences to saying no, but the gravity of the situation was heavier than he’d expected. This was real, and it was scary. If this was what it was like being on the opposite end of hunting supernaturals, he never wanted to be involved in it again.

“That was when I was still on his side,” Doug corrected her, aware that Alphonse was not opposed to using people as bait.The overwhelm hit him and he couldn’t help but grab her to pull her into a hug. “ I can’t win against him if he comes back. I’m not strong enough for that sort of thing. Dominic helped but even then there was still at the end when it was just me vs. Alphonse and I just knew – if the police hadn’t of come when they did, we’d be dead. I should have - I should have just went with him. I think I just made everything a lot worse.”

♡

She didn’t know much about Charles or Alphonse, not enough to know how much danger they might be in, but she knew he was frightened and he must’ve had reason to be. Alphonse was a werewolf, she didn’t get the feeling Charles was by the way Doug spoke about them, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. Humans were dangerous all the time. And non-humans, in her experience, were good. There was Stitch, Jumba, Pleakley, Doug. Sure, there were bad apples, like Alphonse and Gantu, but that didn’t ruin the whole bunch. “I’m glad you are,” she said, softly. If he didn’t want to get into it, she wasn’t going to make him. There were plenty of things she didn’t want to talk about, so she could respect the short answer. At least for now. He was right, he was here.

If he hadn’t hugged her first, she would’ve given in and closed the space herself. She was still reeling from the information the other night, that he was a werewolf, still trying to wrap her head around everything that had been happening since she found him stalking Kevin. But she knew she still wanted him around. She knew she was worried sick about losing him since they’d met, even before their nights under the stars on the roof and listening to music in her bedroom. It was like her soul had known from the day they met he was supposed to be in her life.

We’d be dead. Her heartrate spiked at those three words. She couldn’t think about him dying. She couldn’t handle it, she couldn’t. Death was a tough subject for her, something she’d never found closure in after losing her parents, even after all these years. She laid awake at night when he wasn’t there, sometimes, thinking about the other people she loved dying, and it sent her into near panic attacks. It was one reason she liked to stay up late, distracted by random television shows and black and white movies. She quickly brushed over that part of the sentence. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean to.” She pulled away enough to look up at him. “I don’t mean to make things worse for Nani, but I do all the time. They’ll find him.”

Doug gave her a look and a frown that - in combination - said that it was a complicated and not an easily done as it could be said. “They’re not as nice as Nani is, Lilo,” he admitted, his frustration finally spilling his omitted truths to the surface, “I don’t get a say in it. I thought I might be able to before if I impressed Charles, but I messed that up - and Alphonse made things worse.”

Lilo’s reaction caught him off guard. His head tilted, eyebrows knitted tightly together - surprised and confused, but also a little relieved. He’d started to instinctively tense up from the conflict, his flight response ready to kick in as it settled in that he had no idea how to deal with this aspect of relationships. “I honestly thought you knew,” he said, half smiling in disbelief. “What, did you think I was just really good at parkour or something so I could get up to your window? I carried you halfway up the mountain on our first hike when you didn’t want to walk anymore, Lilo.”

“You should get a say in it. Nani isn’t going to disown me for messing up. She might get upset if I break a dish or something, but she isn’t going to punish me for it. They shouldn’t be punishing you, either.” Even though she wasn’t sure what he’d messed up, exactly. Something to do with Kevin, maybe. She didn’t want to think about it --- especially with this newfound information. What did a pack of werewolves want with Kevin?

“Well, maybe you were just good at climbing. And strong.” Lilo frowned defensively, arms crossed, though it only lasted for a few seconds before she was back to gushing over the fact he was a werewolf. It didn’t frighten her at all. It made more sense why they’d gotten along so well. Sure, Lilo was human, but she didn’t seem to have much luck with humans. Stitch was her best friend and he was from another planet. “You know, I always wanted a puppy.”

Lilo was right. Doug forgot that he was in an urban area and had service. There was no reason for Alphonse to seek him out through his friends. He didn’t answer the question, his mouth hanging half open, simply at a loss for words as he tried to process what was happening as it was happening.

The color drained from Doug’s face; he didn’t know how to handle Lilo’s questions. They were too direct, and he felt himself tensing reflexively the same way anyone who asked him too many question made him react. “I don’t – I don’t know,” he said in response to what would happen if Charles told him no, but he knew. He just didn’t want to admit it. He tried to think of a comparison that would show her how difficult of a situation this was. “Could you tell Nani no if she wanted you to move again?”

Doug looked confused at Lilo. He hadn’t given her the whole truth, but he’d given her some of it. “I mean, you and Nani are, aren’t you?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t mention Stitch. He smelled different from them, and he wasn’t completely buying that he was really Lilo’s brother because of it. Adopted brother, maybe, but definitely not biologically related. 

He wrestled with her question, trying to think of how to manuever his way through this. Did she not realize that he was a werewolf? He hadn’t made it the forefront of his personality, but he’d mentioned it here and there. “Charles makes the rules. We get protection and immunity from being hunted by doing our jobs, but we’re not supposed to mess with humans. It would look bad on him if a werewolf under his thumb attacked a human. Charles would lose his mind. Alphonse is harmless because of that. He’s all bark, but he can’t bite. Not you, at least. He’s just trying to scare me.” And it worked.

♡

“Yes,” Lilo stated, blatantly. “I mean, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to live without her, and I couldn’t afford rent, but... I could tell her no. She wouldn’t force me to move with her.” She was an adult now, and though she couldn’t imagine Nani leaving her behind, and she wouldn’t let her leave her behind either, it was different. It was because they were ohana. Alphonse didn’t seem to be asking Doug to come back because he missed him and cared about his well being. He didn’t want him safe, he wanted control or something.

The more Doug went on, a lightbulb practically went off above her head. She knew that supernatural beings existed, at least aliens if nothing else. But if aliens existed, how could mermaids, werewolves and vampires not? For years she’d lurked the street at nights with garlic in her pockets and a cross around her neck, trying her best to catch some sort of proof that this town wasn’t filled with only humans. Hawaii seemed different. There was a vibe here, a feeling in the air, rumors going around, and Lilo was quick to believe them.

“You’re a werewolf?” It was comical. Here she was, standing in a room filled with conspiracy journals, pictures taped to her wall connected by red strings, convinced one of her neighbors was a vampire, her laptop history filled with conspiracy documentaries, and this whole time... she didn’t realize she wasn’t even dating a human. It clicked in her mind all at once. His always being warm. The ‘time of the month’ stuff he mentioned. His pack. His weird job. The Alphonse stuff was forgotten about for a moment, put away on a shelf. “Oh my God, you’re a werewolf. That’s so cool.”

Doug flinched, trying to resist having too much of a reaction to Lilo’s explanation of what happened. “Alphonse has always been really good at finding me. He could find me in the middle of the jungle when I got lost,” he tried to justify, but seemed at loss for words about him mentioning Max and knowing about Nani. “But Max wouldn’t do that. I haven’t, so he must have seen you with me. He’s… Really protective of me.“

The young man’s heart sank when she said that Alphonse was taking him home. That the older man had not been exaggerating about. Every muscle in Doug’s body tensed up, even his jaw muscles seized reflexively. “He doesn’t have the authority to make me leave,” he replied quietly, “it’s Charles’ decision. But I think I can get him to let me stay when I talk to him.” It was a shot in the dark. Alphonse’s reports hadn’t made Doug look very favorable, and Doug had ghosted Charles a couple of times. “You’re human. Alphonse won’t do anything to you or Nani. Those are the rules. He won’t break Charles’ rules.” He was just trying to scare him- and it was working.

♡

“Why doesn’t he just text you?” Surely that would be more reasonable than showing up at the houses of his acquaintances, hoping to find him there. Lilo didn’t understand any of this. Nani was protective of her, but she wasn’t going to go knocking on random people’s doors insulting them. It didn’t seem productive at all.

“He sure thinks he does,” she mumbled, pushing herself up from her seat. The idea that Doug could be leaving hadn’t truly struck her in awhile. It lingered over them a lot in the beginning, but she’d foolishly fallen into comfort with him, completely forgetting their time could still be limited. He’d promised he wouldn’t leave. “What if he says no?” Lilo demanded, the realization that he could still go along with whatever Charles said hitting her like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t make him stay. And she wouldn’t if she could. But she didn’t want him to go. “What rules?” Her eyebrows pulled together. “What do you mean we’re human?”

It had barely taken Doug any time at all to fall back into his escapism. Acrylic pouring with Riley had been fun, and watching Lilo show him her hula dancing had been everything he’d wanted and more. After he’d passed off the information about Kevin, he’d completely tried to forget about it like he normally did with hunts. His job was done now, he could move on and let it go - but for some reason, a cloud of guilt stayed over him, and wouldn’t go away. He could ignore it for awhile if he stayed distracted, but in brief moments alone, he felt its shadow.

All Doug could do right now was enjoy his time, and he was sure going to try. That meant spending as much time with Lilo as possible as he slid in through her window to be with her another night. Sure, he could use the door now, but the window felt like easier access to getting to her immediately - and helped him avoid her annoying brother who kept interrogating him every time they happened to be alone. But as Doug set his sneakers down on the floor of her room, grinning at first when he saw her sitting in the bean bag chair, his jovial expression faded when she spoke. His heart sank. This wasn’t what he wanted that day.

“…You met Alphonse?” Doug said after a long pause, feeling sick at the implications of that. He nervously grabbed the strap of his bag, clenching it tightly. “…He can be, yeah. What did he say to you?” He asked, not sure how to navigate out of this conversation he very much didn’t want to be in.

♡

Lilo wasn’t worried about offending Doug by insulting the man. She wasn’t about to sugarcoat it after their encounter, she didn’t like him. Not one bit. And she was going to make that known. Luckily, he seemed to agree with her to an extent rather than get upset at the name calling, though he seemed surprised Alphonse had dropped by. She figured as much. “He said he was looking for you. He said he got my address from Max, but I don’t believe him, because he knew that Nani had three jobs, even though he said you hadn’t mentioned me.”

Sitting up straighter, she tried to recall everything that had happened in the short conversation, make sure she didn’t leave out any important details. If someone was looking for Doug, he deserved to know exactly what was going on. “He said he’s here to take you home, and you’ll go, because you have ‘better things to do than sit around and play pretend’,” she did quotations with her fingers. A pause. “Oh, and he called me sweetheart, which was gross, but I put him in his place.” She liked to think so, anyway.

She was waiting when Doug finally came in through the window. She wasn’t sure exactly when he’d be there, but she was waiting, propped up in beanbag on the floor. She didn’t offer a greeting, she just came right out with it. “You probably already know this, but your ‘uncle’ is a dick. And a stalker.”

“Wow, he’s really got you fooled, doesn’t he?” Alphonse returned, taking his hands out of his pockets to place them on his hips. 

He didn’t give her any more information as much as he would have liked to taunt her more. Doug was delusional to think that he could pretend to live a normal life when he had a responsibility to Charles. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, grinning like a chesire cat as he took his sunglass case out of his pocket and flipped it open to slide his shades back onto his face. He took a few steps back, getting ready to leave. “I can see he’s not here, so let him know that his dad is on his way to pick him up. Playtime is over.”

Lilo frowned. How was she supposed to not worry about this stranger admitting he’d dug into her family’s information? She didn’t care who he was, he was already crossing boundary after boundary, and frankly, he seemed like an asshole. She’d be talking to Doug and Nani about this, and if she saw him again, she would be prepared.

She started closing the door wordlessly, relieved he was leaving, but she hesitated to peek back out at him. “Don’t come back to my house.”

Alphonse made a face when she returned his pleasantries with hostility. “Oh, you’re fiesty, I can see why he likes you,” he said, not phased by it - in fact, her reaction made it all the more appealing to rile her up more. “Oh, he’ll go. He’s got better things to do than sit around and play pretend,” he began, a smirk on his face that was borderline charming as if, if not for his tone, he could almost be mistaken for a nice guy if his words weren’t so full of malice, ”You don’t look like the kind of girl who’s ever had to take responsibility for anything in her entire life, so I don’t think you’d understand. Your sister works, what, 3 different jobs? How many do you have?”

♡

“What is he pretending, exactly?” He gave her the creeps. She wanted to slam the door in his face, but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of thinking he’d gotten to her. It stung because he was right, but she also didn’t care what he thought. In the moment, she wasn’t hurt, she was just pissed off. She opened her mouth to tell him he didn’t want to know what she thought he looked like, but then something struck her, and she hesitated. Max might’ve told Alphonse where she lived, but he wouldn’t have told him anything about Nani. And if Doug hadn’t been talking about her... “How do you know how many jobs my sister has?”