You're Always You

Chapter Forty-Five

David Minett

David knew being open about the fact that he knew Lydia, quite literally, inside and out, would make her question him. Except, he was tired. He was tired of pretending they were strangers to each other, even if she wasn't pretending. He was tired of biting his tongue.

So he just let the "I know"s out like candy. Finished her sentences. Bought things without asking what she wanted, because he knew what she wanted.

At least she didn't seem too creeped out by it. If anything, she seemed morbidly curious about this thing he kept telling her she wouldn't believe.

Which was better than being creeped, he supposed.

Though, ironically considering those facts, David wasn't the creepy one here.

No, it was the sleazeball that thought it was appropriate to grope a stripper, ex-stripper if you asked Dave, while she wasn't even working. For fuck's sake, people weren't allowed to grope while they were working.

What, just because it was outside the club it was okay?

No.

No, sir.

And David delivered this lesson via nose. He wasn't normally the jealous type; for example, he was perfectly fine with people kissing her on stage. That was acting. It wasn't real, it was professional, there wasn't any ulterior motive behind it. But random groping? Sexual harassment? No, that shit David got territorial over, because he was the only one allowed to look at Lydia like that and mean it.

Even if that wasn't totally true in this reality, David was at the point that this reality could suck his ass, and he was going to defend Lydie like his wife whether she was or not damn it.

While the offending sleaze was still reeling, David grabbed the guy by the collar and said, "Club rules apply everywhere, buddy. Hands off."

He didn't exactly like that he'd come to both know and respect and defend the rules of a stripclub, but....

The things a man does just to fucking get home already.

"Geez, relax," the sleazebag cried. "I'm a regular."

"You could be the president of Timbuktu, keep your mitts to yourself, asshole," David retorted. "What she does at night has shit to do with what she does during the day, and neither of them gives you the right to touch her without permission. Fuck off."

The apparent regular, which didn't mean shit to David, shuffled himself from the Army man's grasp and stumbled away somewhat, his face reddening, likely because he'd just been punched in the nose. "Fucking hell, man," he muttered, wandering himself away in that awkward gait of people who hoped no one had seen that.

David huffed and stretched out his knuckles a bit, before looking at Lydia, who was shocked. "You okay?" he asked.

Instead of using her words, she wrapped her arms around his torso. He was a little surprised, but let out a soft chuckle, rubbing her back. "....You're welcome," he murmured somewhat embarrassed now himself. "Let's get moving, before mall fuzz gets here."

Haha.

"Okay," she agreed, nodding her head, and the two of them continued on their way, towards the toy store as previously discussed. Dave was...glad, that of the few things that had changed about her, that wasn't one of them. That stripping hadn't taken away all of her innocence, and that she enjoyed toy stores...more than children seemed to, sometimes.

It always made him confident that she'd be a wonderful mother.

....

And now that thought made him a bit sad.

He hoped being at the toy store itself would help clear that thought, distract him, and it did for a bit when they arrived and she bounced off the walls like....

Well, like a kid in a toy store.

"Alright, Mr. 'I Know Everything'," Lydia said after a minute or so being there, putting her hands on her hips. "If you're so smart, what's my favorite toy? And you can't even cheat, because I didn't look at many yet."

....

David turned her around to face the bulk of the mall and closed her eyes with his fingers, before turning around for himself. Considering toys changed all the time, every six months all the time, it wasn't exactly like Lydia's all time specific favorite was here. But, he knew the general type, and he didn't need to search very much.

She liked Legoes, because she was a nerd.

So within a minute, a minute and a half tops, David was returning with a lego set and cleared his throat, presenting it to her.

She took it and gave him a suspicious look. "....Alright, that was lucky. Everybody loves Lego."

"Until they're stepping on it."

"....Good point."

Dave forgot that this Lydie didn't have any fun for twelve years, and was somewhat surprised when she was budgeting out all the toys she wanted, but it occurred to him that....Well, they had a shit ton at home, because she was a nerd.

But...Lydie here didn't have anything.

And that was sad.

So David didn't mind letting her get what she wanted. After all, he was hoping to have a better paycheck by the weekend. That, and he wanted her to feel...free. He was spoiling her, just a little, but she'd never been spoiled in this universe. She deserved a splurge day.

"Y'know," she spoke up as they were walking, after a good chunk of the day at the mall. "I feel like you know these things, and I don't know anything."

David raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

She made a frustrated noise. "Like....I dunno! It's weird."

He chuckled, squeezing her far shoulder. "I think you learned plenty," he offered. "For everything I got right, I told you mine too. That's fair, don't you think?"

"Yeah but you already knew. Or you're a good guesser. I'm not sure which one is weirder."

He dropped his head with a slight smile. "You wouldn't—"

"Yeah yeah, I wouldn't believe you," she remarked, rolling her eyes. "How do you know that?"

....

The man sighed, his smile fading as he looked ahead. "....Because sometimes I don't believe it," he admitted. "And...sometimes I wish I could stop believing it...."

"Believing...what?" Lydia prompted, staring at him.

....

David shook his head. "....Maybe later, Lydie," he responded, which was rather blatantly just "We're not talking about it" in disguise. "I have a feeling you're not going to like it. It doesn't matter. Just...forget about it already."

She sighed, displeased with his deflection, but...this Lydia wasn't really one to argue, unlike her previous self. "....Okay," she agreed, begrudgingly at that.

"C'mon," Dave said, changing the subject. "Let's get all this stuff back home, yeah?"

* * * * * *

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XOXO Alice