**
How do you cool your lips, after a summer's kiss?
How do you rid the sweat, after the body's bliss?
How do you turn your eyes, from the romantic glare?
How do you block the sound
Of a voice you'd know anywhere?

 
  Oh, I really should have known
  By the time you drove me home
  By the vagueness in your eyes, your casual good-byes
  By the chill in your embrace
  The expression on your face, told me
  Maybe, you might have some advice to give
  How to be insensitive, insensitive ooh, insensitive

 
How do you numb your skin, after the warmest touch?
How do you slow your blood, after the body rush?
How do you free your soul, after you've found a friend?
How do you teach your heart
It's a crime to fall in love again?
 

Oh, you probably won't remember me
It's probably ancient history
I'm one of the chosen few
Who went ahead and fell for you
I'm out of vogue, I'm out of touch
I thought that you might have some advice to give,
How to be insensitive

(repeat 1)
("Insensitive" by Jan Arden)
**


The tension between the two was palatable. Lucky's chest constricted, and he couldn't breath.

"Uh, you know what? I'm *dying* of thirst. I'll be right back." Lucky rose from his half crouch and headed for the kitchen. He carefully maintained a casual walk, although his gut screamed for him to break and run. He stood over the counter, leaning on his knuckles. He closed his eyes in pain, lowering his chin to his collarbone. He was turning to the faucet, when a sharp knock sounded on the front door.

Lucky bolted for the living room, and Liz. His mind went to the countless times Liz had nearly jumped out of her skin when she didn't know who was on the other side of the door.

She was sitting in the same position as before, and she looked to Lucky when he darted into the room. He stopped short upon seeing her, paused for a moment, then continued to the door.

Once he was past Liz and couldn't see her, she sighed in relief and unclenched her hands in her lap. Lucky turned the knob and flung open the door, ready to annihilate whoever had interrupted his brooding. Amanda Sweeney stood on the doorstep, smiling broadly.

"Hello hello," she clucked, and wiggled past Lucky into the house, dragging her two youngest children with her. She saw Liz and shuffled over to the couch.

"I heard about what happened, dearie. How are you doing?"

Liz forced a smile. "Oh, fine thanks." Her eyes slipped past the other woman to Lucky, who had attracted the smallest child, and now knelt in front of her.

"Lucky's been taking care of me," Liz offered, returning to her previous conversation. Liz didn't realize the trace of ungratefulness, even defiance that underlied her statement. Amanda's eyes narrowed. She covered her curiosity with a smile.

"Well, that's good. I wanted to bring you this," she set a loaf of homemade bread in a basket on the coffee table, right on the Monopoly board. "I would have rang you, but the telly here is out. Oh, you probably already knew that."

A giggle from behind her alerted her, and Amanda turned around. Liz's eyes followed her movements. Lucky was sitting cross-legged on the floor, one child on each knee. He had a gentle hand around each of their waists. Somehow his hair has gotten mussed, and it fell in his eyes. He whispered something in one of the children's ears and she broke into a fit of giggles again. Amanda smiled benevolently and turned back to Liz, who was having trouble taking her eyes off of Lucky with the kids.

"Elizabeth?" Amanda asked, waving her hand up and down. Liz came back to reality with a jump and blushed red when she looked past Amanda again to see Lucky staring at her. Liz unconsciously brushed her hair behind her ear.

"...So how does that sound?" Amanda asked. Liz had the grace to look sheepish.

"I'm sorry?"

Amanda smiled knowingly. "I was just saying that as long as you're still coming to the party, I'll send one of the boys to come pick you up, so you don't have to walk. That is, if you're still coming. The boys were really looking forward to it," Amanda murmured confidentially.

Liz pulled her lips open in a semblance of a smile. "Of course we're still coming. Right Lucky?"

****

The night air slipped over Liz's skin, soothing her, sending goosebumps crawling over her flesh. She hung onto the handrail on the back porch, supporting her own weight. The stars in the sky almost outnumbered the sand at her feet. A half moon shone down brightly.

The back door opened slowly, a rectangle of light escaping it, and falling partially onto Liz's turned back. She tensed.

Lucky stepped out of the doorway. His brain told him it was a stupid move to make, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He joined Liz at the railing.

The silence stretched between them. When Liz thought she could take it no longer, Lucky broke the quiet with a word. Her name.

"Elizabeth." His voice seemed to come out of nowhere. There was a catch in it.

"Lucky," she murmured, turning towards him. She looked down on his hand, resting only inches from hers. Inches she couldn't span.

"I-"

Before he could say more, she shook her head.

"Don't. Just don't."

Lucky closed his eyes, his head falling backwards.

"Lucky?" Liz watched his face change. "Lucky, I want to feel the ocean."

He opened his eyes, his brows creasing. "I don't understand."

"I want to step in the ocean. Now."

Lucky's eyes flashed realization. He gingerly reached out his hand, looking like Liz was about to bite his head off. She placed a hand on his shoulder, sending a bolt of electricity through them both. Lucky slid his arm around her waist, and attempted to lift her to a workable position for the walk down to the beach, but to no avail. He stopped with his movements and looked to Liz's face.

"I'm going to have to carry you."

Liz's stomach jumped.

"Okay."

Lucky scooped her into his arms, lifting her easily. She was resting so close to his chest, she could hear his heart thumping rapidly. One of her arms was casually around his neck; she could feel the muscles of his arms through the flimsy cotton of her clothing. She carefully held her shivers in check.

The roar of the water grew louder, until it beat in Liz's ears like her own heartbeat. The waters edge was reached, and Lucky stopped walking. He released Liz's legs, letting her slide down slowly, but he kept ahold of her upper arms, intending on supporting her weight.

"You can let me go," Liz said, jutting her chin out.

Lucky instantly released his grasp on her and stepped back. Liz rocked back and forth once on her own feet, finally losing her balance and falling to her knees. She looked up at Lucky through the cloud of her hair.

"I get the point," she hissed through clenched teeth, trying not to cry out at the pain in her hurt foot.

"What?" Lucky asked, his voice drowned out by the waves.

"I understand what you're trying to prove, all right?!" Liz's voice echoed desperation.

"And what would that be, out of curiosity?"

"That I need you. I can't even stand on my own feet, so I need you. There, are you happy?"

"What?" Lucky asked again, moving closer. His eyes glinted in the moonlight.

"I said: I need you." Liz's voice faded, her chin dropped. She felt tears spring to her eyes.

Lucky hauled her off her feet, holding her upright. She was forced to look straight into his eyes.

"But you don't want to, right?" Lucky asked, his voice hard.

Liz knew her tears were spilling over. She no longer cared.

"I don't know what I want!" she cried. Her voice was muted by the sudden clap of thunder that announced the coming of yet another rainstorm.

---

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