Hang on to me.

DISCLAIMER; I don not own Nearly Famous or any of its characters

SUMMARY; What if Owen had followed through with his threat to handcuff Lila to his wrist…

"I'll handcuff you to my wrist and drag you to classes if I have to. Admittedly it could be slightly impractical when it comes to eating, bathing, going to the toilet…but I'll do it anyway."

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Lila walked out of the hospital in a daze. She had finally confrontied her mother about having a life of her own. It was past dawn and she was exhausted, looking forward to getting back to college and crashing on her bed, maybe visit Owen if he's still awake. As she finished this thought she looked up to find the person in question sitting on the bench in front of her, looking out over the car park and ambulance bay,

"Owen?"

Walking over to him Lila couldn't help but notice that even after being awake all night he looked none the worse for it. He did however look to be hiding something and wore and expression that was a mix of his usually swagger and a hint of fear and desperation,

"Lila, you have to come back. I won't let you quit." He said this matter-of-fact as though he was entirely in control of the situation and Lila would just have to follow. She smiled,

"I'm not quitting"

"I swore I would make you – what?!"

As they spoke in unison Lila started to notice that desperation had become more pronounced on his face and that he was hiding something behind his back. Now his expression was giving way to delight…though his hands still had not appeared.

"Seriously?! You mean it? You're not just saying that and I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and find you gone?"

The worry in his voice made Lila's stomache flip slightly as she realised he would truly miss her if she were gone.

"I mean it. Honestly Owen, my mum…she…she said forever….and I just couldn't do that…I can't…I mean I love her but –"

As she started to ramble and the weight of everything started to press down on her Lila became aware of two leather clad arms enveloping her in a crushing hug as a voice next to her ear whispered,

"It's not your fault Lila. You've got to have your own life too. You're doing the best you can. You are the best person I know, and I hardly even know you yet! I can't imagine what other amazing things you are hiding!"

"But I'm not doing enough am I? I am a horrible person! I – "

As she tried to pull away a dart inside back to her mother Owen held her tighter and growled,

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare try to leave!"

Unable to escape his vice grip Lila took to focusing on calming down, trying to let Owen calm her down, though his rapid breathing and the tightness in which he held her belayed a less that calm feeling coming from her friend.

"Owen? I'm not…I'm staying…I'm staying"

As she repeated this phrase Owen started to release her and in doing so poked her in the back with, what must have been, the object of which he had originally been hiding and forgotten about in his rush to grab on to her. Even now he did not seem aware that the object was, at that moment, giving her spine a sharp prod.

"Ow!"

"What?! Lila I'm sorry did I hurt you?! I'm sorry! It's just I didn't want you to leave and – "

Lila started laughing as Owen pulled away to ramble his apologies with open, pleading hands, revealing what appeared to be, a pair of handcuffs. Looking down with a puzzled expression as to what could make her laugh, Owen too started to laugh as he held them up,

"Well I did say I would handcuff you to my wrist."

"I though you were joking! I mean you weren't really going to do it…were you?"

"If you hadn't been coming back then yeah, I would"

"You couldn't! Owen you would have got in trouble!"

"If you weren't coming with me I would! You are not leaving Lila!"

"But…you weren't serious..I mean…Owen you will be fine without me…"

"Will be? What do you mean 'will be'?"

"No! I didn't mean – I don't mean – I am coming back Owen honest! I just meant that if you…ever do have to cope there without me…then you'll be fine. That's all"

"But I won't Lila! You, Me, Kate, Joe... we seem to be the only non-shit people at that college Lila, and without you…"

"Owen, it's only been a few days, you can't know that!"

"Well I don't have to now do I?"

During the exchange Owen had moved closer to Lila so that their faces were only inches apart so Lila could see the fear in his eyes. Smiling nervously Lila rubbed his arm,

"No, you don't. Now stop panicking and put those away!" She couldn't help but giggle as she realised the handcuffs were still in plain view of people passing by, that, accompanied by the almost solid knowledge that she was important to someone (no matter how deranged she thought they were, or how quickly she worried those feelings may change) had caused a rush of giddiness to overcome her and she found herself grinning stupidly as Owen again looked down and smiled sheepishly.

"Out of curiosity, just how exactly were you going to pull that off? I doubt Dominic would go for 'It's a bonding exercise'"

Owen laughed as he played with them in his hand and stated,

"I hadn't thought that far"

"Uh-huh"

Owen's smile started to turn indignant,

"You really didn't think I would do it?!"

"Owen it was a dramatic statement, you're not supposed to carry them out, it's supposed to be a kind of – it's the though that counts kinda thing – hey!!"

click

As Lila stared at her wrist, now encased in a metal circlet, she couldn't help but wonder just how sane this boy was. Glancing up at his face she found not a smirk as expected, but a steely resolve that had her heart speeding up in excitement and anxiety,

"Owen?"

Looking down she saw, sure enough, his wrist encase in the other side of the handcuffs.

"Please tell me you have those keys…"

"nope"

"What?"

"Joe has them."

"Joe is in on this? What Kate too?!"

"More like they were aware that I was planning it, I mean, I needed Joe's car, and they decided not to stop me."

"Decided? Or were persuaded?"

Owen sighed and avoided Lila's glare, "A bit of both."

Staring increadulously as the boy who only a few hours ago Lila would have loved to be stuck so near, she sputtered, "but we can't go back like this! Owen this wasn't something I was daring you to do!"

Entwining their handcuffed hands together with a sincere smile Owen replied,

"I know but it appeared my new friend needed convincing just how far I would go to keep her near."

"Friend?"

"Yeah well I wouldn't do this for a classmate would I?"

Feeling both disheartened and buoyed Lila looked down again at their hands. "Um…how long exactly were you planning to keep this up?"

Owen grinned like he had just won the battle, Lila frowned realising she had inadvertently just agreed to this insanity, "well for the rest of today for definite"

"Owen! We have classes!"

"My point exactly, your important Lila, whether you like it or not."

"Our classes start at nine, its five!"

Moving in to her ear and whispering low enough to make a shiver pass down her spine Owen replied "Well I'm planning on going to bed", and leaning back winked and her.

"Bed?"

"Yep"

"Your bed?" Lila could almost swear his eyes darkened as she said that, and then it was gone and he smiled and pulled her in the direction of the car park,

"Yeah Lila, my bed."

Aware that the shiver still appeared to be lodged at the base of her spine Lila sighed shakily and allowed herself to be dragged alone by the cuff.