Grumbling, Thomas took the few steps needed to get to the kitchen and disposed of the trash. He would have been more irritated if Justine and Alice hadn't felt so damned relieved about everything. As it was he was mostly just putting on a good show for his own ego.
"Let us take you out for a drink or to a club or something," he said to Justine. "Help me show Alice around the city?"
She shook her head, a stray lock of hair falling into her eyes. Brushing it away, Justine smiled, calm and bittersweet. "I'd love to, but I need to get back to work. She knows how long it takes to check up here. I'm pushing things as is." Her voice turned brisk and businesslike for a moment. "It'll be safe to stay here tonight. There's no security and the doorman is trustworthy. But I wouldn't push it past that, and I know it's hard, Thomas, but try to keep a low profile?" She hugged Alice again, kissing the petite woman on both cheeks, before offering Thomas a hand. "Walk me to the door?"
Thomas nodded, nodding a silent 'I'll be back in a minute,' to Alice, and took Justine's hand, fingers twining, holding on as if he would never let go. She did the same. The walk up the stairs to the entry took too little time, and they stood at the door, silent and staring. Too many things to say, too few words to use.
The hand not clutching hers moved to Justine's cheek, brushing the familiar curve with leather covered fingers. He could feel her warmth seeping through it, and smiled. Her smile turned tremulous but her confidence never wavered as he leaned in close, a painfully familiar gesture. Justine. His Justine. Always his Justine.
The touch of her lips was like tasting the sun. Bright and warm and for a split second it was all there was, warm lips and overwhelming desire that he seemed filled with it. Warmth, and following on its heels, fire that scorched, that burned everything it touched. Love. Thomas could feel it burn, could feel the skin of his lips crack and split and blister, but he held on, pulling Justine closer, as if he could just have her if he tried hard enough, held on long enough for her touch to reduce the darkness in him to cinder and ashes.
She pressed against him, wanting and familiar for a long, precious moment, and then pulled away, silken fingertips brushing his face. "See? It's alright," she whispered, eyes filled with tears, fingers tracing his heat blistered lips. "I love you."
The words bubbled up, natural and wanting, but stuck in his throat. Like they always did. "I-- Drive safely, Justine." She smiled again, nodded, and opened the door. Thomas stood there for a long moment, wrapped in the lingering warmth of her touch, before he closed the door and headed back down the stairs.
As if nothing had happened, he walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with ice and water. Taking a sip from the glass, Thomas smiled at Alice, maybe a little slower than normal. "So, you want to go to the salon for a Cosmo or three?"
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"Let us take you out for a drink or to a club or something," he said to Justine. "Help me show Alice around the city?"
She shook her head, a stray lock of hair falling into her eyes. Brushing it away, Justine smiled, calm and bittersweet. "I'd love to, but I need to get back to work. She knows how long it takes to check up here. I'm pushing things as is." Her voice turned brisk and businesslike for a moment. "It'll be safe to stay here tonight. There's no security and the doorman is trustworthy. But I wouldn't push it past that, and I know it's hard, Thomas, but try to keep a low profile?" She hugged Alice again, kissing the petite woman on both cheeks, before offering Thomas a hand. "Walk me to the door?"
Thomas nodded, nodding a silent 'I'll be back in a minute,' to Alice, and took Justine's hand, fingers twining, holding on as if he would never let go. She did the same. The walk up the stairs to the entry took too little time, and they stood at the door, silent and staring. Too many things to say, too few words to use.
The hand not clutching hers moved to Justine's cheek, brushing the familiar curve with leather covered fingers. He could feel her warmth seeping through it, and smiled. Her smile turned tremulous but her confidence never wavered as he leaned in close, a painfully familiar gesture. Justine. His Justine. Always his Justine.
The touch of her lips was like tasting the sun. Bright and warm and for a split second it was all there was, warm lips and overwhelming desire that he seemed filled with it. Warmth, and following on its heels, fire that scorched, that burned everything it touched. Love. Thomas could feel it burn, could feel the skin of his lips crack and split and blister, but he held on, pulling Justine closer, as if he could just have her if he tried hard enough, held on long enough for her touch to reduce the darkness in him to cinder and ashes.
She pressed against him, wanting and familiar for a long, precious moment, and then pulled away, silken fingertips brushing his face. "See? It's alright," she whispered, eyes filled with tears, fingers tracing his heat blistered lips. "I love you."
The words bubbled up, natural and wanting, but stuck in his throat. Like they always did. "I-- Drive safely, Justine." She smiled again, nodded, and opened the door. Thomas stood there for a long moment, wrapped in the lingering warmth of her touch, before he closed the door and headed back down the stairs.
As if nothing had happened, he walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with ice and water. Taking a sip from the glass, Thomas smiled at Alice, maybe a little slower than normal. "So, you want to go to the salon for a Cosmo or three?"