We wish you the best birthday ever, and we hope you have a wonderful day with Lara and Bub by your side.
Enclosed you will find a phone number for the The Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris. Call it whenever it is convenient for you and Lara to take a trip there, and a suite will be ready for you. I’d also like to offer you use of the royal family’s private jet to take you there.
Harry and I figured a little foreign getaway would be a suitable birthday gift for a man who is so incredibly important to us both.
All Lara really could do, as he whispered sweetest words of love to her was let them linger on her rosy cheeks and with a soft sigh, lean into him. It was there she felt safest, most inspired and so beautiful. “So… That means you’re not creeped out,” she asked with the most charming of smiles, taking a lock of his dirt blond hair and curling it around her finger, releasing a sigh. It was a fear of hers, him being repelled by her actions, finding out she’d stayed by his bedside day and night after she made a specific promise to him, to tone down her obsessive behavior. However, all her obsessions at the end of the day were about her. Her feeling better about herself as the object of her obsession finally graced her and paid some attention to her– the best version of her (wearing her brightest smile and tightest dress). Everything was different with Alexander, somewhere along the way her universe had shifted from her to him and his well-being had become her top priority. And he… Well his heart had informed him he had fallen in love with her in a moment where her hair was the messiest, nose and cheeks were red and eyes wide from all the crying. “That part… I don’t understand, I have to admit. Is it like…” the blonde chewed on the inside of her cheek in thought. “When you get back home from your morning run and I jump on you like a koala bear and don’t let go because you’re too damn handsome? Or when I can’t stop kissing you all over after you cook for me because I love to listen to your expertise and watch you work?” Sure there was an ounce of regret, there had to be knowing they could’ve become official a long time ago but… Come to think of it, “I have been yours ever since. What I mean is,” she quickly corrected herself. “Faithful to you, physically and emotionally. I haven’t been with anyone,” she confessed before taking his hand and guiding it around her waist. Both of them were well aware Alexander would do it all over again, he would sacrifice himself for people he loved, for good people. It wasn’t something Lara could change– or wanted to, as a matter of fact. Everything would be different if they had children, she’d had to warn him about the consequences of some reckless decisions, of those munchkin who needed him but since it was just Lara depending on his well-being at the moment, she could be strong and demand-free. For him. The woman listened about his one regret, of course she did and no, she couldn’t deny her pain or what a wreck she had been, but there was something she could say to maybe ease his mind. “All of that pain and despair disappeared the moment you opened your eyes, I promise you.” And a genuinely gentle smile on her lips witnessed her words were true. “My love,” she uttered once more, brushing his cheek with a thumb just because she could. Her lips parted at his next confession; Alexander still had a lot to process and deal with and Lara gave him as much space as he needed, which couldn’t be said for Bub who always went ahead and licked his hand until he got a smile from him but to know she helped him even when she wasn’t around and she knew he didn’t mind her stuff around his apartment but to know something as random as her painting could help him through his dark times… Gods, was that why his starry sky helped her sleep at night? “You do have me, we’re finally together,” her fingers tangled themselves into his hair to symbolize their bond and intertwined fates. Having let him in on her little secret, she could breathe more easily as if a burden from her chest had been lifted. “Love is a silly word– not enough, I agree with you my love, but this… Is enough.” Lara Sawyer heard herself say, surely she’d never get tired of him and she’d always long for him with her entire being but the woman was content. He really made her stronger, in the sense she felt prepared for whatever was coming their way. Come what may, “As you are mine, Alexander. My home and my adventurous journey,”
“I have to be done kissing your scars before going to level two: making sense of them,” she informed the man as she flashed him a brilliant smile. It was true, gods, she took every chance she could to press her lips against the tissue, sometimes it was the first thing in the morning she did, sometimes even before opening her eyes as her lips knew them by memory– his scars. Next, his statement came out of the blue. He worries you, doesn’t he? Lara’s confused gaze snapped to Alexander, not because he made some preposterous claim but because he was right as if he somehow read her mind. “Wha– How do you know I’m worried?” Questioned she, with the same slight concerned frown she wore earlier talking about her older sibling and was completely unaware of. Now, she really didn’t think much about the future, her future with Margaret, mostly because she’d been preoccupied with the present but there was a positivity in Xander’s tone Lara didn’t expect, let alone believed she needed. Once she gets better, not if but once. The blonde nodded as leaned in to capture his lips as complete enamored euphoria enveloped her.
Her eyes attentively fell to his lip as if she’d find the end of his thought she anticipated there, however the man didn’t finish it. But Lara was pretty sure his mind kept working and his mind couldn’t between, in the sea of suggestion, what he wanted to see. The woman found it adorable and she chuckled, she too had a big to see list in her head whenever she headed to a museum, determined to spend the afternoon there. Alexander maybe wasn’t an artist himself but he shared Lara’s appreciation of arts. Not to mention great love for the baby boy which couldn’t be summed up in one sentence. “You need to stop being so adorable, Alexander Warren. Otherwise I’m going to fall even more in love with you and lose my head,” she scooted even closer to him. “You’re going to take a look at it and see whatever your heart desires. And yes, I am willing to give it to you if you tell me where you’re going to put it,” she pointed out, teasing her boyfriend. “It needs to be properly displayed, like any artwork. I will also have you know I have noticed the peculiar shape of your head,” perks of having drawn it at least dozen time. “And I am happy you keep your hair long-ish,” it was long enough for her to tangle her fingers in and tug which was enough for the blonde. Strange kind of butterflies played in her belly unexpectedly as Xander let her know the adoption was something he still considered as he cared about Damien to this day, even more than before. He was right for Damien as he was gentle, patient, supportive, creative– he would make a great father, especially to one shy baby she loved. Lara couldn’t be sure if Damien wanted her as a mother since he rarely expressed any emotion but at least he felt free enough to draw with her, which was something but he barely made eye-contact with her. However, not even her doubts could extinguish her joy. Maybe… One day. Her light gaze locked his and she even went as far as reaching out encouragingly and freeing his lower lip from the lip bite, to caress it. “Maybe one day…” she whispered before mouthing on his lips: We get to be his parents.
The agent curled up a finger under her chin and leveled their eyes as he listened to the question imposed by her, brows creased with doubt. However, he quickly recovered and pressed a loving kiss on the top of her nose, features softening as he locked his eyes on hers with every ounce of determination he could muster “Nothing you do could ever creep me out, Lar. I need you to know that. We’re way past that. Nothing you could ever do could make me think less of you” he emphasized, his finger traveling all along her jawline as he enthusiastically let his skin explore hers as if it were the first time they were making acquaintances. “Especially not knowing you cared enough about me to stay by my side during my times of need and if anything it makes me love you more. It worries me, thinking you spent day and night by my side and you didn’t take care of yourself, it pains me to think it could’ve affected you. But in a selfish way” he paused, chewing his inner cheek, tongue traveling to the roof of his mouth as he almost regretted the words he was about to sputter. “I’ve never felt more cared for, or loved. Just... don’t think you can creep me out again, alright? I love you. All that you are” Alex whispered. They were both complex humans, that much was true. They each had virtues and flaws they had discussed and noticed about each other; wounds they yet needed to heal and baggage they needed to handle that could potentially take a lifetime and still, they chose each other despite the flaws and that was something that gave the blond a sense of comfort. They knew the worse version of each other, she knew his darkest secrets like nobody else had and her heart still chose to love him despite it all. His fingers traveled down her spine, claiming every inch of skin they could find in their way as he listened closely to what her next set of words were, white pearls trapping his own lower lip. ‘I’ve been yours ever since’ she whispered, making him. The hand guided to her waist pulled her closer to himself as he nuzzled his nose into her neck. “I hope that's okay with you” a beat as he sat down, taking her hand on his once more as his gaze looked for the ocean, trying to find the right words to say. “Us, being faithful to each other for what I hope is a very long life together, I mean” his eyes found hers, a faithful glint visible on his eyes. It wasn't quite a proposal, far from it and of that he was certain. But it was perhaps the closest thing to hint one of his biggest wishes; to see if they were on the same page and they both were okay with the idea of monogamy for the rest of their lives. Alexander couldn't imagine ever loving someone or wanting to only be with one person as much as he did his girlfriend; wanting to belong to someone for the rest of his life. “We'll need to find a better word, one day" he agreed as they both agreed love not being a good-enough word. A word for them to know, something that was theirs; another piece of their bubble to carry with them. Never a wordsmith however, the agent failed to think of anything useful and yet he made a mental note to try. A chuckle followed shortly after, bubbly, carefree, happy. A sensation he could relate to being close to the blonde; she made everything better and brighter “My happiest, most wonderful adventure, every day is more exciting than the last when I get to wake up next to you.”
A ginger smile graced upon his features as he rested his head on her shoulder to try and avoid that gaze he was in love with, unsure if he‘d ever be able to say out loud the words he was about to say while looking at his girlfriend in the eye. “I used to be very self-conscious about them” he whispered onto her bare skin, occupying his anxious hands with the fabric of the little curtain keeping them from the outside world. “I used to hate them, had really awful memories linked to each one of them. Then you appeared and turned my world upside down in every way possible; you made me love them” after speaking his truth out loud, his teeth found her shoulder and gave a gentle bite to ease his own tension before looking up at her next question, the confusion on her face making him frown lightly. The tension on his face quickly disappeared and was turned into a small grin. Carefully, he reached over and placed a kiss on her forehead, trying to ease the tension on the skin as a shrug rolled off his shoulders. “For one, you worry about a lot of people. People in your life, the people in their life... I don’t know if you see it but you do. You get this cute little line in your forehead when you talk about someone you’re worried about. There’s also the fact that he is your brother, I know you care about him so it’s no news you are worried about him. But— I don’t know, I just feel it” he shrugged once more. Alexander could feel the anxiety and worry on Lara’s body and all he could do was try and erase it, as best as he could. Even if he wasn’t aware of the details, he’d still be there by her side, holding her hand. In response to the impromptu displayed of affection, Alexander giggled and returned the kiss with equal amounts of euphoria, because he wasn’t about to deny himself the pleasure of kissing the woman he loved.
His inner turmoil when it came to choosing what he wanted to see was met with gentleness and claims of his adorableness and the agent scoffed, a hint of pink taking over his neck and ears in response. “So you’re telling me all I need to do to get you to fall for me more is be cute? I oughta give it a try” he winked, mirroring her chuckle, a faux pondering demeanour taking over his features immediately after his placement for the drawing was questioned. “I’d frame it and put it beside the bed, I have one of yours there too, it’s not me but I can only imagine it would make me feel the same way” the agent enthused. He knew he’d wake up every morning knowing he’d be ready to face whatever life threw his way as long as he had those drawings next to him, being one of the first things he’d see upon opening his eyes whenever Lara wasn’t around. A reminder that everything would be okay, a reminder to keep fighting, for those who still needed it and for those he cared for. To try to make the world a better place for them. At the jest regarding his size and shape of head, the blond began tickling his girlfriend into submission, a fake pout on his lips making him look unconventionally childish. “Well, you are the one dating Mr. Potato Head, my love. So really, is this potato head really losing in life if he’s dating you?” his playful tone was muted as he leaned in and pressed a trail of playful kisses and bites along her jawline for a brief second before inhaling deeply. It was comforting, having those little windows of peace and laughter in between such heavy subjects; it was one of his favorite things about being with Lara, the duality of it all. They could talk about subjects he would never touch with anyone else, they trusted each other enough to let the other in on the darkest places in each other’s minds, those places Alexander himself had kept at bay from anyone else, always afraid it would make people run away, scared to show himself. But they could as easily depend on each other for comfort and laughs, be a lighthouse in those moments they needed it the most. A breathy sigh escaped Alexander’s lips upon hearing his girlfriend mention she could potentially, hypothetically agree with the term ‘one day’ regarding adopting Damien. He knew it was a long process, something they needed to discuss and prepare for; adoption was something they had only now touch in a more serious manner and planning ahead would be foolish of him and yet— his mind wandered to an image; the two of them waking up to two sets of faces. A bubbly, high-spirited girl with pigtails and long eyelashes with the instincts and shared passion for art as the blonde and a shy-looking one looking up at them, the dust of the stars in his eyes hidden behind glasses too-big for a baby’s head. Three Christmas cards, three sets of footprints. The triple threat. Alex sighed against Lara’s lips once more, contempt. White pearls trapped her lower lip, mixed breaths as he repeated “One day” with a loving and almost hopeful tone, eyes closed in delight as he let himself shower in the sea of possibilities “We’ll get to give them all the love they deserved” he whispered. Both Alexander and Lara had a strange relationship with parenthood, none of them learned how to be parents from seeing their own and that thought alone was scary, knowing someone could hurt you as much as their parents did, but alas, he opened his eyes and decidedly made a pact upon meeting hers. “If we do it, one day... I promise you won’t ever lack a thing. And I don’t just mean... food and a house or whatever. I will always do my best for you. I already do, try to, Not a day will pass by when I won’t remember you how loved you are, all of you."
Lara lifted their joined hands up in the air and under the soft sun observed them– let the fingers part slowly, leaning her palm against his, comparing them curiously, tracing the lines memorized long time age with a gentle finger, letting their forearms touch, letting her fingers fall between his again, so easily and naturally… Eventually she brought their hands back down to her lips to hide her chuckle. Larasexual, my man is such a dork. I love him. “Everything’s acceptable in our bubble,” she looked up at him, eyes half-lidded. “As for the rest of the world, I don’t give a damn.” Needless to say, the woman was happy to hear her boyfriend wanted her. Her boyfriend being one rather selfless individual Alexander Warren, he was insatiable, as insatiable as Lara was and gods, she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Is it anything like you imagined? My smell, my taste, my warmth…” she assumed he’d spent as much time thinking about her as she had about him and to drive her point home she let her smooth leg give his leg a teasing and slow caress. Gods, him talking marks all over body, reminding her of the perfect ache resulted in the faintest of moans leaving her lips and her imagining how wandering fingers left such marks as they explored her inner thighs and hips. “I– fuck, I know you already are mine but if you thought your girl would ever take you for granted and not remind you how much she adored you, all of you, over and over again…” the incredibly alluring cold sensation on her stomach. The blonde caught a glimpse of a single drop of coldness trickling down her stomach. “Honey,” she called out, purring. “Do you think you can catch it?”
‘Our bubble’ his gaze immediately was cast to the puppy playing near, the embodiment of the bubble they claimed to own, lips curling up involuntarily as the space between his fingers was filled with hers, fitting perfectly before looking back up to her. “Neither do I. You give me the courage to not give a damn” which wasn’t a lie in the slightest: if Alexander had ceased to care about what others could think, it was definitely thanks to Lara. Thanks to her and the safety net in their bubble, whatever the rest of the world thought about them, their relationship and their way of loving one another, he couldn’t care less. Hance the impromptu sex escapades in the beach, the planetarium, the park... At the next question, he quickly shook his head. “Not my dirtiest, most incredible dreams could ever compare to you, the real. Never. I cannot get enough of you. The more I touch you, feel you, taste you the more I want you” he confessed at the sensitive spot behind her ear and to prove his point, he let his tongue explore her neck viciously, tracking every drop of salty sweat and wiping it off in one lick. It was true, not even his naughtiest fantasies (and there were many his brain provided him with in their time apart) could come close to seeing her lose control under his touch, feeling her, tasting her. A contempt hum escaped his lips in response to her next statement, fingers exploring the trail from her ribcage to her bellybutton in a teasing manner. “You can take me any way you want, you know that. Fuck, I really love that idea” he confessed in a murmur. At the request, Alexander rose a brow, licking his lips hungrily as his gaze followed the drop. “Your wishes are my command” the blond noted in a deep voice, shoving the piece of ice inside his mouth, lowering his head and using the tip of his tongue to trail down the drop up to her navel. Then, with his tongue, he pushed the cube of ice to the end of his mouth and with the eyes focused on her, he began leaving a wet trace of cold water all over her lower stomach, hip bones and down her inner thighs, gently and slowly, pressuring enough to create a pleasant burning sensation due to the coldness of the ice. Blue eyes looked up to her and he spit the piece of ice onto his hand “Should I get that too? Or can I continue giving my little cube a tour?”
Cecelia let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was Alex that her son had nearly hit. She knew he wouldn’t be upset about it, and she was quite happy to see him anyway. “Of course we’re here. The weather is too nice not to be, but it’s still not warm enough to try out our new pool.” It was killing Jack that he couldn’t swim yet, but summer was just around the corner. “Everything is going great, but Theo’s got his first tooth coming in so he’s been fussy,” she said, glancing at her baby boy who was sleeping peacefully…for now. “How are you, Alex?”
A brow creased in response, eyeing the overly-excited Jack once the pool was involved. “So I should expect pool parties soon? I’m calling it now, Waterpolo match. You, Penny and me against Harry, what do you say?” the agent suggested as he kneeled in front of the kid with a bright grin, attention centered on his mother once she spoke up again. An encouraging smile appearing on his face “I’m sorry Ce, but hey, you’ve got this under your belt, right? You’ve done this twice already. What even do you give them when they are toothing?” he questioned, genuinely interested. Perhaps one day the advice would be of service. “I’m good, Ce, thank you. On my way home from work— well, on my way to Lar’s after speaking to the boss and getting more paperwork” the new normal. “How’s that knucklehead of your husband? Getting used to the title? Is he leaving all the shirts on the floor?” he smirked. ”How’s work for you? Still teaching?”
“Fair enough, I guess I can’t really argue with that one,” Bella replied, shrugging her shoulders. “Old coins and baseball cards are way more reasonable than a taxidermy collection. Like, I get that some people do have them but I don’t think that’s a bomb you drop on someone when you first meet someone,” she laughed as she took a seat. Seeing the guy leave the bar, the brunette let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god, I thought I’d be stuck with him all night. I’m Bella, by the way.”
Alexander couldn’t help but nod in return, taking a small sip from his old fashioned. “It just doesn’t seem like a great ice breaker, you know? How do you go from ‘hey’ to ‘I have dead animals in my house’? No judging, I am seriously asking” he breathed out, brows knitting together. Everyone had their own thing, he reasoned. He just couldn’t imagine taxidermy being what someone used upon meeting. “Really no problem at all, I used to bartend when I first moved to New York, I’ve seen how creepy some guys can get” then, he extended his hand for the other “Alexander. Well Bella, choose your poison and if you want, you can tell me about a weird thing of yours. I think it’s only fair.”
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Aleeeeex, happy birthday to you !! ALEX I HOPE YOU HAVE THE MOST Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (i didn’t need to google it I KNOW how to spell it!!!) BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for always bein such an amazing friend!! I had to get ya Disney stuffs, especially somethin to help ya get Mickey waffles at home cause they’re one of the best parts of a Disney vacay!!! I got you & Bub matching shirts too cause ya’ll are BFFs FURever!! Dodger even got into the spirit for your big day since Bub did the same for mine hehe LOVE YOU ALEX!!!!
Her hand sought comfort upon his beating heart as the woman fought the urge to lean her lips against it until the steady beats convinced her paranoid brain he was truly alright and it was all behind them. Instead, Lara let her mind find comfort observing how her fingertips brushed the skin so delicately. Gods, she’d never find the right words to let him know how deeply she cared for him. However, if some all-consuming emotion was one aspect of their relationship she enjoyed, absolute honestly was the other. With this pillar of their relationship in mind, at his It was you, she replied with a slightly frightened frown creasing her brow. “I was there… You were all alone and I couldn’t leave you, not until I made sure you would be alright.“ Lara said it once more, addressing all her at the time new feelings– confusion about her selfless actions, about those feelings she’d talked herself into burying and fear, gods, fear for his life. “Your song, yes.“ A tiny spark lit up her blue eyes, flashing through as she let her gaze meet his—as much as the song reminded her of painful times, it’d also inspired hope, partially because Alexander had been the one to introduce her to the musical and show her its beauty and partially because in it she wholeheartedly recognized the man she loved. ”I didn’t let them tell you anything, my love. The last time we had a conversation about us, you—we said we should take it slow. And not letting go of your hand and singing Your song to you isn’t exactly slow,“ not to mention all her uncensored monologues and confessions her desperate heart made her make. Something, anything in hopes of reaching across whatever distance there was between them and encouraging him to fight. Her frown deepened as the man—the actual victim began apologizing. “No, no, no,“ her hands took action as well; one snaking around his neck and the other cupping his cheek. “Please don’t apologize, my love. I was alright, I promise. When you opened your eyes, I was the happiest I’d ever been.“ Lara reassured and reached up to kiss the crinkles around his eyes. ”It’s not your fault. You did what you had to do, for my best friend.“ There was no one to blame which admittedly had been the source of Lara’s frustration but one look at the helpless man lying and struggling to breathe prompted her to focus on the future. The pain was there, for sure and it helped the blonde understand why it’d made sense for both Kevin and Alexander to push their significant others away once upon a time to spare them the heartache. Yet, knowing what she did and feeling what she did, Lara decided she a) would not let him make such a decision for her, ever and b) It was a part of his job, even more so it was his dream to make the world a better place. He would sacrifice himself for another person in a heartbeat. At the same time, he was the man her heart had chosen to give itself too, entirely. The man she admired and accepted entirely; she’d be a goddamn hypocrite if she didn’t accept his strength and courage. Traits that both, at the end of the day, made him him. “Don’t apologize,“ it’s your job, we might find ourselves in a… Similar situation again. Lara shuddered but took a deep breath but went on, bold thanks to the love she carried for him. “Your strength inspires me, you know? Your courage as well. Watching you be you makes me want to love harder, get out of my emotional comfort zone, be selfless. So this strength which helps me grow and be a better person for my friends, for you, is the strength you bring out in me. And it’s bigger than any fear. So don’t apologize, please. You did what you had to do and we survived.” A heartbeat. “One thing, remember? One thing I ask of you. Don’t stop fighting, ever. If you ever find yourself in darkness—please don’t give up. Fight for me, for us. For our family, that’s all I ask.“ She leaned in and her lips captured his in a slow kiss, however her own words got to her or maybe she’d gone for too long being rational and sane, without getting too emotional but she broke the kiss and kept him close, his warm breath warming her face. “We could be something beautiful, if you wake up. That’s what I told you. And I believe it, despite all of darkness surrounding us, you and me—” she breathed out, tugging the hair closer. “We could be something beautiful, come what may. So what you need to do for me, in order to make me happy, is to find your way back, like we always do.“
Lara pressed her lips together to prevent an automatic bright laugh as he picked up on her wishful thinking. “If you insist, I suppose someday you could surprise me with liquid latex,“ the blonde chirped, emphasizing the last part to make sure the man remembered what to buy. Afterwards, the blonde happily snuggled into his neck. ”Or maybe I could use you, if I ever run out of canvas…“ she left the suggestion on his neck before giving it another bite, poor man. “Imagine, my love, the masterpiece I could make of you.“ Thrilled at the thought, she spent another long moment visualizing it as she ran her light nails up and down his upper arm, in sync with the ocean waves in the background. “I just…“ Lara pulled back slightly and brushed her fingers through her hair, tousling those messy golden locks. ”Hope Milo comes back soon, that’s all.“ The woman responded with a small smile. As for Margaret and the phone call, what worried Lara most was the confusion and uncertainty following the phone call and the fact she couldn’t trust her own mother; so the blonde was grateful Alexander not only emphasized how they didn’t have too know right now but also that they had many options. “Alright, first we see how it goes, then we decide.“ A beat. “Text me the address, my love. I’ll probably have to leave early because of the my class but I want to make sure she doesn’t embarrass us in front of the doctor,“
Oh, silly Alexander, thinking she’d ever throw any of those drawings away, especially those depicting the man she loved, seeing him through the eyes of beings so innocent and pure warmed her heart and soul and showed her she wasn’t wrong to give her heart to him, every day all over again. “I keep all their drawings, my love, worry not.“ Lara reassured him and her fingers kept on traveling up and down his arm. Working with children without parents had been an unpleasant awakening to Lara, but someone as privileged as her appreciated it, it needed to hit her. However sad, their stories only fueled her heart even more, motivated her to give them as much of her love as she could, create some happy memories with them and remind them a simple smile could help them get through the day. Every one of those stories affected her but Alice’s and Damien’s… gods, those tugged at her heartstrings even harder so she felt her grip on Alexander’s hand tightening. His biological parents were apparently involved in all kinds of shady activities, but anyone’s parents passing could’ve hardly been seen as a blessing. Yet, Damien was lucky to be found and loved by Alexander Warren. If nothing, his wish to adopt the baby boy told her of his love for him. ”He… He remembers you, he knows you, he’s safe now. And he is doing good, as best as he can.“ The baby might’ve not reached all his developmental milestones at the expected times but he was getting there. “It’s yours if you want it, the drawing. Fair warning, your head is potato-shaped and your arms are bigger than the rest of your body but… Those smiling eyes I adore are there.“ Lara went on, discussing drawings but try as she might, she couldn’t get it off her mind. Alexander almost adopting the child. Gods, she couldn’t help but imagine him pouring all his love and care onto Damien who deserved it more than anything. On the other hand, a single father who was also an FBI agent… She could understand why he’d eventually decided against it. Now, however, everything was different. ”And you’re… Sure you made the right decision?“ Lara questioned carefully, curious as to see where he stood.
Alexander didn’t seek an explanation, there was no need for one when he understood in a level how she felt and why she had done it in the first place: he couldn’t imagine anything happening to the blonde and not being there day and night, making sure she was okay. The mere thought was upsetting enough, he couldn’t imagine having to go through the real ordeal. Having to hold her hand without having her blue eyes, those he adored, not looking back at him. A shiver ran down his spine. “God, I love you so much. I don’t think there are enough words to express what I feel about you, my love. Love just doesn’t seem like enough anymore” he whispered breathlessly against her lips, eyes focused on her intently. He was letting his heart speak candidly, nothing he could say could come close to what he truly felt, how deeply he had fallen for the blonde throughout their months and even years together. As the blonde began talking about the song and his own requirement to take things slow after THE night, the agent exhaled loudly, bringing her hand to his lips and giving her knuckles a gentle kiss, maintaining them there as he spoke “I did say we needed to take things slow, but not because I didn’t want this back then. That night— your pain and your strength made me realize I was head over heels in love with you. I was mesmerized by how open and vulnerable you were, and I’ve never felt more ache in my heart for someone. And if I hadn’t known you were going through a rough time, I would’ve asked you to be my girlfriend right there and then. I was so close. But it wasn’t fair to you, you were going through a rough time and I wasn’t gonna take advantage of that, I didn’t want you to regret us, I wanted you to be sure you wanted to be with me. Slow has never been our forte” he commented the last part in between a breathy chuckle. One way or another; there had always been passion and sparks between the two of them so it wasn’t a surprise that slow hadn’t work for them. His free hand found it’s way to her back, fingertips brushing her spine before tracing idle lines, hearing her speak again, assuring him it wasn’t his fault. For the first time in his life, he believed those words. Leaning over, he rested her forehead against her own and closed his eyes, letting the waves and her breathing calming him down, to help him organize his thoughts. All he could feel was her and his evergrowing love, making him feel like he was intoxicated in the most incredible way. “Don’t get me wrong, you know I’d do it all over again. Either I like it or not, I can’t deny I’d get myself into the same situation if I had to, for anyone who required it, more so if we’re talking about someone you and I love as much as we love Cecelia. I don’t regret what I did, I am proud of it. The only thing I regret about the situation is worrying you and making you suffer while not being there to assure you everything would be okay. I hate knowing I couldn’t be there for you” he whispered. Knowing he had left her alone when she needed him was a great deal of shame, even if the bigger part of him knew it wasn’t his fault. Once more, he listened. He kept his mouth shut and he listened to what she had to say about how he inspired her, about the promises she had made while he was unconscious, his heart beating loud and strong on his ear. The man had to blink a few tears away, already threatening to escape him. “If I’m strong, it’s because of you. You— so many times, I’ve struggled. Sometimes I wake up and just... it’s too hard to breathe, too hard to fight the darkness. And then the memory of you, the promise of a future next to you, a painting or something of yours in my apartment reminds me I have you. Things are not perfect and I doubt they’ll ever be, but I love you and I was lucky enough to be loved by you. That gets me through dark times, in more ways than I could even tell” he confessed. Alexander didn’t quite like talking about the rough days, about the days where getting out of bed felt like much of a drag but he needed her to understand his mentality. “I know I can do it without you as much as I know you can do it without me, but I am glad we don’t have you. You inspire me just as much, kid. Don’t ever forget that” a beat after hearing her quote the other song, the one he had installed in his brain next to her name. The one he identified with Lara; Come What May. “I will love you until my dying day. I hope you know I mean it, when I sing it. Come what may, I will always find my way back to you. You are my home, Lara.”
Arching an eyebrow, he made a mental note: liquid latex. He didn’t understand her train of thought, but whatever his girlfriend desired he’d delivered. “I do insist. I may be terrible with art but I want to express how much of a masterpiece you are to me” and, at her idea, he couldn’t help but smirk as a shiver ran down his spine at yet another love bite, how he loved them. “Me? Is that what you truly want? I wouldn’t be against it if it’ll make you happy. You can use me as a canvas as many times as you wish as many ways as you desire. Maybe you’ll be able to connect all the dots and scars on my back and make a sense out of it” just like she always did, she gave a sense and a purpose to everything. The agent proceeded to pursed his lips lightly, reaching over to brush his fingers against her cheekbone gently. “He worries you, doesn’t he?” the blond questioned gently regarding her brother, understatement palpable on his tone. When his girlfriend agreed on him sending her the address, he nodded. “You don’t have to come at all if you don’t want to and I mean it, but I will text it to you in case you want to be there. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly, let’s try and be openminded about it. I know— it’ll be stressful enough for everyone involved so let’s just remember we’re doing this so she gets better. Once she does if you don’t wanna hear from her again, we’ll figure it out, alright?”
There was something so heartwarming about Lara keeping her student’s drawings. Certainly, he hadn’t expected anything else but knowing she did only made him grin. He could imagine the artist, treasuring them in some priceless trunk, a reminder of the kids they both had grown to adore and the connection they had made through art. “Thank you, I promise I just wanna see—” the sentence died on his lips, unsure what he really wanted to see. Himself through baby Damien’s eyes? How much he had progressed during his time shared with Lara? Lara’s own perception that was, undoubtedly reflected on the piece? Perhaps, he noticed, a combination of it all. It fascinated him. It pained him, either he liked it or not, to remember those first days with Damien. Knowing there was nothing he could do to erase what he continuously went through. It didn’t take a specialist to know the entire ordeal had affected the infant enough to be retracted, to have problems opening up to people, what had kept him from finding a home. He never quite connected to strangers and he was known to run from them if the situation got too overwhelming for the little boy— it still worried him, thinking he’d never get the family and the love he deserved. “I hope so, sometimes I still wonder if I made the right decision” he whispered. Not only about not taking Damien’s custody when he had the chance, but handling the case the way he did. He often stayed up at night, wondering if there was something he could’ve done back then differently to make the baby’s present as stable and happy as he knew he deserved. Lara’s voice dragged him out of his own thoughts once more, a small grin spreading across his features at the offering, a gleeful chuckle escaping his lungs. The agent pressed a tender kiss on her nose before shrugging lightly. “I do have a giant potato head so, not so far from reality on that front. I used to get teased about it in school. Are you sure you’re okay giving it to me?” he wondered, not wanting to keep something from her that she could treasure in any shape or form. At the question thrown his way, he pondered for a brief second. His brain who had, upon meeting Lara, find his creativity, provided him a visual: himself trying to raise a kid on his own as an FBI agent. Everything he had gone through upon meeting Damien while having to take care of him. Although a part of him did enjoy the idea of being able to claim him as part of his family, of being the one who provided for him and granting him all his love... another part of him wondered if it would’ve been the best decision for the baby himself. Although he was still shy and retrieved from people, Damien was starting to get along with the other kids, expanding his horizons; would adopt him the time he could’ve made the process better or worse for him? Would he have scared him when he got injured after Cece’s rescue? Could he messed up somehow and ruin the life of someone he loved? “At the time? Yes. I don’t know if I could’ve been enough for him. Right for him. Maybe... maybe one day” he whispered almost to himself, blue and hopeful eyes finding hers as white pearls captured his own lower lip anxiously.
Her spread palm pressed against his warm chest– fingers hadn’t completed her mission to explore just yet, touch him, feel him, love him. Eyes fluttered for a moment as Lara concentrated on, fully reveling in it, the burning sensation on her thighs prompting her to say. “I adore you.” Lara returned the kiss hungrily, believe it or not, keeping him in place as she nibbled on his lower lip for a moment before lips traveled down to his chest to leave another mark. “Fucked you out of your mind? My pleasure,” The blonde looked up at him, a mischievous grin playing at the corner of her mouth. “You do deserve to be fucked good, my love, and hard,” she said in a gentle, almost sheepish voice before she hitched a leg over his waist and threw her lace beach dress over their intimate parts, pressing her chest against his side at the same time. “The other way around, honey. You know I’m eager to make you mine any way I can. Besides…” she began, bringing the full strawberry to his full lips. “You misbehaved today,” she gestured to her bikini. “I do pay attention to you, only you, when we make love.” It was hard not to when he was so goddamn irresistible. “But I do suppose you have earned to play a little too after being so successful at getting me to calm down and relax at the wedding,” his tie helped, to be fair. A chuckle left her lips before she pressed them lightly against the newest mark they’d created. “What’s on your mind? Beside our rendezvous at the wedding,” she grinned.
His senses were on edge, every one of her actions making him shiver under her scrutiny and gentle touch as his mind was still hazy. His fingertips came in contact with her skin, her inside thighs and hips being what he began to explore first, the softness of her skin making him hum delighted. Then, he decided to speak candidly. “Do you think it’ll be sociably acceptable to say I am Larasexual? I don’t know what it is, the more and more I am with you the more I want you. Your smell, your taste...” he paused with a sigh. He’d never been so insatiable, needed someone in such an instinctive way as much as he needed the blonde. “You deserved to be worshipped, over and over again until you can’t take it anymore” a beat “And you also deserved to be fucked hard, marks all over your body” however, the little suggestion she had brought up, made his eyebrows arch up, a trembling sigh escaping his lips. The idea alone sending a jolt of energy and pleasure to his lower stomach. “You can make me yours any day you want, any way you want. I already am. Sorry for misbehaving, I can’t help myself when it comes to you” he then pressed a line of kisses on her jawline, across her neck and shoulder. “I love seeing you come, it may be my favorite thing in the entire world. I love making you feel good, I love seeing you get undone and lose control. It’s one of the sexiest things about you” the blond confessed. Alex pressed his lips on her head, breaths finally even as he chuckled once more. “I am glad I could be of service during the wedding to the maid of honor. And I am more glad I was able to convince you to eat something. I was close to using my tie before getting to the bathroom” his lips stretched into a smirk before pressing a kiss on his girlfriend’s forehead. “I’m thinking... I didn’t get to use the ice on you, which is a shame” he whispered, reaching over to take a piece of ice to gently graze it against her bare stomach before bringing it to his mouth. “I really love that part.”
When Violet had gone to Alex all those years ago, with a request that few would have accepted, she never pictured that this is where they would end up. Acquaintances was really all she had been hoping for. Yet somehow as this case had become all consuming, so had their partnership. It had gone from a pair with a common goal to something almost… sibling like. Or that’s what she supposed. She wasn’t exactly the most well versed on what normal sibling relationships were like, perhaps this was it. Moments of lightness. Moments where the darkness that the pair were submerged in were almost forgotten for a brief blissful night.
The sound of Freddie Mercury’s familiar voice served as the soundtrack to this specific moment. Alex cooking with Violet sitting at the counter and reading out a passage from a book she had just read. It was painfully domestic. Like the pair had grown up together and had nights like this together for years. People said that trials brought people closer, she wondered if that’s what had happened here. “You can hear the Terry Pratchett can’t you? In sentences like that, you know it was him that wrote it.” She closed her worn copy of Good Omens and pushed it to the side before resting her head in her hands. “What did you decide on for tonight then?” @mindovcrheart
There was a void in the two friends lives that came from having a shitty family and a poor relationship with their siblings (for different reasons, each in their own way) that the other person had learned to fill in their years of knowing each other. The grand majority of his life, or at least since his sibling had been taken away from him; Alexander had felt like something had been missing in his life and although he was certain that feeling would never go away completely, not until he got information on his sibling’s whereabouts, the anxiety appeased once he and Violet began getting to know each other better and interact in a more deep, meaningful way than employer and employee and he was thankful for it, because he knew how hard it was for Violet to trust people in general.
The agent couldn’t help but grin at the picture of the two friends sharing as he platted a portion of Malfadine with Pesto sauce, humming to a song he had learned by heart back in high school. “There’s really no better mix than Pratchett and Gaiman. Can you even imagine what it was like, getting a drink with those two and hearing them talk and talk for hours?” he fantasized for a brief second as he poured the pasta in a second plate, showing it to his guest. “Pasta, I hope that’s okay? I’ve been trying to cut my meats which has proven to be a nightmare and I succumb but pasta has been there through it all and I’ve been mastering a few recipes. I even baked our own garlic bread for us tonight, that’s how you know I care. I was short on ingredients but I promise you’ll like it. I bought a ton of cheese. And if push comes to shove and you don’t like it, I have chicken fingers in the freezer.”
“Like I’ve told you every time you come in for an evaluation, we’ve gotta see where you’re at with your recovery. Some people don’t recover as much as you have as quickly as you have, if at all. So we’ve gotta take it slow; I don’t want to send you back into the field and risk you doing further damage. I’ve seen plenty of re-injuries overseas, and they’re not as easy of a recovery.” Tatum explained, explained. Being addicted to her own field of work, she understood Alex’s insistence on going back to his job; if anybody told her she couldn’t do surgery anymore, the woman wouldn’t know what to do with herself. “Being restless is normal. I remember how restless I was wanting to get back to surgery after having Mady, but slow and steady wins this kind of race, Alex.”
A weak smile graced her features at the man’s offer. Keeping Mady’s mind off of Chris’ death was more her priority than keeping her own mind off it. It was easier for a thirty-four year old to handle her grief than a four year old could. “She’d love that. And she loves Lara, so there’d be no problem getting Mady out of the house if she’s involved. A game night sounds wonderful. I’m on call this weekend, but not next weekend, so we can put something together.” A quiet chuckle, void of emotion. Her eyes flickered down to her friend’s hand on top of her own, sighing as he spoke. “It’s just… he would still be here if I had told him I didn’t want him to go. We talked about it before he signed his re-enlistment contract. He told me that if I didn’t want him to go, he wouldn’t go. But I wanted him to have one last tour…” She trailed off, tugging her fingers through her hair. “I appreciate you, you know? I don’t know where I’d be if you and Lara weren’t in my life.”
The agent couldn’t help but exhale heavily. He truly was glad for people like Tatum and Lara in his life to force him to slow down from time to time. There was a part of him, constantly in survival mode, constantly fidgety and ready to fight, always ready to jump on the line for someone in need, it was nice having someone who cared enough to remind him if he didn’t take care himself, he couldn’t take care of others. “I know, I know I’ve been really lucky and I genuinely own a giant part of that recovery to you for dealing with my stubborn ass. In case I don’t say it enough— thank you for getting me through this whole thing.”
Alex mirrored her grin with gentleness, nodding along as his friend agreed. There was a big part of him worried endlessly about the widowed and her grief, but the best he could do, at least for now, was being as useful as he could be, and that included spending some quality time with Mady and hopefully, be of service for her. “I’m sure Lar would love it and Bub is amazing with kids so far so count us in. Just let me know the day and I’ll let Lar know” he grinned because he couldn’t help himself when it came to talking about the blonde. However, it quickly vanished as he listened to his friend intently, his hand squeezing hers again. “It’s not your fault, Tat. I’m sorry, it’s not. I know nothing I say will make that feeling go away but you need to know it isn’t. That guilt eats you up alive and goddamn you don’t deserve that” he thought about pointing out how Chris would feel about her blaming herself but Alexander quickly figured the last she probably needed was a guilt trip. The agent grinned up at Tatum, a grin that didn’t reach his worried eyes. “We’re here, whatever you need. I know Lar adores you and Mady as much as I do, so I promise you we’re not going anywhere. We won’t understand what you’re going through but we’ll stop at nothing to make sure you and the kid are alright.”
A soft chuckle escaped her as he leaned in to rest his forehead on her shoulder, it allowed her fingers to soothingly brush through his hair as the woman leaned her cheek against his. “You know me, so well, my love,” she murmured, inhaling him. “Mind, body and soul… So I don’t mind you using we.” Lara let her eyes flutter closed, enjoying the silence and the moment of calmness they shared. “My entire, complete, colorful galaxy,” she repeated after him, adding one typical for Lara, colorful twist. Blue eyes followed Bub chasing a seagull, the adorable pup himself was a reminder of sorts as well. He reminded her how far Xander and Lara had come, how they’d added another member to their family. He reminded her how much time had passed since the abduction which could’ve been fatal for the man Lara had just begun to grow together with. Life had torn them apart too many times before and last fall they’d finally arrived on the same page, they were in the same city and they were there to stay. So whenever the unforgettable and overwhelming feeling, the realization she’d almost lost him forever threatened to consume her, all she had to do was press her lips to his skin, which had been forbidden once upon a time, or take a single look at their Bub. And both Alex’s gentleness and Bub’s barking greeting those poor seagulls would help her deal with the feeling right now. Lara braced herself for whatever it was Xander wanted to tell her. The reason why she had been so sensitive about the whole thing, apart from the obvious one (Alexander’s injury) was how intimidating it’d been back then to meet such a caring side of her. For the first time ever she’d made a sacrifice for someone. She, a self-indulgent, shamelessly selfish woman, had given up her normal just to stay with the man and make sure he was healing well, she’d bitten back her own tears to put on a ridiculous show for him every morning. All those feelings within for the man burst out and she didn’t have the strength to keep them inside any longer as only Alexander Warren and his well-being mattered. Do you love him? Was Kevin’s text she remembered. Or how she had fallen apart in Cecelia’s bed. For the first time she’d admitted to Alexander she needed him and wanted to be happy with him. It was the only time the insecure Lara had mentioned adoption, without hesitation. Never before had she been so vulnerable and bared her soul to someone.
His words spoke to her heart which threatened to jump out of her chest once again– gods, his effect on her. The blonde thought she was dreaming and to be sure– she reached up and pinched his bicep slowly. I could only see and hear you… That song brought me back… It all seemed surreal for at the time her motivation had been to bring him back. And now, he informed her she had succeeded. Her love for him had guided him back– surely Lara’s first instinct was to romanticize it all but in reality, she had to admit to herself and to him, there was a reason why she had appeared in his head. Lara released a shaky breath as her gaze focused on him worshiping her knuckles, the tiny bites reminding her he was fine, she was fine. “My love, there is an explanation why you heard only me and thought of me,” maybe he would’ve seen someone else had Lara not been her too needy self. “I wish I could say there was some magic at works but you kept seeing and hearing me because I was there,” she began revealing her secret. “I couldn’t stay away– I wasn’t sure how well your FBI colleagues knew you so I stopped by to bring you sunflowers one day. Your favorite music. I asked the nurse to play it for you– your light, something you could hold onto but she refused…” and I called her an inconsiderate and hateful human being. And I told her I was your wife, heh, wishful thinking. “So I stayed.” Lara finished simply, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. Failed to mention how she’d been driving Kevin crazy and pleading with the injured man to wake up. Pressing her lips against his warm pulse whenever she lost hope. “I couldn’t leave you, my love,” she whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. “That week I realized how wonderful life is while you’re in the world.”
His little remark earned him an eyeroll but a moment later, she gave him a playful look too and bit down on his finger. “If you tell anyone, I will end you, Warren.” If there was anyone in this world worth punching a statue for, it was him, though. However, Lara was sure she’d come up with an alternative when the time came. Maybe throwing some paint on him, in some least pretty shade or adding some new elements to the statue which would make his everlasting presence more favorable. “Gods, I wish I had paint thrown at me,” she thought but the words escaped her so she glanced at Alexander and offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry honey, my head’s a mess.” … Especially whenever Margaret was in question so she resorted to answering the second part. “Milo had to go back to England– something about his club ManCity being banned from the Champion’s League?” A frown creased her forehead as she wasn’t fully informed but Milo seemed to be upset enough so he’d gone back to be there for his teammates. “Margaret… Yes, I suppose.” Lara murmured, her gaze wandering off. Her first instinct was to doubt her Mother and at this point, after so many years she wasn’t sure if it was for a good reason or maybe she’d had gone too far down the Margaret hatred path and pettily clung to some of the moments she had taken to heart before and couldn’t find a way back anymore. “I still don’t know what to make of her call, it’s so… Strange she called. –I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to believe she heard me when I told her to be nice to you,” a sigh as she thought out loud. “She’s meeting your doctor next week, right? Are you going to be there?”
Lara loved Alexander’s smile whenever baby Damien was mentioned, a smile she wasn’t sure the man himself was aware he was saving for the precious little creature. So it was no wonder the blonde wore a beaming smile herself. “Yes– I, uh, keep talking about your smiling eyes so I guess the kids picked up on it and he tried to draw them. At first, he didn’t know how but didn’t tell me either. He and Alice communicated in some way, and she helped. That’s how I know it was you, my love. You two wore a uniform and each had his own badge, I’m telling you, it was adorable.” She, not being an expert herself, was always so careful around the baby. Often he didn’t respond to her but when he did, boy, was she the happiest woman alive. “How was it? When you first found him? Did you hug him? Keep him safe? How did you get him to eat?” Lara questioned, genuinely curious. If there was anyone in the world she’d trust with Damien it was Alexander, however she herself wished she could’ve been there– to hug the man and keep him safe.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to give up on it but the man was an art critic, you know? Someone competent enough to tell whether I was good or not. And yes, I think it was a defense mechanism. I chose to quit first because I thought it’d be much worse if it I had to hear it from anyone else ever again and have it taken it away from me… I couldn’t stand the thought of being bad at something I loved. A bit dramatic, but that’s how I saw it.” Lara heaved a sigh. Either way she had lost art, but all those years of being a bystander and admirer had taught her art wasn’t about anyone else’s approval. It was about the liberating process itself, the process of creating and letting people find beauty. Make their own sense out of it. Despite Alexander’s initial reactions and harsh words, the message to his younger self proved what Lara already knew– he did understand the boy was lost and was… Fighting to survive, in any way he could. And feel, even if it meant making himself bleed. “Don’t forget to tell him there’s someone who loves him, and his lemon pies, very much, across the time and distance, if you ever get a chance to talk to him.”
There was an unspoken, mutual understanding between Lara and himself that Alexander appreciated. They’d always had a special connection that allowed them to communicate sometimes without words; something completely new in his life. Their connection had reached a point never explored before by the agent and knowing not only was she okay with it but also seemed to enjoy it as much as he did was a relief and a pleasure on itself because they truly did know each other entirely; mind, body, and soul. Immediately after his confession came hers, the words spew to him leaving him feeling slightly dizzy, gaping. Had he been so blind the entire time? It didn’t quite make sense in his head still, some of it. “Lar, I was there for days, not responsive...” he trailed off. He knew the entire situation had affected the artist, he could see it by the hefty cloud that covered her whenever the subject emerged in their conversations but he didn’t understand the extent of it all nor the real reason until now. She had not only nursed him back to health for weeks and stayed by his side through the still outgoing recovery but also stayed by his side through the roughest times where he had been unconscious and unsure of how or when he’d be back, unsure if he’d even come back at all. Never in his life had Alexander feel so loved, cared for, and guilty all in once. Teary blue eyes searched for hers as he placed her hand on his beating heart, the one that in more ways than one, was beating because of her. “It was you, wasn’t it? Your song?” he questioned with a string of voice before closing the gap between them, pressing their lips together. He knew he didn’t need to explain his query, to give context as his girlfriend knew exactly what he was talking about. Back then perhaps, they hadn’t had the feelings they did now (perhaps they did, hidden deep inside them and repressed), but he couldn’t imagine the hell Lara had gone through, waiting for someone she obviously cared about to wake-up from a nearly lethal accident and having to endure it all alone in a hospital, day and night seeing the same gray walls so color voided, lifeless and the complete opposite of everything she knew and loved... he had to gulp the knot on the back of his throat as he pulled away from the kiss only enough to be able to speak. “No one told me anything. I am sorry— I am so sorry I made you go through all of that. Fuck, you were probably so tired, so scared... I am so sorry, my love” he whispered against her lips as a shaky breath escaped him. “I wanna spend the rest of my life reminding you every one of my heartbeats is dedicated to you. I am here because of you, literally.” Not only had the blonde given him a reason to live and feel again, but she had also given him a second chance in more ways than he could’ve anticipated.
As the conversation progressed, a chuckle erupted from his broken lungs, using his fingers to caress her lower lip gently as she nibbled on his skin, tilting his head to the side briefly. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. No artist will ever know you implied such indecency” he vowed with an earnest tone even though he doubted he’d use force ever again. He was more conscious now and, although he still believed the person honored in the statue didn’t deserve to be up there, he knew there were better, wiser ways to manage it, his anger, he had learned to control over the years. Frowning amused at her next stream-of-consciousness, the agent arched a brow “Is that a request to one day surprise you by throwing paint at you? I’m listening” he obliged, only to press a gentle and chaste kiss on her neck after her next statement. “Anything you wanna talk about?” came out with a hint of worried tone because of course he worried, but remained otherwise as serene as he could muster, not wanting to create more stress for the artist. In regards to her brother, Alexander nodded understandingly. “Oh, I hope everything’s alright. Maybe next time” and decidedly focused on Margaret instead. He had to give his girlfriend a point; the call had been odd and the agent himself was doubtful to say the least, and yet there was a minuscule part that hoped things would be different for Lara. That Margaret could at least see what she’d done wrong and apologize to let her daughter move on. “We’ll think it over, huh? We can always rent her a nice place in L.A and spend some time with her if you want... we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, about her or anything else. We can see how it goes, next time we’re all together in the same place” he suggested, pressing his lips on her bare shoulder. At the question, he nodded. “I think they have an appointment next Thursday, 10 a.m? I will be there and you don’t have to be if you don’t want to or you can’t, but in case you do, I’ll text you the address.”
Alex’s smitten features reappeared as the blonde mention herself speaking about him to the kids. He recognized her behavior, he had done so many times prior Christmas night all the kids had grown accustomed to the idea of Lara Sawyer’s magnificence by the time the holiday arrived. He smiled once more, the usual smile he had only saved for Lara and breathed in deeply, relished on the idea of Lara and Damien both somehow bonding over him, from all people and things. “Did you keep his drawing perchance? I promise I don’t wanna take it, I just— it would mean a lot to see it once” he enthused. Seeing one piece of art he had inspired tha had somehow brought together three of his favorite people? A guy could only dream. The Damien story was one he had never told out loud, not to its extent but Alexander figured if there was anyone he cared about telling the tale, was the blonde looking at him expectantly, almost bashfully. Alas, he complied. “One night I received a call, some altercation that had escalated and someone I was working on catching was involved so I was required. When I got there, both his parents were dead. They got into some shady business and— yeah. It was just him, having a fuzz as some neighbor was cradling him. I asked to see him and something inside me broke for him, he was all alone and not even a month old so I grabbed him and didn’t let go for like an hour, he cried himself to sleep. Later that day I brought him in to the home and explained everything to the headmistress, offered to stay the night to make sure everything went on smoothly. I think a mix of us singing to him and mutual exhaustion got him to eat something at like, ten a.m, twelve hours after we found him” he chewed down his lower lip, debating whether or not to share the next piece of information. “I almost adopted him, I seriously thought about it. Then I wondered if he’d be happy and safer with me and realized— no, I couldn’t do that to him. I’ve been making sure nothing happens to him since, that he doesn’t lack anything. Don’t get me wrong I adore all the kids, they’ve become my family by now. That little kid just... I don’t know” he finished, shrugging lightly.
Alexander interlaced his fingers with hers, listening intently to her words. Perhaps he couldn’t relate to the feeling of someone judging your art and deeming it ‘not good enough’ but he could relate, in a human level, to the fear of not being good enough; especially at something, Lara loved as much as she loved art. After everything her mother had already put her through; it was no wonder her spirit would be broken. “I wish that little girl knew you’re not only the most talented person I know but also the most inspiring one. I don’t know if it would’ve made any difference but if she could only see you now... I think she’d be proud of you, as proud as I am. Not only you’re creating, and creating what you wanna create, you’re helping shape the next generation. I am glad you stopped believing those words because a world without your art, without the beauty you can create and everything you can make someone feel— that sounds so empty. Next to waking up next to you, waking up to the pieces of your art I have in my apartment is my favorite thing of starting off a brand new day” he knew there was nothing he could say to bring back the years he spent only admiring art from afar, but god, was he thankful to be part of the ones filled of colors, passion, and inspiration with no care about what others thought anymore. At her request, he grinned and nodded along, taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss on her knuckles, eyes focused on her own “As long as you promise to tell her out there, there’s someone who sees her and loves everything he sees. That he believes in her, more than anything.”
Her rhythm was fast and hard, so intense it almost hurt having him buried deep inside but Lara was insatiable. The sound of her pants increased as she pushed him to lie down and leaned forward, her palms choosing a random scar to rest against. The sight of her handsome man beneath her pushed her closer and closer to the edge and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to take her eyes off him. “I’d have to, fuck, bury my nails in your skin and bite my, oh gods– lip so hard but you’d… Fuck, I’d cum– I’d come undone for you.” His skillful fingers found her most sensitive nub and the blonde couldn’t take it anymore, her sex spasmed before constricting against his member. Her orgasm rushed through her and Lara parted her lips, bucking and quaking as wave after wave of pleasure rushed through her body. Weakened, she fell forward, face hovering above his. Helpless, but safe in his arms. “I’m so yours,” she murmured against his lips, her eyes opening to reveal a spark before her lips found his neck, sucking on the sensitive skin, her bare thighs riding his hips still. “Maybe after the dinner with aristocrats we could go exploring the dungeons. I could bring some of my toys, and…” she let her voice deliberately trail off as Alexander was ready for his release so Lara let her lips go south to take him all in. The blonde never broke the eye contact, sucking as he spilled in her mouth. “Mh, you taste like honey.” Batting her lashes, she stayed down for another moment licking off the juices before she moved back up and trying to steady her breathing, fell against him, naked body against naked body.
A devious smile creased on his features in response to the mental imagine painted to him, nails dragged deep on her thighs as he marveled at her beauty and how good she felt around him, taking him in completely, their bodies mashed together as closely as they could be “I can wait to see you—” he paused, groan escaped his lips as she tightened around him, the sight of her coming undone a masterpiece on its own and he could barely think straight anymore, “Fuck, I love you” he whispered with a dark tone as her lips worked on his neck, hips working against her warm, inviting skin erratically. His darkened eyes followed hers as she moved her head south, a choked grunt escaping him as he felt her tantalizing mouth all over him, making him close his eyes as he hit his climax, a hand coming to her head to tangle his fingers on her golden curls, pulling slightly, biting into his own lip as he rode his orgasm out whispering her name, her lips still on his member making him tingly as he finished releasing all his juices into her mouth, a shaky breath escaping him as he finally opened his eyes, the fingers tangled on her hair losing some of its grip as he chuckled, chest moving up and down. “I think you just fucked me out of my mind, I forgot entirely what I was saying,” he said hazily once he could recover some of his breath, joining his hands behind her back and leaning in, kissing her deeply. He could still taste himself on her lips, their erratic hearts beating close to each other. “I like this dungeon scenario of yours, we’ll get to be as loud as we want. Do I get to use the toys on you or the other way around?” he flashed a dazzled smile at his girlfriend as he arched a brow.
