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[rosarianoath]

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[noburden]

[Her arms go around him, too. She doesn't want to let go.]

Stay here tonight. Please.

[Just tonight. She's already buckled. What's some more hours of weakness?]

[rosarianoath]

[He doesn’t even hesitate.]

Of course.

[But only for tonight. He sighs comfortably.]

I should draw you another bath.

[noburden]

[Only for tonight. She lets out a soft sigh of relief. Tonight, she can pretend.]

Only if you share it with me.

[rosarianoath]

[He shifts, just enough to not be laying on her entirely. Better to nestle to her neck.]

Is there enough room for two?

[noburden]

There is.

[But she makes no move to get up, not wanting him to move in turn. She turns her face to breathe in the acent of his hair, his skin.

This has to be a dream.]

[rosarianoath]

[He doesn’t move either, content in the aftermath to enjoy a thing he hasn’t had for months. Her heartbeat feels unchanged, like they never parted.]

I’ll go in a moment.

[noburden]

I'm in no hurry, Clive.

[There's an absolute mess between her legs and on the bed but she doesn't care. This is more important.

She shifts just enough to press her lips to his forehead, lingering.]

[rosarianoath]

[Is it wrong to linger this way? He wonders what came over him that he’d push her around like this, even if she’d liked it well enough. All their well-maintained, meticulous boundaries…

But had they been so well maintained?

He sighs, sad now, but he holds her tighter. ]

[noburden]

[Something may be in the water, but had it been a normal day and Clive expressed such desire, she doesn't think she would have it in her to resist. She's nevwr stopped wanting him.

She knows that sigh. Her voice is soft when she speaks.]

Don't. [Feel sorry for it, she means. There's time for that in the morning.]

Just enjoy the now.

[rosarianoath]

[Easier said than done, but he tries valiantly anyway, pressing a kiss to the edge of her jaw. He promises:]

I am.

[noburden]

[She kisses the bridge of his nose. She wonders if she can kiss every part of his face before morning.]

This is all I could ever want.

[rosarianoath]

[Founder, he wishes he could always have this.]

Tonight, we live in a perfect world.

[noburden]

[Requiem might be as close to perfect as it will ever be. If all their loved ones were here, and she could have him always, she would consider it perfect.

Now, she simply finds herself hoping the sun never rises.]

I will only ever want you.

[rosarianoath]

[He gives a low hum as he shifts on her, rolling onto his side so he can gaze at her, blue eyes intense.]

Whenever you say that, all I want to do is make love to you.

[It’s dangerous.]

[noburden]

[Very dangerous. Jill looks at him with a faint smile, face turned towards his, fingers tracing up and down his arm.]

You're all I ever could want.

[rosarianoath]

[He just looks at her, expression softening, one hand reaching to cup her cheek and stroke it with his thumb.]

Let us bathe, then I’ll take you back to bed.

[noburden]

[Her eyes close as she savors the touch. How she's missed the warmth of his palm against her cheek.]

We'll see if I can walk.

[There's a faint but very much present ache between her legs.]

[rosarianoath]

[He’d like to think she’s exaggerating, but he knows what he did. He keeps stroking her face, tenderly, and he leans in to briefly kiss her before pulling away to sit up.]

Just rest here a moment, then, while I fill the tub.

[noburden]

[Rest, he says, but she sits up when he does.]

All right.

[She openly looks him over, as if she might expect to see a change in his body since they've been apart.]

[rosarianoath]

[It hasn’t been long enough for anything drastic, but he’s at least well-fed. Nearly six months of robust meals, takeout or otherwise, has let his sculpted muscles flourish a bit more, properly and regularly fed in a way he hadn’t been since he was a boy. He thinks of none of this, of course. He just shuffles off to the bathroom, pausing midway to rid himself of his pants.

The water runs hot. He calls back:]

Do you want oils in it?

[noburden]

Do you?

[He'll be sharing it with her, after all. And she's eager to relax against him, soaking in the bath and his company.]

[rosarianoath]

I don’t think I’ve ever used them.

[He cranks the taps on. Has he ever run a bath before, much less put oils in? No, but he can figure it out.]

[noburden]

[Jill, not wanting a very slippery sort of flooding in her bathroom, gingerly pushes herself to the edge of the bed. The duvet is going to have to be washed, and she groans a little as she stands.

She will definitely feel him in the days to come.]

Give me a moment, I'll be right there.

[rosarianoath]

[He reappears at the doorway.]

I have it handled. Just rest.

[noburden]

[Too slow, Clive. She's already up.]

I can rest here.

[She means against his chest, arms slipping around him, cheek settling against his shoulder.

She has to soak up what she can.]