When The Lights Go Down

If Walls Could Talk

He had briefly wondered if he had dreamed it, dreamed her, again. Wondered if the night really did happen or if his brain was just playing some cruel, cruel trick on him.

He blearily blinks his eyes, trying to see in the dark of the room. The scent of her perfume fills his senses instantly, and when he turns his head there she is, peacefully asleep next to him, her hair splayed across the pillow like a halo.

He pinches himself, once, twice, still not quite believing this is reality. What did he do to deserve this? And why did she want him back? He's a messed up case, this he knows, and yet she looks at him as if he's the purest form she's ever met.

Alice stirs next to him and it momentarily distracts him from his thoughts. She rolls over, absentmindedly sliding a hand across the mattress until she brushes against his skin.

She pauses, and he sees her lift her head out of the corner of his eye, but just when he thinks she's about to lay back down she speaks softly. "Hey, what are you doing up?" She whispers, noticing his open eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Are you okay?"

He can hear the slight shake of insecurity in her question, a fear of sudden regret in their shared moment, and he immediately reaches for her hand, telling her without words not to worry.

"You look like you're about to cry." She comments, retreating her hand so not to make him uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong," He assures her. "It's going to sound ridiculous."

"No it won't," Alice tells him softly, and she reaches up to stroke his hair back, her touch as gentle as a feather. "Nothing you say or think is ridiculous."

"I'm just so... happy." He admits, croaking out the words, not trusting his voice not to break. "It's stupid to feel so emotional about it, it's just been so long since I've been this happy."

"That's not stupid at all." She tells him with all the sincerity in the world. She relaxes into the mattress again and finds his hand, linking their fingers.

He rolls onto his side to better look at her and with his free hand gently draws shapes on her skin, leaving goosebumps wherever he touches. "Are you okay? You know, with all of this? We didn't really talk much about it beforehand and I just want to make sure."

She answers him simply by pressing her lips to his, lingering for a moment. "I'm fine." She assures him. "I'm perfect, this was perfect."

"I wish... I wish I'd known earlier that there was something between us here. I mean I've felt it on my end but I never thought you would feel the same." FP tells her, a dopey little smile on his face.

"Funny that you say that because I had the exact same dilemma." Alice smiles. "You can thank Mary for this though."

"Mary? She told you to seduce me tonight?" He teases, earning a rightful swat from the bubbling blonde next to him.

"No, but she did point out that there's something between us. That it's mutual and the only people who don't know are the two of us."

"Sounds like she's been holding onto that for a while." He comments with a chuckle, fingers running up and down her side.

"She's gonna have a field day when she finds out." Alice smiles at the thought.

"And Fred will have a canary so enjoy this while it lasts." FP chuckles, seeing Alice's eyebrow lift at the comment. "He's made it very clear that we're not supposed to get together, he said it would be too messy." He says it lightly, almost as if he's delivering a punchline, but Alice doesn't laugh.

She tenses next to him. "Oh."

FP immediately goes into panic mode, not wanting to scare her. "Hey hey, it doesn't matter what he thinks, he may technically be the boss of me but I still make my own choices."

"He's right though, this could get messy." She tells him, understanding where Fred is coming from, no matter her own feelings on the matter.

"It won't," FP states confidently. "This isn't just some fling in my eyes, I want this, I want you. I won't let it get messy."

"I want you too." Alice tells him breathlessly, his confession having slightly knocked the wind out of her. She smiles at him, stroking her fingers up and down his arm. "We don't have to announce anything right away either, by the way."

"Yeah?"

She nods. "I don't want you and Fred to get in an argument, and besides if we do announce it there's so much pressure in that, there will be eyes on us constantly." She explains. "That's not to say I don't ever want to go public, but for now? I'm okay with keeping a secret."

"Gonna be damn hard not to scream it to the world, I feel like the fans have wanted this as long as we have." He chuckles, thumb stroking her cheek.

Alice smiles. "It's a shame we didn't listen."

"C'mere." He mumbles in response, and she does so, straddling his hips and letting the sheet fall away from her body.

She hears FP's breath hitch at the sight and feels herself blush at the reaction. "You're so beautiful." He tells her, a guitar-calloused fingertip running from her collarbone to the divot of her navel. "So so beautiful."

She smiles down at him before leaning in to kiss him again. He melts into her, his heart racing as her tongue floats along his bottom lip, seeking permission to deepen their kiss.

He gives it to her and lets his hand trace her spine as they kiss lazily, not presumptuous or knowingly building to something, just mapping out the feel of each other's bodies, savouring each kiss like it's a lifeline.

Alice sighs pleasantly into his mouth and pulls him with her as she rolls onto her back, wanting to feel his weight atop her once again. "I'm happy too, by the way." She tells him, breaking their kiss and confusing him with the out of the blue statement. "You said earlier how happy you are... I hope you know I am too."

He smiles down at her, the moonlight catching her eyes and making them seem an even brighter shade of blue. He can't quite find the words to respond, not that anything could even come close to explain how he feels in this moment, so instead he nuzzles his nose against hers, earning a sweet laugh.

She meets his lips again, hands exploring his torso as their tongues dance softly together. FP seems to have other plans though as he begins trailing his kisses away, traipsing down her neck and lingering at her breasts until she's practically squirming under him.

Then he's pressing teasing kisses along her stomach and nudging her legs farther apart to accommodate his shoulders and she catches onto his plans.

"FP..." Alice begins, trailing off as soon as his mouth is on her. "You don't have to." She tells him, already breathless from the jolt he's sent through her body.

"Do you not want me to?" He asks, holding her thigh in his hand with such a gentle touch.

She shakes her head, her legs trembling slightly. "No it's not that just, don't feel like you have to is all. I know it's not exactly something men love to do, so I won't be offended."

FP's pulls back just slightly and even in the moonlit room she can see how serious his face has become, but there's also a sense of sorrow behind it, a sort of apologetic look. "I don't know who you've been with but if they don't want to do this then they're idiots." He states sternly, but his voice quickly softens when her gaze drifts from his and he strokes her skin with his thumb. "I'll stop if you want me to, Alice. But if you're telling me to stop because you're worried I'm not enjoying myself then you're wrong."

Alice smiles at him, blinking back a tear. "You mean that?"

"Of course." He doesn't miss a beat, answers as soon as the question leaves her mouth.

"You really are perfect, you know that?"

He presses a hot kiss to her thigh in response. "You deserve it. Now just lay back and enjoy." He instructs sweetly, shooting her a devilish grin before ducking his head again.

Her whole body shudders in pleasure as soon as his tongue is on her, and she reaches down to tangle her fingers in his hair, his name leaving her lips like a mantra. "FP..."