The fire crackles brightly in the fireplace beside him, warming his cheek and side closest to the blaze. Embers spit out onto the hearth, tall candles line the dark mantelpiece.
Hair tousled, wearing a dark green robe, Albert's eyes gloss over the documents in his lap.
Two days previously, Eleanor had returned to the Moriarty Estate after meeting with Charles Augustus Milverton. Bond had shown the paperwork to the group and they proceeded to read through everything.
Apart from the business that he had with William, he also had information linking Sherlock and the Lord of Crime to one another. The Adam Whiteley folder was foolproof evidence that he'd blackmailed one of his supporting officers into killing the MP's family in cold blood —which was exactly what they were looking for.
Something else that Eleanor had picked up was on a woman named Mary Morston, containing information relevant to the French government, sensitive information that Milverton was holding against her.
Nonetheless, the day after she'd taken the documents from Milverton's office, they notified him and casually threatened the journalist into retrieving them somehow.
However, this hasn't quite gone to plan, as Milverton also has leverage against the Moriarty brothers and in return threatened them too.
"Have the others gone?"
"To see Milverton?" Albert scans the paperwork. "They have indeed. Left a few minutes ago."
They're both silent, Albert flicking through the documents in his sleepy state.
"I didn't realise there was a piano in this room."
"I brought it in for you," He tells her, placing the folder on the coffee table beside him and looking to the door. "Play me something, my dear."
Auburn hair braided and cascading down her back, dressed in a cream-coloured robe of Albert's, Eleanor takes a seat at the piano.
He watches as she sits upright on the stool, her braid slipping to the side of her shoulder. She splays her fingers out and begins to play.
The notes weave together and the hum of the lower notes ring out. Her fingers dance from black to white keys, gently playing the sounds of Beethoven softly and delicately. The tempo is eerily slow but also quite beautiful.
Albert's eyes fall on her frown as she plays the piece and a heaviness sits in his stomach. He continues to gaze at her as she plays.
The piece rises and falls with each section of music played.
"It's Moonlight Sonata," Eleanor tells him over the piano keys. "Beethoven."
"The first of three movements." Albert nods.
"With it being the first movement, it's not the most dynamic," She explains, her frown twisting into a smile. "Almost the whole piece is played pianissimo, only going as loud as mezzo forte."
The rhythmic melody practically glistens beneath her fingertips as she tickled the ivories.
"You play beautifully, my dear,"
She chuckles. "It's Beethoven's work."
Rising from the armchair, Albert runs a hand through his hair, making his way over to Eleanor at the piano.
"Beethoven described this piece as reminding him of the moon setting over Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. It's a beautiful piece."
The candle flickers on the lid of the piano, her gaze raising from the keys.
"What are you up to Albert?"
"Do you trust me?"
She falters in her playing and swiftly nods her head.
His warm hand caresses her cold cheek, tracing her jawline carefully as he stands behind her.
Silence fills the room, his delicate touch the same as hers was on the keys of the piano.
"Why did you stop playing?" He asks softly, his lips lowering to her ear.
A shiver runs down her spine, eyelashes fluttering closed. "I didn't mean to."
From whispering in her ear, Albert's lips kiss her neck, her hairline and neck still damp from the shower.
Eleanor's stomach flips and her hands leave the piano keys, reaching her fingertips into his wavy hair.
His hands gently skim her sides and she spins around on the stool. Their faces are inches apart, the flickering fire and candles the only light in the room.
"I've fallen for you, Albert." She breathes, tickling his skin softly with her words.
His eyes flicker to her lips when he slowly reaches a hand to the back of her neck.
"I love you, Eleanor."
Their lips tentatively brush against one another's, the taste of their lips finding each other as they kiss. Her hands travel up his torso, a gentle touch on either side of his neck.
Placing his other arm underneath her, he lifts her from the stool and cradles her in his arms.
Lips suckling on his neck, Eleanor's fingertips stroke his cheek and twist in his hair.
Their journey takes them upstairs and into Albert's bedroom, placing her delicately down on the silk sheets.
Swiftly flickering a lamp on, he studies her as she lays down, a yearning in the pit of his stomach. He makes his way over to her, her eyelashes fluttering closed.
His fingers slide the shoulder of the robe down and he presses his lips to her supple skin. Chest now bare, Albert's eyes roam her body as he hovers above her on the mattress. Her chestnut eyes open.
"I trust you, Albert."
Scattering kisses up her sternum, his lips meet hers, more hungrily than before. Her finger traces his jaw and she tilts her head to the side.
"Do you trust me?" She asks in return as they pull away.
Hands squeezing her bare sides tenderly, he nods. "I trust you, my dear."
Untieing his robe, her eyes study his toned chest and strong body, shuddering beneath him. "You're amazing, Albert."
"My beautiful Eleanor." He admires her breathlessly.
Her fingers rake through his curls and down his back, his shoulder blades tensing from her cool touch.
Stomach fluttering as his hot breath fans her neck, she inhales a sharp breath. Glancing down at her, he places a hand on her tense stomach.
"Are you alright?" He whispers in her ear, nibbling at her earlobe.
Her toes curl at the sensation and she nods. "I've never been better. I want you to feel my heart, to hear my soul speak."
Lowering his head to rest on her bare chest, he breathes in her rose scent, gaze trailing up to meet hers.
"Your heart is calling out for me." He tells her, reaching down for her hand and placing it on his chest. "What does mine feel like?"
She smiles up at him. "It feels warm, like home."
They both feel a fire inside of them, inside their soul, that they desperately want the other to feel.
Skin to skin, warmth radiating between them, they inhale each other like smoke —breathing in deeply, allowing their scents to fill their lungs, before exhaling. Their mark on each other remains, warmth persisting and a feeling of ecstasy-like high that lingers.
The rain hammers down outside, a cold gust of wind blowing through the eerily quiet house.
Head laying on his bare chest, Eleanor hugs into his side. A hand traces her back as Albert stares at the ceiling in deep thought. The sheet is pulled over them, insulating their warmth.
"Do you think William will kill Milverton?"
He raises his eyebrows, tracing circles on her skin. "William? I don't think so. Or rather, I don't know.
"But one of them must do it,"
Readjusting her position, her chin rests on his chest.
"Milverton will ruin all of our lives if he's alive after tonight. Surely tonight is his downfall?"
Albert reaches down to kiss the top of her freckled nose. "It wouldn't surprise me. But speaking of surprises..."
Reaching an arm over to the bedside table, Albert sits up and Eleanor follows his action, tugging the sheet up to cover her bare body.
Rummaging in the drawer, he clears his throat, smiling at her. "Eleanor, you mean so much to me. I've been trying to find the perfect way to phrase this all..."
She cocks an eyebrow suspiciously. "What's this all about?"
From his grasp, he reveals a small velvet box, opening up the lid. To her surprise, a gold banded engagement ring sits neatly atop the cushion.
The oval-shaped green peridot diamond is surrounded by two white diamonds on either side —delicate and classy.
Her eyes widen. "Albert, oh my goodness."
"Eleanor," His other hand cups her soft cheek. "I made a promise to you and I want it to be an official promise. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"
Lips curling into a grin, Eleanor nods her head vigorously, placing her hands on either side of his face. They share a tender kiss, embracing as she smiles from ear to ear.
"I love you, Albert."
They pull apart and Albert removes the ring from the box, slipping it onto her left ring finger.
"And I love you, Eleanor. I want to share my life and the world with you, all the ups and downs. Forever."
Entranced in their world, the pair wish to stay in this moment forever.
She pulls him in for another tight hug, her chest glowing from happiness. Albert's chest would do the same, was he not fearing for the worst. Darkness glosses over his eyes and he squeezes her tighter, wishing to never let her go.
No matter how much the pair wish that they could stay in this moment forever, forever may only be for tonight.
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