The Beau & the Beast

31 - Nutella

The dishbrush moved monotonously around the frothy saucepan, I tried to think but my skull was completely empty.

I had gone through more details with Marianne in the car and the tiny girl had stared at me with big eyes.

"Merde, Clockis ..." she sighed, "what was he thinking ..?"

"As always, he doesn't think. He only reacts when it comes to me." I answered her and surprised myself with my own insight.

She had decided not to show herself with us, but set off on her own adventures to find out the information we needed.

Days in the apartment without fresh air took the spark of life out of me. Conor worked nights and slept during the day and we barely saw each other, somehow it felt like it was exactly what he wanted.

Maybe it was a scent thing, to not increase the tension between him and the world he came from, or he just needed time to think, to sort things out at home.

As usual, I imagined that he didn't want to have anything to do with me, but then I reminded myself that he had actually hurried after me to the busstation, and then everything felt a little better again.

I realised that the burnt pan would never be clean, so I dropped it into the sink and turned off the water, dried my hands and walked over to him where he was sitting on a kitchen chair, checking his cell phone with a taunting frown.

"A penny for your thoughts."

His phone was pushed away on the table and his hands slid up to my waist as he easily pulled me down to straddle his legs. "I need to leave for a while," he replied, licking his lips. "I need a run."

I nodded a little and began to spin one of his locks of hair around my finger. "Promise you'll be careful."

He laughed and raised an eyebrow, "should be my line Princess."

I smiled faintly before collapsing with my chin resting against his shoulder. "I like you ..." I mumbled softly, "you know that right? And not just because- .."

"I know," he interrupted, "no need to say more."

"But I do," I mumbled even more quietly, "I don't want you to think that I -..."

"Listen Belmont," he said unusually softly and my heart fluttered as he used my name for once. It kind of never happened. It sounded nice when he said it, I thought to myself before he grabbed my shoulders to lean me back and look into my eyes. "This is not your fault, shit happens."

I sighed at his stubborn look, he was waiting for an answer, a confirmation that I would admit that he was right.

"But it's a part of my charming personality," I sighed in a slightly whiny tone, "wallowing in my anxiety over things I can't do anything about."

He shook his head as a smile burst into his face, "charming?"

My eyes narrowed and I pinched my mouth to a thin line, "charming enough to make you beg on your bare knees that I would move into your apartment," I replied contentedly.

"Careful," he warned and let his hands drop from my waist to the outside of my thighs, but despite the growling tone the smile remained, " I remember differently. It hardly required any further persuasion."

I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes, "no, because I can't say no to your commanding tone."

The smile grew wider on the wolf's face and his tongue slowly moistened his lips as he seemed to think about how he could use the information he just received.