2019-08 Home is where the heart is

[Fleur]

Why is he stepping away?! Did I say something wrong? Fuck!

Then he starts to pace around the room, just like Laurens used to do when he was worried or stressed.
“Being a Ghoul it was easier to…no it wasn’t easier. SC always asked me what I wanted he made me think about every thing he asked so we could both be sure it was my own choice… but now I think it might just have been an act. I don’t think I could have denied him anything.
Just that one night, one time I managed to say no and not drink his blood when he offerd”

Talking about the attack is not something that helps in the amount of comfort in the room. Fleur makes her hands into fists when he mentions that night.
“Parker is an amazing guy, he knows so much, even about the kindred world. But he worries to much, way too much for it being healthy. That night… I was afraid to lose him.
Did he tell you we lost each other when I went back for…” Fleur breathes in deep looking at the floor now, not wanting to start to cry “for Dusza. I found her and went to the meeting point but when I got there Parker was gone, he had run back to the burning building to find me”

She got side tracked, this wasn’t the subject they where talking about, she clears her throat and nods
"Yea i think you can teach both Parker and me more about how to work with the bonds that bind us"

[Duncan Ackerley]

The way Fleur talks about Sinclair makes him cringe, his face twisting visibly into an emotion of disgust. He doesn't want to know that someone treated her that way. Especially not someone who would potentially be her Sire, if Vid hadn't interrupted that proces with being interested as well. Vid had mentioned killing him before, maybe that has something to do with it. He feels a shiver going down his spine at the thought of what kind of a fucked up relationship those two are in, as well- at least that's what he's assuming from having heard everything he had from Thomas, Vid and Fleur- and it makes him nauseous that Fleur might still be somewhat involved in that. He really doesn't think she should be, she deserves better.

Better as in, you? Someone who's probably got the worst kind of fate in the end?

Fleur can see how Duncan's shoulder start to hang as he paces towards the couch, letting himself sink down on top of it. He brushes his hand through his hair with a rather frustrated gesture and groans softly, as if he's in physical pain. "He is," Duncan finally says weakly in response to her comments about Parker, apparantly agreeing on all points. "He's an idiot though."
He hears her voice almost breaking and looks over his shoulder, not quite at her, but then moves his hand to tap on the couch next to him in a gesture to sit next to him if she wants to. He continues: "No you didn't tell me. But I'm no' surprised."

He leans backwards, leaning his head on the back of the couch and closes his eyes with a frustrated sigh as he wipes his hands over his face and through his hair, finally settling on laying both arms on the backrest and just laying there for a moment. When she comments that he might be able to teach them something, he chuckles sarcastically. "Yeah- maybe. No' sure if Parker will listen though. The argument of potential death if he doesn' learn shite isn't terrifying enough apparently."

[Fleur]

"How can it be terrifying? Death will bring new things, I dont think he has accepted the loss of his family yet. He needs to accept his own dead"

She walks over to the couch and sits down a little away from him.

The distance is only there for a second as she then lets herself gracefully fall into his lap. Her head resting on his thighs now and those bright blue eyes looking up.

"What kind of things can you teach me?"

She studies the lines of his face. The little hairs that grow on his chin. The shape of his lips and so much more.
It feels good to take this small moment to truely look at him. This old young man.

[Duncan Ackerley]

"I mean final death," he says with a tired voice when Fleur seems to misunderstand him (or so he hopes). He has closed his eyes again and only feels how she sits next to him, the distance enough for him to realize she might not want to have him around- at least that's the thought that immediately comes to mind. Don't assume, Dunc- she deserves more than that.

He can't help but open his eyes in surprise and look down at Fleur as he feels her approach after all and she lets her head rest on his lap. For a moment, he drowns inside those pools of blue, but then he blinks and smiles bashfully. The questions comes unexpectedly however and he frowns, not sure what to answer for a moment. It's not difficult to notice her observing him and even if he feels a little uncomfortable under the attentive, studying gaze, he still enjoys it. At least it means she still likes him.

He thinks about it before he says: "I don' know-" he finally says in honesty. "I don' think I'm the righ' person to teach anything to anyone." Instead of making it about himself again, he turns the question around. "Wha' do you think you can teach me?"

[Fleur]

What can she say to that? Ofcourse she knows he is talking about final death, but she knows that death is not the end of a journey.

He looks at her and his sweet smile is just the thing she needs. They don’t need to talk about death and hurt. No need to discuss all the horrors in the world and how they can’t save it. She feels how the stress falls from her shoulders. Her heart beating light and happy. Putting the worries aside for this moment.

When he turns the question around, she lifts one of her hands to gently touch his cheek.
“Anything if you are willing to listen and figure things out” the look in her eyes is one filled with simple love.
“Together”

[Duncan Ackerley]

Instinctively he leans into the hand that Fleur lifts, the roughness of the stubble tickling her hand as he rubs his cheek against it. He chuckles softly when she speaks- he sometimes can't get over how romantic she can be- and nods.

"I think I'd like to just-" a slight blush colours his cheeks pink. "-cuddle for a moment." It wasn't that he meant something else entirely by it (although he wouldn't mind that either), it was more that he never asked someone to cuddle before. Well, not since he was a small kid.

"Is that okay?" he checks, a slightly bashful gaze finding hers.

[Fleur]

The pink in his cheeks makes her heart melt.
Cuddles can be healing and the best thing in the world.
In the rooms upstairs two beds are made up. One for two persons to sleep in and one spacious single bed. Enough space for one, two would have to cuddle.

Thry could go upstairs and cuddle over there. Fleur nods to him and smiles while she gets up, thinking if she should drag his sweet butt to the staircase.
She snuggles herself around him, arms gently holding him and soft kisses that land on his cheek.
"Where do you want to cuddle?"

[Duncan Ackerley]

Duncan shrugs, not really knowing what he would like. It doesn't really matter, as long as he can hold her or the other way around. And just enjoy the moment they have together, because he's never sure how long those will last and how much more often he can enjoy them. Especially not since he's been so openly affectionate to her last gathering- he wants to trust people, but he can't. Not after what happened.

"Anywhere," he says with a sheepish grin, "Upstairs has a lot of space righ', with the bed?" He nods towards the staircase, seeing that she was already standing up. "Seems you made up your mind." He gets up from the couch with a groan and grabs her hand, letting her lead him upstairs.

[Fleur]

"Well i did make the bed really nice" she mutters while her cheeks turn red.

Hand in hand they go upstairs, in the hallway there are three doors. Fleur quickly identifies the rooms behind "bathroom, spare bedroom" and leads him to the door on the right.

Once they have both enterd the pitch black space (clearly sunlight proof) she switches on some soft lighting. The bed looks mostly like a pillow fort. The high wooden beams that surround it are decorated with sheer white curtains, christmas lights are draped between the fabric and the whole bed gets a fairytale meets hotel vibe. Crispy clean, but whimsical and fun.

Fleur wasteds no time and pulls Duncan towards the bed.
She kicks of her shoes and lets herself fall, pulling Duncan with her.
Immdiatly she wraps her arms and legs around him in a tight cuddle, only letting him go so he too can take of his shoes and get comfortable on the bed.