"STEALING HOME"
Rated M for coarse, salty, suggestive language and situations of the best kind. As long as I continue writing, this below is an enthusiastic 'thank-you-selfie' to "Selfie", along with gratitude to EK, KG, and JC.
Summary: What happens after Eliza gets naked in front of Henry and the screen fades to black? What could've, should've, might've happened after the elevator scene in 1x09: I'm following through on an AU, and I'm taking these two for a good little ride. Big callback to 1x05.
"You sure you want to head home right now?"
"No ... I'm not ..."
The elevator doors opened with a flourish, the arrival announced with a resounding 'ding'.
He stormed out into the hallway, and turned sharply to the left, speeding towards his destination. So quick was the pace, he almost ran into the naked woman in front of him.
Eliza was contemplating ...
Henry and I were going to be together ... or else ...
She stood outside her apartment door for a minute, letting that thought wrap around in her mind; what she wanted was to wrap her legs around his. She had barely registered the elevator's arrival, when she turned around and saw the man in question, a very determined Henry bearing down on her, like a hungry ... cat. A hot molten surge of arousal struck, deep within her sex, shooting straight up into her brain, and settling back down around her heart.
He stopped just in time. He stretched his hands out to stop himself from colliding with her. As his hands inevitably connected with her shoulders, images rushed into his head.
Smooth skin. Golden skin. Skin on skin. Golden necklace, the charms. Her charms ...
A red silky halo. Hair up, strands spilling over, uncontained ...
Firm ample breasts. Rosy perky nipples. Pink areola haloes ...
His eyes, so hungry, he couldn't help himself. Eyes to her soul, to deep wants and desires. He saw her, he drank of her presence, thirsty, hungry. He closed his eyes and breathed. Slowly, deeply. Her scent, close to her. Echoing in his mind was a single word on repeat: Eliza, Eliza, Eliza ...
I'm on fire. And she's the only one who can put it out.
His jacket remaining slung over her shoulder, she made no attempt to cover the rest of her body. She might've been fascinated by the fact Henry made no move to cover her. She wasn't concerned by that; the hunger on his face convinced her what they really wanted was to be in a zero-clothing state ...
"Henry? You're back. Is there something I can help you with?"
She could see him swallow, his neck bulging. She exercised remarkable self-restraint, her overwhelming desire was to lunge forward and plant her mouth on his throat, to leave a mark or two or three ...
"Yes. I realized I hadn't given you an adequate response. And I'm always about giving you a proper answer, aren't I?"
"Yes ... yes, you are ...," she supplied thoughtfully. "So what's my question, hmm?"
"I ... I ..." His mind was kicking into overdrive, and his face crumpled. A little bit of shame, a little bit of decency.
She knew where he was stuck. "You don't want to head home right now, do you, Henry ..."
"No ... I don't ... god help me, I don't ..."
He wants me! He really wants me!
She wanted to jump for joy, but decided to play it calm for the time being.
"I know. I broke up with Freddy. And you don't love Julia."
"No ...", he replied, deciding that lying to her and himself did them both no favors. Not now. "I don't ... but I'm still with Julia. Wait, what was that about Freddy?"
"I broke up with Freddy."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She smiled.
"Uhm ... you're ... still ... very naked ..."
The growing smile on her face became a playful smirk. "Nothing escapes you, Henry ..."
Grateful for her reprieve, he laughed. "Okay, could we go inside your apartment? Please?"
She nodded, a small knowing grin. Interesting, she thought. He still hasn't asked me to cover up.
Eliza set her purse down on the ceramic tiled floor, and she deliberately bent over to dig for her apartment keys. She'd already given Henry a nice long look of her body, but now she gave him a good look at her long shapely legs in a line up to her legit rounded juicy doubles. Her head tilted just enough to the side, so she could see the effect she was having on him. She saw his torture, the agony in his voice as he muttered, "Oh God ... sweet Jesus ..."
Perfect.
She opened the door and walked ahead of him into her apartment. Behind her (and what a 'behind' she has!), he closed the door quickly, his back against the door.
"You don't play fair, Eliza."
"Who said anything about fair? Besides, I'm not done playing ... "
She turned around, one hand still clutching his jacket over her shoulder, the other hand on her hip. A vision of beauty. A vision of sex he could simply take, which he knew, he absolutely knew she would willingly give if he asked. That alone was turning him on. And yet ... and yet ...
"Eliza, you're not making this easy for me ..."
"No, I'm not. Matter of fact ..." she looked down. "I can tell I'm making it hard ..."
He moved to cover his groin, but decided he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Eliza, could you please cover yourself?"
She eyed him for a moment. Decision made, she slipped one arm through, then the other; wrapping one jacket flap over the other.
"Didn't you say you were going to give me a proper answer?"
"Uhm ... yes ..." Looking at her now, he forgot what he was going to say. It was unfair how good she looked, how sexy she looked wearing his jacket on her naked body. Frankly, if someone asked him a pointed question, he'd have real trouble giving a smart lucid answer.
Raising an eyebrow, she folded her arms. "Well? I'm waiting ..."
"I think we should both back away, just a little from what's happening ..."
"Liar! I can tell your feelings are the complete opposite of what you're saying."
"It's not just that ..."
"What is it? Tell me how you feel ..."
"If there's one thing I hope I've imparted to you over these last few weeks and months, it's that I hold decency and honor in very high regard ..."
"God, Henry! What's that even supposed to mean?!"
"It means ... there's still the fact I'm with Julia."
Oh. That. That ... little ... complication ...
"I ... I understand. Before you can be with me, you have to deal with mini pocket lady Doctor Peen ..."
"Please don't call her that, but yes, I have to ..."
"You have to ...?" She looked at him, an interested look, an important question on her face.
"... break up with her ..."
"Because ...?" It was like pulling teeth with him ...
"... because I want you, Eliza. And you're driving me crazy."
"Aha! Knew it! That's my point, Henry: I live to drive you crazy; it's been a goal of mine to make things interesting for you."
"Gee, thanks. Truth is, Eliza, I'm beginning to understand just how interesting you make my life with every passing day ..."
They looked at each other for a long moment, unwilling to break this warm easy spell.
"I think I should go, Eliza."
"I know. I don't want you to go, but I get it, I do ..."
He came closer, put his hands carefully on her shoulders, and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. He was giving her a promise, something very good, very soon.
"May I have my jacket now?"
"Yes ..." She grabbed the lapels of his jacket with both hands and opened the jacket slowly to reveal her naked body. Just like the last time at the elevator.
This time, he didn't flinch, continuing to look into her eyes.
She saw he had turned up his smolder by several notches, which she didn't think was possible. Wasn't she supposed to be seducing him, rather than the other way around? Now, she had new knowledge about him: that he could keep his clothes on, simply gaze at her, and turn her into a hot wet puddle. She handed the jacket to him.
"Thank you, Eliza." He noticed the blush on her chest above her breasts, blooming northwards.
She put her hands on her hips, thrusting her chest out slightly. "No, thank you, Henry. And god damn, H-dawg, you are turning up the smolder big time ..."
"I try, Eliza, I try ..."
"But don't make me wait too long, okay?"
"I won't, I promise." The bloom had arrived topside, turning her cheeks rosy red. "Good night, Eliza."
As he opened the door, she grabbed him by the shoulder, and turned him around.
"Eliza ...!"
"Henry, I want to give you something ..." She looked at him like a tasty morsel.
"I think you've already given me a lot ... mffffhfhfhf ..."
She shut him up by kissing him. She simply couldn't help herself.
Henry came up for air first. "Well, that was different ..." He was going to leave that kiss out of the upcoming conversation with Julia.
"Just giving you a share of the feels. Henry, and I'm letting you know where I stand. #standbyme ..."
"'Dooooley' noted, Eliza ... I really should get going ... I'll see you at work tomorrow?" I'm going to need a very cold shower, he thought.
She reluctantly let him go. "Totes..." I'm gonna need a cold shower, she thought.
He opened the front door and turned around.
"Please ... go ... `cuz if you don't go, I swear on my Monokini and Louboutins I'm never letting you leave!"
"Okay okay! It's hard for me ..."
"Yeah, I can still tell ..." She looked pointedly at the bulge that just wouldn't quit. She lifted a finger to her mouth, which at one time would've been a calculated move. Now she was ready to pounce and eat him alive ...
"The fact you're working that sexy finger-in-your-teeth look is NOT helping! Sooo hot, trust me on that ..."
"Oh, I trust, Henry. I trust ..."
He grunted a noise out of frustration, and reached for her.
What he couldn't say in words, he expressed with his mouth. They traded and sparred with their lips, exchanged and played with their tongues.
This would become their newly established language, one with steady sufficient osculation. Partners of a different kind.
Slowly, they opened their eyes. He saw fire and alabaster, and reached to caress her cheeks with the back of his finger tips. She saw into his eyes, deep impossibly dark pools to drown in. Wonder mixed with growing belief, his fire, her fire, and putting it all together in real time, into something neither had known before.
Without words, they separated, arms stretched until each other's touch vanished from the others' finger tips. He walked backwards from the open door, down the hallway, and into the elevator. His eyes never left hers until he stepped inside the elevator car.
The last thing he saw was the spark in her eyes, the shock and awe on her face, her fingers on her lips.
On the way down to the ground floor, he braced himself against the closed doors.
What am I doing?! This is completely unlike me, but I can't lie to myself any more. She's the one I want.
He hummed the tune to "Hollaback Girl" on the way to his car, and onwards to an uncomfortable but necessary conversation at Julia's.
Body cooled by the shower, face scrubbed, and teeth brushed, Eliza sat in bed, thumbing through her phone's camera roll. As a queen of social media, Instagram was an exceptional tool in her arsenal of cool. But letting Henry leave (mistake! but the right mistake), her brain switched on, tuned in on the search for just one picture.
To the selfie she took of her, him, and the majestic horse he rode on. For all intents and purposes, he had declared his love for her then and there. Although he didn't actually say he loved her ...
After posting that combo selfie on Instagram, the picture received a few comments: some asked who the guy was, while others gave the picture the 'thumbs down'.
Jelly much, betches?
Before deleting the photo from Instagram, the selfie had the one lonesome 'like' from user 'the_henry_higgs': the most important 'like' of all. Thankfully, she hadn't had the heart to delete the picture from her camera roll. Very thankful.
She ran her finger slowly up and down the screen, caressing Henry's face in the image.