Disclaimer: Not mine.


Part Two

Three hours later with his hand bandaged, Red emerged on the deck. He leaned against the guardrail and scanning the crowd of swimmers, he searched for his Lizzie. He had decided that it would be best to join her, after some very hard thinking. He didn't feel comfortable leaving her all alone on a ship like this, clad only in those two pieces of red nothing with a pack of hungry wolfs on prowl. When he spotted her, he carefully drifted to Lizzie's deckchair and simply observed her happily for a moment.

On the other hand, Red mused as he felt his blood heading south, seeking her out was a bad idea. Think about something nasty.

He was casting a shadow over her and it got her attention. Lizzie moved her head a little to the side and gazed towards him. Her voice was a little unsteady when she asked, "Red?"

"Hello Lizzie, mind some company?" He asked with a lazy smile while she squinted her eyes at him.

"I thought you didn't want to be here."

Her voice became slightly biting and Red sighed inwardly. He admired her stubbornness, but sometimes, like now, it was just in the way. "And I thought that we could, perhaps… not fight the entire stay here. You wanted me to accompany you, so here I am."

She remained silent and simply gazed up at him. He could see her mind working – she was annoyed, she was tired of him and she probably wanted to punch him. "Please, Lizzie. We could make it into a real vacation. I think I own you one anyway. Can't we pretend to be friends enjoying the cruise?"

"Ok, sure." Liz nodded finally. Red moved the nearest free deckchair right next to hers, fumbled with the parasol for a moment and then sat down. Putting down his sunglasses, he moved his hat into his lap just to be safe and smiled. He had changed into white shirt and blue trunks, and he didn't even feel ridiculous in it. Must be the scotch.

He looked around, making sure that no one was paying them any attention, thinking about possible conversation topics. He so wanted to hear her voice. He could never stand the silent treatment for long. "Would you… would like something to eat? You mentioned lunch."

Liz turned to the side and observed his face for a moment. Red smiled jovially at her and tilted his head to the left, as if asking her a question. He was curious what she saw when she looked at him like that.

"You are drunk. Unbelievable." She stated bluntly.

"Well." He wasn't, and he frowned and watched her face. She didn't look angry, maybe she was even a tiny bit amused and Red wondered why. He rubbed the back of his head and Lizzie even smiled at him a little, relaxing slightly in her deckchair and closing her eyes. He wanted to keep that smile on her face, and he selfishly wanted it to be directed solely at him. "I had a few drinks, yeah, but it wasn't that much. I think the heat is taking its toll on me."

"You know, I think you are more likeable like this – not so closed off. Pity I never really saw you drunk before." She was definitely amused and Red chuckled, willing to indulge her a little more, maybe even elicit a tiny bit of laughter from her.

"Didn't you?" He stopped and peered down at her. He decided against telling her how beautiful she was when she was smiling and watched her fondly instead. "That's because I never was. People are less cautious around me when they think I am ine…ine… drunk."

She laughed, relaxing fully, and Red grinned, joining in with his deep rumbling laughter. That's it, sweetheart, that's it.

"And you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you less cautious when you are inebriated?"

She was looking at him curiously. It had been so long since she looked at him so openly, with her eyes so bright and her lips turned upwards in a mischievous smile.

"Unfortunately, yes." He nodded, smiled and nodded again. "Fortunately, I am so easily distracted that I can't keep the conversation focused on anything important, so before you ask, let me tell you – I won't share any secrets with you, sweetheart."

"Somehow, I knew that even before you opened that big mouth of yours. Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

"On more than one occasion. I remember this time in my senior year…"

"Red, shut up."

"I thought you wanted company. You know, conversing and such…" He loved how open and peaceful she was now, and he intended to keep it that way.

"I wanted to relax."

"With me?"

Red's heart skipped a beat while Lizzie appeared startled at his question and her own admission. She shrugged and said, "You and your big head are blocking the sun. Move, please."

"As you wish." Red leaned back, putting his arm behind his head so he could still see her. In that moment Lizzie caught the sight of his right hand and she sat up quickly.

"What happened to you?" She leaned towards him and Red held his breath. Then he let it out slowly when she took his hand in both of hers and inspected the bandage.

Red swallowed and stilled completely, disbelievingly gazing down at her fingers wrapped so gently around his. She was touching him, she was willingly touching him, and she looked concerned. Lizzie was concerned for him.

"My fist might have met a wall." He whispered. He never lied to her outright, he couldn't. His pulse was thundering loudly in his ears while he waited for her to make the connection. Does she hear it, too?

"After we talked?" She looked bewildered and Red considered changing the subject, saying something unrelated and stupid, but he found that he didn't want to. He was tired of hiding what she did to him, how she made him lose control. He wanted her to know how deeply she could affect him. So, Red just nodded.

"Honestly, why did you punch a wall?" Her eyes found his and something in them stopped his heart for a second. Then it started to beat even quicker. His gaze flickered down to her lips and he smiled, grateful for his hat. Lizzie's lips should be illegal.

"Because I was an ass."

"That's nothing new." She unconsciously squeezed his fingers and Red fisted his free hand, so he would resist the urge to pull her closer.

"I don't want us to fight anymore, Lizzie, and it seems that I manage only to push your buttons whenever I talk to you." Watching her watching him was exhilarating. She had barely looked at him in the last six months, and having her complete attention for himself was intoxicating. Besides, she continued to hold his hand, just like that, like it was natural.

"I… can say the same. You, Raymond Reddington, punched a wall. I always thought that you never got angry, that you could never lose control."

He wished it was true – that way, he could have dealt with Tom Keen differently; he could have done so many things differently.

"Usually, I don't." Red gazed at her and then he smiled softly and reached out, touching her face gently. His own limbs were betraying him. "But you, Lizzie, you are just something special."

Lizzie looked at him for a few moments, her surprised eyes so impossibly blue, so impossibly wide. He saw a flicker of something in them, and then she lowered her gaze to their joined hands. Red desperately wished to know what she was thinking, what emotions she hid. Can she suspect something? Does she know?

She didn't start screaming or hitting him, so Red assumed that she was oblivious for the time being, his secret – which was rather obvious to anyone who happened to see them together – his painfully beautiful secret was safe for the time being.

"Let's get something to eat." She let go suddenly and stood up, wrapping the towel around her waist. "I'm hungry."

"Yeah, let's get something to eat." He followed at slower pace, his fists clenched tightly. For a moment, he had glimpsed heaven, and it was gone in a heartbeat.


Well, I had this story planet out, I really did, but these two just do what they want and the opinion of their ff writer doesn't matter at all.