She relaxed when she saw Alexx appear at the door with a warm smile. "Bath-time?" She asked and Zoe nodded as she put Ella back in the bathtub and knelt back down, happy that Horatio wasn't in trouble and that it was just Alexx that had come for a visit. "Mind if I join?" she asked softly and then entered when Zoe flashed her a bright smile and nod. She was very thankful that Alexx had visited as she needed a hand with the two babies, bath-time was fun but the twins could be a handful when it came to getting them ready for bed alone.
"Aunty Alexx loves bath time too!" Zoe cooed at the babies as the M.E knelt beside her and rolled her sleeves up with a bright smile. She plunged her hand into the warm bath and picked up a pink rubber fish and began to join in with playtime.
"She sure does," she grinned, delighted to see the twins. Seeing them enjoy their bath-time would brighten up the most darkest of days for anyone. She and Zoe sat back briefly when the babies began to splash the water out of the bath and towards them through exhilaration. Both giggled as they knelt forwards again and played with the toys, both guzzling up the warm feeling within their bodies. Alexx took comfort in seeing Zoe so at ease and relaxed; she knew that the situation had to be tough on her. "How are you doing?" The Doctor questioned warmly, hoping to keep the atmosphere bright and lively. She didn't want to spoil the moment for Zoe, but she wanted to know that everything was alright.
"Well, thank you. I'm enjoying bath-time as much as they are," she replied with a bright smile, but she was holding so much back, there was so much she wanted to confide in someone about the past few weeks, but wouldn't break Horatio's trust. If it were the other way around, she wouldn't want Horatio to divulge any information about her. She could sense Alexx's eyes watching her, analysing her responses and facial expressions, but she wasn't giving anything away.
"No help with bath-time?" She hoped to get Zoe to open up to her; she knew something wasn't right with Horatio; she didn't get any sort of response when she greeted him when passing the living room. Zoe didn't reply, she just shook her head with a gentle smile and focused on her daughters. "Zoe, you can talk to me," she tried again to coax Zoe into talking, but doubted it would work; she knew Zoe too well and if she wanted to keep something quiet, she would.
Sighing, she glanced over to Alexx as she washed one of the babies with a sponge. "Horatio is absolutely shattered, it's been chaos these past few days and I can't blame him for needing to rest, he's still unwell. He can't be kneeling on his knees with the injuries he's sustained. There's nothing wrong, I just want him to rest," she said with a soft tone, while she moved onto washing the other baby before beginning to play with them again.
It took a lot to keep herself controlled; talk of Horatio in the state that he is was difficult. He was just a shell of the man he was a few weeks back, she couldn't bear to see the pain he suffered with, she didn't want to think about it when she was enjoying quality time with the babies which made her truly happy. It was the only happiness she felt since his attack, just the thought of what Horatio had been through had her nearly welling up. She was running from the ordeal just as much as he, she'd much rather have gone through it herself. She knew what it felt like and had experience with dealing with such a thing, Horatio didn't. Sure, it would have broken her, but she knew she'd get through it with the help of Horatio. She wasn't so sure that Horatio would be able to build himself back up, even with her help.
"Firstly, Zoe, I know when you lie; you're a terrible liar. Secondly, I know there's something wrong because Horatio barely even acknowledged me, that just isn't right," she picked up another toy and glanced to Zoe again, waiting for her response.
"I'm just tired, Alexx… I'm not lying," she sighed and then watched Alexx engage with the babies again. She rinsed the bubbles off the babies and sat back on her knees. "Horatio is exhausted and we've not long got home from the hospital. He just needs time to rest. A couple days of relaxation will do him good, he just needs time," she said reassuringly, but knew she was lying to herself as well as Alexx. She wanted to believe that relaxation would do the trick, but knew Horatio needed help, professional help. She lifted Ella out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel before Alexx did the same with Isobel. Alexx just smiled; she didn't want to upset Zoe or make her feel cornered in her own home, so laid off with the questions and enjoyed the time spent with the babies. "If I need help, I will ask, Alexx," Zoe wanted to stem the M.E's fears as they walked through to the baby's bedroom to get them ready for bed.
Nodding, Alexx believed her, Zoe did just seem tired, nothing more, nothing less. She handed Isobel to Zoe after Zoe settled down in the chair with a book and sat both babies on her lap and a warm bottle of milk each. They were already enthused with Horatio or Zoe reading to them, even at the early age of 8 months. Perhaps they just liked to listen to their voices. Alexx stood at the doorway and watched the 3 of them, she felt a smile pull at her lips when the babies pawed at the colourful book.
Soon enough, they were nearly asleep, so Zoe put them down in their cribs and turned the light off after closing the blinds to block out the bright sunlight. Both Zoe and Horatio believed in keeping a routine, so putting the babies to sleep by 7pm every night was a must. Smiling at Alexx, they both wandered downstairs after Zoe picked up the baby monitor. Following Zoe into the living room, she saw Horatio sprawled out along the sofa, she'd never seen him so relaxed, but was relieved to see that he was comfortable. He likes rugby? Alexx questioned herself, she'd never seen Horatio take any interest in the game before.
Zoe slowly said down by Horatio's legs and placed her hand on his hip with a gentle smile. "Would you like a coffee?" she asked, hoping she can pull his attention away from the TV that seemed to preoccupy him for the whole afternoon. She knew he hated watching sports on TV, he only ever watched a few games with her, but assumed it was just something to keep his mind off everything else. She hoped he would acknowledge her; it would be embarrassing if she'd just assured Alexx that everything was fine only for Horatio to completely ignore her too.
Turning his attention towards Zoe, he smiled and took her hand. "Please," he replied as he sat up next to her. Feeling gloomy, Alexx watched Horatio with Zoe; he seemed to completely ignore her. Perhaps he's struggling socially, it's not his fault. He wouldn't intentionally ignore me, Alexx convinced herself, but she did take solace in how he was with Zoe, it reinforced what Zoe had told her and that everything was alright.
Zoe nodded at Horatio with a warm smile, but felt very confused; his mood towards her had changed yet again, it was hard to keep up with him. I guess it's no different to living with me; my moods change as quickly as the wind too and he manages to deal with it, she thought to herself as she kissed the back of his hand. She felt her skin tingle as he touched her, she longed for his tender touch to return, she'd not held his hand properly in weeks. When she noticed that his palm was a little clammy, she reached up with her free hand to place it against his forehead to check his temperature. The chance of him catching an infection through his wounds was high, so was extra mindful about him developing a fever. He didn't seem to have one so lowered her hand and smiled at him again, he was probably simply a little warm since he had thick sweatpants on and a thick hoody, he could also be sweating because he's stressed. He could be stressed because of Alexx, he's not looked over to her once, she thought to herself.
"One coffee coming right up," she smiled and placed a light kiss on his cheek. She felt his hand tighten around hers as he took a deep breath and looked up at her. He held her in her place to stop her from getting up and leant over to her with warm eyes and a smile. He pressed his lips against hers and closed his eyes, she kissed him back lovingly but then felt his hand dance up towards her inner thighs. Embarrassment flooded her mind as she pulled back with an elated grin and slowly stood. "I'll be back with your coffee, Handsome," she felt his hand release hers as he sat back with a nod and saw his eyes drop to her breasts. She knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling, he wanted her in his arms, naked. She could see the lustful twinkle in his eyes.
Sensing the moment, Alexx quickly headed towards the kitchen to give them privacy, she saw that Zoe had become embarrassed when Horatio touched her thigh and didn't want to make either of them uncomfortable. Discreetly, Zoe picked up a cushion and placed it over Horatio's lap to hide his erection; she wasn't sure if he was aware of it so hid it save embarrassment if Alexx walked back over. She didn't want Horatio to have the added trauma of one of his colleagues seeing his arousal.
"I'll be back in a moment," she fanned her face with her hands in an effort to cool herself down having experienced a hot flush. She couldn't hide the gleeful grin that she entered the kitchen with. She prepared the mugs and flicked the kettle on before looking over to Alexx to see her observing Zoe's cheerful expression.
"It must just be me he's off with; he didn't even greet me when I spoke to him when I came in earlier," she said, feeling a little more sullen once more; she'd known Horatio for years and had never witnessed him so rude or withdrawn. "I'm sorry for assuming her was off with you as well, it's clear he's not. I should have believed you when you said all was well," she apologised.
"Alexx, don't apologise, you're a concerned friend and you wanted to be sure that things were okay. I do understand that. Don't take it personally, it's been through a lot and doesn't want anyone around at the moment. I can empathise with that as I know how he's feeling. Give it some time, he'll warm up to you again. Would you like a coffee too?" she replied warmly as she reached up into the cupboard for a 3rd cup, waiting for her reply, but she shook her head with a gentle smile.
"No thank you, Baby, I'm off soon," Zoe put the mug back in the cupboard and nodded at her. "Maybe that knock to the head some good, he seems very open with his feelings now, he was very reserved around everyone beforehand," Alexx said softly and watched Zoe nod at her, but Zoe knew it was that at all, she knew that Horatio just didn't care and if he wanted to show that he wanted intimacy, he would have done it in front of a crowd.
"He is recovering," Zoe admitted and then glanced back when she heard Horatio's footsteps trailing from the living room to the kitchen. He looked exhausted, but wired at the same time. "Hey Handsome, your coffee will be just a moment, the kettle has only just finished boiling," she smiled at him warmly but saw the lustrous gleam in his eyes. She hoped he'd behave as Alexx was no more than a meter away from her. Alexx diverted her gaze elsewhere after she'd seen Horatio's hard-on, it was hard to miss. Feeling her cheeks burn, Zoe felt mortified for Horatio; it wasn't his fault and she knew he'd die from embarrassment if he known Alexx as seen his excitement.
"Horatio, I'll bring this through to you in the living room, please go and sit down," she tried to get him to go back into the living room so the awkward atmosphere would disappear. Zoe knew Alexx was feeling incredibly uncomfortable, but Horatio didn't cotton on to Zoe's subtle hints. He slowly wandered over to her when she'd turned back to pour the boiling kettle into the two mugs and then wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing his nose into her hair, he inhaled and savoured her scent. She felt his lips press delicately into the nape of her neck, causing her nerves to fire up.
Well, he's definitely fine with Zoe, it really must just be me he's off with, Alexx thought as she looked elsewhere, but she was happy that Horatio was displaying his love for Zoe a lot more openly since he was always very reserved in front of others. But perhaps he's swung the other way from being too shy to share his love with Zoe publicly to over-doing it.
Alexx hurried out of the kitchen to give them some privacy, she wondered if it would be best to leave, but didn't want to seem rude. Feeling Horatio's large arousal pressing against her lower back, all Zoe wished for was privacy, she knew that Horatio would hate to realise what he was doing when Alexx was stood beside them. He grunted as he breathed her in, wanting her bare skin against his as he passionately mouthed at her neck, he knew it drove her wild and turned her insides into jelly. "Horatio," she tried to bring him into reality, to get him to back off as they had company, but he seemed to ignore her. She quickly put the kettle down as he lifted her shirt and moved both his hands over her warm skin.
"Horatio," she tried to gain his attention again before he moved his hands to her breasts to squeeze them lightly. Her knees felt weak, she wanted nothing better than to be alone with him, but she couldn't change the situation. She could feel her skin tingling while another hot flush cloaked her body. Squeezing her breasts again, Horatio began to rub himself against her but she quickly took hold of his hands and removed them from her chest. "Horatio, not now please!" She quietly warned him and tried to step away, so he couldn't touch her with his magical hands.
However, he held her against him, pressing his hardness into her back while Alexx remained in the hall, wondering what she should do. Zoe managed to get herself under control, having briefly been swept away by his sexual hunger. "Horatio, we have company," she tried to push him away, but he began to use more force as he grinded against her. She quickly removed his hands from her body again when he tried to group her once more. Zoe's heart leapt; she was very conscious that Alexx was still in the hallway, probably feeling uncomfortable still. Horatio was clearly having some difficulty with understanding the situation. She knew that if he continued on, Alexx would intervene as he would be on the borderline of assault, Alexx wouldn't stand for that and would report it to Nathan, who would drag Horatio away again.
"It's hot in here," he groaned as his right hand snaked down her body and into the top of her jeans. His breathing deepened as his sexual desire grew. Zoe knew it would tear Horatio up more if he were taken back to the hospital for nearly assaulting her, she didn't see it as assault, but she was sure Alexx and Nathan would. She began to worry how far Horatio would go when she pulled Horatio's hand out of her jeans and tried to push him back again.
Having heard the struggle going on, Alexx stepped back into the kitchen, she wanted to intervene, she could see that Zoe was trying to stop Horatio but Horatio wasn't listening. "Alexx, privacy, please," Zoe ordered the M.E. when she saw her appear again, but Alexx didn't know what to do; it was clear Horatio was too strong for her to handle but she couldn't just go and pull him off. As a friend, she wanted to leave them too it, she was sure that Zoe would like the privacy so she could have some time with Horatio, but as a Doctor, she couldn't leave; she believed Horatio would go too far as it was clear he wasn't thinking straight.
"I think you'll have to be on top for the next few weeks," Horatio hummed as he pulled her hips closer to his, feeling the pleasure pulse throughout his brain.
"Horatio, this is your last warning, stop now please," she was stern, but he didn't take any notice, he was gagging for it. She could feel the passion and lust in the air, and if they were alone, she would have joined Horatio. Alexx stepped towards them but Zoe shot her a dangerous look, a look to tell her to walk away before she explodes. Zoe needed to control the situation herself, she couldn't have someone step in to pull her own husband off her. Horatio's hand disappeared into her jeans once more when Zoe felt a small amount of anger building up; Horatio hadn't listened to her and she was going to make him stop. She flashed a sincere look at Alexx, a warning, signalling that she should leave but it was obvious that Alexx was very conflicted. She'd frozen to the spot; she had never experienced anything of the sort.
Alexx was reaching her last straw, she couldn't watch the situation unfold further and since Horatio had got Zoe into a position where she couldn't and wouldn't fight back, she felt it was up to her to stop it before it went any further but she wondered if she would be stepping out of place. She was incredibly concerned for both Horatio and Zoe. She was afraid for Zoe's sake, had this happened before, will it happen again? What if she weren't there, would Horatio force Zoe into a sexual act, or would Zoe happily oblige? Questions prattled through the Doctors head as she weighed up the pros and cons of intervening.
Zoe understood exactly how Horatio felt; she'd been in the position before - she'd tried to engage Horatio into a sexual act after her head injury, she understood the intense feelings and need, so she didn't blame him at all. Horatio was only able to stop her because he was stronger than her when she came on strongly to him.