IX.
The Lieutenant steps into the lift when the doors slide open; clutching the cup of now not quite as hot coffee in one hand and Alec Ryder's bag in the other. Taking a few attempts to select the level she needs with the pinkie finger she has left to assist her. Cora feels the slight mechanical movement beneath her feet of the lift as it takes her up, past the different floors and finally to the fifth and top floor where she knows The Pathfinder has his room in the hospital. She hears the light ping as the doors slide open and she has access to the very highest point in the hospital, and somewhere reserved especially for the Theia Elite Medical Centre's most important patients.
Cora moves out of the lift, tightening her grip on both the bag and the coffee to make sure she doesn't lose either on the way to visit Alec. She takes a deep breath, feeling how nervous she feels and that she can already feel her heart pounding, her hands starting to sweat, and her legs feeling like jelly. She wasn't sure if she could handle another argument or another of his times of being so unkind to her. But, she hadn't seen him for almost a week and as much as she hated to admit it, she did miss him and was concerned about him. They hadn't spent this much time apart for a long time, and there was still part of her that loved him. Cora sees that there are only two doors on this whole floor, and that alone showed how peaceful and perfect for getting better this place was.
She places her hand over the panel of the door that she has been told Alec is currently in, watching as it instantly slides open to give her access. Cora opens her mouth to call out his name but notices him at once; stood in front of the large expanse of glass windows that run the whole length of the building, giving him the perfect view of the station. He stands with his hands clasped behind his back and Cora notices how quiet it is in the room, no music, no noise, just Alec Ryder and his thoughts.
Cora takes a moment to look around at his room, all the comforts of home but with a very white and sterilised finish to everything that only a hospital can have. She can see that he has a large comfortable bed, a seating area, a bathroom, and a small area to prepare food and drink if he'd require.
"Alec.." Cora says, just loud enough so that he'd hear her across the room but not too much to startle him. She didn't want to give him a heart attack. "Can I come in?" She adds suddenly worried that he hasn't heard her.
"Harper?" Alec replies as if he's suddenly heard her and glances over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" He asks and she sees him lower his hands and turn to face in her direction.
"I thought you might like a real coffee." Cora begins and lifts the coffee to show him that she has one for him. She sees him smile and decides it was a good idea to have brought it to him. "I doubt you've had a good one for days." She adds and watches as he nods again and lowers his eyes from her.
"It feels like forever since I've seen you.." The Pathfinder begins and she sees him suddenly vault from where he stands over at the window and across the room to the sofa, using his augmentations to cross the distance in a blink of an eye. He jumps over the back of the sofa and moves to sit down on it, just as white and clean as everything else in the room. "Come, sit." She sees him wince a little as he sits but then he looks up at her and pats the space next to him.
"I see your feeling better?" Cora asks seeing him look in her direction and nod, a smile at the corner of his mouth. He was certainly looking better, but she'd seen the pain he was in after his showing off.
Cora pauses, trying to decide if it was a good idea to be willingly letting herself sit close to him. She didn't make good decisions around this man, and she'd come here not just to bring him coffee and his favourite book, she'd decided she wanted him to know that she was trying to move on. Cora notices that he's watching her, his eyes on her expectantly. She sighs quietly to herself and closes the gap between them and strides across the room until she reaches his seating area, lowering herself to sit beside him and passes the coffee to him.
"Sorry, it's probably cold by now." Cora mumbles and watches him lift it to his mouth and drink deeply from it. She places his kit bag on the small table and sees him smile when he sees it. "I thought you might need some more clothes." Cora nods.
"It's perfect." Alec smiles and places the cup in front of him; he reaches towards her and takes hold of her hand in his. Cora knew he hated anything but very hot coffee, and that was tepid at most. "I'm sorry for how I spoke to you." Alec continues making Cora sigh and move her eye to their hands. "Cora.." Alec whispers making her look at him, he didn't call her that very often. She feels him place his hand on her cheek and lean towards her.
"I also have your jumper." Cora replies quickly turning her head and managing to avoid his mouth on hers, instead, he kisses her cheek and she sees him sigh and look disappointed. She really didn't want to be dragged back to him like she had so many times before, not now she was so close to moving on and starting a new life without him. But sometimes he felt like a drug, one you knew was really bad for you; but a drug that felt so amazing at the time so you just want more.
"Why won't you kiss me?" Alec asks and she feels his eyes on her. "Didn't you hear when I said I was sorry?" He adds making her give him a light smile and nod. Rinse and repeat.
"Don't you want to see what I have for you?" Cora asks standing up from the sofa and reaching to unzip his bag, before she can finish with the zip she feels Alec reach towards her and take hold of her wrist in his hand and pull her down onto the sofa next to him, making Cora wince at how tight he holds onto her arm. "You're hurting me, Alec." Cora whispers fixing her eyes on him, she watches as he quickly realises and lets go of her.
"I'm sorry." Alec begins and she feels him trail his fingertips over her forearm where he gripped her. "It's the modifications. I don't know my strength." He adds and she just nods lightly, not wanting him to see how much he'd hurt her, or have him unleash his strength on her.
She was sure there would be bruises tomorrow. He'd never hurt her like that before and it was making her realise she was making the right decision about not being with him. Cora taps her finger discreetly against the command on her Omni that she'd had ready, ping location to Scott Ryder. He'd told her to, and as much as she'd hoped it wasn't going to go badly with Alec, his intensity was unnerving her.
Cora slides forward in her seat again and reaches for his bag, she finishes unzipping it and reaches in to pull out his book, and favourite jumper. Cora glances over her shoulder and sees Alec sits on the very edge of the sofa and that he smiles when he sees what she has brought him.
"Would you like me to wear it now?" Alec smiles and leans forward again and takes it from her, he holds it in both hands and begins opening it from the bottom so that he can pull it on over his head and arms. "I love this jumper." Alec laughs lightly and shakes his head, she knew he didn't get attached to many things, but he was attached to this.
"I love you in that jumper." Cora gives him another small smile. "Someone wonderful must have bought it for you." She adds hearing him laugh again, a laugh that he used to make when they were happy. The same laugh he'd had when she'd turned up with it, poorly wrapped but bought by her with love for him.
Cora picks up the book and looks over her shoulder at Alec who sits back on the edge of the sofa again, she sees him grip the cushion in his hands, his palm resting against the white material.
"Harp." Alec whispers and she feels his eyes on hers again. Alec Ryder was such a bad, but an amazing drug. "Come and sit closer." He whispers again and lifts his hand to beckon her with two fingers.
"Is that an order?" Cora laughs, regretting it the moment she does when he smirks and nods his head. "We can't do this anymore Alec. I'm tired of feeling like this and having my heart broken." She sighs deciding she was tired of their games, and she should just leave.
Before she knows what has happened Alec has closed the space between them and moved towards her; she feels him lift his hand to her face and draws her mouth against his in a hard and demanding kiss. Cora drops the book to the table and wraps her arms around him as she leans into his body and lets him engulf her in a tight embrace, her head shouting at her to run but his familiar touch making her body betray her. She feels his tongue teasing her lips open, and his mouth capturing hers, which makes her whimper.
"Doesn't that feel better?" Alec whispers when he breaks their kiss and she feels his hands on her back, down onto her hips, and slipping onto her waist as he tries to pull her closer to him.
"We can't do this Alec." Cora sighs feeling his eyes meet hers until he places his hand on the back of her head and pulls her into another kiss. She feels him cover her with his body, pushing her onto her back on the sofa but not removing his mouth from hers.
"Shh.." Alec mumbles against her mouth and she feels him sliding his hands beneath the bottom of her top and onto her stomach, making her suddenly realise what is happening and that she can't let him get his way again.
"Alec." Cora begins quietly and places fingers on his mouth, trying to stop his distracting mouth and hands. Cora notices that this makes him remove his hands from her and fix his eyes into hers. "There's something I need to tell you." She adds and sees him lift his hand to run it through his hair.
"Later, Harper." The Pathfinder whispers and she feels him lean towards her again, he places his hands on her face and fixes his eyes on her. "Let's take this to bed." Alec continues and she feels him place his hands on her waist. He quickly presses his mouth against hers in another possessive kiss, his hand coming to rest on the back of her neck to hold her in place so she can't pull away.
"Stop." Cora huffs and breaks his mouth from hers; she places her hands on his chest, pushing him back from her. "I don't want this anymore." Cora adds trying to move out of his grip and hearing him start to laugh.
"Of course you do." Alec laughs and shakes his head at her. "You love me, you want me." He adds leaning towards her again; she feels him reach for her again and grip her waist tightly beneath his fingers. "Why else would you be here if you didn't want me to take you to bed?" He laughs again and she doesn't hear any humour in it.
"I have to go." Cora whispers but he places his hands on her shoulders, keeping her close to him. "Alec, stop." Cora says again taking hold of his hands and moving them from her body as she sees him sigh and shakes his head lightly. "I came here to tell you that I've moved out of the apartment." She hears him scoff at this. "And that I'm seeing someone." She adds quickly, seeing his eyes on her again and that he narrows them.
"Seeing someone?" Alec begins and she watches as he lifts to rub the edge of his finger against his lips as if he's thinking about kissing her again. "That didn't take long." She hears him suck his teeth for a moment and look back at her waiting for her to reply, but when she doesn't he continues. "Yet here you are.." He whispers.
"How can you say that to me?" Cora widens her eyes in surprise as she leans back from him "You broke up with me, remember?" She huffs and shoves him hard in the chest when he tries to take hold of her again, placing his hands tightly on her biceps.
"Let me guess." Alec begins and his grip tightens on her. "The man that you invited to our bed?" Alec continues and laughs lightly, but this time she notices it is cold and she feels his eyes on her, and that there is nothing but anger.
"Alec, please." Cora whispers and tries to free herself from his grip.
"Scott. Was that his name?" He adds making Cora struggle against him further and try to move away. "How many Scott's do you think there are on this station, Harper." He mumbles and grabs hold of her forearms in each of his hands again so she can't move, making her cry out when he does.
"Alec, stop. That hurts." Cora cries managing to pull one arm free and placing her hand over his and trying to loosen his grip on the other; she feels him tighten his grip and cries out again. "Let go of me." She adds managing to pull her arm away from him and twisting away as fast as she can, almost falling off the sofa backwards when she tries to put space between them.
"Get back here. Now." Alec growls and she sees the anger flash on his face as he tries to grab hold of her.
"SAM, location of Scott Ryder." Cora asks quickly and backing further away from Alec and rubbing her hands over the red marks appearing on her arms.
"Ah, Scott Ryder." The Pathfinder begins snarling again, standing up off the sofa and moving towards her. "There is all the proof I needed." Alec huffs when he hears her question to SAM. "You know, it was bad enough when it was some dirty grunt." Alec sighs and lifts his hand to rub between his eyes with his thumb. "But my own son?!" He shouts raising his voice.
"I didn't know who he was." Cora replies taking another step back towards the door. "We'd never met until that night." She adds but she sees that it doesn't calm his rage. "Alec, I'm sorry. It wasn't on purpose." Cora whispers and moves back again when she sees him huff and clench his fists at his side.
"Scott Ryder, current location T.E.M.C." Comes SAM's voice and Cora can't help but feel relieved to know he's close by and on his way.
"Does he know that you are a slut?!" Alec shouts, following her across the room as she retreats towards the door, him suddenly getting too close and making her press her back against the wall.
Cora pauses and considers fighting back, but she knew he was trying to bate her. Don't let him make you cry Cora, don't let him do this again. His words surprised her though, the Alec she thought she knew would have never said anything like that to her when she first met him all those months ago. As much as he was an asshole, he hadn't always been cruel and vindictive like he was being now.
"Cora?!" She hears Scott's voice calling from outside the room thankful that he has taken her location drop to him as a sign that she needed him. "Are you here?" He shouts and Cora fixes her eyes on Alec who has also heard his son arrive.
"I'm here.." Cora mumbles quickly backing further towards the door. "Scott, I'm here!" She shouts raising her voice so that she knows he can hear her, she is sure she can hear the sound of him running towards her direction, his feet pounding hard against the floor. She watches the door slide open and wonders what she'd do without him when he comes through the door.
"Perfect timing as always, Scott." Alec spits but Cora watches him take one look at Scott and back away from her; feeling even more grateful that he's there when Alec retreats to the other side of the room. "Getting involved where you aren't needed and it was about to get interesting." Alec mutters and she watches him sit back down onto the sofa.
"Fuck you." Scott throws in The Pathfinder's direction, which makes him laugh at his son's words. "What have you said to Cora?" He adds and she can tell from his body language that he is considering going across the room and confronting him further.
"Scott.." Cora croaks and holds her hand out to him; she sees that Scott turns his attention away from Alec and back to her. He quickly moves towards her and wraps his arms around her, trying to protect her from something he can't even start to understand. Cora can feel that he is breathing heavy and his chest rises and falls against her.
"Are you okay?" Scott pants and she notices that his face is flushed and has probably run across the station to get to her. Cora just nods and lets Scott move them away from Alec. "What happened?" He whispers and rests his chin against the top of her head, stroking her hair beneath his palm trying to comfort her. "It's okay." He adds, and she doesn't even know where to begin.
"Can we go home?" Cora mumbles against his chest and feels him nod and carefully let go of her, she watches him slam his palm against the door control and that he looks back at Alec who is still sat on the sofas in silence but watching them closely.
"Keep her. I'm done with her. I can find someone else to share my bed." The Pathfinder laughs. "I hope she satisfies all of your needs, Scott." He adds with another cold laugh. "But maybe you should ask yourself why she was about to sleep with me." He adds and Cora sees Scott move past her quickly towards him, which only makes Alec laugh louder when he sees this.
"Don't talk about her like that." Scott shouts as he gets closer to Alec. Cora watches Alec suddenly stand, sure she sees him activating an augmentation and knowing that he could floor Scott at any moment and break every bone in his body. She wasn't worried about Alec anymore, but she was worried about Scott.
"Scott, please. Let's go." Cora begins and closes the gap between her and the Ryder's as fast as she is able. She grabs hold of Scot's hand in hers and begins pulling him back towards the door. "He'll hurt you." She adds when she feels Scott stop moving against her and let her guide him back towards the door.
Cora watches as Scott flattens his hand against the door control again, harder than he probably should until it slides open again. Cora feels Scott take hold of her hand in his, and moves to place his other on her back so that he can move them both out into the corridor. She sees him quickly call the lift, desperate to get her away from the situation.
"I hate him." Scott huffs as they both enter the elevator when it stops on the fifth floor. Cora moves to the back of the lift and presses her back against the wall, hoping that it will hold her up on her shaky legs. She glances at Scott and sees him place his hands against the other wall, and she can see that he is clearly fuming. "Who does he think he is?" He adds making Cora sigh.
"This is what he does." Cora whispers and she hears Scott scoff at her response. "I'm used to it." She adds, realising how ridiculous it sounds to be saying that out loud.
"He can't treat you like this." Scott begins. "We have to report him, Cora." Scott sighs and she sees him rest his forehead against the wall, maybe trying to cool him down and stop him going back to Alec.
"We can't." Cora whispers and she sees him close his eyes and shake his head, banging his hands against the wall as if he's wishing it was Alec. "Scott, I can't report him." She adds hearing him sigh. "What would I even say?" She whispers and drops her eyes to her arms for a moment when she rubs her fingers against the marks again, feeling how much they hurt to the touch already.
"That he's a psycho?" Scott replies moving away from the wall and stepping towards her. "That he threatened you?" He continues and she feels his eyes on her so looks into his face. Cora sighs quietly to herself when he wraps his arms around her and she does the same. "Did he hurt you?" Scott whispers and Cora can hear the hurt in his voice. She'd dragged him into a very difficult situation.
"No one will believe me." Cora whispers and she feels him shake his head. "He's the Pathfinder, Scott. He's Alec Ryder." She adds and he only huffs further.
"He's not getting away with it." Scott huffs and she feels him let go of her and move his hands to her shoulders, he lifts one hand to her face and strokes her cheek gently with his thumb as he slides the other down her arm.
Cora feels herself wince as his hand comes into contact with the places that Alec had hurt her and knows that Scott has seen it. She feels him move his eyes from her face and down to her arm, his eyes reaching the red marks on her wrists. Scott lifts her arm higher so that he can see them better.
"Did he do this to you?" He asks her and lets his blue eyes rest on her face, the anger now being replaced by concern. Cora just nods her head lightly and sniffs, feeling the tears forming in her eyes. "Cora." Scott whispers and wraps her in his arms.
Cora isn't able to hold the tears any longer and they begin to fall so she presses her face against his shoulder, feeling all of the hurt that she's been keeping inside for so long flooding out of her as she sobs. Cora feels him rest his head against hers, as he holds her, not caring that the lift has reached the ground floor and that they should be leaving the hospital. She feels him move his hands to her back and quietly whispers to her that everything is going to be okay, trying to comfort her but also letting her cry against him.
"SAM send a transport to the T.E.M.C." Scott begins and Cora feels him loosen his hold on her so that he can check on her. He gives her a small smile as he lifts his hand to stroke her hair, his fingertips brushing it behind her ear before wiping her cheek with his thumb.
"At once, Scott." SAM replies and goes quiet.
"Come on, let's get you home." Scott whispers and leans forward to press a kiss against her forehead, he lingers for a moment before pulling back from her and reaching for her hand. Cora nods and sniffs again, lifting her hand to wipe her tears.
Cora lets him take hold of her hand in his, linking their fingers together as they walk out of the lift and through the corridors of the hospital. Cora immediately swears to herself that she would never step through the door again. She notices that everyone is going about their business around them, and no one has acknowledged them being there, or their departure. Cora feels Scott squeeze her hand as they walk through the large doors, trying to offer some silent support as they walk side by side towards the transport that is waiting for them.
When they've settled into the transport and Scott has selected their destination, she feels him watching her as they begin travelling towards the apartment sector at high speed. Cora sniffs quietly and glances at him but she sees he lowers his eyes and begins picking at some unseen thread on his knee. She knew that he'd heard what Alec had said about her, and she could see by the look on his face that he was trying to process that information. She notices that he looks hurt, but also confused, and she feels responsible.
Cora reaches over the console and nudges her hand against his, letting her fingers touch his which stops his fidgeting and makes him look at her. Cora gives him a light smile when he turns his hand over and takes hold of hers, making her feel reassured by his actions. She feels him rubbing his fingertips against the back of her hand as they sit in silence, her wondering if he was going to mention what he'd heard, but before she knows it they are pulling up to the apartments and he hasn't said anything.
"Wow, this is some place." Scott smiles as they walk hand in hand towards her new apartment, she watches him taking in their surroundings too. "Are you sure you haven't broken in?" He smiles at her and she knows he is trying to make her feel better.
"No." Cora smiles. "It's all ours." She adds and sees the corner of his mouth lift. "Put me down." Cora laughs lightly when he bends down and scoops her up in his arms, she feels him move his arm beneath her knees and the other under her arms. Cora wraps her arms around his neck and laughs again when he sprints up the stairs to the front door.
"Would you do the honours?" Scott asks and turns his body so that she can reach the door control. Cora presses her hand against it and sees him smile when the door slides open. "All ours, I like the sound of that." Scott sighs with a smile and she feels him step through the door, carefully turning so that her feet don't get caught on the surround. He looks around them at the apartment and she sees him grin.
Cora wraps her arms tighter around his neck when he moves further into the room and away from the door, carrying her she notices very carefully in his arms. She can see that Scott is trying to pay attention to where he is walking but that he keeps getting distracted by different things in the apartment, his eyes moving to the kitchen and then back to the large black sofa and fireplace.
"Right.." Scott begins and she feels his eyes on her. "Do you want to sit here?" Scott asks and she feels him lower her onto the sofa making her laugh when he does. "How about I go and run us a bath?" He asks crouching down on the floor next to her. Cora feels his eyes on her and can see that he is still looking concerned and there is worry behind his blue eyes.
"That sounds perfect." Cora nods and reaches her hand out to his face, stroking the stubble on his cheek, which makes him smile. She leans towards him as he stretches up on his toes to meet her, kissing his mouth gently. She feels him rub his thumb against her now dry cheeks, so relieved that he isn't showing any signs of leaving her on her own.
"I'll be back." Scott nods and kisses her again before climbing to his feet and heading in the direction that he thinks the bathroom is. Cora looks over her shoulder and watches him walking away and disappears through one of the doors.
Cora settles back into the corner of the large plush sofa, almost feeling like she might get lost in it. She pulls her legs up against her body and uses the toes of each foot to discard her shoes onto the floor, she spots a large soft-looking blanket on the back of the sofa so leans forward to take hold of it in her hands. With a gentle tug, she pulls it off of the sofa and wraps it around her shoulders, tightening it around her body and hugging it to herself for security more than warmth. Cora sniffs lightly and rests her head chin against her chest, trying not to let herself cry again when she thinks of what happened with Alec, but the dull ache in her arms and marks of his fingers was an awful reminder.
"SAM, administer 50 milligrams of medi-gel." Cora instructs SAM and immediately feels the pain begin to fade, and the marks looking less angry. She checks her stats and notices that they are raised, but beginning to lower as she tries to relax and let the pain relief work. She lifts her head when she is sure she can hear Scott talking to someone in the bathroom, not able to overhear him clearly she only manages to catch part of his conversation, but it is about her.
"..hurt Cora.." He says his voice low so that he isn't heard. "..doesn't want to report him.." She can also hear him mumble. "..I don't know what to do.." Comes another. "..worried about her.." She hears and that makes her sigh, poor Scott didn't need all this additional stress on his shoulders with everything else he had to deal with. "..Sara, I'm falling for Cora.." She hears this, but then he goes quiet and she wonders if he has moved to the other side of the bathroom.
Cora wraps the blanket tighter around her and turns her attention away from listening to Scott, and moves in place to make herself more comfortable. Of course, Scott would be calling his twin, she was the person he probably confided with above everyone else. Cora can't help but smile lightly when she thinks of his last comment; she was falling for him too. Cora glances over her shoulder when she hears the sound of him moving around and sees him walk out of the bathroom; he gives her a smile when he notices her watching him.
"Cora Harper." Scott smiles and nods in the direction of the bathroom. "Your bath is ready." He adds making her smile. "I was going to make a joke about hot and wet, but you get the idea." Scott grins.
Cora lowers her feet to the cold floor and stands from the sofa, dropping the blanket in a heap on the cushions. She watches as Scott crouches down to undo his shoes, his fingers tucking into the sides so that he can get them off of his feet. When he stands his eyes are on her again.
"What are you thinking about Scott Ryder?" Cora asks as she sees him shrug lightly and give her a small smile again realising he's been caught looking at her. It seemed strange to be calling him Scott Ryder; maybe he was more Scott than he as Ryder. She hadn't decided yet.
"Just thinking about how much you mean to me." Scott replies and she sees him lower his eyes for a moment and is sure he is blushing. Cora closes the distance between them and reaches out to place her hands on his biceps, her arms sliding up to his shoulders. She just wanted to touch him, suddenly worried that he was going to be leaving her now he knew the truth about Alec.
"Scott.." Cora begins as she moves her palms to his neck; his eyes are on her again when he hears her say his name. This time she notices that his eyes are travelling over her face, to her mouth, down to her arms and the angry red marks that his father has caused. "About what Alec said." She adds her voice almost a whisper as she struggles to say it.
"Is what he said true?" He asks and it is her time to lower her eyes. She wasn't ashamed of her relationship with Alec; they'd been two consenting adults and it hadn't always been bad. But she was ashamed that she'd allowed him to treat her like that for so long and for still loving him.
"Yes." Cora whispers and she sees him lower his head and place his hands on his hips, he huffs lightly and she sees him frown. "I'm sorry you had to find out like that." She adds and sees him bite his bottom lip and lift his hands to his face. "I should have told you." She adds with a sigh.
"This is a lot, Cora." Scott mumbles and she feels his eyes on her again. "How can someone like him.." Scott sighs and places his hands on his hips again, looking like he didn't know what to do with them. "Be with someone like you?" He adds and shakes his head.
"I know it's a lot." Cora sighs and nods, she lowers her hands from his neck and goes to move away from him. "As soon as I knew who you were, I should have ended it." Cora whispers but she sees Scott shake his head and take hold of her hands in his so she can't leave.
"No, don't say that." Scott begins drawing her attention to his face. "I would never have forgiven myself if I let you go." He adds and she feels him let go of her hands and slide his arms around her waist, surprising her but making her feel safe and comforted when his warmth surrounds her. "I just wish I hadn't let you go on your own." Scott whispers and presses his mouth against her hair.
"It's not your fault." Cora whispers against his chest. "This has been going on for a long time." Cora nods and rubs her hands against his back feeling him sigh. "He wasn't always like this. It wasn't always this bad." She whispers and sniffs lightly, not always as bad but it had been getting worse.
"Well, I won't let him hurt you again." Scott replies and she feels him squeeze her gently. "I promise, Cora." He whispers and she feels his mouth on the top of her head, realising that was a very big promise to be making and she wasn't sure if he could keep it.
"If only I'd met you before I met him." Cora mumbles and leans back from him, she notices that he smiles lightly; she could tell he wanted that too. She missed out on months of happiness with Scott.
"He didn't deserve you." Scott whispers and she smiles when he kisses the edge of her mouth when she looks up at him. "You deserve better than him." He adds with another kiss.
"That's why I have you." Cora smiles and takes hold of his hand when he lets go of her, guiding him into the bathroom with her.
She spots the large and deep tub in the middle of the room, filled almost to the top with hot water, bubbles, and exquisite scented oils. She notices that Scott has adjusted the lights so that they are low and small twinkly spotlights give it a romantic vibe.
"What do you think?" Scott asks and she glances over her shoulder to look at him. His kind and beautiful blue eyes look back at her. He steps past her and to the edge of the tub, leaning down and dipping his fingertips in to make sure it's a good temperature.
"Who knew you were such a romantic?" Cora smiles and sees him look back at her with a grin that tells her there is so much more she is going to learn about this man, and she was going to fall in love with every bit of him.
"I told you that first night we met." Scott smiles, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You have no idea how romantic I am." He continues making her laugh lightly, she was looking forward to finding out. "I said we only had time for sex or romance." He adds taking her hand in his and drawing her closer to him. Cora feels him place his hands on her hips and she raises her hands to rest against his chest. "Now we have time for sex, for romance, for falling in love." Scott whispers and leans forward and presses his mouth against her ear making her sigh.
"Are you trying to make me fall in love with you?" Cora giggles quietly and feels him bite gently against her earlobe, sending a shiver down her back when he does and goosebumps on her arms.
"Yes, I am," Scott replies and she feels him lean back and grin at her again. "Now, let's get in this bath shall we?" He mumbles and she watches as he lowers his hands to the bottom of his t-shirt and move as if he is going to start undressing.
"Let me." Cora whispers and she feels his eyes on her face again, giving her a small smile and a nod of his head. So far there had been a lot of tearing off each other's clothes or making the best with them on, so maybe it was nice to take this slow and enjoy the wait.
Cora places her hand on his waist, feeling how warm his skin feels through his clothes, and how soft his t-shirt is beneath her palms. She takes hold of the bottom in both of her hands and slowly lifts it, revealing more of his skin as she does until she can see his stomach and the hard muscle of his chest. She doesn't remove her eyes from his face when she notices his eyes are on hers. Cora helps him lift it over his head and off, dropping it to the floor before letting her hands trail slowly over his chest and down to his stomach. She smiles when she hears him sigh when she slides her fingertips around his bellybutton.
"Then let me." Scott whispers and she feels him move his hands to her hips, being careful not to hurt her she notices. He copies her actions and takes hold of her top in his hands, sliding it up her body and making her sigh and close her eyes for a moment when his fingertips lightly brush against her bare skin. She watches Scott helps her lift off over her head and drop to the floor with his before he slowly slides his hands up to her shoulders and down to her stomach. Cora feels her body tingle when he slowly trails his fingers up her sides and then stops beneath her breasts. She feels his hands move to her waist again, his fingers moving hurriedly along the length of her waistband to find the button when he finds it she feels him unfasten it with his thumb.
"You've done that before." Cora giggles when Scott kneels in front of her; he moves his hands to her waist and tucks his fingers into the top of her trousers, tugging them down her legs. Cora feels herself flush when he begins to press his mouth against the bare skin that he reveals and then feeling him nuzzle his mouth against the sensitive skin behind her thigh. He helps her step out of them and climbs back to his feet.
"Wow," Scott whispers and she feels his eyes on her and trailing down her body as she stands naked before him. She smiles at him again and bites her bottom lip. Cora giggles when Scott begins pulling off his trousers, kicking them away with his foot when he has stripped completely naked. "After you.." Scott smiles and motions to the bath.
Cora steps towards the bath and places her hand on the rim of the tub, carefully stepping over the top with one leg to start, followed by the other until she is stood in up to her thighs. She lowers herself into the hot water, watching the steam fill the air as she does and the smell of the oils reach her nose. She places both hands on the rim and lowers her body further into the inviting water, sighing as she does. This was exactly what she had needed.
"Let's stay here forever." Cora sighs and closes her eyes, leaning her head back onto the edge of the bath. She lets the warmth of the water engulf her and her mind move away for a moment about what she was going to have to face if she ever decided to get out of this bath. "I so hope we'll have baths in Andromeda." She adds as Cora hears Scott climb into the bath and lowers himself into the water as she had done, knowing his face would have the same blissful look hers did.
"You do look very relaxed." Cora opens her eyes and lifts her head slightly when Scott's voice pulls her from her quiet moment and brings her back to reality. "I'll make sure you get one." He smiles and she fixes her eyes on him as he lifts his hand out of the water and through the layer of bubbles. He gives her a small smile that she returns.
"This is exactly what we needed." Cora replies watching him look down at his hands again and then back at her, she feels him reach beneath the water and searching for her foot. Sighing when he begins to gently rub his thumb into her arch. Scott was so good with his hands.
"Yeah, and thanks for inviting me over." Scott smiles. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this." He adds and she watches as he looks around the large bathroom again. She hadn't noticed that the walls were covered in large mirrors, but when she looks past Scott she can see their reflection.
"It is pretty special." Cora nods as she trails her fingers through the bubbles, watching them dissolve beneath her fingertips as the steam rises from the surface. "Maybe you could stay here with me?" She adds and sees him smile.
Cora could feel how warm her cheeks were becoming from the heat, but it was doing wonderful things for aches, pains, and especially making the places she knew would be bruises tomorrow feel better. Cora feels his leg touch hers beneath the water as he moves to get comfortable but that he continues to massage her foot with his fingers.
"I'd like that." She sees Scott nod and feels him stroking his hand against her leg beneath the water. She watches at Scott lowers both of his hands, using them to lift palms full of water up to rub over his face and into his stubble covered chin.
"Me too." Cora smiles and tries to hide a giggle behind her hand when she watches Scott slide himself down into the water until his head is completely submerged. A moment later he resurfaces and drags his hands through his now wet hair. Cora watches him for a moment; he looked even better wet than he did dry.
"I don't think I've had a bath since I was a kid." Scott laughs; Cora wondered what his childhood had been like. It sounded like Alec was never a real father to his children and was absent while they were growing up but it also sounded like they had loved their mother very much.
"Were you always such a trouble maker?" Cora asks him seeing a smile stretch onto his face. He uses the back of his hand to splash a tiny amount of the bathwater at her for her comment. Cora leans forward and grabs hold of his hands so he can't splash her again and links her fingers through his.
"I was so much worse." Scott laughs when Cora sees him shake his head as if he is recalling a memory. "I acted out and got in trouble all the time like any kid who's father figure wasn't around." Scott nods, Cora can see that it is a difficult subject for him. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about him." Scott mumbles and lowers his eyes.
"It's going to be hard for a while." Cora nods. "But I want to know all about you." She replies feeling him lift his eyes to her again; she leans forward out of the water and brushes her hand through the front of his wet hair. She twirls a dark strand around her finger before letting it drop back onto his face. "It must have been tough for you." Cora adds as he nods. Alec had always told her that he was a terrible father to his children but she had always thought he was exaggerating the subject and just being dramatic.
"It was." Scott smiles. "But I had Sara, I can't imagine how it must have been for you." He whispers making Cora sigh lightly, losing her parents had been the worst experience of her life but in many ways, it had brought her to where she was now. She smiles again, feeling good that he'd remembered that they'd briefly talked about what had happened to her family.
Cora feels Scott places his hands on her legs, stroking his palms against her skin gently. She sees him lower his eyes again for a moment, she didn't want to push him to talk about anything that made him uncomfortable and she certainly didn't expect him to trust her with every part of him just yet. As quickly as this had progressed and as right as it felt to be together, she knew that it would take time for both of them to trust.
Cora knew she was going to find it hard to trust someone again like she had Alec, but Scott would be worth it. The months of Alec shutting down her talking about her feelings had taken its toll, and she hoped Scott would understand.
"I'm just glad I don't ever have to be alone again." Cora sighs as she takes hold of the edge of the bath again in her hands and pulls her body through the water, dragging herself closer to him. She watches Scott lift his eyes to watch what she is doing when he feels her place her hands on his chest and slide them up to wrap around his neck.
"I won't let that happen," Scott replies and she feels his blue eyes on her face before he rests his forehead against hers. "Even if you do think I'm trouble." He chuckles making her smile.
"You are.. Weren't you sneaking on board when I first met you?" Cora asks him when she sees him lower his hands beneath the surface of the water and place them on her hips. She smiles to herself when she feels him turn her away from him and draw her back into his arms. Cora moves to sit between his legs and lets herself relax into his embrace, resting against his chest. Cora smiles when he wraps his arms around her.
"How else was I ever going to meet you?" Scott smiles as he presses his lips against her cheek in a gentle kiss, she feels him lean to rest the side of his head against hers and tighten his hold around her body. For the first time in eight years, she felt safe. No one was shooting at her, no one was trying to hurt her, no one was trying to make her feel worthless, it was just her and Scott. Cora leans her head back into his shoulder closing her eyes again when she feels him kiss her temple.
"You didn't even know who I was." Cora giggles, she didn't know how much Alec had ever even mentioned her to Scott but she assumed that because he had always used 'Harper' rather than her actual name, Scott wouldn't have recognised her as anything else.
"You didn't know who I was, either." Scott laughs; Cora feels his eyes meet hers when she turns to face him again. Scott rests his palms against the cool rim of the bath as he watches her. "Did you even know my name?" He asks her and Cora just shakes her head, she hadn't known anything about him and Alec had always been tight-lipped about his twins.
Cora sees him nod in reaction to her reply and she remembers what Commander Raymond had said about Scott's father ruining his career. She now knew that he was talking about Alec but she didn't know what he had done to drive away Scott and Sara.
"Only because you haven't bothered to turn up to training." Cora whispers with a smile as she places her hands on his shoulders again, she leans towards him and moves a finger under his chin so she can draw his lips to hers.
Cora couldn't help but wonder if Scott had been with her during some of those tough missions she completed for Alec, would she have still ended up in a coma for those 46 days? Maybe. Maybe not. Cora could certainly handle anything she came up against on her own, but Scott seemed like to kind of person it would always be good to have to watch your back.
"I don't need training, I'm just naturally very talented." Scott mumbles beneath her lips making her laugh and break their kiss. "Wouldn't you agree?" He adds giving her a grin. Cora rolls her eyes at him before letting herself lean against his chest again and tuck her head into the crook of his neck.
"And so modest." Cora giggles hearing him snort at her comment, she feels him place his hand on her shoulder blade and slowly trail his fingertips to the back of her neck.
"It was just supposed to just be just a little fun before we left. Just to screw with him." Scott smiles, Alec would have hated that so much. He was a man that liked a plan and to feel in control, anything else bothered him.
Cora watches as Scott lifts his hands and runs them through his hair again before returning them to her back and slowly sliding them down beneath the water.
"I guess it's a shame I interrupted your plans for that night then." Cora gives him a light smile when he looks at her and grins. "Although, I'd like to think you enjoyed being with me more." Cora whispers and cuddles up against his chest.
"I really did." She feels Scott laugh beneath her cheek. "I've got to admit I never thought I'd feel like this about someone." He whispers and she smiles when she hears it. "I knew as soon as I saw you one night wasn't enough." He adds and she lifts her head to look at him.
"Remind me how you are single?" Cora sighs and gives him a lewd smile; she places her hand on his cheek and leans towards him so that she can kiss him gently. Cora smiles against his mouth when he wraps his arms around her and returns her kiss, his mouth gentle and teasing but it leaves her wanting more.
"I was waiting for you." Scott replies between kisses, she feels him move his hands to her back and hold her against his chest. Cora giggles when she hears this gives an exasperated sigh when he breaks their kiss. Scott laughs and fixes his eyes on her. "Too much?" He chuckles and strokes her hair.
"No.." Cora sighs and wraps her arms around his neck. "You are just so honest with how you feel. You aren't worried about telling me what you are thinking, and how you are feeling." She adds seeing him smile. "I'm not used to it, and I don't know how to tell you how I'm feeling. You make me feel all these feelings.." Cora sighs again and hears him laugh at the number of times she has used that word. "I don't know whether to kiss you, or hug you, or fuck you.." Cora continues and she sees him laugh and then give her a reassuring smile.
"Feelings are good, Cora. Just show me instead." Scott whispers and she feels his mouth on hers again, his lips moving with hers and his tongue teasing her mouth open. Cora hears herself whimper when he wraps his body around her and she does the same, his hands tangling in her hair when she slides her hands down his body.
"We need to get out of this bath." Cora giggles when she feels him loosen his hold on her and lift his hands to her face, he begins pressing gentle kisses against her cheeks and edge of her mouth. "Or we'll never make it out." She adds and watches as he leans back and lifts his arms to rest on the rim of the tub.
"Your right.." Scott nods and she feels his eyes on her. "We've got a whole apartment to investigate and I am glad we are out of that tiny bed." He adds as she watches him lift his hands to run through his hair again.
Cora reluctantly untangles herself from and places her hands on the rim of the tub, using it so she can use it to push herself up out of the water and onto her feet. Cora warily steps out of the bath, one foot coming into contact with the tiles before she lifts the other. She glances around quickly and spots the pile of bright white towels on the shelf that have been folded down into a neat stack. Cora walks carefully towards them, her bare and wet feet creating pools of water as she walks. She picks up the top two towels from the pile and shakes one open so that she can wrap it around her body.
"Maybe we should start with the office." Cora glances over her shoulder at Scott when she hears him moving and laugh at her words. She watches him stand up out of the water and shake his head trying to remove any excess that is still in his hair. Cora watches the droplets of water trailing down his chest, in between his defined abs and lower until they disappear into the dark trail of hair beneath his belly button.
"I thought we could check out the gym." Scott chuckles again making her diverts her eyes away from the droplets of water and back to his face, she sees him smile lightly when she notices he has caught her staring at him.
Cora wraps the towel tightly around her body, tucking the end into the top to hold it closed as she turns towards the counter and the sinks. Cora looks up at the mirror and notices that she can't see her reflection because of the steam. She hears Scott moving behind her and turns to hold a towel out to him.
"Or the kitchen?" Cora giggles as she watches him take the towel from her and wrap it around his waist. It hangs low on his hips and she notices it doesn't look very secure when he walks past her to get another towel.
"I mean the kitchen does look pretty nice." Scott nods and Cora gives him a light smile when he looks in her direction, she watches him lift the towel and place it over his head drying his hair and neck. She sees him shake his head and move to stand behind her. "Lots of pans, and stuff." Scott adds as she feels him press himself against her as he leans forward to take a large swipe at the mirror with his palm clearing some of the fogged glass.
"Bedroom?" Cora whispers as she feels him place his hands on her shoulders and dip his head to press a kiss against her neck. She feels his eyes on her in the mirror and sees him smile.
"Bedroom." Scott nods as he gently nips at her earlobe making her sigh.