Hiya y'all! Lizzy's POV

First bit is Kinda angsty But I make up for it in the latter part ;) Sweet sweet talk. Sour at the beginning, good kinda spicy at the end, but only y'all get to decide if its worth the title of savory (I wouldn't mind a bookmark lol).

the next chapter will be coming soon! Stay safe y'all! ~Vinny

"Were you… listening at the door?" Lizzy asked.

Fitzwilliam's Adam's apple took a nosedive before he answered. "Yes."

Raising her head from her knees, Lizzy gave him a look. "For.. how long?"

He looked… incredibly guilty. "...a while."

Lizzy sighed, and put her head down again. "I.. I'm tired, Fitzwilliam. I want to go home."

"No!"

Quick as a whip cracking, her head snapped up. "No?" She echoed, "What do you mean, No?"

Fitzwilliam's hands clenched at his sides. His eyes squeezed shut. "That.. came out wrong. I just…," he sighed. He gave her a look of pure, genuine need. "If I explain my thinking, will you please stay until I finish?"

Lizzy bit her lip softly, and nodded. She had the feeling— and she was sure that Fitzwilliam picked up on it— that if she left now, it would be a long time before things were 'normal' between them again.

Fitzwilliam sat down next to her, and gently guided her to a lying position. He put the ice pack over her head. It felt good and clean and cold, if a bit watery. That, combined with the soothing rumble of Fitzwilliam's voice, was almost enough to put her to sleep.

But she made the effort, and kept herself conscious. She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"I… am not good at.. relationships. Connecting, with people, is hard for me. You already knew that. God. Um. What I mean to say is… I've never been like this with.. anyone, really. Never been vulnerable. And that's why it scared me, when you came out at the board meeting. I'm… I- I'm so sorry if I made you feel like I was mad at you— I wasn't! I'm not. I was mad because the people in that meeting are going to talk about me behind my back now, talk about you."

"Is that so bad?" Lizzy whispered, feeling slightly hurt.

"No, no! Of course not! But because of the.. circumstance.. they saw you in, they'll be looking for the worst in you. I keep my work and personal lives very separate, so… I'm afraid.. they'll.. likely gossip about this, and it might hurt you. And the last thing I want is to see you hurt."

"Hey," Lizzy said, moving his hands so she could peer up at him from under the ice pack. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself."

He laughed a little, smiling with his eyes before they turned sad. "I know you can. But.. I.. I want to be the one to take care of you. To protect you, and keep you safe, and give you all the best things in life. That's why I took you back to my house. I want you to be able to relax in lavish comfort, to have everything you need. To have me. I know.. I'm not the best boyfriend…"

"Untrue," Lizzy mumbled.

"But I'm trying," he said, lying down next to her, the back of his hand just brushing her scalp. "I'm new to this whole.. relationship thing. To be honest, I don't think I'm very good at it."

Before Lizzy could protest this claim, Fitzwilliam had rolled over onto his side, and was staring at her pleadingly with those coffee brown eyes. "I understand if you want to go. I won't stop you; I don't want to push you. But please know, I want you with me, in good times and in bad. You.. make me better, just by being you, Lizzy. And I know you said you want to take it slow, but I.. I think I…"

Lizzy pushed the dripping ice pack off her forehead, took his face in her hands and kissed him slow. During his speech, even though she had been upset with him (and herself), she had wanted his comfort. She wanted him to make it better. And he had.

When he looked at her, the feeling that had been festering inside of her stomach melted away. Lizzy felt at home, lost in those dark brown eyes.

And then Fitzwilliam had said she made him better just by being herself, and then Lizzy knew. Without a doubt.

"I love you," she whispered to him, pulling away just enough to speak.

Fitzwilliam's eyes were rich with emotion. His smile tugged at her heartstrings. "You.. you do?" He asked, and there was so much hope in his voice that Lizzy couldn't resist another kiss.

"Yes, you sweet idiot," she laughed softly against him, "I love you. Every part of you."

Then Fitzwilliam kissed her back with abandon, joyously running his hands through her hair and luxuriating in the feel of her.

"I love you too," he breathed, his voice simmering with happiness, "I don't know for how long, but.. I think I've loved you for a while now."

"Tough," Lizzy giggled, nipping playfully at his neck, "I said it first."

She could feel his ribs bouncing with laughter, feel his shoulders shaking as his forehead pressed against hers. Lizzy bit her lip, but this time it was in a smile. "I think…," she said, as if she was actually thinking hard about it, "I think I'll stay here for today."

"And I'm staying with you," Fitzwilliam mumbled happily, face buried in her hair.

Teasing him just a bit, Lizzy pushed Fitzwilliam up by the shoulders. He was practically on top of her now. Actually, scratch that, he was on top of her.

And she was wearing nothing but his shirt.

Lizzy could tell Fitzwilliam realized this at the same time she did, because his already dark eyes became positively obsidian as his pupils grew, and his eyes narrowed in a smile. One of his hands snaked under her back, the other holding her head so he could feel her move as they kissed again, hungrily.

"Wait, but," Lizzy gasped, absentmindedly trying to breathe, "What about your other meeting?"

"Damn the meeting," Fitzwilliam rumbled, a smile in his voice. Not that Lizzy could see him. His head had moved South, and she definitely wasn't complaining.

Still, there was one thing they needed to take care of.

"Wait, just one second!"

Fitzwilliam looked up at her, his pale feature flushed and incandescent in the afternoon light. He had a wide, almost childlike grin on his face, and he positively glowed with happiness. He looked so, so happy. Lizzy swallowed the urge to kiss him again, let a wayward curl wall into her face, and gave him her best bedroom-eyes and smirk combo.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm clean. And I have condoms in the bedside drawer, don't worry." Fitzwilliam grinned proudly, and almost returned to his task before Lizzy stopped him again, one hand reaching down to cup his cheek. His eyes met hers. Her smirk widened.

She pulled him up, and whispered low into his ear, "Lock the door, Fitzie."

He probably would have laughed out loud if he wasn't so aroused. "On it," he said, kissing her once before shutting the door, and making sure it was locked.

This time, there were no interruptions. And both parties agreed, it was a splendid way to skip work.