Ressler, Listen to Me
Part 6
Author's Note: Thanks for reading—please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story and its progression—it's always nice to hear your thoughts.
This one is very angsty-just warning you.
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I was like he knew each night about 20 seconds before she opened his door that she was coming. He wasn't sure how, it seemed as though she didn't make a noise and, some nights when it was more like 40 seconds, he almost chuckled to himself thinking he was finally losing it. But then, the door to his room would open and she would carefully close it and walk toward his bed.
She always waited until Agnes was asleep, and preferred if Dembe and Reddington had left the living room, but that wasn't always the case. Liz walking into his room caused whatever conversation was going on to continue in their room, whatever record they were listening to to be stopped, and whatever show they were watching to be shut off. Chess matches were put on hold, books were carried to a room, and half drunk wine was brought to the kitchen. Yes, Reddington and Dembe vacated the living room pretty fast when they saw Liz walk into his room. The walls were good, but the knowledge of what was happening beyond his was something Reddington didn't need to be close to.
Their nights together were both confusing and passionate and Don woke every morning alone and with feelings of guilt. Each night he wanted to stop what was inevitably going to happen, and each night he was overcome by other thoughts that kept him from doing just that. Liz slept the rest of the night in a single bed across from Agnes and besides the odd caress, brief hand-hold, or held look throughout the day, didn't acknowledge what had happened the night before. Truthfully, neither did he. But, as they approached the end of week two in Graz, Don started to worry that there was nothing more to it then being bedmates. That she was using sex to placate him, to keep him happy or calm. That he was seeing things that were a mirage. Don woke each morning sore and satisfied but restless in thought.
He emerged from his room late one morning and was greeted by Liz about to knock on his door.
"Hey," he said, surprised she was there; usually she and Agnes hit a park with Reddington in the AM.
"I wanted to know if you would like to go on a Fairy Tale train with us today?" Liz asked. "We'd need to leave to get lunch before our boarding time."
"Fairy tale train?" Don asked, not sure what this was.
"It's in a cave," Agnes said from behind her.
"Really?" Don asked Agnes. "And you and mummy are going on this to hunt fairies?"
Agnes burst into giggles. "No silly, to visit the fairies."
"Oh, that sounds like more fun," Don smiled at the little girl. "Sure, uh, let me grab a shower."
"Yay!" Agnes cheered. "We can all go!"
Don tried to not show his disdain for the fact that the three of them couldn't do one fucking thing without Dembe or Reddington accompanying them.
He closed the washroom door and got under the lackluster pressure of the water and gave himself a quick wash before emerging in a towel and walking to his room to get changed. Liz gasped as he opened his door and Don turned to look at her confused.
"Who hurt you?" Agnes asked as she looked at his back.
Don looked over his shoulder and caught the edge of a red scratch with the corner of his eye.
His face and body turned red, and he shrugged. "Just some thorns that scraped me when I was running, they're fine Agnes."
Don stepped inside and shut the door to his room and opened the closet to look at his back in the mirror that hung there, he knew he had some scratches from the sting in the shower, but he didn't know there were that many.
"Shit," Don said as he winced and looked at them. Someone was hurting him alright, but it wasn't the scratches that were the problem.
He had just dropped his towel and was looking for underwear when the door opened.
"Liz!" Don said as he covered himself and looked out the open door to see who was there, spotting no one, he relaxed, and she shut the door behind her.
"Come here," she said as she gestured with some Polysporin in her hand.
"They're fine," Don said ignoring her and pulling out some underwear.
He felt her pulling his arm and relented and sat on the bed, underwear in hand.
"I'm sorry," she said as she climbed up on the bed behind him and started to apply the ointment.
He sighed and said nothing.
"Ressler, I am sorry, and I will be more careful," Liz said.
Don said nothing.
She continued to apply the ointment to his back and then leaned forward and kissed the back of his neck.
"Are you ever going to speak to me?" Liz asked, annoyed by his silence.
"And say what?" Don asked, his voice sharp.
She got off the bed behind him and placed the ointment on the dresser and walked out of the room without another word. Don closed his eyes and chastised himself for his behaviour. He had promised himself he was going to make the best of it, but their late-night antics had been confusing and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was avoiding talking about anything real or significant with him.
He finished dressing and joined everyone in the living room, determined to not spoil this day for Agnes. They went for a great patio lunch at a placed that served huge schnitzel and enjoyed a glass of wine before boarding the fairy tale train. Agnes' exuberance was catchy and pretty soon Don found himself caught up in her wonder, telling fairy tales as they exited the place, and happy to go to a delicious dessert shop where Reddington knew the owner. The owner, of course, allowed Agnes and Reddington to go into their kitchen and play with some dough and Liz pulled Ressler to a café across the street.
They sat with coffees on a sunny day looking out onto the cobble stone streets of the old town and Don could almost believe it was a vacation. Almost. Dembe standing outside the pastry shop keeping an eye on both he and Liz and Reddington and Agnes spoiled that fantasy.
"I am really sorry about the scratches," Liz said as she reached for his hand, unsure if he would pull away.
He didn't.
"I know," Don said as he felt the weight of her hand on his. "And I'm sorry I was such a prick."
Liz smiled and chuckled at his characterization of himself.
"I think, considering the circumstances, you are allowed some of that behaviour," she said kindly.
He took a deep breath, looked at Dembe and then looked back at Liz.
"What are we doing?" he asked.
Liz looked at him confused.
"Not Townsend, you and me, Liz. What are we doing?" Don asked as he met her eyes.
She looked flustered and seemed to want to pull back her hand from his, but didn't.
"What exactly are you wondering about?" She asked, dodging the question.
"I mean you and me, at night…things happen," Don said. "But in the daytime, we're like…friends or roommates, and don't say it's because if Reddington and Dembe, because they know, or should know, what's going on."
Liz swallowed and looked back toward the pastry shop hoping Agnes and Reddington would emerge and save her from this conversation.
"Liz, if it's…" Don stammered, now that they were talking, he didn't know what to say. "I'm a man, you can just say whatever it is you want to say, or need to say. I don't need to be babied. I need the truth, whatever it is."
Liz looked at him with a pained expression and gripped his hand a little tighter.
His heart lurched; she did have something bad to tell him. Something that would break him, and it was coming. Don shored up his defences for the impending hit to his heart that was moments away.
"Don, I…it's…"
"Mummy!" Agnes yelled as she ran toward them covered in flour with a pastry in her hand.
Liz let go of his hand and rose from her chair, relieved the conversation had ended when it had.
"Look at you baby girl!" Liz said, her voice wavering slightly at the emotions that were coursing through her and the internal battle she had been fighting.
"I made a…" Agnes suddenly forgot and turned to Reddington who was walking toward them to catch up.
"Apfelstrudel," Reddington supplied.
"Sounds complicated," Liz said as she brushed some flour off Agnes' hair and face.
"If I come back tomorrow Lucas will have it for me to eat!"
"Wow!" Liz said as she turned excitedly toward Ressler who was looking pale.
"Let's get you some juice," Liz said as she raised her hand for the waiter to come over.
Reddington and Dembe pulled up some chairs and joined them, unaware of the conversation that had been interrupted.
Agnes and Reddington shared their tale of the last 30 minutes of pastry making and Lucas' assessment of Agnes as a baker. Don smiled and laughed when needed, but his thoughts kept going back to Liz and what she was stopped from saying. When the cheque came, Reddington paid it, and everyone rose to leave.
"Maybe we should walk back on our own," Don suggested as he looked at Liz, not wanting to leave things hanging as they were.
Liz looked at him as if she was going to throw up.
"What a great suggestion Donald," Reddington said, not noticing Liz's look of dismay. "It's a beautiful afternoon and the Mur…"
"I need to get Agnes in the tub and get this flour out of her hair," Liz chuckled, trying to explain why she didn't want to be alone with Don.
Reddington looked at her surprised.
Don swallowed hard and nodded.
"I'll meet everyone back there," he said, not waiting for anyone to object, he started to walk quickly away from the group.
Dembe looked at Liz confused and then left to follow Ressler.
Reddington looked at Liz when they were alone, wanting an explanation.
Liz just shook her head and started to walk with Agnes and Red back to the apartment, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
To be continued…