The Voyeur
Part 2
Author's Note: This is the continuation of another earlier Random Keenler story called The Voyeur. Please make sure you read that one first.
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Don Ressler felt ridiculous walking with her knowing they were being watched by a combination of task force people and Reddington's people as well as, possibly, The Voyeur.
"You need to be natural," Liz said as she looped her arm through his as they walked through the restaurant.
"It's hard to be natural when I feel all my privacy has been lost," Ressler said as he pulled out a chair for her to sit and then sat himself.
"Think of it as undercover," Liz offered.
"It's not," Don said as he picked up the menu.
"Look, he's going to see something's wrong," Liz said as she picked up her own menu. "You need to find a way to just….be."
Don sighed across the table.
"What?" Liz asked.
"I feel violated," Don said as he lowered his menu and looked at her. "All those pictures and videos of us…"
Liz nodded, she was not thrilled about that either.
"And the task force and Reddington didn't even see the other ones," Don said. "Or clue into that one that they all thought was innocent but, looking closely, you would have realized was not."
Liz's face went pink, but she kept her eyes on him. "Are you embarrassed about anything we have done?"
"No," he said with a furrowed brow. "Are you?"
"No," Liz said clearly. "Am I embarrassed others know about the things we've done? Yes, no one wants everyone to know their sexual life or romantic moments. I'm angry that we've been robbed of our privacy. But I'd be angrier if this wasn't discovered when we could do something about it."
Don nodded.
"So, do we play a game and pretend like we don't know two sets of people are watching every move we make for a month or less so we can catch this guy? Yeah, I'm willing to do that, are you?"
When she put it that way, there was no way arguing with Liz.
"You think I'm being a child," Don said.
"A little bit," Liz said as she raised her menu back and started to look at the options. "We're two consenting adults not doing anything different then any other couple."
"I don't think you've ever referred to us as that before," Don smiled at her.
Liz looked at him with narrowed eyes. "We are that, right?"
"I see us that way," Don said as he reached across the table and took her hand in his.
She smiled at him and enjoyed the heat of his hand on hers.
"We can't do anything at your place though if there are cameras…"
"That will look suspicious," Liz said.
"Liz, I'm not being filmed while we…" Don said.
"We'll figure out a way," Liz said as she reached under the table and placed her hand on his knee. "There are covers, and from what I could see, the cameras can only pick things up when there is a source of light, so if it's completely dark…"
"It's still fucking creepy," Don said.
"We'll go to your place more," Liz said as she took her hand off his knee and reached for her water.
They looked at their menus for a few minutes quietly.
"I think we did a good job of hiding things," Don said as he folded his menu and waited for her.
"Yeah," Liz said as she looked for another minute and then placed her menu with his. "I think none of them were the wiser. I thought, for sure, us taking sick days together would have been suspicious…"
"Apparently not," Don said as the waiter arrived to take their drink and food order.
Don was pissed about more than their privacy being violated. He had plans for December, plans that involved her meeting his family, going away for Christmas together, asking her about moving in together and her thoughts on marriage. Now, all of that would have to wait unless they caught the fucking Voyeur creep soon.
Their drinks arrived shortly, and Don watched Liz's face relax after she took her first drink of wine.
"You're beautiful," Don said out of the blue.
Liz blushed and smiled at him.
"I mean it, you look so beautiful under any circumstance, but here, in this lighting, you look like…"
Liz raised a singular eyebrow in interest.
"Like one of those classic women from black and white movies like Lauren Bacall or Audrey Hepburn," Don said. "Now that I say it, it sounds stupid but…"
"It's not," Liz said as she reached across the table and clasped his hand in hers. "It's a wonderful compliment."
Don smiled at her and ran his thumb across her knuckles.
"What are you doing for Christmas?" Don asked her deciding to throw caution to the wind.
"I was just going to ask you the same question," Liz smiled at him. "Since Sam is gone, and Tom is out of the picture, I have spent Christmas' with some rum and eggnog, a tabletop tree, and Die Hard."
Don let out a loud laugh, because it was fitting that was how Liz spent Christmas.
"You?" She laughed with him. "Don't you usually go to your moms?"
"I was going to ask if you wanted to join me?" Don asked her as he played with her fingers.
"I'd love to," Liz smiled at him. "When?"
"Usually I go the 23-26," Don said. "But I was thinking you and I could combine that with a ski holiday for new years."
Liz raised an eyebrow. "I've never skied."
"I can show you," Don said casually. "And really, skiing is just an excuse to sit outside by the fire, drink, eat great food, go to hot tubs, and spend time in bed."
"I like that kinda skiing," Liz smiled at him.
"Good," Don smiled at her before he leaned across the table and kissed her.
"You realize Aram just sighed when you did that," Liz smirked at him as they parted.
Don let out a loud laugh and kissed her one more time for good measure.
They ate and Ressler told her about the resort he wanted to book and more about his family so she would not get caught off guard by his handsy cousin, his alcoholic uncle, his cousin who is obsessed with how many perps he's killed, and his aunt who will expect them to be married with a baby on the way by new years.
"Marriage is important to you, isn't it?" Liz asked him and his knife clanked to his plate when he dropped it.
Don swallowed hard.
"It's not the most important thing," Don said cautiously. "But I'd be lying if I said I'd be okay just living with someone the rest of my life."
Liz nodded.
"What about you?" Don asked as he met her eyes.
"Technically, I haven't been married," Liz said. "Sure, I went through the hoops and thought I was, but…I wasn't. He wasn't real, nothing was therefore legal and I've received an annulment so…"
Don nodded. She hadn't really answered the question.
"And would you want to get married, someday?" Don asked her, focusing heavily on cutting his chicken.
Liz looked at him trying not to look like this question meant a lot to him and smiled.
"Yeah, I'd like to get married," Liz said. "I still believe in commitment and doing that in front of family and friends. I still think it's a beautiful thing a couple can do."
Don nodded and put some chicken in his dry mouth and chewed. He had his answer.
"It's romantic," Liz said as she met his eyes. "Saying 'I choose you forever'. It's sexy as hell."
Don chuckled at her lightheartedness and reached for his drink to try and wash the chicken down his dry throat.
"So, what should we tell that aunt of yours?" Liz asked him with a wink.
"Tell her one day I'll get up the nerve to ask," Don smirked back.
"I like that," Liz smirked back.
When they were done dinner Don helped her on with her coat at the front of the restaurant and walked her to the car, the two of them carefully navigating ice patches on the ground.
"If you don't have ski pants and all that, we can probably borrow them from my cousin, she is about your size and a better skier than anyone I know," Don said as he held the car door open for her.
"Good, because I only have the basics: boots, coat, hat, scarf, mitts," Liz chuckled as she got inside and he leaned in and kissed her before he shut the door.
She held his cheek in her cold hand and smiled at him. "See, natural."
Don smiled back and walked around to the driver's side and drove them to his place where he took her inside and they had some privacy for the first time all day. They kept off all the lights and stayed away from any windows and enjoyed the rest of the evening, just the two of them.
To be continued…