Ch. 5: It's just something that you know
She liked running.
It cleared her head in a way not much else could. There was something about the singularity of it all. It was easy to lose yourself in the action, the sensations. She didn't have the time or the money to go to the gym. Running was her oldest form of exercise. In the past few months, she had gotten out of the habit. Work turned into a hectic mess that took up more of her time than it normally did.
Getting shot completely sidelined her.
Now, the pain in her leg was long gone leaving only a small scar on her thigh. It was visible in her running shorts, a prominent reminder. She knew that it would fade more as time passed. She was growing more accustomed to it. That was the way of it. It was an undeniable part of her now just like all the scars that littered Walt's body.
Vic chastised herself for letting her mind go there. It defeated the entire purpose of pushing herself harder this morning than she usually did. In response, she forced her body to run faster, her feet thumping the ground with an increasing rhythm. It wasn't a sustainable pace and she slowed after a few minutes, sweat sliding down the back of her neck into the recesses of her tank top.
As the entrance to the trailer park came into view, she slowed even more to a jog allowing her body to begin to cool gradually. She jogged into the turn, then slowed to a walk. Her heart was beating rapidly now and her breath was coming in fast gulps. Vic reached up and swiped her hand across her forehead.
Her RV came into view and she stopped at the sight of Cady's Jeep parked near her truck. Vic felt an odd sensation take root in her stomach at the thought of why Cady would be waiting for her. She started walking again.
Cady was seated at the picnic table near her parking pad as Vic came around the corner of the RV.
"Hey."
Her voice startled Cady who looked up and stood up almost simultaneously.
"Vic."
Vic paused as she pulled her key from the small pocket of her running shorts.
"What's up?"
Cady looked around and seemed uncomfortable. The move all but confirmed her suspicions.
Cady knew.
"You run?"
Vic looked down at herself, the question really not requiring an answer. An icebreaker. That's all it was.
"Yeah, just getting back into it."
Cady's eyes stalled out on the small scar that showed just under the hem of her shorts. Realizing that she was staring, Cady's eyes snapped back to hers. Vic unlocked her RV door and waited.
"You didn't come here to talk about my exercise habits I assume."
Cady smiled a bit.
"No, I didn't. My dad came to see me last night."
Vic continued to look at the younger woman.
"Do you wanna come in?"
Cady nodded in acceptance and followed her into the RV. Pausing inside as Vic moved by her to the refrigerator and pulled open the door. She fished out a bottle of water and held it up.
"Something to drink?"
Cady shook her head, still taking in her surroundings.
"No thanks."
Vic closed the door, unscrewed the water cap, and took a long drink. Downing about a quarter of the bottle, she recapped it and motioned at the couch.
"Sit?"
Cady walked over and sat down, her hands resting in between her legs. Vic remained standing with the water bottle in her hand.
"So…"
She let the word hang in between them. Cady looked around again.
"He told me about the two of you."
"I figured."
"He told me that you wanted me to know."
Vic set the bottle down and leaned on the counter.
"Yeah. It didn't seem right. You not knowing. Us working together."
Cady gave her a weak smile.
"I appreciate that. Um…why him?"
The directness of the question caught Vic slightly off guard. She recovered fairly quickly.
"What do you mean?"
Cady sighed and looked at her hands before lifting her eyes.
"You could have your pick of men. So…why my dad?"
Vic frowned at the implication that she was hearing.
"Are you…questioning my motives?"
"I'm just trying to understand why…someone like you would be interested in a man like him."
Vic's head tilted to one side.
"Someone like me meaning…"
"Someone…younger. In a different place in life. I'm not…trying to offend you, Vic. I'm just trying to understand what's going on here."
"I get that. I do. But, you're making assumptions that aren't…accurate. Where exactly do you think I am in my life? What does that even mean? You're talking like I'm some…twenty-one year old who's trying to get in with a…rich old man."
Cady shook her head.
"I know you're not. But…you are considerably younger than he is."
"I don't think about the age gap. It's not an issue for me."
"Maybe it should be."
"Why?"
Vic huffed out a humorless laugh.
"You know…it's become socially unacceptable to comment on interracial couples, or same-sex couples. But, let there be an age difference and everyone has an opinion that they feel entitled to share."
Cady shifted in her seat.
"I just don't want to see him get hurt."
Vic looked down.
"You're still making assumptions. Primarily that if someone gets hurt, it'll be him and not me."
Cady stood up slowly.
"I didn't come here to argue with you. I just want to understand what's going on here."
Vic shrugged.
"If you figure it out, let me know. Because, I don't understand it myself."
Cady studied her.
"Do you have feelings for him?"
Vic considered the question. More importantly, the answer.
"Do you know something I've never been good at? Answering to people."
"I'm not asking you to answer to me?"
"You are. You want me to justify what's happening between me and Walt. You want me to stand here and give you guarantees that I can't even give him. If we're being completely honest, Cady…it's not your business."
"He's my father."
"Yeah, he is. You want answers that I can't give you. Truthfully, even if I could, I wouldn't. What goes on between me and Walt is our business. No one else. I'm sorry if that's not the answer that you want, but it's the only one that I've got."
Cady nodded slowly.
"Well…you've given me some things to think about."
Vic pressed her lips together and took a breath.
"Don't take this out on him. Please."
Cady looked at her for a long, quiet moment before she took a breath.
"I should go."
Vic bit her bottom lip as Cady placed her hand on the knob.
"Thank you…for talking to me."
Opening the door, she clanged down the steps, and was gone.
xxx
She came through the door of his cabin without knocking. That wasn't all that unusual. At this point, she had more than a passing familiarity with the place. When her RV was parked out front, she was partially living with him, especially in those first few days when being alone was the last thing that she needed.
It was more the timing and the expression on her face that tipped him off. Something was wrong. It was written all over her face, and the fact that she came by his place before work. His out of the way cabin wasn't exactly on her way in to the office.
Walt was in the kitchen pouring coffee into a thermos when he heard the door open and close. He frowned and left his kitchen to peer at the door. Vic pushed the door closed and started his way without hesitation. When her eyes landed on him, she paused for the first time.
It was Walt who spoke.
"Morning."
She bypassed any morning pleasantries and launched right into what was on her mind.
"Cady came to see me this morning."
Walt felt something in his gut pull sharply. Still, he tried to maintain some semblance of calm to offset the fact that she was clearly on edge.
"Do you want some coffee?"
Vic shook her head at the offering. It was for the best he mused. She already appeared high strung and he was pretty sure caffeine played a role in that as well as Cady's visit.
"No."
Walt nodded and started back for the kitchen. He could hear her behind him.
"Tell me about it."
Vic cleared her throat, her right hand tapping out a nervous pattern on her leg as she watched him continue to prepare his thermos.
"She was waiting for me when I came back from my run this morning. She wanted to talk about us."
Walt tossed her a quick look.
"Us as is you and me?"
"Yes."
She answered hurriedly. Almost sharp. He chose not to comment on that. There was no reason to set her off even if it was unintentional. Walt screwed on the lid of his thermos and set it aside, facing her fully.
"What did she say?"
Vic pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and shifted her weight from one booted foot to the other.
"She asked me why I'm involved with you."
The comment puzzled him.
"Why?"
Vic nodded, her jaw tight.
"Yeah, as in…what's in this for me?"
Walt frowned.
"Maybe you misunderstood."
Her throat moved with a swallow.
"I didn't misunderstand her, Walt. She made herself pretty damn clear."
Walt closed the distance between them.
"You want to settle down and tell me what she said?"
Something flashed through her eyes and he thought that might have been the wrong way to put that. She bit the inside of her cheek as she considered him.
"She told me that I could have any man I wanted, so why was that you? Walt, I didn't misinterpret what she saying. She lawyered it up, but I get it."
Walt looked down. He had been somewhat hopeful that Cady would be more accepting of this new turn in his life. He could understand her having some reservations, but he hadn't given real thought to what he would do if she outright opposed them.
"What did you say?"
"I sort of told her it wasn't her business."
She held his eyes and he could read the apprehension in them. He could see that she was expecting a reaction from him. But, he only nodded.
"I told her something similar."
Vic's eyes went wide.
"Seriously?"
Walt reached up and ran his hand along the stubble at his jaw.
"Yep. There's a line between keeping her in the loop about my life and her knowing too much. She's my daughter. She doesn't need to know the finer point about what goes on between us."
She released a breath.
"Okay."
Vic folded her arms over her chest and looked at the floor for a long moment before she lifted her eyes back to his.
"Walt, have you considered what you're gonna do if she refuses to accept this? Really?"
In truth, he hadn't.
"It doesn't change anything."
He wanted to believe that. He really did.
"She's your daughter."
"I know. I will talk to her about this. But…I don't want to live my life by other people's standards."
"She's your daughter."
He could see she was trying to reiterate her point. Walt reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I am not ending this because Cady doesn't like it. I will talk to her. I'm sorry if she took her frustration out on you. I never meant for that to happen."
Vic sighed.
"She wasn't rude. I can just tell she's…struggling with the idea. Walt, I don't want to be the reason you and Cady have problems."
His expression softened noticeably. He could feel it.
"You won't be. Cady would struggle with any woman in my life. She and her mother were very close. I suppose that's one of the reasons I was reluctant to tell her about dating women before. In a way, I was trying to protect her from this…and myself as well. She's got to find a way to make peace with me moving on. The same way I've had to make peace with it. I'll talk to her."
She still looked unsure, but seemed more settled and less like she might take off.
"Okay."
The word came out quietly. Walt ran his hands down her arms, his palms bumping over the sleeves of her shirt and skimming her bare forearms.
"Don't worry so much."
She gave him a look and shook her head.
"Sure. I'll get right on that."
He smiled.
"You want some breakfast?"
Vic shook her head.
"No, thanks. My stomach's all knotted up after that. Sorry if I…messed up your morning. This just didn't seem like the kind of thing we should get into at work."
Walt dipped his face.
"Yeah."
Taking a breath, Vic stepped back.
"I should go. To work."
Walt nodded.
"Okay."
Vic took another step back and hovered in the entry to his kitchen.
"See you at work."
He smiled again.
"I'm right behind you."
She smiled in return and was gone.
Walt listened as her truck roared to life and as she pulled out and started up the road. He would talk to Cady. Unfortunately, right now, he needed to get to work. Now, he wasn't sure if she would still be willing to run for Sheriff or work with Vic.
Walt picked up his thermos and left the cabin with a heavy mind.
xxx
The morning was quiet. That was always a mixed bag. She learned a long time ago to appreciate the calm moments at work. They never lasted for very long. But, the lulls also gave her mind too much time to be idle. She tried to busy herself. It was a losing battle. Her mind kept drifting. She didn't expect Cady to be in today. Not after all the conversations that were being had between the three of them.
Walt spent most of that time in his office. He came out a few times and avoided looking directly at her. It was just as well. She already felt ready to blow. The last thing either of them needed in the midst of all this was for someone else to pick up on what was going on between them. She already felt like she was giving off sonar signals in his direction.
It was creeping into lunchtime before she heard his door open and he emerged without an obvious mission. Walt paused and looked around. Ruby was at her desk, but paid him little attention. Ferg and Zach were out alternately getting lunch and running radar around the county. She knew without turning that he was looking at her.
After a pause, his boots moved over the well worn wooden floor.
"Vic?"
He came around her and hovered. Vic looked up.
"Hmm?"
"Let's go grab some lunch."
His voice was light and she caught the invitation in his words. It certainly wasn't an order. Vic hesitated, then stood up slowly.
"Sure."
She was adjusting her cuffs when she heard him tell Ruby they were leaving before he walked out the door. Vic trailed along behind him, unsure if this was merely an actual lunch. Or, if he really just wanted to talk to her outside the confines of the office.
They were outside before she spoke.
"Busy Bee?"
She looked up the sidewalk in the direction of the café. Walt shook his head and started for the Bronco.
"I was thinking the Red Pony."
Vic shrugged, put on her sunglasses, and slid into the passenger seat. Pulling her seatbelt across and buckling it, she looked across the front seat at him as he put the key in the ignition and fired up the engine.
"What's up?"
Walt pulled out and draped his hand on the wheel in customary fashion.
"Nothing. Just thought you might be hungry."
She studied the side of his face before she turned away to look out the window. He was quiet on the ride over. Walt was a quiet man by nature. But, there were different levels of Walt silence. They ranged from he simply didn't have anything to say all the way to he was pissed off and it was safer if he didn't talk. This felt lower on the scale, although not without weight.
It was one of the aspects of Walt that was the hardest for her to adapt to when she first met him. His silence still possessed the power to make her antsy as hell. Even after all this time.
She watched him in her peripheral. He didn't seem out of sorts or anything. Thoughtful, yes. Not particularly upset as far as she could tell. His hand was loose on the steering wheel and his posture didn't seem to be stiff.
"The Busy Bee would have been more convenient."
Her gaze was focused out the window when she said it. Walt kept his eyes on the road.
"Yep."
That was all he offered and she didn't try again. Not while they were driving.
It was still early in the hours that made up lunch, so the bar wasn't overly busy. Maybe that was his plan. The Busy Bee's location in town kept it jumping for a good bit of the day, especially this time of the year when tourism was still going strong.
He parked and got out. Vic followed suit, removing her sunglasses and dropping them on the seat she vacated. Walking inside, his shoulder bumped hers twice. Walt held the saloon doors for her in the same manner as he always did, waiting until her palm ran over the wood before he moved on. He took a seat at the bar and removed his hat.
Henry smile and walked over.
"Lunch?"
Walt nodded.
"Yep."
Henry studied them.
"Out on a case."
Vic shook her head as her eyes met Henry's.
"No. He just wanted to drive all the way over here."
Nothing about her offhand comment seemed to surprise Henry. He knew Walt well enough to know how he was.
"Do you want menus or do you know what you want?"
Walt ran a hand over his hair.
"I'll have a burger with fries and iced tea."
Henry looked her way again.
"Same."
Henry nodded, placed their iced teas in front of them, then disappeared into the back to make their food. Vic sipped her tea before she set the glass down and allowed her eyes to settle on it, grateful for something to focus on.
"So…what's going on?"
Walt leaned back slightly on his stool so that she could see his face unlike when he was bent over.
"Nothing."
Vic shook her head.
"Bullshit. You wanted to come here for a reason."
He sighed.
"It's not busy here."
She waited.
"Henry knows."
The comment struck her as odd.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Walt shrugged.
"It's hard. People not knowing."
Vic took another drink from her glass.
"It bothers you."
It wasn't a question. He looked at her for the first time since they sat down.
"Sometimes."
"Walt…"
"I understand. It's just harder some days."
She could accept that. It was hard. Being dishonest wasn't her idea of a good time either. This was still just all so new that the burden of dealing with outside opinions simply seemed too overwhelming.
"Is there something you want to talk about?"
Walt lifted his glass.
"No."
He took a drink and set the glass down. He tilted his head slightly down and in her direction.
"Can you come over tonight?"
Vic looked at him for a long moment before she answered.
"Sure."
His head shifted up and down slightly as Henry reappeared with their food.
"Here you go."
He set a plate in front of each of them.
"Do you need anything else?"
Walt looked up at Henry.
"No, we're good."
Vic picked up the nearby bottle of ketchup and started to pour some onto her plate. The comment felt layered in a way she wasn't sure Henry would understand. Then again, you just never knew with Henry.
He just might get it.
xxx
"What's all this?"
Vic gestured at the assorted papers that were scattered on his coffee table. Walt came around and started to stack them up in an attempt to straighten the clutter.
"Uh…some of Lucian's things. I was going through them last night."
Vic walked up and ran her eyes over the mess. Reaching down, she picked up a sheet of paper.
"Maps?"
She raised her eyes to him in question. Walt nodded and slid his messy stack to the center of the table.
"Yep. You know he was…hunting for that treasure."
Vic nodded as she lay the map on top of the rest.
"Right."
Walt glanced down. He had forgotten he left in a hurry this morning after her impromptu visit and hadn't thought about it when he asked her to come over. Still, it was a topic that he needed to broach with her. He looked over to see her watching him.
"This is uh…actually something that I wanted to talk to you about."
There was an uneasiness about her again.
"Okay."
She didn't necessarily sound okay, but Walt pressed on. There was no point in putting it off any longer. Not when he needed to get the finer details of his plan worked out and he didn't want to wait until the last minute.
"Do you want a beer?"
"Sure."
Walt made quick strides to the kitchen and returned with two cans of Rainer, one of which he passed to her as she took a seat on the couch. Vic popped the tab on her can and took a drink before setting it down.
"What's going on?"
Walt set his own can aside and turned himself to face her.
"I started going through all of this and it seems like he might have been on to something. Had he not…"
His voice trailed off and he cleared his throat.
"…he might have actually found it."
Vic's eyes were on him, clearly not sure where he was going with all of this. Her eyes drifted back to the coffee table.
"What are you gonna do with it all? He was the last of his family, right?"
"Yeah, he was."
He paused.
"I thought…about finishing this…for him."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Finishing what?"
He looked at the map on top.
"This."
She was quiet for a minute. He could see when it clicked into place in her mind. Her expression shifted. It darkened noticeably.
"You're…"
She stopped before pressing on.
"...you're leaving?"
It didn't surprise him that she went right to that. Technically, it was the truth.
Walt leaned back on the couch.
"I think this…could be good for me."
"Leaving."
There was a sharper note to her voice. Walt shook his head.
"Just a trip, Vic. After my retirement is official, I was thinking about going and looking to see if he was right. I would like to…take his ashes and find him a suitable final resting place. One that he would approve of."
Something in her face eased.
"You'll be back?"
A gentle smile crossed his face.
"Of course. My life is still here. I'm not leaving any of that. I just think that taking some time to absorb everything will be good for me. There have been…a lot of changes lately. Good changes. But, still change…you know."
She nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Any idea how long you'll be gone."
He thought.
"Couple of weeks. Maybe. Once Cady takes over, I'll take the horse and drive as far as I can before I saddle him and ride the rest of the way. I feel like I owe Lucian this much. He deserves more than sitting in a coffee can on a shelf."
She reached out and placed her hand on his knee.
"I know what he meant to you."
She squeezed and then tried to lighten the mood.
"So…what are you gonna do if you find it?"
"The treasure?"
Vic smiled.
"Sure. What would you do with all that money?"
He shrugged.
"I haven't really thought about it."
Vic rolled her eyes.
"You think about everything."
He smiled.
"I don't think about money all that much."
She tossed a look in his direction.
"You're talking to the person who caught you burying your money to keep it away from Tucker Baggett."
He huffed out an amused breath.
"That was personal."
Vic refused to go there. It was in the past and she wanted it to stay where it belonged. She pushed at his leg.
"So…think about it…what would you do if you found it? That's…life changing."
Walt made a face.
"My life is changing enough. What would you do?"
"I asked you first."
He grew quiet. Looking around, he took in his cabin.
"I could finish this place."
"You could build a whole new cabin."
Walt shook his head.
"I don't need a new cabin."
She ignored him.
"You could…buy a new truck."
"I like the Bronco."
She reached out and traced a finger over his sleeve.
"You could buy some new shirts. Something other than denim."
He smiled and glanced down at his shirt.
"I like my shirts."
Vic sighed.
"You're impossible. Isn't there something you want that you don't already have? Or…something better than what you have. Something…you've always wanted."
He looked at her for a long moment and it drew him back to that night sitting in a borrowed car waiting to see if Shane Muldoon was going to show up. It wasn't the first time they had done a stakeout together. Not by a long shot. But, that one felt different. It felt like they were on the cusp of something bigger. That night she posed a similar question.
Isn't there anything that you haven't done that you're hoping you do before you die?
She was smiling when she said it, teasing him almost. The moment felt bigger than that. It led him to do something he wasn't good at, especially with her. It was one of the pivotal moments of late that led them to where they were in this moment.
The truth was he already had more than he thought possible just a few months ago.
He had his life.
He had his daughter.
His home.
He had her.
She was watching him, a trace of a smile on her face when his eyes found hers again.
"I have everything I want."
He said it with as much sincerity as he possessed. The slight smile slid from her face as they continued to look at each other. He half expected her to look away. Or, even himself. But, their eyes stayed locked on each other with neither letting the moment pass.
It was in that second he found his moment.
"I love you, Vic."
Her eyes stayed on his and her expression didn't change. Not at first. He saw her swallow and he saw the way her eyes looked wetter than normal. Walt sat up and leaned into her. Tipping his head just so, he kissed her. Her hands came up to his face and held him there, prolonging the contact.
She pressed her mouth into his and his hands found her ribs, her side. He pulled her to him, erasing the distance between them. He all but hauled her into his lap, one of her legs slipping over his so that she straddled him. Her hands grasped the snaps on his shirt and she started to pull.
In a moment of clarity, Walt's hands moved and took hold of her wrists, stopping her as his mouth broke free from hers.
"Wait."
A crease appeared on her forehead and a frown settled over her face.
"For what?"
Walt looked up into her face and lost the words that were in his mind. Vic tilted her head.
"What is it?"
Their faces were still close enough that he could feel her breath on his skin. He was torn. He wanted to both take this slowly and he wanted to carry her to his bed and let instinct take over. She seemed to sense his mind waffling and pressed her forehead into his, her breathing was uneven and her pupils were wide.
"Tell me. Tell me what you want."
His mouth suddenly felt dry and he felt his hand loosen on her wrist.
"I want…let me undress you."
xxx
She never would have thought the simple act could be so erotic. It shouldn't have been. He didn't do it with any flourish. Maybe that was it. Maybe the key was the concentration and simplicity with which he performed the act. It was such a Walt like way of doing things and it went against her nature to take charge when it came to matters of the bedroom.
Walt pushed her gently off his lap so that he could stand up. Taking her hand, he led her to the bedroom where he faced her with a look she couldn't place. His eyes met hers for a moment before he lifted his hands and started to unbutton the shirt she wore. He worked his way down one button at a time until the entire front of her shirt was open. Then he lightly pushed it off her shoulders and onto the floor. Skimming his fingers up her now bare arms, he seemed to be considering his next move.
He dropped his hands and started to tug at her belt, unbuckling with efficient movements. Taking his time, he pulled it free from the loops in her jeans before he dropped it onto the floor, never looking to see where it landed. His eyes lowered and he undid her pants, his fingers pushing down slightly on them so that the tips touched the bare skin over her hip bones.
After that, he shoved her pants down and she acquiesced to his unspoken request and stepped out of them. Once they were free of her feet, she kicked them out of the way. His pace picked up slightly as he took hold of the hem of her tank top and pulled it over her head, again discarding it with little thought.
He looked at her again and it nearly made her squirm the way his eyes roved over her. Something about his expression made it almost feel like the first time. Like he was looking all the way through her and seeing everything. The good. The bad. The light. The darkness.
He didn't seem phased by any of it.
In a matter of seconds, her bra and underwear joined the rest of her clothes. Walt stepped back and ran his eyes down and back up. They were dark in the dim light of his bedroom. Vic could feel the pace of her heart speeding up with every second that ticked by on an unseen clock telling a time that held no consequence.
His eyes found hers again and his lips parted, his breathing somewhat shallow.
"You are so beautiful."
Something inside of her threatened to snap in two and she felt powerless to stop it.
Vic licked her lips and brought a hand up to finger a snap on his shirt.
"My turn."
Her voice sounded odd to her ears. Raw almost. The corners of his mouth ticked up and she felt her own smile appear. She tipped her head in close to him.
"Turnabout is fair play."
He settled onto his feet and let his hands hang by his sides, giving her the access that she wanted. Vic pulled the snaps of his shirt apart with slow, deliberate motions. What she really wanted to do was snatch them free and shove him onto the bed. But, there was something about this whole method that she found arousing and intriguing.
Their first night together was somewhat hurried in the beginning in order to get where they needed to be. Once they got started, the timeline blurred into one long experience that was hard for her to separate. The times since were similar. This was the first time that they went purposely slow and allowed everything to unfold at a measured pace. They were more familiar with each other now.
With his shirt now gone, Vic repeated his own action and removed his belt before she turned her attention to his pants. She found herself unable to keep the molasses slow pace of Walt even with the constant reminder in her brain.
She felt like she was vibrating inside of her own skin.
Pushing his pants and underwear down and off at the same time, she slid her hands up his chest and over the planes of his abdomen. Walt inhaled sharply at the contact and she knew he was also losing his grip on pacing.
Vic pushed at him.
"Get on the bed."
He did as she asked, lying back as she moved up his body and over him. Vic positioned herself directly over him and held herself up while she looked down into his face. Bending her elbows a little, she lowered her face and kissed him long and deep. She felt Walt's hands flutter to her sides and rest there before he finally tugged and her arms gave way, collapsing her on top of him. She pressed her mouth into his neck and smiled as his palms roved over her back.
Kissing him lightly along the skin of his neck and jaw, she pushed up again and found his eyes. It sounded like a stupid cliché, but she loved looking into them during moments like this. They revealed so much more than his words ever did or could. Sliding her knees forward, Vic perched on him and ran her hands over his shoulders, feeling the muscles move under her hands.
Staying that way for longer than she would have thought possible, she felt a smile spread across her face like a brush fire. Holding the eye contact, she readjusted herself and inhaled as she slowly lowered herself. Walt's eyes widened noticeably and his breath caught in his throat, his fingers digging into her skin as she completed the move with the same easy pace that the night was taking on.
Again, they simply sat and looked at each other. Vic swallowed and took a breath of air she didn't realize she needed before she leaned forward and started to move.
xxx
"Play something."
She was driven from the bed by hunger. When Walt teased her about eating so late, she jabbed him with her elbow and informed him that it was his fault for the prolonged physical exertion they engaged in for quite some time.
Okay, that was an understatement. It was actually quite a long time.
Some part of him could admit that he was hungry, too.
Walt pulled on his discarded jeans while Vic clothed herself in one of his snap front shirts. It was a look he was growing incredibly fond of as the days passed. It didn't escape his notice that it was those small details that struck him the most.
She leaned into his refrigerator and came out with a frown.
"How do you not starve to death?"
Walt gave her a sheepish look.
"I've got some cereal."
Vic pulled out his half filled container of milk and glanced at it.
"I'm surprised it's not expired."
He fished the cereal from a cabinet along with two bowls. Filling up both, he watched as Vic added milk to each bowl. Grabbing two spoons, he passed her one.
"Thanks."
Walt leaned on the kitchen counter and ate while Vic took a seat at the small table in his kitchen and spooned the cereal into her mouth. After the first bite, he realized just how hungry he was and he finished the food in short order. Setting his bowl in the sink, he continued to watch her eat. Vic lifted her eyes.
"What?"
She tapped the spoon against her bottom lip.
"Nothing."
Vic pursed her lips and shook her head.
"Do you enjoy watching me eat?"
She injected just enough sarcasm into the question. Walt chose to ignore it and took a different route. Tonight, she was running him through a gauntlet of feelings. He wasn't sure what to do with it all.
"I enjoy watching you do most things."
She was midchew when he said it and the comment had an obvious effect on her. Her brow went up and she swallowed.
"Do you?"
She tilted her head when she said it and he felt a feeling in his stomach that he was starting to become familiar with.
"Yep."
She smiled and stood up, bowl in hand, and crossed the kitchen to where he stood. Stepping just into his personal space, she leaned in.
"I'll remember that."
It was his turn to swallow. Turning away, she set her bowl in his and turned on the tap to run water in the bowl. When she was done, she left the kitchen and Walt ambled along behind her. She stopped in the living room and her gaze fell on the piano.
"When is the last time you played?"
Walt let his eyes take in the keys and the bench that he frequented years ago when Martha was alive.
"A while."
Vic walked over and traced her fingers over the keys.
"Do you play?"
She looked his way and shook her head.
"No. My mom wanted me to take lessons when I was a kid. I refused on the grounds that I thought it was a waste of my time. Also, to piss her off. Now, I kind of regret that."
Walt smiled and walked over.
"It's never too late."
She made a face.
"I wanna hear you play."
Walt reached up and ran his hand over the back of his neck.
"I'm rusty."
She shrugged and took his arm, pulling him towards the piano.
"I don't care."
He relented and took a seat on the bench. For a long moment, he looked at the keys. Vic sat down beside him so close that he could feel her body heat. She leaned into him.
"Play me something."
The request was murmured. Walt looked at the keys. A layer of dust covered the piano. Placing his hands on the keys, he started to play the first tune that came to mind. The name of the song escaped him in that moment, only the music making an appearance in his thoughts. It was a slow tune, melancholy in nature.
A song of lost love and regrets.
As his fingers stretched and moved, he missed a key a couple of times, but he pressed on. His hands were starting to remember the movements and the song was coming to him in its entirety. He kept his focus on the piano keys, feeling Vic still barely touching his side. The room around them was still dark except for the light that was coming in from the kitchen. Time seemed to warp slightly as he played. As he finished the song, he felt her move and her head came to rest on his shoulder. His hands stilled, but stayed on the keys. Vic lifted her hand and placed it over one of his, their fingers entwining.
"I don't know that song."
Walt dipped his face, smelling her hair.
"Can't remember the name of it. It was one my mother taught me."
Her hand tightened on his briefly.
"That was nice. You should play more."
Walt smiled to himself.
"Yeah, I should."