Up To Something

"So exactly what was that suppose to be?" Liz asked as she rounded the corner back into the kitchen. Tom was taking a seat after clearing away the places he'd set for the two guests that hadn't ended up eating with them after all. If she had been asked to make a guess as to his reaction to finding out Reddington was her father, Tom inviting him to dinner in their home would have been the last thing on that list. If it had made it at all. He was up to something.

"What was what?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, a very small smirk playing on her lips. Who did he think he was fooling? "You know that innocent thing you do?" she asked, circling around where he was sitting and her hands rested on his shoulders and he craned his neck around so he could look up at her, amusement dancing in his eyes as she spoke. "The wide eyes that can convince people you've never done anything even remotely questionable in your life?" Liz leaned right into his ear, her voice still light. "It doesn't fool me, babe. I know you too well." She kissed his cheek and leaned in further so that her arms stretched out in front of him and her fingers laced together.

Tom chuckled and leaned back a little into her and damn she'd missed him. "Okay," he said slowly. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

"Inviting Reddington over here like that."

"He's your father."

"And neither of you are very fond of the other," she pointed out, finally straightening and circling around so she could look him in the eyes.

"That doesn't mean we can't be civil."

"For you two civil doesn't mean family dinners. It means not shooting at each other."

"Hey," he laughed, the smile making it to his eyes as he reached out and she let him tug her into his lap. "In my defense it's been years since I shot in his general direction."

Liz's lips twitched down and she held his gaze for a long moment. He was holding something back. She wasn't sure what it was or if she even should be worried about it. He'd only been home a few days and she had been out of town on the case for most of that. They hadn't had time to really sit down and talk about everything yet. She knew pieces. His mother was waiting on her trial and would likely go to prison. She'd had him beaten and might have even had him killed if that's what it had taken. It was a lot to talk in and his biological parents - hell, even his adopted parents - had always been a sensitive subject for him. There would be time to talk. They would make time for that. For now, she just wanted him to be close and and safe. She needed to know she wouldn't lose him for good.

He was staring up at her, that mesmerized look she caught him with sometimes, and she leaned down, kissing him. His arms tightened a little around her and it was a long moment before they broke, and she leaned her forehead against his. "Just be careful," she murmured, her voice a little strained. "He may be my father, but he's still dangerous."

"I know," Tom answered softly. "Food's going to get cold, you know."

She smirked at him just a little, kissing him again. "We can warm it back up."

Liz felt him smile without breaking the kiss and she gave a small, startled laugh as he stood up and took her with him, her arms around his neck and her feet off the floor. He carried her to the couch and they tumbled down, this time not landing on any of Agnes' toys to kill the mood. Her fingers latched onto his sports coat before releasing it long enough to let her hands travel down his sides, feeling him deepen the kiss.

Finally he pulled back just a little, those expressive eyes of his locked on her. "I love you." The words left him on a breath, like a confession that meant everything.

She tightened her grip on his shirt, finding it hard to find her voice as she stared up at him. She'd missed him so much. It was hard to find the words, sometimes, so she pulled him back down towards her, hoping everything she felt made it through. There were a lot of questions, but they could wait Everything else could wait. Right then all she needed to know was that he wasn't going anywhere. She had him back and she wasn't going to let him go.

Notes: Did anyone else catch that look Liz gave Tom and Red on the episode?