Pouring two lumps of sugar inside the cup, Talbott stirred absentmindedly, eyes set on the streets below the apartment, watching people pass by. The half opened window allowed for the warm summer air to invade the small kitchen, the weather proving to be kind these past few days. It would probably be even warmer now that July was just around the corner, thought that made him frown.
He had never truly been a fan of those few hot summer days that swept over England, now more than ever. Moody has taken him and Tonks under his wing for training, one that proved to be brutal once he learned that Voldemort is trying to make a comeback. They were getting the crash course and with the heat it would prove to be more of a nuisance than before.
Mirunna Finnemore insisted on training Talia instead, Moody having to relent in the end despite not wishing to do so. She promised to provide her all her attention, enhance her abilities as quickly as possible and just like that the partner that used to always be by his side was gone for days on end.
Talbott hated it however refused to show it, his focus shifting entirely to the training received. One particular line stuck with him as Moody and Fineemore argued the day they decided who would train who "Whether we like it or not, we are training ruthless warriors Alistor, grinding their feelings to nothingness yes? Trust me when I say Talia is already there so she needs someone to show her there is also another way, a more humane way. Before it's too late."
Taking a sip from his cup, he leaned against the counter, neck craned in order to continue surveying the streets.
Lifting his eyes from the report on the table, Bill Weasley concluding it was enough. The clock on the wall indicated almost ten in the evening and he was already sore from sitting in the same position for several hours. Massaging his wrist, he glanced over at Talbott. He had offered him and Talia a place to stay while they searched for their own, Talia occupying the spare bedroom, Talbott taking over the couch.
"You're going to drill a hole in the pavement mate. She'll come back." Sharp eyes turned to him and the warm smile offered, a single rigid nod being offered "Right, well I'm done with this report, I will review it in the morning, fancy a drink?"
"Why not, we are both free tomorrow." Placing the cup of tea on the counter, he ignored the beverage completely, mainly having made it just to grant his mind a distraction from his more pressing thoughts.
Talia has been more absent than present, on more occasions than he liked the bed remaining unoccupied. Something triggered her after the Auror training camp, the details being vague up until the present. Jasper did something, he did something that made her revert back to old ways. She was hiding, she was running away in a different manner now and he could not get close to her, did not know how.
Taking the glass offered by Bill he sniffed the content, wine, he concluded "I'm not going to poison you, you know, cheers." The soft clank of the glasses took his mind back to his date with Talia on Valentine's day. Sure enough the wine was not of the same calibre as the one she procured then, however the memory still came back, bright as day, simple, soft.
"I have found a small place that's going to be available in two weeks, then I can finally be out of your hair." Bill watched him attentively, taking two big gulps of wine as if needing fuel to deal with Talbott at that very moment.
Placing the glass on the table, he took a seat, urging for his friend to do the same "Look, it might not be my place to say this, but you really should talk with Talia about whatever is bothering you right now." He stilled when that piercing gaze took him in, not faltering even when Talbott drank from his glass.
"You're right, it's not your place. I value my privacy when it comes to these matters."
"It's going to continue eating you up if you don't get out of your head mate." Bill ignored the harsh stare as he leaned back, relaxing.
Despite knowing he was right, Talbott still frowned, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He had being thinking up ridiculous scenarios, having conversations in his head, however words failed him when she was actually there. At the beginning he blamed it on both of them being too tired from the training. He gave her space, too much he now figured, since Talia stopped trying to get close to him, the rift between them growing wider.
When was the last time she touched him? When was the last time his lips found hers? Saw her smile?
They had not talked about how she wanted to Obliviate him after healing him, the idea still irking him despite the logical flow of thoughts he created in his ripe mind.
"I cannot help thinking I actually lost her somewhere in the middle of all this." When they came to her rescue at the camp, Talbott took her in his embrace, her clinging to him with trembling limbs, him hushing her softly, telling her it was finally over and no one would hurt her ever again. The relief he felt that day could not be described into words. He made it in time, she was alive, hurt but alive and in his arms.
Lifting the glass with his fingers, Bill urged Talbott to drink up so he could pour another glass "You two have been through a lot, it's normal to need a little time to figure everything out. But you've been partners…"
"I loathe that word. She is much more to me." Staring at the red liquid staining his glass, he tensed when Bill chuckled. Has he said something ridiculous?
"True, but the word partner is not a bad one. Even if she is your girl now, she is still your partner, your other half." All Talbott could offer in response to Bill's nugget of wisdom was another curt nod.
Was she still his anymore? Damn if he knew with how busy they have been lately.
The silence of the apartment was broken with the sounds of keys rattling in the door, Bill and Talbott getting up in tandem. Talbott paced the small kitchen as Bill went to great Talia "Evening, care for some wine, we already started drinking but there's more where that came from."
"Sure, just let me go freshen up and change because I can't stand myself right now." Her voice was soft and sweet, no harsh tones that would indicate she had a bad day, however she was also good at hiding certain thing "I brought sweets, caramel for you, chocolate for Talbott and vanilla for me." His head shot up at the mention of his name, wine being pressed to his lips as he took another sip. If she thought about buying something sweet, it was good, but then again she bought some for herself and Bill, so maybe he was overthinking it.
"Can you get me another glass please?" Talbott looked like a deer in the headlights, as if trapped in the small kitchen, looking for the easiest way out "You alright?"
"Yes." He replied drily quickly turning to take out a glass for Talia. He felt like he could not handle the situation, as if all the air from his lungs was being sucked out and he would pass out at any moment. Even if they had all been living inside the same space, they rarely intersected. This was one of the few occasions when they all sat together.
Offering the glass to Bill, he sucked in a deep breath, muscles tensing further, his hand slightly shaking as he raised the glass once more to his lips. Light footsteps brought Talia in the doorway, a soft smile being offered when she took the wine "Hello boys. Cheers."
"What have you been up to?" leave it to Bill to keep the conversation going and not make it awkward.
As casually as ever, Talia talked about her training that day, Talbott paying great attention to the details offered. She most definitely was not in training until such a late hour, if Finnemore was at least sticking to the programme they should have been done by five in the afternoon, add a couple of extra hours if she was really working Talia "Then I went for a coffee and a walk. Sat reading in the park and honestly never even realised it's gotten so late."
"Well many of us lose track of time when reading a good book, right mate?"
Words failed him when all attention was directed his way, a simple nod being the most he could offer. He probably looked stupid bobbing his head like some sort of wooden doll.
Placing the glass on the counter, Bill took all his papers in order to store them in a safe space where wine could not be spilled, leaving them alone for a few moments. Turning to look at him, Talia enquired "How is training?"
"Harsh, just as expected of Moody." That he could talk about, he could make up an entire nights' worth of conversations if they kept it casual like that.
"I'm sorry, but he's one of the best. Plus you're probably this grouchy because I'm not there to lighten the mood." His eyes snapped to her in an instant, mouth drying up fast as his heart beat quickly picked up. She held his gaze just like countless times before, never wavering, reading into the emotions his orbs reflected "Do you even miss me?"
He begged his mind to stop swirling, for his body to react and just reach out to her, close the small space between their bodies, yet he found himself stuck even more than before.
Pursing her lips, she took a sip from the wine, wrinkling her nose since it did not fit her tastes. Setting the glass aside, she looked away from him, letting out a small sigh "I guess I'm asking for too much. Apologies, I will be going to bed now."
Finally finding himself alone, he buried his face in the palm of his hands, hearing her offer a swift good night to Bill before closing the door to her room. Bill also went to sleep a few minutes later without bothering Talbott, leaving him alone with his hectic thoughts.
He sat on the couch, wide awake for several hours to come, eyes glancing from time to time at the light shining from under Talia's door. Draping a heavy hand over his eyes he groaned "You bloody numpty." She was right there, still awake, a single thin wooden door separating them. All he had to do was get up and knock.
Sleep came at a late hour, dozens of images flooding his mind in rapid successions. A wand pointed at him, dark mark carved onto skin, him being forced into submission. Talia being held against her will, struggling against the Crucio curse, manic laughter invading his ears.
Powerless.
Hopeless.
"Please no, take me!" He begged and pleaded, cursed and cried out however it was as if no one heard him "Let her go!"
The images shifted again, this time Talia holding the wand to his face, dark mark latched onto her milky skin, a devil like smile on her lips "I am a Crane, what makes you think I would ever need you?" a flash of green light snapped him wide awake, chest breaking in rapid huffs, sweat coating his body, a yell escaping his lips.
In the dark, Talia's door swung open, light invading the living room, Talbott sheltering his eyes with a shaky hand, wand at the ready in the other. Rushing to his side, she pushed his wand away, him shoving her aside, mind still struggling to grasp what was reality and what was not.
Not losing her balance, Talia wrapped her arms around his neck, soft whispers leaving her lips "Hush now, it's alright, it was a nightmare." He heard another door open, Bill making sure everything was indeed in order, before slowly closing it back and retreating in bed.
Soft warm hands caressed his hair, Talbott taking her in her embrace, burring his head in her hair, her citrus perfume calming his senses, him gradually settling down. His trembling slowly subsided, breath regulating to a normal rhythm alongside his heart. She had not said another word as her arms slowly unravelled, him eventually also letting her go.
Taking his hand she softly tugged until he was up on his feet following her to her room. Closing the door behind them, she turned off the lights, taking his wand from his grasp "You don't need this right now, you're safe. Come."
There was no protest, Talbott complying before she changed her mind. Getting under the cover she joined him, hand softly caressing his hair, urging him to rest "Can I hold you?" he uttered the words so softly, if not for the silence of the night, they would have surely fallen on deaf ears, dissipating into nothingness.
"Only if you wish to." That was all the permission he needed, him taking her into his embrace, holding her close to his chest. He wished to relate his feelings into words, however it felt as if the time was not the ripe one.
But he did miss her, he did want to hold her, talk to her about everything that happened, understand better. He had to give her something, a line to hold onto. Tightening his grip on her body, he let out a shuddered breath hoping she would understand by his gestures alone how he still felt.
Morning found them still in each other's embrace, Talia wide awake, Talbott still asleep after such a tormenting night. Slowly, she tried to wiggle herself free in order to get up, him pulling her closer "Please stay." He uttered still half asleep.
Smiling softly, she caressed his cheek "I'm only going to make coffee. I'll bring you some don't worry." Half open eyes took her in, a gentle smile gracing his lips.
"Screw coffee, I am off a few days, I'd like to sleep in."
"I know you are, so you're coming with me today." Kissing his cheek, he still groaned when she got up, but he buried his sleepy face in the pillow, smiling to himself. She still cared. It was a win in his book, a small step, however just as important.
Finally making his way to the kitchen, he met with Bill who offered him a cup of hot coffee "Fun night?"
Accepting the cup, Talbott rolled his eyes "Nothing happened so what's up with that cheeky grin?"
Chuckling Bill just shruggled his shoulders "I didn't say anything."
Lifting his brows Talbott kept the comment bubbling in his throat to himself. Bill had this way of pushing certain buttons, being a cheeky git, Talbott not eeling like he had the capacity to deal with him in that area. Thankfully for him, Talia stepped inside the kitchen "Bathroom is free, I'm going to get changed, be ready soon please." She flashed a charming smile Talbott's way before retreating after a sip of coffee. Ignoring the playful glint in Bill's eyes he also retreated in order to get ready for whatever she had planned foe them.
The day was sunny since the early hours, Talia navigating them through small streets filled with cafes and sweet shops "Where are we going?" he nervously glanced around the countless muggles enjoying their breakfast, chatting away, streets filling up rapidly due to the lovely weekend weather.
"One of the place I have been hiding out." His attention fell on her, the small pout of her lips making his chest ache "I know I haven't been around much. I asked Mirunna to push me more and more and when I wasn't training I was allowing myself to be sucked into books." Reading? She has been reading?
"I've been trying to give you space Talia. After everything that happened I…" her clear eyes rose to look up at him, Talbott stopping in his tracks "You've changed, something happened and that made you run away from me." The words left a bitter taste on his tongue, hands being placed inside his pockets since he did not know what to do with them without giving away how nervous he was about the entire situation.
"I'm trying to figure out where I botched things, who I trusted, who tipped off Jasper." Touching her chest, her fingers gripped the fabric of her shirt "That was no normal dagger, it triggered me, it…hurt more than the Crucio curse." Her voice dimmed, face paling at the memory of that day.
Closing the space between them, he pulled her in his arms, his mind finally finding the necessary focus, ignoring the world around them "I should have come with you, there isn't a moment I don't regret it."
"No, it's because you came with the necessary people that we managed to bring everything to light." Looking at him she smiled "We'll get to be Aurors, fight for the good guys."
Talbott just nodded without saying a word. The good guys? He wanted, needed to believe that. But there was that nagging voice at the back of his head alerting him to something else entirely. The very same good guys abandoned them in that dreadful camp, did not check in apart from Mirunna and that was because she did not fully trust in Jasper's methods or his personality. There was a personal affair involved with those two, one Talbott had little regards for.
"Come, it's just around the corner." Taking his hand into hers, she led him to a small door with a handmade sign, the letters spelling bookstore, large and bold. He had to slouch in order to not hit his head when entering, however once inside he felt like it was an entirely different world.
Soft music played in the background, multiple rows of books neatly organised on shelves taking up the majority of the space. On the soft plush carpet, several pillows were scattered, some occupied by people enjoy a book.
"There is also a small café where you can buy drinks. Some books are for sale, but you can always sit and just read, donate money to keep the store going. This is where I've been hiding."
"As long as you're not getting yourself in trouble, this is fine although Muggle literature isn't necessarily something I read."
Pulling him through the rows she giggled "Don't be daft, it's actually good. Come I know a spot people don't usually frequent."
All the rows looked the same apart from the different signs with specific genres of books. Once they reached the spot Talia mentioned they sat down on a couple of pillows after she took a book off the shelves "And why is this area with less people?"
Positioning herself between his legs, she pressed her back against his chest, Talbott's arms circling around her waist "Because it's the erotica section." She felt him tense against her as she suppressed a giggle whishing she could have seen the look on his face when she delivered that line "You can imagine no one wants to be seen reading steamy scenes in a public place."
"Apart from you I see." He replied after clearing his throat.
Talia shrugged, turning to look at him "You know what I would like?" she purred against him "For you to read some parts of this book to me." Talbott closed his eyes for a few moments urging himself to settle down and not get ahead of himself before seeing the actual text.
Taking the book from her hands, he turned to the page indicated by her, eyes going wide. The description in itself was not as vile as he imagined, however there was no possible way his voice would not shake when reading the scene played out. At how the lover removed each clothing item off his lovers body, tracing kisses along the exposed skin, indulging in each sweet moan leaving her lips.
Closing the book he rested his head against her shoulder "Don't make me read this stuff out loud."
A soft chuckle left Talia's lips, body shaking with the motion of her amusement "I can read it to you if you want."
"Out of the bloody question." He growled lifting his head to meet a pair of playful eyes him being entirely certain he did not look as menacing as he intended. It did not matter if she read it or him, the thoughts would be just the same, his imagination placing them both in the tender scene depicted in the pages, creating the intimate setting, seeing it with his mind's eye.
"Why are you so flustered?" she turned to him entirely, arms wrapping around his neck "Aren't such affairs normal for two lovers?" he could feel the heat spread across his face, fire igniting inside his chest, hotter with each passing moment that she kept him pinned on the spot with her wide gaze "Or are you not interested in me like that at all?"
"Why are you teasing me in such a place?" pulling her closer he lost himself in the kiss delivered, arms holding her close to his body, indulging in her taste. It felt like forever since their lips touched, however soon thoughts melted entirely alongside the doubts. Time, they just needed time to deal with everything that happened "I missed you, I really did." He whispered when they created some distance.
"Are you ready to give me that earful now?"
Shaking his head, he took her face in the palm of his hands "Never do that again, I don't want to forget a single thing about you or us. Trust that I know what to make of the information you give me damn it." he was still mad, she could see it, but what outweighed those feelings was the fear of losing her entirely, be it through not remembering or another dreadful way.
"It was impulse, one born out of my desire to protect you. I thought I was going to go mad when they took you, when I found you bleeding out." But he felt the same when he arrived at the camp, thoughts hammering inside his head not knowing whether she would be alive or not. Seeing her with blood covering her chest he imagined Jasper killed her.
All that horror and the memories surrounding them reflected in their eyes when they stared at one another. Her eyes watered, Talia burring her face in his shirt, him feeling the familiar sting creeping up on him "It's alright, we're alright." His voice trembled but still remained strong as he held her in his arms "I found an apartment you know. Has only one bedroom, but it's the most decent one at an affordable price." She stilled, listening closely since the entire subject changed in a blink of an eye "I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to come with me."
Lifting her face, she wiped away the tears from her face, wide eyes taking him in "Do you mean it?" his eyes averted however he still nodded the confirmation sought out by Talia. Grazing his jaw line, she made him look back at her "Yes Talbott, I would like nothing more." Placing another kiss against his lips, he trembled in surprise.
It had been so easy all along, if only he would have just offered her a few words, a fleeting touch, anything, they would not have spent so many days avoiding one another, digging ideas of abandonment in each other's brains. She was willing, he was willing, they just had to stand by one another and they would be fine.
They had to be.