"You're never gonna believe who I met," Thomas says as he walks into the kitchen the following evening.
Flora smiles at the man grinning at her. She hadn't lied to Vulpes, Thomas is her friend. Her special friend as one red headed, liquor drinking, stubborn as the day is long, traveling partner would say with a wink and a sly grin. Shortly after moving in, she met Thomas. Though not as handsome as her estranged husband, he was genuine and caring. Not wanting a relationship, he provides her with much needed company.
Flora suppresses a smile, "Who?"
"The Emperor!"
"Of the Legion?"
The brown haired man scoffs, "Do you know of another? Yes! And you know what?"
"What?"
"He was interested in your perfume! Do you know what this means?"
"The Emperor wants his whores to smell nice?"
Thomas is briefly thrown by her response.
"It could be a contract with the palace! All those women! Just imagine the profit."
"There were lots of women?"
Thomas once again gives Flora a confused look.
"I don't know, he met me at the Inn. It was quite an unexpected surprise. There was a knock at the door and when I opened it, there was this big tough looking man. Him and three other men barged in. One of them forced me into a chair and the Emperor walks in. Said he had a few questions for me, even had a jar of your perfume in his hand. I just imagine there are plenty of women since the Empress died about five years ago."
"She was assassinated, " Flora clarifies.
"Are you okay?, " Thomas asks.
"It's just been an aggravating past few days is all," she replies breezily .
"Pa told me you have a visitor."
"Yeah," she responds. "He's outside with the boys."
"Well here, " Thomas says, handing Flora a glass bottle. "I brought you something, you probably need it."
"Lady Luck Vodka," she says aloud. "I loved this stuff, I heard the distillery was destroyed during the annexation. Thomas you didn't have to, this must have cost a fortune."
"Don't you worry about the price," he smiles. "Figured I owed you something for keeping an eye on Pa."
Flora laughs, "More like the other way around."
"You got some glasses or should we drink out of the bottle?, " he laughs.
Flora gives a small whoop of excitement as she grabs a set of glasses from the cabinet.
"Set me up Barkeep!," she proclaims.
Looking around, she notices Harold is missing, "Where's Pops?"
"Said something about not wanting to be in the way, " Thomas mutters as he pours.
"I'm surprised you decided to come over," she teases.
"After fighting a war, nothing much fazes me anymore."
Flora shakes her head as she chuckles. If you only knew, she thinks.
"To Pops," she says, holding up her shot glass.
"To Pops," her companion echoes.
...
"Thomas come over often?," Vulpes asks his boys as they stand outside tending to the meat.
It was vexing, watching his wife talk with this other man, knowing that smile of her face was from his words. Flora had made it very clear that they had a separate life without him, one that she was quite content with.
"Every time he's home," Castor replies.
"About every couple months," Pollux adds.
"He nice to you?, " Vulpes asks, prodding the meat.
"I like him," Castor says while his brother gives a reserved, "He's okay."
"Are you really here to take us home?," Pollux asks.
Vulpes stops piercing the meat to look at his son. At the age of fifteen, Pollux and his older brother are miniature replicas of him. The last time he had seen the boys, they were kids with soft baby faces, and now they were almost men.
"Of course," he says. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"What if Mom says no?," Pollux asks in a small voice.
Vulpes hears Flora laugh as if to punctuate the point.
"You let me worry about that," he says placing a hand on his son's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're here," Pollux says, embracing his Father.
"Me too," Castor says, joining his brother.
...
The surprised look on the man's face is delightful to Vulpes as he walks into the kitchen with the boys. The look also tells him that Flora hadn't told her merchant friend anything. She introduces him as Mr. Fox, the children's father. Vulpes gives him a toothy grin as they shake hands.
Dinner is surprising pleasant with Vulpes being a polite and cordial. At the end of the meal, Thomas is quick to volunteer to assist Flora with the clean up.
Pollux and Castor remain at at the dining table while Celeste had left to tend to Helen. They catch the brief scowl on their father's face when Thomas and Mother disappear into the kitchen. The sounds of their happy chatter appear to irk Father further until he stands and goes out the front door. Pollux looks to his twin, unhappiness clear on his face.
"I wouldn't do anything if I was you, " Castor warns his younger brother.
Pollux shoots his older brother a hard look, "Mind yourself."
"Don't do it," his brother warms. "Mom will kll you! "
Narrowing his eyes Pollux stands from the table, a determined look on his face, "Don't tell me what to do! Thomas doesn't belong here."
"Mom likes him and that should be enough," Castor reasons.
Pollux says nothing, only giving a firm look.
"Don't be stupid," Castor calls after his brother, watching him stride into the kitchen.
...
"I think you should leave," Pollux says bluntly to Thomas in the kitchen.
It takes a moment for the adults to process what the boy had said. Flora turns quickly, a snarl on her face.
"Pollux! You apologize this instant!," she demands.
"No! Father is here, you should be with him," the young boy says sternly.
Flora twists her face at the expression on her youngest son's face.
"Excuse me?! Did your Father put you up to this?"
"No! It's just not proper to throw yourself..."
It was Thomas that stops the boy from finishing his sentence thus saving the young boy's life.
"Oh Paul, you hurt my feelings," he jests, dramatically griping his chest.
"My name is Pollux, not Paul! You're intruding!"
Thomas chuckles while Flora fumes. She grasps her child's arm tightly.
"You listen to me and you listen good," she says through clenched teeth. "Not even your Father dare speak to me in such a manner. You don't like what you're seeing, go elsewhere."
Pollux snatches his arm free, giving a harsh sneer before walking away. Flora hears the front door slam.
"I'm sorry Thomas, I don't know what got into him, he's never acted that way before."
Thomas shrugs, "Teenagers. It's a tough time."
Flora pours them both another shot, "Cheers to that."
...
"I think Mom's drunk," Castor says to his father after he finds him and Pollux on the back porch.
Celeste comes out shortly after looking glum, "They're in the living room kissing."
The children look to their Father.
"Does she do this often?," he asks, uncertain how to handle the situation in a way to doesn't involve blood and violence.
The children look to each other, a heavy silence forming.
"Only when Thomas comes over," his oldest says.
"Usually we're in bed by now, " his daughter supplies.
"Where's Helen?," Vulpes asks.
"I put her to bed after dinner," Celeste says.
"Go check on her and then go to bed."
His daughter opens her mouth to protest when he stops her with a wave of his hand.
"All of you," he clarifies. "Go to bed. Say good night to your Mother."
"But," Castor sputters.
"Just do it!"
"Yes Father," they quickly mumble.
Vulpes quickly cobbles together a plan.
...
Flora is enjoying herself, wrapped up in Thomas' strong arms. Her mind is full of fluff as they make out on the couch. There was a brief interruption as the children walked by, each wishing her a good night. Absentmindedly, she bids them a good night before returning to her previous engagement. Something buzzes at the back of her mind but is quickly silenced by Thomas' soft lips.
Vulpes peeks into the living room, watching his wife kissing "her friend." Watching them brings a low rumble to his chest, his fingers itching for action. Instead, he sits down on the adjoining loveseat along with an empty tumbler. His arrival goes unnoticed by the canoodling couple. With a shrug, Vulpes helps himself to the half full bottle of vodka that lay nearby. Pouring himself a tidy amount, he sits back and watches.
Flora gives a soft sigh as Thomas palms her breast. They kiss as she caresses his back. He latches onto her neck, pulling her close. She holds onto him as he works down her neck, her eyes closed. Releasing another small sigh, Flora is surprised to hear a chuckle in response. Her eyes fly open, finding Vulpes looking amused as he reclines on the loveseat. He winks, rising his glass to her. Seeing something so out of place jars her befuddled mind, causing Flora to stiffen in her lover's embrace. Vulpes gives a toothy grin at her reaction to his interruption.
"If you breath a little into her ear, it gives her goosebumps and she makes the most delightful little noise," he says, breaking the silence.
Thomas jumps away from Flora as if she was made of fire.
"It's only my husband," she says, reaching out to her confused companion.
Thomas scrunches his eyes at her announcement, his brain struggling to compute what she just said. He looks around, seeing Vulpes lounging in the loveseat, an amused look on his face.
"Having a good time with my wife?," he grins, taking a slow sip of his drink.
Thomas looks confused before furrowing his brows.
"I think I should leave," he finally says.
"You don't have too," Flora coos, trying to win back his attention.
"That's a great idea, " Vulpes agrees, finishing his drink. "Let me walk you out."
The men walk out on the front porch.
"I want to thank you for helping me find Flora. You don't know how much this means to me," Vulpes says as he pulls something out of his pocket.
The action causes Thomas to take a step back, drawing a sliver of a smile from the former spy.
"Oh no," he reassures. "It's nothing like that."
Vulpes holds up a small leather bag.
"Just something small, from me to you to show my appreciation."
Thomas takes the bag, it sits heavy on his palm. Out of habit, he shakes the bag, the sound of gold coins fill the night air.
"Another thing," Vulpes adds, his tone suddenly serious. "I don't need you here while I'm here. Flora and I need room to talk, I want her and the kids to come back to Flagstaff. If she's still here upon your return, feel free to court her all you want."
The merchant eyes the wayward Emperor briefly before giving a swift nod and quickly walking away.
"You did that on purpose!," Flora fumes when Vulpes returns alone. "Why do you always have to ruin everything?! "
"My dear wife, I only prevented you from making a fool of yourself."
"That's not your job anymore!," she bites.
Vulpes' eyes flash as he bears down on her. Flora backs away until she is stopped by the wall.
"Despite what you think, we are still married," he says fiercely, standing in her space.
"Oh, how nice of you to finally remember!, " she snarls.
Vulpes regards his intoxicated wife with a tense expression.
"I remember you saying that you would forgive me of my past transgressions," he says tensely.
Flora narrows her eyes, "I also said I wouldn't forgot anything either. We still have a score to settle."
Vulpes bares his teeth, "Woman, you try my patience!"
Surprisingly Flora giggles, the smell of vodka strong in his face.
"What?," he growls, annoyed at her laughter.
"Say it," she coos. "Say my favorite thing to hear."
"Courier, you try my patience," he says, his anger beginning to smooth over at the appearance of something pleasant.
"No, not like that. You know how I like."
Vulpes grins, pushing her firmly against the wall. One arm goes up to frame her head while the other sits upon her hip. He crowds her, until his nose touches her ear. Vulpes exhales softly, the warm air makes her flesh pimple.
"Courier," he breathes. "You try my patience."
Flora giggles as she arches into him, her hands sliding around his shoulders. Seizing the opportunity, Vulpes begins to kiss her neck. He nips at her earlobe, drawing a soft gasp as Flora clutches onto his shirt.
"You keep that up and we'll have to see what Caesar has to say about how you've be acting lately," Vulpes smirks.
Flora giggles, her fingers trailing down his chest.
"Oh I think I already know how Caesar feels about the situation," she replies slyly, her hands trailing farther down his waist.
"Oh really?" he whispers.
"Oh yes," Flora purrs as she boldly cups his member.
He could have her now, Vulpes realizes. All he'd have to do is release his belt and she would be his. But would she appreciate it? Reason speaks, pushing through the fog of Lust. In the light of next morning, would Flora think you took advantage of her? Lust begins to dissipate as Reason takes control. With great reluctance, he pulls himself from her eager lips. Flora makes a noise of disappointment at his retreat.
"I think we should stop," he whispers.
"But why?," she pouts. "It was getting good."
Vulpes smirks, "I agree but you drank a lot this evening and I don't want you to do anything you may regret later."
Flora laughs.
"Why are you laughing, my love?"
"It's just that, you are concerned about not taking advantage of me. Like when have you ever not taken advantage of the situation?"
Her husband grins, "I thought you'd appreciate it, shows that I have matured some in our time apart."
Flora shakes her head vigorously.
"I wish it was easier to hate you. Just when I'm certain that I do, you go and do shit like this. You are so confusing."
Vulpes sniffs in amusement, "Why I do believe that the nicest thing you have said to me in years."
"This has been the longest we talked in years," she whispers.
"Yes it has," he agrees, bending to kiss her.
They kiss with an eagerness that he hadn't experienced in years. This is what he missed, this connection.
"I should've never left you," Vulpes whispers against her lips. "Please forgive me."
Flora says nothing as she regards him with bleary eyes. Instead she leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Vulpes holds her until a soft snore reaches his ears. Looking down, he sees she had dozed off.
Vulpes chuckles softly, "I see you never learned to hold your alcohol."
Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he picks Flora up taking her to the bedroom.
Watching her sleep on such a large bed gives Vulpes an idea. He knows that he should leave but allows himself this one pass. Crawling onto the bed, Vulpes snuggles up to his wife.
"Just five minutes," he tells himself.
