Alice visits Matthew in Melbourne, circa 2.10/3.01ish

She played with the strap of her purse as the train pulled into the station; her bag waited at her feet and the second the train squealed to a stop, Alice leapt up from her seat and stepped onto the platform. She wasn't sure if Matthew would be there or not, so she ducked out of the flow of people and scanned the crowd - smiling when he walked up to her with his hands in his pockets.

"Sorry I'm late, sweetheart," Matthew kissed her cheek.

"I'd say you were right on time, dear."

He grinned, "May I take your bag for you? I'm staying fairly close by."

"Such a gentlemen, you may."

Matthew took her holdall in one hand, and offered the other arm to Alice; tucking her hand around his elbow, Alice smiled and let him lead her through the crowded station and across the street. As they walked, she rested her head against his shoulder - her other hand coming up to wrap around his arm when he leaned down and dropped a kiss on top of her hair.

"Been busy?" he asked her.

"A little, Lucien's been rattling around the morgue more often with the new superintendent holding him back from his usual antics."

Matthew chuckled, "Is that Doug Ashby as the acting superintendent?"

"Yes, he's come by a few times, seems very serious."

"He used to be my boss."

"Really?"

He nodded, "Made my life hell, but I learned a lot from him - what to do, what not to do."

"Ah… old fashioned copper?"

"You could say that."

"Hm…" she hummed. "How have things been here for you?"

"Not… well, I wasn't even sure they'd give me a break, but I suppose special committees have weekends too."

"What are they doing?"

"They're accusing me of corruption - several counts - and now they have to prove it."

"They won't."

"I hope not," he smiled and led her up to a door tucked away on a side street. "Here we are."

"It's cozy."

"It's a place to sleep."

"Is there a landlord we have to sneak past?" she teased.

"No," Matthew unlocked the door and pulled her inside as she giggled. As soon as the door closed behind them, he dropped her bag and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She hummed into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders - laughing when Matthew picked her up and carried her down the hall.

"Straight to the point, Superintendent?" Alice asked as he brought her to his small bedroom.

"I've missed you, Doctor," he kissed her.

"You promised me dancing."

"In due time, in due time."

She laughed again as they toppled back onto his bed - his kisses turning hungrier, hands and fingers grasping at clothes as they sought out each other after weeks apart. He left marks on her skin where she usually would've reprimanded him about, but right now all Alice wanted - needed - was Matthew. It was one of their more hasty and rougher times, but as they lay on Matthew's bed - not even under the covers - panting and sweat cooling on their bodies, Alice couldn't complain.

Matthew pressed faint kisses to her neck and shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair, "Bloody hell."

She giggled, "I concur."

"We make a good match," he propped himself up on his elbows and leaned down to kiss her. "God, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

He kissed her again, "How long do I have you, again?"

"Three days."

"Good, I plan to make the most of it. I haven't had the chance to find a place for dancing though."

"It's alright, I don't have a dress suited for dancing," Alice grinned as Matthew shook his head.

"If I promise you dancing, then you have to hold up your end of the bargain, sweetheart."

"You said I had to practice, you said nothing of proper attire."

"Now that's just nitpicking."

She laughed, "I'm teasing, dear. I'll find something, I promise."

"Can I help you? I'm very familiar with what looks good on you."

"More like very familiar getting me out of it."

"Is that not the same thing?" Matthew grinned when she swatted at his arse. "How about, instead of dancing, I treat you to dinner somewhere?"

"I don't want to go out, Matthew, I'd rather stay here - just the two of us and your amazing cooking while we enjoy the time we have."

"Only if you help me prepare it."

"So fish and chips after I burn it then?"

He laughed and kissed her, "I meant preparing the ingredients and you can watch as I cook if you're curious."

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try and learn."

"Exactly," Matthew kissed her again and got up from the bed with a groan. "I'll put on the kettle for tea and then we can start on dinner."

Alice let him pull her up off the bed and into a kiss; she pulled on his discarded shirt from earlier as he simply pulled his trousers back on and followed him into the kitchen. Helping him prepare the ingredients was simple enough - though Alice did enjoy him wrapping his arms around her from behind to guide her through it at first; she leaned against the counter to watch him cook at the stove - catching his faint smug smile when her eyes roved over him slowly.

"Like what you see?"

"Always," Alice wrapped her arms around his waist from behind - pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder. She smoothed her hands over his belly and chest while her lips mapped out the few scars adorning his skin.

"Where's this one from?" She asked as she traced the puckered outline with her fingertip.

"Bullet wound from the war, caught it when pulling a combat buddy out of the line of fire."

"So you've always been protective?"

Matthew shrugged half-heartedly, "You could say that."

"This one, I know, I've seen shrapnel damage on corpses after the war."

Matthew laughed lightly as she kissed the shrapnel scar on the back of his other shoulder, "Seen a lot of it, have you?"

"You've plenty of years left in you yet, my dear," Alice kissed his shoulder again. "I, for one, am glad you came back relatively in one piece."

He covered her hand with his and pressed it against his chest as she kissed his shoulder and a silence fell over them; Alice smiled when he brought the hand in his hold up to kiss her palm.

"I'm glad I came back too, and got to meet you."

Alice hummed and stayed behind Matthew as he cooked; she could feel his laughter as she slid a hand down his chest to tease along the top of his trousers.

"Watch it, or this really will burn and then we'll have to put on clothes and go get food."

"Oh, alright," she huffed and pouted as he pulled her around to his right side. "You take all the fun out of this."

"That's me, the fun sucker," Matthew grinned and lightly kissed the tip of her nose. "Give me a few more seconds and then I can let this simmer a bit, sweetheart."

"Okay," she kissed his cheek.

True to his word, Matthew added a few more ingredients to their dinner and set the heat down lower to let it cook before he turned to her and pulled her in for a kiss. Alice giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her again and again; she let out a surprised squeak when Matthew suddenly lifted her up onto the counter. Humming into his next kiss, she hooked a leg around his waist to pull him in closer. Matthew smiled against her lips and trailed kisses down her neck.

"Y'know, I like this look on you," he whispered.

"Which look?" She arched an eyebrow, "wearing your clothes, the bites and bruises from your mouth, and wild curls with a just been fucked and about to be fucked again mess to them?"

"Devious woman," he pulled her sharply to the edge of the counter as she laughed and kissed her. "It's a good look for you, but not the one I was admiring."

"What look, then?"

"Happy," Matthew smiled and Alice felt her eyes widen. "You look happy, and… it makes you look even more beautiful than usual."

Alice's cheeks burned and she ducked her head with a bashful smile before she leaned in and kissed him - drawing back briefly from it and then kissing him again.

"I don't know what to say," she whispered.

"You don't have to say anything."

"But I want to," Alice kissed him softly. "You… you make me happy, my dear Matthew."

"Good, I'm glad."

"I'm glad that I let you woo me, it's been lots of fun."

Matthew grinned, "Oh, our fun is just beginning, sweetheart."