April 19, 2019
IT'S DYNASTY DAY! Ahh! I can only assume we'll see more of Liam tonight than we did last week (which was basically not at all, of course), but OH BOY!
Just as Fallon had said she'd be, she was done packing and ready to go within an hour of their return to the hotel room. She was debating, however, whether or not she ought to actually check out. If Ada was caught that night, then one night of extra pay to cover a little bit wouldn't be so bad. But if Ada was really keeping an eye on Fallon, then she would know anyway. In the end, Liam talked her into just checking out, saying that they could take a roundabout drive home if that made her feel better. It certainly did.
More relevant, in some ways, was the word he'd used. Home. It felt so strange that the term no longer meant her family's manor, but it felt stranger that Liam was suggesting that his home was in some way hers, now. Sure, that was kind of the plan, but it felt early for him to be so casual about it.
In the cab, Liam made up a story about wanting to show Fallon a specific building downtown, saying he'd pay whatever the extra fee was to go to his apartment by way of that spot. Much to Fallon's amusement, he even kept up the charade, pointing things out as if she were new to Atlanta. It wasn't until they reached the pretend building of interest that she realized why he was doing it.
Fallon leaned against him, setting her chin carefully atop his shoulder as if she were looking outside. But really, she did so in order to quietly mumble into his ear, "You're not as sneaky as you think you are."
He turned his chin enough to look at her out of the corner of his eye. "Oh?"
"You're trying to distract me," she accused, though she clearly wasn't bothered by it.
She watched as a small smile grew across Liam's face when he looked out the window again. "Is it working?"
A slight nod was the only answer she gave before he started up again, playing the game until the cab pulled to a stop and Liam paid the driver so they could get out and head up to his place. It wasn't until they got into the elevator that Fallon felt the tension between them. She almost couldn't look at him, because she knew full well he was going to bring up their decision to do things 'properly' if she so much as suggested anything physical. She hadn't expected to regret that decision so soon.
The elevator doors opened but the silence carried on as he picked up a bag and led her towards the door she'd shown up at a few times before. This time, however, she was welcome, and expected. Liam unlocked the door and stepped aside so she could walk in first. She let her bags down off to the side, assuming he'd tell her where to put them later.
He followed her in, set the last bag down, and closed the door behind them. When he locked the door out of habit as well as for safety, they both sort of froze, not quite looking at each other. Until they attempted to say each other's name at the same time, and Liam let out a quiet laugh.
"This is ridiculous," he decided, shaking his head.
Fallon lifted her chin to look at him, almost disappointed. "Is it? You're the one who said we had fantastic chemistry. Unless you're suggesting that something's changed-"
"As if," Liam cut in quickly, not even giving her a moment to start thinking that.
She lifted an eyebrow, but couldn't hold back the smile that emerged. "... Good."
Fallon watched the way he swallowed hard, thinking for a moment there that maybe they were both going to snap and just go for it. But then he shook his head and picked up all of the bags himself, taking them through an open door.
"In here," he told her.
She followed him into the bedroom, and just stopped in the doorway, smirking. "You're really sending some mixed signals here, Liam," she teased, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "In all seriousness, I don't want you to turn around and tell me you're going to take the couch."
"... Pillow wall?"
Fallon shook her head as he laughed at the irony of how far they'd come. "You're not getting relegated anywhere in your own home. I don't remember the last time I slept on a couch, but yours looks pretty nice, so-"
"Don't be silly," he told her, stepping up to usher her further into the room. "Make yourself at home, Fal. I mean it."
She stepped further in, yes, but then she turned around to face him, leaving hardly a breath of space between them. "Thank you," she said quietly, at hardly more than an earnest whisper.
By way of explanation, he just said, "I love you."
And that was all it took for Fallon. She offered a breathy, "I love you, too," before reaching out to draw him into a fervent kiss. It was incredibly different from the one outside of the precinct, because alongside the things she was trying to tell him on an emotional level, there was instantly months of repressed desire that made itself known. From both of them.
He was shocked, that was clear. But it took mere moments for him to pull her flush against him, and for Fallon to wrap her arms around his neck as she sighed into the kiss. It wasn't until she took a step back towards the bed that he broke the kiss, making Fallon groan in complaint.
"Calm down," he told her with a chuckle. "The bags are right behind you."
Fallon looked around, realizing she was, indeed, going to trip if he let her go any further. "Predictable," she muttered, frowning as she turned back towards him, her hands dropping to her hips.
Liam gently took hold of her upper arms, guiding her away from the obstruction and towards the bed, where he sat on the edge and took her hands. "I'm not pushing. We don't have to, but-"
"Stop talking."
Fallon settled herself in his lap before drawing her hands away from his so she could push at his shoulders and lean over him.
And despite earlier talks of dinner, neither of them seemed to remember until much later, when Fallon heard his stomach growl in the quiet that followed, and let out a soft, surprised laugh. She was more surprised by what had just happened than the sound itself, but she tilted her chin back atop his chest to smirk up at him.
"Hungry?" He asked, smiling back as he combed through her hair with his fingers. When she shrugged but nodded, he sat up, helping her do the same. "Come on. I'll show you where to find everything."
Liam accepted her lingering kiss before climbing out of bed and starting to get dressed again. But Fallon reached out and snatched his shirt from him, pulling it on and taking his hand to make their way into the kitchen.
Though Liam tried to convince Fallon to let him teach her something, she charmed her way into just sitting on the counter and watching for a while. It wasn't until Liam started plating things up to hand some over to her that he realized she'd zoned out.
He brushed the backs of his fingers against her leg to try and get her attention. "Lost in thought?"
Fallon looked down at him, a slight frown appearing. "Not intentionally. It's just... This is great, and I'm glad I'm here. At the same time, though, I'm really nervous. Not- not about us. About Ada. And what she'll say or do once she's caught."
He sighed, setting the plate down and leaning against the counter next to her. "I know."
She lifted a hand to reach for him, but hesitated, only for Liam to quickly make up the distance for her. Once he had a hold on her, though, Fallon squeezed his hand tightly. "Liam, if things start to come out about me, whether or not Ada's framing it badly, … I would understand if you felt differently somehow."
"Impossible," he assured her. "If you think someone like Ada is going to affect the way I see you, that's crazy."
"I know I mentioned the article about me. But this could be far worse. And the people in your life? They might care."
Liam shook his head firmly. "Doesn't matter. Not to me."
Fallon's free hand found his cheek as she leaned down to kiss him. Whether or not she believed that he was right to see her that way, it meant the world to her that he claimed to. That he acted like it was true. So when she pulled back, she hopped down and picked up her plate, suggesting they put something on the television to distract them.
As they settled in and Fallon finally tried Liam's cooking with the intention to actually try and appreciate it, she found herself shocked. "This is incredible," she complimented enthusiastically, looking over at him in appreciation. A smirk appeared as he smiled with a bit of embarrassment, nodding his head. "Maybe once we escape CA I should look into the restaurant business. If you get tired of writing and ever need a job..."
Liam chuckled quietly but shook his head. "The restaurant industry is not always profitable, and you know that. There wouldn't be time for anything outside of it – not writing, or any of your other venture ideas. Besides, I'm surprised you don't want to move somewhere fresh and take over the city's energy plans."
Fallon's face fell slightly. "I'd have to get Morell Corp back from CA. And I doubt your mother would encourage the board to help me do that."
He let out a quiet hmm but didn't confirm or deny her theory. Instead, he just redirected her attention to their show again.
Early the next morning, Fallon tried to ignore the buzzing of her phone, but Liam's confused sound of complaint led her to reach over him to the bedside table to pick it up. He pulled her closer against her side as she dropped her arm against his chest to unlock her phone.
"It's Michael," she told him, earning a surprised look once Liam opened his eyes. "Ada's been arrested."
His confusion turned into joy at the announcement. "Yeah?"
Fallon flicked over to the dial tab to call Michael, putting it on speaker. The look on Liam's face suggested he didn't think Culhane should know he was there. When Michael answered, Fallon immediately started bombarding him with questions.
"Well," Culhane began, "turns out Ada Stone is just an alias. She's been wanted for a while now, though not in Georgia. So hiding out apparently did her some good for a while."
"What about you, though?" Fallon pressed.
"They haven't asked me to come in yet. She might suspect that I'd just screw her over."
Fallon frowned. "As you should."
Michael agreed, and after a few more confirmations that they were going through all of her files to rack up charges against her, they hung up after a final, earnest thank you on her part. Then Fallon dropped her head back on the pillow next to Liam, looking over at him.
"... I think this sort of means we're free, now. From CA, at least."
He nodded, rolling onto his side to lean over her, his arm draping over her waist. "I might just call in right now."
"Yeah? Let's do it."
He was rather amazed by her excitement about being unemployed again, but half an hour later, they had both sent in their resignation letters. Fallon closed her laptop and turned to face him.
"Now what?" She teased.
He didn't match her expression, instead turning serious as he reached over, taking her laptop and setting it aside. Fallon lifted an eyebrow in question, but she already knew, really, what he was up to. A smirk rose to match his smile before he caught her lips with his, and she went willingly when he leaned her back on the bed, her hands drawing him in as he settled over her.