Lucky for Thompson, his employer agreed to allow him to return to the Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls and become its unofficial official photographer. He also managed to convince the head doctor, Dr. Stockhill, to allow Emily to be the one whom he took pictures of. He did photograph other girls from time to time, as per the doctor's request, but he managed to make it so that Emily was his primary muse. This pleased them both greatly, for as much as they loved the other inmates, they were each other's favorite.
Thompson was busy unpacking his things, trying not to let his eagerness show upon his face. Emily would be here soon and he couldn't wait to see her again! Quickly trying to fix his hair and straight up his suit, the young man used his mirror to assess his looks. Satisfied, he returned his attention to his beloved camera, still impatiently waiting to hear Emily arrive through that door. His wish was granted 15 seconds later and his ears pricked up in delight as he heard the tell-tale sound of feet running towards the room. Emily was here!
"I'm glad to see you! I was hoping you'd come!" he greeted as walked in. He turned around slowly to maintain a mask of calmness, but in truth, he was feeling nervous and giddy already just by watching her float so elegantly inside. She may have run all the way here, but once she reached the door, she returned to a light and airy walk. She was so beautiful and powerful! Thompson was surely in love!
"I was hoping that too," Emily replied, voice soft and sweet. It was high-pitched and gentle and Thompson felt his heart melt even more. How could you not just fall in love with that adorable voice?
She could just sound so tender and loving that Thompson had fallen in love with her songs just as much as he'd fallen in love with everything else about her. It made him feel special inside to hear that voice coming from Emily because she had assured him that he was the only person who ever heard it. He was the only one to ever see this sweeter and more vulnerable side to her. The fact honored and flattered him equally. Apparently, her regular voice was sullen and gruff, but when she was with him, nothing could be further from the truth. It was high, soft, sweet, and warm. It made Thompson want to giggle, but he forced himself to look at least a little bit composed and he swallowed down his playful laughter.
"Out in the hallway, who were you running from?" he asked, partly curious and partly playful as he explained to Emily that he had heard her coming because he had heard her feet smacking against the floor quickly and violently.
"I was running to you," Emily replied with a coy and sweet smile, knowing that it was exactly what Thompson would've wanted to hear her say. But it was true! It wasn't just an idle flattering remark from Emily. Since these photograph sessions were regular, the doctors had since stopped escorting Emily to them. They simply let her out of her cell and let her go on her own to Thompson and they would meet her in the hallway outside once she was done. For that, Emily really had not been running from anyone today. She genuinely had been running towards Thompson, just as eager to see him as he was to see her.
Hearing her say it aloud, though, made Thompson feel even more proud and flattered and he was sure he was blushing now! He even rubbed the back of his neck in the way he always did when he felt a bit embarrassed. It touched him to think his feelings for Emily were reciprocated and he felt so honored that she had been so happy to see him that she had come running. He felt the exact same way. She continued to smile teasingly at him, knowing just how badly she could fluster him in one little admission of love such as this one. He was cute when he was nervous! She continued to bat her eyes up at him to see if she could make his blush deepen. She wanted it to match the shade of her hair.
"But where do you want me?" the redheaded inmate asked finally, dropping some of her flirty mannerisms for a more sincere one. Though it was fun to make Thompson nervous and it was fun to tell him she'd been running to see him (because she loved the way his chest would puff out a little when she admitted as much), she also really did like getting to spend time with him and work on his projects with him. She like his pictures, they made her look and feel beautiful, and she liked to see how enthusiastic he got when he talked about his work, his art! She didn't just want to see Thompson because she wanted to hang out with him, it was because she wanted to create art with him. She wanted to feel like she was doing something good and noble with her life, something high-class and self-indulgent. She was just as invested in photography as Thompson was now. It was what happened when two artists combined their passions!
"What is it I'm meant to do?" she continued sweetly as she walked a circle around Thompson, eyeing him up and down playfully.
"Should I be smiling?" she affected a comically large grin.
"Should I be looking at you?" she looked him dead in the eye, but Thompson had since frozen up and all he was doing was staring dreamily back.
"This is strange, very strange," Emily smiled, suddenly feeling a little bit nervous herself as Thompson continued to gaze so fondly at her. "I don't know why I'm here," she confessed at last, a hint of her true self bubbling up to the surface. She gave a concerned and confused look to Thompson, hoping for his guidance in this moment.
"Please, won't you tell me?" she asked. "Well, say something?" she repeated as he only continued to stare.
"Shall I sit?" she suggested, hoping onto the table in the room where Thompson had set his bag of supplies (this time, there were no clamps inside. He never brought those with him to the asylum, knowing how much they bothered Emily. This had been another little gesture of his that Emily had noticed and fallen in love with). But right now, Emily could only frown in confusion as Thompson remained almost like a statue, dazed in the eye.
But at last, as Emily waved a hand before his face, he finally woke up.
"Sorry, I'm sorry," Thomson muttered embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his neck as he began to respond again, even shaking his head. "I wasn't thinking, but yes. You might come closer, if you don't mind, of course!"
"I don't mind, of course," Emily replied with a smile. His constant asking for her consent in all that he did never got old with her and it was easily her favorite thing about him. He never failed to make her feel loved, safe, respected, equal and important when he asked her permission. She was always more than happy to give it, but that was just because he asked so nicely, and he asked all the time. She hopped down from the table at once, leaning casually against it just like Thompson had suggested, more than happy to comply with someone who was so kind and friendly.
"Now if I may," Thomson reached out to her, a silent but clear request to move her body a bit into the pose he wanted.
"Of course you may," Emily nodded her consent and allowed Thompson to twist her body the way he wanted. Unlike when the doctors did this to investigate her and unlike when the Chasers did this to force her body into positions that please them the best, Thompson was very gentle and made sure to keep his hands in "safe zones". He touched her waist, her upper arms, and her shoulders, but never her legs or her hands or her face.
It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to Emily that Thompson was, in effect, monitoring his own behavior when he touched her. Why couldn't all the other men in Emily's life be so considerate? Thompson was proof that it was possible! Even though his job demanded it of him that he be around to move and pose his subjects to his liking, he managed to keep all of his physical contact as clear and gentle as possible. Emily's respect, affection and trust in Thompson was massive by this point, as he continued to touch her, but only in way he knew she felt comfortable with. What's more, he was gentle. Though he was twisting her body, he was not rough or forceful. If anything, his touch was more of a cue for Emily to move in that direction. Thompson, himself, just gave the signal, but it was Emily who moved her body, entirely of her own will.
"I confess, this is strange, very strange," Thompson murmured shyly as he continued to angle Emily just right. Though he never looked at Emily lustfully, ever since he'd started to develop romantic attraction for her, he always felt a bit daunted and embarrassed when he had to size her up. It was necessary for him to do this so he could get the best shot of her possible, but he still felt a bit giddy when he had to study her gorgeous figure so intently. Today, although she was leaning on the table calmly, her look was stormy and pensive, as though she was thinking of something far beyond the comprehension of normal men. Emily felt that the pose was very empowering and Thompson agreed. She looked so mystical and majestic, standing there with that intelligent gaze in the back of her eyes, not acknowledging the giant camera standing before her.
But as Thompson began to stutter from his nerves, talking about how admittedly strange all of this really was, Emily began to smile.
"This is strange, very strange," she agreed, breaking her calm façade and grinning. Without meaning to, she began to turn her head towards Thompson and Thompson, instead of worrying that she'd just ruined her carefully-held posture, could only stare back, equally smitten. Both of them stared at one another in such interest and fondness. Their eyes were locked and neither felt compelled to break the connection.
"You're not what I thought you'd be," they said in unison, still studying one another intently and hopefully.
"But I'm glad you're here with me," Thompson admitted at last, looking away bashfully.
"I'm glad you're glad," Emily replied gently, not missing a beat as she smiled up at Thompson's adorable little grin of shyness.
"Aren't you handsome?" he muttered into his suit's collar, then he stumbled back behind his camera.
Emily retook her pose, but this time, she couldn't help but smile a bit. Though she wasn't supposed to smile at all, Thompson made her too happy for her to be able to keep a straight face around him. Luckily, the feeling was mutual and Thompson ultimately decided to keep Emily smiling a little. Though it ruined the more serious and stoic effect that Emily's posture gave, the smile made her seem a bit more human despite her stoicism and it was a look that both she and Thompson agreed upon as being perfectly balanced, beautiful and natural.
Then, once the serious photos were over, Thompson and Emily proceeded to goof around a little like foolish school children. They laughed, teased, giggled, poked and prodded one another for all the time they had left together. They joked and played, messing around with Thompson's costumes and props. Emily wore a top hat and Thompson pretended to put flowers in his hair. They danced and waltzed around the room, laughing and singing. Emily made silly faces that Thompson laughed at and he made silly faces that she laughed at. Then, finally, Thompson set them both up for a picture. He and Emily had their arms around one another and while Thompson was giving his trademark childlike smile of wonder, Emily, herself, was grinning proudly at the camera as though trying to display the love between herself and Thompson through her smile.
The message was sent and received successfully. Thompson printed out two small copies of that picture, one for Emily to take back to her cell and hide in her pillow, while Thompson would keep the other one with him in his camera bag so that she would always be working to help inspire him, even if he was taking someone else's picture on that particular day. It was a very romantic gesture and that picture quickly became Emily's most prized possession and Thompson himself, though he could never share the picture with anyone else, even titled it "The Muse" and had it tied inside of his bag. That way, she would always be the first thing he saw before getting out his camera. It became like a charm to him!
"You're not what I thought you'd be," they said in unison again as their time together drew to an end.
"But I'm glad you came to me," Thompson said, pocketing his new picture of them together.
"I'm glad you're glad," Emily repeated, doing likewise, then she pressed a kiss to Thompson's cheek and he thought for sure that he could see fireworks brighter than the flash of his camera. He was surely in love! And so was she!
AN: Like I said, I'm a hopeless romantic for these two. They are easily my favorite couple of the whole asylum. They are just TOO FREAKING CUTE FOR WORDS and you guys don't understand how much I'm in love with their adorkable and functional romance! They're a good male-female couple, respect and admiration mutual on both sides with low toxicity!
(Of course you could argue that Thompson's narrow view of the world harms Emily, but it's not intentional and he's not creepy, or sexual, or stalkerish, or rude, or commanding, or anything. He's so courteous and respectful! A true English gent! Like I repeated over and over in this fic, he's always asking for her permission to do things with/to her and I think that's just the sweetest thing ever!)
Thompson is the greatest feminist ally and he and Emily are GOALS! They're both so cute! Especially together! And the two songs Emilie gave them make my heart melt! Long live Emily/Thompson! The adorakable sweethearts who are the OG feminist couple that we should all aspire to be! I thank EA for giving them such wonderful duets! I die every time I listen to them (which is quite often).
(Sorry, done fangirling about this ship. For now...)