Chapter 5: The City Of Love

Author's note: I wanted to have this up yesterday, but I went brain dead for a while and just couldn't type anything good enough. But now my brain seems to be working fine enough to write the next chapter. Apologies that this one is slightly shorter than the others, but I think it's still good. Also, sorry for any typos, I was trying to type this up quick and probably made a few mistakes. :) Please read on and enjoy!

Edboy4926: Thank you, I'm trying to take my time, but I'm just too eager to write it all.
Guest: Well I'm really glad you read through the lemon. Thanks. Thank God for AU!
Lone Reaper-068: Haha, your wish is my command! Enjoy. :)
TheBigDewitt: Well, it's a great username, especially for thinking it up on the spot! I'm trying to come up with an idea where I can add more hurt/comfort, but all that comes to mind is the comfort. But nonetheless, hope you enjoy the update and thank you for your kind words. :)
oh god: You're welcome and thank you as well. :)
musicwolf89: Thanks, more to come. :)
Fanfiction108: Such a troll move to make them related! But hey, that's why there's fanfiction. :)
Dovahkiin Vokun do Skyrim: The first part of your username is so hard for me to pronounce, that when I say, it sounds like a mating call… More coming your way. :)
Adrift At Sea: Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm so glad that it didn't seem rushed or forced. I do my best to make those kinds of chapters tasteful and it really is a challenge sometimes. Thanks again. :)
SpoilerGuest: If only the game ended and they were never related. Of well, that's why there's AU :)
Demonlord99: Of course I realize this. It's written in AU, so all is alright.
bren97122: Ah, okay, gotcha! Just thought I'd let you know. There are some people on here who absolutely despise lemons. D: Thank you for your words!

-Sarai

If it was up to Booker, he'd stay in bed all day. Maybe even all week. But after a few hours of 'kissing' and just simply relaxing with one another, Elizabeth had regained her energy and announced she was ready to see the city. So, after pleading a few times to stay in bed, Booker finally gave in and dressed himself properly to be dragged around the city and roam intriguing streets and snooty crowds.

"What do you mean you haven't seen the city?" she interrogated as Booker laced up her corset.

"I just never had the desire to," he admitted.

Once finished with the corset, Elizabeth grabbed for her dress and stepped into it. She turned around for him to button up the backside, which he did. "How could you not want to see Paris? It's so beautiful and romantic."

He smoothed out her dress and turned her around to bring her in his arms, "It's not very romantic when you have no one to see it with."

Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes, but was still too short to reach his lips. Booker chuckled at her frustrated expression, but huffed when she pulled him down suddenly and brought him to her lips. "Well now you do. And we're going to see every part of this city and you will love it," she said against his lips.

Not responding, he started leading her towards the bed, but sneakily, she managed to slip out of his embrace and trot to the door. "Well come on, Mr. Dewitt, let's see Paris!"

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, "You know to call me—"

"Booker. I know," she said with a wink, "I just wanted to see your face when I called you by your surname. Well come on!"

She opened the door and the sunlight shone upon them. She squealed and started to walk out, while Booker had to squint at the brightness and followed behind her. She grabbed onto his hand and pulled him down the stairs to the cobble street and started making way to the bridge.

"It's going to be a long day," he thought out loud.

Elizabeth looked up at him with an annoyed frown. But after a moment to get over his bored comment, she leaned in closer and motioned with her finger to come closer. He did as she clued and brought his ear to her lips.

"I'll make it up to you tonight," she said with a silky voice and placed a soft kiss on his ear.

Booker stood tall and dragged her along to the nearest attraction. He wanted to get this sightseeing over with so they could get back to the hotel room, into the privacy of four walls and a closed door, and let her make it up to him. It was going to be a long day. Not because he had to walk around this city, but because he would be thinking about tonight for the rest of the day.

The sun was setting and the night was calling upon the people of Paris. Booker and Elizabeth sat on a blanket that lay on the grass, looking up at the Eiffel tower. While he lay on his back, staring up at the purple, pinkish sky, Elizabeth sat straight up with bright eyes, studying the tall tower. Booker wasn't much for buildings or structures. But since this one wasn't modeled after some hubris leader and neither was it floating, it was quite the majestic build. From where they sat, it looked like the tip of it was touching the sky.

"How long do you think it would take to climb it?" she asked softly.

Booker peaked at the iron tower and thought for a moment, "Maybe a few hours. There are ladders and stairs all over the thing. Can't take that long."

"I'd be too nervous it'd fall over if I made it to the top," Elizabeth wondered aloud.

He chuckled softly and rubbed her back, "I think it would take many people to make that thing fall over. Not a feather like you."

She lay down beside him and rested her head on his arm, "It's beautiful. But it's huge. It frightens me in a way."

He arched a brow at her in question and nodded for her to go on. "It's just something so tall and large makes me feel small and threatened. I know it's just a structure, but I'm intimated by it. Does that make sense?"

"It does," he assured her as he looked up the giant tower in front of them, "But being intimated by it means you appreciate it that much more, right?"

She smiled up at him and nodded happily, "Right. I like the way you think."

After a while longer, Elizabeth asked if he was ready to head back to the motel room. Booker controlled his excitement and agreed that he was ready. He paced himself as he stood and folded the blanket, but he could feel himself urging to go faster and get back to the room in speed, but somehow he went at a normal pace. She smoothed out her skirt and grabbed for his hand, "Thank you for taking me out today."

He leaned over and kissed her hair affectionately, "Anything for you."

"Anything, huh?" she inquired with a small smile. "What if I asked for the biggest, fanciest mansion in France?"

They started to walk away from the majestic tower and headed in the direction for the hotel, "It might take a while, but I'd get it for you."

Elizabeth giggled and wrapped her arm around his, "Such a gentleman. But I think I'd want something small and quant in the farmlands. Things that are so flashy make me nervous to touch anything. I want somewhere that I can break something and not get in trouble for doing so."

"That's good to know," he noted. He did his best to keep his pace, but boy did he want to get back to that hotel room quick. They walked at a good pace for the both of them, but Elizabeth stopped suddenly. Booker looked down at her and found that she had a thoughtful and pleasant expression as she looked off into the distance. He followed her gaze and spotted people cheering outside a church and in the center stood two people, a man and a woman dressed in white. A wedding had just taken place and Elizabeth had a bright smile as she observed the newlyweds.

"I'd have my guests throw breadcrumbs instead of rice," she murmured after a small while of watching. "So that the birds wouldn't choke or hurt themselves eating up the celebration."

"I'd imagine breadcrumbs would be a lot softer for the bride and groom," Booker replied with a slight chuckle.

She offered him a cheerful smile and continued to walk on. The sight left Booker in a state of wonder and anticipation. He wondered what Elizabeth would look like in a white wedding dress and how a ring would fit around her small finger. He wasn't afraid to admit that he wanted to marry this girl, so he could only anticipate her answer when he'd ask and looked forward to married life with her. He looked down at the woman in question as her curious eyes studied every person and every detail.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, breaking his thoughtful silence.

"I was thinking about you actually."

"Oh really?" They made it back to the hotel and walked to their room.

"Uh huh." He closed the door behind them and immediately started to unbutton her dress.

She slipped off the light dress and waited for him to unlace the corset completely, "And in what context were you thinking of me?"

He threw the corset it the side and raised her slip over her head, "It's a secret."

She tugged her boots off before Booker pulled her undergarments down her legs and threw them to the other pieces of clothing. He picked her up and brought her to the bed, "Booker, my stockings."

"We'll leave them on for now," he insisted with a shrug.

Hot water surrounded them both as Elizabeth and Booker sit in the bathtub, relaxing. Booker lay resting against the back of the tub and she was leaning on him, her back resting on his chest. After drenching a sponge, Elizabeth raised her leg and started to scrub gently at her skin. He combed her damp hair without thought and watched was she cleaned herself. Who would've known such a simple task could be so sensual?

Booker covered his face when she splashed water at him, "Elizabeth!"

"Sorry," she apologized while giggling uncontrollably, "You looked deep in thought and it showed to be a perfect time to shower you."

"Uh huh, sure." He grabbed the sponge from her and had her lean forward. He brought the sponge to her back and gently washed her.

After a moment of silence, "Booker, can I ask you something?" She looked over her shoulder when he said she could, "Do you miss your wife?"

His hand stopped and became still on her back. Her expression was a soft one and he knew she was just curious. "I do."

"What do you miss about her?" she inquired as she carefully turned around to look at him.

What do I miss about her? There were many things he missed about his wife, but he didn't know how to list them. Once contemplating for a minute, he spoke in a quiet voice, "I miss when I'd come home from work and she'd call from the kitchen and greet me in the doorway. I miss when she would try to groom me, as much as I hated it. She'd knot my tie in a perfect way, and when she wasn't looking I'd loosen it and ruin it because I didn't like looking perfectly together. And every night before bed, she'd list the things she'd love most about the world. Her list was never too long, but always the last thing she'd say was she loved me most."

Elizabeth grabbed for his hand that rested on the lip of the tub and intertwined her fingers with hers, "She sounds like a wonderful woman."

"She was," Booker whispered, looking into the water as if he was in another time. He turned his gaze up to her after a moment and squeezed her small hand in hers, "What I miss most though is that I had someone with me. Someone to come home to. To hold at night."

She brought her free hand to his cheek and held him there for a moment. She studied the somber features that adorned his face, and felt slight guilt for bringing up such a sad topic. But she also felt a pang of discouragement. She was nervous that maybe he would never be able to allow Elizabeth to be that someone to love and come home to. She'd love so much to be that someone to comfort him.

They finished washing each other in silence and also dried one another off. Elizabeth had gotten used to being naked in front of him, even though she was still slightly shy to walk around freely without clothing. She cuddled up into his side when they gathered under the covers of their bed. The night slumber was coming to comfort them, but before they could fall asleep, Elizabeth raised herself onto her forearm and looked down at his peaceful expression.

"Booker?"

He opened an eye up at her, "Hmm?"

She pushed a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear and turned her head down to hide the nerves she was feeling, "I want to be that someone you come home to. I want you to hold me at night. I want to be with you."

Realizing this was something that took a lot of courage for her to say, Booker brought her to look at him, "I want you to be that someone too, Elizabeth."

She blew a hair that was falling in front of her eyes and smiled, "Oh good. I want to spend my life with you, and I don't want you to think I'm some sort of stalker, because I'm not. I mean I love you, but I promise I won't be stuck to your side the entire time—"

He pushed a finger against her lips to signal to her to slow down. She closed her mouth and gave him a nervous smile, "Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize," he said when he pulled his hand away, "If anything, I'll come off as the stalker. I'm pursuing a woman far too young for me."

"You are kind of old," she said with friendly sarcasm.

Feeling better that she was just joking with him, he went on, "Elizabeth, I'm not very good at this stuff, but I want to ask you to be my wife."

A smile grew on her face that brightened up the entirety of the room, if not all of Paris, "Of course I'll be your wife! Of course!"

He couldn't hold back the laugh as she wiggled around on the bed. A big huff of air came from his lungs when she bounced on top of him. She leaned down to him and pulled him into a tender, passionate kiss. "I can't wait! Oh, it's going to be wonderful. Married life and kids and grandkids—"

"Whoa, calm down," he insisted when she stared to babble, "Let's take it one step at a time, yeah? First wedding, then so on."

"Can we get married here in Paris?"

His brows furrowed in a playful manner, "I was thinking we'd get married in the desert."

She stuck her tongue out at him and crawled off him. "I'd turn into a maniac bride if we married in the desert. When shall we do this event, my dear soon-to-be husband?"

"Sooner than later," he announced. He could feel the need for sleep coming back to him as she snuggled against him.

Before they fell asleep, she leaned to his cheek and pecked him softly, "I love you, Booker."

He wrapped his arm around her and held her close, "I love you too, Elizabeth."

Author's note: Oh, sweet moment for our lovely couple. :) Hope you all enjoyed. Please review, favorite, follow, and whatever else there is. I'll talk to you guys soon. Enjoy your weekend!

-Sarai