Somehow, the first two weeks of classes had sped by them in a haze of work and research, and it wasn't until their third weekend together that Henrik found himself finally able to look up and take a few deep breaths, feeling like he had settled into the routine that pleased him most. Waking up late that Saturday, he stretched and rolled onto his side, expecting to find Roxanna there, since they had fallen asleep around the same time, but her spot was cool to the touch, indicating that she had left him some time ago. Frowning a little, he got out of bed and padded to the bathroom, taking care of his morning needs before making his way to the living room, hoping that she was there reading.
Instead, there was a note on the coffee table, telling him that she had headed to the lab early that morning, and he wondered what she was working on. Deciding that he had to go see, Henrik brewed them a pot of coffee while he got dressed. Thankfully, it was finished by the time he returned to the kitchen, and he filled up their thermos before heading out to the lab. It didn't take too long to arrive, and he unlocked the door to the sound of Roxanna singing along to a record that was playing. "I brought us coffee!" he called out as he entered.
Roxanna looked up from the chalkboard, a smile gracing her features as she stepped away and came over to his side, taking the thermos from his hands as she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "I didn't want to wake you up, but I got a stroke of inspiration three this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I'll probably head back in about an hour, but I really want to get this out of my brain before I forget about it."
He nodded as he followed her over to her board, taking a look at what she had written there. It seemed like she really was on to something exciting, and he couldn't wait to see where she would go with her line of thinking. "It looks like you made some progress here! This is to help cure locked in syndrome, yes?"
Roxanna nodded as she poured herself some coffee, sipping at it as she stared at her writing. "I know I'm making some progress, but I feel like it's not fast enough. How many more people are going to suffer from that horrible disease before I can truly make a difference? I know that this isn't exactly the line of research that I was heading down last year, John destroyed something that I can't quite get back, but I hope that this is still a step in the right direction."
She took another sip of coffee before handing him the cup and focusing back in on her work. There was something so lovely about watching her disappear into her work, and he drank as he watched her. Her hands moved with a dexterity that made him think of other things she could be doing with those hands. Henrik blushed a bit, trying to think of more polite things. Shaking his head a little as he went over to sofa, Henrik took a seat and stretched out his legs as he thought about where the rest of their day would lead. "We're heading back to the apartment when you're done, yes?"
"Yes, Henrik," she said with a small laugh. "What has you so impatient?"
Knowing that she was teasing him, Henrik let out a long breath before turning his head to look at her. "I was hoping to spend a lazy morning in bed with you, to be honest. We haven't had much time to just be, and I miss that."
"I miss that, too. One second." She turned back to the board and write a quick flourish of words and symbols before stepping back and dusting her hands off. "All right, let's head home. You make me want to fill a hunger in me." She winked at him as she walked over to him, letting her hips swing as she approached him. Henrik set aside the coffee as Roxanna straddled him, cupping his face with her hands as she leaned in and gave him a slow, lingering kiss. His hands came to rest on her hips as the kiss continued on, and he smiled a little as she leaned in closer to him. "Are you ready to go?"
"I'm ready for something," he replied as Roxanna pulled him to his feet. She winked broadly as she grabbed the thermos and closed it, holding it by the handle as they left the lab. It seemed natural to him to take hold of her hand as they made the short walk back to their place. "I am so glad that we're finally settling into a routine, Roxy."
"I am, too." She stepped closer to him, letting their shoulders brush as they walked along. "I don't think that this gotten any easier, but it has become familiar. Though, I really wish we could find a third person for our lab! I didn't realise how much I would miss the energy that John brought to our table until now."
"It is an odd change to grow accustomed to, yes. But if we aren't able to find another person to join us, I think that somehow we'll muddle through until we reach a good working partnership." Roxanna nodded as she unlocked the door for them, and he gently led her into the apartment. "I, I miss him, too, you know. The friendship we formed was so intense." He broke off, feeling like he had said too much, and as Roxanna kicked the door closed, she pulled him close to her as they backed up against it, her eyes staring into his. He found himself drowning in the blueness of her eyes, and he knew that she understood what he had been trying to say without him having to explain further.
"We're together here, and in the end, that's what matters, darling," she murmured before hooking her arm around his neck and pulling him in for a rough kiss. The hunger and fervor that she poured into the embrace took him aback and he instinctively grabbed hold of her thigh, lifting her leg so that it was wrapping around his waist, bringing them closer and closer as they continued to kiss. "You're mine?"
He was accustomed to her using more declarative language when it came to things like that, and he nodded before kissing her lips once more, nipping at her lower lip before dragging his lips across the planes of her cheek to run his tongue along the shell of her ear, listening to her gasp before groaning as he dragged his lips down her neck to tease along the neckline of her blouse as his hands drifted upwards, cupping her breasts and pushing them up so that he could more easily kiss them.
"Henrik…" she started to say, only for the phone to ring. Both of them groaned as Henrik lowered her to the ground. "I think that's my father. I told him the best time to call would be Saturdays, and I completely forgot until now. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, you have to talk to him at some point. I'll…I'll go take a shower," he replied as he ran his hand through his hair, seeing her wink at him as she nodded and picked up the phone to answer. He couldn't help but curse the universe and it's infinite perversity in keeping him and Roxanna from consummating their relationship as he went into the bathroom and slowly stripped, stepping into the shower and trying to focus on something other than the feel of Roxanna's soft skin beneath his lips.