happyfalcon | [For Thomas] [Modern AU] Secret Holiday

Wyatt turned his head so that her lips didn't merely meet his jaw but his lips as well.

"I would have guarded a locket from you as my prized possession. Now I just have you in my phone," he said and patted his pocket.

Having Anne's pictures in his phone had nearly cost them their secret one time. He had taken photos of all his friends at a club once and was later showing them to George. A one too many close-ups of Anne could have raised suspicion in her brother's mind but thankfully there were close-ups of others as well. He'd dodged a bullet that time.

Unfortunately the shop wasn't open yet and Wyatt couldn't go in and see if there were any brooches mother. But that didn't matter. He had plenty of time to find souvenirs for everyone. Smiling, he hooked Anne's arm with his and let her walk him wherever she wanted.

After a while he had to ask her to clarify something. "What was it about composing a poem on your back? Like how?"

Anne smiled as he turned so that her kiss touched his lips. She was truly happy here, did they have to return? Could they not just...run away? They could see the world together, just the two of them.

George had never mentioned seeing pictures of her on Thomas' phone. But he was in a habit of taking Anne's phone and posting social media statuses and sending texts to people she didn't speak to anymore, so Anne was worried that one day he would stumble upon their secret. She tried to guard her phone more carefully.

Anne squeezed his arm as they walked and leaned into him a bit.

"Like taking a pen perhaps, pretending to write on my skin while composing your next masterpiece," Anne explained. "It just popped into my head - it's silly, pay me no mind!"

"No, milady. I will pay you all the minds, whatever that means. And your idea appeals to me very much," he chuckled. Indeed, Wyatt was already imagining naked Anne on a bed and himself settled next to her with a pen-

"A quill, not a pen!" he pointed out. "I want to do that. I want to write on your back." The lack of a quill was a minor obstacle.

They came onto a little square where a street performer, a living statue, was motionlessly waiting someone to notice her. She had dressed up to look like Mona Lisa and was holding a picture frame in front of her face.

When Wyatt tossed a coin for her, she changed positions but kept the mysterious Mona Lisa expression.

Anne smiled and gave an almost haughty laugh. "Ahh, yes! How silly of me, a proper quill for my poet!" She kissed along his jaw. "Shall we make it a point to do so before our little holiday is over?"

She made a mental note to find him a quill. But of course, she imagined that a quill would be like an artist's brush - the poet himself would have to choose it for it to be proper.

Anne looked curiously to the street performer, but smiled as Thomas tossed a coin to her. She leaned into him as they continued to walk. "I so love Paris. There's truly no place like it."

"Absolument. You are my muse after all. I will write a new poem on you and you will publish it on the paper when we get back home."

If Thomas Boleyn knew how many poems Wyatt had already created with Anne in mind, he would have had a fit. It wasn't in Wyatt's nature to be deceitful on purpose and he wanted the truth to come out one day but for now, he did derive small pleasure in knowing Boleyn didn't have a clue about what was going on behind his back.

"There's no one like you, and there's nothing better than to be your lover," Wyatt laughed and pulled Anne against himself. "This is my easiest job ever."

Anne smiled and nibbled playfully at his ear. "You'll have to take a picture when you've finished composing the poem. That way its original beauty can be appreciated - even if only the two of us see it."

There was indeed a certain level of arousal to be had in sneaking around everyone. But it did make Anne sad sometimes that she couldn't share her joy with Mary, the one person with whom she'd always shared her secrets. Besides, she too wasn't thrilled of the deceitful nature of their arrangement. She longed to know the status of his divorce and how much longer they would have to wait to be more open.

But she couldn't ruin the moment they were having. She couldn't ask that now, while they were in Paris, of all places. Anne would wait.

As he pulled her in close and teased her, Anne laughed and pushed against him playfully. "Sure, I'm a 'job' - make me sound like such a chore and that it's so laborious to be with me!" She laughed.

"No but I said it's easy! You're easy," Wyatt defended himself but calling her 'easy' wasn't quite the impression he wanted to give. "Not that way," he corrected with a laughter.

"This must be one of those conversations that I can't win," he added and rolled his eyes. It was all in good humour.

"...and distraction on the right." Shoes. There was a shoe store and Wyatt gently guided Anne to look at the window. He stood behind her and held her against his chest, waiting to hear either "oohs and aahs" and possibly "nahs".

As he called her easy, Anne looked at Thomas with a tilted brow. She knew him well enough to know that he didn't mean it how the comment had sounded. But still, that didn't stop her from picking on him for it. She laughed and pushed away from him a bit. "Easy, indeed!" She pretended to huff and looked away.

Again, it was all in good humor. Just playful banter.

When he pointed out the shoes, Anne smiled and looked to him again. "For your biting words, my dear, I'm thinking you'll need something a little shinier than shoes to soothe your lady's ego." Anne pointed to the shop across the street, which happened to be a jewelry vendor.

((ooc: I'm not sure if vendow refers to an outdoor seller or to a normal shop indoors so I'm keeping this vague))

"Wouldn't shoes with diamonds do?" Wyatt suggested but obediently followed Anne to look at the jewelry.

"You're emptying my wallet on the first day... After dinner, I have to stay behind and do dishes at the restaurant," he moaned. "I could be so tired that I end up writing a menu, not a poem, on your back."

He did shut up as they neared the seller, though. Wyatt's talents didn't lie in choosing jewelry but it was interesting for him to watch what kind of ornaments Anne was drawn to.

((ooc: It's fine, sorry! Vendor can be anything from street fare to indoor shops, kind of synonymous))

"Ah! Perhaps a nice heel studded with diamonds, no less!" Anne teased and gave him a playful wink.

She stepped up to the vendor with him and leaned into him as she looked over a few glittering rings and diamond necklaces. There was a heart pendant in silver with diamonds surrounding a ruby at its center. But what truly drew her attention was a simple silver pendant and a locket that matched beside it.

"So many lovely things," she leaned up and kissed him softly. "But I don't want to empty your wallet, not so early in our trip anyway." She smiled.

Her leaning into him was always good. It made him feel warm inside. "I don't mind buying if you have your heart set on something," he whispered in English, rubbing his hand at the small of her back.

The salesperson had of course paid close attention to them. She picked up the locket and held it for Anne to see. "This one, mademoiselle? Beautiful craftmanship if I say so myself. It is made by a young artisan who is slowly gaining name among Parisian silversmiths."

"Very nice," Wyatt agreed, "but I wonder... well, it's up to you, love," he smiled at Anne.

Anne's eyes lit as she saw the salesperson lifted the locket and held it up. She could clearly see all the detail and passion that had gone into crafting such a fine piece.

"It's lovely indeed," she looked to the salesperson with a smile. When Thomas spoke she turned her head and tilted a brow. "You wonder what, love?"

Truly she didn't have her heart set on having him buy her anything; at least not right this instant. It was only their first day in Paris, after all.

"That you should have something custom-made," Wyatt pondered. He had noticed this particular locket wasn't quite as unique as he'd thought it to be. The seller had others behind her but she had understandably chosen to showcase only one. That meant that if Anne really wanted it, she didn't need to buy it right this instant. She could sleep on it and they could always come back here later.

"It can be engraved to make it more personal," the seller tried to tempt them further.

Wyatt nodded. "We'll think about it. Would you by any chance have the artisan's business card? And yours."

"Certainly." The seller handed the cards to Wyatt who then said his thanks and hooked Anne's arm with his. He felt bad for making such a rushed exit but something just didn't sit well with him.

"I hope you're not mad. It was a pretty locket but I didn't think it was you. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. I'd rather commission an original piece from them."

Anne thanked the seller and took Thomas' arm as she walked with him. When they were far enough away, out of earshot, and as he began speaking again, Anne smiled and shook her head to him.

"Why would I be mad? If it's not a worthwhile purchase, I wouldn't expect you to make it!" she smiled. "And I would certainly expect you to purchase jewelry only if you thought it was absolutely perfect for me."

She rested her head against his shoulder and smiled as they walked. "As I said, no need to go crazy on our first day; we should pace ourselves as far as spending goes, no?"

Anne leaned up and kissed his jaw softly. "Still, it was a nice thought."

"Hmm, yeah, no need to go crazy. Let's see what Paris has to offer first. We can easily go back to a store we like if it comes to that."

That was true while they were in Paris at least. When they drove out in the countryside, it would no longer be convenient to turn back because of something they saw 100 miles earlier.

"Lockets are difficult. If you wear one out in the open, someone's bound to ask what you hold inside of it. You want to be proud to open it and show. Say you had a child... that would be precious enough to warrant a locket."

His voice got soft to say that and he turned to kiss Anne's temple in return.

"Exactement," Anne smiled.

Anne nodded as he spoke, but a coy smile played across her lips. "True, but there's something exciting in having a secret locket, no? Something that we share, out in the open yet hidden from the world?" She shrugged. "But it's also very risky."

Knowing her brother, such a temptation would mean that she would have to wear and keep an eye on the locket at all times, lest he take it when she was unaware and discover their secret.

"It can be but I'm not going to keep you a secret forever. After summer's gone, I'm hopefully living in my own apartment and Liz will finally believe that it will be best for Junior's sake."

Divorce took two years if both parties consented, five if not. Wyatt really, really hoped that his wife would not try to prolong the inevitable.

"Sorry, didn't mean to discuss that here and now. You know all about it anyway." Wyatt had explained it before. Anne knew he tried to please Liz but he refused to be blackmailed or forbidden to see his son.

He stopped in front of a pastry shop. "This the one?" There were macarons in window display but of course Paris was full of similar shops.

Anne smiled, happy when he said aloud that he intended to be more open with their relationship. She understood his reasons for keeping it a secret, and catering to his wife. Anne didn't want to see him lose his son, and she'd grown to hate his wife for what she was doing. She tried not to make it a habit of talking about her with Thomas - Anne's comments about the woman were vivid and none-too-nice.

"No need for apologies," She smiled and kissed the corner of his mouth. When they stopped and she looked up at the pastry shop, Anne smiled brightly and kissed him again. "Fate. How else could you have known?" There were perhaps a dozen pastry shops in this district alone, the fact that he'd just happened upon her favorite shop...

It only fueled her fantasy that they truly had been put on this earth to be together.

"Come on, fresh French pastry is just what we need for a pick-me-up!" Anne smiled and pulled him into the shop after her.

Wyatt was about to find out it really was the right shop. Inside, there were several customers but no sooner than the middle-aged lady behind the counter had laid her eyes on Anne, she came forward with arms wide open to greet them, in French of course.

"Mademoiselle Boleyn! Is it really you? It is, it is. How wonderful to see you again. How long has it been?" She was nearly in tears as she called for her husband in the back room.

"Alain! Alain! Come here! You will not guess who has come to see us."

Naturally everyone else in the little shop had by now turned to look at them. A handsomely aged tall man appeared from the other room and echoed his wife's enthusiasm while kissing Anne's cheeks more times than Wyatt could count.

"Mademoiselle, you come with company!" Alain cheered and wasted no time in shaking Wyatt's hand and kissing him as well.

Anne's eyes lit when she saw the woman behind the counter. She separated from Thomas just long enough to bolt towards the other woman and hug her tight before kissing both cheeks. She responded similarly in French.

"Madame Dubois! So good to see you! Too long, far too long it's been!" Anne grinned. When the woman's husband appeared she smiled and greeted him in turn, kissing both cheeks.

Anne turned back to Thomas and wrapped her arm in his as Alain greeted him with similar enthusiasm. She smiled, unable to stop herself from doing so as she leaned into him.

"I should have told you Thomas, I'm sorry," Anne should have better prepared him for the greeting they could have expected when entering the shop. "Thomas, the best bakery in Paris here belongs to my beloved Madame and Monsieur Dubois. Madame and Monsieur, this is my beloved poet, Thomas."

There was no harm in introducing him this way, they had no communication with her father or siblings. Occasionally her mother popped in when she was in town, but that was rare. Likely her mother and the couple would share a similar greeting and discuss matters more catered to her mother than to with whom Anne traveled.

"It's alright," Wyatt whispered and squeezed Anne to his side. Perhaps the surprise was for the best; he hadn't had time to be intimidated in advance. Besides, it would have sounded a bit selfish actually if Anne had told him how well liked she was here.

Monsieur Dubois threw his hands up in the air after the introduction. "Poète! Oui, you deserve beautiful words in your life, Mademoiselle Boleyn." He smiled to both of them before excusing himself. One didn't become an owner of the best bakery in Paris by ignoring all other customers. Madame Dubois, however, pulled them slightly to the side and took the time to catch up on the latest news in Anne's life. Wyatt explained what he could about their travel plans while still keeping Anne in suspense for future destinations.

"I am so pleased you came to see us, my dear," Madame Dubois concluded and gave Anne one more hug. "We certainly didn't expect it but there ought to be some of your favourites available today. Please look around." Then she too returned to her work.

"I do love you," Wyatt smiled at Anne as he stepped closer to the long glass counter full of good things. "Let's buy a few different things and walk to the Eiffel Tower."

Anne laughed softly at Alain's compliments. "You're too kind as always, Monsieur Dubois." She did lean into Thomas a bit though, enjoying the secure feeling of leaning against him.

She had fun talking to Madame Dubois about what she'd been up to and what else was new in her life. When Thomas shared about the plans for their trip, she chuckled softly. "My beloved poet has taken great pains to keep this entire trip a secret surprise for me, you see."

Anne hugged Madame Dubois and kissed both cheeks. "It was so very good to see you! I hope we are able to see you at least once more before we leave."

She smiled as Madame Dubois went back to work and Thomas led her towards the glass counter. She chuckled softly and rubbed along his upper arm. "I love you too," she pointed to a light yellow sandwich cookie. "The passionfruit macarons, they're my absolute favorite! We should get at least six. The espresso macarons are also very good."

Anne pointed to the breads behind the counter. "We should get a baguette and stop at the cheese shop for fresh brie."

"Fruit de la passion," Wyatt chuckled. Her favourites, yes. That's what she'd told him. "Alright. We'll take six of those, two with espresso flavor, and... chocolate truffles?" The shop sold packages that contained four tiny truffles, all different kind. Anne's suggestion of bread and cheese met Wyatt's approval since he preferred to have some savoury food to balance out the sweet things.

"Now you're talking. And champagne in mini bottles. Have to have champagne."

Madame Dubois packed their purchases in a paper bag adding two more macarons for free. They were bright red cherry flavoured macarons with a dark chocolate layer in between. "These are newest in our selection," she explained.

Anne smiled and nodded at his choices. This was shaping up to be a very decadent picnic. She found herself anxious for it. Anne watched as Madame Dubois put together the treats for them and smiled the whole time. When she added the two extra macarons, Anne's smile grew bigger and she reached out to gently clutch the other woman's hand.

"You're far too kind, sweet lady," Anne smiled. "I'm sure they'll be wonderful, as is everything you both make here."

Once everything was rung up Anne brought out her purse, insistent on paying for the treats. She included a generous tip, which Madame Dubois tried to decline, but Anne wasn't taking no for an answer. They hugged one last time before the younger couple left the shop.

"So, what did you think?" She smiled to Thomas as she took his arm and handed him the small bag to carry.

Wyatt laughed. "I think you're famous here and we'll definitely come back to taste their cakes before we leave Paris." Macarons were easy to carry and have as picnic treats but it was a different matter for tarts with wobbly mousse and cream layers. Those were best enjoyed in the bakery's cafe.

The next stop was the fromagerie, the cheese shop that thankfully had a small selection of wine and champagne so there was no need to find a liquor store. A water bottle and napkins also found their way into the paper bag.

"Eating local food is one of the best things about travelling," Wyatt said and lifted the bag to smell that fresh baguette. "And it's doubly good with you as company."

They now followed the River Seine to reach the Eiffel Tower that was well in their sight already.

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