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

Wyatt munched down the last bit of sweet chocolate and took a sip from the water bottle before giving Anne a little kiss. They had finished it all; bread and cheese and macarons alike and now succumbed to a peaceful, lazy existence.

"Park's getting crowded," Wyatt noted. A line of tourists had formed in front of the Eiffel Tower and a family with small children was blowing bubbles near them.

"Don't fall asleep," he chuckled, noticing Anne's dreamy expression. "You mind if I take pictures? Um, I mean, of us." Wyatt pulled out his phone. He didn't need pictures to remember this moment but all the same it would be nice to have a few. Eiffel in the background.

Anne smiled and returned that kiss - there was no amount of affection that could be considered minimal between them. Everything was precious to her, each and every act.

She glanced up when he brought up the tourists. Anne smiled seeing the assembling people. But they didn't bother her - she had her man. Nothing in the world could spoil this for her now. When he brought up the phone and asked to take pictures, Anne smiled and sat up a bit.

"Mind? Of course not, in fact I insist!" she smiled and kissed his cheek, giving him the perfect opportunity to snap a photo. Only then did she lean in and kiss him on the lips, taking his lower lip between hers. Anne snuck her own phone out and took a picture, taking care to catch the Eiffel Tower in the background - it was a bit blurry, but satisfactory.

Memories, confirmation that they were here. Together, alone. Anne would want the pictures later for the hard days; for the days where they went extended periods of time without seeing one another. To prove to herself that this wasn't a dream, that they really had been here together.

Oh, she said yes to taking pictures and then proceeded to distract him with kisses. That was sneaky. Wyatt held his arm out and nearly forgot to press the button to make the photograps happen. Thankfully they came out surprisingly good in the end. Tilted yes, but that was just artistic.

The mother of the family that was next to them spoke up suddenly. She offered to take a picture of them using Wyatt's phone and he agreed. "Look at me," he asked Anne, not wanting to pose for the camera but to have a picture where they lovingly looked at each other. This photo Wyatt then chose as the new screensaver for his phone.

"Shall we go?" He started gathering the wrappers and empty boxes from their picnic, for no way would he leave a mess behind. "Lots of secret alleyways yet to be explored."

Anne happily greeted and thanked the woman who offered to take their picture. When Thomas told her to look at him, Anne smiled and obeyed. She looked into his eyes and tilted her head; she easily could have gotten lost in those blue eyes for hours, and she would not have minded it a bit. So blue and deep, she could have drowned.

When the photo was taken Anne again thanked the woman and looked to inspect it. She rolled her eyes playfully when Thomas chose it as his screensaver. They would have to be careful about that when they eventually returned home.

She helped him collect the trash and wrappers from their picnic and found a trash can nearby which she promptly dumped the wrappings and bags into. She nodded in response and looped her arm with his. "Yes indeed - new and secret places to make our own, just for us."

Wyatt let Anne lead him through the streets to places most dear to her. They saw tiny parks that tourists didn't flock to and quaint corner shops but they also admired the familiar symbols of Paris, such as Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Across the river from the cathedral was a bookstore called Shakespeare & Company. Indeed, a shop specializing in English-language literature was found in the heart of Paris. Wyatt had been there before, and even though he had not come to France to find English books, he stopped to look at the window.

"It is often said how the French feel superior to the English and how they sneer at everything foreign, but the existence of this store seems to me a proof of the opposite. The French do value our writers," he said, keeping Anne snugly to his side. Secretly, Wyatt wanted to become one of those writers.

Anne took pride in showing Thomas get old haunts and precious places. That she could share those places with him only made them more valuable to her. Anne lingered at Notre Dame Cathedral, having always admired its beauty and history.

When they came to the bookstore, Anne knew Thomas would want to linger. She leaned into him and smiled as he spoke.

He may have thought his desire secret, but to her it was plain as day. The way his eyes lit and sparkled as he looked upon the tomes in the window abs in the shelves inside, how could she not have known?

"Come, let's have a look inside, shall we?" She smiled, tugging him inside.

He did appreciate Anne's intuition as well as her discretion. If she knew his mind but didn't try to urge him to talk about a thing he wasn't ready for yet, all the better. It wasn't Anne he wanted to keep secrets from. He simply needed to mull over his own feelings first.

Thousands of books both old and new, stacked in shelves from floor to ceiling greeted them as they stumbled into the store. Wyatt kissed Anne's fingers to apologize for the fact that he could no longer hold her hand.

"I won't take all day," he swore and headed for the poetry section. His trained eyes skimmed through the selection. Occasionally he picked up a book to weigh its value to him. Yes. No. Maybe.

He chuckled to find a little poem that fit the occasion, and walked back to Anne to whisper it over her shoulder.

"Oh, came you from the isles of Greece
Or from the banks of Seine;
Or off some tree in forests free,
Which fringe the western main?"

((From here: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/charles_kingsley/poems/3763))

Anne smiled her forgiveness as he kissed her fingertips. She let him go to peruse the books at his pleasure. Then she in turn went and looked at the books in the artists and photographers section. She was looking at the collected works of Alphonse Mucha when she heard Thomas' voice. With a smile she clawed her book and looked over her shoulder.

"I came not off the old world
Nor yet from off the new—
But I am one of the birds of God
Which sing the whole night through," she replied without missing a beat. Of course she knew the poem, and was happy that she could repeat the line skillfully back to him.

She smiled up to him and more fly to face him, her own book held tight to her chest.

"Since when did falcons sing all night?" Wyatt teased and tipped his head for a quick kiss. He had not thought Anne knew this poem, so he was rather impressed.

"I guess I don't need this book when I have you." Snapping it closed, he looked down at the volume Anne held. He had seen a glimpse of it when he approached her.

"Mucha... Too bad he's not alive anymore. I'd commission him to paint you."

Anne rolled her eyes and shook her head playfully at him. "Falcons are strong birds, they sing and fly at their leisure."

When he mentioned commissioning Mucha to paint her, Anne smiled mischievously and kissed his cheek. She lingered to whisper in his ear. "Would I be posing nude for that painting, or would I be wearing some fine, slinky gown?"

She chuckled and set her own book back on the shelf as she awaited his answer.

"If you're not going to get that book," she tapped the volume he held. "Were there any that were of more interest to you?"

He glanced around before replying quietly. "Nude Anne is only for me, I hope. In flesh and blood. For a painting, I'd prefer seeing you in one of those flowing gowns Mucha mastered so well."

As for the book, Wyatt shook his head. "No, I'm good. I have a book in my suitcase. If I need something else, a newspaper or a magazine will do the trick." After all, he loved reading in bed together with Anne.

"But... why don't you wait outside for me?" As of for no reason, Wyatt wrapped his free hand over Anne's shoulder in the hopes of steering her away from something he had just seen. "Okay? No peeking."

Anne giggled and leaned into him a bit. "Yes, of course love. Nude Anne is for your eyes and your eyes alone."

When he guided her away from the particular direction, Anne raised a brow at him but smiled all the same. "A game is it? Very well."

She leaned up and kissed him, smirking softly at the taste of his lips. Her eyes flashed playfully as she pulled away. "No peeking," she agreed, and left the store to await Thomas.

When Wyatt stepped out of the store a few minutes later, there was no indication whatsoever of what he had been doing there without Anne. He was not carrying a bag to indicate a purchase. Everything seemed just the way it had been.

"Mademoiselle Boleyn! What a joy to run into you so unexpectedly," he distracted her by pretending they weren't together here. A secret was a secret. She'd learn about it later. Then he chuckled and took her hand.

"We should start heading slowly back to the hotel. I need to change to get into the restaurant I booked for us."

Anne waited patiently outside, and glanced up in slight surprise when Thomas called out to her. She tilted a brow at him, suspicious of his mannerisms. Anne looked at his hands and was surprised to see no bags.

"And just what are you up to, Thomas Wyatt?" She laughed softly as he took her hand. She laced her fingers with his and leaned into him a bit.

Dinner did sound good, and they had indeed had an eventful day thus far. Anne nodded in agreement and looked up to him. "Very well, slowly back to the hotel it is. But I know you're up to something, love. You can't fool me!"

"I'm up to many a thing, my dearest," Wyatt laughed and bumped his hip against Anne. "I had to make sure tonight will be as good as last night was. But that is all I'm going to say about it."

He had said they should return to the hotel but without Anne, it might never have happened. With the winding Paris streets, Wyatt wasn't at all sure they were even going to the right direction. If alone, he'd pick the first metro stop and let that be his guide.

"If you still want to stop somewhere, we can."

Anne gave him a teasing glare and narrowing of her eyes, but the smile was all he would need to see how truly happy she was. With him, with how he treated her, with all of this. "You had doubts? I'm wounded. Truly any night with you is as good if not better than the one that came before."

It was easy for her to remember the way back to their hotel. A few times Thomas started going the wrong way, and she gripped his arm a bit tighter to reel him back in to follow her. It didn't take terribly long to get back, though Anne had looked at several shops along the way.

"I've no need - I've seen plenty of places today and shown you most of my favorite places," truly, if she were to show him all of her secret hideouts, they would need a good long week in Paris alone. She kissed his cheek again, happy and content to be able to be so open in their affection.

She would miss this, when the holiday was over.

Back in London, they had gotten pretty good at taking use of any small opportunity to be together but there was no denying this was way better. They had to stock up on hugs and kisses now that they could. Even simple things, such as window shopping with Anne, was something Wyatt took enjoyment from.

"We have all day tomorrow, and Monday morning to do last minute sightseeing before leaving for the vineyards," he reminded her at the hotel.

Last night they had missed dinner because changing clothes after the flight had made Wyatt want Anne more than food. This time he was determined to show more restraint. He pulled out a new white shirt and a black suit.

"Which one, to match your dress?" he asked, holding a few different ties in his hand.

Indeed the simple things were best; walking, talking - that was the incredible part to her. That they could hold hands, he could tuck strands of her hair lovingly behind her ear and she could kiss his cheek without fear of scolding looks was beyond wonderful.

"The vineyards? My, my you are indeed spoiling me, Thomas Wyatt!" Anne smiled.

She stepped away from him to retrieve a new dress. The one she'd worn all day was a bit sweaty from clinging to her skin and had subtle grass stains in some places. Not that she minded, they would come out in proper wash. But it wasn't the best choice for dinner. She had a simple purple dress she could wear, and she pulled it from her suitcase to lay it flat on the bed.

Anne began to undress, discarding her jacket and clothes onto the floor beneath her, letting the fabric pool at her ankles until she was clad only in her bra and panties. She glanced up when Thomas asked of the ties, and playfully stepped towards him. Anne pouted her lips as she considered the colors, as though her being in her half-naked state were the most natural thing in the world.

"This one," she chose a wine-purple tie that was slightly lighter than her dress.

It was the most natural thing, just as it was for Wyatt to watch her. Not quite so carefree with his own clothes, he put his jacket neatly on a hanger by the door. When Anne stepped up to him, his new clean shirt was unbottoned still.

"Thank goodness I'm carrying a selection," he laughed and dropped the other ties on the bed. The one Anne had chosen, Wyatt then held on both ends so that he could lasso her with it and pull against himself.

Though he didn't kiss her yet. He just looked at her, and admired her up close.

"Have I told you recently... that I love you?"

Anne yelped in delight as he lassoed her and pulled her in close. She smiled and pressed her chest tight against his and let her fingers roam over his bare chest and warm skin.

"You have - but I won't fault you for saying it again," she purred, leaning in close and brushing her lips over his.

Her fingers tugged playfully at his shirt, fingertips grazing over the buttons and lamenting that they would need to be done up soon. Anne broke away slowly, looking up into his eyes with devotion and love. "I love you too. More than anyone and anything else in the world." She would understand if he couldn't return the sentiment as she had just given it to him. He had a son, after all - and his son should be loved first and foremost. Anne understood that.

"I feel blessed," he replied softly and touched her chin. "There is no woman I love better than you."

It was true he couldn't say the same as Anne but the love for one's child was different kind of love anyway. There was no need for comparison. Wyatt knew that if Anne ever became a mother, she would love her child 'more than anyone and anything'. And that was how it had to be.

Wyatt wrapped the tie around his own neck and started buttoning up his shirt.

"I thought it would be nice to do a bit of wine tasting, or champagne tasting, for that matter. And you know how much I like the countryside."

That was more than enough to satisfy Anne. She smiled and kissed him again. The love between a man and woman was different between parent and child. She knew this, she understood this, she accepted this.

When he started buttoning his shirt, Anne reached up and pushed his hands away to button his shirt herself. She smoothed the front of his shirt and adjusted his tie to lie straight over his chest.

"A wine or champagne tasting? How luxurious!" She smiled. "I'd be all about it."

Anne stepped back and plucked up her dress, stepping into it and sliding her arms into the sleeves. She pulled her hair over her shoulder to the side to reveal the back of her dress and the open zipper, silently asking him to zip it up.

She was the only woman who could make his knees weak and skin tingle. To achieve that, all she needed to do was to button up his shirt so lovingly. Feeling like a schoolboy with a crush, Wyatt watched Anne and almost forgot to breathe.

He did set himself to motion, though, when she needed help with the dress. It probably wasn't much of a surprise that while Wyatt slowly pulled up the zipper, he pressed his lips between her shoulder blades and from there up to the base of her neck.

"You taste like sun," he whispered. They had spent a good portion of the day outside so it was no wonder. Wyatt turned Anne to face him and leaned in for a soft kiss.

"Shoes, and jacket, and then I'm all set. What about you? We have time." That was his way to acknowledge that women usually took their time to get ready for an evening out.

When she felt the heat of his breath between her shoulder blades, Anne nearly melted. She sighed in delight and pressed her back towards him, eager to meet his lips, eager to feel them over her skin. Anne chuckled at his words and turned at his beckoning. She leaned up and returned his kiss, letting her tongue brush over his lower lip.

"Mmm...you taste like wine, and chocolate," she smiled.

Slowly she stepped back and reached for a pair of shoes to match her dress. The heels she'd chosen were a bit flashy, but not too tall - they were more like the shoes she wore to work than the shoes she wore to the clubs.

"Just the shoes and finishing hair for me," she replied. Yes, most women took their time getting ready, but Anne didn't like keeping people waiting. She'd learned how to maintain just enough glamour that she could put together quickly. Especially, she didn't like to keep Thomas waiting. She knew he was too polite to tell her when she would take too long, so she made certain that those occasions were rare, if they happened at all.

Anne slipped into the bathroom and set about securing sections of her hair back and away from her face. She secured them in place with tiny jeweled pins, then sprayed it with hair spray to hold everything in place. Her hair fell along her back in dark waves, not unlike the river at night, especially with the pins now amongst her dark curls, seeming like stars.

A quick touchup to her lipstick and eye makeup, and she was ready. Anne stepped into the doorway and leaned against it. "Well? What do you think?"

While Anne made her finishing touches, Wyatt sat down on a comfy chair and texted good night wishes to his son. To be precise, he send the message to his mother's phone because Junior was staying at his granparents that weekend. A call might have been nicer but that he could make the next day.

He was flipping through and deleting old messages when Anne called out to him. Wyatt looked up-

Well, what could he think? She looked wonderful. His opinion was written on his face; first the astonishment, then the slowly widening smile. He had seen Anne more dolled up for clubbing but this sophisticated look was perfect for an evening meal. Wyatt closed the phone and walked up to Anne, took her hands into his and kissed them.

"My heart, my mind, and my affection,
Shall still remain in thy perfection.

Apart from that I'm speechless."

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