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

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."

Anne smiled, she loved how he wore his emotions in the open. It was plain to see how much he enjoyed seeing her just so, and she loved it. She loved how he smiled and the astonishment in his eyes. When he stepped up and took her hands, she smiled even bigger, and laughed softly when he spoke.

"My true and noble poet," she squeezed his hands gently. "You're too kind indeed with your words to your lady."

Anne gave a slight bow; mimicking queens and ladies of old as she looked up to him. But she was not mocking such historical ladies. Rather, she was paying homage to them.

"Now then, shall we be off?"

"We shall," he replied in a formal manner and led Anne into that tiny elevator with a decorative wrought iron door. He couldn't quite stop smiling as they stepped out into the street, Anne at his arm.

"It's not far, just around the corner and across a square." That was what Wyatt had learned from looking at the map. He didn't really know how the city looked like in that direction. But unless they came across a terribly uneven cobblestone streets, he wasn't worried about Anne's ability to walk there in her heels.

"I'm curious to see if I've chosen a restaurant you know already or if it's something that's new to you, too."

The square had a fountain in the middle and nice flower arrangements. On one side there was a church, and no less than three restaurants had made their home in this part of Paris. Wyatt stopped to gauge Anne's expression before he started walking towards a cream coloured building with red window frames.

Edited 2016-08-16 00:00 (UTC)

Anne followed and took his arm when they left the hotel room to the elevator. She nodded when Thomas revealed the location of their restaurant for the evening. She was confident in her ability to walk in her heels - they weren't terribly high and the heels themselves weren't particularly spikey. Besides, she had walked these streets before in said heels.

Anne tried to picture in her mind the street in the direction he had identified. She remembered that there were a few options for restaurants there. But she wasn't certain which one he had picked.

"I'm curious as well. But I know either way, it'll be wonderful," she smiled.

She followed beside him to the square and looked all around. It was beautiful; her memories did it no justice. The fountain, sparkling with the lights of Paris all around it, caught and kept Anne's attention. She recognized the restaurants in the square, but when he brought her to the cream-colored building, she tilted her head.

"Actually - I don't recognize this place," she looked to him and smiled. "Something new for the two of us."

It might have been a new resturant but it was an old building. It had exposed brick inside and columns that gave much needed privacy to customers, as did plants and lightweight room dividers. The overall atmosphere was contemporary still. Wyatt and Anne were greeted warmly and shown to a round table by the window.

"My internet searches served me well again," Wyatt mused. Not that he'd minded terribly if Anne had been to this restaurant but it was nice that she hadn't.

"I thought we'd have a full six course meal to balance our simple picnic," Wyatt suggested as he looked through the menu. "And because I enjoy being here with you, taking things slow and French-like."

((ooc: my internet searches gave different results for six course meal, but I'm sticking now with: appetizers, small soup, main course, salad, cheese plate and sweet dessert - just so we're both on same page))

Anne laughed softly at the quip, and marveled at the historic charm of the building. How did she not remember this place? But then again, she liked that this was new to her; new to them both. When he mentioned a six course meal, Anne's eyes widened and she looked to Thomas.

"Six full courses in Paris? Thomas, that's..." incredible. Six French courses, that took a great deal of planning. "You went to a great deal of trouble then, didn't you? Darling..." she trailed off to kiss his cheek.

He spoiled her, he made her feel loved and adored. Each and every day was new and exciting when she was with him. Anne settled into her seat and again took in the view of the restaurant.

"This really is incredible, I can hardly believe we're here," she had said it over and over again, and she had a feeling that she would be saying it again even more before their holiday was over.

((ooc: Sounds good to me!))

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