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

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!))

"I'm not preparing the meal, so not so much trouble," he said, amused of the idea of him making a six course meal. Although, why not...

"I should totally do that. Or we could cook together." Even if the outcome was a far cry from the feast they were about to get here, Wyatt would enjoy an evening messing about in the kitchen with Anne. Neither of them were very good cooks, but that was the whole point.

The waiter approached to take their order and enquire about wine preferences. For the appetizers, they suggested smoked salmon in tiny puff pastry cups with lemon zest and cream cheese, or mango and melon bites wrapped in prosciutto ham.

"I'm tempted by the salmon," Wyatt contemplated.

"Either one goes very well with Riesling or Pinot Blanc. Both are produced locally," the waiter explained about the wine. "What would be your choice, mademoiselle?"

Anne laughed softly at his suggestion. "You know I'm absolutely useless in the kitchen," she replied with a smile.

She knew her way around the kitchen enough to pair fruit with wine and cheese - she knew how to make simple things like chicken and soup and toast. Anything else? Anne had nearly started a fire when she'd attempted roasting a pork loin. Thank God George had been there that day to point out to her that setting the oven temperature higher would not make the meat necessarily cook any faster.

But at the same time, she liked the idea of cooking with Thomas. With each passing minute she fell more in love with the idea of them trying to come up with some elaborate dish, failing, and ordering a pizza instead. "I'd be up for trying it when we're home again - cooking together."

When asked of the appetizers, Anne considered the options and nodded at Thomas' suggestion. "Salmon sounds good. I'm partial to Riesling myself, would that suit you, love?"

Her eyes widened for a moment in fear, realizing she'd called him by an intimate pet name so openly in public. But then it dawned on her - they could do that here! Here in France they were safe, far from anyone who might turn them in to their parents and reveal the relationship. They could be more open here. She had known it before, but it truly hit home in that moment, and once again the smile was on her face and a pink blush rose in her cheeks.

They had used so many endearments during the day that Wyatt didn't at first understand why Anne looked so shocked to call him 'love', but it dawned on him then. It was alright not to hold back anything here. To prove that, he reached for her hand across the table.

"We will have Riesling, thank you. And salmon," he told the waiter who thanked and left for the kitchen. Letting his thumb ran across Anne's painted fingernails, Wyatt smiled somewhat sneakily.

"I wouldn't go so far as to call you useless. You could sit on the counter and hand me a drink while I'm rushing back and forth between the stove and the sink. Emotional support is very important."

Anne slipped her hand into his when he reached for it. He may have been speaking to the waiter, but her eyes were glued to Thomas. She smiled, loving the feeling of his fingers moving over hers.

"Ahh, bartender is a role I could play in spades," she smiled at his suggestion of her role in helping him in the kitchen. "That I could do."

She pictured him in her kitchen, moving back and forth, preparing a simple dinner for the two of them. But, she was not eager to end their vacation anytime soon. Anne wanted to live out each and every moment of their vacation for as long as they could.

If they could run away together, if there was some way they could stay away and just be together, she would be more than happy to do so.

"I like that. I could just say 'the usual' and you'd give me exactly the drink I want."

Although she knew already what he preferred without being a bartender. When out with the guys, Wyatt was the typical man who drank beer, or the unimaginative gin & tonic. Sometimes whiskey if he needed to look sophisticated. With Anne, he made use of his moderate knowledge of wines, and chose cocktails on occasion.

It didn't take long before the appetizers arrived. The waiter let Anne taste the wine before pouring more on their classes.

"What a day it's been. I've enjoyed everything. The picnic, Notre Dame and how peaceful it was despite of tourists. The art galleries you showed me and just walking with you. Everything."

((ooc: Never heard of the phrase 'in spades' before. Live and learn.))

Truth be told, Anne enjoyed it when Thomas drank beer. The taste of it on his lips and his stubble was something she found enjoyable. Strange, perhaps, but it was the truth. Whiskey was also something she enjoyed tasting on his tongue after he'd drank it. So often she'd been out at the clubs with Mary, George and their group of friends, and saw Thomas finishing a glass of whiskey longing to just go up to him in that moment and steal a kiss.

But of course, they couldn't do that back home. Not yet.

In due time.

"Yes, I'd forgotten how much I'd missed Paris," she sighed. "But it meant so much to me, to be able to share in the things I loved most about Paris with you. There was no one else in the world except you, in my mind, love."

Anne smiled and held her glass. "Shall we toast our superb holiday and the end to a perfect day?"

((ooc: lol learn something new every day! Sorry for any confusion though!))

"Thank you for showing me everything," Wyatt said and raised his glass. "The end of the day is ahead of us still but I will happily toast to you, to Paris and to every perfect day I'm allowed to spend with you. You've made my life complete."

She'd brought love into his previously lonely lífe. Wyatt clicked their glasses together and took a sip. Then he pushed the plate of the appetizers slightly in her direction.

"Take your pick." They were dainty little pastries, not meant to take away anyone's hunger but to tempt it further.

"I think even you were surprised of the reaction you got from the owners of that cafe. Dubois was their name, right? They would like it if we visited once more, I'm sure."

Anne smiled and nodded in response. "You're welome, thank you for sharing in it with me," she smiled and tapped her glass against his. "To us, to Paris, and to our sublime and passionate future."

Her life had been a difficult one; her father held her to too-high standards while her mother remained mostly silent. Her brother and sister were the over-achievers, while Anne was the rebellious daughter. She wanted to fly and be free, but her father wanted to keep her caged. Thomas had brought light and love into her life, made her feel truly happy for the first time in years.

When he offered the pastries, Anne reached for the nearest one and took a nibble of it, testing the taste. She smiled, happy of the taste. "It's very good - nicely complimented by the wine," she held her glass up and took a sip.

She considered visiting the Dubois' before leaving Paris. A slow smile crept across her lips. "That's a wonderful idea! I'd like to bring Madame Dubois some flowers to brighten up the shop - they're such a lovely couple, I was so glad to see them still in business."

Wyatt took care of a salmon pastry in one go. No nibbling for him. The nodding of his head testified that he agreed with Anne of the taste. He swirled the wine in the glass, very happy indeed.

"It feels good to hear you talk about future." Not just any future but one that included him. It was almost better than hearing that she loved him.

"Well, you should do just that," he said, referring to buying flowers for the cafe. "Let's go there on Monday before we leave Paris. We can sit down for coffee and cakes and buy something to take with us for the journey."

Anne smiled as she took larger bites of her pastry before finishing it off as well. She blushed when he spoke again and tilted her head towards him.

"I enjoy thinking about it," she replied. "What it would be like, letting you have a more permanent drawer in my apartment, or us having one of our own that we could share and decorate as we please to reflect us both."

In truth she thought a great deal about the future, and what they might do and what they might be to each other. She would be lying if she didn't fantasize about a proposal. But Anne wasn't so hung up on it that she would be disappointed if one never came; things were rocky now with his wife, and even though she knew he was soon to be separated, that experience might sour him from marriage altogether.

But, enough of those thoughts; she was focused on the present now. "Indeed, then it's decided. We'll stop at the flower shop on Monday and have a last breakfast at the Dubois' cafe." She held her glass of wine up to toast the idea.

Wyatt listened quietly, smiling. He wanted the same things, but he was still more of a country boy and she a city girl. Living together would be all sorts of wonderful but also frightening. What if it didn't pan out - despite of them being soul mates, as he believed? He didn't fear marriage, only divorce.

"We'll never run out of reasons to toast," he chuckled and drank to the overflowing kindness of the Dubois couple.

"Since you mentioned your apartment... I wonder if you could you give me one of your keys? I'd promise I would't crash in unannounced. It would just make things easier for the days you do want me there."

They wouldn't have to jump through hoops anymore; no pretending he's delivering her some important papers when he's only fetching the keys. Also, if he happened to be somewhere else, he could go straight to her apartment without stopping by at the Boleyn paper or wait for her to go home before him.

"And let's be honest, you want my t-shirts in your drawer just so that you can wear them yourself," he winked.

Certainly they had their differences in taste and in preferences. But what they had in common was love; and that was more than enough. That was strong enough to get them through almost anything, that was what Anne believed.

She listened as he made his request, and a smile tugged the corners of her mouth. That was a serious step, wasn't it? And he wanted to take it with her. She was flattered.

"Of course," she replied. "I'll have a spare made when we get home."

It would indeed make things easier. They'd be less likely to get caught that way. "Make sure you text me though if you're planning on being there - surprise visits are probably not a good idea, considering how often George and Mary stop by unannounced."

She laughed at his last comment and winked at him in return. "They're just so comfortable - and you enjoy seeing me in them, I know it."

"It's true, I do. You look so contented wearing them. Even if you're going through work papers in bed, and getting ready for the night, you look so soft with my shirt on. Though I admit when you finally put away the papers and curl next to me... that's even better." Because she not only looked soft, but incredibly hot in those situations.

Wyatt took another salmon pastry and tried not to think about Anne in bed.

"I wouldn't go to your apartment without permission even if weren't for George or Mary. It's your place and you deserve to have a say when to have me there. As you said, maybe one day we're living in a house that's for both of us."

Anne smiled, blushing a bit as he described how he'd watched her wearing his clothes. "I enjoy them most on the nights when you can't come to the apartment, truth be told. They have your scent about them, and they comfort me when you can't."

Though those occasions were indeed rare. Anne followed his lead and took another pastry, taking another small nibble for her first bite.

"But I enjoy having you there - I always want you there," she replied. "I like it when I come home and you're there - sitting on the couch, working on your own writing."

She reached for his hand. "I would so much love to have a place of our own - coming home to you, tie undone and shirt partially unbuttoned as you pour over papers and poetry. Preparing meals and sharing each and every moment with one another. You may get bored of me yet, Thomas Wyatt!"

Wyatt could easily guess that Anne wore his shirts especially when he wasn't around. He didn't like the idea that she might need comforting but he understood what she meant.

"I love being there and I'm not easily bored, you know. Your home is like a warm nest. I'm almost worried that the magic disappears if I spend too much time there."

He squeezed her hand and fell quiet, just watching her. She was so frank about her dreams. If she really was ready to settle down with him, that changed everything.

"I had plans to look for a nice home with a room for me and a room for Junior but if you're serious... I mean, you'd have to be okay with him living with me sometimes and... that kind of house would soon feel too small for all of us."

Anne smiled, happy that he found her home so open and welcoming and warm. He had such a great deal of stress in his own home life; if he had an opportunity to get a reprieve from all that, she was happy that it was with her.

When he spoke of a new home, of having a room for Junior and for him living with his father, Anne paid very close attention. Her eyes were completely focused on Thomas as she took a deep breath.

"I mean...of course I'd be all right with him living there, he's your son after all, I would never seek to part you," she looked to him. "Are you...suggesting we try to find a place? For you, me and for Junior?"

Wyatt had to pause again. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to say right now but since the topic had been brought up, it seemed like a good enough time to talk about it.

"I've been thinking about it but I wasn't going to say anything until after our trip. I wanted to see if we not kill each other first, being together twenty-four-seven. But now that you mentioned it, I can't keep it to myself anymore."

Wyatt saw the waiter coming forward to collect their empty plates and to bring forth the soup. Even if the waiter couldn't understand their conversation held in English, he didn't continue before they were left alone again.

"If you are in this for the long term, it would make more sense to try to find a place that we both like and is big enough for all of us. I don't want to move now to a small house and again next year to a bigger one. However, before you can move in, your family has to come to terms with the fact that we're dating. If the first thing you tell them is that we bought a house together, your father will give me a hard time at work."

Anne's eyes lit as possibilities ran through her head. She could see it, in her mind. Sunday brunch with the three of them at a proper table. Pizza and movie night in the living room. And of course, on the nights when Junior was with his mother, candlelit dinners and heavier cuddling beneath blankets on the couch.

Anne glanced up when the waiter returned and gave him a polite smile. She focused her attention on Thomas again when the waiter left.

"You know I'm in this for the long haul, Thomas," she replied. "And frankly I would be fine telling my family that we're dating. But there's the small matter of..." she felt strange saying it. "Your marriage."

She knew her family. Mary would be supportive, the romantic that she was. George and Thomas Boleyn however, would see Thomas and his marriage as signs of infidelity, which they would suspect him of transferring to Anne if they went public about their relationship. It was clear enough to her that they couldn't proceed with buying a house and building a future without his divorce being finalized.

Wyatt could see how Anne's mind was working on the idea, though not the specifics of her dreams. Moving in with him was one thing - the easy thing - but to live with his son... that would require a lot of understanding.

But she seemed willing to try and that was all Wyatt could ask of her.

"My marriage will end one day, that I'm sure of. I say we look for a home that you can move in later. It's better for Junior anyway, that he can get used to living in a new place with just me. One change at a time, and all that. Besides, it can take months before we find something that we both love."

Anne truly had no issue with living alongside Junior. Even knowing that, as his son, he had more of Thomas' live than she ever could. That didn't bother her. At this point, it was only his marriage that made her unhappy, abs how long it was taking him to get a divorce.

It wasn't his fault. But still, she wished it could be over and done so that they could better enjoy their relationship. His answer was hardly a confident one, Anne gave a half-hearted smile and nodded slowly.

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed. "And it wouldn't do to have him get used to a snake house, only to move into a larger one."

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