The Adventure Continues

[abrightboy]

For thatsfascinating.



The villa Malcolm rented was in the Languedoc, not far from Marseilles, south of Avignon. It was a very historic region, though Malcolm was particularly not interested in visiting Marseilles again. There was a charming village nearby the villa and if they were going to go to an historic city for a day, he'd rather make the trip over to Montpellier, where he'd never been at all, much less with Dr Whitly.

The villa had six bedrooms. As the driver brought their luggage inside the bright and spacious main room, Malcolm handed him some folded Euros and thanked him and shut the door behind him.

"First choice of a room is yours," he told Edrisa with a smile. "But you might want to explore first."

Comments

[abrightboy]

"A little to the left," he teased, sliding his arms around her waist.

[thatsfascinating]

She giggled again, shifting to the left, and wrapped her arms around him as well. She kissed him softly.

"Here?" she murmured against his lips.

[abrightboy]

"Right there," he told her, pressing a lingering kiss to her lips.

[thatsfascinating]

She hummed against his lips, and returned the kiss, gentle and slow.

When the kiss broke, she reached for the shampoo, and poured some in her hand behind his back. She set the bottle down and began massaging the shampoo in Malcolm's hair, her body still pressed warmly against his.

[abrightboy]

Right where he liked it.

He watched her face as she worked the shampoo into his hair.

"How do you stay so focused on the good things?"

[thatsfascinating]

She smiled and shook her head slightly.

"There are so many good things. I'm extremely lucky."

The bad things were still there, of course...the bruises had faded but the memory of the trauma remained. But she wasn't thinking about that at all.

[abrightboy]

"Not as lucky as I am, I think," he admitted.

Maybe she wasn't typically the kind of person that got other people's attention, but she was amazing and she would have found someone. He was a wet paper bag of fragments. He knew what his future looked like without her.

[thatsfascinating]

"We're equally lucky," she asserted with a smile. He was incredible, and her world was so much richer with him in it.

"Here...come rinse off," she said, guiding them both under the spray.

[abrightboy]

His eyes stayed on her as she led him under the spray, until he had to close them to keep soap out of them.

"This is probably the most peaceful way to do this. I think it's the best choice."

[thatsfascinating]

She closed her eyes as well, holding him loosely so the water could run over them and between them.

"To take a shower?" she asked with amusement. "Or to get married?"

She was pretty sure he intended the latter.

[abrightboy]

He laughed. "Getting married like this," he clarified.

[thatsfascinating]

"Thought that's what you meant!" She smiled and nuzzled him. "And I agree. This is much better. More peaceful."

[abrightboy]

"Peaceful," he repeated at a murmur. "That's a thing. That people like." He looked at her. "Right?"

[thatsfascinating]

"In moderation." Their lives...their life together...was normally far from peaceful, and she was okay with that. More than okay, actually.

[abrightboy]

He nodded. Maybe moderation would be all right and not... one hundred percent screaming inside his own head.

Maybe two weeks off was too many weeks off for him.

Maybe they should have just taken two weeks off and not gone chasing after French predatory murderers.

Once they were rinsed off, he reached for the towels and handed her one, wrapping it around her to help dry her off.

[thatsfascinating]

It would have been better had they just walked away from the town murders. Edrisa felt bad about that, because she had been so insistent that they get involved, so insistent that they go and rescue the girl, and what had it gotten them? Nothing but trauma, both physical and mental.

But she wasn't going to think about that today. Today was a day for love and peace and joy.

She let him dry her off, doing the same for him with another towel. When she paused his hair was so tousled she couldn't help but smile, and she leaned in to kiss him.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm Bright had never needed coerced to work on a murder case. He'd been a very willing participant.

He could tell his hair was a mess, because a bulk of it was hanging in his face. He returned the kiss, then raised an eyebrow at her. "You do not think this looks good," he said, gesturing to his head.

[thatsfascinating]

"It's adorable," she asserted with a wide, warm smile. She was leaning in to kiss him again when the doorbell rang. "Ah!" She wrapped her towel firmly around herself. "The wedding clothes, maybe?"

[abrightboy]

He reached for his sweatpants and tugged them on.

"I can get it," he told her. Pants were more reliable than a towel and the didn't really know who was there....

He headed to the door.

It was her dress. Happily, it was folded neatly into a white box, so he couldn't see it. He held it out in front of him as he returned.

"I guess you can get ready," he told her. "Which means I can't see you, then, until it's time."

[thatsfascinating]

She came out of the bathroom as Malcolm was turning away for the door, and she bounced a little, excitedly, when she saw what was in his hands. She took it from him, put it aside, then threw her arms around him and kissed him firmly, since it would be a couple hours before they could see each other again.

"Can you direct the florist and the musicians? They pretty much know what to do."

[abrightboy]

He pressed his lips together after the kiss broke, nodding at her question.

"See you when the music starts," he told her softly.

[thatsfascinating]

She nodded, beaming, practically vibrating with excitement.

"When the music starts!"

She kissed him once more, then grabbed the box and headed to her room.

[abrightboy]

When the time came, he waited under the arbour as the music started, half turned so he could see her emerge.

[thatsfascinating]

She was standing at the door, wearing her dress, clutching her bouquet, waiting, listening, her heart racing a mile a minute.

This is it this is it this is it...

The music started and she took a deep breath...then another...then nodded. And stepped out. When her eyes met his, she smiled, her eyes sparkling. She walked across the lawn and joined him under the bower.

"Hey," she whispered, excited and happy.

[abrightboy]

"You look amazing," he told her quietly, before turning his attention to the officiant, who waited until he had their attention to start reading the service.