Under Control.

chapter sixty six.

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When they wake this time, the sun is hanging low in the sky, meandering on its way over the horizon.

There's still some daylight to be had before nightfall, before the dark creeps back in, and Julian has plans. But, also, he doesn't want to rush.

'You seem happy,' he says, his mellow voice skittering across sheet and bare shoulder.

Nora looks over at him through the wilds of her hair with a quizzical look, and Julian laughs then, even though he doesn't mean to.

'I meant, you seem happy at work — with work.'

Nora nods, then tucks herself closer to him under the mess they've made of the linens. Julian can see the hint of a smile that's dancing behind her sleepy grey eyes, and seeing it is a relief he didn't know he'd needed.

'Are you?' He asks again, just because he wants to hear her say it. He wants to hear her talk about it, because he loves it when she does, and because he's missed this part of them — the ease and the contentedness of it.

'Yes,' Nora murmurs, before she looks up at him, her lips dragging across his collarbone where she's tucked her face. 'It's going great, actually. It's been amazing. It's — it's everything I wanted, weirdly enough. It's a different shape, but it's exactly it.' Nora's voice is halting at first, but then it's not. She almost stops herself from running on, but then Julian meets her eyes and gleams, like what she's saying is the best news he's ever heard, and so she gives in and rambles on and enjoys seeing him so happy to hear it, too.

They settle back against the pillows briefly, enjoying the feeling of being pressed together and bare, soft and sleepy, before they escape to the shower and beyond — before this moment of calmness that they've both worked so hard to reach, slips away again.

'I'm really fuckin' proud of you, you know? I hope you know that.' Tears sting at Nora's eyes with Julian's sudden, sweet declaration, and he sees them, but he kisses them away. 'You work harder than anyone I know. And you're, like, brave. Ballsy. It's — you're unreal, you know? Your brain is crazy and you're so fucking good at what you do, Nora. You deserve this. And I hope...I just hope I didn't mess anything up for you, you know?'

Julian has so much that he wants to say. But for now, this will do. Making sure that Nora knows he sees all that she is apart from him and that he's proud, is enough. Because, the rest will come. And he intends to make sure of it. Because Julian is determined that unlike all the times before, instead of being broken by this fall, they'll sustain it.

'Jules,' Nora shakes her head and grabs his face firmly but lovingly between her hands. 'No. Okay? No. I want to be here. Everything is fine.' She wants him to hear her, and he does. Because, she has that affect on him. And he believes her not just because he wants to, but because he trusts her more than anyone — even more than he does himself.

'We gotta go to this dinner,' Julian knows that they're running out of time like they are, and so he breaks through the moment only because he has to. 'But, let me take you to get something clean to wear home, okay?'

Nora is going to argue, but then Julian makes a face and she bursts into giggles she can't help. He looks serious, but in the way he knows makes her laugh, and so while she is he envelops her, and takes for himself a selfish last moment of togetherness before they escape from the bed and into the shower, then beyond.

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Julian and Nora shower, then dress — him in almost clean clothes, except for the shirt she'd stolen to wear, and her in the clothes that she'd arrived in, which were the only ones she had. And after the comfortable silence of that and with a few stolen kisses had in-between, they escape from the room finally and into the dregs of the day, two bodies together tethered by the hand under the disappearing sun.