Forever or Never

Forever or Never: 23

"Why mid-morning?" Victor asked while Mercy turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. Having steadily grown uncomfortable sitting on the floor, the two had migrated to the bed. The chill from standing and walking in the rain had finally sunk in, and Victor was more than happy to be curled up under the thick duvet and covers which adorned the bed.

It was just made better because of Mercy laying by his side. He laid behind her, one arm under the pillow to support his head, while his other arm was draped over her waist. Much like him, one of her arms was underneath a pillow, while the other was holding onto his hand. She'd grown steadily comfortable laying like this, pressed up against his chest, that she had actually started to drift off again. His voice naturally woke her up.

"Dress fitting." She whispered, Victor looked at her with a confused look. She laughed quietly, turning onto her other side so she was facing him, she reached up and placed her hand against his face. She gently trailed her fingers over his features, "It's for a birthday...thing."

"It's not your birthday yet," he responded, which was true, her birthday wasn't until November.

"Not mine! I wouldn't be buying a dress months in advance, that's silly." She laughed and shook her head.

"So?" He prompted while shifting and propping himself up onto his elbow, leaning his head against his hand he looked down at her as she rolled onto her back.

Mercy inhaled deeply and seemed torn whether to even explain this whole thing. Looking away from him she looked at the ceiling before turning her face back to look at him. "I am to play at a birthday party, celebration, thing."

Victor raised an eyebrow, "You don't seem totally up for this."

Mercy's face scrunched to one of disapproval. "I don't like doing stuff like this."

"You much prefer packing out music halls." Victor joked lightly and got a gentle hit to the arm for it.

"Shush!"

"But it's true though, isn't it?"

"Yes." Mercy looked down, she could just spy the fire burning brightly away in the hearth from over the foot board of the bed.

"Too personal," Victor piped up again, she looked to him just as he'd taken to twirling a stray copper curl around his fingers. "That's what you don't like about this situation. It's too personal, and you don't care for it."

"Don't make me sound like an unfeeling, stoic human being."

Victor laughed and shook his head. "I didn't mean it like that, and you know it...I hope...look," he suddenly fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling with her. "You don't like doing these things because it involves having to actually socialise with the people you often wouldn't. You are not one for gossiping like those who go to these things. You aren't involved in any activities apart from your music. These gatherings are too personal, and I think you often feel like a stranger being present; an outsider looking in, as it were."

"I hate you."

"I can't help being right." Victor smirked, knowing full well she wasn't being serious.

Mercy tilted her head to look at him again. "I would say you could stay here and we could spend the morning together, and maybe the rest of the day; but you need to go home, Victor, the sooner the better I'd say. You and Igor need to patch things up. I'm certain you will though. Two sides of the same coin, you two are." She scoffed and rolled her eyes, they were too similar yet too different.

"Hm," was the only reply she seemed to get, not that she was surprised. Rolling over onto her stomach she rested against her forearms and looked down at him. He seemed wide awake, whereas moments ago she was more than happy to drift off back to sleep, and truth be told if she settled and was silent she'd most likely go to sleep.

"You're thinking too much."

"What's new?"

Mercy sighed and nudged against him gently, he slowly looked to her. "Can you not?"

Sitting himself up and leaning against his elbows, Victor looked at her curiously. "You've got an alternative?" He smirked.

"It starts with 'S' and ends in 'P'." Mercy said trying to keep a straight face. Victor's rather smug suggestive expression dwindled and he looked at her blankly. Mercy burst out laughing. The good thing about this whole situation was that they could laugh and speak normally because they were the only two in this section of the house. The servants were naturally in another part entirely to themselves.

"I hate you."

"Not my fault I'm hilarious." Mercy said while still laughing.

"You're really not." Victor said while she still laughed. He frowned and nudged her gently, she still laughed and huddled into herself because his rather childish pouting was getting to her. "Oh come on, it really wasn't that funny." He said bluntly while giving her a swift poke, only poking her in her ribs caused her to laugh again; just as she was quieting down, now she was laughing again.

With a half-smile, Victor did the same again, he actually didn't know that she was ticklish, but he did now. And as a form of revenge for her never ending laughing at his expense, he continued. She became breathless in seconds, from laughing too much as well as trying to get away, and with trying to move his hands away, it all ended in failure really because he didn't stop.

Just when she thought he had, his hands stopped with the tentative prodding which caused her to laugh so much, she was soon breathless for another reason. And that reason was because he'd leaned over her and captured her lips with his.

As if she wasn't breathless enough. This certainly didn't help. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands slowly travelling up to tangle in his hair gently. Whereas he eased himself down to laying over her, resting on one of his forearms while the other rested against the pillow by Mercy's head, and his hand was gently running and settling into her hair.

"Hm," she hummed quietly against his lips when he finally pulled away. "Your alternative does beat mine." She said while opening her eyes and looking to the rather self-assured expression which had plastered itself onto his face. She rolled her eyes and gently swatted at him, "Fine, know-it-all...no need to give me that look."

"What look?" Victor feigned ignorance while laying down more. Mercy let out a quiet whimper of sorts when he kissed her jaw and down to her neck.

"The look." She said in a distant tone, her eyes slowly slid to a shut and she seemed to absentmindedly pull him closer.

"No, no I don't know what you're talking about I'm afraid." Victor pulled away suddenly and smiled down at her, she looked slightly flustered as well as annoyed. There was definitely a dusting of pink across her cheeks, and she was looking at him with half-lidded eyes.

"You're so annoying."

Victor grinned down at her before leaning down and gently kissing her again. Mercy pulled him close and huddled against him. They both smiled into the kiss, and they both pulled away at the same time.

"Hate to be the downer, but can we please sleep? It's nearly half two in the morning." Mercy said quietly with a frown, Victor nodded. He kissed her one last time before laying by her side, she turned and rested her head against his chest, he wrapped one arm around her while the other held onto her hand which was resting against his chest, over his heart.

----

(A/N: Updated after work, so sorry if there's errors. I've had a brief skim, but yeah, if there is any; let me know, and I'll correct them either later / tomorrow if I get time!)