Narcissus

Chapter Fifteen

A/N - Above pic is Emma.

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I drove Elise back to my house, not even entertaining the idea of her going back to her husband after we left the hospital. She had gotten an x-ray, and they determined she had a dislocated shoulder, so it was put back into place and she was given a sling to wear. Then she got stitches on her forehead, and a few hours later we were let go.

The sun was only just setting when we got back, and we sat in my living room, cups of hot tea in out hands, the sunset casting orange shadows around the dimly lit room.

"Would you like to talk about it?" I said gently, breaking the contemplative silence.

"Yes." Elise responded, and honestly, I was surprised by her answer. She had been so guarded, so cold, so indifferent when I first met her. Now she was in my living room, on my sofa, drinking from my 'Drama Queen' mug with a sling on her arm, perfectly happy to divulge to me her deepest, darkest secrets. "But I would like a shower first." I opened my mouth to protest, "It's fine, the doctor said I can shower as long as I don't move my arm too much, and don't get my stitches wet."

"Okay. Please shout me if something happens."

"Will do." she smiled back and disappeared upstairs. "Have you got any clothes I could borrow? Mine aren't very... comfortable." came her voice a few moments later.

"Yeah! Hang on!" I called, jogging upstairs. I walked into my bedroom and grabbed some red joggers and a top. When I reached the bathroom, she opened it a little bit and put her head around the door, her shoulders bare. I swallowed nervously, and she took my clothes with her non-injured hand.

"Thank you. Can you take my clothes and hang them up, please? I would hate for them to get crinkled."

"Yes, your majesty." I mock saluted her and she grinned.

"That's all, peasant. Or should I say... pet?" Elise laughed loudly and quickly shut the door as my mouth fell open.

"Not funny!"

"Yes it is!" she called back with a giggle.

Half an hour later, Elise appeared in my living room. I hadn't actually realised the white shirt I had given her was a crop top, and I couldn't resist my eyes travelling down to the portion of her stomach that was on view, a bronzed, scultpted stomach. She had mentioned briefly that when we were in Amsterdam she had snuck off one day and gone to beach alone to sunbathe. It showed, as she was so dark she glowed in the orange light of the fire. I noticed almost every time I went to her house she had a fire roaring, almost like it was a source of comfort for her, and she constantly smelt of smoke, the most wonderful smell, not too overpowering. So, I decided to put my own fire on. It was a slightly pathetic fire, but she still smiled gently, appreciating the sentiment all the same.

Elise decided to sit in the comfy armchair opposite me, large enough for her to lean back and sit cross legged. I had poured her a glass of juice, as I thought alcohol would be unwise, and she took it with a smile.

"So..."

"So." Elise responded with a sigh, "It wasn't really anything. It wasn't a massive, explosive argument, like you might expect. He just... returned home from work, and he was frustrated. And we were upstairs, and he kept asking me why I was so cold. Not cold as in temperature, but cold as in... icy. Indifferent. Closed off. He asked me why I never got angry. Or happy, or sad. We've been married fourteen years, and he said he's never once seen me cry. Not once."

"Fourteen years?" I raised my eyebrows, "That would have made you..."

"Yes. I was Sixteen when we married. Sixteen when we met, actually. At the altar." Elise snorted.