Julian x Apprentice

Chapter 7

You both stayed in the bath until the water  chilled, neither wanting to end the intimate moments between you. You got cold first, shuddering a bit in the water.
"Water's ran cold. Let's get dressed, Jules." Untangling your limbs from his, you got out of the tub first. Wrapping yourself a ratty towel, you handed him the other off the rack. Damn did he look good in it. You walked out of the bathroom, looking at the remnants of the night before. Clothes strewn everywhere, one bed impossibly messy and the other still  perfectly made. So much for having two beds. You picked up the shirt you had worn before, noticing a big stain down the front. Sometime during the night you must have spilled something on it. Your undershirt sported the same stain.
"Shit," you whispered. What could you wear back to the palace? You knew the lab was nearby, maybe you could stop there and borrow something of Julian's.
"Hey, I don't have any clothes to wear back. Do you think we could stop at the lab before heading back? Maybe I could borrow something of yours."
"Lyubimaya, you're better off without them, " he grinned and lifted you into a kiss.
"As much as I'd like that, we'd better get going. We don't want Lucio to realize we've slipped out." Julian's face grew grim as he thought of what could happen if that came to fruition. The Count could be screaming through the halls at this moment for all he knew.
You readied to leave, topless under your big traveling cloak. Luckily, the walk from the bar to the lab was short and uneventful, though Julian teased you about it the whole way there. Julian kept some clothes at the lab, a few shirts and sleeping pants for the long nights he spent there. His clothes were oversized on you, the legs on his pants definitely too long. You cuffed the legs, hoping the palace staff wouldn't notice you wearing Julian's clothes. Before leaving the closet, you buried your nose in the too-long sleeves and breathed in his scent. Leather, smoke, and something reminiscent of rubbing alcohol. Once you left the closet, you did a twirl for him to let him see the makeshift outfit. Seeing you in his clothes made him swell with pride, as if you two were actually committed. He pulled you into one final kiss, knowing once you left the privacy of his lab, you could no longer be involved the way the last day had gone. He poured everything into it, trying to convey his emotions through this last kiss.
His hand never left your waist on the walk back to the palace, until you came upon the gates. At that moment, you knew your time with him was up. Back to reality, and the formalities the palace staff expected between you. You cleared your throat and took a step away from him, feeling oddly small without him immediately by your side. The pain on his face was something you never wanted to witness again.

Nadia welcomed you back once through the doors, and gave you a funny look after taking in what was visable of your ill fitting clothes under the heavy traveling cloak. Even if she knew, you trusted her enough to keep your secret from her husband. She knew all too well the atrocities he was capable of, as well as the fact he didn't fight fair. If he pinned Julian's weakness, there was almost no doubt between you that Lucio would use you against him. After exchanging a look, she slightly nodded her head, letting you know your secret was safe with her.

Once back in the makeshift office, you carefully tucked Julian's clothes away in your room. Nearly every night from then on, you wore his shirt to bed. Even as your marks faded, you worked with a newfound hope that the plague could be cured quickly.
Even so, you made a habit of sleeping in his bed with him, when he did sleep. Some nights- most nights- Julian never even made it to his bed. It seemed that he had found a new lead that seemed promising, though he wouldn't share what it was with you. He convinced himself it would be dangerous for you to know. In any case, you helped where you could, answering the weird questions he had about magical theory and practice. On the nights he made it to bed, you climbed in with him. Stealing kisses from you, he cherished the closeness you shared on those nights.

You loved spending the night with him, wrapped in his arms. Even if nothing else happened- and you knew they couldn't ever happen in the palace- sharing his bed was enough for now. Once his theory panned out, you were excited to be able to go home soon. Julian has told you he would know if his theory held water by the time the Count's birthday was over. Since his birthday was in a few months, you were excited about the prospect of being able to return to your normal life, and explore your budding love for him.

He was so close to finding the cure, you decided to keep quiet about the fever you had picked up and the red tinge you noticed on the edge of your irises. He had everything hanging on this final theory of his. He hardly slept now, so he wouldn't notice you sleeping in your own bed, hardly getting up anymore. You wore his clothes, looking for any small comfort. You had been studying the plague too, you knew the symptoms.

What you didn't know, is he had been hiding the same symptoms from you, too. After a particularly unpleasant visit to the Count's chambers, he had started showing signs of sickness as well.

But he was so close, you couldn't distract him now... Once he found the cure, everything would be okay...