Dollhouse fic: Valentine's Day Part Seven
Mar. 6th, 2010 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseThis is a multi-chaptered fic. The Index Post which includes summary, ratings, and warnings, is here
SEVEN
It was dark outside and, stood this close to the window, Adelle could see her own reflection in the glass. Behind her, the door opened, and she waited a moment to see it was him, before she turned.
Dominic closed the door behind him. “Adelle.”
“How are you?”
He crossed the room to the chair by her desk. “Saunders said I can come back to work tomorrow if I promise not to overdo it.”
Adelle frowned. “If you need more time,” she began but he shook his head.
“It’s been over three weeks,” he said.
“And without the experimental drugs it would probably be three more weeks, if not far longer.” Adelle moved to sit on the edge of her desk.
Dominic nodded. “I know. I’m still not sure I appreciated being your guinea pig.”
Adelle swallowed and looked briefly at the floor. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” she said. “Nor take the risk that you might be permanently damaged.”
He reached out and put one hand under her chin, tipping it to make her meet his gaze. “I’m not ungrateful,” he told her. “And I need to be here…I need you.”
She covered his wrist with her hand and tugged to move his hand from her chin to cup her cheek instead.
“I’ve missed you too,” she admitted quietly. “But I couldn’t keep visiting your apartment without arousing suspicion.” The excessive amount of time she’d spent in the infirmary the first week had been bad enough.
He leant in and pressed his lips to hers. Adelle didn’t respond and he drew back, disappointment etched on his features.
“Let me see,” she said. “The scar. Let me see it.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed at the base of his loose black sweater – a much more casual garment than his usual suit – and pulled it up and over his head. He dropped the garment onto the chair and let Adelle’s gaze wander over his chest.
Adelle reached out with her index and middle finger, and touched his skin, let her fingers straddle the white line that marred the flesh from the base of his ribs to his navel. She found herself holding her breath as she did so, felt the rough edges of the scar tissue against her fingertips, heard him draw a sharp breath as she neared the base of the incision.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.
“Only a little,” he said. “Here.” He gestured to a spot to one side of the scar. Aside from three or four marks left by the surgical staples the wound had healed well, though this area showed a mark shaped like a letter C. It was the site of the actual bullet wound, Adelle realized.
“Apparently Victor was somewhat overzealous in removing damaged tissue. It’s taking longer to heal than the rest.” He glanced down at his torso. “Saunders said the scars should fade completely if the drugs work as well as they're expected to."
“It doesn’t matter,” Adelle told him. She leant over and pressed her lips to this separate scar, feeling him shudder beneath her touch, from arousal rather than pain.
“It feels wrong to be concerned about it in front of her,” Dominic admitted. “At least my scars aren’t on show. Perhaps if she’d been given the drug her face would have healed.”
Adelle slid from the desk and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It wasn’t ready then. It was barely ready now.” She laid her head on his shoulder and felt his arms close around her waist.
“The scar doesn’t matter to me,” she said again. “Better that than to lose you.”
He froze, body rigid against hers. “You’re being very sentimental,” he said uncertainly.
“I know.” Adelle planted kisses on his shoulder, urging him to relax. “Understand that for me to be so is an indication of just how much I care”
“So long as no-one else knows you do,” he said bitterly.
Was this still about her lack of house calls? Adelle stepped back, pulling away from him. “One step at a time,” she said. “I am not one to risk everything on a single hand. You know this. You’ve accepted it.”
“That was before.” He reached for his sweater. “Things have become somewhat clearer now.”
Adelle took hold of the garment and refused to let him put it back on. “Because you were injured?”
“Yes.” He let go of the sweater and Adelle held it against her, cradling it like a favoured pet. “Being that close to death makes you examine your priorities.”
“Yours, maybe. Mine haven't changed.” Adelle sighed. “I care for you, Laurence, I do. However I also care about my career. I will not jeopardize it for our fragile relationship.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “So that deal you made with Raye, that was all part of the plan and not for my benefit?”
She shrugged. “Perhaps a little of both.” She tossed his sweater onto her desk and began to undo her own white blouse.
“What are you doing?”
“This is what you want, isn’t it?” Adelle pulled her blouse open to reveal her delicate lace bra. “You want to make love to me.”
“I want more than that,” Dominic muttered, his eyes glued to the bared cleavage. “But I guess this will do for a start.”
She let him grab her, seat her roughly on her desk. Papers and pens were pushed aside as he began to kiss her face, her neck, her chest. His elbow caught the new desk lamp and it went the way of the first, three weeks earlier, smashing onto the floor.
"Wait, wait," she said. "If we do this, you take another week off to recover. I need my Head of Security at his best."
"Agreed," he said in a low voice rough with desire.
Adelle smiled and grabbed at his hands, putting them about her waist, forcing his fingers towards the zipper of her tight skirt. There was no way she could engage in intercourse wearing this skirt – not without extreme discomfort, irreparable damage to the garment, or both.
He tugged at the zipper and Adelle sighed in relief as the garment loosened its hold on her. Dominic tugged at the skirt, sending it to the floor. He left her hold-up stockings in place; Adelle however worked one foot against to other to remove her heeled shoes before she damaged her desk with their sharp points.
Adelle let Dominic set the pace, was pliant in his grasp as she allowed him to position her. This way he would find a rhythm and position that were comfortable for him; the last thing she wanted was for this act of pleasure to cause him pain.
Her concern may have been unwarranted however; his arousal was in control now, the hormonal surge of pleasure overriding any pain signals. He'd lay her down completely on the polished wooden surface now, urging her to run until her whole body was stretched out upon the desk. Her hair splayed out behind her, cascading over the edge of the desk. Dominic had climbed onto the desk, imprisoning her parted thighs between his knees.
Part of Adelle, a rational part that always sat in judgement on her actions, watched and said, What sort of woman lets an employee straddle her on her own desk and make love to her with what is bordering on desperation? The rest of her said Shut up! I'm enjoying this and I don't care right now about the consequences.
Adelle closed her eyes as he entered her, biting her lip in anticipation of ecstasy.
You will care, Judgmental Adelle warned. You need distance from this man. Any further chiding was lost in Adelle's climax.
---
Adelle had buttoned her blouse quickly and was sat on her leather chair, brushing her hair. Dominic was dressing more slowly, though this being from exhaustion or reluctance she couldn't say.
"Sorry about the lamp," he said.
"Don't be. I can buy another." She wondered idly if it was possible to order them in bulk, given their propensity to be broken.
"Some things can be replaced," Dominic said, looking directly at her.
I want more than that he'd said…more than she could give, at least right now. So instead of answering that there were some things that were irreplaceable, Adelle simply said, "Indeed," and took up a hair slide.
Dominic stooped to pick up the debris from the floor.
"Leave it," she ordered. Then, softening her tone, "I have people I pay to clean up."
Her hair fixed, she stood once more and approached him, put her hands on his shoulders.
"Laurence, I'm in a very difficult position here. As you know, there are those who would love to see me fall from grace. This – whatever it is we have – wouldn't end my career, but it would damage my standing. And it would certainly damage your credibility."
He lowered his gaze. "I know."
"We need to be careful. We need –"
"Distance."
Adelle knew her surprise showed on her face. The same word her subconscious had used.
"We need to take a step back," Dominic said. "We can't let anyone know this ever happened. I understand."
She wanted to say "It won't be forever," but it sounded trite even in her head, and it was potentially a lie, so she said nothing. Merely nodded, and leant forwards, resting her head on his chest for a long moment. His fingers touched her hair, ran down to her waist, then pulled away.
Then she stepped back and the spell was broken.
"Do you need someone to take you home?"
He shook his head. "I drove here. I can get home."
"Very well."
She watched the monitors, watched him until his car left the parking garage. Then she crouched down, tight skirt and heels be damned, and gathered up the pieces of the lamp herself. There were some things she had to do on her own.
There would be no sex for a while. Not unless she made other arrangements. Oh dear, Miss Lonely Hearts might have to make another request for Roger. He was, after all, the perfect gentleman, someone she could confide in knowing his memory would later be wiped, someone she could have uncomplicated intimacy with, someone with whom she could be truly herself.
---
He'd been surprised at Adelle's depth of feeling, but Laurence hadn't been so naive as to think her outward expression of it would last. Even as he regained his strength, he was losing her. The potential losses she faced from engaging in a relationship with him became more real to her than the potential loss of his life. When she'd thought he was dying it had become acceptable to cross the boundaries; now the crisis was over, it was back to business as usual.
Dominic pulled up at a red light and waited. He'd wanted – needed – that last moment of intimacy with her, though he'd gained some bruises from engaging in the act in a somewhat unconventional location. The pendulum having swung so far in one direction, it would probably need to swing back in the other again. There would be distance, politeness, at least for a while. The intimacy would return, slowly. He could wait.
The light became green and he drove onwards, lost in thought.
The relationship would mean even better access to the secrets of the Dollhouse. The NSA would be proud if he managed to pull it off. For a moment he felt disgust at himself and thought fuck the NSA.
God forbid Adelle ever found out; he knew how the DeWitts hated traitors. He was reminded again of the first time he and Adelle had made love, and of his exposure to the DeWitt family. He really hoped Cara and Richard were happy, because God knew someone in that family should have some happiness. He knew that marriage was – always had been – out of the question for he and Adelle.
Anyway, he reflected, their relationship – whatever it actually was, however brief it had been, whatever it might return as – was between Laurence Dominic and Adelle DeWitt, not NSA Agent Dominic and Dollhouse Head DeWitt. He'd keep it that way and never refer to it in any report he made. It was the least he could do.
back to Part Six / Index
Thank you for reading; comments are most welcome :)
SEVEN
It was dark outside and, stood this close to the window, Adelle could see her own reflection in the glass. Behind her, the door opened, and she waited a moment to see it was him, before she turned.
Dominic closed the door behind him. “Adelle.”
“How are you?”
He crossed the room to the chair by her desk. “Saunders said I can come back to work tomorrow if I promise not to overdo it.”
Adelle frowned. “If you need more time,” she began but he shook his head.
“It’s been over three weeks,” he said.
“And without the experimental drugs it would probably be three more weeks, if not far longer.” Adelle moved to sit on the edge of her desk.
Dominic nodded. “I know. I’m still not sure I appreciated being your guinea pig.”
Adelle swallowed and looked briefly at the floor. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity,” she said. “Nor take the risk that you might be permanently damaged.”
He reached out and put one hand under her chin, tipping it to make her meet his gaze. “I’m not ungrateful,” he told her. “And I need to be here…I need you.”
She covered his wrist with her hand and tugged to move his hand from her chin to cup her cheek instead.
“I’ve missed you too,” she admitted quietly. “But I couldn’t keep visiting your apartment without arousing suspicion.” The excessive amount of time she’d spent in the infirmary the first week had been bad enough.
He leant in and pressed his lips to hers. Adelle didn’t respond and he drew back, disappointment etched on his features.
“Let me see,” she said. “The scar. Let me see it.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed at the base of his loose black sweater – a much more casual garment than his usual suit – and pulled it up and over his head. He dropped the garment onto the chair and let Adelle’s gaze wander over his chest.
Adelle reached out with her index and middle finger, and touched his skin, let her fingers straddle the white line that marred the flesh from the base of his ribs to his navel. She found herself holding her breath as she did so, felt the rough edges of the scar tissue against her fingertips, heard him draw a sharp breath as she neared the base of the incision.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.
“Only a little,” he said. “Here.” He gestured to a spot to one side of the scar. Aside from three or four marks left by the surgical staples the wound had healed well, though this area showed a mark shaped like a letter C. It was the site of the actual bullet wound, Adelle realized.
“Apparently Victor was somewhat overzealous in removing damaged tissue. It’s taking longer to heal than the rest.” He glanced down at his torso. “Saunders said the scars should fade completely if the drugs work as well as they're expected to."
“It doesn’t matter,” Adelle told him. She leant over and pressed her lips to this separate scar, feeling him shudder beneath her touch, from arousal rather than pain.
“It feels wrong to be concerned about it in front of her,” Dominic admitted. “At least my scars aren’t on show. Perhaps if she’d been given the drug her face would have healed.”
Adelle slid from the desk and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It wasn’t ready then. It was barely ready now.” She laid her head on his shoulder and felt his arms close around her waist.
“The scar doesn’t matter to me,” she said again. “Better that than to lose you.”
He froze, body rigid against hers. “You’re being very sentimental,” he said uncertainly.
“I know.” Adelle planted kisses on his shoulder, urging him to relax. “Understand that for me to be so is an indication of just how much I care”
“So long as no-one else knows you do,” he said bitterly.
Was this still about her lack of house calls? Adelle stepped back, pulling away from him. “One step at a time,” she said. “I am not one to risk everything on a single hand. You know this. You’ve accepted it.”
“That was before.” He reached for his sweater. “Things have become somewhat clearer now.”
Adelle took hold of the garment and refused to let him put it back on. “Because you were injured?”
“Yes.” He let go of the sweater and Adelle held it against her, cradling it like a favoured pet. “Being that close to death makes you examine your priorities.”
“Yours, maybe. Mine haven't changed.” Adelle sighed. “I care for you, Laurence, I do. However I also care about my career. I will not jeopardize it for our fragile relationship.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “So that deal you made with Raye, that was all part of the plan and not for my benefit?”
She shrugged. “Perhaps a little of both.” She tossed his sweater onto her desk and began to undo her own white blouse.
“What are you doing?”
“This is what you want, isn’t it?” Adelle pulled her blouse open to reveal her delicate lace bra. “You want to make love to me.”
“I want more than that,” Dominic muttered, his eyes glued to the bared cleavage. “But I guess this will do for a start.”
She let him grab her, seat her roughly on her desk. Papers and pens were pushed aside as he began to kiss her face, her neck, her chest. His elbow caught the new desk lamp and it went the way of the first, three weeks earlier, smashing onto the floor.
"Wait, wait," she said. "If we do this, you take another week off to recover. I need my Head of Security at his best."
"Agreed," he said in a low voice rough with desire.
Adelle smiled and grabbed at his hands, putting them about her waist, forcing his fingers towards the zipper of her tight skirt. There was no way she could engage in intercourse wearing this skirt – not without extreme discomfort, irreparable damage to the garment, or both.
He tugged at the zipper and Adelle sighed in relief as the garment loosened its hold on her. Dominic tugged at the skirt, sending it to the floor. He left her hold-up stockings in place; Adelle however worked one foot against to other to remove her heeled shoes before she damaged her desk with their sharp points.
Adelle let Dominic set the pace, was pliant in his grasp as she allowed him to position her. This way he would find a rhythm and position that were comfortable for him; the last thing she wanted was for this act of pleasure to cause him pain.
Her concern may have been unwarranted however; his arousal was in control now, the hormonal surge of pleasure overriding any pain signals. He'd lay her down completely on the polished wooden surface now, urging her to run until her whole body was stretched out upon the desk. Her hair splayed out behind her, cascading over the edge of the desk. Dominic had climbed onto the desk, imprisoning her parted thighs between his knees.
Part of Adelle, a rational part that always sat in judgement on her actions, watched and said, What sort of woman lets an employee straddle her on her own desk and make love to her with what is bordering on desperation? The rest of her said Shut up! I'm enjoying this and I don't care right now about the consequences.
Adelle closed her eyes as he entered her, biting her lip in anticipation of ecstasy.
You will care, Judgmental Adelle warned. You need distance from this man. Any further chiding was lost in Adelle's climax.
Adelle had buttoned her blouse quickly and was sat on her leather chair, brushing her hair. Dominic was dressing more slowly, though this being from exhaustion or reluctance she couldn't say.
"Sorry about the lamp," he said.
"Don't be. I can buy another." She wondered idly if it was possible to order them in bulk, given their propensity to be broken.
"Some things can be replaced," Dominic said, looking directly at her.
I want more than that he'd said…more than she could give, at least right now. So instead of answering that there were some things that were irreplaceable, Adelle simply said, "Indeed," and took up a hair slide.
Dominic stooped to pick up the debris from the floor.
"Leave it," she ordered. Then, softening her tone, "I have people I pay to clean up."
Her hair fixed, she stood once more and approached him, put her hands on his shoulders.
"Laurence, I'm in a very difficult position here. As you know, there are those who would love to see me fall from grace. This – whatever it is we have – wouldn't end my career, but it would damage my standing. And it would certainly damage your credibility."
He lowered his gaze. "I know."
"We need to be careful. We need –"
"Distance."
Adelle knew her surprise showed on her face. The same word her subconscious had used.
"We need to take a step back," Dominic said. "We can't let anyone know this ever happened. I understand."
She wanted to say "It won't be forever," but it sounded trite even in her head, and it was potentially a lie, so she said nothing. Merely nodded, and leant forwards, resting her head on his chest for a long moment. His fingers touched her hair, ran down to her waist, then pulled away.
Then she stepped back and the spell was broken.
"Do you need someone to take you home?"
He shook his head. "I drove here. I can get home."
"Very well."
She watched the monitors, watched him until his car left the parking garage. Then she crouched down, tight skirt and heels be damned, and gathered up the pieces of the lamp herself. There were some things she had to do on her own.
There would be no sex for a while. Not unless she made other arrangements. Oh dear, Miss Lonely Hearts might have to make another request for Roger. He was, after all, the perfect gentleman, someone she could confide in knowing his memory would later be wiped, someone she could have uncomplicated intimacy with, someone with whom she could be truly herself.
He'd been surprised at Adelle's depth of feeling, but Laurence hadn't been so naive as to think her outward expression of it would last. Even as he regained his strength, he was losing her. The potential losses she faced from engaging in a relationship with him became more real to her than the potential loss of his life. When she'd thought he was dying it had become acceptable to cross the boundaries; now the crisis was over, it was back to business as usual.
Dominic pulled up at a red light and waited. He'd wanted – needed – that last moment of intimacy with her, though he'd gained some bruises from engaging in the act in a somewhat unconventional location. The pendulum having swung so far in one direction, it would probably need to swing back in the other again. There would be distance, politeness, at least for a while. The intimacy would return, slowly. He could wait.
The light became green and he drove onwards, lost in thought.
The relationship would mean even better access to the secrets of the Dollhouse. The NSA would be proud if he managed to pull it off. For a moment he felt disgust at himself and thought fuck the NSA.
God forbid Adelle ever found out; he knew how the DeWitts hated traitors. He was reminded again of the first time he and Adelle had made love, and of his exposure to the DeWitt family. He really hoped Cara and Richard were happy, because God knew someone in that family should have some happiness. He knew that marriage was – always had been – out of the question for he and Adelle.
Anyway, he reflected, their relationship – whatever it actually was, however brief it had been, whatever it might return as – was between Laurence Dominic and Adelle DeWitt, not NSA Agent Dominic and Dollhouse Head DeWitt. He'd keep it that way and never refer to it in any report he made. It was the least he could do.
back to Part Six / Index
Thank you for reading; comments are most welcome :)
no subject
Date: 2010-08-13 05:42 pm (UTC)And your Topher, with his trampoline being a perk. And Boyd hiding out among the actives.
The ending just killed me, as it put a whole new twist on Spy In the House of Love. Just epic, wonderful work bb. :D
no subject
Date: 2010-08-13 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-13 06:16 pm (UTC)I understand the "hate it stage" for a little!Big Bang I'm doing I'm in the I hate you I'm not talking to you stage.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-14 11:27 am (UTC)The back and forth of their intimacy was so poignant and it's hard to tell which of them was setting themselves up for a bigger fall in the future.
Also, how great to have such powerful and beautiful accompanying artwork.
A job really well done.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-15 03:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-16 09:37 pm (UTC)I also liked the idea of a preexisting relationship that is more or less drawn into the open by the act of violence only to be shelved by necessity and die a bitter death if Spy in the House of Love occurs in your universe.
Thanks for sharing.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-17 09:01 am (UTC)This fic is set in the Dollhouse universe canon so I was careful to put them all back where I'd found them; "Spy In the House of Love" must, unfortunately, happen, hence the repressing of the relationship they'd begun to explore. I'm so glad it came across as you've summarised (drawn into the open/shelved) because that was absolutely what I was aiming for.
Thank you for reading and taking time to leave a review :)