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[nobasisinfact]

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[nobasisinfact]

[His jaw tightened visibly when she mentioned Tanis Braum.]

That man is a charlatan, I have nothing to be jealous of him over.

[It had never been so much that he'd been jealous, he'd been afraid that Braum would take Alex away.]

[11calls]

[Alex couldn't help but notice the tightening of his jaw, and in response she kissed it softly again, this time leaving a trail of gentle kisses along it, her hand moving to card through his hair.]

You don't. You never did, you know.

[nobasisinfact]

[He let out a soft, frustrated breath. Why was it that people like Tanis Braum seemed to follow him even here (in their delusion).]

So, why my desk?

[11calls]

[Alex frowns, because if there's one thing that Alex knows well, it's the Richard Strand frustrated breath. Honestly, this was not where she thought this was going.

So she kissed him softly, putting all of her reassurance into it as she molded her body against his once again. And then she pulled back a bit to whisper:]

Really? You don't get it?

[nobasisinfact]

[When she kissed him, he leaned into the kiss, returning it.]

It'd be a mess to clean up.

[He gestures to it.]

[11calls]

You worry too much about messes, my love.

[And then she just grins at him.]

You seriously never thought of it? In all the times we worked together in my office or yours?

[nobasisinfact]

No.

[He actually hadn't. Until the night they'd spoken with Coralee he hadn't even thought of her as a sexually attractive woman. Aesthetically, yes, but there had been no sexual interest there. Just finding her to be charming and sweet, and impressive. The attraction had come later, after he'd been vindicated in his beliefs that Coralee was still alive.

It came when Alex remained. In constant pursuit of something, always something. Her story, him, something, but always by his side, even when she went to Turkey. At least she'd called. Even if he never would completely forgive her for flying to Turkey without telling anyone to meet Simon Reese.]

[11calls]

[For a moment, Alex just looks surprised. Very surprised, but not hurt. Confused perhaps, because she could have sworn... There was a very small part of her that he was going to kiss her the night Coralee had left, and she'd already had known what she was going to say: Yes, she wanted him to kiss her, but it should wait until he was sure it wasn't out of hurt.

But then he disappeared for three months and left her alone with her fears and waiting out the apocalypse and forever debating which was worse: that it might come eventually, or that it wouldn't and she was just losing her damn mind. Yes, she had gone to Turkey to meet with Simon, but everything inside of her told her that she needed to get on that plane and do what Simon asked of her. And whatever else, Strand had his skepticism to at least try and keep some of his bad dreams away.

And while he may not have thought of it before, (a thought that made Alex turn crimson from her ears to her chest in the V of her coat because she had not only admitted that she'd thought about it, she'd admitted that she'd thought about it many times) she in no way doubted that he wanted her now. Like a lot. Just as much as she wanted him. So, in the end she just stroked his cheek and nodded.]

Okay.

[nobasisinfact]

It's just, not the way I think.

[He paused, letting his hand brush through her hair. It was true that he wasn't the sort of person to have lured sexual fantasies, but that didn't mean he had no desires. He desired Coralee, once, and he desired Alex now.]

If, you wanted, there are other desks. Though I think it might hurt your back.

[11calls]

And that's okay, Richard.

[Alex just cups his cheek with one hand for a moment, her thumb brushing along the corner of his lip as she met his eyes. Her expressions were easily read even when she wasn't trying to be as open about them as she was in this moment, but the fact that it was okay was there, in her smile, in the slight tilt of her head towards the hand in her hair.]

I wouldn't want you any other way. There's other places and things. I'm not at all worried about it.

[nobasisinfact]

[He offered a small smile, appreciative of Alex being who she was. Richard knew he wasn't exactly the most traditional of people, and hearing that the person you've fallen in love with hadn't thought of you exactly the same could be, offputting.

And of course, to kill the tension, it was his turn to make a bad joke.]

That house is large. I'm sure we can figure something out.

[11calls]

[As someone who often makes bad jokes, Alex does appreciate it, and she laughs softly into his neck for a minute before she draws back to add:]

I do believe I said something about making way better memories in almost every room of the house...

[nobasisinfact]

[That drew a soft chuckle from him. She had said that. Really, it was like she was the one who was practically celibate for over twenty years.]

You did.

[He leaned in to give a light kiss against her hair.]

[11calls]

[Alex is just going to smirk at him for a long moment, because she's definitely not the one who was celibate for twenty years, but she is the one who thinks that the universe owes it to him to make up for all the shitty things he's been through over the course of the time. Not that she'd ever tell him that, but Richard Strand deserved to be loved well, even if it was by a brash, tiny annoyingly persistent delicate flower.]

Don't you think it's a good idea, my Richard?

[nobasisinfact]

There are some rooms that I'd, rather not touch.

[He runs his hands along her back.]

And I'm sure there might be guests from time to time.

[11calls]

Well, yeah, of course. I was actually thinking that we could just use Howard's room just to store stuff we don't need so we don't have to see it. His stuff, as a way to just get some of the boxes out of other places.

[Or think about ever using it, honestly. Alex would gladly avoid Howard's room for the rest of time if she could.

As for the rest.]

Really, you're going to let someone in our house other than like me and Ruby?

[nobasisinfact]

[He shouldn't have been surprised that she'd been thinking about it this much, but he was.]

I thought you would.

[He's not going to tell her about Stan, not yet.]

[11calls]

[Alex had found the house and had spent a while sitting on the porch and considering what they might do about it, honestly. So, yeah, she'd thought about this as not only the past and Howard Strand, but the future and them and how they could coexist with both in this new reality that they were working on.

This wasn't like back home where they were living, breathing and sleeping the show and everything that went along with it.]

I was pretty sure you'd really hate that idea, actually.

[nobasisinfact]

[He smirked, reluctantly letting her go since he actually did have work he was doing.]

Since when have you worried about what I'd hate?

[Besides, it was her house too now. He wasn't going to restrict her activities or movements in it.]

[11calls]

Well, I always cared, Richard. I just sometimes... ignored my caring about that.

[Alex, that may be an understatement.]

[nobasisinfact]

Quite often, actually.

[He's going to get back to work. There's a nice couch over there

[11calls]

[This look? This Alex's 'seriously' look when he goes to get back to work, because seriously?!]

[nobasisinfact]

[Hey, the work isn't going to do itself.

He looks up at her.]

What?

[11calls]

Nothing.

[But fine, Alex is going to make use of your stupid couch, and one of your stupid books, and the stupid trench coat is coming off, and she's just going to put those fancy heels on the arm of the couch.]

[nobasisinfact]

[Would Alex expect anything less from him? When the coat comes off he glances up and smirks. That is a highly alluring sight. Instead of returning back to work, he rests his head on his hand, watching her.]

Are you trying to distract me?