lancelot (ex_dulac881) wrote in casefile, @ 2018-04-18 17:59:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: dash exley, character: eliza weiss, character: harrison exley, narration: log/thread, player: holly |
WHO: Harrison Exley & Eliza Weiss, with a brief appearance by Dash Exley.
WHEN: April 18th, after dinner.
WHERE: Outside Euphemia and Hugo’s house.
SUMMARY: A cute conversation goes horribly awry.
WARNINGS: Smoking while pregnant. Blanket warning for morbid humor.
Dinner was fine. It was dinner, listening to Dash’s stories that seemed to have no really end, Hugo and Harrison sniping at each other, the strange sour expression on Euphemia’s face. Maybe that was just her face. If her name was Euphemia Eliza supposed she would have a sour expression too. It seemed fated, self destined. It was fine and it ended, so many words and stories from this little family for her to observe. And for now she felt like she needed to get some air. She stepped outside as Harrison spoke with his brother. Eliza walked along to the side of the house until she stopped, leaning against the siding to pull out a cigarette. Air meant smoke. It could have been worse, Harrison reflected on the dinner as he stepped away from Dash and out into the open air. Of course ‘could have been worse’ wasn’t a high bar -- most things in life could be worse. But as he took a deep breath the desire to reflect faded. If there was one thing he’d actually missed about Fall City it was the air. Nevermind that he was about to pollute it. Harrison reached into his pocket and removed his lighter, flicking it just as Eliza produced a cigarette from her pocket. Holding out the cigarette was automatic, a part of their habits together. A second came from her pocket and she held it out to him, expecting it to be taken without any real thought. Because with Harrison she didn’t have to think. Not usually. Except now it was hard not to. She took a drag of her own, slowly breathing out a stream of smoke. He took the offered cigarette, lit it, and did the same. Everything was quiet and still for a few seconds before he spoke. “You survived.” “Were you worried?” Eliza answered, looking over at him with some curiosity. She hadn't been. It wasn't the first time she had been here. It wasn't supposed to be different. Except it was. “No,” Harrison grinned as he exhaled another stream of smoke. “Were you?” She shrugged for an answer, focusing for just long enough to turn the smoke into a ring. “They haven't poisoned me yet.” He watched the ring drift upward and away. “Maybe they’re doing it slowly.” “I'll worry if they invite us more often.” She looked over to watch the profile of his face for a moment, as if somehow that would answer a puzzle. But there was no answer in just watching. Maybe she didn't even want an answer. “We could pay someone to test your food, if that happens.” He finally turned to look at her. “Pretend you’re European royalty travelled here from the past, get you the whole entourage.” A smile curled at the edges of her lips. “You mean you wouldn't test it for me?” The smile grew a little wider. “And I could be European royalty. You wouldn't know.” Harrison removed his cigarette from clenched lips. “Would you want me to test it for you?” His smile matched hers, just like it always did. “Are you European royalty? Is there some special title I should be using?” “Maybe I just want to see if you would.” Her hand strayed over to his waist, fingers finding one of the loops to his pants. “I could be the long lost Grand Duchess Anastasia. I've aged very well.” “Are you suddenly interested in acting out Romeo and Juliet? Is that what’s happening?” He leaned in as her hand moved closer. “Do you have a fountain of youth hiding around here somewhere?” “You want me to stab myself?” Her eyebrow quirked up as her smile stayed. “Maybe I do. I can't tell you. Grand Duchess secret.” “Only if I drink poison first.” He reassured her with a smirk before taking another drag. “I suppose I’ll have to learn to live without knowing.” He shrugged dramatically. “And would you?” Eliza’s voice was a low playful rumble. Her fingers tightened to pull him just a little closer to her as she let herself slip into Russian. “Maybe I'll tell you one day.” His head dipped closer to hers. “Maybe,” he whispered in her ear, lips brushing her cheek before he moved back to look at her with a grin. “Don’t tell me what you said, it’s more fun to imagine.” Eliza leaned in, pressing her grin to his for a moment. Crowding his space felt comfortable, warm, heady, and she didn't want to lose that. Was it something she could? “It was something dirty.” She teased as her eyes flicked up to his. “I knew it,” his fingers found one of her belt loops as he placed a quick kiss on her lips, “It sounded dirty.” “Oh, very dirty.” She nipped playfully at his lower lip as the kiss pulled away. The light pressure against her hips of fingers at her belt loops. “I love you.” He laughed, a low sort of chuckle that died out when she spoke again. Those words at least, sounded vaguely familiar. He could have been wrong but for once the expected reply slipped out easily, “I love you too.” Eliza's heart jumped into her throat, a fevered rush to her cheeks when that slipped out of Harrison. It was this beautiful panic, the confirmation of something she had known and believed and yet. Fuck. Her cigarette fell from her fingertips. Because it could all come crashing down. Everything, fate, love, the way he was looking at her right now. She stepped back, just slightly, staring up at him. “I'm pregnant.” Her voice fell flatter than usual, strangled. Dash strolled outside, whistling off-key, some tune he didn’t even know, scrolling through his phone. He’d been moving towards Harrison and Eliza, where they were having some top secret meeting that he was definitely going to interrupt, but then -- “WHAT??????” He whisper-yelled, grinning ear to ear. “Oh my god, you guys!” Every drop of blood drained from her face, drained from her entire body, as she heard Dash. None of this was supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to say that, Dash couldn't be here, and Eliza couldn't even process Harrison's expression which was somehow more terrifying than anything else in this world. “No.” Eliza's head jerked sharply back and forth, a staccato motion as she stepped back. “No.” In that moment she had choices but the all seemed paralyzing. Instead she turned and she walked out towards the sidewalk, picking up speed until she was almost jogging. She just needed to get back to the hotel. Or just away from that house. Everything still felt cold. |