「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(230) Hearts Can Heal

Lynn's POV

A magical surge of passion landed us naturally intertwined as one in Charles' armchair, surrounded by dreary dusk skies progressively bleeding into a huge navy blanket and comforting heat provided by his traditional Victorian fireplace.

Finishing on a marvelous note, I lazily laid against Charles, bare chests against each other and my naked legs somehow already maneuvered to the sides of his, knees bent as I sat presumably comfortably, and straddled, atop his lap.

All our clothing, apart from his trousers, had been chucked into unknown corners of the room, hopefully not tossed into that fervent blaze, but Charles' jacket remained surprisingly within reach, still tucked behind his back. Conscientiously, he draped it over me, engulfing me in his signature smell and warmth as he looped his arms around my caped body.

I snaked mine around his torso, hoping my sweet talk and the spontaneous distraction would have diverted his concerned attention but they did not. And before I knew it, another attack nearly creeped its way into me.

Tears trickled down the face I had nowhere to put besides in my own hands, thankfully still useful in concealing the ugly sight, until he gently pried them away, unveiling a box I knew not where he pulled out from.

"Why not let me make you the proposition then?" Charles conveyed, smiling at me sincerely as he gently wrapped my limp fingers around the opened velvet casing.

It surprised me, a little, the pair of glass syringes within, each containing identical glistening golden solution, decorated on the surface by shimmery glitters reflecting the intricate bulbs of the chandelier illuminating Charles' study, but his awareness and my oblivion was purely astonishing.

"How... How long have you known?" I investigated, giggling and grinning silly to the contents in my hand.

"Since the first day I got back to my lab," Charles answered unhesitatingly.

"You really think this is a good idea?" I sought, looking at him uncertainly but his eyes were nothing like mine.

Perfectly blue, they were strong, driven, translating his dire need to console, his deep desire to cheer me up like it was the only and most glorious purpose that burdened his mind. Basically, just beaming with an amazing amount of unwavering determination.

"I think everyone gets to do what they really want, at least once in a while," Charles persuaded in a grave tone as he brushed away my bleached fringe.

"And that includes us," he encouraged, tenderly cradling my skull as he maintained his other arm around my back, readily relieving my trunk muscles of their strain to keep me balanced, yet I stared at him blankly, unadulterated doubt probably cascading beyond my motionless frame.

"Listen, Lynn. It's not that I do not value any of the promises we've made. That I've made," Charles asserted truthfully, pouring his gradually watering eyes into mine.

"It's not that I've forgotten. I have not," Charles reassured shakily.

"It's just- You have this smile- A smile I've not seen in a long time and I- I think this might just be the key to it..." Charles croaked, his beautiful voice crumbling intermittently as he bravely restrained the droplets of grief queueing to collapse down his face.

"I'm sorry, I- I'm sorry, Charles... I didn't mean to come home to you as the broken one who left... I didn't mean to come home to you as this horrible mess..." I sobbed hysterically, not at all in control of my own emotions brazenly gone haywire.

"You don't deserve this, Charles... You... You just don't... I-" I lamented miserably but the distraught crying clogged my throat with tears, diminishing even my ability to grumble as my breathing accelerated to soaring rates.