The Only Way for a Good Fight

“The bubble bath is a great idea sweetheart. Crying your eyes out without talking to me first is not.”

Noela sat up with a gasp before remembering where she was at. She grabbed the curtain held back from the side of the tub, holding it in front of her. “What may I ask are you doing here and how did you get in?” With her other hand she furiously wiped at her eyes, only causing bubbles to further impede her vision and making her feel even more gauche than she ever thought possible.

Liam calmly planted his lanky frame on the side of the tub, causing Noela’s color to continue its tour through every shade of julaberry-red known to man. He reached for the soft face cloth from its perch on the opposite wall, and began to wipe her face as tenderly as if she had been a child.

“You weren’t answering my calls. Then you left a rather terse message that expressed I should have a nice life and good luck with my new relationship with Shahla. I resorted to less than fair tactics and called Tani and Ciel who were more than willing to tell me your security code, and what this is about since you didn’t think to stop and tell me.” He touched her nose, smiling lovingly at her rather rueful expression. “I can forgive you this time, but we have some serious issues to talk about Noe.”

“We can’t talk here. In case you missed it I am taking a bath.”

“Oh, I didn’t miss it. In fact I couldn’t have planned this better if I had tried, my darling.” He got up and started to take off his outer coat.

“We can talk when I am dressed Liam. Take your coat and wait for me in the living area.” She ordered, sounding far calmer than she was feeling.

“No.”

“No? I am not talking in here.” She said, her alarm growing ever more persistent when he began to work at his boots.

“Well I think of it this way Noe. You could have stopped and talked to me on the set while you were dressed and in keeping with how mature, logical and careful we have both been so far in our relationship. Or we can talk here, because I seriously think you really won’t be going anywhere, and besides it follows my mother’s excellent advice on how we should do things to make sure we fight fair in the future.”

“Your mother? What does she have to do with you barging into my bathroom uninvited while I am bathing? Would she approve of this?” Noela was sputtering, unsure where to look now that Liam was down to just his pants. Her eyes were searching vainly for a way out, regretting that the rack with her towel and robe were well past his reach.

“Yes, my parents apparently had a wonderful rule for disagreements during their marriage. I didn’t know as a child of course, but she shared it with me after meeting you a couple of weeks ago. Have you ever thought there was a reason for the timing of everything that happens in life Noe?” Noela was now looking in any other direction but where he was getting into her tub. “My mother told me that during their marriage they only would fight naked.”

She couldn’t stop her jaw from dropping at that announcement. She regained a minimal sense of balance, while he placidly smiled at her sitting opposite in her sunken tub. “We aren’t married.” Mentally she began to kick herself for such a lukewarm response, but her shocked mind wasn’t functioning enough for brilliant retort.

“No, we aren’t married, but when I told you I loved you a couple of weeks ago, I meant it. I haven’t stopped thinking about that moment, or wanting to say it to you every minute of every day. I thought you believed me. Apparently that wasn’t enough or I have done something so that you don’t trust me. I am here to get that solved.”

“You didn’t do anything.” Noela mumbled as his hands carefully lifted a foot and began rubbing with the cloth and soap.

“You left without telling me you were there. And I know why. You saw the love scene. You know that is all make believe sweetheart. This is what is real,’ he said as he dropped a tender bite to the arch of her foot.

She gasped and drew her foot back and huddled up into a ball. “Liam Senoe, you stop that right this minute. I can’t think!”

He laughed and laid back calmly, his arms stretched out on either side of him, drawing her gaze to his chest. “I rather like it when you can’t think, but fair enough for the moment love. So why did you run?”

She mumbled something and he started to inch closer to her, “I can’t hear you, what did you say?”

“Stay there, I will talk louder, I can’t think if you get closer.”

Liam grinned as if he had just won something, frustrating Noela further.

“I left because they were all congratulating you on how well those scenes were going for you with your new inspiration.” She muttered.

Liam waited. He was baffled- there was no doubt about it and then the light of comprehension shone in his expression. “Wait. You heard about the inspiration and decided it would be anything but you?” His head flew back as he roared in laughter.

Noela found the discarded cloth floating in the water and chucked it at his head. “Stop laughing at me!”

He looked apologetic and again began his trek of inching closer to Noela; who in turn backed up only to find the wall of the tub behind her. He reached for her and drew her into his arms, his look of masculine sensuality momentarily making Noela forget just how vulnerable she was. “I was only laughing because I thought everyone in the galaxy knew who my new inspiration was, and I suppose that is mostly true except for the most important person that needs to know.”

His kiss was perfect, the contact of skin a balm to a hurt heart. He eased back from the caress, touching the soft skin of her face with his fingers.

“I am not going to say anything like this again. The way to honor a new love will never be to bash an old one. This is condemnation of no one or their actions, but Noe I am not Master Jinn. What I feel for you isn’t paltry or unsure. It isn’t a chivalrous, platonic love, although you bring that out in me too. If I had a stricture such as the Jedi I would break it for you. I do love you; I have told you and I mean it. Shahla is not Tahl and even if she were I wouldn’t be able to see either of them for you filling my eyes.”

He wasn’t totally surprised when sobs came in gasps as she sought comfort from his warmth almost as if she had been a child.

He again took the cloth in his hand to wipe way the tears, the look of love shining there for her to see, “I thought you were bored by me. I don’t have the talent of Shahla, or Ansra, or…” the name hung in the air between them.

He chuckled again, “Time to drop the silly fears, my love. They aren’t truths and they aren’t helping you. It doesn’t matter any more. I am here to stay. However this bath has gotten a tad uncomfortable for me.” He spoke as he nibbled a tiny path along her jaw line.

She laughed now. “I did tell you this might be better done safely in my living area.”

“True,” he mused, “but not nearly as much fun.” He paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully.

“Noe, this is not a proposal, because I do have that planned. This is to tell you that we are headed in that direction and soon, because I don’t think I can take arguing like this too often before I marry you.” He was chagrined now that she was reduced to helpless giggles.

He lifted her face to his with a finger, “I may make love to you sooner than then, because I have no overriding reason why I shouldn’t except what you need and what reasons you might have for waiting. But if we do, it isn’t going to be when I have to be on the set the next morning and you have to be in meetings, because I won’t be letting you go any sooner than I have you convinced you own me body and soul.”

She blushed, and was about to say something when he hauled her up, “Now woman, get yourself dried and dressed. I won’t peek… much,” he quipped to more accompanying giggles. “Then I need a few minutes to myself.” He firmly kissed her, keeping his promise to keep his eyes from wandering too much.

Noela left quietly, leaving Liam to compose himself as he could.

~~~

A little while later he emerged from the bathroom. By the smell of it she had managed to throw together a light supper. He was rubbing his hands in anticipation as he entered the kitchen. She was standing staring very hard at a datapad in her hand.

“A hairy piece of legislation sweetheart?” He was used to her distraction during meals and other sundry moments of their together times. He reached his arms around her waist as she relaxed against him, still chewing the inside of her lip as she stared at the information as if it might mean her life.

“Actually a hairy piece of negotiation,” she explained.

“Oh? Who is fighting now?”

“No one fighting, I just thought I would take a moment and see if there were anyway I could arrange a few days off this weekend. There is this small matter of someone proving to me that I own him body and soul.”