"19th Wedding Anniversary" Fic - Chapter 6 - Dessert
Huge thanks to Sabrina and Josie! These two frequently look over my chapters for me and talk me down from the ledge every time I freak out in frustration over how to get the vision in my head down in writing.
Just a reminder: Since it is taking me so long to finish this story that I started last summer, I feel it is important to mention that my fic is set BEFORE Season 4. Alicia & Peter have NOT been intimate since before she kicked him out of her apartment in Season 2…
The Florricks…still not mine…
Alicia joined Peter on the couch and nodded toward the carefully arranged dessert plates sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "If I hadn't already tasted your other cooking tonight, I would have sworn you bought that!" she teased.
"It's nothing like the last one I made you eat! Try it. Please?" Peter said in his own defense.
"You mean my surprise cake?" she said with a funny look and a giggle.
"Precisely!" he replied, laughing too. "Come on…at least one bite?" Bypassing the fork, he picked up a slice of cake and bit into it, making a show of how delicious it was. "It's your favorite," he taunted, grinning.
"Fine!" she said, smiling and rolling her eyes playfully. "I'll try it!"
"Excellent! Look. It'll be like that reception photo we just saw!" Peter joked, implying that he would feed the cake to her now as he had then. But just as Peter raised the piece to her mouth to taste, Alicia saw his expression and shook her head in mock exasperation at how pleased he looked over this little victory. The chocolate frosting caught the edge of her lip and smeared out toward her cheek, and the movement caused a chunk of the cake to land in her lap.
A grin slowly spread across Peter's face. "Oops!" he said, laughing. Alicia sat without reacting for a second before she slowly picked up the bit in her lap. Staring at Peter, she ate it with exaggerated approval. Then, with a smirk and slightly squinted eyes, she reached out with her icing covered fingers like she intended to paint his face with it in return.
Reacting to the sudden twinkle in her eyes, Peter stopped her arm before it reached him. "Hey now! Oh no you don't! That wasn't my fault!" he laughed.
Alicia giggled and fought against him, hopelessly trying to keep her hand away from her own face as Peter grinned, pushing her arm back in her direction. Then he rose up off the couch and moved to tickle her into submission. Peter snickered, knowing he had her now. Alicia began to squeal and laugh heartily. She squeezed her eyes closed, preparing for more frosting on her face at any second.
The sound caught Peter off guard though, and it made him stop abruptly. For a second her labored breathing was the only noise. Alicia opened her eyes slowly and saw Peter leaning over her on the couch, his mouth partially open, and his face close enough to feel his breath. He was staring at her with an odd expression that Alicia couldn't read. "Peter?" was all that came out as she tried to return her breathing to normal.
"I haven't heard that laugh in so long!" Peter said wistfully. "I had forgotten how much I missed it." Alicia smiled sadly. He didn't move at first, just hovered there, staring at her. Then, slowly, he let his eyes drift down to her lips and the frosting that painted her cheek before meeting her gaze again. This time Alicia could read his expression easily.
Suddenly nervous, her smile disappeared. She swallowed loudly, or so it sounded to her own ears. She knew things were about to get dangerous, but she couldn't make herself stop him. Instead, eyes locked on Peter's, Alicia tilted her head slightly to the side and licked her bottom lip. She saw a hint of recognition flash across his face along with a soft smile as he closed the gap between them, aiming for the frosting at the corner of her mouth.
The next thing she knew, they were kissing. It was soft and gentle-hesitant even. Peter let go of her chocolate covered hand, sliding his own along her jawline. Alicia put her arm around his neck, pulling him closer, as she brushed her other hand through his hair. When he opened his lips slightly and traced her bottom lip with his tongue, she willingly opened her mouth for him.
Alicia moaned softly as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Peter leaned further onto her, and Alicia instinctively adjusted her position to accommodate him better. Then, suddenly, she froze, realizing where they were headed. Breaking off the kiss, Alicia turned her face sideways, the dried chocolate on her cheek suddenly separating the two of them like a wall.
"No! I can't do this, Peter!" she panted. "I need to go!"
"What? Now?" Peter asked, incredulous. He sat up, still trying to catch his breath, as Alicia began to scramble off of the couch. "Alicia…wait." He stood up, trailing after her as she made her way towards the door.
Alicia was determined to leave-to escape in truth, as that was her modus operandi anytime emotions threatened to break thru her façade. "Babe, hold on!" he said with urgency in his voice.
"No. Peter. It's getting late," she replied, trying to sound unaffected. "I think I should go now." She reached for her keys, but Peter grabbed them first.
"Alicia, you can't just leave like this. Not now," Peter said, confused. "Can't we at least talk about what just happened first?"
"Peter" she said sternly. "Give me my keys! I don't want to talk. I just…" Alicia was flustered, and it was showing no matter how hard she tried to control herself. She took a deep breath and said, "I want to leave now."
She grabbed for her keys, but he moved them out of her reach, stalling. "Alicia, I'm not letting you leave like this." Then, more gently, he pled with her, "Please don't shut me out, Babe."
"Peter, give me my keys, damn it!" she said sharply, her volume rising. When she tried to snatch them again, Peter dropped the keys into his pocket and grabbed her arm. Realizing that she hadn't listened to his emotional argument, he tried appealing to her sense of logic. "Alicia," he replied softly, "you're in no condition to drive. You've had too much alcohol, and you're upset! I'm not going to letting you drive home like this!"
"Let go of me, Peter!" she warned. Glaring at him, she tried to wrestle her arm free, but he held on more securely instead, like he was holding onto the most precious thing in the world.
Attempting to talk some sense into her, he positioned her between himself and the wall of the entry way. "Alicia…calm down! If you want to go that badly, I will call a car company for you, but…"
All of the anger that she usually kept so safely below the surface suddenly erupted as she fought to free herself. "Let GO of me, damn you! You're hurting me!" she yelled in his face as she started pushing him with her free arm, trying to get him away from her.
"Alicia," he said calmly, letting go of her arm and pulling her into a firm embrace, not unlike a parent trying to restrain a beloved child in the midst of a tantrum. "I'm not trying to hurt you! I'm just…"
She fought against him, trying to free herself, but he continued to hold her securely, frustrating her even more. "But you are, Peter! …You're hurting me! …You…hurt me!" Then, suddenly, Alicia stopped fighting against him.
As quickly as it had flared up, the anger that had for so long guarded her pain dissolved into tears. "You hurt me, Peter!" she said again, choking on the words as her emotions began to overwhelm her. Then quietly, broken, she cried, "Why, Peter? Why weren't we enough for you? Why wasn't I enough?" she wept as her pain came to the surface for the first time since the scandal.
When her knees suddenly gave way under the weight of her emotions, Peter guided her safely to the floor. Holding her tenderly to his chest as she sobbed in his arms, his own eyes grew sad and misty. He kissed her head gently and nodded softly. It was unexpected turn of events, but it was a breakthrough the couple needed.
Just a reminder: Since it is taking me so long to finish this story that I started last summer, I feel it is important to mention that my fic is set BEFORE Season 4. Alicia & Peter have NOT been intimate since before she kicked him out of her apartment in Season 2…
The Florricks…still not mine…
Alicia joined Peter on the couch and nodded toward the carefully arranged dessert plates sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "If I hadn't already tasted your other cooking tonight, I would have sworn you bought that!" she teased.
"It's nothing like the last one I made you eat! Try it. Please?" Peter said in his own defense.
"You mean my surprise cake?" she said with a funny look and a giggle.
"Precisely!" he replied, laughing too. "Come on…at least one bite?" Bypassing the fork, he picked up a slice of cake and bit into it, making a show of how delicious it was. "It's your favorite," he taunted, grinning.
"Fine!" she said, smiling and rolling her eyes playfully. "I'll try it!"
"Excellent! Look. It'll be like that reception photo we just saw!" Peter joked, implying that he would feed the cake to her now as he had then. But just as Peter raised the piece to her mouth to taste, Alicia saw his expression and shook her head in mock exasperation at how pleased he looked over this little victory. The chocolate frosting caught the edge of her lip and smeared out toward her cheek, and the movement caused a chunk of the cake to land in her lap.
A grin slowly spread across Peter's face. "Oops!" he said, laughing. Alicia sat without reacting for a second before she slowly picked up the bit in her lap. Staring at Peter, she ate it with exaggerated approval. Then, with a smirk and slightly squinted eyes, she reached out with her icing covered fingers like she intended to paint his face with it in return.
Reacting to the sudden twinkle in her eyes, Peter stopped her arm before it reached him. "Hey now! Oh no you don't! That wasn't my fault!" he laughed.
Alicia giggled and fought against him, hopelessly trying to keep her hand away from her own face as Peter grinned, pushing her arm back in her direction. Then he rose up off the couch and moved to tickle her into submission. Peter snickered, knowing he had her now. Alicia began to squeal and laugh heartily. She squeezed her eyes closed, preparing for more frosting on her face at any second.
The sound caught Peter off guard though, and it made him stop abruptly. For a second her labored breathing was the only noise. Alicia opened her eyes slowly and saw Peter leaning over her on the couch, his mouth partially open, and his face close enough to feel his breath. He was staring at her with an odd expression that Alicia couldn't read. "Peter?" was all that came out as she tried to return her breathing to normal.
"I haven't heard that laugh in so long!" Peter said wistfully. "I had forgotten how much I missed it." Alicia smiled sadly. He didn't move at first, just hovered there, staring at her. Then, slowly, he let his eyes drift down to her lips and the frosting that painted her cheek before meeting her gaze again. This time Alicia could read his expression easily.
Suddenly nervous, her smile disappeared. She swallowed loudly, or so it sounded to her own ears. She knew things were about to get dangerous, but she couldn't make herself stop him. Instead, eyes locked on Peter's, Alicia tilted her head slightly to the side and licked her bottom lip. She saw a hint of recognition flash across his face along with a soft smile as he closed the gap between them, aiming for the frosting at the corner of her mouth.
The next thing she knew, they were kissing. It was soft and gentle-hesitant even. Peter let go of her chocolate covered hand, sliding his own along her jawline. Alicia put her arm around his neck, pulling him closer, as she brushed her other hand through his hair. When he opened his lips slightly and traced her bottom lip with his tongue, she willingly opened her mouth for him.
Alicia moaned softly as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate. Peter leaned further onto her, and Alicia instinctively adjusted her position to accommodate him better. Then, suddenly, she froze, realizing where they were headed. Breaking off the kiss, Alicia turned her face sideways, the dried chocolate on her cheek suddenly separating the two of them like a wall.
"No! I can't do this, Peter!" she panted. "I need to go!"
"What? Now?" Peter asked, incredulous. He sat up, still trying to catch his breath, as Alicia began to scramble off of the couch. "Alicia…wait." He stood up, trailing after her as she made her way towards the door.
Alicia was determined to leave-to escape in truth, as that was her modus operandi anytime emotions threatened to break thru her façade. "Babe, hold on!" he said with urgency in his voice.
"No. Peter. It's getting late," she replied, trying to sound unaffected. "I think I should go now." She reached for her keys, but Peter grabbed them first.
"Alicia, you can't just leave like this. Not now," Peter said, confused. "Can't we at least talk about what just happened first?"
"Peter" she said sternly. "Give me my keys! I don't want to talk. I just…" Alicia was flustered, and it was showing no matter how hard she tried to control herself. She took a deep breath and said, "I want to leave now."
She grabbed for her keys, but he moved them out of her reach, stalling. "Alicia, I'm not letting you leave like this." Then, more gently, he pled with her, "Please don't shut me out, Babe."
"Peter, give me my keys, damn it!" she said sharply, her volume rising. When she tried to snatch them again, Peter dropped the keys into his pocket and grabbed her arm. Realizing that she hadn't listened to his emotional argument, he tried appealing to her sense of logic. "Alicia," he replied softly, "you're in no condition to drive. You've had too much alcohol, and you're upset! I'm not going to letting you drive home like this!"
"Let go of me, Peter!" she warned. Glaring at him, she tried to wrestle her arm free, but he held on more securely instead, like he was holding onto the most precious thing in the world.
Attempting to talk some sense into her, he positioned her between himself and the wall of the entry way. "Alicia…calm down! If you want to go that badly, I will call a car company for you, but…"
All of the anger that she usually kept so safely below the surface suddenly erupted as she fought to free herself. "Let GO of me, damn you! You're hurting me!" she yelled in his face as she started pushing him with her free arm, trying to get him away from her.
"Alicia," he said calmly, letting go of her arm and pulling her into a firm embrace, not unlike a parent trying to restrain a beloved child in the midst of a tantrum. "I'm not trying to hurt you! I'm just…"
She fought against him, trying to free herself, but he continued to hold her securely, frustrating her even more. "But you are, Peter! …You're hurting me! …You…hurt me!" Then, suddenly, Alicia stopped fighting against him.
As quickly as it had flared up, the anger that had for so long guarded her pain dissolved into tears. "You hurt me, Peter!" she said again, choking on the words as her emotions began to overwhelm her. Then quietly, broken, she cried, "Why, Peter? Why weren't we enough for you? Why wasn't I enough?" she wept as her pain came to the surface for the first time since the scandal.
When her knees suddenly gave way under the weight of her emotions, Peter guided her safely to the floor. Holding her tenderly to his chest as she sobbed in his arms, his own eyes grew sad and misty. He kissed her head gently and nodded softly. It was unexpected turn of events, but it was a breakthrough the couple needed.