"Dangerous and Moving"
Title: Dangerous and Moving
Author: vampirelissy14
Fandom: The Tudors
Pairing: Thomas Cromwell/Anne Boleyn
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU
Summary: It's a dangerous thing they do, but neither can help themselves.
Dangerous and Moving
His footfalls were soft and even upon the paneled wood floor, his face: mostly hidden behind the hood of his cloak, an emotionless mask that betrayed no fear. Inside, however, Thomas Cromwell’s heart was pounding relentlessly against his ribcage with nervous anticipation. The Master Secretary had been engaging in secret meetings with Queen Anne Boleyn for several months now, and while he knew the risks: that it was incredibly dangerous and they should stop seeing each other, he couldn’t keep away from her.
Anne was the beacon in Thomas’s occasionally dull life. She was bright, and beautiful and witty and deserved far better treatment than what her husband gave her, which was part of the reason why she had come to him in the first place. And though he hadn’t expected it at all; he’d figured their connection was more along the lines of the physical at first; he realized that he was falling more and more in love with this woman every moment, whether he spent it in her company or not. She occupied his thoughts constantly and he pondered the idea of simply asking her to run away with him: away from the kingdom and their ruler and everything that stood in the way of them being together.
It was insane, what Anne made him feel, and yet she made him feel more alive than any other woman he’d met. He simply couldn’t give her up. So despite the danger, when she called for him: he came.
The note Anne had passed onto him discreetly that day instructed Thomas to meet her in their “special” spot, which was a small, private library both had discovered in their explorations of the palace. It could only be reached using secret passageways and hidden corridors, ones that even the King himself didn’t know about. Thomas and Anne always joked that even though Henry was a learned man and very intelligent, he didn’t appreciate books in the way they both did, so it was actually the perfect location to begin with.
Adrenaline began to course through Thomas’s veins and he made his way there as quickly as he could, emotions swirling within him at the thought of being with his love again.
Upon entering the library, Thomas’s features relaxed into a smile and all the worries that had been plaguing him earlier melted away as if they had never been there at all, once he found Anne already there and waiting for him. The beautiful Queen was curled up on a rug near the fireplace, which was lit and offered a warm glow to the room, engrossed in a book that lay on her lap.
Thomas watched her for a moment, caught up in how lovely she looked to him, just sitting there, before he pushed the hood to his cloak back and made his way over to where she sat as quietly as possible, not wishing to disturb her just yet.
Anne’s lips curved into a content smile when she heard the rustle of fabric and then felt a familiar form settle next to hers, Thomas’s arms wrapping securely around her waist and pulling her back against his chest as he kissed the base of her neck softly. “Have you been waiting long?”
She reclined into his embrace with a soft sigh, twisting slightly to meet his eyes and tilting her chin towards his. “Not long at all. I just got here myself.”
His smile grew and he stroked tenderly at her cheek before leaning in and greeting her properly with a gentle kiss.
Her reaction was instinctive, pressing further against him as she draped her arms around his neck to tug him closer, the kiss deepening and turning infinitely more passionate in mere seconds.
Thomas moaned softly when Anne bit lightly at his mouth, his hands moving to unlace the ribbon to the cloak that was still around her shoulders, the garment slipping to the ground before his fingers tangled into her dark waves and he reclined her back onto the rug.
They embraced fervently for a while longer, Anne working Thomas’s cloak off his shoulders before pulling away to catch her breath, smiling up at him and tracing over his jaw line. “I’ve missed you…”
“Even though we see each other every day?” He laughed and settled comfortably against her, tucking an errant strand of hair over her ear as he now took the time to rake his eyes over her appreciatively.
Anne was dressed in a resplendent gown made of dark violet fabric, which offset her pale skin and blue eyes nicely. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly became lost as he continued to gaze at her. The Queen’s long, beautiful hair fanned out in waves around her head, her chest was heaving as she tried to regain a normal breathing pattern, the pearl necklace she wore to accent the gown bobbing against her throat; she made a very enticing picture, so before she could properly answer his question, he’d dipped his head down and captured her mouth again.
Whimpering quietly, she tugged him back towards her, their bodies entangling further as they embraced tenderly by the fire.
Their kisses became languid and slow, Anne groaning softly when Thomas’s skilled fingers located the laces to her gown and began to undo them. She retaliated by attacking the buttons on his coat, finally answering the question he had asked.
“For your information, Thomas Cromwell,” there was a tinge of humor in her voice that made his lips quirk against hers, “I miss you especially because I see you every day…do you have any idea how difficult it is for me to not attack you and start tearing your clothes off?”
This earned her a low chuckle and he met her gaze. “I have a bit of an idea, yes,” his blue eyes sparkled playfully at her and before she could retort, he’d kissed her yet again, easing her out of her gown and caressing over the mostly bare skin now revealed.
She hissed when an elegant hand traced over her thigh and grumbled in frustration about him still being fully dressed, tugging relentlessly at the layers of clothing that covered the leanly muscled body she was quite familiar with by now.
An amused laugh escaped him when she insistently pushed him back into a sitting position so she could focus on undressing him with more ease, lifting his hands obediently when she dragged his shirt over his head, the frenzy in her eyes making him smirk just slightly. “Anne…calm down. We have time.”
“Limited time,” she reminded him, stroking over his chest, a hint of sadness in her gaze now as she was reminded of their predicament. “Stolen time, really…” she whispered.
Sighing, he pressed closer, the very action soothing Anne somewhat, the warmth of his body comforting and inviting. “Which is why we shouldn’t waste it, don’t you think?”
Anne nodded, and, lovingly, he framed her face between his hands and kissed her fervently, bearing her back on the floor, intent on reminding her why they risked loving each other in the first place.
It didn’t take long for either to remember, as it became a blur from then on, what clothing remained flying recklessly to the floor, hands racing over each other’s skin as desire erupted and became impossible to contain.
His lips trailed over her throat, down across her shoulders, his attentions gradually growing more heated, his tongue laving over her collarbone before he continued his trek down, lingering over her breasts.
Anne let out a soft mewl at his ministrations, clutching at his broad shoulders, her nails scratching down his back hard enough to draw blood.
That was enough to spur him further, a pleased hiss escaping as he met her eyes, his own glittering dangerously. “You’re playing with fire…” he dropped soft kisses along her jaw. “My Anne…”
The way he said her name, his tone possessive and reverent at the same time, made Anne’s breath hitch when he kissed over her throat again, murmuring softly to her before she felt his teeth sink into her shoulder roughly. She cried out sharply, tangling her fingers into his dark hair, her hips arching towards his in an invitation he gladly took, joining them with a fluid thrust seconds later.
They stilled for a moment, adjusting to the familiar feel of one another, and then Anne pulled him towards her for yet another kiss as they began to move in time.
Her dominant side quickly took control as a nearly uncontainable lust spiraled between them, and then Thomas abruptly found himself on his back with a very wanton Anne straddling him.
His head fell back when she moved a certain way, a harsh gasp escaping as he gripped at her hips to encourage her.
She stared down at him, admiring the play of the firelight upon his pale skin, gleaming with sweat from their exertions. His elegant neck was arced sensually; his lips parted and eyes gleaming with a hunger that she knew only she could satiate. Seeing him like this: so unlike the cool, closed-off man he was in court; made her feelings for him soar. She leaned in, their lips crashing in a fevered kiss as she relinquished control, allowing him to take over, his hands sliding over her back as he twisted and pinned her beneath him.
Anne legs hooked over Thomas’s waist, holding him close as their motions lost grace, becoming wild, a natural instinct taking over until finally, they fell together.
Even though he hated dwelling on it, Thomas knew that eventually he was going to have to let Anne go, as always. It was always a difficult thing to come to terms with, especially when their passion for each other reached nearly insatiable levels. He wanted nothing more than to keep her in his arms forever: to continue to lie in a pleasant tangle of limbs with her as she traced invisible figures over his bare skin. Glancing towards the window that allowed outside light to filter into their hidden sanctuary, he noticed that the sky was beginning to turn a paler shade of blue that signified that morning was arriving.
Sighing heavily, he kissed her forehead, murmuring quietly to her. “It’s nearly morning…I should go.”
Groaning, she twisted further into his arms and buried her head against his chest. “Again? It always comes so quickly…”
A sad smile crossed over his features and he nuzzled lightly at her hair. “I know what you mean…”
A frustrated huff emerged from the woman he held and she met his eyes. “Once…just once, I’d like to spend a morning in your arms. Properly…” she paused, tears gleaming in her eyes before she whispered, quietly: “I hate this. I hate leaving you…” she caressed at his face, locking away the image of him, his hair tousled and handsome features warm and open, away in her heart. This was the Thomas that was completely and utterly hers. Only she knew this side of him and that alone gave her some small comfort.
He caught her hand within his and kissed her fingertips sweetly. “Well…maybe…” he pressed his lips to her palm before voicing the thought that had been on his mind for quite some time now. “You don’t have to…leave me, that is.”
Anne’s eyebrows furrowed and she shifted in order to look at him. “What do you mean?”
He searched her eyes for a moment, then reached out and stroked over her neck, and down along her shoulder, his touch light and feathery. “Run away with me,” he whispered.
Anne was caught between utter surprise at his words and repressing a pleasant shudder at the sensation of his skin brushing against hers when he pressed closer. “What did you just say?”
“I said: run away with me.”
“No, I heard you.” She shook her head and sat up abruptly. “I just…can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
Sighing. Thomas sat up beside her and rested his chin against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her. “Is it really that hard to believe that I’d want to run away with you?”
Again, Anne shook her head. “No that’s not what’s shocking…it’s…” she twisted again to look at him, her features serious. “You’d be willing to give everything up? For me?”
“Anne…I already am,” he cupped her chin and she saw that his eyes were just as serious. “What we’re doing right now…you and I both knew the dangers when we started. I was willing to give up everything since that first moment…that first kiss,” he leaned in, brushing his lips almost fleetingly against hers.
Anne shivered, a soft moan escaping, as she instinctively pressed closer.
Thomas smiled. “ That first caress…” he traced along the line of her jaw. “The first time we made love…I was willing to give everything up for you. And that feeling still stands. It has from the moment I realized that I was in love with you.”
She gasped. Even after all the times they’d been together, he hadn’t actually confessed his feelings for her. She’d known, of course, how deeply he felt for her, as if by an instinct, because it’s how she felt for him, but this was the first time she’d heard him say it.
“Anne?” he looked at her curiously, wondering why she’d gone so silent.
“Say that again?” she murmured.
Slowly, he grinned before leaning in close. “You mean the part where I said that I love you?”
She nodded rapidly and he laughed softly, brushing her tousled hair over her shoulder before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. “I love you, Anne Boleyn…will you run away with me? So we can start a new life together?
“Yes,” she managed, the pair sinking back onto the floor as they kissed with growing ardor, her arms wrapping around him. “Yes, I will. But I have one…request.”
“Anything.”
“Can we take Elizabeth with us? I can’t leave my daughter behind.”
His smile was enough of an answer for her.
Anne didn’t glance back once, hoisting her sleeping infant daughter carefully in her arms as she quietly exited the palace and made her way to the carriage Thomas had arranged.
He ushered her and the baby in quickly and then joined the two of them, smiling when Anne cuddled close and whispered to him that they should leave.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he had to ask, just once, to be sure.
She simply smiled. “We both know Henry will be fine without us. He has Mistress Seymour and plenty of other advisors to keep him company.”
“True…then let’s go,” he signaled for the driver to go, and the carriage started moving.
It still wasn’t yet dawn, and once they had pulled away a significant distance from the palace and both realized that no one was coming after them, the couple relaxed. The danger was over, and they looked at each other with contented smiles before sharing a tender kiss: one that was full of promise of a future…together.
The End
Author: vampirelissy14
Fandom: The Tudors
Pairing: Thomas Cromwell/Anne Boleyn
Rating: R
Spoilers: AU
Summary: It's a dangerous thing they do, but neither can help themselves.
Dangerous and Moving
His footfalls were soft and even upon the paneled wood floor, his face: mostly hidden behind the hood of his cloak, an emotionless mask that betrayed no fear. Inside, however, Thomas Cromwell’s heart was pounding relentlessly against his ribcage with nervous anticipation. The Master Secretary had been engaging in secret meetings with Queen Anne Boleyn for several months now, and while he knew the risks: that it was incredibly dangerous and they should stop seeing each other, he couldn’t keep away from her.
Anne was the beacon in Thomas’s occasionally dull life. She was bright, and beautiful and witty and deserved far better treatment than what her husband gave her, which was part of the reason why she had come to him in the first place. And though he hadn’t expected it at all; he’d figured their connection was more along the lines of the physical at first; he realized that he was falling more and more in love with this woman every moment, whether he spent it in her company or not. She occupied his thoughts constantly and he pondered the idea of simply asking her to run away with him: away from the kingdom and their ruler and everything that stood in the way of them being together.
It was insane, what Anne made him feel, and yet she made him feel more alive than any other woman he’d met. He simply couldn’t give her up. So despite the danger, when she called for him: he came.
The note Anne had passed onto him discreetly that day instructed Thomas to meet her in their “special” spot, which was a small, private library both had discovered in their explorations of the palace. It could only be reached using secret passageways and hidden corridors, ones that even the King himself didn’t know about. Thomas and Anne always joked that even though Henry was a learned man and very intelligent, he didn’t appreciate books in the way they both did, so it was actually the perfect location to begin with.
Adrenaline began to course through Thomas’s veins and he made his way there as quickly as he could, emotions swirling within him at the thought of being with his love again.
Upon entering the library, Thomas’s features relaxed into a smile and all the worries that had been plaguing him earlier melted away as if they had never been there at all, once he found Anne already there and waiting for him. The beautiful Queen was curled up on a rug near the fireplace, which was lit and offered a warm glow to the room, engrossed in a book that lay on her lap.
Thomas watched her for a moment, caught up in how lovely she looked to him, just sitting there, before he pushed the hood to his cloak back and made his way over to where she sat as quietly as possible, not wishing to disturb her just yet.
Anne’s lips curved into a content smile when she heard the rustle of fabric and then felt a familiar form settle next to hers, Thomas’s arms wrapping securely around her waist and pulling her back against his chest as he kissed the base of her neck softly. “Have you been waiting long?”
She reclined into his embrace with a soft sigh, twisting slightly to meet his eyes and tilting her chin towards his. “Not long at all. I just got here myself.”
His smile grew and he stroked tenderly at her cheek before leaning in and greeting her properly with a gentle kiss.
Her reaction was instinctive, pressing further against him as she draped her arms around his neck to tug him closer, the kiss deepening and turning infinitely more passionate in mere seconds.
Thomas moaned softly when Anne bit lightly at his mouth, his hands moving to unlace the ribbon to the cloak that was still around her shoulders, the garment slipping to the ground before his fingers tangled into her dark waves and he reclined her back onto the rug.
They embraced fervently for a while longer, Anne working Thomas’s cloak off his shoulders before pulling away to catch her breath, smiling up at him and tracing over his jaw line. “I’ve missed you…”
“Even though we see each other every day?” He laughed and settled comfortably against her, tucking an errant strand of hair over her ear as he now took the time to rake his eyes over her appreciatively.
Anne was dressed in a resplendent gown made of dark violet fabric, which offset her pale skin and blue eyes nicely. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly became lost as he continued to gaze at her. The Queen’s long, beautiful hair fanned out in waves around her head, her chest was heaving as she tried to regain a normal breathing pattern, the pearl necklace she wore to accent the gown bobbing against her throat; she made a very enticing picture, so before she could properly answer his question, he’d dipped his head down and captured her mouth again.
Whimpering quietly, she tugged him back towards her, their bodies entangling further as they embraced tenderly by the fire.
Their kisses became languid and slow, Anne groaning softly when Thomas’s skilled fingers located the laces to her gown and began to undo them. She retaliated by attacking the buttons on his coat, finally answering the question he had asked.
“For your information, Thomas Cromwell,” there was a tinge of humor in her voice that made his lips quirk against hers, “I miss you especially because I see you every day…do you have any idea how difficult it is for me to not attack you and start tearing your clothes off?”
This earned her a low chuckle and he met her gaze. “I have a bit of an idea, yes,” his blue eyes sparkled playfully at her and before she could retort, he’d kissed her yet again, easing her out of her gown and caressing over the mostly bare skin now revealed.
She hissed when an elegant hand traced over her thigh and grumbled in frustration about him still being fully dressed, tugging relentlessly at the layers of clothing that covered the leanly muscled body she was quite familiar with by now.
An amused laugh escaped him when she insistently pushed him back into a sitting position so she could focus on undressing him with more ease, lifting his hands obediently when she dragged his shirt over his head, the frenzy in her eyes making him smirk just slightly. “Anne…calm down. We have time.”
“Limited time,” she reminded him, stroking over his chest, a hint of sadness in her gaze now as she was reminded of their predicament. “Stolen time, really…” she whispered.
Sighing, he pressed closer, the very action soothing Anne somewhat, the warmth of his body comforting and inviting. “Which is why we shouldn’t waste it, don’t you think?”
Anne nodded, and, lovingly, he framed her face between his hands and kissed her fervently, bearing her back on the floor, intent on reminding her why they risked loving each other in the first place.
It didn’t take long for either to remember, as it became a blur from then on, what clothing remained flying recklessly to the floor, hands racing over each other’s skin as desire erupted and became impossible to contain.
His lips trailed over her throat, down across her shoulders, his attentions gradually growing more heated, his tongue laving over her collarbone before he continued his trek down, lingering over her breasts.
Anne let out a soft mewl at his ministrations, clutching at his broad shoulders, her nails scratching down his back hard enough to draw blood.
That was enough to spur him further, a pleased hiss escaping as he met her eyes, his own glittering dangerously. “You’re playing with fire…” he dropped soft kisses along her jaw. “My Anne…”
The way he said her name, his tone possessive and reverent at the same time, made Anne’s breath hitch when he kissed over her throat again, murmuring softly to her before she felt his teeth sink into her shoulder roughly. She cried out sharply, tangling her fingers into his dark hair, her hips arching towards his in an invitation he gladly took, joining them with a fluid thrust seconds later.
They stilled for a moment, adjusting to the familiar feel of one another, and then Anne pulled him towards her for yet another kiss as they began to move in time.
Her dominant side quickly took control as a nearly uncontainable lust spiraled between them, and then Thomas abruptly found himself on his back with a very wanton Anne straddling him.
His head fell back when she moved a certain way, a harsh gasp escaping as he gripped at her hips to encourage her.
She stared down at him, admiring the play of the firelight upon his pale skin, gleaming with sweat from their exertions. His elegant neck was arced sensually; his lips parted and eyes gleaming with a hunger that she knew only she could satiate. Seeing him like this: so unlike the cool, closed-off man he was in court; made her feelings for him soar. She leaned in, their lips crashing in a fevered kiss as she relinquished control, allowing him to take over, his hands sliding over her back as he twisted and pinned her beneath him.
Anne legs hooked over Thomas’s waist, holding him close as their motions lost grace, becoming wild, a natural instinct taking over until finally, they fell together.
Even though he hated dwelling on it, Thomas knew that eventually he was going to have to let Anne go, as always. It was always a difficult thing to come to terms with, especially when their passion for each other reached nearly insatiable levels. He wanted nothing more than to keep her in his arms forever: to continue to lie in a pleasant tangle of limbs with her as she traced invisible figures over his bare skin. Glancing towards the window that allowed outside light to filter into their hidden sanctuary, he noticed that the sky was beginning to turn a paler shade of blue that signified that morning was arriving.
Sighing heavily, he kissed her forehead, murmuring quietly to her. “It’s nearly morning…I should go.”
Groaning, she twisted further into his arms and buried her head against his chest. “Again? It always comes so quickly…”
A sad smile crossed over his features and he nuzzled lightly at her hair. “I know what you mean…”
A frustrated huff emerged from the woman he held and she met his eyes. “Once…just once, I’d like to spend a morning in your arms. Properly…” she paused, tears gleaming in her eyes before she whispered, quietly: “I hate this. I hate leaving you…” she caressed at his face, locking away the image of him, his hair tousled and handsome features warm and open, away in her heart. This was the Thomas that was completely and utterly hers. Only she knew this side of him and that alone gave her some small comfort.
He caught her hand within his and kissed her fingertips sweetly. “Well…maybe…” he pressed his lips to her palm before voicing the thought that had been on his mind for quite some time now. “You don’t have to…leave me, that is.”
Anne’s eyebrows furrowed and she shifted in order to look at him. “What do you mean?”
He searched her eyes for a moment, then reached out and stroked over her neck, and down along her shoulder, his touch light and feathery. “Run away with me,” he whispered.
Anne was caught between utter surprise at his words and repressing a pleasant shudder at the sensation of his skin brushing against hers when he pressed closer. “What did you just say?”
“I said: run away with me.”
“No, I heard you.” She shook her head and sat up abruptly. “I just…can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
Sighing. Thomas sat up beside her and rested his chin against her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her. “Is it really that hard to believe that I’d want to run away with you?”
Again, Anne shook her head. “No that’s not what’s shocking…it’s…” she twisted again to look at him, her features serious. “You’d be willing to give everything up? For me?”
“Anne…I already am,” he cupped her chin and she saw that his eyes were just as serious. “What we’re doing right now…you and I both knew the dangers when we started. I was willing to give up everything since that first moment…that first kiss,” he leaned in, brushing his lips almost fleetingly against hers.
Anne shivered, a soft moan escaping, as she instinctively pressed closer.
Thomas smiled. “ That first caress…” he traced along the line of her jaw. “The first time we made love…I was willing to give everything up for you. And that feeling still stands. It has from the moment I realized that I was in love with you.”
She gasped. Even after all the times they’d been together, he hadn’t actually confessed his feelings for her. She’d known, of course, how deeply he felt for her, as if by an instinct, because it’s how she felt for him, but this was the first time she’d heard him say it.
“Anne?” he looked at her curiously, wondering why she’d gone so silent.
“Say that again?” she murmured.
Slowly, he grinned before leaning in close. “You mean the part where I said that I love you?”
She nodded rapidly and he laughed softly, brushing her tousled hair over her shoulder before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. “I love you, Anne Boleyn…will you run away with me? So we can start a new life together?
“Yes,” she managed, the pair sinking back onto the floor as they kissed with growing ardor, her arms wrapping around him. “Yes, I will. But I have one…request.”
“Anything.”
“Can we take Elizabeth with us? I can’t leave my daughter behind.”
His smile was enough of an answer for her.
Anne didn’t glance back once, hoisting her sleeping infant daughter carefully in her arms as she quietly exited the palace and made her way to the carriage Thomas had arranged.
He ushered her and the baby in quickly and then joined the two of them, smiling when Anne cuddled close and whispered to him that they should leave.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he had to ask, just once, to be sure.
She simply smiled. “We both know Henry will be fine without us. He has Mistress Seymour and plenty of other advisors to keep him company.”
“True…then let’s go,” he signaled for the driver to go, and the carriage started moving.
It still wasn’t yet dawn, and once they had pulled away a significant distance from the palace and both realized that no one was coming after them, the couple relaxed. The danger was over, and they looked at each other with contented smiles before sharing a tender kiss: one that was full of promise of a future…together.
The End