FC – King Liam – Jenson Button (Pinterest image from google.plus for Hugo Boss)
FC – Lady Clara – Ciara – Pinterest image with no credits!
Hohenzollern Castle image from Pinterest (credit days Instagram!)
Dubrovnik, Croatia Darby Sawchuk (Dsphotographic.com)
Einstein quote Pinterest (canvas from bellahomeau on eBay)
Rating – This fic contains sensitive issues regarding Constantines death and Liam’s suffering following that, anxiety, grief, etc. Angsty McAngsterson. There is some use of bad language and sex is implied although not in any way graphically in this chapter, but please be aware.
Disclaimer – Characters are Pixelberry’s, not mine, this is just for fun & I don’t make any money from it.
Writer’s Notes – So there are a few recent TRR events that have happened that just don’t tie in with my Istvan and Viktoria writings… Basically they have now ended up in a really alternate universe lol – sorry you two…
Anyway the reason I’m wittering about this. I have a couple of fics I want to do, that do tie into the canon storyline. The first of which being Constantine getting a ceiling dropped on him. I get the redemption arc of him sacrificing himself to save his son’s life, but I feel like his poor son’s had enough to deal with over the years without harbouring guilt that his father died to save him… For shame PB, for shame. So after talking it out with the lovely @xxrainbowprincessxx, I have gone ahead and written this as Liam and Clara (MC) for the sake of differentiation between these and my two other main wee lovelies Istvan and Viktoria.
Hope that makes sense! And hope you enjoy friends – VP 💖
—
Liam, Clara and the entourage of security agents moved through the palace heading towards the large office located deep in the palace basement. Liam let go of Clara’s small hand as they entered the room, tugging at his tie, removing it and unfastening his top two buttons to ease the feeling of strangulation he’d felt all morning.
As he entered the agents in the room rose to their feet, heads bowed. Drake stepped forward from behind a computer screen.
“Liam… Man, I am so sorry…”
Liam felt a lump form in his throat as he looked at his best friend. Drake moved towards him, an awkward half-smile on his face, one hand ruffling his dark brown hair. Liam nodded in response, as his blue eyes locked with Drake’s chestnut ones, a thousand words passed between them in that gaze as Drake wrapped his arms around Liam, pulling him into a tight embrace, squeezing him tightly, clapping him on the back as they parted, blinking back the tears from his own eyes. Liam didn’t have to say anything, they’d been friends practically their whole lives; Drake could feel his emotions, his hurt was raw and palpable. Clara smiled at Drake as he and Liam parted, she reached out and squeezed his arm, as she let go he caught his fingertips squeezing the lightly, nodding at her. Clara knew the gesture was a thanks for looking after Liam. Before she’d come into Liam’s life, it would probably have been Drake supporting Liam through a tragedy like what happened last night. Leo stood leaning against a wall at the back of the room; he raised a hand and nodded to Liam quietly.
Liam cleared his throat, as he straightened up, his hand running through his wavy blonde hair as he looked around the room,
“Gentlemen, bring me up to speed.“
Bastien gestured towards a short stocky man with glasses,
“Theo, if you would be so kind?”
Theo grabbed a hand-full of notes from his desk,
“Ok, firstly, we have discounted a couple of different potentially responsible parties, based on ongoing surveillance and tracking the movements of their networks. We believe that the responsible party is either, the Liberation Core, Sons of the Earth, or another previously unknown enemy.”
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling, trying to maintain his composure as he stepped forward staring Theo down,
“So what you are telling me, Theo, is that we’ve ruled out two suspects, but it could be ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD??”
Liam let out a frustrated grunt, booting a chair as he paced to the other side of the room. Theo started,
“Your Majesty, with all due respect-”
Leo held his hand up placating Theo and stopping him short,
“Liam, take it easy…”
Liam spun around, an enraged flush raising from his neck to his cheeks, he roared at his brother,
“Take it easy?? You’ve got to be joking Leo?! Our father was murdered last night. MURDERED!! In our home, and the best these ‘security professionals’ can tell me is that we’ve eliminated two potential suspects?? I want the bastards who did this caught, I want them caught and I want to hear them confess, I want to hear them grovel for their lives and I want them to hang for what they’ve done!!”
Clara stepped in front of Liam, stretching up, clasping his face in her hands,
“Liam… Li… Come on, that’s enough…”
Liam shook his head as he pulled Clara’s hands away from his face, gasping in air as his head throbbed, throwing the door open and marching out of the room and down the corridor. Clara covered her eyes with her hands as her bottom lip quivered,
“He’s upset. He just needs a little time, I’m going after him…”
She turned on her heel and ran down the corridor, seeing Liam ascending the stairs back to his quarters two at a time. She called his name, but he didn’t hear her. She quickly followed him, her heels clicking down the corridor, holding the ornate bannister as she ascended the stairs. He was almost at the door to his quarters when she called his name again. He turned his head to look at her, his blue eyes swollen and filled with tears as she rushed towards him,
“Li…”
He massaged his temples as Clara reached her arms around his middle,
“I couldn’t stay in there any longer Clara… I just couldn’t…”
Clara’s brow furrowed as she reached up, placing a gentle kiss on his lips,
“Let’s go inside baby, come on…”
Liam allowed Clara to pull him towards the door and into his suite, where he could finally let go of the floods of tears that had been building and threatening to spill over since before the press conference, where he could finally be himself with the one person who understood him best and who he could truly let his guard down with. Once they got inside Clara led him to the edge of his bed, she kicked her high heels off as she dangled her legs over the side, encouraging her fiancé to do the same. Clara embraced Liam as she pulled his taught frame down onto the bed beside her, snuggling him against her soft body, gently stroking his muscular bicep through his snowy white shirt. He breathed out a shaky breath as he pulled her closer, running his fingers through her long golden hair, breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume. Clara melted into his touch, catching his grazed hand in hers, taking it to her lips, pressing gentle kisses to the damaged skin. Liam stroked her cheek, moving closer until his mouth found hers, whimpering at the loving feeling of his gentle Clara, soft against his lips. Clara succumbed to Liam’s touch gladly, his hands roaming over her body, his breath warm against her skin… She whispered to him as her fingers traced her chest,
“Baby, is this ok? Are you sure, I know you’re really hurting and-”
Liam cut her short, his voice thick and low,
“Clara… Sometimes in the midst of such darkness, such bleakness, a little human contact is the only thing that can save you from your own loneliness and despair…”
and with that he gently pinned Clara’s wrists by her shoulders and moved his body on top of hers…
—
A couple of hours later, Clara awoke warm and content in Liam’s strong arms still wrapped protectively around her. She placed a gentle kiss against his cheeks as she relished the warmth of his embrace, feeling him stir in her arms. She smiled at him as he opened his eyes,
“Hey…”
Liam hugged her closer to him, pressing a kiss against her forehead,
“Hmmm, Clara… That was…”
The words had escaped him, and he didn’t need to say them; she knew exactly what he meant as she giggled,
“Yes, it certainly was…“
Liam sighed,
“I wish we could just stay here like this forever Clara…”
She smiled sadly at him, fluttering her eyelashes as she rolled onto her stomach, leaning up on her elbows, blonde hair falling around her face,
“I know baby, but I think your people may object…”
Liam started to laugh in spite of himself: she always made his world just a little bit brighter. Clara’s button nose wrinkled as she grinned, happy she could make him smile given what he’d been through in the past 24 hours. As he got out of the bed, she wrapped the sheets tightly around herself, biting her lip as she admired his toned physique as he stretched and sauntered through to the bathroom, ass swaying as he went… As Clara lay there, the satin sheets warm against her soft skin, both of their phones pinged simultaneously. Clara reached into the pocket of her discarded jacket, her heart sinking as she read the message. It was Leo:
“Hi Liam & Clara, hope you’re both ok. I’m sorry about earlier, things are pretty tense for everyone I guess. The undertaker will be visiting at 3pm today to discuss arrangements, we’ve to meet at Regina and Father’s quarters. See you both there x”
Clara sighed wearily, poor Liam wasn’t going to get any further respite today.
—
TBC – VP 💖
