(1937-10-18) No More Secrets
Details for No More Secrets
Summary: After showing up near death, Tim has some 'splainin' to do to Annie.
Date: 18 October 1937
Location: Moody Residence
Related: Secrets Can Hurt
Characters
AnnieTim

It has truly been one of the longest nights of Annie's relatively short life, only rivaled by the night she got news of the accident that took her parents from her. She pampered Tim unabashedly, seeing to his hot bath, helping Bowie make something to eat while her man soaked away some of the soreness, making sure he then ate some of what they scrounged up before seeing him to bed. She stayed with him until he drifted off, holding him tightly and telling him she loves him about a million times. But when he finally slept deeply enough, she slid out of his bed long enough to Floo to the cottage in Hogsmeade to gather up a few things, including her favorite pair of her father's pajamas, which she wears now. She didn't expect to sleep, but wanted the comfort, and ended up falling asleep anyway in a chair as she watched over Tim's rest. Curled up, looking uncomfortable, but still, it's sleep. The black robe she found Tim in on his floor has been hung over the closet door, and his blood stained gloves are clutched in Annie's hand.

Tim is just in a pair of boxers himself, he did have pajamas, perks of living alone most your life. He wakes up and smiles at first when she's the first thing he sees, but then he frowns at the gloves in her hands and he stiffly sits up and turns and tries to pluck the gloves out of her hands so he can take them and the reversible robe down the stairs into the basement where they are usually kept.

Before she's even actually awake, Annie's hand tightens by reflex as Tim tries to ease the gloves from her grip, and then she's sitting up, frowning as she blinks to try and clear the bleariness from her eyes. "Tim…" Her voice is barely above a whisper as she focuses on him.

Tim tosses the gloves into the opened closet along with the robe, abandoning the plan to take them into the basement. Instead he leans over to scoop his girlfriend up out of the chair and give her a kiss. "I'm here. Everything's fine. Just taking you to bed."

Eyes on his face, Annie makes no protest as she's lifted and moved, but her fingers raise to touch his cheek softly, below the gash that's not entirely been healed by more potions from his case. Her touch is careful, concern easily read in her eyes, and she says softly, "That happened." A part of her had hoped it had just been another particularly vivid dream, a rehash of the first in her mind, not in reality.

Tim leans in to shhh her and give her another kiss. "Sleep now My Annie. Everything is alrigh." He lays her down in bed and slides in along with her this time. Spooning up behind her he pets her hair and kisses her neck. He sings once more the soft gaelic lullaby his mother and grandmother used to sing to him.

She slept. Badly, but she did, and now she needs her mind stilled with some answers. The kisses to her neck and his warmth pressed up behind her settle her a measure, but it's only a few seconds into the lullaby that she is squirming against him to turn and face him. She quiets him with her lips, a soft, loving kiss, then pulls back to look at him. There are dark smudges beneath her eyes as she regards him before speaking softly. "It won't go away like it never happened, love."

Tim pulls the covers up over her shoulder to tuck her back in once she's flipped over. He wraps an arm around her and gives her a rub. "Dinnae think that it would." He's not trying to mollify her, only trying to make sure that he takes care of her as she took care of him.

Despite a sadness in her eyes, there is clearly love for him that shines through as she shifts a bit closer to him, her voice gentle. "Yeh can't keep this secret any more, Tim. I nearly lost yeh last night." If he'd been wearing a shirt, her hands would have sought purchase on it to hold him close. Instead her hands come to rest on his chest, soft and warm on his skin.

Tim swallows and nods his head. "I tried to warn yee tha it's ssserious business. Yee mustn't let on that ye know it. I'd rather nae see ye again, then ta let danger befall yee my Annie. Remember bout my parents? About how the Auror's Office betrayed'm? Well I don' work for the Auror's Office…but I do hunt down Dark Wizards and Witches. I get the job done in times when the Aurors have their hands tied up in red tape. I'm the Banshee, Annie."

There are a few beats while Annie lets this sink in. Nothing changes in her expression, which could be good… or could be bad. Is she studying his face to remember it before she walks out of his life? This is a huge secret, after all. To have kept this from her, putting himself in danger, risking his life… and then she finds out by finding him near death in his front hall? Her brows draw together a measure in a frown. "How long have yeh been doin' this?"

Tim plays his fingers through her hair. It's not like he ever made light of the severity of the secret. His thumb caresses over her frowning lips and it makes him frown to see the expression on her face. "Since they died." He whispers and gulps, mouth feeling dry all of a sudden.

If his touch has an effect on her, it remains hidden behind the carefully constructed facade of calm Annie wears like a mantle. She's certainly mulling every word he says over in her head. It's nearly a full minute before she speaks again. "How long will yeh keep doing this?"

Tim stills in the caressing her and answers looking into her eyes. "I'm nah out to hurt ye Annie. Already I've lessened my activities I used to go out every night. Then ye came into my life an' I'll only go if there's trouble in the first place." He swallows hard and is very still as he braces himself for what might be the end.

There is another pause as Annie just looks into Tim's eyes for a moment, then lets her hand creep up so her fingers can lightly trace the line of his jaw. "What am I gonna do with yeh, Tim?" she says softly. It's more a musing out loud than a question she expects an answer for, and she goes on. "I can't ask yeh not t' do it, I know it's what yeh think is right. An' I love yeh, so I don't want t' be without yeh."

Tim smiles softly, relieved that she's at least still in the bed with him and hasn't stormed out. "Just think of it like ye are wif an Auror? Just without all the horrible long hours." He smirks and chuckles and comes in for a kiss. "I want yee by my side. I need your support and help. I love yee, I want yee, I need yee."

The kiss is returned with warmth and even a ghost of a smile, but that little wisp fades quickly as she speaks again. "Yeh have t' teach me things. I'll not forgive yeh for another night like last. I need t' know how t' help yeh when I can, an' what t' do when I can't."

Tim nods his head, "I usually go to a Healer I know when I'm that bad. But I was so poorly I din't think I could concentrate on gettin' there. I promise, no more surprises." He comes down for a soft kiss to seal that promise with.

Annie lets her lips linger a bit more over this kiss, and the importance of it's promise. But, again, she pulls away enough to find his eyes once more. "Are yeh gonna tell me who that is? An' do they know why, when yeh go t' them for help?"

Tim grimaces just a little bit to that question. "Nah yet. I need to consult him. My life is an open book to ye now, for good or bad. But I'll nae reveal another person's secret without a by dere leave. It's sort of a 'don't ask questions' service. Which is why I go." He smiles and starts to kiss a little trail down over her jaw to her neck.

A bare nod of her head shows Annie's agreement to this term. "I understand that. An' I'll respect whatever he wants. But I don't want any more secrets between us, Tim." She comes up with a crooked smile. "Cor, most people's secrets are a lot more simple than this one, my darlin'." But yes, she is still here, even for that. At the touch of his lips she tips her head a bit, not stopping his kisses, even though most of her mind is still on the matter at hand. "But yeh'll still teach me things," she says softly, adamant that she not be caught out like this again. If she'd been later, or Bowie hadn't been there, or…. it's just too much to think about, so she stops it right there or she'll end up in tears again. There was enough of that through the night.

Tim smirks, "Who says it's a he?" He tries to make light of things. "Aye my love. I'll teach yee, prepare yee. I'll nae have yee defenseless against wha my life brings." He looks up from her neck to looks into her eyes getting serious. "Ye know I have planned to tell ye, right? I just needed to make sure tha' dis was lastin'."

His little joke draws a stronger smile from Annie's lips. "You did, my daft love." Tim's words are reassuring, and her eyes are unwavering as they meet his. "Tim, if yeh told me tomorrow that yeh don't love me an' yeh never did, yer secrets will still be kept until I die. An' I do understand. But no more."

Tim crosses one finger over his scarred up chest. "No more. No more secrets. So… dis means ye have to tell me all yer secrets ye've been able to keep since I was keepin' mine." He gives her that big boyish grin and gives her a little nudge nuzzle with his nose.

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