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Who Alex Reagan and You.
What: Alex needing company while she's being bored out of her mind and supposed to be taking it easy for a week.
When: Whenever you want it set for this week period!
Where: ~~Howard's~~ her and Strand's house
Warnings: None.

[Alex Reagan was not a still person by any means. She was someone who normally was a ball of energy, even when she was entirely sleep deprived and exhibiting all sort of bad judgment. Even the nights where she couldn't sleep, Alex got up, did work, did something so she wasn't just... laying there and not doing anything. This was something that she was seriously having a problem with after she'd spent the first day following the rescue basically sleeping and not being aware of the world. But now that at least some of that sleep debt had been paid off, Alex was bored, and restless and had proclaimed to Richard that she was losing her mind more than once.

Because she'd tried to work, he'd taken away her devices, which reminded her of being home when she was supposed to not use her electronics after ten pm. It was frustrating, because she was a god damn adult, but she'd also agreed to take it easy if he didn't push for her to go to the hospital. It wasn't Alex's fault that she couldn't manage to simply be stubborn and wear him down until he let her go back to normal. Nope, it was all Richard's.

Still, she'd managed to compromise for the big and comfy sofa and company so it wasn't a total loss. After all, she'd declared, that she didn't want random people in their bedroom, and she knew that he'd agreed, because well, Strand was private, save for when Alex put him under a microscope and she was making a good faith effort not to do that anymore. At least not here.

So, when people showed up to the stupidly ornate Victorian house that was still in the process of being put together inside, they were greeted by a annoyed Strand who informed them that "The insufferable one is over there on the couch. You deal with her. You may need wine, or scotch." Before he retreated to a nearby room. And when they came into the living room, Alex was propped up on pillows, and her bruises were in various shades of fading, and she just chirped out as if they were her best friend in the world even though they may not be:]

Hey!

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[The pure bliss coming from Alex was, if he were honest, a bit confusing.

The idea of him being in any relationship would always have demanded deep thought and, as some called it, 'soul searching.' To himself at least, Richard was still married. Coralee had never been dead; he'd never believed that she was for an instant, so he'd never been a widower. Not once in the twenty years had he thought of anyone else as a romantic partner or allowed himself even to entertain the idea of having anyone other than her.

Then came Alex with her, Alexness and her charm. Richard could imagine anyone would become easily smitten with her. She was enigmatic and vibrant, and of course, he expected nothing to come of their meeting. She was also more charming than he'd expected, not that a man who loved his missing wife should or would notice that. And as they became deeper entwined in this mystery that he'd finally allowed himself to share with someone, Alex had become more and more important to him. More of a lifeline that he couldn't be without, no matter how many times he tried to run or take back all of what he'd given. It had become no longer his own. He was no longer alone in all of it. There, beside him without fail, was Alex.

But there was still Coralee, and the mystery of Coralee turned into the fact of her being alive and the reality of her abandoning him again. And yet, Alex was beside him, picking him up and forcing him to continue. Richard had thought about her, about every part of Alex as time moved forward. Of course he had, it wasn't as if Richard were blind to beauty or charm, he'd just been loyal, he hadn't wanted anyone but Coralee. Now Coralee was gone. There was no more hoping or wishing or trying to rely on psychic powers that weren't there. There were just abandonment and the enigmatic, beautiful woman who seemed to go against reason and remain by his side no matter how deep the rabbit hole of strange, disturbing and dangerous his life became. The longer and more time they spent together the harder it became to continue to deny his attraction to her. Her mind and wit were a perfect kind of sharp; her laugh had become something he looked forward to; even their arguments were a bright part of his formerly dimmed world.

But there was still Coralee and his convictions. Still the knowledge that she was out there, that he was still married, no matter how far apart they were or how unlikely it was that she would come back and be with him again. So of course, he continued to deny his feelings, push them aside and instead focuses on the insane and every creeping into the supernatural world that seemed to keep pushing toward him. His feelings, leaking out when he told Alex that they were in this together, in his glances and his softened words. Those leaks were what forced him to remind them both that he was married, that Coralee still existed, that she was still his wife.

It wasn't until Alex had asked him to run away with her that the dam broke; when he was no longer able to deny his feelings anymore. Where Coralee had taken everything, Alex had given it freely. She'd given her life and everything in it for them to run away together, and it took his breath away. So, of course, he'd thought about it, about leaving everything behind and just being with Alex. The answer, undeniably had been yes. Yes, he would be with her, give her as much of his heart as he could (even if Coralee would still hold a significant place in it), even break the vows that he'd stayed so faithful to for twenty years. Simply for the sake of staying by her side.

In that moment he'd known there was no other answer. There was only the promise of being with Alex for however long they had before Warren inevitably tried to kill them.

When Alex kissed him, he leaned in, just enough to let her know that he wanted the same thing. He wanted to kiss her just as much and as fervently as she wanted to kiss him. But someone had to be responsible while she was in this state, and he was much older and knowledgeable. He had more control than she did.

Her words, 'I love you, Richard Strand,' caused his heart to catch in his throat, a quick breath catch before he let it out once again. It was still surprising when she said that, and he felt that it probably always would be. Then she added 'to hell and back' as if a challenge, and his placid happiness turned into a small smirk. She knew well what he would say to that, and it wasn't 'I love you.']

Hell, doesn't exist, Ms. Reagan.

Edited (You'll take my word vomit and like it) 2018-06-29 05:29 (UTC)

[Alex had known how Richard would have responded to those words of course, because there was no way he couldn't not. Even with how he had loosened some of his doubts with what was going on here and with her kidnapping (she had read his asking for magic sources, even if Alex hadn't commented on it for good reason. At least not yet. She was reserving the right for when he said something about the magic here next time.) she knew that his disbelief in such a place as hell was going to be steadfast and would always cause that same reaction of the smirk that matched the one she gave him in return after the words.

Of course, she hadn't missed the softness of his smile at her telling him that she loved him, and she hadn't missed how much younger and happier it had made him look, as if it had chased some of the specters (yes, there's no such thing as specters Alex) of the life that had haunted him since he was a child and since Howard Strand had become "interested" in him and had begun to attempt to 'prepare' him for the rest of his life with nights in caves and arcane presents and abuse in the form of attempting to strong arm him into a reason that may or may not have been actually helpful in his life. But those weren't the only memories that they'd chased off; it was also Coralee and every heartbreak that she'd brought with her since she'd forced herself into his life.

Alex wasn't an idiot. Even though Strand had denied that he was married (one of the few times he'd actually out and out lied to her rather than be evasive and the like) she had known. She'd known through the research and vetting that Nic and the studio had done before she'd reached out to him with those eleven calls, but she hadn't said anything in front of the Torres family because it wasn't her place. She didn't know him well enough to have it be her place at that point. But Alex knew that Strand considered himself a married man even though he had flirted with her (even if it was subconsciously) when the two of them had met.

While it hadn't been a lie, what she'd told him in his office here about how she'd had a flash of a fantasy of having sex with him in his office in Chicago when he mentioned people actually listening to the radio , it wasn't something that Alex would have ever acted on. At least not then. Richard had the oaths that he'd made to his marriage and to the wife that wasn't dead, and Alex had journalism ethics, and knowing that she shouldn't let herself become too close to him, and to close to the story. Being in a relationship with him other than being his friend (and being his friend was probably stretching it a bit, honestly) was something that would destroy any credibility that she had.

More times than had been recorded on the show, Nic had lectured, warned and attempted to coerce her into creating more boundaries between herself and Strand; it had never worked, and Alex had argued more than once that their friendship tended to make the podcast stronger and more accessible. Even if they hadn't agreed, Alex wouldn't have withdrawn her friendship from him; he had all too rapidly become an important part of her life.

Yes, Alex was someone who tended to make friends wherever she went, but she was also someone who lived and breathed and ate her work, so friends who weren't involved with it tended to fall along the wayside back home. Oh, her email and answering machine was always full of invitations to things, but Alex was far better at giving people her regrets than her time. It was something that had become all that much more true when Strand moved into his father's house, and when he'd come back from his latest disappearing act, Alex's withdrawal had been rather complete.

After all, it was hard to find time for friends when you were working in your office either alone or with someone else until Nic kicked her out, and then Alex would pack up and more often than not, she'd show up at Richard's hard to debrief him on things that had happened if he hadn't been around and talk about things more in depth if he had. In the end, she would end up taking up the corner of the couch (this corner of the couch, actually) with her papers around her, and a glass of wine, giving him a bright smile and steadfastly ignoring all of the feelings that she'd had for hers.

The past three years had been a succession of Alex forcing herself not to say something, to try not to flirt and to definitely not kiss him. The night that they'd spent in his house the first time, Alex had reached over and held his hand so he wasn't alone that night, and that was practically as far as they'd gotten until she'd had six months to consider how short life was, how much she loved him and how in the end, her journalism ethics weren't going to be the thing that kept her happy.

Even though Alex couldn't pinpoint when she'd started having actual feelings for him, she had forced herself not to try and force herself so far into is life. That was why she hadn't assumed that he would want her to go with Geneva and he'd needed to ask her, and that was why when she told him about her feelings, she'd been prepared (even if it would hurt places and so deeply that she didn't want to think about it now) for him to remind her that he was married and that he loves his wife very much and the two of them were just friends. But now there was no concern about Coralee between them, and instead she just drew her finger along his chin again before she spoke.]

I thought hell was other people, Dr. Strand. Are you saying they don't exist now? [The teasing was in her voice and in her eyes, she couldn't help it; it was second nature.]

[There was something amazing about that smile. Something that could bring Richard back from the brink of disaster, or break his heart if it so wanted to. Thankfully, he couldn't think of any reason why Alex would ever want to do the later. Generally, it was the circumstances that she managed to fall into that caused him any emotional distress. She was, trouble, as was the colloquial term. A person who sought out the danger and general troubles of the world. It was part of what made him crazy, but also part of what made the two of them fit so well.

Her belief, the ever-growing insanity that seemed to creep into her mind in the thought that this nonsense was real. That Thomas Warren was a wealthy, enigmatic leader of a cult that was creating demons. That demons were actually real, and that Richard was some sort of key to kicking off a demon apocalypse was concerning, but at least right now it wasn't manifesting.

Instead, it was something stupid and playful, something that was meant to tease his logical belief that none of this was real.]

No, that would be events you force me to go to.

[Reaching out, he ran his fingers over her arm, lightly caressing the skin under the fabric of her shirt.]

[Oh, Alex was definitely trouble for him, with a capital T. She had been since the moment that she'd first found those black vhs cases in his office and he'd kicked her out for doing that. It was the first time she'd barged into his life, and there would never be a last. Not now, there just couldn't be. The two of them were too much of a them for any parting to be a last.

And for now, she just grinned at him again, her eyes bright and happy. Alex's face was just as expressive as her voice, and there was no denying it, even if she was still all wrapped up from being kidnapped and the love of her life was currently making sure that she didn't do anything to bother said ribs.

She moved into his touch like a cat before she just laughed softly.]

Now who's being melodramatic. I thought you wanted a non-melodramatic clause in our relationship, my love.

[And then she added with a low laugh.]

It wasn't that bad.

[Of course he knew what she was going to say about that. At least as far as it not to have been so bad. Of course, Alex was an extrovert, and she knew everyone there. Richard, on the other hand, disliked other people and preferred to stay at home unless he was working on a case.

It wasn't that he couldn't interact. He was rather good at it when he wanted to be. He could pretend to be interested and cordial and extroverted when he wanted to. It was more he preferred not to interact. Preferred time alone without the bother of pleasantries and pretended interest. It was less taxing that way and, in most cases, he could get more done.]

You dragged me to a picnic where I was 'vetted' by a man who hardly knew me. Yes, it was that bad.

[He hadn't told Alex about that, and she just looked rather amused for a moment. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was and who he'd spoken too. Despite thoroughly enjoying herself at the picnic (even if in the middle of it she and Richard had a mini-fight... or a heated discussion anyway) she'd kept an eye on him and who he'd spoken too. Mostly she'd done it in case it was too much for Richard and he was about to go into full on asshole mode.

So it was Remy, who was a friend. A friend who was worried about her, which just made her smile all the more, and she just bumped his arm.]

Come on, you'd do it for Charlie or Ruby. Vetting their potential partners is a part of friendship. Hell, I do it all the time, if you didn't notice.

During those particular formative years, Charlie had already cut me out of her life.

[He wouldn't confirm or deny if he would do that for Ruby. Judge them? Probably, then again, Richard judged everyone, regardless of who they were attempting to date. It was just the way he was.]

[There were times when Alex had forgotten that the repair of his relationship with Charlie was a new thing, and this was one of them honestly. For a minute she just frowned, and then she gave his hand a squeeze, her thumb rubbing across the top of his for a moment.]

You act like you couldn't do it now, Richard. I assure you, you definitely can. When I finally do, as my mother says, "bring home the nice young man from your podcast" my Dad is definitely going to try and do the thing.

[A beat and a grin.]

Not that what he thinks matters. You're stuck with me.

[There was a pause as he debated what he was about to say. Alex wasn't fond of comments that included Coralee, but the other woman had been part of his life for over twenty years.

Instead of mentioning it, he let it slide past and commented about the idea of vetting one of Charlie's significant others instead.]

I trust Charlie's judgment.

Well, no one should probably trust my judgment. Not even me.

[She's imagining that it's something like that, that it involves something he'd say about Coralee, so she doesn't push him. Instead, she was going to just make a bit of a joke about it. Well, mostly a bit of a joke about it.]

Well, save when it comes to dating you, I guess.

Even that's questionable.

[He continued to move his arm as he watched her with a slight smirk. The truth was that her choice of him was questionable. There were many people who would be more than happy to be with a woman like Alex, someone who was able to light a room with so little effort.

And yet, she'd chosen him, the most tattered toy in the box to fall for.]

Maybe in your eyes it is, but in mine it's not. It's like the one decision that I don't really question myself on. At least not anymore.

[Look, Alex's reasoning of 'journalism ethics' had gotten quite a workout in the three years that the two of them had worked together before they'd ended up here. It had been a fair amount of reminding herself about how much of a terrible idea it was when she did stupid things like fantasize about having sex with him on his desk in Chicago, or not doing the whole separate rooms thing. Or actually a fair amount of things that Nic would chide her about letting go on the podcast and launch a ship and a fair amount of fanfic. Or so the intern had told her. She couldn't go looking, it was too weird.

And of course there had been her reaction to discovering that she loved him without a doubt, when she was entirely certain that he could never love her back. But now that she knew that he did? Well, nope, she wasn't considering it questionable in the slightest.

So she shifted slowly so that she was laying on him, with her head in his lap.]

[His brows rose as she shifted, hand shifting to continue to stroke her arm in this new position. Anyone else and he would have thrown them from the couch; in fact, he wouldn't have been on the couch with them in the first place. This was Alex however, and Alex somehow managed to get everything from him.]

And you've already mentioned your poor decision-making skills.

[Alex was very much aware that she was probably the only person here who could get away with this. Hell, she might have been one of two people alive who could get away with this, the other being Charlie. If she still even could. But also, Alex didn't care. Right now, she was supposed to be laying down and taking it easy, so this was her chosen place to do that. Besides, it was one of the places where Alex ended up feeling the safest from anything. Safest from the stuff at home, safest from the cultists, and yes occasionally sometimes the safest from the way that her brain could run a mile a minute. So, Alex just smiled up at him, and laughed again.]

Well, save for when it comes to being involved with you. It's definitely probably one of the few things that I'm entirely certain about that I should be doing, really. You, and being a reporter.

[This time, as he ran his hand down her arm he caught her hand, fingers curling between hers. It was strange, how such a simple gesture could be only for one person. Richard would never do something like this to or with anyone but Alex. She was the infuriating exception that he somehow couldn't get rid of, and now didn't want to get rid of.]

I think, you just like getting into trouble.

[Raising her hand to his lips, he punctuated his words by kissing the back of her hand.]

[Alex just beamed up at him when he caught her hand like that again, honestly. If people ever asked her about their relationship because they'd discovered that Richard had only told her that he loved her once and that was when he was half-asleep and terribly ill, she'd defend him with moments like this. After all, Richard Strand wasn't an expressive man any longer, even if he had been once, and Alex knew that about him. Which is why his actions, like the way he kissed her hand as he was doing now, spoke even louder than his words would have.

Letting out a little laugh, Alex just shrugged a bit, beaming up at him. There was no way for her to deny the whole like getting into trouble thing. He knew her long enough and definitely well enough to know that she did. Honestly, he'd probably had that bead on her before Alex had a read on him, just by knowing her as he did. After all, Alex was a pretty open and expressive book, and it was quite clear to see how she had that entire penchant for trouble thing.]

Well, maybe I'm a little fond of it.

[Understatement of the year there, Alex Reagan.]

Certain actions of yours dictate more than a little.

[Turkey and her confrontations with Warren had made that perfectly clear. Not many would go toe to toe with someone like Thomas Warren without blinking an eye at the exchange. It was something that was both infuriating and incredibly attractive about her. She had a fierceness that showed through in how incredibly loyal she was toward those she cares about. It was something that he couldn't help loving about her because it was what had kept her by his side all this time. Even when he was being more than insufferable and insulting.]

I am what I am, Richard.

[alex just smirked for a second before she kissed the back of his hand. She knew what he was talking about of course because while Alex Reagan was sometimes a dumb ass she was not always an idiot. So yes, she had been stupid and gone to Turkey and yes she had been stupid and gone to see Warren. Of course one of them is far worse than the other in his eyes so Alex is just going to defend the lesser of two evils.]

I did tell you I was going to ask Warren what he was up to, my love.

[and he didn't stop her or offer to come with.]

[The act of her kissing his hand was, strange. Not a bad sort of strange, but one that he had to pause to think about. These weren't things that he had quite gotten used to. Even if it had been several months of them being together.]

I have every confidence you can handle yourself around Thomas Warren. Even if what you said was, taunting in nature.

[alex was just going to laugh at that, because honestly of course what she said was going to be taunting in nature at that point. As for what it would be now? Let's just say Alex was quite looking forward to Lizzie teaching her how to more firmly kick a man's ass with as few hits as possible.

Speaking with a grin she added, peering up at him.]

Admit it, when I sent you the audio that day you cheered me on even when you were shaking your head.

I don't, 'cheer people on' when they're being confrontational.

[Except that he was more proud of her words than he'd let on. Coralee had, followed, even if that following was because she was a member of the cult. Alex was a woman who blazed her own trail and to hell with the consequences. It was something that drew him to her before he'd realized his unintended intentions, and something he'd grown to love about her. Even in those trailblazing actions drove him to worry and distraction.]

[Alex just laughed softly and traced her fingers over his hand then, and she managed to look more than a little smug while doing it. Clearly, Alex was thinking, and was amused by whatever thoughts she had. After all, Alex was expressive at the best of times, and even more so when she was still on painkillers for those damned broken ribs.

Which were the reason she had her head in his lap rather than sitting on it, really.]

Next time I threaten the most powerful man in the world on tape, I'm definitely going to wait and play it so that I can watch your reaction. [A beat.] Even if you're way to good at playing stoic about it.

I'll find you a good lawyer.

<small.[The most powerful man wasn't Thomas Warren. Richard refused to agree to that kind of worldview. He was simply the most powerful man in their orbit.]

Pfft, like I'd need a lawyer, Richard.

[Let's be honest here, Alex is going to keep thinking of Warren that way, and of course she thinks that if Warren wanted to hurt her, it would have happened when it came down to stuff with the demon in her house, or having her kidnapped with Coralee and Howard.]

It wouldn't be the first time you needed one.

[He might be alluding to when he's threatened to sue them all. He supposes he can't do that now. Not when he's letting her rest her head in his lap and share a bed with him. Not that he was thinking about suing her for any reason.]