[ It should come as no surprise to Claude that he's on the receiving end of yet another exasperated eye roll. If she means to come across as serious about it, that's a near impossible task thanks to the smile that has begun to blossom from the corner of her lips outwards towards the rest of her mouth.

They both know that he won't stay put. That the moment a window of opportunity appears, he'll take it. The habit is so ingrained in him that if he hasn't grown out of it now, it's unlikely ever to leave. It's hard for her to recall a time when she wasn't an accomplice to his antics, encouraging him and helping him to seize as much of the opportunity as she could. Help could still come in the form of dragging him back to his hospital bed which feels inevitable at this rate. She's become so used to playing that role that she wonders if she can really do that while separating it from this.

Her gaze is alert, intent on searching for signs of more pain that she's caught off guard by kisses that come next. The reaction is instantaneous. Each kiss he lays against her neck spreads warmth up the length of her body. Her body forgetting her mind's resolve from seconds ago, arches towards him like some sort of flower searching for the sun. She attempts a noise of protest but it comes out as a breathy laugh instead. ]

I'm an awful healer, Claude. There's a reason we left that kind of thing to Marianne.

[ Her fingers dig lightly into his chest and before she can stop herself, she peppers kisses just behind his ear. Her teeth catch on his lobe, dragging down lightly with the faintest hint of yearning before she pushes gently against his chest to chide him. There's a clear reluctance to separate his lips from her neck as her mind and body battle against their respective wills. It's not entirely clear even to herself what she wants. But what she does know is that feeling wanted by him has never failed to make her heart full.

Could she live with that absence? ]

Are you sure you're trying to get back into my good graces?