. packin' knives

[kitty smith-sato]

Being naked with Henry felt as natural as being clothed. Despite all the accusations of her desire for power, and how that intersected with the withholding of her virginity, she had taken the whole thing very seriously. Obviously, since she was actually married. It had brought a level of intimacy she had never felt with another person before or since, not just in the obvious physical sense, but emotionally too. Soon Henry's fingers are massaging shampoo into her scalp and it feels so good she might melt, letting out a blissful exhale as he kept at it. She gets a taste of the security she had always felt and loved when she was with Henry -- something she needed now more than ever. She snaps out of it the second he suggests letting them go, turning her head sharply to look at him. "Dominic's my brother. You don't just leave your family behind because they might be being obnoxious." It's the coldest her tone has been, the man in question a constant sticking point between the two of them, one they rarely directly acknowledged. She nods to his question, though all her NYU friends were boring normies barely worth a second thought. She rinses her hair, the warm water helping her to relax again. "Everyone is boring. Tell me about your friends."

[henry albright]

And there she was, Henry thinks as she begins to turn cold. The fierce, and spicy Kitten that she could be. A side he hadn't seen all that much since arriving to her side in the hospital. Minus her display with the nurses. She can't see him, as her back is to Henry but his eyes roll at the mention of Dominic. The comforting, friendly mood momentarily going away as she defends him. "Sorry but I'm not in the mood to speak about your brother," he emphasizes the word, a term that Henry didn't seem fitting for the way that Dominic looked at Kitty, "while we're naked in a tub together."  The two of them had been competing for Kitty's attention in different ways throughout the years. He could imagine the smirk and happiness on Dominic's smug face on learning that the two had called off their engagement. Henry shakes his head, almost to clear those thoughts from wandering. "Lean back." Henry encourages, while slightly demanding for her to get comfortable upon his chest once more, grabbing the shampoo bottle. "They're fine. You'd hate my fraternity brothers." He did get a little bit of satisfaction knowing there was parts of his life that Kitty would not enjoy. "But I'm still close with Colton, Michael and Alexander. Those names you probably recognize." His fingers find their way back to massaging her head. "Did Violet really overdose?" Bits of those rumors had made their way to his ears too.

[kitty smith-sato]

Despite the borderline mocking tone with which he says it, it still gives Katherine a thrill to hear Dom being referred to as her brother. It was her longest running bit and one she had never entirely decided on the sincerity of, sometimes using it to make people squirm as she flirted with him, other times wielding it possessively, aiming to put someone in their place. This time was definitely more of the latter than the former. "He'll hate that you're here," she says idly, able to clearly picture his face when he hears that Henry had made the trip to come and see her. She follows his orders as she had done many times before, grateful when he takes her request of double shampooing seriously. "What are they like? Collective IQ of 10, holding keg stand championships and raping drunk freshmen?" She scrunches her nose up in disgust at the thought, still unsure why he would be willing to align himself with those people. "Oh yeah. Colton... there's something going on with him and Ruby, do you know anything about it?" Next he asks about Violet and she immediately rolls her eyes. Of course that had gotten back to him. She briefly wonders if he reached out to her at all, but she banishes the idea from her head. "Yes but she's fine. I am so bored of talking about it."

[henry albright]

"I really don't care what he thinks." Henry replies, again rolling his eyes at the mere thought of Dominic. "I'm here. He's not. His loss." He points out the obvious, the differences between the two men despite their fightings for her affection. In his mind, Henry would always have the upper hand. Unsure of how Kitty might feel, but after all, she was his wife and not Dominic's. How would his nemesis feel if he knew that little bit of truth? Henry hopes that's the last time he's brought up while they're in this tub, together. He moves the shampoo throughout her hair, lathering it and making sure he properly reaches every part. "There's a wide range of us." He thinks to his fraternity brothers, some of them meeting the description that Kitty mentioned. "And no to the raping freshman. I was going to ask if you thought I should run for president. Guessing the answer is no." The joke slips out, with a smile to his mouth. He finds it best to leave out that his fraternity did have a reputation for some other questionable things. "OK, rinse again." She scoots to wash out the shampoo but leaves him with a piece of information he couldn't believe he was hearing. Colton and Ruby? There was no way, he'd have heard this by why, right? "Wait, what? What are you talking about?" He probes for more, to see what else Kitty had learned with her connection to Ruby. Henry can see the indifference in her tone, regarding Violet. The two girls were best friends, that could hate each other at the same time.  "Violet has always been an idiot." Henry dips his hands into the water to remove the soap suds. "Hand me the conditioner?"

[kitty smith-sato]

There's a finality to what Henry says and it's difficult to argue against. She hadn't expected anyone to drop everything and rush to be by her side, but now that Henry had done just that she realises she should potentially be able to expect more of the people she's supposed to be close to. In retrospect, he really was the perfect nomination for next of kin. She lets the subject die, sitting in comfortable silence as he continues washing her hair, eventually mentioning his fraternity. "Ugh, no. If I were you I'd avoid association as much as possible." Her hair feels clean and slippery as she rinses the suds out, quietly trying to assess how much Henry knows about Ruby and if he'll give her any insights. No such luck. She shrugs, "I don't know anything except she's weird about him. Like, intensely weird about him lately." She passes back the conditioner, fighting a rising satisfaction at him insulting Violet. Usually she would defend her friend, only allowing herself to be the one to badmouth her, but lately the girl had been getting under her skin. She was incredibly tired of talking about her and listening to people talk about her. "She's not learnt a thing either. At some point you have to accept that you can't save anyone who doesn't want to be saved."

[henry albright]

Henry is pleased that they sit in silence for a few. Dom slipping away from their conversation and now from his mind. Until he got brought back up by Kitty, but for now he'd enjoy it. "I told you earlier I did it for my dad." While his father didn't push for much, Henry felt the pressure on all angles to proceed with this legacy. Tristan was following in the medical direction and Henry had no idea what would be in store for Xavier. "It's not as bad as you're making it out to be." The recruitment process had been the worst of it, some good ol' fashioned hazing and alas he was a member. Now he just lived for the parties and other social events they put on - meeting girls and schmoozing his way to other real life connection. Pocketing it all for later use, when life turned more serious. "Huh. I'm going to have to pay more attention. Do some digging." Henry wasn't sure how successful he would be, or what answers would come given sometimes his friend was like a vault. She hands him the next, and final step in her hair routine, conditioner. "Nothing you can do. She'll reap her own consequences." Henry selfishly didn't want Kitty involved in any of her friend's schemes. He brushes his fingers through her hair one more time, before placing his hand on her shoulder, marking his completion. "Think you can hand me the shampoo again? I'll do my own, next." He remembered his long day of travel.

[kitty smith-sato]

"I bet he's oh so proud." Kitty had never gotten a good read on his parents, which was both frustrating and out of character for her, usually able to read people like picture books. She knew she ticked a lot of important boxes; she was cultured, rich, went to a good school, spoke multiple languages, had good etiquette and didn't sleep around. But she also had many she knew could be perceived as déclassé; she was nouveau riche, she had a questionable friendship circle, she didn't have a family pedigree. These were not things Henry had ever taken issue with, but that didn't mean that his parents felt the same way. "Tell me what you find out," she says, though she doesn't hold out high hopes for his investigative abilities. She'd have to dig deeper, maybe even see if she could get on Ruby's phone or laptop - shouldn't be hard. She leaves the conditioner to sink in, twisting her hair into a thick rope as she reaches across for the shampoo. "No, let me do it."

[henry albright]

His shoulders shrug at the mention of his father being proud. The words had never been said to Henry. Often wondering if his parents were disappointed in how Henry was turning out. After Kitty and Henry called off the big day, his mother expressed her understanding and complimenting him for doing the right thing. Harsh choices of words, he thought at the time. When he initially brought up their engagement, he was met with 'you're too young', and 'are you sure, we love Katherine but now?' One characteristic he developed from his father was doing what he wanted, never listening to opinions. Just like he made the rash decision of coming to Kitty's rescue. She offers to wash his hair and he argues at first. "This is supposed to be about you relaxing." Henry gives her a look as she's reaching for the bottle. "But I'm not going to turn you down." Or not take the opportunity to have Kitty's hands upon him again. He wasn't the one injured, but he was at the point of exhaustion. She twists around to face him, unsure positioning wise how they'll be comfortable. But he loops her legs around his waist, pulling her closer. Not thinking of how much more intimate this would be. "Where are you heading next?" He was curious of her next plans.

[kitty smith-sato]

"I am relaxed." It's true, too. Relaxation wasn't something that came easily to Kitty, not when she could be using that down time to scheme or troll strangers on the internet. But there was something about Henry that put her at ease. He had always been able to talk her off a ledge, often offering a worthwhile distraction to keep her on track. Suddenly she's facing him, their legs intertwined, bodies impossibly close. It makes her fall quiet, finally able to really look at him. He did look exactly the same, for the most part. Same eyes, same smile that started at the corner of his mouth and pulled up. In a way she feels shy, finally looking away from him as she squeezes shampoo into her hand and replaces the bottle. "Plan was to go to Positano," she says, blushing slightly at the thought of meeting up with Dean after having this interaction. She starts lathering the soap in his hair, her nails scratching against his scalp as she massages it in. "We'd better hurry up, the room service will be here soon."

[henry albright]

She's nervous with the position he's moved them too. His eyes never leave her face as he watches hers look anywhere but directly at him. Her fingers feel too good, almost as if if it should be a sin. They rake up and down his new mop of hair. Well, new to Kitty. In the past, he'd kept it short on the top but over the last two years he's let it grow a little bit more. Finally, she looks at him. A pink blush touching her cheeks and he longs to reach out and touch the shade. He can't help but let his eyes trail down to her pouty lips. Wondering if they still tasted the same. "You don't think you'll go?" When they spoke before, she was refusing to come home and wanted to continue on with her solo Europe trip. "Oh fuck, I completely forgot." Between their catch up and Henry pampering Kitty, he'd forgotten all about the room service order that had been placed. "I'll get out. This position and your bottom lip were starting to tempt me.." He dunks his head under the water, not rinsing it properly. Coming up, he shakes his hair out of his eyes and notices she hadn't really moved, even after his confession.

[kitty smith-sato]

The most violating part of this whole ordeal was not the act itself, but how exposed it had left her feeling. Her invulnerability was something she had wholly believed in up until now, protected by her sharp tongue, quick wits and mountains and mountains of cash. After all, she was used to living a very sealed off life, ferried from her expensive apartment to her expensive college to expensive meals, seldom interacting with anyone who wasn't entirely of her own social strata. But now she's been forced to remember many facts about herself that she would rather not dwell on. That she was a woman, and a petite one at that. That wealth only went so far and brought with it risk. Sat facing Henry in the tub she's the most naked she's ever been in her life, raw and on the brink of tears. He's quiet and it gives her pause to realize how hard all of this is, how far out of his way he's gone for her. He does a terrible job of trying to rinse the suds out of his hair and when he emerges she laughs, a short, natural laugh that she hasn't laughed in years. Before she can stop herself she's leaning over and kissing him, her sore lip pressed against his, slippery with bathwater.

[henry albright]

He comes up with obvious suds running down his neck. He can feel the foam still present on the sides of his ears from the attempted rinse. Brushing the longer bit of his hair out of the way as he looks to Kitty who's taken up laughing at his appearance. Her laugh and smile feel genuine, Henry feels a small smile tug on his lips as her laugh smiles. There they were, just staring at each other in a comfortable silence when suddenly Kitty closes the distance between them. Lips that feel exactly the same as they did just a few years ago. The shock wears off in a matter of seconds as her lips stay on top of his. Henry doesn't deepen the kiss yet, just pressing his lips more firmly on hers. Trying to be aware of the bruise that etched the skin of the pouty lips. "Can we throw the 'no touching out the window?" He references her request, one she was quite adamant about when he informed her of his soon-to-be arrival, as he pulls away.  Her eyes give away her want, as Henry's hands slide down her smooth hips, landing at her hips in the lukewarm water and moving her closer. The action flushes their bodies, as he claims her lips again, unable to stop himself.

[kitty smith-sato]

The cynical part of her brain (so, the entire thing) made her wonder what his intentions were coming all this way. Had he wanted to see her vulnerable? Or did he want to try to take advantage? Seeing him now, with suds in his hair and a boyish smile on his face assures her that this was an insane thing to consider. Not only because it was an extremely long way to come just to be difficult, but also because it was so far outside of Henry's nature. The kiss feels natural and sweet, two things her kisses were rarely. "So long as you don't treat me like a China doll," she agrees, feeling his hesitation around her cut lip. It's so Henry to be attentive to her injury even as she's the one who kissed him first. Closer to him now and kissing him again, she feels compelled to tell him the truth in answer to his earlier question. "I was going to go see a guy in Positano... so maybe I won't."

[henry albright]

His mind had been haunting him the entire time they'd been lying in this bath tub. Memories of him in between her thighs, Kitty moaning his name and the simple recognition of her touch. This hadn't been the plan. Sharing intimate moments with her again, as if nothing had even happened when he received the phone call. Henry spent the majority of the long flight certain he'd put eyes on her, argue a bit then head home once she was safe and settled. "All I needed to hear." The given permission that while she felt fragile in the moment, there was no need to treat her like so when it came to being physical with each other. Their lips and legs are entwined with each other. The kisses not reaching the point of passionate yet, just testing the waters. Like they had to learn each other all over again. She pulls away to taunt him, bringing up another guy and it stirs an unfamiliar jealousy within. "Fuck that guy," he peppers kisses down her neck, stopping to suck on her collarbone. Her breath hitches when his lips move to te other side. When he feels satisfied with the assault, his head comes back up, looking directly into her eyes. His heart and mind were racing with anticipation to hear the filthy things she loved done to her.. "Tell me what you like now, Kitten."

[kitty smith-sato]

It was wild to her how quickly they had slipped into old habits. Kitty had been going through the five stages of grief after they split, except she had never quite made it to acceptance... in fact, she'd just about gotten through denial, her anger still fresh. So two out of the five, give or take. That they could revert like this suggested that she wasn't as healed as she thought she was, which wasn't too surprising given that she had never really allowed herself to even think about it, much less process everything that had happened. They kiss and it's sweeter than she would have expected, laden with tenderness that she had only ever experienced with him. She can hardly breathe as he trails kisses along her collarbone, picking up the intensity. She opens her mouth to tell him everything he wants to hear when there's a clear knock on the door outside, breaking the tension that had so suddenly increased and making her smirk. "Saved by the bell?"