Disclaimer: I own ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing. Nada. Well, except for the plot.
Dedication: Erm... JK Rowling. Make Deathly Hallows a good one, I already adore the cover!
Summary: James Potter was emotionless. He never exploded when he was mad, started squealing when he was excited, and he never used to sweat when he was nervous. But Lily Evans was determined to make this happen, determined to make him burst, no matter what it took.
Notes: Yay! Another Lily/James oneshot! This one inspired after I read this one fic where James was so... Calm. He never gets upset in so many stories! So, yes, FLUFF ATTACK!
Just Explode Already
The doorbell rang in a melodious manner, calling for the attention of the sole person in the house.
The young lady of nineteen walked over to the front of the house she and her boyfriend shared, pulling open the door with a cheerful expression. It was just another day of the busy life of Lily Evans.
"Remus," She greeted as surprise overtook her beautiful features, "What brings you here?"
Remus, the man who was standing at the doorway of the small house, smiled sincerely, "Well, Lily, just thought I'd stop by. Don't have anything to do." He poked his head through the doorway, "Mind if I come in?"
"Of course not," She replied quickly, stepping back to allow entrance to her friend, "James isn't home yet, though."
"Oh," Remus replied, looking only slightly disappointed as he entered, "I actually wanted to talk to him." He pulled a pair of gold and red flashing socks out of his pocket, "He forgot his socks at my house."
Lily raised an eyebrow at this, "I was never too fond of those socks. I can give them to him, if you would like."
"Nah, I wanted to give them to him myself," Remus lashed slightly snappishly. Instantly his face softened as he saw Lily look a little taken aback, "I smell something cooking. Need any help?"
"Actually," Lily began, turning around to direct him to the kitchen, "Dinner is done. I made extra, though. Would you like any?"
Remus nodded, "Why not? I didn't eat anything for awhile."
Lily rolled her eyes, knowing what a boy meant when they said 'awhile' and were talking about food.
The two entered the small kitchen Lily had furnished one dreary, rainy afternoon and sat themselves down at the table. In a good mood, Lily served some pot-roast she had just perfected and the two dug in.
"So, how are things with James?" Remus asked politely after the two had settled down.
Lily smiled dreamily at the mention of her boyfriend, "Wonderful. He's perfect." She leaned back in her chair, gazing at the table in happiness. Everything was perfect.
Remus didn't look as dreamy.
Instead, he cocked an eyebrow, looking interested, "Really? I always thought that couples started arguing more from overexposure, something guaranteed after moving in together. And, well, you two just moved in together a month ago."
"No," Lily said immediately, frowning. That wasn't it. She and James never argued. James just couldn't get mad at her. "We never argue, so butt out," Lily retorted, crossing her arms over her chest furiously.
There was a moment of silence as Lily glared at him and Remus stared back quietly.
"Look, Lils, I'm sorry, Remus apologized, lifting his hands to plead innocence. He continued, "It's just that you guys used to argue all the time. But you're right. James can usually stay calm when you get explosive."
Lily frowned, "Explosive?"
"You know, explosive. You're an anger explosive. If someone triggers you - Kabam!" He was interrupted as a loud crack erupted through the air, and a weary looking James appeared, clad in his work uniform.
"Hey," He greeted cheerily, walking closer to the two friends, "Starting dinner without me?"
Remus cleared his throat, looking relieved to have the awkwardness broken. "No, no, Prongs. I just wanted to give you these socks." He pulled out the contents of his pocket and shoved them into James's clutches, "I'll see you two later." And with that, he Disapparated.
"What was that?" James asked curiously, staring at the spot where Remus had just been standing. He seemed rather apprehensive now, albeit the fact that he instantly sat down and took over Remus's meal, "How was your day, Love?"
Extremely disturbed by the conversation she had been having with her boyfriend's friend, she stood up quickly and stepped back. "Fine. I'm full, James. Actually, I'm feeling rather tired, too. I'll meet you in bed."
James nodded with a perplexed expression as Lily hastily whirled around and took off towards their bedroom.
Was she honestly so explosive that people thought that she liked to argue and be mad? So, she did have a bit of an attitude and temper problem. It wasn't like she would pick fights and all.
Furious, she hopped into bed, doing some talented wandless magic to clean herself up and change herself.
But Remus had said that James stayed calm during those times. Anger bubbled inside her as she flipped and bed and clutched her pillow. James had to lose it sometimes. The reason she and James never argued couldn't only be because he was calm. She helped prevent them from breaking down, too!
She closed her eyes as she heard the door open and footsteps. Moments later, her boyfriend lay himself down next to her and kissed her forehead.
She would prove that James wasn't perfectly calm all time – That James was an explosive, too.
-----------------
Lily's eyes snapped open and her head instantly turned to the side towards the clock at her bedside table. 7.30 am. Her eyes wandered to the other side of her, meeting a deeply asleep James. Excellent.
Quietly and warily, she pulled back the sheets and stepped out of the bed, being cautious not to wake up her boyfriend.
Today, phase one of 'Operation Just Explode Already' began.
Careful, she paced the room, mind whirling in excitement. She had to get him so wound up that he lost control of those tight emotions. So, so wound up. Her eyes drifted over to the sleeping man, deep in thought.
Then, it hit her. There was only way to a man's heart…
She grinned mischievously and whirled around to face her cupboard. Excitement streaming through her, she whipped it open and pulled out something from the top shelf.
Lily had been sleeping in a simple, long gray shirt and loose pajama pants, her usual night attire. But this, this was brilliant.
Time for phase one of the operation.
She changed silently, closed the wardrobe, and hopped back in bed, barely able to contain herself from laughing out loud. Heart pounding, she carefully shook James and feigned a yawn.
Predictably, he groaned, allowing himself to rotate and face towards Lily, eyes squeezed shut, "What?"
"Wake up, Jamesy," She whispered, trying to sound as sexy as she could, "I feel… Lonely." She bit her lip to refrain from giggling and traced an index finger down his bare chest.
"Mmmph..." James replied soundly, "Later." There were only a few seconds of silence, though before his hazel eyes opened slowly and he pulled himself up into a half-sitting position, resting his weight on his elbow as he realized that something was definitely wrong, "Lily?"
Lily grinned, glad to have successfully gotten him interested, "Yes, Jamesy?"
She choked down a giggle as he examined her carefully. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked, looking mystified.
Now it was time for the ultimate shocker. She threw off the comforter that covered her, revealing a bright red, lacy nightgown she had received as a graduation present for a joke. If it could even be classified as a nightgown; it barely reached past her hips and showed more than it covered. Boy, was this a huge change from the usual baggy clothes she wore. Gently, she cupped his cheek and whispered seductively, "I want you, Jamesy."
She internally danced in excitement, waiting. And waiting. A small frown made its way on to her lips. Where was the moaning, groaning, gasping, eye widening, panting, anything? Where was the exploding?
Much to Lily's disappointment, none of this occurred. James simply smirked and strung an arm around her waist, "Baby, if you want me, all you've gotta do is ask."
Lily rolled her eyes and faked an appreciative smile. Boys. She had to something to get him even more riled up.
Before she could, though, his lips crashed down on hers, sending sparks throughout her. 'What now?' She thought frantically, naturally allowing her fingers to entwine with his hair.
Oh, who cared when he was such a good kisser?
-----------------
Her fingers tapped impatiently on the kitchen countertop, making a clicking noise.
She hadn't gained anything in the last hour.
Alright, perhaps she had gained some things – A hickey, swollen lips, and messier hair to be exact.
But operation wise, she was still hopeless. It was only this morning she had noticed how emotionless James really was. Heck, he hardly made any noises or showed any signs of ecstasy during the last hour, which Lily had been showing a lot of.
Lily shifted uncomfortably in her seat and hugged her maroon robes closer to her. James couldn't be emotionless. Sure, she had her fiery temper and there was the fact that opposites attract, but they couldn't be so different.
She needed a new idea. Now.
James had only just left for work, so she had the whole house to herself until noon, when he came home for him lunch break.
Hopping out of the chair, which she had been sitting in to contemplate her progress, she sauntered around the room, searching for anything that could help James explode with emotion.
Lily paused. What if she was in his place? What would make her explode?
Her eyes trailed over the spotless kitchen thoughtfully and a grin broke out on her lovely face.
Instantly, Lily got to work on her plan. It was easy and fun, setting up for the newest phase. This was sure to earn a gasp or two and a bit of hysterical yelling.
The hour passed by quickly, and sure enough, promptly at noon the familiar crack sounded through their house, signaling James's arrival.
"Hello, James," She greeted merrily as the man in question appeared, rummaging through his pocket for something.
He didn't look up yet, "Hello, Flower." Lily waited anxiously as he finally pulled out some loose change out of his pocket and reached out to place it on the kitchen countertop. As he did, though, his hand instantly froze and his eyes met the countertop. The newly pink countertop.
Phase two had begun.
James looked around him, looking confused. She watched as he cocked a head to a side, "Why is everything… Pink?"
Lily, being the genius she was, had worked hard to dye everything in the kitchen a dark, bright shade of pink. Everything.
One big thing that both Lily and James had in common was their hatred for the color pink. Lily simply detested the way that the most feminine color that existed didn't suit her and James had formed a grudge against it ever since Sirius had dyed his hair permanently pink with magic for two months. They had both found that out on their third date, where James had taken Lily to Madame Puddifoot's, hoping to impress her despite the disgust he felt towards the place.
"I was feeling creative, as I don't have work today," Lily exclaimed, taking his hand, "What do you think?"
She stood their waiting impatiently for the yelling, screaming, scolding. But he didn't.
"Erm, Darling? We hate pink, remember?" James asked, not looking tinniest bit on the verge of explosion.
Lily felt her insides sink, "You're not going to yell at me? Or get upset that I wrecked everything?"
James cast her an odd look. "No, I'm not. I'll work on fixing it, though. It's extremely repulsive. I can have lunch later on while working."
She heaved a depressed sigh. Couldn't he react just a tiny bit?
-----------------
It was hopeless.
James was still working in one corner of the room, while Lily sat in her 'thinking chair', pretending to be fixing the color of the napkins one at a time.
James didn't look upset at all. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying restoring everything to its normal color. Lily couldn't figure out why. She detested it.
Why wasn't he reacting? He was supposed to explode, let his emotions blare out in some form. She had tried making him mad, making him nervous, what else could she do?
The young lady heaved a sigh. Things were not looking good for her – There was only one more phase left. She had to gear up now and come up with a brilliant idea.
"James… I'm gonna… Go," She announced suddenly, standing up as she did so. James shot her a curious look, but before he could reply, she Disapparated from the spot.
Lily breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she was away from her still-rather-pink house. She instantly turned around, looking for ideas. It seemed that she had Apparated behind a melon crate in a muggle supermarket. She suddenly paused as she spotted a familiar face.
"Peter!" Lily greeted, surprised to see yet another of James's close friends, "What are you doing here?"
The man in question, a short, plump, balding person, shot her a smile, "Hullo, Lily. Is James here?"
"No," Lily said quickly, shaking her head, "I usually shop alone." She inhaled, thinking of a change of topic, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I found this place a few years ago," Peter replied cheerily, "I had never seen it before. Now it's like a second home. I mean, honestly, so much food in one place!"
Lily tried not to looking irked, but failed slightly, "Erm… You like food that much?"
Peter looked bewildered at the fact that she didn't know, "Of course! Lily, Lily, us boys live for food."
Lily's ears perked up. She stepped closer to him casually, "So… Food makes boys excited?"
"Duh," Peter replied, laughing slightly.
"Thanks, Peter," Lily waved. "I better go. See you around."
She turned around and began walking towards the numerous aisles of the store. Perhaps she couldn't get him sweat or yell, but she sure could excite him with food.
Glad that she knew a spell to multiply food, she instantly grabbed everything in sight.
It only took her fifteen minutes to stock up on food and pay, and fifteen minutes after that to set up the feast.
"James!" She called frantically, crossing her fingers behind her back for good luck, "Come here!"
Phase three was now in action.
She shuffled her feet anxiously as James, who was about to leave to go back to work, walked in slowly.
He instantly straightened his glasses as he saw the sight bestowed before him.
Proud of her charms work, Lily ran to his side anxiously, awaiting a reaction. She had filled every free space of the whole kitchen with food – from salads to cake to toast.
James turned to her, looking confused, "What is this?"
"It's a feast. I couldn't let you leave with an empty stomach," Lily replied in a bubbly fashion.
James shook his head, "You didn't need to." He stepped forward anyway, "Ah, well, I am rather hungry."
Lily watched in shock as he approached the food and dug in, not looking the slightest bit enthusiastic.
She had failed the challenge.
-----------------
Lily Evans was depressed. And unlike James bloody Potter, she was proud to show off her emotions.
So, she was doing so by crying in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and heaps of chocolate.
Sniffing loudly, the teenage girl broke off another piece of her treasured chocolate, helping herself to a watery bite.
It wasn't fair.
"Oh gods, Lily, you're a mess," Lily whispered to herself, setting down the chocolate to avoid further indulgence. She felt thoroughly upset. By now, her whole face was probably red.
Tempted to check, she grabbed a mirror by the bathtub-side and examined herself. Sure enough, her cheeks were tear stained, her eyes were swollen, and her face was red.
Oh, how attractive.
"Lily!" A voice suddenly exclaimed, causing Lily to jump and scream in fright. Shocked, she covered her mouth. Much to her surprise, the image of her in the mirror began morphing to a sleepy-looking Sirius Black.
"Sirius?" Lily breathed, eyes widened in alarm.
The man who was staring at her through the mirror shook out his hair, "That's my name."
Lily stared, as Sirius gave her a curious look.
"Don't tell me Prongs hasn't told you about the two-way mirrors," Sirius laughed, snorting.
Lily frowned, looking offended.
Sirius's eyes floated down away from Lily's face, "Evans, are you taking a bath?"
Lily went pink, "Yes."
"Oh, move the mirror down! Come on, I wanna see," Sirius moaned childishly.
Unfortunately, Lily was in no mood for his behavior, and instantly began crying again, consciously pulling the bubbles closer to cover her more.
"Evans, are you crying?" Her friend asked, gazing at her through worried eyes. "Whatever caused you to be is not poison, is it?"
Lily shook her head, giving him a strange look.
"Explosives?"
She shook her head again, a small smile visible on her face.
"Poisonous explosions? Explosive poisons?" He continued curiously, "Because my ex-girlfriend, Linda, she was actually rather fond of such things." He gulped, "And she just sent me a present."
Lily laughed, "No… It's actually." She sniffed, took a deep breath, and began the story ever since Remus's visit.
"And so, that's how I failed the operation," Lily concluded, newly formed tears streaking down her face.
Sirius looked amused, "Let me get this straight – You're crying because James never explodes at you?"
"Basically," Lily sobbed, grabbing her chocolate again, "And also the fact that I do explode. He's such a nice boyfriend and I'm such a… Horrid girlfriend!" She began wailing loudly, accidentally allowing the chocolate to fall into the tub.
"Lily! Having no emotion isn't a good thing. Come on, you have to talk to him," Sirius directed, looking both worried and firm.
Knowing that he was right, she nodded, wiping away my tears. James was probably back from work by now, as she had spent hours in the bathtub. She opened the drain, threw away the extra chocolate, and pulled on her comfy robe. Felling anxious, she crept down the stairs. Sure enough, James was lying back in an armchair.
Lily approached him cautiously and sat down in his lap, hoping that he wouldn't notice her ugly face. Predictably, he pulled her close to him and kissed her forehead, allowing her to rest on his chest.
It was a few minutes before he finally asked, "Is everything alright, Lily?"
She bit her lip, deciding not to reply.
Carefully, he turned her head so her green eyes met his hazel, "I know you're hiding something from me. Please do tell me what."
The sobs coming back, Lily leaned on to his chest, "James, how come you never show any emotion?"
James began stroking her hair, confused, "What do you mean? I do show emotion."
"No," Lily wailed, looking up at him again, "You're never excited, angry, or nervous. You just go along with the flow. You never explode with emotion."
"Well, I never feel excited, angry, or nervous," James shrugged, pulling her in even closer to comfort her.
Lily cried, "Yes! You can't never be excited, angry, or nervous. You have to be them sometimes."
There was some silence, where the sole sound was that of Lily's sniffing.
"I used to feel nervous all the time, I remember," James whispered, running a hand through his hair, "Around you."
"When?" Lily asked curiously, feeling like a child.
James laughed, "When I was an idiot and I thought that I could gain your attention and affection by pranking and bullying. I would rumple my hair when I was nervous."
Lily wrinkled her nose, "I used to hate it when you did that."
"I know," James replied quietly, "And luckily I stopped feeling nervous all time. I stopped exploding with all my emotions soon after, actually."
"What made you stop?" Lily asked, sitting up straight.
"Well…" James began thoughtfully, "I only felt really excited when you were around, and now you're always by my side. I only felt angry when I failed to fulfill your dreams, and I haven't failed in that yet. I only felt nervous by you, which I don't feel anymore as I know you're mine." He took her hand, "It was all replaced with a new emotion."
"What?" Lily asked, her heart throbbing in her. How could she have been so cruel and selfish? He was perfect.
"Love," He whispered, almost breathing into her mouth. He slowly leaned in, allowing their lips to meet softly. Passion seared through her, passion and love.
And suddenly, Lily knew that James, too, was an explosive. Not an explosive triggered by excitement, anger, or nerves like her.
At the moment, James Potter was exploding with the emotion of love.
A/N: Ah, that piece was too fluffy for my own good. Anyway, review! I'll make it easier for you. Just tell me how many chocolate eggs you think this story deserves-
0 eggs: THIS SUCKED. I WOULD GIVE YOU EGGS, JUST SO YOU COULD GET CAVITIES AND DIE. (Heh, It'd be nice if you could explain why if you chose this)
1 egg: It was boring. And long. And rather stupid.
2 eggs: It was okay. Not anything special...
3 eggs: This was pretty good! Nice work.
4 eggs: I LOVED THIS STORY! I want to marry it and bear its kids! (Okay, now you can tell that I'm hyper)
Happy Easter!