I Can't Sleep – James/Lily – By Kshiba-chan

"Lily." I felt him run his fingers through my hair as he whispered my name. "Lily."

I rolled over and half-opened one eye. "What, James? I'm trying to sleep… What time is it?"

I felt him shrug. "I 'unno."

"What, then?"

"I can't sleep."

I sat up, my eyes quickly focusing in the dark. I could see the other four-posted beds; I could hear a gentle snoring sound coming from the left of James, somewhere in the direction of Remus, and Sirius murmuring in his sleep on the opposite side of the room to us.

James and I had been dating 7 months now, and a few weeks ago, I moved into his dorm. The teachers didn't know. Most of the students didn't know – That we were sleeping together, anyway.

"Try harder." I suggested, not really thinking about what I was saying.

I lay back down and closed my eyes. When I felt him do the same, I was able to relax again. I felt him wrap his arms around me, pulling me in closer to him. He slipped his hand up my shirt a little, placing it on my stomach. This was normal for him, so I paid little attention.

As I was very close to drifting off to sleep, he started tracing along my ribs with his finger. I really was too tired to stop him, so I didn't move. He carried on with this for a few minutes. It felt nice, because his touch was so gentle, but it wasn't exactly relaxing.

"James. Please… Trying to sleep." I whimpered.

"This isn't helping?"

"No."

"Okay." He stopped, and put his hand flat on my stomach again.

I quickly fell asleep again. Wrapped in his arms, I felt so warm and secure. If I ever had to say where my safe, happy-place was, I'd say in James' arms like I was right now.

When something started moving slowly down my stomach, I woke up very quickly. Lower. I'm not sure how long it took me to realise it was James' hand again.

I tried to ignore him. If he didn't get a reaction, maybe he'd go away. Lower. When his fingers reached my waistline, I felt my heart rate increase. He slowly and gently slipped his hand between my shorts and my underwear. My face heated up. He wasn't going to stop now unless I did something.

"Lily," He said in a sing-song voice, "I know you're awake. I can feel you heart beating fast through your back..!"

"James, can you keep your hands to yourself for one night?" He didn't move his hand.

"Do you really want me too?" He was just being smart now.

He hooked his thumb in my underwear. Was it just me, or did the entire room just heat up dramatically? He simply chuckled and slipped two more fingers under the band of my underwear.

"James. Please. You're starting to make me uncomfortable." I squeaked.

"I'm starting to feel uncomfortable, too…" He replied. I wasn't sure what he meant, until I felt something poke me. Both of his hands were on me, so…

"James!"

"What? You said to try harder!" Slowly, I felt his two remaining fingers join the other three.

I sighed and rolled onto my back to look at him.

"What's with you tonight, James? You're not usually this touchy-feely this late at night."

"I just need you, Lily. Really badly. Like the other night, on the Quidditch pitch."

"I'm sure you can wait until morning. It's the weekend starting tomorrow, so –" He cut me off by pressing his lips firmly against mine.

I really wanted to fight back and just go to sleep, but my body really wanted James. His scent alone caused me to lose any will to reject him. I just lay there when he pulled back to take his shirt off, and didn't react when he did the same to mine.

"What if the others wake up?" I asked as he started softly kissing up and down the side of my neck.

"They won't." He replied quickly between kisses. They were almost like little butterflies on my neck. So gentle, so soft, so fragile…

"Prongs? That you?" I heard Peter say. James groaned.

"Yeah, Wormtail. Whaddya want?"

"You know it's 2:45, right?"

"Nope."

"Well, it is. And why were you breathing so loudly? It woke me up."

"I wasn't breathing loudly…"

"Yes you were." Peter and I said together. James sighed and got out of bed.

"Lily, can I see you in the Common Room?"

"Yeah…" I was confused, but slipped on of his t-shirts over my head and followed him out the door and down the stairs.

It was so dark, the fire was simply embers on ash and firewood. James made his way to the fireplace to re-kindle it, while I stood just near the stairs, my back to the wall. I noticed how different the paintings looked at night-time.

Suddenly, I found myself pushed against the wall, James' hands under my shirt again, trying desperately to get it off.

"James, you can't really be that desperate for-"

"Trust me, Lils. I am. I need you just like the Seeker needs the Snitch." I giggled. I love his Quidditch metaphors.

After managing to get his shirt off me, he pulled me close and we kissed. I love it when we kiss. It's like, nothing at all can go wrong in the world because it was just so perfect.

Without breaking this moment of perfection, James led me to a comfy, over-stuffed two-seater couch, and pushed me onto my back. Only when we were on the couch and he was comfortably on top of me, did we pull away for air.

Having a battle with the button on his pants, James asked, "Wormtail said it was quarter-to-three. Do I still have to wait?"

I purposely waited until he won the battle before saying, "If I said 'no' now, all the effort you just put in to unbutton your pants would have been a waste wouldn't it?"

I couldn't help smiling and giggling as he tried to pull my shorts down.

I opened my eyes slowly. Oh, God! I fell asleep! I tried to sit up, but was pinned to the couch by some big, warm mass; James was asleep on top of me. I strained to look at his wristwatch. 4:30. I struggled to get my arms free, to push my hair out of my face. I put one hand on James' head. He was so cute when he slept. Cuter than usual, I mean. And his hair was so soft.

I ran my fingers through his hair, only stopping to straighten his glasses.

"James," I whispered, my fingers entangling themselves in his hair. "James…"

"What, Lily? I'm tired…"

"Sorry, but…"

"But what?" He sat up slightly.

"I can't sleep."