A/N - so, hey, this is my first attempt at Harry and Nikki, who obviously I don't own, the BBC do, otherwise a whole bunch of the fics on here would've happened!
This is dedicated to Charlotte88, who has been my inspiration here. Her writing is simply amazing, and the pictures she paints in my mind with her work are just indescribably beautiful. Plus, she encouraged me to publish this, when I was afraid of ruining Harry and Nikki ;) So, my little attempt here is dedicated to charlotte, for all the things I just said and also for being the first person who (unknowingly) introduced me to the world of H/N fanfiction :)
Expectation
It wasn't expected, not in the slightest.
It was a normal evening, you and Harry with a take-away, the last of the evening light beginning to seep away, leaving a golden glow in your living room.
In hindsight, it almost set the scene.
Criticising your DVD collection, Harry got up from where he had been next to you on the sofa and went to inspect further. You followed intent on defending it, of course only in a light, humorous manner.
But it's different. From the moment you got up and followed him, there was a slight, discrete change in the air, in the atmosphere – only noticeable if you were looking, which naturally you weren't.
Harry crouched down in front of the shelf, and you stood right behind him, explaining exactly why your DVD collection was in strict alphabetical order even though he had purposely changed it the last time he was there – a few nights ago. Then a noise from behind you distracted your attention from him, and you turned to the source of it. Simultaneously, Harry straightened up and only when he turned was he struck by the proximity of the two of you. Of course you were unaware, and continued to look around the room.
It was as though the unidentifiable change in atmosphere had caused the locked away chemistry between the two of you to leak out.
Only when you felt his touch on the back of your neck did you feel it, that something was different in the room. But what you felt more was the shiver that stemmed from where his hand was lightly tracing an experimental pattern at the base of your neck, almost asking permission to cross the deeply buried boundary. Your eyes had flickered closed as he had moved even closer, so that your bodies were touching.
"Nikki"
He whispered your name breathlessly, a thousand words exchanged between the two of you, as you then turned. You could feel the electricity, that change in the air that had become so prominent now that neither of you could speak for fear of choking on the words that didn't even come to mind anyway.
You had been uncertain of what was going to happen as you lifted your eyes to meet his, the intensity of the stare that met you breathtaking. He whispered your name again, and the hand on your neck moved slowly to touch your cheek, caressing it gently.
You nodded, and in hindsight you realise you were responding to an unspoken question, continuing the silent exchange between you and him.
And again, you close your eyes.
Within moments that change in atmosphere that had been ever present in the room had prompted him to lean closer, until he could breathe in your perfume and you could feel him closer than ever before; closer than friends would be.
And then you had felt his lips on yours, tenderly questioning, wondering, and you answered by wrapping your arms around his neck, responding to the kiss as you pressed even closer to him.
When you broke apart, a smile graced your lips, and then left as quickly as it had arrived as you opened your eyes and stepped back. Surely he had known and felt the change, the change between the two of you now?
But you needn't have worried at all, because when you whispered his name in a long awaited return, he smiled and you knew.
"Us?" he had asked.
And you had not hesitated to respond, by smiling and nodding and moving towards him again as he opened his arms. You had fallen into them and wrapped yours around his body, and he had held you close to him, an eternity entwined together stretching before you, filling you with an ecstasy like never before as a small laugh of relief escaped him.
It had been nothing if not expected, but then unexpected – you realise – is most probably always better.
Review? :)
