Ordinary
(A/N: so this is my very first fluffalicious oneshot. i was craving some writing time during my trip down to prague and budapest, and i felt like i needed to write something extremely fluffy.
although it's under Lily/James, i had started writing this piece as just an simple creative writing project for myself, until i realized that just by changing the description, i could totally turn it into LJ. but you'll notice that i leave their names out in the entire story. i wanted to write a piece that could be applied to any couple that you could bring to mind. if you ignore the physical descriptions, this couple has no real difference to any other teenage couple (except for the fact that they're crazy enough to... well, you'll see), which was the effect i was going for.
so enjoy the piece! it's really short, ridiculously so compared to If Only For A Moment, but still. take it easy on me, it's my first try at this! have fun.
edit: i just realized i posted this on James Potter's birthday. i hereby dedicate this fic to him. :D)
The last of the afternoon's rays flickered at the edge of the window, dancing a slow adagio across the pane in a twisting, thanking tribute to the sun. With a last smile, it disappeared over the horizon, leaving the room with a dull, warm glow.
Inside, the room was simple and in disarray. A wardrobe stood calmly in the corner as the other cabinet proudly displayed several books and items of interest. Various articles of clothing lay scattered around the mattress on the floor. As soft blankets sat forgotten on the edges of the makeshift bed, crumpled bed sheets bunched together near the centre in a tangle of fabric and white.
A sigh emanated from the covers.
She stirred, rolling over to reveal a cascade of red curls. Pale skin glowed enticingly as her back lay uncovered from her movement. Another sigh, and dark red eyelashes fluttered open to expose a pair of unfocused emerald eyes. They blinked several times before her pink lips spread into a contented smile.
Rolling over, she snuggled into the fleecy bed sheets before examining the boy – No, man, she corrected herself – asleep next to her. She couldn't prevent the smile that reappeared as her eyes trailed over the lines of his face in the early evening light.
Where her skin was the colour of the pale moon, his was golden-brown, tanned from the sun. A messy tuft of black hair peeked out from under the sheets as his mouth hung slightly open in an 'O', a look of complete serenity on his face.
This is the man I've fallen in love with, she thought as the familiar bubbling feeling pulsed inside her. She reached out with her hand, letting her fingers softly skim over his features as the bubbling continued to grow. Unable to restrain herself, she leaned forward slowly to capture his lips in a soft kiss.
Blinking her eyes open, she was caught in a hazel gaze flecked with gold. She started to pull back, only to feel his hands gently holding her in place to continue the kiss. She complied, leaning further in so that they were touching shoulders, sighing happily in the process. When he started to playfully suck on her lower lip, she broke off and gasped indignantly. His smirk seemed to have the words 'I win' written all over it, and she ducked down to kiss him again to prove him wrong. The competition lasted for a few more minutes until it subsided into soft pecks and sighs. Finally pulling back, she smiled over at him.
"Hey there," he murmured, eyes roving over her face, much like she had been doing moments before. She let the sound of his voice wash over her, feeling the pulsing grow stronger.
"Hey," she replied in the same tone before shuffling over in order to get closer to him. Automatically he shifted one arm underneath her neck and the other around her waist, her head pillowed on one side of his chest. She snuggled in, closing her eyes before breathing in his now oh-so-familiar scent.
"How was it?" he asked, looking down at her. She raised herself on her arms so she could look up at him properly, and grinned.
"What did you think?" she shot back playfully, smacking his arm. He chuckled, but let his arm drift down to rest on her thigh. In response, she wrapped her leg around his hips comfortably, unperturbed by the fact that both of them were completely unclothed. She let her head fall back onto his chest as he smiled and kissed the top of her head before burying his nose into the red tresses.
They lay there in that intimate position for several minutes, listening to the other's breathing. Through the haze of content sleepiness, she realized that, more than anything, she wanted this moment to last forever. This was the first – and will probably be the only – time she had spent an entire day alone with him. It had taken a lot of risky planning for them to make this happen, but in her opinion it had all been worth it. The chance to lie next to him, enveloped in his arms and his warmth, was something she knew she'd cherish for a long time to come.
What surprised her most was how the entire day had passed by so ordinarily. In a way she knew that today had been special – one that she'll remember for the rest of her life – because of their decision to make love for the first time. But the entire process and the events before it felt so… normal. Even now, after they had done the deed, she didn't feel any different from that morning. Other than the extreme sense of content, she felt exactly the same as she always did whenever she was around him. It was this comfort that she really loved about him and their relationship – everything felt so natural, free of uncertainty and nervousness.
How did I get so lucky? she thought wonderingly, blinking open her eyes to look at his dozing face. That hair… those eyes… his voice, and the sound of his laugh… the way he looks at me when he thinks I'm not looking… the way he looks at me when he knows I am… his kisses, his touch, and his warmth… the stupid way he always brushes back his hair when it falls into his eyes… his immaturity, his irrational thinking, and that lopsided smirk… how all of them came together to make me fall. God, I love him so much.
As if he felt her thoughts and her gaze, his hazel eyes appeared, fixating themselves on her emerald ones. He smiled and ran his hand down her thigh comfortingly.
"Don't you wish this could be everyday of our lives?" she sighed happily, kissing his shoulder.
There was a slight moment of silence before she heard his concurrence. "Yeah, that would be amazing, wouldn't it? To be able to wake up with you next to me, looking like you do now."
"And cooking in the kitchen together," she added, before giggling. "Although it would mostly be you cooking, since I can't make much other than mac and cheese."
"And being able to walk around without the need for clothes…"
She giggled again, nuzzling her nose into his neck. He smiled, taking in the feeling of having her held so close to him.
"God, you're so touchable," he remarked after a moment of comfortable silence as he continued to stroke her skin. She laughed, but he didn't miss the faint blush that stained her cheeks.
"How many times have you told me that?" she giggled, planting a kiss on his ear. He grinned, and shot back, "Many. And I will continue to do so for as long as we're together."
She smiled, but the sparkle in her eyes dimmed somewhat. She shifted over to rebury her face into his chest, but he didn't miss the change in her demeanour.
"What's up?" he asked, a worried frown appearing on his face. He placed a finger under her chin and gently moved her gaze towards his. When she refused to meet his eyes, he asked again, "Is there something wrong?"
"No, no," she protested, keeping her eyes focused on the wall across from her. "It's just…"
He waited patiently for her to continue, knowing that if she wanted to reveal something to him, she would. After a few moments of hesitation, she blurted out quietly, "How long do you think we'll last?"
Her question was met by silence, and she could feel her heart beating quickly and painfully at the thought of his answer. Realistically, she knew that relationships that were started this young (they were barely seventeen, for God's sakes!) didn't last that long, and certainly weren't the ones that ended up with long marriages. If anything, most of them ended up in a divorce. But it was one thing to realize something logically and to realize something emotionally; deep down, she wanted to hear him say that there was a chance of this working out.
The silence seemed to stretch forever, and just when she thought her heart was about to burst from suspense and foreboding, she heard him mutter something under his breath.
"What did you say?" she asked, finally finding the courage to look up at him. "Sorry, you were mumbling or something, because I didn't hear – "
"Darling," he interrupted, his gaze serious, loving, and yet… apprehensive. She felt like she was drowning in hazel. "Today was – is – amazing," she heard him say as if from a distance. She could hear the same longing she had for this day never to end. "And I wish that every day was like today. That I could have days where it was only you and me, and no one else. I know you feel it, too." She heard him take a deep sigh, as if readying himself for something crucial and important before lowering his lips to her ear, in the softest caress she had ever received.
"Spend the rest of your life with me."
The world refocused, froze and dropped away. She couldn't see anything but him, but that didn't matter to her. She couldn't feel anything but his warmth and the rapid, erratic beating of her heart. It was a new kind of pain, like her heart was trying to break free and fly. The bubbly pulsing had intensified and was crashing over her, rendering her speechless.
He caught her look, and said very quickly, "I know it's sudden. And I know it's crazy. But I want you to know that even if you say no, it's not going to stop me from asking again. I realize that, right now, we're still young and you might not want to take that kind of a commitment. But I think – no, I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I'm not going to disappear if you turn me down today. I promise you."
He looked so sincere, and the apprehension had disappeared completely from his eyes. All she could think of was how ridiculous this scenario was, and how ludicrous he was being. She was so used to telling him everything that, after a moment's hesitation, she couldn't help but blurt out the next burning question.
"But we're only seventeen!" she exclaimed. "Do you really think we'll last that long? A great number of other couples our age simply don't make it that far!"
"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her to soothe her. "And I can't promise you anything. Anything can change. But I meant what I said before. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"But what about your family? My family? We're from completely different worlds, you know that – "
"And the world can deal," he said firmly. "I'm not going to live my life the way the world wants me to. I love you, and that's all that matters to me." She was quiet for a moment, processing his words.
"But why now?" she finally murmured, her gaze unwavering against his. He considered her seriously for one moment before answering.
"Because I want all of you," he replied softly. "And I want to give all of me to you."
"But you already do. Didn't today show you that?" she whispered, returning her gaze to the covers.
"I know I do. But I want the rest of the world to know it, too."
She was silent again. When she continued to look at the sheets in front of her, he requested, "Look at me."
She complied, locking gazes with him. She saw the determination and the love reflected in his eyes when he finally voiced the words she thought he had really meant.
"Marry me. I love you."
It was as if something had come by and swept all her indecision and insecurities away. She felt her head clear and her body relax as she let the words wash over her. It was a moment before she could find her voice again, but she managed with some effort to raise herself off the bed so that she could look at him properly. His eyes searched her face, and as he started to smile, she bent down to his ear and murmured, "Yes."
She pulled back to be met with the widest grin she had ever seen on his face, his hazel eyes lighting up in the evening glow. Releasing loud laughter when he wrapped her in a consuming hug, she let the pulsing return and hit her with full force. He pulled back and kissed her passionately, letting the excitement and butterflies course through them.
"Oh, God," she panted when they broke apart. "You're ridiculous."
"Me?" he asked, smirking. "You mean both of us."
"No, you. You asked me to marry you!"
"You're the one who said yes."
She grinned and kissed him, effectively shutting him up. "I win."
He opened his mouth to protest, but on second thought closed it again. He smiled and hugged her, spooning behind her in the pile of soft covers. She sighed happily, burrowing back into the length of his body, entangling their legs. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, "Yeah. You do win."
(A/N: so that was it. i hoped you enjoy. reviews are welcome.)