A/N: I feel like I'm constantly apologising in my author's notes, but I am very sorry for the delay! I knew what I wanted to happen in this chapter (i.e. I knew that I wanted to return to smut), but I never found the inspiration to actually sit and write. But I've been continually receiving sweet reviews and messages so that definitely spurred me on. Thanks so much for the support and for showing your interest! Not the longest/most eventful chapter but hopefully you will enjoy it in some way! xxx
...
Coming to a halt at the door to the large dining hall, Mary smoothed her hands down her coat. It wasn't raining today, thankfully, but it was bitterly cold. It made sense, however, that she felt the breeze more fully today than most other days, given her attire...
She caught her reflection in the window and bounced her hair with her hand to give it a bit more volume, before stepping through the wooden door, a small smile of anticipation playing on her lips.
It was Valentine's Day - a day that she had been uncharacteristically fretting over for several , it was a day that she had no need to fuss over like most other girls did; she could be sure of receiving at least a dozen cards, a few bouquets of flowers amidst the many single, long-stemmed roses, as well as more unusual gifts from admirers who sought to stand out from the crowd (although they all unfailingly resorted to some kind of sickeningly sweet, singing stuffed toy). The abundance of attention paradoxically caused her to meet the day with apathy. Indeed, she had made a little boy cry when she was eight because she had uncaringly used his hand-made card to mop up her spilled orange juice. But this year, it was different. She didn't have her usual 'suitor' from whom she could accept the gifts bestowed upon her with false coyness. No - she had a pseudo-boyfriend this year, and she was thoroughly unsure of how to proceed with this day of romance as an active participant rather than a passive recipient.
Moreover, she had no idea what Matthew would give her and she didn't want to over-shoot nor under-shoot the price range, or the level of sentiment. What if he got her something inexpensive but full of meaning (like the little necklace that she had been wearing for several weeks), while she gave him some extortionately-priced tie just because it looked nice? Or what if he went all out and showered her with several impressive presents but she only gave him a DVD of his favourite film? Or, worst of all, what if he didn't get her anything? It was unlikely, she conceded to herself, given that he'd gone to all the trouble of getting her a gift for Christmas, but Valentine's Day was a different kind of festivity altogether.
Anna had, as always, been invaluable in advising her of how best to act. Buy him something small, she'd said. Just a small token of your affection - it will mean more than a grand gesture. Anna had made a point of saying this, Mary thought, because she knew the kind of presents that Mary was accustomed to giving. Anything lower in sophistication than Prada was quite simply an insult. It had taken Mary another few days or so to fully understand exactly what an 'understated' gift consisted of. Eventually, desperate and devoid of any other ideas, she had settled for giving him the gift that she had been too afraid to give him for his birthday. It was a first edition of a book of Pablo Neruda's love poems; Matthew had mentioned a couple of months earlier that it was one of his favourite things to read as a teenager, and Mary had gone to some lengths - and considerable expense - to acquire it. Nevertheless, it wasn't flashy or overtly costly, and she could be quite certain of his appreciation.
For now, though, she had something else to give him.
"Mary! What are you doing here?" Matthew asked, his eyes lighting up as Mary unexpectedly approached him as he ate at one of the tables. He had been working in the library solidly since 9.30am in order to complete an essay, but had become distracted by the numerous soppy couples proudly and indiscreetly displaying their affection to the rest of the library's occupants. He'd therefore sought refuge in the dining hall, which he knew emptied out by 2pm. Plus, it was a good opportunity for him to have his lunch, which he'd almost completely forgotten about in his attempt to research the various theories of restorative justice. Mary had texted him about thirty minutes earlier to ask what he was doing but he hadn't expected her to turn up, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Casually glancing around the spacious hall to ensure that they were alone, Mary smiled back enigmatically. "I came here to give you your present."
Face lit up, Matthew beamed up at her, unable to conceal his joy at the knowledge that she had thought to give him a gift. "A present? For Valentine's Day? You know you didn't need to get me anything, Mary." He said sincerely. It meant enough to him that she had sought him out just to spend some time with him. He'd felt awfully guilty for escaping to the library for the entire morning but he had to finish the essay by this evening; he was spending the evening with Mary and wanted to give her his undivided attention. The plan was to go to dinner at a quiet French restaurant near their campus, and then perhaps stop by at an unofficial Valentine's party that was being held in one of the accommodation blocks. He hadn't wanted to make concrete plans for after dinner, as he didn't know how things would proceed. They had grown into something resembling a couple who were casually dating, as opposed to mere acquaintances who occasionally romped around, but it still seemed rather serious to have an entire evening planned for just the two of them. "So what kind of present is it?" He asked, intrigued.
Mary tugged on her coat self-consciously. She didn't really know what had gotten into her, but she wasn't going to back away now. A little shiver of excitement ran down her spine as she eyed him alluringly. "Let's just say that it involves my mouth."
Matthew swallowed hard. She must mean that she has a kiss waiting for him...right? What else could it be? Well, he knew exactly what else it could be, but he was trying his best not to dwell on that because he was growing painfully aroused. He cleared his throat awkwardly, attempting to maintain the appearance of nonchalance. "Oh? Alright...well, I've got you a present too. I haven't got it with me, though - I was going to give it to you this evening."
"That's fine." Mary replied with a smile, her heart skipping a beat upon learning that he had got something for her.
"So, about my present..." He prompted, deciding to abandon the nonchalant approach. She was still stood beside him, despite him having immediately pulled out a chair to indicate that she should sit with him. She also hadn't bothered to remove her coat. He supposed she may just be stopping by to drop this mysterious present off before departing. She probably had things to do during the day. He suddenly wondered whether she would be meeting any other boys today - they hadn't yet mentioned exclusivity in their relationship, but he hoped that it was implicit.
"In due time." Mary replied with a saucy smile. "You need to be patient, Matthew." She leaned down and kissed him deeply, her hands automatically sliding around his neck and up into his hair to hold his mouth against hers.
The kiss drove Matthew wild. He could almost feel her bare flesh under his hands as he reached up and squeezed her waist and hips. It felt like far too long since they'd been together and his imagination was running riot. She wasn't letting him get too close, though, and he could feel her resisting his attempts to pull her onto his lap.
"Sorry," he breathed when they broke apart, "I guess we should be careful in case someone walks in." He blushed, slightly embarrassed that he had let himself forget his surroundings. It was highly unlikely that anybody would walk in, as lunch had stopped being served, but sometimes students would seek shelter and warmth in the cosy dining hall from the chill and rain outside.
Mary raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? I had quite the opposite idea..." Fuelled by the passionate kiss they had just shared, she pulled at the knot in the tie around her coat. Keeping eye contact with Matthew, who looked both captivated and confused by her, she slowly undid the buttons, before quietly slipping it off and letting it fall to the floor. Matthew's reaction could not have been more satisfying.
Eyes as wide as she'd ever seen them, he openly gawped at her, his gaze travelling up and down her body. She was sure she could see him actually salivating. She inwardly congratulated herself on her choice of outfit. The fitted, red lace teddy with a hint of sparkle clung to her curves. skimmed her pert bottom and boosted her cleavage to its maximum potential. She had toyed with the idea of wearing nothing underneath her coat, but decided against it; it seemed more enticing to leave a little to the imagination. Besides, it was bloody freezing outside and she didn't think she could handle having absolutely no clothing on.
"So, what do you think?" Mary asked. His face said it all, really, but she wanted to hear it from his own lips.
"I think-" Matthew rasped, his eyes still glued to her body, "I think this is a - a quite marvellous present." He licked his lips. "Only I'm quite annoyed at you for doing this here, where I can't really do what I want to."
Mary smirked at him. The poor boy, clearly stunned by the vision unveiled in front of him, had forgotten the clue that she'd told him just minutes earlier. "This isn't your present, Matthew." She reminded him, gently grasping the arm of his chair for balance as she stepped in between his legs. "Happy Valentine's Day." She whispered against his parted lips, kissed him briefly, and knelt down in front of him.
Realisation dawned on Matthew's face as he remembered her words. "Mary-" He gasped, realising what her goal was. "You don't have to do this-" He began to protest, albeit feebly, as he felt her nimble fingers work on his belt.
"Shh, I want to." Mary murmured, still smirking at his expression, persisting in undoing his jeans, She could hear Matthew whispering several curses under his breath as he awaited what he knew was coming to him.
His breathing doubled in speed when her hand wrapped around him, positioning him at the entrance of her perfect, rosy lips. He knew just how wonderful her mouth felt on his own, so could only imagine what her 'present' would feel like...
The moments that followed were the most glorious of Matthew Crawley's young life.
He would never forget the sight of Mary's head between his thighs, eagerly bobbing up and down and angling from side to side, leaving no inch of him uncovered by her deliciously warm, wet mouth. What she couldn't reach with her tongue she grasped and played with using her fingers, and occasionally her silken hair would brush against him too. He summoned enough brain power to reach down to fondle her soft breast through the thin piece of nightwear, which only served to heighten his already monumental arousal. Just when he'd thought it couldn't get any better, she'd reached up and grabbed the dessert from his tray, smothered him with custard and proceeded to suck him clean. It was quite possibly the most intensely erotic experience of his life - each encounter with Mary appeared to outdo the last - and it sent him into a spiral of delirium. He wouldn't have recognised his own mother if she'd walked through the door, which, thankfully, she didn't - in fact, they were left blissfully undisturbed, leaving him to groan and swear as loudly as he wanted to until he finished violently, and Mary made sure that no trace of his expiry remained.
"Worn out?" Mary asked as she gently zipped his trousers back up and stood up, incredibly smug with the effect she had had on him. The aftershocks that he was feeling were visible as his body continued to tremble.
Matthew panted heavily, before eventually accepting that he didn't even have sufficient energy to sit up straight, and let his head fell to the table with a thud. "I think I might need you to carry me back to my room." He said drowsily. He was only partly joking - his legs felt like they had evaporated.
"I'm not sure I'd manage that." Mary smiled down at him. She ran her fingers through his hair until he lazily looked up at her, looking as if he had just run a marathon.
"God, Mary, that was insane." He murmured, gazing at her wondrously. "It was really, really good." It wasn't the most eloquent of descriptions, but it was all he could manage in that moment to show his appreciation.
"I'm glad you liked it." Mary said, still pleased with herself. "I've never given anyone a Valentine's gift before."
"Well, you certainly couldn't ever go wrong with that." Matthew blew air out of his puffed cheeks and tried to regain the feeling in his legs. He abruptly stopped and peered at her worriedly. "Not that I'm suggesting you should give that same present to other guys, too."
Mary couldn't help but laugh at his adorably jealous expression. "Don't worry, I won't. That was just for you." She winked at him, picking her coat up off the floor and shrugging it back on.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Matthew asked sadly as her body was covered back up. It would be a long while before he'd be able to do anything, but he still didn't want her to leave. The last few days had been busy for them both and he had missed her company.
"You have an essay to write, remember? And I don't want to distract you anymore." Mary insisted, knowing how important his work was to him. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you in about five hours."
"OK." Matthew nodded, reluctantly accepting that they couldn't spend all day together. "That'll give me time to work on another present for you..." He said suggestively.
Mary raised an eyebrow at him knowingly. "I look forward to receiving it."
...
A/N: not much to this chapter beyond the smut, was there? In any case, I thought it would be a good set-up to the next chapter, which is the rest of Valentine's Day. I could have done it all in one massive chapter but that would have meant a longer wait! Let me know what you think, and if there's anything you'd like to see more/less of. Thanks so much for reading! xxx