Holding hands

Percy had been a little more than slightly hesitant to engage in physical affection with Abby. He didn't know how to go about it. Should he be the one to initiate it or wait for her to ensure she was comfortable with it and wouldn't simply go along just to spare his feelings? Perhaps he was overthinking the entire thing; that's what Oliver and George told him.

They said he just needed to go for it, that it should be a spontaneous thing and not meticulously planned. He understood, but still...it was nerve wracking. Utterly so. It had been years since he'd done something like that with a woman that wasn't related to him. What if he messed up?

This would take things within their relationship to another level. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that or if she was ready for it. Things were much easier as a teenager when it came to this; Penny had been the one between them to start it. She held his hand first which gave him the confidence to grab ahold of her hand during other occasions. Not to mention, it had been only himself at the time and not him now as a father of two children. This wasn't, it could not be a casual fling he did for the fun of it. This had to be serious.

In the end, none of it mattered. All his thoughts and fears vanished.

The two of them had been walking. Abby surprised him while he was at work, standing in his office, staring warily at the stack of reports he had to take care of before the day was over. He was resigned to the fact that he was probably going to spend his lunch break in his office, simultaneously eating and getting through the mound of parchment. But that's when he caught sight of familiar looking blonde hair in his peripheral.

She asked him if he wanted to grab lunch together. Well, how could he resist that pretty smile of hers? The reports laid on the desk were forgotten. He got up and suggested that they head to the cafeteria now before it became too crowded. She agreed, grinning widely.

At first during their walk, he felt a smidge of awkwardness. He didn't know if she felt it as well, but figured that she must not. She didn't seem to; he heard her softly humming a tone that he didn't recognize and surmised it must have been a muggle song.

And then it happened.

They were walking side-by-side and he nearly jolted back from shock. Abby slowly slipped her hand into his own, intertwining her fingers with his. His eyes widened a smidge, glancing down at her and a warm soothing sensation fluttered through his chest. She smiled shyly, ducking her head. Her hand was simultaneously soft, yet calliosed. His brain short circuited, rendered awestruck by a simple touch.

Percy was very aware of the stres the two were receiving, even with the way some tried to act nonchalant. He hadn't done this sort of thing since Audrey. The gossip train was undoubtedly beginning to roll.

/

Hugs

He came to learn that Abby was a very tactile person. Once they'd begun to get much more comfortable with one another, she found any and all excuses to touch him. A brush of her hand against his arm, accidentally bumping into his side. He remembered the first time that they hugged.

It had been a quick one. It was so light like a feather. He wondered if she'd even done it all. Her arms had wrapped themselves around his midsection, with her leaning in and then pulling away a second later.

Percy didn't realize how much he yearned for more of those. He wanted the chance to reciprocate; to hold her back, rest his cheek on her soft hair, to close his eyes and just take in the moment. The next time she hugged him, it was longer.

She'd come to see him on her break. They spent that time together simply talking, laughing and enjoying themselves. When it came time for her to return to her job, Abby had turned on her heel until something made her pause. Before he knew it, she had her arms around him, one side of her face pressed against the bottom part of his chest, her eyes closed as she sighed contentedly. Two seconds of him frozen in surprise passed by and then he hugged her back, dropping his chin on the top of her head.

/

Cuddling #1

Abby invited him to her house to watch a movie. She still promised to take him to the cinema eventually, this was cheaper and they could be more comfortable than those stiff chairs so he was told. He apparated to her front door, politely knocking on the door. She opened it and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him in. There were a few bowls of snacks on the coffee table. She asked him if he was fine with a horror movie and he didn't know what that was, but he said yes anyway.

He wished he didn't.

Good Merlin. This was what muggles liked to watch? He must have jumped a dozen times when that...er, ghost-but it didn't look like any of the ghosts he'd seen-came out of nowhere. His eyes darted to Abby who was sitting beside him. She wasn't scared, miraculously enough. No, she sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, eagerly watching.

He felt like he should be scared of her for that. How she could be so calm like that was beyond Percy.

"Are you okay?' She murmured after another jumpscare which was apparently what they were called, happened.

"Fine," he muttered while his heart was beating erratically inside of him.

"Are you scared?" She tilted her head.

"Would...you laugh at me if I was?"

Her smile was tender. "Of course not."

He assumed she was going to go back to watching the movie now but she didn't. He stiffened as she scooted over, invading his personal space as she snuggled into his side. She held his hands as well.

"Now you won't be scared," she said, looking up at him.

After a couple of minutes, he tentatively wrapped his arms around her frame, relishing in the warmth that was shared.

Funny enough, he couldn't even focus on the movie now.

/

Cuddling #2

"I should go," Percy's voice was low.

"You should," Abby used her finger to draw an invisible circle on his chest. "It's nearly ten."

"Right."

It was a very intimate position, one that a few mere months ago, Percy never would have thought himself capable of doing. And yet here he was. On her couch. With Abby on top of him-fully clothed, mind you. It was like they were always meant to be like this, just like this, so happy and content.

Percy felt drowsy. His eyelids kept fluttering shut but he had to stay awake. He couldn't fall asleep. His girls would wonder where he was. Or perhaps not. Molly wasn't the most observant of people unless it involved quidditch. Lucy would, of course.

"I should go."

"You already said that," Abby told him.

"I did."

"This...we should stop. For today. It's late."

"Do you want to stop?"

Percy thought it over, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"No."