A/N : And a new chapter is here ! I hope y'all don't have diabetes because this is SWEET !! I'm so proud of this chapter tbh ! Enjoy, and please review if you liked it !
She had kissed him. John still couldn't wrap it around his head. Anna had kissed him, in front of everyone. Anna loved him back. He felt lighter suddenly, to know his love wasn't one sided. After the applause had ended, he stayed with Anna in his embrace, eyes closed. He was afraid of opening them to realize this had just been a dream. But the taste of her lips on his was proof enough of the moment they had just shared.
Anna revelled in his embrace. It felt like a dream for her too, but she knew it was real. She had confessed her love for John and had kissed him, in front of the whole school staff. She didn't care about them, though. She felt freer now. Her feelings were shared and she now knew how John tasted. The feelings of his lips on hers had been divine, the greatest she had ever experienced.
They quickly slipped away to talk….alone. John took Anna's hand and led them to the door separating the great hall from the teacher's space. Once away from earshots, John gently pushed Anna against the door, taking her face in his hand and kissing her with tenderness yet passionately. Anna moaned through the kiss. God this man knew how to kiss, she thought. She closed her eyes and let John deepen the kiss. His tongue against hers was a feeling she would never get enough of. Her hands sneaked to his chest, she grabbed a handful of his shirt in her hands, trying to get grip on something or else her knees would drop. John eventually pulled out, out of breath. Both of them were panting. Anna opened her eyes and was met by the most genuine smile she had ever witnessed. His eyes were full of love and she wanted to weep. This man had truly captured her heart.
"I longed to do this for almost as long as I've known you", he whispered. Anna felt tears pricking her eyes. She regretted bitterly having gone so long without confessing her love for him. John seemed to read her mind and added "our time as friends wasn't wasted. You're still my best friend and I love you, Anna. How lucky am I to be in love with my best friend?"
Tears fell down Anna's cheeks. Yes, she was so lucky to be in love with this kind, sweet man.
"I love you too, John. I'm sorry it took me so long. I refused to believe you could love me" she looked him in the eyes, hers still filled with tears.
"I think I should have been the one doubting," he chuckled.
"You're an incredible man-" she tried to argue.
"And you're an incredible woman. I could only love you" John assured her, taking her into his embrace once more.
"So what now ? Are we… a couple ?" She asked, shyly while stroking his chest.
"I hope so but it's totally up to you. If you don't want to, it's totally okay" He reassured her.
"Of course, I want to be your girlfriend, John. I kissed you, remember ?" She gave him a racy smile.
"How could I forget ?" He replied playfully.
Anna awoke as she felt a weight dropping on her bed. It was Mary. Sleep was sacred for Anna, her best friend had to have a really good reason for waking her up. Mary looked at her with curious eyes. She could only roll her eyes at that. She put herself in a sitting position, facing Mary.
"What ?"
"What do you mean "what ?" You kissed Uncle John !!" Mary exclaimed.
"I did," she shrugged. She tried to hide her content smile.
"Anna, aren't you happy ? Is he that bad of a kisser ?" Her friends asked and Anna couldn't contain her smile anymore.
"Far from it. I'm truly, truly happy" she replied in a happy sigh.
"So, are you hanging out now ?"
"Yes"
"Oh Anna, i'm so happy for you iiih" Mary jumped on her, encircling her with her arms in a tight hug.
Anna rolled her eyes at Mary's behavior. She seemed cold hearted, her best friend, but in reality she loved all things romantic. She let out a happy sigh. She was truly happy to be John's girlfriend. She just hoped they wouldn't start being awkward because of that. Let yourself be happy, she chided herself. Everytime she thought of him, she felt her heart beat faster. She was entirely smitten with him.
After the holidays, when she arrived at school, she could feel all the eyes on her. Downton was a small town, secrets spread like wildfire, especially considering the fact they had kissed each other in front of the whole school staff. Only now students seemed to be aware of it too. They whispered as she passed by. When she entered the teacher's room, there was a strange atmosphere. Everyone looked at her. She was so embarrassed. Why was everyone acting as if she had done something incredible ? She had only confessed her love to a man. As in cue, she saw him enter the room. He seemed as embarrassed as her. It was Thomas who came to their rescue.
"Yes, they're dating each other. Move on" he spoke aloud. It seemed to do the trick since everyone went back to their occupation. He winked at Anna and she mouthed a "thank you". She turned around to face John and nodded her head to the side and he understood. They moved away from the room to a calmer place where they could talk alone. John had been visiting his mother in London during the holidays, so they haven't seen much of each other since that party. Though, they had talked everyday by text messages or over the phone.
"Hello, you" she said, raising on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss on his lips. She smiled shyly as she pulled away. "Is it alright if I kiss you here ?"
"We're not in a secret relationship, Anna. You can kiss me whenever and wherever you want" he assured her without realizing the double-meaning of his sentence. She blushed a little.
As he caught it, he tried to correct himself "I meant the place where you kiss me doesn't matter"
"It's okay, John, I understood" she gave him a saucy smile nevertheless. He smiled back, a little reddish.
"We've become celebrities" he stated, smiling.
"It proves how dull Downton is at times", Anna replied in jest. He gave her a mock reproving smile.
The bell rang and it was their cue to go to their respective jobs. They kissed a last time before parting, him to the library, her to her classroom. She had class with the Year 10 right now. She saw Rose, William and Albert standing in front of the classroom, chatting. The other students were yet to arrive.
"Hello, you three," she called.
"Hello, Miss Smith. We're so happy for you and Mr Bates !" Rose said excitedly. Albert face-palmed himself and William looked embarrassed.
"I can see the news travel fast. Thank you Rose" she smiled at the teenager, blushing a little.
After a week, the whispers had faded. The newness of their relationship for the people seemed to have worn off. Anna was a little glad about that. She liked to be open about her love for John but she didn't like being the center of the attention. She didn't want to keep it secret, but private. They kept on discussing her new relationship, Thomas happy to see Anna beaming as she told him how loved John made her feel.
"John's tastes are quite versatile. He seems to prefer youngsters now" they heard someone saying
Anna looked at her with a questioning look, wondering what that meant. Thomas threw an angry glare to his godmother. The bell rang before either could say more.
"I don't have time for that, Sarah," Anna snapped. She bid goodbye to Thomas before walking away to her class, ignoring O'Brien cordially. But what Sarah had said was on the back of Anna's head. She knew she shouldn't let herself be bothered by something Miss O'Brien said but she couldn't help herself. What has she been implying ? This left her in a strange mood all day.
Later that day, John passed by Anna's class. He knocked softly on the door and when she told him to come in, he gave her one of his eye-smiles and Anna felt her insides flutter. She couldn't believe he was really her boyfriend. She kept pinching herself. After Alex, she had given up on relationships and had dedicated herself fully to her job. She was anxious about how things would evolve with John but she felt ready to embark on this new adventure.
"Hello, sweetheart", he said as he came closer and kissed her quickly. She sigh happily. There was no better feeling than kissing him…well yet.
"Hi", she replied, as they pulled away.
After she had collected her stuff, they walked to the parking, before they parted, John grabbed her hand which made her turn around to look at her. His hand was soft and dwarfed hers.
"I was wondering, if…y-you…would accept to go on a date with me, tomorrow ?" He stuttered, unsure and shy. Anna smiled at him. He was really an adorable silly beggar.
"I'd love that. Where would we go ?", she inquired and he winked. She thought she would melt on the spot.
"You'll see" he just said, kissing her goodbye before climbing in his car.
When she came home, she made herself something to eat and posted herself in front of the TV. Her phone's notification sound went on and she looked at it to see she had a message from John. She smiled.
Be ready tomorrow night at 6pm
Dress warmly x
I can't wait x
Tomorrow was Friday. It was her day off and John worked only until 3pm, it was perfect to go on a date. She wondered where he would take her, considering it was late November. He had told her to "dress warmly", he planned an outside date. This made her even more curious. Suddenly, she felt really anxious. She had never been on a date before. It wasn't the kind of thing Alex did. She needed some pointers so she decided to open her friends' groupchat to get some help.
From Anna :
Guys, John invited me on a date, I need help
From Gwen :
That's so cool !
From Mary :
Where is he taking you ?
From Thomas :
I'm so happy for you, tiny one. When is it ?
From Anna :
It's tomorrow night. He's coming to take me at 6pm. He didn't say where but he told me to dress warmly.
From Thomas :
Let's meet tomorrow at 3pm okay ?
From Anna :
Thanks guys x
At the book club, the next morning, Anna and John were very giddy, sharing glances every now and then. Their students were looking at them as if they went mad but no one said anything. Rose beamed at the two lovers. She found them utterly adorable. She caught them kissing each other goodbye, and had to contain her cheer.
When the bell rang around 3pm, Anna joined Thomas, Gwen and Mary and they went back to her flat to help her get ready for the date.
"Okay so, did John tell any of you guys where he was going to take me tonight ?" Anna asked while going through her drawers. Thomas was leaning against the door frame while Mary and Gwen were sitting on the bed.
"No. And that's probably better because knowing those two" Thomas pointed at Gwen and Mary "it would have spoiled the surprise he prepared for you"
"It would have helped me to know how to dress !" She whined.
"Love, John would love you if you wore a potato sack" Mary told her, placing her hands on her shoulders.
"It's our first date. I want to impress him !"she pouted.
"What about lingerie ?", Gwen inquired.
"I need to wear actual clothes, Gwen"
"Have you thought about…you know…" she wiggled her eyebrows.
I-I...it feels too soon and I'm not sure if I want to…already" Anna stuttered, looking down obviously uncomfortable about that prospect.
"Yeah, so…what do you have that is warm but glamorous ?"
She tried on a few things, each time earning herself mixed reactions.
"How about a skinny black jean and your see-through jumper ?" Thomas suggested and her eyes shined.
"Thomas, you're a genius," she exclaimed.
"Well, I try my best," he replied in jest.
They chatted for another hour. Once Gwen and Thomas had left, Anna decided to take a bath to get ready for her date while Mary was on the phone with Matthew. After it was done, she dried herself and went back to her room to get dressed. She opened her drawer to retrieve some underwear and couldn't help but notice a piece of red lingerie. She remembered wearing it on her first time with Alex, back when he was a decent boyfriend, back when she wasn't as broken as she is now. She didn't know why she never threw it out. She suddenly thought about John, would he find her sexy in this ? She blushed lightly at the thought of them doing these sorts of things but she meant what she said to Gwen, she wasn't ready for the moment. Anna decided to keep the piece of lingerie as a symbol, if her relationship with John worked, she would wear them on their first time.
Once fully dressed, Anna dabbed some perfume on her wrists and her neck, put on some makeup and jewelry. Then, she headed downstairs where Mary was watching a reality show while eating popcorn.
"You stayed an hour and a half in that bath, I'm surprised you didn't turn into a mermaid" she said, without looking up from the TV.
"And you stayed on the phone all the while with Matthew" Anna retorted.
"Yes I did"
"You two should really get married," Anna chuckled.
"Tell me about it", Mary replied with a touch of envy in her voice.
"Is this" she gestured to the TV "your plan for tonight ?" She asked.
"Math is probably going to keep me company" Mary informed her friend.
"Okay, I don't want any more details. I'll tell you when I'm coming back home"
"If you ever come back" Mary winked, causing Anna to roll her eyes.
At around 6pm, their bell rang and she opened the door to see John in front of her, wearing a V neck jumper, giving her a glimpse of his hair covered chest. She gulped and looked up. He was smiling. She loved his smile because it made his eyes crinkle and she thought he was the most handsome man on earth when they did.
"Hello, you", she whispered.
"Hello, love. Are you ready ?" He questioned her.
"I am", she gave him a cheeky smile.
"Let's go then. Good night Mary !" He said, offering Anna his arm, which she accepted, linking hers with his.
"Good night uncle John !" Mary shouted back, from her spot on the couch.
They took John's car, which was parked just in front of Anna and Mary's flat. They drove for about 20 minutes until John pulled over to the side, to park in front of a building. Anna looked up and read the big neon letters on the facade "Ice Rink".
"John" she gasped.
"Yes"
"We're going ice skating ?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes" he replied, this time with a chuckle.
She launched herself into his arms. Tears gathered in her eyes. She couldn't believe he was taking her there.
"I used to go ice-skating with my dad when I was little… until he died" she looked down sadly and John suddenly worried he shouldn't have brought her here but before he could apologize, she looked up and whispered "I can't believe you did this for me. How did you know ?"
"Thomas told me. I asked him where I should take you on a date and he told me you would appreciate this" John explained.
"I can't believe he lied to me when I questioned him about your intentions. He was the one helping me choose this outfit" she gestured to her body.
"He chose well," John complimented her, making her blush. He suggested they should get out of the car and they did.
Anna linked her hand with John's and they walked together until they reached the building, entering and heading to the registration counter. They rented two pairs of skates, put them on and went to the ice. As soon as John put his foot on the ice, he fell, landing on his bottom. Anna couldn't help but laugh out loud. She helped him stand up and led him to the nearest barrier. He watched her moving, as he tried to maintain himself with the help of the barrier, she was gracious. With his bad knee, John was unable to skate as well as her, or even stand on his two feet for that matter. He had completely forgotten about that. He hoped he wouldn't look like a fool in front of Anna. After two ride around the rink, she finally noticed a struggling John on the side, and skated towards him.
"Need help ?" She laughed.
"Oh, love, I had totally forgotten I didn't know how to skate. I was so eager to surprise you…I hope you don't find me ridiculous" he blushed.
"I already told you I could never find you ridiculous, John. Now come, I'll teach you how to skate" she held a hand for him to take.
"You don't need to" he waved off.
"But I want to !" She insisted.
He resigned and followed her. She teached him some simple moves and John realized why she was such an amazing teacher. She was a natural, teaching was like a second nature for her. After an hour of trying, John finally managed to skate, even if he wasn't as gracious as Anna, who even did some figures. When they were too cold and tired to skate anymore, they decided to leave the ice to get themselves some hot chocolate and waffles. While Anna took off her skates, John was waiting in front of one of those little cabins for their order. After a while, he came back with two hot drinks and two hot waffles wrapped in craft paper. They moved to the snack area. Anna blew on her chocolate before drinking it. John chewed on his waffle. Both sighed in contentment at the same time and exploded in laughter.
"Thank you for this, no one had ever done something so nice for me", she whispered.
"I'm glad you like it", he replied, smirking.
"I love it, John. And I love you"
"I love you too, sweetheart" he replied and they leaned over the wooden table to kiss.
"Your lips taste like chocolate" he said, licking his own lips which caused Anna's breath to hitch on her throat. God what was he doing to her.
"Since it's our first date, we should get to know each other a little more" she suggested.
"What do you want to know ?"
They shared trivial pieces of information on them. They laughed together as they were learning about the other. Anna was convinced John was the nicest and funniest man she had ever met but then she hadn't much comparison. She felt like she was the happiest woman alive when she was with him, he had a way to make her feel like she was the only girl in the world. John felt the same, he had so much more confidence around Anna. He felt like a totally different man, in a good way.
"When I was a teen I had the biggest crush on Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer", she confessed, blushing slightly.
"I must admit I have no clue who that is. Don't forget that I'm an old man, Anna" John told her, chuckling, earning him a swat on his chest.
"You're not that old, John Bates !" She assured him, thinking of what O'Brien had said "Anyway it was a show I used to watch. Who was yours ?" She asked.
"Mine ?" He looked at her, lowkey confused.
"Your teenager years' crush, silly" she giggled and John decided it was the nicest sound he had ever heard.
"Oh… it was Olivia Newton John. Loved her in Grease" it was his turn to blush.
"You watched Grease ?" She couldn't help a giggle.
"Of course. I love romance…and beautiful girls" he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She blushed furiously.
"It's one of my favorite movies", she told him. John was relieved to know she wasn't thinking of him as an old has-been.
Once they had finished their snacks, they walked toward the entrance. There was a gift store there. John wondered why people would buy gifts from the ice rink, until his eyes settled on a teddy bear on the shelf. It was dark brown, wearing little skates. His hand left Anna's and he approached the saler, to ask for the bear, he paid and when the plushie was in his head, he turned to Anna and handed it to her. She looked at him, confused.
"Here, for you"
"John…" Her heart skipped a beat.
"You told me I was cozy the first time we met" Anna blushed "This teddy bear will remind you of me, then"
"Because you're my own teddy bear. I don't need a reminder of you, John, but thank you, I love it" she said, circling her arms around his neck to bring him closer and kiss him.
The kiss was chaste but lingering. John could have melted on the spot at the tenderness of her lips as they moved against his. After they parted, he suggested they go home because it was getting late. Anna linked her fingers with his, holding the bear to her heart and they walked back to the car. Once in the car, seeing it was still early, John proposed that they went back to his flat to watch Grease together while eating take-out. He worried Anna would have rather eaten at a restaurant but she assured it was fine, he could invite her another time. She winked as she said that, making John lose his wits.
During the journey home, Anna's mind went back to what O'Brien had said. She cursed internally for thinking about it now. Her date tonight with John had been wonderful but she couldn't help but wonder if this was meant to be. She didn't doubt John's feelings but Anna suddenly felt self-conscious about her age difference with John. Perhaps, she was too young for him. She was far from naive but he had been married, had a whole other life and she had only left college two years ago. She fell quiet, half-listening to John telling her about his day. John noticed that she wasn't listening and started talking nonsense.
"And that's how I met the Queen" she heard him say to which she nodded. John sensing that Anna still wasn't listening, he placed his hand on her knee. The gesture seemed to bring her out of her reverie. She looked up to him.
"Welcome back to earth, you were miles away !" He smirked.
"I'm sorry, love. What were you saying ?" She gave him a weak smile.
"Is something wrong, Anna ?" His expression was suddenly worried.
"I…" she stuttered.
"You can tell me anything," he assured her, stroking her thigh.
"You don't think I'm too young for you ?" She was fidgeting with her fingers, nervously.
"Are you…regretting this ?" His voice wavered.
"No, of course not !" She was quick to assure him "It's just you've lived another life before me, mine just barely started and maybe you would…tire from me" she confessed, ashamed.
John suddenly pulled over and parked to the side. They weren't home yet. When he had stopped the car, he cradled Anna's head with his hand and leaned to take her lips in a heated kiss. She gasped from surprise but soon let herself revell in the kiss. When he pulled away, she looked at him, dumbfounded.
"W-what…was that for ?" She was having a hard time thinking straight.
"I won't tire of you, Anna. Don't think it's some sort of distraction to me. I keep pinching myself, not believing someone like you accepted to be with someone like me" he reassured her.
"You don't see me as a naive girl ?" She asked, her blue eyes piercing him.
"I see you as a brilliant, gorgeous and kind young woman I'm madly in love with. What made you believe I would think you too young for me ?" He softly asked.
"O'Brien told me that your tastes were versatile. She seems to say I'm really different from Vera…I thought that it was because I'm way younger than you…" she told him. He chuckled a little.
"You're different from Vera, yes. It's a good thing. I love you as you are Anna and it doesn't matter if you're younger than me." He gave her a warm smile.
"Truly ?" She asked.
"Truly", he replied without missing a beat.
They remained silent for the rest of the journey. When they came into John's flat, he ordered some Italian take-out. Half an hour later, their order was delivered and they ate in front of the TV, watching Grease as John had suggested earlier. After they had finished eating, they cuddled on the couch to watch the remainder of the movie. Anna's head was on John's chest, his head buried in her golden locks, he pressed a few kisses on her hair while his hand stroked her arm. She sighed at the contact. When the movie ended, she tilted her head to look at him. At that moment, an urge to kiss him invaded Anna and she raised herself a little for her mouth to meet him in the most tender kiss he had ever experienced. One kiss turned into several kisses, each sweeter than the one before. She couldn't tear herself from his lips, kissing him until he was out of breath and his lips were swollen. When she finally pulled out, he looked at her with such tenderness she could have died here and been the happiest woman in the world. Anna pushed John a little so he was leaning against the couch border, she straddled his hips, slowly devouring his lips with multiple sweet kisses. His hands traveled from her hips to her sides and back down. He pulled away just long enough to whisper to her ear.
"Would you like to stay tonight ?"
Anna suddenly froze. He was asking her to stay and that surely meant he wanted to take things further. She pulled away, and stood next to the couch, fidgeting her hands in front of her, nervously. She wanted to run away but she couldn't let her fear control her. John loved her; he would understand if she told him she wasn't ready.
"I-I…can't do it…I'm not ready…I'm sorry" she cried.
"Oh, Anna. I wasn't expecting anything. I just don't want you to go back home tonight", he told her.
"You're sure ?" She looked at him, her eyes shining with happy tears.
"I'll be more than happy to just sleep with you in my arms, my darling" He assured her, standing and coming next to her, holding her hands.
This made Anna smile, she sneaked her arms around John waist, holding him tight. She took his hand in hers and they went to his bedroom. He went to the bathroom to change into his pajamas. He handed her one of his t-shirts for her to use as pajamas. She went to the bathroom to change. Once they were both dressed for the night, John leaned under the cover, opening his arms to welcome Anna. She crawled into his bed.
"You have a very comfortable bed, Mr Bates" she teased him, sighing in contentment in his arms
"I'm glad you like it," he chuckled.
"Thank you for being understanding", she thanked him.
"It's normal, love," he smiled.
"It means a lot to me. I love you, John", she whispered.
"I love you, Anna", he whispered back.
They kissed each other once more before saying good night. Soon, they fell into a contented sleep, dreaming about the day they had spent.