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Lily sighed into the kiss and melted against Scorpius, because it was hot, and soft, and now that there wasn't an audience she felt no shame in reciprocating the kiss, nipping softly at Scorpius's full lower lip, tongue smoothing over the sting, and he groaned, pulling her impossibly closer. "You can't distract me with kisses like that," Scorpius rumbled, pulling back when her tongue teased his and she suckled the hot muscle as it plunged into her mouth, loving his instant reaction.
"Why not?" she breathed. Making out was a much better alternative to being pissed or shooting the gun she still held.
"You're distracting me," he said, and smirked. "And I can't very well fuck you right here, unless you're alright with anybody who looks seeing and everyone too chicken shit to look hearing you screaming my name."
"I can be quiet!" Lily hissed, looking grumpy again, and Scorpius was equally amused and frustrated that she was being so evasive.
"No you can't, honey," he rumbled. "You try, but all those sighs and grunts turn into moans by the time you start coming."
The redhead blushed, and hard, but figured he was probably right. When it came to getting laid, if Lily was enjoying it, she was hard pressed to hold it in. "Fine," she said grumpily, for a third time, and Scorpius smirked. He was rapidly learning that when Lily said the word fine, she was usually anything but. And Scorpius was rather looking forward to having her mean it when she said she was fine, even as he told himself firmly not to get attached.
Lily was fun, and a great lay, and he found himself genuinely liking her, despite the fact his oldest friend still hadn't spoken to him since he'd last seen him and told him he was a shit friend for being upset that Scorpius wanted to see Lily in the first place. But he couldn't get attached to her. He simply couldn't afford for it to not work out with the feisty redhead and lose Albus as his friend in the process. So Scorpius told himself sternly there was no chance Lily could ever be that woman he'd imagined for his someday down the road, period.
"Are you ready?" Scorpius asked, stepping back, forcing himself to block out the tempting sight Lily made in her pink sports bra, barely covered by the sheer white tank top she'd put over it, and her little black leggings that hugged her lower half to perfection.
"Mostly," Lily said, and took a deep breath, blew it out, and lifted the gun. "Okay, now I'm ready," she said, and Scorpius wanted to laugh. She had her eyes squished closed, her mouth set, and her shoulders far too tense, gripping the little gun with white knuckles.
"Not even close," he said, and steered her toward the range to face outward properly, moving behind her. "First of all, you need to relax, honey," he murmured, his tone soft and soothing against her ear, making a tiny bit of the tension melt out of Lily's shoulders. "Relax completely, and trust that you're going to be fine doing this."
"Okay," Lily breathed, and tried to relax, but she couldn't help it. She was nervous. Scorpius's hands moved around her hips and she leaned back against his solid warmth as he pressed her to himself.
"You're still not relaxing, Lily," he murmured, kissing the side of her neck. Lily sighed, trying to force her tense, nervous muscles to relax, focusing on the soft feeling of Scorpius's lips against her neck as she tilted her head to allow him better access. "Better," Scorpius murmured, palms moving to glide down her arms and covering her hands. "Now, first things first," he said, lifting the little silver Beretta from her grasp, smirking a little, because her palms were far too sweaty. "Having the correct grip."
He placed her hands on the silver firearm correctly, her right gripping the handle, index finger resting over the trigger loop, left hand braced under the butt of the pistol and her other wrist. "Why do I need two hands?" she asked, because people in movies never used two unless they were playing SWAT teams.
"Because you're a beginner, and I didn't think you wanted to sprain your wrist or worse after the first shot." Lily frowned over her shoulder at him, but Scorpius merely turned her chin to face forward again. "No pouting at me, honey," he rumbled, and she felt her nipples go hard as his hands dragged back up her arms and down her sides. "I'm merely stating the facts." She pouted a little still, and Scorpius kissed her neck. "Still ready?" he murmured teasingly.
"Just show me how to use this, before I sprain my wrist and point it at you," she snarked back. Scorpius chuckled, but showed her how to take the safety off, aim, and fire, and after an hour, the redhead had expended a dozen rounds into a paper target, gotten a charlie horse in her hand from gripping the damn gun too tight, and found the most satisfying and effective outlet for anger she could've ever imagined.
Lily was still riding her adrenaline high, her face permanently set into a wide smile she was sure, when they at last made their way back to the front counter to return the Beretta to Carlos. "I think I might need to start coming here on the regular," Lily said, her left hand wrapped firmly around Scorpius's right, carrying the rolled up targets she'd hit in the other, Scorpius holding onto her borrowed weapon as they made their way to the counter.
Scorpius smirked a little, knowing already Lily would definitely be back, and feeling a bizarre sense of smug accomplishment that he'd lead Lily to the past time of shooting. And there was a frisson of something deeper and much more significant, something that made him feel as if she'd just accepted a large portion of himself, and who he was, by facing her fear then overcoming it and shooting a gun with him. And then he saw the familiar massive form of his right hand man and the one person he trusted above all others, leaning against the counter, talking to Carlos, and Scorpius watched Dozer straighten and then turn to face them as they approached.
"Dozer," he said, and nodded, and Lily looked up at a dark skinned black man who had to be seven feet tall, at least, and close to four hundred pounds. And even though she hated it, she felt herself shrinking closer to Scorpius, who looked puny in comparison to this man despite his own significant size, because he had a mean looking face, and dark eyes that looked flat black, and he was utterly terrifying.
Lily almost laughed when he nodded back to Scorpius and said in a very soft voice, low and with a distinct southern drawl, "Evening, Captain."
"You have the keys?" Scorpius asked, and Dozer pulled the set from his pocket. Lily almost fainted when he glanced at her again, then told herself firmly to stop being silly. "Excellent. Thanks again, Dozer," Scorpius said, putting the gun on the counter to accept the keys.
Hazel eyes bulged as Lily realized this was the man who'd changed her locks, and she blanched, because what if Mr. Kim or one of her other neighbours had seen him!? "You must be that personal acquaintance," Dozer said, and extended his enormous hand toward her.
"Lily," the redhead squeaked, releasing Scorpius, shuffling her targets, and putting her hand bravely in his, surprised that he was gentler than even the tall, sexy blond standing beside her. And then she did laugh, just a little, because if she had to guess, this Dozer man was probably a gentle giant, and if she had to put money on it, she'd bet he'd have her back as surely as Scorpius would, which Lily was starting to realize was pretty much always.
"Pleased to meet you, Miz Lily," he said, and smiled, and Lily watched his whole face transform from scary to boyishly adorable, evaporating her terror upon first sight.
"Oh no, it's just Lily," she said, a little flattered with his obvious manners. "But it's nice to meet you too."
"Best of luck with that," Scorpius murmured. "Thanks, Carlos," Scorpius added as the Latino man had easily and efficiently taken the gun apart and began cleaning it before returning it to its lockbox.
"No es nada, Capitán. Ella es buena para ti, creo, tu pequeño rojo." Scorpius frowned, and Dozer looked amused. "Or perhaps better than good, Capitán?"
"None of your business," Scorpius said flatly, and Lily, who had a feeling they were talking about her, merely reached for Scorpius's hand again, and thought again about her recent experience. It had been, admittedly, a little scary at first, but now she was half tempted to ask to go again, right then, even though it must surely be getting late, and she was starving. The burst of adrenaline, the jolting kickback after she fired, the sharp scent of expended rounds tickling her nose, and, most of all, the comforting, secure feeling of Scorpius's solid warmth behind her, pressed to her. It was kind of addicting, to be honest, and that was surprising, considering she'd never once, in a million years, thought before right then she'd have actually been able to even pull the trigger on a gun, let alone actually aim it and take pleasure in the act of firing a weapon. Though that might have been because picturing Harvey's stupid face made it that much easier.
"Are we going?" she finally asked, knowing she had to, at some point, return to her flat to at least attempt putting things right before she crawled into bed and slept as long as possible.
"Yes," Scorpius said, and nodded once again to his friends and colleagues.
"Thanks," Lily said to the two men, and waved her little souvenir paper target. Carlos smiled.
"Come back soon," he said.
"Goodbye, Miz Lily," Dozer said, inclining his head to her as well, and then Scorpius was tugging her hand gently and lead the way out, back toward his very nice car.
"How do you know Dozer?" Lily asked as they buckled up and Scorpius started up the engine.
"He was my bunk mate in basic training," the blond said, smiling a little, recalling those first days where he'd struggled to come to terms with the enormity of his decision to join the army in the first place. "He actually asked to switch me, because he was supposed to get top bunk, and I wasn't exactly keen on the idea of being crushed when the damn bunk buckled under him, so I said sure."
Lily chuckled a little at that. "So you've known him your whole army career?"
Scorpius shook his head. "No. After my second tour…" Lily watched his expression darken a little. "Dozer got reassigned, and I took a longer leave." The blond pointedly didn't mention his lack of choice in the matter. "But when I came back, and took my Special Forces training, Dozer was selected with me."
Lily looked at him for a moment, then said, very softly, just like when she'd asked if he missed the army, "You're close to them especially. Your Special Forces guys. Is that because of what you guys had to do?"
The blond balked for a second, then reined in his emotions, the vulnerability that question revealed, because it would be obvious to an outsider that his only friends, with the exception of Albus, were indeed all in the Special Forces unit he'd lead as Captain. "Sort of," he finally admitted. "They understand," he said. Dozer most of all, he reckoned. Being part of a war, no matter how small or indirectly, affected a person, and when you saw the most horrible of things, they undoubtedly left their marks upon you. Scorpius knew this first hand. He'd seen and done things he was disgusted by, and yet, the men he'd served with knew, and didn't loathe him for it, because their hands were just as dirty. They understood that nothing was fair in war, and to be victorious, a soldier had to sometimes be ruthless. And they all had their ways of atoning for it now.
Scorpius almost jumped when Lily put her hand atop his on the shifter, squeezing his hand ever so gently. "I'm glad you have them," she said lightly, and smiled, and then looked out the window, releasing him.
When Lily at last got back to her apartment, and unlocked the deadbolt with her shiny new key Scorpius provided, she was beyond exhausted. But, looking at the sturdy silver lock that seemed stronger than her actual door, and feeling something bizarrely like affection for the blond man who stood behind her, she felt a burst of something warm in her chest. "Are you coming in?" she asked, looking hopefully over her shoulder at him.
"Of course," Scorpius said, because he was picturing, again, for the tenth time since they'd left Carlos's shooting range in fact, Lily wielding a gun with frightening accuracy and confidence. And it was making him distinctly horny.
Lily opened her front door, a slow smile unfurling on her face, and turned round to face into her apartment stopping abruptly once inside. The mess she'd seen before was all completely tidied, her living room set to rights once more, even if her book case was put back in order wrong and her knick knacks weren't where she'd originally left them, and she was almost afraid to look at the rest of her apartment, that seemed reorganized but likely not at all to her preference. "I really hope your friend Dozer didn't clean up this place," she finally breathed, feeling embarrassed as she moved into her living room, then glanced at her once again orderly kitchen.
"No, that was probably Ricky, his husband," Scorpius said, hoping Lily wasn't mad the slightly pushy if not actually intimidating figure of Ricky had touched all her stuff and tried to put it all away without Lily present. Scorpius knew if he was in the redhead's shoes, he'd be furious though.
Lily looked round at him, then laughed. "Wait, wait, wait," she gasped after a moment. "You're telling me-?"
"Yes," Scorpius said, with his own smirk. If he hadn't met Ricky personally, he'd never believe it, but he had no qualms with his right hand business partner and blood brother being gay. And he had to admit, the other half to Dozer had done wonders for the almost entirely silent and distinctly shy man in the two years they'd been together.
"Wow. Actually," Lily said, going to her fridge, "I can sort of see it now." She looked around after fishing two beers from within her fridge and handed him one. "And I suppose he did alright, considering he doesn't live here and doesn't know me." Scorpius cracked his beer and sipped as Lily did the same. "And I suppose it's good a gay man tidied up my bedroom," she said, crossing her little flat to the bedroom, looking around at the room, then moving to her dresser, opening the topmost drawer. "Aw, what a sweetheart, he even folded my panties for me. You will thank them both for me, right?"
"Of course," Scorpius and then frowned a tiny bit at that, thankful himself Ricky was gayer than a handbag full of rainbows, because the thought of another straight man rummaging through Lily's undergarments made him want to shoot something.
Lily took a long pull off her beer, closed the drawer, then kicked off her shoes and peeled off her socks, padding barefoot into her bathroom. Scorpius watched as she set her drink down, pulled off her tank top, and felt himself getting hard when she began easing her sleek black leggings off, revealing a bright pink thong, the same fluorescent shade as her sports bra. He took a long drink, watching her. "You're staring," Lily accused, stepping out of her leggings before turning on the water in her shower and taking another long pull from her beer.
"You're getting undressed," he replied, voice lower and rougher than normal as his jeans got uncomfortably tight.
"I am," she said with a slow smile. "That's generally part of my pre-showering routine," she said, lifting a brow at him. "Are you coming with?"
Scorpius moved into the bathroom with her as the mirror began to fog from the heat of the shower, steam billowing, then took another swig of his own drink before setting it down beside hers and taking off his shirt. "You bet, honey." He snapped the left strap of her thong after she peeled off her sports bra. "You're forgetting these," he rumbled as she leaned into him, lifting onto her toes, clutching his broad shoulders, to kiss him.
"You still have pants on," she rumbled, and kissed him again, teasing her tongue along the seam of his lips, and he rewarded her with a sudden onslaught into her own mouth, loving the way she clutched him, tongue gliding hot and eagerly over his. "Take your fucking pants off," she breathed against his own gasping mouth. Scorpius chuckled, but undid his pants and belt, letting them drop to the floor. "And the gun," she insisted, although Scorpius opted to leave it readily accessible on the back of the toilet as opposed to the floor with his pants and boxer briefs.
By the time he was entirely naked, she'd flicked her little pink thong off her hips, and stepped out of the garment as she pulled him down to kiss him again, and Scorpius didn't hesitate to simply lift her against himself, holding her hot, molten center against his erection, and stepped into the shower with her. Lily moaned at the heat of the shower and the feel of Scorpius, oh so close, sliding tempting and teasingly against her. "Fuck, I want you so bad," Scorpius rumbled, clutching her tighter, and she moaned. The blond watched her tilt her head back, into the spray of the shower, wetting her long glorious mane of hair, and then smiled radiantly at him, little drops of moisture clinging to her lashes, her hair falling in slick ribbons down her shoulders.
"I'm really hoping you have a condom, because mine are all the way in my bedroom, and I wasn't planning on-"
"No matter," Scorpius said, grinning wickedly at her, easing her slowly down his body until she could stand, then pressing her back into the wall. "I generally prefer to have you coming all over me before I fuck you." Lily couldn't resist the shiver of pure delight that had her arching and shuddering into the tall, sexy blond, her fingernails digging into his shoulder blades as he snogged her senseless, his hands cupping and moulding the soft flesh of her breasts.
The redhead squeaked when he pinched her nipples, and Scorpius broke the kiss, chuckling. "Don't laugh at me," Lily sighed, because the blond had started kissing down her neck, nibbling enticingly, making her wriggle her hips against his.
"I'm not laughing at you," Scorpius murmured, and nipped hard at the supple junction between neck and collarbone. "I'm simply amused by you sounding like every time is your first time," he added, and Lily blushed.
"Well stop being amused," she grumbled, and Scorpius moved back a tiny bit to kiss lower, down between her breasts.
"Mmm, does it help to also tell you I'm turned on, and you're really fucking sexy, and I'm going to love every second of making you scream my name?" he rumbled, and Lily gasped as his mouth closed around her nipple in the next breath, his teeth nipping hard enough to smart before he suckled the hardened nub of flesh hungrily.
"That's better," she managed to choke out between heated moans as his wicked tongue laved and ravished her breasts and nipples, and Lily let out a little squeal of delight when she finally felt him move lower still.
"Let's see if I can do better than that," Scorpius growled, finally sinking onto his knees, and Lily eagerly lifted a thigh around his shoulder as his wicked mouth brushed up her inner thigh. "I'm hoping for excellent, at least," he murmured, and Lily bit her lip around a moan as her fingers sank into blond hair as the words puffed, hot and steamy, over her slick, wet pussy.
"Fuck, you'll get it, Scorpius," she breathed, and a guttural moan rumbled from her throat as he pressed him mouth to her and her fingers knotted themselves in his luscious platinum locks. "Fuck yes, you can have it all!" she added in a squeal as his very talented tongue swirled around her clitoris, two fingers teasing their way into her dripping quim.
"I'm going to hold you to that," he whispered roughly, even as he fingered her slow and deep, and Lily's eyes rolled back in her head with pleasure while he stared up at her, all heaving breasts and arching pelvis, hungry for more. "I want it all, Lily," he added, then suckled her clit, curling both fingers to scratch her g-spot teasingly, and watched her come unravelled for him, screaming his name to the heavens.
The next morning, Lily woke early, her mind clear and heart set, knowing now was the time, after the gross assault against her home Harvey had committed, to confront her ex. So with that end in mind, she slipped from bed, kissed a sleeping Scorpius for luck after washing her face, dressing, and brushing her teeth, and headed out. It only took a few minutes to get to Harvey's apartment complex, and even less time to get to his front door, and the redhead felt herself start to get mad when, after knocking politely, there was no response.
Lily pounded on the door she knew contained the man she'd once, like a naive little idiot, thought would be her future, half wishing she had Scorpius at her back. "Open the door, Harvey," she said, after listening with her ear pressed to the wood and hearing a creak the indicated her ex had just stepped away from the peephole, and the pounded with a fist on the door again. "Open up, I can hear you!" she growled furiously. "Goddamnit, Harvey-!" she half screamed, hearing him lean back to look through peephole, glaring through the tiny viewing portal at him.
But before Lily could properly tear into her ex-boyfriend right outside his apartment, a woman across the hall stepped out, looking pissed. "Look, lady," she snarled, making Lily flinch a tiny bit, "if you want to scream at your boyfriend, or whatever, go ahead, but if you start swearing, we're going to have a problem!" The redhead could only stare in shock. "I have a very talkative two year old who can definitely hear you, and if you teach him bad words, I can promise you, you'll regret it," she spat, and then went back into her apartment, slamming the door.
And then, to add to Lily's utter shock and confusion, Harvey's door opened at last, her ex standing there looking imperiously at her, arms folded. "I knew you'd come crawling back," the smug asshole said with superiority, and Lily's hazel eyes narrowed dangerously. "What do you need, Lily?"
The redhead bit back the urge to give a snarky retort, and forced a poisonously sweet smile. "Other than for you to walk off the nearest cliff?" she purred with saccharine softness, "Only for you to never ever lay foot near my apartment again, you pathetic excuse for a man."
Harvey's smile slipped into a scowl. "I beg your pardon?" he growled, and Lily giggled condescendingly as her ex puffed up in defensive, offended outrage. In her defence, the redhead couldn't help herself, because the difference between Harvey and Scorpius was hilariously unfair, where her ex was left wanting in almost every category except pretentiousness.
"Oh Harvey, you absolute fool," she said, tone never rising despite her growing fury toward this inferior man who seemed desperate to keep her, despite her lack of interest, or active dislike of him. "You trashed my apartment, you jerk, and ruined half my belongings. I'm so beyond over and done with you, it's not even funny," she said coldly. "If you have a problem with that, too fucking bad," she added in a growl, not wanting the crazy mom-neighbour lady returning. "So I can promise you, if you ever come near me again, you will regret it, Harvey." She turned away. "Goodbye," she added carelessly, and felt her heart leap into her throat as a strong hand grasped her wrist, swinging her forcefully back around.
"You can't walk away from me," Harvey hissed, looking furious, eyes bright and manic. "You'll regret this, Lily," he added, even as the redhead wrenched her wrist from his grasp, barely refraining from hitting the motherfucker. "I can promise you," he breathed, and Lily felt a chill wriggle down her spine at the fervor and intensity of Harvey's normally calm, mellow gaze. "You'll rue the day you rejected me, Lily," he vowed darkly. "And even more the day you took up with that big muscled, tiny-brained idiot," he growled, "instead of a man who knows you, and loves you, and most of all who understands you, like I do." Hazel eyes rolled and the redhead had heard enough.
"Stay the hell away from me," she declared, and stalked angrily away, feeling much less accomplished than she'd hoped upon setting out.
But Lily knew one thing for certain as she stomped down the stairs, hoping Scorpius would be at her place already, waiting for her to come home from work. No matter what, she'd told Harvey she was done, she'd sneered at him and rubbed his face in the fact she was better off without him, and she felt a sort of vindicated completeness now that one chapter of her life had closed. Because she was excited to start living in her post-Harvey world, where there was Scorpius, and whatever happiness she could find for herself ahead.
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