A/N: I'm not really sure about this first so I'd love to know what you think. I'm still looking for prompts. I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve, but not many. I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review.

Wisps of Breath

"The Lion's Head," Emily read out. From the outside, the pub certainly looked more respectable than some of the taverns during her time. Not that she really knew what they'd been like. Women weren't allowed in: it was deemed to be too dirty for the so called morally superior women. Of course, the prostitutes were in there all the time, but upper class girls like Emily had had to be 'protected' from the unscrupulous reputations of taverns.

"Yeah, we come here all the time," Becker said with a reminiscent smile.

"Well if you're sure I'll fit in," she replied uncertainly.

"Emily, we wouldn't have invited you if we didn't want you to come. You need to get out of Matt's flat sometime."

"I suppose you're right, Jess."

"I am, so let's just go inside and order some drinks," the young field coordinator replied, taking the lead and pushing open the burgundy front door.

Becker muttered in an undertone to Emily, "You'll get used to her bossy ways."

"I heard that!" Jess called back to him.

"Whoops." Becker's smirk made even Emily smile gently.

"Are you two coming in or are you going to stand out in the street all evening?"

"Keep your heels on, Jessica, we're just coming." Becker rolled his eyes but walked forwards all the same and stepped into the dimly lit pub. Emily followed him warily, her eyes revolving so she could look left and right. A group of balding men were sat at the bar with pints of beer. Each of them turned to watch her as she moved from the doorway to the table Jess had gotten in the opposite corner of the room. Similarly, a group of ten teenage boys observed her, their eyes appraisingly following her sinuous form. The attention rather disturbed the Victorian woman. Unaccustomed to the lecherous looks of men, due to her sheltered life, it made her quite nervous.

As she sat down at the table, Jess immediately stood up.

"I'm getting drinks," she announced excitably, "what do you both want?"

"I'll have a cider," Becker said, closely watching the teenagers who were now getting rowdy in what was presumably an attempt to impress Emily Merchant. It did not work, however, considering how drunk they all were, it was amazing that they could even stand.

"I'll have…" Emily stopped. She didn't even know what there was. "I'll have whatever you're having, Jess."

Jess skipped away and up to the barmaid who was cleaning glasses with a tea towel, and leaning over the bar to talk to the four middle aged men.

Becker whistled lowly. "That was brave," he commented.

"Excuse me?" Emily asked, bewildered by what he was talking about.

"Jess always has a glass of whisky to start with. She likes getting well and truly hammered and says that's the only sure fire way to do it," Becker explained, watching the auburn haired girl at the bar. Suddenly she turned and gesticulated at Becker and Emily. "Ha, she's having trouble getting served again!" Becker chuckled and made sure his head was bowed from sight when Jess returned so she couldn't see him laughing.

It didn't work. As soon as the nineteen year old sat down at the table she smacked him around the back of the head. "Stop it! Or I'll take your cider back!" Becker stopped laughing and pulled the pint of amber liquid towards him. "I wonder what time Abby and Connor will get here," she murmured as she passed Emily a tumbler half-filled with alcohol.

"They said they'd meet us here at seven. It's quarter to, so they won't be long. Unless, of course, Connor has some trouble with the car," Becker joked, still amused by the fact that Connor had only just passed his driving test. But as he spoke the words, the door opened and through it walked, Abby and Connor. Abby hurried over to the table whilst Connor went to the bar to order them drinks.

"You look nice," Jess said, looking eagerly at Abby's grey, asymmetric top.

"Thanks," Abby replied warmly as she sat down in the chair beside Emily. Connor came carrying a white wine spritzer and a pint of beer which he set down on the table. He placed the spritzer in front of his girlfriend and pulled the pint towards himself, only to find Abby's hand stopping him. "Spritzer, Connor? Really?"

"Yeah. You like white wine spritzers, remember?" He grinned cheekily at her until she relented and took a sip.

"Fine," she sighed. "But next time, you drink the spritzer."

Emily looked between them in confusion until Becker said, "Trust me and don't ask. You really don't want to know."

"Okay." Emily replied and Jess laughed lightly at the expression on her face.

As everyone around her drank, Emily picked up her small tumbler and sniffed it before taking a hesitant sip. She gasped as the swallowed alcohol burned her throat.

"Told you."

"Told her what?" Jess asked Becker interestedly.

"Nothing. He just told me not to…ask about Abby and Connor," Emily answered, thinking quickly so as not to offend one of her new friends.

Emily took another draught of her whisky, but it was still just as fiery in her mouth. She grimaced and finished the rest in one gulp to get it over with, feeling it would be impolite to not drink it when Jess had bought it for her.

"It's a shame that Matt couldn't come, isn't it?" Jess asked everyone.

Connor, Abby and Becker all murmured their assent, but Emily was actually quite glad that Matt wasn't there. She found it hard to be herself when he was there. It was hard to stop herself from just kissing him senseless, but she had to stop herself because she was married. It would be wrong for her to break her marriage vows and betray Henry, no matter how much she didn't love him. No matter how much she might have feelings for Matt Anderson.

"Well, I'm going to go and order another drink? Anyone coming?"

Emily offered to accompany Jess to the bar seeing as everyone else was still drinking their first. She leant on the bar, surveying all the different bottles and labels, wondering which one she should drink whilst Jess set about buying a bottle of wine for them all to share. Emily didn't notice one of the middle aged men approaching her. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and she spun around, surprised.

He was a tall man, much taller than her, but he was also wide. His stomach hung out in front of him like a baby bump, just a whole lot more disgusting, and his shirt was unbuttoned at the top with his tied hanging loosely around his neck, revealing some chest hair.

"Hi, I'm Pete," he told her, holding out a large, flabby hand for her to shake. "My friends and I were wondering whether you'd like to join us."

Emily was at a loss for what to do. She politely declined, "Well it's very nice of you to offer, but I'm actually here with my friends." She pointed to Abby, Connor and Becker at their table and Pete followed her gaze.

"Right, well it's just you don't look like you're having a particularly good time with any of them…" he hedged.

"I assure you, I am."

"I couldn't help noticing though, that you're the odd one out. I mean blondie over there is clearly with that idiotic prat, and this one," he said, jerking his thumb over her shoulder to point at Jess, "is obviously with that guy. But you? You're all alone." The man had begun to slur and sway, coming closer to Emily and trapping her against the bar.

Emily had no answer for the man. The truth was he was right. Well, partially. Abby and Connor were together, and as for Jess and Becker, well it was obvious that they fancied each other.

"So what do you say?" Pete asked, coming even closer, his lips only inches from hers.

"No!"

Emily looked up in shock. Behind Pete stood Matt, looking intimidating as he stood upright in his leather jacket.

"She's with me," he continued. "So if you could step away from my girlfriend."

Pete moved away, looking over his shoulder and grumbling.

Matt moved towards Emily slowly and took her face between his gentle hands. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes," Emily whispered.

"Come on." Matt took her hand and led her back to the table in the corner.

"Matt!" Connor exclaimed. "I thought you had stuff to do."

"And I've done it," Matt replied patiently.

Jess returned to the table with her wine.

"Was that guy bothering you, Emily?"

"What guy?" Becker demanded, already standing up and getting ready for a fight.

"Oh, I just overheard some guy at the bar complaining about Irish guys taking 'all the fit chicks'."

"Which one was it?" Abby asked, looking over at the four men who were all staring back at the group.

"The one in the white shirt," Matt answered.

"Oh, that's why he was complaining about Irish guys."

"Yes, Jess."

"Wait," Connor said, holding his hand up. "I still don't get what's going on."

"The guy in the white shirt cornered Emily at the bar, and I politely stepped in and told him to back off," Matt replied simply, pulling up a chair from the neighbouring table and sitting down.

"Politely," Becker scoffed, knowing that Matt could be quite menacing when he wanted to be.

"Em, back me up here, please," Matt said.

"It's true. He was polite," Emily insisted instantly.

Abby and Connor both smirked.

"What?"

"Using nicknames, Matt?"

Both Emily and Matt blushed.

"Aww, look at them!" Abby crooned. "They're embarrassed."

"Duh, Abby! It's 'cause they like each other," Connor responded in a similar tone.

"And they wonder why we're not public about our feelings," Becker mumbled to Jess.

Matt groaned to Emily and muttered, "Let's just leave."

They both stood up and said hurried goodbyes before walking out the doors. Outside, Emily leaned back against the side of the pub and asked, "Are they always like that?"

"Who? Abby and Connor?"

Emily nodded, her eyes closed in quiet amusement.

"Yeah, I guess they're a bit mischievous. I don't think they'd be as bad if they weren't together," Matt answered, leaning back against the wall beside Emily.

"Thanks for saving back there, by the way."

"Oh, no problem. It was no trouble."

A silence settled between them as they breathed in the night air and watched the cars drive past.

"Why'd you say I was your girlfriend?"

"Oh, sorry, I hope you didn't mind, it was just easier."

"I didn't mind," Emily murmured quietly, her breath visible because it was almost the end of autumn. "I thought you weren't going to come tonight, so it was nice to see you."

"Emily, I…" Matt said, feeling incredibly awkward. "There's something I wanted to say to you-"

Matt never got to finish telling Emily what he had planned, before Emily turned so she was stood in front of him and stood on her tip toes to be able to reach. She pressed her lips against his and rested her hands on his chest. Responding almost instantly, Matt pulled her closer and held her around the waist. Emily pulled back, breathless from her first kiss with Matt and he led the way home, watching her breath spiral away.