A/N: Alright, so I've just had this idea for a while now, and with all good ideas, I decided that I had to put pen to paper and see if I could finish it. Turns out, I did. I'm pretty sure I'm literally the only who wants to read this, but I figured I'd share just in case. Also title is from a TS song that I was listening to at the time. I hope you enjoy!
Roxanne figured if she was going to die then she might as well die around Christmas. The cause of her near death? Ice of course. From water that her brother had spilled on the terrace and failed to clean it up before it turned to ice. Then she'd stepped outside and nearly gone flying over the railing. Thank Merlin for Cassidy, who had nearly yanked her arm out of socket to keep her from going over the railing.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Cas asked for the fifth time.
"She said she was fine," Freddy grumbled, wrapping his coat tighter around himself. Her brother looked like a bundled up little bear in his thick coat and his hair falling in his brown eyes.
Roxanne sent him an annoyed look. "Yeah, I'm good." She popped a piece of popcorn into her mouth. A few crumbs dropped onto her Weasley jumper and she slapped them off, careful not to get them into her thick curly hair. It was nightmare trying to get anything out of her hair. "How was Brazil?"
Cassidy shrugged. "It was fine. Spence wasn't there."
Spence was the newest boy, a photographer, that Cassidy had set her sights on, and honestly he didn't stand a chance. Cassidy was one of the most beautiful people Roxanne had ever met. She was tall and her hair was long and gorgeous. Currently, she had bangs so her hair was relaxed. Her eyes were a dark brown that almost black, which complemented her dark eyebrows well. Roxanne felt bad for anyone that was competing with Cas for that boy's attention because they were sure to loose.
"Who's Spence?"
Roxanne waved a hand as Jack stepped out onto the terrace followed by Hunter, his younger brother. The Wood boys might have their father's name, but they took after mum mostly. Jack looked the most like Oliver with his bulky Keeper's frame and brown eyes. Both boys had Katie's blonde hair, but Hunter had gotten her blue eyes and pretty facial structure. Roxanne swore you could cut yourself against those cheekbones. And they were tall, well over six feet.
"Our photographer," Cas said.
"Cas' crush," Roxanne said at the same time.
Cassidy looked horrified as the boys sat down.
"At least he's got good taste if he's photographing you," Hunter said as he took the seat between the two girls.
Cassidy laid her hand on his arm as her eyes got big and she stuck out her bottom lip. "That's gotta be the sweetest thing you've ever said to me."
"You're welcome."
"Yeah, you've known her your whole life and that's the nicest thing you've said," Jack said, taking a sip of his beer. "That wasn't a compliment."
Hunter just flipped Jack the bird without looking in his direction.
The banter continued easily enough after that. Roxanne suspected that just naturally happened when you spent Christmas with the people that you grew up with. A week before Christmas, the Woods, the Jordans, and Roxanne's family all got together to celebrate early before each of them went off to their respective family events. When they were little, gifts were exchanged from the parents to the kids, but that tradition had died off as the kids got older. Now, it was just dinner and a get together that Roxanne looked forward to every year.
"Hey," Brandon Jordan said as he stuck his shaved head out of the screen door. "Supper's done if you guys aren't too frozen to come in and eat." It was no secret that Bran hated the cold. His thick eyebrows raised as he noticed the floor. "Why is there ice in only one spot on the terrace?"
"Because my brother was trying to kill me," Roxanne said easily as she stood up and headed into the overheated house. It always got this way whenever Alicia cooked, but she knew that whoever came in last would leave the terrace door cracked to let the cool air in.
Super passed as it always did — loudly and, now that the kids were old enough, in a slightly drunken haze. Her mum and dad were always pretty chill about alcohol. When she was sixteen, she was allowed to have one beer on occasion as long as she responsible with it and didn't over do it. She knew Lee and Alicia wouldn't say anything to their kids if they didn't catch them, and that Oliver and Katie were fairly strict about not having alcohol before seventeen. So, when they'd all come of age, it had been odd when the parents hadn't sent an evil eye at them, but instead offered the kids alcohol freely. Granted, it was usually wine or beer and they weren't downing drinks like they did at the club, but it always made Roxanne feel so grown to drink when the parents were present.
"Do you need help?" Roxanne asked Alicia as she gathered the dishes.
"Only if you want," she said as everyone migrated to the living room.
Roxanne grabbed a couple of plates and headed into the kitchen with Alicia.
"How's dance?" she asked.
Roxanne smiled. "Great. We finished up our last practice of The Nutcracker and we're getting ready for our Christmas Day premiere."
"That's amazing, Roxanne."
Roxanne had been cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and she couldn't have been more proud. Getting cast in a ballet was hard enough, but getting a leading role was even more challenging. The whole cast had been rehearsing since October. When she'd gotten the official premiere date, she'd promptly informed her parents, who both promised to be there. She was sure they'd bragged about it to the other parents at some point, which is why Alicia was asking about it.
"I'm pretty excited for it," she said, wiping her hands on her jeans. "I'm sure Dad's talked your ear off about it."
"Only a little." Alicia nudged her with her elbow. "He's just proud of you."
Roxanne couldn't fight the smile that slipped over her face. "I know."
Alicia nodded toward the living room as the last of the dishes were sat in the sink. "I got it from here. Thanks, hon."
Roxanne turned and headed toward the living room. As soon as she was in the doorway, she clocked the presence of everyone in the room. Cassidy was sitting on the couch squashed between Jack and Freddy in some kind of heated discussion. In front of them, her mum and Oliver were standing in front of the fireplace, talking about Quidditch and the new regulations coming out. Oliver no doubt thought that they were making players soft. Her mum disagreed. Her dad and Lee were over in the corner chairs, trying to hide the cigarette they were smoking and failing. Katie was standing with Brandon near the back wall, looking over pictures of the Jordans. Family photos never failed to make her weepy.
Roxanne also noticed the absence of one blonde head. Instead of walking through the doorway, she continued down the hall and out onto the terrace. The chill hit her harder than it had earlier since she'd left her coat in the kitchen. Hunter was still in his black overcoat, leaning against the raining. His blonde hair had small snowflakes sat atop it. The door squeaked as she opened it, but he didn't bother to acknowledge her, opting to stare at the snow below instead. Careful to avoid Freddy's icy puddle, Roxanne found a spot next to him and rested her own arms on the railing. The cold seeped into her skin in a nano second, and she bit her lip to keep her teeth from chattering.
"Everything ok?" she asked. It wasn't like Hunter to be away from the crowd. He'd always enjoyed being the center of attention or at least close to the center of it.
He nodded still not looking at her. "Yeah, it's just loud in there."
She didn't know what to say to that, so she looked at her hands instead. Her fingernails were bear and cut as short as possible due to dance. Couldn't have nail polish chipping off in the middle of the studio. The tips might have started to turn blue; she wasn't quiet sure. Squinting, she tried to get a closer look.
"You ok?"
Roxanne jumped at Hunter's question. She turned to find his blue eyes locked on her frame, one eyebrow raised. He was stupidly attractive, and that's why she couldn't stop her heart racing. She swore it was nothing else. Couldn't be anything else. It was just a natural reaction.
"Just trying to figure out if one of my fingers is going to fall off from frostbite before you tell me what's wrong," she said. Of course, the first thing out of her mouth was something so solely stupid. Maybe she should have tumbled over that railing earlier.
Hunter looked away from her, a smile forming on his face as he chuckled. Interlacing his fingers, he looked down at the ground. Roxanne took the time to study him. He was tall, but slumped over the railing, he was only a few inches above her. Standing this close to him, she could see the small growth of stubble on his chin and smell hints of mint and cedar. She could also feel the heat radiating off of him like a fireplace. It was easy to slide just an inch closer to him in this moment. He couldn't notice after all, not while he was looking down.
"My pops isn't doing well," he finally muttered, pulling Roxanne from her trance.
Oliver's dads were amazing according to Hunter and Jack. Roxanne had never meant them. Hunter's g-pa had passed away when they were in Hogwarts, and the boys had been pulled out of school for a week. Hunter had always been closer to his pops. He and Hunter had gone record shopping all the time, a oddity considering vinyls were out of date, and he'd taught Hunter how to draw and shade his drawings properly. Not that Roxanne had heard any of this first hand. She'd only heard Oliver and Jack talk about it. Hunter was very tightlipped about his grandfather.
"It's . . . so damn cheerful in there," he said. "I just can't be around that right now."
"I'm sorry," she said softly. Gently, she placed one of her hands on his upper arm. Still, he wouldn't look at her even has his warmth soaked into her fingers like a soothing balm. "It doesn't make up for it, and I could feed you some bullshit line about how he'd want you to be in there having fun, but that won't make it go away either. I'm just really sorry."
Roxanne could feel his warmth seeping into her through his coat, and it was a struggle not lean too far into his side. The wind was cutting through the back of her sweater, causing her to shiver. Hunter didn't seem to notice though, his eyes still focused on the ground below. When he finally did look at her, his eyes knocked more breath out of her than the cold ever could. They were a pretty ice blue, the most expressive kind, turning darker when he was angry or lighter when he laughed or getting a wicked glow when he was joking. Now, they just looked sad, desperate even. Despite her best interest, she leaned closer. She'd never been very good at self preservation. His lips were wide and heart shaped and very distracting.
"I just want him to be ok, you know?" he whispered.
Roxanne nodded.
"What are you doing?"
Her brother's voice was a most unwelcome shock, that caused Roxanne to jump. A bad move really because her foot slid over the ice once again, and this time Cas wasn't there to catch her. Roxanne's feet flew out from under her like her dance partner had lifted her only to drop her moments later. There was no time to catch herself, no time to prepare, and then there was a sudden burst of pain shooting from the back of her head to her eyes. Suddenly, bright lights appeared in front her, reds, yellows, and purples. Roxanne didn't think she'd ever seen so much color in such a confined space except in her dad's shop.
"Shit."
"What the fuck?" Then Hunter's blue eyes joined the swirl of other colors, and Roxanne thought the kaleidoscope of colors was going to make her puke. "Hey, are you ok?"
She closed her brown eyes and tried to shake the pain out of head. Bad idea. "Fine. M'fine."
"Don't pass out on me now," Hunter said. Something caught the edge of her chin, and she vaguely realized it must be his fingers. They were rough. "Open your eyes." She didn't think that was possible at the moment. "Roxanne, open your eyes."
It was difficult, but she managed it, blinking a few times. Hunter was kneeling in front of her with an intense look in his eyes, probably the healer in him, even if he was only a researcher. Freddy was behind him in the doorway, his mouth slightly agape. There was regret in his eyes. As there should be. Every accident in her life could be traced back to her brother. Mostly.
"Is she ok?" Freddy asked, like she wasn't even there.
"Her pupils aren't blown wide so that's good," Hunter answered.
"What in the world did you two do?"
A new voice had entered the mix, and Roxanne didn't recognize it until she saw Katie push past her brother. She looked very concerned, her blue eyes holding more worry than Hunter's ever had. She was small. Smaller than Roxanne even. Next to her son, she looked like some kind of small woodland fairy. The thought made her want to laugh, only it got stuck somewhere between her throat and her mouth.
"Sweetie, are you ok?" Without waiting for an answer, Katie slid her hands along Roxanne's checks toward the back of her head. She reached the tender spot on the back of her head easily enough, and Roxanne whined. "Tsk, tsk. We heard you hit the floor from the living room. Oh, that's a bad lump. Let's get you inside. Sweet Merlin, you're freezing." She sent a scathing look at Hunter then like this was his fault and not Freddy's, to which his response was to send her an annoyed look and stand up in a huff. "Here, sweetie, let's get you inside where it's warm so I can look at your head."
Gently, Katie helped her stand up and guided her over the ice and into the living room. Mortified, Roxanne tried to only look at the ground as Katie prattled on as she sat her down on the couch. That only made her head spin more.
"What happened?" Alicia maybe. It was Alicia or Cas, Roxanne couldn't quite tell.
"My brother tried to kill," Roxanne said in the general direction of the voice. "The usual."
"I swear, if you say that one more time . . ." her mother trailed off in what Roxanne assumed was exasperation. She could imagine her mum shaking her head as she normally did when she was frustrated with her kids.
"You can ask him where the ice came from," Roxanne said.
"I didn't spill the water on fucking purpose," Freddy snapped. Was he behind her? She hadn't heard him follow them in.
"Hold still, sweetie." Now Katie was behind her, too, hands back in her thick, curly hair trying to find that bump again. She spotted Hunter then. He was leaning in the doorway across from the couch, arms crossed over his chest. His coat had disappeared and biceps were pushing against the fabric of his red shirt. Roxanne could see worry in the lines around his mouth and the set of his jaw. It wasn't that bad. It couldn't be that bad because she had to go on stage in seven short days.
Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine, not like a cold chill, but more like a sobering chill. Like she'd suddenly downed a hangover potion. Pressing her hands into the couch, she sat straight up, her eyes going wide. The lingering stars disappeared completely, and the dizziness began to slowly disappear.
"There," Katie said. "I'll need to see that bump again in the morning, but that should help with the swelling and the more severe effects."
"You made her look like she was high," Cas muttered. She was standing between Jack and Brandon near the fireplace. So Alicia had been speaking earlier.
Her mum snorted. "That is not what someone looks like when they're high."
"Why would you know what a high person looks like?" Freddy asked.
Their mum sent him a withering look and didn't bother to answer that question.
Hunter caught her eye with a tip of his head. "You ok?" he mouthed.
"Yeah," she mouthed back, sending him a small smile and pretending that her stomach was upset because of the effects of hitting her head, and not the smile tugging at the tips of Hunter's lips.
Roxanne felt like she was on fire. There was no other way to described it. She'd been pulling at the straps of her top all night like they were burning. Her skin was hot to the touch. Every time she glanced into the kitchen, goosebumps ran up her legs, as if touched by the tiniest pinpricks of heat. She'd shifted three or four times trying to get comfortable on Alice Longbottom's couch, but she could feel the sweat pooling at the edge of her back.
"Will you stop fidgeting?" Lucy snapped. Instead of waiting to see if Roxanne could stop herself from moving, she stood up and marched into the throng of people gathered on the back porch.
Alice wasn't really known for her parties, but James was good at planning them, and they were back together at the moment. So, here she was. At a party. Trying not to squirm out of her chair.
The cause of her discomfort? Hunter Wood, of course.
He was in the kitchen talking to Rose and Al. His shirt sleeves were rolled up past his forearms, cuffed around his triceps. His pants were leather today, contrasting well with his white shirt. He was leaning against the counter, his forearms resting there as he spoke, just like he had that night on the terrace. Roxanne could see the muscles in his arms flex as he shifted slightly forward to hear Rose better.
"You're look disrespectfully again," Lily deadpanned.
Roxanne spun to face her cousin and her best friend, mortified to be caught staring. The redhead was sitting in the chair next to her, delicate eyebrow raised and green eyes staring straight at her. Merlin, how had she not noticed Lily staring at her like that?
"I am not," she said, pushing her thick curls over her shoulder. They brushed against the edges of her black crop top. "I was just . . . thinking about what I wanted to drink."
"Right," Lily said, taking a drag from her cigarette. "And I'm a natural blonde."
Of course, she wouldn't let this go. Roxanne should have known better than that.
"It doesn't matter ok?" she said trying to defuse the situation. "It's not like that with us."
"Oh?"
"It's not." Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Hunter again, watching as he rolled up and lit a joint. "We're just friends. We've always been friends."
"But you wanna be more than that," Lily said.
"That doesn't matter," Roxanne insisted. "I'm always gonna be like a little sister to him. To all of them — Jack, Bran, Hunter."
"Well, the looks he's giving you must be incestuous then," she muttered.
Roxanne rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not," Lily said, sending her an annoyed look. "When are you going to stop being such a pussy and go talk to him?"
"Will you stop bringing this up if I do?"
Lily crossed her arms. "Maybe."
Without another word, Roxanne stood up and straightened her skirt. It was black and hit her mid-thigh. Between her shirt and her skirt, her stomach was on display. Normally that wasn't something she'd be nervous about, but she found herself tugging the bottom of the top down. By the time she'd reached Hunter, he was alone, Rose and Albus having disappeared somewhere.
"Hey," Hunter said easily, a smile coming over his face as he straightened up.
"Hi," Roxanne said, resting her hands on the top of the counter. "Where'd Rose and Al get to?"
Hunter shrugged. "They said something about getting either a beer or a cider. You need them for something?"
"No," she said, quickly. "No, I . . ." She glanced over her shoulder. Lily was watching them, of course. She sent Roxanne a 'hurry up then' look. Spinning back around, she found Hunter staring at her, blue eyes holding a question in them.
"Everything ok?" he asked.
"Peachy," she said, leaning across the counter and snatching the joint from his fingertips. If she was going to do this, she wanted to be either high or drunk. It would make the inevitable sting of rejection less mortifying. She took a long drag and nearly choked. Hunter only smoked the good stuff; she'd have to remember that. Letting the smoke slide out of her lips, she felt her nerves ease slightly. It wasn't much, but it took the edge off.
"You gonna give that back?" Hunter asked.
"No," Roxanne replied easily, sending him a cheeky grin.
Hunter didn't say anything, just let his smile take over his face as he shook his head and looked away from her. He was even pretty from the side with those damn cheekbones. Roxanne followed the line of his neck to the edge of his shirt, wondering what it would feel like to press her lips there. Would he let her go lower? What sounds would he make? Or would he stop her before she even began? Too many questions were swirling around her head, and she couldn't get them to quiet.
So, she stepped up to Hunter, took another long drag of the joint she'd stolen from him, and lightly grabbed the collar of his shirt as she pushed herself onto her tip toes. Hunter's head snapped back to her, and he rested his hand on her hip. His eyes were burning her as he looked down at her. Without stopping to give it much thought, she opened her mouth and gently blew the smoke into his face. Fascinated, she watched as he parted his lips to inhale the smoke she'd blown. It was intimate; the thought that something that touched her mouth was now touching his. It sent heat right down to her core.
A crash from the other room broke them apart. Roxanne pivoted to see what was going on, spotting a tipped over cooler and Frankie Longbottom on the floor. Poor bloke was always tripping over his own feet. And beer coolers apparently.
"Oh, Frankie," she muttered, as she started towards the other room to see if he was ok.
"Hey." Hunter's hand wrapped around her wrist and tugged her back towards him. Surprised, Roxanne stopped in her tracks, thought for one delusional moment that he might kiss her. But Hunter only reached across her and plucked the joint from her other hand. Then he brought it back to his mouth with a smirk and turned on his heel to go wherever the cool kids were no doubt.
Roxanne watched him go, feeling her heart sink to her knees.
"So, like, is Camren with her or not?" Cassidy asked after Roxanne had finished the complex story of her cousin Dominique and her latest fling.
"That's still up for debate," Roxanne said, popping a grape into her mouth.
"There's still time to get in on the Weasley betting pool if you want," Freddy said. "Bets are for if they're together and when it began official or when they broke up and when it ended. You could always place a straight bet, but that's no fun."
"I bet together and last month," Roxanne put in. She was always an optimist.
They were currently at Katie and Oliver's beach house. It was the one week in the summer where the Woods, the Jordans, and the Johnson-Weasleys took off and vacationed together. Most relaxing time of the year if you asked Roxanne.
Alicia tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, would you grab some more beer for the cooler out here?"
"Yeah, 'course," she said, standing up and tugging her crocheted shorts down. She'd thrown on a cream top to match them. Quickly, she marched toward the Beach House.
Where she found Katie and Hunter arguing.
"I'm just saying if you added the bit about the healing properties of ginkgo I think it would round out your paper nicely," Katie was saying as she pulled fruit out of the fridge. "And I think I have a little experience in the subject since I run a research foundation."
"For children's chronic illnesses," Hunter said. He blew out a frustrated breath. His hips were resting against the sink across from the island. "It's a completely different subject."
"Well, if you don't want my advice-"
"I didn't ask in the-"
"Is there still beer in the fridge?" Roxanne interrupted before the argument could go any further.
Two blonde heads swiveled her way, and she felt like she'd been caught with her leg warmers still on in the middle of dance class. A smile quickly fell over Katie's face, and she nodded toward the fridge.
"Yeah, sweetie," she said. "Do you need help carrying them outside?"
"Nope, I'm good," Roxanne said. Katie sent her another smile before she headed outside with the fruit tray.
"How much of that did you hear?" Hunter asked once the back door closed.
"Not much," Roxanne said as she opened the fridge and started to pull out beers and set them on the island. "But enough. Research not going well?"
While Jack had taken after his father and started to play Quiddtich, Hunter had taken after Katie and become a healer. However, instead of dealing with patients like Katie did before she became the CEO of St. Mungo's, Hunter was a part of St. Mungo's research division, finding new ways to treat different curses, hexes, and diseases brought on by magic.
He blew out another breath and leaned against the counter. Since they'd all arrived, Hunter had been tense and now was no different, with his arms crossed over his chest and the muscles in his jaw working as he ground his teeth together. He'd snapped at Brandon twice and nearly gotten into an argument with Freddy before Cassidy had intervened. This was the first time they'd been alone the whole trip, and Roxanne was hoping that it didn't end like his other interactions had.
"It's just a lot," he finally said. "All of it's a lot. I've got a deadline in two weeks, and my paper is done, theoretically, but there's something missing and I can't put my finger on it. Despite what my mother suggests, it's not an East Asian tree. And to top it all off, Dani and I are done, so now I'm down a girlfriend." When he stopped speaking, he roughly pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and harshly exhaled. "I'm sorry. You didn't need to know all that."
For a moment, Roxanne was struck dumb. Danielle was the only girl Roxanne had never known Hunter to be serious about. He had a lineup of girls that he'd either dated briefly or hooked up with. When he'd meant Danielle, everyone, including Roxanne, had assumed that she was just a passing fling. How wrong they all were. She'd been a permeant fixture in Hunter's life for the past two years, much to Roxanne's dismay.
"I thought you guys were moving in together?" she said softly as she sat two more beers on the island.
"Yeah, well, not anymore," he said tersely.
Gently, she closed the fridge and tucked one of her curls behind her ear. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking. I just thought . . . I don't know. I thought you guys were like, in it for good."
He didn't respond for a moment, staring at the wall with the Woods' family pictures instead. "She wanted to move to Africa." Roxanne inhaled sharply at the revelation. Hunter had always been out of her reach either due to her own cowardice or extenuating circumstances, but to have him a whole continent away? The thought was like someone telling her that her dancing career was over; devastating and earth shattering all at once. "Yeah, my thoughts, too. But we kept fighting over it, and I'm sure that's what she'll tell everyone the reason for our breakup is. But I just . . . I woke up one day and I didn't even recognize the person I was in a relationship with. Like how does that even happen? You date someone for two years and you're supposed to know them, but I didn't know this person anymore, not really. It's just . . . insane."
Roxanne swallowed relieved and at a loss for words. She'd never be happy that Hunter had his heart broken, but the fact that he wasn't moving to Africa thrilled her to no end. Quietly, she took a step closer to where he was standing.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "That . . . sucks balls, for lack of a better term." Hunter scoffed a laugh at that, which Roxanne considered a small win. "I know there's not really a bright side to the situation, but wouldn't you have rather have found out now rather than twenty years down the road?"
For an instant, he didn't say anything. Then he slowly nodded. "I just wish it could have come at a better time. I've got this deadline to worry about."
"You'll kill it," Roxanne said, dropping her hand on his arm. "You always do. Your mum is always talking about how you're so good at digging deeper and searching for solutions where others wouldn't. I know you've got this."
Which was true. Roxanne knew that his work was published out there somewhere, but she'd never read it, was sure that if she tried, she'd be confused as fuck. To hear him talk about failing at work seemed sacrilegious. The confident man she knew was never worried about meeting deadlines.
"And the Foundation's gala is three months after that deadline," Hunter continued like she hadn't spoken. "She was supposed to go with me, but that plan's shot to hell. I just . . . need a break."
And there was the glimmering hope in the dark. At least for Roxanne. Maybe Lily was right all those years ago. She needed to woman up and go after what she wanted. After all, Hunter needed a date to the Foundation's gala; Roxanne was going to the gala anyway. It all lined up. Chances like these didn't just fall into her lap, and she was not about to waste it.
"I know it won't make anything better, but if you want-"
"Everything ok in here?"
Roxanne spun around at the sound of her father's voice. She'd never been so disappointed to see him in all her life.
"Alicia wanted me to check and see if you needed any help with the beers," George said. "I guess she was afraid you might drown yourself in them." He sent her a wink then, and Roxanne wanted to die. The man clearly could not read the room.
She and her dad were close, which was probably why Alicia had sent him in here. When she was little, he'd take her to his shop and sit her on a stool behind the counter as he dealt with customers. She'd pretended that she was a queen as the people walked by, waving politely and giving a quick nod. Her dad had played into the act, as he did so often with any other act she was giving, and bowed low to her every time he passed. Right now, she really needed him to play along and get the fuck out of the kitchen.
"I'm fine, Dad," she said. "Tell Alicia I'll be out in a minute."
Her father's eyes slid from her to Hunter then back to her again, and oh, shit. Her father wasn't an idiot. He must have picked up something, though it clearly wasn't that she was trying to shew him from the room. Her dad was never the overprotective type, but he could be menacing in his own right, not like Uncle Bill or Ron when they were upset. Perhaps it was a scarier kind of protective because her father never lost his smile when he made a threat. Shit, shit, shit.
"Alright then," he said easily. "If you need me, I'll be just outside the door." He then tapped it mincingly before he disappeared through it again. Blood rushed to her checks, and she was so thankful her back was to Hunter. Clearly, she needed to get this over with before someone else interrupted them.
"Anyways," she said turning back around.
"Thanks for listening to me rant," Hunter said softly, looking down at his feet. "You didn't need that."
"I'm always here if you wanna talk," Roxanne said, taking a step forward. Now, she said to do it now. She could feel the opportunity slipping through her fingers like the last round of applause from the audience after a performance.
"I know," he said. Then he stepped around her and grabbed two of the beers on the counter. "Guess we should get these out there before Alicia thinks you've actually drowned in beer."
He was gone before she could say another word.
The Foundation's annual gala was always a good time. Not only did it raise money for a good cause, but it was also an opportunity for Roxanne to get dressed up, hang out with her friends, and catch up with people who she sometimes didn't see for a whole year. She'd picked out her dress months in advance with Cassidy. They'd gone shopping together in Ireland, and Cas had seen the dress from the window. Refusing to give in, she proceeded to beg Roxanne to try it on. Finally, Roxanne had caved. As soon as she pulled it on, she'd known that it was the perfect dress of the Foundation gala.
It was a beautiful pink satin color with a tight fitted bodice and a skirt that flared out at the bottom. There was even a bit of a train in the back. It was a simple dress, no frills or jewels anywhere to be found, just a simple high V neck in the front. The vibe was more elegant and classic, which Roxanne figured she could use. The back of the dress was the real kicker though. The dress had thin straps, barely noticeable that connected to the side of the dress just under her armpit. Her back was completely bare save for the small inch and a half of sheer fabric near the end of her back. The fabric curved down in a V, creating the prettiest illusion against her dark skin.
For her hair, she'd opted for a Grecian style with a pretty laurel headband to match her dress. Part of her curls were pulled up into messy bun on top of her head, while the rest were gently swept to her right side and cascading down her front. Thankfully, her hair was cooperating today and had laid down perfectly. It only took her two hours to get her hair pulled up, her headband fixed, and her curls perched just right. That was good time. It normally took her four hours with the amount of hair she had.
Lifting the edges of her dress up so she didn't trip on it, Roxanne headed toward the back of the venue where she knew her parents and the rest of her friends would be. The venue looked stunning with crystal chandeliers hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Everything was painted in a golden light as the chandeliers glimmered and sparkled. There were at least a hundred tables set up, each one sporting a gold table runner and a two foot tall clear vase with white flowers on top and pretty cream colored candles within. At the front, there was a large stage and a podium for when Katie announced the recipient of this year's funding grant. There was a long bar on the right side of the room, and what Roxanne assumed was a dance floor near the back. Or at the very least, she would make it a dance floor later tonight.
Pushing open the door to the left of the stage, Roxanne found herself in a more intimate setting. Her parents were in the back of the room, drinking whiskey and talking with Oliver. And Roxane heard jingling to her right and was then wrapped up into a hug, the scent of jasmine and oranges instantly flooding her system. Cassidy was always easy to recognize. She was so free with her hugs and lit up whatever room she walked into.
"You look gorgeous," Cassidy gushed as she pulled away. If Roxanne looked gorgeous, then Cassidy looked resplendent in her nude outfit. The dress was more of a two piece. The top was a beautiful V neck that cut down past Cassidy's breasts. There were two cut outs on the side and one piece of fabric in the middle that connected her tight fitting skirt. The dress had beads on that draped around Cassidy's upper arms and matched the beading and glitter on the rest of the dress. Cas' hair was pulled up into a neat bun and her fridge was cut straight across and laying evenly on across her forehead.
"Me?" Roxanne said. "Look at you."
"Have I mentioned I love you like more than anything in this world?"
"How much have you had to drink?"
"Only two." Cassidy squinted. "Two shots."
"Of what?" Roxanne asked in disbelief. They'd started to drink without her.
"I think Hunter said it was Dalmore. Some kind of whiskey." Cassidy grabbed her hand and yanked over to the corner of the room where the kids were. Jack and Brandon were the only two there. Hunter and her brother no where to be seen. "I'm back."
"I see," Jack said, taking an amused sip of his beer. He looked good in his black suit and tie. Brandon looked just as good in his dark brown tux and white shirt. "Hey, Roxanne."
"Have we decided whose going to be the most drunk tonight?" she asked, in lieu of greeting. "I'm betting on Cas."
Cassidy gasped in horror.
"That's mean. You know she's a light weight."
Hunter had forgotten his suit jacket, it seemed. He stepped into the room wearing only a tie, his white button up, and a pair of deep navy trousers. His shirt sleeves were rolled up his forearms in a manner that decidedly not formal and far too distracting. Roxanne needed that whole bottle of whiskey. Right now. Otherwise, she was going to spend the night trying not to imagine the movement of his forearms under his jacket.
"Hey," Hunter said, easily sliding his arm across her bare back and giving her a quick side hug. It'd been a month since she'd last seen him. He was busy with his research, and she was busy making final preparations for her next performance. It was the longest they'd gone without seeing each other in years. Still, the skin of her back pimpled with gooseflesh and left her fighting a shiver as he shifted away from her.
"Careful with the hair," she said, for lack of anything to say. He'd come up on her right side, endangering her perfect curls.
"Hunter Wood, if you ruin her hair . . ." Cassidy trailed off as she pointed a finger in his face. Roxanne assumed she was trying to look menacing, but she only managed to look like a ruffled baby racoon.
"Easy there," Hunter said, holding his hands up in defense. "I'm not going to mess with her hair."
"You better not," Cassidy said, then suddenly turned to the rest of the table. "None of you. I mean it. Or-"
"There you are!" Katie said as she finally made her appearance in a simple black gown. "You two look just stunning." She gave each of the girls a hug. Though she tried to hide it, Katie wrinkled her nose a bit after hugging Cassidy. No doubt she caught a whiff of the alcohol Cas had been drinking. Roxanne tried to fight her giggle. Katie turned to Hunter. "Put your jacket on. I'm not going to have you running around like a hooligan. Jack, go help Margot and make sure the bartenders don't need any help setting. Brandon, honey, would you go with him?" The boys were straightening up before she even finished. "Alright, girls, let's go get you seated, shall we?"
The rest of the night went smoothly. Dinner was fabulous — fancy roast beef and chicken with a side of saluted mushrooms and roasted vegetables. Hunter managed to find his jacket, which Roxanne was so thankful for. She needed her sanity tonight. After dinner, Katie announced the winner of this year's grant, Megan Laurens, who gave a quick overview of her project. It was an intense study into genetics and predicting the possibility of chronic magical illnesses as well as finding more options for treatment since there was so little research on how to actually cope with those types of illnesses. Once that was finished, it was time to mingle.
Roxanne found herself dragged to and fro all night. First, she found Lily, and they had a few shots. Then Louis rangled her over, talking about his latest photography project. The only person who'd been able to pull her away from that conversation was her dad, who happily hauled her across the room to talk to her aunt Ginny. Apparently, she and Albus had just gotten back from Portugal from a Quidditch match Ginny was covering. Al was currently on leave from the Aurors due to a nasty run in with some crime syndicate in underground London he'd busted. Then she'd run, literally, into Frankie Longbottom. He took her over to hang out with his Hufflepuff friends for a bit before Roxanne found herself back at the bar.
"Can I get a whiskey sour please?" she asked the bartender, who hurried off to make her drink.
"Where have you been all night?"
Roxanne shoved her brother in the arm playfully. "Me? Where were you? I haven't seen you all night, and you didn't come sit with us. Cas was so offended."
Freddy scoffed, tugging at the collar of his black shirt. He'd worn a bright turquoise suit, but his jacket was gone. Probably discarded on his chair. "Cas'll be fine. I'm sure she won't remember most of tonight anyway."
"Yeah, yeah," she said, nodding a thanks to the bartender as he sat her drink in front of her. "Everything went well tonight. I think Katie was really excited for Megan to get the funding. Chronic illnesses aren't researched a lot in terms of magical illnesses."
"Yeah, I'm sure Katie's thrilled," Freddy said dismissively. "You seen Hunter tonight?"
Roxanne's head snapped toward her brother at the abrupt change in conversation. "I saw him once, before this all started. With Jack, Bran, and Cas. Why?"
Freddy didn't say anything for a moment, just nodded his head. "He could use some cheering up."
"Ok?" Roxanne failed to see how that was her problem. Besides, she'd decided, two hours prior while talking to Louis, that she was done letting Hunter invade her every thought. She wouldn't be able to keep that promise if she went looking for him now. "What's your point?"
"My point is that you're . . . not boring."
"Wow, Freddy, you really know how to give a compliment."
"Yeah, whatever," he said, shoving her in the direction of the table she'd sat at earlier and where Hunter no doubt was. "Just go say hi."
Roxanne was about to retort, but she caught a glimpse of Hunter out of the corner of her eye. He was talking to one of his colleagues, his jacket and tie no where to be seen. One of his feet was resting on the chair across from him. Whatever the other person was saying must not have interested Hunter too much because only looked half interested in the conversation. Once it was finished, he gave a half-hearted smile and turned his attention back to the drink in his hand. For once, Freddy was right; he did look a bit sad.
And just like that her promise was broken. Above all else, Hunter was her friend. Personal feelings were set aside for your friends when they needed cheering up. Flipping her brother the bird, she lifted the front of her dress up and marched over to the blonde. When she got close, he looked up, probably hearing the click of her heels. With a smile on his face, he dropped his foot from the chair, freeing up the spot next to him.
"You looked like you were having the most thrilling conversation of your life," Roxane said.
"Oh yeah, Dave's iguanas are 'courting.' Just the thing I wanted to hear about."
Roxanne laughed. "Courting?"
"Evidently, they mate in the 'dry' season. I guess the male wasn't measuring up to the female's standards."
"What man ever does?" Roxanne said as she took a sip of her drink.
Hunter just grinned in response. "You've been busy all night. I've barely seen you."
Something that she wouldn't admit may have been intentional.
"Lots to catch everyone up on apparently." She ran her finger around the rim of her glass, trying not to look too much in his direction for fear of staring. "Did you know Al was on leave from the Aurors?"
"Yeah, Rose told me." Right. Of course. Roxanne was always forgetting that her cousin and Hunter worked in the same building. "He's not too happy about it from what I heard."
She nodded, then finally turned to look at him. Hunter was watching her his eyebrows raised. Growing up together, you got a feeling for a person's moods. It was no surprise that he could sense something was wrong with her, though he'd probably never put his finger on what exactly had her stomach in knots. Best to get the attention off of herself.
"How are you holding up?" When he his brow furrowed in response, she elaborated. "With the break up and all. I know you weren't excited about coming here tonight."
"Oh. Yeah, I, um, I'm fine." He took a sip of his drink and looked away from her. Roxanne knew it was a lie. "She sent Mum an apology letter about not being able to make it tonight due to the move."
"I'm sure Katie was thrilled to get that."
"Considering she never liked Dani, I'd say she was fucking ecstatic that she's a continent away." He stretched then, and she tried not to imagine what he'd look like without a shirt. She failed miserably. "Shit, that's depressing. Do you wanna go do something fun? I don't know, dance or something."
They'd danced together plenty of time before. She could recall several times when they were out at a club pressed together in a throng of sweaty bodies. It hadn't meant anything then, and it certainly didn't need to mean anything now. Nevermind the fact that this room was full of people they knew, and there was no club music this time, only the slow classical themes that the planning committee had picked out. This time would be different. This time she might not be able to walk away.
"Sure." That one syllable was so damning.
Once she'd set her drink down and stood up, Hunter grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the dance floor. A jolt ran up her arm at the contact. There were small callouses on the palm of his hand, which deliciously scratched against her soft skin. Her stomach coiled tighter. One touch was enough to short circuit her, it seemed. Hunter didn't stop until they were well onto the dance floor and hidden behind the dozens of couples who had beaten them there.
Gently, his other hand found its way across her back as he turned to face her. This close, she thought she could make out a new patch of black ink against his chest.
"Is that a new-"
"We're not gonna talk about that," he interrupted.
"We're not?"
"No, Mum has ears everywhere."
Roxanne sent him an exasperated look. "That's a little dramatic."
It was no secret that Katie didn't approve of tattoos.
"Hmmhmm." But he didn't look in the least bit sorry about it. In fact, he looked quite amused at having shushed her. Despite what most people believed, she was perfectly capable of being quiet, so if he didn't want to talk, Roxanne could live with that. She untangled her hand from his and brought it up to rest against his shoulder. There were two hands on her back now, one of them high enough to touch the skin bared by her dress. Somehow, they'd drifted closer, Hunter's head dipped down next to her own, and his breath collided with her shoulder.
Gently, the knuckles of his top hand traced a path down her back to the edge of her dress only to slowly start to work their way back up again. His touch was like wildfire, spreading through her back and down into her stomach to land in her core. She'd never been hit with the feeling of wanting someone so badly. There were others, boys and girls, that she'd fancied, but never like this. Never with so much intensity that it caused her skin to feel like there were stars gleaming in the wake of his touch.
The gasp slipped from her mouth before she could stop it.
"Sorry," he whispered, his movement stopping completely.
"It's fine," she mumbled, her breath fanning against the skin of his neck.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
As soon as the word left her mouth, his hand was back in motion, slower this time like he was afraid of spooking her. There was care in his touch, tenderness that Hunter didn't always show. Yet here he was, being vulnerable with her in his own way. Roxanne's heart swelled at the thought. It would be so easy to get lost in his touch, forget that they were in a room full of people, forget that they were just friends, forget that when this song ended so would this moment. It was heartbreakingly beautiful.
"Hunter," she whispered as the last few notes were being played on the piano.
He hummed in response.
Roxanne didn't know what she was going to say next, only that it was important and brave and desperately raw and open in this moment. Only she never got to say those words because something crashed into her and Hunter. The moment caught her so off guard, she released him and wobbled on her heels, only for a strong hand to wrap around her forearm, yanking her forward onto her feet.
"There you are," Cassidy said like she hadn't just interrupted one of the most intimate moments of Roxanne's life. "I need you to come tell off your brother. He's being a dick to me."
That's how Roxanne knew Cas was well and truly drunk. She never asked Roxanne to fight her battles for her, unless, of course, she was incapable of fighting them herself.
"Have you had any water tonight, Cas?" she asked.
The girl actually stopped to think about it. "No, I don't think so."
"Fuck," Hunter muttered.
Cassidy finally turned to him, her brow furrowing. "I didn't notice you there."
"No? You almost ran me over," he sniped.
"Cranky. They're all cranky," Cassidy whined. "Why are all the boys cranky?"
"Ok," Roxanne said, grabbing her wrist. "We're going to get you some water ASAP, and possibly a sobering up potion from Katie."
"I don't need that," Cassidy said childishly.
Roxanne grunted in response.
She couldn't bring herself to look back at Hunter as she marched Cas off the dance floor.
"Watch the coat rack," Hunter muttered as he unlocked the door to his flat.
Not that Roxanne ever had to worry about the coat rack because as soon as she'd stepped inside, Hunter had grabbed her face and kissed her, pressing her backwards to close the door. How they'd gotten here was a blur, but she remembered the start of it perfectly. Once she'd gotten Cassidy to drink two glasses of water, she'd set out to find out what her brother had done that was so awful. Turns out he'd refused to give Cas any more alcohol, which was a wise decision clearly. By the time she'd left Cassidy — not alone but with Brandon — she'd been more sober than when she'd found Roxanne on the dance floor. She was trying to locate Alicia to let her know about Cas when Hunter found her, said he needed to talk to her, and it was important. He proceeded to drag her from the room where the event was being held, and whatever, he had wanted say was lost because as soon as he'd wheeled around on his heel, he'd kissed her.
Roxanne wasn't surprised by much; she expected, even reveled in, the spontaneous. But that kiss shocked her. It was like she couldn't react and was only experiencing the event through a Pensive. She could feel his lips on hers, pressing softly. His hands were framing her face, thumbs gently brushing over her checks. It was sweet, and reality was the antithesis to her imagination. Whenever, she'd imagined kissing him, it'd been rough, an explosion of sensations with his hands and his lips all over her. But this was slow and passionate, like floating through a calming sea. Excitement welled in her at the thought that were things she did not know about him.
When he'd pulled away, the only thing she was able to say was, "Why'd you stop?"
Then he'd kiss her again, and this time she kissed him back. For a long while actually, until they heard the sound of laughter coming down the hall. Quickly, Hunter tugged her down a dark hall, and Roxanne had tried to stifle her giggles as the group of people passed. Sometime between all of that, he'd asked her to come back to his place. Now, she was pressed against Hunter's door, her fingers clenched in the fabric of his shirt as he cupped her face and kissed her.
His fingers slid from her face, down her neck and off to her shoulders. Or they tried to. His right hand was captured by a few of her curls. Swearing, he tugged his hand back wrapping it around her waist instead.
"Sorry about your hair," he muttered against the skin of her neck.
"Cas'll forgive you," she said absently, her hand buried in the soft strands of his hair.
Hunter chuckled against her skin. The vibration caused her back to arch, sending shivers down her spine. Merlin, it was unfair she was so affected by him. His lips brought her back to the moment, pressing gently as he dropped kisses on her neck, down her collar bone, across her chest. Why had she chosen a dress that showed absolutely no cleavage? Now, she'd have to wait for him to take her dress before she could feel his lips there. Would he take her dress off? What if he didn't want to?
Huffing, she pushed off the door. Now was not the time to be overthinking. She could do that in the morning. After slipping her shoes off and loosing quite a few inches, she kissed him again, her hands going back to his shoulders. Hunter backed her further into the apartment, toward what Roxanne assumed was his bedroom. She couldn't be bothered to actually look as she was too busy kissing him. Squeaking filled her ears, then Hunter was below her, having obviously sat down on his bed. Tugging her dress up, she tried to climb into his lap, her dress was far too tight around her thighs. She could try to roll it up to her waist, but there would be too much fabric to contend with then.
"For fuck's sake," she huffed.
"Here, turn around," Hunter laughed.
Roxanne did as he asked, pulling at the bobby pins from her hair so she could flip it over her right shoulder. As the pins clinked on the floor, she started to work on the bun at the top of her head and gently eased the headband from her curls.
"It's got the word's smallest zipper, I swear," she said, as his hands roved over her hips trying to find it. "And it gets stuck so easily. It took me five tries to get it all the way up."
Just as she finished detangling her hair, she heard a sharp hissing sound. Eyes wide and hands still in her hair, she glanced down to see Hunter resting his chin on the skin of her hip, zipper pulled all the way down. His blue eyes were dancing with amusement as his thumb ran across the exposed skin of her thigh.
"Motherfucker," she muttered.
Hunter hummed and nosed the lace of her underwear. The reality hit her then, like a Bludger to the gut. They were in the process of taking her dress off, which meant she was about to be almost completely naked in front of one of her closest friends. The intimacy of the situation left her stomach in knots that coiled deep inside of her. Once she took of her dress, she couldn't go back. There would be no pretending that this had never happened. Their relationship would be irrevocably changed, for better or worse.
"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Hunter said softly. He was gazing up at her again, a hand on either side of thigh. Unlike her, he was very calm, like having sex with your best friend was just a normal Friday night.
"No, I want to," she said quickly, turning to face him as the skirt of her dress whooshed around her. "I just . . . I really like you, Hunter. I don't want this to mess that up. And this is gonna change everything."
He kissed her stomach through the satin, his hands now resting on her hips. "Would it help if I said I'd take you out on date after?" He laid another kiss near the underside of her breasts. "Or before if you'd rather wait."
"After's good," she said without hesitation. The promise of something more, something after the night was over, was enough to reassure her. And for anticipation to begin to build.
Hunter just laughed under his breath. Standing up, he pressed a kiss into her collar bone before grabbing the neck of his shirt and tugging it overhead. His tattoos started to pop up one by one. The first to appear was the Celtic knot on his left side. It was a circle with a braided triangle woven through it. The circle itself had leaves and stems poking out around it. The next was a set of crossed arrows creating an X over his heart. Between each arrow sat a letter — J, K, O, and H. Under his collar bone, written in Gaelic was, 'Thig crìoch air an t-saoghal, ach mairidh gaol is ceòl.' Roxanne had asked him what it'd meant once when she'd seen the tattoo poking through the top of shirt. 'The world will end, but love and music will endure,' he had told her, an old Gaelic saying that his g-pa was fond of.
"I knew you got a new one," she muttered, her finger immediately going to trace the ink on his left pectoral. The tattoo in question was beautiful. It was a triangle with a diamond overlaid on top of it. Inside of the shapes, there was a tree made up of small dots. Behind the top of the tree, there was a moon, centered perfectly. Farther down, dots made up a small mountain range. The intricacies of the tattoo were obvious, and Roxanne wondered how many hours the artist had taken to complete this one.
"Careful," Hunter said, as he switched their positions so her back was to the bed. "It's still fresh."
The skin around the tattoo had a red glint to it. Nothing as bad as when he'd showed her his Celtic knot hours after having it done. Gently, she brushed her finger over the sensitive skin.
"It's so pretty," she whispered.
Hunter snorted. "Thanks. That's exactly what I told the tattoo artist I wanted when I went in there. Something pretty."
Roxanne rolled her eyes at the sarcasm in his voice. "It's art. Of course, I'm gonna say it's pretty. It takes a lot of tal-" She gasped. "Holy shit."
While she was talking, Hunter had slipped one of the straps of her dress down, his thumb running roughly back and forth over her nipple as he cupped her breast. She could feel his tongue against her neck as he sucked harshly. As his teeth scraped against her skin, Roxanne let her head fall back and a moan escape her for the first time that night. The sound seemed to spur Hunter on because he kissed across her collar bone and slipped the other strap down, exposing her other breast. Wasting no time, his lips traveled down until he could wrap his lips around her nipple. The warmth of his mouth mixed with the sharp scrape of his teeth made her go weak in the knees. Her hands found his shoulders, and once she'd steadied herself, she hooked her fingers in the waist of her dress and slid it down. It pooled around her feet, pink satin next to the bobby pins and headband she'd dropped earlier.
That left her in only her underwear, not that Hunter had bothered to notice as he'd switched to her other breast, nipping at the sensitive skin there. They were simple lace and a fetching dark green color. She'd picked them out because they ended just above her pubic bone and hadn't come close to the edge of the open back of her dress. The other option had been a pair of plane white boy shorts, and she had never been more thankful for going with the nicer option in all her life.
Mouth still on her breast, Hunter dropped his hands to her hips, gently guiding her back onto the bed. Sliding her hand behind her, she pushed herself back toward the headboard. Immediately, she was wrapped in the smell of mint and cedar, the soft cotton of his sheets brushing against her back. Hunter followed her easily, his knee dropping between her thighs to sink into the bed. Moving from her breast to her sternum, his tongue swept out of his mouth as he pressed his mouth into her skin. His fingers hooked in the band of her underwear, and he looked up at her.
"This ok?" he asked.
She nodded unable to get the words out. Lifting her hips off the bed, she let him slide the underwear down until they were discarded, a forgotten heap on the floor with her dress. Instantly, he dropped down between her legs, pressing kisses to the inside of her left thigh. Roxanne pushed herself up onto her elbows to watch him. He moved beautifully, muscles rippling with each movement. Gently, he found crease between her thigh and her pussy and sucked. Roxanne keened. Pleasure rolled through her body, up her spine, and out into her fingertips like a bolt of lightening.
"You're going to leave a mark," she whined. He flicked his tongue against her sensitive skin in response but made no effort to let up. It'd be a dark purple against her skin, and she wouldn't be able to wear skin colored tights for a week in case it was spotted. Leg extensions and grand battements would be out of the question. Maybe she could fake being sick while it healed and just spend the week in Hunter's bed getting hickeys in other less noticeable places. With one last lingering kiss, he released her, his attention focusing on another part of her.
"You're so pretty," he muttered, his thumb swiping over her clit once. The light brush had her shivering in response. Despite the discomfort, she was still on her elbows, watching as he stared at her. It was like a moment frozen in time, delicious friction in her stomach as she waited for his next move.
As soon as his tongue found her clit, her elbows flew out from under her, and her head dropped back against his pillow. All she could feel was the sweep of his tongue against her, not gentle or rough, but somewhere in between. It was almost lazy, like he had all the time in the world. Glancing down, she saw his blonde hair, adorably ruffled from her fingers. His right hand was resting on the bed, while his left arm was hooked around her leg, his hand resting against her stomach. Her heart sped up at the sight, a sudden joy overtaking her and forcing a smile onto her face.
Dropping back onto the bed, she let the sensations flow through her. Veins of pleasure spread up her stomach, into the tips of her nipples, up her neck and onto her lips causing them to tingle, then down her thighs, over her knees, and down into her toes. It was like being overcome by a tidal wave, so much desire pulsing through her body and in so many different directions. She'd never been so overcome before.
"Hunter," she moaned. His response was to press down on her stomach with one hand and slip a finger inside her with the other. That was all it took to send her over the edge. She'd been close already, but he had pushed her with that last little bit of pressure. Her whole body contracted as she arched her back and moaned. Instantly, her hands flew to her breasts, and she squeezed them as she rode out the high. Gasping and shaking, she tried to come down, but Hutner hadn't let up.
Instead, his tongue continued to caress her, circling her clit purposefully. Sweat started to gather on top of her skin as she whined at the continued stimulation. Then another finger slipped inside her, and a loud moan escaped her as she stretched to accommodate it. She hoped Hunter's neighbors were out for the night. His fingers moved slowly in and out of her, almost at snails pace, a sharp contrast to his tongue. Twisting her fingers in the smooth sheets, she rose up slightly unable to keep her eyes off of the man below her. And fuck it, he was already watching her, his blue eyes trained on her face as he ate her out like she was the last meal he'd have before a death sentence. Swearing, she dropped back onto the bed as a second orgasm swept over her. This time her hips thrashed widely, bucking up to into his face. Hunter's hand tightened on her abdomen, callouses rubbing against the soft skin of her stomach. Her hips finally gave out unable to arch up anymore as her legs became jello. Gently, he pulled his fingers out of her and gave her one last lick before kissing his way up her body. Tremors followed in his wake, her skin overly sensitive despite the softness of his lips.
"So fucking pretty," he muttered into the skin of her neck. Roxanne thought she heard the lit of a Scottish accent in the mumbled words, but she couldn't be sure. Hunter sounded decidedly British, but there were rare occasions where he sounded like his father.
Roxanne let her hands run over his body, realizing that he'd gotten to touch her all that he wanted, but had been out of her reach for the last . . . well however long that was. She let her fingers glide over the skin of his back, feeling the ridges of muscle there. Then she slipped around his front, fingers finding the sparse happy trail on his abdomen. Teasingly, she tugged at it before sliding her hands back up, across his chest, up his neck, and into his hair. She could feel his smile against her skin, and one of her own formed.
Hunter rolled onto his side, turning her with him as her right leg was trapped between both of his. They were close enough that she could smell the faint notes of whiskey on his breath. His chin was shiny, she noticed, probably still slick with her. The thought caused her to shiver.
"Are you cold?" he asked, thumb running over her shoulder blade.
"No," she muttered, snuggling closer to him. It was mostly a ploy to get him on his back, which he allowed.
"Careful," he muttered, moving her hand away from his fresh tattoo.
She kissed him in apology, tasting herself, sweet and ripe, as she slid her tongue into his mouth. Hunter seemed perfectly content to let her take the lead, one of his hands resting on her hip while the other stayed at her knee. Breaking the kiss, she scooted backwards so she could undo his pants. Somewhere, he'd lost his belt in this mess, but Roxanne couldn't for the life of her remember where or when. Oh, well, less work for her. Quickly, she popped the button of his trousers open and shimmied his trousers and his pants down his legs.
The first thought that hit her was that he had a pretty cock, which she didn't think he'd appreciate. But it was. It was thick and pink with a large vein curving around the under side of it. Gently, Roxanne took him in her hand and marveled at the contrast of her dark skin cradled against his light skin. Her thumb brushed over the head, and Hunter hissed. There would be more time for that later. Right now, she needed him inside her.
Just as she was about to slid down, his hand found her waist, holding her in place.
"What?" she asked confused.
"Do you me to do a contraceptive charm or-"
"I'm on a potion."
Hunter released her, and she slid him inside of her.
It was a stretch, but in the best way possible. Once he was fully inside her, Hunter was panting, and Roxanne allowed herself a moment to just feel him. Closing her eyes, she realized how full she felt, how right it felt to have him touching her in the most intimate way possible. She trembled as warmth flooded her chest.
"You ok?"
Roxanne opened her eyes to find Hunter staring at her, concern in his blue eyes but also desire and passion as well. His hands squeezed her hips once in reassurance, like he was afraid she'd suddenly think this was a mistake. As if that were possible after the way he'd eaten her out.
"Yeah," she answered with a smile. Then she moved, and his eyes drifted downward. She realized he was watching his cock slid in and out of her, and she couldn't help, but clench around him at the thought. The slide of his skin against hers felt so good; she imagined it looked pretty, too. Suddenly, his hands were moving upward to cup her breasts. One of his thumbs flicked over her nipples, and she moaned. He repeated the movement, and this time she managed to bit her lip. Merlin, his neighbors were going to hate her at this rate.
The flick of his thumb against her nipple and the slide of his cock were causing the heat to build in her core again. Hunter must have noticed it, too, because he rolled her nipple roughly between his thumb and forefinger while his other hand fell back to her hip, then down to her thigh, inches from clit. Dropping a hand to his chest, she dropped her head forward panting hard as her thick hair fell into her face. As her eyes closed, she became hyperaware of his hand on her thigh, this thumb brushing back and forth against her skin, much like his tongue had done earlier. She clenched hard around him.
That must have spurred him into action. His fingers found her clit, circling it gently as she cried out. It was still sensitive from earlier, but she wanted his hands on her, wanted him to push her further. She knew she couldn't get there from his cock alone. Gently, he pinched her nipple, the pain shooting straight to her clit.
"You know you're so pretty, right?" he said, and she whimpered. She'd done dirty talk before, but only occasionally, and usually she was the one who was doing the talking. His finger flicked downward instead of continuing its circle, and she gasped, hips slamming down hard. "That's so good. You're so tight right now."
"Shut up," she muttered as she dropped down to kiss his neck. His skin tasted like salt.
"Why?" he muttered, and she realized what an awful idea this was. He was right in her ear now, breath ghosting over her. "Because you're close?" He punctuated the words with another downward stroke of her clit. "You're so fucking pretty when you cum, do you know that? With your hair a mess and your eyes wide."
Roxanne moaned, her hips stuttering. She couldn't stop, didn't want to stop, but his words were making her weak at the knees.
"Please," she managed.
He groaned. "I wanna see you cum again. Wanna feel you." His face was buried in her hair by this point, and he'd stopped being slow and methodical. His fingers were working tight circles around her clit as she ground into him. "You clenched so good around my fingers earlier. Wanna feel you around my cock."
"Hunter," she moaned as she tightened around him once more. An explosion of stars appeared behind her eyelids as her core contracted. It was like all those years of pent up longing and desire were being let out, her whole body finally releasing those emotions into the world. It was such a freeing moment for her; one she wanted to hold onto forever.
Hunter's arm had banded around her lower back by this point, and he used his other hand to push himself up into a sitting position, swearing the whole time.
"That's it, baby," he groaned, roughly thrusting up into her. "Yes, fuck. Roxanne."
Her name on his tongue caused a shiver to run down her spine, and then he followed her over the edge, groaning into her neck as he did so.
They stayed like that for several minutes, Roxanne with her head resting on his shoulder, her hands curled around his neck, and Hunter with his arm around her lower back and holding them up with his other hand. The only sound in the room was their ragged breathing as they both came down from their highs. Gently, his thumb started to stroke a pattern across her back, and Roxanne smiled. She thought she'd be able to get used to his thumb brushing against her skin. Carefully, Hunter lowered them back down to the bed. Roxanne found herself laying on the left side of his chest, her leg intertwined between both of his. A smile bloomed on her face, and she pressed her face into his skin to hide it.
"What?" he laughed, his hand sliding up her back underneath her hair.
"Nothing," she mumbled. Finally able to get her smile under control, she rested her hand on top his arrow tattoo and her chin on top of her hand. Hunter was watching her with an amused smile. "You know I'm not going to be able to go to rehearsal for a week with the hickey you left on my leg right?" Hunter just threw back his hand and laughed in response. "My career's completely ruined."
"I'll forge you a doctor's note," he muttered.
"And lying about a medical condition." Roxanne shook her head. "What have the world's healers come to." There was no response to that, only a smile on his face as he stared up at his ceiling. Happiness filled her up, but there was curiosity burning in the pit of her stomach, too. "What made you . . . I don't know, change your mind? You've never, I mean-" There were moments over the years, but Roxanne was sure that those were completely one-sided.
"Your brother told me to get my head out of my ass," Hunter said, simply working a curl behind her ear.
Roxanne's eyes narrowed. "My brother told you to have sex with me?"
That smile appeared again. "No, he didn't tell me to do that. Pretty sure he'd be wholly against what we just did. He mentioned something about pining and two years."
Roxanne scoffed and flopped back into his side. "It was more like four."
Hunter laughed, easily flipping her onto her back, his hands bracketing either side of her head. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Crossing her arms over her chest, she felt suddenly exposed. "What was I supposed to say? I know we've been friends for years, but I've just suddenly decided that I have feelings for you. Don't know what you want to do about that, but here are they are on a silver platter for you."
Hunter nuzzled her neck. "Something like that, or you could've just kissed me."
"Because that worked so well for you," she muttered.
"It did, actually," he said, his breath fanning against her neck as he kissed her.
"Oh, shut up," Roxanne said, shoving him off of her.
Hunter easily rolled onto his back, a grin on his face. Roxanne watched him out of the corner of her eye, a grin taking over her face as well. He'd kissed her, there was a date planned. Really, there was no better way tonight could have ended. Grin still in place, Roxanne rolled back into Hunter's side and rested her head on his chest, drifting off to sleep within minutes.