Lily
As things were want to do in Lily's life, small fractures began to appear.
First, the day started with the owls' arrivals. With them came the unsettling news in the Daily Prophet: Pirton, a small Muggle town beside a known Wizarding community experienced a tragic accident; one of the coal factories had exploded. Aurors suspected foul play, though the site itself had been found to be old and rundown; a variety of causes could have been the reason for the explosion.
But Lily knew better; the incident had led to forty-three deaths, most Muggles, while a handful had been wizards and witches of the town. The article reported that many of the deaths were smoke-inhalation related, others from the fire itself. Quite a few were unknown by the medical examiner.
It left an uneasy feeling in her stomach regardless. It reminded her of Cokesworth; the old, retired coal factories and iron mills on the outskirts of town.
Speaking of home (another fracture); another arrival of unpleasant news had come with the owls that day; Vernon Dursley had proposed to Petunia. Her mother detailed the event; it had taken place at The Golden Dish in front of the whole restaurant. Vernon had gotten down on a knee (or as close as he was able to) and had a short, 'sweet' speech prepared, announcing that Petunia's position in his life was a much needed change and that he'd like to make it permanent. She brought comfort and organization to his life and had become a staple piece.
How romantic, Lily thought. He'd made her sound like a settee in the parlor room, there for decoration and viewing only.
Her mum's letter had nearly ruined Lily's breakfast meal.
Lily set down the parchment and glanced around the Great Hall to find a distraction but the students were sombre, eating quietly and only chatting with each others' small groups.
Inevitably, her eyes strayed back towards her own house table - where she easily caught sight of James sitting further down the table with his own mates, talking quietly while they finished their breakfast.
There was a bright spot in the day, however; it was a Hogsmeade weekend. And while she couldn't spend the day as she would've originally intended - with her friends at the Three Broomsticks and shopping for non-essentials - she supposed monitoring the students with James as a part of their Head Duties wasn't the worst.
Her eyes dropped back onto the Prophet in front of her before James could look up and catch her staring, her stomach churning.
There was still a chance that Dumbledore could cancel the Hogsmeade day; but Lily suspected he'd want to keep the morale up.
And so - two hours later, after dressing for the crisp fall weather in a tan corduroy mini-skirt and a cream color jumper under her robes, Lily stood in the courtyard with her three mates among the other students who were already prepared to make the trek down to the village.
"Would you want us to grab anything from Scrivenshaft's for you?" Emmeline offered.
Lily shook her head with a smile. "No, it's alright. I'll probably be able to stop in; I've just got to keep on the move to monitor over the other students."
"With James, right?" Marlene repeated, using the same knowing-tone she'd used in the dormitory when Lily had first broken the news that she wouldn't be able to stay with them in the village.
"Yes," she said, purposely bland so as not to rise to the bait. "With what's happened, I suspect Dumbledore will want us to keep a closer eye on everyone…"
"Sure," Marlene said with a wink as Dorcas knocked elbows with her.
"I hate you lot," Lily murmured as she crossed her arms, looking away from their teasing grins.
The courtyard was quite full of impatient students, but McGonagall hadn't arrived yet - Lily hadn't spotted the older witch's familiar green robes.
She did however catch sight of James near the edge of the courtyard, without his friends, waiting patiently with his hands tucked into his trousers and looking every bit of the golden Head Boy.
Something about it unsettled her as she studied him.
And then he looked up, immediately finding her eye.
He grinned.
Lily turned her face away, schooling her features to remain unaffected though she could feel a flush start at her chest.
He had grinned just last night in the broom cupboard, his lips warm against the skin just above the edge of her bra - before he had pulled it down and taken the flesh into his mouth. She could still feel the sensation of it across the sensitive skin.
"Alright?" Marlene asked wryly.
"Fine," Lily retorted, shifting between feet. "Just curious where McGonagall is."
"You don't think she's running late because they're going to cancel the trip, are you?" Dorcas murmured as she glanced around. "I'm supposed to meet Bea for tea at 3:00."
Lily's brow rose as she grinned, pleased. "At Puddifoot's?"
"Merlin, yes," Dorcas huffed. "She insisted. More private than the Broomsticks, she said."
"Puddifoot's?" Marlene scoffed. "I'm surprised that the place is still open since they opened it a few years ago."
"Why's that?" Emmeline asked curiously, linking arms with Marlene. "That's where all the couples go."
Marlene blew a raspberry followed by a disgusted face. "Exactly. It surprises me how often there are actually couples around."
Lily caught sight of Dorcas rolling her eyes - they smiled together in amusement.
"Besides," continued Marlene, tugging at Emmeline's arm. "Why waste money there? The Broomsticks has perfectly fine food and drinks."
"Have you tried Puddifoot's Pudding, though?" Emmeline asked idly. "They partnered with Honeydukes to make it - paired with a hot chocolate, it's absolutely delicious."
"I haven't had the chance," Marlene said. "Oh, look - there's McGonagall."
Lily and the other two witches looked.
Sure enough, McGonagall had exited from the castle doors and strode forward with purpose. "Attention students!" she called - and then a second time, louder, when the other students around them continued chattering.
"I am pleased to advise that the Hogsmeade trip is still on -" the students cheered - "but we request that you partner up - remain diligent. If anything suspicious occurs, please report it to the nearest adult wizard."
The students teetered; uneasy, but unaffected overall.
"Your Head Boy and Girl will be patrolling the main street if you require assistance. Miss Evans? Mr. Potter?"
As James had already been near the professor, he was beside the woman in two steps,
As Lily walked towards the two of them, she suddenly felt unsure of how to walk properly. She wasn't sure if it was from the sudden awareness that she wasn't in school uniform - or if she'd gone so long without wearing heeled boots, but each step felt heavy.
McGonagall wasn't paying her mind - but James was. His eyes had dropped down her form, skimming over her bare knees and thighs, to the skirt at her hips and up to her cream jumper. When his eyes finally reached her face, he appeared unfazed at being caught, his easy grin sliding into place.
"Send up a flare if any trouble occurs, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans. Hagrid's going to stay near the town's entrance should anything occur."
With the professor's dismissal, Lily and James fell into step, beginning the trek on the path towards the village.
"Gorgeous day, isn't it?"
Her cheeks were already flushed. She'd have to blame it on the late morning sun. "It is," she said smoothly. "Have any plans for the day? Or well, had?"
James chuckled. "No, truthfully. Figure I'd maybe stop by Spintwitches, but I suppose walking the main path isn't bad."
His tone implied the with you. His grin made it obvious.
Lily looked away, biting the inside of her lip to prevent from making her smile too obvious.
"You have any plans?" he asked in return.
She shook her head. "Not really. Only needed to stop by the post office, if anything." She patted her right pocket. "I've got to exchange some money - and figured I could send off a letter while I'm there."
"I think that's something we could slip into the agenda," he said easily, glancing over his shoulder towards the other students as they trailed behind them. As he turned his face back towards the front, he caught her eye and winked. "You sure you don't want to stop anywhere else? Meet up with McKinnon?"
Lily rolled her eyes to hide her reaction to his genuine offer. "I'm fine. They'll be alright without me. Are you sure you don't have somewhere to stop by? Zonko's maybe?"
"No," he said with a wry grin. "I'm fine."
"Oh, right," she replied with her own grin. "It seems like you and your mates often are able to somehow have an endless supply of supplies."
James shrugged a shoulder. "Owl orders are a wonderful thing, what can I say?"
"Owl orders, sure," she hummed, catching sight of the village's main entrance, where Hagrid stood waiting for them. "They are absolutely helpful. Are Sirius, Remus or Peter going to make an appearance?"
"I think they were going to swing by the Three Broomsticks this afternoon sometime."
"Then I'm sure it'd be okay to have a stop then, right? I bet Marlene and Emmeline will be there for lunch."
James grinned. "Sure. Shall we begin our patrol then?"
"I suppose if we must," she said, ignoring the extra beat of her heart in her chest. "Morning, Hagrid!" she called.
"Morning, Lily!" the half-giant returned with a wide grin. "Pleasant day, innit, James?"
"It is!" the wizard beside her confirmed with his own smile.
The village was already bustling as they entered the main path, filled with wizards and witches of the town or nearby villages.
Her steps faltered for a moment as she realized it had been just over a year since she'd last been there; it looked the same - it smelled the same. A wave of nostalgia washed over her - which both comforted her and made her anxious.
"Everything alright?"
She looked up towards James, where he was watching her closely. She did her best to smile reassuringly. "Fine. It's just -"
"Strange to be back?"
Her smile turned grateful, relieved at having been understood so quickly. "Yes." She glanced around the other inhabitants of the village as they milled about, dressed in wizarding garb and robes, some with their wands in full view. "I suppose I'm just used to the shoppes in London; Muggle London, at least."
"I get it," he murmured, as they slowed their walk, letting the other students pass them. "It's odd being an adult - how are we able to actually cast magic and not worry about being caught?"
Lily chuckled, feeling the weight of her wand in her pocket. "It's hard to even think that we'll be… on our own after this year."
James grinned. "I think my parents will have a harder time than I will."
"Oh, my God, tell me about it. Mum would have me stay at home at least three years longer if she had her way."
"Would you have?" James asked curiously. "Stayed home and continued being homeschooled?"
Lily glanced around the village again, taking a moment to mull over the question. Instinctively, she knew. "Like I said before… I wanted to come back."
James fell silent, his own gaze studying the shoppes around them, the other witches and wizards in the crowd.
She returned her gaze to the flood of people as well, to the students who wove in and out of the shoppes in their black school robes.
There was the stray thought that came to her mind that they should be more tense, more aware, mindful because of the attack that had just occurred. She thought of Moody's stories, how the dark wizards didn't care much about ethics or their own morality.
"Did you want to head in?"
"Sorry?" Lily asked, looking up at James.
He jutted his chin towards the entrance of the nearest building - the post office.
"Oh, right," she said with a breathless laugh. "I'll be back in just a moment, then."
"Want me to join you?"
She shook her head with a smile. "It's alright, I'll be quick."
James opened his mouth - but she turned on her heel before he could make the quip she already knew was on the tip of his tongue. She glanced back before she entered the building, finding him watching her with a soft grin. He winked.
Again, her heart thumped.
With a deep exhale, she stepped into the post office.
"Welcome in," said the wizard behind the counter. "How can I help you?"
"Hello," Lily replied with a smile as she reached into her pocket. "I was hoping to post an owl."
"Of course," the wizard said smoothly, summoning a small piece of parchment. "That'll be six sickles."
"Oh, right, yes." Lily murmured, reaching into her other pocket to retrieve her purse. "I'll need to exchange some Muggle currency first."
"Sorry, Miss, we don't exchange currency."
Lily looked up from where she'd collected the notes from the zipper. "I'm sorry?"
"We don't do currency exchanges here anymore."
"But…" she stared down at the paper in her hand.
"You got anything else?" the man asked, pointing at her coin purse.
Lily's heart dropped as she searched the purse, looking for any wizarding change that may have been buried at the bottom. "No, I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry as well," he said, briskly tearing up the parchment he'd written on.
She zipped her purse back up, slipping it into her pocket. "Do you know - does anywhere else exchange currency?"
His nose crinkled as he shook his head. "No where around here."
"Thanks anyways," she said quietly, retrieving her letter from the counter and tucking it back into her pocket.
"Have a nice day," the man said in an obligatory tone.
"All set?" James asked, pushing himself off from where he'd been lounging against the building's exterior as soon as she stepped out of the post office.
There was a brief moment where Lily thought about complaining - telling him about how her stomach was now clenched in discomfort, discouraged that she couldn't even send a bloody letter home - but she smiled instead, nodded. "All set."
"Shall we carry on?"
"Lead the way," she said.
The two of them fell back into step easily, just as if they were on patrols within the castle walls.
And there it was - that small warm spot in the middle of her chest that had slowly been growing over the past few weeks. It unsettled her; but more than anything, prompted a smile across her lips that she couldn't contain, sent her heart stuttering in an uneven rhythm.
She looked over at James, meeting his eye unexpectedly. He winked. "You're such a tosser," she laughed.
"Nothing new then," he said with a wry voice.
Lily laughed involuntarily.
"Spencer," James called out suddenly.
Lily looked up curiously, catching sight of the 3rd Year hovering near the entrance of Honeydukes. He looked up, curious, and caught sight of James and her walking towards him. His face lit up and he raised his hand to wave.
"Hi!" he said as they came closer.
"Hey Spencer," James greeted as Lily echoed it. "What are you doing out here?"
Bryce suddenly looked embarrassed, staring down at his trainers as he scuffed the toe. "Oh, I'm just waiting on my mates. You know?"
"Why aren't you in there with them?" James pushed gently, casually walking up to stand beside him.
The young boy's eyes were still on the ground. "I guess I - just ended up spending more at Scrivenshaft's than I should have."
"Well, come on then," James said, nudging his elbow into the boy's shoulder. "I need some help picking out some treats - and I'll give you a commission for your assistance."
Bryce looked up, his brow raised. "Oh - I don't -"
"Come on," James said again, pushing at Bryce with more gusto. "I'm not taking a no for an answer. Think you'll be fine out here by yourself, Evans?"
Lily laughed. "I think I'll be fine. Bryce - keep him in line, would you?"
Bryce smirked, suddenly confident. "I'll try my best, Lily!"
She watched as the two of them entered the busy shoppe, stepping out of the way so that she could try and inconspicuously observe the Head Boy through the front window as he nonchalantly led the boy around the candy displays. Bryce's expression was lit up, engaged as he answered questions that James shot at him.
"Oi, where's your partner?" someone called and Lily instinctively knew it was towards her. She turned to find Sirius and Remus walking towards her, Peter trailing behind as he looked through the front windows they passed.
"Skiving off," she said, nodding her head towards the window. "Buying sweets."
"Oh, was that who you were watching?" Sirius said slyly.
"Padfoot," Remus said under his breath as they came closer.
Lily ignored the flush in her cheeks. "Why, jealous?"
Sirius scoffed a laugh and winked. "Only teasing, Evans. How's patrolling Hogsmeade?"
"Mundane," she admitted, glancing up the path to where the students still milled about.
"Ouch, I think Prongs would hate to hear you say that. Mundane is hardly the word he'd use to describe time with you." His wink was lethal as Lily looked away, flushing.
"Merlin, Padfoot," Remus sighed. "Come on, head in. You still owe me that chocolate."
"I got you that chocolate already," he huffed, grunted as Remus shoved him towards the door.
"Hi Lily," Peter said politely as he followed behind them.
"Hello Peter," she said with a smile, watching as they entered the shop and located James quickly, approaching them and chatting - bringing Bryce into the conversation easily. The 3rd Year looked floored.
Sirius must've said something that related to her - James looked up towards the window, locating her gaze quickly. He grinned, replied something to Sirius that prompted a laugh.
Trying to push down the inexplicable embarrassment, Lily looked away, trying to appear busy with surveying the street for any signs of trouble.
"Sugar Quill?" James's voice offered and she turned to find sight of him, holding out the offered sweet in question.
"For me?" she asked, glancing at the candied quill.
"Of course," he said easily, holding it closer. "They're your favorite, right?"
"They are," she confirmed with a small smile, accepting it. "Bryce get a good commission?"
James laughed. "Of course. He should be set until the next Hogsmeade trip."
"He admires you, you know," she murmured, tearing open the plastic of the sweet. "He really looks up to you."
"Come off it," James brushed off with a laugh. "It's only because I'm Head Boy."
" Yes," she acceded, "but because you're kind too."
"A compliment, Evans?" he asked, though she could tell her comments affected him.
They paused in the middle of the path, suddenly caught up in staring at each other. "You're a really good Head Boy, James."
His hand automatically wove its way into the hair at the back of his head as he looked away. "I think you're only allowed so many compliments, Evans."
"What's my limit?" she asked quietly.
James's eyes returned to her face, searching her gaze for - something. His expression was curious - almost… penetrating.
A nearby shout of laughter broke their spell - James's hand dropped as he laughed, serious expression gone. "Wouldn't you be worried about my ego?"
"I think your ego is just fine, Potter," she retorted with a smile as she stepped away and began walking about. "Better than it was 5th Year, at least."
James laughed.
James
It hadn't been a date. He knew Lily wouldn't take kind to naming it that… yet.
But it sure as hell felt like it could've been one.
He was scared to mention his thoughts aloud, but they were clanging around the inside of his mind at top volume.
Throughout the quick lunch they ate with both of their friends in the Three Broomsticks - the tables pulled together to accommodate the large group. Throughout their final walk through the main path of Hogsmeade, up the trek towards the castle and through the doors, where James was conscious of a few students milling about the Entrance Hall before dinner was to be served.
The high of it brewed something in his chest; intense, consuming, and energizing. It gave him courage to -
"Would you like to take a walk with me?"
He nearly broke his neck to look at her, where she was staring up at him with an endearing, soft grin, her eyebrows raised as she waited, expecting an answer from him.
"Take a walk?" he repeated dumbly.
She laughed it off, shrugging a shoulder as she started walking backwards down the first floor corridor. "If you've got plans -"
"No," erupted from him, perhaps too enthusiastically. "No plans. I'm yours."
Fucking Merlin, his tone had perhaps been too honest, if anything.
Lily looked up at him with an amused laugh. "I just thought it might be nice to continue… walking."
"Of course," he agreed with exaggerated casualness. "These corridors are nice. We hardly walk them on a daily basis."
"Shut up, Potter," she huffed with a laugh, shoving at him with more playfulness than true annoyance. "We can go back to the Tower, if you'd prefer."
"No, no," he was quick to insist, stepping back into line with her. "I'd very much rather keep company with just you."
"I'm sure," she said, the touch of dryness in her tone pulling a larger smile from him.
Emboldened, he reached out to grab at her hand, hauling her towards him in a twist so that she stumbled against him, chest to chest. "I'd very much prefer company with just you," he repeated, knowing his voice had dropped a few octaves in the very small space between them.
He raised his hand to brush the hair that had been displaced across her cheek, tucking it behind her ear and following the length of it against her neck.
Her hands had settled at his chest, where he was worried she'd be able to feel the uneven beat of his pulse. "And what would you like to do with my company?"
James's brows raised at her implied tone. He knew he couldn't refrain from smirking. "I'd be more than happy to show you, Evans," he murmured, walking her backwards until she was pressed against the corridor wall.
It could've been missed - but he caught the sudden intake of her hitched breathing as she slid her hands up his chest to his shoulders, firmly pulling him towards her. "Show me, then."
He ducked down to kiss her, pushing all of his newfangled, charged eagerness into the press of his mouth against hers. His hand that had been gently pressed against her cheek moved to the base of her skull, threading his fingers into the roots of her hair to hold her against him.
As expected, a noise came from her throat to express her pleasure as he tugged again at the strands, earning more enthusiasm from her kiss. His other hand gravitated towards her waist, gripping at the smooth fabric of her jumper - his favorite of hers, honestly - before he moved further down so he could skim his hand over the even softer fabric of her skirt, then even lower still so that he could hike the length of it back over her arse, exposing it to the air before he could cover the skin with his warmer palm.
As if tied to a string, her thighs parted, her leg lifting so that she could hitch it up over his hip. He moaned into the kiss, pressing his hips in the cradle of her own, relishing in the heat and pressure there.
Her hips stuttered at his movement, the motion shifting into a rock against him, where his cock was rapidly turning hard. Her skirt had risen up from her movements, where he could feel the damp heat of her through the fabric of her thin knickers and his own trousers.
"God, Lily," he murmured against her mouth, pulling back to press a series of open-mouthed kisses along her jaw, nipping at the sensitive flesh behind her ear. One of her hands moved from his shoulder to wrap around at his waist, pulling him tighter against her.
She moaned at the increased pressure, her head tilting back against the wall in order to grant him better access. "James."
Hearing his name in the breathless tone of her voice; needy, urgent - for him - was nearly his undoing. He retracted his hand from her hair to follow the line of her body, grasping at the other cheek of her arse and hauling her up, pleased to find she intuitively wrapped both her legs around his hips. "Good girl," he murmured, nipping at her neck and instinctively rocking his hips against her, the movement smoother now that he could control her movements against the wall.
"Oh, Jesus , James," she murmured, her legs' grip around his hips tightening. "I need -"
Her words cut off as his hips pitched upward, where he could feel the length of his cock press against the heat of her, then slide higher to space he knew where her clit was.
James felt the sudden touch of her lips against his neck, and then her teeth as she bit into the skin beneath his own ear. His hips jerked of their own accord, the sensations of her movements sending his eyes rolling to the back of his head. " Fuck, Lily."
The swipe of her tongue was immediately soothing against the sting left by her teeth. The wet feel of it, however, elicited another jerk of his hips against her. She moaned.
They both froze suddenly when the distant echo of a laugh filtered down the corridor.
"Shit," Lily said under her breath, having tensed.
The sudden annoyed tone of her voice evoked an unexpected laugh from him, where he tried to stifle it into the curve where her shoulder met her neck.
"Take me somewhere," she whispered, shifting in a wiggle against him.
He pulled back with another breathless laugh. "Where?"
Lily arched up to press a hard kiss to his lips, readjusting her arms around his neck. "To the - I don't know. To our office."
His feet were already on the move beneath them. Lily made a noise of surprise and shifted closer to him - somehow possible, despite how close they already were - pressing her face into the crook of his neck. He felt her pull the collar of his jumper aside and pressed a kiss to the skin there.
James's eyes briefly closed. "If you want to get to the office properly clothed still, I suggest you hold off on doing that."
A puff of air against his skin was his only indicator of a laugh, before Lily resumed her efforts, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses to the skin of his neck, nipping sharply with her teeth, then quickly soothing with her tongue.
"Evans," he warned, squeezing her arse with both hands and pulling the center against his very hard, throbbing cock.
She moaned, threading her fingers into his hair and pulling.
"That's even worse," he complained, taking a moment to pause and press his own face in her hair, inhaling the scent there.
Lily groaned, arching against him. "Keep it moving, Potter."
He laughed into her hair. "I'm trying, Evans."
They somehow made it to their shared space, James managing to retrieve his wand from his trouser's back pocket and charming the door unlocked. He had the sense to kick the door back shut behind him, throwing up a haphazard locking charm to ward off any unwanted visitors.
He was sure, under normal circumstances of carrying her weight the distance he had, he would've probably given up carrying her ages ago - but thanks to his Quidditch training and exercises, and frankly, the pure exhilaration of her body against his - he felt unshakeable.
James set her down atop the desks, withdrawing his hands from her arse in order to place them on each side of her jaw, holding her in place so that he could kiss her properly again, perhaps harder in a manner to punish her for the teasing she'd done.
She pulled back, hooded eyes and panting. "I want something softer."
His chest tightened in guilt. "I'm sorry -"
Lily shook her head, bringing her own hands up to press the palms against his cheeks in order to stop his head from shaking left to right. "I meant -" she laughed, still breathless, "I meant softer than the desk ."
His eyes skimmed over her face, studying her expression.
She smirked. "I'd attempt to transfigure this desk, but I don't think I'd be very successful."
"Come here," he murmured, sliding an arm around her waist to pull her from the table.
Lily did as prompted, shimmying forward until her hips met his, and then she slid off the desktop, her body sliding down his front in a very distracting manner until her feet met the floor. She looked up at him, tugging at his collar. "Potter?"
"Is it Potter again?" he asked wryly.
"When I want to get your attention," she replied, pulling at his jumper to draw him down for another kiss.
He groaned into it, moving a step back and hauling her with him as he retrieved his wand from his pocket a second time. "You always have my attention." He raised it in a twist, casting the simplest transfiguration spell he could think of on the spot.
Lily pulled away from the kiss to glance behind her. "A couch?" she asked. "Impressive."
He glanced around her. It was a couch in the color of the desk; a deep brown, the legs and finishings the same tarnished gold the handles of the drawers had been. The papers and quills that had been atop of the desk were now on the floor - he wasn't sure what would've happened to the items that had been in the drawers.
James chuckled, looking back at Lily. "Not sure how long it'll hold for," he admitted.
Lily slid her robe from her shoulders, chucking it somewhere behind her, before pulling him towards the seat of the couch. "We'd better hurry then."
When close enough, she pushed him onto the couch and climbed onto his lap, settling her knees on each side of his hips so that they were flush against each other. His hands immediately found their way around her waist, tugging her closer.
"Hi," he said, a bit stupidly. He knew there was a wide grin across his face.
"Hi," she replied, her hands already settled onto his shoulders. Her eyes flicked across his eyes, before settling onto his lips. "Kiss me?"
His left hand weaved its way back into her hair, pulling her face down to do as requested.
James lost count of the minutes that they continued to snog, but he was well aware of the articles of clothing they'd begun to shed - first, his own robe, and then her shoes, followed by her jumper, leaving her in just a thin vest top and her skirt.
His own jumper was the next to go, which he was fine with. She'd use the opportunity to divest him of it, taking her time to trace the lines of him while they continued to kiss. The press of her fingertips against his bare skin was enthralling; the muscles of his stomach tensed when her hands reached the top of his trousers.
They both pulled apart to watch as her hands pulled at the waist band, unfastening the button at the top of his fly, before pulling the zipper down. The release of pressure from restrictiveness of his trousers was heavenly, and before he had a moment to enjoy it, Lily's hand was already reaching into his pants to wrap around the width of him, her hand warm and welcoming.
"Fuck, " he hissed between his teeth, the back of his head dropping with a thunk against the couch's backing. His hips jerked as Lily tightened her grip, leaning forward over his lap to press a kiss against his neck, then lower against his collarbone.
James moaned, reaching up blindly to push at the straps of her top, then her bra, bending forward so that he could reach around to her back and undo the clasp holding her bra closed. "Cheeky," she said, pulling back long enough to retract her hand and shake the straps of her bra down her arms.
"Gods, Lily," he murmured, tracing his hand around to her front, lightly sliding his hand over one of her bare breasts, thumbing the hardened nipple.
She arched into his touch, reaching one hand back into his trousers and the other to grasp at the hand he'd placed over her breast, squeezing his grip so that it was more firm over the flesh there.
Overcome with the sudden rawness of it, he straightened abruptly, pulling her flush against him in order to flip them, so that he could place her on her back across the couch, settling into the cradle of her thighs.
This was new to them.
He looked down at her from his position over her, propped up by his elbow while his lower half rested against her.
Her lips were well-abused, the same flushed red as her cheeks. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as he caught sight of a rogue thought drift across her features.
Lily rolled her hips up experimentally, the center of her now lined up with his exposed cock, his trousers and pants having fallen down around his hips.
He moaned at the sensation, dropping his forehead against her shoulder as she did it again. He reached his free hand down instinctively to grab at her knee, guiding it over his hip so that he could rock back against her. His hips stuttered when he realized her bare breast was only inches away from his mouth, and bent his back so that he could mouth at the soft flesh.
Lily moaned, arching up into him and grabbing at his arms, his waist, wherever she could.
Jesus , he was lucky. Beyond lucky. She was actually letting him do this to her; with her.
The thin fabric of her knickers was practically non-existent; made more inadequate by the wet feel of her that he could feel against the length of him.
"Hang on," she murmured, and he paused, tilting his head back up so that he could check her expression. She gestured at him, and a bit worried, he lifted himself off of her - but paused as she held a hand against him.
With her other hand, she reached down to her hip, pulling at the zipper of her skirt to undo it, pulling the fabric out from underneath her and chucking it onto the floor. Resettled, she pulled James back down at the hip, using her other hand to pull his face down towards her face to kiss him.
He dropped his body back down easily, moaning into the kiss as they rocked against each other. "You feel so fucking brilliant," he murmured against her cheek as he pressed kisses there, back down to her throat and across her collar bone. His mouth followed the line to her breast.
"Jesus, please, James," she hissed, her fingers pulling at his hair. Her hips moved a bit more insistently against him, meeting him thrust for thrust.
"You're so good," he murmured against the skin of her chest, pressing kisses to her sternum, before pulling her nipple into his mouth.
"James," she moaned. "Please."
He wondered if she knew it wasn't a preference at his body's reaction to her pleases , that it wasn't some sort of gratification thing he was into.
It was a her thing.
It was her asking please, breathless and needy. It was her asking for more, for him to touch her.
He snaked his hand down between them, where he could feel his cock was pressed against her, the fabric of her underwear was damp and stretched. With practiced movements, he used his middle knuckle to push aside the fabric, searching until he found the spot that made her arch her back and shudder.
"God, James," she hissed, the nails of her fingers biting into his back. She tilted her hips, seeking the pressure - but her movements brought the tip of his cock right against the wet heat of her.
He gasped, flinching away and going against all that his body was screaming at him to do. "Jesus, Lily," he hissed, dropping his head against her sternum in order to catch his breath.
Her next words nearly stopped his heart. "Do it again," she murmured.
HIs head popped up to stare at her, making sure he heard her right. "What?"
"Do it again," she repeated, the demand stronger.
His heart was hammering in his chest, his eyes darting once again between her eyes to decipher the look in them. "Not yet," he murmured, dropping a kiss against her chest. "I want more time."
She huffed. " James. "
Rather than shift his cock to enter her, he adjusted himself so that he could slide against the center of her, the tip of his cock settled against where his thumb still hovered over her clit. His eyes rolled back at the sensation, the words hot, wet , slick stamped on the inside of his lids.
The next call of his name was more breathy, needy, as he rolled his hips so that his cock could slide against her. Knowing what she needed, he resumed his thumb's efforts, pressing and circling around her clit to help her come. He could tell it wouldn't be long.
For himself either, in that regard. He could feel the tense pull at the base of his cock already.
It was a mistake then, pulling back slightly so that he could study the picture of her, splayed out beneath him. Her eyes were shut tight, brow pinched as her mouth dropped open, wordless pants escaping with each roll of his hips.
The skin of her chest was now flushed, made pink by both the earlier ministrations of his mouth and by the tell-tale sign of her reaching her height of climax. Her white vest top was banded around the smallest part of her waist, the color a match to the pair of knickers that sat askew across the delicate lines of her hip bones.
The rocking motion of his hips stumbled when his gaze caught on the meeting of their hips, the dark curls of her mound bare for him to see as his cock slid against the center of her, the slick wet heat of her spread over his cock in excess.
He groaned, fighting off from exploding at the sight of her, her want for him .
"James," she murmured, her voice still breathy, needy.
He fell back against her, enveloping her mouth in a messy, heated kiss, working harder at her clit with his thumb until he could feel her thighs begin to shake around him. Her breath hitched.
"That's it," he hissed against her mouth. "I want to feel you come for me, Lily. Come against me. I want to feel it."
"Oh, " her voice pitched, her neck arching. "James."
"Come for me," he demanded, his voice probably too urgent - but he was so close to coming himself -
Her next moan revealed it; the crest of it washing over her as her body tensed, shuddering against him. He couldn't stop his own body from rocking against her, his own orgasm crashing over him as he relished in the wet heat of her.
"Fuck," she hissed when they'd both eased against each other, her arms falling over his shoulders.
He should probably feel vaguely embarrassed by the faint sheen of sweat that caused her arms to slide over his skin, but he couldn't bring himself to care - not when her own body was slightly damp with her own perspiration.
Her hand slid to his face, where she forced him to face her in order to give him a slow, languid kiss.
"Do you think anyone's looking for us?" she asked curiously.
"I hope not," he breathed, letting his head fall into the crook of her neck. He pressed a kiss there, pleased when she shivered.
"Do that again," she whispered, threading her fingers into his hair.
"Happily," he murmured into her skin.