She was giggling, so surely she was fine. Plus she said she was fine. That made it official. He let out a breath and nodded. Good. Not that that helped his situation, but at least she wasn’t hurt. St. Mungo’s was close, right? Closer here than where he was, that was for sure. Not that he’d make the trip to St. Mungo’s from France. They had their own magical hospital, after all.

When she encouraged him to relax, he almost asked her how he was supposed to do that. She was between his legs, rubbing his thighs, and... he let out a high pitched, unexpected giggle before he rubbed his face, fingers pushing gently against his eyes. “Good.” His hand fell down and he watched her face, trying hard to stop the growing problem between them.

Eyes went wide before he kissed her back, slightly taken off guard. He did grin after, however, blinking as he looked over her face. She really was beautiful. Thomas didn’t quite understand what she saw in him, but for now... who was he to say otherwise? If she wasn’t interested, she’d let him know, right? She wouldn’t seek out a kiss, surely.

Once again she was causing him to look shocked, glancing down as her hand settled at the top of his trousers. “Uh...” What was the question? “I just...” He laughed and ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh. “I’ve never really... this is kind of new to me.” His face was on fire. “I don’t know wh-what I’m... doing.” His voice grew softer as his admission came out.

For a half of a moment, Cora was completely sure that Thomas didn't actually like her and he was horrified that she was even coming near him.  Of course, he was reacting to her, but that couldn't be avoided, really.  He was just so tense, and even though Cora saw him smiling, maybe it was uncomfortable smiling and he wanted her to stop.

She stilled her hands and frowned a little, here it was: the moment he was going to turn her down and say 'let's just be friends.'  Of course, that would probably be nicer to her than the other option, she realized very quickly.  It would be fairly horrible for him to take advantage. His words immediately challenged her notion, however.

Cora's frown turned into an easy smile and she licked her bottom lip, her heart speeding up in her chest a little bit.  That was entirely different, and exceptionally easy problem to deal with.  Leaning up again, Cora pressed her lips to his and moved her hands inward, toward his belt buckle.  “You’re not doing anything,” she teased and pressed another longer kiss to his lips.  Thomas’ belt buckle wasn’t an obstacle, really.  Cora had deft fingers and experience with the fine points of men’s clothing.

Continuing to kiss him was, admittedly, a little sloppy, but she was trying to coordinate several motions at once.  She wanted to kiss him though, and laughed against his mouth as her hands fumbled while pulling his shirt out of his trousers, her nails digging against the soft skin of his stomach.  “Sorry,” she mumbled, slowing up both kissing and her hands for a second, letting her hand rest under the fabric of the shirt she’d tailored for him.   

She didn’t stop for too long though, her mind shifted priorities and her hands followed suit, unbuttoning his shirt from the bottom, upward.  She’d take a slight detour, every couple of buttons and slide her hands underneath the fabric, spreading it apart.  In order to enjoy the view and breathe, Cora pulled her lips from his and bowed her head, resting her forehead against the crook of his neck, turning to kiss right under his jaw. 

Cora made eye contact with Thomas and realized she was breathing much heavier than she thought. Sinking down to sit back on her heels, Cora gently tapped the side of his hip before grasping onto the two layers of fabric.  She’d need a little help. 

Thomas felt so stupid. That feeling, at least, started helping a little with his problem. And the fact that she smiled had him even more deflated. Honesty was the best policy, except in these situations. If he had said he’d been with fifteen women, would she have believed him? It technically wasn’t a lie... he had been around fifteen women at any given time. Sometimes even more, if he thought back to Beauxbatons.

But she would’ve called him on his bluff eventually, and it would probably be worse to lie in this situation. He wasn’t completely sure. He - she was kissing him. Eyes widened and crossed to look at her before pressing back against her lips, eyes closing.

“You’re not doing anything.”

He wasn’t? “Oh.” It was right back in the game, with her hand down there and her lips right here and... Thomas tried to focus on kissing her, he really did. He just didn’t know what to do with his hands! One stayed on the arm of the chair because... because he didn’t know if he should help her or if she had it or... but the other one, his other hand moved up to hold her face, fingers tangling in her hair as he ran through to the back of her head, holding her as he deepened the kiss.

Thomas couldn’t help but grin against her lips, shaking his head at her apology. He suddenly regretted not spending more time on his abs. Or his body in general. Why did his brothers look so effortlessly perfect? He worried briefly that she might not like what she saw under the clothes. But... but no, she had seen it before. His toes stopped curling in his shoes as he tried to relax more. Her hand against his bare skin had him inhaling deeply, pausing in the kiss to take it in.

He pulled back when she did, glancing down to watch her for a moment, moving to accommodate her head. His hand fell down from her head to her neck. Fingers absentmindedly moved gently over her shoulder and her back. Then she was leaning back and his breathing stopped for a moment; he knew where her hands were. What- was this really happening?

Thomas felt a little lightheaded, but he scooted himself up and lifted his hips for her, hands shaking a little. He grabbed the arm of the chair to support himself and stop the obvious nerves from being noticed. He settled back down, feeling rather exposed. His face bloomed a fresh shade of red as he tried not to look at... other... red. No.

He stared at the ceiling for a moment before clearing his throat and turning his attention back down to Cora. He gave her a smile, licking his lips as he waited for... he really didn’t know. Magazines only helped so much.

Decidedly M at this point.

---

Cora quite liked the feeling of his hand tangled up in her hair while he kissed her.  It was a comforting pressure, and it was encouraging, for sure.  At least she knew he liked kissing her, hopefully as much as she liked kissing him.  Cora wasn’t really shy about showing her affection for people, as awkwardly as she did it, but this was not a regularly scheduled thing for her. 

Obviously not for Thomas either who looked about as red as she imagined a person could be.  As he scooted, Cora popped up and pecked his lips quickly, “You’re very handsome,” she complimented and gave him another swift kiss before she sat back and tugged at the fabric. 

It was never as graceful a motion as one would like it to be, but she supposed one couldn’t expect everything to work out like the pages of one of the books her great grandmother swore up and down she didn’t read, even though Cora found them in the back room.  They were, she had to admit, very uninformative: considering most of them outlined a situation such as this happening in a barn during a thunderstorm or drafty, gothic castle chamber.  Her living room was probably a bit more comfortable – and reasonable- than that though. 

Focused back on reality, he seemed tense, and Cora really didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.  That was the point.  She reached up with her left hand and laced their fingers together, giving his hand a little squeeze, catching his tentative smile as she moved her right hand back upward, moving her eyes from his face downward.  It was a sort of wonder, seeing someone like this for the first time.

Maybe it was residual wine, but Cora felt like she swayed for a moment, having to stop all movement and blink.  Sure, she’d been tipsy, but she really thought the feeling had mostly passed.  Maybe it was just that her heart was beating so fast that it made her head spin.  Whatever the case, she was appreciative of the opportunity to really be in charge; since Thomas professed he didn’t really have… this experience before. 

Cora grinned despite herself.  It was sort of a responsibility then, and for a split second she was torn about it.  She knew men had particular ideas about this sort of thing, but was it different for her?  She didn’t think so.  It certainly made her shift her weight a little.  She returned their entwined hands to the chair’s arm, pushing against the fabric so she could sit up a little to press her lips to his hip.  She lingered there, slowly teasing a bluish-purple bruise to the surface before lifting her head to lick her lips and shift her attention elsewhere. 

M

---

From the exertion of lifting his hips up the way he did, he didn’t have enough to kiss her back. It was a peck, a quick little something, and her words made him smile. “You’re gorgeous.” Which was not a reason for - or maybe it was the reason. Not the entire reason, of course, but just... He really liked her. Just thinking about her face and her laugh and... it all just caused something to happen.

He felt decidedly exposed. A knee bounced a couple of times before he stopped it, trying to look at her and not acknowledge anything else that was out there. Thomas knew himself very well, which meant he didn’t need to look at what was uncovered. Clammy fingers entwined with hers, squeezing back gently. He watched her watching him, attempting to ignore his peripheral vision. He was glad she couldn’t see everything he was doing.

It was obvious he was nervous; one would’ve had to be deaf dumb and blind without arms and hands to realize that. Maybe. Perhaps it was palpable either way, in the air, a sort of static that he set off. Either way, she couldn’t see the way his toes curled in his shoes, attempting to focus and not over think it.

And then there her lips were. Eyebrows shot up and he took in a sharp breath, eyes watching her. There was already a tightening in his lower abdomen, a telltale feeling of something edging along. He was a bit in awe, though. He had expected to be a hermit wandmaker for life, with the way he got around potential women. Dates were usually a disaster. He’d rarely made it further than a small kiss.

Lips parted as his breath caught; she was there. It was really happening. This wasn’t just his imagination in the shower. He licked his own lips, a moan escaping before he could stop himself. Internal monologue began as he tried to focus. Oh no... oh no... Qu-u-u-iditch. Keeper, seeker, ch-h-haser...

M

---

Cora felt elevated with confidence when he informed her of how attractive she was.  She was always tinged with a quirkiness that made her an acquired taste, something that didn't go past too many first dates.  When things did get more serious though, Cora was a very attentive and loyal girlfriend.  She liked this part of a relationship… especially when she really liked the person. 

And she really liked Thomas.  She thought of him a lot, she owled him first (which was a big deal), and looked forward to getting notes from him too.  She liked how he was taller than her, but not towering, she liked that he wasn't perfect.  He had quirks too, he was passionate about his work and they could understand each other's desire to create things for other people.  They were very similar, and the fact that Cora liked him made this much more pleasant.

Closing her eyes, Cora enjoyed being thorough, taking her time – relishing in the fact that she could feel the energy coming off of him, hear him.  A shiver shot straight through her and Cora (literally) hummed with appreciation, not pausing for more than two or three seconds, wondering if it’d have the same effect. 

Of course, Cora’s wondering motivated her curiosity (and enthusiasm) and she opened her eyes, turning them upward after a small hair flick, hoping she’d catch his eye.  As soon as she thought he had it, Cora released their entwined hands, skimming her nails down his torso as she pulled it down toward her face.  She eased back a little to allow for some space. She did have to grab his knee to find a new center of gravity. 

It wouldn’t do either of them very well to fall over… plus the movement allowed her to breathe a little more deeply, using the hand that no longer had to seek something to lean on to pull through her hair, tottering a little on her heels, reluctant to switch hands, before she grabbed his leg for support again.  Close call, she thought to herself and let out a slow breath through her nose and closed her eyes again.

M

---

Cora had a direct line to Thomas’s gut. She twisted it and wrapped it up with a look, a few words, or even a letter. He felt like Pavlov’s dog; when he heard the owl, he nearly ran to get the parcel off of it. He was always a little disappointed when it wasn’t from her, though Thomas definitely understood that he had a business to help run and that not every letter was meant to contain hearts and sweet words.

The hum from her... His body shuddered a bit under her, and he loudly protested in his head, calling for names of known Quidditch players that did not include his brother. He spent time between closing his eyes and watching her work. She really was good with her hands. When she looked at him, that was almost it. She distracted him a little by letting go of his hand, allowing him time to think of the bank. Goblins. Uh... gross. But it wasn’t helping the inevitable coming sooner than he wanted.

When she pulled away, he blinked and looked over her face, swallowing hard as she messed with her hair. It was coming. There was no thought in the world that would delay it now. He let out a noise as her head dipped down again, body tensing up as he tried to relax. “I’m-” His breathing had sped up. “Je viens...” Thomas wasn’t really sure what the exact protocol was, but then, he wasn’t really thinking right now.

Eyes closed as his body was hit with the pinnacle of her efforts, a low, long moan escaping. He opened his eyes to watch at the last moment, his curiosity out weighing his embarrassment. As everything quieted down, he gulped air and leaned heavily into the chair. He wasn’t sure how well he had done, or... She was amazing. Thomas cleared his throat and let his eyes dance around the room before settling back on her.

“Sorry-” He cleared his throat once more, licking his lips. “I didn’t... It was just... that was amazing.” Thomas licked his lips before glancing back to her face. “Can I- is there anything I can do... for you?” Was that how one asked?

M

---

Cora felt the way his legs tensed beside her and saw his stomach jump with tension.  It harkened to a memory and Cora didn’t need to know exactly what he was saying to know what was happening – or going to happen.  Somehow, that made her even more eager – but balanced with the fact she was still fully clothed and however much she liked Thomas, she wouldn’t say she was madly in love with him yet, and that left her with an easy choice.

With a faint ‘popping’ sound, Cora sat up straighter and made quick work with her deft hands.  Her breath hitching in her throat as his eyes snapped shut and he shuddered.  She licked her own lips, watching him, his chest expanding and contracting… Cora slowly ran her hand along his thigh, making sure she didn’t fully pull away until he was settled down on the chair and breathing more regularly.  She had to admit, her heart was also having trouble calming down from the rapid beating and the pulsing of her blood was actually a pleasant feeling. 

Looking around for a moment, Cora gasped with surprise at her good fortune.  She had a tea towel on the coffee table (thank you, now very cold pot of tea), and she grabbed it, cleaning off her hands quickly and scooted back up to him, meeting his hazy smile (it was a good look on him) with a very pleased smile of her own – maybe even smug. 

Leaning up, Cora pushed the cloth against the plane of his stomach, gently wiping over his pale flesh.  “Don’t apologize,” Cora chastised, flicking the towel against his skin before giggling and tossing it to the side.  She scooted closer still and leaned up, stealing another kiss from him, drawing it out as she managed to push her legs up so she could get back into his lap, one knee on each side of his hips. 

After she was situated, she directed his hands to the tops of her thighs, where her garter straps met her stockings and snaked her arms around his throat.  She had almost forgot his trousers were still off, but as she pulled away, leaning her forehead against his, she became aware of the absence of a belt or fabric against her legs.  She smirked, “How amazing am I, again? I think I’ve forgotten.”

Thomas glanced at her, blinking lazily as he sat there, slumped, devoid of energy that he thought he had had. He watched her pick up the towel, unsure at first what it was for. Why was she so excited for - oh. His cheeks colored in before he looked down, attempting to take the towel from her to do the cleaning up himself. She had it in hand, though, and he couldn’t seem to focus long enough to catch up to her.

He felt so... comfortable and relaxed and yet still on edge at the same time. The wine had dulled his senses and his limb functioning, but his trousers were still at his ankles and things were still exposed that he wasn’t used to exposing. At least with other people around. He licked his lips and swallowed, unsure whether he should take her advice or not. It seemed like something to apologize for...

Had he lasted very long? Did those things go over so quick? He glanced after the towel, mildly concerned with the ease with which she tossed it aside. That seemed like a loaded weapon.

But then he was kissing her back, a renewal to his energy that he hadn’t expected. Then she was straddling him; his eyes widened and he stayed there, reeling in slight shock. He kept the kiss going, however. Thomas easily let his hands be persuaded on direction. Fingers moved blindly over her thighs, fingertips finding the hidden treasure under her dress; straps to her hose? That was kind of sexy.

He would’ve preferred to inspect them a little closer, really.

Realizing what was situated right over his lap did little to help with any sort of predicament. In fact, even though she had thoroughly exhausted him, he felt the all too familiar tightening in his lower abdomen. A breath of a groan escaped him, breathing out against her lips. And there it was again, pressing up to say hello.

“You’re so amazing.” He was a little breathless; he looked over her face, a hand moving from her thigh up to the side of her face, gently caressing her cheek as he looked from her eyes to her mouth and back. “You’re the best thing ever. I adore you.” He kissed her again, suddenly, trying to focus on appropriate conversation in their inappropriate situation. “Will you be m-my girlfriend?”

Cora would probably never get tired of kissing. Running her hand through his hair, she messed it up.  But, she liked the way people looked just a little bit askew after they had been kissing (or doing anything, really) for a while.  She was right though, looking at his reddened face and parted lips.  The fact that she was pretty much responsible for that look on his face made Cora’s stomach twist in the most pleasant way. 

Of course, even she had a healthy flush on her face, feeling a little like a teenager.  It was definitely a situation fit for teenagers, in the living room of a flat in various states of dressed… It was hard to imagine that she was twenty-five and he was thirty.  Ah well.  Some people were just young at heart, right?

Or just young in a lot of ways.  Cora relaxed a little bit, breathing deep and sinking down into his lap.  Of course, that was a surprise.  It wasn’t that it was impossible… but Cora didn’t know anyone who… sprang back so quickly.  That was assuredly interesting, and of course, she couldn’t be blamed for shifting her hips just a little bit, seeking a little bit of friction against lace. 

She stilled though when he told her that she was amazing again, which was what she asked for, but it did make her feel bashful.  She’d only been half-kidding when she asked, but the fact that he was touching the side of her face and saying such nice things, she leaned her cheek into his hand, a goofy sort of grin on her face.  “You’re bloody fantastic,” she informed him as well: he had to know she felt the same, right?

He surprised her this time though with a kiss followed by the first question: “Will you be m-my girlfriend?”

She didn’t even need to think about it of course.  Cora grabbed the edges of his open collar and pulled him up straighter to kiss him properly before pushing him back into the chair.  “I should hope so!” she announced with a laugh and ran her hands through her own hair this time, licking her lips with a breathy sigh, “So Thomas Vaillancourt, Wandmaker Extraordinaire is my boyfriend,” she contemplated out loud.  “I like that very much."

Thomas didn’t want her to stop running her fingers through his hair. It was amazing, especially mixed with the kissing. His eyes darted over her face as he fought to catch his breath. She was the most spectacular woman he had met. He didn’t know why she gave him the time of day, but he was glad for it. He liked her with a healthy bit of heat in her cheeks, and he couldn’t help but grin. He could almost forget the situation.

Until she settled down on his lap, of course. A surprised moan escaped, hand grasping her thigh as he tried to... he wasn’t even sure what he was trying to do. There was only enough blood for so much going on in his body. His brain was refusing to work right now, picketing him as he tried to accept all the stimulation his body was receiving.

He might love her.

What?! That was just... No. That was a crazy person talking. They hadn’t gone on very many dates, they hardly knew each other... well, kind of. They were getting to know each other. It wasn’t love, surely. Just an intense like that Thomas hadn’t felt reciprocated quite like this before.

She thought he was fantastic? He responded with a grin of his own, thumb caressing her soft skin.

Of course her response to his question had him a little shocked. She seemed to be doing that to him a lot. Eyebrows rose but he kissed her back nonetheless, his hand on her thigh moving to her low back. He pressed back into the chair at her behest. She made him straighten his back a little at her compliment on his trade. He bit his lower lip and grinned around it, hands resting on her hips as he tried to focus on her and not what her hips were doing.

“I like it too. A lot.” Where did he go from here, though? He looked over her before glancing down between them. He thought better of that and looked back up quickly, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. Thomas lingered there a moment, his arm wrapping around her in a comforting hug, glad that she was really there. This was really real.