phillipa flint (pippips) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-02-16 08:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: gemma higgs, character: phillipa flint |
who: gemma higgs & phillipa flint
where: pippa's flat
when: an evening in june 2000
what: [backstory] reunited and it feels so good
status: complete
warnings: allusions to sex
It felt strange to be in a new apartment after so long of living in the same place. Then again, that’s how Phillipa had felt moving back home after Hogwarts, and Paris from home - and now, London from Paris. She had a comfortable flat in Diagon Alley, right in the middle of it all and close to where she would be working. It wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t, because it was easy enough to get from one place to another, but she liked the thought of being so close. She’d grown used to walking through the streets from place to place, enjoying life in the middle of a city. She hadn’t really been in England since she’d left, aside from short holidays to see her brothers, but not so much her parents. But that made it that much easier to stay away, because Marcus was busy with Quidditch and Lucas was in school. She’d had school of her own, not to mention the plentiful distractions of Paris, and hadn’t seen most of her friends since she’d left. Owls had gone back and forth, but that was hardly the same. Being back, it meant getting to see them again, and she couldn’t wait. Close friends were first, the first ones who got to be welcomed into her new home, and she preferred that to happen one at a time so she was able to fully enjoy getting to spend time with them. First up? Her favorite Higgs. Well, one of two favorite Higgses. She refused to play favorites between them, as they were both her favorites for different reasons. -- With it having been forever since they’d seen each other Gemma was definitely looking forward to visit Pippa. Of their group she’d really only been in contact with Marcu, and although he was good for a fun time he wasn’t so much when it came to wanting to talk girl or relationship stuff with. Sure, she had other girl friends she could probably talk to, but it wasn’t the same as when you talking about it with your best friend. Okay, so she was also dying to hear all about her time in Paris as well. “C’mon, Pip, don’t leave me waiting out here,” she said loudly, after having knocked on the door of her friend’s flat. “I want to hear absolutely everything about Paris.” -- Phillipa had been in her room, giving herself one last look over in the mirror, when she heard the knock on the door. She couldn’t help but smile when she heard her friend calling from outside, the familiar voice seeming to warm her very soul. It was a quick trip to the door, made even quicker by her excitement of seeing her best friend, and her fingers were nimble on the lock to get it undone so she could open the door. “Come here, you,” she said, not really giving Gemma a chance before she grabbed her hand and pulled her inside and into a hug in one fluid motion. It hadn’t felt that long while it had been going on, but she was suddenly very aware of how long it had been since she’d actually seen Gemma. Her arms stayed tight around her friend for a long moment, her face practically nuzzled into her hair and neck, before she pulled back and held her at arm’s length so she could actually look at her for the first time. “Merlin, look at you!” -- Rather than standing stock still in surprise, which she wasn’t, Gemma returned the hug just as enthusiastically. They might’ve stayed in contact whilst Pippa was on the continent, but it really wasn’t the same as inhabiting the same space as the other, and no matter how long or short a time it might’ve been it still felt like an absolute age since they’d last seen each other. “What? Do I have something on my face?” she joked. -- “Just gorgeousness,” Phillipa replied with a grin, giving her friend a tug to get her the rest of the way inside her apartment so she could shut the door. While her apartment was new, and she’d had to furnish it from nothing, she thought it looked nice, and very her. It was comfortable, the right mix of ease and prestige, but also with a sofa that Phillipa had determined nice enough for her to relax on, have visitors on, yet comfortable enough for the inevitable times Lucas would visit and crash. “Would you like some wine?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a few steps backward, leaning Gemma more into her living room where they could sit and catch up. “I brought a bunch back with me.” -- “Good answer,” she said, smiling as she took a cursory look around her friend’s flat. “The place looks very you. I like it.” Gemma chuckled. “Have you ever known me to turn down a good drink, Pip?” Of course it didn’t matter whether Pippa had offered wine or a cup of tea… okay, the wine just added that bit of extra fun. But this was all about catching up and getting the goss on Paris. “Now we’ve already touched on my good looks, but look at you,” she said, taking in another look of her friend. “Paris has certainly agreed with you, darling.” -- Phillipa grabbed a corkscrew and a bottle of one of her favorites, which she quickly set on opening for them to share. “No, of course not, that’s why I offered,” she replied, biting her lip with a grin as she grabbed two glasses from the kitchen and carried everything over to the small table in front of her sofa. She preened slightly at the compliment, tossing her hair over her shoulder playfully and dropping into a curtsy with a soft laugh. “Thank you, my darling,” she said, sitting down and patting the cushion next to her before pouring the wine into the glasses. “I certainly agreed with it a whole lot while I was there. It was great, Gem. School was fine, but the city was wonderful.” She handed Gemma one of the glasses and held her own out to clink against it. “Cheers.” -- Gemma sat down, tucking her legs under as she settled into the sofa. She took only a small sip of the wine at first, just to savour the flavour and found she quite liked it. “Mmm, it shows,” she said, studying Pippa for a moment. “I don’t know what it is, but something is different about you. A good thing, naturally. I don’t know, you just seem more…” She was gesturing with her hand trying to think of the word, clicking her fingers suddenly when it finally occurred to her. “That’s it. You seem more at ease with yourself, as if you were complete.” -- Phillipa took a sip of her wine and hummed happily at both the taste of it and also what Gemma said. She felt like herself - not a different person, because she was still the same, but in a very different way. That was what Paris had done, and she was grateful for it. She’d never felt more comfortable in her own skin, and she was glad it showed. “I feel it,” she said, settling in more comfortably on the sofa and turning to be facing Gemma more. “I’ve never felt more complete, I don’t think. Having that time away, to myself, it was like I had no pressure to be anyone but me.” She took another sip of her wine and offered her a smile. “How have you been? I’ve followed the league, watched for all your games and how they went.” -- “Just the same old, same old really,” she said, a little too casually, with a shrug of her shoulders. “Though let’s just say a certain someone may have landed a spot on the English National team for World Cup.” So maybe she was being a little too coy about it, but she didn’t want to be completely boastful about it - even if those closest to her knew how much she enjoyed the sport. Joining the Falcons as young as she did was great, but she was fairly certain nothing could quite top the moment when she found out she’d been successful at the tryouts for the national team; although it would mean she’d be going up against Marcus rather than being on the same team. “Now, aside from a wonderful time in Paris,” she said, emphasising a French accent on the last word. “What else is new with you, Pip, darling?” -- “Same old indeed,” Phillipa replied, reaching over to nudge Gemma’s shoulder. “Gem, that’s amazing! You full well deserve it after everything I’ve seen in the papers.” Sure, Quidditch wasn’t exactly her thing, but she followed Marcus’ games which meant she was well informed about how Gemma did in them at well. She was grateful the only two people she cared about in the Quidditch world played on the same team, so she didn’t have to try and keep track of more teams than that. She paused to take a sip of her wine, fortifying herself a bit because while Gemma was one of her closest friends, and the one she felt as though would be best to talk to about such things, it still was different to say some things out loud. “Well, there’s one big thing, I suppose,” she said slowly, mulling over her words and looking down into her wine glass. “I think… I like women. Mostly because I had quite a bit of sex with them while I was abroad…” She looked up, biting her lip with a soft grin spreading across her features. “Bit of a shock for me at the time, but I think that might be part of the me being at ease bit. More comfortable with all of me, finally.” -- “Thanks, Pip.” Gemma couldn’t help but grin after that. Despite all her loudness, Gemma wasn’t always the boastful sort - not unless she was looking to annoy someone. So getting praise like that from a good friend like Pippa meant the world. It would be lying if Gemma had said she wasn’t surprised, but surprised or not she wasn’t about to judge her friend or anyone else for discovering new things about themselves; whatever it may have been that they discovered. Not to mention considering her own choices when it came to her own love life. “A lot of sex, huh? And wow… I mean… no, definitely wow,” she said, a surprised tone in her voice. “A good wow though, it’s just a little surprising. I don’t think I ever had an inkling of that possibility.” Gemma couldn’t help it and leaned over to hug Pippa, and smiled warmly. “I can imagine how much a shock it must’ve been, but I’m so happy for you that you feel comfortable and at ease with your whole self now.” -- And that was why Gemma was the one Phillipa told, because the surprise in her tone was clearly not from a place of judgement, but rather just because it was quite the thing to be told out of the blue. Phillipa gladly accepted the hug, relaxing into her hold while it lasted and letting her arm rest around her. “I didn’t have an inkling of it either,” she said softly, giving Gemma one last squeeze before pulling back and cupping her wine glass in both her hands. “I never thought I was pushing anything in me down but then… there it was, and I felt free, you know?” She let out a light laugh and shook her head. “It all sounds so cliche, but that’s the only way to say it that makes sense. So I guess that’s why it’s a cliche.” -- Gemma laughed, “Cliche or not, it makes sense to me. I remember that feeling myself, even if it happened at an earlier point in my life than yours.” She was glad she’d taken a sip of her wine before the thought occurred to her, because she couldn’t help but laughingly snort at a memory that came back to her just now. At least now she could laugh about it, rather than feeling mild embarrassment like she had at the time. “Just be thankful you discovered it that way, and not by having to talk to your brother about ‘confused feelings’ because you didn’t know who else to turn to,” she, softly laughing at the memory of her brother’s face at the time. “Besides, just think, now you’ve much wider field of options open to you,” she said, grinning wickedly. -- Phillipa snickered in response, shaking her head quickly. “Oh no, no way. Even if I had noticed myself having feelings before, there’s no way I would have ever gone to Marcus about them. I wouldn’t even mention I thought a boy was cute in front of him, for fear of him doing something about it. He gets to know as little as possible about that part of my life, thank you very much.” She knew Terence would have done a better job with Gemma talking to him than Marcus would have with her, so that was a small blessing for her friend. Still, Phillipa would rather stay out of her brother’s love life and keep him out of hers, all the same. “Yes, I certainly do,” she replied, a soft smirk spreading across her features. “Which is quite nice, if I do say so myself.” -- “I suppose that’s why as embarrassing it might’ve been, knowing Terence wouldn’t judge me at all kind of helped,” she said. “Not that even that made it any easier to actually talk about at the time.” Judgement or not, she knew her brother still looked out for her in that way that older brothers do. Considering she could’ve ended up with a much more protective and not so easy to talk to brother she was certainly grateful. “You’ll hear no disagreement from me on that matter,” she said, grinning knowingly. -- “Terence is good like that,” Phillipa agreed, grateful that her faux-older brother was someone she would have felt comfortable talking to as well. That’s why she couldn’t pick favorites between the Higgses, because they were both her favorites. She sighed happily, resting her head against the back of the sofa and looking at her friend. “I missed you so much, Gemma. I made friends there, but no one that knew me like you do. I’d have to explain things I never used to, and no one knew our jokes. And now you’re here, and it doesn’t feel like we’ve missed a beat at all, and I’ve missed that.” -- “I missed you a lot too, Pippa,” she sighed. “There might’ve been Marcus and other friends, but it just wasn’t the same without you. I just felt like I couldn’t share anything and know that no one else would inevitably find out about it. Not to mention the thought of trying to talk to Marcus about anything aside from harmless flirting was enough to put me off.” Gemma smiled as she looked at Pippa. “I’m really glad that you’re back, Pip.” -- “Oh Merlin, no, never talk to Marcus about anything,” Phillipa groaned playfully. She loved her brother, she truly did, but when it came to those sorts of things they simply didn’t speak of it. If she couldn’t do it, she hardly thought anyone else would, especially someone not actually related. “I am back and your secrets are once again safe forever.” She reached over and tucked a rogue piece of hair back behind Gemma’s ear, offering her a smile. “I’m glad I’m back too. Paris was great, but… I’ve really missed you.” -- Gemma smiled softly, taking hold of Pippa’s hand, she might’ve said it often now, but she really had missed her. There was something to be said for having the sort of friend where you just felt totally at ease and comfortable with, and she hadn’t realised how lonely it had felt without that. “Now, of course, you know you can’t ever go away again,” she said playfully. “Or at least don’t go leaving me behind.” -- Phillipa smiled at the feel of Gemma's hand in hers. She gave it a gentle squeeze and took the last sip of her wine, reaching over to set her glass down on the table so she didn't have to keep holding it. Her smile grew at what Gemma said, and she gave a light laugh in response. "I'll take you with me," she promised, her thumb brushing a soft rhythm over the back of Gemma's hand. "You and me, all over the world. I can see it now." -- Gemma sipped the last of her wine before setting her own glass down, and leaning back against the sofa lazily as she looked over at Pippa. “Good,” she said, lifting Pippa’s hand up and kissing the back of it. “You know the world isn’t going to know what hit it when we do.” -- "It definitely won't," Phillipa agreed, giving a happy little hum at the kiss Gemma gave her hand. She could imagine it, traveling all over the place with Gemma, and she couldn't imagine a better person to share such an experience with. She couldn't imagine a better person, period. That might have been what brought her to do it, because all she could think about was how ridiculous it was she hadn't seen her friend in so long, and now they were together and she almost felt this ache inside disappear just from being there with her. Pippa had missed her so, and all she could think of to do to show it was to lean forward and press a soft kiss against her lips. -- Gemma smiled against Pippa’s lips as she returned the kiss. She wasn’t quite sure how to describe the feeling - only knowing it certainly wasn’t unpleasant. Then again the warm feeling spreading all over might’ve had a little to do with the wine as well. Whatever the reason, it seemed enough to convince herself it wasn’t a bad thing, and she really had missed Pippa. A lot. Leaning in a little more, steadying herself by resting her hand on Pippa’s thigh, she gently deepened the kiss. She was fine to continue, but she wouldn’t be upset, and would respect her friend’s decision if Pippa decided this wasn’t to her liking and wanted to stop. -- Phillipa smiled slightly when Gemma kissed her back, because she hadn't really known what the reaction would be but she also hadn't thought that far. All she'd thought was it felt right to do, so she did it. With Gemma's hand on her thigh, she only had to figure her friend thought it felt right too. After all, she'd missed her fiercely, and this felt like the right way to show her how much. She brought her hand up to cup her jaw, her lips parting and gently catching against Gemma's a little before she let her tongue trace along the seam of her lips, waiting for her to part them before sweeping inside her mouth and tasting the lingering of the wine they'd enjoyed. Her heart raced as she shifted closer, absently squeezing her hand that was still being held by Gemma. -- Gemma’s own heart was racing. This was all quite unexpected and yet… somehow it really just felt completely right. She’d never even considered this as a possibility, and certainly hadn’t ever thought of Pippa in this way before. Strangely enough that hadn’t changed despite the kissing, but it certainly hadn’t detracted from the enjoyment of it either. Gemma slowly slid her hand up Pippa’s thigh, letting it rest at her hip as she leaned in closer, and started trailing soft kisses down her neck. -- Phillipa's hand moved back from Gemma's jaw once the kisses started moving down her neck, cupping the back of her neck and letting her fingers lace up into the hair at the nape of her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed and she let out a soft sigh, each kiss against her skin seeming to send little jolts through her body. Everything felt so much and so right, and she wanted more, plain and simple. "Gem," she murmured, her head lolling to the side to give her more space to kiss long her neck. "Come to bed with me? Please?" -- Gemma smiled as she continued her gentle assault on Pippa’s neck. Being unable to help the shudder and tingly feeling that shot through her - thanks in part being held like that, even if it was only by the one hand at the moment. But it was enough to send a warm tingly feeling through her body. “Hmm?” she murmured, pausing for a moment. “Pip…” Gemma nodded slowly, before leaning in to softly capture Pippa’s lips once more, hoping that was answer enough for her. -- Phillipa held her breath for the brief moment before Gemma nodded, then gratefully accepted the kiss pressed against her lips. She didn't want it to end, but managed to put back after a long moment to get up from the sofa, using their linked hands to lead Gemma back to her bedroom where clothes soon littered the floor and they lost themselves in a tangle of limbs and bedsheets, kisses and touches pressed everywhere and beyond. Afterward, Phillipa lay stretched out, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths as she let her fingertips trace along Gemma's back, over the bumps of her spine and up into the wisps of her hair where it was lying against her skin. -- Gemma would’ve been watching Pippa; however, she had her head resting on her tummy, and currently had her eyes closed, as she enjoyed the way Pippa was tracing along her back. Slowly she opened her eyes to glance up at Pippa. A bright smile playing across her features, basking in the moment, and trying to think of the right words… any words… to convey just how she felt right then and there. “Mmm, I don’t know that I can think of any proper words right now,” she mused happily, tracing her own lazy patterns along Pippa’s side. “And the word ‘good’ just doesn’t seem to quite cover everything.” -- Phillipa tilted her chin down to be able to look down at Gemma, a lazy smile spreading across her features to match Gemma's bright one. Her own mind was having trouble forming words as well, but in the best, deliriously blissful way. She traced her fingertips up and into Gemma's hair, brushing it back away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Perfect," she murmured in response, her fingernails threading into Gemma's hair as they worked their way back down to the nape of her neck. "I think that was perfect." -- Gemma couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips, she wasn’t ticklish and she wasn’t sure what it was, maybe it was just the utter happiness of the moment. But Pippa was right, perfect really was the best way to describe what had happened and how they felt. She shifted slightly to a more comfortable position that allowed her to snuggle in closer to Pippa, whilst still allowing her to rest her head comfortable on Pippa’s tummy. “Definitely perfect,” she said, letting out a happy sigh. “I think I could just lay here forever.” -- Phillipa hummed in response and let her hand still, resting on Gemma's back between her shoulder blades. Laying there forever? That sounded perfect, too. She could feel Gemma's breath playing across her skin where her head was resting, the warmth of her body pressed in against her, and everything about it was so comfortable and wonderful, so she didn't want to move. "Forever sounds nice," she replied, her smile growing a little as her fingers rubbed gently where they were resting. "You're definitely not going anywhere tonight, at least. But then we can work toward forever, how's that?" -- Pippa wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to move at all. It’d been so long without her other best friend that Gemma had almost forgotten how at ease and comfortable she normally was in Pippa’s company. Although right now that normal feeling was multiplied by a very large number that she couldn’t think of, and frankly didn’t care about because she felt wonderful and that was all that mattered… well, that and knowing that Pippa felt the same way. “Sounds like I’m to be your captive for the night then,” she teased. “But yes, that sounds great to me.” -- "You are quite my captive," Phillipa replied just as teasingly, tilting her head to be able to look down at her better. This was what she'd very much missed while she'd been abroad, because she hadn't had any friends or lovers who made her feel as relaxed and easy and her as Gemma always did. From the moment she'd opened the door and seen her, she'd felt that overwhelming sense of home. "I may manage to move to get the rest of the wine, but not anytime soon," she added, shaking her head slowly from side to side. "I'm incapacitated." -- “I don’t think I’ll mind at all,” she said with a grin. Gemma reached up and across Pippa’s chest to cup her jaw, and gently stroked her cheek with the side of her thumb. “Well, I wish you luck with that endeavour, if it should happen,” she said. “Personally, I’m not sure I could move even for an emergency right now.” -- Phillipa tilted her head into Gemma's touch, her eyes fluttering closed at the stroking against her cheek. Perfect had been the right word, and it just kept proving itself over again with every passing second. She brought her hand up and gently curled her fingers around Gemma's wrist, holding it loosely. "Can you move enough to come up here?" she asked, letting her eyes open halfway to look down at her. "It's not that far." -- “If I must,” she said, with an exaggerated sigh. “It’s not fair though, you make for such a nice pillow, Pip. I’m almost determined to just stay right here.” However, Gemma gently tugged her wrist free of Pippa, before easing herself up on her elbows, and then properly upright. She turned herself around, smiling at Pippa, before shifting and settling down beside her. Wrapping an arm around her, snuggling in closer, resting her head against Pippa’s “Better, darling?” she asked. -- Phillipa easily let go of Gemma's wrist and lifted her other hand away from her back to give her space to shift around. She hummed happily as her friend settled in beside her, closer and cuddled in against her side, and she let her arm rest against where Gemma's was around her. As comfortable as they'd been before, this was even better, and they would be warmer from each other to boot. "Mhm," she murmured, turning her head to brush her lips against Gemma's in the lightest of kisses. "So much better. Now we needn't move at all." -- “Good. I absolutely refuse to move for anyone or anything,” she stated. “Not even for your lovely self, darling.” Gemma meant it good-naturedly of course… well, the part about moving for Pippa she did, that she’d actually be willing to do. On the other hand, if her’s or Pippa’s brother (or anyone else for that matter) rocked up at the door looking for either of them? Nope, not getting up for that. Well… maybe eventually if it was Terence. “I suppose now we could talk and catch up proper,” she suggested. “Or just snuggle some more. Personally, like the latter option, even if I am curious about your time in Paris.” -- Not moving was the plan, and Phillipa was determined to stick to it. She smiled softly and nuzzled in against Gemma a little more, getting properly cozy and settled in. "We could always do a bit of both," she suggested, her thumb stroking gently against Gemma's arm where it was resting. "I am fully capable of snuggling whilst talking, that's just how talented I am. So why don't you tell me what's new with you, and then I will answer any questions you have about my dear Paris." -- “Well, I did have some idea of just how talented you are, Pip,”she said with a smile, mirroring Pippa’s movement. “Though I wholly approve of that plan.” Gemma thought on what she had or hadn’t told Pippa since she’d been gone, that she hadn’t already covered in the letters she’d sent. “Hmm, let’s see, I’ve already told you about the World Cup. I still haven’t met ‘The One’, but I’m definitely having a lot of fun looking nonetheless.” Not that Gemma was actually looking for The One or indeed any sort of committed relationship. There was too much to do in life, and she just wasn’t really ready to be tied down just yet. -- "As long as you're having fun with the looking part," Phillipa replied, her eyes closing as she laid there, content to listen to her friend talk. She wasn't particularly looking for The One, though she'd been thinking she should be for a while. But then there was Paris, and life, and she was perfectly fine with living through it on her own. For the time being. "Paris was mostly what I had told you before, though it was interesting looking into more... muggle things than I ever did here. There was just so much to see and do, and nothing but time." -- “Oh, I always have fun looking, you know that,” she chuckled. “I’m glad you enjoyed Paris, Pip, but I’m just as glad to have you back home too.” Now Gemma only needed for her brother to be home, not just on leave, and everything would be perfect. They continued on talking throughout the night, catching each other up on what they’d missed. Eventually the pair had fallen asleep tangled up cozily together. |