Lorelei Wentworth 🍦 Alice Longbottom (harmonize) wrote in dunhavenic, @ 2019-04-10 23:05:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, * jeanne, * terri, c: foster wentworth, c: lorelei wentworth |
WHO: Alice "Actual Dumpster Fire" Fortescue & Frank "I Took A Death Eater's Curse For This?" Longbottom
WHEN: December 1973
WHERE: Various. DMLE offices, random muggle bar, Frank's flat.
SUMMARY: Part One of Two. Frank and Alice have been "just-snogging" friends for a year. Then things change.
WARNINGS: Kissing, arguing, swearing, drinking, descriptions of magical combat and associated injuries, references to sex. Maybe not in that order.
SPRINGO: Prompt: An Argument
The problem with Frank Longbottom was that he was a really, really good snog. Whether it was dragging him into a broom closet and letting him back her up against the door for a few desperate, breathless minutes, or catching up with him near the Atrium floos and linking their arms together as they rode the lifts to the DMLE offices, or going back to that tea house with the waitress who was definitely still into him and stopping to snog him slowly in the street just outside the window where she could see them. Alice thought about snogging Frank Longbottom far more than could have been considered healthy or appropriate, but- honestly? She couldn't be arsed to care. Or stop. So far, at least, she hadn't let those runaway thoughts interfere with her own training. She was halfway through her second year with the DMLE, and though the end was closer, there was still a long slog to get through on her way there. And Frank did help with some of that, too. When they weren't snogging, they often ran drills together outside of official training hours, and his knowledge just for being a year ahead of her was invaluable. (There were plenty of instructors too, of course, but Alice liked Frank's opinions since he was approaching things from her side, as a trainee. It was a different perspective.) The third year trainees often went out into the field with the fully vetted aurors. Supposedly such things were meant to be small tastes of what auror life would be- and they at least brought on the unpredictability that came with that vetting. Nothing was under their instructors' control, once they stepped out of the DMLE. ~~ The calm before the storm. Alice was reading one of her training books, sitting alone at a desk in the DMLE with a half-empty and mostly cold mug of tea beside her. Then, all at once, no less than six paper memos flew out of the lift at top speed, racing one another toward the DMLE Head's office. It was, somehow, very aggressive crinkling. Alice looked up with some interest, but it was no doubt something well above her pay grade, so after a moment she just returned to her book. A voice over an amplifying charm sounded. "All vetted aurors and third year trainees report immediately to training room four. First and second year trainees are dismissed for the day." Dismissed? It wasn't even noon yet! Alice closed her book and stood, still feeling a bit wary, but before she could step away from her desk there was another flurry of activity from the direction of the lifts. This time it was the vetted aurors and third year trainees that had left that morning, each one looking ragged and talking over the next. Except, there in the middle of them- hovering uncomfortably taller than the rest- was the very unconscious body of Frank Longbottom. Alice's stomach dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of her toes. ~~ "We're going down to the Leaky, Alice, come on! Free day!" Another second year trainee motioned for Alice to follow them toward the lift. "No, no, I think-" she glanced toward the direction of training room four, and then just sat down again, heavily, at the desk. "-I'm going to stay here. Get some reading done in the quiet." "Suit yourself." -- The third year of his training was going along just as Frank anticipated that it would. He had done the research to know what tasks would be laid at his feet. It was Alice Fortescue that was the unforeseen factor in his plans. He had grown to fancy her quite a lot over the last year, likely brought on by the fact that it seemed as though every available opportunity, she was tugging him into some empty training room for a snog. His mother had tried several times over the last year to set Frank up with young, eligible women who were the daughters of friends, but he’d insisted he needed to focus on his training. That… wasn’t entirely true. Whenever he thought about dating anyone, it was Alice’s face that came to mind. He tried to put her out of his mind as much as possible, though that was easier said than done. That morning, however, he was in the field and he needed to be sharp. He hadn’t seen her longer than a glance that morning when he’d grabbed his tea to go, and squared his shoulders as he headed out of the department with the other Aurors and trainees. They weren’t supposed to be doing anything dangerous. It was just supposed to be a bit of spying… a bit of tracking down a few leads to see if they sussed out any real information and reconvening. Though Frank was in training and had a partner for this outing, they were not attached at the hip. Perhaps they should have been. They morning had been mostly quiet until that point, when everything came rushing into sudden clarity. Frank was always on alert when he was in the field, but this was different. As he was walking down the alley, Frank spotted a wizard who made his gut tug at him, the hairs on his arms standing on end. The face was familiar. The wizard was glancing over his shoulder, looking more than a bit dodgy, and hadn’t paid any mind to his path which made him barrel directly into Frank’s shoulder. Instead of apologizing, he’d gotten irate, claiming that Frank had run into him on purpose. It wasn’t precisely wrong or right. Frank definitely hadn’t moved out of the way. It was then that Frank had recognized him. Berthold Montgomery. He was wanted on several charges, not the least of which was the torture of a young family. There were posters of his face all around the DMLE. Frank kept his expression impassive, burying the recognition just as he was taught to do. He had held up his hands as if in apology, “I’ll pay more attention to where I’m going, mate.” He would also track him, he thought, not wanting to let a wanted wizard get away. To his knowledge, no one had sighted Montgomery in months. “I think you will. After I teach you a lesson for it,” the wizard had snarled. Frank didn’t think that he had expected he was facing a wizard because when Frank deflected his initial spell, a look of shock crossed the haggard wizard’s face. Frank shot a shower of red sparks into the air to draw others to his location, and was locked in a duel not unlike those that he had faced in training before. Except… this was real. This wizard was legitimately trying to cause him harm. Frank, however, was fast-thinking and on the offense just as much as he was on the defense. He slung a spell that hit the wizard in the shoulder, making his arm go numb and lame. That only seemed to enrage him further. Montgomery scrambled, plucking his wand out of his leaden hand, and shouting a spell that Frank didn’t hear the incantation of as he awkwardly slashed his wand through the air. The curse, like purple flame, raced quickly towards his chest and Frank performed a hasty shield charm. Even though the charm worked, it wasn’t enough to block the spell entirely, which sliced through the shield and right into Frank’s chest. His insides roiled, and Frank stumbled, clutching his chest. Montgomery laughed, smug, “That’ll teach you, boy.” Frank gripped his wand, holding a breath inside of his chest though it felt like flame, “Expelliarmus!” The wand flew from Montgomery’s hands, landing closer to Frank. The shock on his face was almost comical. Before he could dive for it, Frank rallied, “INCARCEROUS.” He pointed his wand at his opponent and thick ropes snaked around Montgomery’s legs and wrists. The other wizard wobbled and tottered onto his back like a turtle. There were shouts, the sound of several pairs of boots scuffling in the alley, and the swish of robes. Frank’s heart was thundering in his ears. It was his legs that gave way first and he crashed to his knees, swaying like a leaf in the wind. He could hear someone shouting his name. His partner. He’d only been a block away. What had taken him so long? Why did his name sound so funny? He tasted the tinge of copper, and though there were no outward wounds, something felt very wrong. He saw two other Aurors approach Montgomery and glance back to him. The edges of his vision went black, and that was all he knew. ~~ Some fifteen minutes after Frank’s unconscious form had been levitated into the DMLE Headquarters, two other Aurors - Harper and Nettles - had brought Montgomery up to the floor to be interrogated. It always took a bit more time to get perpetrators through the bottom floors of the Ministry, mostly because they had to take them through differing avenues to ensure they would not impact the safety of the Ministry workers, or frighten anyone unnecessarily. Harper and Nettles each had a hold of an arm, though the ropes had been removed from his feet so that he could walk along. Their faces were largely impassive as they led him through the DMLE, but he looked smug, “If he wakes up, you tell your little Auror that he made a fatal mistake crossing me. I’ll finish what I started.” -- Really, she probably should have just gone home when the rest of her training class had been dismissed. There was probably a very legitimate reason why they didn't want the younger trainees lingering about, other than the fact that they'd ask too many questions and generally make pests of themselves. Though she'd told the other trainees that she'd be sticking around to get some reading done, Alice hadn't so much as cracked the edge of the book since Frank's body had floated past her desk. She replayed the moment over in her mind, however brief it had been, trying to remember any other hints as to what in Merlin's name could have happened to him. Maybe it wasn't so bad. He was here, after all, and not at St Mungo's. Had she been certain that he was really just unconscious? Godric, they wouldn't have brought him here if he'd been d- No- no- no- no. ~~ "If he wakes up, you tell your little Auror that he made a fatal mistake crossing me. I'll finish what I started." Alice watched Harper and Nettles pass by, and- since Moody enjoyed making the trainees memorize all of the DMLE's most wanted- she recognized the man between them, too. Berthold Montgomery. If he wakes up. If he wakes up. If he... Her teeth ground together, her hands clenched white around her wand. (When had she even reached for it?) Alice wanted nothing more than to send every offensive spell in her arsenal flying toward that wretch of a man, no matter that he was unarmed and already apprehended. Instead, after several moments of seething, she managed to cast a silencing charm at her own throat, then dropping her wand and letting out a long, desperate, guttural- and painfully silent- scream. Her fingers tangled into her hair tightly, and she bent over double. She didn't remove the charm until her throat was raw. -- He did wake up. It took time, potions, and the expertise of a mediwitch that had been called to the DMLE Headquarters to give him an assessment. Nearly a dozen different potions had been administered to him, along with several spells. The mediwitch had indicated that he should continue to take the potions on regular intervals for the next few days, but that there shouldn’t be any lasting damage. He’d been lucky, she said. The spell could have killed him, if done properly. If he had been a second slower with his shield charm. There were so many ifs there that it was sobering, especially with the majority of the Auror department surrounding him along with his fellow third-year trainees. He had been guided to a seat at the end of a long table, and Frank tried to ignore the bone-deep ache in his chest. Even though he had been told he didn’t need to be monitored at St. Mungo’s, it didn’t mean he was exactly well either. They made him go over every detail of what had happened. Again and again. It wasn’t exactly an interrogation, but they had to know what they did and didn’t have to put in the report for Montgomery’s arrest. The third-years had been reminded of constant vigilance. Even though Frank had taken a spell to the chest, the vetted Aurors had commended him on a job well done in taking down Montgomery even without backup, once it had been clear that he hadn’t provoked the duel in the first place. It had gone on for hours. Statements had been taken. Everyone had recounted what they had seen in the surrounding area, and any other notable figures, including potential associates of Montgomery. Frank had to fill out the report down to every last detail that he could remember. Every curse and counter-curse. Every jinx. Every charm. What Mongtomery had said to him. Who was he running from? Had he spotted another Auror and gotten spooked? Had someone else seen him and not recognized him, running him directly into Frank? Had there been some other dark wizard out there that Montgomery was on the run from? There were more questions than answers, though Montgomery would be questioned, too. Slowly, those that were in the training room began to trickle out. First, it was the other third-year trainees. Then, other Aurors took their leave a few at a time. In the end, it was just Frank and his partner of the day, Bellamy. The older man looked a little bit sheepish, “Glad you’re all right, Frank.” As he stood up and winced, his chest twinging, Frank picked up the small case of potion vials he had been given, which had been shrunken to a manageable size, and stowed them in his pocket, “Yeah. I’ll be right as rain in a day or two. Are we done here? I think I could sleep for a week.” Bellamy chuckled and clapped Frank on the shoulder, “Your long nap wasn’t enough rest for you?” “Ha ha,” Frank rolled his eyes, and the two of them headed towards the door. Bellamy went out first and headed towards the exit of the department. Frank followed a moment later, tugging the door closed behind him with a small grimace from the pull on his chest. Frank was unsure of how long he’d been there or even what time of day it was now, but he was certain everyone else would be going home, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. -- She still hadn't cracked the book. Pacing only seemed to increase her nervous energy, but she didn't stop. It had been hours, and Alice refused to leave the DMLE's office until she knew what was happening. Not that there was anyone else there who was trying to get her to leave. Even as people started to file out of that training room, none of them spared her a second glance. They were huddled in conversations, tones low and unsure. She was no one's concern. Not today. Bellamy had passed by, and then Alice caught sight of Frank. Upright, but with his feet properly on the floor this time. Moving a bit slowly, but under his own power. Alone. No mediwitch escort. Relief flooded through her… but was just as easily replaced with desperation. She needed answers, yes, but- more importantly- she needed reassurance. Jaw set, Alice walked determinedly toward Frank. She barely paused in her strides as she grabbed his left arm and turned him to march them both right back to that training room. Any protestations were ignored, and when the door shut behind Frank, Alice took several long strides away from him before whirling and pointing her wand squarely at him. "Expelliarmus!" -- Frank hadn't expected anyone else to be there, much less for Alice to barrel towards him and snag his arm. The tug that she gave pulled uncomfortably on his chest, but he swallowed whatever sound of protest and discomfort he might have otherwise made if it was anyone else. She pulled him back into the training room, and Frank's heart thudded against his ribs. He didn't know how much she'd heard about what happened that day, but he hoped she was planning to snog him. That's what usually happened in moments like this, and he could honestly use the distraction and the relief it would give him from the stress he'd been under much of the afternoon. He was a little surprised when she let go of his arm, walking away from him. She looked cross, to be certain, and Frank was going to ask her to spit whatever she wanted to say to him out when she whirled on him and a spell came flying his direction. Frank was, blessedly, a very quick draw and had retrieved his wand and deflected the spell a fraction of a second after Alice had cast it, though it did nothing to help the confusion that was now suddenly sweeping through him. For the second time today, he found himself in an unexpected duel. This time, his chest was still aching uncomfortably, and he didn't want to be locked in some kind of battle with Alice, “Fuck, Alice! Have you lost your bloody mind?” -- She'd expected him to block her spell, of course. She'd rather been counting on it. Alice needed to know that he could block and defend, even if she was nowhere near the caliber of those who would be attacking him in earnest. Who had attacked him in earnest. Had she lost her mind? It was entirely possible. But her jaw was still set, and she wasn't going to back down just yet. Alice shook her head, but the only words that passed her lips were, instead, two quick spells. "Impedimentia! Stupefy!" -- He was prepared this time, and quickly cast a shield charm, “Protego!” The spells that she had sent hurling towards him were absorbed by the shield, but for a split second, Frank almost expected them to pass right through like the other spell had. It had sliced through the shield like butter. He shook off the thought, instead deciding his next move. He couldn’t be thinking about what had happened earlier at a moment like this. Frank didn’t want to make her even more cross with him than she already was, but neither did he want to continue letting her barrage him with spells. As he deflected another hex sent his way, he quickly pointed his wand towards her, “Expelliarmus!” Her wand flew out of her hand and into his outstretched palm. He tried to ignore the sharp protest that his ribs gave at the motion, but there was a flicker of it on his face, “Would you just stop? I’ve had enough of being attacked for one day. But I’m fine. Thanks for asking.” His last was dripping with sarcasm as he held her wand lightly in his fingers. He made a soured face, “If I give this back to you, are you just going to attack me again?” -- She heard him cast a shield charm, and when Alice sent another hex in Frank's direction, the relief she felt at seeing it deflected was palpable. But that same feeling left her off-guard in the next moment, and her wand easily flew from her hand when Frank cast a disarming spell. He caught her wand seemingly with little effort, and Alice crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing in Frank's direction. She didn't miss the sarcasm in his tone, of course, but that momentary twinge of guilt was soon passed over by the resurgence of her earlier sensations- helplessness, anger, frustration, desperate uncertainty... "I might," she replied, honestly, succinctly. -- Her confirmation that she just might attack him again had Frank biting the inside of his cheek, clutching both of their wands a bit more tightly in his hands. He kept his feet firmly planted where he was at, standing his ground and not moving to return her wand to her. He didn’t know if she would try to retrieve it or not - by magic of some other means - but Frank wasn’t about to make it easy for her to continue her assault. “Do you think instead you could talk to me like a reasonable human being?” Frank’s eyes narrowed a little bit, though he knew that he might be digging his own grave with that one. At his height, he towered over her, but her could practically feel the anger rolling off of her even from a distance, though it was coupled with things he couldn’t place, “I didn’t go looking for a fight, you know. Not from Montgomery, and not from you either.” -- She deserved his ire, of course, but Alice was just as reluctant to back down as Frank. The trouble was- and she knew this- she was definitely in the wrong. "You could have died today." The assessment was blunt, but she'd heard just as much from several people, albeit indirectly. The realities and dangers of their jobs weren't ever really glossed over, in their training- she'd give the DMLE credit for that much, at least- but this had been the first time that Alice had seen such potential consequences so close and personal. "You could have died today, and I need- I need to know that you're ready for the next time you're out there like that, Frank." -- Her words were sobering, even though it wasn’t the first time that he’d been told as much this afternoon. The mediwitch had been very clear over how close of a call it had been. He had planned to sleep it off and make certain that his mother never heard word of just how bad it had been, lest she ceaselessly fret over him for the foreseeable future. But Alice… he hadn’t expected her to be quite so torn up about it. After all, even though they were friends, they were just snogging. He… well, he more than just fancied her, but she’d given him no indication that she actually liked him beyond being a good kisser. She knew the risk that came with this job because she was agreeing to take the same chances that he was. There was something in her voice - worry… fear? - that he was unaccustomed to hearing. “I know,” his agreement of her assessment came easily. He wasn’t going to argue the severity of his injuries or the narrow miss that he’d been lucky enough to have. It wasn’t even going to cause him to lose out on any training, and he had taken down a wanted wizard single-handedly. Even Moody seemed to be impressed, after it was concluded that there hadn’t been much else Frank could have done to avoid his own fate. Just by looking at Moody, anyone could tell that he’d had a few bad matches in his lifetime, too, “I’m ready, Alice. It was a close call, and I won’t minimize that, but I did defend myself. His spell cut through my shield. Could’ve been a lot worse, but it won’t be a mistake I’ll make again.” -- Alice hadn't been in the debriefing, so she didn't know the details of all that happened, but she knew enough. (At least, she thought she did.) Enough to know that she could have lost him, and the sobering reality of that thought had her questioning other previously known realities. "Are you?" she returned, a breath out through her nose as the arms she'd previously crossed over her chest instead moved to wrap around her middle- an embrace she needed but wouldn't ask for from anyone else. "Are you certain? Because if you aren't, you better bloody well tell me now, Frank Longbottom, so I can figure out how to stop caring about you before it's too late." -- He watched as her body language shifted from defensive to… protective. Her words rattled around inside of his head, replacing any other thought that he’d had. She cared about him? From what he’d been able to tell, the feelings here had gone distinctly one direction, and that had been him suppressing what he felt for her so that he could keep snogging her without potentially pushing her away. Had something changed over the last year for her, too? They’d never really made any kind of agreement. It had just… started happening and they hadn’t stopped it. Somewhere along the way, she’d begun to care, too, and he’d been too dense to see it. His voice was softer when he spoke next, “Alice…” her name was a soft plea on his lips, hoping that she’d really hear him out, “I’m fine, and I can handle this. It’s what we’ve trained for. I blocked all of your attacks, didn’t I?” He stepped towards her then, though he didn’t pull her into his arms like he might have wanted to. Instead, he offered her wand out to her, hoping that now she would be less tempted to turn it on him, “I know it was a close call. I’m not being arrogant, but I know I did everything I could have, despite what happened. Even Moody said as much.” -- Alice dearly wished that the way he spoke her name didn't cut through her armor quite so easily. This whole day had cut her down, and she had a feeling she'd be rebuilding herself for much longer than she would have liked to admit. He was right, of course. He'd blocked everything she'd sent at him, however paltry her attacks were in comparison to what he'd faced in the field today. Even the apparent reassurances he'd received from Moody didn't really placate her- all that did was make her feel like her worries were even more misplaced than before. She took her wand, and slipped it into the holster at her waist- but Alice didn't look up at him. Instead she just walked around Frank, brushing the whole thing off- or trying to, anyway. "Fine. Fine. Just forget it, Frank. I'm paranoid and you're fine." -- He noted that she wouldn’t meet his gaze, and she walked around him as though she was just going to leave after everything; after attacking him and confessing to caring about him. He reached out, whether it was a stupid move or not, and caught her wrist before she could pass him entirely. His grip was gentle, meant to stop her but not detain her entirely if she chose to pull away from him. “Hey,” his voice was gentle, “I am fine, but… I like knowing that you care.” His swallowed past a lump in his throat and let out a small breath, “I’m sorry that I gave you a scare.” That’s what all of this was about, wasn’t it? She hadn’t said exactly those words, but she was obviously shaken. She’d impressed several times that he could have died, and that if such things were going to happen, she didn’t want to care anymore. He needed her to still care, though, “We’ll work through it, or if you don’t want to talk…” It was probably a dumb thing to say, but Frank pulled a small, hopeful smile to his lips, wanting to ease the tension and maybe do both of them some good, “Wanna kiss about it?” -- I like knowing that you care. She shouldn't have said it. She shouldn't have said or done anything. If she'd just left that morning when they'd been directed to do so, she'd have been none the wiser and nothing would have changed. Alice would never admit how alluring Frank's dimples were. And for as desperately as she did, in fact, want to kiss about it- Alice shoved that feeling back down and instead pulled her wrist free from Frank's grasp. "Merlin, Frank, no." But Alice couldn't bring herself to say anything else. It was easier just to turn from him and take those last measured strides toward the door, leaving him behind without a second glance. -- He should have anticipated that she would leave. Honestly, until she’d said that she cared, he wouldn’t have thought she would have a reason to stay. Those words had given him the smallest shred of hope that maybe what was between them wasn’t just about snogging. Ted had said that he should talk to her and Frank hadn’t done so yet. Now he wondered if he ever would get that chance, or if after this, she would write him off for forever. Frank stared at the door where she disappeared for several long moments, her words of denial ringing in his ears. “Goddamnit!” the frustration poured out of him for a moment, and his knuckles cracked down against the table where he had sat all afternoon. The sting of that didn’t really register, even as he straightened up and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. A sigh shuddered in his lungs as he sat heavily in the chair he’d only vacated less than half an hour prior. Slumping back in the chair a little, Frank pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to put her out of his mind. It was an impossible task. She didn’t want to care about him. Maybe this was all the excuse she really needed not to. They were… nothing, really. Co-workers. Sometimes partners. Were they even really friends, or had his wishful thinking made him believe it was an appropriate term? Was their snogging really so shallow that one moment like this could shatter whatever might have come next? -- She'd gotten as far as the lifts. Her footfalls were heavy, taking her frustration out on the wood flooring rather than punching tables or screaming herself raw in silence. As Alice pressed the button to summon the lift for the seventh time in as many seconds, she ran her fingers roughly through her hair before offering a low, "Fuck," to the empty air around her. Moments later, she'd apparated back into the training room, the louder crack at her appearance evidence enough of how frazzled she felt. Wand out, this time it was just a quick charm to spin Frank's chair around- Alice said nothing else, but pressed her lips roughly to his, hands on his chest and gripping his shirt as she more or less climbed in to settle in his lap. -- He heard the crack of her apparation, but didn’t immediately see who it was. It startled him enough to sit up a little straighter in his chair even as a charm spun it around. He was on alert, but relaxed just a little when he saw that it was Alice. A moment of confusion washed through him, and he’d been prepared to ask why she was back. What more did she want from him right then? The answer became clear when she stepped closer, her lips on his in a matter of moments. He felt the press of her hands against his chest, and even though there was a twinge of pain, he didn’t dare move them or complain. Instead, one of his hands slipped to her waist, holding her close even as she settled into his lap. He slid his other hand into her hair, his fingers tangling tightly in those long strands. He took a deep breath through his nose, not daring to part their lips even as one kiss turned into another that was just as desperate as the first. -- She needed this, in ways she couldn't understand or explain. Alice did so much with a desperate urgency, and this moment with Frank was no different. Even if she'd denied him scant minutes before, that thought was gone from her mind now. Mercifully, he didn't seem to complain. She felt his hand at her waist, holding her in close to him, and his fingers tangling in her hair. Alice had done that same gesture to herself several times already today, in her frustration, but it felt different, now, from Frank. She could feel his heart pounding under her hand, and when she finally did take a gasping breath, Alice made the accidental yet critical error of meeting Frank's gaze. One second, then two. She shook her head, ever so slightly, silently dissuading herself of whatever notion she was trying to deny, and just kissed him again. -- His heart was tangled up in whatever this was between them. He wasn’t quite sure anymore what that even was. Her caring about him seemed to be something she wanted to forget or ignore, and he… well, Frank knew that he couldn’t sustain just snogging her for forever. He would - already did - want more. Those things didn’t seem to matter in the desperation of that moment. When she broke away to drag in much-needed breaths, their eyes locked. He searched that gaze for anything that might tell him what the hell she was thinking, but he could discern little. She’d changed her mind so rapidly, and even this was a little unusual for them. Sitting in his lap was a line that usually wasn’t crossed, and if it was… their kisses were usually more playful… never this needful and hurried. That made this more dangerous. It made the lines easier to cross, blurring them beyond recognition. Her lips were back on his, and those kisses took something from him and claimed it. Their breaths mingled, the taste of her invading his senses. That was all he knew for many long moments, until Frank tightened his hold on her and the action accidentally slipped his hand beneath the hem of her blouse, his palm against the soft skin of her back. That… was a line they definitely didn’t cross. He paused, his heart flying in his chest, and pulled his hands away, holding them up even as his breath labored. His lips were still close enough that they brushed against hers when he muttered, “Sorry… sorry…” -- She felt his hand against her skin, and for a moment, Alice actually just... let herself enjoy that connection- however unintentional it was. But when Frank instead paused and pulled his hands back, the last thing she'd wanted to hear was sorry. Because that, over anything else, just reminded her at how close she was getting to allowing this- allowing him- in to see her vulnerabilities. Her hands let go of their grip at his chest, and Alice closed her eyes as she took a breath. Another nod, convincing herself of it before she said it aloud. "I should go. I'm gonna go. I hope you feel better, Frank." The sentiment seemed almost paltry, all things considered, but Alice couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. Instead, she just apparated away. -- Frank watched as she retreated. It was more than just physical. He could see it in the way that she closed her eyes, something resolute in the expression on her features before she announced that she was going to go. Even as she wished him well, the words seemed like they weren’t enough or everything that she wanted to say. She didn’t look at him again. Alice was there in his arms one moment, and in the next, he was clutching nothing but air. Low and ardent, the only word that passed his lips was, “Fuck.” ~~ Later that evening, he was still thinking about her. He had gone home to take a shower and had even taken a nap for about an hour before he was wide awake again. Another dose of potions had been taken, and the ache in his chest had diminished significantly already. He had been too restless to really settle in for the night, so instead, Frank had slipped into a pair of jeans and a snug cotton shirt that would help him blend in with the muggle crowds. The leather jacket that he donned would be enough to keep him warm against the chill of the winter air. He had his fill of wizarding society for the day, so he went to his favorite muggle bar instead. At first, he’d started coming here just to observe. As an Auror, he’d needed to learn how to become part of a crowd that he wouldn’t normally fit into. He had shown Alice this place… once. He shook his head to clear the thought of her and took a seat at the bar, “Whiskey. Neat.” He thankfully remembered to bring some muggle money, but left it in his pocket for now. This wouldn’t be his only drink. While he nursed that whiskey, he leaned his forearms against the bar and held the glass gingerly in between his hands, the amber liquid nearly gone now, his stomach settled with a warm, pleasant burn. He tossed back what remained in the glass and felt it slide to his stomach. It wasn’t Firewhiskey, but it would do, “Another.” -- Alice had apparated home, but being there had turned out to be anything but restful. Every time she sat down she'd fidget or tap her fingers or toes, full of restless energy and feelings she hadn't yet determined how to compartmentalize. She wasn't entirely certain what possessed her to leave again that evening, other than the fact that the walls of her flat felt almost unbearably constricting. The bite of cool winter air, when it wrapped around her, was an almost pleasant change to the heat and tension that had been running through her body otherwise. She knew the bar. Frank had taken her here once, and she'd gone again, once, without him. Though Alice came from a purely magical family, she held no prejudices against those who didn't. And, whether she knew it or not- like Frank, she, too, had experienced quite enough of the wizarding world for one day. But there was a wizard sitting at the bar- clad in a leather jacket that all but begged to be torn off of him- and Alice could have cursed her own feet as she felt herself moving to sit in the stool beside him. She didn't even offer a word of greeting, just nodded to the bartender. "Give me whatever he's having." -- He sensed it when she slipped onto the stool next to him. He didn’t look, ignoring his instincts. Everything in him said that it was her, but he was terrified at the possibility that when he looked over, it might be someone else. Instead, he stared at that empty glass, and then she spoke. Frank closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push away the memory of her from earlier that day, sitting in his lap with her lips melded to his. The bartender refilled his glass and then put another up on the counter, filling it to the same depth for Alice. He wanted to ask her why she had left again. Twice, in the matter of fifteen minutes. He picked up the glass and took a drink instead before settling it back down onto the bar and finally glancing over to her, “Good news. I’m feeling better.” -- Alice reached for the glass as it was slid across to her, lifting it to her lips for an easy drink. The smooth liquid slipped past her lips and down her throat, warming its way as it went. Setting the glass back down, she idly traced a finger along the smooth rim- but she didn't look over at him. At least he deigned to speak to her. She'd surely have deserved it if he hadn't. The sarcasm, if unexpected, was almost a reassurance in its own right. "I... I'm glad to hear that, Frank." And he likely had no reason to believe her, to believe that she cared, but Alice knew better than to try and say anything to convince him of it. -- She seemed to hesitate, though her words seemed sincere. He gave a small hum, one more drink taken out of his second glass. Another swallow and it would probably be gone. He felt like he needed the entire bottle to get through whatever might come next. Frank wasn’t even entirely certain why she’d chosen to sit next to him at all… why she hadn’t just left when she saw him sitting there. She hadn’t wanted to kiss him, and then she did… desperately. When he’d accidentally touched her skin, he’d tried to make that right too, and it had only pushed her even further away. Them just snogging was becoming more and more complicated every day, and his feelings - or their feelings - hadn’t even come into play with those ups and downs. He took another drink, draining his glass, and signaled for another pour, not really caring what that might look like to Alice. -- The bartender- for now, at least- wasn't questioning Frank's orders. And though Alice was surprised when he drained his glass so quickly, she followed suit and similarly motioned for a refill. For the moment, though, she didn't take another sip- instead, finally, she just looked over at him. "You look really good. The jacket suits you." What the hell was she even saying? -- Frank was nearly ready to lift his third whiskey to his lips when she spoke again. The glass paused halfway to his lips. He hesitated and then set it back onto the countertop, his mind spinning. She wasn’t supposed to say things like that. A thread of tension ran through his shoulders, and he stared at the back of the bar for a long moment. What did she want him to say to her? He couldn’t figure her out. She cared about him, but she ran from him twice already that day and now she was saying he looked good. He took in a breath and turned his gaze to her, actually letting himself look at her for the first time since she’d sat down. The cursory glance that he’d given her before hadn’t lasted more than a second. Now, his eyes met hers somewhat pointedly and then he let himself survey her. She was gorgeous as always, but the green dress that she wore hugged all of her curves in all the right ways, accentuated by the thick belt around her waist. If he hadn’t already had two whiskeys in his system, he might not have been so bold as to let himself look at her that way with her watching him all the while. His gaze wasn’t lewd, but did linger on some of her curves a little longer than was perhaps necessary before flitting back up to her eyes, “You always look good.” The words, too, were bolder than Frank had come to expect from himself, though they were even and not even the slightest bit slurred. Usually he was too careful not to drive her away, but he was already doing that while being cautious so he might as well say what he was thinking. He wondered why she had come out here tonight. Had she just wanted a drink? Had she been seeking someone else's company? Was she meeting someone and he happened to be a familiar face to pass time for a drink or two? -- Even if Frank had asked her outright what she wanted him to say, she wasn't sure if she could have supplied him with an answer. She knew very well that he could break down her defenses- he'd been doing so, for a year now, whether intentionally or otherwise. But she knew she had a complicit part in that, even if it might have been easier to place all the blame on his (broad, strong) shoulders. She was a bit surprised when his gaze lingered over her, but Alice just sat up a bit straighter on the bar stool, letting him take in whatever sights he wanted. The always left a stutter to her heart- dutifully ignored- and Alice instead reached for her second whiskey and tipped the whole damn thing past her lips, tilting her head back as she swallowed. The glass gave a clunk as she set it back down on the bar, but Alice just turned on her stool and reached both hands for Frank, cupping his cheeks as she drew him in for a kiss. -- When she reached for her glass of whiskey, Frank smothered a sigh and did the same. This time, the glass made it to his lips and he swallowed the whole glass as a shot. They set their glasses back down within seconds of one another, and Frank was inwardly cursing himself for making the wrong choice again when he saw her start to turn toward him out of his periphery. He looked towards her just in time for her to cup his cheeks in her hands and draw him in for a kiss. She surprised him with that kiss for the second time that day, though this time she tasted like strong whiskey and something heady that he craved. He braced his feet against the bottom of his own stool lest he tip off of it and towards her. His hand did fall to her waist to steady them both, and he tried to shut off his brain… to not consider whatever implications for whatever game they were playing with one another and how the stakes just seemed to keep getting higher and higher. -- She had one foot braced on the bottom rung of her stool, the other leaned forward to rest on his stool instead- which left her rather barely seated at all, all things considered, but Alice didn't care. The hand at her waist- this time- wasn't a surprise, and- this time- she didn't withdraw from his touch. (Granted, he also wasn't touching her skin, so it was a bit different, even with a few whiskeys under her belt.) When she took a breath, Alice only pulled back slightly- and she didn't look away from Frank even as she signaled the bartender. "Another. For both of us." -- For a moment, when she signaled for another round of drinks, Frank wasn’t really sure he needed one. Then again, if she was going to leave after this… perhaps he did. That would have been expected, anyway. The way that she stayed close at that moment didn’t suggest that she might pull away, although Frank was growing accustomed to those sudden changes. The shift between hot and passionate to bereft and alone sometimes only took seconds. The bartender poured the drinks while looking at the two of them curiously, but Frank couldn’t even be bothered to care. He glanced away from Alice only to pick up her glass and hand it to her before picking up his own and very gently tapping the edge of his glass to hers, “Cheers.” -- Alice didn't want to go. She mostly wanted things to back to how they'd been perhaps twenty-four hours ago, when it had been easier to pretend that all of this was only snogging and stress relief and before she'd known what it felt like to see Frank's unconscious body pulled through the DMLE offices. Her smile tensed for a brief moment, but eased when Frank passed the drink glass over to her. Clink. Alice took a sip, though a... saner one, for now. "I wasn't sure what I was looking for, when I left my flat. But I think I found it." -- He took a more reasonable drink when she did the same. Her words, however, warmed him far more than the drink in his hand. He was happy that she hadn’t come out here to meet someone else, and yet it was difficult not to feel at least a little bit frustrated. Frank suppressed the urge to point out that if she hadn’t run off on him earlier, they wouldn’t have had any need to find one another again. Perhaps they wouldn’t even be at this bar. Though he still wondered what exactly it was that she thought she found with him now. She didn’t seem to be talking about just snogging, but they’d carved those lines deep over the last year. Frank wasn’t the kind of bloke that could just sleep with someone without it meaning something. He didn’t entertain girls for one night stands or go out with the intention of taking a girl home on the first date. His last relationship, which had ended before he’d started snogging Alice, had been a bit of a disaster and he hadn’t been with anyone since then. He tried to crush the hope in his chest that reminded him that she had said she cared about him… that maybe she felt the same things that he did for her. He wanted to tell her that if they went there, there was no going back to what had been before. Maybe there wasn’t anyway. This whole day had turned everything that Frank thought he knew up on end. Instead, he reached up, his fingers tracing gently along her jaw, his thumb sweeping softly over her lower lip, “Are you sure?” -- Her eyes half-lidded closed when his fingers traced over her jaw, and she inhaled sharply through her nose when his thumb swept over her lower lip. But this wasn't her closing her eyes to avoid looking at him. She wasn't taking a shaky breath to avoid words. Alice's heart stuttered again, and when she managed to open her eyes, she looked down and retrieved the muggle money she'd (magically) secured at the inside of her wide belt, tossing it rather unceremoniously onto the bar, and reached to finish the last of her third whiskey. "One-hundred percent," she replied, firmly, before slipping down off her bar stool and reaching for his hand. "Let's get out of here, Frank." -- He watched her reaction and it did something to his heart, tugging him somehow closer to her. She was the most beautiful woman that Frank had ever known, and every part of her called out to him. It wasn’t just physical for him - it never could be - but he pushed that thought aside. As she tossed the money on the bar, Frank followed suit and finished off the last of his whiskey. He reminded himself that they next several times they got tea or coffee, they would need to be on him… if they had tea or coffee together again. He shook off the thought, and slipped his hand into hers, letting her lead the way through the crowd and out of the bar. They would need to get out of sight, to some safe apparition point, but just outside the bar, Frank used the hold that he had on her hand to spin her around and pull her back in, his lips on hers in an instant even as his pulse raced. -- Alice kept hold of his hand, even once they were out on the street again and she had turned toward the direction of the nearest (so far as she knew) safe apparition point. Her steps were halted- though not uncomfortably so- when Frank tugged her back toward him, instead. They crashed together, and Alice grabbed the lapels of his leather jacket, standing up on her toes to help erase the distance between them. Though she'd said as much in the bar, she hadn't been intending to do this tonight- but with the opportunity presented to her, Alice was eager to put aside everything else and- for once- just be. -- For a moment, he just held her there in front of the bar, the kiss endless and burning through him far more effectively than the whiskey. Others passed them, huddled against the wind, but no one seemed to spare a second glance in their direction. Frank’s hands gripped tightly at her waist for those long moments until he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers for a moment, dragging in deep breaths of winter-chilled air. When he expelled his breath, a cloud formed in front of his face. He slipped his hand back to hers, and they continued their way to the apparition point, though it took them longer to get there than they might have otherwise because every block or two, they stopped to steal a kiss. It wasn’t until they had ducked into that alley, the cool air making him think a little more clearly, that he showed any hesitation at all, and even then, it was just so that he could ask, “How many have you had?” He didn’t know if Alice had started drinking before she found him in that bar, after all. He’d only had one when she arrived, and he felt fine. His tolerance was rather stout, but he didn’t want her to regret this decision in the morning, especially if it was fueled by too much liquor. -- The hesitation that Frank offered, once they finally reached that apparition point, seemed to take Alice by surprise. He'd been sitting right beside her at the bar, after all. Unless- oh. He thought that she'd shown up there already tipsy. But rather than answering him as she perhaps should have done, Alice just arched closer to him, her lips close to Frank's- though not kissing him, yet. "Shut up." Somehow, the words were almost fond. -- There was a very real temptation to toss out any need that he had for an answer as she arched against him, pressing close though she didn’t kiss him. She told him to shut up, but that didn’t really answer his question or turn off the concern in his mind. He sighed softly, and put his hands at her shoulders, though he didn’t push her away. It didn’t really put any distance between them, aside from letting him look down to meet her gaze more clearly to see if he could discern anything just from her gaze, “I’m serious, Alice. I’m not doing this if you’re not--” -- Alice eyed him dubiously, but then in one easy movement, she'd brought both of her hands up between his arms, knocking his hands from her shoulders and instead pinning his wrists to the brick wall behind him. Grinning, clearly pleased with herself, Alice leaned up against Frank again. Daring him to defy her. "Three whiskeys," she offered, finally. "One less than you." Presuming, at least, that he hadn't taken the head start he was so worried she'd done. "So will you shut up and kiss me already?" -- In the end, he was too bound by honor not to get the answer that he wanted first. He was relieved, at least, to be assured that she hadn’t partaken before they had met one another in the bar. It made his decision much easier. He did just as she asked, lowering his lips to hers even though she had his wrists held to the brick wall behind him. He twisted his wrists in her grasp, so that his fingers circled her wrists instead. His hands slipped back to her waist, and then a tad lower, resting almost possessively over her arse as he tugged her closer with a small smirk on his lips. They needed to leave this place. He was all too aware that they needed to get out of the open, but the question remained, “Yours or mine?” -- She could get used to him holding her like this. Possessive, needful. She wasn't going to, but she could. "I don't bloody well care," Alice replied, simply, her lips barely leaving his when she spoke. That much, at least, was true. -- At her indifference on location, Frank figured he would choose what was easiest. He was still kissing her, though perhaps that distraction was ill advised as he disapparated the both of them directly into the middle of his flat. There was a little voice in his head warning him that he should stop now… before it was too late. Before he gave her something that he could never get back. He silenced the voice amidst a desperate kiss to her lips as his hands fell to that belt of hers, quickly and nimbly unbuckling it. Just the first piece of the puzzle, but there couldn’t be many… not with that dress she was wearing. -- Her belt dropped to the floor, and Alice's hands helped to urge Frank's leather jacket off his shoulders as well, tugging it down his arms and letting it fall away unchecked. When she eventually found the wherewithal to break their kiss, she'd turn around and let him ease down the zipper of her dress- and whatever else followed would be exactly what they both needed, whether they could admit as much aloud or not. |