It was her words that started to pull reality back into the edge of his vision, but it was the physical ache for another person's touch that caused the battle within him. He stilled a bit, brushing his lips just barely against hers though he knew he should stop. He pressed his forehead against hers, trying his best to collect enough rational thought to remember why he had needed to stop kissing her in the first place.
"Katie," he started, his voice tight and low. He stared down at his right hand, poised just beneath the hem of her shirt. He stared at his fingers for a long, hard moment, trying to remember that his fingernails connected to his fingers and that in turn connected they with his hands and so on, up his arm and to his heart and brain, both of which seemed to be pressing against their confines to the point he thought he might explode. "Katie," he said again and stilled his fingers, pulling down the hem of her shirt and smoothing it against her skin. "Katie."
It was a mantra, a chiming prayer. Repeating her name was like visualising a Qudditch whistle, except he couldn't remember why he was so sure he needed to stop. He knew it had to do with their friendship, with feelings and emotions and things he hated talking about. He knew it was the same reason he'd never brought up that day beneath the pitch after the fact. He sighed softly and opened his eyes to look into hers. His eyes darted back and forth as he gazed at her, trying his best to read what she was feeling.
"Katie, I- I can't make ye any promises. I-" he looked away. He should go. He should go downstairs and walk to the mill, let the mile journey clear his head and move passed this. Not only was he finding himself easily ready, pressed tight between the legs of one of his best friends and finding it too enjoyable for his own good, but he had also spent the last few weeks dancing around an attraction to the girl he was tutoring, and while both options were equally appealing, Katie was here and now and there was no question in her eyes. She wanted him, but what limited neurons were firing in his brain told him that her want just might go deeper than purely physical. While he couldn't clearly state most of his wants in any real direction, he could say for certain that he wanted her physically and he wanted her now.