Fiona Killick (wrockette) wrote in praesidio_rpg, @ 2018-06-05 14:28:00 |
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Entry tags: | brianne avery, fiona killick |
Who: Fiona Killick & Princess Brianne
What: Planning meeting #2
Where: Fistia Flat
When: Backdated - Tuesday 22 May (before the battle)
Status: Complete
Rating: Low
That Tuesday, Fiona went about her morning set-up and afternoon lunch routine as she usually did, only this time, butterflies fluttered harder in the pit of her stomach as the minutes ticked by. Even though they had this standing meeting now, and even though she knew about the princess' impending arrival this time, she'd worked herself into an impressive fit of anxiety and and by the time the lunch crowd tucked in with their meals, her gaze flickered over to the pub's doors every other minute--or when the soft chime rang indicating someone had entered. She lost track of the door when a few latecomers straggled in to order.
"Oi, sweetheart," one of the patrons called from his spot at the dining benches.
Fi fought the urge to roll her eyes and hurried over. She'd long since gotten used to degrading pet names from male customers, and she'd long since learned to ignore them for the sake of better tips. "What can I get you, sir?'
"More coffee," he said, his eyes on her everywhere but her face. "Black."
"I'll take the same, gorgeous." The customer's dining partner chimed in, leering at her with a smirk and a wink that made Fi's skin crawl.
"I'll fetch that straight away, gents," Fi muttered, sweeping into the kitchen.
While she was gone, they started up a vulgar discussion about the things they'd do to her if they had the chance, and when Fi returned with the coffee pot, one of them dared to palm her arse while she poured his coffee.
"Paws off, mate," Fiona growled through gritted teeth, nearly spilling the coffee while slapping his hand away as he and his companion laughed. They were fucking lucky Damian or her brothers weren't there, or her father.
*
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked forward to anything as much as she had been this past week, and it amused her all the more that she was looking forward to a Tuesday. Getting the approval from her mother to continue with the planning was exciting enough - Bri had almost been sure her request would be denied. It was different from their usual fundraising endeavors, that was true, but she had argued that the novelty of the pub was what made it such a good idea. And, there was the comfort of the soldiers and their families to think about as well. But a legitimate reason to see Fiona, to get to know her better? That was what had her moving to the other side of the car as quickly as she could, impatiently waiting for the door to be opened. She stepped out once it was, smiling politely at the guardsman who closed it behind her. “Thank you, Price. This meeting may run a slight bit longer than last, since we have a direction to go off of. Please take your evening meal here, feel free to have a drink or two, and I’ll settle things for you once I’ve concluded things with Ms. Killick.”
She followed the gentleman in, tailed by the other who had driven the car, and caught sight of Fiona slapping the patron’s hand away once she’d stepped inside. The laughter from the man and his companion, obviously at his vulgar actions, was enough to turn her gaze to steel - that was her friend he was disrespecting. A glance at Price confirmed he had feelings that mirrored her own, and she placed a light hand on his arm to prevent him from stepping forward. “No, you and Thompson go and find yourselves a seat.” Price eyed the men and Fiona with reluctance. “Princess, with all due respect -” Bri raised her brows, and he nodded his head once, turning to move in the direction of the bar with Thompson as she moved in the direction of the table the laughing men occupied.
Bri gave them a smile that clashed with the coolness in her eyes once she reached the table. “Pardon me, gentleman, but seeing as you two are being so kind to my lovely friend, and I must be a bother and pull her attention away from the hard work she does here, perhaps you might like to meet two more friends of mine to occupy your time? They do love a good laugh, and you two seem to have an abundance of good humor,” Bri almost purred, voice syrupy, and she glanced to where Price and Thompson stood. They surveyed the men with stern faces, standing with their hands clasped behind her back and the insignia on their lapels clearly visible.
*
Fiona sucked in a sharp breath at the familiar voice, whirling around with wide, disbelieving eyes as Princess Brianne cut in. A deep flush rose in her cheeks--a combination of frustration at the princess barging into a situation where she clearly didn't understand what Fi had grown used to and learned to put up with to get by as a barmaid, plus a deep, prickling shame at the fact that she had witnessed the exchange. Helga, what would she think of her now?
It was a miracle she didn't spill the coffee, but she gripped the pot's handle so tightly her knuckles whitened a she exhaled slowly to compose herself. "Thank you, Princess," she managed, casting one last glance to her table. "Rupert will be along if you need anything else. Please enjoy." With a courteous bow of her head, she turned to face the Princess, clearing her throat and nodding toward the stairs. "Shall we, highness?" Leading her toward the stairs, Fi released the charmed coffee pot, which floated back to the kitchen on its own accord. She hastily reached behind her and untied her apron, tossing it unceremoniously behind the bar before holding open the door that lead straight up to her flat.
*
Bri knew at once that she had overstepped - the way Fiona’s demeanor changed was enough to tell her that. But she wouldn’t have done anything else had she been given the chance to rethink her actions. She could have notified Rupert that she was waiting on Fiona, and had him step in. Perhaps she wouldn’t have so upset if she’d taken that course of action - but it was too late for that now. Bri turned a smaller smile on the two sitting at the table, and nodded at the question she was asked, refusing to be demure or apologetic about how she’d chosen to handle things. “Of course. Please, after you,” she spoke gently, gesturing towards the door she remembered lead to the flat upstairs.
Following Fiona as she moved towards the door in question, she stepped lightly through as it was held open, eyes on the brunette as she passed. She started on the stairs, waiting until she heard footsteps following to speak, voice quiet. “You’re upset with me for that, I can tell. Why?” Well, she’d never been one to beat around the bush. And she refused to think she’d done anything wrong, in the way she’d handled the situation - she wouldn’t tolerate disrespect of anyone she knew, no matter where it happened.
*
"I'm not--" she started, cutting herself off. Lying wouldn't do. "You don't understand, is all," Fi muttered quietly and gently, falling into step beside the princess as they ascended the staircases toward her flat. She carefully avoided eye contact, having a feeling she'd find some sort of pity in Brianne's eyes, and she couldn't bear that. "We can't afford to lose anyone's business. Things like that--they happen, once in a while. I put up with what I can and the rest I can handle on my own." She grimaced, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Not that I don't appreciate you trying to help. I do."
*
“I can understand not wanting to lose business. What I don’t understand is why that means you should be made to ‘handle’ behaviour you don’t deserve,” Bri was frowning as she watched the girl, confused and rather upset at the idea that this was not exactly a rare occurrence, but her voice remained quiet. She turned her eyes forward and smirked lightly at the following comment, amused. “Well, it was either me or Price that stepped in. I guarantee I was the more pleasant option,” Bri offered, tone light as she attempted to lighten the mood.
*
"There's a lot we lowborns put up with that we don't necessarily deserve, Princess," Fiona replied, though she immediately wished she hadn't. "Sorry. That--it wasn't fair of me to say that." She didn't make the rules, and she couldn't help her birthright. Forcing a deep breath, she was grateful they'd finally reached her flat and she pushed inside, holding the door open for her guest. "I don't know about that," Fiona dared, huffing a soft laugh that cut the tension. "You do that scarily-sweet veiled threat thing pretty fucking impressively."
*
That particular reply caused Bri’s brows to raise slightly, but that was the only surprise she showed towards it. There wasn’t any response she could think to give that wasn’t treasonous, and she bit her lip to hold her tongue. In private, of course, she did know that the lower class was treated unfairly. She saw it when she volunteered, all the time. But what could she do about it? Bri chose instead to focus on that laugh, small though it was, and smiled lightly at Fiona as she passed her. “It’s a specialty of mine, that; one has to alleviate boredom at court functions somehow, especially when stuck with someone you’re completely disinterested in and still have to entertain.” This was alluding to both the boys she’d been required to interact with before her betrothal, as well as her betrothed himself, but she wasn’t going to be impolite and say so outright.
*
Fi laughed again at the image of Brianne stuck chatting with other stuffy nobility. "I reckon princesses only get one or two feigned stomach ache passes per day?" Fi didn't know any of the higher up nobility well at all (not that they'd give her the time of day, but the feeling was fucking mutual, thank you very much), but she'd watched enough of them from a distance to know that she'd rather watch a flobberworm race than try to have a conversation with any of them. "I'm going to fetch us some tea. Make yourself at home." Fiona motioned to the couch again before making her way to their small kitchen area.
*
“Unfortunately so, if they’re given at all,” Bri smirked, the expression giving way to a smile as a laugh escaped her to answer Fiona’s. The idea that she was given leniency at all was an amusing one to entertain, but that was rare. Her mother and father weren’t ones to tolerate apathy, and excused absences from court functions were far and few between. Bri watched Fiona move to the kitchen before turning her attention to the cozy room before her, focusing on the acoustic guitar near the bookshelves. She crossed to it, pointedly avoiding a glance at the group photo on the mantle, and once before it mimicked her actions with the picture on her last visit. Bri gingerly rested the tips of her fingers on the overlay, to the right where the strings were suspended, running her thumb over the strings themselves lightly and smiling at the sound produced - it was lovely, in the way she so enjoyed with her cello, but different. Brighter, almost, instead of serious.
*
Though she flitted about the kitchen area readying the tea, Fi couldn't miss the sound of her guitar strings being lightly plucked in the next room. A fond grin pulled at her lips and she peeked her head around to watch the princess inspecting her old mahogany acoustic. Her guitar definitely wasn't anything special--she'd gotten it secondhand for her ninth birthday, and she'd changed the strings twice yearly and had its body repaired a few times over the years, but she loved that damn thing. "Do you play, highness?" Fi asked as she carried the stocked tea tray and set it on the coffee table. She remembered the princess mentioning she played cello, but that didn't mean she didn't play other instruments.
*
Bri tilted her head as she examined the instrument further, fingers rising and lightly curling around to rest against the back of the neck as she ran her thumb over the strings there. Of course, she’d seen the other version played at the club where she’d met Fiona, but the idea of it was odd to her. The sound was so different than what she’d heard there, too. At the question, Bri quickly removed her hand, the barest hint of a flush warming her cheeks at having been caught as she looked towards the girl. “No, I - that is to say, I’ve never had the opportunity,” She paused, glancing back towards the instruments as her curiosity got the better of her. “Are the two very different?” Bri questioned, gesturing between the two before she turned her attention back towards Fiona with a small smile.
*
Fi couldn't help looking rather flabbergasted, folding her hands in front of her as she quirked a brow. "You've… never seen or heard an acoustic guitar?" Oh. Right. Electricity was a muggle thing--how could she forget? "Well," she started, clearing her throat and moving over to the electric. "This one runs on electricity, so it needs to be plugged into an amplifier. There are magical and muggle versions of this--a spell that doesn't require electricity, but personally, I don't think the sound is nearly as sharp and raw as it is when the muggle rockers have at it with their amps--" She realized she was verging into musician nerd-speak and she cut herself off with a small self-deprecating laugh, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear before motioning to the other. "That's my acoustic. See how the body's hollow? The sound's all natural, no charms or amplifiers needed. It's got more of an, erm--stripped down vibe, typically for softer music. They've got wildly different sounds, so it really just depends on what you're in the mood for."
*
The vague hint of pink that had been brought to Bri’s cheeks deepened slightly at Fiona’s reaction to her question - the hint of her lacking knowledge wasn’t ever something Bri had taken lightly, and it was even more embarrassing coming from her. Bri bit her lip lightly to keep back what would have been a retort, choosing instead to focus on the explanation given. She’d never seen an ‘amplifier’ in use either, but that one was simple enough to understand - obviously, the more odd-looking of the two instruments required one to be heard, for Muggles using playing it. Bri smiled at Fiona’s pause, nodding at the preference she spoke of. “Well, of course - it’s made to be used with that instrument, so that would obviously suit it best.” Magic was incredibly useful, but there were some things that were best done by hand - Bri was of the opinion that music was one of those things. She followed the gesture Fiona made to the acoustic, nodding again as as she listened. “That one is more, ah, my speed.” This was smirked at, an official letting go of her earlier embarrassment, and she turned her eyes back to Fiona. “I’m sure you play both wonderfully - the way you talk about them speaks volumes to that.” It occurred to her as she spoke that she’d brought them off-topic, but her want to know this girl and what made her tick was overpowering the nagging part of her brain that wanted to continue planning.
*
A soft chuckle passed her lips and she shrugged. "I'm not nearly as good as Oliver. Better at acoustic than electric, I guess, since I play it much more. I only take the electric on stage once in a while." When they needed her to play rhythm guitar, but that wasn't often. "You're welcome to--play around with it, if you'd like? Try out the sound? I could show you a few chords, even…" Okay, so Fiona hadn't meant to offer lessons; clearly that was overstepping, as that definitely wasn't the princess' purpose for being there. But Brianne's curiosity had sparked the offer, so she stood by it.
*
Bri smiled, looking back to the acoustic with something like wistfulness clearly showing on her face. She bit her lip lightly, considering the offer - it was certainly tempting, and it couldn’t hurt… She moved her eyes back to meet Fiona’s, worrying her lip for a moment before speaking. “Perhaps, if you don’t mind, you could show me how…?” The flush in her cheeks returned, but that was the most polite way she’d been able to ask to hear Fiona play. Or, rather, the only way her shyness had allowed her to ask.
*
Fiona noticed the pinkening of the royal’s cheeks and she suddenly had to remind herself to keep breathing. The suggestion didn’t surprise her, but Fiona wasn’t exactly in the proper mindset for any sort of performance. Not that Princess Brianne was expecting a full on show, but…
She couldn’t help her smart-arse-ness as she leveled her gaze on Bri. “Is that a formal royal request, highness, or can I say no?” Her lips pulled into a warm, albeit slightly nervous grin to show she was teasing, taking the few steps forward towards the princess to close the space between them--definitely closer than she’d been for the first time since their night in the club, but she flashed another polite smile before reaching behind her to pluck her acoustic from the guitar stand.
Fi carried her instrument to the couch, sitting down on its edge and settling the body of the guitar on her lap. She had only planned on strumming out a few chords, full and bright so the princess could get a better understanding of acoustic guitar sounds. But the moment her fingers skimmed over the frets, she took one more glance at the princess and those eyes inspired a song--one of her favourites. Taking a breath, Fiona plucked out an intricate arpeggio--the opening chords to Blackbird, a muggle song she wouldn’t be surprised if Brianne had never heard before. Fi kept her head down as she softly sang the first verse in her sultry, raspy tone, only gathering the courage to look back up to the princess after that verse’s last lyric: ”All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free.” It was in that moment that Fi realised she wasn’t only singing for the princess, she was singing directly to her. But she didn’t stop--she finished her song, each note played and sung with emotion so deeply Fi herself was nearly brought to tears by the feelings bubbling inside her. Thankfully, though, she swallowed it down, taking a shaky breath after and waiting to exhale until the princess reacted.
*
Bri stifled a laugh at the forwardness of the comment Fiona made, settling for an amused smile instead. “You are more than free to do so. But I am not sure I’d be able to deny you my disappointment, should that be your answer,” she replied, now smirking slightly. The closeness necessitated for Fiona to retrieve the guitar had Bri averting her eyes, and it took more than she was willing to admit not to reach for the girl’s hand as she had done that first night at the Cloak. Thankfully, Fiona was moving to take a seat before the memory got the better of her.
Bri followed, settling on the loveseat across from the couch and eyeing the way the guitar was held. She expected a few chords, more of the bright-sounding tones she’d heard earlier in her investigation of the instrument, and she was absolutely certain she could not have ever been prepared for what Fiona gave her instead. The sound of her voice had Brianne fixated, as it had done before, like some siren song she’d read about in a fairytale. But the song itself grabbed onto everything she’d felt that first evening, pulling it to the forefront of her mind and holding it there with a demand that it be recognized. And it terrified her.
When the song was finished, Bri was watching Fiona with vulnerability and apprehension both warring for presidence in her expression, as she tried to wrap her mind around a response. It took her a moment, as well as a glance away and worrying her lip before she raised her eyes once more to meet the other girl’s gaze. Bri smiled gently, the vulnerability she felt residing in her eyes now, second only to the absolute awe on her face. She couldn’t find the words she felt she needed to describe what the song had done with her emotions, or get a grasp on why she was so acutely aware of the memory of Fiona’s thumb skimming lightly over her hand. Not until she realized how much she wanted to close the distance they’d maintained since that first meeting. The connection she’d felt with this girl was still there, as much as she had attempted to put it aside, and all Bri seemed to be able to do about it was stare.
*
When Princess Brianne's reaction wasn't of the verbal sort, Fiona let out the breath she'd been holding and fiddled nervously with the knobs at the top of the guitar's neck. Her A string was a feisty bugger lately, kept kicking out of tune, and that was far easier to focus on in those seemingly forever moments that ticked by without words. Fi couldn't help the flush rising in her neck and chest, pinking her cheeks for good measure. "I'm sorry," Fi whispered eventually, because after stealing another look at the princess it was quite clear she'd overstepped, somehow. "That was… a bit much, I think." Clearing her throat, Fi nervously licked her lips and stood, moving to set her guitar back on its stand. She stood there for another few beats, hands wringing in front of her. "Can I get you anything, Princess? Some water, maybe? Or, ah..." Grimacing, Fi reached up to fiddle with the ends of her hair, wondering what else she could possibly do to make this better.
*
By the time Fiona had returned the guitar to its former place, the both of them were flushed. Bri stood as well, lips parted as she shook her head slightly in disbelief - she was apologising, why? “No, that’s…” She paused deliberately, glancing down and wrestling for a moment with what she wanted to say, and what she most definitely should say. But she couldn’t ignore what that song and those words had summoned up. “Fiona, that was beautiful,” she admitted, honestly, another pause following the just-above whispered words as her eyes lifted. They found the photograph she’d deliberately avoided looking at before, and settled there for a moment longer than she wanted before she looked back to the girl across from her. Bri wanted, again, to take the few steps needed and take her hand. She wanted the physical manifestation of that connection she’d felt - and that she was now grasping at - somewhere that she could see it, instead of in her head. Her own hands, now lightly clasped in front of her, tightened their grip on each other briefly before she continued. “Thank you. That was…” Another pause and a renewal of the flush in her cheeks as she let her guard down again, allowing for just one one more instance of vulnerability before she resolved to lock it away. “You are beautiful.”
*
Fiona's shoulders visibly loosened when the princess complimented the song, a relieved grin hitching on her lips. "I hadn't planned on--I was going to only play a few--but then your eyes, they--" Shite. Those fucking bright blue eyes. Mesmerising was the understatement of the century. Stammering to pick up where she'd left off in her half-sentences, Fi motioned with her hand as though it would trigger her brain to keep going. "--it seemed like a song you should know, is all. If you didn't already know it, I mean--I reckon I shouldn't assume…" She glanced to the floor, taking a moment to compose herself, because she was terrifyingly close to saying (or, Merlin, doing) something stupid at best, if not treasonous, and she willed herself to grip her patchwork skirt instead. It helped, for a moment, jolt her brain back to reminding her of her lowborn status, and why those ridiculous feelings were just that--absolutely fucking ridiculous--
And then Princess Brianne called her beautiful. Not her song, her singing, or her playing--her. It didn't make sense. Her parents had always said the Averys believed them to be filth, not worthy of a glance, let alone a decent living. Summoning courage she didn't know she had, she looked back to the princess after hearing the compliment, hoping desperately to find an answer--and she did, immediately, in those honest eyes. She meant it. "Bri..." she rasped, forgetting her place again for another moment because those were the same eyes of the girl she'd met at the Cloak--defenses stripped down and real, like her acoustic guitar.
*
The stop-and-start of the sentences she was hearing pulled at Bri’s courtier instincts, and she smiled gently as her social training took over for a moment - nevermind that the girl had just complimented her and she was very near dizzy with the realization and the giddiness it brought with it. “I did not know it, but I can assure you it may very well be a favourite of mine, now,” she admitted, the smile taking on a conspiratorial note. Something shared, between the two of them. Brianne realized that her thinking was incredibly dangerous - she knew it was, that is was a risk even entertaining the thoughts she was allowing to run through her mind.
It wouldn’t have been so bad, to leave it just to thoughts. A silly daydream or, at most, a flirtation that could have stayed just that. But Brianne had never done anything by halves, and Fiona had looked her in the eye and called her by her nickname. The same name she’d given the evening they had first met, when she had wanted nothing but to be herself, for once... Bri let her feet carry her of their own accord, slowly, to where Fiona was standing, eyes steady on her own of blue-grey. As she had done that first evening, she gently reached out for her hand and took it lightly in her own, hoping for the second time that the girl wouldn’t pull away. Glad the pounding of her heart was only audible in her own ears, she willed herself to speak, words barely above a whisper. “This is your home, and you are well within your right to ask me to leave if you wish, but I…” Her words caught for a moment, and she took a quick breath to steady her resolve, refusing to let her eyes drop - she was an Avery, and she was not going to lose her nerve. “May I kiss you?”
*
Fi had played Blackbird dozens--maybe even hundreds of times; it was one of the first songs she'd learned, tied to so many of her musical memories. But there was no way in hell she'd be able to play it now and think of anything other than the princess. Especially after she boldly stepped up to her and took her hand again, and Fi stood there once again frozen in that suspended state of shock and fear and… gods, yearning. She'd never wanted anyone so much, and in that moment, even before Princess Brianne Avery asked permission to kiss her, she knew for sure that she wanted to.
She ran her thumb over Brianne's knuckles, feather soft in what she hoped was a comforting gesture in an attempt to balance out the backflips and butterflies or whatever the hell was going on in her stomach. She could feel the framed Plums photograph on the mantle over her shoulder, Hestia cheering her on and Damian glaring in disbelief. But none of that mattered--nothing mattered anymore, other than what was about to happen. Fi couldn't find her words, but her gaze flickered down to Bri's lips and she gave that hand a squeeze, nodding firmly in response.
*
The skimming of the thumb over her knuckles, so like it had been before, widened the smile on Brianne’s face. Again, the worry that Fiona would pull away from her had seemed to be unfounded - she’d been as steadying as when they were dancing. And Salazar, she’d given her permission.
Brianne laughed softly in surprise, fully having expected to be told no. She brought her free hand up, gently running the back of her index finger from Fiona’s cheekbone to her jaw before she uncurled the rest of her fingers to let them rest lightly beneath the girl’s ear. Her thumb brushed the girl’s jawline as she gave her another second to say no. And, when she didn’t, Bri leaned in and pressed her lips softly to Fiona’s, stomach somersaulting.
*
As much as Fiona wanted to be the one to close the distance between them, she wanted Bri to make the first move even more. She needed the princess to be 100% sure, to have every opportunity to change her mind, because… well, Fiona Killick was only a barmaiden, and that fact would surely kick into the princess' consciousness and jolt her back to her senses before their lips met, right?
But the moment those lips touched hers, Fiona's eyes fluttered closed and her heart tripped faster, thundering so loud she was sure it would burst from her chest. Bri's kiss proved soft and gentle, just like her--and Fiona damn near melted from its warmth and the sparks shooting through every nerve ending in her body. She could only hold onto her restraint for a few precious seconds before a rush of heat bubbled in her core and she reached up to brace her hand against Brianne's cheek, fingers threading through those gorgeous ginger locks as she pressed into the liplock, selfishly not wanting it to end too soon.
*
Bri was fiercely pushing against the fluttering sense of anxiety she felt at her behaviour, at doing what she said she would not. She hadn’t come this close to acknowledging herself since her school days, and though that had also been little more than a dare that led to a few more instances of secretive meeting, this was… different. Brianne hadn’t much cared for that girl, but she’d been pretty and had understood that if she had spoken a word of any of it there would be more to pay than she could have given. Bri had still Obliviated her once it had become too much to abide, still fearful of the repercussion she could face.
The minute she’d laid eyes on Fiona Killick that night, though… the very second her voice had met her ears, Brianne had wanted to know her. It was a pull, born of both curiosity and desire, and that had only grown as they’d danced and talked that evening. She had attempted to ignore it, to put her feelings aside for the good of both herself and this spectacular, fascinating woman. But the song had completely broken her will and pushed aside her reservations. All she knew was that she couldn’t continue on without making herself clear. Bri did her best to meet the enthusiasm that Fiona put into the kiss, feeling as though she could help her to understand better through it than she could trying to speak. She moved her hand to the nape of the brunette’s neck, not intending on breaking the kiss for a few moments yet.
Bri released Fiona’s hand to skim her own lightly upwards, stopping to leave it resting at her elbow - she didn’t want to make Fiona feel as though she couldn’t pull away, and although she’d initiated the kiss, Bri wasn’t confident enough to pull her closer.
*
Fiona had her fair share of dalliances with both men and women when she'd been on breaks from her relationship with Damian, and with them she'd experienced varying degrees of attraction and connection. The instant Bri took her hand in the club that night, something literally sparked--she swore she felt it shoot up her arm and jolting to her heart the first time she laid eyes on Bri's face, despite the dim lighting of the dance floor. Even before she knew who she was. That instant chemistry, it felt like something she'd only heard about in fairytales, something she didn't think actually existed. And just when she'd convinced herself it was a fluke--that it wasn't that big of a deal, that it was just lingering adrenaline from her killer performance--the princess waltzed into her pub and cast Fiona under that same spell all over again.
In contrast to Brianne's lack of experience, the longer they kissed, the more comfortable Fi grew in taking the lead. Bri's signals, with the release of her hand but those fingers trailing to her elbow, indicated she wasn't ready for this to end yet either and led Fiona to take charge, her now free hand settling on Bri's waist and urging her forward the same time she stepped up and their bodies wound up pressed together--just as they had when they danced. Fiona's thumb stroked Bri's cheekbone as she slowly and gently sought to deepen that kiss, her tongue sweeping softly at the seam of Bri's lips.
*
Bri fought not to grin once Fiona had pulled her closer, almost entirely eliminating the chaste distance she had thought to keep between them for fear of frightening the girl. She could see now that she had been, possibly, a bit over-cautious in her self-conscious embarrassment. She didn’t mind the proximity, not when she had been fighting to keep at arm’s length before now, and the hand that had come to rest on Fiona’s elbow found its way to her neck. The gentle request for further permission, though, had the corners of her lips curling for an instant before they parted. Bri let her thumb skim Fiona’s jawline, a further ‘yes’, willing herself not to laugh alongside the giddy, bubbling lightness that made her heart skip.
*
Fiona would never say so aloud, but she could tell the princess had limited snogging experience. Not that she was bad at it! Quite the opposite, really--Fi had never felt so much in a single kiss, and it was completely dizzying in the best way. But Brianne's hesitation in her movements gave her away, and though Bri eagerly parted her lips for her, Fiona kept things slow and soft, even a bit teasing as her tongue brushed hers. The princess' tongue. Holy shite.
After another minute, Fi broke the kiss, keeping her eyes closed and her forehead pressed against Bri's. She nuzzled their noses together and barely brushed her lips against Brianne's as she found her voice. "Merlin, that was…" She whispered, swallowing hard as she blinked her eyes open to half-mast. "Incredible. You're… incredible." She echoed Bri's phrasing from earlier, but she couldn't help it. And for a few precious moments, she remained in that blissful, ignorant fog where the harsh reality of their situation hadn't crept back into her consciousness. For the first time in what felt like ever, undiluted happiness filled Fiona Killick to her core, and with her eyes on Princess Brianne's, she held onto that feeling for as long as possible.
*
She was most definitely out of her depth here. It was an interesting role-reversal, one that she very decidedly wanted to explore further… but Fiona pulling away when she did was probably for the best. Bri’s head was spinning - had she remembered to breathe? Even if she had, she doubted she would be any less breathless at the current moment in time, their faces still so close. She fought not to reclaim those lips as they just barely met hers, a small laugh escaping her at the surprising amount of will it took. Bri let her eyes drift open to meet Fiona’s, smiling at what she said and nodding in agreement. “As are you, along with a multitude of other words that, at the same time, seem to be understatements.” Again she let her thumb trail along the girl’s jaw, smile widening at the still-present fluttering in her stomach. Bri wanted to box it up, bottle it perhaps, anything to be able to revisit it again - because, of course, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to.
It was with that realization that she reluctantly glanced down, worrying her bottom lip for a moment before she took a steadying breath, self-conscious as she tried to ignore the turn her thoughts had taken. “I’ve quite derailed our meeting, haven’t I?”
*
That quiet laugh sent a fresh wave of butterflies loose in Fi's stomach. Honestly, had she ever smiled so much? Her cheeks were starting to hurt, it was pretty obscene. Her still-buzzing brain could barely process Bri's formal princess-speak, but she knew it was a compliment, at least, and had the grace to blush. "Well I won't let you take all the credit for that, highness," she murmured, daring to lean in and press another kiss to the corner of her mouth, and one more to her cheek before pulling back and taking Bri's hand. "Let's--let's get at least some of our work done--you know, so you have something… substantial... to show your mother. And then, maybe... if there's a bit of time left over…" Helga, she was overstepping, but she couldn't stop the suggestive twist to her lips or the pointed wink that accompanied it.
It wouldn't happen until much later--after their meeting and another long kiss goodbye--that the princess would leave once again, lifting the cloud of blissful haze that had bewitched Fiona Killick… and she'd realise just how utterly fucked she truly was.
*