phillipa flint (pippips) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-09-25 20:42:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: marcus flint, character: phillipa flint, character: viktor krum |
who: marcus & phillipa flint & viktor krum
where: flint-higgs house - but mostly the secret cottage
when: 25 september, evening
what: an overdue talk about recent events
rating: nsfw
status: complete
It had been two weeks. She had stopped talking to him, not responded to an owl … it was like she had vanished into thin air. Leaving him to brood and drink and then brood some more. He was MISSING her and he didn’t miss people. He was Viktor Fucking Krum. He didn’t NEED to miss people. But the bed was empty. The cottage was empty. Hell, he couldn’t even watch the show on the stupid Muggle DVD thing - because then he would be ahead of her and she would pout. NOT that is seemed to bloody well matter to her. Since she was GONE. He sat down, and ran his fingers through his hair. Philippa Flint was supposed to be a passing fancy. Fun, bright, and short term. She wasn’t supposed to be this important. He wasn't supposed to crave her presence. But here he sat, lonely without her. He braced his elbows on his knees and sighed deeply. His eyes landed on something sparkly and he picked it up, turning the cheap tiara in his hands. That festival in New Orleans on their way to the island. She had picked up the tiara, saying that he was her knight and therefore had to do as she said - starting with buying her the tiara. A small grin, tugged on his lips at the memory. The dancing, the wine, the laughter…they hadn’t slept that night but had laid their suite with the windows open and just talked. About everything and nothing. Surging to his feet he came to a decision - he was done waiting. She was going to hear him. Tonight. ~~ Marcus watched as his sister moped in the kitchen, staring into her tea like it held the answers to the world and it’s problems. Shaking his head as he made his own tea, he pulled out a chair and sat next to her. “Don’t take this wrong. I love you. I love having you here. But sweet sister of my life - you aren’t happy. And you aren’t….you. What’s going on?” “Nothing,” Phillipa replied automatically, her hands loosely cupped around the mug in front of her. It was what she had to say because the real answer was everything but that was dramatic and stupid and unfair. She wasn't allowed to be upset - she'd known what she was signing up for. Fun, sex, lavish living, then moving on. But it seemed like the moving on part had arrived and everything in her was screaming no. Everything hurt, ever since she saw that stupid article in the paper and knew it was done. They were done. “I’ll be fine, Marco,” she said after a moment, looking over to him and offering a smile - a barely there ghost of a smile. “I always am.” Reaching out he covered her hand with his, “You know, if I didn’t know you so well I might think you were just tired.” he kept his eyes on her and then moved closer and wrapped an arm around her and hugged her, kissing her forehead. He turned as there was pounding on the front door, “What in the hell….” Leaving her to check on the door, Marcus blinked when an irate Viktor Krum shoved past him to get inside, “Hey now….” “PHILLIPA…..” Viktor called out, “I know you are here….” “Krum….” Marcus put a firm hand on his shoulder, “I think you need to calm yourself - my sister….” “Your sister needs to answer a damn owl…..” Viktor said turning on him, “I need to talk to her and she is being too damn stubborn to!” “Well, if she is being stubborn she has her reasons - now get the hell out of my house.” Marcus growled following after Viktor and shoving him against the doorway to the kitchen, “GET. OUT. If she wanted to see you - she would.” He turned to look at Pippa, Viktor looked hurt and angry and confused all at the same time, “Kitten…..” he shoved Marcus off of him, “I just need ten minutes…..” Phillipa could have nestled into her brother’s arms for a while and pretended things were alright, if not for the pounding on the door. A pit formed in her stomach when Marcus got up, and then grew ten times in seconds as soon as she heard Viktor’s voice calling her name. She quickly got up from the table, accidentally upsetting her tea and causing it to spill, but she didn't even see it. Not when her gaze was focused on her brother actually physically shoving the one person she'd been trying to avoid having to see. Ten minutes. That's all he needed to get it over with. Ten minutes and she could shut herself away in her room again without the threat of more owls showing up. She was surprised it would even take him that long, unless there were dozens of documents for her to sign. Maybe there were, she had no idea. Not there. That was all she knew, amidst the hurricane of hurt and emotions toiling inside her. There was no way it could happen there, at her brother's house. Marcus wouldn't let it, and she didn't want to either. So jaw set, Flint stubbornness firmly in place, she crossed the distance to where they were in the doorway and managed to grab Viktor’s arm without her hand shaking. With a fleeting, almost apologetic look to her brother, Phillipa apparated the two of them back to the cottage for what she had to imagine was the last time. As soon as the ground was firm under her feet, she let go of Viktor and took a few steps back. “You can have your ten minutes,” she said, her voice steadier than she'd expected. “But not before I get to talk.” Viktor blinked at her and nodded slowly, she was here….in their - place. It had been feeling like home. But with her gone…..it had just been a place. Another place to hide. He took a step back and sat on the arm of the couch. He crossed his arms over his chest so he wouldn’t reach out to touch her. Pull her in close and kiss her. Hold her. Breathe her in. If she wanted to end this with him - he wanted her to do this to his face. And he wouldn’t try and change her mind - he kept telling himself that. Because he had promised her - clean ending. And he was a man of his word. “Fine….you can talk first.” Phillipa had spent the past two weeks trying to put her thoughts into words, into anything that could make sense. And even as she stood there in front of him, finally the moment to say them, she didn't know if she'd ever managed to. But she had to try. She only had one chance, and it didn't even come with any kind of reassurance it would change anything. "I know this isn't what I promised or agreed to, but I didn't think this would - could happen. I've never felt anything... and I thought... of course, this will be fun, and then…” she broke off, gaze flickering up to the ceiling as she tried to collect her thoughts into something more… understandable. Her throat felt tight, tears threatening to escape her eyes, and she couldn't look at him. “You're my best friend,” she managed, her voice wavering, hands clenching at her sides as she fought to keep some semblance of control. “You know me better than anyone in this world and you make me feel like there's nothing wrong with me. And I can't sleep without you there-” she brought up a hand to quickly brush away a tear, ignoring the way her fingers trembled. “It's been two weeks of hell trying to sleep by myself, of wishing you were beside me because you make me feel safe, and warm, and right. I miss the way you hold my hand, and mess with my hair, and snore.” She almost laughed at the thought, but it came out a hiccup instead, and that somehow made her heart hurt worse. “It's like you broke me, but… in a way I didn't care about until… it's over, right? You're supposed to go be with her now and I'm supposed to be fine because you wanted the end to be clean and simple and I said there wouldn't be any fuss. And there shouldn't have been, but you were too good and wonderful and I felt…” “Is this what love is?” she asked in almost a whisper, the word feeling heavy and foreign, dangerous, on her tongue. She loved, certainly, but this was different than the love she had for her brothers, for Terence, for Gemma. “Why it hurts so much to try and think of managing on without you? I can't - it's not fair, I know it's not, it's not fair when I promised it would be easy and clean at the end and now I can't, but I love you.” For the first time since she'd really started talking, Phillipa let her eyes meet Viktor’s again. She had no idea when she'd truly started crying, but tears kept streaking down her cheeks and she felt terrified as she looked at him. There was a reason she kept from letting anyone in too close and she might not have known what it was before, but she certainly did then. Being vulnerable was scary, and she felt like he could ruin her completely with one word. Viktor was true to his word and let her speak. He sat there, aching to speak, to touch her, and let her say her piece. The way her hand shook and the tears on her cheeks tore at him. This is why he tried to keep things professional. It had never failed him till now. Keep it professional and above board. Then walk away and start over again. Repeat as needed. Because it hurt when people stopped seeing the surface of him - and Phillipa Flint had cracked that shell months ago if he was going to be honest. And as her speech wound down - he made up his mind to be honest with her. If she could be that brave - then so could he. When he opened his mouth though - nothing came out. He had to clear his throat several times in order to feel like he could - and then licking his lips he looked down at their feet - his in a pair of flip flops he had thrown on and hers bare. “When I met you...I thought this would be like my other arrangements. Fun, fast and fleeting. Enough to get me through the Cup. When the world’s eyes are on me. Help keep me focused.” His voice was rough from lack of sleep, whiskey and emotion he wasn’t ready to reveal to her yet, “But then you came into my life. With your smiles and laughter. You didn’t take me seriously - you made….” he cleared his throat again and ran a hand over his face, “You are my best friend. You just fit into my life and my world, filling a void I didn’t know I had.” He laugh was short and rough sounding, “I haven’t taken a day off since I was put on a professional team at age 15. Not really. I always did what I was needed to do for my parent’s career or my own. Even my days off were covered by the press alot. But I was - and still do - feel selfish with you. I want OUR time. I crave it. In a way I never have before. In business meetings I want you there. My hand feels empty without yours in it.” Taking a deep and shuddering breath, “Phillipa Flint you have wrecked me. I can’t sleep. I can’t function - because part of me just left.” He held up his hand, “You didn’t even give me the chance to refute the article. You didn’t fight for me - for us. And I get that there was that fucking agreement between us. And I hate that agreement. I loathe it. Because it’s between us. I don’t want anything between us. I want you - I want every broken bit of you - because your broken pieces fit with mine.” Finally he looked up and met her eyes - letting every single wall down for her - laying himself out raw for her, “I love you Philippa Flint. I love you and I am sorry - I am a man of my word. If you tell me to go - I will. But I will come back and fight for you. Because as terrifying as you are - the idea of being alone without you is more terrifying.” He held out his hand - his large and trembling hand, “I guess what I am asking here is - stay. Please stay. With me. Because I am so lost and broken without you here.” Phillipa felt like she hadn't breathed in the whole time he'd been speaking. She hadn't, in a way, not any full breaths for fear of them coming out sobs, taking in shallow inhales and letting out shuddered exhales as she tried not to completely break. As though she had any shred of holding it together left. And maybe she did, until he said he loved her, and then it was gone and a broken sob managed to pull itself from her chest. She didn't move until his hand was outstretched to her, and then she stepped forward to take it automatically, her hand shaking as it rest into his and she kept going forward, moving up against him where he was sitting and curling her other hand around the back of his neck, pressing her forehead against his. Weeks worth of bottled up emotion seemed to be welling up out of her all at once and she needed him to keep her from falling completely to pieces - and he was there. For a moment he was terrified that that she was going to walk away. Then she was moving and pressed against him and something snapped. He wrapped his arms around her and one hand tangled in her hair and the other stayed around her waist. He pressed kissed to her forehead and then tiled her face up and kissed her tear streaked cheeks, “Shhh…..we are home now.” It was all he could think of to say. Just as standing there, holding her seemed to be the only thing he could do. And revel in the warmth of per back where she belonged. And he knew there was more to say or do - but he was worried that if he spoke….it would shatter this moment and he might wake up from a nap and still be here alone. And that would break his heart. That was what she'd been missing and needing for weeks - those familiar, strong arms around her, holding her in where it was warm and felt right. Phillipa wasn't sure if she could be closer to him without melding into him somehow, and that was alright. She pressed a brief kiss against his lips, fingers lacing up into the back of his hair. Home - that's where they were and that's what he was, and she didn't want to ever be without home again. “I love you,” she whispered, the words coming out intentionally that time rather than the end of a half-thought revelation. That time they felt better, right, like they could steady her hands and breath. “Well, that is rather convenient because I love you too.” He didn’t ease up on how close he had her pressed against him. Viktor did however lift her up by her hips and kiss her slowly, “I love you….and I meant everything I just said. And then some.” He looked in her eyes, “And no vanishing on me again. I won’t give you so much breathing room next time. Ten minutes at the most then I am throwing you over my shoulder and bringing you home so we can fight this out. Because us not together isn’t working for me.” “Also - just to clarify - that article was based off of my mother. Not me. I never had a single intention of leaving you for her. Because - you have ruined me and I can’t not have you. So you are stuck with me. I suggest dealing with it.” “It doesn't work for me either,” Phillipa mumbled before kissing him again, longer and slower than before. Those kisses made her breathing slow closer to normal, tears dry on her cheeks without being replaced by more. They were like magic, or maybe he was. Maybe it all was. She managed to huff out a hiccup-y laugh at the last bit of what he said, arms tightening around him. “I'll remind you about that next time I do something that annoys you.” She buried her face against the crook of his neck and breathed in the familiar scent of him, taking in his warmth against her skin as she clung onto him. Not letting go of her for a moment, Viktor headed for their bedroom. If nothing else - he wanted to wrap himself around her completely. To keep her here with him. Where she belonged. Kicking their door closed he layed her on their bed and covered her with his larger body, kissing her lips , nibble along her jawline and stare into her eyes as he pulled up just a bit. “There are too many layers between us…..” He pulled off his own t-shirt and went back to her lips, savoring and tasting them, “Too much keeping me from you…..” His hands slid under her shirt to the warm skin underneath. Phillipa didn't even have to lift her head and look to know where he was taking her, and she gladly settled back against the bed and pulled him down to her, welcoming his kiss. It all felt like fire, good fire, licking through her body, like it was the first time all over again even though she'd never kept track and would have long since lost count with him. Her fingers traced up his back to follow his shirt as it came off, raking against his skin as it was exposed and as his mouth met hers again. She kissed him longingly, hungrily, back arching up as his hands moved under her shirt. “Take it off then…” Not having to be encouraged too much, Viktor slide the shirt off, but slowly. Moving down to kiss and nuzzle the skin he exposed. His hands trembled a bit because it felt like a fresh start - and he wasn’t going to waste this chance. He pressed against her nails on his back and gave her a grin, “Marking me as yours already kitten with those claws of yours?” Taking a slowness they didn’t often get to indulge in, Viktor worshipped her - there wasn’t another word for the care and tenderness in his lips and hands - as much of her as he could touch, whispering endearments in Bulgarian against her skin all the way back to her lips, his fingers in the wastband of her lounge pants, stroking her hipbones, and easing them down slowly, “I have missed you Kitten. So much……” Her nails dug in bluntly against his skin as he pressed back against them and she let her head tilt back against the bed, eyes fluttering closed as his lips moved over her skin. It was all so soft and tender it almost made her tremble, and she brought one of her hands up to stroke over his hair as he worked his way back up her body. “I missed you too,” she murmured, lifting her hips just enough for him to be able to get her pants down over them, her fingers scritching lightly against his scalp. “Never again, okay?” “No….never again.” He kissed his way back down and repeated the attention to her lower half. Nibbling her hip bones, kissing her thighs and behind each knee. Tossing them to the side he hastily undid his own, looking down at her as he removed his belt and the denims….and working his way up to her knickers. Kissing his way along the waistband, he pressed a soft kiss to the silk keeping her from him. Looking up at her, he slid them off slowly and pulled her closer with her hips. And he set about tasting and exploring her, “Never, ever again…..” His teeth and tongue teasing her, tasting and his hands keeping her hips right where he wanted them - within easy access of his mouth where he could enjoy her to the fullest. And where he could remind her just what she had been missing….and a perk of being back. One hand slid up her side to link fingers with her - leaving the other to hold her hips still. Phillipa let her other hand stroke up his back to join the one already in his hair as he moved down her body again, the kisses to her thighs making her shoulders press back hard against the mattress, fingers curl into his hair. Her breath hitched in her throat at the soft, gentle kisses against the waistband of the lone piece of clothing left on her body, and she looked down at him through half-lidded eyes as he got rid of that, too. She made a soft sound as he pulled her down to him, one that quickly melted into a moan as his mouth moved onto her and she let one of her hands fall away from him to grip at the bedsheets - though she let go of them easily when his hand moved up to take it. Their fingers laced together so easily, and she gave his hand a squeeze, kept in place by the way he held her hips but still managing to writhe slightly thanks to the attentions of his mouth. It had only been a couple weeks but she knew she hadn't forgotten what he felt like, and somehow it was even more so. Taking his time, he wanted this time to be one she remembered. And the feel of her against his mouth was intoxicating, growling against her he took in the feel and smell of her, and when she squeezed his hand, he shuddered against her. Kissing his way up her body, he left a damp trail up to her lips where he kissed her, letting her taste herself on his tongue, then whispering in her ear again that he loved her….that he ached for her…. His fingers slid from her waist to replace his mouth and he whispered in her ear, “Let me see your eyes love….I want to watch you…...I need to see you…..” Phillipa felt her entire body react to the way he growled against her, the feeling going all the way down to her toes and making a whine catch in her throat. Her fingers gripped into his hair as he kissed his way up her torso, lips parting automatically as they met his to let her tongue sweep against his, groaning against his mouth before he pulled it away to whisper against her ear. His whisper has always done it for her, and especially when he was whispering such things, his fingers working against her and her hips finally able to rock down against him freely. She tilted her head to be able to kiss him, nose nudging against his as she looked up at him, biting her lip as her back arched away from the bed to press her up closer to him as waves of pleasure ripped through her. Watching her as her first orgasm went through her, Viktor was stunned by how beautiful she was under him like that. He kissed her again...he couldn't get enough now that he had her back with him. It was another point of connection with her. Pulling back he looked her in the eye, “Pippa...you are breathtaking…” He moved them so she was on top of him and kept his arms wrapped around her, “I think that was a rather amazing way to start the welcome home process. Personally, I feel it may take several days to fully complete everything. And possibly take out from that Thai place we found…” Viktor but his lower lip and met her gaze, “and it might also be that I need you where I can touch you for the foreseeable future.” Phillipa was perfectly content to let him keep kissing her like that, especially when her body was still trembling with little aftershocks of pleasure. She gave a little hum in response and easily rolled over onto him when he moved, her hands resting on his chest to hold her up, knees planting into the mattress on either side of him. “Several days,” she agreed, leaning down to press a trail of kisses along his jaw, nuzzling against the hinge of it before sitting up again to be able to look down at him. She ran her fingertips along his arms, from his shoulders down to his fingertips where she linked them with her own. “Is that so?” He nodded at her with a very serious look on his face, “I figure we will need several days - if not weeks - to get caught up on sleep, sex and our show. Not to mention - I am finding I am VERY selfish when it comes to your time and getting as much of it as possible for myself.” He gently squeezed her fingers and used them as leverage to pull her into another kiss. Settling back, Viktor enjoyed the view. There was something about Pippa like this - and not just the mussed and just shagged look she was sporting - but this version of her. His version….that made him growly and posessive for one of the first times ever over a woman. “Oh, and you MIGHT be out of shampoo…..” “I feel like it might take weeks rather than days,” Phillipa agreed with a light laugh before letting herself get pulled down, pressing a long kiss against his lips before sitting up again. She raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth as she toyed with his fingers in hers. Leaning down, she placed a slow, nibbling trail of kisses up his neck to his ear, nipping at his earlobe before murmuring against it. “You used my shampoo?” Chuckling, his response was in a rumble he knew would tease her, “I did...I ran out and it was here already…..” He shifted under her and had to bite back a growl as he shifted against her. Now that round one was over….his body was not wasting time in reminding him that he was still craving more of Miss Flint. “Baby….if you are just going to tease me up there…..I might have to change the advantage in my favor….” Phillipa nuzzled against his neck and laughed, letting go of his hands to move her own up to rest on his chest, firmly pressing against it. “I'm not the one who started a conversation…” She shifted down to be able to tug his boxers down his legs before climbing up to where she had been before, but this time able to sink down over him, which she did with a hitch in her breath. She slid her hands up his torso, fingertips tracing against lines of hard muscle before they came to rest on his chest, her hips grinding down over him in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. His hands slid down her back and came to rest on her hips, helping find a good rhythm, “I did so….to allow you time to recover a bit - I am not entirely heartless…..” His right hand slid up her torso, cupping and teasing her breasts as she started to ride him. “Never again….we are not going to be apart this long again. I swear on Merlin’s fucking beard it’s not happening again….” Biting his lip, his eyes darkened as they watched her move. The way her breasts swayed, her hair shifted, her skin shone in the dim lighting from the first round. “You're far from heartless,” she replied, leaning down to kiss him a moment before pressing up again and watching him as he spoke, her gaze fixed on the way he bit his lip and how she'd much rather do that herself but it made her fingertips dig in against his chest to see the impressions left there from his teeth. “Never again,” she agreed, bringing one of her hands up to meet where his was on her breast, lifting it up to be able to kiss his palm, eyes closing briefly before letting it go again. If she had her way she would keep them there in that moment forever, him so wanting and strong beneath her as they moved in such an easy and well practiced rhythm together, because she knew his body almost better than her own. It wasn’t going to take too long - Viktor was well aware of this. Between the weeks without her and the scene he had just helped create….and now watching her ride him like a touseled Goddess….he wasn’t going to last long at all. But there would be other nights where he would make it much longer….once they got back into the swing of things. Feeling her nails in his chest, he arched up and thrust up into her deeper, “That’s my girl….” he growled as she gripped him a bit more and pulled her down into a devouring kiss, and whispered in her ear, “Payback is going to be delectable my sweet one….” Phillipa whined softly into his kiss, dragging her teeth against his lower lip as he pulled away to whisper against her ear. Him and those whispers were going to be the death of her one day, but until then she would enjoy it. A smirk flickered across her features at his words, and she gave a quiet hum in response. Her hands shifted to take his wrists moving his arms so she had his hands above his head, pinned down against the bed by hers. He was bigger, stronger, could easily pull away from her hold if he wanted, but that didn't stop her from being stretched out above him, her hair falling down around their faces as she let her hips work down against him harder, biting at her already kiss swollen lower lip as she looked down at him. “Then I guess I'd better earn it…” His hands tightened on her hips and he brought them down and held them there as his hips jerked against her., arching up off of the bed and growling low and needy in his throat, “Oh fucking hell Pippa…..” his voice was thick and rough sounding. He surged up and claimed her lips, “I love you….” Panting he kept them pressed together, his heart racing against her chest, “You have more than earned it….” He fells back onto the bed and took her down to the mattress with him, “And for future reference - that last bit can happen any time you want it. I am a generous man that way….” He grinned against her hair, and tightened his arm around her waist. Phillipa moaned against his mouth as he kissed her, riding him through it and letting her hips slow and still once he pulled her down onto the bed with him. She nuzzled against his chest and dropped light kisses against his skin, smirking softly at what he said. “So very generous - nothing in it for you at all,” she murmured, bringing her hand down to trace her fingertips along his chest. He pulled a sheet up over them, “Once we are a bit more rested - I do have something I would like your help with - I have a document that I think we can use for kindling for a firepit tonight. For when we eat the thai food. We are not eating in in here - you have a tendency to drop the shrimp on me.” He brushed her hair back out of her face, and he spent more time kissing her, “Mmm….so sweet to taste…..” She smiled against his chest at the thought of burning that stupid contract. That should have been done ages ago, really, but she would relish it when it did happen. She let her head tilt up to make it easier to kiss him, enjoying the lazy slowness of it as her heart rate slowed to normal. After a long, long moment, Phillipa managed to pull herself away and crawl off him just enough to wrap a nearby blanket around her, brushing her hair away from her face as she settled in sitting against his side to look down at him. “Marcus might kill you.” Viktor looked up at her and rolled to his side, propping himself up on his elbow, “And why does he want to kill me this time…? Unless…..” He raised a brow at her, “Does he know EVERYTHING about our - previous - arrangement?” His hand rested on her bare thigh under the sheet, “Or is there another reason that he is going to hate me? I mean - he did win the World Cup out from under me - that should buy me some wiggle room….” Phillipa rolled her eyes, giving a shake of her head. “He knows nothing about that or I'm sure you would have heard from him already. I certainly didn't tell him anything.” She gave him a look, but still brought her hand up to run through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. “Do you not remember that whole storming into his house thing you did earlier? If he doesn't hear from me soon, he'll probably find a way to track you down.” “I do vaguely remember that - I also know that it is partially your fault that we got to that point. Because you went all Fint level stubborn on me and never gave me a chance to explain anything. So really he should be frustrated with you more than me.” Viktor said with a smirk at her. Before he could finish a scarlet envelope came flaying in from the fireplace, he watched as it landed next to her, “And speaking of the devil….” Not asking permission, he ripped it open and blinked at the Howler as it began to speak. “PHILIPPA FLINT - WHERE THE BLASTED HELL ARE YOU?! AND WHY IS VIKTOR KRUM STORMING MY HOME LOOKING FOR YOU LIKE THAT? IF YOU DON’T LET ME KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON SOON - I AM GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN AND….I DON’T KNOW WHAT i WILL DO BUT YOU WON’T LIKE IT.” He chuckled and looked at her, “I am so glad he isn’t prone to anger issues….” Eyes narrowed playfully, Phillipa was going to explain to him exactly how it certainly wasn't her fault, but then the Howler came. And her brother's voice came bellowing out of it, making her pull the blanket up over her head to hide in it completely. She did laugh toward the end of it, hearing the annoyance in Marcus’ tone at not having a plan but also not having the time to wait to come up with one before sending the Howler off to her. “We Flints are a very level headed bunch,” she said, voice muffled from inside the blanket. “As you can tell.” She thought for a moment before shifting enough to be able to peek out at him. “Okay, so I… think I should go to tell him I'm fine. Not for long,” she added before he could object. “But an owl’s not going to appease him, so I can pop there and let him see I'm alright then come right back.” Viktor pulled her back into bed, “Because I don’t think he will let you leave again….” he kissed her again, “The whole ‘staying put for weeks’ part was legitimate babe. I am perfectly content right here with you - where I can touch you and see you. And you leaving is counter-productive to that goal….” He gave her his sad puppy eyes and didn’t loosen his grip, “You know you want to stay….” Phillipa groaned, curling in against him when he pulled her in and gave him those eyes of his. “Viktor… you're going to get me in so much trouble…” Then again, that had always kind of been the case. And he certainly had. “I said not for long…” She pressed a kiss to his lips before sighing. “Okay, fine. I will send an owl, and if he doesn't take it as proof enough I'm fine, it's on you.” Viktor smirked against her lips, “Oh yes, you were so hard to convince….” He met her gaze and kept her right where she was, “And I don’t see how I could get you into trouble. I am just trying to keep you where you belong.” Rearranging the covers and them, so they were more comfortable, “Do you need writing supplies….I wouldn’t want to get you into more trouble of your own making….” She knew he wouldn't stop, otherwise she might have put up a bit more of a fight. If Marcus sent anything else, she would try more to get a reprieve to at least let him know she wasn't being coerced into sending owls to him. “Of course I need writing supplies - how else do you expect me to send an owl?” Shaking his head, Viktor summoned the letter writing supplies and then laid back against the pillows, “How about something along the lines of ‘I am pausing between amazing rounds of reunion shagging with your Quidditch superior to let you know I am okay…..”” He gave her a grin, “Or my personal favorite ‘Busy shagging - please send carbs and water’”. “What do you think of those options?” “I think you have a death wish,” Phillipa laughed, leaning over and pressing a hard kiss to his mouth before moving away to grab the parchment and quill to be able to write a response to her brother. The odds of anything particularly setting his mind at ease were slim, but there wasn't much she could do about that. I'm fine. We can talk later, promise. No need to worry. NO MORE HOWLERS, YOU TWAT. The note got sent through the floo and she moved back up onto the bed, curled up in the blanket and nestled against his side. “It's your fault if he sends something back now, you know. But in the meantime, I believe there was mention of a fire?” Viktor chuckled, and kissed the top of her head, “I think there was mention of fire and Thai food. I think we have need of both things. One to clarify and one to keep up stamina for the rest of the night.” He smirked up at the ceiling, “Because if you can still move off of the bed on your own - then we are obviously not done for the evening yet.” He pulled away slightly and pulled on a loose pair of sleep pants, and handed her the t-shirt that came along with it, “Shall we head out back and start our bonfire?” Phillipa rolled her eyes playfully but didn't argue. She was perfectly fine spending the entire rest of the night in bed, maybe the morning too. Except the thought of burning that contract that had caused such a stumbling block, that was too good to pass up and needed to happen as soon as possible. She untangled herself from the blanket when he handed her his shirt, tugging it on and pulling her hair out from under the collar of it as she stood. “We shall. You get that stupid thing and I'll grab the appropriate drinks.” Viktor kissed her slowly and rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “Last chance to run away…” he stood up and stretched, his back and shoulders popping as he did so. He moved towards the doorway and held out his hand for her, “Time to start the phase don’t you think…?” He grinned at her deviously, “Unless of course you can’t move….in which case….I suppose I could carry you….” Phillipa let her eyes closed and she smiled softly. “I'm not running.” She watched him as he moved away, enjoying the view for a moment before rolling her eyes at what he said and smirking. “I'm capable, thank you.” She moved over to take his hand, pushing up onto her toes to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Go get it, and I'll meet you out back.” “Well, then I see I still have my work cut out for me…..” Viktor said with a chuckle and swat on her backside as he headed for his office area in the house, “And grab something to eat - this demanding minx I know did a number on me - and I think I might need a refill before I get tackled again…..” Building a fire in the outdoor fire pit, he struck a match and tossed it onto the kindling….watching the fire eat at it….th eflames and licking and eating away at the materials. He looked down at the stark white parchment with the ink spelling out what he and Pippa were ‘supposed’ to be. The business side of things. It was supposed to be simple and painless….but there wasn’t any way he could have known when he had this drawn up that ….THIS would happen. That this petite woman would somehow become so much a part of him that he found it hard to function without her. And she felt the same…. He stared into the fire and waited for Pippa to join him and burn this document that was no longer necessary. There wasn't much food in the kitchen, but he'd also mentioned Thai food more than once, so she made a quick call to the nearby place that she knew would deliver. It wouldn't be immediate, but it would get there soon enough. In the meantime, she checked all the different wine fridges until she found what she was looking for - champagne. The night certainly called for it. Walking out to the fire pit, champagne bottle in one hand and two flutes in the other, stepping up beside him and glancing down at the papers in his hand. It felt like forever ago she'd signed them - and she'd signed so quickly. One quick read over, only one question asked, and her got signed in all the appropriate places. She hated what it had done, in terms of confusion it had caused and boxes it had set out to fit them in. They were far more than any contract could contain. “Food’s on its way,” she said, nudging his arm lightly and holding up the bottle. “In the meantime…” Taking the bottle from her, there was a popping sound and then the sound of champagne being poured into glasses. Viktor handed her a glass, “Shall we drink to the future?” he clinked their glasses together gently and took a sip, “That does seem to suit the evening doesn’t it.?” Wordlessly he handed her the contract, “You do the honors Pips.” She gladly took the glass from him when he offered it, smiling at his toast before letting their glasses clink and take a sip. “To the future.” There was another sip as she took the papers, looking down at them and feeling the weight in her hand before taking a step closer to the fire pit. Her fingers tightened on them for a moment before she dropped them in on top of the flames, gaze fixed on them as the edges started to curl. Viktor moved to stand behind her and pulled her back against him, resting his chin on her head before pressing a kiss to the silky dark hair, “There is no turning back now…..” He watched the fire eat away at the past, turning it to char and ash. Then he pulled her back with him, “Now I think it’s time to eat….and enjoy the future a bit more….” He was not one to waste time in the past when the future was by far more enjoyable, and if it meant locking them away in their own little bubble - then so be it. He knew that she was very aware of his fondness for privacy and the time it gave them to be themselves. |