HIGGS, terence. (higgles) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-12-01 16:56:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !thread, character: penelope clearwater, character: terence higgs |
who ? penelope clearwater and terence higgs
when ? thursday, 1st december
where ? hound’s pint, diagon alley
what ? unexpected meeting in a pub
rating ? nc-17
status ? complete
It had been a strange day. Mostly, it had been a strange day because it had been like any other day. Nothing very interesting had happened at work. Nothing very interesting had happened outside of work. Nothing felt like it had changed. And yet everything had. Today was the first day Higgs was single. The first day in almost five and half years that Higgs wasn’t married. And yet everything felt really rather the same. Which, okay, Higgs wasn’t exactly shocked at, seeing how little of his and Alicia’s marriage they’d actually spent together. Still, there was an odd taste of bitterness at the back of his throat that Higgs had no idea how to get rid of.
So he’d opted for the pub. It wasn’t a busy evening, which meant that Higgs didn’t mind the pub. It wasn’t crowded. The fact that maybe things did feel a bit off didn’t quite Higgs until he was halfway through his first pint. It was then that Higgs realised that going to the pub that evening meant that he hadn’t gone to his support group meeting. It was the first he’d missed since joining it. Maybe things weren’t exactly great today. However stupid the choice was, though, Higgs thought that he really didn’t care right now, so he waved at the barman to bring him another pint. Go big or go home or something. Whatever. Higgs figured that as long as Pippa didn’t find out he had missed his support group meeting, he’d be fine.
“Thanks,” Higgs offered the barman when he brought him another pint of beer, giving a small wave with the one he was still drinking.
--
“Could I get another glass please?” Penelope asked before the bartender could get far, fingertips tapping against her wine glass that only had a few sips left. Most other days she would have gone home and enjoyed a glass or two from her own collection, but she hadn't been ready to go home yet. It felt nice to be around people rather than alone with her cat.
Once she got an indication the bartender heard her, she smiled and dropped her eyes down to her glass before her gaze flickered over the man a few stools down who had gotten the bartender over toward her in the first place. “I'm glad it's not busy - last time I was here it took twenty minutes to get anything.”
--
It took Higgs a moment to realise that the woman was addressing him and then another moment to realise that he really needed to get a hold of his mood. Higgs was not going to be rude to someone just because he wasn’t having a great day. So instead, he offered the woman a smile and a nod. “Pubs are much preferred when there is little risk of death by thirst,” he agreed jokingly, before holding his hand out to the woman. “Higgs,” he introduced himself.
When the bartender returned with the woman’s wine, Higgs gave a small wave. “Let me get that,” he told her, already pulling his wallet out.
--
Penelope gave a soft laugh before reaching over to take his hand. “Penelope,” she replied, giving his hand a firm shake before letting it go. She offered the bartender a smile when he returned, thanking him before her attention got pulled back to Higgs and she shook her head.
“You don't have to do that - we’ve barely met. At least let me ask you how you are before you try to offer.”
--
Higgs laughed at Penelope’s comment, giving a small shake of his head. “Trust me, love, hearing about my day you’ll wish you had accepted the drink first,” he said teasingly, though there was a great deal of truth. Higgs wasn’t really in a habit of telling complete strangers about himself. Hell, he barely told much about himself to the people he knew better. But it was hardly a huge disclosure to say that he had not had a brilliant day. Except, of course, it hadn’t even been a terrible day. Just uneventful. It felt like any other day and that was what Higgs found so frustrating about it.
“Tell me about yourself instead,” Higgs insisted, deciding that he much rather learned who Penelope was and what she did, perhaps how her day had been, than talk about his own.
--
Since they seemed to be headed toward conversation, Penelope slipped off her barstool and slid her glasses down the bar to be in front of the stool beside him, sitting there and turning toward him so talking was easier.
“Me? Oh, you're putting a lot of faith on me being interesting,” Penelope teased, finishing off her first glass of wine. “Let’s see… I told you my name, I’m here for a post-work drink after a lovely day. I helped a very sweet young man find a present for his girlfriend, so job well done I’d like to think. I have a shop down in Limbic Alley, only been there for a bit over a year.”
--
When Penelope pulled up a stool, joining Higgs for a conversation, he smiled. Five minutes ago, Higgs would’ve said he definitely didn’t want a conversation, but actually, having Penelope talk to-perhaps-at him was increasing Higgs’ mood vastly. It reminded him that there was little to no point to wallowing in self-misery. “I’m glad you had a lovely day,” Higgs commented because he genuinely was. It was good to be reminded that those existed and he didn’t have to be overly dramatic, even if today did mark the end of his already rather dramatic marriage.
“A shop?” Higgs asked curiously. “What sort of a shop?” He supposed he could’ve attempted to guess, but seeing how his only clue was that it was a place where someone could buy a present for their girlfriend, Higgs didn’t feel like he had much to go on from. It was probably easier if Penelope just told him.
--
“To be fair, I don't often have bad days,” Penelope mused, tilting her head in thought. “Mediocre, but not bad.” Then again, she was a fairly positive person and didn't give into negativity often. “But thank you, I’m glad for that too.”
She took another sip of her wine, smiling to herself as she looked over to him again. “Lingerie,” she said, giving a little waggle of her eyebrows. “I can make other things as well, but that's what my shop is.”
--
“I think I prefer the bad ones to the mediocre ones,” Higgs commented thoughtfully, but also rather truthfully. Or perhaps, not quite. It was probably a push to say that he wanted or liked the bad days. The mundane days were just frustrating in a very different way from the bad ones. “Good days are probably the best option, though,” he noted with a small grin, raising his glass at Penelope in a cheers, since he was sure she’d agree.
When the answer to Higgs’ question regarding Penelope’s shop was ‘lingerie’, his eyes widened slightly. “I did not expect that to be the answer,” Higgs told her honestly, though he did appreciate the eyebrow movement she added to the response. “How does one get into making lingerie?” He asked honestly not having a clue of what the answer would be.
--
“Good days are the best,” Penelope agreed, bringing her glass up to clink against his. She smiled against the rim of her glass as she took a sip before cradling it in her hand as she turned a bit more toward him.
“Most people don't expect that, to be fair,” she offered, shrugging a shoulder. “I've always enjoyed designing clothes but lingerie… underthings can make someone go from feeling blah to feeling so good in only the amount of time it takes to put on. I like being able to make people feel good. Seemed like a good way to go about it.”
--
Higgs had to admit that firstly, he had never spent a great deal of time thinking about lingerie. Secondly, any time he had spent thinking about it had mostly involved the appreciation of someone else wearing it. It made sense, the way Penelope explained it, that there was a great deal of feeling nice for oneself in nice underthings. “That is a very good answer,” he informed Penelope.
Taking a sip of his drink, Higgs frowned slightly as he gave Penelope a look. “I am really unsure whether I can think of any questions to ask about your work that won’t come across as inappropriate,” he admitted. “Is this a common problem you encounter after telling people what you do?” Higgs was going to bet his money on a ‘yes’, if only because now that Penelope had brought up underwear that made someone feel good, Higgs was struggling quite hard not to imagine her in her underwear, and he was really rather sure that counted as inappropriate.
--
“Yes, that's quite common,” Penelope assured him. “But that's kind of part of the deal when you make your livelihood the making of underthings for others.” She bit her lip with a grin, shrugging a shoulder. “Also most people who come in seem slightly unsure of how to talk about what they're looking for so yes, generally I expect what might be considered awkward conversations.”
She took another sip of her wine before setting the glass down and resting her arm against the edge of the bar. “Ask whatever you'd like, and as long as it's not crass it'll be fine.”
--
Higgs didn’t really think of himself as someone who did crass. He had spent ten years in the army, so it was hardly as if he didn’t know how, but mostly it just seemed unnecessary. So instead, Higgs just gave a shrug. “I guess it’s just a peculiar business,” he commented before taking a sip of his beer. “My nan runs sex shops, so I think we’re probably safe on my ability to overcome awkward conversations,” he commented almost teasingly. It was, however, also rather true. Having a grandmother who had a selection of sex shops gave one quite a lot of awareness not to be awkward in regards to sex.
“Do you mind it?” Higgs asked more seriously. “The awkward conversations,” he clarified, though Higgs wasn’t sure whether he didn’t just mean ‘the way it’s very hard not to imagine you in your underwear’. He wasn’t sure quite where that might’ve rated on the crass-scale.
--
At the mention of his nan, Penelope raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to interrupt, so she didn't comment at the time that she thought perhaps she might know his nan. It wasn't as though there were multiple sex shops run by grandmothers, or at least she was fairly certain not. It didn't seem like the moment to bring it up since he was asking questions.
“I don't mind it,” she said, shaking her head. “Me myself, I’m comfortable with all of it, so the questions and conversations don't bother me. I’d like to hope I help others be more comfortable too.”
--
Higgs nodded at her answer because it made sense to him. It was, he had no doubt, a lot down to the fact that he, too, felt perfectly comfortable talking about sex. There was at least a degree of easiness you had to have with the topic when you grew up having Gladys in your life. Higgs had always thought that his and Gemma’s approach to sex had always been very healthy because of how they’d been raised. He did recognise that plenty of other people didn’t feel anywhere near as comfortable about the topic, though.
“I feel that perhaps we need to change the topic of conversation,” he told Penelope before taking a sip of his beer. “It’s very hard to have this conversation and not imagine you in your undergarments,” he informed her with a playful smile. Or at least Higgs hoped it was seen as such, because he felt they were edging around a line which if crossed he might just come across as creepy, and Higgs hardly had any wish to do that.
--
Penelope smiled against her glass as she took another drink, savoring the flavor on her tongue as she looked over at him. He seemed nice, or at least he had been so far, and he was handsome. There was just enough wine left in her glass that should the conversation become awkward, she could go quickly. So with a soft smirk turning at the corners of her mouth, she spoke just loud enough for him but no one else to hear.
“You could do more than imagine, if you'd like.”
--
The way Penelope’s comment surprised him, made Higgs wonder how long it had actually been since he’d last picked someone up in a bar. Years, he realised. Higgs liked flirting and thought he did quite a good job at it, but he never did it particularly purposefully. His buying Penelope a drink had genuinely been more out of niceness than anything else. His imagining of her in her underwear was also mostly her fault, Higgs was quite sure. The comment, though, made Higgs suck his lower lip between his teeth as he thought about the offer. She was beautiful and he was... single.
“Yeah,” Higgs drew out slowly. “I think, I would like,” he told her honestly, taking a hefty swig of his beer before setting the pint down mostly with intention of abandoning it in favour of Penelope. “Got anywhere in mind?” Higgs asked standing up from his barstool. He supposed he could take her to his house, but perhaps she lived closer than Ireland.
--
Penelope would have been fine if he'd said no, simply made herself scarce after having taken their pleasant conversation somewhere it hadn't needed to go. But he didn't say no, he said yes, and she took that last sip of her wine before sliding the glass away from her and shifting from her barstool to stand.
“Well I live just up the street,” she replied, offering him a smile. “Short walk, even shorter apparition.”
--
Higgs had no idea whether he preferred a walk or an apparation. Mostly, he wasn’t sure it mattered, since he didn’t think either was going to take so long he’d have time to reconsider. So instead, he pulled his jacket on, giving a small shrug. “Lead the way,” he told Penelope, since once they left the pub they could walk as much as they could apparate.
--
Slipping on her coat, Penelope headed for the door. Apparition seemed silly when she legitimately lived a few doors down, so once Higgs joined her outside she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and tilted her head in the direction they were going to go.
“My house is just around that curve,” she said, starting toward it after offering him a smile. It wasn't far at all, but not so short that silence felt fine. “So what is it you do, Higgs?”
--
Higgs easily let Penelope link her arm through his as they walked, it seemed far more natural than just awkwardly walking near each other. Her question made him give a small chuckle, mostly because she’d managed to invite him home before establishing what he did. “I’m a hitwizard,” Higgs told her. “Have been for close to a year,” he elaborated.
The evening air was chilly around them, but there was a degree of warm radiating from Penelope that Higgs thought was probably far more noticeable to him because of how long it truly had been since he’d walked someone how like this. It was an odd thought, but not one Higgs felt he should necessarily ignore. Or perhaps the rest of the evening would decide that.
--
Penelope raised an eyebrow at his answer, giving a nod. “A hitwizard. That sounds important and dangerous.” Most occupations sounded important comparatively, but she was doing what she wanted and enjoyed so she had no qualms about that.
Getting to her house, she let go of his arm to unlock the front door, letting them in and turning on a light just inside the entryway so they weren't walking into complete darkness. “See? Not so far at all.”
--
“It’s probably less important than you’d imagine, and mostly less dangerous, too,” Higgs assured, before smirking slightly at Penelope. “Besides, I’m sure there’s plenty of people who’d argue that providing nice underwear was also very important,” he said almost teasingly. Higgs would, though, if it came to it, argue Penelope’s side on that. The reason she had given him for choosing lingerie as a career move seemed quite important. Or perhaps she was just very convincing, it was hard to tell.
When they entered the house, Higgs shrugged his jacket off, hanging it on the coathanger, kicking his shoes off before he could accidentally drag any mud on Penelope’s carpets. “It’s nice,” he offered mostly politely than sincerely looking around. It was nice, but they hadn’t quite come back so Higgs could complement Penelope’s interior design choices.
--
“I consider what I do quite important, yes,” Penelope said with a light laugh, slipping out of her coat and hanging it beside his. The door was shut and locked easily enough, and she followed his gaze around the room before smiling a bit more at the complement. “Why thank you.”
She stepped in closer, her hand coming up to rest lightly on his chest, lingering there for a moment before running up to his shoulder and resting at the crook of his neck as she leaned in and kissed him softly. “You want to come in past the doorway?”
--
It was easy to lean into the kiss she pressed against his lips, a kiss that felt too soft and too light but nonetheless rather nice. “Yes,” Higgs nodded but before she could lead him further into the flat, he pulled her into another kiss, this one more passionate, and probably more hungry. With a bit to Penelope’s lower lip, Higgs let go, his hands came to rest on her hips so he could pulled her against him more easily.
Only then, after another kiss, did Higgs let go enough so she could lead them to... well, the rest of the house, he supposed. The hallway truly was not going to be the best place for this. When they made it to the living room, Higgs reached out, pulling Penelope back against him, leaning down to kiss her again, this kiss more hungry than the previous one.
--
Penelope had started to turn, but then made a soft little sound of surprise when he pulled her back, giving into his kiss easily. Her arms came up to twine around his neck, fingers slipping into his hair to keep him close. Sure, they'd move past the entryway, but she had no problems with staying there a bit longer if he was going to be kissing her like that.
When his hold on her loosened, she let her hands slide down over his shoulders and chest, moving down to find his hands and hold one as she took a step back, then actually did turn to lead him further into the house. The second time he pulled her in it was not as surprising, but no less of a thrill, and her lips parted easily as they met his, nipping at his lower lip as she guided one of his hands back to the zipper of her dress.
--
One of Higgs’ hands was pressed against Penelope’s side, hard, but not hard enough to leave a mark. His other, he let her guide to the zipper of the dress, not hesitating to pull it down, when that was clearly the message. Letting go of her only enough to let the dress fall, Higgs took a step back so she could step out of the dress properly, giving her a look as she did. “It’s much better than what I was picturing,” he told her watching the way her underwear clung in all the right places. She certainly carried it well. But Higgs had very little doubt that it would look as nice, if not nicer, on Penelope’s floor.
He pulled his own shirt off, chucking it wherever it may fall, before closing the distance between them again, hands running over Penelope’s bare sides, appreciative of the way her skin felt soft and hot beneath Higgs’ touch.
--
Letting the dress fall from her shoulders, Penelope let go of him to give it the chance to move down her arms and to the floor, easily stepping out from it and smirking softly at what he said. “Oh good, I would have hated to disappoint,” she said playfully, eyes following the skin revealed as he took off his shirt, taking in the tattoos across his body.
Her own hands moved up his chest, fingertips tracing against it as she leaned in and kissed him again, catching his lower lip between hers and dragging her teeth against it before letting it go with a soft pop. Higgs was warm, solid, and his hands felt good against her, all traits she appreciated. Her fingertips dragged down his torso, over his stomach and down to find the waistband of his trousers, nimbly undoing the fastenings.
--
No, Higgs certainly didn’t feel disappointed, far from it. Penelope was stunning, which was fair to say she had been with her clothes on, too. It seemed needless to say as much, so instead Higgs returned her kiss, smirking against her lips when she nibbled at his lip. He shifted enough for her to find the opening of his trousers much easier, whilst in turn Higgs’ own hands moved up to unfasten her bra. For as nice as it might’ve been, he definitely preferred it to come off.
“Bedroom,” he said when they broke the kisses enough for him to have the time to say anything. Higgs had no doubt that he could’ve rather easily fucked her right where they were, but a bedroom would probably be more suitable and comfortable.
--
Penelope easily undid his trousers and hooked her fingers into the waistband to push them down his legs. She let her bra fall from her arms and pressed in against him, kissing him hard as she enjoyed the feel of his bare skin against hers.
“Bedroom,” she repeated, kissing him one more time before taking a step back and finding his hand with hers again, leading him through her house the short distance to her bedroom. She turned to face him once they were there, walking backwards toward her bed and pulling him along with her.
--
Higgs would’ve been pleased by his ability to get his trousers off and walk to the bedroom without tripping, if he hadn’t been mostly just distracted by Penelope. There wasn’t a great deal of light around them, but still plenty enough for Higgs to be able to see her. He licked his lips, following her into the bedroom. Then, when she turned to face him, walking backwards towards the bed, Higgs smirked at her, before taking a rather large step in order to pull Penelope closely against him.
The kiss he pulled her into was harsh but only as harsh as the one she’d offered earlier. Higgs had very little intention of pushing too far, though it didn’t stop him from tightening his grasp of her, tipping them down onto the bed in a rather ungentle fashion. His hands moved up, against her sides, thumbs pressing into the skin. Breaking the kiss, Higgs drew his lips against Penelope’s neck, downwards to her shoulder, before giving it a soft bite, tongue then licking over the skin.
--
Penelope went to him easily, giving a soft moan against his kiss and letting her free hand come up to cup his jaw, thumb brushing against his cheek. She fell back against the bed and pulled him over her, head tilting to the side as his mouth moved away and down her neck. Her breath hitched at the feel of his teeth against her skin, and she slipped her hand back to lace into his hair.
“Just don't leave any marks,” she breathed out in a murmur, not caring if he wanted to nip and bite so long as she didn't wake up in the morning covered in bruises.
--
Higgs was sure that he could manage to follow those instructions. “No marks,” he confirmed against her skin, kissing his way downwards. “Nowhere anyone can see, anyway,” he added teasingly, grazing his teeth over a soft spot just by above one of Penelope’s breasts. It was, mostly, a joke, though, since Higgs didn’t necessarily feel very keen on having most of her memories of him the next morning being in a shape of bruises against her skin. He had a great deal of practice and knowing what was hard but not hard enough, though, so Higgs thought he’d do just fine.
With more soft kisses against the skin, and a lot less bites, Higgs brought one of his hands up to cup Penelope’s breast, a thumb running over the nipple softly. The other, Higgs drew into his mouth, giving a soft lick, following it with a suck. After a moment, he moved onto the other breast, repeating the action.
--
What he added might have bothered Penelope if it hadn't seemed like he'd meant it as a joke, and she was fully aware she could kick him right out if it seemed he disregarded her request. Her fingertips scritched against his scalp as he moved down her body, and her back arched at the touches and attention paid to her breasts.
She moaned softly, her free hand moving to rest between his shoulder blades, fingertips pressed in against his back.
--
The sounds Penelope made beneath him were both incredibly satisfying and very hot. It made Higgs want to see how much louder he could make her moan, just with the touches and kisses. He was reasonably confident that the answer was ‘much’. When her hand moved across his back, Higgs winced almost unexpectedly. The touch felt... odd. Which it turn made him think how it had been a great deal of time since anyone actually touched his back, certainly in the way Penelope was doing. Well before it had turned into a scarred mess, Higgs was sure. He brought up his hand, to shift hers, dragging her palm over to his shoulder rather than his back.
Then, to compensate for whatever inconvenience that might’ve caused, Higgs kissed his way down Penelope’s stomach, stopping only briefly when his lips brushed against the material of her knickers. There was probably a lot more care he took in not ripping the material than Higgs’ would’ve necessarily showed if they hadn’t had an extensive conversation about the niceties of pretty undergarments. He did still push them off, though, preferring the bare skin to even the fanciest of underwear.
Moving between her legs, Higgs gave a lick and then a nibble to Penelope’s inner thigh, glancing up at her as he did so.
--
Penelope could feel his shift in expression against her, but before she had much chance to ask what was wrong he was moving her hand. She let it linger on his shoulder instead, thumb rubbing against his skin as he moved further down. Her fingers in his hair twined in a bit more as she lifted her hips for him to be able to get rid of her knickers more easily.
Her legs fell open to the sides as he moved between them, her breath catching at the feel of his teeth against her thigh. She looked down through half lidded eyes, the light from the hallway casting just enough in to be able to see him there. He looked really good like that, she thought, but she'd also thought he'd looked good every moment they'd been there so far.
--
Higgs waited until she looked down, smiling against Penelope’s skin as he pressed and almost too gentle kiss against it. Then, he ran one of his hands over had stomach, down to her hip, sliding it easily under her leg to push it open further. Positioning himself easier between her legs, Higgs run his tongue over her, tasting her on his lips, before moving in further. The strokes with his tongue were soft and gentle, but ever so often he applied more pressure just to hear the reaction it got. There was a great feeling of satisfaction with every sound she made, which encouraged him one, tongue moving against the heat.
A steady pace was accompanied with Higgs’ hand, the one that wasn’t still under Penelope’s leg, moving over to her hip, pressing her body down against the mattress beneath them. He waited, with almost excruciating patience until he felt her body shudder under him, his tongue slowing, pressing harder against her. Then, feeling satisfied with his work, Higgs kissed his way back up Penelope’s body, licking over one of her nipples as he went, before reaching her mouth again, drawing her into a kiss.
--
Penelope let him move her as he wanted, leg shifting wider and body staying lax and pliant beneath him. Each different movement of his tongue against her pulled sounds of pleasure from her lips, her fingers in his hair tightening their hold - though not too tight - as heat and tension built in her body. Her other hand came up to rest over his on her hip, holding onto it as she came with a soft cry and slowly relaxed back down into the mattress.
Once he started moving up her again, Penelope guided him toward her, meeting his mouth with a hard, wanting kiss. She reached down between them, hand slipping under the waistband of his boxers and curling around him.
--
Higgs went into the kiss eagerly, pushing into her hand when it slipped under his boxers. The way she looked, the way she moved, the way she sounded, it was a far more eager than needed touch, as he was already completely hard against her. Moving his hand lower, Higgs pushed his underwear off, moving quite skillfully in order to get rid of it and yet not break the kiss she offered as hungrily as he took it.
The hand that had been steadily sliding over Penelope’s side, taking in the curves there, came to settle on her hip, holding her easily against the mattress, as Higgs moved to settle between her legs. His other hand went to take her leg, hitching it up against his side as his breath sharpened.
--
Penelope’s hand stroked over him steadily as he shifted around, getting rid of his underwear and settling in against her. Her leg moved up easily, ankle hooking behind his back, heel pressed in just above the curve of his ass as she tilted her head back to break the kiss just enough to look up at him for a moment before tilting up her chin to be able to reach and nip at his lower lip.
“Come on, sweetheart,” she murmured against his lips, hips shifting idly against his hold as she let go of him so her hand wouldn't be in his way, instead letting it skirt up his side and move over to grip his bicep.
--
Higgs didn’t need the encouragement, but he was hardly going to ignore it either. Steadying her beneath him, Higgs pushed against and then into her, slow enough to be careful but still a hard, steady push. The groan that escaped his lips he couldn’t have stopped even if he tried, which really, Higgs had no plan of doing. She felt hot and wet around him, and Higgs gave a slow thrust. That then moved into one that was much harder, once he’d adjusted against her.
The movement wasn’t necessarily aggressive, but it was far from gentle. Higgs listened to the noises she made, increasing his speed when the sounds seemed eager for him to do so. The fingers against Penelope’s hip tightened, but Higgs was careful not to grip so hard it would break her request for him not to leave marks. The way she moved under him, though, it was a hard thing to achieve.
--
Penelope exhaled slowly as he pressed into her, shifting slightly to hitch her leg up a bit more against him. Her hold on his arm tightened as his movements grew more determined and hard, and her free hand moved up to curl around the back of his neck. Higgs may have had a hold on her hip but that didn't stop her from trying to meet his movements with her own.
So many men, she'd found, seemed scared to be less than gentle unless urged to be. Penelope liked soft and sweet, but also this, and it was nice to not have to ask for it for once. Her body reacted easily and she pressed up to be able to kiss him again, perhaps with a bit more tongue and teeth than might have been there otherwise but considering where they were and what they were in the middle of doing, perfectly acceptable.
--
The way she pushed up against him didn’t make Higgs slow in his movements at all, if anything he met her body with even more force, since she responded so eagerly. The way Penelope’s hand tightened against his bicep helped, too. In response to the kiss, Higgs breathed heavily against her, swallowing up the sounds she made. He did slow slightly when the repetitiveness of the movement started to feel like it might send him over the edge. Instead, Higgs pulled back, bringing his other hand down to take hold of Penelope’s other hip.
With a movement that went a long way to comment on Higgs’ strength, he flipped her over, leaning down to scrape his teeth against Penelope’s skin, a tinge of saltiness against his lips from the heat radiating off of her. Higgs steadied her again, finding it much easier from this angle, as his thumbs dug into her skin, before he moved to push back into her, one of his hands moving up from her hip to run across Penelope’s back, only stopping when his fingers brushed her neck.
--
Penelope appeased his want to move her, letting go of how she'd been holding onto him and pulling her leg away to make it easier. She gave a soft ‘oof’ as he flipped her onto her front and pressed her forearms and knees into the mattress to keep from being flat down against it. Her hair fell around her face as she felt his teeth against her skin, a slight shiver running through her at his touch.
Her back arched as his hand moved up it, reacting to the path it was taking along her spine. She pressed back against him, not able to do much from her position but not about to complain.
--
Penelope’s inability to do much from her position was very far from an issue to Higgs as he moved against her, his own body slamming hard against hers. The position, unlike the previous one, gave him much more of a leverage in how sharply he moved against her. Higgs’ hand against Penelope’s his letting him move her as much as he moved himself. The hand that had been up by Penelope’s neck, slid downwards, and over to her front, seeking out one of her breasts as Higgs cupped it, fingers brushing over it lighter than the movement necessarily implied they would.
With another hard push, Higgs leaned forward, giving a light bite to Penelope’s shoulder as his speed increased. Unsure with how long the steady speed and hard thrusts were going to last him, not when she seemed more than willing to take them, Higgs moved his hand away from Penelope’s breasts, sliding it across her stomach and down between her legs, fingers seeking out the heat there, quickly matching the speed at which the rest of his body moved.
--
Penelope’s arms braced hard against the bed to keep herself from being pushed forward thanks to how hard he was moving into her. Her breath came out in pants, each little touch from his hand a contrast to the rest of him, particularly the gentle touch against her breast when moments later his teeth were digging into her shoulder.
Her stomach muscles tensed and jumped as his fingers brushed over them, and she swore under her breath when his touch moved down further, almost causing her entire body to jerk in reaction. It was bordering on overstimulation, but only for those brief moments before she tumbled over the edge again, body tensing and shuddering beneath him.
--
It did not take a great deal of time for Higgs to come after he felt her contracting around him. There was a few more hard pushes, followed by more shallow ones, before his movements slowed completely. Then, feeling rather spent, Higgs pulled back, collapsing on his back next to Penelope as he turned to look at her. “Very effective underwear you’ve got,” he told her with a smirk, reaching out to brush a strand of her off her forehead.
Slowly, Higgs’ breath returned as he laid there, a hand absently running over Penelope’s back, drawing a small pattern. “I got divorced today,” he told her, not quite expecting the admission until he’d already said it.
--
Penelope kept herself pressed up off the bed until he was finished and flopping down beside her, and then she slid down onto her stomach and turned her head toward him, smirking softly at what he said. “I'll start putting that in my adverts,” she said with a laugh. “Reviewed as very effective.”
Her expression faltered, brow furrowing, and she drew her arms in to press up onto them slightly and be able to look at him better. “Really?”
--
“Yeah,” Higgs drew out with a small hum. “Five years of marriage down the drain,” he said bitterly. The bitterness, though, the anger he’d felt, it was all directed at him. He’d failed and the aftertaste of that still stung. It had hardly been a perfect marriage, hell, calling it a five-year-long marriage was rather generous since it was that only on paper. Still. Higgs had hoped they could fix things and he had failed Alicia. Being divorced didn’t feel different, but it did feel disappointing. Like a loss he hadn’t quite anticipated.
Higgs’ eyes were on Penelope but it took him a moment to refocus, draw back from the long trip down the lane of ‘maybes’ and ‘what might’ve beens’. “So congratulations,” he said with a small smirk, the humour not quite reaching his eyes. “You’re the first woman to fuck newly single me,” he told Penelope. “I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride,” Higgs added, this time the humour more genuine.
--
A concerned look passed across Penelope’s features, and she shifted to sit up rather than lie beside him. She couldn't imagine being married, and definitely not married for five years only to have it end. Reaching down for his hand, she laced her fingers with his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“It was a very enjoyable ride,” she assured him, bringing her other hand up to brush his hair back from his forehead. “That why you were at the pub tonight?”
--
Higgs smiled at the confirmation, sure that she’d say if it wasn’t. They hardly had any obligation to lie to each other. Besides, from the way she’d moved and sounded, Higgs wasn’t actually doubting that Penelope had enjoyed herself. He looked down at where she linked their fingers together, oddly appreciative of the squeeze she gave his hand. At the question, Higgs offered a nod.
“It doesn’t feel different,” he commented, rubbing his thumb against her fingers. “It was a messy marriage, but I guess I expected to feel... I don’t know,” Higgs shrugged. He had expected to feel like life had somehow changed and it just... didn’t. Maybe it went a long way to comment on the road him and Alicia had taken. It didn’t ease the painful, knotted ball of something in Higgs’ stomach either. The ache he’d felt over the situation for months now.
--
“I don't think it's one of those things that feels different all of a sudden,” Penelope offered, mulling over her words. “Signing a piece of paper doesn't cause much like that. Today it became official, but I’m guessing it's been headed toward today for a bit?” After all, people didn't just up and get divorced all of a sudden in a snap without cause - which implied time.
She absently traced her fingers back through his hair. “It's hard, no matter what way you look at it. Divorce is a messy business, or so I’ve heard.”
--
Logically, Higgs knew she was right. The fact that today the papers they’d signed gained legitimacy didn’t necessarily make today any different. When Penelope commented how divorce was a messy business, Higgs snorted. “I think the marriage was messier,” he told her honestly. The divorce itself had been oddly straight forward once Alicia had signed the papers. A six week wait and voila, single. Perhaps that was it, the ease at which it all just unfolded, maybe that was what made Higgs feel odd about the whole thing. Something he had cared for so deeply was undone within six weeks. It felt cheap.
“Do you want a drink?” He asked untangling himself from Penelope and getting up from the bed. Then, before he could go investigate where her kitchen was, Higgs paused. “Or do you want me to leave?” Which would be perfectly fine. “A glass of water and about half an hour, and you can give my newly single self another go, though,” he told her with a smirk.
--
“That's fair,” Penelope said with a soft smile. “I’ve heard marriages can be plenty messy too.”
Her hands fell away from him as he got up, and she immediately felt like she should have offered him something to drink already considering they were at her house and now he was doing the same to her. Turning to watch him, Penelope gave a slight shake of her head. “No, I don't want you to leave. I would like a glass of water though, please. Kitchen’s downstairs, to the right of where we came in. Glasses are in the cabinet to the right above the sink.” She paused, a slow smirk spreading across her features. “Do you want me to put on more of my very effective underwear or is staying like this fine?”
--
At the question, Higgs paused, to very demonstratively look over Penelope’s naked form. “No,” he said with a shake of his head. “You should stay just as you are,” he informed her. The underwear was nice and all, but Higgs was definitely more of a fan of the way she looked right now. He himself didn’t bother with clothes, presuming that she’d tell him off if he was likely to run into a flatmate who might be less appreciative of Higgs walking around naked.
It didn’t take long for him to locate the kitchen and find two glasses for the water. Once successful, Higgs walked back to the bedroom, handing Penelope one of the glasses, taking a sip from his own. Putting the glass down on the bedside table, Higgs settled more comfortably against the pillows, reaching out to brush his hand against Penelope’s skin, which still felt hot beneath his fingers.
--
Penelope gave a laugh, nodding once. “Alright, naked it is.”
She leaned back against the pillows as she watched him go, absently listening to the noise of someone else wandering through her house. It didn't cause any feelings of concern, she was oddly comfortable with it, and it wasn’t like there was anything strange he'd stumble upon. She offered him a smile when he returned, gladly taking the glass from him. “Thank you,” she said, taking a sip before setting it aside and looking over to him. “I do have other things to drink, if you'd prefer. I should have mentioned that before.”
--
“Water’s perfectly acceptable,” Higgs assured Penelope when she said there were other things he could drink. There was a lot less alcohol in Higgs than he had expected when originally heading to the pub after work, but frankly, he preferred this to being drunk. Sliding lower on the bed, Higgs watched Penelope against the soft light, fingers brushing softly against the skin of her stomach, sliding lower to her hip where his hands had gripped before.
His touch was now much softer than it had been when they’d had sex, careful to inspect that the skin hadn’t marked. “No bruises,” he told her with a soft smile, leaning in closer to press a kiss against Penelope’s shoulder, before moving back, turning slightly on his stomach to have an easier angle to run his fingers over her skin.
--
Penelope gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement to his saying he didn't want something else. Her gaze stayed focused on him as he touched her, the sensation so different than it had been before. She smiled at his proclamation, fingertips tracing up his arm and along his shoulder to get to the back of his neck as he leaned in, and her eyes drifted to his back.
His back was what she'd noticed when he'd gone to get water, seeing it walking away from her but not entirely sure because of the lighting. With him right there in front of her, it was much more obvious. “What happened?” she asked softly, curiosity getting the better of her. “To your back, I mean?” Her gaze dropped down to meet his a moment later. “You don't have to tell me…”
--
Higgs couldn’t stop the way his body tensed at Penelope’s question, but only briefly. It wasn’t as much as he didn’t want to answer it. Perhaps if she had asked him six months ago, but now, just as Higgs was slowly learning to actually tell people things, the tension bled out of him reasonably quickly. “Shrapnel,” he told her honestly, licking his lips that suddenly felt a touch too dry, despite the water he’d just drank. “I used to be in the army,” he clarified. “Roadside bomb,” it wasn’t the most elaborate of answers, but it still was more than Higgs would’ve offered up until very recently.
After a moment, Higgs shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “I feel that I have somehow become the most morse of one night stands. I’m sure that has not always been the case,” though to be fair it had been at least a couple of years since the last time Higgs had a one night stand.
--
Penelope traced her fingers up into the hair at the nape of his neck as he spoke, feeling bad for asking. She’d felt the way his whole being had tensed beside her and she wanted to undo that. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “But thank you, for your service.”
She dipped her head down to press a light kiss against his forehead, fingertips trailing down the side of his face to his jaw, tilting his head up so he would look at her. “Why are you apologizing? We had sex, which I thoroughly enjoyed and I'm fairly certain you enjoyed too. Now you're being honest which is far from what most men would be about such things in this situation, so I hardly see a reason for apologies.”
--
Higgs gave an almost shallow laugh when Penelope thanked him for his service. It felt odd. It always felt odd when people said that. “You’re more than welcome, sweetheart,” he assured her because she truly was. Higgs more than recognised the dangers his service had involved, but he would never choose differently given the chance. The military had made him who he was.
The tenderness with which Penelope touched him made Higgs smile softly. It was sweet, even if most likely odd for a one night stand. Then again, most of the ones Higgs had had, had been in either in the army or drunken, so this made a nice change. “I did rather enjoy myself,” Higgs assured her. “And I’m pretty sure I can manage for both of us to enjoy it some more,” he added, leaning in to kiss her again.
--
“Oh good,” Penelope replied when he said he'd enjoyed himself, smiling against his kiss. Even if he hadn't told her about his divorce, she hadn't been about to boot him out the door. Him staying longer, or until morning, was perfectly fine by her. She gave a soft nip against his lips at the end of the kiss and nudged the tip of her nose against his.
“How about you let me manage the enjoyment this go round?” she asked teasingly, arching an eyebrow and giving him a smirk. “Since you did such a remarkable job before?”
--
Higgs laughed at the way she arched her eyebrow at him, accompanying it with a smirk. “I can’t imagine any reason to possibly turn such a suggestion down,” he told her just as teasingly, but also really quite honestly, because Higgs might not have been the smartest of men, but he was hardly stupid. One did not turn down attractive women offering to manage one’s enjoyment.