Gemma B.E. Higgs (herisson) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-12-26 01:33:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !thread, character: gemma higgs, character: regulus black |
WHO: Regulus Black and Gemma Higgs
WHEN: Evening - Sunday, December 25th
WHERE: Regulus' cottage
WHAT: Christmas Dinner
RATING: low-med? (although if you asked Regulus, it'd probably be high. ;) )
STATUS: Completed in Docs
It had been a perfectly lovely Christmas so far, seeing his siblings and giving Kreacher his gift, but that had been earlier; Regulus had spent the last few hours being anxious about seeing Gemma. His gifts for her were stacked under the tree, and he was pretty sure she’d like them; the smell of turkey permeated the house, thanks to Kreacher’s cooking, which would be done exactly at the right moment, as always. The little cottage was gorgeously decorated, the snowfall outside the windows untouched, and Regulus had done a spell to cause the frost on the windowpanes to twist itself into pretty feathered patterns. It could be a perfect Christmas, in other words, as long as he didn’t screw this up. He waited by the Floo, trying not to wring his hands. They’d been dating for months, known each other for nearly a year. There was nothing to be nervous about...except new things were always frightening, in a way. * Gemma had spent most of the morning with her parents and brother. There had been presents and then maybe a little too much food at lunch, which was why when she'd gotten home she'd decided to get into her comfy clothes and nap for a while to sleep the food off. Even though she was excited and very much looking forward to spending the rest of the evening with Regulus she wanted to be rested and not have any case of suddenly yawning interrupting the evening. A few hours later she woke up and started getting ready… or at least tried to because she couldn't seem to make her mind up what to wear. In the end all her casual options were put aside because none of them seemed quite right for something that, although not fancy, was a special holiday; after going through the options left to her she'd settled for a knee-length black dress. When she noticed it was getting a little late she started to hurriedly gather Regulus' gifts before heading downstairs to the fireplace. Gemma turned to say goodbye to Butterscotch before remembering she'd actually left her at her parents for the night so that she wouldn't be alone. Grabbing a handful of floo powder she threw it into the fire stepped in and spoke her destination. Gemma would've tumbled forward if it hadn't been for Regulus catching her as she exited. "Thanks," she said sheepishly, as she dusted herself off. Straightening up she smiled before tippy-toeing slightly to greet him with a kiss. "Merry Christmas, Regulus!" -- Regulus had also done a fair bit of agonising about what one should wear on one’s first Christmas with one’s girlfriend. They weren’t going out, so there was no need to be excessively fancy, but it was a special occasion, and he didn’t want her to think that he didn’t care. He’d settled on his nicest dress robes - black, of course, but well-tailored, clearly not casual, with a festive hint of red from his shirt peeking out at the collar. “Merry Christmas, Gemma,” he said warmly, kissing her in return. “It’s good to see you.” It had only been a few days, really, but it had somehow felt like an eternity. “Would you like to put the gifts under the tree? Dinner should be ready any moment.” * "It's good to see you too. Oh, yes, sure," she said, before walking over to place the gifts under the tree. She knew Regulus liked books, particularly if the books were on Charms, but with any gifts she gave out she tended to worry that the receiver of gifts might get a bit annoyed at always getting very similar gifts and never anything different. Although this would only be the second time she was gifting him with something - even so, Gemma rather hoped he liked the rare books she'd gotten. After having put the gifts under the tree Gemma took a moment to look around the cottage to admire how it had been decorated. "The cottage looks really lovely, Regulus," she complimented as she walked back over to him. "I like what you've done to the windows, it makes them look quite beautiful." -- Regulus would never have the slightest problem with receiving books. Sure, it was a common gift - he was difficult to buy for, honestly - but it showed that the person knew him, understood his tastes, and wasn’t desperate to be different more than to make him happy. “Thank you,” he said with a smile. “Much of it, you can thank Kreacher for, but the frost was indeed my work. I hoped you would like it.” He’d done his best to make the cottage look charming and cozy and...romantic. That was the idea, anyway. * "I'm not so sure Kreacher would appreciate being thanked for doing a lovely job with the decorating," she said with a chuckle. At best she assumed she'd likely get a grunt of indifference or something close to it. "It all looks quite warm and festive. Not to mention rather romantic." "You don't have any mistletoe hidden around the cottage as well do you?" she asked, a grin tugging at her lips, having not been able to resist teasing him a little. -- “He’d appreciate it! He just might not show it,” Regulus said with a grin. Someday Kreacher would warm up to her, he was certain of that. “I’m glad you think so. That was, er, rather the intention.” He blushed slightly. There was no reason to be so nervous. She was his girlfriend, he was very serious about her, they’d been on the same page since day one...just take deep breaths, sheesh. Regulus raised an eyebrow at that, trying to find his confidence. With something at least resembling suaveness, he said, “Well, I don’t think I need any mistletoe to be romantic with you. I can do just fine on my own.” * "Well, it shows," she said, reaching out and slipping her hand into his. Gemma had noticed the blush and that Regulus seemed perhaps a little on edge. So she hoped the simple action of holding his hand would reassure him that there wasn't anything to worry about. Gemma laughed at his response to her question. "I've no doubt that you can be romantic without any assistance at all." -- Regulus squeezed her hand, grateful for the contact. “I can be very romantic,” he promised. “You’ll see.” His heartbeat quickened slightly at that promise, the closest he’d come to admitting out loud that he hoped they would go a bit farther tonight than they had in the past. He wanted to, he knew she wanted to and had been waiting patiently, but he was still worried he wouldn’t measure up. That was for later, though. He led her into the dining room, where the salad course was waiting. “Do you want wine or something else?” he asked. * Gemma hadn't expected the dining room to have been decorated as much it had been but she liked it nonetheless. It had all been done tastefully and didn't feel at all overwhelming. "A glass of wine would be nice, thank you," she replied, sitting down after Regulus had pulled her chair out for her. Though she would limit herself to just the one glass of wine for the evening, even if it was Christmas and a time to celebrate. However, even though it was the holidays and she was currently on break from Quidditch, she didn't want to go crazy and then have to get back into following the team's dietary plan. "Well, I think I managed to wait rather patiently and not go at all crazy waiting for today… that is waiting to be able to exchange gifts and spend this evening with you," she amended. "Although non-sporting types might think I'm crazy for going on runs during this weather but I couldn't think of how else to distract myself from the waiting." -- Regulus certainly had elegant tastes; things were festive without being overdone or absurd. He poured them both a glass of wine, handing hers over, and held his up. “A toast,” he said with a smile. “To spending Christmas night with the most lovely, kind, generous woman I know.” It was almost nice, in a way, to know that she’d been as eager or anxious for this as he had. “So long as you didn’t catch a cold,” he said. “I wouldn’t like you to get sick.” * Gemma blushed and smiled warmly at the praise he gave her in his toast. "Well, I think if I toast to myself it might be a little self-centred. So instead I'll say, to spending Christmas night with the most wonderful, thoughtful and caring man I know," she said, clinking her glass against Regulus'. "Don't worry I took care to stay warm," she reassured him. "I didn't fancy getting sick and having to stay and rest up in a room again so soon. Besides I couldn't go missing out on today." -- “I’m glad you’re not missing out on today,” he assured her, taking a sip of his wine and starting on his salad. Sure, wine was technically alcohol, but since he never had more than one glass, it never affected his mind the way he worried that harder liquor might. Even then, he pretty much never had that one glass except on special occasions like this - once or twice a year. “Did you and your family do anything special this morning?” * "We didn't really do much aside from what we usually do for Christmas," she replied, taking a sip of her wine. Gemma had been surprised that Regulus had decided to have a wine but decided not to comment on it; it was Christmas after all and, well, it was up to him if he wanted to drink or not. "We had breakfast before we did gifts, and then my brother and I walked my parents' dogs before we all had lunch. But it was nice getting to spend the morning with them, even if afterwards I was kind of lazy and napped once I got home." Picking up the right fork Gemma started make her way through the salad. It wouldn't be very considerate of Kreacher if they completely ignored their meal. "What about you? Was there anything you did with your siblings aside from exchanging gifts?" she asked. - “There’s hardly anything wrong with being a bit lazy on Christmas,” Regulus allowed. It was nice to know that she wouldn’t be too tired to spend some time with him, anyway. “We just spent time together, talked, caught up. After I got home, I read a bit of a book...but mostly fretted about things being absolutely perfect for you.” The mention of her parents’ dogs got him thinking, and he asked, “Where’s Butterscotch tonight?” * "True, and at least I didn't spend the whole day in bed," she pointed out, before sampling a bit more of the salad. Though even if she'd been tired she would've still wanted to come tonight; of course, she would've felt bad about it but still. 'I like that you went to the effort to make everything nice but I would've been just as happy at just getting to spend time with you." "She's staying with my parents, and Poppet and Snickers for the night," she answered. "Although she probably would've been fine I didn't think it was fair for her to be all alone at home." -- “Oh, I know,” he assured her. “It’s just that it’s our first Christmas together. I wanted it to be...memorable.” It certainly would be for him, anyway. Regulus nodded. “No one should be alone on Christmas,” he agreed. “And I’m sure she’s happy to have other dogs around.” Though Gemma should definitely not get another dog. Regulus was still a bit baffled when he occasionally thought about her insistence that in her prophetic dream, he’d had a cat. * "I'm sure it still would've been memorable but I understand what you mean," she said with a smile. Gemma was starting to wonder if he maybe had something else planned aside from dinner and exchanging gifts. "That definitely helps, though I think she's just as happy at lapping up all the attention they're giving her," she commented. It wasn't long before they'd finished off the salad and Kreacher had taken their plates away before coming out with the next course. Gemma had gotten a slight grumble when she'd thanked him, which although not great she considered to be a bit of progress since he had at least acknowledged her. Conversation continued to flow as they ate the main course and eventually they'd finished that as well and Kreacher came out again to take their plates away. "You'll have to tell Kreacher the meal was delicious," she said after the house elf had disappeared from the dining room. "I'm not sure I'd get much more than a look and maybe a grumble if I did." -- “He’s a very complicated person,” Regulus said with a small smile. “He has difficulty adjusting to new people. I know he likes you because he’s allowing you to see him, yet isn’t insulting you. If he dislikes someone, he’ll either avoid them completely or...well, he and Sirius don’t get along and it’s honestly quite shocking some of the things I’ve heard him say in the past.” Rising from the table, he offered her his hand. “Shall we do gifts before dessert?” he asked. It had been quite a lot of food, after all. * "That's understandable, and I think that's the case for a lot of people really," she said. Gemma didn't grow up with house elves but from Hogwarts onwards she'd always been nice to them. It was hard not to be when the Hufflepuff common room was nearby and her and friends would often visit the kitchens. "Oh… that's a shame. Though I'm glad it's not the same for me." "I was actually going to ask you that," she said with a chuckle, as she took her hand. "So I think the answer is definitely yes." -- Regulus led her back to the study, where a cheery fire still burned in the fireplace near the tree. He was, frankly, far too old to kneel on the floor like a child, so he settled on the nearby sofa and took his wand out to levitate one of his presents for her over. He was a thoughtful gift-giver, especially since he had few people to buy for, but he’d agonised quite a bit over what one got for a new girlfriend. This first one had been a stroke of luck at a Quidditch shop in Berlin when he’d taken a brief work trip last month. It was a wizarding photograph capturing a quite famous Chaser play, the final, game-winning goal in a World Cup match. He thought she’d appreciate it. “Here,” he said shyly, offering her the package. * Gemma sat down beside Regulus and once the gift was in her hands carefully started to unwrap it. It was something her brother teased her about - the way she was always so careful instead of just ripping into the paper to get to the gift. She just didn't like to ruin the paper, even if she never actually reused the paper. "Oh wow," she said in an amazed tone, looking down at the framed photograph. Although she didn't instantly recognise the player, thanks to the little plaque on the bottom of the frame it wasn't long before the details of the particular match captured there unfurled in her mind. It was also a nice change from the usual Quidditch related gifts she got for Christmas or her birthday. "Thank you, I love it," she said happily before leaning over to kiss his cheek. "Wow, I can't believe you actually managed to find this. There aren't that many copies of it around." -- Regulus beamed, sliding his arm around her shoulders. “I’m glad you like it,” he said. “I got it in Berlin, at a Quidditch shop - behind the counter, obviously, with all the rarer merchandise. I’m sure you get plenty of Quidditch-related gifts, but I was pretty sure you wouldn’t already have this.” * "No, I definitely don't have it or anything really like it. Well, except for photographs of my own matches but that's hardly the same thing," she said. "I think you're one of the few people who actually gets me Quidditch gifts that don't include equipment." "Now for your gift," she announced, before walking over and carefully kneeling in front of the tree. Gemma might be an adult but Christmas, and her birthday, were of the few times where she still liked doing things the way she did when she was still little. "Here, I hope you like it and that hopefully you don't already have it," she said, returning to sit beside Regulus and handed him his gift." -- Regulus was pleased to hear that; it was nice to know he’d done something a bit special for her. “I figure you already have all the equipment you need,” he said, “and that anything special you wanted, you would have mentioned to your family or fellow players long before me.” He smiled and took the gift from her, opening it with the same care she’d shown. It would be quite plebeian to reuse wrapping paper, of course, but that didn’t mean one had to behave like a child. He beamed at the sight of a rare book on Charms, immediately opening it to examine the frontispiece. “I don’t have this one, no,” he said; in spite of the vastness of his library, there were more books in the world than even Regulus could collect and read. “This looks brilliant, thank you!” * "Well, you've always been rather thoughtful with your gifts so I wasn't too worried," she said. "For instance, there was that time you gifted me with a dartboard and specially charmed darts after that Daily Prophet gossip article back in March, which I still have and use." Gemma smiled and felt relieved that she had managed to pick out a book he didn't already have. "You're welcome, I'm glad you like it," she said with a happy smile. "I was worried you might already have it or something similar, so I'm rather glad that's not the case." -- Regulus laughed at that. It seemed like ages ago - so much had happened since then, both between them and in the world. “I’m glad you enjoy it,” he said warmly. “They deserve to be darted a bit.” Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t, but it looks absolutely captivating. You’re wonderful.” Emboldened, he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the lips, gentle and sweet. * "It's quite a nice way to relieve stress without getting into trouble for it," she said. It didn't get used quite so often though since getting Butterscotch, because she was worried about the darts accidentally going off course and hitting her dog instead of the board. Gemma leaned into the kiss as she returned it, almost smiling against Regulus' lips, her hand reaching up to cup his jaw but instead letting her fingertips rest lightly against his cheek. "Well, I think you're pretty wonderful too," she murmured, having pulled back just slightly after a moment to pause for a breath. -- Regulus couldn’t help a slight shiver at her touch, shifting on the couch to face her more properly. He felt so comfortable around her now, in ways that would’ve been unthinkable with anyone just a few short months ago. He’d never known what that pull of attraction felt like to other people, had assumed he was asexual because he just didn’t get it, but maybe it had just been buried more deeply below the surface than it was in most people. He definitely felt things for her now - things beyond just tenderness and affection. “I’m glad,” he said softly, giving her a smile. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s no one else I’d rather spend time with, you know.” * Although there were moments where she wanted more than just kissing, Gemma couldn't deny that she was really happy that Regulus felt so comfortable and confident with himself now that he could initiate kissing or that he no longer blushed or felt entirely nervous when she did so. It honestly was enough that she didn't mind that they hadn't got to the stage of being well and truly intimate with each other. Gemma smiled warmly at the simple action and leant into his touch, reaching up to hold her hand over his. "That's good, since I feel the same way." -- Intimacy didn’t come easily to Regulus, at least not yet, but he was getting there. He was hoping tonight would be a real step in the right direction on that front. They had the whole night, and he gave her another smile, leaning his forehead against hers for a long moment. “Do you want to just sit here and kiss for awhile?” he asked softly. * "I certainly won't say no if that's something you want to do," she replied, lacing her fingers through his. "I happen to like kissing you just as much, if not more, than just getting to spend time with you." -- “Technically kissing is a part of spending time together,” he said with a smile. “A very enjoyable part of spending time with you in particular.” He kissed her again, a little more deeply than usual, and tried to banish his nerves. This was what couples did, what he wanted to do, definitely what Gemma wanted to do. He was not going to disappoint her, even if he was terrible at the new sorts of things. After a few minutes he hesitantly rested his hand on her knee. * "Yes, I know that," she said with a laughing smile. "But it's a far different way of spending time with you compared to just sitting with you and talking or the like." There was a slight sliver of surprise at the kiss; it was after all a little different from what Regulus was usually comfortable with. Not that she was going to complain. Certainly not in the middle of being kissed by her boyfriend she wasn't. Or ever actually complain about being kissed by him. As she was happily kissing him in return she felt his hand coming to rest upon her knee which caused a smile to tug at the corner of her lips. For a brief moment Gemma laid her hand over Regulus' and gave it a reassuring squeeze, if only because she didn't want to particularly stop to do so verbally. -- Regulus had no idea what he was doing, of course. He’d obtained a bit of knowledge of how making out worked just by general cultural osmosis, but he’d never done it, or seen it done outside of plays and the like, at a distance. He shifted a little closer, cradling her cheek with his other hand. He was definitely having a nice time, but he felt a little flushed just from the anticipation of doing something more. * Gemma wasn't sure if they stopped, so she could let him know he was doing fine, that they could get back to making out. Even though it would've been said gently it might be a touch embarrassing having it pointed out perhaps. Still as inexperienced as Regulus might be she thought he was doing wonderfully well all things considered. Which she decided to tentatively test by slowly guiding the hand on her knee further up her leg a little - though for Regulus' sake, his hand was above the material of her dress rather than underneath. There was the brief thought they would need to break apart to breathe soon but she was enjoying being in this moment far too much to really worrying about it. -- Verbal encouragement would indeed have been rather embarrassing, though not entirely unwelcome. Still, all things considered, probably better for her to just guide him physically. Regulus obediently slid his hand along her thigh, his thumb rubbing a light, caressing circle against the fabric of her dress. When they did need to stop kissing for a moment, Regulus murmured, “Merry Christmas, Gemma.” His heart was pounding and he felt a bit lightheaded, but in all the best ways, honestly. He hesitated, then admitted, “I want to be with you. I mean - maybe not quite all the way, but...” * Gemma very nearly hummed against his lips at the sensation from his thumb lightly caressing against her leg. It might not be much but the movement coupled with the sensation whenever the material shifted was pleasant enough. It was also enough for her to focus on rather than the feeling of wanting more, but she would have to be patient for a time longer. "Merry Christmas, Regulus," she said softly and almost breathless. Gemma smiled gently at the hesitant but unfinished statement. "But… perhaps close to it except with our clothes still on?" she offered, not entirely sure exactly how far Regulus was comfortable with going. Smiling reassuringly she continued, "If you mean that you wish to touch me then I think that'll be fine, really." -- “I do appreciate having clothes on,” he said, with a self-deprecating little smile. “But - I mean, we can see where it goes.” He was relieved by the lack of pressure to disrobe, but it might not be the worst thing in the world. They’d have to do that sometime. For now, though, he gave her another kiss and asked politely, “Where would you like me to touch you?” * "Whatever you're comfortable with doing," she said reassuringly. Knowing that this was quite some progress being made she didn't want Regulus feeling pressured and thus causing them to take however many steps back to where he might again feel comfortable. Gemma wasn't sure she could quite answer Regulus' question because there were definitely a few places to name. She had thought of turning the question back around to him and asking where he'd like to touch her but thought that could end up with him blushing and feeling a little flustered. Instead she settled for reaching for the hand that had rested on her leg. Whilst holding his hand she brought it up so that she could kiss the palm, all the while holding Regulus' gaze, before guiding the hand to rest against her waist. "How about we start simple and you can maybe test for yourself what you might like?" she gently suggested. -- This would go much more smoothly if he did the asking and she did the answering, yes. Regulus just wanted to please her; he knew there was nothing he could do that she’d be uncomfortable with, but it was better to have some direction. He shivered slightly when she kissed his palm, entranced by the look in her eyes, and settled it against her waist obediently. “I suppose that would be all right,” he murmured, and kissed her again, holding on to her. * As she returned the kiss, deepening it a little, she let her own hand wander and come to rest at Regulus' waist. There was no reason why it shouldn't be mutually beneficial. Though she would possibly be just as tentative as he, if only so that he could get used to the idea of being touched. Slowly she brought her hand around from his waist and lightly gliding it over his robe-covered chest before stopping to let it rest on his shoulder. -- Her hand skimming over his chest was a rather novel sensation, but a pleasant one. Regulus found that he liked this - the closeness, the intimacy of being allowed to touch. Well, allowing himself to do so, really. Nothing else was preventing them except his own silly hangups. Shifting a bit closer, he kissed her for a few minutes before he decided to try something new. Cautiously, he slipped his hand up her side until his palm just brushed the side of her breast. * Nothing seemed to change for a few minutes, except for Regulus shifting closer, not that she minded at all knowing it may or may not take a while for Regulus to know what he was or wasn't comfortable with. So when she felt his palm brush against the side of her breast she couldn't help the shiver that resulted from it, and this time she did hum against his lips. It was definitely a happy hum of pleasure, and she certainly wouldn't mind being touched there again or further than the simple brushing touch. Meanwhile, Gemma was letting her thumb gently rub circles against his shoulder. -- Regulus definitely liked being touched by her, and he slowly traced his thumb over the curve of her breast before pulling back from the kiss. He loved the way she’d hummed, it was a definitely positive sign, and he said, “Do you want...” He cut himself off with a sheepish laugh. “I’m sorry, I know it must be quite obnoxious when I ask if you like something or want something that you’ve made it quite clear you appreciate,” he said. “I just - I never want to presume. You’ve been so kind about not presuming anything with me.” * Gemma couldn't help but pout when he'd pulled back from kissing her, and even though his hand had stayed against her breast it wasn't moving which made her pout all the more. "You stopped," she pointed out, also not being able to help the slight whine in her tone. "It's only a little obnoxious because you stopped but I think I understand," she said. "It's not a bad thing though to see where instinct might take you. I promise I would let you know, however I could, if I liked or wanted something." Gemma did after all want Regulus to be at ease with this part of their relationship and that would only be possible by letting him know just what she did or didn't like and such. "Though out of curiosity, how was that sentence going to finish?" -- “I’m sorry!” he protested. He didn’t want to stop, he just wanted to check in sometimes, to see if he was doing okay. “I was just going to ask if you wanted me to touch you - there. Here. More. Like...” Well, no time like the present, right? Blushing furiously, he cupped her breast in his palm, his thumb tracing over it until it rubbed over her nipple. * Considering it was the first time they were moving to this level of intimacy Gemma thought Regulus was doing wonderfully well. Though there were favoured Christmas memories from her childhood she thought that this particular occasion of the holiday would be topping that list. Gemma bit her lower lip as his thumb brushed over that sensitive area of her breast, even though it was hidden beneath the material of her dress and lingerie. "Mhmm," she mumbled. "That's… yes…" Whether it was that touch or the desire to kiss him again or - well, let's face it, it was definitely both of those things. Whatever the reason, Gemma feeling rather emboldened rather suddenly cupped his face with both hands before passionately kissing him. -- Regulus made a startled sound into her mouth before kissing back, just as passionately. It was so much easier to do things like this when she reacted like that. All he wanted in the world was to please her, and he felt less self-conscious when she so clearly enjoyed herself. He settled his other hand at her waist, like she’d showed him earlier, before continuing to tease her through her clothes. She was so warm in his arms, and it sent a shiver down his spine all over again. * If Gemma had known that was all it took she likely would've kissed him like that much much sooner. She'd just been worried that if she were a little too enthusiastic that it might've been too much too soon, and she really really liked him and only wanted him to be comfortable and enjoy this kind of intimacy like she did. Gemma shifted her hands so that now her arms rested on his shoulders with her wrists interlocking behind his neck. A kind of warmth had started to pool around her middle that was definitely starting to spread. Not that she cared or really particularly noticed as she was far too busy kissing Regulus. Gemma's fingers idly played with his hair, as she continued kissing him, with at least one of her thumbs lightly gliding over the skin of his neck in small circles. -- She may not have been touching him in an overtly sexual way, but it didn’t really need to be sexual in order to be sensual. Regulus was keenly aware of everywhere they touched, of the way she felt under his hands, the way the fabric of her dress shifted where he brushed over it. He was, perhaps, a bit overly sensitive, given how little touching he’d ever done in the past, especially this sort. His spine tingled at the way her fingers threaded through his hair. After a bit he shifted, sliding the hand that had been on her breast down to rest on her thigh, bringing the other up to give a bit of attention to her other breast. Never let it be said that Regulus Black was unfair. * Even though there were layers of material in the way she felt as if she were pleasantly thrumming from where she was being touched. It may have been a wait to get to this point but, oh, it was worth it. And if they could do this then she could quite happily wait that bit longer until he was ready for more. Gemma had almost started to pout when she'd felt Regulus' hand shift away but happily changed her mind when she felt his other hand take over at her other breast. Gemma slid her right hand from his neck down across his chest sliding it beneath his robes, though his shirt was preventing any direct skin contact, and coming to rest above where his heart was. There was a kind of fascination at being able to feel the beating of his heart beneath her hand and knowing she was, at least, partially the cause for it. As they continued kissing and touching she knew, with some disappointment, that they'd have to stop for air soon even though she wished they didn't need to. -- Regulus shivered when her hand settled over his heart; even though it wasn’t skin-to-skin contact, it was nice, the gentle pressure of her palm against him. It was difficult to stop, but at last he pulled away slightly, though without taking his hands off her. Giving her a pleased little smile, he said, “So this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had. You’re not obligated to agree, by the way, I just thought you’d like to know.” * "Well, even so, I might have some favoured childhood memories of Christmas but..." Gemma drew the last couple of syllables out as her fingers ghosted in circles above his heart before gazing back up and smiling warmly at Regulus. "I think this one has just bested them for being the best Christmas ever." "I think I l…" she trailed off, biting her lower lip when she realised what she was about to say. It wasn't as if she didn't not have feelings for Regulus, because she did. But saying those three words wasn't something she'd ever actually said to someone outside of her family (which in her opinion included her best friend as well) and certainly hadn't ever said them to a significant other. The latter wasn't so surprising considering Regulus was her first significant other. She just didn't know if she was quite ready to say it and mean them, and… well, it was better to pause before saying them rather than make everything awkward and weird in trying to take them back after saying them. -- It was better to be sure, Regulus could agree with that. He was fairly sure that he loved her, but he shied away from saying it, not wanting to push her or make her think it was all moving too fast. It was such a weird relationship, the concept of kids and pets and marriage on the table from minute one, that the last thing he wanted was to make it even weirder. He blushed a bit, even if she caught herself, and gave her a more tender kiss. “I really wanted to make you happy for Christmas,” he said softly. “And lest you think it was any sort of compromise, I am really enjoying myself.” * Gemma blushed and smiled shyly, feeling grateful that Regulus hadn't called attention to what she'd almost said. Smiling she leaned forward, after the kiss, and nestled her head in that space between his shoulder and neck. "You've made me very happy and I'm glad I didn't miss getting to spend the holiday with you," she murmured, before tilting her head to gently kiss his jaw. "I didn't think it was but I'm happy you are enjoying yourself." -- “I’m glad too,” he said softly, snuggling close to her. “You make me feel so comfortable, you know - I know it doesn’t always seem that way, but you do, I promise.” He would always be a rather nervy sort of person, but she had a calming effect on him. He nosed at her hair. “Do you want to keep snogging?” * "I think I'd start to worry if I didn't, particularly after this evening," she said with a teasing tone. Though it was good to know for certain and now she would maye not think so much about that before trying to initiate anything. If it did turn out that he wasn't comfortable then at least they could always discuss it after the fact rather than worry and miss out on the moment. "What do you think?" she asked with a cheeky grin. -- Regulus laughed and leaned in to kiss her again. She was perfect, this evening was perfect, and he would be more than content to sit by the fireplace in front of the frosty windows, kissing for hours. Or, well, awhile, anyway. Eventually they would need to eat that dessert, and perhaps talk to one another, but for now, the novelty of this kind of kissing made it the only thing he wanted to do with his time. |