WHO: Michael Corner & Lisa Turpin WHAT: Figuring out their friendship/relationship WHEN: After this exchange WHERE: Lisa's flat RATING: PG STATUS: DONE!
Lisa couldn't help smiling even though she was annoyed with Michael. Was it really so hard to give an answer? Though Lisa had to stop and think that she was being a bit difficult too. At least she had given him an answer to the question she posed. Although she had answered him, Lisa still wasn't sure about her answer. Which was exactly why she wanted Michael to give her an answer. And she hoped that when he came over, he'd stop being so difficult. However, that was part of his charm and she couldn't deny that she didn't think of him in that way.
Lisa was grateful that Mandy was so busy with Quidditch because she had yet to tell her best friend that she had slept with Michael. If it was just that one time, Lisa doubted she ever would. More so if her and Michael's friendship went unaffected. But Lisa didn't know if it was going to be just the one time and she wished that Michael could be a little cooperative with her and just tell her what he thought. Maybe she was really over thinking all of this, but she couldn't help it. With him coming over, Lisa hoped she would be able to get an answer out of him any way she could.
Michael had never done very well at relationships. He certainly had many, but none of them had lasted too terribly long. Of all them, he had fancied Ginny the most and even that he had managed to botch up. Sometimes he thought he was destined to follow his parents' footsteps into doomed relationships. It was a dour thought so Michael pushed it away as often as he could, but it was still there, lurking beneath the surface just as those dreams about the war that still visited at night. However, Lisa was different. She was one of his bloody best mates! How could he have acted so stupidly? Nonetheless, Michael knew he had to face the music, especially given the sex hadn't been bad. In fact, it had been pretty damn good. They had to talk about it if they wanted to keep their friendship. Thus, he headed over as she requested, sweaty palms and all.
He knocked on the door, trying to forget that the last time he had spent time in the flat, he had engaged in activities he never thought possible with a girl like Lisa.
Hearing the knock on the door, Lisa knew it had to be Michael. She tried to come up with her "death stare" that she said she was going to use, yet it wouldn't come. Lisa was at the door a moment later and it took her another moment to get herself to open the door. The nervousness had come out of nowhere and it was completely unexpected. Finally, Lisa opened the door. "Hi, Michael. Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on in." She managed to smile and was hoping he wouldn't be able to tell that she was nervous.
And that? That was why Michael knew better than to sleep with good friends. What had he been thinking? Everything was going to be awkward for the rest of their lives!
Hearing his thoughts, he reminded himself to stop acting like an over-emotional Gryffindor. "It's okay. Busy?" It was so unlike Michael to ask if he was disturbing anything, but he didn't think he could add "impolite" to the list of his sins.
Lisa shook her head. "No, I'm not busy. Do you want anything?" She didn't have anything to do prior to asking Michael to come over and there was nothing pressing that needed to be done tonight anyway.
He finally stepped through the doorway, taking in the place like he had never seen it before. It was better than looking at Lisa and seeing something Michael feared. "Uh, sure. A drink maybe? Have any cola?" He needed distraction and time to collect his thoughts.
"We do. I'll get one." Lisa left him by the door and walked to the kitchen to get a cola. This was going to be awkward and she really didn't want it to be. She had no idea why he wouldn't look at her. She got a cola for him and one for herself and took them to the table. It was probably best to avoid the couch right now.
The couch, oh Merlin, the couch. Yes, better to avoid it indeed! Michael barely looked at that either as he took a seat at the table and picked up the bottle. "Thanks," he said, knowing it was lame, but what else could he say? "How are you?"
"I'm fine. You?" Lisa answered. She didn't know what else to say to him as she took a drink of her cola.
Fine? She was fine? Well, then he was fine too! "Fine." Michael drank his soda, pretty much glaring into space. "Where's Mandy?"
Lisa scowled. "She's at some Quidditch thing. I don't know, I didn't ask." Lisa didn't really believe that Michael was fine, not that she really was herself, but at least she wasn't looking at something else. "Can't you look at me? We need to talk, Michael, and you not looking at me is going to make this extremely difficult."
"I thought we already talked?" He snapped, finally looking into the eyes he was so afraid of. "What do you want me to say, Lisa?"
"You never gave me an answer. I want to know what you want. Are we still friends? Are we more than friends? What? There are two of us, Michael Corner, and I can't be the only one with an opinion." Lisa said softly.
Michael really hoped his face didn't look as hot as it felt. How could she be so blunt about it? There he felt it a matter of life and death and she...she could put it in such black and white terms. Was he over-thinking it? Michael never analyzed anything outside of textbooks and especially not girls. Women. Was he supposed to? If he liked them, he went after them. He rarely let feelings get in the way, but it seemed either way, he'd lose her.
He shook his head, trying to unclog his brain. "I...I didn't mean for this to happen."
Lisa didn't notice his face looking as hot as he felt it. "We can't change what happened," Lisa whispered. "And I let it." She reached over to lightly touch his hand. "I was being serious when I said that I don't regret it."
Startled by the sudden touch, Michael flinched. "Sorry," he quickly apologized. "I didn't..." He sighed, hating himself for not being able to form coherent thoughts and sentences. "You...what do you want?" That was what important, right? What the woman needed?
She bit her bottom lip as she thought. She had been spent a lot of time thinking about what she wanted and she still didn't really know. Lisa didn't want to say the wrong thing and she had to be sure what she wanted before she said anything. But he was asking her now so she had to say something. Lisa looked at Michael when she spoke, thinking if she looked away it wouldn't really mean what she wanted it to mean. "I want...I want you," she said finally.
It was surprising to hear. Michael was used to it from girls who weren't Lisa, but she and Mandy had always been off limits to him. He wasn't sure why, but he had always felt their friendship was too important to risk screwing up. But he had already taken the risk, hadn't he? Besides, Lisa had said as much during their journal exchange and he had been able to brush it off with jokes. However, he knew he had to confront his feelings (and hers) while they sat there, staring at each other. "Are you mental?" He asked, a small smile playing on his lips.
Lisa gave him a stern look and shook her head. She had seen the smile, but still wasn't particularly fond of what he was suggesting. "No, I am not mental. I am being completely serious, Michael." Even though she did want him and she wanted him to be there, Lisa couldn't help thinking that she wanted him to leave. She wanted Michael to be serious this time because it was a serious issue they were talking about with their friendship at stake. However, Lisa kept her mouth shut about her thoughts. She wasn't about to kick him out of her flat just yet.
Michael knew their friendship was at stake and he was quite somber about that, but he didn't know what to do or say. Everything seemed wrong and he didn't want to upset her. "I...yeah?" He got up to help himself to more cola. He even managed to remember to bring Lisa a refill. "What...so in your perfect world, we have flying babies together?" Okay, it was still a joke, but...not as bad? Somewhat on track?
"Thanks," she said after he placed a refill before her. "I...." Lisa hadn't thought of that. Her thoughts had been more short-term than long-term and what he was asking was definitely more long-term. But did she? "I suppose so. I hadn't really thought that far ahead."
"Well, good." Michael was relieved to hear that much. He hated when girls went all mental and started planning weddings after one date. "So...for now? You want..." He pointed between them.
Lisa nodded her head. "Yes. What about you?"
Michael sighed again and sat back down. It really was time to get serious, wasn't it? "I...what about everything else? Won't it screw it up?"
"I don't know, Michael. I don't want this to screw up anything between us." Lisa didn't know.
"Wouldn't it be anyway?" Really, how could they go back to normal either way? Did that mean they ought to try?
"I guess it will because of what we did. Can't exactly erase what happened."
As the bloke, Michael thought he should take charge in making the situation better, but how could he when he was so confused himself? "How do we know it wasn't just exciting for the night?" He mused out loud. "I mean...I'm not saying we should test it again, but..." He laughed and rolled his eyes at himself as he began tapping nervously on the tabletop.
Lisa shook her head. "We don't." Lisa sighed. "But what?" She put her hand over his because the nervousness was spreading to her and she didn't want to be nervous around him. "Michael?" Lisa didn't wait for him to respond this time and instead scooted closer to him so she could kiss him. Lisa didn't know why the urge to kiss him came over her, but she went with it anyway.
Surprised didn't fit Michael's reaction. Stunned didn't even cut it. However, he allowed his arms to reach around Lisa as he returned her kiss full on. He ran his hands through her hair, feeling her lips in a way he had not entirely cherished while drunk.
Kissing him was so much better when she was sober than when she was drunk. After a moment, Lisa pulled away. "I think we should at least try."
Scared though he was, Michael nodded. "Okay..." He smiled mischievously before pulling her in for another kiss.
Lisa couldn't help grinning back before he kissed her again. So they were going to try. Nothing wrong with trying. Whether it was worked or not, she hoped that they would still be friends. "Do you want to try that again?" She asked.
"That?" Michael repeated. "Like...this?" He kissed her lips, letting his linger over hers so he could taste whatever she had on them. Was it fruit? Or the cola? Whatever it was, it tasted good.
It had to be cola he was tasting because Lisa hadn't eaten any fruit or put any fruit flavor on her lips. Lisa just nodded her head as Michael kissed her. "I rather like kissing you," she told him.
"Who doesn't?" Michael teased as he pulled her into his lap. If they were going to try, he might as well go into it wands blazing, right?
"I can't think of anyone." Lisa giggled. She was rather glad that it was her kissing him and not someone else at that moment. Then he pulled her into his lap and she hadn't been expecting that. "This is nice, though, wouldn't you agree?"
It was nice. Michael just kept trying to not over-think it. He liked Lisa, she was beautiful, and she didn't get too bent out of shape about his jokes. Really, what more could he ask for? "Hmmm," he nodded as he held her against his chest. He rubbed her back, enjoying the warmth of the closeness of their bodies.
Lisa was glad that the awkwardness between them had mostly subsided. She was comfortable sitting like this, also enjoying the warmth between them. Lisa leaned in to kiss him again and ran her fingers through his hair.
It was going to take some explaining to everyone, but Michael was enjoying the whole affair and, for the moment, wasn't that enough? As she caressed him, he had to think yes.