James Potter (snitchnicker) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2018-08-02 15:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, james potter, lily evans |
Who: James Potter and Lily Evans
What: James collects on his bet
Where: James' beach
When: The Fourth of July
Rating/Warnings: Low/none
Status: Complete
Lily didn’t want to admit that a part of her was actually looking forward to James claiming the kiss she’d promised him if he put together a party for the Fourth of the July. And he hadn’t disappointed her with what he’d managed to pull together even on kind of short notice. So far he hadn’t pulled her aside and the waiting was making her feel a little like there were butterflies in her stomach but she was determined not to let it show as she found a beach chair to stretch out in, raising her arms over her head as she stared out over the ocean, bikini top shifting up just a little. James had found himself a really nice house and she could see coming to a lot of parties here just for the view.
***
James had been keeping an eye on Lily for most of the night, though he was a little frustrated that she had spent most of the party talking to other people, and so he’d spent most of the party entertaining the rest of his guests.
He checked his watch and frowned a little. The fireworks were going to start soon. He wasn’t sure what the view from his beach would be, but he thought it was pretty likely that they’d be a brilliant display. “Hey, have you met… this guy?” James asked, grabbing some guy who was standing at the keg to introduce to the girl James had just been talking to. As they started to introduce themselves, James left.
It didn’t take him long to find Lily, stretched out in her bikini and shorts. He took a moment to appreciate the view. He himself had bought a pair of American flag boxers specifically for this occasion - he thought it was hilarious, really. But after he’d finished drinking in the sight of Lily, he approached her. “Hey, want to go for a walk?” he asked.
***
Everytime Lily had seen James all night he’d been talking to someone else which to her made sense - this was his party after all - but there’d been a part of her that had felt disappointed by it. She just wouldn’t admit it to him or anybody else. She’d tried to keep an eye on her friend from work but Kira seemed to be having fun so she’d quit worrying about her and just relaxed and enjoyed herself.
She almost jumped a little bit when she heard his voice coming from right behind her but she managed to stop herself, barely. She tilted her head back to look up at him and gave him a smile as she paused, almost like she was thinking about the question even though she already knew she was going to say yes before he’d finished speaking. “You going to give me that tour you offered?” She asked as she got out of the chair.
***
“Actually, I was thinking a nice stroll along the beach,” James said. He had promised her a tour of the house, which he’d forgotten about. “Though you could call it a tour of the beach. There’s a nice little outcropping of rocks not too far away.”
***
“Just means I have a tour of the house to call in later.” Lily said, easily agreeing to his suggestion. “The fireworks will probably be starting soon so maybe those rocks will provide a good spot to watch them from if we don’t make it back here in time.” A little part of her wondered if waiting until now wasn’t his plan to make the kiss match up with the fireworks going off.
***
“Really?” James asked, feigning surprise (and quite well, if he did say so himself). He had to admit that he was a little disappointed that she’d seen through his surprise though. “Well, that's a happy coincidence.” He offered her his hand to help her up from the chair.
***
That little part of her that thought he'd planned it to match up shut up when she saw how surprised he was by her comment. “Really. I'm going to make sure to point out the way they reflect on the water for you. It's...magical.” Lily said as she put her hand in his
***
James twined his fingers with her, and set off down the beach toward the outcropping. “Oh, I bet it is. Though, I’m sure that won’t be the most magical part of the evening.”
***
Lily shook her head at him, laughing quietly as she followed him, not even trying to untangle their fingers. “Always so cocky. If you were anyone else I’d accuse you of being arrogant James.” She said, looking him over subtly. He’d grown up since school in ways she hadn’t noticed when they ran into each other before.
***
“It’s a good thing I’m not someone else then,” James said, though ‘arrogant’ was one of the most common complaints his teachers had levelled at him in school. It wasn’t that he didn’t know, it was simply that he didn’t care overmuch.
They made it to the rock outcropping and James released Lily’s hand so he could climb up onto them. They were a touch slippery from the sea spray, but not slick enough to be dangerous, so long as one was paying attention to where they put their feet. Once he was on top of the rock, he extended his hand down to help give Lily a hand up.
***
“Arrogance is when you can’t back it up right. I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt until it’s proved one way or the other,” Lily told him as he helped her up onto the rock beside him. She watched where she stepped carefully before turning to look out over the water, glancing at the house and realizing that she really couldn’t make anyone or anything out that was happening there clearly.
She turned her attention back to him. “So you have a beach house and a little private spot on the water. Planning to hide here when your parties get a little too hectic?”
***
“No such thing, Lil,” he said cheerfully. As far as he was concerned, he’d never go somewhere to hide from a party. To get a little privacy for a moment was another thing entirely. “It is nice out here though.” Though the music from his home was still audible, it was also far enough away that they could hear the sound of the waves breaking upon the rocks.
***
It had been awhile since she’d heard that old nickname and it made her smile. “So...no problem with me coming out here to hide sometimes when the princess parties get a bit much?” She asked, putting her hands against his shoulders as if to make sure she stayed balanced. Or at least that was the excuse she was going to use if he said anything about it.
***
“No problem at all,” James answered. He could feel his heartbeat pick up a little bit once Lily put her hands on her shoulders, and for a moment, he just looked at her. Then, just as the first of the fireworks flew into the sky, he leaned forward to kiss her.
***
Lily leaned forward to meet James as he started moving towards her, eyes closing halfway as they kissed. It might have started out as a joking bribe for a party but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to kiss him. And that she didn’t enjoy it now that the moment had come.
***
James wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in a little closer to him as they kissed. But all too soon, he broke it. Be forced the lump from his throat. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a very long time,” he said.
***
It would have been a pretty simple thing for Lily to resist James pulling her to him but she didn’t want to. She moved her hands up to rest one on the back of his neck, eyes opening back up as he broke their kiss but she didn’t move away as she looked up at him, swallowing. “A part of me wishes you had sooner.”
***
Someday, James hoped to find a relationship like his parents’, but right now, he didn’t want anything serious. And, as he watched the fireworks reflecting on Lily’s face, he knew that if he let things go on, things would get serious. More serious than he wanted right now, that was for sure.
He dropped his hands from her waist, and turned from her to the fireworks. “Who would have guessed I’d have such a great view of the fireworks?” he asked.
***
Lily stepped back carefully from him when James took his hands off her waist, turning to look out over the water with him, her face neutral but there was a little teasing note in her voice as she answered his question. “I vaguely remember saying something about the view of the fireworks from the beach.” She told him, moving so that she was sitting on the rocks watching them.
She wanted to say something, anything about what had just happened but something in her told her that would be a mistake. So instead she sat there watching the fireworks on the water. This was one of her favorite parts of living in the United States the last few years.