Pandora Montgomery (pandacharms) wrote in vrrpg, @ 2017-01-17 20:35:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, char: alec urquhart, char: ewan summerby, char: nora urquhart, char: pandora montgomery, location: residence, time: 2009 01 |
RP: Moving Day
Who: Dora, Nora, Ewen, and Alec
When: [BACKDATED] Sunday January 15
Where: Dora's old flat and hers and Ewan's new one
What: It's moving day
Warnings: Language, flirting and some mild sexuality, a bit of angst
Ewan had been worrying almost ceaselessly about this day and just how well it would go-- they needed to move not only a truly monumental amount of things, but they needed to do so from out of two different apartments. They were at her's at present, Ewan wrapping some more plates and cups in paper before closing up one of the many boxes strewn around the place. Panda's friends were due any second now, which certainly didn't help the matter of his nerves.
"Are you... quite certain that your friend's companion and I will b-be enough?"
Dora wasn’t nearly as worried as Ewan was about this. At least on her end. Oh, she had some things, but it was mainly books and some random knick knacks she refused to acknowledge were mainly gifts for people who would no longer talk to her. Or whom she thought would no longer talk to her.
There were possibly a bunch of things hidden away that were for Ewan. She had only realized this while looking around the other day, really. Or perhaps she’d finally acknowledged it. She’d yet to attempt to broach the subject of it.
“Oh yes,” she said with a reassuring smile. “Between your two’s strong arms and wands and ours, I don’t see there being a need for more.” Magic was a fantastic thing. It would help the process along immensely. Though she rather hoped the menfolk would do some of it the old fashioned way.
For reasons.
For good measure, though, she wrapped her arms about his waist and hugged him from behind.
With Alec's hand in hers, Nora made her way to Dora's place, a small smile on her face. Part of her was sort of nervous. I mean, after all, this was the first time she was going to see a friend with her boyfriend in any sort of official capacity. Yeah, it was just moving, but still. It was a step, wasn't it? Fuck, she had no idea. Dating was still foreign territory to her at the age of 30…
"This is it," she said turning to stand on her tiptoes in order to kiss Alec softly before they went inside. "Thank you for agreeing to this, by the way. I appreciate it." And she truly meant that. Hell, he 'd get a reward for it later. That was for damn sure.
Making her way to Dora's front door, she didn't really bother to knock as she barged right inside. "Honey, I'm home!" she called out. Oh well, they were sort of right there.
"Did you miss me, Dora dear?"
Merlin, the last couple of days had been fucking idyllic. A part of Alec was pretty sure that he was way too happy for it to be strictly legal, but he wasn't about to look that particular gift horse in the mouth.
The point was that helping Nora's friend move was the least he could do after-- not only-- how happy she'd made him over the last two weeks, but also after the sheer amount of sex they were having.
Not to mention that it was fucking incredible. A part of him would perhaps even go so far as to say that it was the best he'd had. Of course, he'd always known that he was a freak in bed, but to meet someone who was just as unpredictably kinky? Gods.
Smiling down at her, he gratefully accepted her proffered kiss before shaking his head. "It's nothing. The least I could do."
Ewan, for his part, stiffened almost instantly at the sight of new people. He remembered them from school, of course; he'd only been a year younger than them, but when one happened to spend as much time in the Slytherin common room as he had... one became familiar with people like Alec.
He managed a nod before turning his attention back to the plates.
Dora squeezed him again and rubbed a hand along his shoulder as she turned around and smiled broadly at Nora, who always did seem to be able to get her to smile. Her hands went to her hips, and she tapped a foot on the ground with a mock glare.
“Darling, you have been entirely too absent! My black little heart just absolutely quails in your absence! I’ve pined! Pined, I tell you!” she said, eyes glinting with amusement. Her smile returned and she went forward to embrace her friend. She wondered, perhaps, if she should have warned Ewan a bit more about how… loud and evil and rambunctious she and Nora could get when together.
Or perhaps he would just have to figure it out. She’d make it up to him later. Very enthusiastically and thoroughly. Not that she wasn’t already planning on that for the new place, but one could add things in as well.
She turned then to Alec, and now her gaze became its more usually penetrating, assessing one. “Alec, it’s been a bit,” she said. “Thank you for coming to help. We really appreciate it.” Just like she really appreciated the chance to see him and Nora interact some. She would behave. She’d promised Nora -- for today.
"Your black heart has become far too emotional in my absence, it seems," Nora said with mock judgement, pursing her lips before chuckling at herself and hugging Dora back with a little extra oomph. Her eyes glanced over to Ewan who seemed to be attempting to keep to himself, and she wondered if he was none too happy with Dora's choice of moving companions. Then again, he just also seemed to be the quiet type when he was around people he wasn't used to, so she would attempt to not hold it against him. Specifically because he seemed to be making her friend so happy, and that meant something to her.
As Dora greeted Alec, Nora couldn't help but look at what still needed to be packed and how much work was going to be required during this little venture. Because even though she had agreed, Nora wasn't the biggest fan of physical labor. Mostly because she had the upper body strength of a cooked noodle ever since her fall from grace, or however the Daily Prophet had described it.
At least they had magic though, right?
"So like… can't we just shove everything into the fireplace and floo it to your new apartment?" And yes, she was more than aware that they couldn't do that, but it didn't hurt to be a cheeky arsehole on every occasion.
"So… where's the alcohol. I need to pregame to bring out my top moving guns." Holding up both her arms she kissed her nonexistent biceps before winking in Dora's direction.
"But really.. What do you want us to do. I need direction. I'm hopeless on my own... "
"Oh, anytime. Can't say no to this one," he smiled, taking a moment to assess just what, exactly, Dora was doing.
Yep. Definitely trying to dissect the worth of his character. Hadn't changed a bit. Still just as astute as ever. Then again, he could appreciate that in his profession.
Turning his attention to Nora, he couldn't help but smile, his hand subconsciously drifting down to her ass from where it had been at the small of her back. If it was just the two of them...
There would be time enough for that later.
"You're adorable," he said simply. "We'll need to know where we're headed... what pieces we can shrink, and which ones we should start with. If there's any more small stuff, if you ladies would be willing to consolidate, that would help tremendously. Beyond that... sit there, drink, and look pretty. You know, that thing that's effortless for you?"
Dora was only his Panda Bear for him, something that Ewan knew fully well, and, moreover, something he very much enjoyed. That exclusivity was nice, so in a lot of ways, seeing this different side to Dora was quite all right.
Besides, he remembered what Hogwarts had been like. Those beautiful doe-like eyes of hers were only for him. It was good that way.
The only real problem he foresaw was when he'd have to... say things. His stutter became infinitely worse when nervous, when around people who weren't his Panda, and the last thing he wanted was for him to get... judged for his speech impediment. It was silly to worry about that, of course, and he knew it-- Nora was Dora's friend, and Alec was not only a familiar enough face, but he was evidently dating Nora, who, if he remembered correctly, was very... selective about the people with whom she interacted.
All the same, he was a bit afraid to open his mouth in the first place.
One thing that was an absolute truth-- no matter how many times Dora insisted otherwise-- Ewan's upper body strength was comparable to that of Nora's, but combining physical labor with wands... perhaps they could handle this. He certainly didn't want his Panda to have to do too much. She'd seemed so tired lately...
"The-- the armoire will need to b-be handled gently," he finally managed, his voice soft as he nodded in assent to Alec. That man only seemed to drip charm, Ewan feeling almost impossibly small and waifish. It was the voice, of course, and yet... "I am not certain if ma-magic will be the best route to go with some of the-them, like the armoire." He cleared his throat, looking to Dora for some amount of direction.
The same likely went for the significantly heavier pieces. Perhaps if they combined magic and physical labor... Certainly to position things properly...
“YEs, I might well be heartless now, actually,” she replied with a quicksilver grin. “He’s got the bloody thing now, so I don’t have to worry about it starting to rot in my chest from neglect anymore.” A very wily way of saying she loved him without actually saying the words. Not that she was ashamed or anything, it was simply she could be terribly private with most of the world. But this was Nora, and so she said it in the funniest way possible.
“That’s good to know, so we’ll have another willing minion in our world domination plans.” No, she’d not threaten the man today and honestly she wanted to get to know him again and see him interact with her Nora. Then she’d find him another day and interrogate him when Nora couldn’t accurately accuse her of cheating on her promise.
“All right, let’s see. Do not shrink the armoire or the bed. The former has extensive charms on it already and if it actually develops a personality because of more, I’ll blame you lot and let it try to eat you. The latter because it was a bloody mess to strip the existing charms off it when I decided I liked it.” All her big pieces of furniture -- namely the bed and the armoire -- were large and wooden and well over a hundred years old. They were actually somewhat similar styles, which she supposed just showed her taste in nice things.
Even as she gave these instructions, she headed towards the kitchen section of the tiny place and to Ewan. She stole two glasses from the few he’d not wrapped yet, and in the process her hand brushed his and her hip and side bumped against him with comfortable, casual intimacy that she displayed with few people. Dora normally, outside of a select few, had quite a personal bubble around her. She meant it to be reassuring to him. She’d never let him be teased if she could help it, not even by her friends. No one came before him, and she’d punched her siblings on his account before and would do so again in an instant. But she wasn’t actually worried they’d make fun, so she hadn’t even said anything to Nora. It didn’t matter to her so she didn’t think it would matter to Nora.
“Speaking of the armoire, it has two rooms in it if you open up the doors, and we can store a certain quantity of the boxes in there, I suspect, or down in the trunk,” she pointed at the trunk, “where there’s also a couple of rooms, though you have to navigate the stairs there.” Most of her other furniture lived in those rooms, like the work room she’d created down in the trunk. It was obvious, if you investigated these, that expansion and extension charms were something she was very skilled at. “But we should be able to use levitation charms and such on the furniture, and some of those boxes,” she poitned at some of the book boxes, “can be shrunk. The ones on the left you really shouldn’t magic though. They’re… particular.” Rare and old books generally were. There were still a couple shelves that needed work.
As she spoke she gestured Nora along with her. “And you and I are going to pack the liquor. I saved it especially for us.” The bottom cupboards held quite a variety, of varying levels of full to empty, and Nora would be familiar with it by now. She chose one of her favorite things of Scotch and poured them both a sampling as she sat down in the middle of a couple of empty boxes she’d put there to start putting bottles and other, few kitchen sundries into.
Honestly, Nora didn't even notice Ewan's stutter all that much, nor did she mind. No one was perfect, and everyone had their own hurdles to overcome, his was just more outwardly obvious than others. That blew, at least in Nora's opinion, but she was going to be the best possible sport about it. So when he spoke, she looked at him like she looked at everyone else in the world, nodding at his instructions. "Seems simple enough. I think we can handle it, yeah?" she said, looking back at Alec. She was very much aware of the movement of his hand, and gave him a predatory look, a coy smirk on her face as she raised herself up to gently kiss his chin. "Later, Professor," she whispered only to him, chuckling to herself as she moved to follow Dora into the kitchen. Merlin, she could use a drink..
"And I do hope Ewan is well aware of the care requirements of a cold, black, shriveled heart, my dear Dora. They are quite unlike those healthy, red things that normal people have," she said, acting as though normalcy was a bad taste and made a slight face. She was kidding, of course, and meant no offense by it, but that was simply who she was..
Taking the offered glass she swirled around the liquid, winking in Dora's direction. "Alright men so… we will handle all the knick knacks and alcohol, you both get the bed and armoire, I think this is a fair and workable plan," she chuckled with a dark look of amusement on her face. Yes, she knew it wasn't fair, but she also knew that if she were to help? She'd just be in the way.
"Cheers, to new places and well… you know," she looked over her shoulder and Ewan and Alec who were currently trying to figure out the logistics of the larger furniture and turned back to Dora. Gently clinking her glass against her friends, she took a rather hefty drink, sighing outwardly once she was finished. "I think I'm going to need some more, and stat, especially if you're wanting that round of gossip we discussed over text…" Ply her with liquor, that was always the best plan.
Sitting down, Nora began to slowly and carefully box up some of the bottles, taking her sweet time in looking at each one of them individually, debating if she wanted a sample or not as she waited for Dora to settle down and join her.
"So… what is it you want to know, oh friend of mine?" she asked, playing dumb, because it was much more fun this way.
"I keep it in a jar, you see," Ewan added softly with a nod in response to Dora, Alec's eyes widening considerably at the realization that Ewan had made a joke.
"Right, so probably ought to lift that trunk and the armoire and those boxes manually instead of interfering with any charms already on those," he muttered absently, mostly to himself, his attention only momentarily diverted as he looked over at Nora, a small smirk playing on his lips. Merlin, what a woman.
Yeah, like hell was he going to let Nora do any heavy lifting. She dealt with enough physical pain as it was since the accident.
Leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead, he let his hand stray from her lovely, lovely ass before turning to look to Ewan. "Shall we?"
Dora knew him far too well, of course, which meant that he seemed to calm down considerably from her touch. Even the sound of her voice was soothing in a way, and he shot her one last smile before turning to look at Alec with a nod. The man was a psychologist. He'd know about speech impediments, right?
"Yes. We can get the last of the b-boxes in the trunk?"
Alec nodded, drawing his wand as he mentally catalogued what items not to use magic on before the two men finally got to work.
Dora chuckled softly, the joke no surprise at all to her, as she went on back. She was, if not hypervigilant at this moment, then at least very observant, especially since there was someone she no longer knew very well in her space and she’d ripped out half her wards earlier today and honestly? It left her feeling deep down uneasy in a slightly stomach churning way. She’d spend most of tomorrow putting up wards on their new place, probably.
“Like you have to ask,” Dora said, and poured her a generous glass while she sipped a little more slowly on her own and knelt down to start slowly sorting through the bottles. There might be a few she could consolidate. Or finish off. She left those with just a bit left out next to them to hit up.
“Oh, I don’t know… maybe something… I don’t know… about your boyfriend and when did that happened because I was talking to you at work just the other day and there was no mention of it,” Dora said in her dry, sarcastic sort of way, though she kept her voice low so nothing she said would necessarily carry. “And there might also be something about copious amounts of sex which I must admit, I’m rather pleased with on my end too, but I obviously have got to be in on the happenings of your life, dearheart.”
The corner of her mouth was turned up as she looked up from her box of liquor, and she glanced out at the men speculatively. Alec was very pretty, this was true. Not as attractive in her eyes as her Ewan, of course, but she could see the attraction most definitely.
Nora caught Ewan's joke, and she laughed. Because no good joke should go unnoticed, in her opinion. And though part of her, for some reason, didn't want to stray away from Alec, she was more than happy to sit on the floor with her friend and ingest somewhat copious amounts of alcohol. Especially because while doing said action, she could admire the arm muscles and arse of her boyfriend.
Turning back at Dora's question though, Nora couldn't stop the slight pink that rose in her cheeks. It was still so… new. She wasn't exactly sure how to handle it, which was sad, considering her age. It just really illuminated the fact she hadn't dated much since her Quidditch days. After all, that relationship had ended in a fiery disaster and she had a bit of a distrust of anything long term since then. But she truly didn't think Alec was going to punch her face in or crack her ribs if he got upset with her, so her fears stayed quelled.
"Well, Dora," she said, taking another drink and wrapping another glass bottle carefully before she placed it inside the box, "It sort of… just happened. We went on a date about two weeks ago or something? I vandalized a car with cotton balls and made him help me. Then we went to a fair and had funnel cake. He kissed me goodbye when we got back… And me, being as fucked up as I am, didn't get it. Because you know, usually when dates end, there's sex. And then you never see them again," she shrugged. It was a sad thing to admit, but reality for her.
"Then after the Prophet came out, he texted me to check up on me. I.. asked him to come over. We drank and he just," she trailed off, shrugging slightly, "Held me, I guess? It was nice." Taking another drink she started into the cup for a moment afterwards before she continued.
"And then Thursday he sent me a fancy bottle of wine at work, and we decided to go out afterwards. He took me to dinner and then back to his place and.." she trailed off, a mischievous smile playing at her lips. "He sort of ate me out in his living room, with you know, the added excitement of his roommate walking in at any minute. And then just.. Wow, from there. Wow." She didn't know how else to explain it, without going into incredibly graphic detail.
"I think he might sort of be a nympho, but do I care? Not a single bit. Because let's be real here, Dor," she said looking over at her seriously, "I sort of am too when it comes right down to it. At least I finally found a freak to compliment my own."
Nora? Blushing? Oh this had to be good. Her attention fixed much more intensely on her friend. One reason she suspected they got on so well was the fact they were both fucked up in such similar ways, while still being such different people. Dora hadn’t had an actual relationship-relationship since school. She was too fucked up for that. A few attempts had crashed and burned and, well, she focussed all her considerable intensity on her goals.
Which, in the end, had gotten her both into and out of several fiascos. But hey, goals were goals.
“Well, yes, most of the guys out there just want a piece of us,” Dora said. That was her experience. There were times she’d have killed just to be held and cared for, but she and her circumstances apparently didn’t encourage that. Except for her Ewan.
She laughed, her eyes sly. “Mmm, now doesn’t that sound like fun,” she said with a faint smirk, and her eyes drifted back to her boyfriend, remembering exactly what that mouth had been doing this morning as well. “So really good then, huh? Good for you,” she said. “And it’s an official boy girl thing now, huh? It’s always good to have a complementary puzzle piece, that’s for sure.”
She glanced down at her glass, surprised to find it finished, and poured herself a different sort. Idly she summoned a selection of tiny bird statues to her to wrap up, very firmly not thinking of Persephone as she did so. Another gulp of this would help with that. She didn’t have a metric ton of stuff or anythign, but what she did have was wildly varied from where she’d gotten it, with all her traveling with the dueling circuit.
While Nora wasn't the type to talk about, well, anything really. She couldn't hold herself to that rule when it came to Dora. Mostly because out of everyone in her life, besides maybe Roger… and just the thought of him in that moment made her extremely depressed, Dora was one of the few who truly understood her. She had gone through a lot. She had seen a lot. She had been hurt in so many ways similar and different to Nora that they could bond on a level that most others couldn't achieve.
"Good and… intense," she said, grabbing another bottle that only had about a glass worth of alcohol in it and, with one more drink of her glass, made room to pour the new booze inside. Looking up at her in all seriousness for a moment Nora explained, "I just.. You know when there's really good sex, but then there's really good sex with like… feeling behind it?" Of course she'd understand, she had it with Ewan, right?
"Well.. I don't think I've ever felt that. Well, at least not.. In a two sided manner," she said, taking another gulp of her alcohol, sighing as she grabbed some more things to wrap up and put in the box in front of her. It was getting full, so she took out her wand and summoned another.
"It's sort of terrifying, innit?" she asked, looking at Dora for some sort of confirmation that maybe this was normal. "But yeah, it's official now, even if I do feel a little juvenile for saying I have a boyfriend. Merlin, it feels like Hogwarts." Nora laughed at that, shaking her head as her eyes wandered back to the two men in the other room, who were currently in the process of lifting Dora's wooden headboard.
"Well isn't that a delicious sight."
Dora matched her level of seriousness and she nodded. A hand rubbed idly at the spot her scars intersected as she watched the two men for a moment, and her expression softened as she watched Ewan carefully moving a box of books. “Oh yes. I know precisely.” Nothing had ever lived up to being with him, even though they’d basically been just kids, looking back. That was one of a couple reasons she was generally smashed when she had sex. She couldn’t do it otherwise. “But you’re feeling it now. I’m so pleased.”
Which meant she was very pleased with Alec, and thus if he fucked it up she’d be very upset.
“Fucking terrifying,” she agreed quietly. “I keep… waiting, for him to figure out how messed up I really am. And get tired of it and leave.” The confession was very quiet and it made her down half a glass in one go. Ugh. Not the best idea, but hey, whatever. “I don’t sleep well, though i sleep better with him. But I doubt he’s going to appreciate me and my restlessness.” Though she knew he’d understand, ultimately, but there was still that deep, ingrained fear in her, that a nightmare, that any of her quirks or problems, would come back to bite her on the arse with this.
“I know, boyfriend is just… not quite right? He’s more than that.” So much more. He was her Ewan.
Dora’s head tilted and she mmmmed appreciatively deep in her throat. Ewan could say what he wanted, but he did have some muscles on his arms, and his shirt clung just so to his back and his rear… well, she appreciated the view of them both, that was for certain. “I’m wondering if I should be that picky bitch who wants the furniture in five places first,” she suggested with a smirk.
She wasn't sure why, but the need to be incredibly honest in that moment struck Nora like a ton of bricks, and she held her glass a little tighter. Especially as Dora explained her fears of Ewan finding out all the negative qualities. All of the baggage, and the scars that weren't just physical. Because she had that fear as well. It literally would just not go away, even when she tried so hard to push it as far into the back of her mind as she could.
"I… I'm waiting for him to realize that I'm too much of a mess. I mean, he's a fucking psychiatrist, for fucks sake, Dora. He's going to take one look at my neurosis, my addiction, my depression, and either try to fix me, or peace the fuck out.." It was a terror that wouldn't go away, even though she honestly wanted to believe he wouldn't do that. Hell, she trusted him not to, but her lack of confidence was hard to ignore. Nora had a problem with looking at anything half full, she always had.
"I just… I really do like him. I'm just nervous, is all. He hasn't given me a reason to be, so don't go tearing any faces off just yet it's just…" she shrugged, "Constant abandonment issues is a real thing." Chuckling darkly at herself, Nora took another large drink and put the glass down long enough to back another box.
"Anyway," she was trying to change the subject now towards Dora and not herself. "Ewan seems great. I'm glad you two found each other again. Maybe he's your soulmate, and none of the shitty baggage will matter. So far, that seems to be what I'm picking up on," she stated matter of factly.
"Alright… I think most of the little things are packed. Is there anything else, or can we just sit here and get trashed?"
Dora reached over like she wouldn’t with pretty much anyone else but Ewan these days and slipped her hand into Nora’s and squeezed. “I think maybe being a psychiatrist might help?” she offered. “So he’ll at least understand what’s going on?” As much as someone who hadn’t been through it could understand.
She knew her own fears were largely illogical. Ewan loved her. But she didn’t want to worry him. She didn’t want to make his life harder or less enjoyable. She didn’t want to be a fucking burden for him that woke him up screaming at 2 am or who had to have a drink or two before bed and who was still terrified that one day sober sex was going to end badly and she’d hurt him somehow.
“Trust me, I know exactly how you feel,” she said very quietly, and downed the rest of her drink again. Ewan gave her no reason to doubt. It was only her own demons, whispering in her ears that she wasn’t good enough,s he was dirty and sullied and broken beyond repair, that made her doubt. But it was still very real.
“Ewan is wonderful,” she said, allowing the change of subject for the moment. “I know he seems very quiet, but he’s… not, with me.” Her smile grew incredibly fond even as she poured another partial bottle into both of their glasses. “He’s too good to me, I don’t even know what to do with it all, honestly.” It still managed to baffle her, how good he was to her. It was always so unexpected when she turned around and found he’d done something for her. Or when they bickered good naturedly about who was going to do the dishes -- her, because he cooked -- because she didn’t want him to do it all. “I don’t even know how to return it all in turn, you know? I think I’ve forgotten.” Which wasn’t true, not really, but she very much wanted to be just as good to him in turn.
“Ha, I think we should sit here and finish some of this. Less to carry, you know,” Dora said, leaning back against a cabinet and rubbing unconsciously at her scar again. She’d taken her extra half dose of anxiety potion, and she swore it was making her stomach so much more irritable than normal. It was being a pain in her arse, but without it, she knew she’d be twitchy as fuck right now despite the alcohol. “Though we still have to go to Ewan’s, I think. Tomorrow I’ll have to unpack and if I can bribe you to help with that, well, Ewan is a really good cook.”
Nora sighed, glancing back over at Ewan and Alec. Maybe she was right, maybe it was a good thing, in a way. He could understand that sometimes the things she did, and the things she said… she didn't mean. "I guess I just don't want him to think I'm broken. Or at the very least, see that I'm too broken," she whispered, squeezing her hand. Things with Roger had been easy because they were one in the same, albeit in different ways. They understood each other, and knew that neither could really be fixed, so they didn't try. But now? Fuck, part of her wanted to fix herself for Alec. He deserved someone who was together and stable, and Nora was none of those things.
But maybe she could try to be. That's what caring for someone was about, right? Wanting to better oneself? Maybe that's what she and her male best friend had been missing all along. Maybe the reason she thought she was so in love with him was because he was just as screwed up as she was, so he couldn't judge. Maybe.
Holding out her glass to Dora to finish off the bottle of whatever it was, Nora smiled in her direction, trying to get her thoughts out of the darkness, but it was incredibly hard sometimes. "I don't doubt he's different with you. He just seems like the type you don't really know until he feels comfortable with you. And I mean, I figure that'll take time with the rest of us, but you're already there."
And she understood every word her friend spoke on a deep level. They got along for a reason, and it was mostly because their thoughts echoed a lot of the same sentiments. "Guess we just have to do our best, right? They know what they've gotten themselves into. Something tells me they are more than prepared for the fact that neither of us are perfect. Or stable. But… they're good people for sticking around anyway, right?" At least for now. Nora wouldn't blame Alec if he eventually left. Everyone always left.
"I like your plan," she said in agreement as she joined her in leaning back, continuing to sip on her alcohol, closing her eyes for a moment. She wanted more. She wanted to stop thinking so damn much today because her thoughts always ruined everything, and she didn't want to ruin this.
"I'm happy to help. I have a few hours of work to do in the greenhouse. Claire hates doing it… she says the plants don't like her. I keep trying to tell her, it's all because of her attitude that they feel that way, but she just doesn't get it. They can sense his distaste, you know?" She shrugged, sighing a bit. "But since I worked Saturday, I think she can handle the front once the actual collecting and pruning bits is out of the way. They should be good again until Tuesday."
Looking back over at Dora, she smiled. "I'm excited for your new place. Your new big adventure. What's next? Marriage? Babies?" she was mostly teasing, of course, and you could hear it in her voice, but she couldn't help nudging her friend with her elbow.
She was quiet for a long moment, her grip a little tighter. Nora perfectly voiced some of her fears there. That Ewan would see how deeply the cracks really ran and decide it was too much. Or that there were pieces missing and when she said she couldn't remember something from the past, she reallt meant it, or she'd done a bad bad thing and … maybe as much as she'd hated it she also enjoyed it just a little too. “I know,” she murmured. “but you're not, Nora. You've never been too broken.” Not to Dora, at least. Not even using like she did and all that. Dora knew the draw. After Azkaban, before she'd gotten into the dueling… there had been some really bad times.
Still were sometimes.
Dora would be lighthearted as she could and pull her up out of it, as best she could. “I've known him since we were babies, Nora,” she admitted. “So I've an in, there. But I think you'll like him once you get to know him.”
She pushed her hair back and smiled. “I think they are good people. I know Alec from school, I always liked him pretty well. Doesn't mean I won't kick his arse if he does anything to hurt you, though.” The tone was mild, but she was deceptive that way. And she'd do it too. She was a strong mix of Slytherin and Hufflepuff and that loyalty in both was very much in evidence in her.
She nudged her shoulder playfully against Nora’s. “You know I always have good plans,” she said. “We should work on the world domination ones. We already have a start- two handsome minions. I mean, look at us go!”
She smiled and took another long sip. She was finally starting to feel the stuff, her limbs looser than before. Damned strong tolerances. “then it's a date. Speaking of dates we should do a double some time.”
That startled a laugh and a very faint bit of color in her face. “You just want a fancy pants dress!” She accused, eyes bright. “I honestly have no fucking clue. I'm not in a rush. I just… want to enjoy what he'll give me.” while he was still there. “Besides, me as a mum? Can you even imagine how much I'd suck at that? Poor fucking kid. No one deserves that.” Not that she hadn't dreamed of it with Ewan once. She'd fully expected to marry him out of school. Kids … eventually. Now she wasn't sure. Besides, the Healers told her it'd likely be difficult to get pregnant, with her spell damage and the scarring from her last few injuries especially.
She finished off that third glass and grimaced. Ugh. PMS sucked. She'd been feeling off for several days. And now she felt off and had to pee. And maybe that last glass wasn't agreeing with her. Did she mix the wrong liquors? Who knew. That medicine had been tearing her up since she upped the dosage. “Ewaaaaan,” she called, and she held up her hands. “Help me up please?”
They'd just finished loading up the trunk with the rest of the non-magical boxes, some of the big pieces already carried outside, now discussing logistics-- physics, mainly-- of how to get certain things through that door. The mattress would need to be shrunk, certainly...
Perking up at the sound of his Panda Bear's voice, Ewan rushed over to take her hands, easily lifting her up onto her feet.
"We should b-be-- be ready to head out soon," he smiled, Alec joining the rest of them in the kitchen as he smiled down at Nora. "You're doing an excellent job of sitting there and looking pretty..."
As Ewan helped Dora up and she made her way towards the bathroom, Nora glanced up at Alec with a playful stare. She was… tipsy, that was for sure. Was she drunk? Not entirely. Glancing back at the floor, she noticed there were a total of five bottles that had been polished off in their time sitting. Of course, none of them had been full, but that was still quite the accomplishment. Especially since they were assorted hard liquors. She giggled at that, taking another sip of what remained in her glass.
"Do you think?" she asked, holding up her glass to Alec. "Do you want any? After all that hard work you've been doing, you deserve a small reward. And I'm really good at sharing. Sometimes," she said, feeling a bit lighter than she had when they first got there. It helped that she had taken a pain potion beforehand as well.
"And you are doing an excellent job of working hard and looking manly. I must say, I enjoyed it thoroughly," she teased, reaching up to him. "Now you get to help me up, because I feel heavy."
"Mmmhmm," he chuckled, reaching down to take the glass. "The only thing I really care about you sharing with me is you," he smiled. "But yes, I gratefully accept."
Taking the last sip, he set the glass down before helping her up with a grin, his hands moving to her hips. "Although I could think of an even better reward later... one that we could both enjoy."
Dora ended up laughing softly at the rush she got when he pulled her up so easily, and her arms snaked up around his neck for a moment. She very much wanted a proper kiss - or in this instance, an improper one, but she knew it would make him uncomfortable so she settled for a kiss at the corner of his mouth and a warm nuzzle under his jaw.
“Thank you, mo graidh,” she said, her voice a bit more Scottish than earlier. She wanted to just stay leaning against him but she knew she shouldn't so she kisses his jaw again and headed off to the loo, rubbing almost irritably at a scar under her clothes.
She lingered for a moment in the loo, since standing up made her feel suddenly light headed. Fucking meds. She'd not drunk nearly enough to be this… oh fuck. Maybe the scotch mixed with the brandy had been a horrible idea on top of the meds, she thought as she quietly retched. She pressed her head against the coolness of the the counter for a moment and breathed. Well at least she'd be able to virtually start over with the drinking. Bonus, right?
She really should call Teddy to get something for the side effects of that potion.
She rinsed her mouth and used a charm for good measure and splashed and dried her face. All ready to start again, she said, testing a smile in the mirror. She tucked her wand away and came back out.
“So you said we're ready to move it all?” She said,moving back to Ewan's side with a warm smile up at him, though her light eyes didn't miss any of the interactions between her friend and the man she was with.
When Dora was back out of the bathroom, Nora had to tear her attention away from Alec. Though she couldn't help but whisper in his ear before doing so, "I'm all yours later."
Leaning back against him as she looked around at the apartment, it looked bigger than normal, but that was because it was so incredibly empty. "Well, you gonna say your goodbyes to this place, Dora? Or do you just want to get the fuck out and not look back?" They had some fun memories here, that was for sure, but she had an inkling this was never home to her friend. Home would be where the man she loved was, the place they were headed to.
"Either way, I think we're all set. We just need to get it where it's going, and start on Ewan's place, right?" She looked over at the other man, giving him a smile. "I promise I won't drink all your liquor there. I put a bottle in my purse to hold me over."
"I'm afraid that Dora has already annihilated m-most of it," he smiled, nodding in answer to his Panda Bear's question. "Yes."
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Alec stepped back with a glance at the other man. "Ready?"
Gathering up the trunk first and foremost-- fuck, was that thing heavy-- he looked to Dora. "You'll want to tell us where we're going." Which was to say… please, please tell them where they were going before their arms fell off. There was a lot still left to carry, and Alec was not looking forward to that bloody armoire.
“There's just enough left there to tide us over,” she said. All right so she did drink a lot. She wasn't certain her lover knew how much so, but so far she'd also resisted the tempting urge to hide it so he'd never know. She did glanced around the place but she couldn't say she'd miss it too much. Mostly just the timed she'd had with Nora here. And they could make memories in her new place too. She'd make sure to come visit the little girl down the hall.
Dora gave Alec a brief but evil sort of look, as if she were seriously contemplating making him wait another minute, but she only waited a couple of heartbeats before she went ahead and gave him the address of the flat. Nora would kill her, after all, if she ruined her night by letting the woman's boyfriend throw out his back.
She also had her own boyfriend to think about.
A turn and a soft pop, and she was in the new place with its airy, open floor plan. She gave a soft sigh and immediately looked for Ewan, gaze drawn to him before anyone else. It was a bit warm in the place, warmer than it should be really, and she shrugged out of her outer robes so she could do some of the heavy lifting too as things started arriving. It left her in an thin, three quarters sleeved shirt, and below the cuff the ghost of the dark mark peeked out because she'd accidentally packed the bracelet last night. She self consciously tugged down the sleeve as she looked for something to move out of the way first.
A part of him genuinely wondered if Dora didn't secretly have it out for him on account of his dating Nora, Alec cocking his head and his brows at her as he looked to her somewhat expectantly.
Oh thank god. An address.
The walk took too bloody long, and he was already dreading the armoire and-- fuck, the bed-- and by the time they finally arrived, he couldn't tell if it was just plain exertion making him feel this warm, or if there was something else he should be worried about.
"Where do you want this, Dora dear?" Alec ground out, Ewan's lips pressed together as he fought to keep his muscles… actually working the way they were supposed to.
Nora popped right on over to the new place, carrying a few of the smaller boxes. It didn't take long before Alec and Ewan arrived, and Nora stared in amusement at their struggle. Merlin, she was being terrible, wasn't she. And of course, she knew their evil plan entailed making the poor men tug around the heavy things to multiple places, she gave Dora a sidelong glance that she hoped read, I think we should take pity on them.
Putting down her own boxes, she moved into the new place, taking a deep breath. She liked it here. They had chosen a good spot, in her opinion.
"It's lovely, Dora," she told her, looking over and giving her a smile. Hopefully it wouldn't take too much longer after the heavy things at Dora's place were out of the way. Or maybe they could take a break so Nora could steal Alec away…
It wasn't just his dating Nora. Dora had a slightly twisted sense of humor as it was. She smiled super sweetly at Alec at his ground out words. She caught Nora's look, sighed, and though the super sweet smile didn't change, she pointed out the right place. “There please, sweetie,” she replied in the same vein ad he'd spoken. She'd be nice and not make them work too hard and in fact was planning- especially since she was no longer digesting all the alcohol - to help them out with a two bigger pieces.
“Thank you,” she said to Nora. “It just.. felt right.” Not huge, not tiny. Something new for both of them.
She moved up to rest a hand on Ewan's back, glancing up at him to make sure he was doing all right.
“I'll be helping with the big pieces,” she said matter-of-factly to both the men. “If Nora can hold down the fort here for me?” She looked questioningly over at her friend. The men would probably be surprised at how strong she was, though perhaps not Ewan quite as much since he'd seen her naked, after all, and the way her still too thin body was corded with muscle even though she was in the midst of rehab still.
It was with no insignificant amount of relief that they set down the trunk, Alec running a hand down his face. Merlin's ballsweat, it was too fucking hot in here.
Ewan blinked at Panda for a long moment, just staring before he finally found it in him to shake his head. "No! You were hurt just recently! We can handle it!"
The last thing he wanted was for her to make things worse for herself. It didn't much matter how strong she was-- he'd seen that scar on her front that she kept touching.
"As reluctant as I am to say this," Alec chimed in with a sigh, "he's not wrong."
Nora stood by silently watching this exchange. Because, well, it wasn't going to end well. Nora knew her best friend, and the thing she hated being told was that she couldn't do something. Her eyes wandered over to Dora, seeing the displeasure on her face.
"Boys… it's going to be your own funeral, I just want you all to know that," she said in a bored tone, moving to take the bottle out of her purse and take a swig.
"Hell hath no fury like a Dora told she can't do something. Just sayin.." she shrugged, moving over to Alec and kissing him on the neck. "Don't get into it," she whispered so quietly she knew he could only hear her.
Her hands went to her hips and her eyes sparked a bit about being challenged. “It was nearly a year ago and I'm much better now,” Dora said, her jaw thrusting out stubbornly. She wasn't about to lie and say she was all better, she was working on it quite hard.
“It’s not going to kill me to lift some furniture. It's my flexibility and stamina that's still at a loss, not my ability to carry things,” she added, hating to air that admission in front of people but hell, Nora already knew anyway. That and her breathing. The scar constricted her breathing at times still. That was a huge reason why her stamina wasn't up to snuff, honestly.
“I even have a pain potion in case I need it which I won't,” she added.
She very purposefully did not rub at the stupid, ugly, aggravating as hell scar. Or just below it where acid churned in her stomach again. Still.
Fuck. She needed a drink.
Alec just shrugged, leaning against the wall with a somewhat bemused expression, just… watching for the time being.
Ewan, for his part, simply took hold of Dora's hand and pulled her into what would soon be their new bedroom, closing the door.
"I know you are, and I know that it isn't. That it wouldn't. And while stamina does matter here, that's not the point. I don't even want the possibility to exist that you might have to use the pain potion. I love you so much. I've known you and your pride for as long as I can remember. And I know that it kills you inside not to do something like this. But I don't want to take any chances. I don't even want to risk it. If you so much as pulled a muscle..." he shook his head. "I could never forgive myself."
Perfectly steady, for once. No stuttering. That was pretty telling in and of itself.
"Please, Panda Bear. For me. I'm begging you."
Dora went with him because this was Ewan and she loved and respected him. But it was patently apparent that she wasn't happy with proceedings. She took a deep breath and struggled with the urge to simply argue it out or be a pushy bitch and just… listen. It wasn't the easiest thing but this was Ewan and so she'd do it. Even though it was hard to manage her temper and, yes, the chaffing to her pride.
The fact he laid it all out like that without stuttering once did make her consider things a bit more seriously. And his pleas tugged at her heart in a way that ached.
She brought up a hand and rubbed her forehead. “Ewan… I love you. I adore you. But you know I'm going to get hurt at some point, and it's not going to be your fault, right?” she asked with surprising gentleness. “Even if I never duel again, and I've not said I'm giving that up yet, I do plenty of experimental charms work as well as working with some questionable antiques. It's part of my jobs. And I actually really love both of my jobs most of the time.” And pain wasn't always a bad thing.
She reached out and took his hands in hers. She raised them up and kissed the back of each before placing one of them on that X of scar tissue. “I can do. I'm not just saying it. I won't be hurt just helping you all lift the bed frame.” she looked at him, imploring him to understand she wanted to be useful and help them out.
Oh, he absolutely understood it. Of course she wanted to be helpful, and of course she wanted to feel like she could be.
But… he shook his head.
"No. I'm not letting you get hurt. Not on my watch. It's the one thing that terrified me all those years. It's why I didn't look you up, why I didn't read the papers--" He sighed. "You could be halfway across the world getting hurt, and I'd still feel awful for letting you leave in the first place. I'm obviously not going to tell you what you can and can't do, but-- I'm scared. For your safety. All the time. It's the thing I have nightmares about, Panda Bear. And if I can have the option not to be, I want to take it. This isn't about you at all. I know you can do all of those things. This is about me selfishly wanting you to be safe above all else," he finally finished, his shoulders sinking somehow with the weight of his confession.
She was of two wildly different minds about this whole thing. She understood his point, but… she felt frustration coil in her gut. Frustration and love all at once.
Well, no one ever said this would be easy.
Her hands rose to his cheeks. “You didn't let me do anything, mo graidh. Hurt is a part of life and … it's probably always going to be with me.” That was a hard confession right there. She was still frightened of what he'd do when he found out about all of her problems. The potions regimen she controlled so strictly so she wouldn't abuse it. Her nightmares that would probably never go all the way away. She drew him down and kissed him softly, putting her love into the kiss.
She leaned her forehead against his. “This time,” she said after looking deeply into his eyes. She knew her inner turmoil would be visible to him. Her frustration warring with her love and understanding. “But sometimes I am going to have to do things. All right? I can't not do anything all the time. You know I'll go mad. I promise I'll be careful, all right? And today I'll just put away the kitchen things.” For him. Because it mattered so much to him.
And probably go work on actually getting drunk this time while she did so.
He knew what her assent in that moment meant, and he let out a sigh of genuine, almost palpable relief before he leaned in to kiss her.
"Thank you," he whispered softly, finally nodding. He knew she'd go mad. He just hoped that the things she'd do might be less than outrightly dangerous. Taking her hand again, he reverently kissed the back of it before stepping back out of the bedroom with her.
… only to find that Alec and Nora looked suspiciously like the sound of the door opening had just barely saved their hides, kiss-swollen lips and everything.
"More furniture?" he quested, Alec, quickly nodding in assent before heading out the door with him.
Her concession was not easy, not in the least, but it was a show of the fact she was willing to work to make things work. Dora never gave into things easily that she didn’t want to do. Or in this case, not do. But this time, all right, she’d let it go. Not happily, but she would. She leaned into his kiss, though, her lips needing both the reassurance of his and hungering for them a bit as well. She lingered for a long moment, just savoring it and silently promising more when they were done with all these things.
And even through that frustration, her expression still softened as he kissed her hand.
She snickered softly even as she went to snag the bottle Nora had grabbed out of the old place and took a very long pull of it. “Nooooora, don’t have sex in my flat before I get to,” she said, putting on a plaintive air over the teasing.
When she heard the door open, Nora didn't even bother to feel all that embarrassed, snickering slightly as Dora told her not to have sex in her flat. Well… she guessed that was fair. She needed to christen the place first, right?
"Well then… you staying or are you going?" she asked her friend. Because if she was staying, then Nora was laying back down on the floor and drinking some more. Well no, maybe she'd get a box or two first. She was trying to be useful, after all.
Turning back to Alec she gave him a coy smile, squeezing his hand before letting him go back to work. Merlin, he was getting a reward tonight for being such a good sport.
"What do you want me to do, Dora dear. You're the boss here. I'm at your beck and call."
Once she’d had a chance to make this place hers and Ewan’s, she’d be amused if Nora and Alec managed to get up to something. She simply called, what were the words, first dibs? Whatever the hell those were.
“Staying,” she said, trying not to be a poor sport about it. It hadn’t really been an argument but gods above and below, she really hated even the appearance of losing at something. Ewan was right in that her pride was involved there. She’d always had it in spades. “You boys be careful or I’ll be helping anyway. I don’t want you hurt either.” Her eyes met Ewan’s, and she offered him a small half smile. She really didn’t want him hurt.
Though she could always kiss it better if he did. Well, silver linings, even if the thought of Ewan in pain hurt her on a deep level she wasn’t prepared to look at sober.
“Please tell me you have more alcohol than this bottle in your bag, and I guess we can unbox kitchen things,” she said, lifting the bottle in her hand before taking another swig. “I would really like to get drunk despite the way my potions are making me feel lately.” She could say that to nora, now that the menfolk were gone. She went over to one of the hastily labeled boxes and lifted it almost defiantly, setting it on the kitchen counter to open up.
Nora had to admit she was slightly surprised when Dora stayed, but she wasn't going to say anything about it. After all, wasn't her relationship, wasn't her place. Instead she gave Ewan a friendly wave and Alec… well she saved an extra special look for him. Once they were gone, she turned back to Dora, laughing out loud at her question.
"Of course I have more. What kind of barbarian do you take me for?" she asked, opening her bag which was charmed with an extra compartment and pulled out a fifth of whiskey, smiling to her friend as she put a large box on the counter.
Tilting her head she cracked open the cap, taking a long pull and putting it on the counter if Dora decided to have some. "What are your potions making you feel, Dora dear? Come on, you can tell me." She gave her a sweet look, glancing back towards the door. "And how did that all go? Everything okay?" she figured it was, but Nora was being nosy. Whatever.
“Thank the gods. Gimme,” she said with what looked and sounded and was utter relief. All right so her use of alcohol wasn’t healthy but since when had it been, anyway? Besides Ewan already knew she was likely going to get more than a bit tipsy at this point, might as well. “I wasn’t sure you’d brought it with you.”
She went ahead and took a couple of swallows, enough to be equivalent of a double shot of the whiskey, feeling the burn, making a face, and then sighing. “Rotgut tastes, darling. Next paycheck is going to the good stuff.”
She wrinkled her nose. She knew she didn’t have to tell her not to say a word to the boys. Some things stayed just between them. “I upped the anxiety potion,” she admitted as she began to unpack with quick movements, some of her lingering frustration evident in the motions. “That stuff is hard on the stomach, especially when you’re PMSing,” she said sourly. But Nora would, she hoped, understand how difficult Dora found some types of change. It was good change, yes, and she was really happy to be moving in with Ewan to a place all of their own. But happiness didn’t mean she wasn’t anxious as hell over everything going on as well.
Dora sighed gustily, movements slowing a little. “Yes. I think so,” she said more quietly. “He is going to have to learn that I get hurt sometimes and that’s okay.” She knew that was going to be an ongoing bone of contention. “And I’m going to have to remember to take his worried into account.” Which meant that,a t some point, she was going to have to seriously consider her dueling career, if she still had one. This recuperation was taking… so much longer than expected. She hated to admit that while they hadn’t thought it would end her career, it might have anyway. “I’m trying not to fuck things up.”
"Oi, I'm on a fixed income here, Dora. Don't go judging," she said, mock offense in her voice as she took the bottle back. Taking another pull for herself, she appreciated the burn, and the slight horrible taste. Actually, she didn't even taste that much anymore. Cheap whiskey was just something she was used to.
Listening to Dora silently, Nora nodded. She knew what it was like to have to up the potions because the current dose was no longer working. In her case, it was pain. But she could only imagine the havoc it would wreck on the stomach. Nora's was tough enough. "Worst time to have to get used to it then, eh?" she said with a nod in her direction, "Especially with all the changes. New place. New relationship. I don't blame you, Dor."
Sighing she took another large drink, trying to mentally calculate how much she had drank at this point and coming up short. Probably equivalent to an entire bottle of something, she was sure. Maybe a little more.
"I get you love. One hundred percent. You don't want to be seen as this fragile fucking flower that everyone needs to protect and coddle. That's not you. But yeah, I get he just wants to protect you as well. That's what relationships are, right?" Looking over at her, she raised a brow. "No like, that was a serious question. Right? Because I have no idea how this shit works." She laughed at herself after that, but sombered, trying not to make Dora feel like she wasn't listening to her or laughing of her feelings.
"It'll be some give and take, but you'll figure it out. And come on. You've gotta have some faith there. Because I need to feed off of it for myself," she teased, waggling her eyebrows at her before taking another drink. Had she even had water today?
"Fuck… think I'm getting sorta drunk.." she admitted, looking at the bottle.
Dora snorted and grinned faintly. “Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses,” she said lightly. Truth of the matter was as much as she liked the more expensive scotch and whiskey, she couldn’t afford it often either so she was used to it. Nora would know. THat’s why she could tease her about it.
And Nora wouldn’t judge in turn. She could bitch medications, healers, panic attacks, whatever, and Nora didn’t think badly of her. In turn, Dora understood her dependency on pain potions, because she’d done that for span of time, and weaning herself off them had been an incredibly difficult thing. It didn’t mean she didn’t worry for Nora, not at all. It just meant she truly understood. “Yes. I know it’ll pass. But the timing sucks, and I’m trying to manage it without actually going in about it.” And possibly without Ewan ever knowing about it. She understood his anxiety much better now than he realized, though she’d always been patient with it.
Dora laughed as well, absolving Nora with the sound of any guilt in doing so in the first place. “Yes, I think it’s part of it. I don’t think he realizes I’m built to take the pain though. It’s how I’m made.” Gods help her if he ever looked up her more sensational duels. No holds barred, she always kept on until she physically couldn’t. Even the duel that left her like she was now, she’d won it -- and then passed out from blood loss. She wondered if he would look them up. She had cuttings somewhere, in a book with her trophies and shit. Filius had kept it for her. She wrapped an arm about Nora and squeezed gently. “I’ve got faith. Don’t mind me,” she whispered, much of her remaining frustration bleeding away.
“Oh dear. Well, we can help a bit with that.” Dora had finished the one big box, but before she got another, she found a glass and filled it with water, setting it meaningfully in front of Nora. “Aaaaand… I think I snuck the chocolate in here the other day. What d’you say we have a go at it?” she suggested. She went ahead and got it out and set it in front of Nora too. “And I’ll get Ewan to make us a snack when he gets back. And if they don’t get back soon, I’m going after them to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves being idiot men.”
"We didn't!" Alec called out from just outside, his voice clearly just this side of strained as they made their way inside the apartment and set down the armoire with simultaneous groans.
"Fuck," he muttered, running his hand down over his face, shaking his head. This was going to end up being an extremely sweaty day, he could already tell. Pinching the front of his shirt to wave it back and forth in a desperate attempt at cooling himself down, he resisted the urge to make any more unpleasant noises.
"I'd ask what you put in that thing, but… I already know!" he laughed, looking to the thermostat in disbelief as Ewan turned to look at Dora, rather clearly supporting himself on the side of the armoire as he tried to catch his breath. "We'll move it into place in a moment. Just gonna get the rest of the furniture first." Magically, that was. For a bit of a break.
Squinting, Alec stared at the thermostat for a while. "You guys might want to make sure your heater isn't… broken and just heating the place unnecessarily." Finally just giving in and tugging off his shirt, Ewan seemed to recognize the merits of said action fairly promptly and followed his example as he took one last shuddering breath.
"Ready to head out?" Ewan asked, Alec nodding in response.
"Yeah." Turning to Nora, he gestured between the two of them with a pointed look. "After all of this? You. Me. Shower."
Well then. Time to finish all this up.