Work Text:
She had the words ready on the tip of her tongue. But she was terrified that they would come tumbling out and ruin everything if she opened her mouth.
Pansy moaned softly as his lips danced over her shoulders before he threw off the duvet and rolled over to get out of bed. She turned her head lazily to watch him as he picked his clothes up from where they lay scattered on the floor from the night before. He shot her a bashful grin before darting into the bathroom. She watched his arse unabashed as he walked away.
A few moments later, the shower started, and she could hear the water slapping against the tiles. She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair in a useless attempt to tame the bird's nest, hoping for it to resemble something more like her usual neat bob once again. Her hairbrush was around his flat, along with a few other accessories. They spent so much time at his place that she felt she had almost moved in. Some of her clothes hung from the rail by the window next to a pile of shoes. And her toothbrush and make-up cluttered his bathroom sink.
Pansy hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on the top, her eyes glued to the bathroom door. She could see it happen before her eyes, the words tumbling out and changing everything. His smile would disappear with a look of awkward confusion. When they had fallen into bed together, they had agreed that under no circumstances should either of them catch feelings. She had broken the rules, well and truly.
But what was she to do now? Did she stay where she was living a lie with someone who said all the right things and acted in the right way who didn’t feel the same? Or did she move on knowing that the chances of her finding someone as good were near impossible? Being here with him was a strange sort of lonely, and she hated it - hated that even though it was all physical, it felt so real.
Daphne had asked her why she felt the need to rock the boat. While with him, she was unavailable to anyone her parents wanted to set her up with. The old, rich men, who just wanted a trophy wife and a broodmare. Her parents were willing to look the other way for so long, especially as he was of pure blood. But she couldn’t fight the gnawing feeling that she wanted more. He was an attentive lover, and the sex was possibly the best she’d ever had. While they were intimate, she felt like the only woman in the world. Afterwards, however, he’d draw back again, and the contrast made the loneliness so much worse.
Her gaze moved back to the bathroom door, and she sighed. She didn’t want to ruin everything, but she desperately wanted more.
~~~
He pressed his head against the tiles as the water poured over his neck and back. What was he going to do? The woman currently in his bed was perfect. He had known as soon as she met his eye in the shop. Beautiful grey eyes over a bouquet of cream and orange tulips. He wondered whether it was a sign for him to grow a pair and make a move. Orange tulips represent passion and desire, while cream tulips represent eternal love.
Growling in frustration, he lifted his head into the shower stream. The words stuck in his throat, held prisoner by the fear that he could ruin everything. Neville knew that if he so much as uttered the words, she would pull away and flee, never to be seen again.
He longed for more with her than just the physical love they shared. He had never been one for having purely physical relationships, but he couldn’t say no to her. She guided the conversation, and he just went along for the ride, happy for any attention she would pay him.
Women like Pansy didn’t look in his direction ever, so what he had done to capture hers was beyond him. If he was honest with himself, he could see them building a life together and having children, sharing lazy Sunday mornings in bed or late nights on the sofa.
If only he could fight the paralysing fear that she would laugh at him. Why would he open his mouth and ruin everything when he could remain near her in the capacity she wanted?
He quickly finished showering and dried off before pulling his clothes on. He perched on the closed toilet, staring at the door in front of him. What was he going to do?
~~~
The door opened, and she looked up and smiled as Neville reappeared, looking delectable with his damp hair and a flannel shirt with jeans. Her heart gave a leap, and she wanted him all over again. He smiled, looking nervous as he towelled his hair.
“There are fresh towels in there if you want to shower, too,” He offered as he sat on the bed beside her.
She nodded, not trusting her voice. They held each other's gaze briefly before looking away, terrified that he would see her heart and know her feelings.
She stood and grabbed a clean pair of knickers from her bag before looking at the clothes on the rail.
“What are your plans for the rest of the weekend?” He asked. She closed her eyes momentarily as she imagined him asking her out. She prayed he would.
“I’m having tea with my mother tomorrow lunchtime, but otherwise, I’m as free as a bird. You?” She asked, turning around to look at him.
“Grans got me doing an inventory of the back room tomorrow. It’s going to take forever,” He groaned before taming the wild mess the towel had made of his hair with a comb.
“Sounds like that’ll keep you busy for a while,” She agreed before returning her gaze to the rail. She pretended to look at the material of her shirts on the rail while she waited for Neville to say something else. Please say something else, Pansy silently begged him.
“Yeah, we had a massive order delivered on Thursday that still needs going through,” He added, and she sighed.
“Anything pretty?” She asked before choosing a shirt and turning around again.
“We got some Viola Swiss Pansies. They’re huge! And beautiful,”
“Aren’t all Pansies beautiful?” She asked with a smile. This was better; this could lead somewhere. He dared to blush. She found it so endearing and wondered why he blushed.
“Some more than others,” He nodded, averting his eyes.
“Which ones are your favourite?” She teased—fishing, hopefully for a compliment.
“I love the WonderFall Pansy,” He said as he tightened the towel in his hands, twisting it into a rope and then loosening it again.
“Oh, erm, yeah. They’re lovely,” She agreed, trying to avoid showing her disappointment as she moved towards the bathroom. “I’m just going to shower,” she muttered needlessly as she pointed to the door. She reached for the handle of the bathroom just as he spoke again.
“My favourite is you,” She froze, her skin blazing hot as his admission sank in. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and she wondered whether she had misheard him.
~~~
“Sorry?” She asked. He kept his eyes down, staring at every fibre of the towel. If she was going to reject him, he didn’t need to see it. She was giving him a chance to take it back, to say something else.
“I said, My favourite is you,” He repeated. In for a penny, in for a pound. “I can’t keep doing this, Pansy.”
“Doing what?” He risked a glance at her and almost wished he hadn’t. She stood naked by his bathroom door, only the diaphanous shirt and panties hiding her from view. She was flawless. Her pale skin and raven wing-coloured hair reminded him of a fairytale princess. He couldn’t keep doing this. It wasn’t fair.
“I can’t keep doing what we’re doing. We can’t keep sleeping together,”
“What? Why?” She sounded panicked as she took a step closer. “Am I not…Do you not enjoy it?” She seemed vulnerable and insecure, but that wasn’t the Pansy he knew.
“Enjoy it? Pansy, I’m addicted, and I can’t get enough!” He snorted sardonically before looking back down at the towel.
“Then what’s the problem?” She asked, taking another step closer. He could hear the soft press of her feet on the bare floor as she neared.
“I’ve broken the rules. I love you,”
It was there. Out, reverberating against the bare brick walls surrounding them. Neville closed his eyes like a coward, unwilling to watch her reject him.
“Love?” She asked breathily. “You love me?” her voice was so quiet that he wasn’t sure he heard her, but he nodded before looking up at her.
“I have done since you walked into my shop. But I can’t keep doing this, as mindblowing as it is, if I can’t keep you to myself. Whenever I’ve thought about telling you, I’ve kept it to myself, fearing you’ll leave. But It’s almost slipped out so many times that if I don’t tell you how I feel, one day it will, and you’ll leave me anyway and-”
“-I love you too,” she interrupted.
“Wait, what?” His heart stopped as she stood before him, a smile forming on her perfect ruby lips.
“I love you too. I’ve wanted to tell you so many times. I broke the rule too. The minute we made the stupid thing,” She laughed and covered her mouth, her clothes dropping to the floor.
“Pansy-” He started, but she launched herself at him, pressing their lips together. Her skin was chilled against his warm hands.
“Ask me out already,” She breathed before kissing him again.
“Will you go out with me?” He asked as they rolled back onto the unmade bed.
“Yes,” They laughed as they became a flurry of fevered hands and lips as she began to peel off his clothes.
“I love you,” He growled into her neck.
“Say that again,” She groaned as she lowered herself onto him. They groaned and paused momentarily, savouring the feeling of being engulfed and impaled—the feeling of being so connected in body and heart.
“I love you,” He pushed his hands into her hair, balled his hands into fists and grabbed her hair. Then pulled her down, crushing her to his lips and bucking his hips into her simultaneously.
Small whimpers began to escape her lips as they moved together. At some point, the pace slowed as they made love for the first time. Devouring each other's noises and moving to encourage more.
He rolled over, moving her to her back and moaning as she wrapped her legs around his waste.
Taking her nipple into his mouth, he rocked into her, feeling her hot and tight around him. Her panting moans and muttered commands filled his ears, spurring him on.
Why had he not told her before? Why had they both wasted so much time?
“There, there. Don’t stop! Gods, I love you, Neville,” She moaned as she tightened around him.
“Say it again,” he grunted before taking her other nipple between his lips. She cried out, tightening her legs around his waist and pulling him in tight.
“Oh, Gods! Neville, I’m coming! I fucking love you!” She screamed and panted as her muscles tightened around him, fluttering against him as she came around his cock. “I love you,” She repeated, tugging at his hair.
“Good girl,” he growled again as he picked up the pace chasing his orgasm and prolonging hers.
With how tight and wet she was, it wasn’t long before his orgasm shattered his momentum as he came hard, spasming through the pleasure.
The silence surrounding them was only punctuated by their panting breaths as they lay in their hot embrace.
“I love you,” They breathed together as he rolled and collapsed onto the bed beside her.
“That was…” He panted with an appreciative nod.
“It was! If I knew that was possible, I’d have told you ages ago!”
“Same. Definitely! Wow!” He laughed as she cuddled up to him.
“I love you,” She said as they both yawned.
“I love you too,” he replied as he pulled the duvet back over them.