🥀 TOCTUA'S FRIENDS TO LOVERS [PART III] 🥀
⤷ ⌞PART I HERE⌝ ⤷ ⌞PART II HERE⌝
🥀Tom did everything in increments, as much as he knew Noctua would accept. It was slow going and yet it seemed to be moving at full speed.
🥀That year he was again able to visit the Cowells for the summer. Noctua's father had married for the second time and the “friends” were going to spend the summer together in a secluded wilderness.
August was to pass alone, except that her youngest stepbrother would stay with them while their parents vacationed on their honeymoon. Goosebumps ran down Riddle's spine at the mere thought of them being so close together.
For the first time in his life, Tom Riddle accepted this overwhelming truth for himself. He had fallen in love, and ironically it wasn't just his friend, but his blood. How far was he still willing to fall?
“Oh, so deep until it all works out.” He thought determinedly, watching Noctua's blonde hair glow in the August sunlight.
Here, far away from everyone, he was not overcome by gloomy thoughts. It seemed today this quiet and cozy atmosphere got under his skin. They were sitting on the back patio of her parents' house. It was amazing how free Tom Riddle felt at that moment, even though he had blood on his hands again, this time Gaunt's and Riddle's.
“Someday that rich muggle mansion will be our family estate.” He thought as he watched Noctua go through her strawberries, occasionally giving berries to the Mooncalfs running around.
Her gaze lifts to his, so trusting and warm. She silently offers him one particularly large berry. Pampering him as she has done since they met. Tom's ego swells at such a gesture, and he takes a seat closer, his hair slightly disheveled. Noctua reaches out to him with her free hand, tucking the young man's silky black hair, exposing his pale face to the sun.
In that very instant, he realizes that now is the time. Noctua can gloss over their feelings all she wants, he's not going to play hide and seek anymore.
“Kiss me,” Tom says bluntly, looking firmly into her blushing face.
“Absolutely not,” a nervous grin slides across her lips. “Tom, don't be silly.”
“Are you worried because we're related?” he raises an eyebrow.
“That too.”
“Now THIS is the really stupid part,” he practically interrupts her, which makes Noctua frown, ”Pureblood wizards marry their cousins all the time.”
“Tom please,” she tries to speak softly, her gaze resting on the spots on the back of one of the Mooncalf's, fingers twitching as Tom grabs her hand, ”We're not going to get married.”
“Not right now,” he parries, the feeling that he's been honing this conversation in his head, ”That doesn't mean it won't happen in the future.”
Noctua turned to him in surprise, surprise bordering on shock on her face. “Don't sound so sure.”
Tom chuckles, leaning closer to her, almost towering over her small figure.
“You can avoid this conversation all you want, but it won't make the situation any easier. I mean, you already understand,” Tom states deftly.
He picks up a strawberry with his fingers and presents it to her lips, Noctua puckers her lips at first, but eventually takes a bite. A few sweet drops fall on her chin, Tom is ready to howl at the sight, hormones raging inside him. He finishes this berry, his dark gaze, lingering and languorous, making Noctua nervous.
“Is it good?” she asks cautiously.
“Didn't taste it.” Tom waves it away, with a grin that doesn't promise anything good.
“Want some more?”
“Yeah.”
She reaches for the bucket of berries, Tom's arms wrapping around Noctua's frail shoulders. He presses her back against his chest. “One kiss, that's all I ask.”
She sighs heavily, the words sticking in Noctua's throat. He waits patiently for her to dare to respond.
“Just one.”
This is a first kiss for both of them. Noctua tensed all tense, her fingers trembling as she looked up at him, her lower lip trembling slightly. Tom on the contrary was calm, too calm she thought. When his lips covered hers, the first thing they both felt was the stickiness after the strawberry and its sweetness. The kiss was careless but insistent, making both of them dizzy.
Just one kiss? That's the tricky part.
