#meadowmouse

10 November, 1977.

Peter still wasn't sure if he was technically allowed to be hanging out in Dorcas' dorm all the time, but it had been a couple of weeks since they started studying in their rooms together and they hadn't been caught yet. He liked the solitude it provided them, giving them an opportunity to hang out together and actually get some homework done -- when they weren't distracting each other, of course.

He was sitting back against her headboard, thumbing through his Charms textbook late in the afternoon. The room was otherwise empty, but he didn’t know where her dorm mates had run off to. "You know, I'm not all that worried about NEWTs," he confessed to his girlfriend, who he’d wrapped one arm around to keep her close while he did his homework. "Charms is shaping up to be my most difficult exam, if you can believe that."

To be honest, Dorcas was just a little frustrated. Her and Peter had been seeing each other for some time now, and really, it was great. He made her smile like no one else had ever been able to do, and feel things she never thought she could even feel about another person. Suffice it to say, she was pretty bloody over the moon about him. Unfortunately, that’s where her dilemma comes in. Over the past week or so, she’d started to drop some subtle, and some not so subtle hints that she was interested in taking their relationship a little further. But, try (and boy had she been trying) as she might, her adorable, and utterly oblivious boyfriend hadn’t shown any signs that he was even close catching on. She’d even been inviting him to her conveniently /empty/ dorm room in hopes that he would finally get the bloody hint, and even with that: nothing. She was beginning to wonder if she was going to have to hold up some giant, neon sign over her head, and spell it out for him.

Her own Potions book sat, closed, on her lap as she somewhat listened to him ramble on and on about classes and whatever else. There was a small part of her that felt a little bad that she wasn’t paying as close attention to what he was saying as she probably should have, but that was quickly snuffed out by the fact that, once again, they were doing the exact opposite of what she’d hoped for. That was when a sudden thought stuck her. Maybe a direct approach really would be better? It was worth a try, wasn’t it? After all, she’d tried practically everything else. “Mhm,” she hummed randomly in response, not even sure if that made any sense to what he was talking about, as she leaned in and started nuzzling at his neck. “Totally.”

Peter had never gone to the next step with a girl before. In fact, all of the firsts in a relationship had been with Dorcas, with the exception of his first kiss. The first kiss he'd initiated had been with her, though, and he thought that counted for something. Suffice to say, he had no idea when they were supposed to be moving to another level. Was it normal to feel like he wanted to be with her in a closer capacity than their current situation? His friends seemed to think so, but he wasn't sure she would, so he was taking his time.

Apparently, he was taking too much time. He smiled when she cuddled up a little closer, and he ran his fingers lightly along her shoulder. "You're not even listening, are you?" He teased. He didn't mind, honestly. He was mostly just rambling to fill the silences.

That he caught. Of course. But at least it was something; she found early on that she could never be annoyed with him for too long. He had an uncanny ability to completely turn around even her most sourest of moods. How he did that, though, she hadn’t the faintest clue.

Dorcas felt a smile tug at her lips, before she ran them gently over his jaw. “Nope,” she murmured softly, her hands reaching up to curl softly at his shoulder. “You distracted me, and Potions is boring.”

He chuckled and turned his head to catch her lips momentarily. "How did I distract you?" He grinned when he pulled away. "I was talking about homework!" But she was right; Potions was the most boring subject in the world.

She hummed happily into the kiss, but before she had time to react and press herself closer to him, he was suddenly breaking away from their much too short contact and moving back. “Because,” she huffed, sliding her hand up to the back of his neck, “you’re very, very cute,” she stated with a cheeky grin. “And I found I really wanted to kiss my very, very cute boyfriend, and not study like we have been all week.”

He smiled easily when she tried to pull him back and managed to keep him at least anchored, with his attention away from his books. "Aww, well thank you, love," he answered. "Don't you think that's a little dramatic, though? We have not been doing this all week." There were some nights where a lot more snogging than studying happened.

Her lips pursed in disappointment as she leveled him with an even stare. “No,” she grumbled, her gut telling her that she was most likely going to be spending another night, actually studying. But, at the same time, he’d actually brought up something that she could work off of, or so she hoped. “True, but - what if I told you that I was interested in doing more than just kissing you? What would you say to that?” Her stomach twisted in knots at her rather blunt question, but was she ever glad she’d said it. Of course, it was much more awkward when spoken out loud, that much was obvious, but wasn’t that what being in a relationship was all about? Talking things over? They’d done it for other things they’d come across. Why should this be any different?

He couldn't help but chuckle at the little huff that took over her tone. It was one of his favorite things she did, even though he knew she was annoyed when she did it. Her question took him by surprise, though. If he hadn't been sitting, he might have fallen over. "Oh. I-I don't know." Brilliant. He was already blushing. "What did you have in mind?"

Nervous as she was about being so direct with him (oh, if only the subtlety had worked), his wide eyes and her favorite blush sent that familiar rush of affection through her, a breathy giggle tumbling past her lips. “What do you think?” She asked him with a gentle, knowing smile. “If you’re not up for taking that step, though, that’s fine. I just really wanted to let you know that I was,” she admitted with an embarrassed shrug, starting to feel rather silly with how she went about the whole things as she spoke of it out loud. “I kind of have been dropping little hints to you about it, but yeah - you didn’t seem to pick up on them. I just - yeah.” It was one thing to want something, but another to ask for it, as she was quickly coming to realize. This may have been a huge mistake on her part. Why did she always have to act before she thought things through? “I’m staring to feel like a huge idiot, right now, actually.”

"No, hey, don't feel like an idiot," he was quick to insist. He tossed his book on the floor and took her hands in his. Awkward as this was to talk about, he didn't want her to think she was the problem. "Some of the hints have not been subtle," he reminded with a gentle grin. "And I want to, Doe. I swear I do. I just never have before." Yep, he was only turning redder. "I don't want to mess it up."

Her mouth fell open slightly as his words registered. He had noticed? “Why didn’t you say anything?” Dorcas asked. Or act on it, her mind followed. But then he said it. Now, she knew he’d never had sex before; he’d told her so himself a while ago, but never had he said that he was afraid of ruining things because of that. His assurance about taking that step with her only made her heart speed on faster, an almost dopey look coming to her face as she twined their fingers together. “Pete, I don’t care about that,” she said sweetly, and shook her head. “And you won’t mess it up. We’ll work on it together, whenever it happens.” His doubt took a lot for him to admit, and she knew it, especially since he knew she wasn’t a virgin herself, but what was most important to her at the end of everything, was that he knew that that wasn’t what this was about for her; it being perfect. For her, this was about connecting in a way that meant something, with someone you really cared about, and Dorcas really cared about Peter; a hell of a lot. She wanted this with him, for him. “Okay?”

The way she smiled made him want to go for it all the more. She was so sweet and kind and adorable-- and sexy, he had to admit-- and he didn't want to shoot her down just because he was nervous. And even if she didn't think so, he'd been picking up nearly all her hints. Part of the delay had been him trying to figure out if she actually wanted to go to the next level or if he was reading too much into it. There was no denying the answer anymore, though.

"I know we will," he smiled and tugged her to sit on his lap. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. I had trouble asking to kiss you for the first time," he reminded with a grin.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” she giggled teasingly as he pulled at her, and quickly moved to straddle his hips, expression slightly demure as their gazes met. “I’m sorry that I went and ruined your studying,” she said sheepishly, motioning to the book he’d gone and sent to the ground during their conversation. “Your poor Charms books didn’t deserve such a cruel fate.” Dorcas knew she’d taken an immature route in the beginning, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to smack herself repeatedly. Sometimes she got a little too carried away, and while, yes, it was a benefit it some ways, in others, not so much.  

“Wait - excuse you? I think I know exactly what I’m getting into, here,” she countered with a playful poke to his forehead. “Your nervousness was wonderfully charming, I thought, and you certainly don’t seem to have any more trouble kissing me now, do you?” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned herself even further into his embrace, and ever-so softly, pressed her lips against the corner of his. “Because I think our wonderful snogging-fests we’ve had on this very bed state otherwise.”

"You're not sorry in the slightest. Don't lie," he laughed. "Besides, my Charms book will live to see another day," he added and pressed his lips more fully to his. No, he didn't have any trouble kissing her now, and he doubted he'd have trouble sleeping with her a month from now either, but it was a big step for now. He wanted to make sure it was right for her.

"So when will everyone else be back?" He asked as he drew away and settled his hands on her hips.

"I am so,” she protested, pout firmly in face, “and honestly, I’m quite offended that you would think otherwise.” His kiss though, was more than enough to make her momentarily push aside her supposed hurt as she slid her hands up to cradle the sides of his face. “Some boyfriend you are,” she whispered between each press of their lips. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t as sorry as she’d originally said. But really, when there was a choice between snogging her wonderful boyfriend and studying for her ruddy boring Potions class, there was an abundantly clear winner, no hesitation in sight.  

Dorcas let out a groan when he, once again, broke off their kiss, and tucked her face, defeated, into his neck. “I dunno,” she sighed. “Couple hours, I think?”

"Hey, I am a brilliant boyfriend," Peter laughed. "And I think you know that, don't you?" He teased and kissed the top of her head when she burrowed her face against his neck. "Oh, don't pout. There's a lot we could do in a couple hours," he pointed out.

“Maybe,” she shot back, and snuggled her body more firmly into his, another, quiet sigh leaving her at the feel of him kissing at her hair. “Oh, yeah? Like what? I’m not studying, I can tell you that right now,” she told him as she finally lifted her head up, nose wrinkling in disgust as she shot her textbook a withering glare as it sat near the head of her bed, Slughorn be damned.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her question. "Doe," he insisted, blushing only a little this time. "Are you paying me back for not responding to your hints or are you just not picking up on mine now?"

Dorcas, for a moment, was struck dumb; a tiny, strangled noise leaping from her throat a she struggled to come to terms with what he’d just said. Was he serious? Her heart slammed and crashed against her ribs so violently she was afraid they’d break under the pressure. “Y-you’re serious?” She stuttered. “I- I mean, not that I wouldn’t want to, because, obviously, I do, but we just talked about this. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do it because I want to. I want you to want it, too,” she babbled, a guilt gripping at her at the thought that he was only saying this because of her. She didn’t want to to happen that way, she never had.

The noise was one of the most endearing things he'd ever heard from her, and he didn't think it had been possible for her to be even more endearing. "I do want to," he said, although he was concerned that she wasn't ready for it based on the way she was reacting. That was exactly why he hadn't pushed it to begin with. "Maybe we're both too hysterical for this right now," he chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe we can plan it out or something so we're not so caught off guard? I dunno--whatever you want, love."

“No!” The word practically burst itself from her mouth, her hands grasping at his shoulders as though she thought he was suddenly going to move away from her. “No, it’s not that,” she continued, much more calmly, a blush darkening her cheeks and a bit of her neck as she realized how loud, and ridiculous she’d sounded. “Like I said, I just didn’t want you to feel obligated to have sex with me just because I said I wanted to. But if you really do want to—” she trailed off suggestively, her teeth digging into her bottom lip as she tried to fight off a grin. “And no, to planning. Unless you want to. I, personally, think that kind of kills the fun factor, though. Planned sex,” she added with a tilt of her head.

Now, Peter couldn't help but have a little fun of his own teasing her. "You know, I think you could argue that we're already planning it, considering how much we've been talking about it," he said, trying to fight a grin.

Dorcas’ eyes narrowed dangerously, before a downright mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. So, that was the type of game he wanted to play. “You think so, do you?” She taunted ominously, and without warning, or letting him have chance to respond, she pressed her palms flat against his chest, and pushed him onto his back. “Maybe I’m done talking now,” she drawled slyly as she bent down until her lips were a hairsbreadth away from his. “That okay with you?”

Peter let out a quiet "oof," of surprise as she pushed him down, his eyes wide. He leaned up to press his lips to hers with a groan. "You better not be teasing me," he whined, thinking it wouldn't be easy to calm down after this. "That's fine, love."

His groan reverberated through her, and she only kissed him even harder in response, one of her hands coming up to tangle in his hair, while the other one caught into the fabric at his shoulder. “Not teasing, promise,” she breathed against his mouth, a small, giddy exhale escaping at his words; what he was telling her. “Thank freakin’ Merlin,” and with that, she crashed their lips together again with a fervor, as butterflies ricocheted around in her stomach, almost unable to comprehend that this was actually happening.

[ after ]

What kind of idiot had he been to put this off for so long? He dropped back onto the bed once they'd finished, trying to catch his breath. That was the most strenuous exercise he'd ever had and it was incredible--beyond words, really. He couldn't even formulate a proper thought after all that, so he just grinned stupidly up at the ceiling while he tried to catch his breath.

Dorcas fell forward, collapsing on his chest, her body still thrumming as she snuggled into him, exhausted, but with an incredibly, incredibly happy smile etched on her lips. It had been awkward, for sure; filled with endless giggling, babbling, and whispered words and assurances, but that was what she loved so much about it. It was honest, it was real, and just them. It was perfect, as far as she was concerned. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Peter grinning, and she couldn’t help but giggle stupidly, her fondness for him practically soaring in her chest. “You okay, there?” She whispered, her hand gliding along his side in a gentle rhythm.

Peter drew in a deep breath and nodded, his heart pounding harder than he thought it ever had before. "I just...bloody hell," he exhaled and glanced over to her. "That was amazing. You're amazing."

“Yeah, well, you’re pretty amazing, yourself,” she said, brushing a bit of hair away from her face as she sat up slightly to flash him a sweet smile. “Never going to be able to look at Potions or Charms the same way ever again, either,” she teased.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "It's certainly going to make class more interesting," he teased back and glanced up at her. "You're gorgeous, you know that?" He murmured as he sat up to catch her lips with his once again.

Dorcas felt a rush of warmth envelope her at his words as she leaned down and into his kiss, smiling against his mouth. “You’re just saying that because we just got done shagging,” she said playfully, reaching up run her fingers over his cheek. “But thank you, anyway.”

"I think it all the time, but it doesn't hurt that you're starkers right now," he teased and wrapped his arms around her. "Come back here. We're not getting up yet," he decided, unable to get enough of her.

“Yeah, I sure bet that helps,” she rolled her eyes, but with her smile still firmly in place, the effect was lost. “I wasn’t getting up,” she laughed, her hands resting at his shoulders. “Trust me, I don’t want to go anywhere, either.”

Peter grinned up at her, resting his hands on top of hers. He never would have expected the skin on skin contact to be as soothing as it was, but he didn't think he ever wanted her to put on clothes again. Well, maybe for classes and the like. That would be a little awkward. And she was beautiful; he didn't want anyone else staring at her like he got to. "Good. Let's not, then."

It was strange, really, that something as simple as her hands in someone else’s would be so comforting, but it was. It so was. “Okay,” she nodded simply, and slowly leaned back down to tuck her head into his neck, placing a few, soft kisses there. “Not to be a downer, but we going to have to get up eventually, though, I’m afraid. I don’t think you want my roommates coming in and seeing us like this.”

Peter let out a drawn out sigh at the realization. "Wouldn't that be a sight?" He joked. "Can you imagine the scandal we'd cause?" He turned to kiss her again before he released her and sat up. "The real challenge is going to be figuring out where you flung my clothes," he laughed as he looked around.

“A huge scandal, to be sure,” she said, her fingers tracing little, absentminded patterns across his skin. “Oh please,” she scoffed, feeling suddenly cold and strangely empty as he took his arms from around her. Why did she say anything again? “Your clothes aren’t that far. Want to tell me how my shirt got all the way over on Amelia’s bed, though? I mean, it’s a pretty impressive feat, really,” she said, pointing over to the bed to the far left, where her shirt was half-hazardly hanging.

Peter glanced over in that direction and laughed. "I'm a lot stronger than I look," he waggled his eyebrows at her. "Or I was just really excited," he added with a faint blush. He shivered as he moved to grab his clothes and tug them on, finding he was suddenly freezing without her body heat.

Dorcas grinned as she propped herself on her side, chin nestled in her hand, “I think so, too,” she shot back, voice heavy with a clear double meaning as she raised her own brows in return.

He laughed and turned bright red again as he tugged on his boxers and pants. "Oh, stop it," he groaned and sat down again, burying his face against her neck.

“Hey, you’re the one who said it, not me,” she giggled, her hands coming up to card her fingers through his hair as he nestled against her. “I was just agreeing with you, darling.” She could feel the heat from his cheeks as he pressed his face into her neck, and it made her wrap her free arm around his shoulders to hold him tighter to her.

"Well aren't you just so obliging?" He teased and kissed her neck. "I love you, Doe," he murmured after a moment, though he almost immediately felt like it was something he shouldn't have said. In a moment of panic, it felt too soon. What if she didn't want to say it back yet? What if he'd put her on the spot? What if she didn't feel it, too? Oh, this was bad.

“I’d like to think so,” she laughed, a slight shiver running down her spine at the feel of his lips at her neck. But that was quick to change when she heard what he’d said next, her whole body going rigid as those four, heavy words echoed loudly around in her head. “Pete, w-what?” Her voice was breathy and scratched in her shock as she pulled back from him arms, not sure what to do or say, her thoughts running rampant. He loved her? Did he mean it? Was it just a heat of the moment thing? After what they did? Dorcas didn’t know. It was all so much to process, and so soon; so, so soon, and her was just so confused.

Peter stared back at her, his eyes wide in obvious horror. She didn't feel the same way. Of course she didn't; they'd been dating for a month. Why would she? "I-I," he tried to begin, but had nothing to say. There was no coming back from this. He wasn't about to lie to her and retract it, because he did love her. He just hadn't known it so completely until now. "Yep." He didn't know why that was all he could say, but there it was.

Dorcas quickly sat up, clutching her sheets to her chest as though it were some sort of anchor to keep her rooted into the floor. He wasn’t denying it. He wasn’t taking it back, or saying anything that would lead her to believe otherwise. “B-but —.” Words were far past her at this point, however. They’d only been together for a little over month! Could someone fall in love that fast? Was it possible? She didn’t know; she wasn’t experienced in the least in that area, and it frightened her somewhat. “I don’t know what to say,” she finally squeaked out. She cared for Peter an incredible deal, she truly did. But love? She just wasn’t there yet, and even though she knew she shouldn’t feel bad about that, she didn’t want to hurt Peter, either.

Yeah, he'd been afraid of that. "You don't have to," he blurted out quickly, though his gaze dropped to the bed. "I'm sorry--that was stupid to..." To what? Spring on her? Tell her at all? Feel? "I mean, I shouldn't have." He'd put her on the spot and that wasn't fair. They'd been having a nice time and he completely ruined it. "I-I should probably go," he added and sprang up from the bed to grab the rest of his clothes.

That was exactly what she didn’t want to happen; him blaming and berating himself for what he felt. No one could control that, and she knew that with absolute certainly. But before she could reach out and console him; reassure that he most definitely wasn’t stupid in the slightest, her was suddenly up and moving away from her. Her heart twisted sharply in her chest as she immediately moved to chase after him, wrapping her sheet completely around her body as she went. “Pete, no. Please don’t leave,” she implored him, rushing over to his side and grabbed for his arm. “Please.” How had such an amazing day, turned so so much, and so fast?

He steeled himself before he could dare look back at her. He'd been embarrassed before, but this was an entirely new kind of gut-wrenching, horror-filled embarrassment. There was no coming back from this, he feared. With one impulsive phrase, he'd ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him. But he forced himself to keep breathing and looked back at her. "I'm sorry."

He was distraught; it was written clear across his face, and it snared viciously at her. “No, you don’t need to apologize,” she whispered assuringly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t help how you feel.” Dorcas slide her hand up his arm until it was timidly cradling his jaw, hoping that she wasn’t overstepping or making him uncomfortable when he was so obviously upset. “Peter, I care about you so, so much,” she told him, wanting, more than anything, to make sure he knew that. “I’m just - I’m not there. But I don’t want you to think that I’m angry with you, or anything, or that this somehow changes how I do feel about you.”

He frowned down at her and muttered, "It was stupid. It's too soon. I should have known better." He didn't know what else to say but to keep trying to backtrack. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot." He anchored his hands on her waist and swooped down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I know you're not angry," he assured. But he was angry with himself. What had he been thinking?

“Stop it. It was not stupid,” she said sternly, her thumb tracing a gentle arc along his cheekbone in what she hoped was a reassuring and comforting manner. “You surprised me, yeah, and I’m kind of overwhelmed, because — I mean, that’s huge, but we’ll talk about it. We’ll work it out like we have been, right?” His grip at her hips and his kiss settled her frazzled nerves and took some of the panic away. “I don’t want you kicking yourself over this, either.”

It was hard to stay in such a negative cloud of emotions when she was being so comforting. He gave a light smile and set one hand atop hers. "I just don't want to screw this up," he confessed, his tone edging a little too close to scared for his liking. "I don't know what I'd do if this ended over something stupid I said."

Dorcas smiled softly at him; reassuringly. “I don’t want to sit here and lie to you about what is or what isn’t going to happen,” she said. “Because that’s just it: we don’t know. None of us do, but we just have to take things day by day and work at them the best we can. I know it’s scary, especially when you’re dealing with new things, or relationships,” she mimed between them with a quiet laugh, “but that’s normal. It’s okay to feel like that; to be scared. It shows that you care about it, that is means something to you.” Raising herself up on her toes, she placed a sweet kiss on his chin. “Again, you didn’t say anything stupid today. Though, I can’t say you won’t say anything stupid ever, of course,” she trailed off teasingly. The more she spoke, the better she felt, because she realized, she wasn’t just saying this for Peter, she was saying it for herself, too.

He gave a quiet laugh and at her words and kissed her forehead. "I do say a lot of stupid things," he confessed. "So brace yourself, because those are coming your way. I am sorry, though. I guess--" he let out a deep breath and shook his head. "I guess it just snuck up on me, you know? I just blurted it out and I should have thought beforehand." He pulled her into a hug and smiled as he rested his head on her shoulder. "You always make me feel better, you know that?"

 “No. Stop. Saying. You’re. Sorry,” she snapped, each word punctuated with a sharp poke to his side. “I’ll start tickling you next, so help me, Peter. I mean it.” But he was so much calmer, and his laugh nearly lit her up, she was so relieved. “Things happen, but we’re talking about it now. That’s what’s important,” she nodded, a wonderful, endearing warmth surrounding her as she cuddled closer into his arms. “Do I?” She murmured, smiling against his chest, wondering if he knew how much that meant to hear him say that. “I’m really glad.”

He squeaked when she poked him and couldn't help but laugh even if she wasn't tickling him yet. "Okay, no more saying it! I give!" He assured and wrapped his arms all the tighter around her waist. "Can we just be naked and happy again?" He teased.

 “Mmh. That’s exactly what I thought,” she sang, her responding giggle quiet, but full of relief at the reassuring feel of his arms curling tighter at her hips. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m still very much naked under here,” she said, ticking her head down towards the sheets haphazardly wrapped around her frame. “You’re the one who’s dressed.”

"Oh, are you?" He asked as nonchalantly as humanly possible before he hooked his index finger in the sheet she wore. He gave a gentle tug and playfully peered down in. "Bloody hell, you are!" He grinned and kissed her again. "Want to join me in the shower?" He hummed against her lips, figuring he could spare a few more minutes before her roommates found their way back to the dorm.

“Hey,” she squeaked when she felt him pull at the front of the sheet covering her front, and gave his hand a tiny, reprimanding smack. “Look at you. Sex once, and you’re insatiable already,” she said with a joking narrow of her eyes. Though she was still concerned about his sudden confession; both for her and for him, and what it would mean, it was nice to just focus on the happy for the moment; the uncomplicated. Dorcas ran her fingers up his neck, tongue skimming along his bottom lip as he kissed her; a flittering and eager feeling spreading through around her at his incredibly welcome suggestion. “I think I’d like that very much,” she murmured warmly as she titled her head back to flash him a mischievous grin.

He couldn't help but groan as she ran her tongue along his lip. His fingers curled around her hips and locked there with a firm grip. "I can't help it," he murmured as he bent over to kiss her neck. "Have you seen you? I mean, really," he grinned and gave her bare skin a playful nip before he pulled away to shuck off his clothes again.

Dorcas let out a breathy giggle as his hands fanned out at her sides; lips skimming across her neck as he spoke. “You mean really, huh?” His grin just about did her in right then and there, and suddenly, it was her turn to let out a tiny whine as she felt his teeth bite at her skin, a pleasant shiver running through her as she moved to help him with his clothes; fingers bunching into the fabric of his shirt as she helped him yank it off. “Remind me again: why did you put your clothes back on?”

Peter shuddered when he heard her whine. It was doing things to him that they were not going to make it to the shower to deal with. "Good question," he breathed out and kicked off the pants he'd tugged on half-heartedly. He didn't think she wanted to dive back into what had led up to that, though, so he didn't bother with it. He just wanted to go back to the fun stuff instead of the part where he'd made everything awkward.

 “At least we’re dealing with that dilemma now,” she laughed as she watched him hurriedly kick his pants across the floor. “Though, I have to say, we aren’t doing much better about not tossing our clothes every which way, are we?” Not that she cared all that much, really. It wasn’t like her friends were home yet, after all; they both still had a bit of time to have a bit more fun to themselves before then.

"You started it this time. That's not my fault," he defended with a grin before he bent down and scooped her up bridal style, sheet and all. "We can deal with those later, probably." He just wanted to get her all wet and naked again. Was that so wrong?

 “I so did not,” she protested. “You’re the one who, and I quote, “wanted to be naked and happy again.” This was so not on me, mister.” Her words were quickly proceeded by another shrill squeak as she found herself being lifted up into the air, her hands shooting out to grasp tight to Peter’s shoulders. “Merlin’s beard,” she giggled. “Give a girl a warning, would you?”

 "Are you saying you don't want to be naked and happy again?" He joked and kissed her on the cheek. He burst out laughing when she squeaked, mostly out of relief that he wasn't the only one who made those sounds. It was cuter when she did it, anyway. "Where's the fun in that? Gotta be able to catch you by surprise, don't I?"

Dorcas shot him a look, “I never said that,” she stated, her lips pursing playfully. “Meanie,” she added as an afterthought, even though it was a childish and lame comeback if there ever was one. His laughter prompted her to cross her arms with a tiny grunt. “This is cruel and unusual punishment, here. I object completely.”

Peter found her attempt at a comeback absolutely endearing. "Meanie, huh? If I was a meanie, I would just get you all riled up and leave," he pointed out as he carried her into the bathroom. He kissed her on the cheek and set her back on her feet so he could step away and draw a bath. "Luckily for you, I'm not that mean."

“Says the boy who blatantly looked down my sheet and wants to take a shower with me,” she countered with an accusatory raise of her brow. “Now, I could be wrong, but it sounds like you’re just as riled up as me, darling, and if you left, you’d just be hurting yourself, too. So, there.” She turned to hoist herself up on the sink counter as she watched him fiddle with the tub; kicking her legs out in a random rhythm.

"I would try to argue but I don't see a point." His body was betraying his true feelings anyhow. It wasn't like his argument would be valid. He turned back to her and basically proved his point in the process, but tried not to be awkward enough to mention it. He stepped over to the side of her and kissed her on the cheek again. "It's still your fault, by the way," he pouted as he ran his lips along her jawline. "You're gorgeous. I can't do a thing to change that fact."