[paris] thunder clatter. [tag; dorian]

I hear it call in the centre of it all
you're the love of my life, the love of my life.

Right. Okay.

This was it. She was going to do it. She had to do it. This was killing her. It was stupid and illogical and bloody terrifying but it was taking her toll on her. She was making mistakes in work and she was zoning out and she knew why. Dorian. Cute, sweet, harmless Dori was ruining her life and the funny thing was? She loved it.

She'd taken a few night off from work to catch up with her school work. Eloise was now up to date but it was kind of unimportant. It was okay, though. She was seeing him tonight. Dutifully, he'd owled her and told her to meet him at the Trocadero. It was a little away from the tower itself but it was less busy and provided amazing views of the lovely weekly light show.

In an effort to relax, Eloise had taken a long bubble bath and accidentally downed half a bottle of red wine. She'd washed her hair, exfoliated, waxed and she didn't even know why. Dorian saw her just as El; friendly, quiet and dumpy. In the tub, she frowned as her feet poked out from the bubbles. She'd painted them a shimmering scarlet colour and instantly regretted it. What was she doing? Setting herself up for the inevitable failure? She suddenly felt sixteen again. Unsure and anxious and filled with a million butterflies.

But she wasn't going to let her scattered thoughts ruin a nice evening. Eloise thought about watching the lights and then maybe stopping for a snack and a drink. It was simple and uncomplicated, perfect. After spending close to an hour in the bath, she finally dragged herself out and dried and dressed in a thickly knitted sweater, black jeans and paired with a blazer and tanned boots. He'd been so used to seeing her all dressed up someone that she wasn't so it was about time she got back to how she really was. Her long blonde hair was curled as she applied mascara and a slick of non-scary red lipstick and throwing things into her bag. Purse, keys and a mirror. She needed to stop. This wasn't a date, no matter how much she longed for it. She was having a heart versus head moment. Her head told her to stop being stupid and her heart was telling her to do it.

Heaving a heavy sigh, she spun and picked up her hat before closing her front door behind her and jogging down the steps from her apartment. Eloise had taken to wearing hats due to the muggy summer and she'd totally forgotten that the one she was wearing belonged to Dorian.

It was cold tonight. Pitch black and cloudless meant the temperature had dipped considerably in the Autumnal French capital, causing her to turn up her collar against the cool breeze and lengthen her strides. It was a beautiful night. It was a little before nine o'clock as she passed laughing people at the cafes, crossing various roads as she kept her head down. There was no point in apparating. She lived so close and she needed to gather her thoughts a little bit.

Dori hadn't told her to bring anything and she hadn't. His note was really rather vague. Meet me at the lights. That was all was written. Nearing the trocadero, she swallowed, taking a quick breath before jogging up the steps. Eloise stood near the edge, rubbing her hands together anxiously. There were a few people around her. Mostly couples. They were holding hands and kissing, giggling and hugging and she resolutely kept her eyes locked forward on the tall iron structure.

Eloise often came here when she couldn't sleep. The fresh air worked wonders. She didn't realise just how romantic Paris was until she was completely alone. There were lots of things she wanted to do but it'd be weird if she went alone. Wine tasting, candlelight dinners in fancy restaurants, the cute boutiques, art galleries. Everything in this damn city reminded her that she was utterly and completely unlovable. Yay.

The breeze picked up and ruffled her curls, sending a faint scent of coconut wafting through the air as she bounced impatiently on her heels. Looking down, she checked her watch and she was becoming increasingly concerned he'd miss everything.

Meet me at the lights.  --D

That's all he had sent her. Well that and the hope that she would come. He didn't know why but all the self-belief he once thought he had seemed to fade away when he was around Eloise. He was unsure and awkward and tentative and he swore he got more in his own way than anyone else ever could. But yet, he couldn't even convince himself to give her up. If all she wanted was friendship, he wouldn't give that up. Even if he desperately, pathetically kept yearning for more.

Dorian tried to keep those thoughts to a minimum though. When his train of thought got on that path, he had to mentally kick himself and remind himself of what had happened last time he had acted on impulses like that. He had just gotten back to a somewhat normal friendship with her and he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that now. Besides the little angel on his shoulder told him that maybe he did have a chance considering she seemed to want to spend time with him too -- little lunches and staying late at the club. But then the devil on his shoulder said he probably shouldn't trust his own judgement just based on previous experience.

He sucked in a deep breath and blew it out forcefully as he shook his head, his curls flying about for a moment before settling back down in a messy sort of fashion. Think of something else, think of something else, he scolded himself. He struggled but then when he focused on where he was, it became easier. The Troc, sure was a tourist trap, but it was also innately beautiful and it was not hard to guess why so many people visited this specific Parisian place. He shoved his hands deeper into the pockets of his dark wash jeans as a cool breeze fluttered the edge of his jacket. He was glad to have thought to wear a hoodie under his jacket. He had always been rubbish at warming charms.

He was sitting on the back part of a bench, his feet on the seat, when he saw her. She looked warm and cozy in a cream sweater and the way her blonde curls caught in the wind made his heart do a little leap thing. He almost rolled his eyes at himself. Keep it together, Dorian, he chided himself. There was no way that her hair blowing in the wind should affect him like that. But it did. He was torn between being ashamed and not caring.

Dorian didn't keep her waiting long though. He walked up and sidled around to her side, smiling a hello and saying "Evening El. How are you today?"

It was getting colder, she noticed. Autumn had come early to Paris and it wasn't long before the leaves were starting to turn. She jiggled her left leg as she waited, chewing on a full lower lip as she absently wished she'd brought gloves with her. Eloise was the type of person who really felt the cold. If there was a slight drop in temperature, she donned a cardigan. She was trying to think of a positive. If he didn't turn up, it was a nice, clear night and she could see the lights.

It didn't occur to her until that moment that D might not have actually been Dorian. It might be Dillon. Dylan was a sweet man, a few years older than her and he wasn't subtle about checking out the girls in her apartment building.

A faint flare of panic rose and squeezed her heart. What if it was Dillon? What was she supposed to do then? Eloise was a terrible liar. She could say she was meeting someone and try to escape but what if he waited with her? Merlin's underpants, this was going from bad to worse. She sucked in the cold night air through her nose and held it, exhaling slowly. She was a bag of nerves. She was unbalanced and jittery and stupid and everything in between.

Gradually, the place started to fill up as Eloise anxiously glanced at her watch and felt faintly disappointed to see it was five seconds later than the last time she'd checked. Left to her own devices, she mentally scolded herself for not dressing up more. Sure, they were friends but he was a boy and she was allowed to make herself pretty to see him. It was a little bit pathetic. Rubbing her hands together, she resigned to folding her arms tightly across her chest, just beneath her bust as she swallowed.

And then she jumped.

It was surreal. She was just thinking about Dorian and then he turned up out of thin air. She gasped, her bright green eyes wide and surprised as she placed a hand over her heart and coughed. Honestly? Her heart stopped momentarily not because of the shock he'd given her, it was just him. Her body did strange things. Her heart did this weird little flippy thing when she saw him smile, he gave her goose bumps when he accidentally touched her and when he said her name, she melted like chocolate in a microwave. Fuck. This was serious.

Eloise laughed softly, flushing pink as she smiled, one hand going to rest on her hat so the wind didn't steal it. "I'm better for seeing you," she said before she realised and instantly, she regretted it. "I mean," she stammered, her mind whirring to try and cover her tracks. "I, er, I'm well. Thank you," she managed to choke out, internally dying of shame. El. He'd called her El. No one used that nickname. It was his and oh, how she wished he'd take so much more than her name.

"How are you?" The petite blonde asked with a bright smile, looking up at him through her long and sooty eyelashes. It was so hard for her eyes not to stray. He was so tall and soft and she knew what his jacket and hoodie hid. They'd gone swimming one summer in school and she'd seen him shirtless and that was pretty much the last straw. She'd been in love with him since she was fifteen and she was too blinkered to realise it.

"I didn't think you were coming," she admitted with a lopsided grin, nervously shifting her position just a little bit. When she finally pulled her eyes away from his face, she looked over her shoulder to see a steady stream of people gathering. "I'd forgotten how busy it could get here," she mused out loud, frowning a little. Was this a blessing or a curse? If she made a loser out of herself, he'd be less likely to hear her. It was lose-lose, really.

The people around them were chatting. "I think it's about to start," she called out to Dori, taking a quick step towards him. Without thinking, she reached out to take his hand. Eloise neatly and quickly slid her fingers in between his, curling hers around his gently as she gave him a quick tug to get him to follow her as she made a move to try and squeeze through everyone and get to the front. It was soon evident that it wasn't going to happen. She was five-foot-one and had about as much power as a lettuce leaf. They needed another plan. Somewhere close, there was a countdown before the show began.

He smiled when she jumped, his eyes crinkling in amusement. He tried for an apologetic expression though because he honestly hadn't meant to scare her, but for some reason, he thought everything she did was cute and adorable and just really really lovely. Man he had it bad.

Dorian softened when she said she was happy to see him, no better for seeing him and was about to nod and agree. It was the same for him. She could probably tell that though. But then she stammered and kind of took it back so he held back the words that had been on the tip of his tongue and just nodded his head a few times with a hesitant sort of smile. But then he realized he was doing it again. He was so unsure with her. Stuck between what had happened in the past and what he wanted the future to look like. And he was waffling between the two feelings. He was frustrated with himself more than words could say and if she wasn't standing in front of him just now, he would probably slap himself a few times and tell him to snap out of it.

We're just friends. Just friends. Stop acting like an idiot.

"'Course I would be here," Dorian assured her with a soft smile. And then he remembered he had something for her in his pocket, which was why he had been a few minutes later than he had expected. "I stopped and got these for us," he said brightly as he pulled out a small white paper bag gently out of his coat pocket. He opened the bag, his blue eyes bright, anticipating the look on her face. As he looked into the bag, he blinked for a few times and frowned. Was this the right bag? Because the contents didn't look anything like what they had been when he had put them in there.

He looked sheepishly at Eloise. "I got us eclairs from that bakery you like.. but I guess they got squished when I apparated. Didn't think about that." He was disappointed with himself because he had wanted to surprise her and squished, mushy eclairs were not what he had in mind.

It took him a few seconds to realize the peak in the noise surrounding them. He glanced up and El must have noticed it too. The excitement, the anticipation of light show sparked its way through the crowd surrounding them and Dori couldn't but to be caught up in it. And then her hand was in his and Dori's heart flipped. It wasn't just the touch, it was her initiating the contact, almost naturally. It wasn't just the way her hand felt in his, it was the way it fit so perfectly, like their hands had been made for each other. And it was in the way that she didn't think anything of it. He had a little dippy smile on his face when she tugged him forward and he followed without thought.

It took him a few minutes to realize she was trying to get a good vantage point to see the show because he was just kind of gazing at her with soft eyes. When he did realize he was being a complete creeper, he shook himself out of it and glanced around. He spied a wide ledge just behind them. It was waist high on him so taller to her, but he thought it was a good place to get a good view. "Come on," he told her as it was his turn to tug her around, bringing them both closer to the ledge. He gave her a look as a heads up with a smile before he placed an arm under her knees and one behind her back and literally swept her off her feet. He lifted her up, placing her feet on the ledge and giving her a moment to stand before hoisting himself up.

"It's starting..." Dori said softly as he took his place beside her. And then he did a brave little thing. He looked at her, paused for the briefest of seconds before slipping his hand into hers and then turned back to look at the light show.

Her heart staggered when she saw him. No matter what she told herself, her body betrayed her. Eloise had never been one of the cool girls. She wasn't a casual dater. She didn't drink expensive wine. She couldn't really dress herself. She couldn't strum anyone's heart strings. She was just…Eloise. Short and dumpy with a heart of gold. Dorian was living in London now, a metropolitan capital and he must be surrounded by beautiful, effortless women. Really, what was he doing here with her?

Her heart was doing somersaults in her chest as her stomach muscles clenched together and sent a pleasurable shot of excitement thrilling down the length of her spine. If she was more eloquent (and confident) she might have told Dorian all of this. It seemed inappropriate to tell him that he looked gorgeous. The place was filling up but she was so sure she'd be able to pick him out from almost anywhere.

"Oh?" Eloise asked with a smile, feeling a twinge of guilt that she hadn't think to bring anything with her. Was she meant to? What was the etiquette for this type of meeting? Looking back, she supposed she should have brought some food. It'd be cheaper and friendlier than dining at any of the various bars and cafes. Paris was beautiful but it was overpriced. The best restaurants were on the other side of the Seine.

Curiosity got the better of her as she eagerly stepped forward, her head tilted to the side as a long blonde curl escaped from underneath her hat and curled softly against her collarbone. Looking up at him, she offered him a wide smile. The fact that he'd not only remembered her favourite bakery but actually went there, it… it was the sweetest thing anyone had done for her in such a long time.

As Dori explained, her toes curled in her boots as she tried to refrain from squealing. "Dori," she began, stepping closer still, standing on her tip toes to look inside the bag, chuckling gently as she saw the smooshed pastry. "Thank you," she said genuinely. "This…you remembered?" Eloise asked, unable to stop herself before she reached in and took a bit of broken choux pastry before taking a small bite. "Mmmf," she moaned, rolling her eyes as she nodded, getting a small spot of cream on the left corner of her lower lip. "So good," she said, clearly not giving a damn about the presentation of the treats.

Gah. How could one man be so utterly sweet?

When she took Dorian's hand, she didn't think twice about the action. To her, it felt perfectly natural. Everything felt perfectly natural with him. She was faintly disappointed to see that it was busier than expected that night. Had she had her way, it would be just her and him. Alone. No tourists, no noise, no one trying to sell them miniature Eiffel Towers as souvenirs --

Eloise let out a squeak of surprise as she was lifted and she was about to turn around and slap whoever it was but she soon realised it was Dorian and she laughed. He'd literally swept her off her feet. Again. Bridal style. It was hard not to, for that split second, imagine her wearing a white dress. This was escalating quickly.

Ungracefully, she set her feet down, wobbling a little to adjust to the altitude, one hand on her hat, the other reaching for him. Oh he was always full of such good ideas! Turning, her eyes widened as she saw the brightly lit city come to life. Not once had she thought about climbing anything to get a better view. She was that stupid. They were surrounded by people now. From here, the wind was a little stronger as it whipped around her coat, carrying the sound of Muggle car horns and chatter and she wanted to cry. Everything was so utterly perfect.

Eloise looked down as she felt a warmth at her hand before looking back up at him quickly, just in time to catch his eye and his words. It's starting. Yup. It was. Instinctively, her smaller fingers curled around his as she gave them a soft, affectionate squeeze. She slid a little closer to him along the ledge. Her brain was swirling. She'd been transported back to her fourteen year old self; nervous and insecure.

As Dorian looked away to watch the lights, she kept her eyes locked on his profile. She'd seen the lights before but she'd never seen Dori in the lights before and that was much better. She hoped he was having fun. She hadn't brought anyone to share this with her before now. What did she do now? She was split down the middle; do or die. Did she want to risk this? This fledgling relationship? Over a single moment? It wasn't really a moment, though. These feelings weren't new, they weren't alien but they were as strong and titanium.

She swallowed as she stood. He was looking ahead so it gave her a few seconds to gather her thoughts and make a choice. The night, so far, had played out perfectly. It was a bright, clear, cool night. He'd bought her éclairs. He'd let his hair grow to form the curls she loved so darn much. He was holding her hand. There was a chance he was being polite but there was also the sliver of hope that he might just return her feelings. Fuck it. She was going in.

Eloise looked at the twinkling lights for support before back at him, turning a little to face him, her free hand going to touch his wrist as she squeezed his hand again. It might work out better if he didn't actually look at her. "Dori," she began gently. As usual, she hadn't even thought ahead. This was meant to be important. How did you tell someone you loved them anyway? Was there a template?

She cleared her throat, focusing instead on his shoulder. "Lately, I --" she began before frowning. Not cool. She cleared her throat. "For the past three years, I've been…thinking," urgh, what? "About you. And the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing with my life but mostly you," she babbled, starting to panic. "And the more I thought about you, the more I realised that I'm an idiot," she said, trying to keep her voice soft but loud enough to Dorian could hear her.

"Because for years, you've been right in front of my face. You're my best friend," Eloise said, using one of her hands to softly stroke his wrist. "And I nearly lost you and I can't lose you again," the petite blonde said, her voice cracking. "And you're so sweet and so kind and so thoughtful. You brought me éclairs," she said with a laugh. "But what I'm trying to say is that I think I'm in love with you."

Dori smiled as he watched the lights beyond, twinkling in random bursts, casting a warm yellow glow in the otherwise dark sky. He knew it was just a light show, nothing special, nothing magical, but he couldn't help but feel there was something magical about this moment. He could never quite decide for sure, but maybe places were just places and things were just things. Maybe what really mattered, what made it special was who you were with, who you had at your side. Dori could definitely see the truth in that at this moment. He reveled in the feeling.

And then she said his name, in almost a whisper and he found himself turning his head, finding her green eyes with his blue eyes. He looked at her a long moment and could tell there was something she wanted to say. She had a look in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. Maybe he had dreamed of seeing it, but in this moment, he wasn't sure if it was real or if it was a hopeful trick on his mind. Either way, it was too much for him and he had to look away. He found the lights again. Those were safe. And even though he felt like they were on the brink of change, he wanted to keep his feet on solid ground. Mostly because he wasn't sure if he could trust himself, control himself to not ruin their friendship.

He was wishing that she would say nothing but then also that she would tell him everything that she was feeling. He felt his gaze blurring out of focus as he strained, anxiously waiting her next words. And then she spoke. Her words became the only sound he could hear even though he was sure the people around him were talking. She became his sole focus. The past three years? About me? She wasn't an idiot. He was editorializing everything she said in his head, but he was afraid to say anything aloud. The words were stuck in his throat like a lump.

Dorian allowed himself to smile a little when she said he was her best friend. He was proud of that and he glanced at her before he realized just one glance would put him in trouble. His eyes met her and he couldn't look away. She was stroking his wrist with one hand and her other was still wrapped in his. She said she couldn't lose him again. Maybe, he thought, just maybe this was everything he had wanted. She was so close, in his grasp, but the fear of what he had done before stretched out before him like a bottomless abyss.

His heart melted and stilled all at the same time when she said she was in love with him. With him! He brought one hand up to run his knuckles along her jaw. He didn't want to say he was scared, but he was. He was a coward. And cautious too. So all he could say, with more than one meaning behind it, was "Are you sure?"

This was terrifying.

How the Hell did people do this on a regular basis? How? Someone once told her that "I love you", when it's right, was the easiest thing to say. She hadn't planned on telling him. She'd been planning on burying these feelings so far down that maybe one day, they'd just disappear and they could return to having their beautiful, easy friendship. But no. Eloise wasn't stupid. These kind of feelings didn't happen every day. She knew for definite that she'd always carry some sort of longing for him, even if she denied it. They were linked.

Besides, it was only fair that she repaid the favour. She'd impaled Dorian on the altar of love back in Beauxbatons and it was better that he just listen to her and then reject her. That'd be fine. It was what she'd deserve anyway. It was getting to the point where it was starting to hurt her, carrying all of this around.

There would never be a right time. Though thinking back, maybe tonight wasn't the best idea she'd ever had. Yeah it was beautiful and important and magical but she was surrounded by people. Strangers. Strangers that could hear everything if they stopped watching the lights. It was the éclairs that tipped the balance. What other boy would ever be so sweet as to go out of his way, to her favourite bakery and pick her up a snack?

She watched him, half thankful, half disappointed that he wasn't watching her, too. It made it easier for her to say everything that she wanted to but she sort of thought that he wasn't taking her seriously. Her small fingers continued to stroke his wrist, the action soft and repetitive and it helped to keep her that little bit more grounded. Dori was still holding her hand, he hadn't let go and it gave her a little spark of hope. She wanted him to hold her hand but she wanted them around her hips, her waist, in her hair. Everything.

She was being smacked around the head with conflicting emotions as she stood on the little wall, freezing her ass off as the cool autumnal air whipped her coat around. When he finally looked at her, Eloise offered him a small smile. "I'm sorry," she said softly, licking her lower lip nervously. "That was really clumsy. I had a whole speech worked out," she replied and she had. She often recited it to herself when she was in the shower or brushing her hair in the mirror. This was meant to be perfect but it wasn't.

"I was meant to say that I really adore you. Everything about you. I love the colour of your eyes and the fact that you're hair is kinda floppy and cute. I meant to say that I love your adventurous spirit and I admire how artistically inclined you are and I meant to say that you have a beautiful soul," she concluded softly, mentally kicking herself as she squeezed his fingers softly. "I meant to say that I still have that daisy oil painting you made me for my birthday," she said with a gentle smile. "And I meant to say that I fell in love with you that evening when you spelt out "you're cute" with vegetables on the balcony at Beauxbatons."

She sighed softly and shook her head, long blonde curls bobbing cheerfully. "I thought I'd be better at this," she admitted with a dimpled grin as she shook her head. Pausing, she looked out at Paris bathed in twinkling lights and casting the old buildings into a soft, fairy tale-esque glow. "Really, I meant to tell you so much sooner," she began. If she could erase Richard out of her life for good, she would without hesitation. That huge mistake almost cost her Dorian. Almost.

In that moment, she sort of knew how he felt that night he came over to tell her he liked her. But funnily enough, she didn't care that Dorian hadn't said it back. Just having him know was enough. She hoped it wouldn’t ruin their rekindled friendship but it might. Then she got nervous. He hadn't said anything and she shifted awkwardly in her boots and she really needed to pee.

When he touched her jaw, her heart jolted and she looked up at him again, properly this time. His skin was warm and tender but his hands felt right on her skin. She could feel the slight bumps where he'd obviously been holding his paintbrushes and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Was she sure?

In spite of herself, Eloise cracked a smile. That was the easiest question she'd ever been asked. These feelings were truer, purer, stronger than any she'd ever had for Richard and she nodded. "Yup," she concluded. The petite blonde stepped a little closer, leaving Dorian's hands on her and making no effort at all to move them. "Never been surer." With that, she stood onto her tiptoes, leaning in as if to kiss him before stopping a few inches away from his lips. She still hadn't asked if he liked her back.

Dorian smiled softly, looking at her with the most adoring expression. She kept apologizing, kept saying things as if he would find fault with her, but everything she said, every detail she added, made him smile more. She had a whole speech? She's thought about his soul? She still has that oil painting? He remembered the vegetables on the balcony? Dorian didn't know how she could be anymore perfect. She was shaking her head and grinning and he could see her dimples and he couldn't resist any longer.

He knew she was opening her mouth to say something more, but he moved his free hand to cup the side of her face and brought her closer to him. "I can't believe you still have that painting," he whispered just before he settled his lips over hers. Dorian knew he should probably say more. There was so much left on his heart that he wanted her to know, but her keeping that painting meant more than he thought it could. Even after everything, she still had it. Just like he still had her letter, even if it was unopened. His lips moved against hers in the gentlest, sweetest way and being this close to her after having so much distance between them for so long was the greatest gift.

His hair got in his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers and she knew she had more to say and he listened patiently. She had never been surer. He was sure his heart had never felt so light. He was sure the smile on his face couldn't get any bigger. "Eloise," he started, but then stalled. Words seemed to come so easy to her and there were a million things he wanted to tell her, but what could he start with? "I.. what we have..  I mean to say that you.. " he stopped and grinned despite himself and then stopped running from it. "El, I love you," he managed to say in a whisper, his voice breaking over her name, but his smile, the way his blue eyes danced and sparkled in the twinkling lights probably said much more than he could get out in words.

And then he couldn't help himself again. She raised herself up on her tiptoes and leaned in and Dorian closed the distance once more. This time a little more passionately. His hand cradled her head and his other arm wrapped around her back. He pressed her closer. He couldn't get enough of her. But he wanted to be the perfect gentleman and assaulting her in public wasn't exactly on his list so he broke the kiss, his chest rising and falling quickly. Then a heart-stopping grin spread across his face and he gazed down at her with love in his eyes.

"Do you want to come someplace with me? I want to show you something.." was all he said.

He was so handsome. So handsome. She'd seen him hundreds of times but she'd never really looked at him. It felt a bit weird to be looking at him in this way. Dorian was cute, he'd always been cute but now? Now he was…hot. Eloise was definitely warm for his form and the thought made her a little bit scared. They'd been best friend since they were eleven and they were coming up to a fork in the road now.

His eyes were so blue. Clearer than sapphires and deeper than oceans. The silence that fell upon them felt comfortable to her and with no words exchanged, she was happy just to stare at him. Her big green eyes flicked back and forth across his face, admiring the planes of his cheekbones and full lips and the way the winter breeze ruffled those baby soft curls of his. Paris suited him, suited him much more than London did. She knew she was selfish but he was too far away from her in the English capital but they were so close now.

Her heard stuttered and then stopped. Dead. For a beat or two. He was touching her. Properly. This wasn't a friendly hug, no, this was intimate. The skin he touched was singing. Eloise's breath caught in her throat as she watched him. Dorian may as well have been the moon and she the tide because as he softly tugged her hand, there was no way she was ever going to be backtracking now.

In spite of herself, she laughed softly. "Of course I still have it," the blonde replied, confusion clearly etched on her pretty facial features. "Why wouldn't I? I love it. It's hanging over my bed." She'd put it there so it'd be the last thing she saw before she went to bed. "It's the best present anyone had ever given me and I --"

Oh.

Dorian's kiss caught her unaware and her body just took over. Her hands went to his waist, gently at first but her fingers soon curled around the fabric of his jacket, subconsciously pulling him forward as her lips parted to kiss him back. This didn't feel weird at all. This felt so right. Gentle, soft, sweet, much like himself. Her eyes closed, blocking out the lights of Paris for her own firework display. As they kissed, her nearly frozen toes curled in her boots in pleasure as she kissed him again, her porcelain cheeks flushed pink. Eloise was sure that hundred of people had kissed against this beautiful backdrop. Thousands even but tonight, in that moment, it was just them.

"Wow," the petite blonde whispered, sounding dazed and dreamy before she cracked a grin to match his own. Her small left hand reached up to carefully brush one of Dori's curls out of his eyes and back behind his ear, the action so natural to her now, her cool fingers lingering a little bit too long as her thumb rubbed softly along his cheekbone.

She was on cloud nine. She was so filled with happiness, she felt as though she might actually explode. "Yeah?" Eloise asked gently as he spoke her name, suddenly feeling warm and drowsy and she really hoped he didn't have to leave her just yet. She listened to him trip over his words with a smile, finding him so unabashedly gorgeous and she was so distracted that his final words hit her like a brick.

"W-what?" She managed to stammer, not sure she'd heard him correctly but replaying it back, he'd said it. Love. He loved her. The smile that broke out on her face was beatific, bright and glowing, it could probably be seen from space. Unable to help herself, she began to tear up. He loved her. He'd given her a second chance and there was no way in Hell she was going to stuff this one up.

Eloise swiftly pressed her palms against the small of Dorian's back to keep him in place, finding herself rather enjoying the physical contact. Perhaps they'd opened up a floodgate. She didn't resists as she was pulled closer and if anything, she'd climb inside his jacket to be closer if she was able. She kissed him again, giving herself over entirely as her fingers slid up his back, slipping beneath his jacket and up along his spine as her body positively sung out into the night.

Nothing else mattered. The cold didn't matter. The fact that it was now dark didn't matter. It didn't matter that she was blocking people's views. Who cared anyway? Still kissing, they were connected from lip to knee and there was no other place she wanted to be. It wasn't until he broke the kiss that she realised she'd been holding her breath the entire time. She inhaled quickly, sliding her hands from his back to rest on his hips as she grinned back when she met his eyes. Yup. Dorian Delerue was a good kisser. She was glad she got to test the theory. Before he moved again, she leant up onto her tiptoes and quickly kissed just underneath his chin. Yay.

"Yes," Eloise blurted out, nodding enthusiastically with wide eyes as he mentioned going somewhere else. He could take her up to Mount Vesuvius and chuck her into the damn volcano and she'd be game for that.

With a bit more confidence, she slid her much smaller fingers into his and squeezed, using his body for support as she ungracefully clambered down from the ledge that Dori had lifted her onto a few moments ago. Once back on terra firma, she swayed a little bit and suddenly felt the crushing disappointment at the fact that she didn't have a camera with her. Looking back over her shoulder to make sure he'd come down too, the only thing she could do was offer him a ridiculously big goofy grin.

Wow. She had said wow.

That one little word had made Dorian grin from ear to ear, his blue eyes twinkle in the night. That dazed and dreamy expression on her face made him proud. He didn't even know he was capable of putting that expression on anyone's face, let alone Eloise's. He liked the way she threw herself just as passionately into his embrace as he did hers. There was a sweet symmetry between them and he reveled in it, the utter beauty of the moment. And she didn't just make him warm, he made him hot. When his lips were on hers and he felt her cool fingertips underneath his jacket and on his skin, he couldn't get close enough to her. When they broke apart, his blue eyes were stormy with desire and he almost changed his mind completely. He only had one destination in mind and it was a private one with a locked door and a bed.

But she kissed him under the chin and rational thought floated back to him. He didn't forget about those plans, he simply prioritized differently. Her hand was in his as they climbed down off the ledge and he helped her when he could. He resisted getting caught in her big green eyes, but he couldn't take off the big smile on his face. He pulled her behind him as he tried to get away from the crowd of muggles. He wanted to apparate, but he needed to find a private enough of a spot to do so. He was mysteriously quiet about the place he wanted to take her, but he did glance back here and there to throw her a grin. He wanted to make sure the warmth in his hand, the tug of her body behind his, wasn't something he was dreaming.

Finally he made it to a dark alley way where it was so dark that Dorian could barely make out her features clearly. "We're going to apparate," he said lowly to give her advance warning. He Wanted to kiss her, press her against the wall and kiss the breath out of her, but Dori knew better. He wasn't great at apparating and kissing Eloise now would ruin any concentration he hoped to have. He could be patient. Even if it killed him. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, eyes closed in focus, wand in his left hand, Eloise's hand is his right, he cleared his mind for everything except the place he wanted to be. The push and pull, the terrible suction and compression feeling pushed in on his body and he focused on Eloise's small hand he felt in his.

Then they were there and Dorian opened his eyes to confirm the locale before glancing at Eloise in worry. He had certainly gotten better with apparating because of his recent travels between France and England, but it had never been on the top of his skill list. It wouldn't have been very romantic if he had splinched Eloise. His worries were swept away when he visually checked her and was instead replaced by giddy joy. He had apparated them to the Tuileries Garden in central Paris, known for its beautiful flowers gardens. To Dorian, who admittedly didn't know that much about flowers, it seemed like every flower imaginable was displayed here. And he swore there were some wizards working in tandem with the muggles to maintain the gardens because even now, the blooms were bright and full.

There were pathways along the rows of flowers and a large central circular pool with fountains that shot up in the air in smooth arcs across the pool. There were warm yellow lights that lit the path and Dorian hurried along the path, eager to show Eloise his place. "Almost there," he had mumbled to her over his shoulder and then when he was satisfied with their spot, he stopped and turned toward her. He stood close, holding her hands in his, and holding her gaze so she couldn't see around him.

"El.. " he started, trailing off for a moment. At first, he wasn't sure what to say. But then he just spoke the words on his heart and hoped they'd be enough to communicate why this place meant so much to him. "For the longest time, I came back here, to Paris, every so often even though I had no real reason to. I thought maybe it was because I missed France. And I did. And I do. But this was the one place I always came. This spot, here. So it made me wonder why I was always pulled her. Why I always came back here. And it just clicked as to why."

He smiled at her and then moved to one side so she could see the view he had been blocking.

It was a garden just in front of the pool, the streams of water arcing beautifully in the distance. And the blooms were all peach tulips.

Eloise was in deep, deep trouble. As they kissed, she was surprised as to how natural it was. He fit her, he fit her perfectly. It wasn't like she was kissing her brother; this didn't feel weird or wrong, it was more like she was wondering why they'd gone so long without it.

It was getting colder and darker but she didn't feel it, despite the fact the tip of her little button nose was turning pink. But then he looked at her and she knew she was in trouble. Eloise wasn't particularly well versed in the ways of men but she knew that look and it sent a twinge of desire shooting through her from head, down along her spine and finally causing her toes to curl in pleasure in her boots.

That one simple look sent her reeling and she blushed faintly. No one had ever looked at her like that before, like she was some sort of rare and exotic creature. She'd had the occasional inappropriate dream about Dorian but now that it had the potential to become reality, she had to fight the urge to ask if he wanted to come back to her apartment. Tonight, so far, had been a blur or confessions and feelings and she wanted to find out what he looked like without that jacket on --

Oh! Right, they were moving. Eloise hurried to keep up with him, her heels echoing as she practically jogged behind him to match his longer strides. Dori was holding one hand and she placed the other on one of his hips, her fingers grabbing the edge of his jacket so she didn't lose him. She had no idea where they were going and she honestly didn't care. This was magical and exciting. Electric, really.

It was so busy on the trocadero but people soon began to filter out and she found herself in a dark alley, confused. It was dark but she could still make out his outline. Unable to help herself, her eyes dropped to his lips and back up to his eyes. Was it normal to want someone so much? She must have opened some sort of flood gate because four years' worth of feelings were threatening to come crashing through. But she didn't think making out with him in a dank alley would happen.

Apparate? "Okay," Eloise whispered, fully trusting him but a little bit relieved that he had other plans. She squeezed his fingers and stepped closer to aid him before she was knocked sideways by the horrible feeling.

It was brief but disgusting and as she landed, she wobbled a little. "Ew," she complained, pulling a face and swallowing, blowing at a loose curl before she snorted with laughter. She was still buzzing. Everything was perfect tonight. Dorian was off again and she followed, eyes wide as she looked around. It was dark but she didn't really recognise where they were.

"It's very pretty," she said brightly, tottering along behind him. He seemed in a bit of a rush and he must have forgotten that there was nearly half a foot in height difference between them. She felt gravel crunch beneath the rubber soles of her boots, causing her to look around as they walked, trying to get her bearings. Had she been here before? She didn't really have a lot of free time, what with her singing gig and studying. Were they still in Paris?

"Ooof," Eloise grunted as they stopped abruptly, finding herself accidentally bumping into his chest but pleasantly surprised to feel him take both of her hands. Like a giddy child, she stood on her tiptoes and tried to glance around Dorian, only to find herself set firmly in her place.

The petite blonde smiled as he said her name, enjoying the feeling it gave her when he said it. Her smile, however, faltered a little when he said he often came to Paris. If he came often, why didn't he come and see her? In that letter, she told him that she was living here now. She would have made time for him if he sought her out. She'd given him her address. An odd stab of pain in her chest made her shift a little on the spot as she swallowed.

"Then come back," Eloise said slowly, looking up at him with big sad eyes. "If you miss France, come back," she replied, feeling a bit sad to know that he was so, so far away from her. She was so pleased and so proud that he was forging his own way in life in London but he suited France more. She was sure his mum missed him a lot.

Her plump pink lips down turned in a soft frown as she dropped her gaze to his hands, letting her thumbs run very softly across the back of his hands. Eloise listened intently, not really understanding why he'd brought her here. Thankfully, he was always so good with words. Deciding it was far too early to be making living arrangements, she offered him a smile. "You're so swee --"

Dori moved and her jaw dropped open. It was beautiful. A wide gravel path, neat rows of flowers, she could here the tranquil trickling of fountains behind her somewhere.

"Are those --" she began, moving to the left a little to inspect the flowers but still holding his hand. She didn't want to let go. If she did, this might not be real and he'd disappear again like smoke into the night. "Those are peach tulips," she confirmed, turning her head to grin at him. "You remembered," she added softly, sounding awestruck that he'd remembered her favourite flowers.

At that moment, the scale of the night caught up with her. She lent down a little, her pale fingers reaching out to softly stroke a single velvet petal as she began to tear up, her lower lip wobbling. No one had ever done something so utterly thoughtful and romantic for her. Dori hadn't forgotten about her. Not once. He came all this way to sit amongst the flowers and think of her and the thought made her oh so happy.

Suddenly, she turned, dropping his hand so she could throw her arms around his neck and launch herself bodily at him. She squeezed him tight, so tight, clenching her eyes shut as she tried so hard to try and grain everything about that moment to her memory. The cool breeze that tugged at her sweater, the soft sound of the fountain, the warmth of his body, the smell of his hair, everything. Eloise could stay like this forever, in a perpetual hug with her best friend.

She squeezed him again, pulling away just a little so that their noses were almost touching. "Do you want to be my boyfriend?" Eloise asked with a lopsided grin.

He liked surprises. He liked giving people surprises. Especially when he knew the other person would really like it, especially when he could share the experience with them. And this was one of those times. Dorian smiled softly as he watched Eloise's face. She moved around him and his smile grew when he saw her jaw drop. She knew, he thought. She knew.

Dorian moved with her as she moved closer, squeezing her finger gently. He followed her gaze, watched as a few of her favorite flowers swayed ever so slightly in the night breeze. How could he not have realized what these flowers had meant to him before now? When she turned back to him, the expression on her face made his heart squeeze, his breath still. He didn't think he would ever get tired or bored at looking into her eyes when she looked at him that way. He couldn't even form any words to respond back to her so she just nodded. And then nodded again, the dimples in his cheeks appearing as his lips turned up in a smile.

He didn't want to say anything to ruin the moment, didn't want to move at all in fear it would break the mood. But from where he was standing near her side, he saw her lower lip quiver as she touched the tulip and he frowned with worry. He was moving toward her, closer, when she turned and launched herself at him. He caught her in his arms and squeezed her to him, loving the way she fit so perfectly against him. He touched his lips to the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her tighter. Is this what perfect happiness felt like? He couldn't imagine he got any better and he wondered if he could bottle some of this feeling. Or at least take a photograph. He desperately wished he had his camera.

When she pulled away but still stayed close, he grinned back at her naturally. Her question made his heart sing, but he blue eyes twinkled with amusement. "Let me think about that," he said before he brought his lips to hers again, softly, and then with more passion.