happy. [tag; dorian]

clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.

Pitter patter.

With a grunt, a small blonde girl wriggled a little in her large, plush double bed. It was a cold and wet Parisian morning. Rain tapped gently on the large glass roof of her apartment, sliding down and dripping off the ends of the big panes of glass. The roof in her bedroom was possibly her favourite thing ever. Eloise lived on the top floor of her apartment building and the glass was enchanted; she could see out but nobody could see in.

Her bedroom was bright and airy, full of white wooden furniture and perfectly clean. Except for the clothes that scattered along the floor and out into the rest of her bijoux home. Her boyfriend (boyfriend!) had stayed the night. They'd gone out for a dinner at a lovely quaint little restaurant that was a little off the beaten track. They'd flirted, they'd danced and he'd walked her home. As usual, they said goodnight at her front door but as Dorian kissed her, she realised she didn't want him to go home.

The next thing she knew, she'd yanked him inside and her dress was still on her sofa. Embarrassingly, Eloise didn't have a lot of food in her apartment as she was due to go shopping today. All she had in her cupboards were some bananas, half a loaf of bread and a jar of marmalade. As a result, it ended up with her and Dorian in bed sharing a tub of chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, the spoons of which had fallen to the floor over the course of the evening.

It was a little after nine in the morning and in the distance, Eloise could hear Muggle traffic, beeping horns as Paris geared up for the morning. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, pressing her face against her pillow as she let out another grunt and pulling the duvet up and over her head. No bueno. Very carefully, a pair of big green eyes peeked out from under her covers to watch the sleeping figure next to her and her heart swelled.

Dorian Delerue. In her bed. Who would ever think that would happen? Despite the rain outside and the cool temperature of her bedroom, she grinned to herself. Last night had been their first time together and she truly hoped she wasn't a disappointment. Sliding a little closer over the mattress, she very carefully brushed a lock of dark hair out of his eyes, careful not to wake him. Morning suited him, she decided.

Just then, she realised that she didn't have much of anything in for a breakfast. Urgh. Shoot. Eloise wriggled to free herself of Dorian's strangely surprising (and wholly appreciated) grip. It wouldn't make a difference, Dori always was a deep sleeper. Tucking him back in, she wandered around her bedroom, looking for her underwear and only finding her panties hanging off the door handle. With a blush, she wriggled back into them before picking up his abandoned shirt, slipping into it and buttoning it up swiftly.

Looking over her shoulder with a grin, she shook her head, her tousled blonde hair ticking up at odd angles as she crept around, collecting her keys and her purse. She didn't know where her pants were. C'est la vie.

By her front door, she slipped on her rain boots and her waterproof jacket, zipping it up and pulling up her hood, closing the door behind her gently as she quickly ran down the staircase, not wearing very much indeed. Eloise's destination was a small deli across the street that sold amazing pastries. Once out in the rain which had gotten heavier, she dashed across between cars and opened the door, ordering a selection of pastries and a coffee. She didn't know if Dori drank coffee. There was just tea in her apartment.

After paying and meeting the man behind the counter's curious gaze at her attire with a smile, she exited and broke into a jog as she juggled her goods. The splashing in the puddles sent muddy water up the slim legs but she was eager to get back inside.

"Good morning, Mrs. Popesco!" Eloise called brightly as she struggled with the front door to her apartment building, greeting the smaller older woman. The petite girl's normally pale cheeks were flushed with exertion and her neighbour picked up on it and rather than enquiring as to the fact that Eloise wasn't wearing any trousers, the elderly woman just wished her a nice day and left her to clamber back up the steps.

Once inside her apartment, she slipped off her boots and coat, blowing at her now damp hair as she carried her box of goodies quietly back into her bedroom. Placing them on her bedside table, she cast a quick spell to keep everything warm as she slipped back out of Dorian's shirt and dropped it to the floor. She saw that he'd moved a little but still looked sleepy,propped up against his pillows. Oh she hoped she hadn't woken him.

Swiftly, she slid back into bed, the cool air of her apartment making goose bumps erupt on her exposed flesh which only made her burrow deeply into her warm, lavender scented bed linen. Leaning in a little, she pressed her lips to the lip of his nose with a smile before closing her eyes. They didn't have to go anywhere today.

Dorian, the poor struggling artist with no real grasp at career as of yet, was happier than he had ever been.

It had been a little more than two and a half weeks since the day he and Eloise had been to the Eiffel and the tulip gardens. A little less than three weeks since they had made it official. It still made him smile, the thought of her being his. Dorian could now laugh at how foolish he acted that night he had seen Eloise in the jazz bar with Zephir. If he only knew then what he knew now. But the French boy wasn't one to look back too much and so had let it go.

The past few weeks with Eloise had been more enjoyable than he knew life could be. He was deliriously happy, full of painting muse, obsessed with what he wanted to treat her to next, plagued with thoughts of her soft blonde hair beneath his fingers and her bright green eyes looking into his. But last night, the first night they had been together, topped it all. He didn't have words to describe the experience, describe how much it meant to him, how perfect it had felt... well except to say he wanted to do it again and again and again.

But Dorian was not a morning person. Never had been. Never will be. And as he rolled onto his side, the light was bright against the backs of his eye lids and he threw his forearm to cover his face, attempting to block out the light. And it worked, he was dozing off again, eager and intent on falling back asleep. But then a thought occurred to him, even as he was on the shores of sleep. This wasn't his bed. This wasn't his house. This wasn't his sun shining down through his windows. Dorian opened his eyes, startling himself out of his sleep and searching the spot next to him. The night came crashing back to him and he couldn't help the satisfied smile that crept across his sleepy face. Ah, yes. But where was El?

He peeked around the edge of the covers to search the room, coming up with nothing and then flopped back down. After a second, he peeked under the pillow she had slept on, just in case she was hiding in her bunny form. Nope, not there either. He closed his eyes and sighed, burrowed in the warmth of the blankets. Yes, he promised, he swore that he was going to get up and go look for her. Maybe pull her back to bed with him. Because that's what boyfriends did. But.. he just needed a few more minutes of sleep. Just a few more.

That's when he heard a noise from outside the room. He turned onto his back and propped himself against the pillows, his head resting in the palm of his hand, his eyes still half-closed. He smiled lazily when he saw her wearing his shirt and then.. not wearing it. A flash of heat shot through his body and then another as she got back into bed and slid in next to him. Her body was cold and some part of his brain wondered how long she had been out of bed, but he instinctively pulled her closer, throwing a leg over hers, and rubbing the warmth sleepily back into her arms. He buried his head in her shoulder as he closed his eyes again and murmured 'good morning' against her neck. "Where'd you go?" he asked.

Actually, it really was pretty cold outside that morning. In a rush to get back to bed, she'd forgotten to switch the central heating on but she figured she could always place a warming charm on the duvet. Her apartment was usually impeccably tidy but in the living room, clothes were on the floor as well as a number of books. Eloise had gotten just a little bit carried away when Dorian stepped inside and she'd accidentally shoved him up against her bookcase, causing textbooks to hit the floor.

They'd laughed about it but she hoped she hadn't spooked him.

This entire month had been an experience but she was happy. She was do happy. For once, she could honestly see herself planning her future with Dorian and the thought filled her with a renewed sense of hope and wonder. Maybe they'd travel the world. Maybe he'd become a famous painter. Maybe they'd fill a hundred photo albums with a million memories. She didn't know but what she did know what that she was totally and irrevocably in love with him.

Once she shed his shirt, she instantly wished she hadn't. Cold, cold, cold. Eloise tip toed her way across her bedroom floor, neatly avoiding the floorboard that she knew had a tendency to creak. Her footfalls were light. She'd make a briliant ninja if she weren't so clumsy. Oh. He was already awake.

She offered him a grin which soon turned into a giggle as he pulled her closer. Her body went soft and pliant against his, scooting across the mattress as he moved her. She didn't think twice about letting him do whatever he wanted to. It was really nice to have someone to snuggle in the mornings, especially when it was wet and cold and grey.

The warmth of Dorian's body against hers made her blush slightly, feeling pleasantly wanted as his leg held her in place and she draped an arm around his waist, her cool fingertips tracing soft, invisible patterns lazily on the base of his spine. As he rubbed her arms, more goose bumps rose on the flesh of her arms, causing her to snuggle up a little further. It was too late to worry about getting mud on the sheets from her smooth, slim legs as she'd dashed through the puddles, they were already closely intertwined.

"Good morning," she said softly as she grinned, closing her eyes. Neck kisses! How gorgeous. She giggled again, squirming just a little as his lips caught the nape of her neck where it met the curve of her shoulder. That very spot was her sort of Achilles heel. Unable to help herself, she curled her toes in pleasure as she lifted a hand to lazily stroke the back of his neck, carefully angling her head so he wouldn't have to touch her slightly damp hair from the drizzle outside.

"I thought you'd still be sleeping," she whispered, wriggling a little to sink into her plush mattress. "But I went to get you breakfast," Eloise said with a gentle smile. "Are you hungry?" She sort of wanted him to say yes so her little rain soaked mission wasn't in vain but then again, she sort of wanted him to say no so they could stay like this for a little longer.

Pulling back from him a little, she closed the gap so she could kiss him gently. With her free hand, she took the edge of the duvet and pulled it up and over their heads so they were beneath it, forming a sort of cocoon. It was a childish thing to do but it made it seem like they were the only two people in the entire world at the moment and the thought was comforting.

As they kissed, Eloise let her fingertips slowly slide down one of Dori's forearms, her touch feather light. There was no doubt about it; he gave her goose bumps. Moving her head just a little, she wriggled closer so they were sharing the same pillow and she smiled gently. "I'm freezing," she whispered. "Freezing" was her new code word for "get over here, I miss you."

If he was free, she wondered if he wanted to go to a museum later on or maybe for lunch somewhere. She had a few assorted umbrellas in her apartment. Or maybe he might want to share a bath with her or something. She had bubble bath and candles. Now that thought popped into her head, it was impossible to shake the mental image of Dorian in her bath tub, wearing a bubble beard and it made her laugh out loud.

At first, Dori had been very intent on falling back asleep, now that Eloise was back in his arms. He wasn't a morning person and he didn't need a clock to tell them that he never voluntarily got up this early. The sun was too bright, the hour too early, and the blankets too warm to not go back to sleep.

But Dori had not expected the effect Eloise would have on him. Her giggles made him smile. Her squirming made him hot. Her kisses made him downright doubt he would be going back to sleep so soon. Still sleepy, his fingers grasped her loosely, still stiff with sleep, but he tried to pull her closer. The fact that they were both undressed was so, so distracting. Her hands, her fingers on him sent frissons of heat down his back and through his limbs and in response, he placed a trail of butterfly kisses up her neck until he whispered in her ear, "I was sleeping." He started another trail of kisses, light feathery touches of his lips to the soft, warm skin over her shoulder as one hand splayed across her hip. "But then I couldn't find you," he added in explanation.

He smiled against her lips as she pulled the blanket over their heads and reveled in the warmth, the coziness she always surrounded him with, literally and metaphorically. "I am hungry," he admitted after a few long moments, his fingers lightly tracing the shape of her cheek, the space underneath her eyes. "But I don't want to move from this spot either," he said with a smile. His stomach grumbled and squeezed as if it knew it was being denied food, but Dorian's focus was all on the blonde resting beside him.

"Well, let me warm you up then," Dorian said as he gently pushed her around to bring her back against his chest. He wrapped both arms around her and hauled her up close, his chin resting on her shoulder, his knees bent and intertwined with hers. Heat radiated from him and he hoped she was getting warmer, but with more thought on it, he probably shouldn't have chosen this way to cuddle. Her sweet rounded tush was flush against his front and he struggled with being the perfect gentleman that he wanted to be. He hoped it wasn't obvious to her.

"What do you wanna do today?" he asked against her shoulder, struggling to think of something else. In truth, he didn't particularly care. As long as he didn't have to do anything without her.

Oooh this really was lovely.

He was lovely. Everything was lovely. Having him so close was making it difficult for her to function. She'd never really had this sort of thing before. This closeness with another person, being totally and blissfully happy with them and  doing nothing at the same time. When she dated Richard, he didn't stick around after sex. He wasn't this sweet and adoring and warm but Dorian was. If she wasn't so comfortable where she was, she might have decided to shout that from her little balcony.

Eloise bit down on her lower lip as he kissed her neck again, her finger tips pressing down into his spine in an effort to pull him closer. It was impossible. They were already chest to chest, limbs intertwined but somehow, it wasn't enough. Was that normal?

"Oh well that's good," she remarked when he said he'd been sleeping. In the madness that was last night, she still found time to worry about a few things. Were her sheets warm enough? Were her pillows plump enough? Was her mattress soft enough? "Mmm," she mumbled, her eyes closing. "Hey!" She snorted as his lips accidentally brushed across the very small spot that made her ticklish. Laughing, she slid her hand up the centre of Dori's back and over his shoulder, sliding it gently down his chest a little. "Not there! Ticklish!"

"You don't have to move, I can go and get it for you," Eloise drawled lazily, having no desire what's so ever to leave him. She pressed one cheek into his pillow and smiled as he stroked her cheek. Unfortunately, she wasn't wearing any make up and she dreaded to think just what she looked like. It was just nice to watch him, as odd as that sounded. Eloise lifted one hand and began to softly stroke his shoulder, up and down, back and forth. It was like she couldn't go thirty seconds without touching him.

"I love you," she said softly with a smile, playfully walking her fingertips up the length of Dori's forearm, sliding them over to his collarbone. She was sure she had plenty more time to properly explore him.

Not expecting such a change in position, she let him roll her over as she got a face full of pillow before being dragged back towards him. Feeling his heat made the hairs on the backs of her arms stand to attention, crossing her arms loosely across her own chest so she hand a hand resting on each of Dorian's forearms. She didn't think she'd ever been held so nicely in her entire life.

Absently, her thumb traced slow, small circles on the arm he had draped across her and she closed her eyes. To get a little more comfortable, she wiggled her little bum, stretching out her legs before pulling them to her chest, mirroring him. "You make a lovely big spoon," she commented sleepily as she let out a little yawn.

What did she want to do today? "You?" Eloise enquired innocently. The word was out before she could stop it and she winced, internally cringing at being so forward. Then again, she was in bed, undressed, with a naked man. How much more forward could she possibly get?

"Well I was thinking," she began, stroking his arm again. "There's an antique book market on today? I've never been but I kind of want to go. There's lots of stuff there. You could even get some new paint brushes if you want to. Do you have your camera?" Eloise asked, tilting her head just a little to kiss him. The only part of him that she could reach was the tip of his nose.

"And they have freshly made bread and cheese and -- " just then, her stomach gave a very unladylike growl. "The leaves are starting to fall around Montmartre now," she explained softly. "It'd make for some lovely pictures," she said with another yawn and a wiggle, sleep threatening to take hold of her again. "But I thought maaaaybe we could take a bath, too. I think the tub is big enough for two, I think we should test the theory."

With that, she poked her hand out of the duvet to grab the little box of treats she'd bought from the deli across the street. "Croissant, Danish pastry or pan aux chocolat?"

Dorian smiled against her skin and tried to kiss her once more in the spot she claimed was ticklish. He couldn't help it. He loved her laugh. He also stored that little bit of information in the part of his mind that belonged to Eloise. That, along with the peach tulips and rose wine.

The man had held hands and kissed before, but Eloise's hands on his body made him feel like he never had before. His body was tense and tight but straining for more. He could feel her fingertips everywhere, down to the smallest cell in his body. He never wanted her to stop. Her hand on his chest had his heart beating faster, his breath caught. Could she feel the effect she had on him? Did she know?

Did she know how much she was driving him to distraction? He wasn't sure if she was doing it on purpose but the way she was stroking him with her fingertips was driving him crazy. He wanted her to stop. He never wanted her to stop. He couldn't make up his mind what was worse.

But her voice, those words, made him smile and his eyes softened. "I love you too," he whispered back, hoping his voice and his tone conveyed the feelings he felt for her that the words didn't say.

When she wiggled her bum, he couldn't help but let out a little groan. She was not making it easy for him to think of something else besides doing exactly what they did last night. He wanted to desperately, but he saw her eyes close and heard her yawn and guessed she may still be tired from last night. Dorian was far from the man who would just take whatever he wanted so he kept quiet and tried to train his thoughts to something else. He tried to subtly move his hips away from hers so she wouldn't realize exactly what was on his mind...

But then she told him what she wanted to do and he knew he was fighting a battle he was going to lose.
And then she was talking about books and markets and paintings and all the things that Dori couldn't even begin to think about. When she reached across the bed, her body stretched out before him, he acted before he fully thought it through. He took the box out of her hands and then set it back on the floor, covering her body with his as he kissed that spot where she was ticklish and ran his hands up her body, telling her with his hands rather than his words exactly what he wanted.  "Food later," he said, his lips against her skin. "I'm hungry for something else right now."

"Doriiiii!" Eloise squealed as he kissed her again, throwing her head back and properly laughing this time, loud and booming. She squirmed under him, snorting ungracefully, trying to wiggle away. Trying but not too hard to escape because really, she didn't want to. There really wasn't anywhere else for her to go. The idea of leaving the bed was awful. It was cold and boring and Dorian wasn't there.

Unable to help herself, the petite blonde gave him a wide, goofy grin. He loved her and she hoped that he'd tell her so often. Gently, she reached out to stroke her thumb across his cheekbone, watching her fingers with another smile. She wanted the time to grain everything about him to memory. His cheekbones, his freckles, the curve of his shoulder. These things weren't new but she felt like she was getting to know him all over again and this time it was better.

"You don't want anything?" Eloise asked, eyes wide with confusion. "I can get you something -- oh." Goose bumps rose on her naked flesh, the skin he touched felt like it was on fire and it was glorious. She slid down the mattress a little, her body reacting to his, flashing him a grin as the box dropped to the floor. Swiftly, she reached out to cup his face, pulling him closer so she could kiss him and kiss him properly this time.

Later on.

Eloise very rarely took a bath without a glass of wine. Always red, never white. White was only used by her to cook but it was a bit early for alcohol. Instead, she'd managed to wrangle two glasses of freshly squeezed orange and mango juice which were placed on the floor either side of the bath tub.

Eloise's bathroom was small but bright and tastefully decorated with classic white and black. Her bath tub was perhaps her favourite thing. Large and deep, it was free standing and ideal to share because the taps were on the side of the bath, leaving both edges free to lounge on. She'd taken the time to light a few different sized candles and dot them around the room, just for some atmospheric glow. She'd read in a magazine once that candlelight was the most flattering.

Her long blonde hair was up and off her face in a lazy, hap hazard ponytail, the ends of which were damp from the hot water. Mountains of delicately fragranced bubbles filled the tub as she lolled her head back, a solitary rubber duck lazily floating across the water.

Happiness was positively radiating off of her. They didn't have to go anywhere today if Dorian didn't want to. Eloise had cast a charm on the water to keep it at the correct temperature until the water was drained. Sometimes it was good to be magical. Ever practical, there were a few folded towels close by.

She wiggled a little, dipping under the water to allow the bubbles to cover everything. Despite being really comfortable with Dorian, deep down she was still as insecure as she ever was. The bubbles for her was a sort of security blanket. She'd never shared a bath with someone before but this didn't feel weird. It felt…nice. Intimate. Lovely.

Cracking one eye open, she shot Dori a grin. Neatly, she scooped up a handful of the floral scented bubbles and playfully blew them at him. "Hey," she cooed. "Could you scrub by back?" She asked with a bright smile. In the tub besides the rubber duck was a large soft sponge, the type that when squeezed let out a lot of bubbles. Without letting him refuse her, she deftly turned around, knees pulled up into her chest as she wiggled backwards to rest her back against his front.

Dorian had a dippy little smile on his face as he sat in the warm water, surrounded by Eloise's warmth. She was better than any sunlight on his face. Better than the most decadent dessert. His heart felt lighter than he could ever remember and he wanted to live in this moment forever. Dorian didn't know the future and didn't know what his art exhibit later this month would hold for him, but he felt a little better knowing that his love for Eloise and her love for him was something that was truly right in this world. He felt like something had finally clicked into place. He belonged somewhere. With her. Here. In her warmth.

His long fingers appeared from beneath the surface of the water, poking the rubber ducky along, swirling the bubbles around in circles, gently ever so gently  trailing over Eloise's shoulder. He found himself touching the damp ends of her hair, feeling its silky texture against his hand. He was glad that she had taken charge of the warming charm because he knew he wasn't any good at that sort of stuff. He tried and almost failed to levitate one of the glasses filled with mango-orange juice into his hand. It had been a half second away from spilling into the water, but he had caught it at the last second and he smiled sheepishly at her. Dorian was being lazy and hadn't wanted to move away from her to reach for it, but shrugged lightly as if in apology as he sipped out of the glass, his blue eyes still on her green ones. "Want some?" he asked as he offered the same glass he has just taken a drink of.

Dorian certainly enjoyed being naked in the same tub as her, but he could have done without the bubbles. Sort of blocked his view. Everything he saw above the water level though was as lovely as ever. He hummed in adoration and appreciation as she moved back against him, smiling into her shoulder as he placed a kiss there on her glistening skin. His curly brown locks stuck to his forehead, damp from his wet hands running through his hair. He moved his legs to each side to make room for her as she curled up in front of him and whispered his agreement as he took the sponge that had been floating near her. As he brought the sponge back toward him, he.. accidentally.. brushed the side of her breast with his hand.

The sly touch had him grinning and he was glad she had her back to him so she couldn't see his troublemaker expression. He soaped up the sponge before gently setting it to her skin, rubbing her back in languid, lazy circles. He loved the closeness they had right now, reveled in it. "Want me to do your front too?" he asked in a whisper against her ear as his hands ran over the tops of her arms too.

Amazing, amazing, amazing.

It really was amazing. They weren't do anything and it was still amazing. Eloise wiggled her toes in the warm water, letting them peek out from underneath the bubbles and she was thankful that she'd taken the time yesterday to paint them a deep shade of crimson. It just made everything look a bit better. She didn't think she'd end up in a bath tub with her best friend but it was a perfect day for it. It was still damp and cold outside and she had no desire to leave her apartment. Absently, she wondered if she could tie Dori to her bed frame with her collection of scarves.

"Hey!" The small blonde called out with a wide grin as he levitated and (skilfully) caught the glass. "And you said you weren't good at spells," she scoffed, scooting closer again to take the glass and in turn, sip the cold juice as she nodded. It was difficult to focus. The way he'd caught that glass with those big hands of his  made her mind wander to think what those hands could do to her body.

It was tough to be romantic when she was being controlled so forcefully by her hormones. She had him now, he was hers, she was allowed to think those kinds of things. Absently, she reached up to touch her earlobe, her fingers gently turning her stud earring left and right to twist it. That was Eloise's tell; she did that when she was trying to distract herself.

It helped a little when she felt him touch her hair. The action was soft and tender and she was already so deeply relaxed that if he wasn't careful, she was liable to fall asleep.

The kiss Dori placed on her shoulder forced her to bite on her lower lip, hiding her grin as she blushed cutely. Cheerfully, she placed her chin on her knees, goose bumps rising on the damp flesh of her forearms. She was happy. Blissfully happy and she was having a difficult time not planning ahead. When left by herself, she often thought about their conversation in the tea shop about travelling. Was he serious when he suggested they go travelling together?

The touch against her side made her jump, snapping her out of little daydream.  Unable to help herself, Eloise turned her head a little just to flash him a slow grin. This was great. She didn't think she'd ever been the object of someone's desires. She'd been needed plenty of times but wanted? Wanted, not so much.

"Mmm," she mumbled softly, eyes closing as she felt the sponge against her back, shivering a little as the warm soapy bubbles dripped down her arms. Her shivering had nothing to do with the temperature of the water but everything to do with the proximity of her boyfriend.

Eloise crossed her arms loosely across her chest, her fingers running lazily up and down Dorian's forearms. It just felt wrong not to be touching him. She leant back a little, the back of her head just resting on his clavicle as she laughed. "Absolutely," she purred, feeling outrageously flirty and she couldn't help it. Still close, she tilted her head further back, nudging his jaw line with the tip of her nose.

Without warning, she moved. Thanks to the slippy bath tub, she turned easily to face him, manoeuvring neatly and snorting with laughter as some water sloshed over the side. Insignificant. Placing her hands gently on his thighs to support herself, she leant in to gently kiss his neck. Her lips slid upwards towards his earlobe, down across his jaw line and finally, pressing them to the corner of his mouth. Her position was precarious. If he pulled her down, she'd slam against him.

For some reason, Dori's camera was hanging nearby. Turning her face a little to kiss him, she pressed her chest to his as her fingers curled around the camera strap to pull it towards her. Breaking the kiss, she flashed him a grin before shifting a little to neatly sit on his lap. In her new position, she held the camera to her eye and hastily snapped a photo of him. He looked great. All cute with his wet hair matted against his forehead.

"I don't have any recent photos of you," Eloise explained with a dimpled grin, stopping to snap another. "Plus, you look great naked." With an overly exaggerated wink, she got off of him and stepped out of the bath, bending to wrap a fluffy white towel securely around her body. Leaning over the tub, she kissed him again, scooping a handful of bubbles and placing a small amount on the tip of her nose. With a giggle, she turned and sprinted from the room.

He pulled a face, letting his expression tell her exactly how good he thought he was at spells. And that would be no good at all. But he was happy when she scooted closer and he smiled softly at her as she rested her chin on her knees. How could she be so adorable and so enticing at the same time? How did she not realize how tempting she was to him?

Dori caught her grin and a flash of heat licked through him. She couldn’t know what that look did to him. She couldn’t know. But if she kept looking at him like that, he was certainly going to be able to show her, demonstrate exactly her affect on him. She made a purring noise as his hands moved over her back and he got a really strong urge to wash her front too. And keep going, like south. Way south. It was very difficult for him to think of anything else. Especially when she ran her fingertips up his forearms. He sucked in a breath and prayed for some control as he pressed his lips to her hair. The bubble bath and afternoon sunlight were romantic and dreamy and Dorian couldn’t have imagined any better, but he wasn’t satisfied with just the romantic feeling. He wanted more.

He felt her twist in his arms and he smiled at her as she came face to face with him, laughing as he saw some water sloshing over the side of the tub. He would have volunteered to clean that up but she was much better at Charms work anyway. But then he wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t breathing. He could feel his heartbeat against the tips of her fingers as she placed them on his thighs. So close, so close a voice chanted in his head. He stilled under the butterfly kisses she placed under his jawline, losing himself in her touch. His hands were on were waist, he didn’t want to get away from him. 

He exhaled shakily as he felt his breasts against his chest. She was torturing him, absolutely torturing him. It took a few long moments for him to focus on what she was saying instead of thinking about jumping her and doing what he really wanted to do right there in the tub. The snap of the camera got his attention though. He grinned at her and tried to reach for the camera, though not really trying to take it from her. "Thought you didn't like photos," he said teasing her. Knowing full well she didn't like being in front of the camera, but obviously didn't mind being behind it. Then he grinned, with dimples showing, when she liked his nakedness. He shimmied at her and waggled his eyebrows, laughing at how ridiculous he was going to look in the photos.

But then she was leaving and he yelled "Hey!" after her, feeling both bereft in her absence so predatory with the need to chase after her. He hopped out of the tub too, knocking over the other glass of mango-orange juice in his haste and hurried down the hall after her, wet footprints and water droplets marking his trail behind him. He had snapped a towel from the rack as he left the bathroom and wrapped it around his waist, securing it loosely as he followed her into the bedroom. With him right on her heels, he tackled her to the bed and wrangled the camera from her hands and made quick work of trapping her in between his thighs. He was kneeling on the bed and he brought the camera to his eyes before snapping a photo of her on her back lookin up at him, his movements fluid but slow. The image he saw through the finder was beauty in raw form.

Dorian brought the camera down slowly and gazed at her, an unfathomable expression on his face. He wanted to say something, felt the need to say something, but he couldn't find words to express what he was feeling. He didn't know if there were words. Instead of saying anything, he snapped one more photo before rolling to the side and hauled her up in front of him, her back to his chest. He held the camera out in front of them and leaned his head into hers, looking down at her instead of into the lens before clicking the shutter. "I want to start a photo wall," he whispered to her, dreaming of filling frame upon frame of photos of him with her.

He was so lovely. Last night, she'd slept wonderfully. Not like she used to as she was prone to fitful rests, often sleeping just for a few hours and tossing and turning. As she thought, she smiled at him softly, the skin at the corners of her eyes crinkling. Dorian was key to a good night's sleep. Now that she'd had him in her bed, she didn't want him to leave it. She was too used to having him next to her, wrapped so warmly in his arms. She didn't want him to go home.

She didn't think they'd be leaving the apartment now and that was fine. Originally, she was going to take him for a quick walk. She didn't know where but somewhere pretty so they could get bundled up in their warm coats, hold hands and watch a Parisian sunset.

"I like photos when I'm not in them," Eloise teased, taking another photo of him with a snort. "I don't know why you liked taking photos of me so much," she mumbled as she thought out loud. His fascination with her photo always baffled her but really deep down, she was thrilled. She put up a fight and complained but really, she enjoyed everything.

As he wiggled his eyebrows, she laughed again, pausing to snap another photo. "I'm framing this," Eloise commented before she chewed on her lower lip. If her hands weren't busy cradling his prized camera, they'd be all over him. Her fingers flexed, almost like her body was telling her to touch him but then again, there was plenty of time for play time in the bath. And in the kitchen. And on the counter tops. And on the floor. And on the sofa. And, when it got warmer, on the balcony.

Squealing like a toddler, Eloise skidded on the floor, almost barrelling into the nearest wall as she heard Dorian's booming voice behind her. It was childish and it was silly but she was firmly in the love bubble. She didn't know where she was going as she sprinted down her bright hallway. Maybe she could hide behind the sofa? But he had other ideas.

She let out a squeak of surprise as she felt herself be grabbed around the waist and bodily flung against the mattress. Eloise didn't mind at all. He was so tall and so strong and it made her feel dainty and elfin. Feeling a bit disorientated, she let out a laugh, slightly tangled in her bed sheets before she felt herself rolled back over. She gave up the camera without much of a fight, entirely distracted by his close proximity. "Oh don't!" She whined, trying to wriggle free but finding herself pleasantly trapped between his thighs. Oooh lovely.

Eloise held her hands up towards the camera lens, turning her face away before figuring that taking the path of least resistance was the best. She turned to look at him and she thought she looked a mess. Her long blonde hair was damp and tousled and now that her apartment's old central heating had kicked in, it was starting to dry and kink at the ends. Her eyes were bright, lips parted as Dori took the photo and surprisingly, her towel had stayed firmly in place.

"What?" The petite blonde asked with a chuckle, eyes wide and confusion clearly etched on her face as he stopped to look at her so closely. She couldn't read his expression and it unsettled her. Was he having second thoughts? Had he decided that he didn't love her after all now? Feeling cold dread slowly seep into her bones, she offered him a small smile that she hoped was encouraging. "I love you," she said.

Once rolled back over, she wiggled closer, eyes closed as she rested her cheek back on the pillow. She crossed her arms loosely across her chest, the palms of her hands resting on Dori's forearms. She was so wrapped up in him that she didn't hear the shutter of the camera go off.

"A photo wall?" She echoed, genuinely interested as she smiled a little. "That's a good idea," she added as she nodded. "Are you going to use the photos you took when you went travelling?" Eloise enquired. "Because you know I still really want to sit down with you and look at them." With that, she looked over her shoulder to smile at him again. "And I really want you to take me travelling too."

Gently, she squeezed his forearms when a sudden thought struck her. "Why don't you make a photo exhibition? I'm sure Adrien will help." Adrien was her older brother and an art dealer in Paris. He had connections all over the art world and she didn't see why her older brother wouldn't do his best. "I think it'd be amazing."

He shook his head at her as he tried to fight the smile that was on his face. He wanted her to get over her whole aversion to photographs, especially considering he never planned on not taking them of her. But really he would indulge her, tolerate her in just about anything. It was difficult for him to find a fault in someone that he thought was so much better than himself, was so much more a better person than he. He wondered if it would be weird if he told her he still had all those photos of when they had been at Beauxbatons... Yeahhhh, probably better to keep that to himself for now. Didn't want to creep her out right when she wasn't running away from him. Well.. at least metaphorically running. Running down the hallway didn't count.

"No you're not!" he said around his laughter as he tried to snatch the camera out of her hand unsuccessfully. He probably looked like a dork. Actually, not probably. Definitely. He smacked his head lightly with the palm of his head, only imagining what that photo would look like after it had been in the photograph serum that made still photos animated. It would be blackmail material for the rest of his life. Which... wouldn't be so bad if Eloise was the one holding it against him. As long as his brother Thomas never saw it.

He shook his head at her, his damp hair sprinkling water droplets across his forehead as she tried to avoid his camera. He batted her hands away playfully as he tried to move it here or there to avoid her blocking it. The I love you on her lips made his heart pinch and flip at the same time and even though he was sure he had said it about five times by now, in just the past hour, he whispered it in her ear again, meaning it with every fiber of his body. As she curled up in his arms, her fingertips trailing on his forearms, he snapped another photo, this time looking into the lens as El's face was turned to the pillow. He couldn't wait to develop these. He might even do it today, later. Now. He wanted to do it now. But leaving the comfort of her arms wasn't something he was capable of doing.

Dorian nodded thoughtfully when she mentioned his travel photos. "We can do that," he told her as he tightened his arms around her, imagining themselves cuddled up together as he went from photo to photo and told her everything he had experienced. He wanted her to know everything, wanted to know her thoughts on everything. And then she said something that made him lean up on his elbow so he could look fully into her face. "I really want that too," he said fervently. "I'll take you anywhere. Where do you wanna go?" Her travelling with him? Them seeing everything together? It would be heaven.

He was silent for a few moments, even though he appreciated the support she showed her, the faith she had in his abilities. But he shook his head a few moments later too. "I'm kind of focused on my painting right now. Photography for me is just a hobby. I'm hoping this exhibition with Marine will launch something of a career..." he trailed off because he didn't want to jinx anything. He was already so worried about the outcome, the critics, the pieces he was going to put on display. He feared that they weren't good enough, that he wasn't good enough, and that a public exhibition like this would showcase his ineptness to everyone. He didn't want to be pitiful in front of her though so he kept that in and busied himself by tracing little circles and swoops on the skin of her shoulder.

"Why?" Eloise asked with a grin, her big green eyes sparkling mischievously. She tilted her head innocently, a lock of hair falling over her left eye as she smiled again. "I like it," she replied with a shrug of her slender shoulders. "It's cute. I'm going to blow it up and hang it in my living room," she said with a grin.

"Here," with that, she shifted. Eloise turned the camera around so the lens was facing her and held it at arm's length away from her. Then, she proceeded to pull a funny face. She held her breath and puffed her cheeks out like a chipmunk and she crossed her eyes, pressing the shutter and she laughed. "There," she said proudly. "We both look like idiots." In all honestly, there was no one else she'd rather be an idiot with.

Eloise parted her lips as she closed her eyes, arching her back just a little as pleasure thrilled down her spine. Dorian's breath was warm against her ear and hearing him say he loved her too made goose bumps erupt on her bare skin. He had her purring like a kitten. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing him say that but she didn't want to tell him too often. She was definitely in love with him but she didn't want him to feel awkward.

"Yeah?" The short blonde asked, opening her eyes again. It was impossible to not feel drowsy. She was full and warm and safe and being nuzzled up and so close to him was perfection. "Yay!" She exclaimed, happily wiggling a little in his arms to let him know she was keen to take him up on his offer.

"I'll cook dinner and I'll bring some wine," she stated, pressing her back flush against his chest as his grip tightened on her. She chuckled. She didn't know why he was holding her so tightly, like his life depended on it but she was thankful. She decided to leave it up to Dorian to decide if he wanted to come here to look through his photos or if she could go to his place. She'd still not visited his home. She knew he had room mates but she was keen to meet them and she had no issue in making dinner for all of them, too.

Feeling Dori shift, she did the same, moving to turn her body into his a little so she could look back at him. "Would you be mad if I said everywhere?" Eloise replied with a gentle smile, her larges eyes searching his face. She used to do this a lot when she thought he wasn't looking. His face was far more interesting, unique and beautiful than any sunset or painting. He was a work of art.

She rested her two front teeth on her lower lip gently, furrowing her eyebrows as she thought. She didn't have one stand out place in particular. "Tibet," Eloise offered. "I dunno," she said nonchalantly as she shrugged. "It looks gorgeous. And remote. I really want to hike up those mountains and watch a sunrise. I want to visit those beautiful temples. Everything is so colourful," she offered with a wistful sigh. "And peaceful. It might feel like we're the only people in the world. But also Spain," she grinned, wrinkling the tip of her nose. "America, Greece, Thailand, Iceland, Japan, Prague, Venice, The Great Wall of China, Rome, Peru," Eloise babbled, coming to life as she thought about what they could do together one day.

"I've always fancied Machu Picchu," the  blonde said softly. "I've always really wanted to stroke an alpaca." Tilting her head back, Eloise grinned at him easily. "And get one of those super cool woolly hats."

"Oh," Eloise said softly as she rested her cheek back on her pillow, a frown creasing her pretty facial features. "But you're so good at it," she remarked, disappointed that he wasn't doing more with his camera. Rather than let him pick up on what she thought, she continued to lazily stroke his arms, eyes open as she stared at her bedroom wall.

"I'm really excited for that," Eloise said honestly, excitement clear in her voice. "And I don't think I've said how proud of you I am." With that, she hugged his arms to his chest, pulling her knees up to her own. "It's going to be amazing," she gushed. "You're so good." And he was. He was a phenomenal painter.

"What time do I have to be there for?" Eloise refrained from saying "we", purely because she figured he'd want to get there early and sort everything out and make sure it was all perfect. He didn't need her bothering him or cramping his style. It'd be best if she came later and let him mingle and he could come and find her when he was ready to go home.

"Don't worry so much," she cooed to him gently, shivering a little as he stroked her shoulder. "It's going to be great. They're going to fall in love with you," she said with a nod. "I actually got you a little something," she added. "A little present for your big day. I was going to give it to you then but you might be too busy. Do you want it now?" Eloise asked. If he did, he'd have to let her go first.

"No, you're not," he repeated again as he chuckled and shook his head at her, amusement dancing in his baby blue eyes. "If you're going to hang anything in your living room, it's going to be a nice photo. Of the two of us. That you'll let me frame." He told her sternly, with a firm nod of his head after each phrase. Without thinking, the lock of hair that had fallen over her eye caught his attention and he pushed it back with gentle fingers. His fingertips tangled through her blonde strands and he took an inordinate amount of time feeling the silky strands in between his fingers.

He shook his head at her again, this time with a gentle small about his lips. He would never be mad at her for wanting to spend more time with him. How could he? As she thought about all the places she wanted to go, Dori was sure he would agree to just about anything. The middle of a volcano. The moon. Mars. He would go anywhere for her, with her. Anything to see her smile. Or look at him like that with those big green eyes of hers. He felt silly and foolish for thinking such sappy things like that, but the truth couldn't be diminished even if he had been really embarrassed for how much he felt for her. He felt like she was his anchor to the earth and couldn't help but try to snuggle in closer to her.

Dorian settled back against the pillows and headboard as she started her list of places to see. He tried to commit each one to memory, store it in that Eloise section of his mind. She made him smile though. Even if he was a struggling artist, poor by trade with little hope of that changing in the near future, she made him want to see all those places even though he knew he could barely afford his daily cup du cafe. She made him think it would actually be possible instead of just a far off dream, a reachable reality instead of just an eventual goal. "A woolly hat is a must," he said as he kissed her nose that was much easier for him to reach since she had tilted her head back toward him. "Right after, we visit Florence and the Caribbean and the Northern Lights."

The Frenchman had always had a bug for travelling. He wanted to see the world, not just read about it or hear about it or see pictures in a book. He wanted to experience it for himself and he had done a little bit of it a few years ago. But as he pictured the two of them together, travelling even more than he had before, he couldn't help but wonder what his travels had meant before. Wasn't it about who you went with? And who could be more significant than El? His gaze was unfocused on the ceiling, his thoughts on their future. Their. Together. He smiled happily. He never thought a single pronoun would make him so happy.

He blushed and squirmed under her praise, unsure of how to handle the faith and admiration that he heard in her voice. Dorian enjoyed the way she curled up against him and reveled in that for a few moments, before whispering a quiet "thank you" in her ear. That was really all he could say to her. He didn't want to be melodramatic or bring up negative thoughts into the cocoon of warmth that they had made together so he kept his doubts and fears to himself. Maybe he'd have the guts to share them with her later. Not now.

"Don't you want to come with me?" he asked her without thinking. Dorian had assumed they would go together. Merlin knew he would be a wreck about it anyway and he had hoped her hand in his would lend him a little bit of confidence and calmness. But her question made him doubt that too. "I mean, if you want to, I'd like you to come with me. We could go together."

He nodded into her shoulder as he rested his cheek on her neck and tried to take her advice seriously. She was right, he shouldn't worry so much. But then he was also glad he hadn't complained or went into any more detail about his fears. He was afraid she would just brush them off as nothing to worry about as well. Even if there was a lot of truth in that bit of advice. Her faith in him confunded him, but he was grateful for it and he placed butterfly kisses on her shoulder in his own way of thanking her. When she mentioned a present, he frowned at her and shook his head. "You didn't have to get me anything," he told her, still frowning, of course meaning that she shouldn't have gotten him anything. He didn't want to accept anything from her because he kind of felt that anything she gave him set them more off balance. He owed her already for just forgiving him and gifts, even small ones, made their balance that much more off kilter. And the other part was that, he didn't really want her to go anywhere.

His arms came around her a little tighter as he refused to let her go. "Maybe later.." he said. He was content to stay in bed with her and just chat the day away. Or spend the day in bed, doing things other than talking. Yeah, either were really, really good options in his opinion.

She snorted, the sound escaping her deeply pink lips and she didn't bother to disguise it. At the mention of a photo of the two of them, Eloise let out a soft groan. It wasn't that she didn't want to take photos with him, she just wasn't very photogenic and she was sure he knew that. She was too small and her eyes were too big and she couldn't do her make up properly. "Maybe I'll just hang it in my bedroom instead then," she grumbled, wiggling against him a little.

Dori's fingers in her hair made her mind go blank for a few seconds. His soft touch was repetitive and relaxing and she could feel her eyelids start to droop. It wasn't very good, wanting to sleep. But that was what she wanted to do; sleep. Not exactly have sex. Sleep. Curl up with him, talk about his day, make plans, hold hands. It was so cold and damp outside and so warm and loving inside.

Eloise leant into his touch a little, wondering if he'd want to massage her scalp while he was at it. That was her Achilles heel.

The small blonde giggled as he kissed her nose, wrinkling the tip, ironically like a bunny as she flushed pink. She could get used to this. The cute little unexpected touches. In fact, she'd like it if Dorian kissed her like this often. "Do you think so?" She asked, clapping her hands over her heels as he insisted she needed a woolly hat. "Yeah the altitude would make it freezing. Maybe I can get a matching jumper," she said brightly.

Florence? He wanted to go to Florence and she wondered if it held some sort of special place for him. "I've never been to Italy," she admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. Dorian was a world traveller, he said so when they'd met again and she was so jealous. She was so sheltered. The most exotic place she'd ever been was the French Riviera on holiday with her parents when she was young.

"Oooh," Eloise purred, rolling over and towards him, placing her chin on his chest as she gazed up at him. She offered him a smile, placing a chaste kiss on the centre of his chest, just on his sternum. "I've always wanted to swim in those waters, they're so blue and for the Northern Lights," she added, tracing a slow pattern on his skin with a warm index finger. "I heard they were brightest in winter. You should think about taking a New Year trip. I couldn't think of anything better than ringing it in with a glass of vodka in the middle of the frozen tundra."

"Of course I do," Eloise was quick to reply to his comment, eyes wide as a from creased her lips. "I just --" she faltered, frowning again at her own stupidity. Urgh. She was so annoying. Honestly? She thought he'd be busy setting up and mingling and she didn't want to distract him…but he said he wanted to go with her and her stomach did a little gleeful flip. "Yes," she said firmly. Her fingertips traced the arm he had wrapped securely around her, from his wrist bone to his elbow and back again. 

"Please. I'd love to. I even bought a new dress," Eloise joked, affectionately squeezing his arm. "There's nothing I'd like more than walking in with you," she said, softly and genuinely. "It'd make me really proud." And it would. She knew how hard he'd worked and she was honoured to be allowed to share it with him.

Eloise grinned into her pillow as he kissed her shoulder. So unfair. How had he found two of her soft spots in the one day? Goose bumps rose on her exposed skin as she curled her toes in pleasure. Her apartment was cool but she felt anything but. Dori was making her hot. "That tickles," she mumbled as her eyes closed, pressing her back tightly against his chest as she shivered again, half wanting to pull her duvet up over them again. "Wanna build a blanket fort?" She asked aloud.

"I know that," Eloise cooed gently, amusement clear in her tone. "I wanted to. It's nothing massive," she was quick to say, trying to placate him. He was one of those people who didn't like having money spent on them so she could only imagine the Hell his parents must go through on his birthday. "I actually made it myself," she said, stroking his arm again. There was a small parcel beneath her bed, wrapped in pale blue paper and tied with a large silver bow. She hoped he'd like it.

As he tightened his grip, she laughed. "You know I could get used to this," the blonde warned him. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, genuinely amused and honestly flattered. She'd never had anyone who willingly cuddled with her. Jimmy hadn't and Richard never did but Dori? Dori was perfect. And he was so warm. He was so tall and so strong but squishy in all the right places which made him her personal six foot teddy bear. How lucky was she?

"Tell me about your exhibition," Eloise pressed him, wiggling a little more. She was always trying to impress him but over the summer between her fifth and sixth year, she'd learned a lot about art. She'd read, she'd visited museums, she'd even tried making some pottery, all to try and impress him. "Which pieces are you bringing with you?" She asked, interested. She wanted to know everything; how he was feeling, what made him tick, everything that inspired him.

"This is so exciting," she gushed, wiggling again as though her little body couldn't quite contain her joy. She sort of wanted to jump on her mattress. "It's so cool!" She said, sounding excited. With a smile, she looked down at Dori's arm and began to stroke his again softly. "You can kiss my shoulder again, if you want." Yeah, that'd be real nice.