[seville] better together. [tag; evander]

Well, it was certainly a party.

The place was alive with music, laughter and colour. People were hugging and chattering excitedly as the warm Spanish breeze blew across everyone, smelling of gardenias and rustling the skirts of various gowns on its way. It was a beautiful day. It had been bright and cloudless all morning and now that it was early evening, the sun was gently starting to set but clearly in no rush. The villa doors were open but the guests were spilling out and onto the grounds. Time was ticking by until the happy couple's first dance, which Jess was sort of dreading.

It was her older brother's wedding day and both bride and groom looked amazing. Jessica was the first to admit that she was dead inside but as vows were exchanged, she began to well up but she blamed it on allergies. The venue was a large and sprawling space, complete with a large villa and grounds and even an outdoor pool. The place was packed, full of excitable energy and even a stray dog who'd turned up and was now wearing a pink ribbon around his neck and loving it.

Jess sighed, blowing at a long dark curl that had escaped her intricate sweeping updo that had been securely fastened up that morning. In spite of herself, she smiled. She hadn't been home in years, home being Seville. Her mother's side of the family were Spanish, hence the large contingent that had arrived that afternoon. Despite her colouring, Jess hadn't really connected with her ancestry. She just didn't fit in. She didn't have the spice and vigour that her mother did. She wasn't sassy or gorgeous or outgoing and over the years, she steadfastly identified with being British. Pale, drawn, serious Jessica.

Jessica hadn't spoken a word of the language in years and she'd been here for five days and she was still getting up to speed with the fast pace and short vowels. Absently, she swirled her straw around her glass of lime and soda, head resting on an upturned palm as she watched the wedding guests spin around the courtyard-cum-dance floor. She was stone cold sober and it was a personal decision to make. Ever since the Battle, it had been a short, sharp shock to the system and she decided to get her head straight.

In an effort to get into the party mood, she'd chosen a baby blue dress with a little flare that complimented her dark features and olive skin. The day had been nice so far but that was mainly down to Evander. Despite making a deal with the Devil, his presence had been somewhat soothing. He'd deflected the questions beautifully, easily taking the heat off of Jess. He'd arrived on time, dressed to the nines and been very complimentary. He'd been quiet during the ceremony. He'd flirted with her mother and charmed her father and worked the crowd like a pro, leaving Jess completely stunned and a little bit jealous.

Jess had asked him, begged him really, weeks ago to be her plus one. Her grandmother, like a shark sensing blood in the water, came right at her. She was prepared to stand there and take it. You're thirty now, Jessica. If you leave it much longer, you won't have babies and then no one's going to want you. The surprise on her face when Evander walked in was almost priceless. The shock of seeing her with someone for perhaps the first time had been enough to start tongues wagging but no one assumed they were together. Why would they? His body language was all wrong but hers had slipped once or twice, showing a chink in her armour. He'd been very smooth and very polite and in the moments of silence, she found herself wondering.

Cheerful music was floating across the courtyard where she sat, by herself, drink untouched, watching the guests laughing. No one had asked her to dance. Not that she minded too much, she didn't have any moves. But what would it be like to be attending a wedding with an actual date, someone who actually wanted to be there? She wasn't sure Evander did but she owed him. Ever the realist, she'd given up on dreams of marriage and love and happily ever afters when she was nineteen years old. She'd never been in love but there was a swarm of curious butterflies that appeared whenever he did.

Lost in complex thoughts of regret and loneliness, she felt a tug on her skirt. Blinking, she looked down and smiled. The tugger was her four year old nephew, Andrew. He looked just like his dad, dark hair and eyes with brains better than her own. "Auntie Jessie, why do you look so sad?" He gazed up at her, his big eyes peering at her curiously and it made her smile. "I'm not sad," she told the toddler tenderly. "I'm just tired. It's been a long day." It wasn't exactly a lie.

Undeterred, the little boy continued. "Is it because lots of girls are looking at your boyfriend?" Andrew asked innocently, causing Jess to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. She wasn't blind. The moment he walked in, every single set of eyes had swivelled onto him. They'd been apart for a little while now so she only assumed he was busy flirting. She couldn't be mad at him. There were a lot of beautiful, single cousins around the place and the agreement was that he attended with her, not that he had to stick with her.

"C'mere you," she said fondly, hauling him up so he sat on her lap, jiggling him a little so he laughed. "That's because he's very handsome and very smart," she told Andrew, affectionately stroking his hair out of his eyes. She hadn't seen him nearly enough as she should have and she'd been shocked by how much he'd grown. "But not as handsome and smart as you," she told him, poking his nose. The little boy seemed placated by that response and offered her a toothy grin. "Do you wanna come and play hide and seek?" The little one said, causing her to smile. "Later, maybe. I've still got a lot of people to say hello to first. You get going," she told her nephew, kissing his chubby cheek and watching him sprint away, scattering people and flower petals in his wake. She felt a pang of sadness.

Once he was out of sight, her eyes drifted to her parents who were slow dancing in the corner, despite the upbeat tempo of the song that was playing. The precociousness of the little boy had her floundering. Was that why she wasn't having fun? Because her former booty call was busy with other women and not her? It was her fault. She'd put the brakes on things but she wasn't conceited enough to believe that Evander felt nothing more for her than tolerance. Heaving a sigh, she despondently jabbed a slice of lime with her straw with more force than necessary. She really did want to dance.


@Evander Lusk

Evander was grateful for the breeze that had picked up. It was warm air, but it was better than the stifling stillness of before. Earlier in the day he’d been struggling, though trying his best to hide it amongst all the olive-skinned guests. The Scotsman was not suited to the soaring heat they’d been subjected to during the ceremony; he’d been at risk of nodding off at various points and had spent all his energy focusing on staying awake – he knew Jessica would never forgive him if he embarrassed her at her brother’s wedding.

How he’d ended up here still slightly baffled him. Surely Jessica knew at least one other man she could have brought to this wedding, she really only needed someone that could smile and nod beside her. So why him? He’d taken her up on the offer mostly for the chance to lord something over her, but another reason was curiosity. What were the Smith’s like? What, or rather who, made Jessica who she was?

Of course, he’d not been told at first that the wedding was overseas. Evander had assumed with a name like Smith that the nuptials would be in England, but that showed how little he knew about his companion. If he looked at her, really looked at her, he could see the darker colouring that hinted at her continental heritage. So a weekend jaunt to Seville it had been. At least Jessica was definitely no longer the palest person at the wedding.

Within moments of the guests being allowed to sprawl out into the grounds Evander had excused himself and gone to the bar. A real gentleman would have offered to get his female friend a drink, but he was desperate for something to cool down. A cold beer sounded inviting, but instead he opted for a large glass of ice-water to rehydrate himself. With it, he made a beeline for some shade.

He just needed a few minutes, then he’d head back to Jess and continue being the perfect plus one. The healer had been at his most accommodating all afternoon – chatting politely to whomever had been thrusted or self-propelled his way. Evander was used to this. He always made out that he hated social functions, but that was usually because his mother had organised them as a ruse to set her eldest son up with suitable young women to marry – but he didn’t hate socialising. He didn’t even dislike it. He enjoyed it because he was good at it. Good at telling people what they wanted to hear and making them feel important. If he hadn’t been a healer, he could have made a good politician.

Unfortunately, he had been a little too good perhaps, in his eagerness to keep Jess happy. Under the shade of some olive trees he’d been cornered by one of whom he presumed was Jessica’s cousins. She didn’t speak much English and he certainly didn’t speak much Spanish – however this hadn’t seemed to be a deterrent. If anything she seemed spurred on by the fact that body language would be their best form of communication. Normally Evander would love the kind of attention this beautiful young woman was offering him, but he knew Jess was waiting for him. Not only that, the idea of her coming looking for him and finding him in such a situation filled him with guilt. Camila – he was certain that had been the name she’d tried to tell him – had begun to unbutton his suit jacket when he took her hand and pushed it away. “Ah, no.”

He was unusually flustered as he made his way back to the party. Van ran a hand through his hair, his dark blue eyes scouring the courtyard for Jessica. In a sea of tanned brunettes it was no easy feat to find her. Eventually he spotted her, the baby blue dress she was wearing acting like a homing beacon. Relief. Not an emotion he usually felt around Jessica, but then, he hadn’t really been feeling himself around his schoolmate for some time.

Evander made his way through the crowd, watching as a young boy ran away from Smith – but for once it didn’t appear to be in fright. Her eyeline drifted to the dancefloor, and Evander’s gaze followed. Something in him stirred as he found the source of her fascination. Her parents slow dancing beautifully amongst the younger, livelier couples. Jessica’s parents had been scarily ordinary. Van wasn’t sure what exactly had gone wrong for Jess to have turned out the way she did, it didn’t occur to him that maybe she only acted the way she did around him, and even then she’d been different in recent weeks.

He was too oblivious to pick up on it. Too consumed in his own woes. He was sure her change in persona was down to this new leaf she had turned over. “There you are.” Arriving at the table he unbuttoned his cream suit to sit in the vacant seat beside her, smiling amiably. Beneath the suit he had a dark navy shirt that was open at the collar, and he’d finished the ensemble off with brown dress shoes. He focused in on her water and lime and frowned. He sorely wanted a drink, but as he scoped around for the bar he spotted the wayward cousin lurking like a vulture and Jessica was now something of a deterrent. “Who was that?” He jerked his head in the direction of the young boy. His small talk around Jess still had some way to go.

Weddings were always an emotional affair. It was like some unwritten rule that someone should cry and as luck would have it, that person had been her. After her epiphany since the Battle, she'd accidentally opened up the floodgates. She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol in two years, having previously been drinking three bottles of wine a night. Gone were the stodgy Chinese take aways and microwave meals and in there place had been home made stir frys and salad. A night of no sleep had shifted to yoga and a full eight hours and now, she was in touch with her emotions and it threw her completely.

Jessica would be the first to admit that she was emotionally damaged. It must be very difficult for Evander to understand, considering her family were so…conventional. They'd been briefly introduced. Her mum's eyes had popped out of her head and her dad was gawping whilst her nanna had a minor stroke by the buffet table.

"Oh hello," came the swift response as her head turned from the dance floor to the Healer and she smiled gently. The sun hadn't gotten to Jessica yet but she's forgotten that Evander was Scottish through and through. So much so in fact, she was sure he had whiskey in his veins and he had the phrase "och aye the noo" written through him like a stick of Blackpool rock. "You look nice," she told him affably. It took all of her self control to keep focused on his face as she saw the collar of his shirt open, just a smidge so she could see his rather manly Adam's apple. She forced herself to swallow. In this heat, he'd tan in no time and the image of him shirtless made her choke on her drink.

"Oh," she said with an uncharacteristic laugh as she smoothed a dark curl behind her left ear. "That's Andrew," she said fondly as she watched the little boy throw some shapes in the middle of the dance floor, clearly loving the attention. "He's my nephew and he's been suspiciously well behaved all day. I'm wondering when he's going to crack. I got you a lager," she said casually as she slid an ice cold pint towards Evander before sipping on her water once more. Surprisingly, she hadn't been tempted by the wine, even though she'd spent a few days with her brood which was enough to drive anyone to drink. His presence had been very soothing.

Evander had been so great all day. He met the people he was bombarded with kindly and with some sort of ethereal grace. It was like second nature and then she remembered he'd probably been trained from a young age. She thought about what his mother might think of her and without warning, she gave a snort of laughter. "Sorry," she said briefly with a shake of her head. "Just thought of something funny," she said vaguely. It seemed bloody pointless to be forming a crush on someone she couldn't have, they were worlds apart.

"Thank you for coming," Jess said, genuinely thankful for his arrival. Without him propping her up, who knew what might have happened? They were both spending the night at the villa and she'd been careful to check they'd had separate rooms, due to a panicked paranoia. There was a definite shift, as though things had changed now that they were no longer in the safety of the British Isles. It was like the wet weather made her angry and anger was more comfortable. She was feeling far too relaxed and happy in the Spanish sun.

In the same moment, she looked up and saw Camila and swiftly pulled a face that she didn't bother to hide. She and her younger cousin never really got on. Camila was a pampered princess who used her model good looks to get where she wanted to be. She was part of the reason she hadn't been back in so long. Vivid memories of being bullied in the family vineyard, flashes of hurt as she remembered her cousin stealing the local boys away from her. "Heads up, you've been spotted," she told Evander darkly as the other woman shook her long dark hair sexily before starting to stride over. It was like she was a shark who had just smelt blood in the water. "If she bounced any more, her tits are going to pop out," she said in a catty tone before sipping her drink.

Camila wasn't the type of girl that was used to being ignored. Wearing a silky peach number that was slashed to the thigh, her skin was sun kissed and glowing as she caught the last rays of the day's sun, treating the courtyard like her own personal Milanese catwalk. Jess was no competition and she didn't, for one second, think that Evander would turn her down in favour of a frumpy Auror and so, she waited patiently before a sudden idea hit her; bollocks to Camila.

Letting her cousin sashay within hearing distance, she turned to Evander. "Do you want to dance?"

The brunette allowed himself to smile smugly. It was rare to receive what he believed was a genuine compliment from Jessica Smith, but he’d take it. “Thank you.” He wanted to return the compliment, but now that she’d gotten in there first it would sound as if he had to say it, rather than actually meaning it. His grey eyes cast a glance at her, admiring the way the power blue of her dress flattered her skin tone. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and looked away briefly.

Evander turned his head back to look at Jess in time to catch her choking on what appeared to be thin air, or else her non-alcoholic beverage. “Are you alright?”He asked politely, smiling pleasantly. “Bit strong for you?” He smirked, reminiscing the last time he’d seen his companion choking on a drink – firewhisky, and it has been in the comforts of his home.

Evander turned to watch Andrew, but only for a moment. He was more focused on Jess’ features. He didn’t have any nieces or nephews or his own yet, but he imagined Jessica was just like any other aunt when it came down to it. He wondered if she ever wanted children – didn’t all women? He couldn’t quite imagine her playing housewife, however. She’d probably be the type to get a sperm donor and embrace single-motherhood, or so he imagined. The Scotsman laughed lightly at her comment, knowing full well how little boys tended to act at weddings and other formal occasions.

“Oh, cheers. ” A calloused hand reached for the glass, the condensation slowly trickling down and onto his skin to mix with a light sheen of sweat.

He took a large swallow of the amber liquid, suddenly keen not only for the refreshment, but also to calm his nerves. Jess’s laugh brought him back from his thoughts, he lowered the glass. “What?” He probed, knowing she probably wouldn’t tell him, but it was worth seeing if the pleasant surroundings and jovial atmosphere would make her more likely to share her thoughts for a change.

”Thank you.”

He paused for a moment, licking his lips to wet them before responding, his eyes locked on hers the entire time. “You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Hard to say no to... a party.” He’d had to stop himself there, he’d almost said ‘to you’. He would never have lived that down. And it had just been automatic – was he still in Prince Charming mode? Or maybe he’d meant it. He did tend to come running when Jess called – usually for a booty call and nothing more, but he was slowly beginning to realise that if she asked him for any kind of help he’d probably do it. Jess was a friend. They might not act like most friends did, but he did trust her despite what he often said to the contrary. Evander furrowed his brow and took another drink to avoid having to say anything further for the moment, hoping the conversation might change.

As luck would have it... “Hm?” The healer looked to Jess, and then followed her gaze to the woman from before. Shit. That woman was unshakeable. Evander didn’t miss the tone of Jessica’s voice – he’d heard women speak like that before, though he’d never really expected it from her. “You’re not wrong.” He wasn’t sure where to look, he was trying to think of how to exit the situation, but unfortunately he was stuck here for the night. Preferably with Jess and not her cousin, though he had to admit that part of him was definitely interested in the latter. Or both. Both was probably not a good idea nor even remotely plausible – but a man could dream, right?

“Uh, yes... yes.” He stood up instantly, offering out a hand to the Auror. Evander was not the most graceful dancer, he didn’t tend to partake unless using it as a pretext to get a woman to bed, but in this instance he was partial to avoiding a three-way confrontation. He took Jessica’s hand in his and swiftly led them towards the dance floor.

As they reached their destination Evander spun around and pulled Jess in close, his hand automatically going to her waist, and began two-stepping. Thankfully it was a relatively up-tempo number. Now that they were safe he visibly relaxed, his tone playful: “Didn’t know you liked to dance, Smith?”

"Funny," Jess said with a wry smile but there was no venom behind her words. Swiftly, she picked up the linen napkin and dabbed at her eyes, trying to erase or at least slow down the damage done to her mascara. While she wanted to be honest with Evander, it didn't seem appropriate. If he wanted to poke fun of her, then that was fine. Sarcasm was comfortable. It did feel weird to be out of London with him, in a formal situation which could make or break her. She'd put an awful lot of trust in him tonight.

Jessica was perfectly unaware that Evander was watching her. In the Spanish breeze, her updo had unravelled. The ends of her chestnut curls bobbed lazily as it caught the gentle wind, the ends curling around the curve of her shoulder. She didn't look as severe as she did back home, dressed in boring dark suits. She looked and felt more relaxed. She smiled as little Andrew hassled the small flower girls, sending them shrieking through people's legs. She was a little unnerved to see his eyes on her but she smiled at his comment.

"Nothing," she said vaguely as her long fingers began to play with the napkin. With a few skilful movements, she'd turned the fabric into a crane. Origami, from a young age, had been some sort of coping mechanism for her. On her bad days, she'd promised her mother than she'd make one hundred little birds before she went to sleep. In her deepest darkness, she had bin bags full of the little colourful things. "I was just imagining what it'd be like if the roles were reversed," she told him honestly. "I'd send your mother running for the hills. Mine seems to quite like you," she added conversationally as she tweaked the bird's wing absently.

It's not a crush, she told herself as Evander watched her, causing her toes to curl in her shoes and thankful that he couldn't see them. She was thirty, for goodness sake. She was too old to be developing crushes. She gave a snort of laughter. "Well it certainly is that," she said lightly. Around them, couples were dancing. There were old friends clapping one another on the back, exchanging kisses and handshakes. The place was buzzing but no one bothered them. She wondered if they were scared to approach her. Too many years has passed but she was valiantly making an effort to get back to her family and having him with her  was certainly making her look more agreeable.

"Are you having fun?" Jess asked lightly, genuinely wondering how he was feeling. She cracked a grin. "You can take off your jacket, you know," she chided him. The Auror chewed the inside of her lip nervously. It felt weird, like things had taken a palpable shift. This was much more orthodox than being at home, tangled up on her couch at three in the morning. She daren't look at him. The last time they'd seen one another, things had gotten too comfortable and she'd slipped up. She never should have gone back to his home. Things could have progressed by the fire. The mood seemed right but she'd left. It felt like she would be taken advantage of him and the missed opportunity still sat uncomfortably with her.

Jess sighed softly. It was impossible not to watch Camila strut. She attracted appreciative glances from both sexes, she even caused a few wives and girlfriends to shove their respective partners as they goggled at her. She felt a sick sort of jealousy swirl in her gut. Camila was untouchable, the golden child of her family. Jessica had always been the black sheep, the alcoholic Auror who was unable to cope. Camila, however, had frequent beach holidays and despite not offering anything discernable to society, she was lauded.

It'd be too easy to tell all about Camila to Evander but what would that achieve, exactly? He'd still want to go to bed with her cousin, even if she kicked puppies. Sat at the table, nursing a glass of water, she had flashbacks. Camila always won and it was clear the way her hips moved and her glossy curtain of hair swung. She hadn't meant to speak bad of her and she was about to apologise to her friend before his hand reached out for her.

Jessica stood up and took his hand, carefully stepping around the chairs to take the short walk to the courtyard. It was a small victory but in that fleeting second, she felt like she'd got one over on her bullying cousin. She watched as Camila stopped at the edge of the courtyard, shock and rage creasing her face from pretty to downright ugly. Because she was, deep down. It was all smoke and mirrors.

Politely, she placed her free hand on Evander's shoulder as she smiled again, shrugging. "You assumed that I didn't dance, not that I couldn't," she said easily as she stepped backwards. "You've clearly not seen me bopping along to the radio," she added lightly. He had the right frame for ballroom. He was broad and sturdy but he seemed light on his feet as she followed his movements across the floor. The song wasn't familiar but she liked the feeling of people around her, skirts swishing to the drums as she shook her hips, letting Evander lead gracefully. She did like to dance, it was true but she was never asked so she ignored the urge.

He was holding her politely but she longed for his hand to slip, just a little, to make it seem like he wasn't holding her like his grandmother. Jess couldn't even blame it on alcohol because she hadn't consumed any. Sunstroke, maybe. "Where did you learn?" She asked him conversationally, wondering if his mother taught him or he'd picked it up himself. Before she could get an answer, Andrew careered past, catching her other hip and sending her forward, smacking into Evander's chest and leaving them nose-to-nose. The little boy just cackled as he ran off, leaving Jessica wearing a faint blush as she struggled to right herself before she gave a laugh. "Bloody kids," she groaned, thankful that the Healer was strong enough to stand a body blow.

"Sorry," Jess said hastily, loosening the grip on his forearm a little. Surprisingly, little Andrew hadn't crash landed into anyone else other than her and then she remembered his comment about Evander being her boyfriend. Then recognition dawned. "Oh that little sod," the tall brunette said out loud, her chocolate brown eyes widening at the realisation that her toddler nephew was trying to either catapult or torpedo her love life. She wanted to grab little Andy by his collar but then she'd leave Evander wide open for Camila to pounce. "Did you check out the villa?" She asked her friend as she deftly spun underneath his arm like a ballerina, her bright blue skirt wrapping around her thighs. "They've got this really pretty fountain I used to love as kid. Make sure you throw a penny in and make a wish before you leave."

Evander watched with interest as Jessica turned her napkin into a bird-like creation. There was obviously something on her mind, or else she wouldn't be focusing so hard on avoiding answering. He was about to probe further when she spoke again. "Oh." Evander didn't generally get embarrassed or flustered, least of all around Smith, but his cheeks certainly flushed slightly pink at her words. He cleared his throat,  "Well, I think anyone with an opinion of their own would put my mother off to be honest." His brow furrowed slightly and he purposefully looked away, trying not to betray his thoughts. Why was Jess thinking about meeting his mother? Was it just the way women's minds worked, or was there something more to it?

"What?" His question caught her off guard, not for the first time this evening. He wasn't on his usual game around her and he couldn't figure out why - he could blame it on sunstroke, he supposed. "Oh, yeah." Half a moment passed and he realised this had sounded robotic. "No, really. It's good to be out of London." His tongue quickly flicked across his lips, "It's a change to be at a party where everyone's actually having fun. All those socials back home are so dry... your family's nice." He meant it too. It was a stark contrast to the type of family events he was used to; stiff, uppity purebloods all milling around trying to one-up each other with their wealth or influence. Not to mention being hounded by his mother and her 'friends' about when he was going to find a wife.

"Ah, yeah - I think I might, actually..." Not without a little difficulty, the Scotsman shirked himself of his jacket. Although it was a light suit, it still made a world of difference when he took it off - he suddenly felt like he could breathe. Evander was thankful that he'd chosen a dark shirt - it was late enough now that it wouldn't attract the heat of the sun, and he was fairly confident that a lighter colour would be spotted with dark patches showing the heat down his back.

Casting the offending jacket onto the seat beside him he breathed in deeply, exhaling through his mouth as he leant back in his seat.  "Much better." He only hadn't taken it off before now because he'd always been taught that men didn't remove their jackets, unless it was to wrap around the shoulders of their companion when cold. It felt oddly freeing. He began rolling his sleeves up - more to busy himself with something than anything else.

Evander took the lead automatically, though he quickly discovered that Smith was quite the capable dancer. "I suppose I did." He smiled, "I'm impressed. I didn't expect you to be the type." A familiar smirk spread across his features. His mind wandering now that they were physically touching - all thoughts of her cousin gone, replaced by a renewed focus on not making a prat out of himself as they whirled around the dancefloor.

As Jess was flung into him Evander instinctively grabbed her to stop her from falling. Her face was inches from his, they'd stopped dead in the middle of the floor. People were still moving swiftly around them, paying no notice. As he looked into Jess' face, her eyes slightly widened from the shock, he had the sudden urge to kiss her. His gaze drifted down to her lips, but before he could make a decision of his own Jess had pulled away and straightened up.

"Oh, no, it's alright." Van grinned, a slight shake of his head to clear his mind. The heat must really be affecting him - he'd only had one beer. "Hm?" He raised a quizzical brow at her, though he felt he knew exactly what her nephew had done... He was sure he'd done the same thing himself many times up until his mid-teens. Evander began moving once more, this time taking Jessica a little more comfortably in his arms. "No, not really." He didn't want to admit he'd been too uncomfortable in the heat to venture forth unnecessarily. As she came back in from her spin he reduced the gentlemen's gap between their torsos, pulling her much closer. "Has it granted you any wishes?" 

Jessica offered Evander a small smile. On numerous occasions, she'd come close to overstepping the line. It didn't matter that the line was already blurred. They were friends but dabbled with hooking up infrequently behind closed doors. Weddings were great at putting people at ease but unlike other women, letting her guard down was inappropriate and dangerous. "Oh, she'd love me," the tall brunette replied breezily and playfully. Jessica Smith could start an argument in an empty room.

She blinked at him and tried very hard not to laugh. The way the word social dropped from his mouth was so casual, it was hilarious. Amused, she shook her head gently. Jessica's parents weren't poor. She nor Michael had to want for anything and their childhood was comfortable but in the fading Spanish sun, the difference between she and the Healer were laid bare. "Stale food and even staler conversation not your thing?" She added lightly as she picked up a small morsel of tapas from her plate and ate it.

Her eyes strayed to her parents, whirling around the dance floor like a pair of teenagers to her newly wedded brother, waltzing with his brand new wife to Andrew, her favourite little hellion. There was an uncomfortable feeling that settled on her chest. She'd wasted too much time. Too much time feeling sorry for herself, looking at the world through the bottom of a glass. She'd missed out on so much and it was all her fault. "Thanks," she said softly and genuinely touched. "My nanna thinks you're a fox," she added, holding her hands up in surrender with a laugh. "Her words, not mine. She was a champion fox trotter in her heyday. She might ask you later."

There were two spots of colour high on her cheeks as Evander rolled up his sleeves and she was forced to take a sip of her water in response. It must be the heat or the latent competition. She wasn't stupid, she knew Van was a hot commodity. But it felt so different. They were both so far away from home and she was vaguely aware that things weren't the same. She just didn't want to make a mistake.

"In all fairness, I'm usually not," Jessica called back, hands above her head as she bounced to the beat. She looked so different. She looked younger, freer, happy. The Auror still lacked any Latin rhythm. She looked carefree. Her long glossy dark locks and fallen from her perfect updo, now looking fashionable tousled like she'd just driven around the coast in a convertible sports car as they fell in bouncy curls around her shoulders. She felt a shot of renewed vigour. This was what she used to be like, before the drink and the stress and the botched relationships. Once upon a time, Jess had lost her way and forgotten who she was. She hadn't always been bitter and cynical and the best parts of her were shining through tonight so brightly.

There was a dull ache in her hip where the bone had collided with Evander's and everything else seemed to fade into the distance, crackling like white noise. He was looking at her like he wanted to tell her something and her mouth ran suddenly dry. He smelt like alcohol and aftershave and  a faint tang of sweat that wasn't at all unpleasant. There was a whiff of something else, something she couldn't figure out but what undoubtedly him. Her eyes flickered back and forth across his face, from those high cheekbones to the cleft in his chin and her toes curled in her shoes. And, as always, she did what she was most comfortable with and ignored it.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?" She asked swiftly, feeling off kilter as she checked Evander over. It seemed silly, considering his occupation and everything but thankful that he hadn't pulled away. In fact, he did the opposite.

She stepped into Evander easily. He'd altered the tempo from waltz to samba. It was her new priority to stop questioning everything that happened to her. Her long arms looped around his neck easily as she rocked her hips to match the beat of the drums and dimly aware that they were standing much closer to one another than the other couples on the dance floor. She remained polite. It would be easy to stroke his hair or trail her hand down the centre of his spine and whilst her body was screaming to take advantage, she refrained.

"I think so," came the bright response as she smiled at him again. "A few years back, I wished to stop being so unhappy," she admitted to Evander as she watched him for a second to gauge his reaction before looking over his shoulder. "I think it worked," she joked. She'd come to the fountain without her family's knowledge, beaten down and broken and in desperate need of something to change. Jess had been so low, it probably wasn't the fountain that had changed her life, she'd done it all by herself. "I wished for a boyfriend when I was sixteen," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But apparently you're not meant to wish for love. It's confusing the cosmos" Jessica replied in a thick Spanish accent that sounded suspiciously like her Aunt Valentina.

As the song continued, she relaxed better into Evander's arms. Rather than holding him rigidly, she loosened her grip, interlinking her fingers and resting her palms at the base of his neck gently. Just as she was getting comfortable, the song ended. Around them, people broke into applause for the band and began heading inside for food. With regret and reluctance, she let Evander go, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. He looked so much better without his suit jacket. "Do you want to see it?" She asked, meaning the fountain as she briefly squeezed his hand before striding across the courtyard in the opposite direction.

She slowed down, letting Van catch her up. It was becoming chilly now but not uncomfortable as she lead him around the side of the villa. They weren't too far as she could still hear the laughter and the music but far enough so they felt completely alone. They rounded another corner into a shaded part of the estate. It felt cooler and the air denser, surrounded by thick foliage was a fountain. Even as a little kid, Jess always thought there was something a little odd about it. It felt like the atmopshere was buzzing and crackling and heavily laden with something magical. "Voila," she said, spreading her arms. "Welcome to my happy place~"

 “Hm?” It took Evander a moment to realise what he’d said. “Oh,” Typical, he still managed to sound like an arrogant tosser when he was trying to compliment her family. “The company is definitely much better.” He responded smoothly, doing his best to slip back into comfortable territory. He raised his brow at her, “Did she now?” He grinned, “You’ve got competition then, Smith.” Evander wasn’t an overly narcissistic man, but he was vain enough to know he was good looking. He had been aware of it since he was a teenager – he’d been the cocky git that had swanned around the hallways of Hogwarts, as Jess knew well. Merlin, had it really been almost twenty years they’d known each other?

Evander looked at her with an expression of mild amusement, “Really?” It was evident by his tone that he found the idea of a little bump hurting him quite preposterous. Of course, if Smith had wanted to hurt him he was quite aware she knew exactly how to do so. It seemed strange, her concern – maybe she did need a drink.

As Jessica’s arms wrapped over his shoulders and around his neck he felt a shiver of anticipation run up his spine. He took this as permission to treat her more like a date than a sister and wasted no time in letting his own hands lower in response, caressing down her torso from her waist to her hips and resting there.

Evander quirked an eyebrow at her, not sure how to respond to this frank admission of unhappiness. He wasn’t the counselling type. When in doubt, make a wise remark: “’A few years back’? I take it fountains don’t really care about punctuality, then.” He smirked, then let the expression soften into a smile. “I suppose the main thing is it worked eventually, if it worked...?” He let the question trail of, rhetorical. She jokingly had said as much, but it seemed forced. His brow crinkled in thought – was she just happy in general, or happy right now, here? With him?

“Well you got close enough,” he flashed her a boyish grin. “Weren’t we sixteen when you shoved me into that broom closet?” Such fond memories; he’d tried his luck on a young Jessica Smith a few times as puberty hit home, as he had with most of the pretty girls at school, but she’d never given him so much as the time of day. He’d figured after several months of hounding her that he should give up, she was obviously a prude. Then, walking to lunch one afternoon, she’d practically accosted him into a cupboard and had her way with him. From there it had always followed a similar pattern. Jessica chose when she wanted him, not the other way around. He realised now that it had never really changed.

The song ended and with it so did his trail of thought. The shoulder squeeze bringing him back to the now with another jolt of mild perplexion. Who was this person? Evander would have blamed it on the drink but he’d barely had anything – though he could do with a whisky to calm his thoughts about now. He’d absently taken her hand in his and thought nothing of it until she squeezed and let go. He left Smith’s question unanswered but followed silently, taking long strides to keep pace.

The air felt thick with tension. Or perhaps it was only Evander who felt tense. They had left the party proper and the distant din of the guests faded in the background until it was clear they were very alone. Far from feeling relaxed out of the spotlight he felt more on edge. Around her family he had a sort of auto-pilot on; saying and doing the right things. Now all bets were off.

This wasn’t a Jessica Smith he’d ever encountered before – or not that he could remember. It was as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she was definitely the better for it. As the last light began to fade from the sun he stood back whilst she skirted around the fountain to present it. Grey eyes looked her up and down unabashedly; from her bare legs to her chest, to rest upon her face. Her smile was infections, a small smile of his own played across Evander’s lips as he approached her slowly, “And what are you wishing for tonight?”

Thankfully, she didn't blush. But that was the issue. When things were in jest, it was fine. It was comfortable territory, banter, easy-going and fun but what happened when the fun stopped? Since the Battle and her life being thrown upside down, she'd opened the floodgates. She cried a lot more now but she was still on her guard. Evander needn't know that she was harbouring a crush on him and that was a decision she'd made, to protect herself.

It'd be easy to slip back into her old ways, to build those walls back up but he was, first and foremost, a friend. Jessica didn't have a lot of those and this was far too valuable to jeopardise. "She's got seven children," she replied with a grin. "Seven kids, sixteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Somehow I think even I'm not going to be able to stop her." There. Situation diffused with a joke.

Evander was making it so easy to enjoy herself. His presence had made it so much more bearable. Without him, she'd be sitting by herself, eating by herself and even little Andrew wouldn't want to hang out with his sad auntie. Bringing him here hadn't been a case of showing him off and she didn't want him to feel like he'd been used but the main reason was for her to keep her sanity. She wouldn't ask him again and she regretted his casual comment about her owing him something in return. He'd make her pay for this, she was sure of it. Her family would want him to come up and see them at Christmas time and as  much as she wanted to show him a traditional Spanish Christmas, she was asking too much of him. This was already borderline inappropriate.

"No," she said with a laugh and a shake of her head, deeply brown curls swinging as they danced. Even though they'd been here for hours, she could still pick up hints of his expensive aftershave, almost like she'd become attuned to it somehow. "Patience isn't really a value that runs through my family, regretfully." Jess shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay," she answered the Healer truthfully. Was she perfectly happy? No but she was infinitely better than she had been which brought her to her next point.

As he brought up the past, she lifted her head and met Evander's eyes. "I'm sorry I treated you so poorly." The apology was soft-spoken and brief. She doubted he was ever upset about their trysts and she knew why they didn't tell anyone about them. They were just too different. Evander was handsome and smart and popular and being caught with her, a dorky, gangly swot with  mad frizzy hair would only ruin his reputation. Did she regret it? No. He was right, though. He'd been the closest thing she'd ever had to a boyfriend and it still rung true now.

Lying had become easier. A lonely child grew up to be a lonely adult. A stream of hook ups and one night stands had numbed the pain in her twenties but now that she was thirty next month, it didn't seem enough. Which was why she'd put the dampeners on things when she was drying out by the fire at his ancestral home. It was no longer fair to involve him in such a way. This was her thing, though. While she no longer lied, she also didn't give much away. She honestly thought that by keeping her thoughts locked away, it'd be safer, easier. For once, she wasn't thinking about her own needs; she was thinking about his. This was all for his sake.

Jessica slipped off her heels, the cool damp flagging beneath her feet felt like sweet relief as it met her skin. She looked younger, unencumbered as she dipped her toes into the water briefly. The water was clear and she could still see the pennies she'd thrown into it in her youth. She tried to remember her wishes and so distracted, she didn't notice Evander's attention on her. He'd been a blessing and she was going to let him make a wish, too, if he wanted.

Sensing him coming closer, she smiled back. She was acutely aware of him and everything he was, from his height to his gait to the sinews on the backs of his hands. Something was odd and she felt a palpable shift which she doubted was anything to do with the fountain behind them.

Such an innocuous question that could have catastrophic results. She just kept smiling. It was hard not to. Evander looked suddenly very much like a laird, so much more than he had when he was wearing his oilskin jacket and his quiver of arrows. He looked artfully dishevelled, his dark hair romantically tousled from dancing and his linen suit ever so slightly creased. She knew she'd always fancied him because that was what they had, sexual chemistry. She wasn't a naïve woman. They didn't fit. He was an aristo, wealthy with a country pile and she was…well, she was no one. A former alcoholic who'd suffered a complete nervous breakdown and she had nothing to offer him.

You, a voice in the back of her head chimed, so clearly that it made her falter. Him. She was wishing for him.

Jessica swallowed dryly, miles away from that cocky sixteen year old in the broom closet. Part of her was telling her to cut and run. Conceal, don't feel. Flee. Just go. She went to move backwards but her bare feet seemed to be planted firmly to the floor. She felt suddenly sick. There was a swooping sensation in her stomach that felt like she was on a rollercoaster, hanging over the edge before being dropped. She'd been so comforted by Evander's presence that she'd slipped up. He'd charmed her parents, been attentive and dutiful all evening and it was damn near impossible not to fall head over heels.

But this wasn't real life.

This wasn't a thing. She'd been swept up in pretty gowns and fairy lights and once the night was over, it was back to normal. Back to boring office wear and boring sandwiches for lunch and a boring job that had pretty much caused her collapse by itself. All thoughts of Spanish villas and bougainvilleas swept away on the Mediterranean breeze. Do it, the voice said. Say it. If she was going to be honest, her wish would have been that Camila wouldn't go anywhere near him. Oh shit.

Every single fibre of her being was screaming at her to move, to do something, to do anything. She'd had her heart broken once before. Utterly smashed and annihilated by a coworker who turned out not to be who she thought he was. But Evander had never lied. Not like him. He'd always been himself, this well spoken, sarcastic, utterly kissable arsehole standing in front of her right now.

Rather than saying anything, she stepped forward. Without her heels, she came up to just below his collarbones. With care, she cupped his face and kissed him. Just once. Nothing passionate and extraordinary, just a soft kiss that lasted a fraction longer than maybe it should have. She held Evander's face gently, feeling his warm skin and chiselled cheekbones beneath her fingertips as her eyes fluttered closed before she let him go with a faint blush. Her eyes were wide in the setting sun, looking almost fearful of the inevitable rejection. "I didn't have a penny," she offered by way of an explanation which was followed by a nervous smile. It had been a physical, practical wish.

“You don’t say...” The Scotsman agreed quietly in a joking tone, the pair of them were both fully aware that she was well-known for flying off the handle frequently. Her next words caused him to knit his brow in mild concern, “Only okay?” He wasn’t sure if it was a throwaway comment or an accurate description of her current mental status. It felt like the evening was taking a steady decline and it was not what he had signed up for. A small voice in his head was reminding him that he could still bow out and go find Jessica’s cousin. A younger version of himself would have already gone, but something stopped him. He didn’t like seeing Jess this way. He didn’t like dealing with emotions, but he couldn’t help but feel responsible.

“Because I treated you so well?” He let out a light laugh at the preposterousness of her apology, “I think we’re even.” In all honesty they were just as terrible to each other, but they had always had an unspoken agreement that it was a casual thing. There had been no expectations on either of them, and he was at least ninety per cent sure that he’d never forced her to do anything she hadn’t wanted to.

He approached silently, like a panther circling its prey, his light eyes watching with interest as she removed her heels. He silently wished that she would remove another article of clothing, but there was something equally sensual about this small action. It was almost as though she were shedding a layer of armour, physically representing the barriers they seemed to be breaking down tonight. Evander was still not wholly comfortable with the feelings that were intruding his thoughts. Things were simpler if it was just sex and an estranged sort of friendship. This was verging on territory he hadn’t waded in for some time. Even with Eva deep down he’d known it was never really going to work. He just wasn’t built for relationships. And yet...

She appeared to be in deep thought and for once Evander didn’t want to interrupt. He wanted an answer. A real answer. He kept his gaze locked with hers, silently daring her to tell him what she really wanted. He wasn’t sure what he wanted – his internal monologue was telling him that he wanted to keep the status quo, but he also knew they’d probably fucked that up already by him coming here tonight. It had sounded like a great idea at the time, but clearly it had caused a shift in their dynamic. He told himself that whatever she said next would be it – he’d, for once, do whatever she wanted. Even if that meant he’d have to go back to his room and finish off a bottle of whisky alone.

After what felt like an eternity she finally moved. He was slow to react, his mind fumbling to process what was happening. Her hand made contact with his skin and her lips pressed against his. His eyes fluttered closed belatedly and he was just moving to push back into the kiss when she pulled away. His eyes flicked back open in surprise. Confusion reigned – was she teasing him, or saying goodbye?

”I didn’t have a penny,”

Evander stared at her for a moment. He took in the flyaways of her dark hair, the crinkles at the corners of her eyes and the soft pink of her full lips. His chest felt like it was going to cave in, his mind was racing. He had to decide, right now – but he couldn’t. For once he wasn’t trying to save himself pain, but was trying to run through what sort of state she’d be in at the end of all this. Was there even a ‘this’? She’d only kissed him, it could have meant anything. She might just want another tumble in the sheets – but he knew that wasn’t all. Whenever they fucked that’s exactly what it was – hard, passionate, animalistic. That kiss had been far too unadulterated by their usual standards.

He exhaled; unaware that he’d been holding his breath. “You don’t need one.” He said finally, quietly but confidently. With that, he essentially lunged at her; his mouth found hers again as one hand went to the back of her head, fingers sinking into the loose hair under her bun, the other hand pressed on the small of her back.

"I'm fine," she said swiftly with another smile. This wasn't something she should or could discuss with Evander. There had been some sort of unspoken agreement. The second that feelings became involved, it was game over. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him the truth because she did. She was just worried. There was a very small part of her who was convinced that deep down, a part of him wanted to utterly ruin her. Perhaps this was unfounded and she was paranoid.

They hadn't spoken in the time that Jess had undergone a huge transformation. She'd had a complete and utter mental breakdown. She'd collapsed on the floor one day in her office and woken up, sixteen hours later, in a softly lit room dressed in white cotton pyjamas. For a second, she thought she was dead. Turns out, her father had made a decision to have someone look at her. Properly look at her. It was just a glorified drying out clinic but it had worked. For the most part. But this wasn't what they were about. She wouldn't divulge unless he  asked her to but they were skating on very thin ice.

"No better than I deserved, I imagine," Jessica answered cheerfully. The past was a sort of strange and painful thing to be reminded of. She'd been Head Girl, with  perfect marks and she carried herself with a sort of regal grace. On the other side, she'd become cold and distant and possessive and downright mean; the authority had gone to her head. It had warped her from once a warm and timid girl into some twisted and grotesque workaholic with intimacy issues and a mean right hook. She gave a soft laugh. No. They weren't even. Evander had made it clear that she owed him something in return for his company at this wedding and she was quietly waiting for the axe to fall.

Of course, everything had gone tits up in a spectacular fashion.

She should not have crossed that line. It didn't matter that she shouldn't have asked Evander to accompany her tonight. This, somehow, seemed infinitely worse. She couldn't blame it on alcohol or sunstroke or how much fun she'd had as the sun set. Jessica was surrounded by love and happiness and merriment and she and the Healer hadn't argued once. Somehow, she was expecting him to shove her backwards and into the fountain.

The Auror took a half-step backwards, wincing and letting him go, watching him through impossibly large and terrified big brown eyes. Thank Lucifer she'd been obtuse and not actually told him what she was thinking or feeling. If Evander wanted to talk about it, she supposed she could lie. She could tell him the kiss was a thank you for being so gallant and lovely. She couldn't say that it didn't mean anything. She could say that it felt appropriate but she'd never held him so gently.

Her instinct had been to run but frustratingly, she found herself transfixed. Idiot, she scolded herself. You colossal, walking tit. What're you doing? Did you think he liked you back? Her eyes flicked back and forth across Evander's handsome face and the fact that he looked just as confused as she did was not comforting at all. Her flicker of hope and bravery had been firmly extinguished as the leaves rustled around her. It had grown colder since they'd been here and the clouds were rolling in. It was like the universe was actually showing her, by way of foreboding, that this was a bloody stupid idea.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, her pretty face creased by the horror shown clearly as her hands went to her forehead. "I just --" Jess gave a squeak of surprise as Evander hauled her forward. She slipped, her back bent low at an uncomfortable angle as she kissed him back swiftly. The grip she had on his forearms lessened as they shifted, allowing her to straighten up as she parted her lips and dragged them closed over Evander's. This was the very definition of the phrase "clandestine rendezvous". He was holding her so possessively that even she felt a flicker of Vivien Leigh.

It was hard not to be swept away but she took this chink in his armour to revert back to how they usually were, effectively sweeping this under the carpet. Her slim fingers tightened over the material of Evander's shirt as they remained connected from lip to knee. He was holding her in a way that left no room for escape and she didn't even care. On instinct, her fingers moved to the buttons on his shirt and she deftly unfastened two before they were interrupted.

"Aunty Jessy! Aunty Jessy!"

Andy showed up. His cute little suit was wrecked, covered in cake and juice stains. His shirt was unbuttoned and un-tucked from his waistband, his tie wrapped around his head like a bandana and his dark eyes wild with a huge sugar intake. "Daddy says you have to come back right this instant," he gasped, his cheeks pink from exertion. "Mummy said you need to catch her flower bunch thing otherwise she thinks you're going to die alone if you don't. Ew." Only then did he realise his aunt and her friend were caught in a rather interesting position.

Jess turned her head and flushed a deep red as she saw her nephew squinting at them both. Remembering her manners, she hastily fastened Evander's shirt buttons back up but didn't move away. "What're you doing out here?" She asked the little boy. "You know you're not supposed to go near water when you're by yourself," she frowned, trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart and the way her skin was yearning to be touched by the man she was standing too close to.

"I can swim, Aunty Jessy," the little boy said in a bored voice as he rolled his eyes, so like his aunt. "Anyway," Andrew replied, staring up at Evander. "That's gross," he replied matter-of-factly. "I'd never let a girl anywhere near my mouth. They're full of germs," he told the older man. "Especially Aunty Jessy. Daddy said that once he saw her in Hoggywarts and she was undressing some boy in a cupboard."

Looking guilty, she turned towards Evander, knowing full well that the boy in question was indeed him. "Daddy said she was trying to steal his chocolate frog cards but I dunno." The little boy sighed. "You look like you were doing the same thing now," Andrew replied, turning his overly bright eyes towards her curiously. "Does he have the rare card you wanted, Aunty Jessy?"

"Okay!" Jessica said briskly and with an uneasy laugh, finding herself unable to look at Evander as she lowered her voice to a terse whisper. She knelt down to reach Andrew's level to find him smiling at her sinisterly. "You are a little hellion," she hissed to the toddler who only grinned and held his little hand out towards her. "How much for you not to tell your daddy?" She asked as she rummaged through her pocket and extracted a few coins. "If you were old enough, I'd arrest you and have you thrown to a dragon, you sneaky little sod."