But outside it's stopped raining [Donnie]

Ugh, my head… Lorin groaned as she rolled over in the bed, covering her eyes with the blankets. The light was too much, too bright, and it sounded like someone was booming around in the next room. She shlowly realized that this was unusual. Lorin lived alone. Who could possibly be in the next room? She carefully opened her eyes and looked around her. This place was familiar—familiar enough to feel like home, but it certainly wasn’t her home, not anymore. She was at Donnie’s house. Was this a dream? How did she get here?
 
She realized she was still wearing her clothes from the office as the night came back to her in small bits. They’d gone out for happy hour and—she had made a fool of herself. She had a rough day, very stressful, and had taken it out on two mixed drinks and three glasses of sangria… and then a few shots… and then, well. She didn’t remember the entire night completely, but she knew that at least she had been safe with Donnie. This was like her Seventeenth birthday all over again. That was the last time she remembered getting well and truly sloshed. Harvey had needed to walk her home, half carrying her. It was no wonder the boy wasn’t interested in being with her after he’d seen her such a mess. She sighed. There went the illusion of Donnie, she supposed. What man would want her after watching her make a fool of herself?
 
She rolled out of bed, very carefully, and went straight to the restroom to freshen up. She knew where Donnie kept the spare tothbrushes and she took full advantage of it. Her breath tasted stale and she knew she hadn’t brushed before bed the night before. She had just fallen into it, asleep before her head hit the pillow. Or maybe Donnie carried her there, the horror. Her stomach churned, partially from the hangover and partially from the embarassment. When her mouth felt clean she turned her attention to her hair. It was sticking up and frizzy, so she looked into hre purse for her hair potion and added a bit to it, using her wand to help her tie it up into a high ponytail, smooth and perfect. Then, after smoothing her wrinkled officewear, she went to face the music.
 
She could smell the burned bacon from her bedroom, but it became overwhelming as she stepped out into the kitchen. She coughed a bit, feeling extra nauseous. “Starting a fire?” She asked, eyeing Donnie up. He looked in good spirits, which was a good thing. Maybe he wasn’t too upset with her. “What’s got you cooking, this morning? You know you’re terrible at it. Let me help…”

@Donncha Kearney

Donnie wasn't entirely sure what he was doing. He and Lorin had lunch most days. They talked about work, as much as they really could. Even though she now worked in his department, he was still an Unspeakable. The name was apt. They talked about family, mostly the Odells. Donnie had served under Lorin's father back when he was head of the Aurors and it was her family that had ultimately recruited him into the Order of the Phoenix, pulling him back from the brink after his almost-fiance had been killed in the line of duty. They talked about stuff that was happening in the wizarding world, although nothing too heavy. It was pleasant and slowly they were getting back to the point where things were almost like they were when they had been roommates. They stayed clear of personal stuff, relationships and the like. It was nice. Donnie thought he could get used to having a friend in the Ministry.

Their interactions had been limited to occasional hellos in the halls and their lunches. Donnie had asked her out for drinks after work a couple times. Nothing wrong or unseemly asking a mate out after work for a pint. She had always refused, but he didn't take it personally. Which was why he was surprised when she finally said yes one Friday evening. Having lived with Lorin for a while, he could read her body language with a fair amount of accuracy and he could see the tension she carried in her shoulders. Seemed like it had been a rough day and she wanted to blow off some steam. He just wasn't expecting enough "steam" to power a locomotive. Apparently for Lorin it hadn't been a rough week but more like a rough month.

With one thing and another, Lorin ended up drinking a bit more than she probably intended. Consequently, she also revealed far more about herself than she would have if she were sober. He got a full dose of her opinions about him letting her go, which he still didn't blame her for. A lot of other things had come out besides, and Donnie was honestly still trying to process all of it. Lorin had been quite talkative about her new job, her desire for more in life, her ex-boyfriends, and her crush on Donnie. That last one had come as a complete shock to the ex-Auror and he was trying to figure out how to approach the subject without being creepy.

The evening had ended with Lorin needing to be carried back to Donnie's place because honestly he wasn't entirely sure where she was staying now and he didn't want her to wake up alone and with a hangover. So his place it was. He had taken off her shoes and tucked her into her old bed. The room was pretty much as she'd left it. Donnie even still stocked it with her favorite brands of shampoo and conditioner. He'd stayed up for a bit after putting her to bed, just in case she woke up sick. Luckily she was okay, so eventually Donnie had gone to his own bed. He slept in, but Lorin was still unconscious. He'd done his morning workout, but he had finished up that and she was still abed. So he decided to surprise her with breakfast.

Donnie had forgotten how tricky bacon is. Turn around for five bloody seconds and the little bastards are black on the edges and you need to open a window before a neighbor calls in the emergency services. He was getting the hang of it finally when he heard the guest bedroom door open. Glancing up, he saw Lorin emerging from the room, looking honestly more attractive than anyone clearly nursing a hangover had any right to be. Donnie smiled, and waved her over to the cold box. "First, there's ah potion in there with yer name on it." The last thing he wanted was her to be sick all over the bacon. "I'm just done with tha bacon. Don't worry, only the first round burned." Donnie slid the last pieces out of the pan, turning off the fire. He was wearing a pair of low-slung workout shorts that left very little to the imagination. Just because he was a good guy didn't mean he wasn't going to silently torture Lorin now that he knew the attraction was mutual. "Ya might wanna take care of tha eggs, though. I knew better than ta try those on ma own, unless ya felt like dry scrambled eggs with way too much salt."

Lorin smiled lightly, then quickly helped herself to the hangover potion in the fridge. It tasted awful, as it always did, and she gagged a little while trying to take it down. It began working almost instantly, though, and her pounding headache was soon a dull throb and her nausea began to subside.  She then turned her attention to Donnie. She had seen him in various states of undress during their time living together. She remembered how well-toned his abs were and how handsome he was. She had never seen him quite like this though. His shorts were so low-slung that she thought they might fall with any little movement… and she devilishly wanted them to fall. 
 
She hid a blush as she walked over to the stove. “I think I can handle that.” She said. She began to fry up the eggs, wondering if he really intended on making her such a hearty breakfast. She appreciated it, though. Eggs were apparently very good for a hangover, and she could use some toast as well. She fried the eggs up easily, done just so, and plated them along with the slightly burned bacon. She easily took over the kitchen from Donnie, working in place of him more than alongside him. She all but scooted him out of the way from the stove as she worked. This was her domain. He had been nice enough to let her stay, and so she owed him at least a good breakfast. She felt guilty that she had spent so long abed.
 
She whipped up and buttered some toast, grabbing current jam from the fridge, and set the table before plopping down in her usual chair. She wondered if he ever sat there sometimes, thinking of her. Of course he didn’t. He had fired her, of course, he didn’t miss her. He only asked her out for drinks to be friendly… right? She suddenly remembered, again, that she had confessed her feelings to him the night before. How awkward. He was taking it well, though. She hadn’t gotten any awkward rejection conversations yet, so hopefully he left it where it belonged—as drunken rambling that really meant nothing.
 
“So…” She began, a bit awkwardly. “Sorry about last night. I wasn’t expecting to lose myself quite so much. I appreciate you taking care of me. You could’ve easily left me alone in Downtown London, and I would’ve deserved it.” She couldn’t quite meet his eyes. “It’s been… a rough few weeks, without question.” As though that excused her. “Though, I think I probably blathered on about quite enough of that last night, if my memory serves.”

Donnie stepped aside to let Lorin use the range. He took a seat at the kitchen table, taking the opportunity to just watch her. She moved so gracefully. He wondered if she knew that she always carried herself with poise or if it just came naturally to her. Donnie smiled as Lorin moved about the place like she owned it. The place was essentially the same as she left it. The kitchen was distinctly less stocked than it had been when she was there, but there were still spices and oil and anything that didn't go bad could still be found. He kept a supply of essentials, so at least there wasn't a shortage of bread, butter, or milk. The former Auror didn't mind surrendering the rest of the meal preparation to Lorin. He was content to watch her in her domain, smiling softly at her back.

Once Lorin was seated and the plates were down in front of him, Donnie wasted no time in digging in. He was hungry after his morning workout and smelling the bacon as he had cooked it hadn't helped. Besides the slightly burned bacon, everything was perfect. Donnie was a bit sad that he'd have to go back to protein drinks and energy bars in the morning. Meals like this were really only satisfying if he had someone to share it with. He paused briefly while Lorin was speaking, chewing thoughtfully. He wondered how much of last night she remembered; if she knew about her own confession?

He immediately dismissed her apology, shaking his head. "What kinda man would leave ah lady drunk and alone?" Donnie smiled at her. "I useta be an Auror. I canna tell ya how often I ended up on a bender I never intended ta have." He chuckled. "Don'tcha worry. I don't think any less of ya. It's good ta know y'er human like tha rest of us." He was teasing her with that last bit. Again, he wondered exactly what she remembered. Well, now was as good a time as any.

"So, what else do ya remember about last night?" Donnie asked without too much preamble. "Ya were quite talkative, but I always like hearin' about what's goin' on inside yer head." He grinned. "I found ya ta be quite enchanting, even when y'er three sheet ta tha wind."

Lorin ate slowly, nodding along. Donnie was too kind. Of course, he wouldn’t leave her alone. She knew he wouldn’t, but she appreciated it all the same. “Ah yes, I know you wouldn’t… but I thank you all the same. I was a mess. I couldn’t even find my heels this morning, and I’m assuming I either broke or lost them last night. Did you have to carry me, or was I dreaming that?” She asked, embarrassed. “I hope that was a dream. I’m very heavy.” She blushed darker and looked away, filling her mouth with toast again.

Then, he started poking and prodding, asking what she remembered. Oh no, was this the in for the rejection? She supposed she might as well make it quick. “I said a lot of things.” She agreed. “I remember vividly telling you exactly how I felt about you firing me.” She laughed lightly. “Sorry if I was a little offensive with the imagery.” She had told him exactly where he could shove the job. “I mentioned my horrible lack of a love life, and mentioned my ill-fated crush on a much older man.” Which was him. They both knew it, but how could she just come out and say it? She couldn’t. At least this way he knew she knew it was off the table. Maybe he wouldn’t say anything more about it.

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on seeing the inside of my head. It’s not the best place for me to be, and it’s mine. I’d be frightened to hear what you thought of it.” She teased. “I just hope you don’t think I made too much of a fool of myself. I don’t like this ‘human’ business, I am a goddess.” She teased.

"Broke 'em," he confirmed, thoughtfully chewing on a piece of bacon. "Left heel came clean off when ya tried to get off the bar stool." Donnie tried not to smile too much but the memory was pretty hilarious. He decided to spare Lorin the details of how she cradled the shoe to her chest and sniffled like her favorite cousin had died. "Ya didn't dream me carrying ya." He flashed her a grin. "Ya aren't that heavy." He blushed faintly, remembering how soft and warm Lorin felt in his arms. "Ya were a pleasant armful," he mumbled around a bite of toast, averting his eyes from Lorin as he tried to work himself up to that thing that was hanging between them.

He chuckled. "No hard feelings. It was a bit abrupt and I know I never did give ya a good reason." Donnie took a deep breath and looked Lorin in the eyes. "But I guess I found it hard ta think clearly once I realized I had an ill-fated crush ona much younger woman." Now they had both said and not said what they were feeling. He supposed Lorin could ignore his own confession and that would be answer enough. If she had just been drunk and hadn't really meant it, they would go on and he could just be friends. But Donnie hoped that maybe, just maybe, they could try and be something else together.

"I kinda like it in there," Donnie replied softly, with slightly shy smile. "I'd be happy ta spend more time, if ya would have me." His grin was slightly more wicked as he continued, "Don't know when I'll run into another goddess."

“I thought as much.” She sighed. “At least I wasn’t wearing my nice ones.” She had just bought a pair of red-soled lovelies from a muggle shop for quite an outrageous sum of money, and those would have been terrible to lose. She figured she would just walk around barefoot until she got home. It would’ve been more comfortable for her to sit in her cat form around his place for a while, lounging, but he didn’t know about that and she wasn’t about to tell him yet. He was still a ministry employee. She could get in big trouble for something like being an unregistered animagus. She liked being unregistered. It allowed her a degree of secrecy and silence and she always thought one day she would go bad and then she would need to keep her secrets. As it was, she didn’t seem to be going bad anytime soon. She just wanted a pay rise and more praise at work, and a nice boyfriend to spend the evenings with. What happened to that girl who wanted to be queen of the world at sixteen? Alas, she fell in love and wasted her brightest years on a boy who couldn’t love her back. Imagine how much farther she could be into world domination in a world where Seth didn’t exist…

She was pulled from her thoughts as Donnie spoke again, talking about the job and how he had let her go. It still stung to think of it. He needed her. The state of his current apartment said as much. He probably had lost five pounds since she stopped working here, but not in the good way. He looked gaunt and skinny now, he needed a bit of rosiness back in his cheeks and a full, happy belly. He needed sleep and someone to fold and press his clothes. She could tell he laundered them, but she doubted, very much, that he actually put them away. Then, he spoke of an ill-fated crush on a much younger woman and the cogs in her head began to turn. What did he mean by that? Was he making fun of her? Was he trying to tell her something without actually telling her something? She almost spilled her juice, choking on a piece of bacon.

“Pardon?” She asked, though she’d heard him. “You can’t possibly be saying what I imagine you mean.” Now her head was swirling with all sorts of possibilities. Had he liked her the whole time? Did he think it was inappropriate for him to like her because of her age? Because she was working for him? Now that they were simply coworkers, what did that mean for them? She took a sip of her juice to wash down the bacon and looked at him dumbly. He never even tried to make a move on her, not even when she had been drunk and very willing. He had never said anything inappropriate. He had never made a pass at her or even complimented her in a way that sounded unprofessional. If he wanted her, he could’ve easily had her, so what was he getting at?

"Lorin, I doubt very much that ya own any pair of shoes that canna be considered nice," he teased lightly. She had impeccable taste and was never any less than put together. He admired that kind of stubborn attention to her appearance. Donnie had been a bachelor way too long to put more than the minimum amount of effort into his clothing and hair. Donnie liked to pretend he looked like a dashing pirate but he probably looked like a harried professor in need of a shave. He put more thought into his clothing when Lorin was around to hound him about his unkempt wardrobe.

Donnie watched Lorin's face carefully as he spoke. He saw her absorb the words, and he saw the moment they registered and the way her forehead furrowed just the tinniest bit before her eyes went wide and she flailed briefly as she tried to not suffocate on poorly-cooked bacon. He experience a moment of panic. Donnie had hoped that his confession might leave her a little choked up but not actually choking. She seemed to recover quickly, although Lorin still seemed to not quite get what he had been saying. But she hadn't leapt up and run from the room, so he was going to take it as a good sign. If he made a fool of himself in front of a beautiful woman, it wouldn't be the first time.

Here goes nothing, he thought as he looked at Lorin again. "Suppose that depends on what ya think I mean," he replied evenly. "If ya think I mean that I fancy ya, then ya heard right." He ran a hand through his unruly hair, his breath leaving him in a nervous huff. "I hardly expected ta find mahself in this situation. Seein' ya at Hogwarts, under tha Dome was a right shock. Ya weren't tha little stick of a thing I remembered. Ya had grown inta a woman and it was quite jarrin', let me tell ya. Then, seein' ya at my door fer that interview..." He shook his head. "I thought we'd fight like cats and dogs. I was certain ya'd want out in a week." Donnie's smile was soft and fond. "But ya didn't. Oh, we fought. Ya dragged me kickin' and screamin' most of tha way. I never expected ta like it; the arguments, the late-night talks, the dinners. After livin' alone I never thought I'd find anyone who would fit so well with me, let alone a girl half my age fresh outta school."

"I had all kinds of excuses as ta why I never said anything." Donnie ticked them off on his fingers. "I've known ya since ya was a wee thing, I'm too old, y'er too young, I was yer boss and it would be beyond inappropriate." He shrugged. "While all those things are true, it doesn't change tha fact that tha main reason I never said aught was because I didn't think ya'd be interested. You're gorgeous, smart as whip, funny, tough. Ya could do better than an old ex-Auror."

Donnie reached out and gently took Lorin's hand. "If ya say that last night was simply the booze talking, I won't ever mention this again. We can go on like before, being friendly and I'd be happy with that." He traced aimless patterns on the back of her hand with his thumb, still gentle and soft. "But if ya would like ta see where this can go, where we can go together, then I'd like ta ask ya out on a proper date."

Lorin just sort of sat there and blinked. This was a turn she hadn’t expected. How did she not notice he liked her? He was masterful at hiding it, she supposed. She didn’t know what to say. Had she ever been on a proper date? Ever? She couldn’t honestly remember going out with someone without jumping into their bed first. She had been on what she liked to call dates with Seth, but they had certainly crossed that physical boundary first, and every night after. This seemed strange and foreign to her, so she just stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, swallowed, and bit her lip.

“I can’t say I was expecting this. If you meant to hide your intentions from me, you did a very good job of it.” She said, stalling. “You never even said anything I would have considered flirtatious….” She looked away, then back at him. He wasn’t trying to play her, was he? He looked genuine enough. She just wasn’t used to things like this at all, and had little idea where to put her feet lest she fall on her backside. “Of course, I would be interested in going on a proper date.” She managed. She wondered if she ought to tell him that she never had before, or if she should pretend like she went on dates all the time. Maybe she ought to pretend. She wanted to look desirable, after-all. If she confessed that no other boy found it worthwhile to go out with her, her stock might plummet. People always thought she had men at her every whim, at least the men she found often thought that. It wasn’t true, of course. Ever since she’d left school, she spent more nights alone than she spent in the company of others—and no one dared to actually spend time with her outside of the bedroom.

“Where would you like to go? When? What should I wear?” She asked. “Though I suppose that goes with the when and where. Silly me. I’m a bit nervous, can you tell?” She asked, against her better judgement.  She was completely nervous and unsure about this. It felt so formal.

A faint blush played across Donnie's cheeks at her comment about him not being flirtatious. "Well, ya were living with me. This was yer home. I wasn't about ta say or do anything that might make ya feel uncomfortable here. Ya deserve more than a measure of kindness and consideration." His blush only deepened as he continued. "Ya made it devilishly hard not ta say anything, I'll have ya know." A dozen different images flitted through Donnie's mind: Lorin in the kitchen, smiling as she stirred a pot; Lorin sitting on the couch with her legs tucked up under her, Lorin's hair illuminated by the fireplace, Lorin smiling up at Donnie after she'd won one of their many arguments. That wasn't even including the times Donnie had pictured Lorin in less wholesome ways. He tried not to focus on that because if he did, his shorts were not going to conceal his thoughts.

Donnie let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His grin was bright and almost boyishly excited when she said she would be willing to go out on a date. "Really? Wonderful!" He cleared his throat, trying not to sound too excited and failing. Her questions gave him pause as he considered where they should go. "Ya know, I'm not exactly sure what ta do." He smiled sheepishly. "It's been, oh, at least five years since I've been on a date." Donnie gave Lorin a teasing grin. "That probably doesn't surprise ya, with the state I was in when ya found me." He wanted to make this a nice date, something that Lorin would enjoy.

He smiled as he hit upon an idea. "How about we go out window shoppin' this next Friday?" Donnie offered with a smile. "I know this street where they have a few boutiques, plus the kind that are fancy second-hand shops. Ya can make me try on all manner of silly hats. There's a tapas bar not too far from there that I've been wantin' ta try." He hoped this sounded good. "If that doesn't seem like somethin' ya'd enjoy, we can think of somethin' else. I'd be happy doing pretty much anything if it involves you."

Lorin couldn’t help but grin at the tiny blush that crossed Donnie’s cheeks. He was adorable, really, and she was surprised that things were beginning to turn out alright for them. She had no clue she had even a sliver of the chance with the older man, and things still felt surreal. He was so much older—thirteen years—and so much more established. He had a career, a nice place, his bills were paid. He was successful. She could barely imagine a better match. She knew her parents would not approve, but that only excited her a little more. She loved the idea of spending time with someone mature who had things together. She blushed a little too, remembering the way she had moped around Theoren’s home after she had been let go.

He hadn’t been on a date in five years? Why was that so hard for Lorin to believe? Donnie was gorgeous and charming, young and successful. He was bound to have women at his beck and call, though she had to admit that she was similarly unlucky in love. She considered herself beautiful and intelligent, but no one wanted to keep her either. Donnie was also a bit of a workaholic and a homebody, too. Maybe he was just antisocial. “I find it hard to believe that someone like you doesn’t have women throwing themselves at your feet on a weekly basis, but I’ll be happy to be your first date in five years.” She smiled. It made her feel better to know that he hadn’t been with anyone in awhile, though. Selfishly, she liked to think this made her special.

“Window shopping sounds lovely. I love second-hand shops, really. You can always find a bargain on something, and admittedly I’m quite frugal.” She teased. “Tapas sounds perfect, too. Remind me to not drink nearly as much as I did last night, though. I’m still horribly embarrassed that you had to put me to bed.” She blushed darker. She took another bite of her meal, and grinned up at him, a faint blush still on her cheeks. “Do you have any plans tonight?” She wondered. “I have to run home and make sure the cat is taken care of, shower, and change, but I don’t have anything to do for the rest of the day. Would you like to go out a bit earlier than intended? If all goes well, we can still do something this Friday, too.” She felt overeager, but why wait?