Hey, look. Another Ed Sheeran inspired fic. You tired of these yet? This gets a bit obnoxiously inspired at the end because hot damn I could not resist. Well, actually, the middle - it was originally going to be the end but they decided to fuck instead so... fairly explicit smut ahead. No, I didn't put the lyrics actually in the bloody thing, but I recommend a listen (if only because this is a damn good song).

Also - last one shot for a while. After the next chapter of The Underground goes up (this weekend?) I'm going on fic hiatus until mid-May because your girl has seminar papers to write. I know, I'm crying too.

The pub was packed.

It was loud and sweaty and the air smelled like hard liquor and beer and the cigarette smoke wafting in off the street. Her local was normally a quiet, subdued place (though it occasionally got a bit rowdy on pub quiz night) - it was a lowkey pub, the bartenders were all really nice (though she had her favourite), and the regulars were cool. On New Act Fridays, though, the place exploded. It was a scene she'd long since moved on from since leaving uni, one full of writhing bodies and spilled drinks, but she always made a special exception for what was, probably, her favourite pub event. So, it seemed, did everyone the hell else in Leytonstone.

Lily tipped her head in thanks to the bartender as he dropped off her third gin and tonic, squeezed the lime into her glass, turned back around on her stool. She swirled her drink, leaned her back up against the bar, and surveyed the crowd. Everyone was largely chatting amongst themselves while they waited for the next act to get set up - a few people were pressed up against the wall and snogging furiously in the far corner, but Lily knew the number would at least double by the end of the night.

There was a pair of men on the small stage in the corner, a lanky blonde and a tall one with a mop of jet black hair, setting up their instruments as they prepped for, Lily assumed, their set. A man with a leather jacket stumbled out of the crowd, grabbed the blonde one by the neck with one hand, a fistful of his white t-shirt in his other, whispered something in his ear, pressed a kiss to his lips - the blonde smiled, beamed, before shoving the man, now laughing so loudly Lily could hear him from across the pub, off the stage.

Her eyes flicked away from them as the blonde sat down at his drums, began twisting something she couldn't see - she turned back to the black haired man. He was fiddling with the tuning pegs on his guitar, his fingers plucking the strings, a look of deep concentration on his face. She moved her eyes over the long, lean muscles on his forearm, the tendons popping out in that absurdly sexy way that they always seem to do on guitar players, took another sip of her drink. He was part-way through tuning the fifth string when his eyes snapped up and met hers almost immediately, like he'd felt her eyes on him. She couldn't tell what colour his eyes were, not from this distance, but she watched his gaze travel slowly down her body (her breath caught in her throat) before his eyes met hers again and he arched an eyebrow. Lily bit her lip - his lips hitched up into a cocky, lopsided smirk.

Lily pulled her eyes away from his, jabbed her best friend in the back with her finger - "Mar!"

Marlene spun around on her stool, her long blonde hair practically whipping Lily in the face, "What?"

Lily rubbed her lips pointedly, and Marlene wiped off the lipstick smudged around her mouth, "Can you two unhinge your mouths for two fucking seconds and confirm something for me?"

Dorcas leaned over, put her chin on Marlene's shoulder and smirked at Lily, "Sorry, Lils."

Marlene rolled her eyes, turned her face and planted a quick kiss to Dorcas' cheek, "Don't apologise to her, we aren't sorry."

Dorcas laughed, flicked her brown hair over her shoulder and shrugged at Lily. Lily just rolled her eyes, "Haven't you two fucked yourselves out of the new love phase yet?"

Marlene laughed, "Not even close, Evans. Now, what do we need to confirm?"

Lily kept her body facing Marlene and Dorcas, but flicked her eyes pointedly towards the stage, "Is the guy with the black hair still looking over here?"

They both turned discretely before smiling at Lily. "Yeah, he's still staring," Dorcas said, "And he's fucking fit." She fanned herself dramatically and Lily reached behind Marlene and shoved her.

Marlene smirked knowingly at Lily, "Were you checking him out?"

Lily shrugged, took a long drag of her drink, "Might've been."

Marlene laughed, wrapped her arm around Lily's shoulders, "Well, he's still looking… if you play your cards right, you might be able to clear out the cobwebs in your knickers, Evans."

"Oh, fuck off, you git," Lily pushed Marlene's arm off her shoulder and Marlene just laughed, "Find the lie, love."

Lily gave Marlene the finger and finished her drink, spun around and caught the bartender's eye. He walked over to them and smiled, his eyes flicking around to check their drinks, "Another round?"

Lily nodded, "This is… my round, yeah?" Marlene and Dorcas nodded, slid their glasses back across the bar, "Same all round, Ted," she smiled broadly at him, "Thanks, mate."

Ted nodded, "Coming right up, Lils," and he set about making their drinks, sliding them across the bar as he finished them. Lily slid him a twenty pound note and Ted tilted his head, "You're not trying this again, are you?"

Lily pressed the note into his hand, "Just fucking take it Ted, or I'll just leave it in the till when you turn your back."

"Lily, it's too much, I can't - "

"Ted, fucking hell, just take the fucking note. We both know I can afford it now." She tried to grin, but Ted pushed the note back to her. She grabbed the money, stood up on her stool, leaned over the bar, and stuffed it into the back pocket of Ted's trousers, "Now, I don't want to hear anymore about it."

Ted sighed, "Fine, but you're not paying for any other drinks tonight," he cast a stern look around at all of them, "Any of you."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Fine."

Ted grinned, patted her hand, "There's our girl." Lily squeezed her lime into her drink, stirred it, and tossed her straw at Ted, "Just hope I don't text your wife and tell her you're refusing my money again."

Ted laughed, "Nice try. Andromeda agrees with me, Lily. Your money is no good here."

Lily groaned, "Prick."

Ted laughed again, "Don't make me kick you out of my pub, Evans."

Lily laughed loudly, "You would never."

Ted winked and disappeared down the other end of the bar, and Lily spun around again, found Marlene and Dorcas looking at her with shit-eating grins on their faces. "What?" Lily took a sip of her drink and Marlene tilted her head a bit towards the stage. Lily looked round - he was still staring at her - she turned back to Marlene, "Has he been staring the whole time?"

"Not the whole time," Dorcas said, taking a swig of her pint. "Yeah," Marlene agreed, taking a sip of her whiskey and grinning, "just most of the time."

"Like when you bent over the bar and stuffed your hand in Ted's trousers," Dorcas said, laughter bubbling at the edges of her voice. "Or," Marlene's smile was positively wicked, "when you laughed in that way that you do."

Lily scoffed, "What way?!"

"You know," Marlene said, she shimmied her hair down her back and tossed her head back, laughed loudly and Dorcas screeched, pointed, "YES! LIKE THAT!"

Lily grabbed a few peanuts out of the bowl a few feet from her and tossed them at them. "Oi!" Ted shouted, grinning at Lily, "Don't make me get the broom, Evans!"

Lily gave Ted the finger and he just laughed.

Lily turned back to Marlene and Dorcas, getting ready to shout at them, when they heard the feedback from a mic getting clicked on. Lily's eyes snapped to the stage immediately (she largely ignored Marlene's elbow in the ribs).

The man in the leather jacket was back and, surprisingly, sitting at the drums, shooting winks at the blonde who Lily thought was the drummer but was apparently the bassist. The man with the black hair was at the microphone, clearing his throat, guitar slung across his chest - "Hi everyone, we're The Marauders and, obviously, a new act." He smirked, and though he didn't sound nervous, he stuffed a hand in his hair in a way that betrayed him, "We're going to play a few pieces we've been working on. If there are any producers in the house, feel free to offer us a deal."

He sent a wink her way and Lily bit the corner of her lip, shook her head. He just grinned, turned his head and caught his bassist's eye, and Lily could see him tapping out time with his foot. They launched into a song that was a lot better than she'd expected, like… really good. And while the music was… great… she found herself watching the man at the centre more than anything else. The way his fingers moved over the strings, his forearms flexed as he moved his hand up and down the neck of the guitar, the way he tapped his foot to the time throughout the song, moved his head just a bit, just enough to set the chaotic pieces of his hair flopping around the top of his head. All of that was a lot, all of that was setting her heart pounding in her chest, making Marlene elbow her more and more insistently in her ribs, but when he opened his mouth and that rich, gravelly voice rolled out - she came in her knickers.

It was so unexpected. His voice was a smooth baritone, a rich, honeyed sound with a gritty undertone that knocked her flat and she could not keep her eyes off him once he'd started singing and she didn't care, not at all, that he'd noticed. His eyes were trained on hers as he sang, his mouth pressed close to the microphone in a way that made her breath catch because what I would give to have his mouth that fucking close to me oh my god. The song ended and the pub exploded into applause around her, Lily moved her hands together more out of habit than anything else because she couldn't pull her eyes away from him long enough to even register what the rest of her stupid body was doing.

She felt a thump on the side of her head and she shrieked, "Ouch!" She rounded on Marlene who just grinned, "Stop eye fucking him, Evans, you might fuck up his set. These guys are actually good."

They were. Really, really good. And that almost never happened on New Act Friday.

"I'm not eye fucking anyone," Lily grumbled, but she downed half her drink as the guitar player opened his mouth again, "Thanks, everyone." His hand was in his hair again and bloody hell, it was endearing. "We haven't named any of these songs yet, so if you have suggestions for our stupid arses, let us know." The crowd chuckled and guitar man turned his head, started tapping out time again, launched into another song.

So it was for the two songs after that - they played a brilliant song, guitar man engaged in some stupid banter with the crowd, they played another mind-blowing song. Guitar man tapped the time for each one, and Lily would have sworn, by the end of the third song, that the tap tap tap of his foot on the wood floor of the stage was what was powering her heart. His eyes remained trained on hers the entire time, sometimes tracing their way over her body, taking in the way she tapped her own foot to the music, patted her hand to the side of her thigh with the time, shimmied her shoulders just a bit when they played a particularly catchy riff, but most of the time he just looked straight at her, his eyes burning a hole through her and making her fucking weak with want.

After they finished their fourth song, guitar man stepped away from the mic, pulled his bassist over to the drummer for a bit of chat. Lily chugged the rest of her drink, slid it down the bar to Ted who held it up enquiringly. Lily nodded, and Ted rapidly prepared another, slid it into her waiting hand. She gave it a quick swirl and swallowed half the drink in one and Dorcas leaned past Marlene and laughed, "Trying to get some liquid courage there, love?"

Lily rolled her eyes, "Fuck off, Meadowes." Dorcas just laughed, rested her head on Marlene's shoulder, "Our baby is all grown up, Mar."

Marlene smiled at Lily, "I know, it feels like just yesterday when we were telling her she needed to start dating again. Now look at her - all randy in the middle of a pub."

Lily gave them both the finger and they laughed, Marlene reached out and patted her thigh, "Just go for it. I know you're worried, but literally don't be."

"Yeah," Dorcas lifted her head and smiled at Lily, "He's been eye fucking you this whole time. So the feeling is obviously mutual."

Lily took another sip of her drink, "What feeling?"

Dorcas snorted and polished off her pint.

Guitar man was at the mic again, his eyes scanning the crowd - "So, we were going to play one more unnamed number but," his eyes found hers, "I've convinced my mates here to cover a song by our favourite fucking artist at the moment because there's a beautiful red head that's got me inspired."

She was having a stroke.

He cocked his eyebrow at her again, set his fingers on the frets, his t-shirt rumpling a bit under the guitar as he adjusted it and revealing a bit of his stomach, and she may or may not have licked her lower lip because fucking hell - "This is for you, love."

Her eyes snapped back to his and even from this distance she could see the fire in them. And then he started playing. Ed. Fucking. Sheeran.

Yup. She was definitely dead.

She knew the song as soon as leather jacket began tapping out the rhythm - guitar man's fingers moving over the strings just confirmed it. Dive. Lily swallowed, "Fucking hell."

Marlene wrapped her arm around Lily's shoulder, "Yeah, you're fucked, love."

There was something, and Lily had lectured Marlene and Dorcas about this extensively because she could not stop listening to this album, there was something gut wrenchingly sexy about the guitar in this song, something that pulled at you, made you want to arch your back, fall into bed, press someone against you until they were impossibly close. It was the pitch of the notes themselves, the slightly higher sound paired with the deep, steady beat of the drum, the thick thrum of the bass hitting you straight in the chest, the way the notes hung in the air, wavering just a bit, like the way your fingers tremble when they move excitedly over new skin.

He was singing and she was dying, but it was watching his body move as the sound poured out of him that was doing it more than anything else. What, before, had been a light, foot-tapping, head-bobbing movement suddenly became heavier, slower, like he was paying close attention to how even the smallest movement of his fingers was working her into a frenzy. He arched his back just a bit, let his head fall back, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, sank into his knees, just a touch, like he would drop to them and beg if not for the guitar around his neck… it was slow and deliberate and unbearably sexy. And it only got worse.

Because once he hit the chorus, the words weren't flowing gently from his lips anymore - they were rough and gravelly and played up the harshest parts of his range in a way that made him sound unbelievably vulnerable, like he meant it when he begged her not to call him baby, like he needed her to need him. It was like the lyrics were tearing through him, like this was raw and real, and the way he arched his neck back, the way his eyes were locked on hers as he dragged out the notes… he was living and breathing this song. He was singing it to her. And it seemed like he meant it.

When he stepped back to play the brief guitar solo, he let his weight shift onto his back foot, angling his guitar towards her as he pulled his shoulders back, broadening his stance, letting his eyes trail over her as he played. She absolutely fell apart under his gaze and he must have noticed, bloody bastard, because he licked his lip, his mouth hitched up in that lopsided smirk, and stepped back to the microphone to finish the song.

The final chorus was even more intense than anything that had come before - his voice was rough and vulnerable and forceful and desperate and powerful and the combination of his voice, like gravel, and the urgent pleading of the lyrics themselves was doing her in. Her skin was buzzing, her heart was beating a violent tattoo inside her chest, she could barely fucking breath, and she decided, right then, that she needed to talk to him because no one, no one, had made her feel like this. Ever.

He strummed out the final note and the pub exploded - guitar man chuckled into the microphone, stuffed another hand in his hair, "Thanks everyone. Again, we're The Marauders, and uh - have a brilliant night." He turned around, leather jacket and lanky blonde clapped him on the back and he beamed at them as he pulled his guitar off and hopped off the stage.

Lily turned back to Marlene and Dorcas (they both still had those smug grins on) - "So," Dorcas said, playing with the ends of Marlene's hair, "he clearly wants to fuck you."

Lily laughed, "How do you know he wasn't playing that for some other red head?"

Marlene scoffed, "You're the only ginger here."

Lily pushed her shoulder and she just laughed, "So, you going to talk to him?"

Lily shrugged, but she tipped her drink back in one, set her glass down on the bar and shook her head at Ted when he signalled at her to see if she wanted another. Dorcas grinned, "You can't fool us, love."

Marlene smirked, wrapped her arm around Dorcas' shoulder, "Yeah, I've seen that look in your eye too many times, Evans."

"Whatever." She spun on her heel and popped up onto her toes, "Hey, where'd he go?"

"Hopefully you mean me."

Rich, velvet, rough. She froze. Spun. Her eyes met brilliant amber and her knees went weak. She cocked her eyebrow, shrugged, "No, but I suppose you'll do." Playing it cooler than she felt had always served her well and this time was no exception. He laughed, a bright, deep sound that made her stomach clench.

"So, did I come on too strong?" He quirked an amused eyebrow at her and she laughed, "Nope. Didn't wait too long, either."

He laughed again, "Clever."

She grinned, "I've been known to be clever from time to time."

He traced his eyes over her face, his mouth hitched up in that smirk again, "Something tells me you're clever nearly all the time, Evans."

She gaped at him, "How do you know my name?"

He flushed a bit, stuffed a nervous hand in his hair, "I uh… I heard Ted yelling it at you just before the start of our set."

She chuckled, "And you remembered it?"

His look was deadly serious, "Couldn't forget it."

She swallowed, and was about to respond when she felt a hand on her elbow. She jumped, turned. Marlene was smiling, practically boiling with amusement, "Lily, we're going to head out. See you at home?" Her eyes flickered to the man behind her, "Or not." She winked. Note to self. Kill Marlene.

Lily nodded (they didn't share a flat anymore, but she appreciated that Marlene pretended otherwise just in case), pulled Marlene in, kissed her cheek, then Dorcas, "I'll text you?" Dorcas nodded, "Be good, Lils." Marlene laughed, "Or don't."

Lily shoved her, which, of course, just set her laughing until Dorcas took her arm and dragged her out of the pub. She turned back around, "Sorry, my mates are idiots."

He laughed, "Mine are idiots, too. I understand."

She grinned, "You mean those mates?" She tilted her head towards the stage - leather jacket shot them an enthusiastic thumbs up before he grabbed lanky blonde by the collar, pulled him in for some very heavy snogging. Guitar man laughed, "Yeah. We've known each other since primary school, too late to dump them now."

Lily laughed, "Yeah, mine are like that too. How long have they been together?"

Guitar man groaned, "Sixth form. I thought they'd be over this by now, but we're nearly a decade in and they're showing no sign of slowing down."

Lily laughed, "Well, at least I know what I have to look forward to with my mates, then."

He chuckled, "If your mates are anywhere near as randy as mine, you better prepare yourself."

She sighed, "Welp, I'm doomed."

He smiled, "Why are we talking about our sex-crazed mates?"

She quirked an eyebrow, "I don't know, guitar man, why are we?"

He laughed, "Guitar man?"

Lily shrugged, "I don't know your name. What else am I supposed to call you?"

He extended his hand, "James. James Potter."

She took his hand, did her best to fight through the electricity now zinging up and down her arm, "Nice to meet you, James. Lily Evans." He squeezed her hand, shook it, dropped it. Lily nearly groaned out loud.

James raised an eyebrow, "Maybe I'm playing my cards wrong here," Lily laughed and he beamed, "but do you, maybe, want to get out of here?"

"Are you asking me to fuck you, James Potter?"

James grinned, it was wicked and shot straight through her, "Maybe later. But I'd like to talk before we dive in."

She laughed, "Are you going to be making these jokes all night?"

He chuckled, "As long as they keep working."

She smacked his chest, he grabbed her hand, her breath caught in her throat. She breathed a laugh, "Want to leave now?" James grinned, "Absolutely."

He didn't let go of her hand this time, just dropped their hands so they were swinging between them and began moving through the crowd. A few people clapped him on the back as he walked by, "Hey, mate, great set!" James just grinned, stuffed a hand in his hair, laughed, thanked them all, but kept walking with her towards the door. They barrelled through the door, out into the crisp September air, and Lily took a deep breath.

James smiled down at her, "It's nice out here, isn't it?"

Lily nodded, "Especially after being in there forever."

James turned on his heel and started walking up the street, "Where to, my lady?"

Lily laughed, "I mean, what's even open at this point?" She pulled her mobile out of her pocket, "It's 11. The only place open around here at this hour is McDonalds."

James swung their joined hands, pulled a thinking face - "We could always go there."

Lily laughed, "How very romantic."

James grinned, "I am known for my romantic gestures."

Lily snorted and James just laughed, pulled her hand so that she was pressed up against his side, "We've known each other ten minutes, Evans, and you're already slagging me off."

Lily grinned, "There's just something about you, Potter. It seems like you need someone slagging you off to keep your ego in check."

James groaned, "You sound like Remus."

Lily quirked her eyebrow and James chuckled, "The blonde one. Played bass."

She nodded, "And who's your drummer?"

"My brother, Sirius."

Lily smiled, "Aww, that's cute!"

James laughed, "Less cute when you're trying to schedule band practice and his extra arse is pretending he has a busy life we all need to work around."

They crossed the street and climbed the hill up the high street and Lily groaned, "I hate this fucking hill."

James laughed, "Come on, it's barely a hill."

She bumped her hip against his, "Whatever, Mr Long Legs, this is a giant hill."

"Mr Long Legs?"

Lily groaned, poked him in the side, "Shut up."

He grinned, dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she smiled up at him.

They chatted amicably the rest of the walk up the hill, about her work at the law firm, his mates, uni. He was poking her in the side when he opened the door to McDonalds ("PLEASE, Magdalen is the best college at Oxford! IT HAS DEER!"), she shrieked, and the people behind the counter just glared. Lily smiled sheepishly, but James didn't seem to care one bit - they walked over to the counter, he wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his chin on her head.

"This alright?" he breathed, his breath tickling the top of her head. Lily nodded, "Yeah." He hummed quietly and she felt his chest vibrate against her back. It felt good. Better than it should having known him for, well, ten minutes.

She swallowed. "You hungry?" she asked, staring up at the menu board. He groaned, "Yes, I'm starved. I haven't eaten since five."

He ordered an obscene amount of food (much to the chagrin of the poor people that were working there) and they walked over to a booth in the corner. Lily slid into the bench, James sat down across her, and they began divvying up the food. Lily grabbed a handful of chips, "So, tell me all about James Potter."

James stuffed half a hamburger in his mouth, "Well," he chewed for a moment, "I'm 26. I was born in London, lived here my whole life outside of my time at the lovely Magdalen College." She grinned.

"Studied Physics and Philosophy, did brilliantly, of course." Lily rolled her eyes but she was, annoyingly, impressed, "You did a joint course? And the hardest joint course imaginable?!"

James shrugged, ate a few chips, "I always liked both, didn't see why I should have to choose."

Lily laughed, "What a nerdy thing to be rebellious about."

James grinned, "I'm not ashamed."

"Are you ever?"

James laughed, "No." Lily rolled her eyes.

James tossed a chip at her head, "Tell me about you."

Lily grabbed the drink between them, took a sip, "Lily Evans," he smiled, "Also 26. Born in Birmingham. Studied Law at Trinity, the best College at Oxford." He tossed another chip at her and she laughed.

"Studied in Brussels my third year to learn more about European law, though, jokes on me now, I suppose." James groaned, "I know, this is a massive fuck up, isn't it?"

Lily laughed, "Thank god, because if you ended up loving Nigel Farage I was going to dump this drink on your head and leave."

"Nah," James ate another bite of his burger, "Guy's a right twat. Fucking idiot."

Lily laughed, "Cheers," ate some more chips.

They settled into easy conversation, eating, laughing, exchanging jokes and barbs with an ease that Lily had rarely ever experienced with someone she just met. The last time this happened was at uni when she'd met Dorcas, before that in primary school when she met Marlene. It was that immediate recognition that this person was built to be a part of your life, that they were a missing piece of your puzzle - they chatted about everything, their parents, her fucking sister, his "will I finally just grow up and get a job already" debate, their favourite kebab places and television programmes.

It was easy with him. So easy that it would have scared her if she wasn't so busy enjoying it.

They spilled out onto the street an hour later, tired of the employees glaring at them and loudly clearing their throats until James and Lily finally got the hint, picked up the chips they'd managed to scatter everywhere, and left.

Lily grasped his arm as they walked back down the hill towards her flat, "HOW DID YOU AVOID FALLING IN LOVE WITH SELASI?!"

James laughed, "Sirius threatened me with death if I so much as talked about him because 'HE'S MINE, JAMES, I CALLED DIBS'."

Lily laughed, "DIBS?! HE CAN'T CALL DIBS. I CALLED DIBS THE MOMENT I SAW HIM!"

James groaned, "You two can battle that out."

Lily looked fiercely back at him, "You bet your arse I will, too. I'll kill him if necessary."

James sighed, "Christ, you and Sirius are going to be a pair to be reckoned with. I can already fucking tell."

Lily scoffed, "Like he'll have anything on me though."

James chuckled, "Of course not, love," and dropped an arm around her shoulders, pressed her closer into his side.

She sighed contentedly, pressed her nose into the side of his chest as they walked, breathed in the smell wafting off him. It was like his voice, deep and rich, but spicy too, and fresh, and it went straight to her head. James laughed, his chest vibrating against her nose, "Are you smelling me?"

Lily pulled her head away, "Yes."

"You're weird, Evans."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Like you weren't smelling my hair back in the McDonalds."

James grinned, stuffed his free hand awkwardly in his hair again, "Fair."

"So," Lily said, changing the subject, "why didn't you study music, then? You're a brilliant musician."

James shrugged, "I have always loved it, but I genuinely loved the courses I did, too. I..." he thought for a moment, turned to look at her, "I guess I didn't want to learn music formally and then... lose it? Does that make sense? Like I didn't want the academic side of it to fuck up the creative side of it for me."

Lily nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense."

They walked a bit further down the high street, chatted about music, but something had shifted between them, became heavier, more intense. She was suddenly hyper aware of all the spots that her body was in contact with his, the smell of his cologne in the air between them, the way his chest rumbled against hers when he laughed. It set her pulse racing in her veins and her heart struggling to keep pace. The way he talked about music, the energy that exploded in him, lit his eyes on fire, made his hands gesture wildly, even when he was talking about ridiculous things like time signatures and key, made it hard for her to catch her breath. He was a complete nerd, a brilliant, passionate, mad, stunning, fitnerd.

Lily pressed her fingers into his forearm, that sexy forearm, pulled them to a stop when they reached her door, "This is me."

James frowned, but Lily laughed, poked his side, threw caution to the wind, "None of that. You're coming up."

He laughed, but it was deeper, rougher than before, and the rapid shift in his tone set Lily's heart hammering again, "Oh, am I?"

Lily shrugged, tried to look nonchalant, but her pulse was erratic already and it was like the air between them had thickened again, like they were back in the pub, his eyes locked on hers as he plucked out that guitar solo and lit her insides ablaze, "If you want to."

His eyes darkened, looked like stunning amber fire as he looked at her, "Of course I do."

Lily swallowed, fished her keys out of her bag, "Well," she tried to sound casual, but the roughness in her voice was giving her away, "that's settled then."

She'd barely opened the door when James was pulling her inside the entryway - his mouth was instantly on hers, he pressed her back into the wall behind the door. And if she hadn't died back in the pub, she was definitely dying now.

His mouth was hot and firm and insistent against hers and he groaned, lighting a bonfire in her gut, when she fisted her hands in his shirt and pulled him tight against her. He pressed his hips more firmly against hers, she moaned into his (smiling) mouth, weaved her fingers into his hair.

"Upstairs," she gasped against his mouth, moved her hands to his chest, turned and pulled him along the corridor. She tried to kiss him and walk up the stairs but after stumbling a few times (and groaning when James laughed at her, "Bugger off, Potter.") she eventually settled for holding his hand and dragging him up the stairs.

He stood behind her, hands on her hips, mouth on the back of her neck pressing scorching kisses into her skin, while she fiddled with the lock. She finally unlocked the door and James spun her instantly, "Thank fucking god," and his mouth found hers again. She laughed against his lips, pulled him into the flat, kicked the door shut behind them.

"Your housemates," he breathed, and it took Lily a minute before she realised what he was talking about. "Oh," she tipped her neck back and James moved his mouth to her throat, kicked her shoes off, "no, I live alone. They lied in case you were a murderer."

He hummed against her skin and the sensation made her moan, grab his face and pull his mouth back to hers. She grabbed the bottom of his shirt, tugged it up his chest and broke the kiss, "Off," and let James pull it over his head while she unbuttoned his jeans, shoved them as far down his legs as she could manage.

"Someone is anxious," James chuckled, pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor behind them. Lily rolled her eyes, reached behind her, unhooked her bra, flung it somewhere, "No time for your jokes. Need you right now."

James kicked his shoes off down the corridor, unbuttoned Lily's jeans, put his hands on her waistband and slid them slowly, torturously slowly, down her legs, crouching down in front of her, his eyes trained on hers, letting his hands set fires on her skin. "Now Evans," he said, his eyes absolutely smouldering now, "Don't tell me you need me if you don't mean it."

She wanted to huff, tell him to shut up about bloody Ed Sheeran, drag the jeans off herself and be done with it already but the way he was looking at her, the annoyingly attractive smirk on his lips, the way he was trailing his thumbs down the side of her legs had struck her dumb. She picked her feet up hastily when he finally got her jeans down, he chuckled up at her, but the snappy retort died on her lips when he grasped her hips, pulled her to him, pressed a kiss to the outside of her knickers. Holy. Fucking. Fuck.

She grabbed his elbows and pulled him up to her, pressed him close, kissed him. She was already desperate, so desperate, but something about having his bare skin against hers, his hands pressing into her back was driving her completely mad. She pressed her hips into his, groaned when she felt how hard he was, immediately began walking backward, led him into her room.

Just when she would have expected his hands to move more frantically over her skin, they instead moved more slowly, deliberately tracing down her spine, over the curve of her waist, skimming the side of her breast. He was taking her in, learning her body in long, languid movements, and it was turning her on, burning her up, pissing her off, because the slower he moved, the more intentional his fingers were against her skin, the more erratic she became. He was memorising her, she was trying to bloody consume him.

Her knees hit the back of her bed and he moved his hands to her shoulders, pushed her down onto the bed and she groaned out of frustration and relief because finally, but he just smiled, crawled over her, littered kisses along her collarbone, breathed "Patience, love," into her skin.

She didn't want to be patient, didn't want to be patient at all and she was going to tell him this, but then he brushed his lips across her breasts, trailed his fingers along her inner thigh, and well. She settled for arching her back, moaning something that sounded vaguely like "oh my god, more of that," and ignoring him when he smiled what she was sure was a very smug smile against her skin.

He traced his fingers along the waistband of her knickers and Lily groaned, pushed herself up on her elbows, "James, I swear to fucking christ." He just laughed, "Alright, alright," but he slid her pants off, tossed them, settled between her thighs, and her breath caught in her throat again.

His breath was fanning over her and he began peppering light, barely there kisses along the inside of her thighs and she sighed, "Are you trying to kill me?"

James wrapped one of his arms along her hips, pressed her down into the mattress, smiled up at her, "Maybe," but then his mouth was on her and she was certain, so certain, that he was trying to kill her because holy fuck did he know what he was doing. While his hands had taken their time tracing her skin, his tongue went straight for the kill - she was coming apart at the bloody seams, and the more she gasped, arched her back, pressed her hips in vain against his arm, wound her fingers in his hair, the faster he got, driving her rapidly towards the edge. It was probably only a few minutes, but it could have been years, decades, and she wouldn't have noticed, before he pushed two fingers inside of her, moaned against her, and she fell apart in his hands.

He pressed a few final kisses to the inside of her thighs, smiling triumphantly against her skin when she jerked, just a bit, and kissed his way back up her body before finding her lips again. She reached down to his hips, started pushing on the band of his boxers - he finally got the hint. "Have you got - "

She nodded, "Get those off," and turned, reached over to her bedside cabinet and pulled a condom out of the top drawer. James groaned, "Thank god," and Lily laughed, a bit breathlessly, as she tore the package open. Lily took him in her hands, slid the condom on, and James moaned, "Fuck, Lily," kissed her again. The immediate prospect of being inside her made his hands tremble against her skin, his lips move more urgently against hers, and Lily was eager to capitalise on this new energy. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulled him against her. He broke the kiss, pressed his forehead against hers, swore again, "Fuck."

Lily laughed, "I'm trying."

James chuckled, "You're ridiculous," but he reached between them, positioned himself, pressed into her, and whatever jesting might have blossomed in that moment became a shared moan. James pressed his forehead to hers, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, you're amazing," and Lily pressed her heels into his back, "James." It was whinier than she'd intended, but she didn't give a single fuck.

He moved slowly at first, torturously slowly, and even though she wanted to chastise him for it, for trying to kill her twice in one night, it also felt so good and he was hitting just the right spot and she couldn't bring herself to tell him to change what he was doing for anything, not when it was working so well. She could feel the tension building again, sank her fingers into his shoulders, "More."

James leaned down, pressed hot kisses to her neck, "Harder? Faster? What?" Lily groaned as he hit a particularly sensitive spot, "Both. Right there. Again."

He groaned, swore, followed her instructions.

It wasn't long before she was trembling underneath him again, on the edge of another climax - he pressed his mouth to hers, moved one hand between them, pressed a thumb against her clit, moved it in something vaguely resembling a rhythm (though at this point, she was so close it didn't much matter) - "Come for me, Lily." A few more swipes of his thumb and she was falling apart around him again. He moved just a bit faster, pressed a kiss to her jaw, before he stilled above her, buried his face in her neck.

James rolled off her, let his breathing slow for just a moment, before he pushed himself off the bed, "Where's your - "

Lily pointed, "Out the door, down the corridor, on the right." James nodded and disappeared. Lily climbed out of bed and walked out into the corridor, grabbed her bag off the floor and fished out her mobile before walking back to her room. She tapped out a quick message to Marlene and Dorcas - Not dead. Did just have the best sex of my life though. You'll get all the dirty details tomorrow Xxxx - and tossed her phone onto her chest of drawers before falling back in bed.

When James came back a minute later, condom free and exhausted looking, he flopped down onto the bed beside her, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, their chests touching, his eyes moving softly over her face. "I have to say," his breath was hot against her face and the corner of his lips twitched just a bit, "I've travelled the world and there's no other girl like you."

"Oh!" Lily slapped his chest and he just laughed, tightened his hold on her waist and pulled her closer, buried his face in her neck. "I am serious, though," he whispered it into her hair, and she was glad he did, because otherwise he would have noticed the brilliant flush that painted her cheeks. "You don't know anything about me," she whispered.

He pulled back, threaded his fingers into her hair, "As someone who's been known to give his all," she scowled and he just laughed, "I think I'd dive into you, Evans."

Lily quirked an eyebrow, "Didn't you just…"

He roared with laughter, buried his fingers in her ribs, "YOU CHEEKY BASTARD!"

She just laughed, swatted his hands away and, when that didn't work, she grabbed his face, pulled his mouth to hers in hopes of distracting him. He chuckled against her lips, "I know what you're doing," but he kissed her anyway, his fingers moving to her back, pressing her against him.

It was soft this time, lazy, like they had all the time in the world, and though her gut has started coiling, tightening again, it wasn't just desire anymore. It was something deeper than that, something that, with all her other relationships, had terrified her. But with James… it felt as natural as breathing.

He pulled back, brushed his thumb along the apple of her cheek, studied her for a moment, "Get dinner with me tomorrow."

She tried to be cool but she knew she was smiling so brightly it could have lit up the universe, "Yeah, alright."