This was just too easy tonight. Maybe it was the agonizingly long separation, maybe there was something she was missing, but Febs rather thought he was fumbling, which she'd never seen him do before. She chuckled quietly, watching him for a quick minute, before she pushed off the bed, closing the short distance between them.

Gently, she swatted his hands out of the way, casting a look at him through her lashes as she took over. Febs tugged his shirt from the waistband of his pants and finished off the buttons easily enough. Sliding her hands beneath the fabric, she wanted to make a quip of some kind. Something about never leaving a man to do a woman's job, but she rather thought the joke would be out of place now. The feeling of his skin under her fingertips sent a little shudder of anticipation down her spine. She ran her hands up over his shoulders, pushing the shirt off and out of the way so she could lean in and press her lips to his shoulder.

Pressing closer, Febs realized the thin material of her nightgown left little to the imagination. There was no padding from numerous layers and volumes of skirts between them.

Soon enough there wouldn't be anything at all.

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He'd never liked a woman who took control. Not before now. The thought of a woman being able to do anything better than himself (such as take off his own damned clothes) had always been demeaning; and in the few instances in the past that his clothes had found their way to the floor, he'd removed them himself. With Febby, however, the feeling of her hands on the buttons on her shirt and then his skin—

He suddenly became all too aware of the tightness in his trousers. His hands slid around her waist and them onto her ass before he pulled her tighter against him. Their difference in height (or rather their closeness in height) made everything all the more convenient; here was little of her that he couldn't feel.

Though he was anxious about making a fool of himself, he was also anxious to get her out of her clothes. Having her out of her clothes would put all of his attention on her, meaning his own insecurities would fly right out the window. Balling up whatever fabric he could reach in his fists, he started to tug it higher and higher up her legs, his fingers in search of skin. It didn't take too long—it wasn't as if there were many layers, anyways—and soon he had a fistful of her dress down to them hem. Pulling back ever so slightly, he gave her a mischievous smile.

"You best let me lift it off or there won't be anything for you to wear home," he teased, giving her dress a little tug. All that would be left were his trousers, which...surprisingly was't that much of a big deal.

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— set by MJ! —

The feeling of his hands on her waist, sliding lower to her rear end, pulling her close had her gasping quietly against his skin. She could feel him tugging the hem of her nightgown upward, the soft fabric sliding up her legs sending a shiver across her body, even as she trailed a series of kisses up his neck.

"Can't have that," She chuckled, leaning back just enough to give him room to pull it off. She raised her hands up over her head with a wicked grin. She supposed she should have been some kind of shy about this, but really, she couldn't find it within her to be self conscious now. Maybe it spoke to her confidence or the level of comfort between them, but it was what it was.

There wasn't much to her after all. She was a continuous line of long, lanky limbs, lacking any real curves or much of a bust to speak of without the assistance of a corset. As the fabric slipped off, Febs felt the cool air against her bare skin, finding it rather pleasant compared to how flushed her body felt. Reaching up, she pulled out the tie that keep her hair in a braid with one hand, shaking the dark waves lose with the other. A sly smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she turned dark blue eyes on his in anticipation.

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He pulled back, watching her with wide, attentive eyes as she removed the last article of clothing that covered her body. As she lifted it up and over her head, he felt his breath catch in his throat. She was gorgeous—not that it was any sort of shock. His surprise came only from her complete willingness and the lack of embarrassment she seemed to do feel while undressing herself. For a moment he did little more than stare, his gaze hungrily scanned every inch of her body, his eyes lingering on certain features every so often.

Despite her height, she was decidedly small—smaller than he would have imagined under all those layers. His hesitation disappeared the minute his eyes met hers, and in the next moment he pounced. He closed the distance between them, hands grabbing at her hips so he could back them towards the bed. The moment he felt the back of her legs his the bed, he lifted her off the floor and placed her onto the mattress.

What came next was sort of a blur; an act of instinct rather than deliberate decision-making. His lips quickly sought hers after he climbed atop her, trapping her much-smaller figure under him as his legs settled between hers. One hand kept him balanced above her, while the other searched for anything—her breast, her waist, the outside of her thigh—before settling on the buckle of his belt.

He pulled back from the kiss only so he could glance down between their bodies to finish undoing his trousers. "Dark wizards can't kill me but a damn debutante can," he muttered to himself in amusement before hastily shoving his trousers down his legs as far as he could manage in his current position.

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— set by MJ! —

If there was to be a moment where she felt self conscious, it would have been in the time he took to look her up and down. February however, felt little more than ardor and desire running through her than anything else. There was just something about the way he looked at her, an approving appraisal, that left her reeling.

It didn't last long, the next thing she knew, his body collided with hers, pushing back toward the bed and then up onto the mattress. The cool, silky feeling of the duvet was a stark contrast to the heat between them. Her body arched toward every touch on its own, the sensation of his hands on her bare skin far better than anything she could have imagined in the past.

Febs couldn't help the laugh that escaped, breathless and dizzy with desire. She trailed her fingers lightly over his shoulders, grazing with her nails every so often when she felt him hit a sensitive spot on her body. "Everybody has a weakness," She mumbled, voice heavy with desire. He was just as much hers, that much was clear.

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Soon there were no layers left between them and nothing to impede their ability to see each other. Having kicked off his trousers and underthings, he hovered above her, staring down at her for a moment. There was no particular expression on his face, save for the look of desire that his entire body—the pink flush of his skin, the sweat beads on his forehead, and the obvious hardness pressed up against her abdomen—couldn't hide if he'd tried.

He wanted her, and part of him was surprised that they'd even managed to reach this point. It should have been obvious when she let him shag her in the garden, but part of him expected her to have run off with a new boy-toy when he'd been informed that he was gone a month. It was irrational and silly and he knew it was just his insecurities at play, but it didn't make the shock of having her in his bed any less real.

"What's your weakness?" he asked, hand wandering until he cupped her breast. He gave it a light squeeze, his brows quirking as if to ask "is this it?". He then leaned down and buried his face in her neck, pressing warm, open-mouthed kisses against her skin. Part of him wanted to get on with it and have his way with her, but another, more curious part of him that wanted to know what exactly drove her mad now that there weren't any clothes in the way.

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— set by MJ! —

There it was again, that look and Febs felt as if she could just melt away into the mattress. Just a look had her shivering in anticipation, a visible shudder going down her body, but she certainly wasn't going to give in that easy. Oh no, he was going to have to work for this. They were both a little competitive after all.

Not to mention, she didn't actually know.

Febs was far more the novice here and last time, well it hadn't left a lot of room for taking their time. It had been heated and passionate, but here, now, they had the time to savor the moment. This was a slow burn if she'd ever felt one. Her body reacted for her as he moved in, fingers tightening in their favorite spot in his hair, betraying her feigned nonchalance. "You're on your own there, my love." She managed, followed by an audible gasp at the feeling of his hands on her breast. That could be it, but something told her she would have to wait to find out. Febs bit her lip to prevent giving him the satisfaction of much more, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out for too long.

Stretching out beneath him again, she pried her own hands off of him, settling them above her head on the mattress, a surrender to whatever he could come up with; blanket dare to see what he would do next.

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He let out a low moan against her neck as she tugged at his hair, a rush of arousal washing over him. His open-mouthed kissed quickly turned to nibbles, nips, and the occasional bite as he trailed them down her neck and onto her shoulder. After spending a few moments groping her breast, his hand began to wander elsewhere.

Fingers danced across her rib-cage and down to the softness of her stomach, exploring every inch of her skin, before slipping between her thighs. Wanting to see her as he touched her, he pulled back and flashed a smile at her.

"I don't think it will take too long, lover," he teased. "You're not going to win." He wasn't sure what the contest was or what the prize was, but he wanted to hear her admit that she needed him.

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— set by MJ! —

Well, he'd certainly taken that seriously. As each new sensation washed over her, Febs felt her body heating up, her breath coming in a series of gasps and sharp breaths.

Between the feeling of his lips and his hands on her skin, Febby didn't know where to focus, but she was determined not to let him win so soon. Of course then he cheated and went straight to where he knew he could get her. "Cheater!" She whimpered, squirming against the bed, hips moving toward him instinctively.

She'd been trying not to give into him quickly, but she couldn't settle her hands, any sense of relaxed she may have exuded previously was gone as she curled her fingers into the bedspread at her sides. She pressed her legs against him, needing to feel more of him against her as he seemed determined now to drive her over the edge.

Then again, she had challenged him.

Of course, there was a way for her to fight back. But she wasn't desperate enough for that, yet.

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He was winning, but he hadn't won yet. His fingers danced across her inner thighs, actively avoiding the most sensitive of areas in his attempt to tease her. The squirming and wriggling underneath his body, the way her fingers impatiently grasped at the sheets, the rising of her hips, the moans—it all had him struggling to keep his own breathing in check as his hips involuntarily pushed against hers in an attempt to find friction for himself.

He grinned wider as she whimpered and complained, albeit in a way that only confirmed that she was getting desperate. Rather than playing hard-to-get (he could hardly justify that after being away for a month), he let his fingers brush over the sensitive bundle of nerves, hoping to evoke the reaction he was looking for.

"You can't win this, Febby," he taunted, quirking a brow in challenge.

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— set by MJ! —

Throwing her head back against the mattress, hands clenching the sheets, his name left her lips in a breathless gasp as he finally followed through on all of his teasing. It faded into an impatient whine as she felt her body wind up tighter and tighter, searching for some way to ease the mounting pressure.

She'd been all but ready to give in, to let him have it, but then he had to gloat and she would have none of that. She pressed her lips together and tried to play it up (which really wasn't all that hard), a whimper at just the right time, hips lifting off the bed in search of more. Gently she untangled her fingers from the sheets, to run her hands up his arms, over his shoulders, nails digging into his back slightly.

That was just for fun though, it was her turn to let her hands wander, though it took far more concentration than she would like to admit. Lightly, she moved to trail her fingers down his chest, skimming along his side, not entirely unlike what he'd done to her earlier. Next she grazed them over his hip, before casually sliding one into a little more daring position. "Oh, is that so?" Was all she could manage as she ever so gently wrapped her fingers gently around him and applied just a little pressure. Biting her lip again, mostly to suppress a grin, she turned dark bedroom eyes on him, eager to see his reaction.

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It didn't take much time at all to decide that nothing was more of a turn-on than hearing February Lynch gasp his name in the throes of pleasure. The movements of his fingers quickened to match the pace of his heartbeat and breathing, the feeling of her roaming hands across his arms, shoulders, and—Merlin—her nails digging into his back causing his hardness to twitch against her thigh. And if that hadn't been enough, she took it a step further.

He felt all his muscles tighten up as her hands ventured further down his body; first it was his arms, then his abdomen, and finally his thighs and his groin as she had the nerve (not that he was complaining) to wrap her fingers around him. He let out a hiss and roughly jerked his hips against her hand, caught off by the sudden gesture.

"Fuck, Febs," he gasped. "Next you're going to try to convince me you're not a succubus," he managed through a strained voice. He wouldn't have been all that surprised if she had been; she'd came to his room when he was half-asleep and managed to seduce him. He wasn't all that prepared to give in, though a few minutes of this and he wouldn't need to admit to his defeat out loud—his body would do it for him.

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— set by MJ! —

Damn that would never get old. Whenever he swore accompanied by her name, she knew she was on the right track. She grinned in triumph, though it was hard to savor the victory as much as she would have liked.

She laughed outright at his accusation, unable to contain it, though it was little more than a breathless chuckle. "No, I just pay attention." She countered, voice tinted with amusement through the haze of desire. That was the gist of it anyway. There had to be some kind of give and take to this, otherwise it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. She was getting impatient though. He had a head start on her and Febs didn't have the most patience to begin with, nor any willpower apparently.  

With every intention of seeing her little dare through further, Febby tentatively pressed against him with her fingers, trying to watch his reactions. Unfortunately (or fortunately? It really was hard to tell,) he was unrelenting and she hadn't realized she was approaching her limit quite so quickly, an oath of her own coming out in a ragged exhale as the arousal shot through her body, making her crave more.

Febs came to terms with her 'loss' quickly, lust overcoming pride for the moment. She had waited a month for a follow up to the garden after all. "You win." She whined quietly as she arched toward him, body searching for his intuitively; clearly getting closer was the only way to solve the problem.

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Despite her obvious inexperience with touching a man in that way, the mere feeling of having her soft palm wrapped around him was enough to drive him mad. It wasn't enough to drive him over the edge, but fortunately his hand's motions between her legs was enough to drive her mad—so much so that she was admitting defeat before he knew it. Letting out a quiet moan in approval, he dropped from his upright position and laid his body across hers, hands moving to either side of her head so he could hover above her.

His leaned down and kissed before trailing his lips across her jawline and to her ear. "Take what you want, then. I'm all yours," he murmured huskily before he began nibbling at her earlobe.

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— set by MJ! —

Though she initially protested his movements, if only because he moved further away instead of closer at first, it did give her a minute to catch her breath, but only a minute. She brushed her hair from her face and up out of the way as he settled over her. Casting a look at him, she whimpered in frustration; he was not making this easy for her tonight! It was a month's worth of anxiety and frustration built up, a way to finally let off a little steam and he was still being cheeky!  

He leaned down and the feeling of his lips on her jaw, his breath at her ear, was the last straw. "Edric, please," She pleaded, fumbling to follow through with his demand. Desire warred with impatience, the latter getting the better of her yet again. In this instance, she was not above begging. Raking her nails down his sides she finally found his hips and pulled him toward her, in an effort to speed him up.

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A muffled moan escaped his lips as her nails bit into his skin, and his hips instinctively pressed against hers. She either lacked the knowledge or willingness to put him inside of her so, pulling back slightly so he could watch her face, he slipped a hand down between her body and positioned himself at her entrance.

Given her impatience—which seemed a bit like an understatement with the begging she'd done—he waited only long enough for her to make a protest (as if she had any) before pushing himself inside.

He gasped as he settled into her, the sensations overwhelming him; she was much more prepared this time around than they had in their desperate quickie in their garden, and he was surprised for a moment that he didn't lose it then and there. Had it really been a month? His body seemed to know it despite his mind believing otherwise.

"This what you wanted?" he managed in somewhat of a choked gasp, his hips slowly moving against hers. (Merlin, what he'd give to have this every day of his life.)

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— set by MJ! —