September 27th, 1888 - Honeydukes

All my friends, they know and it's true
I don't know who I am without you
I've got it bad, baby
I got it bad
-Demi Lovato

Felicity had been beyond giddy all day, even more so than was usually for the bubbly and bright young woman. Plans had been made to help Quin finish with the painting in the shop that evening but those plans had been made days ago. The excitement for that should have worn off, and truly, it had. That was, until the oddly pink envelope had been delivered with the afternoon mail. It had been addressed to her, brought to her by Mrs. Blair, with a raised brow and a smirk. She'd blushed almost instantly, mainly due to the way it had been delivered to her by the family housekeeper. She'd slipped away into her own room to read it and had instantly felt the giddiness take over her as she'd pulled the letter free and read it's contents.

The poem.. well, it had left her lightheaded and perhaps even dizzy. They'd said they'd take their time to test the waters and see how things could go, especially while she was still in mourning, but apparently Mr. Honeyduke's feelings had developed far quicker than she'd anticipated! It was all laid out there in the poem, a beautiful love poem that she'd cherish for all her days and had even clutched it to her chest and fallen onto her bed at one point.

And then, with her face still flushed red, she'd quickly gotten to her feet and scrambled off to the kitchens to prepare a picnic basket for that evening. It wasn't unlike her to show up without a picnic basket to make sure he ate while he worked away at finishing up the shop so that it could fully open and back to its usual splendor. This time, however, the picnic basket would have to be special, full of romantic things. Champagne was even sneaked out of the cupboard and tucked away safely along with two fancy glasses. She could hardly wait!

When the time finally came to head out, she'd made sure to dress with care. Opting for a beautiful lavender day dress that could still be somewhat suitable for mourning but without being blatantly so, she left the Adlard home and all but scurried down to the sweets shop. Lights still burning inside but the closed sign was hung prominently on the front door. She ignored it, as she often did when she came to help, and slipped inside all smiles and even flushed with excitement. "Evening Quin!" she called happily enough before she breezed in and back into the kitchen where she was most likely to find him. When she did see him, her heart swelled all over again. Her smile widened as she took him in but she resisted the temptation to rush forward and embrace him. That could wait. So instead, she focused on setting the picnic basket down and turned back to him to await his own greeting.

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BEE-utiful Set!

Something was off in town today.

Quin was, as per usual, completely oblivious. He hadn't even checked his mail for the day, a large stack sitting on the island without a second thought from him since it had been brought in by the post owl. The shop was finally starting to come together and his living quarters upstairs were more than reasonable now. With a reopening date set for just under a month from now, he really needed to get started on all of the finishing touches- and of course restocking the entire store. Thankfully, the cellar had remained completely untouched after the troll attack and he had a decent supply down there, but nothing like what he would have wanted.

He was in the kitchen now, working on making some lollipops that would certainly keep until opening. It was labor intensive, but necessary and something he actually enjoyed. There was all kinds of fun in changing the flavors and designs, placing charms on it. He was lost in melting sugar, several pots on the stove as he was mixing up syrups to make flavors and colors, when he heard Felicity's voice ring through the shop.

"In here!" He called unnecessarily, as she was already sweeping into the kitchen and unpacking her basket of goodies. "I actually ate today you know." He cast her a roguish grin from his position at t the stove top.

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It was quite the site, really, Quin in his element. He'd been listless before, anxious even. But now, well, Felicity couldn't help but to gawk slightly over him as he worked. And that smile. It was a good thing she was already holding onto the counter otherwise her knees likely would have gave way and she'd have been a mess on the floor. The very thought had her blushing almost furiously but she managed to return a smile of her own to him with a good nod of her head.

"That's good to hear," she said pleasantly, "I can only watch over you so much before people start to take notice." Not that she really cared. Not anymore thanks to that letter she'd received from him.

Brushing any sort of negative thoughts promptly from her mind, she made her way over to where he was at the stove and came to stand behind him. Though she was a bit taller than the average woman, Quin still have a good few inches on her so she had to get up on her tiptoes to see over his shoulder and get a good look at the stove. "What're you working on?" she asked innocently enough though one hand came up to rest at his back and the other went to his upper arm to steady herself. The close proximity was awfully tantalizing.

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BEE-utiful Set!

If we were paying actual attention, Quin would have likely noticed the way her hands came to rest on his body, but as it were, Quin was Quin and he was in the kitchen, so for once he was actually focused on something and not just totally oblivious. Plus she was asking about what he was doing, so he had an excuse to blather on about it too!

"Lollipops, mixing the syrups for the flavors." He had about 4 pots on the stove top, all in bright colors, emitting equally vibrant scents. "It's a pain, but they are kind of fun when they're done." Plus they kept for a while, so he could make a whole bunch now and store them for the reopening in a few weeks. "They're a crowd-pleaser too, so I'm trying to get a huge batch done. Would you mind grabbing the molds right there?" He gestured to the nearby pans that were in a whole bunch of odd shapes.

Stirring two of the pots, Quin managed the solidifying liquids with more finesse than anybody would give him credit for as he eyed the clock nearby. It was a precise kind of process, one he could likely do in his sleep, but he'd rather not make a mess, especially with Felicity around. "This is the fun part." He chuckled as he snatched his wand from the counter next to the stove and started to charm everything to come together in the molds.

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Felicity didn't move from where she was in the slightest, her hands remaining on him as she listened rather intently. It was all quite fascinating, really. And endearing. To see him speak with such passion for his craft was rather intoxicating. Even more so than the sweet scent of him. She'd never really noticed before just what he smelled like. There was the general musky scent of a man who was busy at work but there was also a sweetness there. Likely from all the sugars he worked with. She never did noticed a distinct flavor sort of smell though, perhaps because there was usually a variety of flavors that he worked with.

But then he was asking her to grab something for them, as she'd been lost in her own thoughts of him, it had taken her a moment for the question to register. With a faint little sigh, she pulled away from him and grabbed the molds in question, setting them down on the spare spot on the counter near where the oven was that he was working.

She stayed back just a bit, watching in wide eyed fascination as everything came together. It was all pretty interesting but eventually her gaze fell back on Quinn and didn't leave from there as she took in the sight of him. It was different seeing him in such an element and she felt a longing sort of pain surge through her as a result. "Beautiful," she found herself saying quietly, talking mostly of him but who knew if he'd really hear it or not. Or even realize he was the focus of her attention in that moment.

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BEE-utiful Set!

Though he hadn't exactly been a model student, there had been two classes Quin had excelled in; Charms and Potions and it was evident how critical they were in his every day life. Twisting and mixing the candy into the molds, Quin was satisfied with the outcome once everything was in the molds, concentrating as it were, he wasn't paying strict attention to the look on Felicity's face until he was all done, and had critically inspected his handy work.

"Nah, just for fun." He chuckled at her response, finally turning to look at her with a wide smile. He set the lollipops aside to cool and wiped his hands on a nearby towel. "You alright there?" He questioned as he finally caught the way she was looking at him. "You look a little dazed, not going to pass out on me are you?" Quin asked warily, eyebrow quirked as he closed the distance between them, just in case.

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Quin's initial remark and chuckle was lost entirely on Felicity. She was too absorbed in watching him. His every movement. His.. everything. She didn't really know what to say or even to do. She was well and truly lost in the thought of him.

And though his questions did flit through her mind just briefly, what she latched onto most was his closing of the distance between the two of them. That was what she focused on and what lead to her next actions. Bold, yes, but there was no doubt in Felicity's mind when she closed the last bit of distance between the two of them and stood up on her tip toes to cup either side of his face with both of her hands and to kiss him fully on the lips.

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BEE-utiful Set!

Of all of the things Quin expected Lissy to say or do, kiss him was certainly not one of them. On one hand he could see Percy's outraged face and surely a creative hex coming his way. On the other, he was a (horrendously oblivious) red-blooded male and so he leaned toward her, hands coming to rest naturally on her waist, pulling her closer.

They had discussed the possibility of pursuing something, he just hadn't expected her to make the first move so boldly. Then again, he was planning on moving at her place anyway. Problem was, he had absolutely no idea what he was doing or if he should even be doing it at all. Quin was woefully inexperienced with women, if he were being honest, though he didn't plan on admitting aloud at the moment, this was his first kiss. She could probably tell. Well. That was embarrassing.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Quin cast a tentative smile at her, eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

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There had been little thought process behind Felicity's bold move. There was still little thought process behind anything she was doing. All she knew was that she needed to be with him, as close to him as possible. So when he did lean into her and continue with the kiss instead of pulling away, she was beyond elated. She hardly registered that it might be his first kiss or even managed to take note how inexperienced he had been with the kiss. He was kissing her back and that was all that mattered.

Her eyes were still closed as she smiled sweetly after he'd broken from the kiss. She needed a moment to simple revel in it, sear it into her memories so that it was never forgotten. After all, there was nothing like a first kiss with someone. And though she'd only kissed one other man before, this kiss surely trumped any others she may have shared with her now deceased fiance.

Lids fluttering open, she continued to smile up at him with that soft and serene sort of expression on her face. She couldn't help but to giggle lightly at his own expression with the silent question of what in Merlin's beard that had been about. But, instead of answering anything like that, she simply continued to smile before saying, "I could certainly get used to that."

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BEE-utiful Set!

Wondering briefly if he'd gone and done something wrong or had been terrible at it, Quin's worries were soothed somewhat by the dreamy expression and content smile on her lips. Lips that now he'd gotten a taste of, was wondering if he couldn't savor a little more of...

Percy was going to kill him, he was definitely dead... so he might as well go out with a bang, right?

"Well then," He murmured, sliding one hand behind her neck to tilt her face up towards his once again. His other arm wrapped more tightly around her waist, pulling her body flush against his as he closed the gap between them once more, albeit hesitantly, to press his lips to hers.

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Felicity really couldn't help the almost mischievous grin that form on her lips as she watched him move closer all over again. Her head tilted easily with his hand at the back of her neck and she certainly had no issues with pressing against him as the other hand wrapped more tightly around her waist. She was enjoying it all, perhaps a bit too much, but she'd never say so out loud. And as his almost hesitantly bent to kiss her again, she met his lips with her own enthusiasm.

A hand slid up his chest, gripping at the fabric of his shirt to hold herself tight against him as the other wrapped around his neck to toy with the short hairs at the nape of his neck. Any awkwardness, once more, was ignored by Felicity as she simply savored the kiss.

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BEE-utiful Set!

Quin may have not known what he was doing, but judging by her enthusiasm he could tell that at least she was willing. He hopefully didn't suck too badly at it either, since he was kind of working on instinct and in response to her, rather than with any experience.

Her hand at the back of his neck sent a shiver down his spine, which elicited a muffled groan against her lips,  the hair standing on end as his body reacted for him. Clearly he'd been missing out. Quin held her tightly against him, tangling his fingers in her hair as best he could, deepening the kiss for a moment before his conscious caught up with him.

"Lis what are we doing?" Quin leaned back slightly, breathing heavily as he looked down at her. He had just crossed a lot of lines knew he shouldn't and though she seemed equally as into it as he was, he still felt obligated to keep things as proper as he could...

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Felicity grinned into the kiss at his groan. It only added to the excitement, letting her know she was doing something that he enjoyed. It was thrilling. She couldn't really remember the last time she'd felt so exhilarated. Perhaps the night she'd admitted to loving him. But firewhiskey had been a major contribution there. But now, well, it was just pure love. What better explanation could there be?

She whimpered when he ended the deepened kiss. Her cheeks were flushed but there was an evident pout on her lips as he pulled away and asked his question. A brow raised in a confused manner, that same confusion flickering through her eyes as well.

"Kissing," she said simply enough, "Enjoying ourselves. Living in the moment. Being happy." It all made perfect sense to her so why was he questioning it all now? Especially after the letter he had sent to her.

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BEE-utiful Set!

That was dangerous, he realized. She was almost a little too nonchalant about this and he was being such a guy it had taken him a little too long to realize. Percy really was going to kill him.

Her answer was too casual for him to fully believe it. He'd known her for the better part of a decade, she was usually pretty in control. "Is that it? Are you sure there's nothing else?" Not that he wasn't enjoying himself, he most certainly was, perhaps a little too much and she was far too... Agreeable. He had to wonder if this was in response to something.

Quin started to untangle himself from her, hoping to avoid any embarrassing situations. However he reached out gently to brush his thumb along her cheek. "I think I should take you home, I don't think I trust myself enough right now." Not that he planned on crossing any more lines with her tonight, but he could feel the adrenaline rush hot in his veins and he'd always been a bit reckless with that kind of feeling in the past. Though admittedly never like this.

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Felicity was frowning now, her brow furrowed slightly as he continued to question what was happening, questioned her. None of it was making sense in her mind. The letter had been pretty straight forward, after all. Confessing his own love and the like. Kissing and whatever else may have followed only seemed like the natural course of action.

Still frowning and even sighing a bit, she allowed him to untangle himself. She was thoroughly confused now. Maybe even a little disappointed and frustrated. She'd so been enjoying herself, after all. It was almost as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice on the situation and left her longing for more and him pushing for distance.

She nodded mutely though, as she allowed him to begin guiding her from the shop to see her home. As they went, she ended up mumbling something about the letter though she wasn't sure if he heard or even seemed to realize what she'd said.

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BEE-utiful Set!