Gretchen wanted to see everything he had to offer though naturally, being a proper young lady, she did not have a full grasp of the extent of what the whole of Freddie Prewett might include. For the moment she wanted to see his house, yes, but it was entirely because it was an extension of him - it was him she wanted to see more than anything else and as a result her brain barely took in the décor. (Though later she would recall that it looked like his mother had chosen a number of items – she would not hold this against Freddie.)

“Perhaps later,” she replied, taking a rather bold step closer, though they were already close enough that decency had long since gone out of the window. And now they were here. Alone. (Or she assumed they were for why else would he have brought her here if they were not?)

How was she supposed to say the next part though? That she wanted him to kiss her, that she wanted to put the parlour to use (and that she felt a thrill that she might be the first young lady to be here), without it being abundantly clear that she had thought more about this moment than a proper young lady ought to?

Gretchen, for the first time, pulled him closer for a kiss, this one quite a bit deeper than the last. Her palms cupped his warm cheeks and she thought she could feel him blush – or perhaps it was her? Standing on the tips of her toes to reach him she stepped closer and felt the front of her body brush against his; it sent an electric current through her, made her feel as though she had been asleep for years and was finally coming to life.

How had she come this far in life without ever feeling like this?

---

Bee is tremendous, isn't she?