The bedroom. Where he'd taken her before and where nothing had happened then. So why did she want something to happen now? If Dory — who had more experience with women and intimacy than she ever would have — hadn't initiated anything, then it was ridiculous to think that he wanted anything from her. As Mabel turned away, a wave of embarrassment swept over her, and she found she couldn't get out of the living room fast enough. What had she been thinking? She snatched up the spare clothes he'd found for her and clutched them protectively to her chest as she hurried out of the room into the bedroom, shutting the door.

It was a merciful barrier between her and Dory that she leaned against, cold and solid; just the shock against her back that she needed to bring herself back to reality. She begged herself, begged her brain to see reason. "It was nothing. He felt nothing, you're being foolish." Mabel forced herself to harden her voice. She was not a simpering maiden trembling at a man's touch. Her brush with death tonight was no different than the dance she took part in every day at her job. Death came with the job, and it always would, even if it were her life on the line. She would not fear going into the Black Lake again.

Tomorrow. Resolution solidified in her as she made a resolution to go back to the lake at night. There would be no time for trepidation to set in if she confronted it head on.

She swiftly pulled her chemise over her head, ignoring the stiffness in her arms and her legs as she pulled on the clothes Dory had gotten for her. Of course they were much too large for her, and one step in the bottoms had her nearly breaking her neck as she tripped over the legs. Sweet Jesus. Gritting her teeth, Mabel tugged the bottoms off. Wearing the oversized shirt would have to do. It reached to almost below her knees and would cover enough. And after the events of the night, and her determination to get over her embarrassment from being in front of Dory in nothing but a thin chemise, Mabel was ready to throw something in frustration. Pulling her hair over her shoulder, with her chemise in hand, she walked back out to the living room.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Without Maple's proximity Dory was better able to focus on laying out her clothes so that they might dry by morning and retrieving a few different snacks for her. After setting the kettle to boil, Dory quickly gathered the few pieces of fruit he happened to have on hand as well as a bowl of hazelnuts. There were biscuits around somewhere too, now that he was thinking of it. Where had those gone off to?

He was still searching through his cabinets for the biscuits he could've sworn existed when movement could be heard in the hall. Peeking his head out into the hall, Dory began to run through his gathered offerings. "Are you hungr-"

Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of her in nothing but his pajama shirt.

Any thoughts of biscuits or tea fled instantly, leaving only terrible ones about following his body's now raging impulse. Dory's jaw opened slightly, his eyes were now both dark and impossibly wide. Merlin, why hadn't she adjusted the pants? She hadn't mentioned losing her wand in the chaos, so surely it was still nearby enough for her to do so. He scratched at the stubble on his cheeks and willed himself to say something, anything. But, no words came. All Dory could do was stand half leaning out of the doorway gaping at her.

---

  

Good Lord, her hair was a tangled mess. She didn't have any potions to detangle it, and she was sure it looked like a certified bird's nest. Her finger caught a tangle and she winced, reaching up with her other hand to untangle it as she walked out. She had braced herself for hearing Dory's voice, and thank Merlin she only felt slightly warm when she heard his voice. From the pause, she gathered that he'd seen her in what could possibly be the most scandalous outfit she had ever worn in front of a man. Swallowing and willing herself to not be embarrassed anymore — this was precisely the reason she had not been a Gryffindor — Mabel met his eyes as boldly as she could, her hand still entangled in her hair.

But he didn't say anything. Just stood in the kitchen, staring at her with an expression on his face that she had never seen before. He looked.... famished. "Dory?"

Mabel begged her previous resolution about standing her ground to stay with her but she could feel it withering away the longer he stared at her. She shuffled her feet nervously and debated taking refuge behind one of the nearby plants. No, stay. Her resolve told her, and her shoulders tensed. "Is that food?" Her eyes caught the food on the counter and her previous convictions of not feeling embarrassed or nervous suddenly disappeared as she became acutely aware of how empty her stomach was.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Despite there still being a considerable distance between them, Maple still felt too close. That she seemed to have drawn closer still had him gripping the counter to refrain from touching her. The slightest touch from her would crumble his resolve, and then what? She would regret this come morning, likely never speak to him again as well. No, somehow he had to get a hold of his sanity. Losing Maple wasn't an option.

He stepped to the side to allow her more room in his rather small kitchen and slid both bowls towards her. "I can find something more substantial if you need." He replied nervously whilst still facing the counters. Maple would be horrified to see how uncomfortably tight his pants had become.

---

  

Strawberries and hazelnuts - moving forwards, she looked at the bowl of fruit and smiled. Call it true to her nickname but she had a bit of a sweet tooth, and after having almost drowned, it was certainly exactly what she needed. She leaned to pluck strawberry from the bowl and bit into it. "Thank you," She replied, smiling up at him. It was then that she realized he was wearing the most peculiar expression on his face. She swallowed the piece of fruit, its remnants still in her hands and attempted to shift her weight to get a better look at him.

"Dory, are you quite alright?" He looked flushed; uncomfortable. Why had her heart started to thrum erratically in her chest? This was absolutely no time for any such behaviors if Dory wasn't feeling well. "Come here." She commanded sternly, moving forwards and raising the back of her hand to reach up and feel his forehead. If he was burning up, she would find her wand and summon her healer's kit for more of the pepper up potion.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Dory refused to turn fully towards her. Not to watch her bite into the strawberry and the juice drip down. Not to assess her needs and if he did have to find something heavier for her. Nothing short of her screaming in agony would have him reveal the terribly awkward situation they now found themselves in. "You're welcome." Dory replied, still focused entirely upon the countertops.

But, Maple had to be feeling better for she was able to realize something was off about him. More than that, she drew near enough that he could feel her body heat through his pajamas and it was all he could do to not flinch. "I'm fine, Maple." Dory gruffed. Although he allowed her to feel his forehead he still refused to turn even an inch. "I just - I need a minute, is all."

---

The following 1 user Likes Dorian Fisk's post:1 user Likes Dorian Fisk's post
   Mabel Brighton

She was even more taken aback that his voice had gotten even more rough; strained, as if he were costing him dearly to hold something back. She huffed in dismay, reaching out to touch his forearm. "Tell me what's wrong, Dory." she exclaimed, bewildered at how little faith he seemed to have in her healing abilities. He'd always been quite supportive of her career no matter what - hell they had met on the job - and yet he was obviously too insistent upon having her stand by while he worked through it himself.

It was so, completely Dorian Fisk of him that Mabel felt indignation rise in her chest again and before she knew it, she was tugging on his arm with all the force she could. "For God's sake, Dorian Fisk, you tell me what's happening and let me help!" It was all she could do after he'd saved her life tonight.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

For fuck's sake.

Every impulse screamed at him to simply twist and be done with the dramatics. Yes, it would destroy their friendship and betray every ounce of trust she had in him, but at least she wouldn't be yanking on him and making the problem worse in the process. She would be horrified and leave, and he'd be able to take care of himself. Turning should've been the plan.

It should have been. It wasn't.

Instead, Dory made a weak attempt to shrug her off with flaming red cheeks of embarrassment. "Maple, I'm fin-" he began to exclaim, but then she yanked harder and forced him to stumble into her. In a singular instance, every opportunity they had to escape this situation with some degree of subtly and decency vanished. She was a mediwitch, there was little doubt in his mind that she now understood exactly what was happening within his body.

"Please, forgive me, Maple. I never meant - I of course would never have - fuck. I'm sorry." He rambled as he drew back and towards the counters on the other side of the kitchen. Even his now racing heart couldn't compare with the sight of her bare legs, a thought he struggled violently against. "Are you alright?"

---

  

Even as she beseeched him to let her help, she could feel something crackling in the air - it didn't prove to be the fireplace dancing merrily in the floo, but it told her that she was feeling something she hadn't felt before; and about Dory. But something snapped, and Dory stumbled into her as she tugged. It proved to her that there must have been something else afoot, else she wouldn't have been able to sway him so easily. It was when he stumbled that she felt something. Felt something. Her eyes widened, and she took in Dory's appearance as he finally faced her. She blinked, staring at - well, what was she staring at?

Mabel's eyes moved from the front of Dory's trousers to his expression which was thoroughly mortified and apologetic, as if he'd just caused a great grievance to her. She stared in confusion, her eyes moving from - well, she knew what it was. She was a healer for goodness' sake. But all her training - which was sometimes overridden by her muggle father's rambles about the Devil's handiwork - told her that this was hardly the time or place for such a phenomenon to happen.

Her lips parted slightly and she looked up at him, perplexed. "I don't...I don't understand — I mean —!" She understood what was happening to him but.... she couldn't get the words out. "I don't understand..." she finished lamely, her hand coming up to her lips as she bit them in confusion once more.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Dory was absolutely flabbergasted. Maple was a mediwitch who witnessed all sorts of gruesome medical events. How could she possibly not have an understanding of what had happened? How could she seem so confused and perplexed when sex had to have caused some sort of weird injury to occur?!

He took in a deep breath and reached for the nearest towel to cover himself with. Merlin, how the bloody hell was he meant to explain this to her without coming across as a rake and revolting man? "It happens, Maple. I mean, not all the time or anything -" not now that he was a man and not a teenager anyway "- it's what happens when a man is aroused." Dory concluded with a deep flush.

---

  

He was looking at her, his expression changing rapidly from mortified to stunned as he absorbed just how confused she was. "Oh," She felt a prick of her own embarassment at what he must be thinking - what she was currently thinking now. She was a Mediwitch she worked in biology, anatomy, all sorts of catastrophes. She'd known it had happened, had known what happens when a man lay with a woman, but her assumptions were that it always occurred under the circumstances of marriage. It was then she only realized just how stupid she had been for the past twenty-or-so years, and her cheeks flooded with heat.

And yet bubbling somewhere under the embarrassment was something else. Gratification, perhaps? She'd just sworn to herself that Dory hadn't any feelings for her, and yet here he was, trying to conceal proof of that very emotion. Immediately she felt guilty that she had just forced him to do such a thing, to reveal himself in such a vulnerable way. However, it was only mere minutes previously that she had been the vulnerable one, stuck in her corset with little to do but let him do things she had never thought he would do.

Through all these cloudy thoughts, Mabel looked at him, still wanting more clarity. "You are....you're aroused by...me?" There was no denying the wistful feeling slowly spreading throughout her chest as her heart continued to thrum its tune.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Dory could have chalked it up to the day's events, to how pent up and frustrated he was, to how any woman standing near naked before him would likely cause a similar situation. None of the excuses would be true, though, not in any way that mattered. To deny his attraction to her would be to deny the disappointment he felt back in February when nothing had changed with their friendship. Back when he thought something could have happened with them.

"Of course I am." Dory confessed a bit sheepishly. "I mean - you're beautiful. I've always thought that." It was true, too. Even that first meeting when they'd been battling explosives he thought she was rather pretty with her mused curls. Maple was always unapproachable though, as she was so settled in her ways of propriety and respectability.

He rubbed along his jaw again. "Nothing has to change with us. You don't - it'll subside and we can go back to chatting about mystery novels. I don't - men can be aroused without any ... erm ... I'll be fine."

---

  

---

beautiful set by lady

He was attracted to her - aroused by her. And he had always thought of her as beautiful. His response did nothing for the pounding in her chest, nor for the peculiar warm sensation that had begun to pool in her stomach. It was expansive, a feeling she hadn't experienced before. It sent shivers down her spine as she looked at Dory. He was trying to find a way out of this. So perhaps he was only physically attracted to her; it had nothing to do with her as a person. Just her physical features; her body.

She suddenly became aware of the atrocity of her outfit, or lackthereof. His shirt fit her about as well as a giants glove. It hung on her frame, the cuffs of the sleeves extending well past her fingertips. Mabel crossed her arms once more, swallowing the question building up in her throat. She wanted honesty; she knew he would be honest with her. There was no way Dory would use her in such a way that would be rakish. "Are you...are you only attracted to...to me?" She asked in a small voice, her hands coming out of the sleeves to flutter aimlessly at the very torso he'd removed her corset from. "To this?"

She sucked in air, bracing herself for whatever his answer might yield. Her faith in Dory told her he would be honest with her. He'd asked earlier in the night if she trusted him and she had answered immediately. She was trusting him now. And yet she still couldn't find it in herself to meet his eyes.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

The look on her face bordered disappointment too closely for his liking. Maple couldn't truly have so little self esteem that she thought his attraction was only a surface level, could she? How many other women would run straight into danger alongside him? How many of them could hold their own against anyone? Even fewer of those women could reliably admit weakness when it truly mattered. No, Maple was beautiful inside and out.

Dory abandoned the towel and closed the distance between them. His hands cupped her cheeks softly, his expression now clear of all embarrassment and discomfort. "I've always been attracted to you, Mabel. Not your body or the outfit you're wearing. You." Dory sincerely promised. He was still resolved not to take things further tonight, for she might even misconstrue it as an attempt to bed her rather than sincerity.

---

  

The anticipation that had built up in her had released, and she sighed with relief, her lips tugging into a smile, and she leaned into his hands, so warm and protective. Something swelled in Mabel's chest and she let out a small giggle before her hand came up to capture his and she placed a kiss on his knuckles. She had no words for how she was feeling - was only able to press her lips into his hand and hope he caught on.

You.

Dropping his hand, she moved forwards into him, burying her face in his chest. He smelled warm, and comforting, and safe.

---

  

---

loveliness by mj <3

Deep within himself, a small nugget of guilt begun to form. He'd never be able to offer all of himself to Maple the way he could have to Winnie. There were too many years of friendship to build and even more insecurities to share. No one else knew him the way Winnie did, and yet his midwife best friend was already withdrawing from him again. Maple deserved more than someone still so emotionally invested in another lover.

However, Dory had never been the selfless sort. Whenever his feelings were immediately involved, Dory felt greedy and selfish. He craved the connection and intimacy. Maple deserved more, but Dory couldn't let go so easily.

He embraced her, his head coming to rest atop hers. If she was at all bothered by his trouser situation she didn't comment, which he supposed was a small blessing to be had. Dory might've been content to stand there with her all night had the kettle not chosen that instant to begin whistling. With a short laugh, Dory pressed a kiss to the top of her head and broke apart. "Would you like some tea?"

---