WHO: Scarlett Rabnott and Derek Dobbs
WHAT: Waking up after their unexpected night
WHEN: Morning of New Year's day!
WHERE: Her flat! Which is somewhere!



It was remarkable how her heart could still be thudding as madly as it had last night. Though to be fair, she had not been having palpitations until she’d blearily opened her eyes and laid her sight on Derek still in her bed. When Scarlett awoke at this ungodly hour of the morning, she’d built herself up into the silent frenzied state she was currently in, curled up in her sheets and gazing thoughtfully at the man sleeping beside her. When it began to feel strange to simply be staring, though it was hard not to, her eyes darted to the walls of her bedroom, to the window where the slightest of light was beginning to shine through, anywhere but him in a vain attempt to calm her nerves.

With all the foreign feelings swirling throughout her, Scarlett was still not finding herself upset with how spontaneously she had behaved last night. That was the strangest part to her; she was perfectly fine with breaking every rule she’d ever set for herself, and her eyes dropped back down to Derek’s sleeping form. Perhaps he had veela blood in him, it would explain how easily he captivated her and why she was more concerned about her performance than the length of time she’d actually been aware of his existence.

She had enjoyed herself thoroughly. Her body began to heat up at the recent memories and she found herself so wrapped up in the thoughts that when he made the slightest of movements her hands clutched the sheets and she shut her eyes tightly, executing a poor feint at pretend sleep in case he was waking up.

Derek flitted in and out of a light sleep, never able to get as comfortable in a bed that wasn't his own. When he felt his eyes blinking open for the last time, he knew it was early, though not the precise hour. He had work later, stuck on the new year's beat, but there was time yet, if he wanted it.

Did he want it?

The mornings after actually sleeping together were always the most awkard. To stay, or leave. If leaving, to wake her, or not wake her? A hundred small, largely awkward decisions to make, but he'd learned quickly not to let himself end up in those situations. But he liked Scarlett, he thought. As happenstance as their kiss had been, as impulsive as the night had turned out, there were just certain people one clicked with in some way or the other. And Scarlett and he, well, they'd certainly clicked. He allowed himself a lazy smile with his eyes closed, imagining they wouldn't be forgetting either's name any time soon. Yeah, he wanted the time—Derek just had to make sure Scarlett wanted it, too. He opened his eyes and rolled to face her, propping his chin up with one hand.

His lips twitched as he studied her, beautifully sleep-mussed, pulse thrumming and chest heaving a little too rapidly for anyone lost to the world of dreams. Settling back into his pillows, with his hands folded behind his head, Derek heaved great big sigh.

"Reckon it would be a terrible time to mention the wife and kids."

Her body seized in a suffocating manner. Scarlett’s eyes shot open, at first startled by his voice breaking their silence and then his words hit her like a bludger to the chest, something she had experienced enough to recall the feeling quite well. She studied him carefully, noticing the relaxed position Derek was lying in and after a few (or more) silent seconds of studying him, of her mind stringing together memories of the night before in search of a wedding band on his hand, any sort of indication that he was a weary father that may be missing his children, Scarlett determined that his comment was simply a terrible joke and most definitely not one that should be told so early in the morning.

She let out a long breath from her nose, like a bull frustrated with the red cape being teased in its face. Once her body relaxed from the fright he’d induced in her, Scarlett’s lips twisted into a smirk. It pleased her that he had broken their silence with a joke, having worried herself into a panic that an incredibly awkward situation was to be had the moment he woke. Her leg stretched out underneath the sheets and found his, a low hum escaping her at the feel of his warm skin. She ran her foot slowly down his calf, but struck her quick revenge accordingly with a pinch of his leg between her toes.

Immediately, Scarlett pulled back, tugging the sheet up to cover her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her satisfied smile. He could not be allowed to think he could give her such a fright and get away with it.

Derek was smothering a chuckle as he felt her stir and stiffen, though the noise escaped with a hiss as Scarlett caught his skin with the added benefit of her toenails. He ruefully rubbed the light sting away with the heel of his other foot.

But he'd enjoyed the sensation of her stroking prior to nipping out a bit of his skin. If he'd been undecided before, that certainly put him in a mood to indulge in some morning amusement. He had a mind to make it difficult for her now, though, as he formulated his next step in revenge.

Stretching and letting out a great big yawn and rolled himself to his side, facing her as he propped himself up with his fist again. Derek eyed her disapprovingly and shook his head a little. "That's the way it is, is it?" His other hand groped slyly behind him for a pillow, grabbing ahold of its soft corner. With a flick of the wrist, he lightly lobbed it quite neatly over her sheet-covered face.

"You have cold feet," he told her rather primly, though the gleam in his eye could be described as being more smug and wicked.

Her gasp of surprise was smothered by the pillow. She was a professional Keeper and he'd slipped right by her! Wasting not a second as she found herself aghast that she'd managed to be hit, Scarlett pushed the pillow back towards him and into his chest, attempting to pin him down to the mattress. She was strong for her size and highly competitive; two descriptors that were always placed beside her name in scouting reports and match summaries. It wasn’t always the best mix of attributes, but Scarlett had the feeling Derek would appreciate it. He’d retaliated, hadn’t he? She never backed down on a challenge was and did not like to lose.

“You’re using my own pillows against me?” she said, leaning her full weight onto him, the pillow becoming a small barrier as a wicked smile curled onto her lips. Scarlett was by no means a sexual deviant, as the man lying in her bed was the first she’d actually been with in that way, but she was by no means innocent and hoped that she had not given much evidence to the fact last night. There was plenty to do without having intercourse, and while that was enough for blokes at first, it was when they began to push further that she’d always turned off the heat, so to say. What had Derek done to her last night to completely bypass all her years of pushing away from taking that step with a man? She had no idea, but she liked it.

“That’s very rude,” she said, pushing down a bit harder, her legs tangling up with his and the sheets.

He might have had a mind to make their fooling around more difficult for her, but their current positions were certainly a strain on his own self-control, as the pillow was becoming a laughable shield between them.

"I have frightful manners," he agreed soberly.

As he enjoyed the hold she had him pinned down in, Derek tested her grip slightly, surprised to find that she was quite strong. He judged where she held him the fastest, figuring the weakest spots that would turn the tide in his favour fastest in their little wrestling match. Laying where he was clearly had its benefits, but that would be capitulation, wouldn't it? He certainly couldn't allow that.

His hands wandered down her sides, stroking (pinching, well, a little) as they went, until he found the back of her knees and grasped them. Surging up and flipping them over, they landed with their heads precariously close to the edge.

Reaching between them and throwing the pillow carelessly to the side, he said "I suppose you'll just have to teach me a lesson."

He was very good at catching her off guard. Scarlett was breathless after the sudden switch of positions, though she was used to the sudden flip because of the spins and loops she performed on a broomstick. No, she found herself breathless because Derek’s face so close to hers once again and the feel of his perfect chest pressed against hers enhanced the dizziness. Her hands went to the back of his head, gripping at his hair for a moment as she ached to kiss him. One hand dragged itself down the side of his neck, over his shoulder and down his arm before pressing hard into the mattress.

She lifted her head, reaching for a kiss, but drawing back with a smile as her other hand dropped back to the mattress as well, “First lesson,” she whispered against his lips, “I always win.”

With the bit of leverage she’d created for herself, Scarlett managed to reverse Derek’s swift flip (with not as much grace, she wouldn’t admit). But her goal had been to land on top of him and she found herself quite comfortably straddling his waist. The position was delectably familiar, and she decided that rough housing was more fun with less clothing. She pulled the rather large Pride shirt over her head and tossed it to the ground. Smirking brilliantly, Scarlett pressed her hand to Derek’s chest, leaning forward again.

“Next lesson can wait,” she said, finding it unbearable to keep from kissing him once more.

He sensed her next move and went lax, allowing himself to go over with ease. Now having to no longer be concerned with bracing his weight, he liked being able to loosen up, and enjoyed the feeling as she climbed atop him. Admittedly enjoyed it more when her shirt went by the wayside. Nearly every activity in the vicinity of a bed (or a rugged floor, sturdy wall, locked door… well, so on and so forth) got increasingly better with decreasing clothing. As he had naught but his pants on, with only the vaguest inkling that his robes might be somewhere on the floor outside her bedroom, it was high time she caught up. Derek was the sort who appreciated being able to play in bed as much as doing the other activity, and often appreciated both at the same time. He could not understand those who founding laughing during a good bounce to be taboo, because a bout of good, healthy sex was usually downright ridiculous.

Though just because he was amusing himself didn't mean he wasn't quickly getting caught up in their little game. Wrapping her hair around one of his hands like a rope, he tugged it slightly so their lips broke apart, exposing the underside of her jaw and the slope of her throat to him. Nipping, kissing, licking a little where it pleased him, he eventually relinquished his grip and made it back to her lips as his hands trailed down her body and began amusing themselves along the way.

"Just as well," said Derek when they parted for air, gripping her waist tightly. He gave her a winning grin. "I'm a piss-poor student."