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Pippa has never been one for marriage. Oh, maybe in her youth, she’d correct, if prodded. She does seem like the type of person who would find all those everlasting promises desirable, she supposes.
And she did, before –
Well, before Hecate went up and threw her life into chaos. There’s no resentment from Pippa anymore, no more late nights desperately running through the last conversation they had in her head, turning over every syllable for a scrap of a clue.
Now, there’s only the burning, frantic way Hecate kisses her every single Friday afternoon, feet not even on the ground as she simultaneously dismounts her broom and wraps her arms around Pippa.
Like she can’t wait to place her lips over hers. Not one second longer, otherwise she’d stop breathing. Pippa had tried telling her once, that Hecate kisses her as if she’s saying goodbye every time, but the words had come out wrong and Hecate had thought she’d offended Pippa.
She just means that Hecate places her mouth gingerly against Pippa’s at first, and then it’s as if she remembers every single time she’s moved further and further away from Pippa, as if she remembers how easily they lost each other the first time, and there’s a blaze of fire that takes over their lips from there.
Or maybe, Pippa thinks as Hecate sends her broom inside Pentangle’s Academy and brushes the tips of her fingers against Pippa’s cheeks with such tenderness it makes her breathless, Hecate kisses her like she thinks this might be the last time she can.
It’s why Pippa had asked Hecate to come to Pentangle’s for the weekend, instead of Pippa flying out to Cackle’s like they had planned.
Pippa hasn’t thought about becoming anybody’s wife in a very long time. But time keeps moving and Hecate has proven to stay and Pippa is desperate to erase the last shred of insecurity that flickers in the dark witch’s eyes every single time she takes a step closer.
Is this alright? She always seems to ask with her eyes, fingers skimming the button of Pippa’s skirt as if it were their first time undressing.
Do you still want me here? She asks with her suitcase in hand, lips twitching and full of hope.
Yes. Please, yes. Pippa responds every single time.
This weekend will change that.
This weekend, Pippa will ask Hecate to become her wife.
“How was your flight?” She asks, and if her voice wavers with excitement, Hecate does not comment.
“Fine,” she responds distractedly, looking at Pippa with one of those long, long yearning looks she used to direct at her when they were young. Unlike back then, Hecate takes her hand and brings it to her lips, giving the back of her hand a slow kiss. “I’ve missed you, Pipsqueak.”
“Oh, Hecate,” Pippa pauses in the middle of the yard and squeezes her hand. “Welcome back,” she says and rises to her toes to give her a full, deep kiss, mindless of the children running around.
“Quite a welcome that was,” Hecate says when they part, cheeks red and a small smile struggling to blossom fully.
Pippa laughs and laughs until Hecate’s smile opens up like a flower at moonlight, and she tugs on her hand to lead her inside the castle.
Wife. Hecate’s wife. Pippa feels drunk with anticipation.
-
It doesn’t occur to her until later that Hecate might say no. Of course, she knows she is loved by her and knows there is nothing but Hecate’s insecurities that could tear them apart, but still, the fear creeps up on her when they’re preparing for bed.
They’ve gone to bed earlier than usual so as to wake up right when the moon is hanging at its highest point in the sky to ‘gather tannis root and watercress for the first full moon, Hiccup!’
It was both sad and entirely endearing how easily it was to convince Hiccup to leave Cackle’s with that invitation. Was there really watercress growing in Redbud Grove?
Absolutely not.
But the stars will be out and Hecate will wear her hair down and won’t bother to change out of her dressing gown in her excitement. And Pippa – Pippa will point out the small secluded clearing she created earlier in the week, will lay Hecate down on a blanket and will make the stars dance above their heads before she asks.
“Pippa?” She turns around and sees Hecate regarding her with a soft smile. She’s leaning against the doorway leading to the bathroom, arms crossed loosely. “Slug eggs for your thoughts?”
Pippa’s nose wrinkles automatically and is rewarded with a low chuckle from Hecate.
“You can keep your slug eggs, Hecate Hardbroom.” She crosses the room to meet her. “But I will trade you a kiss.”
Almost immediately, Hecate’s arms fall to her sides and she sways forward, eager and timid all at the same time.
As always, their kiss starts slow. Pippa lets Hecate’s body fall and adjust against her own, lets the long lines of her thighs and arms press firmly against Pippa’s soft curves.
Until Hecate grows bold and slips a thigh between Pippa’s, maneuvers them so she’s the one pressed against the wall. Breathless and dizzy and mind full of Hecate’s slow fingers running up the inside of her wrist, burning a line across her collarbones, her hair tickling Pippa’s neck, and her heat surrounding Pippa like a warm, warm punishment.
Pippa’s fingers twitches when Hecate slips her tongue inside her mouth and suddenly, she’s on top of a very startled witch resting against her bedspread.
She kisses Hecate’s surprise at being transferred right out of her face and chuckles at how quickly she melts under her. She means to tease and nip away at the other witch’s neck but Hecate’s soft whimpers when Pippa reaches the dip above her collarbones suddenly make Pippa desperate.
Pippa forces herself to slow down but she feels herself stumble from the spot she’s straddling Hecate as Hecate parts her legs open and makes a needy little sound at the back of her throat.
“Hecate,” Pippa whispers, hands landing on either side of the other witch’s head as she catches herself from falling. She doesn’t really want to say anything and Hecate, somehow knowing this, lifts her head to claim Pippa’s lips once more.
Time moves very, very fast after that.
There’s a knee pressed against Pippa’s hip, Hecate’s hips canting forward, there’s hair curling everywhere until finally, Hecate lays blissfully naked under Pippa’s mouth.
She pauses just between her legs and glances up once, needing to see the exact moment Hecate flutters her eyes closed and curls her hands over her sheets. But she looks up from where she’s kneeling at the foot of her bed and sees Hecate’s cheeks tinged a glorious red, flushed all the way down to her neck and a look of pure, unbridled love directed straight to Pippa’s breathless core.
Hecate shifts slightly and her mouth falls open and closed. Her hair spills over her shoulder and covers her right breast but leaves the other exposed and although she can’t quite reach, one of her hands move forward as if to cup Pippa’s cheek.
“Look at you,” Hecate whispers, voice hoarse and eyes opened wide with admiration. “You should look – you should marry me.”
Hecate’s mouth closes. Her chest flushes red and her arms quiver from where she’s supporting herself on her elbows. Pippa feels very, very cold.
“What did you say?”
“I only meant that – I mean, if you wish, in the future,” Hecate’s retreating by the second, legs closing slightly and throat working up and down. Her hands fold over themselves and her eyes are downcast, her spine rigid. “I- I apologize, Pippa, please -.”
“You!” Pippa points a finger at Hecate, then thinks better of it and pokes at her bare hip. “You insufferable, brilliant witch!”
Pippa feels like she might faint with joy, like she could climb out the window naked and fly straight up into the moon.
“You want to marry me?!” She squeaks rather loudly. “You beat me to it! You – you ruined my proposal!”
Hecate’s eyes, previously wide with fear of rejection shut close for a millisecond. When she opens them, they are very, very bright.
“I simply cannot believe it,” Pippa continues, oblivious to the way Hecate frowns and bites her lip nervously. “I’ve been planning it for weeks, you know? I even perfected the spell we used as children, remember? Astrom Collabi, you know the one. I simply refuse to believe you asked me in the middle of sex.”
“Pippa?” Hecate asks, shoulders drawn in and body expertly hidden behind long hair. “What – what had you planned?”
“My marriage proposal! My romantic, under the stars, magical proposal!”
“Oh,” Hecate says. Her cheeks flush again, a delicious color that spreads over her neck and makes her blotchy and indescribably beautiful. “Y-you want me…? And… you? That’s something you would find…agreeable? Marriage?”
Pippa suddenly realizes that Hecate does not have the weeks and weeks of preparation that Pippa had. Realizes that Hecate’s admission had surprised Pippa as much as it had surprised Hecate, and that the other witch is desperately trying to logically piece together their entire exchange.
“Yes,” Pippa breathes, and crawls on all fours until she’s settled on Hecate’s lap, making her desire and joy obvious. Hacate’s hands land timidly on her waist. “Yes, Hiccup. Will you marry me, darling? Say you want me, too.”
Hecate blinks slowly and Pippa fears she may have broken the other witch when a peculiar smile starts growing around the faint lines of Hecate’s mouth. It stretches and stretches and Pippa’s breathless at the sight of what she thinks might be the loveliest smile in the world.
“Yes, Pippa,” Hecate nods sharply. “Yes, I want you, too.” And surges forward to kiss her until her toes curl.
“You should marry me,” Pippa quotes later, when an exhausted Hecate is sleeping and breathing deeply in her arms. “Unbelievable,” she laments incredulously, but does not stop smiling until the sun rises.