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Monday 16th February
Mary had been coming to the coffee shop everyday for a month. A month and 3 days, to be precise. Lily never usually noticed customers, keeping her head down and concentrating, so that she wouldn't mess up orders. Mary seemed to change that.
The most she'd said to Lily was 'medium mocha, please' and 'have a nice day', but her velvety voice was enough to make Lily's knees week.
She came in, as usual, on Monday, looking beautiful as ever. Her hair was slicked back in a ponytail with two dark curls escaping, framing her face. She had a brown and cream scarf, with matching earmuffs that had a teddy bear embroidered on each side. Her dark blue jeans covered the tops of her boots, fraying at the edge. She also wore a cream coloured jumper, with layers of small necklaces.
She took off her earmuffs and let them hang around her neck, and then looked up at Lily through her lashes. A smile spread across Mary's face- a wide and perfect smile with mesmorising lips.
"Lily?"
Her eyes snapped up. Mary had been speaking, but she hadn't noticed, too wrapped up in her mind.
"Hi, the usual?" she bit down on a smile, and fiddled with the register, to have a distraction.
"Surprise me," Mary shrugged and winked.
Lily cleared her throat and nodded, tapping her own personal order into the machine and nudging Remus, "Take over the till for a bit. Please."
"Sure," Remus said, eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Lily poured in the coffee grounds and readjusted the machine, flicking it on and letting the coffee fall into the metal cup below. She scanned the shelf for syrups and flavourings, until landing on vanilla, and turning back to the counter.
"Mary," she called over the counter, "You like vanilla?"
"Love it," she grinned, "Just no dairy, please."
Lily nodded, and rolled the sleeves of her cable knit jumper back up, folding it at the elbows (it was one of Remus' - far too big, with an earthy pattern, and perfect comfort). She mixed together the drink carefully, with oat milk, ice and extra foam on top.
She wrote Mary's name on the side in red pen, with a few hearts scattered around it. She slid it across the counter and said, "Vanilla iced latte with extra cold foam for Mary?"
"Thanks, love. I'll let you know how it is," Mary pulled her earmuffs back on and took the drink, leaving money on the counter, with an obscene tip.
Lily turned on her heels, to see Remus glancing at her with a knowing look, "So, Mary?"
"Nope. Don't." she replied shortly, and walked past him, through the door and into the back room.
"Please take the till," she said to Dorcas, who had been unboxing the packages of coffee grounds and syrups.
"You okay?" Dorcas asked warily, putting down the box.
Lily exhaled and looked up, "I'm fine. I just need a break."
"Okay Lils," Dorcas walked forewards and rubbed Lily's shoulder gently, "We can talk later, if you want."
"Yeah. Thank you, Cas," Lily smiled weakly.
She put on her headphones, playing Cocteau Twins at a low volume, and picked up where Dorcas had left, sorting out the shelves. The mindless work, and hum of music, helped to clear her mind. She no longer felt the flush and shaky hands, which were so unfamiliar to her.
She had never been in love, and only really liked two people. First, Dorcas; age 13, the year she found the word 'lesbian', and felt an unfamiliar jolt of understanding in her chestm Perhaps if Dorcas hadn't always been at least a little bit in love with Marlene, they might have gotten together. It was only a fleeting thing though, a few months of pining until Marlene and Dorcas started dating and she realised things were better off this way.
Then, Pandora; age 17, the year Remus and eventually Sirius became closer to Regulus (and Pandora by extension). They dated for a few months, and it ended amicably, but not without tears spilling from Lily's eyes. As usual, Pandora wiped them away gently, and reminded her that she was here, she was always here.
She'd been attracted to people, without the messy feelings, as well. Emmeline Vance was in Lily's classical studies class at University, and Lily would sometimes catch herself staring when she really didn't mean to. Lily thought she always found the beauty in people more than others did. She'd never met an unattractive person, but she also hadn't met a person she found perfect. At least, not until Mary.
Ever since she ordered her first mocha, Lily felt that syrupy feeling in her stomach, and her lungs clattering against her ribs whenever she was around Mary. She felt the need to get this 'crush' (or whatever it was) under control before it became to big for Lily to bear. It was hard sometimes, to know where to put all of her emotions, so she didn't want them to get too much.
Once the last item, a bag of coffee beans, was on the shelf, she went back to Dorcas and Remus. She twisted her necklace around her finger, playing with it mindlessly whilst waiting for the next order. Her breaths had slowed, and her heart was no longer fluttering. Things would be okay.
♡♡♡
Lily had a class at Uni after work, and came back to her flat with her hair in a messy ponytail, mascara smudged, and her brows sewn together in a frown.
"Hi, flower," Pandora greeted her gently, from where she was laying on the couch. She was watching Juno on a low volume, whilst making a sunset coloured friendship bracelet.
"Hiya, Dora," she murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. She jumped over the arm of the couch, and collapsed into Pandora's side, head nestled between her shoulder and neck.
The two of them had always been closer than most. They dated for a few months in secondary school, until Pandora had the realisation that she didn't want this, and probably didn't want to date anyone at all (to offer consolation, she told Lily that if she had to date anyone it would be her, but that just made her laugh).
Lily had gotten over the momentary heartbreak swiftly, settling back into their comfortable friendship, that warmth her heart in the same way it did when they were dating. Perhaps her feelings were never romantic, she thought, and if was merely love of the platonic soul mates genre.
"Someone left a gift for me today. A secret admirer," Lily said, her voice teetering on lovesick.
"Howl by Allen Ginsberg," she nodded wisely, "An interesting choice."
"Okay, how the fuck did you know that?" Lily prodded her ribs, and Pandora curled in on herself and giggled.
"Okay, to be fair, Regulus messaged me," Lily raised her eyebrow at that, "But I want to know more. What else do you know about her?"
Lily sighed, "Dora, I don't even know if they're a 'her'."
"Well, I don't believe a man would give you a book with overt queer and sexual references, but you're right as usual. I shouldn't assume."
"Well, I bloody well hope they're not a man," she huffed, nestling further into Pandora.
"Why? Because you want to date them? They could be 50 years old for all we know," Pandora laughed.
"If they're hot, I don't see the relevance," Lily mused, "And as for dating, I don't know, Dora. I'll see how it pans out."
"Mm," she hummed.
Lily ran her tongue across her teeth, and whispered, "And," she didn't continue until a minute later, "well, there's this girl."
"Mary," Pandora smiled.
"Do I really talk about her enough for you to know her name?"
"I'm just observant," Pandora shrugged, "So, go on. Tell me about her."
"She's cute, and sweet, and funny. She wears monochrome outfits, and has the warmest eyes with beautiful lashes. For a month, she has bought a mocha every day, always when it's my shift, but today? She asks me to surprise her? Like what the fuck? So, I make her my usual order-"
"Vanilla iced latte with extra foam?"
Lily nodded, "Exactly, and she loved it. She was all smiley, and witty, and hot, and-"
"Oh, you really like her," Pandora's eyes lit up.
"Oh, be quiet," Lily huffed, not bothering to deny it because Pandora knew her well enough, "I've got an essay to be doing. I'll see you in a bit."
"Mkay," Pandora sat up, and tapped Lily's wrist, so that she turned it over. She fastened the friendship bracelet on, and admired her work.
"Lesbian flag?" Lily noticed, "Love it."
"Mwah," Pandora blew her a kiss, "I'll see you later. I'm ordering Thai food.
Lily hauled herself off the couch, and left Pandora to watch the film. It was quiet and empty in her room, so she turned her Kate Bush CD on to a high volume, and sat down at her desk with an unusual smile tugging at her lips.
Tuesday 7th February
"What the everloving fuck is this?"
"Looks like a gift," Remus pointed out.
"I'm inclined to agree," Dorcas nodded wistfully.
"I know it's a gift, idiots," Lily huffed. She was holding up a rectangular package, wrapped in newspaper with a small bow and a tag with 'Dear Lily' written on the front, "But who's it from?"
"A secret admirer," Dorcas smiled sweetly.
"It's a bomb," Remus nodded.
"I don't know why I asked either of you," Lily shook her head, finally beginning to unwrap it, "You're the most unhelpful people I've ever met."
"Is that a complement?" Dorcas asked, with a sideways grin.
"Fucking hell," Lily muttered, pulling off the last corner of paper. It fell away to reveal a book, more specifically Orlando by Virginia Woolf. Lily breathed out a laugh, "This is... one of my favourite books. Do you two genuinely not know who this is from?"
They looked at each other, clueless, and shrugged. Lily nodded slowly, taking her time to flick through the book. It had annotations in the margins, in beautiful handwriting. There were little flowers drawn too, on the chapter pages- mainly lilies, but also a few roses and daffodils.
"It'll be from one of the regulars, I bet," Dorcas said, peering over to try and see what was inside the book, "Keep an eye out for anything different."
"Mm, you're probably right," Lily murmured, focused on reading the annotations as she skimmed it. Some were funny enough to make her laugh, and Remus gave her an amused glare. She cleared her throat, and slammed the book shut, almost violently, "Come on, let's open shop."
"But, honestly? I think it's cute," Dorcas continues, reaching to grab the keys, "Someone must really like you."
"They're probably a creep," she huffed, re-writing the specials on the chalk board.
"They're definitely a creep," Remus murmured. He was already making another coffee for himself, and the whir of the machines provided a useful distraction for Lily.
"Ignore Remus- pessimistic as usual," Lily didn't have to turn around to know Dorcas shot him a glare, "You should be wary, but imagine if this turns into a romcom situation. We really should consult Sirius on this. He's the expert."
Remus snorted, "Don't feed his obsession, or he'll make me watch Notting Hill for the seventh time."
"You like it," Lily teased.
"Whatever," she heard him grumble, and she smiled to herself.
Lily could see Mary stood outside through the window, when she turned around. She was watching Lily, eyes set on her unwavering, and she didn't look away when Lily noticed. She simply held her gaze, and beamed.
Dorcas unlocked the door, and greeted Mary, before heading back to the counter. They already took out the flavouring needed for mocha for Mary.
"Let me take the register for now," Lily pleaded quietly to Remus. Naturally, he agreed without protest.
"Hi, what can I get for you today?" Lily asked, but without her usual customer service tone. All of that seemed to dissappear with Mary, like it was just them.
"Surprise me again," Mary's expression glistened with humour, and she placed a handful of coins on the table. She stepped to one side, and Lily chastised herself for not being able to hold a conversation. Although, she reminded herself, she did have a job. And there was another customer.
She told Dorcas what to make Mary in a hushed voice (an iced caramel macchiato with a pump of vanilla syrup), and greeted the next customer, smile plastered on, mind numbed.
She caught Mary's genuine smile when she received the drink, though, which cheered her up immensely. Perhaps today wouldn't be too bad.
♡♡♡
"A secret admirer? Are you fucking kidding me?" Sirius exclaimed when Lily told him, "Remus, why didn't you ask me out with an obscene romantic gesture?"
"I'll get round to it," Remus sat down on the carpet between them, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He leaned into Lily's side for a moment and whispered, "I told you not to tell him. It'll be a matter of hours before we have to watch 'She's all that' with him."
"Cute," Lily snorted, and rolled the dice.
She had originally invited Remus over to study for their shared Gothic Literature class, but it had ended up in a night of red wine and pizza, so they messaged Sirius to join them for an unnecessarily competitive game of Monopoly. Lily asked Pandora too, case she wanted to join, but she was content being alone and painting in her room.
"I passed go! Hand over the money, bitches," Lily grinned, and Remus placed two notes in her hand reluctantly, "I am so going to win this."
"I'll have you know, I have never lost a game of Monopoly," Sirius puffed their chest out, but deflated a second later with a realisation, "Actually, I played with Reg once, and lost, but in my defense, he was practically a child prodigy. So, be prepared to lose."
He moved his piece forwards nine places, landing on the question mark tile. He picked up a card, face dropping immediately.
"What does it say, Sirius?" Remus smirked, not taking his eyes off him. Sirius mumbled something incoherent, and Remus asked, "What was that?"
"It says to go to jail," he repeated quickly, in a string of syllables, and moved his piece to the jail tile, much more violent than necessary.
Remus held in a laugh, "Must I point out the irony?"
"No. You mustn't," Sirius groaned, leaning his head on Remus' shoulder, and tucking into the hollow of his neck, so that his words muffled at the end. Remus seemed to soften, a helpless smile on his face. He moved his own piece, on to one of Lily's properties and he paid her, whilst she smirked.
"I'm going to buy a hotel," Lily declared.
"What?" Sirius sat up, scandalised, "You can't get a hotel yet. You only have three houses at the most, on each property. You need four."
Lily took a hotel from the box, and placed it on the board, "But the hotel would fit my look better."
"And what look might that be?"
"Wealthy, superior, better than you," Lily listed off, "I could go on."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "God, you sound like my parents."
"Sirius!" Remus' eyebrows shot up, and he nudged him in the side.
Sirius collapsed in on himself, giggling incessantly. He grasped at Remus' jumper, who pulled him into his side, lips pressed together to stop himself from laughing as well.
"I think you've had too much wine, babes," Lily shook her head. She grabbed Sirius' wine glass, before it could tip over, and drained the last of it herself.
His laughter faded out eventually, head tipped back and eyes half-closed, "We should do our nails."
"Tomorrow," Remus kissed his cheek, twice and gently, and hauled him up from the floor, "We should get going really. I was clearly going to win anyways."
Lily considered protesting, but he was right, so she brushed it off.
"Mm," Sirius nodded, all solemn and pensive. He looked at Lily as whispered loudly, "We're going to shag."
"Are you really?" Lily laughed.
"No we are not," Remus huffed, "Come on, love, let's leave Lily in peace."
"Ugh," Sirius grumbled, but still followed Remus out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Bye, Lily!"
"Bye, Sirius," she drawled, and caught Remus' eye one last time, giving him an amused look, "And bye, Remus."
He sighed fondly, "Goodbye, Lils."
Wednesday 8th February
Another package was left on the counter, when Lily opened the shop that morning. She opened it quickly but with care, to see a few circular bracelets, in a variety of muted greens, purples, and oranges.
Dorcas, who'd been helping her set up that morning, walked over and inspected the gift, without surprise at all.
"Oh, bangles! They're so cute," Dorcas commented, inspecting the jewellery.
"Bangles," Lily repeated, in awe. She slipped them on to her wrists and smiled, "They're quite beautiful, I must admit."
"Can I have one?" Dorcas asked with shining doe-eyes.
"No way," Lily laughed, "Get your own secret admirer."
"I'll be your secret admirer, Dorcas," Remus offered.
"Not a secret then, is it?" they grumbled, admiring Lily's bangles.
Lily groaned, and took one off (a thick purple one that matched the beads in Dorcas' braids), "You can have one."
"Thank you, thank you," Dorcas' eyes lit up, and she kissed Lily loudly on the cheek, "They have taste."
Lily nodded silently, and slipped them onto her wrist. They were the same colours as the threads in her jumper, and she continued to admire them.
She was still looking at them when Mary came in. She wore low-waisted jeans, a white top that said 'I ♡ girls' in black text, and a blue, velvety jacket. Lily looked between the words on her top, and her face.
Dorcas leaned over to mutter in her ear with a huff of laughter, "She likes girls. Apparently."
Lily nodded blankly, and looked up to greet Mary, "Hi, Mary. What can I get for you?"
"Can I get the same as yesterday? An iced caramel something?" she asked
"Of course, yeah," Lily smiled, and then dared to say, "I love your shirt, by the way."
Mary's expression split into a wide grin, "Thank you!"
"You brave, brave girl," Dorcas snorted, once Mary had stood to the side. Lily flushed pink, and shook her head, focusing on the other customers.
♡♡♡
She had a class after work- two hours of her Professor drawling on in his monotone voice. Whilst she did enjoy learning, this particular class was boring, and she only took it because it was required.
She sat in the same seat as usual, near the back, and was surprised when an unfamiliar face sat besides her. They had a warm tan, short, brown curls, and wore a white sweater vest and brown skirt.
They slid a piece of paper to Lily, and smiled warmly.
Hi, I'm Alice. I love your bracelets :-)
Lily did a double take, and found herself grinning. She added her own note to the page, in blue biro. They continued writing notes back and forth, hidden behind their open laptops, out of the professor's view.
I'm Lily, and thank you. I love your outfit
I think I recognise you. Do you work at the big Tescos opposite here?
Nope. I work at a nearby coffee shop, called Amethyst's. Maybe you've seen me there?
Alice looked up with a wide-eyed grin, full of secrets. They bit their lip in contemplation and scribbled something down quickly.
Oh, yes! I've been there, and friend goes daily. She's called Mary :-)
Lily blinked twice. She stared at Mary's name on the paper and ran her tongue over her top teeth. Alice still smiled at her.
Oh, Mary. Medium mocha, right?
That's her!
Lily shifted in her seat, and stared back at the front, listening to the professor intently. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Alice glancing at her, and the bangles on her wrist, with curiosity.
Thursday 9th January
The next day, a pen in a small, navy box was left for her on the counter.
It was a sleek, silver pen, engraved with her name in cursive, and a lily flower curving up the side. She held it in her hands carefully, running her fingertips along the ridges, like it was a priceless jewel. A smile tugged at her lips, and she fleetingly thought that maybe having a secret admirer wasn't so bad after all.
"It could be poisoned," A voice cut in, monotone and bored.
"Hello, Reg," she snorted, without looking up, "Go ahead, tell me how could my pen be poisoned."
"It's from a stranger. The ink could have something in it."
"Ah, so Remus told you about my newfound secret admirer," Lily looked up finally, and saw James stood beside Regulus, with his head on his shoulder.
He lifted it up and spoke, "Yeah, hi, I'm here too."
"Hi, James. What can I get you?" she raised her brows.
"An americano and an iced matcha," Regulus recited, and added as an afterthought, "Please."
There were no other customers in the line, so Lily gestured for them to stay close by, whilst she made the drinks (Dorcas was off, and whilst there were little to no customers, Remus sat down in the back due to his ongoing, mini flare-up.)
"Speaking of your secret admirer, what are they like?" James asked eagerly.
She breathed out a laugh, "Oh, so you're here for the info on that? Not to just see me?"
"That's true," Regulus nodded.
"What?" James exclaimed.
Two very different answers.
James glared at Regulus, but his expression softened in mere seconds, as usual. He continued, "We love seeing you, Lils. Of course we came for that."
"And?" she looked up expectantly.
"And," James dragged out the word, "What do you know about this secret admirer? How many gifts do you have? Are they a girl? Or-"
"I know almost as little as you, I'm afraid," she blew a piece of hair out of her face, and finished off the first drink, passing it to Regulus, "They've given me four so far: a book, some bangles, a notebook, and a pen. Clearly they know who I am, so Dorcas and Remus think they're a customer."
"You should stay up all night and wait for them," Regulus said, sounding slightly sinister. When he saw how Lily and James were looking at him, he raised an eyebrow, "What? It's what I would do."
"Mm," Lily considered, "You know what? I might do just that tomorrow night. Otherwise this could go on forever."
"You mean until Tuesday," James added in.
Lily stared at him blankly, "Tuesday?"
"Because it's been four days, which mean it started exactly a week before Valentine's. They'll probably ask you out on the 14th, or evening of the 13th," James stated, as if he was obvious.
Regulus looked up at him, with wide eyes that said 'I really want to snog you right now'. Lily was inclined to agree, and so she leaned over the counter, almost spilling the matcha she'd just made, and smacked a kiss to each of his cheeks. She pulled back to see a bewildered smile on his face, as well as faded, red lipstick marks on his cheeks.
"We're leaving," Regulus told her flatly, passing James his matcha, and grabbing his other hand. He looked at him like he hung the moon, and the stars, and everything in-between. Lily rolled her eyes, and said her goodbyes.
Another few customers streamed in, and she made their coffees efficiently, relaxed by the whirring machines. Once they left again, she stared down at the pen, and bangles on her wrist, until she heard the door behind her open.
"Things still quiet?" Remus asked, leaning against the door frame and picking at the sticker on his cane that read 'Are you staring at me because I'm disabled or because I'm sexy?', which Dorcas had bought him for his birthday. It was a miracle they convinced him to keep it.
"Yeah," Lily attempted to hide the pen under her hand, but Remus noticed and narrowed his eyes, "There must be- like, a football game. Or something."
"Pass it here." He was clearly aware of where she got the pen.
"Fine," she grumbled, passing it over.
Remus observed it almost as carefully as Lily had. He turned it over in his hand, reading the engraving slowly. He placed it down, and looked up, "You should leave a note for them."
"What?" Lily startled.
"You should leave a note. Maybe ask some questions. Otherwise this will go nowhere."
"Who said I wanted-"
"Lily," Remus cut her off, "You're right. Maybe they're a loser, or a creep, or both. But don't you want to take a chance to see where this leads? Christ, Lils- they annotated a book for you."
"Since when are you this optimistic," Lily scanned his face, watching a pink tinge flush his cheeks.
"Maybe Sirius is getting to me- in fact, that's exactly my point. You have the possibility of this person, who knows you and cares for you and is a stupid romantic sap. Hear them out,"
Lily gave in, "Fine. Two sentences and that's it, Remus."
"Three," he suggested, but pursed his lips when she shot him a glare.
Lily took the pen between her fingers, testing the waters, and took a small piece of paper from her pad. She wrote in careful cursive: Nice pen. Who are you?
Remus peered over her shoulder and breathed out a laugh, "Really? That's it?"
She paused for a moment, and decidedly tore the paper into shreads. She bit her lip, and murmured, "What do I write?"
"Some questions. Flirt a bit, but nothing too sweet or revealing. Keep it casual" Remus listed, then shrugged.
"Right," she nodded slowly, muttering to herself, "I can be casual. I'm very casual."
Dear mystery person,
Who the fuck are you? And why are you doing this? I think I should remind you that this is real life, not a romcom, and most people just ask for someone's number nowadays. I don't even know your age? Your gender? Your favourite colour? This is absurd, and my type has never really been absurdists. See if you can change that. I dare you.
- Lily
She nudged Remus, and handed him the note, watching his expression flick between emotions. "Well? What do you think?"
"It's certainly... honest," he nodded slowly.
"Good," Lily huffed, "That was the point."
"I know you said you aren't a fan of the real life romcom thing," Remus looked back at the letter, "But this seems very enemies to lovers adjacent."
"Oh, shush," Lily chastised, grabbing the letter back. She tucked it under the table, so that she could easily place it on top of the counter before they closed.
Friday 10th February
When Lily walked in for her morning shift, she felt anticipation bubbling in her stomach. She greeted Remus, who nodded towards another package on the table. She pursed her lips, and opened it.
The notebook was encased in faux leather, with a note in the front. It was slipped into the book, like it was nothing, in neat handwriting. Lily's heart skipped a beat. She read it slowly.
Dear Lily,
Thank you for your note, although I'm afraid I can't answer much of it right now. But, in response to your second question: I've noticed a lot about you.
Call me a creep or a stalker, but I really didn't mean to. It's like, whenever I walk into a room with you in it (i.e. the coffee shop, as you probably presumed), my eyes can't seem to leave you. I've never really had a good memory either, but you changed that too, because I remember a lot about you. These gifts may seem an excessive way to show that, but I had money to spare, and even if I disn't, I think you'd be worth it.
To me, the romcom-ness was a bonus, even if you claim it's the opposite. You should watch 10 Things I Hate About You or something. Lighten up. xx
You are right about me being a total stranger though. And I want to get to know you better, to be able to admire you without fumbling over my words and hiding behind gifts and notes. Maybe you'll want to write me back, and tell me something about yourself? I'll go first: my favourite colour is different everyday (orange today!), I'm a 22 year old woman, I love strawberries and chocolate, and I think you're beautiful. (Now it's your turn? Yes, no, maybe?)
Anyways, I'll be seeing you around. Take very good care. Admiring you always xxx
(P.S. Maybe I'll tell you who I am soon. Just maybe. But, you could guess for now at least?)
(P.P.S I know the phone number thing was in place of these gifts, but it could be as well as. Just maybe? xxx)
Oh, fuck. She was Lily's age, and not a man, and she thought Lily was beautiful. She gripped the counter, light-headed, and bit down on the cracks of her smile.
"Everything okay?" Remus asked slowly.
Lily let out a pained groan, passing him the letter. She watched him read it, his expression flitting from confused to smug to smiling to something subtle and content.
"Is this good?" Lily winced.
"Yes, this is good?" Remus exclaimed, "I mean, if you want this, then it's good."
Lily closed her eyes to think. What did she want? What did it mean to want? She instead asked the main question on her mind, "What about- What about Mary?"
"I know you like her a lot, but you two aren't together, whereas this person cares and seems like they'd treat you well. I'm sure Mary would too, hell, maybe they're the same person, so just go with what feels right for you," Remus offered. His advice was great, as usual.
"They're not the same person," Lily scoffed.
Remus shrugged, and focused on cleaning the coffee machine. Lily did the same, resuming her tasks before opening time, and tried not to think about Mary, or the letter.
♡♡♡
Lily wore a green mini dress, silver eyeshadow, and Pandora's mary-jane shoes to the club that night. Every Friday, their large friend group gathered at the nearby club, to get drunk and dance.
She arrived there in a taxi with Pandora, and immediately downed two shots of vodka when she got inside.
It was loud, and lights flashed in a myriad of changing colours. She stumbled through the crowds of people, until she spotted a group at the left side of the bar, likewise downing shots. Sirius and Remus were tangled together on a stool, Remus' hands carding through Sirius' hair softly, and Dorcas and Marlene seemed to be in some sort of drinking competition.
Lily stole one of their drinks, with a sharp smile, and downed it. She barely winced, feeling the warmth of alcohol, and intoxication, in her stomach. Everyone else was dancing nearby, and she joined them eagerly. Her hands ran through her hair, and brushed against Pandora's hips. She moved her hips to the music, which played blaring and echoey, like a lucid dream. The other four joined them, all of them entwined dreamlike daze of electricity.
A woman with cropped, dyed hair danced around her, and Lily let her hands fall to her hips, dancing in synch. Lily wasn't thinking much, mind clouded by alcohol and music, and she kept going, hips bumping and breaths hitching.
They danced each other for a while, Lily's hands slung around her waist and the woman's on her hips.
She leaned forwards, breath hot against Lily's neck, "Why don't we go back to my place."
The words were a knife to her chest, because Lily knew where this was going but, oh, she couldn't. Her mind repeated the same word ('Mary, Mary, Mary') again and again like a prayer, or a curse, or something special.
"No- no thank you," Lily stuttered out, and the music just sounded like noise, and her hands felt like fists. She tore herself away. The woman called something after her, but she'd already left the crowd. She pushed through to open the door, sighing when she opened it, and the cool air sliced at her skin.
She pressed her back against the wall, not minding how it dug into her with stuck-out stones. A dull pain throbbed at her temples, stuck inside her bones like a stain. She could taste the sting of alcohol, and the blood from her bitten lips, and smell cigarettes and the calm before the storm.
"Are you okay, Lils?" A voice broke through the silence.
James was stood in front of her, his honey-sweet and coffee-brown eyes narrowed through his lop-sided, as he examined her expression. He tugged at the collar of his short-sleeved button up, scratching the ridge of his collarbone and then moving his hand to tussle his hair. He looked familiar, comforting, and Lily rocked towards him.
"Hi," she managed to say, words thick in her mouth.
His expression softened, "Hey, are you okay? We haven't spoken in a while and now you seem- I don't know."
"I'm perfectly fine," she said, words stumbling awkwardly, "Do you- Do you know where Pandora is?"
"I think she's dancing with Dorcas, why?"
Lily stared at the sky above, exhaling shakily, "Nothing."
"You can talk to me, you know? Or, if you want, I can take you home, or we can get food, or I'll leave you alone, or go get Remus," James listed, all wonky smiles and thoughtfulness, "Whatever you want, Lily."
"Could you," she paused and made eye contact, reassured by James nodding, "take me home. If you aren't too busy, or drunk?"
"I am, by chance, neither of those things," James tentatively threaded his arm through Lily's, giving her the chance to pull away (she never did), "Can I grab Regulus first? We can just shove him in the back."
Lily snorted, "Sure, James."
They weaved through the crowd of vivid lights and haphazard dancing, until James spotted Regulus, along with all their other friends. Lily wasn't listening much. She kept her eyes pinned to the floor, whilst James murmured goodbyes to each of them, and slotted his other hand into Regulus'.
James' red toyota was parked around the corner. He helped Lily into the passenger seat, and then opened the door for Regulus to sit in the back, pressing two kisses to his cheek and shutting the door.
When he started the ignition, Lily mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" James asked, sparing her a worried glance.
"I've messed it all up," she said sadly, hiccuping half way through.
"What d'you mean?"
""Everything's so different now. I'm not supposed to leave cluns early, because of some stupid thoughts. You too were enjoying dancing, and I made you take me away. And there's this girl," she laughed pathetically, "I just don't- I don't know what I want. Or at least, I don't remember what it's like to want, which is weird and pretty fucking sad."
"Oh, Lily," James looked back at Regulus, who seemed to be asleep, and then reassured her, "We did want to leave, but even if we didn't it's worth it for you. That's what friends are for. It's okay to not be okay, or not have the energy to
"Okay," she whispered.
"And as for wanting? Just let it happen, Lils, because one day you'll look around and realise you're right where you want to be, with who you want to be, and then you won't have to worry anymore. Let yourself want this."
"I'd snog you if you didn't have a boyfriend. And if I wasn't a lesbian. And if- you know what, I don't want to snog you. That's disgusting. I don't know why I said that," she hiccuped again.
James laughed, "I take that as a complement."
"Of course you do," Lily grumbled, sinking further into the seat.
She gazed out the window, at the blur of lights, and stars in the pitch black sky. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she sat comfortably in the silence, until the car pulled to a stop, and James nudged her shoulder.
"Mm," she yawned, "Where are we?"
"At your flat," James murmured, and got out to open the door for her, "Do you want me to come up with you?"
"I can manage," she slurred, clutching the railing up of the stairs, that led to her flat, "Bye James. Bye Reggie."
She could tell Regulus rolled his eyes, and James grinned, without looking back. When she reached the flat, and unlocked the door clumsily, she found Pandora on the couch again, head tipped back, with the soft lull of jazz music playing on the TV.
"Ooh," Lily grinned, kicking off her shoes and falling into Pandora's side on the couch, "Can I have some?"
She reached for the spliff in Pandora's hand, but was swatted away. Pandora laughed softly, with heavy-lidded eyes and a mandarin-slice smile, "Not for you! You're plastered, and you get anxious when you're both high and drunk."
"Hmph," Lily sulked. She grabbed the remote and paused the music. She flicked through the channels, eventually deciding to rewatch old episodes of Bake-Off on a low volume.
Her eyes became heavy, and closed. She felt a blanket being pulled over herself, and Pandora moving away. Lily gave in to the quiet calm of sleep.
Sunday 12th February
Sunlight sliced through the gap in the curtains, dust-ridden and golden-bright. Lily rolled her shoulders and stretched her limbs out languidly, like a cat, and rubbed her eyes. Her bones cracked and joints popped as she stretched to sit up. When she did, a surge of pain clattered against her skull, rattling around and making her nauseous.
She kicked the sheets off, pooling at the bottom of the bed with the glow of the late-Winter morning. She tore at the neckline of her baggy graphic tee, and scratched the burning skin of her collarbone and neck. She blinked harshly and listened, to the faint music that seeped in from the kitchen, and the hum of traffic, and the gentle, twittering birds.
Pulling her hair into a lopsided bun, she stumbled to the bathroom, immediately splashing ice-cold water on her face. She peeled off her clothes and showered quickly, humming at the comfort of hot water.
A tug in her chest- a heavy, unwanted sort of longing- followed her through the morning, day, and night.
She picked out a mini skirt, and cable knit jumper, with a baker boy cap and deadly sharp eyeliner, which she learned how to do from Marlene. She appraised herself in the mirror, pulling at the skin on her face a bit, and pinching her cheeks until they were a reddish pink.
She saw Pandora immediately, and hugged her briefly from the back, "Whatchu making?"
"Apple cinnamon porridge," Lily breathed in and smelt the warmth of spices, "You seem cheerier than you usually are when hungover."
"Thought I'd try out this new thing," she explained, starting to dish out two bowls of the oats, "It's called optimism."
Pandora raised a brow, "Mm. I'm quite the fan."
"Exactly," Lily grinned, sitting down opposite Pandora, and taking the first bite. It was sweet and warming.
"When's your shift?" Pandora checked.
Lily squinted to check the clock on the wall, "Oh fuck. In like, twenty minutes."
"Excited for your gift?"
Lily's cheeks became hot, and she ducked her head, "Oh, shut up."
"Go on," Pandora ushered her out of the door, "Tell me all about it later."
Lily huffed, pulling her into a quick side-hug, and left for work. The air was cold, slicing against her cheeks like a knife, and she was mindful of the thick ice covering the pavements. I'll Be Your Mirror by the Velvet Underground played through her tangled earphones on repeat, until she reached the shop.
She sighed in relief at the warmth inside. Without even looking at Dorcas, she walked over to the counter, and laid her eyes and hands on the package that was there.
It was a t-shirt.
A very pretty t-shirt- dark green, soft, and sporting the words 'Fiona Apple' and few drawings of swirls, stars and apples. Lily put it on over her tank top in the break room, and went back to the counter to see Dorcas with her cute, down-turned smile.
"I'm going to have to do something about this, aren't I?" Lily stated. It was obvious, a plain fact, because how could she go on not knowing who knew her this perfectly well.
"I think so," Dorcas tsked, eyes flicking to her t-shirt and back up again.
"I could write her back," she considered, "I told you yesterday, right?"
"Mm, yeah," Dorcas tilted their head, "I don't think that's enough, though. You'd go back and forth forever."
"Regulus told me I should.. wait for them. Tonight. Yeah, I'm going to come back from class, and stay until this- this person breaks into the cafe with some stupid gift." The words fell from her mouth before her brain caught up.
"Are you really?" Dorcas gaped.
"Yeah. Fuck it, why not? And James thinks.. she will ask me out on Valentine's?" Lily remembered, "The gifts started on the 7th. So I need to talk to her before then."
"Well there you fucking go," she threw her arms up in triumph, "You wait up for her tonight, and see if you like her. If you do, go on that date, and if you don't then ask Mary out."
Lily's eyes widened, "Mary? Who said anything about Mary?"
"I did," Dorcas shrugged. Lily still looked shocked, and they sighed, "Oh, come off it. She clearly likes you too. You make her grin, and she only comes up to order when she sees you at the register. You should take a chance, Lils."
"I don't know," she pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers and exhaled, "I'm going to concentrate on this secret admirer for now."
"Perfect."
♡♡♡
It was odd after hours. The main light was turned off, so only the fairy lights, which were strung around in a warm glow, lit up the place. The silence was thick and eerie, making Lily's ears ring from time to time.
Her eyes were heavy-lidded and almost closed, but she managed to stay awake, by consuming an inhumane amount of coffee. Whehad been entertaining herself by rereading the book she'd been given, reading the same annotations over and over again.
Until, at 5:49am, she heard something rattle by the door.
She jumped from where she was sat on the counter, and slipped her pen into the book. She breathed in slowly, and walked forwards, watching the lock being picked, until it opened.
Oh.
It was
her.
"Hello, Mary," Lily swallowed a smile. She held Mary's eyes carefully, like something precious, and furrowed her brows.
"Oh," Mary exhaled, her face flickering with every emotion, before she finally settled on what Remus and Dorcas called her 'flirting face', "What might you be doing here at 5am?"
Lily decided to play along, despite the part of her brain that was screaming at her to ask Mary why she was doing all of this, "Waiting for someone. For you."
Her eyes flitted to Mary's lips momentarily. She couldn't help it.
"Me," Mary nodded. She placed the gift in her hand on to the nearest table and crossed her arms, "Well, I was just dropping something off. I should really go."
Lily ran her tongue across her teeth and sighed, blurting out her questions before Mary could leave, "Why? Just tell me why? Is it a joke, a game, something like that?"
"A joke?" Mary murmured. Her eyes were narrowed, and shining with something sad, "You think I left all those things for you as... a joke?"
"What else could it be?" Lily snorted.
"I like you," Mary shrugged as if it was easy. Simple.
Lily scoffed in return, and Mary looked at her in disbelief, "Oh, what's so wrong with that? I only wanted to make you happy, and see you smile, and maybe even ask you out for Valentine's."
"Are you serious?" she almost whispered.
Mary choked out a laugh, "Yes, I'm serious," she held up the small, wrapped gift in her hand, "I haven't gotten up at 5am for nothing. I really, really like you, okay? It's sort of maddening, and unfamiliar, and totally not like me. But I like you. So tell me to piss off, or that you think I'm a creep, because fair enough. But I just wanted to make you smile, Lily. Isn't that enough?"
"I like you," the words stumbled out of Lily's mouth before she could stop them, so she went with it, "Yeah. I like you. A lot. I sort of hoped it was you, when you came in with your stupid smile and stupid eyes, because how could I not?"
"Did you really?" Mary tilted her head, a languid smile stretching across her face.
"Maybe a little."
The two off them had ended up closer together, somehow. The back or Lily's knees were against a table, and Mary stood in front of her, mere inches away. Despite trying to resist, Lily reached out for Mary's hand, interlocking their fingers in the space between them. Mary's smile only got wider, and as did Lily's
"I bet you dreamed about me," Mary said, voice lowered.
Lily almost choked, because Marywasn't too far off. She blinked slowly and leaned forwards, "Like I said- how could I not?"
Mary's eyes diverted to Lily's lips, and oh, it felt like all the air had been punched out of her. Lily carefully reached forwards and let the tips of her fingers brush Mary's waist, until they were wrapped around it.
And then it happened.
It started off as a subtle brush of the lips, once eyelashes fluttered closed and noses brushed together. It was gentle and sweet. Mary's lips were soft and tasted of honey and warm vanilla.
They moved in synch, sinking into one another until they were one and the same. Lily pulled her closer and closer, moving her arms from Mary's waist to her hips, hooking her fingers underneath Mary's waistband drawing circles on her skin with her fingertips.
Mary pulled back slightly, putting barely an inch between the two of them. Their breaths lingered together in the infinitesimal space, and their pulses both stuttered together. Mary laughed quietly against her lips, brushing her nose against Lily's and biting down on her own lip.
And then, their mouths connected again, and Lily melted into the kiss, feeling warmth spread through her. It was perfect, and real, and she'd never felt like this before. Mary's lips were intoxicating, as if a drug was hidden in the cracks of her lips.
Lily deepened the kiss, because she thought she might die if she didn't get to have every last part of Mary. Mary's mouth opened, wanting and sweet, like a love letter. Nothing else really mattered and Lily couldn't think of anything but Mary's lips.
Lily could drown in Mary's touch, passion and intimacy burrowing under her skin and in the cracks of her bones like an addiction. Her lips alone were intoxicating, making her more dizzy and stupid than any amount of alcohol.
Lily couldn't bear to pull away, but she had to anyways. She almost whined, when Mary's lips left hers.
"Hi," Mary whispered, with a small giggle.
"Hiya," Lily laughed, connecting their hands together again, "Do I get my gift yet?"
She nodded towards the table, where the unopened present lay, and Mary beamed, "Yes, love, you do."
The nickname made Lily's cheek's flushed, and she ducked her head, reaching for the present, and unwrapping it as carefully as possible.
"Thank you for all this, by the way. I don't think I told you, yet, how much this means to me. You're a wonderful person, Mary Macdonald," Lily said, whilst unwrapping.
Mary's eyes lit up, "Thank you, Lily Evans."
"This is-" Lily saw the present and let out a laugh, "Mary, whilst I dearly appreciate it, this is almond chocolate."
"Yeah," she smiled, clearly oblivious, "I see you eating almond croissants often, so I thought you'd like it."
"I eat plain croissants, Mary" Lily laughed, "I'm deathly allergic to almonds, I'm afraid."
"Oh." Realisation dawned on Mary's face, and Lily only laughed harder, "Fuck."
Monday 13th February
"Next!" Lily called out. She looked up from the counter to see her.
It'd hadn't been long since they were stood right there, in the middle of the coffee shop, kissing.
Mary was grinning widely, with an eyebrow raised. She had small, pink gems decorating her eyes and cheeks, wearing blue jeans, a henley sweater and dusty pink jacket. Her eyes were bright and wanting, like the sun and stars and all things shining. She leaned forwards to speak, as if it was a secret, "One medium mocha, and an almond croissant, please."
"We're out of almond croissants. Only have the plain ones," Lily lied, an amused smile creeping on to her face.
"I guess that'll have to do," Mary sighed dramatically, winking at Lily, and reaching into her purse to pay.
"Oh, no," Lily shook her head, "It's on the house, love."
Mary pressed her lips together, and suddenly, leaned in closer. Her breath brushed against Lily's neck, and she spoke softly, "Take a quick break. Please, Lils."
Lily flushed. The nickname was new.
"I'll get Dorcas," Remus said from the side, and raised his hands in surrender when Lily glared at him. He pulled Dorcas from the break room, and to the till, where she smiled at Lily, in a way that was almost scary, "They'll take over. Won't you Dorcas?"
"Sure," she wriggled her eyebrows at Lily, and took over at the register, calling for the next customer.
"Perfect," Mary grabbed Lily's hand, and they left to sit beside each other, in the booth, tucked away in the far corner, "Have you had mocha before?"
"I've not actually," Lily realised.
"Try some," Mary offered. She held out the cup, tracing Lily's expression with her eyes.
Lily took it reluctantly, and took a small sip. Her eyebrows knitted, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times in bewilderment, "This is good as fuck. I'm great at my job."
"Mm," Mary agreed and gestured to something sticking out of Lily's tote bag, "What's that?"
"Oh, this," Lily pulled it out, "Thought you'd recognise it?"
Mary did clearly, flashing Lily a knowing smile. It was the notebook she'd gotten a couple of days ago, and started filling in since then.
"Have you written in it yet?"
"Not exactly," Lily flicked through the first few pages, where she had drawn and sketched a variety of things and people.
"Can I see?" Mary pleaded, and Lily handed it over to her hesitantly. She flicked through the pages slowly, taking in every little drawing with wide eyes, "These are incredible, Lily."
"Oh, stop," she took the book from Mary's hands and closed it.
"No, really," Mary laughed, "You're insanely talented."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Thank you."
It was silent for a couple of moments, until Mary asked casually, "So, do you want to go on a date with me?"
Lily choked on air, squeezing Mary's hand a little too tight. Once she calmed down, she asked with a tight voice, "Do I- What?"
"A date? I'd like to take you on a date," Mary repeated slowly, "The whole gifts thing was in the lead up to Valentine's, which I hope you've realised is tomorrow."
She had.
"Mhm," Lily nodded rapidly, eyes wide, "Yes, I'd- yeah, I'd love that. To go on a date. With you. Mary."
"And I'd love to go on a date with you, Lily."
"Where are we going?" she asked after a moment, using her other hand to fiddle with her necklace absent-mindedly.
"That's a surprise."
Lily groaned, "At least tell me what to wear."
"Whatever you want. Make sure you're warm, though."
"So, we'll be outside! Maybe ice-skating? Picnic? Go on, tell me," Lily nudged Mary playfully, feeling her heart stutter when their skin touched.
"No way," Mary smiled, and then, oh, she kissed Lily's cheek. Her lips were warm and soft, leaving the ghost of a kiss on her cheek, probably alongside a lipstick mark, but Lily didn't mind one bit.
"When do you get off tomorrow?" Mary asked, drumming on the table.
"I'm working 1 to 5,"
"I'll pick you up at 6 from your flat. Text me your address," Mary unlaced their hands and Lily almost cried. She wrote her number down on a napkin, and then brought it to her lips, leaving a dark pink kiss beside it, "See you then, ma belle."
Lily's jaw dropped, and she felt warmth coarsing through her veins, "You speak French?" she called after Mary, who turned back to grin at her, but kept walking, "You didn't tell me you spoke French. Mary!"
Once realising Mary had already left, Lily dragged herself back to the counter, and joined Dorcas in making drinks, whilst Remus stayed at the register. He was having a slight flare up, so even if he refused to take the day off, Lily convinced him to stay still at the counter for his shift.
There was no queue at the moment, and Dorcas was leaning against the wall and crocheting a scalf, for Marlene's birthday, to entertain herself. Remus was smiling down at his phone, presumably because Sirius was texting him, and Lily felt as if she could not escape the fact that she was painfully single.
Dorcas looked up, and raised her eyebrow in amusement, "Oh, you are whipped."
"I am not!" Lily protested.
"Everyone knows you are, Lils, so there's no point denying it," Remus shrugged, "Why don't you give her your number already? Or maybe shag her?"
"Better yet- do both," Dorcas piped in, and Remus nodded wistfully.
"I'm going to do neither of those things, thank you very much."
Remus glanced over at her, "You just agreed to go on a date with her."
"Whatever," she grumbled.
"Look, she got you all of them gifts, kissed you, asked you on a date and looks at you like you're heaven on Earth. She'd be crazy not to like you. Genuinely, fucked in the head," Remus reassured her, in his own Remus-y way.
"I agree," Dorcas nodded solemnly.
"Thanks, guys," Lily rolled her eyes.
Once they looked away, she held her breath and crossed her fingers, clinging on to the hope that their date would be everything she dreamed of.
Tuesday 14th February
Seeing Mary at her front door made Lily's heart almost beat out of her chest. She dug her nails into her palms, and didn't take her eyes off of Mary.
"Hello, m'lady," she greeted her.
"What a gracious greeting," Lily laughed under her breath, and caught Mary's warm brown eyes, flecked with precious gold.
Mary had changed her outfit to a deep red dress, with matching hair clips (monochromatic, and beautiful, as always) She held a small paper bag, with love hearts and strawberries hand-drawn all over it in pinks and purples. Under one arm was a rolled-up blanket and she had a tote bag hanging off of the other.
"You look..." Lily trailed off, gaping at Mary in awe. She cleared her throat and continued, "Beautiful. You look really beautiful, Mary."
"As do you," Mary looked her up and down slowly, and Lily flushed under her gaze.
She said softly, "Thank you."
"Oh, and this is for you," Mary said, awkwardly digging through the tote bag and pulling out a singular rose. She offered it to Lily, who took it whilst rolling her eyes, "And this bag," she gestured to the one in her hand, "is for later. You'll see."
Lily slid the rose behind her ear, ignoring how her heart was about to beat out of her chest, and asked, "Do you want me to carry anything?"
"Hm. Just this blanket, love," Mary took the bag off her arm and handed it to Lily. She then reached to hold her hand, rubbing her thumb across Lily's knuckles softly.
"I like 'love' a lot, you know," Lily managed to say, somehow without stuttering.
"Oh, I do know. That's why I say it," Mary shrugged, "Now, come on. I haven't paid for parking."
They walked to the car in comfortable silence, admiring the sky, where the sun was already setting in a haze of orange and pink. Lily took a few long breaths, to ground herself and her nerves.
"Here," Mary moved to the passenger side before Lily could, opening the door graciously for her, "Let me."
"Thank you," Lily rolled her eyes, tucking her smile into the sleeve of her jacket. She looked around Mary's car- it smelt of vanilla, and had stickers around the mirrors, "Do I get to know where we are going yet?"
"Nope," Mary tutted. She then gestured towards the container of CDs between them, "Pick out some music, yeah?"
Lily flicked through the CDs (The Sundays, Sade, Stevie Wonder and so on), until she found one that intrigued her, "What's this?"
"I forgot about that," Mary exclaimed, "Go ahead, put it on."
Lily slotted the CD into the player. She stared at its case in amusement. It was titled 'Valentine's Mix' in a soft pink, with swirling hearts, and more lily flowers, as usual.
"This is so cheesy," Lily snorted, "You know that, right?"
"Oh, yeah. That was like the whole point," Mary said, with a twinkle in her eyes, "But I hope you like it. I heard the songs you play in the coffee shop, and saw the pins on your tote bag, so I hope you like at least some of the songs."
Lily flicked the on button and adjusted the audio, "We'll see."
'Love Songs on the Radio' by Mojave 3 started playing, the guitar filling the car in a low hum. Lily tapped her fingers against her thigh, and let her head fall back on to the headrest.
She looks just like an angel,
When she walks across the room.
"You like it?" Mary asked softy.
She shines tonight,
Her golden light is everything I need.
"It's cheesy."
Lovers all around her,
She wears them like her jewels.
"Yeah, you like it."
My friend said she's all he needs to feel alive,
Love songs on the radio.
"Mm."
The car pulled to a stop outside a large, plain building. The music turned off abruptly, and Mary got out, walked around, and opened Lily's side of the car. She got out, hand falling into Mary's, and let herself be led towards the building.
"Where are we going, Mary?" Lily glanced at her sceptically.
"Do you trust me?"
Lily rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Yeah, sure, I trust you."
Mary beamed, and led her through the back gate. They went through a door, and up a few flights of stairs, until they reached the roof.
A blanket was spread across the stone, with piles of mismatched cushions. There were various bowls of fruit, sandwiches, and chocolates, and bottles of water and wine. The sky above was a painting of colours, with the sun low in the sky, an orange-segment glow.
"Mary," Lily breathed out.
"Do you like it?" she asked, "I didn't know what you liked, so I brought a bunch of stuff. And it might be cold, but I hope that-"
"I love it," Lily turned to face her, and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek, "I really really love it."
"Okay," Mary whispered, leading her to the blanket, "I thought we could watch the sunset and stars if that's okay with you."
"That's very okay with me," Lily said, now half laying down. She grinned up at Mary, watching as she rolled her neck in circles and sat down besides her. Mary's head was on her shoulder, and her hand held Lily's.
Lily reached for the bowl of fruit. It tipped haphazardly, and a small nectarine rolled onto the blanket. Lily picked it up, carefully brushing it off and inspecting its skin, which was painted in an array of sunset pinks and oranges. She brought it to her lips and bit in, savouring the honey-sweet juice.
She looked up, tongue flicking out, to find Mary staring at her lips. Lily leaned in, ignoring the nerves bundled in her stomach, and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She felt Mary's skin crinkle into a smile, with her comma-shaped dimple, against her lips. She trailed kisses down her neck, light and feathery. Mary hummed happily and leant into Lily's touch. When she pulled off, wanting and hopeful, Mary was grinning ear-to-ear.
"Tell me something," Lily said quietly.
"What kind of something?"
"Something about you."
"Well," Mary tilted her head, "I go to fashion school, and make my own clothes. I made this dress a while ago. Most of the stuff I wear was made by me, or friends."
"You're incredible," Lily leaned further into her, "But does this mean you made that 'I heart girls' shirt?"
"Ha! The one you liked so much?" Mary shook with laughter, "Yeah. I made that a few days ago actually. Perhaps I thought it'd make you notice me more, or something."
"Me not noticing you will never be a problem. It is incredibly hard to take my eyes off of you. A real Herculean task."
Mary hummed, "I am very proud that you, the Classics and English Lit student, has made their first mythology reference so far into the date."
"How'd you know my major?" Lily narrowed her eyes, "Maybe you are a stalker."
"Not quite. My friend Alice is in your class. She said she talked to you, and really liked your bangles."
Realisation dawned on Lily, "Oh, so she knew that you gave me them? Oh, that makes so much fucking sense."
"Yeah, she did. And for what it's worth, she seemed to like you. Although, Alice likes most people, so that isn't saying much."
"Did I tell you how grateful I am for those gifts?" Lily asked suddenly.
"You did, but it wouldn't hurt to repeat yourself," Mary teased.
"I am grateful. Very grateful. I've read that copy of Orlando two and a half times already," she said, "Next year, before Valentine's, I will do the same thing for you. You'll see."
"We're gonna make it to next year?" Mary asked, and even though she was staring at the sky, Lily could hear the smile in her voice.
"Yeah," she smiled up at the sky of stars, "We'll make it to next year.