The Art of Taking Chances || Severus Snape x Reader ||

Chapter 18: Reconciliation

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"I just want to know if it was worth all that pain."

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The most dreaded sentence in human history. 'We need to talk' or 'There's something we should talk about" and any variation of those phrases was enough to always make Severus' blood run cold.

He didn't like the anxiety that came with it. The nausea in his stomach and the rush of adrenaline in his veins wasn't exactly a good feeling. You had just shared a more than intimate moment together, and he wasn't keen on ruining the moment.

But if you had something on your mind, then he wanted to hear you out.

"We can talk, but let's get you cleaned up first." He said, looking over at you through blown pupils.

Severus grinned at the sight of you looking so disheveled. Between the tangled hair and the sweaty skin, it would've been a dead giveaway to anyone that the two of you had just had sex. But you looked absolutely perfect to him. He helped you off of his bed, whisking you away to the bathroom to get you into the shower. His bathroom had an enormous bathtub, similar to the ones in the prefect lavatories.

It seemed that all the bathtubs at Hogwarts were huge, and they seemed to be more like small pools than tubs. You had never been much of a bath person, preferring a shower almost always. But you did always wonder how it would be to take a bath in such a big tub.

You supposed you'd find out someday.

It didn't take long for the glass of the shower to fog and for the room to fill with steam. The sound of the running water was inviting, and it seemed to take your mind off of its more pressing matters. 

"I'll just be outside if you need me." Severus spoke rather shyly, moving to step out of the bathroom.

You stopped just as you had placed yourself under the stream, sighing at the feel of the hot water on your muscles.

"You're not going to stay? There's room for both of us." You pointed out, sweeping your hair back with your hands.

Severus glanced at you through the glass, hesitancy riddling his features.

"Well, I just thought that you might possibly want a moment to yourself." Severus announced, shuffling his feet absentmindedly.

You snorted, pushing the door open as an invitation. You had plenty of opportunities to have moments to yourself, and if Severus was around then you'd take those opportunities another time. He grinned as he entered the shower, the water warming his skin that had already begun to cool down again. His hands were on you in a moment's time, stroking over the slickness of the water and memorizing your body with his fingertips. 

Every curve, dip, scar, and mark brought a smile to his face. He believed that body markings (natural or not), told a story. They showed the growth, maturity, creativity, and life in general of a person. Severus wouldn't consider himself much of a story teller, considering that he kept his body hidden away from most of the world and people that he knew. But he made it his personal mission to know your story from cover to cover.

"You're beautiful, you know?" Severus purred once your attention was on him again, "I feel like I don't say it enough."

You giggled lightly, pushing his now wet hair from his face.

"You tell me that everyday." You reminded him.

"And yet it's still not enough." He bantered, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You loved moments like this. You'd be crazy if you didn't. The moments where the two of you had nothing but absolute peace and adoration for one another. You had only been officially together for about a month, but it had felt like eternity. It was a weird feeling, one that you were still trying to figure out.