lilies *James Potter*

Chapter 23

Liliena did not know how to react. She could taste the sweetness of the sugary desserts provided on his lips. The faint taste of coffee, possibly he have had one before coming over.

And his musky smell just... she wanted to claw at him. But she didn't get a chance to react, not getting much of the chance to even close her eyes which she just realized. Not by being able to reach up and trace his jaw to feel the light stubble that brushed against her own face during the kiss. She really wanted to lace her hand into his hair, tug and pull, and twist her fingers into his mess of untamed dark brown curls.

She doesn't get the chance at all.

James pulled away so quickly that his eyes were still closed, his forehead just nearly touching her own for a passing moment and she could feel his fingers curl just the slightest on her jaw. He was biting his bottom lip and refusing to meet her eyes by looking anywhere but her. But the small touches were nice, still. A small moment for them both to share together... with a crowd of friends and family eyeing them. But it was theirs.

It somewhat stung when he refused to look at her. She didn't even know why, but the fluttery mess between her chest to stomach made her feel shy all of a sudden with a warm face. She wished she didn't have froze, she wished she had the motive to do first and think later. 

But she was thinking. And thinking she was. She hated how her mind was running through a million thoughts all at once before narrowing down to something her aunt had only said the prior weekend. 

Find someone. Fall in love. Be happy.

James had the tiniest smile on his face as he looked at his red and white Converse shoes between the small gap available from his chest to her dress-covered bump. His eyes were as wide as hers as if he was shocked and surprised at himself for doing what he had done. And at the end of it all, Liliana cracks a smile, an awkward one at that where she was biting her bottom lip and she damn well knew her cheeks were warm and red enough to be seen through the light makeup she had on.

But it was a smile nonetheless.

Just to ease the tension, that's all. For herself, mainly.

"Sorry," He mumbles awkwardly with his cheeks flushed, probably as dark as hers. "Just got a bit over-excited there."

"A tad." She lightly jokes with a pinch of her fingers. James looks up to finally meet her eyes. The light hazel eyes swam with bits of green and even a touch of blue. 

It made her realize that his eyes shifted colours. Dark chocolate brown to light and touches of green to blue swirling about. Maybe it also had to do with the lightning on them, she might just have to keep an eye on how his eyes reacted with different emotions and lightning.

"A little girl." He breathes out with a growing smile.

"And two boys. Think they'll be as bad as the Weasley twins? Barty with them along with adding the two boys, we'd all be outnumbered for sure, what were you like when you were a kid?"

James cracks up laughing. He laughed to the point where his head dropped down onto her shoulder and buried into the crook of her neck with his hands falling to her waist. She could feel his thumbs slightly tracing, moving against the curve of her small bump. And he was sort of swaying, bringing her along with him. Timidly she reaches up to put her hands around his neck and feel his soft curls. 

Softly he speaks from the crook of her neck, "We'd have to watch out for Marlene too, I think she's already conspiring against us teaming up with Barty and the twins. Saw her talking to the three of them earlier during the party."