Wildflowers

Mine

Severus held Kat close in his lap, his lips pressing deeply against hers, the warmth of their kiss intensifying as the long-buried desire between them finally began to resurface.

His hands moved instinctively, tugging gently at the hem of her shirt, his fingers brushing her skin with a need that had been simmering for months. The soft, familiar scent of her hair filled his senses, and every touch, every breath, felt like a reclaiming of what they had lost.

He could feel her body responding, her hands tightening in his hair, her chest rising and falling against his as their kiss deepened. There was no hesitation in the way she moved against him, but Severus sensed the shift in her—the slight tremble in her fingers, the way her breath hitched with a mixture of want and uncertainty.

His fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her shirt, skimming the smooth skin of her waist, and she let out a soft, involuntary sigh. He pulled her closer, his need for her growing more urgent, more desperate with every passing second. But just as he began to tug her shirt higher, Kat pulled back slightly, her lips still brushing his but her voice quiet, trembling with hesitation.

"Severus..." she whispered, her breath warm against his lips. She leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes as she tried to steady her racing heart. "I need your word."

Severus paused, his hands still resting at her waist, his dark eyes searching her face for the meaning behind her words. He could see the conflict in her—the desire to be with him, to let go, but also the fear of repeating old mistakes, of reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal.

"I need your word that we won't do this again," she continued, her voice stronger now but filled with emotion. She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze directly. "This shutting down and running away when things get hard. If we do this, Severus, if we go down this road again... we stay together. We work through our problems. No matter what."

Her words hit him like a punch to the chest, the gravity of her request sinking in. He could feel her trembling slightly in his arms, her vulnerability laid bare, and it struck him just how much this moment meant to her.

She wasn't asking for something casual, something fleeting. She was asking for a commitment—an unbreakable promise that no matter what happened, they wouldn't tear each other apart like they had before.

Severus swallowed hard, his heart tightening as he considered her words. He had always prided himself on his control, on keeping his emotions locked away when things became too difficult.

But with Kat, he had lost that control more than once, had let his fear and pain drive him away from her when she needed him the most. And now, she was asking for something he wasn't sure he had ever given anyone before—his word that he would stay, even when it hurt.

He cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing her cheek as he met her gaze with unwavering intensity. "You have my word," he said quietly, his voice steady but filled with the weight of the promise he was making. "I won't run again, beautiful. Not this time."

Her eyes softened at his words, but there was still a flicker of doubt, of uncertainty, lingering beneath the surface. "No more walls," she whispered, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "No more pushing me away when things get hard. If we're going to do this, I need you to let me in. Completely."

Severus nodded, his heart heavy with the truth of what she was asking. He had always built walls around himself—layers of protection that kept everyone at a distance, even her. But those walls had cost him too much, and now, looking into her eyes, he realized he couldn't afford to lose her again.

"No more walls," he promised, his voice rough with emotion. "I'm here, Kat. I'm not going anywhere."

She searched his face for a moment longer, as if testing the sincerity of his words, and then, slowly, she let herself relax against him, her body softening in his arms as the tension began to melt away.