Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

Rope me

The room was dark. Flickering light came from the fireplace in the other room, but that was the only relief from the darkness. The alleyway beyond the kitchen window was pitch black and when Lucinda stared at the glass, all she could see was the very outline of her features. Her eyes glistened, wide and attentive, and stared endlessly into the night. She faintly registered the water still flowing over her hand in the sink, but it was like a distant memory; a dream, maybe, that she'd just woken from and was fading away from her as the minutes flew by.

All she could feel was the breath at her cheek; the chest against her back; the tight grip on her wrist...

Her other hand was free—she had it bracing herself on the edge of the sink. Lucinda's heart thumped faster and faster, as she brought her other hand up and placed it on his forearm. She didn't look down. She continued to watch her own face in the reflection of the window. If she hadn't been looking straight ahead, she might have missed it altogether: the black eyes behind her.

Snape had been looking over her shoulder, concentrating on keeping her burned skin under the flow of cold water, but then she'd touched him. It occurred to him that she might be trying to get his attention and he instinctively looked up to see what her face might show in the window. Perhaps she was going to say something; to tell him to let go of her, once more; to warn him of something she'd seen outside in the swirling snow; or maybe just to remark on the fact that he'd definitely crossed the line with her.

As he looked up, their eyes met. Whatever he'd been feeling moments before must have shone on his face, because he felt her breath quicken. Her eyes were wide as he watched her. He didn't realize why she was looking at him in such a way, until he glanced at his own reflection. Then it dawned on him: there was want in his eyes. As unintentional as those feelings were—and as much as he thought they were buried deep inside him, with no chance of showing on the outside—he was horrified to see that he'd let them surface right in front of her. The worst part wasn't even this moment of transparency. It was the hand that was on his arm: It suddenly tightened. Lucinda's breath was so heavy and urgent now that it seemed to steam up the window in front of them. Then her fingers squeezed the skin of his arm, as she pushed herself back against him, once more, only this time she did it much more forcefully, all the while a gasp left her lips. He instantly felt his face flush with warmth and he fought the tremor of pleasure that slipped down his spine like hot molasses.

As if she sensed this heat, Lucinda choked out a word. "H-hot—".

Yes, it was hot. His whole body felt on fire. Snape didn't know what was going to happen next, but he need not think of it anyway, because then Lucinda suddenly became hysterical in his arms, struggling like her life depended on it, just as she let out another gasp.

"Ah—hot! Hot! Severus, the water's hot!"

"Shit!" The man broke from his lustrous trance and wrenched the girl back from the sink, as he only just realized scalding water was now pouring from the faucet, fogging up the window in front of them. The indecency of his actions a few moments prior lay forgotten at their backs, as he hurried to tend to girl's burns...

Minutes later, Lucinda sat in Jasper's chair by the fire, her forehead cupped in her left hand, as she concentrated on anything else but the pain in her right. Snape knelt on the floor in front of her and spread a burn salve over her palm. His movements were measured and gentle this time; thought out and disciplined. His thumbs moved from her wrist, rubbing delicate circles into the red flesh, all the way to the tips of her fingers. Lucinda sucked in sharply as the man kneaded the sensitive skin. Her fingers shook and he felt his guilt all but consume him.

It hadn't been his fault. He'd made sure he'd put the cold tap on. Even upon shutting the water off a few minutes later, the stream was as good as cold again. He hadn't done it. He couldn't have known... but he could have paid closer attention. He could have realized she was trying to push him away for a very logical reason. Instead, he'd been caught up in his silent endeavors of the twisted mind and nearly made the burn worse than it originally was. Conveniently, they were in an apothecary and Jasper had an extensive assortment of burn remedies and salves in his possession. Severus had found the best one quickly and Lucinda silently allowed him to apply it. She hadn't said another word. She didn't look at him. She kept her eyes shut tight and breathed slow, concentrated breaths out of her nose.