Severus and the Frozen North

Love's Expressions

*This is a long chapter, full of some maybe mature content? Because anyone who has read this far deserves it <3 *

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October 2002

He woke up to wandering hands and Kora's warm body plastered against him.

"Good morning" he whispered, turning to kiss her neck, her body stretching up into his touches

"Mmmmm" she mumbled, taking his lips captive, aggressive in her attention

A good start to the day.
——————

October 2002

"I have to tell you something" she whispered breathlessly, breaking apart from him as they kissed in the dark like lust driven teenagers

He calmed his breathing, laughing at their disheveled clothes, both half naked on their couch, gratuitously touching skin and learning curves, sweaty and slick. Nodding for her to continue, he brushed some stray hairs behind her ear.

"I've never...I haven't had sex with anyone other than Akos...And that was almost eight years ago. I'm nervous about our first time..." she admitted, looking down at the ground from her place on his lap

He tilted her chin up, making sure to look in her eyes, wanting to reassure her as much as himself, forging a new path where there was once only briars

"We don't need to rush anything. Although my intentions are the same: to treat you well and with the reverence you deserve, I need you to realize I'm a different man"

She kissed his neck, speaking slowly into his ear, kissing down his jawline, rubbing her nose against his; completely soft in comparison to her sharp Mistress persona. 

"I married so young. Almost a child. A life built on idealistic fantasies of what love was supposed to look like. We grew our relationship on that, and it hadn't weathered any storms. You know how you are different than Akos, and it is much better for me now, at this point?"

He shook his head, kissing her neck hungrily before sitting back to listen as she continued earnestly, hands splayed across his chest, finger tracing his scar

"Akos tried to make me brighter than I was. He was very optimistic and cheery. He never met a person he didn't like. He tried to hide my dark with his light. It was done with the best of intentions. But you, you never try to hide me away.

You like me just as I am. You are proud of me when I demand excellence and you stand with me when I refuse to have less than the best. You don't force me to be sunshine when I want to be rain. And that means more to me than anything else ever could..."

His chest burst with her praise. The very trait that most tried to hide, or tone down with social expectations, he encouraged in her. Not every person sees the world through rose colored glasses and it has taken him a long time to find those people who accepted that.

Kora deserved that acceptance as well.

"Thank you Kora...I need to tell you something too" he kissed her sweetly, ready to give up something incredibly private

"I've never been with anyone. I'm worried that I'll disappoint you" he blurted out, not used to being a novice at anything.

"This is very special to you then" she stated carefully, expression unchanged, kissing his cheek reassuringly

"Anything we do together is special for me. Anything we do is a first for me. I'm just terribly inexperienced..." he divulged vulnerably, tracing her spine the way that she liked with his fingertips