Leigh!fic | Kitten (1/1) | Zacharias Smith/Astoria Greengrass
Title: Kitten (1/1)
Author: Leigh, aka leigh_adams
Characters: Zacharias Smith/Astoria Greengrass
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 939
Summary: She wasn't sure if it had been the tequila or the frustration that led to the breaking point. Perhaps a combination of both.
Author's Notes: Happy birthday, elle_blessing! Just a little scene I jotted down for your special day -- is a quasi sequel to Trouble In A Broom Cupboard, but can stand alone. I hope you have the happiest of days, darling! May you have rum, wenching, and lots of knicker flinging this weekend! ♥
It wasn't unusual for Astoria Greengrass to wake up at dawn. It was an annoying habit she'd developed in her mid-twenties, after she'd taken Edward's job offer at the gallery. As if her internal clock just knew there was a workaholic inside of her, longing to burst forth. Now she rarely -- if ever -- slept past eight in the morning.
What was unusual was the absence of familiar surroundings. The sheets under her skin were thin cotton, not the soft, luxurious Egyptian cotton on her bed. The bedroom window was open, and it was easy to hear the sounds of London traffic.
And she was naked. That was unusual.
Sleepy brown eyes blinked and looked over to the body still asleep next to her. Sandy blonde hair, and one arm stretched out toward her. Memories of the night before came rushing back, half-remembered flashes of tequila and kisses in the rain after a long night at the office.
Bloody hell. She'd shagged Zacharias Smith. Again.
It was infuriating. After the incident that had led to her being trapped in a broom cupboard with the prat for over an hour, she'd gone out of her way to avoid him. More maddening was that it seemed he'd gone out of his way to find her. Everywhere she turned, it seemed as if Smith was there.
She wasn't sure if it had been the tequila or the frustration that led to the breaking point. Perhaps a combination of both.
In as smooth and unobtrusive a motion as she could manage, Astoria slipped out of the bed and began to tiptoe around the bedroom in search of her clothes. Her dress in a rumpled pile on the floor, located easily enough. Her shoes had fallen in the corridor, kicked off in haste on the way to bed. Her purse had fallen off the dressing table, scattering the contents everywhere.
She hurriedly shoved lipstick, her wand, breath mints, and tampons back into her handbag. Her bra, she could see, hung over the flitterbloom bush, swaying in the non-existent breeze like a forlorn Christmas ornament.
Lips pursed in displeasure, she crossed the room and snatched it off the plant. The flitterbloom's tentacles ruffled, as if annoyed at her haste. Why Smith even had the poor plant, she had no idea. He didn't strike her as a closeted green thumb.
Now, to find her knickers.
Astoria slipped into the soft wrap dress, knotting it beneath her breasts as she tiptoed around the room in search of her lost scrap of lace. She remembered losing them the night before...
Her face warmed at the memory. It was not healthy to think of that so early in the morning. Remembering him kneeling before her and slowly, teasingly, tugging her knickers down -- with his teeth. Astoria had to bite her lip at the recollection. Was it any wonder it was hard to remember events after that?
And then she saw them. Innocently hanging off the headboard -- right over the sleeping man still in bed. Taunting her. With her height, there was little to no chance of her retrieving them without him noticing.
She momentarily debated the merits of leaving them there. It was just one pair of knickers, really, and she was going home to shower and ready herself for another day at the office. But if she left the knickers, it would only ensure he would do something with them -- like carry them in his pocket to their next meeting.
This was the last time, she told herself firmly. No more shagging bastards like Zacharias Smith. She needed to find a nice, sensible bloke, and not a commitment-phobic Unspeakable with a silver tongue (who certainly knew how to use it).
Bare feet padded softly on the carpet as she crossed to his side of the bed. She went up on her tiptoes, still maintaining a good distance between herself and the sleeping Unspeakable, but her knickers were still out of reach. Her lips pursed, and she moved closer, reaching again.
No success.
Finally, she moved just an inch closer. Maybe two. And nearly shrieked in surprise when she felt a pair of lips press against her chest.
"Mmmmph. Could get used to this sort of thing."
Yanking her knickers off the bedpost, Astoria swatted him in the face with them, earning her nothing but a snicker for her troubles. "Don't. It won't happen again."
Zacharias just smirked and stretched, arching his arms over his head like a cat. The expression on his face, though, was as pleased as the cat that got the cream. "You know, kitten, I think I've heard that before..."
"Don't call me kitten."
"Why not? After all," he glanced down at her bare chest, one lip curling in a satisfied smile, "you did rake your claws down my skin last night."
Astoria glared at him. "You, Zacharias Smith, are a Grade A Prat."
"Yes I am, and my Mum loves me despite that."
"She might be the only one," she grumbled. Stomping away from the bed, she shoved her knickers into her purse and jammed her feet into her pumps, wincing when she stubbed a toe. "Goodbye, Mr. Smith."
He yawned widely and sat up in bed. Astoria, fortunately, was able to maintain some semblance of dignity and did not look at how low the sheet pooled on his bare hips. "Til next time, kitten."
"There will not be a next time," she shot back in a clipped tone. "Good. Day. Sir."
All she heard as she Disapperated was a laugh, and a voice replying, "Looking forward to it, too."
Author: Leigh, aka leigh_adams
Characters: Zacharias Smith/Astoria Greengrass
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 939
Summary: She wasn't sure if it had been the tequila or the frustration that led to the breaking point. Perhaps a combination of both.
Author's Notes: Happy birthday, elle_blessing! Just a little scene I jotted down for your special day -- is a quasi sequel to Trouble In A Broom Cupboard, but can stand alone. I hope you have the happiest of days, darling! May you have rum, wenching, and lots of knicker flinging this weekend! ♥
It wasn't unusual for Astoria Greengrass to wake up at dawn. It was an annoying habit she'd developed in her mid-twenties, after she'd taken Edward's job offer at the gallery. As if her internal clock just knew there was a workaholic inside of her, longing to burst forth. Now she rarely -- if ever -- slept past eight in the morning.
What was unusual was the absence of familiar surroundings. The sheets under her skin were thin cotton, not the soft, luxurious Egyptian cotton on her bed. The bedroom window was open, and it was easy to hear the sounds of London traffic.
And she was naked. That was unusual.
Sleepy brown eyes blinked and looked over to the body still asleep next to her. Sandy blonde hair, and one arm stretched out toward her. Memories of the night before came rushing back, half-remembered flashes of tequila and kisses in the rain after a long night at the office.
Bloody hell. She'd shagged Zacharias Smith. Again.
It was infuriating. After the incident that had led to her being trapped in a broom cupboard with the prat for over an hour, she'd gone out of her way to avoid him. More maddening was that it seemed he'd gone out of his way to find her. Everywhere she turned, it seemed as if Smith was there.
She wasn't sure if it had been the tequila or the frustration that led to the breaking point. Perhaps a combination of both.
In as smooth and unobtrusive a motion as she could manage, Astoria slipped out of the bed and began to tiptoe around the bedroom in search of her clothes. Her dress in a rumpled pile on the floor, located easily enough. Her shoes had fallen in the corridor, kicked off in haste on the way to bed. Her purse had fallen off the dressing table, scattering the contents everywhere.
She hurriedly shoved lipstick, her wand, breath mints, and tampons back into her handbag. Her bra, she could see, hung over the flitterbloom bush, swaying in the non-existent breeze like a forlorn Christmas ornament.
Lips pursed in displeasure, she crossed the room and snatched it off the plant. The flitterbloom's tentacles ruffled, as if annoyed at her haste. Why Smith even had the poor plant, she had no idea. He didn't strike her as a closeted green thumb.
Now, to find her knickers.
Astoria slipped into the soft wrap dress, knotting it beneath her breasts as she tiptoed around the room in search of her lost scrap of lace. She remembered losing them the night before...
Her face warmed at the memory. It was not healthy to think of that so early in the morning. Remembering him kneeling before her and slowly, teasingly, tugging her knickers down -- with his teeth. Astoria had to bite her lip at the recollection. Was it any wonder it was hard to remember events after that?
And then she saw them. Innocently hanging off the headboard -- right over the sleeping man still in bed. Taunting her. With her height, there was little to no chance of her retrieving them without him noticing.
She momentarily debated the merits of leaving them there. It was just one pair of knickers, really, and she was going home to shower and ready herself for another day at the office. But if she left the knickers, it would only ensure he would do something with them -- like carry them in his pocket to their next meeting.
This was the last time, she told herself firmly. No more shagging bastards like Zacharias Smith. She needed to find a nice, sensible bloke, and not a commitment-phobic Unspeakable with a silver tongue (who certainly knew how to use it).
Bare feet padded softly on the carpet as she crossed to his side of the bed. She went up on her tiptoes, still maintaining a good distance between herself and the sleeping Unspeakable, but her knickers were still out of reach. Her lips pursed, and she moved closer, reaching again.
No success.
Finally, she moved just an inch closer. Maybe two. And nearly shrieked in surprise when she felt a pair of lips press against her chest.
"Mmmmph. Could get used to this sort of thing."
Yanking her knickers off the bedpost, Astoria swatted him in the face with them, earning her nothing but a snicker for her troubles. "Don't. It won't happen again."
Zacharias just smirked and stretched, arching his arms over his head like a cat. The expression on his face, though, was as pleased as the cat that got the cream. "You know, kitten, I think I've heard that before..."
"Don't call me kitten."
"Why not? After all," he glanced down at her bare chest, one lip curling in a satisfied smile, "you did rake your claws down my skin last night."
Astoria glared at him. "You, Zacharias Smith, are a Grade A Prat."
"Yes I am, and my Mum loves me despite that."
"She might be the only one," she grumbled. Stomping away from the bed, she shoved her knickers into her purse and jammed her feet into her pumps, wincing when she stubbed a toe. "Goodbye, Mr. Smith."
He yawned widely and sat up in bed. Astoria, fortunately, was able to maintain some semblance of dignity and did not look at how low the sheet pooled on his bare hips. "Til next time, kitten."
"There will not be a next time," she shot back in a clipped tone. "Good. Day. Sir."
All she heard as she Disapperated was a laugh, and a voice replying, "Looking forward to it, too."