HIRAETH - P. PEVENSIE (2)

XII. Appetence

Appetence - an eager desire, an instinctive inclination; an attraction or natural bond.

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Their school days flew by and before she knew it, Lilith was moving into a flat with Peter. Helen and Thomas had volunteered to assist them financially while Peter was in school. It was mostly a ploy to get the two out of their family home, and possibly spurring other things into motion. Peter already had plans to propose again, but he hadn't told anyone. It would be a private thing. He wanted for only Lilith to be there, and for it to be when they had a good moment together. But he couldn't seem to find the right time.

"Will you be home for dinner tonight?" Lilith asked as he got ready for school. He often stayed and studied for a while after. He nodded at her question, looking over his shoulder in the mirror and smiling at her.

"I will be. I may even be early, we'll have to see,"

She smiled at the prospect of having him for longer, which only made her look more beautiful. She was still wearing one of his shirts, her hair a tangled mess around her shoulders. There were small marks on her neck and collarbones from the evening before. The sheets were tangled about her waist where she sat, making it look like she was rising from water or some such thing. He would never see something or someone as perfect as Lilith Chapman.

"I'll see you later, love," He came over and kissed her, holding her face between his hands. "Don't read all the books in the house while I'm gone."

"I can't promise anything!" she called as he left, chuckling on his way out. She flopped back down on the bed when she heard the door shut, feeling a little tired and gloomy. Maybe she'd just sit and stare at the ceiling for a few hours.

That idea was quickly given up when she got bored. She instead got up and grabbed her undergarments, a skirt and a different one of Peter's shirts and headed for a shower. The hot water felt nice on her skin, and given the amount of perspiration she had accumulated from the night before, a shower felt necessary. She took a little longer than needed to just enjoy the feeling of the water running over her body.

Once finished, she put the undergarments on under Peter's other shirt and a blue skirt. She often found that his shirts looked particularly good tucked into her bottoms, and he never minded seeing her in his clothes. She generally wore her dresses when they went out, but around the house and visiting his family she wore their shared clothes.

She decided breakfast was in order, so she went and made toast on the oven. A Tale of Two Cities was still lying on the counter where she left it, so she also read while she ate. She moved to the window when she finished eating, keeping her book in hand and watching the little children play in the late November snow. They made snow angels and threw snowballs, happy in their little bubbles of bliss. As the day went on it warmed up slightly, so Lilith put on a coat and went to read in the park.

"Hello, Lilith!" one of the children called as she sat down. She waved before opening her book and settling comfortably back into Lucie's world. Charles was about to propose to her, and had just pulled Doctor Manette aside to ask his blessing and try to tell him of his parentage. Lilith nearly lost herself until she was smacked in the back of the head with a snowball. "Oh, no! I'm so sorry!"

She put her book down and got up with a smile. "I'm going to get you!" she said as she made a ball of her own and tossed it at the child. The rest of them shrieked gleefully and began to run around like hamsters in a wheel, hiding behind trees and bushes in an attempt to escape her wrath. She chased after each of them with snow in her hands, pelting them just at the right time. That's not to say they didn't get her back. By the time they were called to go in, she was as soaked as them. They all said goodbye happily before going inside to their families. Lilith saw Peter walking to the flat and decided to surprise him.