⫶ tapestry corridor

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ He hadn't expect that pointing out her actions then would cause her to press a finger to them once more. It made his heart jolt, much different to the surprise the first time she had done such a thing. With the placement of her fingertip, it was clear that his dimples, or at least one of them, was by the corners of his mouth...which only made him wonder if each time she seemed to look at his lips it was her being interested in the dimples that would form on his face. "What else is there? So that I can use it to my advantage." Never would he imagine that just being how he was with her would be enough.

He can't help the small smirk that tugged onto his lips. Would they kiss again? Would it be something more intimate the next time? Though, Liandro had to admit, a kiss had never felt so before. His heart never pounded without the force of ual tension, never had it been anything other than excitement for the events that would enfold after. He knew that their kiss was not leading to that nor did he really hope for it to. The Slytherin knew that he wanted more from the prefect, to the point that he wanted to take his time with her. Be as careful as possible.

"Should I ask for that for Christmas?" He teased as she pressed herself against him in lieu of his suggestion of a walk. Now they just had to figure just where to walk to, it was extremely late and they probably shouldn't be roaming the halls but if it meant that he was able to be with Maya for longer then so be it. Might as well break a small rule. "You want to walk to the kitchens? I believe I promised you before that I'd show you them. And then we'll walk back here?" Despite asking for her opinion on the matter, the prefect already started guiding them in that direction, causing Maya's head to bump his shoulder more than it probably should have. It couldn't be helped with her pressed so close, clinging to him like she was. He liked it, strangely. Typically he would have hated this, even with his sister he got annoyed with something like this due to enjoying his personal space while walking. However, with the Hufflepuff prefect, he would walk hours like this with her and not mind.

@－ ❛ s ❜：liandro kang。⁰⁴ His saving grace with her—she begs to differ. Though she'll have him know that his dimples do play an effective factor. As if on cue, her pointer comes to brush over his dimple that lays near the corner of his lips, once more admiring it at a more obtrusive angle. "Yeah, they were just too cute to pass up. But, I'll say that your dimples aren't your only saving grace with me." Surely him, in all of his entirety, is.

Indubitably, the way he had pressed his lips so softly to hers, it had surprised her despite their tension leading up, but her reaction was natural. Their kiss was something brief, gone as soon as it'd come, yet that was enough for her. Enough for her to draw her own conclusion about such feelings that'd course through her veins—she liked him.

She liked Liandro.

His words have her emitting a chuckle, half out of bashfulness, as she takes a glance to their interlaced hands, watching as pads of his thumbs brush over hers rather reassuringly. Maybe he felt the same way, or was it something in the spur of the moment? Unbeknownst to her, the faint yet booming pounds of his heart that merely reverberates upon her backhand say otherwise. "Well, maybe you can hope that there's a next time." She murmurs for him to hear, coyly smiling as he offers her another kiss to the end of her lips. There it is again—her heart overflowing in the flame he ignites and she quite literally has to resist the temptation to chase his lips. Though perhaps they both would've enjoyed that. Her cheek smushes to the curvature of his shoulder, hugging his arm to her chest with their hands clasping tightly. "Yeah, I'd like that."

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ Dimples? He never really paid attention to the features of his face, how it looked when he was happy or even when he was idle. But her statement made him remember something. "Is that why you touched my face that first night we met up? I always wondered what you were doing. Now I know that they're my saving grace with you." The Hufflepuff's face was daringly close to his, her breath causing him to shiver. There was something exciting about the warmth, about them close like this in a dark hall. "Ah, so I'll know I really ed up if you do get angry at me, then."

Although they were on the topic of his sister, Liandro couldn't help but let his mind wander. He extremely enjoyed the way her fingers had laced into his hair, almost as if she were massaging his head. "I s'pose she will be spoiled," he said with a breath that turned into a human of content until Maya ended her affections with a pat. One that made him feel as though he were a dog. In a way, the way he viewed her was much like one. He was happy to be around her, excited, even.

It was unexpected that Maya would reciprocate the kiss, that she would actually meet him for it. That her chest would find its way flush against his, one that had his heart pounding aggressively. Oh, he knew she probably felt his heartbeat against her bosom, but it was a thought for another time. What mattered was how she kissed him, how her lips turned upward against his own, how her teeth bumped gently against his lips in there kiss. He was melting in it, or he would have melted if she hadn't pulled away.

"Ah." Liandro hadn't expected it to be stopped short. Or maybe they were like that for a long while, but he wanted more from her. More, but he was afraid to ask her for so. But the words left his mouth before he could be embarrassed by the thought. "That wasn't much a snog, Maya. Lasted about twenty seconds." His hands met her own, his thumbs caressing them but not moving them from his chest. Did he want her to feel how his heart pounded? How he felt? Would she understand that...this, it was a rarity for him? He leaned in once more only to press a kiss to the corner of her lips before taking a hand in his, fingers laced. "Let's go for a short walk. That will make up for the rest."

@－ ❛ s ❜：liandro kang。⁰⁴ As he brings upon this question to her, the way she elucidates such an answer almost immediately hopefully conveys her sincerity. "Even if you somehow manage to piss me off, Liandro. One look at those cute dimples of yours and I'm already back in your arms." She murmurs, now etching herself rather dangerously close to boop the tip of her nose to his, the breath of her giggle bouncing off of his lips. "Lucky for you, I don't get angry too often or easily even."

She nods, once more taking note of his advice with a sheepish smile. "Of course, I'll pass the message along. She'll be spoiled with our pets, haha." Now, her fingers thread through his head before giving him a subtle pat, almost as if to praise him, for no reason much. It's just.. he's so caring, and not that she didn't think he'd be, but the way he shows his adoration for others, it's quite heartwarming to see. Or perhaps, it's just her holding him on a pedestal in her mind, which he truly deserves.

Liandro Kang, she's convinced he could be the greatest wizard of all time with how fast he was to put her in his trance, completely enticing her with every flicker of his gaze and swiftness of his movements. He cups her cheek and as if on cue, she leans into the touch of his palm, relishing in the softness, before he draws her closer. He's going to kiss her, she realizes, but does that pull her out of the temptation he gives her? No, because on some sort of level, she wants this too—she wants to be selfish this once. So, she tiptoes, pressing her chest to his in an attempt to make up for their distance, and smiles into the kiss he offers her. It's chaste, brief, and innocent—just as they were—and it feels as if something runs ablaze in her heart. Her stomach churns and she nearly finds herself deaf from the ringing in her ears, but she doesn't pay any mind to it, and allows their kiss to linger for another moment, savoring the plushness of his lips before nudging herself back. She remains silent momentarily, her eyes searching for his, until her palms run down his chest slowly, shyness catching up to her. "I—was that alright?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ His heart clenched at her statement and her touch, something that Liandro tried to overlook. It was just Maya being Maya, touchy and sweet as per usual. His reaction was merely one of surprise like usual, right? Surprise that she would shamelessly make such a statement and touch him in such a sweet manner. "Will you say that even if I manage to piss you off?" He asked this with a small smile as if he weren't genuinely curious about her answer, almost as if he was taking it as a joke. The Slytherin interestingly enough wanted, no needed, to know the answer. Interesting, he never really cared for it before, how another person really viewed him.

"If you say so," he murmured in response. God, why was he so indignant when it came to her? Will he end up hoping that she wins too when their own match against one another came along? It'd be strange and stupid if he did, but if that made her smile at him more...Liandro held his breath at the ridiculous thoughts allowing himself to move onto the conversation at hand. "Ah, yes. Like me, Sooyun really likes animals. You should definitely reward her with anything regarding Lolly if you want her to do something. That's how I got her to do school work so far. Tell her that I'll bring Cinnamon Bun out of my room for her." If always worked, though Liandro would often forget and have his sibling end up blowing up his phone while he was studying or napping between classes to see his precious Maine Coon.

"Ah, that would seem like a very good excuse if It weren't so late. And," Liandro paused to look around, feigning that he was looking for another man in which she was describing, "I do not see anyone of the sort. And I don't recall making such an appointment with you." Even if Maya was joking around, Liandro couldn't let this pass. No matter how shy and hesitant he felt about asking for such a thing and no matter the fact that she brushed it off once more, the Slytherin wanted to know what her lips felt like against his. "I don't know Ms. Nim, I was thinking of having you do an essay of mine for me. But...I think I'd rather take the place of that Slytherin you supposedly had a snog session planned with." Closer and closer his face came towards hers as he spoke, his hands raising to cup her soft cheeks, his right thumb rested so gently on her lower tier to part her lips ever so slightly. Finally, his lips met her own. It was the most innocent kiss he could offer her, one that did not offer his tongue nor did he kiss her in an aggressive manner. Rather, he stayed still, waiting for her to either kiss him back or pull away if she wanted.

@－ ❛ s ❜：liandro kang。⁰⁴ "Well, I'm here to prove otherwise," her pointer hooks slightly beneath his chin to garner his attention (as if she didn't already have it), crinkling her nose sheepishly. "Seeing you makes me happy. Always."

He commends her as if it's as essential as breathing, it slipping through his lips so naturally that she wonders if he was usually so sweet, or if maybe it was only to her? It's a far stretch for two friends that have met only a month ago, but perhaps he favored her in the same way she favored him. "Thank you, you're the best. It's alright, we won, right? That's enough for me already." Having known of his dislike towards the Ravenclaw house, she attempts to lull him back to her with her reassurance, the pads of her fingers massaging at his shoulders. No longer would she want him to dwell over the scoreboard—him attending the Quidditch match was all she needed.

"Ah, at first,she definitely said something along the lines of that. I think I persuaded her quite well," she says, almost proudly. "Turns out she has a thing for puppies, so I'm letting her see Lolly sometime soon. I'm glad she seems to like me too." For the very fact that she, herself, indeed likes Liandro—she was hopeful that his younger sister would take a liking in her also. That, and Sooyun was the true embodiment of pure joy, it was a sin to not find her incredibly affable.

She takes note of the slight shift of the corner of his lips, watching as it tips up into something more mischievous, and the way her heart thrums—it definitely isn't in a way that one would see their friend. No, he was as alluring as he was impish, and here she was, completely and utterly falling for it. "I have a good excuse that you'd like to hear, Mister Kang," she raises a brow, her smile nearly matching his. "There's this handsome Slytherin that I'm supposed to meet here to snog, I don't suppose you've seen him yet?" Lightheartedly, she refers to their initial meet—him mastering this lie of theirs and her partaking—but in actuality, was this a hint? She'd been thinking the same as him admittedly; perhaps in this moment she wanted to kiss him. Maybe for someone that always had such sweet things to say, she yearned to see if he tasted sweet too. But, she reminds herself, it's a reach. One that she wasn't necessarily sure if he'd reciprocate, so, she plays it off before embarrassment could settle in. "Kidding, heh. But, just out of curiosity, how would you like me to change your mind?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ After the game her team was surrounded by their house and friends. Of course Liandro wouldn't have approached her, not when there were that many eyes watching them. As comfortable he was with Maya, as much as he loved, yes he had now noticed he more than liked her presence, being around her, he refused to allow someone to think poorly of her in the slightest due to her speaking with him. "I'd never think anyone but my sister would be this excited to see me." The words were meant to be said within his own thoughts, however they tumbled past his lips in a soft breath.

"Not bad at all, you did great. Absolutely amazing, Maya," the smile that seemed to start to form for only her was on his face once more, one that made the dimples in corners of his mouth ever so prominent. If he were being honest with himself, which he wasn't, he had watched Maya not for her gameplay but for the mere fact that he just couldn't take his eyes off of her. Even now, his dark eyes refused to waver from her sweet face. "You did great because /you/ played well. I feel if I was that great of a charm maybe Ravenclaw would've lost with an even larger gap." Oh, he was so spiteful towards that house, but he tried his best to not be too mean, for her sake at least.

"I'm surprised she went to bed so easily. She usually puts up a fight about how she's not tired and is 'almost a teenager'. She's two years off, so she can keep dreaming about that one...I'm glad she seems to like you." Two of his favorite people liking each other, it was something that made Liandro feel giddy. Favorite. He really did think that about Maya, didn't he? His face flushed slightly, and thank God for the dark halls, otherwise the Hufflepuff would have noticed.

"Oh my, you are absolutely right. I had nearly forgotten the time." The sweet smile that he had given turned into something a bit mischievous as he played along. He had nearly forgotten the teasing texts they sent eachother previously. "I can't take points from a prefect for roaming the halls while they're off duty, but maybe I should bring you to one of the professors? That may be a good idea, Ms. Nim. You should know better than to be out of bed." He wanted to kiss her, yes, this would be the best excuse to do so. But suddenly, something that was extremely rare for the Slytherin, he felt shy over even offering it up. To think, a man that was so used to physical interactions much more shameless than this would blush over the thought of a mere kiss. "Let's go to Professor McGonagall, then...unless you somehow change my mind?"

@－ ❛ s ❜：liandro kang。⁰⁴ "Oh right, sorry," she stifles a chuckle that threatens to spill from her lips, the embarrassment of her evident excitement (to see him) crawling up onto her cheeks in a light flush. "I didn't get to catch you after the match so I'm making up for it now." With this, she tightens her embrace around him for a moment longer, finding herself reluctant to release her hold. This isn't the first time he's had his arm around her waist all snug, but in comparison to their initial circumstance, it wasn't an act this time. The affection in it all, it's real.

As he grants some distance between, she, too, loosens her grasp to face him, glad to have shown him a good Quidditch game. "Not too bad, right?" She sheepishly murmurs. "Thank you for being there though. You truly are a goodluck charm." Admittedly, she attempts to not allow her mind drift off to their brief meet in the earlier morning, because quite frankly, it took a whole Quidditch match to shake her from it. The image of him looking as handsome as ever, lips pressing to her pulse—perhaps it could've distracted her. And to see him once more after his kiss, she wonders if he could hear the ringing of her chest.

"Yes, we did. Sooyun came by to congratulate us too, she's super sweet. I sent her to bed not too long ago actually." She nods, the tips of her fingers soothingly threading through his tresses as they remain in each other's intimate reach. As he questions her about her arrival outside her common room, her answer comes naturally: "Because you said you'd be here." This, she says without that hint of shyness usually laced in her tone, and instead opts for a cheeky retaliation. "I wanted to see you. You won't get me in trouble for that, right?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ He had begun to pace as he decided whether or lot to let Maya know that he was there hoping to catch her before she went to bed as well. His long fingers tapped on his chin and lips as he thought hard about it, nearly deciding to leave before he heard someone call out his name. His heart pounded heavily in his chest when the very girl he was hoping to see came into view. "You can't be yelling like that, Maya," he whispered to her as she took him into an embrace. Liandro's own arms circled around her waist, holding her tight against him. He honestly didn't want to let go.

"Yes, I saw every second of you playing." It wasn't a lie. The prefect couldn't take his eyes off the other as she played her game. He cared for nobody else that was playing on her team, only for her. Strange, wasn't it, he never did pay much attention to the other teams unless it was to analyze their game play. But he was too distracted by Maya to even take that into consideration. "Did you guys have a nice celebration? Why are you out of here anyways, I thought Hufflepuff prefects weren't on duty tonight." His grip on her loosened, but only enough for her to lean away from her chest if she so wished. Liandro was being selfish and didn't want to let her go, there was something comforting holding her like this.

@－ ❛ s ❜：liandro kang。⁰⁴ With the late of the night already having approached in the midst of their Hufflepuff celebration, their female prefect is seen bidding goodnight to their younger students, one that she's particularly giving the best of her efforts to. "If I let you sleep with Lolly sometime, you've gotta keep that secret of ours." She says as Sooyun flashes her a giddy smile, their pinkies intertwining in a mutually shared promise before the latter heads up to their respective dorm. A somewhat prideful simper ades across her visage as she then busies herself with cleaning up small litters here and there, partaking in brief conversations with others about the recent Quidditch match that they've luckily won, being sure to congratulate her fellow teammates.

It's when she takes a step into the corridor that her eyes light. Though they've shared a light banter over their messages for the night, to be able to see him in the flesh is what has her beaming at him. "Lian!" she calls out, now tiptoeing to wind her arms around his neck in an eager hug, most of it being from being relieved of their Hufflepuff victory. "Did you see me out there?"

@－ ❛ ʜ ❜：maya yim。⁰⁴ Surprisingly enough, the halls were quiet after the tournament between the Huffleuffs and Ravenclaws, to the point that Liandro felt that walking through them would be almost pointless. He could go to bed if he wanted to as he had gone through each hall that was necessary and had seen no signs of students, both younger and older, out of bed. The only people he ran into were other prefects on duty, ghosts of the castle and Professors that were finally turning in for the night.

But Lian stayed later than intended, with hopes of running into a particular Hufflepuff. Of course, she was possibly too busy having fun at her party than thinking about his wanting to congratulate her. Should he message her? Possibly let her know that he was just in the hallway, not too farfrom her dorm? He thought long and hard about it, his eyes unfocused with the new thought in his head. It was not like the Hufflepuff prefect was expecting him to be near, right?