smoke | nate

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

Evelyn glanced down at the parchment in front of her. The ink she had used to write the first and only sentence on the page had dried long ago. Instead, she scrolled slowly and focused intently on the words on her phone. This story was far more interesting than the Arithmancy assignment she was supposed to work on. Well, there was always tomorrow—plus Professor Vector wasn’t as strict as some of her other Professors, such as her Head of House. Plus, as soon as she caught up reading this story, she could get back to her assignment, even if she had spent the majority of the weekend reading and writing in her notebook.

But, as she pushed back a stray strand of light-brown hair out of her face, her light eyes scanned the room. In the dim lighting of the Common Room, her eyes have might have even seemed blue compared to the steely and cold gray they were in the daytime. And her eyes landed on the quiet and familiar frame playing chess in the corner. Ev put her phone back in her pocket and left her schoolwork out and her bag hanging off her chair for the moment. She wandered over to the older boy whose eyes were focused on a solo game of chess. ”Nathaniel.” She spoke his name as she took the seat next to him, a casual and mischievous expression on her face. ”Do you know how to pick a lock?”

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

HE WAS PLAYING ADDY'S LAST GAME STRATEGY when Evy interrupted him. Picking apart each contemporary shift of the board, how it worked from multiple different perspectives as he tried to find a flaw. In reality, he'd already figured out the problem. If a person didn't recognise the strategy within the first three moves, they were almost entirely guaranteed a loss. Which was genius, and he was furious about it. Of course, now that he knew, he'd lock it down. That didn't change the fact that she'd already beaten him with it once before.

Looking up with a frown, Nate made no attempt to hide his annoyance. The sharp twist of his head, the way his fingers instinctively curled in to fists at the interruption. But, it was softened by the way Evy said 'Nathaniel'. Weaponizing his full name the way he was sure she knew he liked. Evy was something of a constant in Nate's carefully maintained bubble. Though not close by any means, they'd had a long standing battle of wills. Where Nate flirted shamelessly, and she steadfastly denied him. Sometimes he enjoyed it, sometimes he forgot why he even bothered.

"Evelyn." He greeted her back, the annoyance leeching from his expression as her arm brushed his with blatant familiarity. The seat shamelessly close to him. "Depends who's asking and listening," He drawled, sitting back in his seat, the game entirely forgotten in favour of interest in her casual inquiry. "Which lock are you looking to pick?" He asked bluntly, rocking back on his chair legs to stare at the slope of her soft face in profile. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

Nate leaned back in his chair. While he clearly wasn’t happy about being interrupted, he didn’t tell her to shove off as he might have most of their housemates. Slytherins were hardly the friendliest bunch, and more often than not, it was guaranteed that if you asked a Slytherin who their favorite people were, they would happily give you a list. For some, that list included fellow Slytherins and a surprising number of Hufflepuffs (the world needed balance, she figured) with Ravenclaws and Gryffindors sprinkled in. Evelyn might not admit it so readily, but she did enjoy Nate’s company—even if only because of the guaranteed distraction.

Plus, it was a bonus he was nice to look at. That ‘bad boy’ demeanor of his was noticed by many. Evelyn noted how he responded with her full name, as she had done with his. She turned in her own chair to face him, her leg barely missed hitting his own as she crossed it over the other and her arm leaned on top of the back of the chair so she could lean her head on her hand. With her head tilted she gave him that playful smile of hers. Growing up with sisters had made her observant and she’d watched girls chase after her late brother as well—not that she was chasing at this very moment. But at least some of her facade was true confidence among the fake.

”I’m asking.” Evy responded simply, glancing around the barely filled common room. ”And it looks like i’m the only one listening.” Really, it was more out of a curiosity that she was asking. There were doors locked at home she wanted to see behind, or even here at the grounds. Though one could say she was just bored. In the back of her mind she could already see her sister, Sarah, nodding in approval. Evy glanced at the now abandoned chess board with her eyes before looking back at him. ”Decided to finally give in and join chess club, have you?” Likely not, but he’d watched him silently battle Slater a few times in front of the fire before. Competition was not uncommon here.

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN HE NOTCIED HER that Evelyn turned to him. Like the sound of her name was an invitation as she turned herself towards him, her knee just shy off brushing his.  A perpetual tease of attention that he couldn't miss. A part of him daring himself to press his leg forward until they touched, just to see the way her face would shift. He didn't. His chair legs coming down with a quiet clack, arms crossing as he lifted his brows at her.

"Oh, you are?" He mocked, his voice lifting as he did. Like she wasn't asking him about something entirely muggle, and typically illegal. "Doors are usually locked for a reason." He drawled, teasing her now. His arms uncrossed as she shifted her attention purposefully and he leaned forward with a humourless snort, his legs moving and parting so that his knee did press against hers as he loomed over the board once more. He rearranged the pieces back in to order, barely even paying attention, it was so familiar a task to him. "I'd rather Avada myself." He sneered, head turning to cast a snaking smirk at her. "But, you know that."

His eyes roved over the soft, attractive plains of her face. Always looking a little too long than was appropriate. It was like a game of cat and mouse, but Nate never really made a point to seek out Evy lately. He was beginning to think that she enjoyed his lingering attention, why else would she come to him and ask him silly little requests she could find the answer to in a book? Finished with the board, he let his eyes catch on the particular styling of her hair, as if he were looking for something. When he found it, he reached for her without permission.

His hands caught deliberately on the lock of hair she'd pinned out of her face. So deft and quick in his movements that, had she not been looking him right in the face, she might not have noticed he'd touched her at all. "The grips," He said, popping one end in to his grinning mouth as he bit it to bend the top in to a hard angle, ruining it entirely. "You'll need 'em."

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

Nate’s chair legs hit the ground rather suddenly, but Evelyn didn’t flinch. He always did that thing with his chair. She’d noted it but never pointed it out. ”True. But sometimes I don’t agree with that reason.” That was true. When she’d been home after her brother died and Sarah began working for the Ministry, she’d finally been able to lock her door properly, but it had been a bit in vain as her strongest charm wasn’t any match for the other adults in her house. Her eyes looked down at his knee for a moment, lingering before looking back up at him—but she left her leg where it was.

Plus, he was focused on the board once more, though likely he very well knew he’d now invaded her personal space. Evelyn wasn’t one much for hugs or the physical contact one saw among teenage girls, though she was known to make exceptions. It was the game, that’s all. ”Hm. Then I’d have to find someone to replace you, wouldn’t I?” She shifted slightly, so she wasn’t leaning on her hand anymore, but her arm was still on the back of the chair. His threat to Avada himself was not a serious one, and the thought of finding someone else that would give her this exact amount of attention and distraction was not a happy thought. Nate was one of a kind in that way—not that she’d give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

He was a year ahead of her, and in her first couple of years, they’d hardly interacted. Evy had been young and naïve and watching her older sisters’ and their actions. And then, one day, Nate started to talk to her in the common room, and now here they were. There was a pause as he finished with his chessboard and his eyes finally looked at her own. But, then suddenly, his hand was near her face—touching her hair, and she had to admit that she held her breath a moment. That was unexpected, but her face would hardly have shown her shock. Nate retrieved the item that had been in her hair, and the locks fell down into her face before she pushed them back behind her ear. ”What else?” She asked, her voice lower than before as she returned her hand to her lap.

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

SHE WAS VERY STILL, WITH EYES THAT SEEMED to follow every micro movement Nate made. He wouldn't pick her pockets, she was too aware of his existence. Like she was waiting for him to do something, or maybe that was just wishful thinking. Or maybe not, her knee neatly against his own, both too stubborn to move it out with the way. Her prim reply tickling him enough to lift one corner of his mouth. "You don't strike me as the criminal-type." His eyes catching on her face before he dropped it over her in a brief, unconvinced perusal. Shifting the heel of his shoe, he pressed his knee a little firmer against her leg.

Nate played with the chess pieces absently, but he still knew the moment she moved in her chair, tuned in to the change like a cautious animal. His head turning just barely, to watch her. A delicate wrist left hanging over the back of her chair, she made it all look very relaxed and purposeful. A family talent, perhaps. "I suppose you would," He commented back slowly, flicking over the King piece and sitting back in his seat suddenly, legs moving and spreading comfortably. 

It didn't take much for Nate to locate the hair grip. Pulled from her sleek hair, it disturbed the polished veneer and forced her to fix a fallen strand as it tickled her cheek. Nate liked it, the slight shift from perfection just slightly dissatisfying. As he manipulated the pliant metal with his mouth, he thought he'd prefer to mess it up with his hands. Eyes catching on every flutter of her lashes as he pulled the grip from his mouth and moved his eyes only to examine it carefully. Back in his mouth briefly, he used his teeth to manoeuvre it into an L shape at one end.

Her attention was had, fully and intensely interested. Nate refrained from smiling triumphantly, his brows pulled low as he watched her lean towards him eagerly. He leaned forward too, his legs shifting and knee pulling away from her briefly as he levered his leg forward and hooked his ankle deliberately under the front leg of her chair. With a jerk, he pulled the whole thing towards him as he leaned forward. "That'll cost you." He whispered teasingly. Finally, his face split in to a thin lipped, curling smirk as he let the grip fall into her lap carelessly. In that moment he was almost close enough to kiss her, sharing breathing room for just a second of deliberation, eyes skating from her own down to her lips, Nate pulled back completely and turned back to his wretched chess board. They were no longer touching. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

It was interesting what began as a random conversation in the dark of the Castle. But she didn’t mind the closeness, one of the few she could stand to be that close to her person aside from Luna and a select few others. She smirked at him. ”I’m not.” She insisted. Really, she was just bored, and she’d found her way over to bother Nate without reason in mind. The lock picking was the first thing that popped into her head. But she didn’t make it known that she was very aware of his knee against her own and the lack of space between them overall. It was what she thought she did best, keep a stoic expression and never make known what was on her mind.

At least now he was paying attention there and not his chess game, though she was ready to interrupt his game if needed. But his sudden invasion to grab her hair grip had caught her off guard, she had to admit. And her eyes moved from his face to where she watched him fiddle with the item in his mouth. But as she leaned forward, he shifted, she felt his knee move, and it wasn’t pushing against her own. Evy gasped slightly as her chair lurched forward, and he was farther into her space than the moment before. It made her heart race a little bit faster, but she wasn’t about to break the stubborn way they circled one another with eyes locked as they teased the other to take the first step.

Not that steps hadn’t been taken before—just not in the openness of their House Common Room in the daylight. But there was a glint in the normal icy steeliness of her eyes, one that he always managed to bring out. Completely distracted by the feeling of his breath on her lips, she hardly noted the hair grip fall into her lap. Even though it had caught her off guard once she’d gotten mostly back to her senses. Mostly. "Name your price, Forrester." But as he pulled away, she looked away to regain that composure once more. Her hand fell into her lap and onto the grip he’d formed with his mouth, and she twirled it curiously between her fingers—not looking at him for the moment.

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

'I'M NOT', SHE HAD SAID, AND NATE SNORTED lightly. His brows lifting and bottom lip folding between his top teeth as he nodded his head slowly. Like he hadn't already known. As if that would have surprised him, but she was honest about her innocence. Nate doubted Evy had ever stepped more than a foot out of line. And yet, her older sister had reeked of misbehaviour. Mina with her snaking questions and her shrewd stare. He thought perhaps Evy was overcompensating a little. He also enjoyed the idea of ruining that veneer for her.

As he pulled her chair towards him without ceremony or warning, Nate felt a jolt of satisfaction at her small huff of surprise. She didn't seem the type that was taken off guard easily. Leaning into her space, where he could smell the perfume at her neck and the clean scent of her shiny hair. She didn't flinch, seeming to steel herself into position. Nate admired it, but he also wanted to push until she did pull away - call her bluff. Instead, he dropped the grip and played the long game.

Taking great care to appear consumed by his solo game of chess, Nate braced his elbow on the table so that he could balance his head there - looking bored and uninterested. He was neither of these things at that moment, his skin prickling with anticipation. He noted, with a slight tensing of his shoulders, when she moved in his peripheral vision. Turning away from him, he realised, and he felt a startle of disappointment that she might simply leave. It wouldn't be out of character for her to leave him hanging like that. Then, she spoke, and the hand Nate had his head braced on flexed as he covered his mouth - a smirk hidden behind it.

The grip was in Evy's hand when he turned to look at her. Twirling rhythmically between deft, pale fingers. "You must really want in to the room, huh?" He teased her, his eyes doing a slow, deliberate perusal from her hands to her face. She was staring at the grip with intense purpose. As if she expected the highest of prices from him, as if it were worth it. He considered a few, but didn't immediately answer her terms.

He stood from the chair without warning, the legs squeaking slightly with the force. Nate reached down and grabbed the hand twisting the L shaped grip. He pulled on it, taking a step backwards from the table and leading her away from it purposefully. He did not elaborate on why, simply insisted on her following as his grip dropped from her wrist to her hands, tangling their fingers confidently. As they passed the back of the sofas, warmed by a roaring fire, Nate let his free hand dip over a lazy head and he seamlessly snatched two more grips from two different student's hair. A quick fingered swipe, only slowing briefly as he did. When they got to the common rooms exit, he rubbed the grips in his shirt in a hurried attempt to clean them before he lifted them and gestured for Evy to take a hold.

Nate pulled Evy out of the common room, leading her down the darkened dungeon corridor with a merry whistle. It was the perfect distraction, he thought, from Claudia and Simon - from everything. He turned his head to catch Evy's eye. "Which room do you want to try first?" He asked her, lifting his brows in challenge. "But, remember, it won't come cheap." His eyes dropped to her lips without realising, tongue in cheek as he turned his head to grin into the dark. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

Evy was genuinely interested in the grip, but for a moment, she was still walking a fine line between letting her face flush at how close he had been. There was something about his soap or perhaps an aftershave. Sometimes Evy would smell it even if he wasn’t around. His face would pop into her mind. Not that she’d ever willingly admit that. His ego certainly didn’t need the boost from her. Evy shrugged nonchalantly. ”Something like that.” She wasn’t going to give away that she didn’t have a door in mind, though it was something useful to know, she figured.

There was a pause, and Evy was glad because now she knew that she wasn’t going to randomly blush or something silly like that. It wasn’t her style. She felt out of control when her body gave away what she was really thinking. Maybe one day she’d admit that she did enjoy his company, Luna might tease her about her extracurricular activities, but truthfully, those middle-of-the-night chats were….well, nice. Her eyes looked up suddenly when she heard the chair squeak on the floor, and Nate was suddenly in her space again. Was this his response to her answer? She was curious and followed his lead as his hand enclosed around her wrist, though soon his fingers slipped into her own.

They exited quickly, and had not they been attached by their hands, she might not have been able to keep up. She watched, eyes wide with curiosity as Nate swiped more grips from the unsuspecting Slytherin girls as if they would have only felt the breeze from him passing by. And she grabbed them with her free hand as he held them out. She was holding the two unmodified grips along with the one from earlier. They were still in the dungeons, but a not so crowded part. That part wasn’t a surprise. Of course, Nate knew all the corridors and corners where one could hide. If the rumor mill was correct, it was how he’d stumbled upon Simon and Claudia—but Evy knew better than to bring that up now.

They stopped, but he didn’t take possession of his hand back. Right now, it was hers, and instinctively Evy’s fingers tightened slightly as they brushed against his knuckles. They weren’t smooth as she remembered, and she shifted to stand close to him, far too close on purpose but letting go and looking at his hand at the same time. The faint trail of healing bruises only gave her insight into what she probably already knew. ”Well, Nathaniel.” She paused and glanced at the doors as if she was genuinely contemplating the decision. ”What will…door number one cost me?” Her eyebrow raised, that glint still in her eye even in the dim lighting as she challenged him again.

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

IT WAS A WORTHWHILE DISTRACTION. Though Nate's mind did not stray far from Simon and Claudia lately, he took great opportunity to busy his hands and his fury with chess, studying and now Evy. It did not always work, but picking locks seemed a far better adventure than scuffing his knuckles on some snarky seventh year, or hexing the first ragged set of robes he laid his eyes upon. Plus, it meant he got to sidle up to Evy, to loop her hand in his and lead her from the common room like they were 'up to something'.

Out in the corridor, there was a moment where Evy's hand adjusted in his own and the pad of her small fingers brushed along the scabs at his knuckles. He flinched, his grip tightening and then loosening all at once. His attention drawn to their clasped hands, up to where she was lifting her own head to catch his eyes. Neither of them said anything, but there was an obvious query in her eyes. He turned away and eventually Evy did speak, though it was not the question he dreaded, much to his relief.

"Evelyn..." He echoed, her full name rich as it rolled off his tongue. Nate liked when she called him by his full name. It was far more expensive than its tricky, shortened counterpart. He felt richer for it. "It doesn't really matter," He commented, casting her a long look from the corner of his eye before he pulled them to the door most shrouded in shadow. "All that matters," He added, smirking at her as he examined the lock to see if it was liable to picking. His thumb pressed into the slotted indent. "Is that we don't get caught."

With a jerk of their clasped hands, Nate pulled Evy flush in to his side. Her short frame barely brushing his shoulders as he'd grown quite a bit over the last summer. He enjoyed the height difference as he looked down at her, that price hanging over the both of them. She didn't look terribly worried about it, and neither did Nate. His tongue dashing out over his bottom lip as he quietly considered. "I haven't decided on a price yet." He muttered, voice rough where he spoke low at the back of his throat. Though they stood close enough that just a slight turning of his head and a tilt of Evy's pointed chin and they might kiss.

Reaching over with his free hand, he pulled the grips from Evy's hand. They were warm where they'd sat neatly between her clenched fist. Stepping away from her, Nate lowered himself to his knees and pulled her down with him before he let go. "Get down on your knees, it's better to be level." Nate adopted a flat tone of voice, like he was instructing her on the basics of mounting a broom, though his words were far more suggestive. He carefully put a fresh grip into his mouth and pulled it out of its bend until it was one long, crimped stalk.

Letting go of her hand, he inserted the stalk as a base and used the L shaped grip from Evy's hair as the pick. Silently, without even looking where Evy was braced beside him, Nate's face pinched with concentration and he very carefully picked the lock in front of him. "Sh..." He hushed her just as the final click could be heard and Nate turned the lock free. He huffed a breathy laugh of triumph and smirked at Evy as he turned his head to catch her eye. "Simple as that," He drawled, his hand going to the doorknob as he turned it free and the door squeaked open just an inch. Nate allowed it to open just a few dark centimetres to prove a point before he snapped it shut once more and the lock was engaged once more. "You're turn." He dared her with a deliberate lift of his brows. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

Evelyn glanced to her side at Nate, who had decided to echo her tactic of using full names. Not many people called her by her full name, occasionally Luna did when she was trying to make a point, or her sisters did on occasion. Otherwise, it was Ev or Evy. But, she found she liked how her name sounded when he said it. When Nate pulled her closer to him, and she fit neatly at his side. He was much taller than her but not so tall that she was uncomfortable. And she gave him a dubious look at his insistence that a price had yet to be decided. That surprised her, the options were endless, and he’d made it perfectly plain in the past what he’d wanted from her, and she’d simply taunted him with it. Incidentally, those times had lined up with times where she could pull away, insisting she would be late to Charms.

”Really now?” The playful doubt caused her gaze to linger, but then she looked at the lock he was inspecting. This didn’t seem to be a part of the dungeons that had a lot of foot traffic, thankfully. They were playing that game again—the equivalent of a staring contest and them willing the other to blink first. But, Evy was determined to win. She wasn’t competitive by nature, but she supposed her version of winning continued to elicit a response from Nate when she pleased. Nate issued his next set of instructions to her, Evy followed his lead, and they were now low to the ground. She was still almost completely nuzzled into his side.

While he picked the lock, Evy watched intently though her hand now felt cold in the dungeons after holding his for so long. As she watched, she found that Evy leaned further into him, mainly to see what he was doing, though, from this height, she could almost rest her chin on his shoulder if she pleased. ”Are you—“ She began to ask, but Nate silenced her before her eyes shifted quickly from his face to the lock and the ‘click’ sound. There was that smug look on his face again. Evy still had the final grip in her hand, unbent, and she placed the end of it in her mouth, as she’d watched Nate do twice already, and Evy bent it slowly, and even when she had bent it to her satisfaction, she didn’t immediately remove it from her mouth.

Finally, Evy’s eyes left his face, and she looked at the lock that he’d just picked. Removing the grip, she paused and remembered how he had started. ”So, any advice on how to start?” Evy knew a small amount about lockpicking but not nearly enough to successfully try it. She looked back at Nate for her next instructions.

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

EVY WAS NOT SO TYPICALLY COMPLIANT. Nate had fielded many dares and dodges from her over the years, it was part of the reason he'd been unable to let sleeping dogs lie. Nate liked to chase, and he reckoned Evy liked to be chased by him. Her body aligned with his and their eyes locked in a battle of wits before he pulled her to the ground and bit down on the frayed flesh inside his bottom lip to stop himself from just kissing her, and getting it over with. Nate picked the lock instead.

Though not given many opportunities to pick locks at Hogwarts - he could use magic freely and without second thought - it was an easy skill to fall back in to. His muggle friends back in London had always brought him along when they needed to get in to a particularly sticky door, or jimmy the driver-side of a car. He was fairly clever, but Nate's specialities lay in the criminal sort. It came naturally to him, which was half the reason why he'd almost gained a permanent criminal record. He preened with self satisfaction when the door gave way, despite the fact that it was a simple lock to pick.

Evy was close enough that, when Nate leaned back and pulled the door closed resolutely, they overlapped and he pushed her back with him. Her hair tickling his nose as he turned toward her and sat back at an angle. So close it prickled his skin, but still not as close as he wanted to be. His eyes skating across her face and her pale hands as he imagined drawing her like she was, sat back on her haunches and back-lit by dim oil lamp scones in the distance. Her face in shadow unless she turned at a certain angle, where her eyes would enflame and her teeth would glint when she spoke.

When she put the spare grip in to her pursed mouth, Nate became entranced. His mouth drying as he watched her carefully manipulate the metal into a fresh pick, barely breaking eye contact the entire time. It was like some twisted kind of foreplay, Nate's favourite kind. He thought, if this was her way of stringing him along once again, he was going to put his head through a wall. And yet, he anticipated her retreat as she broke his gaze to look at the lock.

Nate shook off his stupor and shifted as she positioned herself in front of the doors lock. He slid back slightly, repositioned himself and lifted one leg to very deliberately brace his left knee between her bent lower legs confidently, as he raised himself up and straightened his posture to watch from over her shoulder. Back-to-back, they were close enough that, should he lean down, he could rest his chin atop her narrow shoulders. He did not, instead, he ran his hand slowly along the arm she held the pick with and gently raised her wrist to position the pick.

"First," He spoke lowly, just shy of the shell of Evy's ear. "You hold the tension hook, and you stick the pick inside the mechanism." It was a uniform description that felt coiled and salacious when spoken quietly in the dark between the two of them. Nate let her wrist go reluctantly and watched instead, his breath ruffling a few errant strands of her hair. "Steady hand..." He muttered, grinning into the dark as he shifted his gaze from the lock to her profile in his peripheral vision. "You have to press up and feel for the pins, listen for the click." He turned his head when he said that, his lips brushing her cheek before he turned away. He shouldn't be enjoying himself as much as he was, oh but he was. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

It didn’t matter if it was the first time or the hundredth time that Nate had physically been so close to her. There was that excited flutter in her chest. It was the excitement of the combination of breaking the rules but also knowing that as she dangled the carrot in front of him, so to speak, he would follow. It was like a dance, and Evy always took careful steps because Nate was a boy with a reputation. He was never keen on waiting for more bait if Evy let her guard down. As his face would pass close enough, Evy could feel the heat radiating off him, and as he picked that lock, she bit lightly on her bottom lip as she did try to focus on what he was doing, but she enjoyed this feeling he always left her with.

Naturally, it was more fun to play coy and act aloof. To act as if all those times neither of them could stop themselves was merely a fluke—a fluke that kept repeating, whatever the word for that was. Today she was holding out, however, for a while at least. Naturally, Evy noted his gaze as she prepared the grip for her attempt at picking a lock. It was a purposeful step, though now it was his turn to unsettle her as he positioned himself behind her, his hand guiding her hand to the lock.

In a way, they were on equal footing like this, one step from the other would give them some kind of advantage, but for now, she stared at the locked door in front of them. His low voice and breath on her ear sent an enticing chill up her spine. She swallowed and licked her lips slightly as her mouth had gone dry for a moment. She raised the grip and placed it in the lock as she’d watched him do and per his instructions. ”Like this?” She asked, her voice barely louder than he had been. For a moment, she was focused on this activity rather than how close he was behind her. Her face showed a determination as she fiddled with the tools, trying her best to ignore the way his breath tickled her ear.

And then, as she felt for the pins, she stopped, glancing to the side with her eyes as she continued to look forward. And then the sound of the click. Evy smiled in triumph, though perhaps she’d just gotten lucky with an easy lock. She pushed the door slightly open, removing the grip she had used, still twirling it a bit between her fingers as she leaned back ever so slightly. ”Well, well, Nathaniel.” She spoke, almost as smugly as he would have. ”I suppose there is a thing or two I can learn from you, after all.” Evy placed the unbent end of the grip back in her mouth as she fiddled with it. ”Shall we see what’s behind door number one?”

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[Nathaniel David Forrester]

now you see me.

THERE WAS A DELICATE CONCENTRATION TO Evy's movements, even as Nate encroached on her personal space without a second thought. Even as he felt her shiver, and her breath stutter as he spoke lowly into her ear. He was doing on purpose of course, a very sly attempt to draw a reaction from her. He liked that she didn't let it move her beyond reason, her fingers deftly holding the tension as she manoeuvred the pick with a careful twitch of her fingertips. It was hot, he thought, shifting his gaze from her face to the lock and back again. Like he couldn't quite decide where to place his full attention.

"Mm," He hummed his assent, his gaze focused fully on the slight parting of her lips as she whispered back. To the quiver when she drew in a steadying breath and the flush in her cheeks at the proximity. He tore his eyes away all at once, like a punishment as he heard the first quiet click. And then, sooner than he thought it would be, she ceased moving and he just knew she'd gotten it. The thrill of it dropping his hand to her hip, which he gripped with a sudden fierceness through her clothes.

Nate was grinning, so he dropped his chin down into the crook of Evy's neck to hide it. Her voice so smug it might have irritated him under different circumstances. He didn't feel bested, he felt met. "I can think of a few more," He mouthed into the soft, sweetened skin there, his nose catching under the curve of her jaw momentarily as he lifted his head up to look at her, leaning back at the last possible moment. She had the grip in her mouth, the metal pulling a curve down the middle of her bottom lip.

In one move, Nate let go of Evy's hip and wrapped his arm snugly around her waist. His other arm reached out to grab the doorframe so he could pull them both to their feet in a single movement. He almost tripped over his own feet in the process, but caught his forearm on the door to stop himself. He reluctantly unwrapped his arm from her waist and bent his knee into the crook of her own to jerk movement into her legs. He was impatient, his head whipping around to be sure they weren't being watched as he walked them both into the dark room with little interest to the inside. "C'mon then, big reveal." He dared her, poking two fingers into her side teasingly. 

evelyn rhea oliveira

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[evelyn rhea oliveira]

So let's get covered in flames

and play some games with the smoke

April 13, 2026
Nathaniel David Forrester

One couldn’t play the game without having a significant amount of self-control and a decent poker face. Of which Nate and Evy both had. Otherwise, she would have given in to his more aggressive advances long ago. Oh, she’d been tempted. But it was the thought of knowing that it would bother him so much that had let her find her willpower again. In the meantime, it was honestly fun to see how long she could lead him on or how long he would let her. For now, she focused on the lock, and it gave her an excuse to ignore how close he was to her and that with a turn of her head, she could just give in.

There was the sudden excitement of success, and Evy felt the bit of adrenaline that came with it. Though she was highly sensitive to the feeling of Nate’s hand on her hip, she felt the pressure as if it was his way of reminding her that he was right there. Evy couldn’t say she could complain, and she was tempted for a moment to lean back into him, but she wasn’t confident she would have been able to pull herself away. Still, there was no hiding how her face slightly flushed when she felt his breath even strong on her neck. It was warm and gave her goosebumps. Merlin, he was pushing all the right buttons today, and despite the dim light, she was sure her face was a shade of pink.

Evelyn didn’t get a chance to respond. She’d been too busy—distracted. But in a quick movement, Nate had her up off the floor, his arm only momentary around her waist. Mentally she paused because truthfully, she’d never really considered the possibility of allowing anyone to actually sweep her off her feet—and yet Nate had done it, much to Evy’s delight. Her heart beat a little bit faster as he encouraged her to walk first into the room, but before she did, she glanced over her shoulder, an eyebrow raised as she looked him up and down once more. ”What’s the rush, Nathaniel?” As they say, ‘patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet’. The long game was on Evy’s mind, though barely at this point.

Before Evy could push the door open, Nate poked her in the side, and the one thing her willpower could not control was how embarrassingly ticklish she was. A giggle escaped her lips, and Evy flinched, and she grabbed his hand while it was still near her side—just in case he tried that again. They were now in a small and empty classroom as dimly lit as the hallway. She was happy. She supposed that it wasn’t a broom closet—she wasn’t interested in dealing with such a cramped space. Evy’s hand moved to grab Nate’s hand more comfortably, but she felt his knuckles again. That observation had already left her mind after all the…distractions, but now it was back in the forefront, but she let go of his hand again.

Once they were sufficiently inside, Evy turned, approaching Nate closely to run his green tie through her index and forefinger slowly. ”So, what were those ‘few more things’?” Her eyes watching her hand though she glanced up at him about halfway down. But as she ran the length of the tie, she reached for his hand again, very gently running his thumb over the scabs and bruising. Evy felt some genuine concern, they were simple enough wounds that could have been dealt with by anyone in sixth or seventh year or tended to by the Nurse, and yet Nate wore them with some pride. She furrowed her brows slightly as her eyes looked back up at him. ”What happened to your hand, Nate?” Her eyes plead with him to answer the question, but after so many midnight conversations, Evy knew that the chance he would was about the same as when she’d ask a question, and he’d distract her instead.

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