Another short that I've had in my head a while. I actually started writing this about a week ago, but my brain was too fogged over with real life to actually deal with the subject matter. So I managed to sit down tonight and finish it at last. Yay. Additional notes at the bottom. :)
From the nightstand next to the bed, the shepherdess tipped her head to one side, watching the cowgirl, who was pacing back and forth on the bed just beside her. Glancing across at Andy, who was fast asleep with his back to her, Bo Peep chanced to whistle softly. The sharp noise caused Jessie to look up in shock, only relaxing again when she saw who it was making the noise.
With another glance in Andy's direction, Bo called over to the cowgirl. "What's the matter?"
Jessie stared up at Bo, and the shepherdess knew it was risky for them to continue this method of communication. Instead, she reacted to Jessie's stare by beckoning her closer. Jessie hopped off the bed and joined Bo on the nightstand, the shepherdess stepping down off the china plinth on the lamp.
"I have a question I don't know the answer to." Jessie said in a hushed tone. Bo waited for her to go on patiently, watching the cowgirl wring her hands.
"I've been thinking a lot lately about all sorts of things. Tonight I got to thinking - I've seen Mrs Davies kiss Andy goodnight, even though he claims he's too old for all that now, and she kisses Molly goodnight too..." she trailed off. "I was remembering when Emily used to kiss me goodnight. I was wondering if I'd ever feel that again."
Bo motioned to Jessie to sit down, and as the cowgirl knelt down, Bo joined her, spreading her pink dress out around her as she settled gracefully on the nightstand surface. She finally spoke.
"You forgot what it's like to receive a kiss?"
Jessie considered this. "I kind of know. I just...I don't have a very good memory of it. It was a long time ago that anyone kissed me." She paused for a moment. "I don't think I'd even know how to kiss if I had to kiss someone."
Bo smiled inwardly, remembering her kisses with Woody that one Christmas at the new house. "Aw Jess, you can't think so much about these things. It happens naturally, you know."
"That's the thing. I don't know. I wish I did."
Despite all the forthcomings, Bo was gradually becoming confused. She'd never heard Jessie talk like this before. "What's brought this on?" She asked, and Jessie blushed, a coy smile coming over her face.
"It's nothing." She insisted, but Bo knew better.
"No, really. What is it that's responsible?"
"More like who," Jessie murmured under her breath and looked away, but Bo caught the sentence, and using her crook, poked Jessie on the arm.
"I heard that. Who is it, Jess?"
"Oh, just a certain space ranger," Jessie blushed again.
"Buzz?" Bo smiled, and Jessie nodded.
"I like him, Bo. Ever since he came over to compliment my hair I could feel there was something special about him."
"So you'd like to kiss Buzz, am I correct?" Bo guessed, and Jessie gave another little nod.
"I just..." she threw up her hands, letting them land back in her lap. "I don't know how to."
"Well, there are various ways you can practise," Bo said simply.
"Practise?" The thought had never occurred to the cowgirl.
"Sure. How do you think I got over my fear of kissing Woody?" Bo asked with a smile.
"You were afraid of kissing Woody?" Jessie asked, pulling her braid over her shoulder.
"Well sure. Everyone gets nervous about first kisses. The only way I can seduce that silly cowboy is to use the crook and let the feeling go. It generally gets him tongue tied enough so he doesn't notice anything bashful about me. He just gets that silly goofy grin on his face, and as they say, the rest is history."
"I wish that was true of Buzz. I don't have anything to grab him with," Jessie mused.
"It doesn't work the same for everyone," Bo pointed out. "You and Buzz will come together probably under the most unlikely circumstances."
Jessie looked down and didn't pick up on Bo's train of thought. Instead she referred back to the previous point of tact. "So you were saying about practising?"
"What about it?" Bo asked.
"How do you practise?"
"Well...you can do a number of things. You can practise on the back of your wrist, the way Andy used to when he was younger, or you can use a pillow, or..."
"This all sounds odd," Jessie put in.
"Not really. I bet you any money Woody practises," Bo laughed and Jessie rolled her eyes.
"Gross."
"What's gross about it?" Bo raised her own hand and planted a small kiss on the back of it.
Jessie watched her. "That's it? That's all you do?"
"Yeah. It's not like its difficult." Bo said. "Of course the kiss will vary depending on how amorous you both are...there are soft friendly kisses, and then there are passionate kisses."
"The passionate ones are like the ones on the movies, right?" Jessie asked, and Bo nodded.
"Yeah, but they tend to use a lot of tongue. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but for a beginner its best to keep it simple."
"Right..." Jessie bit her lip. It seemed like an awful lot to remember for something Bo had earmarked as so simple. "Did you ever practise on anyone else before Woody?"
"No!" Bo looked shocked." I saved my kisses just for him. With the exception of Buzz one time, but that wasn't really a kiss..."
"You kissed Buzz?" Jessie said in surprise. Bo just shrugged. "How'd he take it?"
"I think he was uncomfortable," Bo laughed, remembering when Buzz and the others had set off to save Woody from Al's apartment on the other side of town.
"Do you think he's uncomfortable with all kisses?"
"No, I think it was unexpected." Bo rested her hand on Jessie's arm. "You have nothing to worry about. If or when you do kiss, it'll be wonderful, just as you imagine it."
"I hope so," Jessie said, pondering something for a moment. "Bo?"
"Yeah?"
"Would you mind...if I...maybe, practised on you?"
"Me?" Bo's eyes flew open.
"Well, why not?" Jessie asked innocently.
"Cos I'm a girl!"
"You're also the only one I can talk to about these things," Jessie said softly. "Please Bo? I just want to know what it feels like."
Bo hesitated, and then realised she was backed into a corner. "Sure," she gave in, "Why not." It wasn't like anyone was going to see. She started to get up, putting her crook to one side and wondering how she'd got herself into the situation in the first place.
Jessie looked puzzled, but started to get to her feet as well."Okay...so...uhm..." she fidgeted. "Remind me, what am I doing again?"
"Okay, basics first. First off, ignore all the gump about puckering up." Bo advised. "Just let your emotions guide you slowly to the target."
"Target?" Jessie wasn't aware it was an archery or shooting contest.
"Now if it's someone like Buzz, I imagine he'll hold you like this," Bo said, stepping forward. She grabbed Jessie around the waist and the cowgirl jumped. "Maybe not that hard, though," Bo ascertained, and released her grasp a little. "Okay, so now you are like this, let the rest come naturally."
"Uh...ok." Jessie glanced down for a moment, muttering to herself. "So no puckering up, he grabs me, natural. I can do that." She looked back up and leaned forward, giving Bo a light kiss on the cheek. "Like that?"
"No,no, no, Jessie," Bo sighed. "You kissed me like you'd kiss Woody."
"But I always kiss on the cheek," Jessie protested. It was true, she'd only ever kissed Buzz on the cheek too, in the dump truck.
"If you want to be in a relationship with someone, you have to kiss them on the lips," Bo said tersely.
"Oh!" Jessie leaned forward and smacked a kiss onto Bo's lips, causing the blonde to blush.
"Well, that's a good start," she began, "But if it's Buzz, it needs to be a bit more...drawn out."
"Really?" Jessie's stuffing tingled at the thought of kissing Buzz. "Longer than that?"
"Yeah." Bo squirmed, again wondering what the heck she'd gotten herself into.
"Uhm...like this?" Jessie asked, leaning forward and pressing her lips gently to Bo's. Bo was shocked that Jessie could be so forward all of a sudden. When the cowgirl pulled back, Bo cleared her throat and stepped away, rubbing the back of her hand over her mouth.
"Something like that," she murmured, bending to pick up her crook.
From a few steps away, in the silence that now crowded them, she heard Jessie say, "Bo, you did know I only wanted to practise on the back of your hand, right?"
Additional note: I notice no one seems to have taken on the rather unusual pairing of Bo/Jessie. I notice there are a few Buzz/Woody fics, and nothing else as regards what I would term to be a slash, or in this case, 'femslash' pairing. It also ended up taking on quite a different ending to what I imagined as well! Let me know what you think. : - )