Sometimes he'll just come settle up next to her, almost like a dog waiting, wanting to be petted. Rose never reacts immediately- he has joked in the past that he has to beg for every scrap of attention she is generous enough to give him. You might as well put a collar and leash on me, he laughed. Is that a promise? she countered.
But tonight she apparently has taken too long to respond, because all of a sudden he isn't as much next to her as he is on her.
"Sorry," he mumbles.
"For wh-?" She is cut off, and answered, simultaneously.
It's not perfect. It's far from perfect. His kisses are sloppy, and more than once she feels his front teeth bumping against her lips. He is even more clumsy than usual and seems to be having a hard time staying focused on one task. He is kissing her lips, while hugging her, while suddenly kissing her neck, while holding her, while kissing her lips again, while stroking her... if anything, it's a bit chaotic. But in this case it's the thought that counts, and the thought seems to be that he suddenly can't bear not touching her.
And something about that is making her heart feel like it's about to pound a hole right through her chest.
But then all of a sudden it's over, and they're apart and staring, flushed and slightly out of breath. It seems to take John a few moments to realizeoh, I just did that, and the instant he does he goes red all over, and leans in to rest his head against her shoulder.
"Sorry." His voice is slightly muffled against her shirt.
After a moment she collects herself. "Why do you keep saying that?" She brings a hand up to stroke his hair a bit, and she can't help smirking a bit as she goes on: "I never said I didn't want you to kiss me. I never said I wanted you to stop kissing me."
It may just be her but she swears she feels a little bit of heat where his face is pressed against her. "It's just...sometimes..."
She strokes the side of his head. "Yes?"
"Sometimes...I remember everything we all went through and I just...I don't know, I'm just, really, really glad you're here with me."
Well. Of all the things John Egbert could have said that was one thing she didn't see coming. And Rose realizes, for once, she really can't think of how to respond to that. It's such an unrestrained display of sincerity it actually makes her heart hurt a little. If it had come from anyone else she would have rolled her eyes but...
The truth is, sometimes she can't give a classic Lalondian response. But for some reason, she doesn't feel all that embarrassed. She simply leans and kisses the side of his neck. Sometimes, she thinks, that's enough.
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