Understanding
Summary: Gordo likes being able to understand things. Hallie is an unpredictable factor. His conclusion? Just ask her out and hope she says 'yes'.
/ one-shot /
"Hallie, Miranda and I are going shopping for, you know, school supplies. You wanna come?"
I smile at the code word, and sneak a glance at Gordo. He looks totally careless reading his book on Lamography, but you can see his shoulders tensing.
"Nah, you two go on," I say vaguely, waving them away. "I'll stay here." Gordo relaxes and raises his book, maybe to cover a smile on his face? No, I probably just wish he was. Smiling because I'm staying with him, that is.
Miranda shrugs her shoulders. "Your loss, Hal - we'll get you one of those giant peanut butter cookies while we're at the mall, yeah?"
"Yeah," I grin, "Thanks. I'll just be waiting here for my cookie."
When Lizzie and Miranda leave, Gordo puts his book down. He looks at me curiously. "Why didn't you go with them?"
I frown. "Did you want to be alone?" Gordo goes through those 'I need to be alone so I can think properly' moods, but he usually lets me stay with him as long as I'm quiet.
"No, it's not that. Just…" he sighs, running his hand through his hair, and you think he's frustrated with you - but then he smiles, that amazingly sweet smile that makes you feel better instantly, like hot chocolate - "You're hard to understand," he says finally.
"You're not like other girls, who just want to keep shopping and talking about boys, but you're not like a guy, who likes Sci-Fi and sports. You're not immature, you can keep up with me academically, but sometimes you act just like a little kid. You're like a puzzle that's incredibly difficult to solve."
That makes me laugh, just a little. "I think I hear the scientist in you calling, Gordo. Why do you need to solve everything?"
"No, not everything… But you, I want to solve. You've always been there for me, and I just want to know you better." He takes a deep breath, "So, what would you do if I asked you to go out on a date with me?"
I feel the grin stretch across my face, "You're trying to understand me, right? What do you think I'd do?" This is way too fun.
He cocks his head to the side, narrowing his eyes in his 'I'm thinking' face. "I think you'd say yes," he says uncertainly, as if he doesn't know I'm madly in like with him, and have been for years.
Rolling my eyes - really, for all his genius, Gordo is incredibly blind - I pull him in and kiss him.
It's just a chaste pressing of lips, just me telling him, reassuring him that I like him and I would, in fact, say yes. It's soft and sweet and not all that great, but it's my first kiss - our first kiss - so I think it's great anyway.
We pull away after awhile - I say 'awhile' because I'm not sure how long it's been; I swear, Gordo could make me forget my name with those lips - and he strokes my hair, smiling. "That's a yes, then?"
"Yes."