Caught Between
Sometimes you can ask for what you want. Sometimes you just have to take it.
AN: Some recent happenings on LJ have made me want to jump on the Reboot bandwagon. My OTP could use a little more schmoop, don'tcha think? Post-series, idk wtf happened with the Hunt, make up your own thing - suffice it the say that SHIT WAS RESOLVED AND THEY COULD GO ABOUT BEING HAPPY TOGETHER. Enjoy!
"Dot," he said, for what felt like the tenth time in only twice as many nanos. He was starting to feel vaguely like a needy child clamoring for attention. That thought exasperated him, and he hoped, not for the first time, that he didn't sound like he was whining – even if he was. Grown sprites – guardians! – didn't whine.
She hadn't even looked at him this time.
"Dot," he tried again, with a little more insistence.
"Five more seconds," she finally replied, closing one of the three remaining vidwindows hovering around her head, her eyes riveted on her organizer. "I'm almost done."
"You said that five seconds ago." He slumped a little on his side of the booth.
She glanced at him between the vidwindows, one eyebrow raised. "Remind me how old you are again?"
"Old enough to know you're stalling," he replied, returning the raised eyebrow.
She gave him a hard stare and went back to her organizer. "I'm not stalling," she said. "There's nothing to stall. What do you want, Bob?"
"Put the organizer down," he insisted, the last word obscured by a little laugh. "A few nanos of your undivided attention. That's all I want. My hand to the User."
She gave him that raised eyebrow again, along with a suspicious look that said she wasn't sure he was telling the truth. He smiled at her, innocent and charming all in one look, and she put her organizer down on the table with a little, very put-upon sigh. His smile, still present, only grew as she closed the vidwindows, laid her elbows on the table on top of her organizer, and leaned forward expectantly.
A moment of silence passed before Dot finally said, "Clock's ticking."
Bob laughed again as he leaned toward her, took her chin in one hand, and kissed her, simply and chastely, on the mouth.
It lasted two, maybe three nanos before he was pulling away and climbing out of the booth. Dot blinked at the place where he'd just been sitting. "Bob?" she called after him, confused.
He paused, already halfway to the diner door, and turned to her with a sheepish grin. "Just wanted a goodbye kiss," he said, shrugging.
She smiled as she picked up her organizer again, still watching him. "See you at dinner," she said finally, trying to instill the words with the warm feeling creeping across her chest.
He nodded, and turned to go before stopping to face her again. "Dot?"
"Yes?" she said, still smiling.
"I'm not gonna ask next time."
The warmth in her chest was almost unbearable. "Good," she said. "Don't."