Tessa thinks Jem is more affectionate one. Whenever he is with her in the Institute, or taking walks along the Thames, or one of the gardens nearby, she notices how he tends to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him every now and then. She notices how he presses his lips to the nape of her neck before working his way up to her cheeks, the corner of her mouth and then to her lips. He does rather often, and truth be told, she enjoys it, much more than she should.
One night, he knocks quietly on her door just as she is about to turn in. She opens the door slightly, not wanting to let him in first. It would seem terribly improper. He stands there, looking at her and not saying a single word.
She finally asks, "Do you want to come in?"
He looks around at the empty hallway and pushes the door open further and sneaks in, a smile of his face.
"I've missed you," she tells him, his arms already wrapped around her as she inhales the smell of him, the slightly sweet tang of yin fen mixed with a whiff of violin rosin.
"And I too, Tessa," he murmurs into her hair. She lifts her head and presses her lips to his. His lips part in response, and his arms move up, lingering along her waist, her arms, her neck and finally cupping her face. She laces her fingers at the back of his neck, pushing him against the wall. Her hands, on their own volition, end up at the hem on his shirt and dip under, sending shivers down his body as her fingers brush deftly against the warm skin of his stomach.
Gradually, she pulls away, but still looking into his eyes. She smiles shyly at him, a little surprised at how carried away she had been a few moments ago.
He laughs, as if reassuring her that he does not mind at all, before pulling her into his warmth and safety of his arms again.