"This is stupid."

Rose turned enough to throw him a quirked eyebrow over her shoulder. "You haven't even seen youself."

John dropped onto the bed and flopped backwards with a heavy THUD. "'Hey John, why don't you pay your girlfriend a compliment? Why don't you tell her how cute she looks wearing one of your shirts, John? Don't worry John, THAT can't possibly lead to any weird mind-game-psychobabble..." He waved a hand in the air vaguely. "..'things.' Well past-self, hang on to your diapers, because apparently it can."

"It is not a 'thing,' John." She straightened the bottom of her shirt-technically his. "At most we can regard this as a kind of experiment, about the double standards inherent in what is considered 'attractive' between the male and female genders-"

"ALL I SAID WAS THAT YOU LOOKED CUTE IN MY SHIRT."

"And all -I- am saying is that I thought you would look cute in my shit. And skirt."

"WELL. I DON'T."

"Says you. I personally think you look handsome."

It took him a moment to respond. "...WELL! I...think you're wrong. So." Rose looked back to see him flop on his stomach stubbornly. She could see his ears going a bit pink. "There."

Rose smiled, and walked quietly over to the bed to perch beside him. She looked him over, from his strong shoulder blades straining against the material of her top, down to his thighs, thick and slightly muscled and exposed much more than usual by her short purple skirt. It's such an embarrassingly cliche notion but...he really didn't realize he was handsome. Leaning over slightly she began to rub his back. Under her fingers he tensed, a little, before relaxing.

"I wasn't kidding, when I said you looked cute," he mumbled into the pillow. "Not for any weird sexist reasons or anything, I swear! You just...look cute. You're cute."

That made her redden a little. "I wasn't kidding either. You have very nice legs."

His ears redden even more. "Pffft."

"You think I'm being sarcastic. But I think you should consider skirts more often."

Silence. Then:

"A kilt. MAYBE."

"I can live with that."

Series this wo