Frank stopped dead and turned around stunned. What he saw made him smile. There was an impish grin on her face. She knew she'd got him. He laughed "Are you sure you're not channeling Bess or Joe or something? " He asked then he continued." Besides it's really Aunt Gertrude I'm scared of." He grinned. "No use giving her more material to lecture me. I'm sure I already have a talk coming for knocking her off the couch."
Nancy laughed. She had heard of the infamous Aunt Gertrude lectures, though she had never personally been the subject of one. She knew from Joe and Frank that they were.
"She should have looked. She sat on you." Nancy stated the obvious.
"Yeah, but obviously I was in her way. How was she to know I'd be asleep on the couch. Don't you know couches are for sitting not sleeping." he replied in his Aunt Gertrude voice. He walked into his room and dropped her bags by his bed.
Nancy laughed as she followed him into his room and looked around. She hadn't been in his room for a very long time. It felt like him, orderly, at least the usual him. She took another look at the rumpled Frank and decided she could get used to this look too. It was nice to know he wasn't always perfect.
He went to the dresser and took some clothes from one of the drawers, and grabbed a shirt and jeans from his closet. He looked down at her bags. "Do you need someplace to put your stuff?" he asked as he made some space in the closet, and went back to the dresser and moved his clothes from the top drawer for her.
"Thanks." she took her formal dress from the garment bag and hung it in his closet next to his clothes.
Frank looked at her bags. "Are you going back home later in the week?" he asked wondering suddenly how long she was staying.
Nancy suddenly looked uneasy and turned away smoothing her dress. "No, I don't have any plans for Christmas or New Years." she said. There was something in her voice that caught Frank's attention.
"Nan?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder.
She turned to him. "It's a long story Frank. I'd hate a ruin a Happy Holiday meal right now. I'll tell you about it later."
Frank noted she didn't sound too happy about it."OK." he said. "I'm here whenever you want to talk." he offered. He wanted to cheer her up. He didn't like the dejected look that had entered her eyes. "Good, that means I get to keep you here until New Year's and take you into the city again. We haven't been to NY for a while. Besides you're much better company than Joe, except I'll have to show you how to skate again I expect." he teased.
She looked at him remembering the first time all those years ago in NY when she realized she liked him as more than a friend.*
All these years and still it hadn't changed, The feelings endured and at least on her part they'd grown deeper with time.
She really looked at him. It was clear he was remembering too. "I'd like that." she said softly."If you're sure your family won't mind me staying uninvited for a week."
He hugged her. He definitely wanted her to stay and he knew his parents and brother wouldn't mind. Though he suspected he'd hear about it from his brother. Still it was worth the teasing, if this went were he suspected this might be going. "I'm inviting you." He answered. "Provided you can tolerate Joe that long." He added to lighten the moment.
"Well, when you put it like that." she added lightly pretending to reconsider. Then she looked up and smiled brilliantly at him.
Something in Frank's brain shut off. He felt like he was back in the very pleasant dream, he'd been having before being so rudely interrupted. She smiled just for him just like that. Frank suddenly wanted to make the dream reality.
Nancy knew instantly what Frank was going to do. She saw the look in his eyes as his head lowered to catch her lips. She thrilled as his lips touched hers softly uncertain at first. Frank heard Nancy give a soft moan and respond to him. The reality was far better than any dream could ever be, and he deepened the kiss losing himself in her.
Neither of them heard Joe walk to the door. Joe quietly cleared his throat, hoping they'd hear him. He chuckled silently to himself not surprised they didn't. If it were up to him he'd leave them alone. His brother had waited a long time for this, and he thought it was well past time they connected. However, Aunt Gertrude threatened to come searching, and Joe knew that would be a bad thing. He decided humor was the best option.
"My eyes, my eyes!" He exclaimed.
Frank and Nancy jumped apart. The look Frank shot Joe almost made him laugh out loud again. Frank looked like he wanted to strangle him. Joe didn't completely blame him.
He smiled at Frank as he shifted Nancy protectively behind him shielding her from his gaze. Joe smiled to himself. Yup, his brother had it bad. "The mistletoe is downstairs bro, but I'll see if we have extra for up here.." He chuckled. "Your 15 minutes are up and Aunt Gertrude is threatening to come looking herself. I'll tell them you'll be down in 5. Make sure you are." Joe warned them and then laughed silently to himself. This was good quality blackmail material for later he thought as he headed downstairs.