They made their way through the corridor, swaying slightly and laughing.
"Here we are," Bob said, sliding open the door to cabin 24.
"I thought we were going to your room," Lisa said, puzzled. Bob looked at her oddly.
"This is my cabin," he said.
"This is my cabin!" She said, surprised. A grin spread across Bob's face.
"It would seem that fate has once more conspired in our favour." He held the door for Lisa, and she smiled as she stepped inside.
"I am so happy to see that my rose petal has not wilted," Bob said, leaning back after his last sip of their third bottle of wine. Lisa's eyes widened.
"That is one of the sweetest things anyone has said to me," she blushed. "I've often thought about the time we spent together when you were at Monsarno." She looked away shyly and sipped her wine.
"I still don't care for jazz," he said, cracking one eye open amusedly. Lisa tossed a balled up napkin at him, and he laughed. "Remember when we would sing together?" He sighed wistfully.
"Are you saying we make beautiful music together, Bob?" Lisa asked playfully.
"We did quite well at... striking each other's cords in a complementary fashion," he grinned. Lisa blushed and tried to change the subject.
"We always had Walt Whitman; his words were never without remembrance of you."
"Ah, yes," Bob sighed pleasantly. His forehead suddenly creased. "Did you ever have much of a proper childhood?"
"Wha-?" Lisa said, confused by the sudden change of topic.
"I don't mean that as an insult," he said quickly, holding up his free hand in a placating gesture. "Answer me this: How old were you when you began to read?"
"1?" She replied uncertainly. Bob raised an eyebrow.
"And how old were you when you first read Whitman?"
"4...?"
"My dearest Lisa, you and I are so alike," he chuckled. "Sure, we had normal 'parts' of a childhood, such as playing with friends, or going on family outings, yet we oft preferred the company of books. Our imaginary friends were figures from history and literature, and those we created were more of a sparring partner for debates, or soundboards for ideas." Lisa's jaw dropped.
"That is exactly it!" Lisa remembered how much Bob really seemed to understand her on a level few others had.
"That was a part of what I so enjoyed during my time working with Krusty. Was much of it idiotic and simplistic? Absolutely. But, to be able to simply enjoy the childishness of it all..." Bob sighed. "I wish I had spent less time being supercilious and condescending; I wanted to prove that merit should be awarded solely on basis of intelligence, all the while neglecting the basic foundations of life. Words and their structure were more important to me than the vast complexities which underlie emotion."
"I-" Lisa started to argue, but then sighed in frustration. "I'm the same way," she said, her voice soft. "Being the smartest person in the room was always the most important thing to me. It was - is - my identity; it's what I want to be acknowledged for."
"But to what end?" He asked. "I pride my intelligence, to the point where it has often been my downfall. But, if it were to somehow vanish, what would be left? Who would I be? Who would you be?"
They fell into a silent contemplation, but it was cut short by Bob's amused chuckle.
"I did not mean to make this so morose," he said. "Rather, I intended to segue into something more pleasant and, dare I say, even silly."
"Oh?" Lisa pulled herself from her thoughts. "What did you have in mind?"
A large grin broke across Bob's face as he began to chuckle at his own idea.
Lisa sat beside Bob on his bed, their backs resting against pillows, and a sheet curtaining them off from the rest of the room. A flashlight rested on another pillow atop a short stack of books between them.
"Oh, Bob," Lisa gasped in excitement. "That is amazing!"
Bob let out a laugh, curling his fingers delicately.
"I always did have a particular affinity for shadow puppets," he chuckled, the wine fueled conversations making his voice raspier.
"You have such long fingers, and you're so good with your hands," Lisa said, realizing the insinuation after she spoke.
Bob's movements faltered, and his spider shadow went askew as he looked at her with raised eyebrows. Her bright red blush was visible even in the low light, and he let out a purring chuckle that made Lisa shiver.
"I've had plenty of practice with my hands," he smirked, and Lisa laughed, still blushing.
"You and me both," she said in an undertone, which seemed to ring out in the small space.
"Perhaps we should do it together," he said in that low purr, and Lisa shivered pleasurably. He picked up the flashlight and the stack of books, moving them aside. "We'll need to be closer for this." He uncrossed his legs and spread them. "Sit here, in front of me."
Lisa's heart was pounding frantically. She moved slowly, pulling her long skirt up to her knees for better mobility as she climbed over his leg, and awkwardly shuffled to sit in front of him. He leaned close to her ear.
"Give me your hands," he whispered, holding his own out on either side of her.
She reached out slowly, embarrassed by how much she was trembling. His long fingers curled around her small hands, and she couldn't conceal her sharp intake of breath. He quietly chuckled, but she could feel it vibrating through him as she leaned close to his body. He had her hook her thumbs together and splay her fingers, palms facing the wall.
"Hold them just like that," he said as he released her hands to grab the flashlight. She tilted her head to see where he was placing it, and laughed as he went to put it into his mouth. He paused his movement. "Have you a better idea?" He questioned, amusement rich in his voice, but Lisa shook her head giggling, and turned to face forward again.
As the flashlight shone over her, she watched the bird-like shadow of her hands display across the wall. Bob reached his hands around, his arms slithering under her own, to rest in front of hers; this caused his body to press more fully against hers. Her breathing stopped as she felt his hard erection against her body. He stilled for a second, his breathing becoming slightly ragged around the flashlight, but he continued with the puppetry. Lisa took a couple of small breaths, trying to keep her trembling at a minimum.
She focused on his hands; the way he brought them up from beneath hers, intertwining his fingers in an odd but delicate manner. She glanced up at the shadow and gasped in awe: He had made the shadow of a woman's figure to rest against her shadow wings, making an angel-fairy type shadow.
"Fwap duh wngs," he spoke around the flashlight, and Lisa grinned, giggling softly.
She moved her hands, making the wings move slowly, in awe that they had made this beautiful creation from something as simple as themselves. She managed to find her voice.
"I think I know why you like shadow puppetry so much," she said softly. "There's so much beauty concealed in the darkness, waiting unseen for but even the faintest light to give it life."
The light shuddered then moved, as Bob dropped the flashlight from his mouth. It landed beside them, still shining at the wall, but no longer across their unchanged hands.
"And, sometimes, the light is there, but simply not in the right direction." He slowly pulled his hands apart and wrapped them around hers, bringing their clasped hands to rest lightly against Lisa's chest.
She was sure he could feel how furiously her heart was thumping as she fought to keep her breathing steady. Though they were already pressed close together, he pulled her closer still, trying to conceal a rough gasp. Her body tight against his, she could feel his erection throbbing against her, and could not keep her breath steady. His hands released hers, and he caressed her arms delicately.
"As I walk by your side or sit near, or remain in the same room with you," he whispered in her ear, his voice and breathing ragged, "Little you know the subtle electric fire that for your sake is playing within me."
Lisa couldn't help the softly gasped moan that escaped her lips. His long fingers gripped her upper arms at the sound, and she felt his hardness twitch involuntarily against her. She turned her head toward him, and their lips met almost instantly.