They sat like that, next to each other for some time, he returned his arm
to its place around her shoulder. There was a silence that hung thick in
the air. He was becoming uncomfortable with it, but he was too afraid to
break the silence. He shifted slightly in his seat and she looked at him.
"Something wrong?" she questioned, looking softly at him.
"No, nothing." He lied. It wasn't a big lie. It was something that he shouldn't care about.
"What is it?" she could see right through him in times like these. She knew enough about the opposite sex to know when something was wrong, and she knew enough about Robert Romano to know how well he could hide things if he tried.
"I'm fine." He said, now knowing it was true. She just glared at him. "I'm just not a big fan of silence." He finally admitted, somewhat sheepishly. She nodded, understanding how he didn't want to talk about it. It was something stupid for him to be scared of, and he knew it. To him, whenever something was silent it meant something was wrong. Especially with his job. He was used to people complaining, people screaming, people coughing, whenever they stopped that, he knew something was wrong.
It had started a long time ago, his fear of silence, he couldn't even remember when. All he could remember was that white noise frightened him, and no matter how strong he tried to be, silence was the one thing that scared him most. She sensed his tenseness and got up slightly. "Do you want anything?" she asked, before stifling a yawn. He smiled at her and got up.
"No, you're tired, I might as well leave." He told her, staring into her eyes. He could see the apprehension and the fatigue in them, she was tired, she needed her sleep, she needed to get a grip on herself. She could see the fear in his eyes as well, fear of both what was to come in just a few days time, and also what was transpiring between them at the moment. He never made much of a pretense of knowing much about what a woman was feeling, especially when things were so complicated.
Rather, she helped him out. He was unsure of quite exactly what the night had been. He found his eyes on her lips, and he knew that she had noticed. He knew that she could tell what was running through his mind at the moment, the thought that he was trying so hard to erase. She helped him to the door, and paused right on the gateway between her house and the outside. "Thank you Robert, for everything." She said, before she leaned in and pecked his check. He returned it, and she smiled as they pulled back.
"Are you coming in at all tomorrow?" he asked her.
"I'm afraid that according to my new friend Mr. Keyes that you'll be fined if I do."
"I though that was if you worked. You can be there without working." He pointed out to her. he wanted to see her again, seeing her would prove to him that she was alright. She smiled at his ability to find any loophole. She needed to find someone anyway; the clock was ticking, way too fast for her liking.
"I'll try to come in. Goodnight." She said to him. he echoed her sentiment before turning and heading for his car. He got in and ran a hand down his cheek, the place where her lips had brushed against his skin. He felt like he was in high school again, awkward, tingly, and nervous, afraid of what to do or say. They'd never been so close before; she'd never let him. Now that she did, he didn't know how to react to it. he wanted to tell her how he felt, but he had a gut instinct that telling her would be more than she could handle.
He ran his hand along his face one last time before turning on the car and driving off with one last glance at the house before he turned the corner and headed home himself, unsure of what had just passed between them, and whether it was a good thing or a bad one.
"No, nothing." He lied. It wasn't a big lie. It was something that he shouldn't care about.
"What is it?" she could see right through him in times like these. She knew enough about the opposite sex to know when something was wrong, and she knew enough about Robert Romano to know how well he could hide things if he tried.
"I'm fine." He said, now knowing it was true. She just glared at him. "I'm just not a big fan of silence." He finally admitted, somewhat sheepishly. She nodded, understanding how he didn't want to talk about it. It was something stupid for him to be scared of, and he knew it. To him, whenever something was silent it meant something was wrong. Especially with his job. He was used to people complaining, people screaming, people coughing, whenever they stopped that, he knew something was wrong.
It had started a long time ago, his fear of silence, he couldn't even remember when. All he could remember was that white noise frightened him, and no matter how strong he tried to be, silence was the one thing that scared him most. She sensed his tenseness and got up slightly. "Do you want anything?" she asked, before stifling a yawn. He smiled at her and got up.
"No, you're tired, I might as well leave." He told her, staring into her eyes. He could see the apprehension and the fatigue in them, she was tired, she needed her sleep, she needed to get a grip on herself. She could see the fear in his eyes as well, fear of both what was to come in just a few days time, and also what was transpiring between them at the moment. He never made much of a pretense of knowing much about what a woman was feeling, especially when things were so complicated.
Rather, she helped him out. He was unsure of quite exactly what the night had been. He found his eyes on her lips, and he knew that she had noticed. He knew that she could tell what was running through his mind at the moment, the thought that he was trying so hard to erase. She helped him to the door, and paused right on the gateway between her house and the outside. "Thank you Robert, for everything." She said, before she leaned in and pecked his check. He returned it, and she smiled as they pulled back.
"Are you coming in at all tomorrow?" he asked her.
"I'm afraid that according to my new friend Mr. Keyes that you'll be fined if I do."
"I though that was if you worked. You can be there without working." He pointed out to her. he wanted to see her again, seeing her would prove to him that she was alright. She smiled at his ability to find any loophole. She needed to find someone anyway; the clock was ticking, way too fast for her liking.
"I'll try to come in. Goodnight." She said to him. he echoed her sentiment before turning and heading for his car. He got in and ran a hand down his cheek, the place where her lips had brushed against his skin. He felt like he was in high school again, awkward, tingly, and nervous, afraid of what to do or say. They'd never been so close before; she'd never let him. Now that she did, he didn't know how to react to it. he wanted to tell her how he felt, but he had a gut instinct that telling her would be more than she could handle.
He ran his hand along his face one last time before turning on the car and driving off with one last glance at the house before he turned the corner and headed home himself, unsure of what had just passed between them, and whether it was a good thing or a bad one.