Looking back, it never should have happened. Never in a million years would Jimmy, Sheen, or any other person who knew the two ever have predicted it.
She grabbed his collar. Time slowed, it seemed, to slow motion.
She pulled him close. Jimmy's stomach tightened, his heart kicked into ward speed.
Eyes closed, heart beating rapidly, she pressed her lips to his.
Jimmy, for the first time in his life, ceased to think.
And, for a moment, it was perfect. No Sheen, no time passing by, no years of fighting between them. It had to end eventually, but she staved it off until the very end.
Breaking away softly, she pushed him gently away. He was actually dizzy from the kiss. "I always thought it was only an expression."
"So there, James Isaac Neutron." With those parting words, she turned to go.
"Wait!" He grabbed her arm, stepping in front of her. "What-"
She took in a breath. "Look, we don't have to talk about it. I just- I just had to finish what I started. I never told you how I felt. And I never expected you to feel the same thing. I just needed some- some closure." For the first time, she looked away from his gaze. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, Nerdtr- Jimmy. I just needed to do this. You can go back to your life and forget about me now, like you did before." She returned his gaze now.
For a moment, he saw behind the hardness, the steel coating of her eyes. He saw a flicker of something softer.
He knew now. She had felt the same thing for him. All those wasted years, they had thought about each other, neither accepting the responsibility to make the first move.
She pushed past him, heading for her car. He was sorry he had waited this long.
She wiped away a tear, hoping he didn't notice.
…he wasn't going to wait another eight years.
Running to catch her, he shut the car door before she could get in.
Mustering the bravery within him that she had shown, he pulled her close in kind. "I never forgot about you, Cindy. Never."
The second kiss was deeper. Mutual. They leaned into each other, enjoying the lack of space between them.
And for a moment, Jimmy felt right. He knew what had been missing all those years. And, although he was well aware of all the abuse they had put each other through, he knew it had to have happened eventually.
He always had known.