Lazy Sunday IC

[alderwitch]

Alex laughed as his face turned beet red and he began to stammer and backpedal. Her eyes twinkled as she caught his flailing hands, "Careful there, you'll go too far and make me concerned that you're not interested in me 'that way', despite this afternoon's evidence to the contrary."

Once she was more certain a casual gesture on his behalf wouldn't splinter the table, she released his hands and returned to her meal with a delicate shrug and a sideways, teasing glance, "Maybe I like the idea of being your nightlight."

[angrydurf]

"No, no, I don't mean that, of course I'm, well I mean ..." He continued to backpedal though the other direction now.

He paused to take a sip of his drink to steady himself as her final words sunk in. The glass shattered as his hand unconsciously clenched as her flirtatious comment hit home. He didn't even seem to notice as he blurted out, "You would?" then blushed furiously once more and realized his lap was rapidly filling with the remains of his iced tea and he still had his fist tightly clenched around the shards of glass. Mike jumped up and hurriedly tried to mop up the mess glad for any kind of distraction that kept him from having to make eye contact at that moment.

[alderwitch]

In hindsight, she should have held onto his hands just a bit longer. With a sigh, she reached out to touch the shards of the glass. Under her fingertips, the fragments reassembled and fused back together. Once the cup was whole once more, Alex retrieved her hand.

She watched him clumsily mop the spill, his cheeks flagged with red and smiled indulgently. Alex loved him so but she still couldn't help teasing him occasionally. His reactions were adorable and dear. She took pity on him, taking the towel from his hands before he could wear a hole in the table.

"Of course," Alex replied with a gentle smile, "I mean, I am a telepath with a direct line to your brain. I know your love for me isn't chaste anymore and I don't want it to be. I'm not in any hurry to get to the 'big finale', but I also know that's something we're going to do together and when we do, it'll be wonderful too. If its next week or the next decade, it really doesn't matter, you know? I'm not in a rush but I'm not afraid of it either. I mean, I've always known it was going to be with you."

A little frown pleated her brows as she paused to ask, "Does that make sense?"

[angrydurf]

Mike paused as she took the towel from him glancing nervously at the other customers but it seemed other than a couple looks and the kind waitress bringing over a towel no one had really taken notice of what had happened. He apologetically accepted the towel and quickly wiped down his chair before seating himself one more and dabbing at the front of his jeans.

As Alex offered her explanation he calmed some and smiled, "I think it does," He responded then frowned slightly, "Ten years?" he asked under his breath somewhat disbelievingly then blushed deep red again and cleared his throat, "Well ... uhm ... regardless thats a lil while off."

[alderwitch]

"Well, maybe not ten years," Alex giggled at his shifting expressions again. "But I'd rather you not feel guilty about whatever we do. I am more than capable of stopping things if I'm uncomfortable. Not to mention that you do have a direct line to my head."

She pushed the reformed glass to him, nodding to the soda machine to indicate he should refill his drink.

[angrydurf]

Mike took her silent advice thankful for the reprieve and chance to gather his thoughts. He didn't know what it was about her that made him unable to think clearly, well he had a few ideas but resolved not to travel down that line of thought at the moment.

He refilled his soda and sat back down across from her resolved to make less of an ass of himself this time around. "It's not a thing of guilt really." He explained much better in control of himself now, "Its an issue of doing it right, when the time is right and we're ready for that stage of our lives." He didn't want to sound too uptight but really thought that was the kind of thing one should wait for marriage to do.

[alderwitch]

"Well, of course," Alex said, as if that was a given. She blew out a puff of air in a huffy sigh, "But you still think you're pressuring me when you're not. If anything, I'm totally the temptress here."

Alex wiggled her brows at him like the villian in some vaudvillian routine but ruined the effect somewhat with the grin she couldn't repress.

[angrydurf]

Mike laughed as he smiled down at her 'vamp' attempt, "Well I don't know about temptress but certainly tempting." he said and managed to keep his blush mostly under control.

He paused thoughtfully, "I dunno I guess it just seems to easy to to move too fast." He shrugged not really able to verbalize his concerns there was more to it than strictly 'getting the order right' but that was part of it too. "I dunno, I just think its worth waiting till the time is right I guess." Even if the rest of the guys probably thought he was out of his head for that.

[alderwitch]

"And everyone says I'm the one who's sixteen going on forty-five. Don't be so serious, Mike. Of course its important to be ready. It isn't anything you wanna regret but there's a lot of steps between here and there to enjoy. It certainly isn't anything to fret over." She patted his large hand affectionately.

Nibbling on her pizza crust, she shrugged and asked curiously, "Are you getting razzed about being a virgin? 'Cause its prolly guys covering their own insecurities, you know."

[angrydurf]

Mike shook his head noncommittally, "Not really." he said with a sigh, "Its more just an expectation, James basically assumes that since we probably will we might as well have already, which is kinda weird in and of itself, The others I think just can't comprehend it not being the most important thing." He shrugged and laughed, "And lets just say being referred to as 'old fashioned' by Mark was not exactly a high point, even if he intended it flatteringly."

He cheered and looked up refusing to fall into that head-space again, "But none of that really bothers me, and its not something I fret over, just something that I can't help but blush over." he added with a self deprecating grin.

[alderwitch]

"Oh, of course they can understand it not being the most important thing," Alex laughed and made a little waving motion with her hands, "You don't give them enough credit. Its just their own discomfort made manifest. Finding your soulmate, so to speak, in preschool tends to make people uncomfortable. Everyone has their own reasons for it which it would be kinda rude to go into, I guess, so I won't. But you're cute when you blush."

She beamed at him and added silently as she took a bite of her pizza, 'And, no, you won't smush me. You don't smush me when you hug me, after all.'