Page 50 of Right Next Door
“I… er… Why is this suddenly a good thing?”
“It’s not! It’s a ridiculous thing, you absolute dufus!” She laughed harder as he continued to look at her with an odd combination of relief and confusion at the sudden change in her behavior. “I can’t believe you did all that! That’s the sweetest, stupidest damn thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Erm…” He hesitated. “Okay.”
“Tsok.” Her laughter faded as she looked him square in his eyes. “You absolutely have my consent to come talk to me. To send me messages. To comm me if we both have free time.”
He blinked at her once before his expression and body both relaxed at the same time. “I do?”
“Yes. You absolutely do. That is the dumbest, kindest, silliest thing anyone has ever done. Just waiting on me for tendays on end like that.”
“It seemed like the right thing. Enthusiastic consent is highlighted in the pamphlet.”
“Yeah, but that’s for sexual stuff. Not just talking. No one can tell you not to talk to me.”
“You can.”
“Aw…” She melted a bit by just how quickly and easily that came to him. And she honestly, truly believed if she told him to fuckoff, he would fuck all the way off and not return until he had her express permission to do so.
And wasn’t that a hell of a thing? Cute and stupid, but absolutely endearing.
Turning back, she began tying off the braid. “So, you really have no idea how to romance a lady. Like, don’t even know where to begin.”
“I admit, I do not,” he said slowly, still watching her. “I have been reading the human experimental data to try to find hints. It told me I should bring you flowers.”
“Which is very nice. Thank you.”
He reared back. “Youthankme for this? Surely, such a small thing is not worthy of thanks. Besides, I must confess, I did not think of the idea on my own. I had to be directed to do it.”
“Yeah, but you still looked up what you needed to do. And even if you got it horribly wrong, and you did, you still tried. That’s the sweet part.”
“I… oh…” His expression cleared. Like he was finally understanding something. The next look he gave her was more confident. More assured.
“Does this mean you are no longer angry at me?”
“Absolutely not what that means. I’m still definitely mad at you.” She finished securing the braid and grabbed more fur cream, spreading it over the finished piece. “I just think I finally understand the boneheaded thoughts in your head a little better. That’s all.”
“I’m confused again.”
“Yeah, seems to be a common problem with you.” She sat back, wiping her hands on her apron. “There. You’re done.”
He lifted his arm and they both looked at what she had made. Misty wasn’t even sure what she had been doing, her hands justmoving on their own volition. The result was like a recording of their conversation in the braid that went up the length of his forearm. A stiff, straight start running in an alternatively looping and loose pattern or one with tight, sharp turns. The resulting braid didn't really have a theme or a direction. It was rough and not really pleasing on the eye, but she wouldn’t call it ugly.
Just… realistic.
Tsok lowered his arm after he finished inspecting it, looking right back into her eyes.
“Do I still have your consent to seek out your presence and speak to you?”
She couldn’t help but snicker. She’d never met someone so concerned with her consent – to the point it seemed like overkill. But she could appreciate better what was happening now.
“Yes. You have my consent to talk to me,” she said, very deliberately. Making sure that no one could mistake what she meant, since it was obviously extremely important to him.
He gave her a relieved smile. “Wonderful. I’m glad we have come to a new understanding. So I understand, do you want me to ask before I advance our relationship any further each time? Or do you want me to wait until I receive permission?”
Misty was leaning onto the arm of her floating chair, grinning as she rested her chin down onto her palm. Grinning at him. At how ridiculous this was.
She was still angry with him. She still thought it was absolutely ludicrous that he was totally okay with ignoring her – up to and including her near death experience – but it felt like she had just cleared something. Like the moment her throat had cleared after her allergic reaction. It wasn’t a fix to the initial problem, but it was a relief on pressure that had been crushing her.
