"We're clear."
"Because I—" His voice dropped. "I want it too. All of it. I just don't want to fuck it up."
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
I reached up and touched his beard. He leaned into the contact like he'd been waiting for it.
"No," I said. "I don't. But I want to find out anyway."
I led him to the couch, and he perched on the edge like he was waiting for a bus—back straight, hands on his knees, ready to bolt at the first wrong move.
"You can sit back, you know." I settled beside him, close enough that our thighs touched. "The couch won't break."
"You sure? I'm not exactly built for delicate furniture."
"It's not delicate. And neither am I."
His fingers drummed against his knees—restless energy with nowhere to go. I could hear his brain spinning, thinking about everything that could go wrong.
"Hog, look at me."
He turned, and his eyes were wider than usual. Nervous but hungry.
I reached over and stopped the drumming of his fingers with my hand. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"That's not—" He swallowed. "That's not the problem."
"What is the problem?"
"I want to do everything. All of it. Right now. And I'm afraid you'll change your mind if I don't move fast enough."
I shifted closer, our knees bumping, and watched him track the movement.
"I'm not going anywhere," I said. "And I'm not changing my mind."
"But what if—"
I kissed him. Soft, deliberate, cutting off whatever spiral he might slide into. He froze for a second, then his hands started to work on the buttons of my shirt, and he kissed me back like he was drowning.
Too hard. Too fast. All teeth and desperation.
I pulled back, breathing hard. "Hey."
"What? Did I—was that wrong?"
"Not wrong." I pressed my hand flat against his chest, feeling his heart hammering beneath my palm. "Just... we've got time."
He blinked. "Time?"
"All night. Tomorrow. However long this takes." I traced my thumb along his collarbone through his sweater. "I'm not going anywhere, remember?"
His shoulders lowered, tension fading slightly. "Right. Time."
"So we can take it slow. Figure it out as we go." I leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth. "No rush."
"I don't know how to go slow."
