Moments later, he carefully slid free and flopped onto his back, exhaling into the ceiling.
Rolling onto my side, I waited, figuring it was about that time for him to tell me to leave. The arm closest to me stretched out across the bed, fingers tangling in my bed head.
“Come here.”
Surprised, I wiggled closer, making him grunt and pull me in until I was plastered against his side. His arm tucked around me, hand pushing my head onto his chest before gliding down to cup my bare ass.
I lay there for a moment, not sure what to do, until his chin angled down and I felt the pull of his eyes. “Not a cuddler, huh?”
I jolted. “W-what?” Then, “N-no. I like to cuddle.” At least, I thought I did.
“Yeah? Then what’s with the statue imitation?” he wondered, gesturing to me with his free hand.
I realized then that I was stiff as a board, trying to hold my own weight. “Uhhh…”
“It’s cool, Pip,” he said, starting to pull away. “I respect a personal space enthusiast.”
A what?I wondered, only to realize he was almost completely gone.
“Wait!” I panicked, grabbing his forearm and squeezing.
He glanced at where I clutched him and then at my face.
“I’m not that,” I implored.
“What?”
“A space enthusiast,” I said, still not sure what that even was but knowing I wasn’t it. “I’m just—” I said, nerves getting the better of me and numbing my tongue. You ever tried to talk with a numb tongue? It was like someone unplugging your mouth.
Do not recommend.
He waited, and when I said nothing, he started to get up. Again.
“No one’s ever cuddled with me before!” I burst out, words overly enunciated as if my tongue had to prove itself.
Dark eyebrows flew up his face. “Say what now?”
Slumping, I dropped my face. “I’ve never cuddled,” I mumbled. Then, “I thought you were gonna kick me out.”
“I’m sorry. The subtitles on this conversation seem to be broken. I’m going to need you to repeat that in something other than mumble.”
“Maybe you’re the one who’s hard of hearing,” I muttered.
He drew back. “Did your tone just grow teeth?”
Of course he heard that.I heaved a loud sigh. “No one’s evercuddled me before.”
He blinked. Blinked again and then turned and went into the bathroom. When he was gone, I slid out of the bed, my body twinging in new places as my head swam. Hearing the sink turn on, I straightened and looked around for my clothes.
They were nowhere to be found, so I looked under the bed.
“You know, that’s not a bad view,” he said, coming right up behind me. “But what the hell are you doing?”
“Looking for my clothes,” I replied, resisting the urge to cover my bare butt with my hands.
“You thought I put them under the bed?”
Seemed kinda stupid when he said it. I shrugged.
