Simultaneous release

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

Lochlann was pleased that she was pleased.

He thought he might like that, pleasing her. It didn't have to be in a sexual way. Just the delight on her face when she bit into the cupcake was enough to bring him satisfaction, and the way she squirmed and danced in place made Lochlann feel....warm. Somehow. He felt warm, but a good kind of warm, like waking up in bed and realizing he didn't have to get up quite yet.

He didn't want to take a bite, especially because she'd already shared ice cream with him, so Lochlann shook his head and put his hand up between them.

"No thank you," he said. "It's your birthday. Enjoy every bite of it."

And then, without realizing it, Lochlann let it slip, "besides, I don't think there's anything you could do to me that I wouldn't enjoy."

It hadn't intended to come out sounding the way it did.

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

Lochlann blinked at her, and then he sighed.

"I take back what i just said," he mumbled, and then Lochlann took the smallest bite to placate her. He licked the icing off of his upper lip and then leaned back so his weight was on his hand sand his body was at a diagonal.

"You need to get yourself a tub of ice cream" Lochlann said. "When you're out of here. And eat it by yourself."

He cast her a glance from the corner of his eye and smiled at her.

This felt...
nice.

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

"Savor it," Lochlann told her. "You could do whatever you want when you ate it. Hell, you could eat it in a bubble bath, and who would know or tell you not to?"

He seemed surprisingly motivated about this subject, and he nodded intently.

"Oh, we can still have ice cream after shepherds pie," he said, and then, he perked up, tossing his head back and laughing. It was a silent laugh, because he was afraid of being caught, bus his shoulder's shook and his teeth flashed in the darkness. "We can try and make it ourselves."

He liked this, these plans for the future.

Lochlann did not think too much about the future. He didn't tihnk he had one. But it was nice to think about something outside of his hell hole, outside of group and discussing his problems and finding ten new ways to be silent.

He was going to say because it's your birthday, so it caught him off guard because she already knew that. It made him like her more.

"Because," Lochlann said. "I'm lonely."

He couldn't look at her again, so he dropped his eyes to the floor and confessed, "And you seem like you're worth the punishment."

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

She clasped his hands to her chest, and Lochlann felt her heartbeat even through her hands. The tension leaked out of his shoulders. It would never disappear entirely, not while they were in his place, but it came close now that it was just the two of them in a room.

"Thank you," he said.

He closed his eyes.

He was being so, so quiet, and so very still. In this space, with just her, Lochlann swore that he could feel the possibility in the air. Friendship, perhaps, and maybe something more, but Lochlann wasn't thinking about something more. Not yet.

He was just thinking about how nice it was to meet someone who knew what he was, and who understood.

"I'm glad I met you," Lochlann said.

His hands were shaking in hers. The trembling had gotten worse as the day went on. it always did. He was going to need to find a drink or something soon to make it stop.

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

Lochlann felt her squeeze his hands and he made a small noise in the back of his throat. It wasn't a sigh, it wasn't a groan. it was somewhere between the two and it was pleased.

It took him a minute to realize that the okay-question was in reference to the shaking of his hands.

"Yes," Lochlann said. "This happens, sometimes."

It was late. He should probably get back.

He stalled for another minute.

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" he asked. "After..group..maybe?"

RE: [Event] Simultaneous release

Lochlann nodded. He felt strange. His chest felt warm and his face felt tingly. It took him a moment to realize he was smiling, and it took him another moment to get the smile off of his face.

"Ill see you tomorrow," he said, pulling his hands from hers. He didn't let go completely. Instead, Lochlann flipped their hands and pressed his lips to the top of her smooth knuckles.

"Happy Birthday, Dani," Lochlann said.

He let go of her hands and padded out of her room. He shut the door behind him and then Lochlann stood in the hallway for a moment. His shadow on the wall looked too big. He took a deep breath, and exhaled.

What was this feeling?