Vulnerable.

“Leon I... still don’t know. Not for sure, really. And I don’t think you know for sure, either. Sorry to decide that for you but... this is a huge thing we’re dancing around, here.” Even in the short term, their mom’s reaction to it could be disastrous. What about dad?

“I can’t lie to you though. I do have certain feelings about you...” Like she had after her meltdown last night, she rubbed her thumb over his hand thoughtfully. “...And that’s huge for me. I never thought I could care for someone, after what I’ve been through. I certainly never expected to trust a man again. Especially this fast?” There was a small bit of guilt itching under the surface, but he reminded himself that the slight manipulation was doing more good than harm.

“Yesterday really did go by in a blur. All it took was one night to end up here. Not even 24 hours ago I was worrying that you wouldn’t even talk to me,” he said.

“Exactly. It’s so, so fast. But it feels so nice to have someone I’m not scared to be around or... hold hands with.” Both of them were suddenly embarrassed by their hidden contact, but neither of them broke it.

“That’s why I’m going to ask one thing. It’s a selfish, awful request, and I’m really really really not worth this much trouble so you just go right ahead and shoot me down, and I’ll live with it and everything’ll be fine.”

“I have to hear it first before I can shoot it down, you know?”

Sheets of rain smacked against her bedroom window, creating an ambiance (falling) so ambiguous that even destiny didn’t seem to know if it was romantic or forlorn.

“Stay with me. Let me take my time and figure out who I am, even if it takes forever.”

Joy bubbled up inside at the proposition. Staying with her forever sounded like heaven. “On one condition,” he said, and gazed at her seriously.

Jessie shrunk under the covers like she was trying to melt. “What?”

“Let me kiss you again,” he said. Her breath quickened, but not from fear.

“If you really wa-“ His lips deleted her sentence out of existence.

The soft taste of her filled his mouth. Unlike the night before, she put a hand behind his head and pulled him into the kiss instead of pushing him away. Leon’s tongue wanted to flee into the depths of her mouth, but some part of him told it no, instead enjoying the feeling of mashing their sticky lips together with a burning need. She bit his bottom lip gently, and realized that she was losing herself in the pleasurable exchange.

A slow ramping down of her ferocity clued him in to her concern, and with a final peck of their lips, they parted.

Her breath came out hot and shakey against his face. “Wow.”