Throwing a Bone

As Maisie makes a start on giving your apartment the spring clean it so badly needs, you sit and silently analyse just how the relationship between you and her has always worked, so you are able to replicate it as accurately as possible in reverse. As gorgeous as Maisie is, you are not so pathetic that you would have continued to spend as much time with her as have over the years if she only ever treated you as her servant. You do have a genuine friendship, and there are also plenty of times when she is very sweet and kind to you. Weirdly, something about that alternating dynamic has unintentionally fuelled how borderline obsessed you have become with her. During the times when she is acting like you are her butler or texting other guys right in front of you, you are longing for the next moment when she snuggles up to you while you watch TV together or tells you how important you are to her. If she was nice all the time, it wouldn't feel so intoxicating when it happened. You decide to try your hand at the same thing.

"Maisie, come down here!" you shout up the stairs.

She comes running down eagerly to see what you want.

"I was only messing about the cleaning Maisie. I'd rather we just hang out together. Come here and sit with me"

"Of course!"

You see Maisie's face briefly light up the way yours must have done whenever you got thrown a bone by her. Then she tries to act like it's not that big of a deal, which is very cute to witness. She sits down next to you on the couch at a slight distance at first. She then shifts over a little towards you, looks to check you are okay with it, then shifts a little more. Finally, when she sees there is no resistance from you, she snuggles up and rests her head on your shoulder.

Up until now, Maisie's snuggling has been pretty much your favourite thing in the whole world. She doesn't do it that often, and you know it has only ever been a platonic gesture, but having her body close up against yours while she shows you genuine affection makes you feel giddy inside. It seems almost random when it happens and (until today at least) you have never been able to figure out a way of making her do it. But that has always made it feel even more special when it does occur. It is like Maisie has accidentally figured out a perfect psychological blueprint to always keep you as hungry for her as possible. Of course, you can now take that and use it to try and make her feel that same sense of longing for you. The urge to stroke Maisie's hair and tell her how much you love her is almost overpowering. But you know you have to play it cooler than that.

"What game is that?" she asks you softly.

"Slay the Spire"

"It looks fun. Can you teach me how to play it?"

"It might take quite a long time"

"I don't mind. Why don't you just explain it to me while you're playing"

Maisie snuggles up even closer to you as she watches. God, this is all you have ever wanted. And you are starting to realise why your attempts to put yourself in Maisie's shoes can never entirely work. Because she was always completely genuine and authentic in her actions and not secretly, desperately in love with you. The chance of you fucking up and showing her your hand is immense. You are going to have to watch yourself like a hawk.

She remains snuggled up to you, watching you play your game and, though you feel like you are explaining the mechanics pretty well, she clearly neither gets nor has any interest in it, no more than you care about walking endlessly up and down the fucking riverside. The point for her is being with you, and you could happily stay like this forever. But you know that won't work. Much as it pains you, it is time to send Maisie away.

"Okay Mais, this has been lovely but I have stuff I need to do, so it's time for you to go" you reluctantly tell her.

"What? Why?" she looks up at you with sad puppy dog eyes "What kind of stuff do you have to do?"

"Just stuff" you tell her, leaving her to speculate on what that might be, the way you often have on all those occasions you felt sure she was abandoning you to hook up with other guys but wouldn't say it.

"Maybe I can come over tomorrow?" she asks hopefully.

"Maybe" you tell her, knowing full well she will be, but not needing to let her know that just yet.

As she leaves, you finally have the opportunity to go and attend to the hard on that such close and prolonged bodily contact with the girl you adore has inevitably given you. This hasn't been easy, and the amount of willpower you are having to summon is quite draining. But you feel like your master plan is slowly working.