Chapter Text
They stayed in. They talked endlessly about what had happened, about how she had felt and he had felt, and Martin and Mrs Wattlesbrook and Andrews and Lizzy Charming. They kissed and made out on the couch. They ordered in Chinese and he laughed at her when she was surprised he could use chopsticks.
"You laugh a lot when you're not Mr Nobley," said Jane, past a mouthful of noodles.
"I laugh a lot when I'm not trussed up in a costume, having idiotic conversations," Henry said, and she wondered how she had missed the glint of humor in his eyes under the drawn down brows, or the twist at the corner of his mouth.
"I liked you in the costume," she said, half in challenge, half in honest aesthetic appreciation.
"Oh, really?"
His eyebrows raised in combat made her smile. "Really."
He smiled back and reached for her. "Do you like me now?" and he was looking straight into her eyes. "Or do I need to get a whole new wardrobe?"
"I like you now," and she really did. She liked the warmth of his hands on her arms, his nose nearly bumping into hers, knees touching. "I never really liked the sideburns all that much."
"Are you insulting my sideburns now?" and he was openly laughing as she drew her fingers down his cheek. He caught and kissed them, and looked up at her through his lashes. "I like you now too," he said, and kissed her lips instead.
They microwaved the Chinese later and finished eating, and enjoyed being together, alone in a closed room, without being in motion. They talked and then just sat in silence, comfortable together, half drowsing.
Slowly Henry lifted his arm from around her shoulder and checked his watch. "It's late. I think I’d better go.”
She had been half asleep. "Why?" she sighed, wanting to stay forever on this couch.
He stretched and resettled his arms around her. "It's for the best." He kissed the top of her head. "You need to sleep." He sat up and moved his hands to her shoulders.
"You could stay and I could sleep. What's the worst that could happen?"
“Well, we could stay awake all night,” he said slowly and he was looking at her lips again, sending delicious shivers down her spine, “and then you could go into work late, and lose your job. And then Molly would find out and kill me. Slowly.”
“You’re afraid of Molly,” Jane teased, amused despite her exhaustion.
“Terrified.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “I’m not joking.” He kissed her again. “I’d better go.” His only movement was to drop his head a little, until his forehead touched hers.
Jane looked into his eyes, so close their eyelashes almost touched. The smile she was suppressing made her eyes tilt at the corners, and sparked an answering smile in him for a instant, before he groaned and closed his eyes.
“This is damnably difficult.”
“Then don’t go.” Jane half whispered the words. She didn't want this to end, because it was all too perfect, too wonderful. What if his leaving destroyed it, like a soap bubble popping on your tongue, leaving nothing behind but a bad taste?
His forehead tensed, as if he was searching for words, or possibly will power. He opened his eyes again. "We have to be reasonable about this," he said. He sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than convince her. "I've nothing here, not even a toothbrush."
"It doesn't matter."
"You've got work tomorrow."
"It doesn't matter."
"It does." He leaned back, studied her face and cupped it with one hand. A thumb tried to counter the downturn of her mouth. "I am coming back. You know that."
"Do I?" Jane hated herself for being needy. But twelve hours with him and she did need him. It felt like a teenage crush. It felt like a decade long friendship. Somehow she was tangled up with this man and she was afraid of him leaving.
"Yes, you do," and as if he couldn't resist her, he brushed his lips against hers. "Tomorrow I will pick you up from work and we will have dinner and spend the evening together. And on Friday, if you still want me to, I'll stay over. With my toothbrush." He smiled gently, reassuringly and Jane, despite herself, felt reassured.
"That is, of course, if I ever manage to leave this sofa."