couples_therapy || 43.5. Lover Come Back quote
43.5. Lover Come Back quote (from Week 38)
Carol Templeton: You kissed me and I was thrilled!
Jerry Webster: A kiss? What does that prove? It's like finding out you can light a stove. It doesn't make you a cook.
Co-written with paramedically
[Follows THIS]
Andrew wasn’t going to answer the door. His body felt far too achy and his bed felt far too warm to abandon it to answer the buzzer. His head hurt and his nose was running. If it was Luke and Tab, they could come back to baby-sit him tomorrow. He knew they were just worried about him and their visits were well-meaning, but he had the flu. That was English for ‘Please leave me alone to die in peace, cheers’. He was never one to fall victim of the infamous Man Flu. He preferred to just hole up in bed himself until it passed, and after everything that had happened and considering the week ahead of him, hibernating sounded like a beneficial option.
But the buzzer wasn’t stopping. He rubbed his hand over his face with a moan and then dragged himself out of bed. A quick survey of his jammies - an old pair of blue and grey checked flannel cotton pants - told him he wasn’t going to bother getting dressed. He stole a quick sip of water from his glass beside the bed to wet his sore throat and then shuffled through the apartment to the door. A sneeze interrupted the process when he slipped the chain off and he sniffled wetly when he opened the door. It wasn’t Luke and Tab.
It was Ali.
And he was standing there with a dripping nose in his jammies with bloodshot sleepy eyes and bed hair.
Well, shit.
It was Ali that spoke first because Andrew, not surprisingly, looked totally stunned at her presence. But it was his presence that had her immediately flustered, even though she had all day to prepare for it. On the cab ride over, she really did think she was prepared, but no. That was her mind playing tricks on her again. Just like she had assumed she would be able to put a diaper on first time and it work perfectly. No such luck. “I- I-,” she stammered and then put her hand up to her mouth to chew on her thumb nail. Her maternal instinct - what little of it there was - seemed to be trying to kick in with Andrew. Was that normal? “You look like shit. You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”
Andrew remained silent for a few moments and then sighed. “No.” He stepped aside and gestured into his apartment for her to come in. Even that was quite shameful. Clothes and stuff strewn around with the odd used cup and plate. He hadn’t felt like cleaning up when he had the flu. Was he supposed to be anxious about making an impression on her, though?
Ali fidgeted with the strap of her handbag as she followed him into the apartment. It looked pristine compared to hers at the moment, but his felt so much more cosy and warm with the boyish touches lying around the place. “Did I wake you?” she asked, trying not to think how cute his sleep hair looked and how damn nice his toned abs were. She spied the top of a tattoo peeking out the top of his pyjamas pants near his hip and really wanted to know what it was. “How are you feeling? Luke said…” she trailed off, realising she had just totally dumped his cousin into the shit.
Andrew closed the door behind her and went to curl up in one of the armchairs, gesturing for her to do the same. He had already managed to piece together that Luke would be involved on some level. There was no other way she could have gotten his address. He grabbed up a stray t-shirt and dragged it on so he wouldn’t catch pneumonia. “Like shit,” he confirmed. “Nothing I can’t handle. How about you? Are you… getting on okay with Jamie at home?”
Ali gave a small nod and then leaned forward with a small whimper. “Andrew, I was a fucking cow!” she blurted out and the floodgates opened. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away. You just took me by surprise and I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. It’s not that I’m rebounding from any fucking relationship or anything. I broke up with the Jamie’s father years ago, but you’re so different to him. You’re so different to any guy I’ve ever been with and I didn’t understand why you would be bothering with me at all. I’ve got a kid and a fucking shitload of issues hanging over me. I’m totally screwed up. I’m not joking. I used fly spray as cooking oil yesterday and only realised when it set the smoke alarm off. You’re everything he’s not and to be honest, I feel like I’m going to break you because you’re so damn sweet and wonderful. You don’t know what might happen if you get too close to me. I could be catching. But I liked it. The kiss, it was… I haven’t been able to get you out of my head and I just had to see you again, but I’ll understand if you want to turf me out on my arse. I’d turf me out on my arse. But I just had to tell you that I know I pushed you away, but I don’t regret the kiss. In fact, I… I want you to do it again.”
Andrew really tried to force himself to remain stoic in the situation. He needed to hold on for the ride as her heartfelt admissions of self-loathing poured out of her. It didn’t avert him, though. It should have, but it didn’t. Not a single thing that came out of her mouth was enough for him to throw up a shield and ward her off. Instead, he pushed out of his chair and leaned over, catching her lips with his in another searing kiss.
This time, Ali didn’t push him away. Her hand circled around the back of his neck and she kissed back, inviting his tongue further into her mouth and following his lead. She didn’t know how long it continued for but when it broke, they were both breathless, holding each other’s gaze with barely a couple of inches between their lips. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to want now,” she admitted in a small voice, her other hand gripped around his arm. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t either,” Andrew murmured and touched his fingers to her soft hair. “I don’t have the answers for you, Ali. You need to find those yourself.”
Ali searched his eyes, trying to find the answers. Nothing immediately came, but it wasn’t frustration that caught her, it was hope. She cupped his face in her hands, kissing him again as they melted into a heated embrace and for even just a few moments, she felt like she never wanted to let go.
Luke Jackson [notskywalker] & Tab Browne [asinthecity] referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,146
Carol Templeton: You kissed me and I was thrilled!
Jerry Webster: A kiss? What does that prove? It's like finding out you can light a stove. It doesn't make you a cook.
Co-written with paramedically
[Follows THIS]
Andrew wasn’t going to answer the door. His body felt far too achy and his bed felt far too warm to abandon it to answer the buzzer. His head hurt and his nose was running. If it was Luke and Tab, they could come back to baby-sit him tomorrow. He knew they were just worried about him and their visits were well-meaning, but he had the flu. That was English for ‘Please leave me alone to die in peace, cheers’. He was never one to fall victim of the infamous Man Flu. He preferred to just hole up in bed himself until it passed, and after everything that had happened and considering the week ahead of him, hibernating sounded like a beneficial option.
But the buzzer wasn’t stopping. He rubbed his hand over his face with a moan and then dragged himself out of bed. A quick survey of his jammies - an old pair of blue and grey checked flannel cotton pants - told him he wasn’t going to bother getting dressed. He stole a quick sip of water from his glass beside the bed to wet his sore throat and then shuffled through the apartment to the door. A sneeze interrupted the process when he slipped the chain off and he sniffled wetly when he opened the door. It wasn’t Luke and Tab.
It was Ali.
And he was standing there with a dripping nose in his jammies with bloodshot sleepy eyes and bed hair.
Well, shit.
It was Ali that spoke first because Andrew, not surprisingly, looked totally stunned at her presence. But it was his presence that had her immediately flustered, even though she had all day to prepare for it. On the cab ride over, she really did think she was prepared, but no. That was her mind playing tricks on her again. Just like she had assumed she would be able to put a diaper on first time and it work perfectly. No such luck. “I- I-,” she stammered and then put her hand up to her mouth to chew on her thumb nail. Her maternal instinct - what little of it there was - seemed to be trying to kick in with Andrew. Was that normal? “You look like shit. You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?”
Andrew remained silent for a few moments and then sighed. “No.” He stepped aside and gestured into his apartment for her to come in. Even that was quite shameful. Clothes and stuff strewn around with the odd used cup and plate. He hadn’t felt like cleaning up when he had the flu. Was he supposed to be anxious about making an impression on her, though?
Ali fidgeted with the strap of her handbag as she followed him into the apartment. It looked pristine compared to hers at the moment, but his felt so much more cosy and warm with the boyish touches lying around the place. “Did I wake you?” she asked, trying not to think how cute his sleep hair looked and how damn nice his toned abs were. She spied the top of a tattoo peeking out the top of his pyjamas pants near his hip and really wanted to know what it was. “How are you feeling? Luke said…” she trailed off, realising she had just totally dumped his cousin into the shit.
Andrew closed the door behind her and went to curl up in one of the armchairs, gesturing for her to do the same. He had already managed to piece together that Luke would be involved on some level. There was no other way she could have gotten his address. He grabbed up a stray t-shirt and dragged it on so he wouldn’t catch pneumonia. “Like shit,” he confirmed. “Nothing I can’t handle. How about you? Are you… getting on okay with Jamie at home?”
Ali gave a small nod and then leaned forward with a small whimper. “Andrew, I was a fucking cow!” she blurted out and the floodgates opened. “I shouldn’t have pushed you away. You just took me by surprise and I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. It’s not that I’m rebounding from any fucking relationship or anything. I broke up with the Jamie’s father years ago, but you’re so different to him. You’re so different to any guy I’ve ever been with and I didn’t understand why you would be bothering with me at all. I’ve got a kid and a fucking shitload of issues hanging over me. I’m totally screwed up. I’m not joking. I used fly spray as cooking oil yesterday and only realised when it set the smoke alarm off. You’re everything he’s not and to be honest, I feel like I’m going to break you because you’re so damn sweet and wonderful. You don’t know what might happen if you get too close to me. I could be catching. But I liked it. The kiss, it was… I haven’t been able to get you out of my head and I just had to see you again, but I’ll understand if you want to turf me out on my arse. I’d turf me out on my arse. But I just had to tell you that I know I pushed you away, but I don’t regret the kiss. In fact, I… I want you to do it again.”
Andrew really tried to force himself to remain stoic in the situation. He needed to hold on for the ride as her heartfelt admissions of self-loathing poured out of her. It didn’t avert him, though. It should have, but it didn’t. Not a single thing that came out of her mouth was enough for him to throw up a shield and ward her off. Instead, he pushed out of his chair and leaned over, catching her lips with his in another searing kiss.
This time, Ali didn’t push him away. Her hand circled around the back of his neck and she kissed back, inviting his tongue further into her mouth and following his lead. She didn’t know how long it continued for but when it broke, they were both breathless, holding each other’s gaze with barely a couple of inches between their lips. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to want now,” she admitted in a small voice, her other hand gripped around his arm. “I don’t know what to do.”
“I don’t either,” Andrew murmured and touched his fingers to her soft hair. “I don’t have the answers for you, Ali. You need to find those yourself.”
Ali searched his eyes, trying to find the answers. Nothing immediately came, but it wasn’t frustration that caught her, it was hope. She cupped his face in her hands, kissing him again as they melted into a heated embrace and for even just a few moments, she felt like she never wanted to let go.
Luke Jackson [notskywalker] & Tab Browne [asinthecity] referenced with permission
Word Count | 1,146