Ten ways you say I love you, without saying the words
1. She doesn't knock him on his ass when he walks through the door five minutes past midnight. She thinks she's got a shit load of self-control, right there. But it might be part because she's crying and part because she hasn't slept in two days or three days or something days and part because Sam's rightbehindhim. Mostly though, it's because he's not hellhound kibble and he's standing right in front of her looking like Hell.
2. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says with something like a laugh only more pained and rough around the edges. She's pretty sure that's the lamest opening line she's every heard come out of his mouth -- and you've gotta trust she's heard 'em all. She wants to groan or roll her eyes or hit him or something but she can't because he's alive and he's right there in front of her.
3. She's banking on being a saint when she dies because she puts up with his dumb ass. It's not everyday and it's barely every week, but she knows when he'll be around and he knows when she'll be around and they meet up and they fuck up and they do everything they can to not love each other but when it comes down to it they can't do it. Because when they see each other it's like maybe there's a chance.
4. She doesn't even laugh when he asks her -- in the saddest, most pathetic and simultaneously adorable little boy voice she's ever heard -- not to fuck his brother when he's gone. She doesn't laugh because she's too busy making kissy faces at Sam.
5. She wants to tell him to leave and never come back. That she doesn't love him. That he can't do this to her. That she's supposed to mean something to him. Or something. She wants to say all that but she doesn't. He's walking off to his death with his head held high and whatever dignity he can muster and she can't bear to do anything to make it hurt more. Instead she punches him in the arm a little and tells him to buck up and be a man about it, but she's crying so she doesn't think it works like it's supposed to.
6. She tells him John would be a really nice middle name, you know, someday. He agrees immediately because he's not paying attention but when he looks back at her with a little bit of confusion on his face she repeats herself. Then he smiles.
7. Balls on a platter is officially the scariest thing he's ever heard uttered and mostly because it came from her Mom and he's been scared shitless of her since the first day he laid eyes on Jo. Naturally, in honor of his fear, Jo says it all the time. Mostly about him.
8. "Fuck this," she says as she throws his duffle bag at him and tells him to get the hell out of her room. He takes it and walks out, but when he walks back in two hours later he's got a five-pack of Bud Light, her favorite, and a bag of cheese and onion chips. They're a peace offering clearly and he's got the glass bottles like she likes instead of the cans. She kicks him in the shins when he's sitting next to her on the couch watching some old movie neither of them thinks is good but they watch anyway. She thinks he's lucky that all she does.
9. She gives him the last piece of blueberry pie and settles next to him with a half empty bottle of blueberry soda between her knees as he eats. He smiles at her when he's finished and she laughs because his lips are blue. He laughs right back when she sticks out her blue tongue and she can taste the blueberry on his lips when he kisses her.
10. She doesn't knock him on his ass when he walks through the door five minutes past midnight. She thinks she's got a shit load of self-control, right there. But it might be part because she's crying and part because she hasn't slept in two days or three days or something days and part because Sam's rightbehindhim. Mostly though, it's because he's not hellhound kibble and he's standing right in front of her looking like Hell.
2. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he says with something like a laugh only more pained and rough around the edges. She's pretty sure that's the lamest opening line she's every heard come out of his mouth -- and you've gotta trust she's heard 'em all. She wants to groan or roll her eyes or hit him or something but she can't because he's alive and he's right there in front of her.
3. She's banking on being a saint when she dies because she puts up with his dumb ass. It's not everyday and it's barely every week, but she knows when he'll be around and he knows when she'll be around and they meet up and they fuck up and they do everything they can to not love each other but when it comes down to it they can't do it. Because when they see each other it's like maybe there's a chance.
4. She doesn't even laugh when he asks her -- in the saddest, most pathetic and simultaneously adorable little boy voice she's ever heard -- not to fuck his brother when he's gone. She doesn't laugh because she's too busy making kissy faces at Sam.
5. She wants to tell him to leave and never come back. That she doesn't love him. That he can't do this to her. That she's supposed to mean something to him. Or something. She wants to say all that but she doesn't. He's walking off to his death with his head held high and whatever dignity he can muster and she can't bear to do anything to make it hurt more. Instead she punches him in the arm a little and tells him to buck up and be a man about it, but she's crying so she doesn't think it works like it's supposed to.
6. She tells him John would be a really nice middle name, you know, someday. He agrees immediately because he's not paying attention but when he looks back at her with a little bit of confusion on his face she repeats herself. Then he smiles.
7. Balls on a platter is officially the scariest thing he's ever heard uttered and mostly because it came from her Mom and he's been scared shitless of her since the first day he laid eyes on Jo. Naturally, in honor of his fear, Jo says it all the time. Mostly about him.
8. "Fuck this," she says as she throws his duffle bag at him and tells him to get the hell out of her room. He takes it and walks out, but when he walks back in two hours later he's got a five-pack of Bud Light, her favorite, and a bag of cheese and onion chips. They're a peace offering clearly and he's got the glass bottles like she likes instead of the cans. She kicks him in the shins when he's sitting next to her on the couch watching some old movie neither of them thinks is good but they watch anyway. She thinks he's lucky that all she does.
9. She gives him the last piece of blueberry pie and settles next to him with a half empty bottle of blueberry soda between her knees as he eats. He smiles at her when he's finished and she laughs because his lips are blue. He laughs right back when she sticks out her blue tongue and she can taste the blueberry on his lips when he kisses her.
10. She doesn't knock him on his ass when he walks through the door five minutes past midnight. She thinks she's got a shit load of self-control, right there. But it might be part because she's crying and part because she hasn't slept in two days or three days or something days and part because Sam's rightbehindhim. Mostly though, it's because he's not hellhound kibble and he's standing right in front of her looking like Hell.