stumbling towards serenity - postscript
Two ficly bits set in the stumbling towards serenity universe.
the morning after - PG - 1369 words
Note: Set the morning after the fic ends. Kindly looked over by vinterdrog. All remaining mistakes are my own.
It's clearly morning when Jesse wakes up; sun streams in through the windows, someone is banging around in the kitchen, and the muted sound of voices filter in through the door. He wriggles around to face Andrew, who is still sleeping with one arm thrown over Jesse's waist and his face buried into the pillows.
"Hey," Jesse murmurs, curling a hand around his hip and shaking him lightly. "It's time to wake up."
Andrew stirs slightly and grumbles something unintelligible.
"It's your birthday," Jesse reminds him. "You don't want to miss it, do you?"
Andrew groans and flops over on his back, blinking his eyes open. He turns his head to give Jesse a baleful look. "That is exactly why I should be allowed to sleep however much I want."
Jesse huffs. "Fine," he says. "Be that way. See if you get a present from me."
"Present?" Andrew perks up, rolling over on his side again and propping his head up against his hand. "You have a present?"
"Well, it's your birthday," Jesse says, pushing himself up to sit with his back against the headboard.
"But I thought last night was my present."
Jesse blinks at him. "Did you find a ribbon anywhere on my person?"
"No?"
"Then it wasn't your present."
"It would have been nice though," Andrew says, walking his fingers up Jesse's leg. "If you'd had a ribbon wrapped around your…"
"If you finish that sentence I'm breaking up with you," Jesse lies.
Andrew laughs and scoots closer to kiss Jesse's knee. "Last night was amazing," he says. "Are you feeling okay today?"
Jesse flushes and nods. "Yeah," he mumbles. "It's… I'm fine. Good."
"No regrets?"
Jesse shakes his head quickly.
"Good," Andrew says, crawling upward to settle down with his face against Jesse's hip. He looks like he's about to fall asleep again, breathing wetly against Jesse's skin.
Jesse reaches down to pull the gift box from under the bed and puts it on his lap, fingering the bow nervously. The gift seemed like a good idea right up until now. Now it just seems stupid and too little and not nearly enough for Andrew who is so amazing he deserves all the pretty things in the entire world.
"Ooooh," Andrew says, pushing himself up again. "Gimme."
Jesse worries at his lower lip. "It's stupid," he warns.
"I don't care," Andrew responds, making grabby motions for the box.
Jesse clutches it tighter. "You're not going to like it."
"I'm sure I'll love it," Andrew says, reaching out to pry the box from Jesse's fingers.
"But what if you don't? Then what? I'll be the worst boyfriend ever."
Andrew laughs and leans forward to give Jesse a kiss, cleverly using Jesse's momentary distraction to pull the box loose.
"My opinions of you as a boyfriend won't change even if there's a dead fish in the box," he promises.
"A dead fish?" Jesse says thoughtfully. "Now, why didn't I think of that?"
Andrew's grin crinkles his eyes and he looks like a five year old on Christmas morning as he pulls the ribbon open. Jesse can't watch him tear at the wrapping and stares stubbornly at the window instead. The worst part is that even if Andrew does hate the shirt, he'd never say, because he's just that nice.
"Oh," Andrew breathes and Jesse stiffens because he can't tell if it's good or bad. "Wow, Jess, this is amazing"
Jesse forces himself to look up. Andrew looks almost reverent as he pulls the shirt out, holding it up to his face. "It's gorgeous," he says. "Where did you find this?"
"Uh… The comic store next to the bookstore. Um… Elena works there… you know from… um… actually you don't, but she helped me with the size. Is it the right size? She said I could change it if it wasn't."
"It looks like the perfect size," Andrew says happily, clutching the shirt to his chest. "I love it so much."
Jesse doesn't think he's lying, it would be a bit over the top if he was, but still.
"Thank you," Andrew murmurs, crawling forward to give Jesse a long sweet kiss. "It's awesome and you're the best boyfriend ever."
Jesse smiles and touches Andrew's cheek. "You're pretty adequate too," he says.
Andrew grins and sits back on his haunches but then someone yells something about breakfast from the kitchen and his grin turns into a sigh.
"I better shower," he says. "Or they'll be banging down the door."
"Okay," Jesse says.
"Care to join me?" Andrew asks hopefully.
Jesse flushes. "I showered last night," he mutters.
He's pretty sure everyone heard them last night and he's not going to give a repeat performance in broad daylight, no matter how much Andrew pouts.
"Breakfast time, love birds," JT shouts from the hall, knocking obnoxiously on the door.
"In a minute," Andrew answers.
"Go shower," Jesse says, leaning forward to kiss him. "I'm gonna get dressed and then freak out about all the people that heard us have sex last night."
"Oh no," Andrew says against Jesse's mouth. "Don't do that."
"Too late," Jesse mutters. "Now, go shower. I'll be fine."
Andrew looks torn. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Jesse says, kissing him again. "I'm sure."
Andrew grabs a clean change of clothes and disappears to the bathroom across the hall. As soon as the door is closed behind him Jesse sags forward and takes a moment to just breathe. It's not a proper freak out, his pulse doesn't thunder and his palms aren't sweaty. He's really just embarrassed; sex noises are so terribly unsexy when you're not directly involved in making them.
After a few moments he straightens up, squares his shoulders, and slips out of bed. He finds the jeans from yesterday and puts on the red and white checkered shirt. He skips changing his underwear because it's not that long since he put them on and he's pretty sure that once Andrew notices he's going to get a kick out of Jesse wearing his boxers.
There's a small mirror on the wall and he uses it to try and fix his hair into something that resembles a hairstyle more than a bird nest, but it's hard to tell if he succeeds, his hair has a life of its own. Once he gives up on his hair he straightens the bed sheets and puts the discarded wrapping paper into the gift box, putting it aside, and since Andrew still isn't back, he takes a deep breath and exits the room.
The kitchen is bustling with activity, people and dishes and cups and pans everywhere, the air heavy with the smell of coffee and frying bacon.
"Morning," Rooney says from her spot at the counter, without taking her eyes off the cucumber she's deftly cutting into slices.
Jesse's cheeks heat up and a mumbles some sort of greeting on his way past.
"Nice shirt," Mila says, from her spot beside JT and JT gestures to the empty chair next to his own saying, "I saved you a seat."
Jesse almost looks over his shoulder to see if there's someone behind him, but he thinks that would be rude, so he silently slips around the table to sit down next to JT.
"Did you sleep well?" Armie asks, making a renewed burst of color spread across Jesse's cheeks, but it doesn't sound like mocking, it sounds like an honest question and he manages to stutter out an affirmative.
Max asks if he wants coffee or tea and moments later a cup of coffee is slid across the table toward him and Jesse lets himself relax, they're not going to laugh at him. Andrew shows up moments later, in skinny jeans and the Spider Man shirt, and they all get up to sing to him and Andrew kisses Jesse's cheek and everything is okay.
He takes a moment to let that settle, reaching out to tangle his fingers with Andrew's. Summer is almost over and everything is okay, and looking around at the smiling faces of Andrew's friends he lets himself believe that maybe it will go on being okay, maybe even for a very long time, and somehow that's okay too.
--
cross-dressing - NC17 - 1070 words
Note: Set after the main arc of the fic. Kindly looked over by vinterdrog. All remaining mistakes are my own.
It's all Andrew's fault, if it hadn't been for his stupid off-hand comment Jesse would never have done it and he wouldn't have had to sit through an awkward dinner with Emma and Andrew's parents wearing silky lacey panties. (Logically, he knows it's not Andrew's fault his parents cancelled their dinner reservations at the last minute, but logic has very little to do with the squirmy, heavy feeling at the pit of his stomach that just won't go away.)
"Are you okay?" Andrew asks when dinner is finally finally over and his parents has left to catch a movie. "You seem a bit jumpy."
"I'm fine," Jesse says too quickly. "Great even. Why wouldn't I be?"
He can hear Emma stifle a laugh while Andrew's face sets into seven shades of concern; he's ridiculous, really. Jesse jumps up before anyone can ask any more awkward questions and starts clearing the table with jerky movements. Being up and moving is worse, the silky lace dragging and clinging to places that really doesn't need any kind of encouragement, and he's acutely aware of the fact that he only has to stretch wrong for a peak of red lace to show up between his t-shirt and his jeans. This is the worst idea he’s ever had.
-
It takes forever to get Andrew alone. Emma, the traitor, clearly senses that something's up, and takes eons to get ready for the party Andrew promised to drive her to. Then there's the car ride, and Andrew insisting they stop for ice-cream, and about seventeen hours of stilted conversation because Jesse can't focus on anything but Andrew's lips.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Andrew asks, when they're finally back in the car. "You look a bit feverish."
He reaches out to touch the side of Jesse's face and Jesse basically climbs the gear shift to get to his lips because he's had it with conversation.
"Oh," Andrew says when he pulls away, heavy lidded and smiling. "I get it."
"'Bout time," Jesse mutters, sinking back down into his seat and fastening his seat belt.
"You could have just said something, you know."
"I find it really hard to work, I want to jump your bones, into polite conversation, you know that," Jesse mutters.
Andrew grins, looking pleased as punch. "You're my favorite," he says happily.
-
Jesse doesn't get nervous until they're safely locked in Andrew's room and Andrew presses him up against the door, claiming his lips and palming his sides. It really was just one comment and Jesse isn't sure he was meant to take it seriously, and what if Andrew thinks the whole thing is stupid and laughs at him, what then?
Andrew's hands slip lower towards Jesse's hips and Jesse reaches out to catch them, curling his fingers tight around Andrew's wrists. Andrew lifts his head from Jesse's neck to give him a quizzical look.
"Err," Jesse says, flushing. "Theoretically speaking… if you said something to me that maybe was meant to be taken as a joke but I took it seriously… would you laugh at me?"
"Only in a loving way," Andrew promises earnestly.
"Even if… if it involved uh… panties?"
Andrew's eyes go wide and his mouth falls open and he sucks in a startled breath. "You're… it… you… are you… Jesse?"
It's promising enough that Jesse lets go of Andrew's wrists to pull his t-shirt up, giving Andrew a peek of the red lace above his waistband.
"Err… Maybe?"
Andrew swallows thickly and his hands drop down to frame Jesse's hips, thumbs rubbing circles against the fabric.
"Oh," he says, eyes fixed on Jesse's stomach. "It's… wow."
Jesse's hands shake as he fumbles his fly open but it's more arousal than nerves, he thinks.
"Holy shit," Andrew whispers when Jesse lets his hands drop, leaving his lace covered bulge clearly visible through the open V of his fly. "It's… you… I'm going to blow you now."
Andrew drops to his knees and Jesse thumps his head back against the door and then Andrew's mouth is right there, mouthing the curve of his dick through the lace.
"I might come on your face," Jesse says shakily as he threads a hand into Andrew's hair, because that's what he always says.
"I'd rather you came in your panties," Andrew murmurs, shaky rough, and pulls Jesse's jeans down to his thighs.
-
Jesse does, after what feels like hours of Andrew's mouth and hands and tongue all over him - slow, deep suction, rough hands palming him, the lace being pulled down and pulled up until Jesse's knees are trembling and his breath comes out in desperate keening grunts.
"Andrew… I'm…" he manages and Andrew pulls back, eyes heavy lidded and mouth puffy.
"In the panties?" he breathes, a question but not.
Jesse nods, choking back a moan when Andrew pulls the lace up one last time, trapping his dick against his stomach. Then Andrew's mouth is there, sucking the head through the lace while one of hands palms the arching shaft and the other digs into Jesse's ass. It's impossible not to come then, hips pulsing against Andrew's face while his come soaks the already ruined panties and his own stomach and it's totally worth it for the way Andrew moans as if it hurts him, letting go of Jesse's ass in favor of fisting his own dick rough and fast until he comes too, not even a minute later.
Jesse's knees give out and they end up in a tangle of limbs on the floor. Andrew more or less crawls on top of him to claim his mouth in a sweet slow kiss, before settling down with his head on Jesse's thigh and one hand possessively curled around Jesse's hip. Jesse lets his head fall back against the door again and smiles up at the ceiling.
"So maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea after all," he admits.
Andrew chuckles and turns his head slightly to nose at the absolute mess made out of the panties. "Best boyfriend ever," he murmurs and for once Jesse finds it easy to believe him.
"Same," he mumbles, tangling his fingers into Andrew's wild hair.
He doesn't even move when he hears the door close downstairs, announcing the arrival of Andrew's parents. Andrew's door is locked, the floor is surprisingly comfortable, and he doesn't want to let go of this moment just yet.
the morning after - PG - 1369 words
Note: Set the morning after the fic ends. Kindly looked over by vinterdrog. All remaining mistakes are my own.
It's clearly morning when Jesse wakes up; sun streams in through the windows, someone is banging around in the kitchen, and the muted sound of voices filter in through the door. He wriggles around to face Andrew, who is still sleeping with one arm thrown over Jesse's waist and his face buried into the pillows.
"Hey," Jesse murmurs, curling a hand around his hip and shaking him lightly. "It's time to wake up."
Andrew stirs slightly and grumbles something unintelligible.
"It's your birthday," Jesse reminds him. "You don't want to miss it, do you?"
Andrew groans and flops over on his back, blinking his eyes open. He turns his head to give Jesse a baleful look. "That is exactly why I should be allowed to sleep however much I want."
Jesse huffs. "Fine," he says. "Be that way. See if you get a present from me."
"Present?" Andrew perks up, rolling over on his side again and propping his head up against his hand. "You have a present?"
"Well, it's your birthday," Jesse says, pushing himself up to sit with his back against the headboard.
"But I thought last night was my present."
Jesse blinks at him. "Did you find a ribbon anywhere on my person?"
"No?"
"Then it wasn't your present."
"It would have been nice though," Andrew says, walking his fingers up Jesse's leg. "If you'd had a ribbon wrapped around your…"
"If you finish that sentence I'm breaking up with you," Jesse lies.
Andrew laughs and scoots closer to kiss Jesse's knee. "Last night was amazing," he says. "Are you feeling okay today?"
Jesse flushes and nods. "Yeah," he mumbles. "It's… I'm fine. Good."
"No regrets?"
Jesse shakes his head quickly.
"Good," Andrew says, crawling upward to settle down with his face against Jesse's hip. He looks like he's about to fall asleep again, breathing wetly against Jesse's skin.
Jesse reaches down to pull the gift box from under the bed and puts it on his lap, fingering the bow nervously. The gift seemed like a good idea right up until now. Now it just seems stupid and too little and not nearly enough for Andrew who is so amazing he deserves all the pretty things in the entire world.
"Ooooh," Andrew says, pushing himself up again. "Gimme."
Jesse worries at his lower lip. "It's stupid," he warns.
"I don't care," Andrew responds, making grabby motions for the box.
Jesse clutches it tighter. "You're not going to like it."
"I'm sure I'll love it," Andrew says, reaching out to pry the box from Jesse's fingers.
"But what if you don't? Then what? I'll be the worst boyfriend ever."
Andrew laughs and leans forward to give Jesse a kiss, cleverly using Jesse's momentary distraction to pull the box loose.
"My opinions of you as a boyfriend won't change even if there's a dead fish in the box," he promises.
"A dead fish?" Jesse says thoughtfully. "Now, why didn't I think of that?"
Andrew's grin crinkles his eyes and he looks like a five year old on Christmas morning as he pulls the ribbon open. Jesse can't watch him tear at the wrapping and stares stubbornly at the window instead. The worst part is that even if Andrew does hate the shirt, he'd never say, because he's just that nice.
"Oh," Andrew breathes and Jesse stiffens because he can't tell if it's good or bad. "Wow, Jess, this is amazing"
Jesse forces himself to look up. Andrew looks almost reverent as he pulls the shirt out, holding it up to his face. "It's gorgeous," he says. "Where did you find this?"
"Uh… The comic store next to the bookstore. Um… Elena works there… you know from… um… actually you don't, but she helped me with the size. Is it the right size? She said I could change it if it wasn't."
"It looks like the perfect size," Andrew says happily, clutching the shirt to his chest. "I love it so much."
Jesse doesn't think he's lying, it would be a bit over the top if he was, but still.
"Thank you," Andrew murmurs, crawling forward to give Jesse a long sweet kiss. "It's awesome and you're the best boyfriend ever."
Jesse smiles and touches Andrew's cheek. "You're pretty adequate too," he says.
Andrew grins and sits back on his haunches but then someone yells something about breakfast from the kitchen and his grin turns into a sigh.
"I better shower," he says. "Or they'll be banging down the door."
"Okay," Jesse says.
"Care to join me?" Andrew asks hopefully.
Jesse flushes. "I showered last night," he mutters.
He's pretty sure everyone heard them last night and he's not going to give a repeat performance in broad daylight, no matter how much Andrew pouts.
"Breakfast time, love birds," JT shouts from the hall, knocking obnoxiously on the door.
"In a minute," Andrew answers.
"Go shower," Jesse says, leaning forward to kiss him. "I'm gonna get dressed and then freak out about all the people that heard us have sex last night."
"Oh no," Andrew says against Jesse's mouth. "Don't do that."
"Too late," Jesse mutters. "Now, go shower. I'll be fine."
Andrew looks torn. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Jesse says, kissing him again. "I'm sure."
Andrew grabs a clean change of clothes and disappears to the bathroom across the hall. As soon as the door is closed behind him Jesse sags forward and takes a moment to just breathe. It's not a proper freak out, his pulse doesn't thunder and his palms aren't sweaty. He's really just embarrassed; sex noises are so terribly unsexy when you're not directly involved in making them.
After a few moments he straightens up, squares his shoulders, and slips out of bed. He finds the jeans from yesterday and puts on the red and white checkered shirt. He skips changing his underwear because it's not that long since he put them on and he's pretty sure that once Andrew notices he's going to get a kick out of Jesse wearing his boxers.
There's a small mirror on the wall and he uses it to try and fix his hair into something that resembles a hairstyle more than a bird nest, but it's hard to tell if he succeeds, his hair has a life of its own. Once he gives up on his hair he straightens the bed sheets and puts the discarded wrapping paper into the gift box, putting it aside, and since Andrew still isn't back, he takes a deep breath and exits the room.
The kitchen is bustling with activity, people and dishes and cups and pans everywhere, the air heavy with the smell of coffee and frying bacon.
"Morning," Rooney says from her spot at the counter, without taking her eyes off the cucumber she's deftly cutting into slices.
Jesse's cheeks heat up and a mumbles some sort of greeting on his way past.
"Nice shirt," Mila says, from her spot beside JT and JT gestures to the empty chair next to his own saying, "I saved you a seat."
Jesse almost looks over his shoulder to see if there's someone behind him, but he thinks that would be rude, so he silently slips around the table to sit down next to JT.
"Did you sleep well?" Armie asks, making a renewed burst of color spread across Jesse's cheeks, but it doesn't sound like mocking, it sounds like an honest question and he manages to stutter out an affirmative.
Max asks if he wants coffee or tea and moments later a cup of coffee is slid across the table toward him and Jesse lets himself relax, they're not going to laugh at him. Andrew shows up moments later, in skinny jeans and the Spider Man shirt, and they all get up to sing to him and Andrew kisses Jesse's cheek and everything is okay.
He takes a moment to let that settle, reaching out to tangle his fingers with Andrew's. Summer is almost over and everything is okay, and looking around at the smiling faces of Andrew's friends he lets himself believe that maybe it will go on being okay, maybe even for a very long time, and somehow that's okay too.
--
cross-dressing - NC17 - 1070 words
Note: Set after the main arc of the fic. Kindly looked over by vinterdrog. All remaining mistakes are my own.
It's all Andrew's fault, if it hadn't been for his stupid off-hand comment Jesse would never have done it and he wouldn't have had to sit through an awkward dinner with Emma and Andrew's parents wearing silky lacey panties. (Logically, he knows it's not Andrew's fault his parents cancelled their dinner reservations at the last minute, but logic has very little to do with the squirmy, heavy feeling at the pit of his stomach that just won't go away.)
"Are you okay?" Andrew asks when dinner is finally finally over and his parents has left to catch a movie. "You seem a bit jumpy."
"I'm fine," Jesse says too quickly. "Great even. Why wouldn't I be?"
He can hear Emma stifle a laugh while Andrew's face sets into seven shades of concern; he's ridiculous, really. Jesse jumps up before anyone can ask any more awkward questions and starts clearing the table with jerky movements. Being up and moving is worse, the silky lace dragging and clinging to places that really doesn't need any kind of encouragement, and he's acutely aware of the fact that he only has to stretch wrong for a peak of red lace to show up between his t-shirt and his jeans. This is the worst idea he’s ever had.
-
It takes forever to get Andrew alone. Emma, the traitor, clearly senses that something's up, and takes eons to get ready for the party Andrew promised to drive her to. Then there's the car ride, and Andrew insisting they stop for ice-cream, and about seventeen hours of stilted conversation because Jesse can't focus on anything but Andrew's lips.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Andrew asks, when they're finally back in the car. "You look a bit feverish."
He reaches out to touch the side of Jesse's face and Jesse basically climbs the gear shift to get to his lips because he's had it with conversation.
"Oh," Andrew says when he pulls away, heavy lidded and smiling. "I get it."
"'Bout time," Jesse mutters, sinking back down into his seat and fastening his seat belt.
"You could have just said something, you know."
"I find it really hard to work, I want to jump your bones, into polite conversation, you know that," Jesse mutters.
Andrew grins, looking pleased as punch. "You're my favorite," he says happily.
-
Jesse doesn't get nervous until they're safely locked in Andrew's room and Andrew presses him up against the door, claiming his lips and palming his sides. It really was just one comment and Jesse isn't sure he was meant to take it seriously, and what if Andrew thinks the whole thing is stupid and laughs at him, what then?
Andrew's hands slip lower towards Jesse's hips and Jesse reaches out to catch them, curling his fingers tight around Andrew's wrists. Andrew lifts his head from Jesse's neck to give him a quizzical look.
"Err," Jesse says, flushing. "Theoretically speaking… if you said something to me that maybe was meant to be taken as a joke but I took it seriously… would you laugh at me?"
"Only in a loving way," Andrew promises earnestly.
"Even if… if it involved uh… panties?"
Andrew's eyes go wide and his mouth falls open and he sucks in a startled breath. "You're… it… you… are you… Jesse?"
It's promising enough that Jesse lets go of Andrew's wrists to pull his t-shirt up, giving Andrew a peek of the red lace above his waistband.
"Err… Maybe?"
Andrew swallows thickly and his hands drop down to frame Jesse's hips, thumbs rubbing circles against the fabric.
"Oh," he says, eyes fixed on Jesse's stomach. "It's… wow."
Jesse's hands shake as he fumbles his fly open but it's more arousal than nerves, he thinks.
"Holy shit," Andrew whispers when Jesse lets his hands drop, leaving his lace covered bulge clearly visible through the open V of his fly. "It's… you… I'm going to blow you now."
Andrew drops to his knees and Jesse thumps his head back against the door and then Andrew's mouth is right there, mouthing the curve of his dick through the lace.
"I might come on your face," Jesse says shakily as he threads a hand into Andrew's hair, because that's what he always says.
"I'd rather you came in your panties," Andrew murmurs, shaky rough, and pulls Jesse's jeans down to his thighs.
-
Jesse does, after what feels like hours of Andrew's mouth and hands and tongue all over him - slow, deep suction, rough hands palming him, the lace being pulled down and pulled up until Jesse's knees are trembling and his breath comes out in desperate keening grunts.
"Andrew… I'm…" he manages and Andrew pulls back, eyes heavy lidded and mouth puffy.
"In the panties?" he breathes, a question but not.
Jesse nods, choking back a moan when Andrew pulls the lace up one last time, trapping his dick against his stomach. Then Andrew's mouth is there, sucking the head through the lace while one of hands palms the arching shaft and the other digs into Jesse's ass. It's impossible not to come then, hips pulsing against Andrew's face while his come soaks the already ruined panties and his own stomach and it's totally worth it for the way Andrew moans as if it hurts him, letting go of Jesse's ass in favor of fisting his own dick rough and fast until he comes too, not even a minute later.
Jesse's knees give out and they end up in a tangle of limbs on the floor. Andrew more or less crawls on top of him to claim his mouth in a sweet slow kiss, before settling down with his head on Jesse's thigh and one hand possessively curled around Jesse's hip. Jesse lets his head fall back against the door again and smiles up at the ceiling.
"So maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea after all," he admits.
Andrew chuckles and turns his head slightly to nose at the absolute mess made out of the panties. "Best boyfriend ever," he murmurs and for once Jesse finds it easy to believe him.
"Same," he mumbles, tangling his fingers into Andrew's wild hair.
He doesn't even move when he hears the door close downstairs, announcing the arrival of Andrew's parents. Andrew's door is locked, the floor is surprisingly comfortable, and he doesn't want to let go of this moment just yet.