[ He reads her quietly for a moment, then smiles, leaning his shoulder on into the chair as though reclining into it. Truly the situation had disturbed him as much as it probably did her - at first - and then, well, he simply went along with it, because what the hell? It was against his will, but so was sleeping, and as experiences went he'd much rather put up with the kissing. It wasn't massively unpleasant. ]
I don't have the same disadvantage as you, Kathy. For me, a kiss can just be a kiss. I'm not breaking any rules or reshuffling the deck. Nobody's going to look at me and wonder what if, and it certainly isn't going to make anything awkward. Look at us, after all. And that's just fine with me. It's my privilege to be at once equal and above reproach.
[ In some ways perhaps it was also a curse, but it didn't do to dwell. ]
The problem isn't the kiss at all. You're a grown woman, you can kiss whoever you like. It's that it meant something; something you can't take back.
[ He's trying to be delicate, feeling out at his attempts to be helpful to see how far he can go, but it still might be too soon--he's very aware of that possibility. Still, no small gain without risk. ]
action
I don't have the same disadvantage as you, Kathy. For me, a kiss can just be a kiss. I'm not breaking any rules or reshuffling the deck. Nobody's going to look at me and wonder what if, and it certainly isn't going to make anything awkward. Look at us, after all. And that's just fine with me. It's my privilege to be at once equal and above reproach.
[ In some ways perhaps it was also a curse, but it didn't do to dwell. ]
The problem isn't the kiss at all. You're a grown woman, you can kiss whoever you like. It's that it meant something; something you can't take back.
[ He's trying to be delicate, feeling out at his attempts to be helpful to see how far he can go, but it still might be too soon--he's very aware of that possibility. Still, no small gain without risk. ]