There was a difference in assuming and knowing, and knowing that in some way, she had his attention for that long was not only a stroke to her ego, but a surprise enough that the smile on her face wasn’t quick to fade. Early on, their friendship had been cordial, always talking when together, and now, he was the most important person in her life that she wasn’t related to. Mattered in such a way that the thought of not having him there put her in a quick panic. She had friends, but Nixon was more than a friend, a fact she was starting to think finally was shared. In ways he was an anchor when life felt like it was going down the deep end. Where she could have always counted on Mini to be beside her, Nixon had taken that place. “And not one cat call during those ten years? Nixon. Who are you?” She paused before deciding to push on. “I guess if there was anyone appreciating anything, you would be the only one I’d want. So. Yeah, there’s that.”
In the past, Blythe had kept things on a good pause, but not for the reasons Nixon might’ve expected. She knew that the beliefs that had kept her from jumping all in weren’t what they had been in the past. It was something she struggled with. Nixon had proven time and time again what he’d do, opened up in ways she wasn’t expecting. “God. Sometimes you don’t even know just how hot you are, and then you open your mouth and say that. He’s a king.” She laughed and pulled his face closer to hers, kissing him again, longer, deeper. For once, she wouldn’t be the first to end it. Yeah, sure there were people who would’ve loved to talk and catch up, but the only place she wanted to be was there in that room, with him. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere.” Words were whispered against his lips as she moved one of his hands towards her waist, brow slightly raised before her lips were once again put to work. A slip of the tongue made it all too clear that she meant what she’d said.
“Not the cheap ass person you think I am apparently.” Nixon scoffed, shooting a playfully dirty look her way. “Just because it didn’t work on you doesn’t mean I have no game, and cat calling definitely isn’t a part of it. I’m almost offended that you don’t think I’m smooth. Almost.” He’d tried to gain her attention before but he’d either lost interest before it could go anywhere once he was distracted by someone else or she shot it down with some joke and a pat on the chest, like the contact took some of the sting away from it. Though in all honesty it had never hurt much. He’d never thought they had a chance to begin with given he knew the type of person she was, and what he wanted wasn’t at all on the same page as that. He was all talk. Sure, he would’ve went for it if she’d seemed down, but he’d always known the chances of that were slim to none. Blythe wasn’t the type to casually hook up or even fool around with someone, and he’d never been looking for anything more than that.
Before he could stop himself, Nixon laugh. She’d commented on his appearance in passing or in the way he was used to hearing from older women at his parents events, but she’d never called him hot. She’d never even come close. He could count on one hand how many times she’d ever admitted any sort of attraction towards him (and he did remember the highlights) but Blythe had always been the type to change the subject any time it came up. He’d figured it was because she was embarrassed for some reason or another, but hearing her in the moment amused him more than he ever thought it would. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard worse from other people, but something about the words coming from her lips made it feel different. “Seriously? If I knew all I had to do was pretend to be selfless for a few minutes to get you to admit to something I would’ve done this years ago.”
Nixon was surprised when she pulled him back in but he reciprocated the kiss wholeheartedly. He’d never been the one to shy away from physical contact between them and he wasn’t about to start. Not when he’d been dying to touch her for months. Maybe longer if he was we being honest. He wanted it to the point that he shuddered as she whispered against his mouth, his hands faltering slightly. Normally she was the one who put on the brakes between the two of them, so her pushing forward caught him off guard. He didn’t want to push too far or to find out what would happen as a result. It was a thought that scared him, her leaving. It was something he wanted to avoid, so he needed to show some self restraint. Though that was far easier said than done. Especially given the look on her face when she guided his hand to her hip. The gesture, as small as it was, sent most of his reasoning sailing and before he could think much more about it he found himself shifting as she kissed him, casually pulling her on to his lap. It didn’t help with self preservation, but it made it abundantly clear that she held all the power between them. “You’re going to make me lose my fucking mind.” He shook his head slowly before melting back into the kiss, sliding his hands from her hips down her legs and back up again, his palms slowly caressing the bare skin of her thighs that had been revealed by the gesture. “But I bet I can make you lose yours first. If you want me to. And that’s not some I offer something up to get something back thing either. I just want to make you feel good. Or at least to help you forget about how bad you are at hosting a party. Because ditching your people halfway in… I’m on your side but that’s mostly because you’re on top of me.”