"Christmas makes you soft, huh?" it might have seemed like it at first but he wasn't actually teasing her this time, rather he was noticing a more tender side of her than he was used to. He didn't talk about it but being without his parents since his teens had been hard. It wasn't like he could just pop over to Japan whenever he wanted to and even then he wasn't sure he would if he could. He wouldn't want to embarrass his parents by showing up the same deadbeat they'd always begged him not to become. So to have Jess showing enough faith in him to spend time with her mom felt like maybe he was doing something right. "If this is where we're at... maybe next time I call my parents you could say hi too. Likewise, y'know, they're gonna love you."
In all fairness he'd been trying not to be a distraction but he also wasn't going to turn her away when she set herself on his lap. "You gonna blame me just for walkin' in the door? This feels like a setup," he laughed, leaning up to kiss her jaw. "When a guy comes home to you lookin' like this it's gotta be naughty all the way. If you want help, I'll help but you got three seconds before I change my mind," he slid his hands further up her thighs, his touch becoming more intentional as his lips came dangerously close to hers, "One... Two..."
"Nah, just feeling a bit generous. Can't have anyone thinking i'm an awful gift giver." In her case she was teasing him, mostly because she didn't wanna accept that what he was saying was probably true. But given that the last Christmas they had spent together had been the moment she gave him the spare key to her place her track record wasn't doing favors as far as her hard ass reputation was concerned. The thing with Jess was that loving others didn't come easy for her but once she decided she loved someone she went out of her way to show it, even if only in small gestures like being more open or softer with them. "And you say this based on what exactly? You haven't introduced them to some other girl you were seeing before have you? You're only saying that cause you like me. At least hype me up a little before to be on the safe side. Throw in that i'm gonna be a lawyer to get me some points." She smiled before gently bumping her forehead to his.
She was quick to notice but not so quick to point out that he had called this place home. Maybe it was just a slip of the tongue. But the fact that he felt comfortable enough to consider the place they shared together some type of safe haven brought a warmth from her heart to the pit of her stomach as her nerves were thrown off guard. So much so that she was putty in his hands as he trailed his hands up her body. "As if three seconds is enough time to convince your stubborn ass of anything. Who's playing dirty now?" Her lips were on his before he could even finish his countdown, finding this was the best way to communicate all the in between things she had a hard time of bringing herself to say of just how much she wanted him and needed him. No matter how close they were, both physically and emotionally, it was almost never close enough. "Did that change your mind?"





















