[ she laughs — it's easy to, around him. it bubbles inside of her like happiness is meant to, shooting out of her as if she can't quite keep the thing contained. you wouldn't dare! ( his finger sends warmth up her arms and into her stomach and cheeks; one touch, is that really fair? ) ]
Oh yeah? She sounds nice.
[ her eyes follow him all the way to his highest height. her hair's put into place and she thinks she's never been more in love with anyone. ( she doesn't say it though. the l word is exactly like playing that individual game of chess — difficult, unexpected, and a little crazy. ) ]
Sure, but —
[ ( she bursts into his office, every part of her stiff and guilty and afraid. she wants her son, she wants a cigarette, and she wants to run into jim hopper's arms until this nightmare comes to a goddamn end. ) joyce takes in a corner of her mouth, biting it thoughtfully, watching him with feigned decision. ]
I don't think I ever said anything about kissing.
[ her expression becomes hopeful, scrunched and silly on her features. ( joyce, listen to me — ) ]
[ In fairness, by the end of things, he never tells her he loves her, either. It's something that exists implicit between them until it doesn't. Sometimes he thinks it serves him right, and maybe it's not so surprising at all that Joyce should be the one that got away. (Who's sorry now, right? Christ.)
That's not to say that he spends the rest of his life hung up about it — she loves Lonnie in her own way, and he loves the girl he marries in Indianapolis, and they both love their respective kids so much it fucking hurts. They move on. But first love is— different. Especially in a little town like this. He's back in town for four years before they really interact with each other, and though it's not like they're avoiding each other, they don't make the effort to see each other, either.
But for now, he's young, and he's crazy for her. She might as well have hung the moon. ]
Semantics, [ he says, though it's obvious from the way he takes a step closer to her that he really is just teasing for the sake of teasing. (The cornerstone of their flirtation, really — back and forth until one of them gets too annoyed, though their arguments never last so long.)
He tips up her chin as he leans down, kissing her once on the cheek, then on the mouth.
Grinning against her lips: ] Not bad, as a way to wait.
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Oh yeah? She sounds nice.
[ her eyes follow him all the way to his highest height. her hair's put into place and she thinks she's never been more in love with anyone. ( she doesn't say it though. the l word is exactly like playing that individual game of chess — difficult, unexpected, and a little crazy. ) ]
Sure, but —
[ ( she bursts into his office, every part of her stiff and guilty and afraid. she wants her son, she wants a cigarette, and she wants to run into jim hopper's arms until this nightmare comes to a goddamn end. ) joyce takes in a corner of her mouth, biting it thoughtfully, watching him with feigned decision. ]
I don't think I ever said anything about kissing.
[ her expression becomes hopeful, scrunched and silly on her features. ( joyce, listen to me — ) ]
no subject
That's not to say that he spends the rest of his life hung up about it — she loves Lonnie in her own way, and he loves the girl he marries in Indianapolis, and they both love their respective kids so much it fucking hurts. They move on. But first love is— different. Especially in a little town like this. He's back in town for four years before they really interact with each other, and though it's not like they're avoiding each other, they don't make the effort to see each other, either.
But for now, he's young, and he's crazy for her. She might as well have hung the moon. ]
Semantics, [ he says, though it's obvious from the way he takes a step closer to her that he really is just teasing for the sake of teasing. (The cornerstone of their flirtation, really — back and forth until one of them gets too annoyed, though their arguments never last so long.)
He tips up her chin as he leans down, kissing her once on the cheek, then on the mouth.
Grinning against her lips: ] Not bad, as a way to wait.