They've answered. That should be enough. She got her answer and she should slip out of the room and get back to Andy. But she doesn't move. Her eyes trace along the slope of Joe's shoulders, across Nicky's skin, lingering on the grin that's teasing at the older man's lips. She realizes, rather suddenly, that she doesn't want to leave. She wants to see where this will lead, wants to chase the heat that's coiled tight in her stomach at the sight of them--
She swallows and shakes her head, eyes flicking between the soft brown of Joe's gaze and the tender blue of Nicky's.
They won't judge her. Of anyone in the world, she can trust them. It's making herself vulnerable, sure (and she's never been great at that, she'll be the first to admit), but they've seen her at her best and at her worst already. What's--what's a little bit more?
It's her curiosity, that's the thing. That's what she tells herself. If she can just sate her curiosity seeing the two of them together, maybe that'll be the end of it, and she can stop picturing what they must look like when she closes her eyes. She wets her lips again and swallows, eyes fluttering closed as she draws a breath to steel herself.
"Tesoro," Nicky's voice is soft, and she's not sure who he's speaking to, but the soft 'beloved' is enough to give her the courage she needs. The words slip out before she can stop them:
"What if I stayed? You offered. Before. And maybe you were joking, but maybe you weren't," Her eyes blink open again, and she finds Joe's gaze before she has to look away. She's definitely blushing now, she can feel the heat in her cheeks. "But if you weren't joking, would you--" she gestures, hoping this doesn't sound as weird to them as it does to her, that she doesn't sound like an overeager child asking to sit at the grown-ups table, "--mind? If I stayed, I mean. You can say no. I can just go--"
I am so, so sorry for the delay :(
She swallows and shakes her head, eyes flicking between the soft brown of Joe's gaze and the tender blue of Nicky's.
They won't judge her. Of anyone in the world, she can trust them. It's making herself vulnerable, sure (and she's never been great at that, she'll be the first to admit), but they've seen her at her best and at her worst already. What's--what's a little bit more?
It's her curiosity, that's the thing. That's what she tells herself. If she can just sate her curiosity seeing the two of them together, maybe that'll be the end of it, and she can stop picturing what they must look like when she closes her eyes. She wets her lips again and swallows, eyes fluttering closed as she draws a breath to steel herself.
"Tesoro," Nicky's voice is soft, and she's not sure who he's speaking to, but the soft 'beloved' is enough to give her the courage she needs. The words slip out before she can stop them:
"What if I stayed? You offered. Before. And maybe you were joking, but maybe you weren't," Her eyes blink open again, and she finds Joe's gaze before she has to look away. She's definitely blushing now, she can feel the heat in her cheeks. "But if you weren't joking, would you--" she gestures, hoping this doesn't sound as weird to them as it does to her, that she doesn't sound like an overeager child asking to sit at the grown-ups table, "--mind? If I stayed, I mean. You can say no. I can just go--"