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We still need to talk.
Those words were terrifying and practically burned into her retinas from staring at the text for so long.
But she found herself here. In front of his door. Everything in her had her wanting to flee, pretend nothing had happened....
Her hands were vibrating before she clenched them tightly, taking a breath before finally, at last...reaching out and pressing the doorbell. The door opened almost immediately, like he had been waiting for her on the other side of the door to build up her courage.
The chair backed up so she could enter, “Come in. I'm glad you came by.”
“I almost didn't,” she admitted shakily as she followed him into his living room on shaky legs.
“You're braver than you give yourself credit for,” he said, gesturing for her to sit on the couch.
She sat, looking around at everything and nothing in the sparsely decorated living room – it was sleek, functional but not really homey... Her eyes couldn't settle on anything – looking at him was a definite no, all she could think about was her hands under his sweater, sitting on his lap and---
He took her hand in his, forcing her attention to him, their eyes meeting. She blushed hotly – oh god she'd kissed him and it was awkward and--and---
“I know...that what you went through tonight, what Bivilo did to you...” he started gently. “I won't hold what you said against you.”
She bristled a bit, her back straightening. “I meant every word. I was just too scared to say them before!”
Dr Wells's head tilted as he studied her, those piercing eyes practically drilling into her soul. The corner of his lips turned up. “You...really fell in love with me through my books?”
Vaguely she wondered if she was inventing a new shade of red with how badly she was blushing. “...yes. Yes I did. And like I said too...I don't care about your age, social status...the chair. I...love you. Everything about you.”
He rubbed the tender inside of her wrist. “...to answer the question of how I view you...I do see you as Carrie but....thought it was inappropriate. Calling you Ms Allen was to remind myself that it would be wrong of me to...take advantage of you and what I had thought was simply a crush...”
Swallowing hard, she trembled faintly as he continued. “...I saw you that night the particle accelerator exploded. You were looking at me with these eyes full of adoration, awe...respect. And you still look at me with those eyes, even with what happened with Farooq...”
He was leaning closer – or maybe she was – or maybe they both were?
“...that night I thought about what a pretty girl you were, how I'd like to get to know you...and then everything that happened....”
“...happened,” she echoed.
“I tried to fight how I felt about you,” he admitted. “I've...never felt like this before. Not with anyone. And I would like to explore where this would go with you...”
“I would really love that,” she breathed, giddy in joy.
And he leaned in, his mouth slanting over hers in a tender kiss, his free hand lacing in the hair at the back of her head. It was slow and gentle, his tongue exploring every crevice of her mouth. Experimentally she curled her tongue around his, kissing him back boldly.
A throaty sound of approval escaped his throat as he pulled her from the couch and into his lap, his shifting from holding her wrist to loop around her waist. When their lips parted, she rested her head on his shoulder.
His hand was rubbing gentle circles at her lower back. “Its been quite some time since...well since I dated...”
“So long as we go together, I don't think I care where we end up,” she replied, pressing a kiss to the side of his throat.
He smiled, dropping a kiss to her shoulder; his nostrils flared as he inhaled the floral scent of her perfume. “I'll take you up on that, when I can think of a place for us to go.”
It was wonderful to sit there on his lap, the quiet comforting as her head rested on his shoulder...
Eventually she did have to leave – they both did have to work in the morning. She smiled against his mouth as he kissed her good night before letting her up out of his lap.
When she arrived back to her apartment, it was in time to get a call from Iris.
“Hey Care-bear. Dad was trying to call you!”
“Oh, I was...out,” she grinned at her phone.
“Out?” Iris asked impishly.
“Yeah. There was still things that needed to be discussed between Dr Wells—Harrison--and I,” Oh how she was going to have to get used to that...
“Harrison?” there was surprise in her sister's voice. “So I'm going to take a guess it went well?”
“Very well. Turns out his mixed signals were because he was trying to keep his own feelings in check,” her voice and grin was goofy.
Iris squealed in her ear and faintly she heard Eddie's curious voice in the background.
“So, what are some good date spots around town? Harrison's not dated in a while and was wanting some suggestions...” she asked.
“I'll write them down and give them to you tomorrow,” Iris promised.
Tomorrow was going to be a great day, Carrie thought as she hung up.