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"You don't have to walk me to my door."
John shrugged with the shoulder nearest to Naomi as they made their way down the hallway of her apartment building. "What kind of date would I be if I left you to roam these mean streets alone?" he quipped and Naomi's answering laugh was like music.
"A family with two kids live beside me and the woman across the hall is eighty years old," she pointed out. "I think I'd be okay."
"I don't know, I have it on good authority that the octogenarian community can be very dangerous." Naomi laughed again at that, shaking her head and John shrugged again. "Besides... maybe I'm just not ready for the night to be over."
Naomi's smile turned softer as she ducked her head before coming to a stop. She looked up at the door then back at John. "This is me."
John was about to make a joke about getting her here safely, foiling the evil octogenarian across the hall but when he looked down into her face, it wasn't a laughing matter any more. Naomi's face was equally serious as she leaned against the door. "I had a really nice time tonight."
"Me too." In fact, in the great pantheon of first dates that John had ever been on, this one was right at the top. Slowly, carefully, he reached out and took one of her hands. Her smile brightened as her fingers closed on his. John narrowed his eyes, considering the situation. "Can I... can I kiss you?"
He was feeling a little awkward about asking the question but he soon realised he shouldn't be. Because Naomi didn't give him permission, nor did she wait for him to make the first move. Instead she rose up on her tiptoes and brought her lips to his. The kiss started off gentle and - mostly - stayed that way, Naomi swaying into him and resting her free hand on his chest, his hand moving up to cup her cheek. Gentle as it was though, John felt it in every molecule of his being and when she pulled away, when he saw the stars shining in her wide eyes, he wanted nothing more than to dive right back in and kiss her again.
Naomi's hand tightened in his. "Do you want to come inside?"
There were very few things in this world that John wanted to do more. "Yes," he said emphatically. "But I'm not going to." Naomi's face fell and he spoke quickly. "I just... I want to take this slow... do it properly." He wrinkled his nose, shook his head. "Does that sound stupid? It sounds stupid, doesn't it?"
"No." That soft smile was back on Naomi's face. "It actually sounds sweet. Disappointing, but sweet."
John hummed. "I'm fairly sure that's how at least one ex described me." Naomi's laugh was a little louder than the joke deserved maybe, but he didn't care. He'd make all the lousy jokes in the world if it got her face to light up like that. Leaning in, he brushed his lips over hers again. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
John didn't move until he heard Naomi lock the door on the other side, heard the deadbolt click into place. Only then did he turn and go back the way he'd come, a spring in his step that hadn't been there in quite a while.