And there he stands, beet red in an instant. His mouth opens and closes, trying to find something to say in response to that. Flattered! Flattered that he should spill his seed in vain for her! All the worse she couldn't possibly realise the other factors, that she is the major subject, but not the sole one. "I do not think that is a thing to be flattered for!!"
Completely confounded by his behavior and not liking that she's apparently in the dark again, Paloma clutches the towel to her chest and opens the door in full.
"I meant you did not need to rush so very much for a dress!! And thank you!!"
He is absolutely, positively not getting off cleanly for this. No, this will be hard and rough and dirty.
Paloma's not buying what he's selling. She stares, eyes wide but suspicious-- "You had belief I meant something shameful! What is it? Please do not mislead me. It is waste!"
"Why are you red and sweating?" She steps in closer and affects the puffed-up visage of a blustering pigeon, clutching her towel to preserve what precious little modesty remains between them.
Becoming genuinely irritated with him-- trying not to be, they've seen how that can end up-- Paloma glares as fiercely as she can muster in such a state of undress; prods his gut for emphasis!!
Ah, she's serious. "I do not intend to disrespect you-- only I see no reason it must be shared, and so I really would rather not!" He might start crying again if he has to say it.
She sucks in her lips to form an invisible irate line.
"Why all of this?" Meaning, why the dogged persistence in dodging the inquiry? Why must it not be shared, after what she's seen? But after this, Paloma will have to let it go. He did fetch her a dress.
Clearly she doesn't understand just how badly he wants to appear perfect. That no matter what she knows firsthand, he will still want to deny. That's why, biting his bottom lip, he covers his mouth as tears come. "Because I am disgusting and you need not share in it."
In no world is she able to withstand Henry Jekyll crying and mortified. Worse, it's got to be her fault for pursuing this aggressively. She's about to initiate a sympathy cry herself!!
"Ah ..." Miserably, Paloma moves to delicately collect one of his hands and caress it. Like soothing a young cousin. "You do not need tell me until you are prepared."
He digs himself deeper and deeper. It was bad enough already, why'd he have to go jerk off too. And it's worse still to have to explain! He can't let her think it's some grave secret - but in another sense it is!
"It is nothing more than...the remnants of Hyde." That's right he wouldn't have gotten a boner over this himself. "There was built up adrenaline!" You tell yourself that, buddy.
The more convincing he is to himself, the more Paloma believes him! Isn't life grand?
Two and two begin putting themselves together. His red face. Sweating. He hadn't run. Mr. Hyde, and although adrenaline's one of the English words she hasn't learned, she understands 'built up' and the ... unfolding context.
Very cautiously, she pats him on the back of his hand like a cowering dog. "You ... released."
Well, he's a little convincing to himself, at least...
"...Yes." This is too embarrassing. Conveniently he leaves out the part where he was turned on by the bloodshed around him. But that's clearly just Hyde. Not Jekyll at all!! "You see, it is nothing really." Clearly he doesn't think that's nothing. It's a disaster, true shame.
She fiddles their fingers in and around each other. Stalling, for lack of a better word. He's cleverly dodged further upset by leaving out the details; if he wants to seem the perfect man, Paloma wants badly for him to not be just like her, with her guilty fascination for the bloody.
"Thank you for the honesty." Ha. Ha. Ha .................. and she kisses his fingers, forgetting what they've been up to.
"Ah!!" Dropping his hand like it's hot. She'd sort of assumed he'd had the decency to rinse while off fetching the dress ...!! Paloma doesn't seem nauseated, but perhaps a little faint. Her throat bobs. "Ah. I. The bath is open."
"Y-yes, ah, I will! Thank you!" He was in such a hurry and so full of shame that he didn't even think to... Please don't think this reflects on his medical practice.
And so he scurries into the bath, where he sits in a pool of shame. Literally.
Once he's vanished into the bathroom, Paloma wonders if she ought not disappear as well. He needs rest, not to attend to a guest that mauled his beautiful study. She casts around for paper and pen, sniffing out an unused sheaf of the stuff he writes notes on. Her writing flows quickly and with more eloquence textually than she can easily attain in spoken English.
Most Loved Harry,
My welcome is overstayed. I serve more as a distraction than an aid when you are preoccupied. I will steal into the night and be home safely, I promise.
Thank you for the dress. Tonight has not frightened me away from you, be assured. Hyde has not claimed my fear, and my anger is for him alone. I dream of you calling on my house one day.
It requires no signature, and the note gets sneaked under his bath door.
no subject
She ends up opening the door further, sticking her entire head out, as well as a bare shoulder. Her brow knits.
"What explanation could you give? You flatter me with your effort!"
no subject
no subject
"I meant you did not need to rush so very much for a dress!! And thank you!!"
Why is this a big deal!?
no subject
Well now he feels silly.
"-Oh. Is that all. No, I assure you, I did not rush in the least, there is nothing to worry for."
no subject
Paloma's not buying what he's selling. She stares, eyes wide but suspicious-- "You had belief I meant something shameful! What is it? Please do not mislead me. It is waste!"
no subject
But he isn't ready to make any admission. Denial is the best route by far. "It is nothing of concern, truly!"
no subject
"Why are you red and sweating?" She steps in closer and affects the puffed-up visage of a blustering pigeon, clutching her towel to preserve what precious little modesty remains between them.
no subject
no subject
"Do me no disrespect by lying, if you please!"
no subject
no subject
"Why all of this?" Meaning, why the dogged persistence in dodging the inquiry? Why must it not be shared, after what she's seen? But after this, Paloma will have to let it go. He did fetch her a dress.
no subject
no subject
"Ah ..." Miserably, Paloma moves to delicately collect one of his hands and caress it. Like soothing a young cousin. "You do not need tell me until you are prepared."
no subject
"It is nothing more than...the remnants of Hyde." That's right he wouldn't have gotten a boner over this himself. "There was built up adrenaline!" You tell yourself that, buddy.
no subject
Two and two begin putting themselves together. His red face. Sweating. He hadn't run. Mr. Hyde, and although adrenaline's one of the English words she hasn't learned, she understands 'built up' and the ... unfolding context.
Very cautiously, she pats him on the back of his hand like a cowering dog. "You ... released."
no subject
"...Yes." This is too embarrassing. Conveniently he leaves out the part where he was turned on by the bloodshed around him. But that's clearly just Hyde. Not Jekyll at all!! "You see, it is nothing really." Clearly he doesn't think that's nothing. It's a disaster, true shame.
no subject
"Thank you for the honesty." Ha. Ha. Ha .................. and she kisses his fingers, forgetting what they've been up to.
no subject
no subject
"Ah!!" Dropping his hand like it's hot. She'd sort of assumed he'd had the decency to rinse while off fetching the dress ...!! Paloma doesn't seem nauseated, but perhaps a little faint. Her throat bobs. "Ah. I. The bath is open."
no subject
And so he scurries into the bath, where he sits in a pool of shame. Literally.
no subject
Most Loved Harry,
My welcome is overstayed. I serve more as a distraction than an aid when you are preoccupied. I will steal into the night and be home safely, I promise.
Thank you for the dress. Tonight has not frightened me away from you, be assured. Hyde has not claimed my fear, and my anger is for him alone. I dream of you calling on my house one day.
It requires no signature, and the note gets sneaked under his bath door.