Lunch Date
June 9 th , 2022
The next morning, Lynn felt Nate's warm breath against her neck, and she realized that the Agent was still hugging her from behind. She tried to turn her head to see if he was still asleep but she couldn't turn it far enough to actually see his features.
"Morning," he mumbled with a husky voice before he carefully placed a kiss on her neck that sent shivers down Lynn's spine.
"Morning," she answered, a small purr escaping her throat.
In reaction to this sound, Nate placed a few more wet kisses along her neck.
The next second, Lynn turned around in his embrace so that they were now facing each other. Her eyes were still sleepy, but she had a smile on her lips.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked with a gentle voice.
"Oh yeah. First night in weeks that I didn't have a weird dream. Thanks for that." He chuckled a little.
Their faces were only inches apart and Nate felt like Lynn stared right through his eyes and into his soul. She scooted a little closer in his embrace and their lips were almost brushing over each other. Her chestnut eyes were still locked with his blue ones.
"You have beautiful eyes," she whispered, her breath warm on his pinkish lips, making a little blush appear on his cheeks.
"Yeah?" was the only thing he could manage to say.
"Yes. Like sapphires illuminated by the sunlight."
"Yours aren’t too bad either," he answered with an unusual smirk on his face.
Lynn loved this side of him. He finally felt safe enough to let go of the walls around his heart. Nate could see something shimmering behind the dark brown color of Lynn's eyes and knew it was love. She loved him. Her eyes told him that this had never been a lie and that her feelings for him had been there the entire time. She wouldn’t be able to fake this shimmer. This sparkle. The love.
In an instant, his lips captured her bottom lip in a loving kiss. Lynn wasn’t shocked by his sudden movement, as she had felt the sexual tension between them building. When he let go of her bottom lip she took the initiative and kissed him back with the same love and passion as before. Their lips were like magnets as they found their way to each other over and over again in gentle but also intense kisses, only breaking apart to catch a breath.
Nate nipped at Lynn's lips while one of his hands traveled to her neck to hold her close. His thumb brushed over her skin and he could feel her heartbeat hammering beneath it. When his teeth let go of her lip she quickly let her tongue stroke over his bottom lip in appreciation .
In response Nate parted his lips a little and let Lynn's tongue slide into his mouth. When the tips of their tongues found each other, a firework exploded in his stomach. A feeling that he had almost forgotten after the devastating mindset of the last few days. The warmth crawling through his body from the gentle touches of Lynn's tongue on his felt like his whole body was on fire.
When they finally let go both of their lips were swollen but they couldn't care less. Lynn rested her forehead against Nate's and could feel his hand stroke up and down her spine.
"Let me take you on a proper date," Nate whispered with closed eyes, their foreheads still connected.
"What's on your mind?"
“Nothing fancy, to be honest. Going out for lunch and then just seeing where we end up. Maybe walk around Langley a bit.” Nate answered with insecurity in his voice.
He’d had to gather all his courage to even ask her on a date, he hadn’t thought about what to do. All he knew was that he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. The whole dating thing was new to him. He hadn’t dated since high school and that had been over twenty years ago. Did things change? Did girls still like to watch a movie in the theater while cuddling and secretly kissing in the dark? Was going to a restaurant acceptable, or was it not enough? Did she need a full entertainment experience? Did he need to buy flowers? Would he pay the bill at the restaurant, or was that rude and they needed to split it?
So many questions were running through his head that, for a second, he regretted asking her out .
He was totally going to screw this up.
“Nate?” Lynn asked with furrowed brows.
She had seen him trapped inside his own mind so she placed her hand on his cheek and drew some tender circles on his hot and slightly sweaty skin. He looked up to meet her eyes and she could see panic behind his ocean blue ones.
“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” she asked with a smile on her face before placing a sweet kiss on his forehead.
“I… I haven’t dated in a long time. I don’t want to bore you. I want to make it right and not screw this up.” his words tumbled together, and Lynn realized that he was about to have a panic attack.
“Shh… you won’t screw this up, honey. It’s me and you, remember? Whatever we do will be perfect because I’m with you. That’s my favorite place to be,” she whispered before peppering his face with kisses.
She had missed being with him and moments like this were what kept her heart beating and helped her see a light at the end of the tunnel. Just two people in love, not thinking about what had happened to them.
“Just me and you,” he repeated, and the storm behind his eyes subsided. One side of his mouth curled upward.
“Let’s look for a restaurant and then just see from there. We don’t need to stress out about that. Let’s just spend time together, get to know each other,” Lynn said.
“It feels like I’ve known you my whole life. My new life, the life I actually want to live now,” he responded before leaning in and placing a kiss on her nose .
It was his love language. His way of saying “I love you” without actually saying it, because everything between them blew up in the honeymoon phase, they never actually said the l-word to each other.
“And I’m happy to be a part of that life,” Lynn answered, and finally they connected their lips with each other.
Nate’s skin lit up, as if an electric shock were sent through his body. But unlike the torture back in 2011, he was looking forward to feeling these shocks every day.
“Sunday?” Lynn asked with a wide grin on her face.
“What?” Nate tilted his head a little in confusion.
“The date. Let’s do it this Sunday. I have to take my phone with me, but there’s nothing planned for that day in the med-bay.”
“Oh wow. Yeah. Yeah, why not? Let’s go on a date on Sunday,” Nate laughed in response before his face fell once more.
“What is it, honey?” Lynn asked, concerned.
“Let’s… let’s keep this our little secret, okay? Until we’re sure how we want to continue with our lives. I don’t want anyone to judge us. I want to explore this and see if it could work on our own. Without unwelcome comments all the time,” Nate mumbled, a loud sigh following his words.
“I agree. Just you and me. That’s all that it needs anyway.”
Nate nodded in agreement, a shy smile appearing on his lips again.
“Okay, then I’ll head out to get some breakfast and then back to doing my job in the med-bay. Pick me up at noon on Sunday?” Lynn asked .
“Sure. I’ll be there!” Nate promised before giving her another loving kiss on her lips.
“Nate?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t need flowers, chocolate, or anything. I just need you. Don’t panic about the dos and don'ts of a date. I haven’t dated in a long time, either. Let’s explore this together and see what we like. There’s no website that gives accurate advice for dating. This is about us.”
“Did anybody tell you how amazing you are, Lynn Summers?” Nate grinned.
“Not today,” Lynn chuckled.
“You are amazing!” And with that said, he gave her a final kiss before shooing her out of his room.
With a spring in his step, well at least in his good leg, Nate headed to the bathroom to take a shower while Lynn got herself some oatmeal for breakfast.
June 12 th , 2022
That Lynn was panicking about what to wear for their date was the understatement of the year. It was a warm day in early June, around 71°F / 22°C, so she was rooting around in her closet for a summer dress. She hadn’t worn one in ages as she had been working so much she hadn’t even had time to go out. Even when she did go out she’d always preferred jeans and a t-shirt. But today was a special occasion and she decided to grab the beige summer dress with flower appliques on it that she had bought for a summer wedding but never worn.
The dress was ankle-length, allowing her to still wear her favorite white sneakers without tripping over the skirt. It had short sleeves so it covered her shoulders completely. With a deep v-neckline, Lynn was able to wear a tiny golden necklace that Toby had bought her for Christmas two years ago. It had a small pendant with the outline of a heart. Toby and she had always made fun of how hearts were usually drawn, as they were so different from an anatomically correct heart. So him buying her a heart-shaped necklace was like carrying their inside-joke with her all the time. One last check in the mirror after putting her hair back in a ponytail, and Lynn was good to go. She felt confident and pretty.
As if on cue a knock sounded on her door and, with a wide smile on her face, she stepped towards the door and opened it.
“Hi. Oh wow, you look amazing!” she exclaimed towards the man waiting for her.
He wore tight black jeans and a light gray long-sleeved button up shirt. She wondered if that wouldn’t be too warm for him but, after the slight panic this morning, she understood that he wanted to look perfect for their date. She would have gone out with him even if he were wearing a t-shirt.
“Look at you. You look like a princess,” Nate commented, blushing after the words left his mouth.
He wasn’t really good with compliments. Giving or receiving .
“Oh, thank you,” Lynn answered, her face almost cherry red.
They stood awkwardly before each other, not knowing what to do or say. So far, everything between them had been intuitive. The cuddling, the kissing, the spending time together. But now, as they were about to give themselves a label and try to figure out their future… it felt different. Tense. Awkward. Maybe it was because both of them hadn’t officially dated in years.
“Let’s get going!” Lynn mumbled, and Nate stepped aside so that she could leave her room.
He extended his elbow to her so that she could grab it, like the gentleman that he was but Lynn hesitated for a moment.
“What about Marta and Oliver? And the others?” she mumbled.
“Marta and Oliver are still in his room. They were out yesterday and, yeah… I heard them very clearly having sex a few minutes ago, so they’re probably asleep again now.”
Lynn almost choked on her breath after Nate’s words and they both burst into laughter.
“Oh okay,” she managed to breathe out in between her laughter.
“I don’t care about other Agents. It’s Sunday, so most of them aren’t here anyway and the others are in labs or at the shooting range. Not nearby at least.” Nate answered as they started walking along the hallway and towards the elevators.
Lynn still hesitated but when they were standing next to each other in the elevator she wrapped her hand around his bicep. It had grown over the last few weeks as he had to use it more while walking on crutches. Not that she would complain, though.
Silently, they marched out of headquarters and onto the parking lot. Nate had rented a car so that they would be able to reach the restaurant easily. It wasn’t a long drive but instead of listening to the radio and singing along, Lynn started up a conversation.
“So, tell me something about you,” she said with her head turned in his direction.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, confused, his own eyes fixed on the street in front of him.
“Everything. I’ve realized we talked a lot about your time as a SEAL in our therapy sessions but never anything else. Tell me about your childhood, your family, and all that stuff.”
Nate was silent for a moment but realized that she was right. He knew more about her than she knew about him, the basics at least. She knew the hard stuff and she knew why he had all his trauma and how it influenced him but nothing else. How could they fall in love without actually knowing each other? This question made him get lost in his thoughts for a moment before realizing he should answer Lynn or she would probably be confused.
“I was born and raised in California, about an hour from Los Angeles. We weren’t wealthy, so both my mom and my dad had to work full-time. My mom even had a second job on the weekends so we were able to go on vacations. They worked their tails off to give me a normal life,” he explained.
He regretted starting their date with such a heavy topic but she’d wanted to know about him and that was his past .
“Oh wow. Your parents seem to be great people,” she commented.
“Were. They were. My dad got cancer when I was a freshman in high school and died within a few months. Mom never really got over it but tried to keep up a brave face in front of me. I knew that she started drinking after my dad’s death but she still managed to do two jobs and be a good mom. I don’t know how she did it but I had food and clothes all the time. She never missed anything when it came to school and none of my teachers ever realized that she was an alcoholic. I’m grateful for that because I don’t have any bad memories of her. I’m just sad that I wasn’t able to help her back then.” He sighed heavily, and Lynn’s heart ached when she heard his story.
This man had been through so much in his life. Losing his father early, a mother that was addicted to alcohol because of that, and then his soul-crushing time in the SEALs. He had been traumatized over and over again in his life. When would this finally stop?
Her eyes shimmered with tears and she reached over to the driver’s seat to place her palm on his thigh. He avoided looking at her, his eyes still fixed on the street in front of him, but he appreciated the gesture.
“I’m so sorry to hear that,” she mumbled, and Nate nodded slightly before Lynn added “What happened to her?”
“When I was declared killed in action after the Pakistan mission she wasn’t able to deal with even more grief. My aunt told me that the drinking became worse, and she wouldn’t leave the house for days. Ultimately, her body gave up. Her liver wasn’t able to deal with the amount of alcohol anymore. They transferred her to a rehab but she never managed to get back on her feet.”
“Were you able to visit her in rehab?” she asked curiously.
“Yeah, once. After the coma, my body was so weak. It took me months to get approval from the doctor so that I could fly to California and see her. When I did, we actually just hugged each other for a few minutes and cried. Both of our bodies were so weak. I was still in a wheelchair and it was the first time I managed to stand on my own after the coma. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much in my entire life. We cried for Dad, for the life that was taken from us. It was very freeing and I think both of us knew that it was the last time we’d see each other. Since that day she hasn’t been clear in her mind. I visit her from time to time but the alcohol destroyed her brain so much she doesn’t even know who I am when I stand in front of her.”
They had reached the parking spaces in front of the Japanese restaurant that Nate had picked. He knew how much Lynn loved sushi as it was “super delicious but still not as unhealthy as pizza”. He turned the engine off and moved his upper body in her direction. Lynn saw the stains of tears on his cheeks. He had cried while telling her about his past. Her hand was still on his thigh, and he placed his large one on top of hers, intertwining their fingers. There was a sad smile on his lips. A smile of grief, nostalgia, but also happiness, because even after everything that had happened to him, he was here with a woman he knew he loved. A woman who changed his miserable life and gave him hope. Yes, she betrayed him, but she was still the light that enlightened his day and the rhythm that kept his heart beating.
“You’ve been through so much in your life, Nate. You are so strong. You never gave up and you fought. You’ve fought for the life you deserve, for happiness. I know sometimes I sound like a broken record, but I’m so proud of you,” Lynn said with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
“All because of you,” he whispered, leaning forward and giving her a quick kiss on the lips. Then he turned around and left the car. He rounded the car to open the door for her and help her out.
“I’m sorry that I started our date with such a depressing topic. I hope you still want sushi?” He mumbled with a blush on his face.
“Of course, honey. And I’m grateful that you told me your story. Now I understand you even better,” Lynn responded.
Nate only nodded at her before they both stepped towards the entrance door of the restaurant. He grabbed the handle and held it open for her. He truly was a gentleman. Lynn smiled and entered, her gaze wandering around the small but endearing restaurant. A lot of tables were already filled and they patiently waited for someone to get them seated. A small blonde waitress with a big smile on her face walked towards them, an iPad in her hands.
“Hello. Do you have a reservation?” she asked kindly.
“Yes, for Sheppard.” Nate answered.
The woman scrolled through her iPad, and her eyes lit up when she found the name on her list.
“There you are. Follow me please.” And with that, she marched with quick steps into the restaurant .
They had a table on the wall right next to a large aquarium full of colorful fish. Nate was about to hold out the chair for Lynn but she had already taken her seat so he took his own in front of her.
“Do you know the system?” the waitress asked with another smile on her face, alternating her gaze between Lynn and Nate.
“Uhm, no. Can you explain it to us?” Lynn answered.
“So, you get this iPad and can order your sushi with the app on it. Each of you can order five items per round. A new round is available every 15 minutes. It feels a bit like online shopping, only with food.” The waitress laughed.
“Okay, got it. What about drinks?”
“You can order those on the iPad as well but if you already know what you want I’ll bring it to you.”
“I’d love a beer,” Nate answered.
“Just sparkling water for me, please,” Lynn said. The waitress smiled at them before leaving them alone. Nate looked at Lynn with slightly widened eyes.
“Is it okay for you if I have a beer?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“I don’t know. Me telling you about my mom being an alcoholic but still ordering a beer. People can easily judge that,” he mumbled, seeming embarrassed.
“First of all, I’m not someone to judge. I don’t care, really. You’re a grown-ass man and I’m not going to judge you for having a beer, no matter what happened to your mom. You are not your mom, so enjoy your beer. It can help you relax a little.” She winked at him, making the strong Agent blush .
Then she grabbed the iPad and put the first five items on the list. Three different maki rolls as well as some satay chicken and edamame beans. She held the iPad towards Nate, who grabbed it and scrolled through it with furrowed brows. A minute later, he had picked his first order as well, and they waited patiently for their food to come.
“Do you have any siblings?” Lynn asked again.
“No. My parents couldn’t afford to have another child. Even with me, it was hard sometimes, financially, I mean.”
“Oh yeah, I bet. There’s a lot of stuff to pay for when you’re in school.”
“Yeah. I was on my High School Baseball Team. A shortstop. I’ve always had a good eye for moving objects, I guess. There were a lot of expenses associated with that. Clothes, fees and stuff like that. I don’t even know exactly what. Back then, I never cared. Mom never let me know how much she struggled to pay for all these things. She had a day job and a night job to get it done. Until my coach realized it and my stuff was paid for by donations to the school.” Nate smiled at her, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Your mom was really dedicated to giving you a normal life. I have a lot of respect for that.”
“She really was. I wasn’t able to appreciate it back then but now I understand it. I bet even more when I’m a dad myself someday.”
“So you want to have kids?” Lynn asked, her eyes lighting up while she imagined him with a baby in his arms.
Wait, where did that come from?
Her hormones were messing with her today .
“Yeah, I always wanted to be a dad but after the kidnapping I actually never thought I’d be able to. Mentally, I mean. I always wanted to be a role model for my kids but what kind of role model would I have been? A broken man with nightmares and panic attacks who wasn’t able to move on with his life?” The sadness in his eyes appeared again, and Lynn needed to swallow the lump in her throat but before she was able to say something, Nate continued,
“But since I met you, my mental state has improved so much. I’m still not fully healed, obviously. That’ll take forever I guess, but I started to realize that it’s not unrealistic anymore and that I could be a dad someday.”
A smile appeared on his lips. A real smile. He reached over the table to grab Lynn’s hand and drew small circles on the top of her hand with his thumb.
Lynn fought hard to blink away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, but one betrayed her and slid down her cheeks.
“That’s the biggest compliment I’ve ever got,” she whispered in his direction, before giving him the widest smile possible.
“Oh darling. I plan to give you compliments every single day, so don’t set your expectations too low,” he chuckled.
“That sounds pretty good,” Lynn whispered, giving Nate heart-eyes.
Before they could continue their conversation, a waitress came and placed their orders on the table between them. It was a mess of small plates and bowls, although most of them only had a few items on them. Nate grabbed his chopsticks and let his gaze wander around all the delicious food.
“This looks amazing,” Lynn commented and snatched a maki roll with her own chopsticks.
“A little weird, isn’t it?” he chuckled. Lynn looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, sitting next to an aquarium and having sushi with fish in it. Feels a little weird.” He continued.
Lynn stopped her movement. The salmon maki roll was only inches from her mouth. She looked at him with wide eyes before turning her head and watching the colorful fish twirl around the aquarium right next to them. She had a painful look in her eyes, and he could hear her whine.
“Naaaaatteeeeeee.”
He started to laugh. Deep and loud. It had been a while since she had seen him laugh like that. His hand was on his stomach, his head had fallen back, and he made the most beautiful sounds. Lynn couldn’t stop herself and started to laugh as well, the salmon maki still between her chopsticks.
“I’m sorry, darling. Enjoy your salmon,” he breathed while trying to stop laughing.
Lynn looked at him with a fake pout on her face before she couldn’t control her expression anymore. The look in her eyes was almost mischievous when she whispered,
“Watch me.”
Almost in slow motion, Lynn placed the salmon maki roll in her mouth and started chewing on it. Her face showed an exaggerated expression of joy and happiness, and Nate started to laugh once again. After she was done, she said ,
“This one was dead already. We shouldn’t waste it. So it didn’t die for nothing.”
“If you say so,” Nate commented and placed a maki roll in his own mouth.
For a while they ate in silence, enjoying their sushi together, before both of them were unable to eat even a single maki roll. Lynn leaned back in her seat, sighing loudly and placed her hands on her stomach.
“That was a lot of food. My stomach looks like I’m five months pregnant,” she chuckled.
“And you still look beautiful,” Nate commented with a smirk.
“Sweet-Talker”
“Only telling the truth,” he winked.
“Of course you are,” Lynn rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t hide the little smile that came up after his compliment.
“So…” he started, suddenly appearing insecure again. Lynn’s smile fell, and she looked at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
“I’d really like to pay for us but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable with that. Don’t know if things changed about paying the bill as a man,” he stuttered.
“I’m totally fine with you paying the bill. Don’t think that you’re trying to overpower me or that you think I’m not capable of paying my own bills. I just appreciate the gesture.” Lynn smiled at him.
Nate’s facial expression lightened and he shot her a smile as well before nodding. He gestured to a waitress and paid the bill, before they stood from their table and left the restaurant. While walking towards their car, Lynn grabbed Nate’s hand and intertwined their fingers. She wanted to feel close to him before they returned to headquarters and went on with their lives. With their rollercoaster between love and betrayal.
“That was a very nice date, Nate,” she whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder while they were walking almost in slow motion towards the navy-blue car.
“I enjoyed it, too. Even with the heavy topics. I feel like I can tell you everything, Lynn. About me, about my past. Hell, I even talk about my feelings with you, although I’ve never been an emotional person, not even as a child,” he chuckled.
“I bet you were a stubborn teenager.” Lynn laughed.
“The worst. Sneaking out in the evening to meet girls,” he snickered.
“Ohhhhhh, you were that kind of teenager? I bet every girl was madly in love with you,” Lynn laughed while opening the door on the passenger side.
Nate entered the driver’s seat, still snickering.
“Oh no. I was a chubby teenager, despite my baseball career. We couldn’t afford healthy food so mom mostly brought takeout on her way back from work. My life was the epitome of being in the friendzone.” He sighed heavily while remembering the time as a teenager.
“Wow, really? And when did that change? Because now you look unreal with your picture-perfect body,” Lynn answered while pointing up and down his body .
When she realized what she had said her cheeks turned cherry red and she avoided his gaze. Nate laughed again, placed his hand on her thigh, and started the engine.
“It all came when I became a soldier. I never really worked out before, only the stuff we did in High School, but I realized that the drill at the academy worked great for me. My body changed within a few months.” He had his gaze fixed on the street again while driving them back home to the headquarters.
“You have my full respect. I was never one to workout, either. I’m just lucky with my genes, I guess, because I never really took care of my nutrition or fitness in general, and I’m happy with my body. Yeah, there’s no six pack, and I don’t have a thigh gap, but I feel happy and confident in my body, and I think that’s the most important thing.”
“Absolutely true, Lynn, but we should try working out together. Believe me, you never feel better than after a good, draining workout,” Nate commented. They had almost reached the CIA by now.
“You sure? Because after working out with you and Oliver after my accident in spring, I felt so sore. I couldn’t move for days. That was so frustrating,” she whined.
Nate let out a loud laugh, remembering how the doctor complained all the time.
“It’ll get better when you work out frequently, darling. You just need to start somewhere. I promise, I’ll be nice to you.”
“Okay. Maybe we can try that. As long as I can spend time with you, I’m okay with doing that in the gym as well.”
“You won’t regret it!” Nate said with a wide smile .
He had parked the car in front of headquarters. Their date was officially coming to an end and both of them were sad about it. It had been so nice to just talk and enjoy their shared time. Not thinking about terrorists, betrayals, work, or grief. Even smiling and laughing. Lynn hadn’t realized how much she needed that until today. It felt like the large cracks in her heart were healing a little after their afternoon together. They locked their gazes on each other, neither of them saying a word. But they didn’t need to anyway.
A smirk appeared on his face before he left the car, stepped around it, and opened the door on the passenger’s side.
"Milady," he said, reaching out his hand to her.
Lynn giggled a little but followed his suggestion and grabbed his hand. Their fingers never left each other while they headed towards the elevator. When it opened and they stepped out of it, they finally let go of their hands just in case Oliver or Marta were to appear without warning. But they were walking so close that the backs of their hands brushed against each other.
Standing in front of Lynn's room, they looked at each other again, unsure how to end this perfect day. Nate cleared his throat and pointed with his thumb at his door to indicate that he was about to go to his room.
"Well, thank you for this wonderful afternoon, Lynn. I really enjoyed spending time with you," he said, shyly, like an insecure sixteen-year-old after his first date.
"I have to thank you, Nate. This was the best date I ever had! "
His features lightened when he looked at her with wide eyes.
"Really?" he whispered.
"Yes, really! I hope there’ll be more but it's my turn next time. I already have something in mind. Deal?"
"Deal!" Nate chuckled and took a step towards her.
They awkwardly looked at each other with their bodies only inches apart, unsure if they should hug or kiss as a goodbye.
Lynn decided to step on her toes and give him a small peck on the cheek before she stepped back towards her door.
"Goodbye, Nate."
"Goodbye, darling." Nate smiled at her, turned around, and marched towards his door when he heard her melodic voice again.
"Nate?"
He turned around on his heels and looked at her beautiful face.
"Would you join me for the rest of the day? I mean, it’s still way too early for bedtime, but we could watch a movie or something. I just don’t want to be alone, you know." Lynn stumbled over her own words. Her voice was thick with insecurity, her cheeks blushed, and her gaze locked with the floor.
"I thought you would never ask!" Nate answered, quickly stepping towards her and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He wrapped one of his arms around her while opening the door with the other. Still kissing, they stumbled into her room, and Nate gave the door a kick with his heel to close it.