theironaudi:

iamthefirechild:

theironaudi:

iamthefirechild:

She tipped her head to the side, considering him. “You let me just jump into the middle of your life and rummage around. You said you liked that I’m honest, but when I tell the truth about myself, you correct me — and you believe it.” Her expression fell into pensive lines. “Why?”

“Because I don’t believe it. I guess. I see you from another angle. I’m sorry if that bothers you, I… I’m used to that happening with me too… You get this idea you just know is true about yourself, and then someone says something else and it can be frustrating. But that’s… I don’t know; that’s how I see you, so I’m going to say something if I feel you need corrected.” He pulled up in front of an older-looking building and removed the key. But he remained seated, looking over at her.

Summer watched him watching her, trying to decide if the tension was just her imagination or something else. She didn’t want to use her empathy on him, not even to listen, not right now. There had been enough of that already tonight. She kept having to pull her eyes away from his mouth.

“What are you thinking?” she asked softly.

“I’m trying to figure out how to get you to listen to me, to believe me. Without seeming like a dick about it. Because you are all those great things I’ve said you were. I can see it and I’ve only known you how long now?” he laughed lightly. “And then there’s the part of me that wants to act on that, how I feel you are… But I won’t let myself. Not yet, anyway. And there’s another part of me that is both confused and impressed by how you would actually ask instead of… reading me, if that’s the right term. I wouldn’t be so polite about it, I don’t think. But there it is again; your goodness.”

“I have to ask that one,” she pointed out. “What are you feeling, yes, I can read /that/. And I can frequently extrapolate the thought from there, from what I know. But I … didn’t want to know. That way. Emotions can be so … deceptive.” She was still having to force herself to look away from his mouth, but she didn’t really want to look him right in the eye either. Who knew what he might see in her face?

She’d always been too open, too easily read. And too honest for her own good.

“Now you have me curious. The part of you that wants to act on how you feel I am?”