Wham Bam

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Tryp West"]

He was amused at her laughter- Jack never had considered himself a particularly tall person.

Not when you had your Epicanthix and other species towering all over ya for most of your life. So, there were exactly zero hang-ups about her apparently being a bit taller than him. "Well, I do like tall women, so I suppose this is a victory for both of us." He offered with a smile, leaning against the bar but not actually retreating from her in any way otherwise.

His eyes ghosted over to her lips for a fraction of a second.

Then back to her eyes.

"I'd like that." Wasn't even a joke or politeness either- Jack liked learning new things. He doubted he'd ever needed to know how to juggle, but it seemed like a fun party trick, no? Besides, if it meant more time with her? Well. The decision seemed easy and logical to him. There was concern though. About what Jack wanted to do next, was it smart?

"I am thinking of doing something." Jack murmured just an inch lower, maybe a bit anxious as his eyes ghosted down again for a second. "Trying to figure out if it's a good idea..."

 

[Tryp West]

After that triumph, Tryp leaned against the bar as well, liberating her beer again and taking a sip. She did arch an eyebrow at his tall women comment, but then, some people just talked that tha-

And then his eyes ghosted down, and back up, and from the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice, she didn't need to be an empath to figure out what he meant. Something in the quality of her smile changed, softening but not vanishing.

"Oooooh Jackie," she said with a chuckle, putting down the beer. She licked her lips, watching him for a moment.

He'd be able to feel it. In that moment, she was tempted. Very tempted.

"Not gonna lie and say I dun want ta," she said quietly, keeping her gaze level on his. "But I got my thumb on my soul, and while it might look jes like I got what 'appened earlier unner control, I'm gonna be real and let ya know dat I 'ave all intentions a' curlin' up wit a blanket an' tea later an' commence wit a good 'ard look at it all. I'm okay, Jack, but I ain't good, ya feel me?"

Straight talk. Tryp didn't do things any other way. And it was better to find out if he could handle that now or not. Cause if he didn't like it? Well, better to not waste both of their times.

"So I dun know if'n I want ta kiss ya cause I'm feelin' mortality, or if'n I want ta kiss ya jes cause I wanna. An I dun know 'ow fair dat is to you."

Her smile had faded now into a serious, thoughtful expression as she watched for his reaction.

"If'n knowin' dat, an' knowing dat it'd be jes that, cause I know more'd be a mistake fer sure-" even saying it, there was some temptation. All the more reason to make this clear. "If'n knowin' dat, ya still considering, well. Ya tell me if ya t'ink it's a good idea or a bad one fer ya. Cause...."

It was her turn now for eyes to ghost down to his lips and then back up again.

"I'd like ta see which it is, if'n ya say 'good'."

[member="Jackson Singh"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Tryp West"]

He liked her.

Specifically enjoyed the fact that there weren't any games here. She was honest, straightforward and didnt try to hide behind secrets. Tryp could have and Jack wouldn't have been able to blame her, but she *didn't* and that made all the difference in the world to him.

"Tryp," Making her look at him and listen really. "I ain't want more than what ya can give me." *Can*, not want, because Jack believed her.

Hell. He could feel her temptation from here.

The fact that she guarded herself and was also concerned about him? it told him what kind of person he was dealing with in the moment. Rare one. Very rare. "Don't do expectations. I want ta kiss cus I wanna kiss ya, nothing more, nothing less."

Hand extend, palm upwards, enough for her to put her hand in it.

If she did? Jack would slowly pull her into his arms for that promised kiss. If not? That was okay too.

 

[Tryp West]

She looked at him and measured.

And then laid her hand in his. He didn't have to draw her in, she met him halfway. The kiss was warm and soft. Exploring without demands. Her hands went up behind his head as his circled around her waist, and for a minute at least, there was nothing else.

Before it could deepen too far, before the temptation to give over to it took serious hold, Tryp pulled back. She didn't leave his arms, not right away, but there was a line that she simply would not cross in the here and now because it was certainly a bad idea. One that they might enjoy in the moment but definitely a bad idea.

If they had met under different circumstances, Tryp probably wouldn't have hesitated. Just two people, enjoying a pint and a laugh? That was easy. Tryp didn't have a lot of hang ups about that sort of thing. But she also wasn't flippant about it, about herself, about whoever that partner was, even if it was only for one night. Nothing wrong with that, but not when she wasn't sure if she'd be using him just because she was feeling a little vulnerable. It would be easy to cave, to pull him down and kiss him again, harder this time, filled with heat- saying that she recognized that so that was enough. That was all that she had to do was know it going in, and she'd told him after all.

But that wasn't the kind of person Tryp was.

So instead, she smiled, tipping her forehead against his for a moment before stepped back. He'd be able to feel the reluctance, but also the sensation through her that this was the right thing to do.

[member="Jackson Singh"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Tryp West"]

A nuzzle of nose touching nose for a brief moment, before Jack let her go.

"Mms'nice. So..." There was a smile brightening his face now. It wasn't smugness- no... pleased. He had liked it, liked it a lot and there were no illusions (by the way his eyes ghosted over to her lips for one final time again) that he wanted more. But that wasn't Jack. She had her line and he would respect that, easy as that. There was no reason to make the evening unpleasant.

It had already started bad.

They had managed to salvage a little bit. "...can I getcha number?" She wanted more, he wanted more, but now wasn't the time. To Jack it was simple- reschedule, regroup and then figure out if this was something.

If not?

Shame.

But Jack didn't mind giving this another swing at some later point. "Gotta contact ya for that music 'n' chill and da jugglin' lessons after all." Wide grin now.

 

[Tryp West]

She smiled back at him, and there was no doubt on his part that she felt similarly on the matter. Didn't have to be an empath to see it.

"Yeah, I'd like dat," she said.

She motioned and he handed her his communicator. Thumbs input the information and then hit send. Which sent the comm at her hip buzzing a moment later, confirming the mutual interest. Tryp wasn't the type to give out a fake number, but he didn't know that (yeah he kind of did already but she didn't know he knew and sometimes Tryp was too concerned about things like that for her own good).

"Gonna take this beer slow still," she said with a smile. "So if'n ya wanna relax fer a bit more.... well...."

As it turned out, they both did.

It seemed like a good start.