Naked

Naked

A "Ten Inch Hero" coda by Jennie @deanisntfine
Inspired by and dedicated to Mich @raiahome

Priestly's basement apartment had just one, tiny window -- set high, facing west -- and now a buttery orange light was streaming in as the sun set.

Tish was nestled in bed beside him, asleep, but turned away, facing the darker corners of his room.

It had happened fast -- probably faster than he would have liked, to tell the truth... but there was no saying "no" to Tish. A force of nature is what she was... and she'd learned very well how to get what she wanted.

It had fulfilled every one of his fantasies, of course. And then some. There was a naked goddess in his bed, for Christ's sake. Warm, willing.

But in his dreams, they were more. A lot more.

He just had to hold on to the hope that -- with time -- they would walk toward each other, then walk hand in hand, and make those dreams come true.

***

Tish wasn't sleeping.

Looking over the edge of Priestly's bed, she saw his new Banana Republic clothes in a jumble in the corner, where they'd quickly come off after dinner.

Ugh. How many piles of preppy clothes had she seen, heaped next to how many beds?

The only difference now was the Black Flag and Dead Kennedys posters on the walls... and the strange feeling that, this time, she was right where she needed to be.

She stretched languidly and rolled over to face him. He seemed startled to see she was awake. They shared a long kiss.

She traced her finger along the planes of his naked face and smiled. His green eyes glinted like sea glass in the fading light.

“You know, Boaz,” she said, playfully, “you don’t have to be someone else to be with me.”

He took a deep breath and pulled her closer, never breaking her gaze.

“The problem, Platisha,” he said, “is that I’m not sure I know who I am. Not yet, anyway.”

She wrinkled her nose and smiled, that coquettish smile that had stolen -- and destroyed -- a hundred hearts.

“That’s OK,” she said. “I know. And I’m happy to stick around while you catch up.”

They kissed again, and Priestly buried his face in her copper hair.

Tish whispered in his ear: “You should hold on to the khakis, though. You can wear them to the wedding.”

He pulled back abruptly and stared at her, the shock naked on his face.

“Not our wedding, asshole,” Tish said. She punched him in the shoulder. “Trucker and Zo’s!”

“Wait,” Priestly said, confused. “Trucker and Zo are getting married?”

“I sense it,” Tish said. Priestly greeted that notion with suspicion -- and a big, sunny grin.

“What? Maybe I do!” Tish said.

Laughing, she smacked him square in the face with a pillow.

It hurt a lot less than it would have if he’d left in his studs.