Polo! (how many RPs do you do at any one time? xD)

Kougu waited for Jimmy's opinion, letting him look over the dress. ((That sounds weird. XD )) "It's a good colour. Goes with her eyes. Is there a size smaller? If so, get it." Jimmy ran a hand over the dress, "And get the matching sandals that go with it. This is the sort of shop where they have full outfits on show so rich buggers like you can buy the whole lot."
Kougu managed a smile in response to Jimmy's wink, then did as he was told, and selected a smaller size of the dress and a pair of sandals to go with it, just as Jimmy had suggested.
Jimmy had already begun walking toward the counter when he looked back at Kougu and said, "Presuming you know how to buy something..."
For a moment he thought Jimmy was joking, but when he realised that the older man was serious, Kougu chuckled under his breath. "I do." He answered, "I'm not quite that pathetic, thankfully."
He walked up to the counter then, paid for the dress in cash, then accepted the plastic bag that was handed to him.
"Is that all?" He asked, walking briskly up to Jimmy. He clearly didn't want to spend a second longer in the shop, and he was barely managing to hide his discomfort. It was becoming too much, and he wanted to get away before he became overwhelmed.
If going through this didn't prove his love for Charlie, then he had no idea what would.

Jimmy let a bark of laughter at Kougu's remark. Honestly, he didn't expect someone who looked so uncomfortable in a shop to know exactly how to by something, but fair enough.
He stood back and allowed Kougu to buy it himself, then wandered out the shop with his hands in his pockets, obviously showing no attempt to offer to carry the bag himself.
"Is that all?" Kougu asked, and Jimmy noticed a tiny speck of hope in his tone. This only made him grin. Kougu needed socialising, and going into a single shop didn't count as socialising.
"Because it's you and I'm rather enjoying this: no, it isn't." He grinned even wider and snorted, slowly making his way further into the shopping centre. "We need a finishing touch, yet. Come on."
He tapped Kougu's shoulder in a friendly fashion, urging him to follow.
"Next step, the florists!"

In answer to his question, Jimmy grinned widely and replied, "Because it's you and I'm rather enjoying this: no, it isn't." Kougu groaned, slapping his free palm to his forehead. Then he pushed his hair out of his face and cast Jimmy a sideways glance. "As long as you're enjoying my suffering..." He muttered, rolling his eyes - but his lips twitched despite himself, and Kougu found that he was not too daunted by the idea of being dragged around this horrifying place a little while longer, as long as he had his friend by his side. It was easier to keep a level head when Jimmy was so relaxed, after all.
"We need a finishing touch, yet. Come on." Jimmy said cheerfully, tapping Kougu's shoulder to urge him along. He flinched automatically; more a knee-jerk reaction than because he minded the touch - which he didn't.
"Next step, the florists!"
Kougu sighed resignedly, and forced himself to follow after Jimmy, muttering under his breath, "I can't understand why people would do this every year..."
He followed beside Jimmy all the way to the florists, taking care to avoid the other shoppers, and by the time they arrived, he was feeling calmer - or maybe just completely defeated. He supposed it didn't matter - it had the same effect on him in any case.

"I can't understand why people would do this every year..." Kougu muttered behind him, and Jimmy only laughed at the tone of his voice. Honeestly, if this had been any other girl they were shopping for he would have just told Kougu to get her some socks and be done with it. But this was Charlie, and he wasn't just going to let the idiot leave without making sure she had the best bloody birthday in her life, even without him.
"I know, right? Ridiculous." He replied sarcastically, just as they arrived at the small little florist shop. It was no bigger than a classrom for a playschool, and it was overpowered with the natural scent of flowers. Boxes of dyed and natural flowers climbed around the tables and walls, sprouting in all directions, almost as if they were having conversations with each other.
The middle aged woman at the counter frowned at him for a moment, probably thinking how out of place hey both looked. A scruffy chav and a messy-haired teen than looked like he'd rather be at home curled up in a corner. But hey, they were there for a reason.
He went right to the counter and smiled politely at her. It was a smile he hadn't had to use for a long time. "Hey. Um... Could we have a look at the rose colour table?"
She nodded and handed him a laminated piece of card. He thanked her and turned back to Kougu with an unreadable smirk. "Choose a rose. We'll only get one so you're not over-doing it, but choose carefully. And don't get a bright red one, please. They're far too cliché." He rolled his eyes, then turned away and began to browse the different flowers that were faced his way.

((Clicky: http://www.rkdn.org/roses/colors.asp))

Kougu followed Jimmy reluctantly into the shop, which was so packed with flowers and the sickly sweet scent of them that he began to feel a little overwhelmed by the assault on his senses. He frowned as Jimmy spoke to the lady at the counter, noting in the back of his mind just how un-Jimmy-like the man seemed. But when Jimmy walked back to him and guided him over to a table covered in roses, Kougu followed on resignedly - his expression reminiscent of a pack-mule.
"Choose a rose. We'll only get one so you're not over-doing it, but choose carefully. And don't get a bright red one, please. They're far too cliché." Jimmy instructed, leaving Kougu staring at the table so blankly that it might as well have been covered with complicated equations rather than pretty flowers. He clearly had no idea what he was looking at - but by this point he was pretty committed, so he figured he might as well just pick one and have it over with.
He scanned the table uncertainly, looking at all the roses that couldn't possibly be considered 'bright red', and finally found one that caught his attention. The way the its colour varied just slightly gave it a near-metallic quality, and its elegant petals held no blemishes. The label below it read 'Russet'.
Shrugging, Kougu selected it and turned back to Jimmy.
"Will this do?" He asked wearily, apparently too exhausted by all the shopping at this point to even remember to look like a nervous squirrel.

((Link didn't work, so I just Googled rose colours until I found one I liked. XD ))

((Sorry. :3 It was just a table of rose colours and their meanings, which was on the sheet the random woman gave Jimmy. But it doesn't matter, I had a girly moment. ))

Jimmy turned around at the sound of Kougu's voice and his eyes flicked down to the rose in the younger man's hand. It wasn't red - thank goodness - in fact, Jimmy wasn't sure what colour it was. It certainly was one of a kind, not a speck wrong with it. Certainly a good choice, even if Kougu didn't really look all that enthusiastic. Poor sod.
Instead of just nodding in satisfaction and telling the man to pay, Jimmy's face lit up in mock surprise. "Kougu, you shouldn't have!"
He took the rose and cupped it in his hands as if it were made of glass, then chuckled and took it to the counter. Kougu probably didn't get what he'd meant anyway.
"D'you want it wrapped?" The woman asked, looking somewhat bored.
"Please." Jimmy nodded.
She wrapped it in see-through plastic and tied a ribbon around the middle. "We're doing a deal on roses where we add on a small pack of truffles for an extra 50p. D'you want them in addition?"
Jimmy turned to Kougu, thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, go on then." He handed Kougu the finished parcel and let him pay for himself, then turned and walked tiredly out of the shop. Amy may have been back, but it didn't change the fact that Jimmy's energy levels had gone down dramatically, and the stress from all the past events had pulled him down. He was unfit.
Coughing suddenly, he scrunched his eyes closed and spluttered into his palm.
If he'd had any breath he would have been groaning in pain. He tightened a fist around the material over his chest and clutched it for a while, his eyes watering at the pain and sudden difficulty with breathing. What was wrong with him?
After a few moments of panting, coughing and spluttering, he managed to straighten up - having had no memory of hunching over - and blinked his eyes dry. He couldn't remember having asthma as a child, but it may have been possible that his experiences had brought it on in the first place.
Grumbling, he shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking again, not once looking back to see if Kougu was done.

((Ah well. Kougu probably wouldn't get it anyway. ))

Kougu watched Jimmy's face light up with a suspicious frown, and just stared blankly at him as he took the rose, exclaiming, "Kougu, you shouldn't have!"
"Wha-" He broke off, confused, and frowned at Jimmy for a moment. Then comprehension seemed to dawn on him, and his lips twitched up just slightly to allow for a subtle chuckle. Jimmy had quite a sense of humour on him - he never would have suspected it before...
Shrugging, Kougu stepped forward to accept the now-wrapped rose and to pay for it - then headed out of the shop after Jimmy. The older man was walking out in front of him, and Kougu wasted a few moments in hesitation, unsure of whether he was supposed to catch up to his new friend, or if Jimmy was pulling away because he was sick of him and wanted to get away. Kougu struggled with this concept for a while, but then he saw Jimmy double over in a fit of coughing, and all other thought was lost.
He was at the man's side in a heartbeat, supporting him as he straightened up. But as Jimmy strode forward again, Kougu's hand closed on his arm, and he stopped him - pulling him aside, even though this part of the mall was relatively deserted.
"How long have you had that cough?" He asked quietly, his eyes fixed on Jimmy's with concern. Now that he was worried about his friend, he was a different person entirely. He had confidence and authority, the type he only seemed to gain when he really believed in what he was doing. "I would recommend you have it checked out, but..." He trailed off with a sigh, and shook his head. "You wouldn't do that, would you?"
Of course he wouldn't; Jimmy was far too like him in that way... Kougu was sure of it.
Always well prepared, Kougu reached into his pocket and produced a tub of pills. He took Jimmy's hand, not bothering to ask permission, and shook one into his palm, then replaced the tub in his pocket.
"That'll make you feel better for a while, but if that cough gets any worse, you'd better come and see me."
He held Jimmy's gaze a moment, his dark eyes surprisingly firm, then finally relented and let the other man go, stepping back awkwardly when he seemed to register his sudden increase in confidence and lack of inhibition for being so near to Jimmy. He cleared his throat awkwardly, casting a nervous glance around him, and muttered, "Right... I- I'll be going now."
With that, he turned back in the direction he was pretty sure would lead him to the shop exit, and began walking - shoulders hunched and hands in his pockets like a depressed teenager.

((Yeah... Good point. Poor Kougu ))

Jimmy was still trying to clear his throat without unleashing another coughing fit when Kougu rushed to his side like a lost little puppy. He tried to ignore the younger man, but with all the questions that were being shot at him it was hard to achieve. Eventually, he gave in.
"Listen... I don't- I don't know. Okay?" He ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly stressed. "I've had it since being in the desert. I might have caught somethin'. But it's nothing."
It obviously wasn't nothing, but Jimmy got more irritated the more Kougu cared about him. The reason he was in such a state was because of the trauma he'd faced in Mexico, and he'd preferred to think that all that hadn't happened. He wasn't good at erasing trauma from his mind, but this time, it had been beginning to work until Kougu brought it up. The cough meant that it happened, and that was something he really didn't want to face.
"I would recommend you have it checked out, but... You wouldn't do that, would you?"
"Would I f*ck." He mumbled, then turned to see the look on Kougu's face, and relaxed slightly. At least the guy wasn't going to nag him. It was only a cough, after all. What was the point paying money to go to a doctor for something that may just be a bit of dust?
He jumped slightly as Kougu grabbed his hand and automatically tried to squirm away from it. It only ceased when the small pills trickled onto his hand. Where had those come from?
His fingers curled around the capsules and he frowned at them for a while, wondering vaguely if Kougu had suddenly decided that they were no longer friends and was trying to kill him. But with his strange, kind side showing up even in a place where he'd shown evident signs of stress, when Jimmy was 'suffering' he'd jumped right in to help. It wasn't the first time, either.
Shrugging, Jimmy swallowed the pills dry and tucked his hand back in his pocket.
"That'll make you feel better for a while, but if that cough gets any worse, you'd better come and see me."
"Yes, mum." He repeated dryly, but nodded anyway. It was weird seeing this side of Kougu but Jimmy guessed he was used to it. His own mum, like Charlie's was a bit of a nag, but he'd always ignored here until now. The reunion had been a pretty emotional one, he'd kind of cowered in the corner and let her and Amy cry and hug all they want - it had been a long time since he'd last been in his Mum's house, since he'd distinctly remembered her telling him that she never wanted to see him again. Thankfully, bringing Amy home had given her a change of heart, and he was allowed to stay with her until his house was tidied up and he could afford some new paint and furniture.
When Kougu mumbled about leaving Jimmy quickly pushed his thoughts aside. So, was that it?
"Oi." He grunted. "Hold it, big man." He strolled back towards Kougu until they were side-by-side again. "About tomorrow..." He frowned at himself, then turned to face the younger man. "You'd better be a good boyfriend to her, d'you hear? Make sure she feels like the happiest girl alive."
He winked. They both knew who he was talking about.

Kougu was about to walk away when Jimmy called him back, and he hesitated uncertainly, allowing the other man to catch up to him. Jimmy fell into step beside him, and Kougu took to staring at the ground as he trudged on in silence.
He would have been content to leave the shopping center in awkward silence, but unfortunately Jimmy had something to say.
"About tomorrow..." Kougu looked up reluctantly to meet Jimmy's gaze when the older man turned to face him, "You'd better be a good boyfriend to her, d'you hear? Make sure she feels like the happiest girl alive."
Kougu looked away before Jimmy's wink, frowning in a troubled fashion to himself. Any confidence he'd had seemed to have been sapped out of him by the monstrous social demand of birthday shopping, and when he did manage to answer, he could only smile weakly and say, "I'll try my best."
It occurred to him that if he'd said that in his father's presence he probably would have been beaten for it, but he didn't care. It was the truth. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be himself, and that had its limits. All he could do was try, and hope that Charlie would appreciate it.
She probably would... She always did seem to, even when he failed miserably - she still accepted him. That was one of the many things he loved about her.
"Mm." Kougu mumbled after a moment, smiling wearily, "I will."

Jimmy frowned at Kougu's first response, wondering for a moment why being such a good boyfriend seemed - by his reaction - such a difficult prospect. Honestly, he must have been doing something right to still have her with him after all this time, right? It wasn't like she was there by force..
"I will." Kougu confirmed at last.
"Good." Jimmy replied, nodding in satisfaction. "Or else you'll have me to answer to."
Yeah, right.
He snickered to himself, highly amused by this. Of course he wouldn't dare put a finger on Kougu with bad intentions. Past events already told him what would happen: he'd get his ass kicked. And possibly become paralysed, or whatever it was Kougu had done to him. What was it again? That weird word? He couldn't remember, not that it mattered. The point was he wouldn't need to hurt Kougu, because that crazy-haired guy had Charlie's heart in the palm of his hand, and Jimmy could tell he had no intention of hurting it. In fact, the younger man looked so convinced that he'd rather die than do so.
"I'll see you around, Ringo." Jimmy said finally, slapping Kougu good naturedly on the back. "Good luck." He winked, then shot Kougu a crooked smile and went on his way, back home to Amy.

Kougu said goodbye to Jimmy, and was about to turn and start walking back towards home when something stopped him. He paused and looked back over his shoulder, then turned and called out, "Hey, Jimmy," He paused a moment, then smiled awkwardly and added, "Thanks."
With that, he and Jimmy went their separate ways, and Kougu was left to walk back to his house alone - not that he minded, of course. In fact, he would not have had it any other way.
The walk gave him time to relax and unwind after the tension of his big 'shopping' experience, and he felt his frayed nerves gradually calm down.
By the time he finally arrived home it was early evening, and the sun was about to start setting. He traipsed up the path to his front door, watching the sun absentmindedly - but he remembered to stop himself before he walked into the door again. He did not get as deeply lost in his thoughts now as he used to. Perhaps it was because reality was not quite to cruel now that he had Charlie to ease the pain. He smiled silently to himself, then took and deep breath and let himself into the house. He put his purchases away in a cupboard to give to Charlie the following day, then wandered off to the kitchen in search of her. (('Cause that's where women belong, right? XD ))

Jimmy looked back over his shoulder, frowning for a moment. What cold Kougu possibly have left to ask him? When he was thanked however, his lips relaxed into a proud smile. He may have spent years of being a total douchebag, but he wasn't sure of the last time he'd ever done something worth thanking for. The happiness in Kougu then was enough to make his day.
He didn't reply to the thanks, only nodded mutely. Kougu knew what he meant.
With that he began walking again, keeping his head down, and strolled towards home.

I was just mixing the stew in the pot when Kougu came in. I didn't have to turn around to know it was him, because I recognised the sound of his graceful footsteps entering the kitchen. Pedro was in the lounge, entertaining himself with some light-up stars I'd bought him from a charity shop a few weeks ago. Mum was watching TV as usual and Anthony... I didn't know where he was. But I knew as soon as the food was ready he'd come running even if he was miles away.
"Heya." I told him brightly without turning my back and began serving the mince and gravy with the cooked vegetables and dumplings. "D'you like mincemeat? I was going to ring you but I forgot you don't have a phone..." I frowned thoughtfully as I put the bowls aside and began buttering some bread. Once I was done I turned back to him and smiled warmly. I wasn't sure how he managed to do that to me, especially when I'd been so stressed until he walked into the room.

((Dude, what have we done to our 'long' RP? XD ))

Kougu walked into the kitchen to find Charlie cooking suffer, and he sniffed the air appreciatively, surprised to find that he was suddenly rather hungry.
He smiled when she greeted him, and walked up behind her, placing a hand absentmindedly on her shoulder. He watched her serve the food while she spoke - only half listening, really, but glad to hear her voice nevertheless. It felt good just to be around Charlie after such a tremendously stressful experience. It was the same as being alone, but better, because she was there. ((Kougu logic. Gotta love it. XD ))
"D'you like mincemeat?" Charlie was asking, still speaking without looking at him as she busied herself with serving the food. "I was going to ring you but I forgot you don't have a phone..."
"Mm." He murmured, resting his chin lightly on her head. "I never needed one, but I suppose I should probably get one now... A car, too. I'm tired of walking everywhere." He thought for a moment, then added sulkily, "I'll order them online."
Clearly, he did not intend to go anywhere near a shop again anytime soon.
"Can I help with anything?" He asked suddenly, shuffling to Charlie's side and nodding toward the food, "It looks delicious."

((I don't know... XD The muse monster killed it :3 ))

I giggled to myself at his thoughtful mumblings, shaking my head in amusement. The words sounded so bizarre for him, I couldn't really imagine him with a car, or a phone, but it was amusing that he had the money to casually order both of them online without really caring much about it.
I stopped serving for a moment and leaned back into him, enjoying his warm body against mine. Whoever this new Kougu was, the Kougu that openly showed his affection without hesitation, even small gestures, I liked him.
"Can I help with anything?" He asked politely, although I could tell he really just wanted to tuck in as soon as possible. The poor guy may not have eaten since I last fed him. "It looks delicious."
"Yeah." I agreed, then handed him a bowl full of stew and a slice of bread, smiling to myself. "Well try and remember to chew this time." I smirked and reached onto my tiptoes, pecking him on the cheek. "Please could you give this to Mum? I won't bother calling Anthony. Wherever he is, he'll sniff it out." I chortled to myself. "I swear he's like a little Bloodhound."
Yawning tiredly - the self-defense workout had really done me in - I wrapped a hand around his side and caressed it gently, handed him his own bowl and took my own.
"Hey, Kougu." I muttered, eyes twinkling at him. "Aishiteru."

Kougu accepted the bowl of food that Charlie handed him, and chuckled to himself when she reminded him to chew. What did she think he was, an animal? Then again, he was about ready to start devouring that stew like some sort of starved lion. Charlie reached up to peck him on the cheek, and Kougu bowed his head to accept it - then took the second bowl of food that Charlie handed him, saying, "Please could you give this to Mum? I won't bother calling Anthony. Wherever he is, he'll sniff it out. I swear he's like a little Bloodhound."
Kougu smiled faintly amused by this comparison, and replied simply, "Sure."
He was about to walk off to do just that when he felt Charlie's hand at his side, and it took every ounce of self control he had not to jump from the start.
"Hey, Kougu." She said, and he felt himself smiling at the twinkle in her eye, "Aishiteru."
He chuckled to himself and leaned down to peck her on the lips in response - feeling oddly warm with the happiness Charlie's affection instilled in him - then left to give Cathy her dinner.

Once he had eaten, Kougu washed his bowl, then went off to take a much-needed shower. He emerged a while later wearing a set of pajamas that was just a bit too loose around his shoulders. He was exhausted from all his 'social exposure' that day, and frankly he was looking forward to having a good long sleep.

I grinned at him as he kissed me, cheekily pecking his nose as he backed away again. I had to admit, I was enjoying this new, affectionate side to Kougu. It reminded me of what I'd been missing in all the passing years.
He went away to give Mum her stew, and I turned back to eat my own. Unfortunately my mealtimes were only quick ones because Pedro had a bottomless pit as a stomach, and always seemed to be hungry.
I ate my own dinner then sat on the sofa on the far end, away from mum, and quietly fed him his pureed food. This took some time, as he was beginning to teeth also - that would explain the constant crying - and I had a feeling that hurt quite a bit. By the time he was done and tired, Kougu had finished showering and had appeared in a set of extremely baggy pyjamas. I turned and smiled at him, then turned to TV off when I noticed Mum was asleep. It wasn't too late in the evening but the day, even for me, had been tiring.
"Hey," I whispered, standing up with Pedro in my arms and bobbed up and down to urge him to sleep. He went quiet for a moment, until he saw Kougu and started gurgling again.
He remembered him from that morning.
What was first a gurgle turned into a quiet, talkative babble, and I felt his little hand stretch over my shoulder towards Kougu's face. He cooed and giggled, his large, brown eyes focused on getting to his new friend.
"Goo goo..." He squealed, barely pronouncing Kougu's name. "Gooooo goooooo!"
I'd been noticing this for a while, he'd been making sounds to represent people. Anthony was 'Atsss' and I was 'Ggeee'. But this was the first time he'd ever spoken to Kougu at all, never mind address him.
I turned round, unsmiling, and searched Kougu's face for any sign of happiness. Was this fact thrilling for him? Or did it just remind him of his little sister?
Maybe this was too far. Maybe he won't want to touch the child after this...

Kougu watched Charlie approach him, the baby in her arms. He considered the child cautiously, still unsure as to how he felt about it being near him. It definitely bothered him to be near something so innocent and delicate - it made him feel like a wrecking ball by comparison - but the child seemed to have taken a shine to him, and he had to admit that there was something charming about its cheerful little gurgles and wide liquid eyes.
"Goo goo." The child announced cheerfully, and Kougu stared at it as though afraid it might explode. When he didn't react, Pedro repeated himself, but Kougu didn't know what he was trying to say.
He realized that Charlie was watching him, awaiting a reaction from him, and he felt something akin to panic rising in his throat. This was just too much to deal with - he couldn't cope with the pressure of Charlie's expectations on his shoulders. He didn't even know what was expected of him in this situation.
He shifted his weight awkwardly, then commented with an uncertain smile, "He likes me, huh?" Kougu wasn't sure how he felt about that, and his expression offered no hint.
He stepped forward, somewhat timid, but clearly making an effort, and placed a hand on the child's fluffy little head. "I guess... It's not so bad being around him." He mused, although he still didn't look too sure. Still, it was a start.

Kougu seemed rather uncomfortable at the way I was looking at him, but I couldn't help it. If Pedro ended upsetting him, if something happened...
"He likes me, huh?" Then, with an awkward shift in weight, he approached Pedro and placed a large hand over the little boy's head. "I guess... It's not so bad being around him." He mumbled with a thoughtful frown, still looking uncertainly at Pedro. The baby quietened at the contact and, mirroring Kougu's frown, reached a chubby hand out and touched Kougu's thin arm.
"Goo goo..." He gurgled with a small, toothy grin. He followed Kougu's arm slowly to his wrist, then little finger, and grabbed it excitedly with a squeal.
"Now, now. Little man," I eased his finger off with a giggle and dropped him backwards onto my hand so he was looking at me. "If you're quiet then Goo Goo might say goodnight before you go to sleep." I kissed his forehead gently then turned back to Kougu, smiling warmly at him. Whatever I'd been worried about before was now long gone. Kougu may not adore Pedro like I did, but he certainly didn't hate him and that was more than enough for me. Winking at him, I took Pedro to his cot and left him there, along with his blanket and toys to tire himself out, then went back to the living room to find Kougu.
"Hey," I said once I'd spotted him. "D'you want a hot drink of something? Tea? Hot chocolate?" I then noticed his hair dripping and plastered to his head and giggled. It looked even longer wet. In order to see his face I lifted a finger and parted his long fringe like curtains to reveal his eyes. "If that really is you under there." I teased.

Kougu just watched Pedro cautiously as the child grabbed his finger. Pedro squealed delightedly, and Kougu obligingly jiggled his hand to entertain him for a moment.
He smiled slightly as Charlie detached the child's pudgy little hand, and watched her take little Pedro away with some relief. He didn't dislike the child, he was just uncomfortable being around it, and that was almost certainly for the best.
Nodding decisively to himself, he turned away, only to be stopped by Charlie's return a moment later.
"Hey," She said as she reached him, "D'you want a hot drink of something? Tea? Hot chocolate?"
She watched him for a moment, then giggled and reached up to part his fringe. He bowed his head to allow it, and chuckled to himself when she added, "If that really is you under there."
"I do need a haircut, don't I?" He mused, pulling a lock of his fringe forward and squinting up at it. Rolling his eyes with a chuckle of amusement, he swept it back away from his face, and answered Charlie mildly, "I'd love some tea. You spoil me, though." He smirked, and tweaked her chin affectionately, then added, "At least let me help. You can't be doing everything around here."

"I need a haircut, don't I?" Kougu joked and we both laughed in agreement. He sure did, to be fair.
"So do I," I giggled, leaving his wet hair to stick up away from his face. It was nice to see it, once in a while. His face, not his hair.
"I'd love some tea. You spoil me, though." I rolled my eyes at this, but a smile appeared when his fingers cupped my chin. I looked obediently up at him, eyes shining, just has he added, "At least let me help. You can't be doing everything around here."
I had to laugh at this. Trust Kougu to be as caring as this. "It's only a cup of tea." I beamed at him, but invited him to follow me into the kitchen anyway. I linked a single finger with his and led him to the kitchen - if only to get out of Mum's view - and released him once I felt the cold tiles on my bare feet.
"There're some biscuits in the cupboard," I gestured towards the cupboard above he microwave, "presuming Anthony hasn't eaten them all..."
I rolled my eyes. That boy was a typical teenager.
Once the kettle was boiled I poured two cups of tea and handed one to Kougu, leaning back against the counter beside him. We stood in silence for a while, sipping our drinks, until I decided to bring up something that had been bothering me since Kougu had woken up. "Um, Kougu?" I asked quietly. "Would you mind if I shared your bed tonight? It's just that... Well, now Pedro's in the spare room and the sofa's not very comfy. Would that be alright?"

Kougu let Charlie lead him to the kitchen, smiling slightly at her.
"There're some biscuits in the cupboard," She said as they reached the kitchen, "presuming Anthony hasn't eaten them all..." He chuckled at this, and got the biscuits out of the cupboard, then helped himself to one and munched placidly on it, hovering around uselessly while Charlie made the tea. Although he wanted to help, as she said, it was just tea... There really wasn't all that much he could do.
When Charlie handed him his tea, he accepted it with an easy smile and a word of thanks, and blew delicately on it for a moment before taking a sip.
"Um, Kougu?" She murmured quietly, and he glanced up curiously at the somewhat timid tone of her voice, "Would you mind if I shared your bed tonight? It's just that... Well, now Pedro's in the spare room and the sofa's not very comfy. Would that be alright?"
He blinked silently at her from over his tea for a while, contemplating this request. He would have been perfectly happy just to let her take the bed and sleep on the sofa himself - or the floor, or not at all; he wasn't fussy.
But something told him that Charlie didn't want the bed to herself.
That was no matter... She ended up in bed beside him relatively often anyway, and in his new relaxed state of mind, he had no qualms about it.
"Of course." He answered at last, taking another sip of tea, "I don't mind."

For a minute I actually though he was going to say no - as f he would - but when Kougu finally agreed to let me sleep with him that night I let out a huge sigh of relief ((shut up, you know what she means. )).
"Thank you." I rested my head on his shoulder and half-hugged, half-snuggled against him as I sipped the last bits of my tea. ((She's a fast tea drinker ))
Once I'd finished I reached over and stole a couple of biscuits, then began to nibble away at them, feeling oddly self-conscious when the crumbs dribbled down my shirt. I made a muffled giggly noise and brushed them away, then popped the last piece in my mouth with a slight blush.
It took me a few moments to chew, then I turned back to Kougu and took his hand. "Right, well I'm going to go get into some pyjamas, check on Pedro, then I'll see you there." I reached up on my tiptoes and pecked him gently on the lips. They lingers there for a shirt while, and a hand found it's way to his cheek, and began to stroke the skin slowly to the side of his neck and to his collar bone.
I shot him a brief look then turned on my heel and went off to get changed.

Ten minutes later I was sat cross-legged on the one-and-a-half-man bed, waiting for Kougu to come. I was dressed in an elasticated vest top with baggy jogging bottoms that probably belonged to Kougu, since they were a bit too long for me.
Yawning, I reached over for the dressing gown and wrapped it around myself, shivering quietly.

Kougu shrugged off Charlie's thanks, seeming mildly pleased with himself, and sipped contentedly at his tea, not really noticing Charlie's little incident with the biscuit crumbs. He finished off his tea while Charlie was eating, and a moment after he had set it down, she took his hand. ((Just typed 'head' by accident... XD ))
"Right, well I'm going to go get into some pyjamas, check on Pedro, then I'll see you there." She said, and Kougu nodded silently in response. He bowed his head obligingly when Charlie reached up to peck him, and accepted it without complaint. He was certainly getting more comfortable with basic gestures of affection, but this time it lasted a little longer than he was used to, and he found himself blinking in mild confusion, unsure of what to do with himself.
Then Charlie touched his chin, and ran her hand down his neck to his collar bone.
A shudder rippled through him at the contact, leaving goosebumps over his skin, and as Charlie turned to leave, he stared after her with surprised confusion.
He was not very used to accepting that sort of intimacy, especially out of the blue like that, but he could not say that he was displeased... In fact, now that she had gone, he rather missed the feeling of Charlie's fingers on his skin. It was... Nice, in a strange way.

At last, Kougu shrugged it off, and headed to the bedroom to wait for Charlie, only to find that she was there already. He must have been lost in thought for quite some time... He smiled at her as he entered, closing the door behind him and walking over to the bed. Sitting down beside her, Kougu wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"Cold?" He asked, looking at her with obvious concern in his eyes. He rubbed her arm absentmindedly, trying to warm her up a little.

As soon as the bed dipped as Kougu sat beside me I pretended to fall against him, pressing my body against his. He automatically put an arm around me and squeezed me warmly.
I was cold, yes. But I wanted his company more than warmth.
I nodded truthfully and climbed into the duvet, pulling it to my lap. "I should be fine, though." I assured him, tugging the dressing gown further around my body. I then snuggled up to him - the bed wasn't made for two, but that wasn't my reason - resting my head on his shoulder, and curled my legs up underneath the covers. I knew he liked this sort of affectionate contact so I wasn't as careful as I used to be with him.
We sat there for a while, just enjoying each other's company, until a thought occurred to me. It wasn't about Kougu, but I felt he probably knew the answer to why.
"Kougu?" I asked quietly. "Why has Jimmy been avoiding me?"

Kougu lay down in the bed, and when Charlie rested her head on his shoulder, he found himself surprisingly unconcerned by it. He didn't react much, but he was content to lie there beside her, and for once it offered no stress for him. It had been so long since he had even come close to losing control that he was starting to believe that perhaps he was free, and able to live a normal life at last. Whether it was true or not, he was certainly trying.
"Kougu?" Charlie asked suddenly, and he glanced curiously towards her, "Why has Jimmy been avoiding me?"
Kougu blinked in surprise, then frowned as he considered this for a moment.
"I think he's ashamed." He said at last, shrugging slightly, "He feels guilty for how he treated you - and he should - so he doesn't feel he deserves to see you... Something like that."
He was quiet a moment, then turned his head to face Charlie and added with a smile, "But don't worry, he's doing well. If I see him again, I'll bring him here to see you if you like."
He leaned over and pecked her cheek, then bid her goodnight, and rolled over to go to sleep.

He awoke early the next morning, placed the rose he had bought for Charlie in a vase beside the bed, and wrapped the dress and shoes for her, leaving those beside the rose, complete with neatly tied ribbons. When he was satisfied, he headed to the kitchen and cooked Charlie breakfast. By the time he was done it was 9AM, and he figured Charlie was probably going to wake up soon if she hadn't already, so he carried her food in to her on a tray. He set it down on the table beside the bed, then leaned over to wake Charlie up.
"Happy birthday." He whispered, bending down to peck her forehead gently, "Want some breakfast?"