How Green Becomes Wood

"It took them awhile to adjust to it, but they came around," Cooger said, sitting down on the couch and gently pulling her to his side. Then, looking over at her boots by the door he said, "They're good people."
 
"They are very good people. Just like you," Lex said, cuddling into his side willingly. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before gently asking, "You seem to be thinking about something. What's on your mind?"
 
He almost said something before shaking his head, "No, it's nothing." But then he looked at her again and asked, "You're committed to not wanting to be this rural, right? You want to have your own space that's a little further away from people than your current house is, but not too far from civilization."
 
Lex raised her brow at him, wondering where he was going with this. She had a suspicion, but she didn't want to assume. "It is really nice out here," she admitted, "and maybe I'd get used to it. I had thought something closer to town might be better for transporting my finished products, but being too close to town means I'm always going to have to worry about noise complaints. Not that I blame them."
 
Again, he hesitated for a moment, but then was spurned on by the thought that she might get used to it. So he just asked, before he had the chance to talk himself out of it, "What if you just moved here after Toby moves out? If you decide you do want to sell your house and move? I know we've been together for less than a year, but... I mean, I love you. I don't imagine wanting to be with anyone else. By the time Toby moves out, we'll probably be at a year, so..." He shrugged, "I just keep looking at your shoes by the front door and I just think... It looks right, having them there. And it feels right, that at the end of the day everyone goes home except for you."
 
Lex's eyes widened. "Wow," she said with a faint smile. She leaned into him, not answering right away as she considered. Her eyes traveled around the cabin. It was so homey, so warm, so... Cooger. Could she really fit here? Thankfully, their ideas of style were not a million miles apart (function forward with a bit of fashion following), but this place was so Cooger-oriented and so cat-centric. Could she, with her collection of tiny ceramic dragons, find a home here? At least there was a surprising amount of space in here, likely planning for his family to stay over and room for cats.

"Let me think about it," she finally said in a tone that promised she really would consider it. "It would be nice to be able to see you every day, and you wouldn't have to worry about me not being next door to your brother, but this place feels so very you, and you might not be able to take in as many strays. Soup and Salad would have to come live here again. And I'd need to build some sort of forge outside." She paused and then added thoughtfully, "Although, if I build my own smithy, I could make it however I wanted instead of trying to fit inside a space that already exists."
 
"Yeah, take all the time you need," Cooger promised, "I know how I feel. It won't change if ten years from now you want to move in. And even if you decide you never want to move in with me, that's not a deal-breaker for me. But I can build you a forge. Lord knows I have the space. Soup and Salad know me, it's not like I don't like cats. Poppy probably misses her sisters." He gently took her face in his hand and rubbed his thumb against her cheek, "I don't care if you don't agree. But I only use about half my closet. Most of the cats aren't allowed up in my bedroom, I can put up shelves for your dragons there so they're safe. Or get one of those glass cabinets with a door that shuts and put them here. I wouldn't care if you wanted to change the rug or the dishes. Not if it was you who was changing them." He swallowed, choosing to release her face and hold her hands, "Whatever you want, as long as I still get to be with you. I'm not looking to tie you down or nothing. But I spent too long working up the courage to actually date you, I don't want to waste more time not letting you know how right I feel when I'm with you, Lex."
 
Tears welled up in Lex's eyes. "Oh, Jasper," she almost whimpered, her heart swelling. She didn't know what to say. She'd dated romantics before, and masculine macho men, and quite a few in between, but no one, no one, had ever looked her in the eye so earnestly and spoken to her with such tender convictions. She fell more in love with him with every sentence he uttered. Without pausing to think, she shifted herself up and over so she could sit straddling his lap. Copying what he'd just done, she took his face in her hands and craddled it tenderly. "I love you so f**king much," she whispered and leaned in to kiss him slowly and tenderly, wanting nothing more than to hold him close to her and just savor this moment.
 
"Woah, hey," He said, frowning slightly as he saw her tears well up. They looked like happy tears, at least, or at least he hoped like they did, but it still made him a little worried. He didn't like the thought of her crying, but then she was in his lap and holding his face. Before he knew it, he had his hands on her waist, but it wasn't hungry, like he wanted something from her, she just looked like the deserved to be held, and he held her like she was a sapling, with all the tender care something needs to take root. Kissing her back, he didn't care much about her present anymore, he didn't care what they got up to that evening. He didn't care if it was wild or electric or burning. This was better than any of it, this gentle warmth, with her hands on his face.
 
Lex sighed softly as she melted into him, treasuring the feeling of being held like this with nothing asked of her. She wanted nothing more than to hold and be held as she kissed this man she loved. Loved and trusted more than anyone else she'd known in her life. It was a terrifying revelation, but one that filled her with such warmth. She kissed him tenderly and sweetly, losing all track of time, until she finally laid her cheek on his shoulder and snuggled in.
 
When they ended their kiss, he wrapped his strong arms around her body and held her close, resting his face against his hair and shutting his eyes. "It's a really good thing..." He sighed after a prolonged silence, "That my brother's therapist gave him those drugs for the 4th of July."
 
Lex smiled in amusement. "I loved being walked home. I had quite the crush on you, too, you know, but I didn't want to scare you off. I'll always be grateful to that old house next to the Necropolis for bringing us together, whatever happens in the future."
 
Lex sat up - careful not to accidentally headbutt him in the chin - and looked at him in surprise. "You helped to build that house? Did I know that? I don't think I knew that!"
 
"Oh," Lex said, blushing a bit. "I thought you meant you helped to build the Necropolis." She made a face. "My bad. For my house, yes, you did a hell of a good job, and it looks so good now!" She leaned in to kiss him again. "You do good work, Jasper Caleb Cooger."
 
"I mean, I've done some work on it over the years," Cooger shrugged, smiling at the way she blushed, "but masonry like that is beyond my skill. I mean they hired honest-to-god stone masons. I helped where I could. Your house, though?" He returned her kiss, "I undercharged you, because you were cute. Don't let anyone else know about that discount."
 
"Did you, now?" Lex chuckled. "Well, now I feel a little guilty. I mean, not that I don't appreciate it, but now I feel the desire to pay you back for all your hard labor. You're no stone mason, but you know how to make a run-down house into a proper home."
 
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