Belinda wrapped her arms tighter around T.J.’s neck, encouraged by his enthusiasm. She breathed deep the smell of him and was instantly reminded of one of the reasons she had been so attracted to him in the first place. There were few people -- Earth elemental’s included -- that enjoyed being surrounded by Earth as T.J. did. She could smell the dirt on him, as well as the sweet scent of flowers (and other plants) he spent most of his time around. “I know, Shroomish. It’s been a long time.” Did it matter that it would have likely been even longer a time had she not been run from the country? No, especially because she wasn’t thinking of that fact. She pulled back slightly from the embrace only so that she could look at him in the face while she spoke to him. Her arms were still wrapped around his neck, fingers playing with the tail ends of his hair. “Just yesterday. I had to make a pit-stop home to make sure I still had a place to stay.” Belinda leaned forward and pressed a kiss to T.J.’s cheek. Her lips were followed but her fingertips as she brushed them against the scruff of facial hair that had sprouted along his jaw. “Have you seen Glenda? Did you tell you that I left on a trip?” Her voice was apologetic, but the words ‘I’m sorry for leaving’ never actually came out. Belinda wasn’t actively trying to manipulate him, though she wasn’t dense enough not to realize that she could. T.J. knew that she was a free spirit when they started dating; he couldn’t really blame her for taking off without saying anything. She hadn’t slept with a single person the entire time she’d been gone, which was proof enough of her commitment to the promise she’d made to him months ago. What more could he really ask for?
Speaking of which, she hadn’t even kissed another person, which had been much more of a challenge. She didn’t need to be close to T.J. to realize how much she missed it, but being with her boyfriend (even if that was soon to change) did remind her that she was in a position to make up for lost time. Belinda placed an innocent kiss on the corner of his mouth, followed by a much more sincere one directly on his lips. “Can I come in? I brought you some things and I want to talk to you.” She waited for him to consent before she released her hold and moved past him into the house.
It had been a while since Belinda had been inside T.J.’s house, but she was pleased to see that not much had changed. The fact that it was haphazard and messy added to its charm, at least for her. The only problem she had with the mess was when there was an overabundance of non-recyclable trash. “T.J.!” Belinda rushed toward the styrofoam take-out out box sitting on the coffee table. She held it it up at him like she had found something that others would find disgusting, like drugs or pornography. “Did you forget what I told you about this stuff? It’s like poison for the Earth. It doesn’t dissolve or degrade! It just sits there, choking the life out of the soil around it.” A deep frown set into her face. She knew that he hadn’t meant anything by it, that he could be a bit absent-minded at times, but how else was he going to learn?