Connor couldn't help laughing softly as she rambled her way through her explanation. Not in any sort of mockery of her, because honestly, who was he to mock when Rambles should have been his middle name? No, he was amused because they were so similar in that respect. "I knew what it meant, Kimberly," he pointed out, smiling down at her. "It's going to be weird watching the games from home this year. I'd planned on going, actually. At least to an event or two." But with his luck an anomaly would've opened up in the middle of the games and they'd be rounding up pterosaurs from the middle of the archery competition or something.
And the fact that she'd also gotten it because it was part of how they'd grown so close? Brilliant.
But then she was opening her gifts and he beamed a little when she said she'd been looking forward to shopping at the spot he'd picked her gift card up from. "I was going to get you a new camera," he pointed out, giving her a teasing little glare. "But someone went and wished her way to a new one."
And then she was opening again. And Connor held his breath. He didn't even know he was doing it until the paper was off the book and she had finally opened it and started flipping through the pages. She whispered the name of the beautiful blond and he bit his lip, terrified he'd hurt her. It sounded like she was trying not to cry and then she was staring at him and maybe he'd really messed up.
But then... Oh, then his face was in those perfect, small, soft hands of hers and her mouth was on his and god, it was perfect. He knew it would be. Okay, no, he'd been terrified they'd bump noses or teeth would clash or they'd be sitting in an awkward position and maybe that's why he'd chosen the mistletoe idea in the first place, because he could plan and think and work towards it.
But somehow, that spontaneous meeting of lips was more perfect than he could have ever hoped for. He received her hug, grinning an impossibly wide smile, and then he touched his fingers to her cheek as she kissed him again. "I know it's not the same," he admitted, when they pulled apart. Just slightly. Not enough so he had to stop touching her. Because dammit he was finally touching her and he wasn't sure he ever wanted to stop now. "I know it's not actually them. But...at least it's their faces. You can see them, at least. Without having to watch...it."
His television program had been on for a while. He could pull up plenty of moments of Abby and Cutter and Stephen and Sarah and everyone and not have to watch his friends die over and over. For her to watch her friends, it was just too likely she'd see it happen. And if he knew anything about what he wanted for the woman by his side, it was that he didn't want her hurting.