He's a well respected man about town
Link was seated on a couch, reading peacefully. It was a quiet end to a long day, and he was hoping things would stay quiet. He glanced up and nodded as Miranda sat down next to him, looking as tired as him. There was an amicable silence between the two of them until she spoke up.
"Howard..."
Oh, no. He knew that tone. Lower in pitch, with just the faintest bit of a whine at the end... It never meant good things.
Case in point, she was scooting closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. His jaw tightened but stubbornly attempted to continue reading without comment. He didn't react when she nuzzled against him, either, or when she pressed a kiss to his neck. But when she brought her mouth to his ear and scraped her teeth against the shell of it he slammed his book shut, flustered as he finally turned to face her.
"Ms. Lotto!"
"Ms. Lotto?" She echoed, pulling back and looking horribly offended and more than somewhat angry. "Ms. Lotto?"
"-Miranda!" He hastily corrected himself, not letting his mistake get in the way of the point he was trying to make. "You will stop such improper behavior at once!"
"But I want sex!" She was thumbing at the buttons on his shirt now, deliberately ineffectual yet frustratingly insistent. He pushed her hand away firmly.
"Simply because we are engaged in a romantic relationship does not mean I am required to comply with this request, nor is it even expected of me!"
She was glaring now, arms crossed over her knees. "You help me with everything else-"
"-that is entirely unrelated to the point at hand! I am simply uncomfortable with furthering the physicality of our relationship until it is more formally recognized."
Miranda let out a frustrated groan and stood. "F-fine! Fine, I'll go find someone else, just because you're a virgin too scared to f-"
"-Miranda." There was a sharpness to his tone that made her stop, surprised. Link pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly before speaking. "...I care for you deeply. I would hope that by now you understand this. I simply ask that in return, you respect my personal decision."
She faltered, and gradually her glare softened until she finally relented and sat back down beside him. This time she lay her head on his lap with only a slight pout, and a short while after he picked up his book to return to reading he found himself stroking her hair. And although she huffed and slightly protested this at first, by the time his book was done she was entirely asleep.
"Howard..."
Oh, no. He knew that tone. Lower in pitch, with just the faintest bit of a whine at the end... It never meant good things.
Case in point, she was scooting closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. His jaw tightened but stubbornly attempted to continue reading without comment. He didn't react when she nuzzled against him, either, or when she pressed a kiss to his neck. But when she brought her mouth to his ear and scraped her teeth against the shell of it he slammed his book shut, flustered as he finally turned to face her.
"Ms. Lotto!"
"Ms. Lotto?" She echoed, pulling back and looking horribly offended and more than somewhat angry. "Ms. Lotto?"
"-Miranda!" He hastily corrected himself, not letting his mistake get in the way of the point he was trying to make. "You will stop such improper behavior at once!"
"But I want sex!" She was thumbing at the buttons on his shirt now, deliberately ineffectual yet frustratingly insistent. He pushed her hand away firmly.
"Simply because we are engaged in a romantic relationship does not mean I am required to comply with this request, nor is it even expected of me!"
She was glaring now, arms crossed over her knees. "You help me with everything else-"
"-that is entirely unrelated to the point at hand! I am simply uncomfortable with furthering the physicality of our relationship until it is more formally recognized."
Miranda let out a frustrated groan and stood. "F-fine! Fine, I'll go find someone else, just because you're a virgin too scared to f-"
"-Miranda." There was a sharpness to his tone that made her stop, surprised. Link pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly before speaking. "...I care for you deeply. I would hope that by now you understand this. I simply ask that in return, you respect my personal decision."
She faltered, and gradually her glare softened until she finally relented and sat back down beside him. This time she lay her head on his lap with only a slight pout, and a short while after he picked up his book to return to reading he found himself stroking her hair. And although she huffed and slightly protested this at first, by the time his book was done she was entirely asleep.