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She got the feeling that he was upset now, and Sherry cursed herself for talking. When he moved her aside and mentioned leaving, the anger against herself was squashed by the fear of him walking out of that door again.

"No. No, that's not what I want," she grabbed hold of his nearest arm, nearly pulling his hand into her lap as she spoke. She intertwined her fingers with his, her free hand nervously running up and down his arm. "I've told you, I want you to stay. If I came off as uncomfortable, it's only because... I wanted to make sure you were not uncomfortable."

And Armagnac is being a butt, she told herself. But that was between her and the weapon. Armagnac gave the mental equivalent of a snort again, and then did something Sherry registered as rolling over, basically turning her back on the situation. Sherry wasn't sure if she should be relieved by this.

"This is all kind of new to me, too," she said, turning her attention back to Jake, "but I know I don't want you to leave."

She hugged his arm, pressing it close to her, and squeezed his hand. "Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't be asking if I weren't." She sighed. He was obviously uncomfortable, so why was she pushing it? Was she really that selfish? Yes. Yes she was. Oh well. She could at least be honest about it.

"You didn't overstep anything." She hugged his arm tighter, their hands resting in her lap. "I'm the one overstepping." She lifted her eyes from the hands in her lap and turned her head to look at him. "You are free to leave when you want, like I said before. But what I truly want is for you to stay, and still be here in the morning. I'm not going to force you, or beg you anymore than I already have. It also won't change anything about how I feel. I just know I'd rather have you stay the night than have you leave."

It was difficult to look him in the face then, so she turned her gaze back to their hands.

Something in his voice startled her. Something almost sad. She was suddenly very terrified that he would leave if she let go. It shouldn't bother her like it did, he didn't live there or anything. She was just still worried that if he left, it would end up like before again. Especially with that tone in his voice.

She squeezed his hand even tighter, and turned her whole body so that she was facing him. "Okay then." She pressed his hand against her belly, fingers still locked with hers, and leaned in closer to him. "If that's the case, you're not leaving."

Her free hand went to the back of his neck, intending to hold him in place while she kissed him again.

She wrapped her arm around him as well. Not too tightly, but enough. The warm happiness was growing in her heart again. She nearly wrapped both arms around him, but she wasn't about to let go of his hand because he might still leave, and she didn't think she'd like that.

"It's my pleasure." In all reality, he made her happy. "Thank you, for coming back to me." He hadn't really been hers... but it was close enough.

It almost surprised her right then, how soft his kisses were, how soft his voice was. Or perhaps her own reaction to was what surprised her. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it pleased her, deep down in her heart. The happy sigh she let out was the closest thing to vocalizing the feeling she could find.

"You know," she said, "since you are sleeping here, I don't see why you couldn't. Hold me, I mean." She stopped right there, realizing that she'd said exactly what she meant. She also knew she was blushing again.

"I'm not quite tired," she said, changing the subject but not really. Her brain was still working overtime from, well, everything. "But I imagine I could be." She took one big breath, then moved, more or less trying to drag Jake further onto the bed with her, very clearly heading toward laying down. She'd been serious, about all of it.

Familiar indeed.

She hadn't had time to process his look of panic, but she had noticed him try to pull away, and it was very obvious that the falling forward was an accident. It was also obvious that he was rather flustered by the whole thing.

Sherry reminded herself to exhale. "I don't." Define 'anything'. "Not, um," she looked at Jake, though it was hard to see anything but Jake at this distance, "not anything like that." She figured he knew what she meant. Even if she had said the word before...saying it right at that moment... she wasn't sure if she could. It suddenly seemed very warm in that room, or maybe that was just her skin turning a nice shade of red. The fact that she could see Jake blushing and practically hear the nervousness in his voice didn't help her at all.

Last time they'd been in this position the situation had been vastly different. She wasn't completely terrified this time around, and she was fully capable of admitting to herself and the world that would love for him to kiss her. Or well, that would be the case, if he didn't look half terrified.

"Nothing like that," she repeated. "Not anything as far as that." The clarification left her mouth before she could stop it. "But we," her face was probably bright red, "can cuddle and sleep without anything happening, can't we?"

Of course they could. It made sense in her brain. She'd already said she'd draw the line at kissing, right? She wouldn't make him if he really didn't want to, but... wow. She was selfish. And she really wanted to kiss him.

"Um," it was a classic time buying word, and she really needed it right then. Sherry would have completely agreed with Jake. This was awkward. She didn't even know if she'd be able to explain why it was awkward, it just was. Not a bad awkward...maybe. But still. "Um, you know. Sleep can happen. And cuddling and maybe kissing." Were these words actually coming out of her mouth right then? Were they actually having this conversation? "But mostly sleep."

Obviously flustered and blushing, Sherry then scooted to one side. "See. Room enough for two."

Sherry lay there, her own heart and mind content. There was something calming about his steady breathing, soothing about his warmth next to her. She may have snuggled a little closer, her hand still in his. She didn't even feel like a creeper this time as she watched him sleep.

It didn't take her too long to fall asleep herself, snug and content as she was. Her dreams were pleasant.