Packages - GT

15

Christian smiled and moved slowly as he stretched himself over to her spot. He saw how she tensed, how her eyes widened as he neared, but he understood her nervousness and he tried to accommodate for it. Instead of simply scooping her up he laid his hand out at her feet, seeing her gawk a moment before chewing her lip. It was a kind gesture, but also a daunting one. Even a little bit, he wanted to test her willingness...

"It's alright," he told her, "take your time. I won't move until you want me to." She nodded, but he wasn't sure she'd be climbing on any time soon.

Mariana rocked on her toes a few times, glancing between his hands, her feet, and a part of the desk she didn't have to crane her neck to see. She could see scars on his palm, little ones here and there, and callouses everywhere. He clearly worked with his hands a lot, probably had a physically-based job. She also saw dirt stains in the grooves of some of his prints, and she moved to touch at one without thinking. The sound of him chuckling startled her back a bit, fingers just having grazed his print.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, Mariana." He apologized with a little smile, eyes alight. "I was just pleasantly surprised by your curiosity, again. I don't mind, of course, you can do as you like."

The woman chewed her lip, a little blush on her cheeks now from being laughed at. His voice was so warm, it was hard not to be embarrassed... Screwing up her courage she finally, haltingly, climbed onto his fingers--and tumbled into his palm. She made a mental note that fingers were not good for standing on as she gripped at his palm. She hadn't realized the room had been cold before...

"You alright, hon?" He grinned a little at the flustered red streak across her face. "If you're ready, I'll move my hand now."

She jumped a bit as his fingers curled up behind her like a fence, able to see between them but not fit in the gaps. A gasp sounded from her when her stomach dropped, however slightly, with his hand lifting off the floor. Suddenly she didn't feel stable enough, gripping at his skin and ducking lower on hands and knees, head darting about to see the world come into a less skewed view.

"It's alright, hon, you're fine," he murmured, voice gentle and soft. This was a lot at once, and he was proud of her for not panicking. "You're doing great. See? The desk is right there." He had to get up a bit from the floor to set her down on the desk without tipping his hand, Christian placing the back of his palm on the wood and unfurling his fingers for her. Unlike the first time he had touched her, she didn't immediately skitter away, green eyes watching her linger on his palm for a second more before awkwardly sliding off. He waited a moment to pull away, not wanting to startle her.

"Not so bad, huh? You're seeming braver, Mariana." He praised.

"Y-you're very gentle," she told him, gripping at the hem of her shirt shyly. His warm smile gave her butterflies and she quickly looked away to the span of the desk. "You're right, th-there isn't much up here." She heard him laugh at that.