As might be expected from someone detailing past crimes, Eric seemed discomforted, shaking his head, forehead frowning. Still his leg remained firm, almost hot, against hers, and he fastened on a strong gaze. It was like he was challenging her to criticize him while simultaneously admitting to what he'd done wrong. Pride and humility, all in one.
Amber's desire for him came roaring back.
A table was suddenly too much to have between them, the brushing of a couple of limbs not nearly enough. But the middle of a confession about poor decisions didn't seem the right time to climb into his lap, and even if it were, once they started, Amber wouldn't want to stop.
She listened carefully to Eric's tight voice. It sounded like typical teenager misdemeanors, the rebellion anyone went through. But he'd faced a bigger retribution than some did. "I've never stolen anything," Amber admitted. "Except from my brothers, and my parents. And there were the scavenger hunts in college, I stole for those, and I took House's keys to wash his car." Amber paused, then remembered. "I stole someone's notes, too, but she deserved it." She'd never thought about it before, but she really had done her share of thievery, always with the belief it was the right thing to do. "Okay, 'never' probably isn't the right word."
But she got it, the stealing hadn't been the point. "The fun always comes before getting caught." That was part of the appeal of working with House: they had a near blank check for rule-breaking. They got caught, sure, but they weren't punished.
Amber lifted her glass of wine. "To second chances," she said, thinking not just of Eric's past, but the fact that they were drinking together again, that they hadn't given up on each other. She had no idea where they'd end up, but she was glad to have the chance to find out.
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Amber's desire for him came roaring back.
A table was suddenly too much to have between them, the brushing of a couple of limbs not nearly enough. But the middle of a confession about poor decisions didn't seem the right time to climb into his lap, and even if it were, once they started, Amber wouldn't want to stop.
She listened carefully to Eric's tight voice. It sounded like typical teenager misdemeanors, the rebellion anyone went through. But he'd faced a bigger retribution than some did. "I've never stolen anything," Amber admitted. "Except from my brothers, and my parents. And there were the scavenger hunts in college, I stole for those, and I took House's keys to wash his car." Amber paused, then remembered. "I stole someone's notes, too, but she deserved it." She'd never thought about it before, but she really had done her share of thievery, always with the belief it was the right thing to do. "Okay, 'never' probably isn't the right word."
But she got it, the stealing hadn't been the point. "The fun always comes before getting caught." That was part of the appeal of working with House: they had a near blank check for rule-breaking. They got caught, sure, but they weren't punished.
Amber lifted her glass of wine. "To second chances," she said, thinking not just of Eric's past, but the fact that they were drinking together again, that they hadn't given up on each other. She had no idea where they'd end up, but she was glad to have the chance to find out.