Stricken, Foreman watched Amber turn from anger to hurt, so quickly that he hadn't seen it coming at all. He knew it wasn't over a word--it was part of what he'd been trying to make her understand, that a word like that meant something beyond just forming the syllables. In some sense, she had to get that, because otherwise she wouldn't be this upset if she thought he'd somehow stopped meaning it.
Foreman moved towards her, then. Like he was drawn, like he couldn't have stayed away. He enfolded her in his arms, not letting her get away--he was strong enough to manage that--and held her tight, wanting to keep her steady, stable, let her hold on to him in return if she wanted. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay relaxed. He was holding like she was the only comfort he had, and he hoped she didn't fight, didn't want to back away, because he needed her to hear him. This time, the words bubbled up easily, through all his discomfort and insecurity; soft and gentle and low, for her, only for her.
"I care about you. That doesn't change, okay? I always mean that." Foreman cupped the back of her head lightly, stroking his fingers through her hair. "Saying something like that, it's special to me, and if I said it every time, it wouldn't be." He sighed, turned closer to her, pressing his nose into the side of her head. Now, when she was upset, when he was doing everything in his power to make it better--even if he failed--he felt the same welling up of tenderness that he had when he'd been driving her towards her orgasm. She'd been lost in his arms. She'd been something fragile, she'd given herself entirely over to his touch. He'd wanted so much to make her feel good. Now, it was a tightness around his heart; he needed her to know, beyond ordinary words, how much it mattered to him that she was happy, that he hadn't hurt her. And even though they'd just had a damn argument about the word, making him more anxious and awkward than he ever had been to start, and saying it might set her off--it was still what he meant, in this moment. "Baby, I mean it. I mean it so much, but you can't--I can't just say it. Amber honey, you gotta let me say it because it matters."
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Foreman moved towards her, then. Like he was drawn, like he couldn't have stayed away. He enfolded her in his arms, not letting her get away--he was strong enough to manage that--and held her tight, wanting to keep her steady, stable, let her hold on to him in return if she wanted. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay relaxed. He was holding like she was the only comfort he had, and he hoped she didn't fight, didn't want to back away, because he needed her to hear him. This time, the words bubbled up easily, through all his discomfort and insecurity; soft and gentle and low, for her, only for her.
"I care about you. That doesn't change, okay? I always mean that." Foreman cupped the back of her head lightly, stroking his fingers through her hair. "Saying something like that, it's special to me, and if I said it every time, it wouldn't be." He sighed, turned closer to her, pressing his nose into the side of her head. Now, when she was upset, when he was doing everything in his power to make it better--even if he failed--he felt the same welling up of tenderness that he had when he'd been driving her towards her orgasm. She'd been lost in his arms. She'd been something fragile, she'd given herself entirely over to his touch. He'd wanted so much to make her feel good. Now, it was a tightness around his heart; he needed her to know, beyond ordinary words, how much it mattered to him that she was happy, that he hadn't hurt her. And even though they'd just had a damn argument about the word, making him more anxious and awkward than he ever had been to start, and saying it might set her off--it was still what he meant, in this moment. "Baby, I mean it. I mean it so much, but you can't--I can't just say it. Amber honey, you gotta let me say it because it matters."