#setsight

THERE IS A HONEYBEE LODGED IN HER THROAT  ,           something stinging  ,     but sweet  .     it buzzes there  ,        desperate to come out  ,        to fly from her throat  ,     build hive  .       ‹    you are solitary  ,     she thinks  ,     absently  ,     of this little bee  .     you are solitary  .     for what would you build a hive    ?    ›       her fingers are are slow card through his hair  ,     nose dusted pink from how he rests against the bare of her chest  ,       scratch of his stubble there still making her shiver in come down  ,         relaxed relaxed relaxed  .      what a languid warmth  ,     this putty of her bones  .     this acceptance  .      mitch is drawing shapes she cannot recognize into her skin  ,          the soft center of her belly  ,     the dip of her navel  ,        he touches and touches and touches  .        has she ever been so studied  ,    so touched    ?

the bee shivers it’s exit  ,       frees itself from between her lips  .      i build a hive in case somebody else decides to stay with me  .       ‘    you  .     ah  ,    you did  .     i wanted to    —    to be here  ,     um  .     in the morning  .      with you  .    ’       her own touch does not stop  ,     thumb pressed to his temples  .     it is a half hearted attempt to keep him from looking at her embarrassment  ,     like dust in light  ,            against her cheeks  .        ‘    is that okay    ?    ’

THE EMPTY TUPPERWARE IN HER HANDS      comes as some sort of a godsend  ,     velma thinks  ,     if       the clementine flush to her cheeks       has any indication    ;    otherwise  ,     she may have done something stupid  ,     like       reach out and touch him  ,     palm flat to the warm     (    she assumes    )     of his bicep  .     it flexes there  ,     taunting  ,     and she is both vibrantly relieved and painfully disappointed that she stays rooted in place  ,     statuesque  .

‘    OH  .    ’

surprise is a sweet drip on her tongue  ,       some kind of sugar water  .       it bubbles out of her  ,     half  -  anxious at the attention  ,     acknowledgement  -  warm  .        ‘      of course i would  .     i mean  ,     you mentioned liking thai  ,     right       ?      i thought you    —    well  .          i thought you might like these spring rolls  .     i’m glad i was right  .    ’         a fidget  ,     here  .     she doesn’t want to go  .             ‘    it’s nice to eat with somebody  .    ’