Jesse and Roy are sitting on Lian's bed, 
folding clothes. (This is probably just 'rith's 
brain telling her she needs to do laundry, but 
go with it. ;) )  Jesse keeps sneaking looks at 
Roy, little glances, and he's occasionally 
glancing back and they're both smiling; not 
talking, just enjoying the companionship. Jess 
is thinking....

It's been a couple of weeks, and he's been a 
perfect gentleman, and we haven't *really* been 
dating. It's just that she'd gone with Roy and 
Lian to the park and the movies a couple of 
times, and to dinner with Roy when she got off 
work and there wasn't anything to do, and 
wasn't it true she was leaving work just a bit 
*earlier* these days to see if he'd be around? 
Just, you know, going by the Tower to see if 
there was anyone to hang out with to prove her 
social life wasn't as bad as everyone said. But 
Roy was there a lot because he *lived* there, 
it wasn't like he'd been waiting for her or 
anything....

She smiles because she knows that's not true, 
and Roy catches her eye again and grins back, 
and her breath catches just a little. God. He's 
gorgeous. She's been wondering what that red 
hair would feel like against her palm and that 
stubble against her skin--

It's all a whirl of thought and suddenly she's 
thinking about the condoms in her purse and not 
remembering how old they are, it's been awhile, 
do the damn things have an expiration date?! 
She's standing before she even realizes it, 
takes a step or two toward her purse to take it 
into the bathroom and check, when the totally 
appalling, incongrous image of her calling her 
mother hits her. "Hi, Libby? How do you know 
when a condom's expired?" – and she's giggling 
so hard she actually sits down on the floor. 
Roy is looking over at her clearly not having 
any idea what she's laughing about but 
obviously enjoying watching *her* enjoy 
herself, and she thinks, "Keep giving me that 
look, Roy, and these things had damn well 
*better* be still usable."

...and that's when I woke up, because Jesse's 
laughter was so loud. *g*