👏 – Ruffle my muse’s hair [ fOR THOMAS because guess who just remembered his Thing About His Hair and likes suffering ]

{ Touch Starved Meme }

The reaction was involuntary and immediate as Thomas jerked away from the touch and stood sharply – he was already several steps away before his mind caught up to where he was and who he was with. He forced himself to stop moving, though the tension in his shoulders did not leave and the flight response still nagged at him. 

He supposed it was because he hadn’t truly lost track of his surroundings. It was more that it didn’t matter that it had been James – he didn’t want anyone touching his hair without his permission. Not even his lover – if not especially him, for of all people, he ought to be the more aware of Thomas’ feelings in this regard. 

Closing his eyes, Thomas took a steadying breath before acknowledging that James had never been good at reading people. It had, admittedly, been one of his more endearing qualities in the past. That it had not changed might have been heartwarming, if it wasn’t so frustrating in this particular regard.

Setting his book in front of him, pressing it firmly against his stomach as a grounding source – as a shield of sorts – he slowly turned and remarked stiffly, “I would prefer it if you would check with me before taking liberties with my person, going forward.” 

It sounded cold in his own ears, and he didn’t know how to bridge the gap between wanting James to treat him normally – and knowing that in some things, he simply wasn’t what he used to be any longer. All he knew at the moment was he didn’t want this in particular, and that he hated not knowing precisely how to illustrate the difference.