She snickers. "I think I'll pass."

"Alas," he says. "It could have been fun! Regardless, I'm going to watch tv for a few hours before joining your mother in bed. I assume you two are good on your own? I have to keep the tv quiet so I won't wake your mother, but I'm sure whatever I'll be watching will be very very engrossing." He winks. 

Ugh. "Dad, really, we're just going to be doing math!" 

"And that's what I'll tell your mother. Rosy, are you going to want a lift home again? I'll be happy to provide if you come grab me when you need." 

"It'd be nice, if it's not too much trouble. If you'd rather just go to bed I can skate home, it's a little long from here but not too bad."

"It's no trouble at all," he tells her. "Just don't spend too long making out- sorry, doing math with John there, or I will have to go to bed. Though John has school tomorrow and should go to bed at a reasonable hour anyways. Anyways, enjoy yourselves. Toodles!" He gives them a small wave, and wanders off into another room, whereupon there is the sound of a tv turning on, and muted tv noises. 

John puts his head down on the notebook. "Why is he like this," he bemoans. 

"I think it's charming." She snugs her arm around John's shoulders.

(She continues to be soft and cozy. And loving.) 

"I wish he could be charming without being horribly embarrassing," John says, still hiding his face. 

Snug. "But where would be the fun in that?"

"I wouldn't have to feel horribly embarrassed and hide my head on the table?" John says. "That seems more fun in some ways at least." 

"Well. Fair." She wraps her arms around him and applies the cozy squeezes. "Are you ready to emerge from your cocoon and go back to doing math or would you like to be cozy for a little while longer?"

"Should probably go back to math," he says, picking up his head with a sigh. Cocoon sounds... well, like he's hiding from the world. Which he kinda is. And he shouldn't be hiding from the world. Where were they? Right, doing exercises. He picks his pencil back up. 

One more cozy squeeze? One more cozy squeeze. Okay. She lets go and kisses him on the cheek and resumes math.

He smiles softly at her at the smile, and the kiss, and goes back to work himself. 

He's a little unsettled for a bit at the beginning, but math heals all wounds, and soon he's more or less just as engrossed as usual. They're getting into the harder stuff, too, even if it's things he's done before still. But soon enough they will cross into the land of things-he-had-too-much-trouble-with and had to turn back. Perhaps, when they get there, it'll be easier to climb the metaphorical math mountains with a partner? 

Rosy is so very much looking forward to be his math mountain climbing partner! 💖

Well, good. He's looking forward to it when they get there. For now: math! 

They probably should stop in an hour or so, though. He does have school tomorrow, and he wants to spend some time memorizing lines before bed. He'll bring it up when it gets closer to that time. He's enjoying himself (and Rosy) too much to interrupt now. 

Well. Rosy is, as always, glad to be enjoyed. 💖

Well, he's glad to enjoy her. Quite a bit, even. 

But eventually, they do get to a good stopping place. And it's getting late. And he should probably speak up. 

But also Rosy is having fun? And he doesn't want to stop, even though he should, and he's also not sure how to say it? He freezes a little, unsure what to do. 

"Turmoil, my love?"

(How does she always)

"I guess?" He sighs. "I'm having a good time! And more importantly you're having a good time! But also it's getting late and I want to spend some time, um, memorizing lines, which I haven't started doing yet and really, really should." And so it might be a good time for you to leave, he doesn't say, because that sounds awful. 

She wraps her arms around him and squeezes snugly. "Well, far be it from me to interfere with you memorizing your lines."

"They're very important lines!" (Also, apparently, merely thinking about the importance and purpose of those lines is making him start to get turned on. Now is not the best time!) 

She kisses him on the cheek. "Then let's get me home so you can start on them."

(But what if he wants to make out with her instead?) "That's probably the for best," he says reluctantly. "Do you need any help packing up? Or anything else before you go?" 

"Nah, I think I'm good." She collects her stuff and organizes it all into her backpack.

"Okay," he says. He puts the math book in his bag, then awkwardly watches her put everything of hers together. He... doesn't really want to say goodbye? Even if tonight was pretty much a mess. 

She hoists her backpack and kisses him on the cheek. "What's the protocol for summoning your dad?"