Even if Cordy already made herself very clear, John was still afraid of moving.
He touched her once, and that left her traumatized with men for years, and for her to loathe him just as long.
If he did it again now, he feared he wouldn’t see her for the rest of her life, and that she would directly vanish from his world.
Therefore, he would rather bear it.
"You don't want to?" Cordy asked, since he wasn’t responding.
"I'm afraid," John admitted earnestly.
Cordy did a double take, unable to describe how she felt.
It was amusing, but it also hurt a little.
Nonetheless, her hands started to dance rampantly over his stiffened bod while she whispered, "I won't hate you this time."
"What's gotten into you, Cordy?" John asked as he caught her dainty hand.
However, when he turned around and looked at her blushing face, he realized she wasn’t that composed—he could actually feel her hands shaking.
As such, he told her seriously, "I don't need you to apologize or repay me this way for saving your life—not when you're so reluctant. In fact, I don't need you to repay me for anything I do for you, just as you don't have to feel guilty at all towards anything you did to me. I do it all willingly, understand?"
He would never force her if she didn’t want to do it, even if it meant staying celibate for the rest of his life.
"I'm willing," Cordy said, looking into his eyes earnestly, as if that indescribable wall between them had gone.
At that very moment, she was sincere and true.
"Cordy…mmph."
John's eyes widened as he watched Cordy suddenly throw her arms around his neck. She stood on her toes as much as she could to kiss his lips, stopping him from saying everything he wanted to say.
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