Even as he held her, he felt a tug of guilt. He'd not seen Lizzie since he'd stormed out of the kitchen last night; he wasn't sure where they stood with each other, and he wasn't sure, to be entirely honest, that he wanted to find out. His irritation with her, in general, still clung to him.

But, T.J. was a friend. A good friend. One who'd been through hell and back and there was nothing wrong with him holding her and telling her the truth about her. Even if she couldn't see it. So, he didn't let her go. He held her, until she was pushing gently away.

He never saw it coming. The kiss. He just knew that her lips were on his and that he wasn't wanting to pull away. He should. He knew that. Until he figured out things with Lizzie, he had no freedom to be doing this. He wasn't a Hufflepuff just because he was patient or hardworking. He was loyal. He couldn't ever recall betraying anyone in any manner, ever.

So, why he wasn't breaking the kiss, he didn't know. But he wasn't. And then she was looking at him with enough irritation he felt as if putting up his hands to protect himself would be a smart idea. She was speaking before he could make that thought a reality. 

"No one," he assured her. Okay, maybe he'd be betraying his word on that; Joel would know. They didn't keep secrets. Ever. 

"I will. I know where you sleep."

And that broke the tension in him, a smile tugging at his lips. "I take that threat seriously," he assured her. She wasn't moving away; he wasn't letting her go. His eyes flickered back to her lips and then to her eyes. "We should go. This, being a girls' loo," he added, though didn't move. "Or, you know...we could, I don't know...talk. More." Or he could shut up.