--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The hand that rested on my shoulder…" description: "\"“The hand that rested on my shoulder rubbed it a bit, comfortingly. Then it gave my shoulder a little squeeze. I leaned into him. Maybe it was that I w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maureen-johnson-1282_coming-together_the-hand-that-rested-on-my-shoulder-rubb_438376.png" --- # The hand that rested on my shoulder rubbed it a bit… ![“The hand that rested on my shoulder rubbed it a bit, comfortingly. Then it gave my shoulder a little squeeze. I leaned into him. Maybe it was that I was broken. Maybe it was just that I was out of my mind. But it occurred to me that I was going to kiss him. The thought just arrived, certain…” quote by Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maureen-johnson-1282_coming-together_the-hand-that-rested-on-my-shoulder-rubb_438376.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maureen-johnson-1282_coming-together_the-hand-that-rested-on-my-shoulder-rubb_438376.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/maureen-johnson-1282_coming-together_the-hand-that-rested-on-my-shoulder-rubb_438376.png) > ““The hand that rested on my shoulder rubbed it a bit, comfortingly. Then it gave my shoulder a little squeeze. I leaned into him. Maybe it was that I was broken. Maybe it was just that I was out of my mind. But it occurred to me that I was going to kiss him. The thought just arrived, certain knowledge, delivered from some greater, more knowledgeable place. I was going to kiss him. Stephen would not want to kiss me. He would back up in horror. And yet, I was still going to do it. I reached over, and put my hand against his chest, then I moved closer. I could feel just the very tips of the gentle stubble on his cheek brushing against my skin. "Rory," he said. But it was a quiet protest, and it went nowhere. For the first few seconds, he didn't move-he accepted the kiss like you might accept a spoonful of medicine. Then I heard it, a sigh, like he had finally set down a heavy weight. I was pretty sure we were both kind of terrified, but I was completely sure that we were both doing this. We kissed slowly, very deliberately, coming together and then pulling apart and looking at each other. Then each kiss got longer, and then it didn't stop. Stephen put his hand just under the edge of my shirt, holding it on the spot where the scar was. Sometimes the skin around the scar got cold-now it was warm. Now it was alive. "So Thorpe says that-Seriously?" Callum was in the doorway. Stephen mumbled what I think was a very obscene word right against my mouth. "You realize I now owe Boo five pounds?" Callum said. "Boo! I owe you five pounds!”” [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A tentative, desperate intimacy emerges despite fear, as the narrator chooses to kiss Stephen, confronting vulnerability and desire. **In simple terms:** A nervous kiss shows deep longing despite fear. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability and act on desire. Themes love vulnerability desire fear intimacy Mood anxious hopeful intense Type narrative romantic psychological When to use this quote - first kiss - confession of feelings - overcoming fear - intimate moments - personal growth Key Concepts psychology human connection risk consent Questions to Reflect On - Did you truly feel safe? - How does fear shape intimacy? 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Its not just superhero fights super-villain and superhero wins. Its about superheroes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/whats-great-about-the-avengers-is-that-its-the-next-step-its-not-just/) [Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/) [Browse all 391 Coming together quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-together/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The hand that rested on my shoulder rubbed it a bit, comfortingly. Then it gave my shoulder a little squeeze. I leaned into him. Maybe it was that I was broken. Maybe it was just that I was out of my mind. But it occurred to me that I was going to kiss him. The thought just arrived, certain knowledge, delivered from some greater, more knowledgeable place. I was going to kiss him. Stephen would not want to kiss me. He would back up in horror. And yet, I was still going to do it. I reached over, and put my hand against his chest, then I moved closer. I could feel just the very tips of the gentle stubble on his cheek brushing against my skin. \"Rory,\" he said. But it was a quiet protest, and it went nowhere. For the first few seconds, he didn't move-he accepted the kiss like you might accept a spoonful of medicine. Then I heard it, a sigh, like he had finally set down a heavy weight. I was pretty sure we were both kind of terrified, but I was completely sure that we were both doing this. We kissed slowly, very deliberately, coming together and then pulling apart and looking at each other. Then each kiss got longer, and then it didn't stop. Stephen put his hand just under the edge of my shirt, holding it on the spot where the scar was. Sometimes the skin around the scar got cold-now it was warm. Now it was alive. \"So Thorpe says that-Seriously?\" Callum was in the doorway. Stephen mumbled what I think was a very obscene word right against my mouth. \"You realize I now owe Boo five pounds?\" Callum said. \"Boo! 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