Silvertip Mountain [m]Snuggled up

Zaria asked FitzDutiful's question promptly, and honestly, but he didn't know what to make of her answer. As a counsellor he was fairly sensitive to the phrasing of people and the might threw him more than he expected it to. He was prepared for a yes, and prepared to try and understand. A maybe - well, a maybe had doubt, an element of unsure to a statement and that paired with killing seemed an off thing to be doubting. Still, she laughed and he found the sound banished these thoughts from his mind. He looked at her, fondness growing within his eyes, and laughed with her.

Returning to the previous topic, he wondered if she was flirting with him. It seemed like it but it wasn't as obvious as it had been with Tatum, again the doubt crept it that maybe she didn't know how he felt. He had a chance to tell her now.

"I do," he said answering the question first, before he began avoiding her gaze. "I uh —" he trailed off and tried again. "I — well, I —" he fell silent again, frustrated that he couldn't say what he wanted to. It wasn't hard. "I was hoping it would be you." There he said it in his mind, why wouldn't his tongue say it too.

Taking another deep breath he squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to speak to the darkness, like he had so often before. "I like you." The words left so fast that they almost rolled into one word., and it wasn't what he had intended to say but maybe it was the safer option. He kept his eyes shut, fearing the rejection - or worse, the look of obligation.