The Heartwood this little bluebird came looking for you.

Something was definitely different about him today. It was almost as though he had gained another year of experiences since last they'd been together. Liffey wondered about this, imagining what might have happened to him in the time they'd been apart to change him so much. It was certainly not a bad change - quite the opposite. The shy boy she'd stargazed with had been sweet and endearing. This one was making her pulse quicken in a not wholly unpleasant way. She rather liked it, but it now was her turn to be at a loss for words. 

He thought she was smart... And that she had a lot to offer, and she was funny, and she was nice, and... Holy shit. Liffey had to fight to continue to breathe steadily as he moved closer to her again, which was made worse when she realized she had casually taken a step towards him as well. It was as though she wasn't in control of her own body, the way her whole self reacted to him. Animal magnetism indeed. She bowed her head slightly and peered up at him as she responded in a small voice, "I did too."

Her heart was freaking out.

What was happening?

"I completely suck at hunting," she blurted out suddenly and loudly, breaking out of whatever trance he was lulling her into, like an idiot.