shine on evening skyfire

He laughed at her retort that he stunk like a stale old squirrel, and as she pushed him with her shoulder, he jostled her back with his. Times like these were so fun and easy, so carefree and silly. He loved her sense of humor and how quick she was to sling insults right back at him. He liked a girl that could "shoot from the hip" without missing a beat, and Julooke was certainly good at that.

A moment later, she asked him if their sleeping arrangement was just a habit to him, and he thought about it. "Eh, not a habit. More like…it just feels natural. Normal?" He wasn't sure how to describe it. Maybe the two were the same thing and he just didn't see it. It didn't seem like something habitual to him, though. As she continued, telling him that she looked forward to coming home to him each night, he felt his heart skip a beat and suddenly there were very restless butterflies in his stomach. He felt the same way about seeing her each night, and to hear her say that too…

He glanced at a bird flitting between trees overhead, suddenly nervous and uncertain. They were venturing into uncharted territory here. "I really like sharing a place with you too," he replied, his voice soft. His eyes fell to meet hers and a shy grin flickered over his face. "A lot. I couldn't imagine not seeing you every day." He fought with himself inwardly, part of him screaming to tell her how he felt about her, the other part of him too chicken-shit to take that chance. He didn't think he could handle rejection from someone so important to him.