Broken Boulder ten detected, nine in a wreck and

He found her reaction more surprising than anything, but there was relief, too— almost enough to outweigh the embarrassment already setting in. He hadn't meant to spill all that, and now it just sounded dramatic to him; of course, it was, but Lily had almost died and that was pretty dramatic, so it seemed appropriate for the situation at least.
Or maybe he was just telling himself that so he wouldn't die on the spot. He leaned forward slightly to press his own muzzle to Lily's cheek, a little overwhelmed with the weight of what felt like forgiveness— he knew he'd question it later, unable to fully accept something not spoken aloud, but for a moment it felt like it might be okay.
He was quiet after that, but he stayed with Lily for awhile longer, parting from her after they'd taken the poppies back to his den to dry out for a time.