Swiftcurrent Creek Pick you up, let you down

She shivers slightly as he says her name, a little surprised by how intimate it feels. It's almost uncomfortable. His question comes before she can decide how she feels about it, and she hesitates a beat. That's — that's fine, She says quietly after a moment. She can't begin to understand why it feels so strange, but it's easy to ignore; she's just grateful he isn't questioning her use of a moniker. He's being kind about it, of course — as she should have expected. Perhaps one day she can learn to expect it, at least from him.