Duck Lake montefitu

twitch goes still. not tense, not bristling, just—still. like her brain short-circuited for half a second before catching up.

then, oh.

her ears flick back, heat crawling unbidden beneath her fur. it warms her cheeks, her ears. she cannot fight the stupid downturned smile it brings to her face, cannot ward it off fully. she hadn’t meant it like that—hadn’t meant anything, really, but the way he grins at her is a driving force. the way he leans into it is gratifying.

he liked it. a pleasant change of pace! usually that sort of joke would’ve gotten her all kinds of looks. she watches as he shifts, wiggles in place and offers him a spot at his side. tempting. she should turn, put distance between herself and the stranger, but now she doesn’t want to.

her eyes flick to the spot he pats, to the stretch of snow beside him, and she quirks a brow. “yeah?” she questions, only a tad lower than before—smoother, a mix between being amused and being sultry.

his openness eases the unsteady best of her heart, so gingerly, she complies. let him ease her thoughts, and then she would go. her tail curls around her paws when she finally drops to the earth at his side, frontlegs tucking beneath her. he did not lie—it was warm, but perhaps it was just him.