Redhawk Caldera love never wanted me.

It was only a few seconds that Elwood was waiting for Finley's reaction to his (horribly cheesy) joke, but it seemed like much longer. He watched her face intently, trying to read her expression as she stared back at him. She didn't seem impressed at first, and even appeared to be a bit annoyed, and slowly...slowly his tail ceased its wagging. He was preparing to take his leave, to apologize for his behavior and slink back into the forest, when suddenly the unexpected happened.

She started to giggle. Elwood's ears stood at attention and his tail wiggled just a little bit; he was afraid to get too excited just yet. Maybe she was just giving him a pity laugh. But her chuckles grew louder, until she couldn't control herself and her whole body shook with the effort. Relief flooded through the Gamma, and he released a breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Before he could give any sort of verbal reply, Finley had leaned into him, pressing her head against his shoulder. She then stood and pushed him harder, effectively tackling and knocking him over. He, too, dissolved into laughter as he rolled onto his back, allowing her to take control of the situation; he was at her mercy.