Stavanger Bay as if anyone could wait for you

he defended himself, all good-naturedly... as velen always was. it brought a soft laugh from dalia, who head butted his shoulder gently (as dalia always was) as he grazed over her guard hairs. "such a baby," she purled, her tail waving low, backing up to meet his gaze again. 

the tension, at least from dalia's perspective, lifted from the air. it hadn't been bad tension, but she had grown more anxious by the second. she said what she'd meant to say a few moments prior, feeling a little less anxious about it. "i wish you could meet my family," she told him, her head tilting to one side, "i think they'd love you." 

dalia wondered if she loved him. she certainly liked him, more than she'd ever liked anyone before. it was different that how she felt about her parents, a different kind of emotion. but... as different as it was, it still felt the same. she wondered if that's what it was. love. or was it too early in their budding relationship to tell? was she just jumping to emotion that she assumed was right?