of reindeer and green balloons {m}

At her burst of laughter, Atticus felt a hot flush come over his cheeks and knew he was blushing ridiculously red beneath his dark fur. Thank goodness for black fur. He felt a fleeting moment of embarrassment and annoyance, but quickly dismissed it, instead allowing a goofy, crooked smile to come over his face. He giggled with her, his chuckle coming out more like a deep, rumbling purr than an actual laugh, and bright, glacial light shimmered merrily in the depths of his eyes. "Maybe," he answered with an overdramatic shrug of his shoulders. "So what if I am?" he asked her teasingly, a slyness creeping into the smile he still wore and his tail waving playfully behind him