Heron Lake Plateau And ain't it always the way

Being this close to someone made Niamh lose her bearings, like a compass taunted by a magnet held too close to its needle. It didn't seem to matter to her that this was Tegan- her friend, but also someone that she generally teased and kept at a safe sort of distance. He'd never been this soft or comforting, and she felt something wash over her, raising the hairs along the nape of her neck when he uttered a low, endearing note to her. She felt a slight break in...Whatever it was that was going on when he spoke about his mother, which caused her to chuckle- a dry, airy sound. When he pulled away, the cold air seeped in between them, and she found herself, too, wanting for more. 

He touched her cheek and she exhaled softly, closing her eyes as though seized by some kind of rapture she hadn't expected. His words were kind and gentle, and with her eyes closed, he could have been anyone. Of course, he sounded like Tegan- but at the same time, he didn't sound like Tegan. And he didn't feel like Tegan either. He simply felt like a warm, enticing being, and she found herself wanting more from him. She nuzzled his cheek in return, and leaned her temple into the crook of his neck, pressing her shoulder against his chest gently. It might not exactly have been what he'd meant, by taking care of each other, but it certainly felt good in the meantime.