Seeing Laikira's face turn bright red through the white fur relaxed Hadley. At least he wasn't the only one embarrassed by this situation. That soft show of clumsiness relaxed Hadley far more than anything else had. It made her seem like someone he could interact with, someone holding flaws just like him, though clearly not as severe as his own. As they moved sunlight broke through the clouds. It felt wonderful, a small bit of warmth stealing across the hybrid that was never secure, never warm enough. It didn't last long, just long enough for him to glance over at Laikira, her white fur reflecting the light as well as the snow around them. It didn't have that sharp diamond glaze that snow did, a softer glow that seemed like it would be warm to touch.
Laikira looked over at him, and Hadley's gaze returned to the ground. It would be extremely rude to be caught staring at someone higher ranked than him. It could be interpreted as a challenge, the last thing Hadley wanted. He wasn't a fighter of any kind. He felt her gaze linger briefly before turning away. Soft words reached his ears, spoken in a voice that seemed to just wrap around him. Gathering up his courage he spoke quietly. Very. A pause followed, where he realized that he really had nothing more to say. Reaching desperately for something to comment on Hadley said the first thing that popped into his mind. Do you come here often? Realizing what he'd said Hadley blushed again. I mean, come out here in the forest? That still sounded bad. Hadley looked away, hoping he hadn't made too much of a fool of himself.
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