I blink at him again, but he takes the ice cream finally, and I rub my hands together thoughtfully and watch him shine all the brighter with his enjoyment of his treat.

It's quiet. It's warm, even in the shade. This is... companionable, somehow. I need to cherish it while it lasts, because it certainly cannot last forever.

He sounds angry when he rejects my words, and I shrug my shoulder at him casually. "But it is, that is a matter of... Well, it just is."