I can’t think about this shit right now,I scolded myself.Besides, Poppy’s not like that...
“The sky is so beautiful here,” Poppy murmured.
I raised my face to observe the sky. Stars sparkled against the deepening darkness.
Poppy tilted his head in my direction, still staring up. “The patterns are different from the ones back in the city. Or even in the tundra...”
I winced inwardly at the mention of his original home. Was it on his mind since he’d been telling his friends about it?
As the thoughts raced through my mind, I didn’t notice Poppy edging gradually closer until suddenly his head rested on my shoulder.
I went still. That little gesture sent a ribbon of warmth dancing through my chest. He’d done it of his own volition. It meant Poppywantedto be closer. Not even my creeping doubts could argue against that.
Then...didhe want to be touched?
Silencing my uncertainty, I slowly raised my arm and wrapped it around Poppy’s shoulder. He let out a soft sigh, relaxing against it.
My heart skipped a beat. This small gesture felt incredibly intimate. It wasn’t even racy—friends could’ve been in this position—so why was my pulse suddenly hammering?
I cleared my throat and asked, “Is this comfortable for you?”
“Mhm.”
For some reason, his wordless reply made my heart beat faster. Was hethatcontent? Was a crumb of physical contact all it took to make him happy?
Thinking about that, I tightened my grip on his shoulder. More secure. Slightly more possessive.
Poppy leaned further against me in silent approval.
How did this happen? One minute, we were having a totally platonic dinner, and now...
This is still platonic, idiot,I berated myself.Friends can huddle against each other like this. It’s normal. Don’t get worked up over something so casual.
But that didn’t slow my racing pulse or the slow-building heat in my core. This felt nice. Really nice. Yet I couldn’t push it any further. I didn’t dare ruin the moment I wanted to savor. So I remained still, accepting that a head on the shoulder was the furthest this could go. Even that was enough.
But then Poppy angled his face towards me.
My stomach swooped dangerously. His lips were close to my jaw, my neck. Any sudden movement and he’d brush me by accident. What was he thinking?
“Poppy, are you okay?” I asked, trying not to sound hoarse.
“Ah. Yeah... This is nice.”
His breath was warm as it ghosted across my skin. I tried not to shudder. When he spoke, he felt far closer, like the gap between us was rapidly shrinking by imperceptible units.
Dammit, I hoped he couldn’t hear the way my heart hammered against my ribs like a fucking drum.
“Thank you, Viol,” Poppy murmured.
“For what?” I blurted.
Shyly, he said, “I like being able to, um... do this with you. Just us. Resting my head on your shoulder feels so safe.”
Heat surged out from my core and blasted my cheeks. Did he really just say that or was I fucking hallucinating?
“Yeah?” I asked. “That’s good.”
I tried to sound calm, but inside, I was freaking out. Poppy liked this? What part of it did he enjoy? The closeness, leaning on me, what? Was this all he wanted, or did he want more?
