Please be earrings, if they were for some other female, I prayed. Please, please, please!
“Aster?” Gren frowned slightly.
“Uhm, what?” I was a little distracted. Was it not understandable? He must have been talking to me, asking me something, I gathered, as he cleared his throat, that smile that had been on his face wilting as he searched my gaze.
“I’m sorry you had to find all of, uh, that,” he muttered, grimacing.
“Your wank cache?”
The man of green winced and made a face.
“It’s fine.” A small chuckle escaped me, unbidden. It was amusing how shy he was about all that. Really, I didn't see the embarrassment in it when it was just us. I’d admit, though, it was easier when he was the red-handed caught one and I was the understanding observer. How would I feel if he came across mine like that? A tiny blush began to creep up my neck but I smiled as if nothing was amiss.
“I’m full of climbing vines and tumbleweeds today,” I said on a sigh. “Been a long day.” And as if it needed to be said, I added, “I hope you don’t think I’m judging you for this?” My hand waved to the hidden compartment and I reached over to place the lid and cushion back on it. “I’ve said before, nothing wrong with that.”
“You are rather curiously charming,” he murmured with a slow, growing smile.
“Just curiously?” I tutted.
That got a laugh from him as I tried for a haughty look. Daus said I was too nice to look mean. Unless I was pissed. Hah.
As if that whole obviousbox grab and stuff in pocketthing had never happened, he hopped up and held his hand out. “What do you say we skip the movie and go for a stroll?”
Rolling to my back to sit up, taking his hand, I cocked an eyebrow at him. “Like where?”
Pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as he stood, he grinned impishly. “My swamp.”
“I- Really?” A quiet thrill filled me at the idea. He wanted to take me for a walk through his territory. It was a big deal. Well, coupled with that ring looking box, it was. Not that it was necessary at this point, but did Gren have plans to propose?
“There’s something I want to show you.” The secretive smile on his face made my tummy dip and instantly fill with butterflies.
My cheeks flushed as those butterflies in my gut started a mosh pit. Sweet pink carnations, this was happening.
“Okay.” My voice was small but squeaky happy. Happiness and the desire not to eat shit walking out the back with him had me feeling hyper aware. I wanted to commit this all to memory.
Taking my hand in his, he led me towards the back patio deck.
When we reached the slider, he stopped, paused, and kicked out of his shoes. Turning to me, he hesitated. “I thought we might shift.” His free hand smoothed over the bulge in his pants pocket but the small box remained out of sight. He never took off his glasses to shift. I assumed that meant his spectacles were enchanted to shift with him or he had, like, a thousand pairs.
“Now?” I blurted. I got an A for hiding my disappointment with genuine surprise.
“I thought, uh- I was thinking-” Blowing out a long breath, he lifted his hand and ran it through his dark locks. “I wanted to…”
Standing there, wondering at his sudden nerves and finding it adorable, I waited. Perhaps it was a little deviant to delight in his discomfort, but I was giddy at the idea that I made him feel all jumbled up, in a good way.
“You’re traditional, right? We could mark the marsh. My marsh- Uh, our marsh.”
“Y-y-you want to share your marsh with me?” My breath caught in my throat. “Are y-y-you sure?” Oh, sweet maidenhair ferns.
Marsh did not share their territories. I’d never expected him to ask me to literally join his marsh. For our kind, this was a huge deal—elope and marry equivalent.
First came the love blossom, then the marsh marking, if it grew to that, and maybe some time from then on, a little leafling…
“I love you.” Nearly tripping on his shoes as he came to pull me into his arms, he jerked back before his face could slam into mine. Righting himself, ignoring the flush creeping over his flesh, he quickly blurted, “It’s you. You’re my one, my only. I love you more than anything. I want to be with you, from sun up to sun down, long after the frogs are done croaking and the crickets quit their song, I want to greet the day with you in my arms, go to bed curled around you so you can’t escape,” he grinned at that one as I laughed sharply, “I want you to come home, to me, to our marsh. All of me, I’m offering it all to you, Aster. I just-”
“I love you, too.” Cupping his face, jerking him to me, my lips slammed down on his. He grunted but recovered quickly, or that might have been because I was nearly squishing the man as I wrapped my arms around him and put a bit of oomph behind it. “Sorry,” I murmured against his mouth, once I was finally forced to let him come up for air.
His smile was sweet but sexy as he ran a hand through my hair. “Don’t ever apologize for loving me, Aster Iris Fallon Marsh.” Leaning in, he bussed the tip of my nose, then brushed his along the length of mine.
