I could have stayed lying there next to Aisling forever. Honestly! Except for the fact that we would have eventually died of starvation, it was the perfect little spot to spend eternity. I let her voice weave a magical world around me, getting lost in the fantastic story, and feeling completely at ease with our bodies resting up next to each other. The rest of the story had me very worried that there wouldn’t be a happy ending - but there was! Tristan and Isolde were married and lived happily ever after. I was entranced, my green eyes steadily watching Aisling throughout the entire thing - fascinated by her every little movements as she told her story. I almost don’t even notice when it’s over, I’ve been lulled into such a peaceful state, but it finally clicks that she was not speaking anymore. “That was---” Oh! She’s leaning toward me! The words  I was going to speak catch in my throat and there is a crystal clear moment of absolute panic because I have no idea what to do. Okay yeah, I flirt. I just hand out compliments and touches like they’re free candy (which, I mean, in my case they kind of are) but THIS! What the hell I don’t know what to do about this! I just know what I don’t want to do is move because I want whatever is coming.

And just like that, she was gone! I stayed there - well, not so much stayed as fell over without her presence that I had been leaning into. Flopped right over onto my side and my eyes widen in surprise as pink limbs flail about in possibly the most graceful thing to happen in Helovian history. “What?” I’m completely flabbergasted - like, the world just came crashing in on me because just a few moments ago it was just us and now it was us and the Steppe and everything was weird and Aisling was stammering something in a language I didn’t understand before moving further away.

“Wait!” Alarm is settling in because I feel this hot embarrassment that I had done something wrong. Which is ridiculous because I don’t ever do anything wrong but apparently now I’m concerned about that! I started to scramble to my feet to go after her because like, what was even happening right now?!

“Was it something I did?!” She looked so jumpy! Not looking me in the eye and moving away. I move toward her, probably a little less carefully than I should have given the circumstances, but my own nerves were stopping me from thinking. I realized that I didn’t like this physical distance between us, hated the feeling of rejection that it was causing. I’m thankfully blessed with a chance to avoid the reason for the fluttering in my stomach as I try to draw closer to her again. She’s talking now about how I must have somewhere to be and apologizing for talking so long when I had been the one who had asked for a story! What’s with this growing worry I have about how I’ve upset her? “My dear Aisling there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here.”

And then I actually gulp because I know as soon as I say those words that they’re true. And it sounds like something I copied out of a romance novel and I’m glad that I’ve already got pink skin because I can feel it burning with a blush as I stammer out those words and the ones that follow. I’d say anything right now to get her to look at me again, to calm her down and stop her from doing what I fear she’s going to do - run away. “Thank you for the story, it was lovely!” My naturally exuberant voice feels too loud for some reason and I still don’t understand what is going on so I guess I should just go with my instincts? I mean, horses have survived as a species because of instincts… right? I think I still count as a horse, despite my candy state.

My next step was more cautious and I’d be lying if I said my legs didn’t feel as though they were made from jell-o. They’re just wobbling away! Don’t mind me, not like I’m trying to walk forward and comfort someone anything.

If she’ll let me, I’d get close enough to touch and my pink muzzle reaches out cautiously as my eyes try to find some purchase on hers - the next words a shaking, nervous whisper. “So what were you gonna do before you jumped up?”

come with me, honey
I'm your sweet sugar candyman