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“Of course.”
“Well, do you think of me differently after getting to know me?”
“I think of you the same way. I just feel differently about it now.”
“Well, if that isn’t indifferent,” she snorted, and released her feet, leaning back on her palms.
“It isn’t indifferent.” He looked her way and scowled. “It’s... Complicated.” That was the best way to think about it. “But clearly it isn’t indifferent or I wouldn’t be here.”
“I shouldn’t have been so flagrant about it then, I apologize.”
“You’re the closest thing to a friend I’ve ever made.”
“I consider you a friend as well, Quinn.”
“Well, alright then.” If she was very observant, she might notice that an honest to God smile played at the corner of his lips. Though he did his damndest to hide it.
Her smile grew impossibly wider, she’d had one the whole conversation. “Grumble all you want. You can’t change my mind on the matter.”
“Hey, I am pointedly not arguing, unlike some people I know.” The man fired back with a slight laugh, despite himself, for the first time, actually seeing some humor in her teasing. The huge smile on her face did enough to soften her voice that he didn’t even realize it was teasing.
“You wouldn’t like me if I didn’t argue with you,” she shot back, keeping her eyes on him.
“Maybe, you are certainly the only person I know who is stubborn enough to force the issue every time.” He glanced her way, noticing her staring, and then hid his face again. Smiling in amusement.
“Someone’s gotta push your buttons.” Picking up her plate and giving him a slight reprieve, she reached out to load his as well, going to her knees to load things into the basket.
“Yeah, maybe.” Getting to his feet, his expression back to the more customary scowl.
“Yes, maybe.”
Attempting to fold a blanket meant for a rather gigantic bed turned into a comical thing on Kira’s part. Quinn watched for a moment as she tried to gather the edges. Seeing it horribly aligned, he stepped forward with a sigh and took an edge from her.
“Was I not doing a good enough job?” Kira teased.
“It wasn’t straight.”
She laughed, and they folded it together. It brought him close enough for it to be too loud, and yet it was appealing. Hearing it was not abrasive, but enjoyable. Stepping back as soon as she had a hold of it he tucked his hands in his pockets.
Kira tucked the blanket under one arm and collected the basket with the other, hooking it in the crook of her elbow. “Are you free for the afternoon as well?”
“I guess.”
“I was going to go for a swim if you’d like to join me? There’s a shallow end until you get used to the depths. It’s on the Eikos…”
“A swim?” There was that familiar flash of blue. “Oh...” He said as he cocked his head, figuring out what all was involved. A slightly worried expression colored his features. “I don’t know how to swim.”
“I can show you, and you can stay where you can stand easily.”
“I... fiiiine.” Quinn sighed. Maybe she’d well and truly worn him down, he wasn’t sure. But he knew part of it was he didn’t want her going there alone. Never again.
Chapter Thirteen
KIRA
They divided the exercise areas into several rooms and locations. Kira reserved a smaller pool made for private lessons, so they’d be alone for the experience. Shorts for Quinn weren’t a problem to get out of the storage, and she sent him off to change as she dipped a toe into the warmed water.
Universally, it was unusually strange when creatures enjoyed being submerged in water when they weren’t from water planets. The concept more of a human one, that others had warmed to. The salt-water concoction made it easier to float, but wasn’t dense enough that one couldn’t sink if they wanted to.
