He talked to her, and himself off a cliff, in the same instant. He knew it was helpless. Falling in love with her. Hopefully, he thought. He had never experienced love. He had rejected it from a young age, always believing that people were playing a game on him and for his heart.

His heart was something to be guarded, shielded, suffocated in the shadows. But every so often he would let down his defenses and her prickly rays of sun would seep in, slowly degrading the years worth of work he put into his iron clad shields. Moats were drained, dragons were tamed, goblins settled into a peaceful daze. His eyes would sparkle.