[Ain’s enthusiasm is a good distraction. It makes Wolfwood smile in spite of himself as they watch the ducks dip under the water and preen themselves.]

We can come back then, yeah. There’s always a ton of baby ducks and goslings in the spring. They get used to people so they might even eat out your hand.

[Why…is he promising this? Who’s to say they’ll be still talking come spring of all things? Like, sure he’d consider them friends by now at the very least, but…something is going to happen by then, surely. Ain will be kept away by his family or he’ll get outed and Chapel will kill him. He doesn’t know.

He frowns, his chest tight. He wants to pull Ain closer as much as Ain wants to lean into him, but that feels like. Too much? Too far. They’re not dating. Wolfwood has flirted a bit sure, but Ain has been too oblivious to take the bait. Or maybe it’s something else. Catholic guilt, he’d guess.]

It’s even nicer when it snows. The lake…pretty much glitters at night.