He shouldn't have dared nudge at Kieran's flower crown, Jude swiftly realised, because that sort of casual touching was anything but, and only opened wide the door for more familiar gestures - and little did Kieran know how unprepared he was for that.
Not that he'd expected Kieran to do what he did, tapping him on the nose playfully; Jude wasn't sure whether it was more endearing or humiliating, but his face flooded with colour yet again, and this was not a sustainable reaction to everything Kieran did or said today, just because. Nor was, well - Jude shifted the baskets he was carrying further in front of himself, bundling everything into both hands to be safe. Ahem.
Are we feeling better, Kieran asked right then, and the very question caught Jude off guard, startling him guiltily out of anything he'd been imagining. "Hm?" he said awkwardly, fumbling for words. "What do you mean? Everything's - fine, I'm fine, everything's - great, really. Isn't it?" Whatever this was about - it was, wasn't it? The day had been a firm achievement, everyone's spirits lifted by everything the street had been today, by the late night glow of success; he and Kieran had talked just now, both stupidly and seriously, and it had been fun, and Jude had learnt some things - gotten some answers to things he shouldn't have been asking about - and even if he hadn't quite worked out everything about Kieran, at least he'd gotten to argue about it.
But it was probably better that Kieran didn't figure him out, and see Jude ruin all the progress they'd made. Even the idea of looking directly at Kieran right now was a dangerous feeling in itself... If only he'd been wearing a different crown, he might've had an excuse.
Not that he'd expected Kieran to do what he did, tapping him on the nose playfully; Jude wasn't sure whether it was more endearing or humiliating, but his face flooded with colour yet again, and this was not a sustainable reaction to everything Kieran did or said today, just because. Nor was, well - Jude shifted the baskets he was carrying further in front of himself, bundling everything into both hands to be safe. Ahem.
Are we feeling better, Kieran asked right then, and the very question caught Jude off guard, startling him guiltily out of anything he'd been imagining. "Hm?" he said awkwardly, fumbling for words. "What do you mean? Everything's - fine, I'm fine, everything's - great, really. Isn't it?" Whatever this was about - it was, wasn't it? The day had been a firm achievement, everyone's spirits lifted by everything the street had been today, by the late night glow of success; he and Kieran had talked just now, both stupidly and seriously, and it had been fun, and Jude had learnt some things - gotten some answers to things he shouldn't have been asking about - and even if he hadn't quite worked out everything about Kieran, at least he'd gotten to argue about it.
But it was probably better that Kieran didn't figure him out, and see Jude ruin all the progress they'd made. Even the idea of looking directly at Kieran right now was a dangerous feeling in itself... If only he'd been wearing a different crown, he might've had an excuse.
