Oz didn't realize what she was doing until she'd already kissed his cheek, at which point he immediately moved to wipe it off with his hand. He shot her a look which may have been ill-suited to a man nearly thirty-six years old but perfectly fitted to an annoyed older brother.

"If you say so," he mumbled, not feeling the conversation was properly finished but unsure what else he could say at this juncture. Besides, a masquerade was hardly the ideal place for an impromptu heart-to-heart. Oz still didn't know exactly how they had gotten here; even when he'd thought he was addressing Shalott he hadn't been planning on saying all that.

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