Take me somewhere new

Steel had not lived a life totally deprived of affection. Although his father was known for his stoic demeanor, he had been quite warm toward his children, and his mother had never been scarce in her affections. For some reason, though, Steel found himself struggling with it even now. The closeness he and Esarosa shared was foreign to him, in the sort of way he'd craved for so long; and though it felt right, something felt strange still.

It wasn't that he was afraid. Steel wasn't necessarily a fearful man. A doubtful one, perhaps, but he certainly wasn't ruled by fear. Even as he sat at Esarosa's side, he could only feel one thing - aching, crippling doubt. Why did he let himself grow fond of anyone in his life, when they were apt to leave him? He enjoyed her company, but it was difficult to live in the moment when he felt the moment could be fleeting.

He attempted to relax as best he could in the tight quarters - finding it easier than he expected. Another smile was given at her teasing tone. “I’m not exactly watching my figure,” he'd quip back,.knowing that while frogs were not the absolute worse thing in the world, they were not the most filling either. The thought of not being alone in the morning, of having someone to find food with, was comforting and he nearly sighed in relief as he thought of what tomorrow might bring.

He was acutely aware of Esarosa's proximity to him. She didn't seem opposed to it at all.. in fact, she even moved closer, expressing he could tell her if she was taking up room. Perhaps a bit too quickly, he would shake his head, feeling a similar sort of giddiness well up inside his chest. “No, no, it's good,” he mumbled quietly, before hastily correcting himself, “I mean, you're good. I have plenty of room.” He didn't mind the closeness. It was relaxing, and he felt his eyes briefly shutter closed as he leaned gratefully into her touch. He didn't know quite what else to say, or if he should say anything at all, so he fell silent. The sound of the drizzling rain outside made the sound of their breathing seem hushed, and without thinking much - knowing if he considered it too long, he'd never do it at all - he'd shift to press his nose to her cheek, briefly, his eyes never opening. “Thank you,” he whispered softly, his voice hardly audible, before letting his head lower to rest on his forepaws beside her own.