Midnight Clear

You will never be a bother to me. That gentle assurance alone was enough to wash away many of her doubts, and she slowly smiled up at the man. Her heart doing that thing it always did when she was looking into his eyes. He told her about his grandmother, the nightmares she'd had that had really been painful memories. How awful that must have been for her. "My dreams... my nightmares," Solveiga quietly corrected herself, "They were a mix of the two. Painful memories of the past and fears of the future." This she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper.

She knew that Regulus was more in tune to her than anyone else she'd ever known. He could tell she was troubled, and didn't hesitate to offer her physical comfort. He curled his large form around her own, eliciting a sigh from the little healer as he tenderly groomed between her ears. It was incredibly soothing. So much so that she naturally closed her eyes, shutting out the world and just savoring this moment with her dearest friend. "You don't need to be sorry," she whispered, pressing herself back against him and moving her head to nuzzle his cheek. "But you must know that I care a lot for you, and I notice when you're gone."

Just saying that took a lot of courage, and left Solveiga with a small swarm of butterflies as she listened for a response. But even if none came, she had something left to say. Or, rather, something to ask. "Regulus, you've told me so much about your family." Solveiga opened her eyes again, staring into the shadows of the alcove as she soaked in the warmth and the closeness of him, and gathered her courage. "In the stories, they sound so wise. I almost wish I could ask them the questions that have been troubling me lately..." Her heart was pounding, but she needed to ask. Maybe he'd think nothing of it. Assume it was an innocent question having nothing to do with him. "Did they ever tell you what it feels like to be in love? How to... to know if what you feel for another is love?"