Part of him wondered if it was simply easier to accept Lillie as his.. girlfriend thing now that most of his family was gone from Abaven. Only Sparrow and Sandpiper were left here, and though he knew that Sparrow and Lillie had some weird tension between them - something he'd yet to figure out, and almost hoped he never had to - he didn't have to worry anymore about fulfilling anyone's expectations. He did want Sparrow and Sandpiper to be happy, and part of him craved Lillie's approval to, but beyond that he didn't really care what people thought of him or his relationships.
Amusement flashed in his eyes, coupled with a hint of unabashed playfulness, at her retort. She was serious about this, wasn't sure? Now, he wasn't that interested in an actual fight, but some rough playing definitely sounded interesting today. A soft growl left his lips as he took her down, flipping over onto his side to lean against her as she reached out to grab his muzzle. The contact sent a rush of heat through his core, and his smile grew a bit wider. He was happy to lean into her grip, wriggling slightly out of her jaws to nuzzle into the thick fur of her neck. "Hey," he murmured after a moment, pawing at her absently. "Can I tell you something?" He wasn't quite sure what he was inspired by, but he was overwhelmed with affection suddenly and wanted to share it.
