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"What about a ribbon fro to the red one on the floor byas I pulled on my jeans

"Oh yes, I’ll take him that"

"You don’t think he’ll want to ask you for it in front of everyone--like what Doug did last ti ht

"Well, off with you, then Go wish your e of our encaambeson, it’s called He continued to stretch his s even when I was pretty certain he’d seen me arrive I assumed that this was all part of some routine that he’d established for warm-up, and he wasn’t about to interrupt that routine--not even for me I was okay with that

I patiently watched him work, and about ten minutes later he stopped and unscrewed a bottle of water to take a long drink I walked up to him then "Hi"

His eyes flew to ," he said with a s hiht and all that had happened between us was thrilling Like I couldn’t get enough air fast enough I bit hly unlikely that anything could have changed froht before So he likely did feel the saht that he loved uess was that he probably didn’t see the need to repeat it I’d have to clue hiht it worth repeating

I s the red ribbon in my other hand "Do you knohat this is?" I said without prea it in He removed the bottle from his mouth and squeezed my hand Then he freed it in order to replace the cap "It’s a ribbon from the Maypole," he answered

"Nope Not today"

He frowned, clearly confused "It is a Maypole ribbon every day"

"Today it’s much more than that It’s ht I know"

His gaze floated to the ribbon again, and his expression was so serious that I alhed Without another word, he took up his sword and presented it to me, hilt first Just as solerip, just below the cross-guard He took the sword back and adjusted the ribbon Then he hefted the sword to try it out

He mur his ass will be all the thanks I need," I said, grinning

"There’s no kicking at these tournareaves"

I laughed "Isoundly"

His brow trembled "But if I lose--"