"I like you," he mumbled, turning his face to the pillow. *** She held his hand tightly, an excited grin on her face. "Sounds perfect!"
Her eyes widened, but she shook her head as she got out of the bed. “No, you don’t.” *** “It’s going to be great. There’s pufferfish carrot sticks!”
“No. If I asked you about it when you woke up fully, you’d be embarrassed.” *** “Pufferfish carrot sticks. They’re wonderful.”
“If you woke up and saw that I was next to you, you’d hate it. I know you would.” *** He paused, his brow furrowed. “...pufferfish? Or carrot sticks?”
She squinted down at him before shaking her head and lying back down next to him. “Hm. Okay. I’ll prove it. Go back to sleep.” *** “They’re carrot sticks shaped like pufferfish.”
She shifted awkwardly in hands, hating the fact that she didn’t hate it. She sighed before closing her eyes again, her dark hair streamed across the white pillows. *** “Trust me, Cal. They’re delightful.”
He easily fell back asleep, a soft sigh escaping his lips. *** "I believe you," she said. "They sound pretty interesting."
A bit later, Landon woke. He looked around, dazed, before realizing where he was. He looked at Val, his eyes widened slightly. He sighed, reluctantly taking his hands as he sat up. *** "By trying one with me."
He watched her quietly for a moment, a small frown crossing his face as he ran his hand through his hair. He shook his head and stood up, going to take a shower. *** "Definitely," she teased. "Pufferfish carrot sticks."
Her hand shot out and she took his hand, still half asleep. “Stay with me.” *** “You’re vegetarian, right?”
He jumped, turning to look at her, his eyes wide. "Huh?" *** She pursed her lips. "I tried. I decided it wasn't worth it."
“Stay with me,” she murmured, turning her face into the pillow. “I like having you nearby.” *** “Oh, good! In that case, they also have octopus flavored nuggets.”
