(Ugh. Fine.) Eden’s arms draped around Briar’s neck as she grinned up at him, her eyes loving. “I’m sure that’s not the case,” she told him chidingly, tilting her head. He rolled his eyes before leaning down to kiss her. “You’re going to be the death of me.” “Let me live my life, Briar,” she teased and he squinted at her before picking her up, setting her on the kitchen counter. Eden laughed out loud, her hands cupping his jaw and her legs wrapping around his waist.
Briar groaned, pulling away mid kiss, and Eden laughed, ruffling his hair playfully. “That’s probably Sam. I’ll be right back.” She opened the door, her eyes warm.
Sam was there, strands of dark hair in his eyes before he brushed them away, barely meeting her gaze. "Hi. Sorry."
She tilted her head for a moment before opening the door wider, inviting him in. “No need to apologize. Come on in.”
Their house was small, but not unlike her old one. Aged branches supported the second floor, and large windows filled the rooms with light. Briar was in the kitchen, his normally tidy dark hair disheveled. He pulled the kettle off the stove and glanced back over his shoulder at the two of them. "Hey, Sam," he said kindly, pulling some mugs out of the cupboard. "Want some tea?"
Briar nodded and returned to his work, his head bending over his task. Eden cleared her throat, sitting down at the table and folding her hands. "So, they're working on your house now," she said, looking up at him. "They're fairly quick workers, so they should be done by tomorrow. You're welcome to stay with us until then."
“Your punishment was written off,” Eden continued. “And they’re now discussing the logistics of letting you live here.”
She nodded, resting her head on her hand tiredly. Briar noticed and came over to her, kissing the top of her head. "Go on up to bed, sweetheart. I can get Sam a room set up down here." She shook her head slowly, running a hand through her hair. "No, it's okay. I'll do it."
She gestured to him, giving him a smile that would feel awfully familiar. "Come on, Sam. You can sleep in the living room."
