She fell silent, but he would be able to feel the joy and pride radiating off her as they walked. "I still think it was good," she said eventually. "Even if you... care about me."
She couldn't seem to contain it, looking up at him and beaming, looking absolutely delighted. "You care about me, Z! You like having me around!"
"I thought I made that clear after I saved you from the snow," he said with a laugh, shaking his head gently.
"It wasn't clear," she replied, looking up at him, her eyes wide. "You said you did it because I would do the same for you. That's, like, a debt thing. But you did it because you cared!"
It was hard to tell if it was from the cold or the question, but a pink flush crossed over the bridge of her nose as she looked back down at the path. "Well... yeah. Of course I do."
He pursed his lips smoothly, a slow smirk crossing his face. "So you would have done the same for me."
He didn't seem to notice. "So if you would have done it for me, because you care about me, then it's fair. Because I would have done it for you, because I care about you."
He looked down at her and noticed her mood, maybe getting a little serious as well. He wondered what he did wrong. "..Anyways."
She tried to change the subject, her voice losing some of the genuine warmth it normally carried. She inserted a false cheeriness instead, hoping that it would suffice until she felt a little better. "So... what are you going to do first? When you get your magic back?"
He didn't seem to be fooled by her false cheer, only raising an eyebrow with a frown. "I don't know. You don't have to be friendly to me for my sake, you know."
She looked up at him, frowning. She still looked tired, not just from the previous night, but the whole journey had taken a toll. "I'm not," she replied.
He seemed skeptical, going quiet again. He had a small frown on his face, looking a little self conscious.
She was also quiet before she started speaking very quickly, as if trying not to lose her nerve. "I think you're something really special, Z, and I see you as a friend. A real friend. It's not an eye for an eye. It's not a debt repaid. It's 'I've got your back and you've got mine'. That's all. I just... I thought that's what you were saying earlier, but I misunderstood."
He frowned at her. "That's what I meant," he said, as if seeming a little insulted. "I told you I did it because I care about you."
She seemed uncomfortable, looking up at him. "But you also said that thing about doing it because I would do it for you?" she began, her brow furrowing in confusion before she shook her head, looking away from him. "It doesn't matter."
"You.. You would do it for me," he said in confusion, "because you care about me..? And I care about you.."
