Laughter. Such a commonplace occurrence for so many people, but to her it is a luxury. Scoffing she is quite familiar with, and snorting in disgust. But part of being green is being aloof. It is the only way to keep from being hurt. So laughter... laughter is not something she often allows herself to enjoy.
With him, though, it's different. She doesn't have to worry about being judged by her skin- he has known her for years, and his skin is an Ozian oddity as well. She doesn't care if he knows that she delights in small ridiculous things, like the footprint path Malky left behind after padding through the spilled flour. She smiles even at the memory, and he gazes at her adoringly. With him, she is -dare she say it- comfortable.
He loves the way her dark eyes shine when she smiles, the way her entire face brightens. She is too serious too often, and he does what he can to change that. He tells her jokes, anecdotes from his childhood in the Vinkus. She seems to like those, especially the one in which he falls into the fish well. Oh, she made fun of him for days after hearing that story. In the midst of a kiss he breaks away and brushes his eyelashes against her cool cheek, causing her to giggle. He is amazed at how lighthearted she sometimes seems, and wishes he could make all her troubles disappear forever. It's a shame he did so poorly in his sorcery class at Shiz.
She is in a rare playful mood, tickling and teasing. No ulterior motive, no real reason for her actions other than to see him smile at her. She grabs his side and he jumps, then reaches for the pillow. She lets him chase her around the small room and collapses on the mattress, her dark hair fanning out around her. This is so simple, so- could it be?- right? She stretches her arms upward, pushing all brain chatter aside. This is no time for thinking.
He tosses the pillow away and sinks to his knees, grabbing her arms and pulling her up from the bed. A strand of hair falls in front of her face and he gently sweeps it aside. She looks up and smiles at him, looking for all the world like a young woman in love. He hopes, prays to whoever is listening, that this is the truth. They kiss and he gently lowers her back on the bed, easing himself on top of her. This time he is caring, caressing, sweet. He draws back a moment and gazes into her eyes, hoping she knows that he would do anything in the world to keep that smile on her face always.