Nezumi likes Karan.

It's weird to like someone after hating so many for so long.

Yet the day he officially meets Karan, when she throws her arms around his and Shion's necks, the first thing he thinks is 'this feels nice'.

And it's still something new, something exciting, to think 'this feels nice' in reference any person- Shion excluded.

Nezumi's not opposed to the change.

It's a different kind of warmth that comes off of Karan. Pleasant, the kind that fills his chest and spreads through his shoulders. It's steady, strong, but never overwhelming. Startling and unfamiliar, but not daunting. There's this honesty, this safety, to her motions that reminds him of Shion. He finds himself watching her after he leaves Shion to rest in bed, the morning after the destruction of the wall.

When she catches him staring he's surprised to find himself apologizing. He looks away, shifting from foot to foot like some regular boy who was caught staring too hard at a toy in a store window.

This too, is new. Not entirely unfamiliar, but new nonetheless. The feeling of wanting to impress someone.

She meets his apology with a kind smile and he feels the warmth in his chest again. She moves aside and shows him what she's working on.

A clumpy looking substance sits in a silver bowl.

"The batter's a little messy," She laughs, a soft sweet sound that Nezumi wants to wrap up in, "but the muffins should turn out well because of it."

He nods dumbly, because really, what else can he do? He can throw potatoes and carrots into a pot, make dried meat and moldy bread last for months, but muffins?

Nezumi doesn't know shit about muffins.

She smiles at his expression, and offers him a spoon.

"Will you help me? The batter is thick, and I need to take the rolls out of the oven."

He takes the spoon, cluelessly sticks it in the batter, and the smile Karan gives him makes him feel like he really did something to be proud of.

She leaves to remove the sweet rolls and Nezumi stirs the batter with everything he has. When Karan returns she pats him gently on the shoulder and takes the bowl from him, but gives him back the spoon.

"I know you're a little old for this, but Shion still likes to lick the batter off the spoon." She smiles, "I figure you've more than earned it this time."

So Nezumi takes the spoon, brings it to his lips as she requested, and gives it a lick.

It's the best thing he's tasted for a long, long time.