I feel like this chapter is too short, compared to the last one.

Also, does anyone else wipe their hands on their shirt or jeans to dry them?

Brynn woke up early the next morning, before the sun rose. She was confused with her surroundings for a split second, before remembering that she agreed to sleep at Hanso's for the night. His bed was so warm and comfortable, but she had to force herself to get up.

Quietly, she lifted the covers off, made the bed and was about to head to the bathroom when –

"Ow!"

She stubbed her toes into the frame of his bed, and curled them in pain.

"You're so clumsy, Brynn," Hanso's sleepy voice said, muffled from his blanket.

She turned red, though there probably wasn't enough light for Hanso to see. "I-it's not my fault that you have your things all over the place."

"But I don't."

"Shut up."

'What was I thinking…' she thought again, as the hot water from the shower head pounded on her back. If anyone found out about this, her job would be in serious jeopardy. Hell, she might even get fired… The things she did for that stupid Ixi. She thought about the countless times that she had caught him stealing, yet let him go anyway. They weren't even friends. Well, sort of, but not really.

There was a point in time when she thought she had affectionate feelings for the little thief. He would sometimes slip a rock into one of her pockets when she caught him – not any kind of rock, but the pretty ones from the street vendors that were sometimes solid, sometimes translucent, and came in all sorts of colors. Some of them had little colored veins running through them; others had vague, etched markings on them.

The vendor said that they were actually tumbled sea glass, not rocks, picked up from the shores of Neopia. She liked them, because it reminded her of stained glass. And it made her happy, even though they were most likely bought it with neopoints that he'd stolen. She was about fourteen years old, maybe fifteen. Markos found out and had convinced her that it was just a phase she was going through. She ended up telling Hanso to stop, because buying things with stolen neopoints was wrong. Sure, she felt bad about telling him off like that. But it was the right thing to do.

She had brushed those feelings off years ago, locked them in a corner of her mind, and threw away the key. Were they slowly seeping back out? …Nah, couldn't be. It's not like those were actual feelings, anyway. It was probably the stew that Hanso made last night that tugged on her heartstrings, because it reminded her of home. Yeah. That had to be it.

After all, she was a guard and he was a thief.

"I made breakfast for you, Brynn!"

Hanso was unusually cheery as he placed her plate on the table and motioned for her to sit. It was the same Altadorian bread from last night, but toasted, and spread with marmalade from Mystery Island. She sat on the chair and carefully munched on the toast. Hanso was across from her, chin down on his forearms, watching her. His portion lay untouched on a plate, in front of him. That was strange; he always had a big appetite. And why was he watching her eat?

"If I weren't a thief, would you trust me?"

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Brynn picked up her now empty plate and gave it a quick rinse in the sink. She wiped her hands on her trousers to dry them (it was a habit that she picked up from her father; her mother always gave her 'that face' when she did that) and picked up her knapsack. Before leaving, she turned her head to Hanso.

"I have to go now."

It was still dark outside, though Brynn could see faint pastel clouds being colored by the rising sun when she neared the castle. She always wondered why the clouds were especially colorful at dawn and dusk… Maybe it had something to do with the tiny faeries that fluttered around at sunrise and sunset?

"Have a good day at work, sweetheart."

She turned around to see Hanso. "Were you following me?"

"I was protecting you."

She pretended to scowl, but it turned into a warm, genuine smile. Something that she hadn't given anyone, except for her family.

"Hanso?"

"Hmmm..?"

"Stay out of trouble, will you?"

"No promises," he said with his trademark grin.