Liam pushed himself upright from the floor, rolling his shoulders once before rubbing the side of his neck where her hold had pressed down hardest. A low breath slipped out of him, half amusement and half lingering ache. "That was… quite some move," he muttered, still feeling the ghost of her legs tightening around his upper body.
"Thanks, but it's nothing special," Mabel replied in her even tone as she extended a hand toward him, offering to help him up.
"Nah, I'm good." He brushed off the gesture without hostility, just his usual stubborn preference for relying on himself. Rising to his feet, he turned away and headed toward the exit with steady strides. "And… thanks, by the way. For helping," he added in a level but unmistakably sincere tone as he glanced over his shoulder before stepping out of the hall.
