But eventually, the night grew late and the temperature dropped. Satou stood, offering his hand to help Lyra up. "We should probably head back before everyone thinks we got eaten by dire wolves."
"Probably," Lyra agreed, taking his hand. But she made no move to return to the settlement. Instead, she looked at him with an expression that was both shy and determined. "Unless... I mean, your quarters are closer than mine. And it's late. And if we went back to mine, Jessica would definitely be there waiting to ask a million questions..."
She trailed off, her meaning clear but unspoken.
Satou's heart rate picked up. "Lyra, are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured—"
"I'm sure," she interrupted. "I asked for this date because I've been wanting to spend time with you like this for months. And now that we have... I don't want it to end yet. I want to keep spending time with you. In whatever way you're comfortable with."
