❝ Hmm? ❞ the tilt of his head / the slant of his shoulders / the jut of his hip / his thumb rubbing against the line of his jaw just to the right of his chin ——— his eyes don’t quite clear for all that tension ripples through his muscles for a mere moment, no longer. Action — reaction. It takes several moments longer for his thoughts to regress, for his mind to clear, and his head tilts, hair cascading over his shoulder as he looks over / and down ( and down and down ) : at the firecracker. ❝ Amber, ❞ he holds her name in his mouth, considering / contemplating. ❝ Were you speaking to me? I was thinking about... other things, ❞ his mouth curves and he offers her a smile that could melt winter’s first snow. The charmer : charming, as it’s meant to be after all. ❝ Go on then ——— you have my full attention. ❞