They were fighting, as usual—although when Aravis thought of the moment later she couldn’t remember what it was that they had been arguing about (and she always made a point to remember their fights, so that she could later demonstrate to Cor exactly how wrong he had been, as he always was)—and she had drawn up in front of him in order to force him to listen to her because he didn’t seem to be hearing any of the words coming out of her mouth (typical), but instead of paying attention to what she was saying, he met her lips mid-sentence and stunned her into silence.

She stood stock still for a moment—whatever had possessed him to do this?—but, to her surprise and great irritation, she realized that she enjoyed the feeling of his mouth on hers and his hand cupping her face; but at the same moment that she had that discomfiting realization, Cor drew away, his face red and eyes downcast as he murmured, “I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have done that; it was foolish of me.”

“Well, a kiss is a terrible thing to waste,” she whispered, out of breath and struggling to maintain her composure, cross with both herself and him as her own face began to flush, and she lifted his chin up and silenced his stunned lips, and it was a long time before either of them had the breath to argue with each other again.