Idun hummed thoughtfully, looking up into the treetops as if all the answers she longed for were hidden within the leaves. When she looked back down at Bragi, she laughed and smiled softly. "I'd get right on that, but practicing in front of you would ruin the element of surprise." Bragi wasn't the only one ignoring that desire to dance with every ounce of willpower that could be mustered. Even though she kept mentioning dance, even though she kept laughing lightly as though she lacked a care in the world, Bragi would make a wonderful dance partner. But he wasn't hers to dance with, just like his cheek wasn't hers to kiss.
Honestly, ignoring how the rhythm of his words would make a wonderful song to dance to was exhausting. If she acknowledged the thought at all, she'd be done for. It was a welcome relief when he blinked and came as close to sputtering as she figured Bragi got. It made her smile again. It distracted her. So did the challenge. The challenges were becoming a very nice way to stay distracted. That her mildly competitive spirit would demand that she win all these challenges was irrelevant for the time being. "I'm looking forward to our next meeting, and this one hasn't even ended yet."
Idun regretted the words immediately. Looking forward to their next meeting opened up a wide avenue of anticipation that she was wholly unprepared for. How many of these meetings did she have to look forward to? Would he grow tired of their friendship, or simply grow out of it as his life with his goddess began to take shape? Broad thoughts about their future rattled through her mind, and then Idun told herself that they didn't have a future. There was Bragi and there was Idun, but they weren't a They. It made her unreasonably sad, but at least he gave her something to respond to so she didn't drown in that feeling. "We could act one out here, even. Just for fun," she proposed. She tried her best not to appear too wistful. "Good. You can tweak and I can prepare to gloat."
Idun's gaze snapped abruptly from her butterfly, turning to Bragi with a sharp wave of curiosity crashing through her. He had looked for her. Why did he have to tell her something like this? "I hope you didn't have to visit too many wrong ones," she said, suddenly wondering how many he had to visit exactly. "I'm sorry I didn't give you directions..." But she wasn't truly sorry. Because knowing he'd looked for her left her feeling warm, and even if that feeling was dangerous, she relished it for a moment.