"S'nice," he murmured, obviously his thoughts drifting again. Back down that river that kept appearing within his mind when he was near her. Comfort. Peace. Joy. Grace. His heart beat slowed and thudded loudly as it did and his breathing became deeper and deeper until...
Until she mentioned Paris and going away for a little while. There was no denying the rapidness in which his core began to beat. Stephen's eyes never opened though and he spoke as if he wasn't suddenly very anxious.
"Oh? That'll be.. fantastic... you know the fall is coming up quickly though, quicker than we're realizing. I love the fall, don't you? Remember that year we spent charming piles of leaves together to jump in them? And then I jumped in one and a Jarvey had gotten into the pile and when I practically pile drived it, the blasted thing spewed the foulest string of cusses we had ever heard?"