Ruben's smile widened, and his eyes flashed yellow before returning to their normal blue. If she hadn't been so clearly Other, he'd have taken it as a sign. Abomination or not, he believed in something.

He took the liberty of touching her hair fleetingly, found the blonde strands clean and silky. She'd touched his face first, after all. He stretched his long arms above his head, as if he was reaching for the moon he'd been staring at earlier, then settled his weight back on his heels.

"Little Missus, I wouldn't mind that at all."