"Thanks."

He hugs her.

He goes to find Luar again.

She's in the water close to the shore by her cottage, again.

He sits and waits for sunset, again.

She swims to shore and climbs out and goes over to sit by him, within arm's reach but with enough space that when she turns back she still won't be touching him.

When the sun dips below the horizon and the girl appears in place of the swan, she looks terrified.

"Would it be cruel to give you the chance to change your mind?" he murmurs.

"I wouldn't take it," she says distantly. "Go on."

"Well, all right."

He scoops her up and turns them both into wind, and they flow down the mountain and all the way to the city on the river and in Maran's window and around to the back room, where they materialize again.

Tarro is waiting. He startles only slightly when they appear.

Serik grins at him. "Good evening. This is Luar. Luar, this is Tarro, Maran's friend. I nearly took him for a swan once but I changed my mind."

She studies Tarro in silence, visibly anxious and on edge.

"...will it mean anything if I'm sorry," he asks.

"Some."

"I'm sorry, then."

She nods.

"She's here by choice," says Serik. "Though I'm aware that under the circumstances that's not as reassuring as it could be."

"It's not nothing, though."

He looks at Serik thoughtfully.

"Yes?"

"Oh, nothing. Just contemplating doing something stupid."

He laughs.

And Tarro crosses the distance between them in three strides - pauses, looking up into Serik's eyes - and kisses him.

He kisses back, winding his hands in Tarro's hair to pull him closer. Tarro has such lovely grabbable hair.

Maran walks into the room.

He looks at the two of them. Slowly, he raises his eyebrows.

"What'd I miss?"

Luar covers her face with her hands and giggles helplessly into them.

"Maran!" he says cheerfully. "Hi! This is Luar, my favourite swan. Luar, this is Maran, the man I told you about."

He gazes at her for a long moment, with a lost, uncertain look in his eyes.