He offered. She sighed, frustrated, "I… I do not understand you!" She repeated the exasperation plain in her voice. He hesitated, letting the silence grow for a few long seconds before he spoke, voice searching, "Do you want to?" "I... I don't know! I... Ugh! You are a dense fool!" She all but shouted before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down, leaning up to press her lips to his. He tensed for a moment, surprised by the suddenness, but quickly relaxed, his hands moving to rest on her waist, feeling her slender figure through her robes as he was pulled down against her. The kiss lasted for a moment, but for Avery, it felt like a lifetime. Here was a man not afraid of her, who not only looked upon her without fear but with kindness, she