Wishing she hadn't said so much (merlin, he must think I never keep quiet) Anjali wanted nothing more than to leave in the quiet silence that followed what she'd said. She hadn't been able to keep her worries to herself, but in that instant, she wished nothing more than that she had. How humiliating was it to have reveal her inner-most feelings to a man who yes, she would get to know better than any man in her life, but for now, knew nearly nothing at all. Had she lost her mind? How could she have kissed him, to begin with?

Lifting her gaze when he asked her to listen to him, Anjali felt his finger on her chin and suddenly realized something that would resonate just as strongly for the next few months.

She could fall in love with this wizard.

"I'd give my life away to have that again, but it's still a kiss. A kiss can be -" he hesitated, trying to find the words," - it can be a lot of things - body heat, chemistry, need," he shook his head, slowly, his hand reaching up to cradle the side of her face in a silent gesture, a plea to hear him out, "We're still children to decide our fates by a kiss."

Studying him with the expression of one who knew perfectly well the wisdom in what was being spoken, but couldn't quite get their heart wrapped around it just yet, Anjali nodded numbly when he spoke of all the various reasons whatever they had shared could have been a fluke. It was interesting that something he could have explained so honestly could have been rendered her as hurt to the degree that she was, and she found it a struggle simply to keep looking at him, if only out of fear that she would show more emotion than she was willing to yet.

Had any man (not that she had been with so many, but enough) ever rationalized why they responded to her in such plain terms? Had anyone ever stood before her, looking at her with such genuine feeling that she wanted nothing more than to confess her enitre life's worth of desires and secrets and sins, but reminded her that, if anything, all they had was a kiss?

"I would rather know Anjali first."

That stilled her. She had nearly become lost in her thoughts when that had broken through and when her eyes flew back up to his, she could barely help the feeling of endearment that rushed into her at his touch of a smile. She may not have been in love with him, she may never be either, but she did know in that moment when everything stood still that she could have spent the rest of her life with him.

It's strange how time stands still sometimes, and that in those interludes of ticking and minutes passing by, one suddenly realizes things they'd never before even considered.

"Would you let me?"

"I-" she began when her lashes lowered, some vague response as to what he'd said igniting and then dying upon her lips all at once. She would never before considered herself the sort to be speechless or fumbling for words all because of a lone wizard, and she wondered vaguely if his fingers on her cheek were enough to be distracting her so heavily.

"Anjali?"

Flushing as her gaze flew up and she realized that their little clandestine, well, whatever it had been, was going to be undeniably cut short, she pushed her hair back before leaning forward to brush her lips against his cheek. Stepping back, she managed with a faint smile, "I'll let you know."

Turning and slipping from the small area they'd claimed unwittingly as their own, Anjali slipped her arm through Claire's and left the shop, her head bent low with the other girl's. She glanced back only once, and when she did, the smile that touched her features couldn't have been denied for the world.