It was the familiar thumping, and Luca's heart still clenched, but instead of fearing death, he just remained nestled in Xavier's arms, heart humming a slightly different tune.
He still didn't understand everything, but now he didn't feel like he was about to grasp at straws blindly. And that was more than enough.
He shifted slightly, his nose brushing against the soft fabric of Xavier's shirt, which made the resting prince curious about why his little chipmunk was burrowing.
"Hm? Is everything okay?"
Luca nodded and only hesitated a bit before mumbling, "You're really nice…"
Xavier chuckled. "Don't go spreading rumors like that. People might get the wrong idea."
"Huh?"
"But you are!" Luca insisted, voice muffled.
The prince's hand continued its steady trace along Luca's back. "Thank you, but you should know, I'm not a saint, Luca."
That made the little chipmunk pause. "What do you mean?"
