"Sit closer," Edgar said as he watched Mer shiver despite the fire's heat. "Lean. I'm warm."

"I'm always cold," Mer replied. "It's fine."

But Mer slid over anyway, close enough that Edgar could feel the odd cool of Mer's body.

"What if you changed?"

"Then I'd be too big for the clearing without sitting on the fire," Mer said. But he laughed, and Edgar always liked Mer's laugh. "I'm fine. You're fine. I'll take your heat."

Mer leaned, and quietly Edgar put an arm around him, fingers touching the stray blue scales on Mer's arm.

Mer shivered.

#wss366