Things get quiet, but it's not the comfortable quiet Clarisse is used to with Abby. The two of them, sitting on the bed, legs touching, neither of them doing anything. Neither of them saying anything.

It feels like the silence is building on itself, becoming heavier. When Abby finally does speak, says her name and then stops like the rest is caught in her throat, Clarisse's shoulders twitch. She wonders if Abby can hear the way her breathing has sped up.

"Yeah?" Clarisse wets her bottom lip. Her mouth feels dry.

It was easy to lean over and kiss Abby in the training yard. It was new, but at the same time it was Abby, so it hadn't been weird at all. Now Clarisse looks at her and thinks that, with how close they are, it would be easy to lean in and kiss Abby again. Maybe she should.

And then say, what, "Thanks for the shield?" Like things aren't weird enough, is she about to make them even weirder by doing this? That's the risk. Either kissing Abby makes things better or it ruins them. And Clarisse isn't sure she can live with the second option.

She straightens up, scoots just barely to one side so her leg isn't pressing up against Abby's anymore.