Xanthippe smiled a little, almost despite herself. Shut up, nerds like her enjoyed their recognition.

"I mean..." She ran her fingertips down his arms very, very slowly, making sure to keep her touch feather-light. Barely there. "You asked me to."

And the spring had been a stressful time at school, and by the time summer had rolled around, she'd already been in the habit of making her way through it, one passage at a time.