"What do you want to do, Milo?" Vigil cooed. "You want some tuna, huh?"

The white cat meowed and rubbed himself against her legs. She had sneaked downstairs for a snack and found Milo, who seemed to practically live in the kitchen now.

She opened the pantry door and popped open a can of sardines. Sticking one in her own mouth, she peeped out the window.

The vegetable garden stood directly under a cherry tree, the soil rich and dark in the sun. With a delighted gasp, she noticed James kneeling next to the cabbage, cutting the crunchy leaves off. His shirt was damp around the neck and his forehead was beaded with sweat.

He wiped his face down and stood up. Started walking to the house. Vigil pressed herself against the wall, behind the door.

A delicious breeze swept through the hot kitchen when he walked inside, and Vigil jumped out from her hiding place.

"Boo," She yelled, grabbing his shoulders from behind.

The gardener started and spun around. A fist flew toward her face, and she ducked.

"Pipe down, Mr. Lancaster." Vigil panted, stepping back. "You've got quite the reflexes."

James stared at her. "What are you doing down here?"

She hoisted herself onto the counter and plucked another fish from the jar. "Snacks. Sardine?"

James shook his head and grabbed a pair of gloves. He was stalling, and they both knew it. Finally, he spoke.

"What have you been up to today, miss?"

Vigil strolled up to him and watched as he set the cabbage leaves into a bag. "Poetry, as always. If you want any songs to sing let me know."

James was holding back, building a wall, and Vigil was determined to crumble it to dust.

"Your eyes look nice," She said straight-forwardly. "They remind me of the moss that grows outside my window."

He stopped what he was doing and stared at her. An incredulous grin was creeping up on him, and Vigil could see a few bricks crumbling down.

"This is where you compare me with something beautiful. It's how it's done in the romance novels." She explained.

James sighed and itched at his ear awkwardly. "Er... your smile. It's very beautiful."

He didn't say it in a flirty or rude way, but like he genuinely believed it. Vigil's heart leapt slightly, but she didn't let down her confident attitude.

"Well that wasn't very poetic. You have to compare it with something."

James looked back down at his gloves and walked back to the door. Before he went out, he looked back at her. "To compare your smile with anything else, my lady," He said, "would be simply impossible."

With one last very small smile, he ducked through the door and shut behind him.