Robin hurriedly removed Holly's winter clothes, frantically checking her for injuries from the collision. Fortunately, aside from some additional bruises and abrasions on her arms and legs, she seemed relatively unharmed. Relief washed over him when Holly started to shiver from the cold, a sign of life as she lay motionless in his arms. Robin stood, lifting her carefully, and carried her back into her room, tucking her under the heavy duvet and the black-and-red tulip quilt atop her bed.

Holly's room mirrored the grandeur of the rest of the house, but on an even more dizzying scale, Mirrors and paintings covered the walls, reaching up to a meticulously painted mural of a cloudy summer sky on the ceiling. Strings of diamonds and stones hung from the ceiling, glittering in the light of numerous decorative lamps that adorned nearly every surface. A cluttered vanity in one corner was covered in various makeup vials and powders, its mirror so dirty that Robin cringed, wondering if he might clean it before she woke up. The rest of the room was also a mess, with clothes and shredded paper (Robin couldn't tell if it was Cookie's doing or Holly's) scattered across the floor, immune to the magic floorboards that swept messes away.

Robin dashed downstairs, using the pile of mail and firewood to kindle a large fire in the parlor's fireplace. He hurried into the kitchen, grabbed a kettle, and set the water to boil for tea to warm them both up.

Robin had just started back up the stairs when he saw Holly at the top, slowly descending in her chemise with the tulip quilt wrapped around her shoulders. She let out a sorrowful sniff as she carefully descended.

"How are you feeling?" Robin asked, retreating backward down the steps, ready to catch her if she suddenly fell unconscious again.

"I'm fine now, thank you. And thank you for healing me," Holly said, focusing on the stairs as she avoided his eyes. "I took quite a nasty tumble there," she added, awkwardly laughing off the frightening situation.

"So you were the—?"

"The bird, yes," Holly confirmed, reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh," Robin replied awkwardly, uncertain what to say, especially since he had tried to fight the bird that had scooped him up so aggressively. As if in apology, he extended his hand for her to hold as they made their way toward the fire in the parlor.

"I meant to get us all the way to Sunshine Acres," Holly explained, laughing lightly as she pulled a blanket from the settee and laid it in front of the fireplace. "But I should have told you what I was planning so you wouldn't be so scared and use your necklace."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked, watching her settle by the fire and begin to warm her hands.

"Well, the magic in my heart stone is tied to my abilities. Since it's broken, I only get extra strength from the nearby pieces. When you used the magic in your necklace to call for me, it drained some of the energy I needed to get us home. And since my magic is connected to my life force, I fell unconscious."

"Oh," Robin said, feeling a pang of guilt at ruining her plan. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I should have told you I planned on transforming into a big scary bird to carry you. I wasn't thinking clearly," Holly said, coughing as her face flushed, obviously recalling the kiss she'd given him in her haste. "So, I'm sorry too."

"Good thinking with the transportation spell," she added, steering the conversation to a new subject. "Otherwise, we might not have made it."

"Yes, well... I'm glad you had enough magic left to use it."

"Me too," Holly said with a light laugh.

The kettle whistled in the kitchen, and Robin quickly fetched their tea. When he returned, they sat by the fire in comfortable silence, sipping the warm brew and soaking in the healing heat of the crackling fire.

"You know," Robin said, breaking the calm silence between them. If you need to, you can always give me more. I will try my best to take good care of it. "

Holly tilted her head, eyes still fixed on the fire. "More?"

Robin pulled the necklace from under his shirt, turning it over in his fingers as he eyed the small pieces of green stone that made up the Ivy leaves on the dark metal whistle.

"I'd do my best to protect any part of your heart you give me. I know I don't have much magic, but I'd try... I'm pretty handy with a scalpel, and I've got a decent swing with a frying pan, so I think I could manage... And if it would help you be stronger... I'd carry your whole heart if you'd let me."

Robin was rambling, and he knew it. But his heart was beating so nervously in his ears that he felt he couldn't hear his thoughts before they tumbled out of his mouth.

Holly watched him fiddle with the necklace, her eyes distant as she turned back to her mug of tea and exhaled slowly. 

Each moment she spent thinking felt like an eternity, the embarrassment of his offer tightening in his chest. He knew it hadn't been long since her last heartbreak, and maybe he had no right to ask this of her. But after everything they'd just been through, he had to try.

Each moment she spent thinking about his words felt like agony, the embarrassment of his offer tightening in his chest. He knew it hadn't been long since her last heartbreak, and maybe he had no right to ask this of her. But after everything they'd just been through, he wanted to try.

"I—" Holly began, her gaze shifting back to the fire. "I'd be happy to give you as much as you're willing to carry.""

Robin laughed softly in relief, causing Holly's attention to snap to him in confusion.

"Sorry, I just—" Robin shook his head, leaning forward to place a hand on her knee, looking into her eyes with a small smile.

"Holly, your heart isn't nearly the burden others have made it out to be."

Holly's mouth opened to argue as her eyes darted back and forth to search his gaze as if something in them might reveal the truth in his words.

"In fact, I—" Robin started, lifting his hand, but accidentally knocked her mug, spilling tea onto her leg. "Ah—oops! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" He chuckled awkwardly, mortified at how he'd ruined the otherwise romantic moment. 

He leaned over her to quickly press his thumb against her burn, trying to heal it as fast as he could out of sheer embarrassment.

Robin felt a gentle tug on his necklace that dangled from his neck.

He looked down, followed the path of the chain, and found Holly holding it, her fingers toying with the green stones as she twirled it back and forth.

Holly's eyes met his, and her other hand slowly rose to rest on his, which still sat on her leg. His thumb still pressed into her skin where the burn used to be.

She pulled the necklace, drawing him closer, her gaze making it clear what she wanted.

To kiss him and not stop kissing him if he wanted.

That's precisely what he wanted.

So that's exactly what she did.