His heart, for just a moment, lodges itself in his throat. His eyes widen with the surprise of hearing her say it so plainly, and the way he feels his stomach twist in response only reaffirms his suspicions of what it is he wants, if only he'll allow himself to want it.
But not tonight, and not like this. He smiles and gently takes hold of her upper arm to give it an affectionate squeeze as Berna pulls her away, letting out a breath he hadn't quite realized he'd been holding.]
We'll talk tomorrow— I promise.
[Perhaps when she's through nursing the headache he's almost certain she's going to have, come tomorrow morning.
Collecting himself, he looks to Berna and Oren as they collect their things and prepare to make their exit— it's probably best for Amelia's dignity that they all leave quickly, at this point.]
Thank you to the two of you, as well. It was a pleasure to finally be able to talk to the both of you at length— we'll have to do this again before long.
[He gathers up Amelia's purse and jacket for her as Berna does her best to keep her pointed in the right direction, and once they have her safely in the car to return home, he'll begin to make his way back to his Sea Ward apartment, that whisper of hers lingering in his ear.]
1/2
His heart, for just a moment, lodges itself in his throat. His eyes widen with the surprise of hearing her say it so plainly, and the way he feels his stomach twist in response only reaffirms his suspicions of what it is he wants, if only he'll allow himself to want it.
But not tonight, and not like this. He smiles and gently takes hold of her upper arm to give it an affectionate squeeze as Berna pulls her away, letting out a breath he hadn't quite realized he'd been holding.]
We'll talk tomorrow— I promise.
[Perhaps when she's through nursing the headache he's almost certain she's going to have, come tomorrow morning.
Collecting himself, he looks to Berna and Oren as they collect their things and prepare to make their exit— it's probably best for Amelia's dignity that they all leave quickly, at this point.]
Thank you to the two of you, as well. It was a pleasure to finally be able to talk to the both of you at length— we'll have to do this again before long.
[He gathers up Amelia's purse and jacket for her as Berna does her best to keep her pointed in the right direction, and once they have her safely in the car to return home, he'll begin to make his way back to his Sea Ward apartment, that whisper of hers lingering in his ear.]