[He clears his throat to collect himself— right, yes, there's that too much she's mentioned before. He cannot help who he is, but for now, he can offer her a bit of a reprieve— some things will take some getting used to, he imagines, given how long they had both insisted on punishing themselves, even more meeting one another.

Even as she ducks her head, he cannot help but smile at her fondly, and he shakes his own before gently squeezing the hand that remains against his face.]

You're not an idiot.

[Far from it, even if they've both rather fumbled how they've managed much of this.]

I apologize, I forgot myself for a moment— but the 'when' isn't important, and there's no need to explain yourself. This is new territory for the both of us. We'll navigate it together, hm?

[He releases her hand to bring his own to rest against her shoulder, reassuring.]