"You'd miss me?"

"Of course I'd miss you, I'm—" He cuts himself off.

"Ugh," he groans again.

"I could just go," she says quietly. But this would be intolerable.

"Or you could not," he suggests in a small, miserable voice. "I can't even be consistent here, can I."

Pet pet.

"The thing is I'm kinda in love with you, too."

"...oh."

Hug.

"And this is really not very discouraging."

"I could stop." Except that if Chelsea stops hugging him that would probably be fatal or something and, worse, make her sad.

"I really don't want you to."

"Then I won't." Snuggle.

"Ugh why must this be so complicated."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's it's mine."

"Oh no sweetheart of course it's not your fault."

He sighs. "So... where does this leave... um, us?"

"I don't really know. What do you want?"

"You," he does not say. This would be the opposite of helpful, and besides it's not new information.

"I'm not sure I'm in the best position to answer this right now, to be honest," he does say. "There's too much going on in my brain."

Nod, nod.

"What do you want?"

"It's so complicated, isn't it? Or I'd know."