...It's not real. If I had any doubt of that whatsoever it would be very, very hard. 

As it is I still don't like seeing him kiss her.

He smiles slightly. 

It's not like I don't get why but still.

Oh, I understand.

Yeah. 

Dunno if it'll be better or worse when they marry, let alone have a kid--at least that won't be happening in public.

Much talked-about, though. Or does that part not bother you?

I honestly don't know yet. It might well.

Do you want the same thing? Forgetting 'it'd be convenient to travel as couples', I mean -

I don't know. Maitimo gave Marillë some very endearing anecdotes to pass on to me about you but that's not the same as knowing you and marriage is--

I've considered it something completely off the table and not worth the trouble of thinking about with respect to myself for for a while. Habits of thought are hard to break.

That makes sense.

I think I would like to be friends with you, though. The anecdotes were pretty endearing. And. It's safe to talk to you about stuff.

Do you know anyone else?

Who I can talk to about this? Ahya, technically, but, uh, she's a bit preoccupied right now.

I noticed that!

They don't make it hard.

They seem very happy.

I'm happy for them! Which, you know, still doesn't make her less preoccupied and more available to complain to about my girlfriend kissing a man.

Lots of people would probably be sympathetic to worries about one's best friend getting married and settling down, but I suppose it's really not the same.

And it would be even worse than before, now, if I slipped and said something telling.

People are pretty oblivious. But - yeah. Though they might just assume she'd been irresponsible and then grown out of it -

Which would be not socially disastrous but would upset her.

I can imagine, yeah. And you.

Yeah. Differently, though. ...I have so far seen no evidence that growing out of same-sex attraction is a thing people do, except inasmuch as 'was attracted to both to start with, gets married' counts like Tyelcormo did, so if Marille did grow out of it that would imply Lorien, and...she likes to think her parents wouldn't try to drag her there, if they found out.

My theory was that lots of people are at least a little bit interested in both to start with, and - when young are more willing to go against the grain, and then get older and want things like a family and a relationship they can acknowledge in public -

Makes sense. Marille's not even a little bit interested in men, though. If she was I would be much less calm about her marrying Maitimo.