"Right, I'm healthier than a normal person but if I break something it still has to go through the entire healing process."

"Empowered also need to heal on occasion, but we almost always are able to do so easily and quickly."

"Small mercies."

"Mm."

How much longer is this rest going to take.

Not much longer.

"Are you up to running the rest of the way or shall I fly us again?"

"I can." He scoops her up and they're off.

She can run on her own really, but she supposes this way he can get some guiding and she can have an excuse to lean her head against his chest. 

She absolutely has an excuse to do that.

Here they are at the manor once again.

Okay, but does she have to stop leaning her face against his chest immediately? 

Depends if any of her servants are here.

Not in her private study.

"Your chest is warm..."

"I've been exerting myself." Where is a good place to put her down in here.

There is a chair behind the desk. 

He sets her down in her chair.

"I - oh yes, I apologize. I forgot myself."

"You don't need to worry on my account." And now it is handholding time.

Mhm.

Now that they have a quiet moment, he may notice that the psychic contact from their touching isn't contentless anymore. Rather, as if at a distance, he can tell that she likes him quite a lot. There are details there too, if he cares to try to determine them.

"- given that I'm blocking the empathy thing would it be preferable if I try to ignore your end of it?"

"You do not need to do so on my account."

"...are you sure or are you just saying that because you expect to have to deal with letting people read your emotions anyway as part of the courting season."

"I think... I would prefer, all things considered, that you be aware of the content of the bond, should you not mind being so informed."

"Okay."

What's in there.

Lucette is pretty sure that by reasonable objective metrics, Haru is the best person on this planet. She is also beginning to suspect that the thing where she thinks he's incredibly attractive perhaps means something about her own feelings in addition to about whether he meets objective standards of attractiveness. Also he really is doing quite a lot to decrease her feeling of being on her own against the universe.

...that's going to make it so awkward for her to have to get married but he can't think of anything to say that will decrease how awkward that is.