"-would you like a hug."

"Is that gonna make anything worse on your end?"

"Not really..."

"I'm um. Not worried about you rejecting me nearly as much as I'm worried about hurting you."

"I am kind of in a stupidly vulnerable position and whoever potioned me should never walk the earth free again but you're not doing anything wrong."

"I um. Really don't want to accidentally take advantage of your situation somehow. And my brain uncooperatively decided that it would-"

"It would?"

"Decide that um."

"You are very good." And pretty and smart and moral and ambitious and this is maybe the worst thing his brain has ever done. 

"Well, y'know. One tries."

"You um. Seem much better at being good than other people who try."

"Thank you."

"-is saying things like that... Okay."

"Why wouldn't it be? Are there people who just hate compliments?"

"I um. Thought you might dislike reminders of me... liking you."

"Oh. The connection was not obtrusive."

"Okay."

Deep breaths.

"Sorry I'm such a bummer."

"It's definitely not at all your fault."

"Well, no. But I do regret that it is the case."

"Yeah."

She goes quiet. Sighs.

So does Lucien, apparently.

Then they might have a pretty pensive bench-sitting evening.