"... There's a system for measuring crush sizes?"

"Nooo but if there were it wouldn't compare them to landmasses, I don't think."

"Okay, well -" He fidgets. "Should I drop this conversation and never bring it up again?"

"I - um - why are you asking, I was trying not to make it - why did Kayam even tell you?"

"Oh. Um. You do?"

He nods, a little shyly. "If - I don't know, if it's unwanted or something, though, I can back off and let you be or - something."

"I was - I mean - you were talking about how you were having trouble knowing for sure what you want and - the like. I - am not sure how to take this, considering - that? But - like the hugging - not unwanted on my end - I'm worried about you is all."

"Well - my head's still something of a mess when it comes to - personal space and how I should act and how platonic feelings work." He fidgets, a bit. "But nothing I had while I was there was - in a romantic sense. So in a disturbing way I seem to be absolutely fine on that note."

"Good, I think I might have crawled off to a corner to die of embarrassment if she had been."

"Well, that would never do."

"No, it'd be pretty terrible," he snorts.

"And maybe the crown would retroactively disapprove if I went and did something like send you to expire in a corner."

"Maybe, and then you'd have to go on more adventures and have to eat more trail food."

"It would be terrible." Pause. "So - what are you thinking in terms of what to do about these incomparable-to-continents-because-that-is-silly crushes?"

If Shara is blushing, it's not visually discernible, but she is hesitant as she says - "My stance on kissing is that I would like to try kissing you."

Kiss!

"First thing," she says, raising an eyebrow.

Kiss kiss kiss.