It's... something, that he's kind of excited to see her?

Whatever happens next will be awful,  but it will be the kind of awful where something happens and he isn't just curled into a ball.

(She is also a person he loves. That helps.)

"Hello?"

"Still here?"

"... you haven't let me leave?"

Not that that's what she's asking, but still.

"We found a very interesting spell. It's in your spellbook, too, if you look."

Oh no. "Which one is it?"

"It lets you control a person's body and not their mind. Would you like me to show you?"

"I'm assuming the way I'd say 'no' is stopping being a wizard."

"Well, you can say 'no' either way. I'm just not going to listen."

This is going to be "fun." "I thought as much."

She says some words in very fast Speech and--

He sits up of his own accord. His hands reach out to her.

It doesn't feel bad in and if itself, but it's strange being a passenger in his own body.

He tries to move his hand back. It doesn't budge.

... this is fine! This is fine.

It is fine! He kisses Meng Yao.

He can think about how this isn't his decision and freak himself out, or he can think about how he's doing something he wished he could do but didn't have the courage to.

His face is very happy about this happening. He's breathing fast and his eyes flutter closed with arousal.

... okay, that's just unnecessary.

No, what's unnecessary is that his mouth opens and says, "I love you."

That's? At least? Not inaccurate?

But it's.  Something. To be forced to say it.

His mouth keeps going while his hands stroke her hair: I love you and you're beautiful and I want this so badly.

Does he at least have control of his eyes to express 'really? really?'

Of course not.

...wouldn't want him to wreck the image she's trying to make, would she.

"I love you too," Meng Yao whispers into his ear, and then starts to kiss down his chest so lovingly.

There's some small weak part of him that clings onto the fact it's mutual, that she's saying she loves him too.

... even if it is probably more fake than what's coming out of his own mouth.

His mouth adds, "I love you more than anyone else."

Is the actual truth not enough for her?