"It makes perfect sense that you're flustered! I want you to have space to calm down? And also I want to hug you?"

Hug him? "I... wait, why?" He hasn't done anything deserving of hugs. (Maybe being cute? But if that was cute he feels kinda bad about being hugged for it.) 

Pat pat. "Room first. Space first. Then we can talk about it."

"I... okay? Okay." He lets himself be led to the room and then flops down on the bed and feels really foolish still. "I'm sorry for freaking out," he tells her. "I should have... I don't know, I should have been much more sensible? I just freaked out and then I couldn't stop and I just--" 

Snug.

The snug feels warm and loving and good. He sighs. "I... I don't know? I'm sorry for giving your sister such a bad impression?" Though admittedly it didn't seem like she minded? "I just... it just kinda snowballed I guess. Sorry." She seems to love him anyways? The snug and the love feels good. Restorative. Calming? Helpful. 

"You made a great impression on my sister. She sees what I like so much about you and she sees that you really like me and care about my opinion of you. She thinks we're adorable together."

"But... but I couldn't say anything right! And I made a fool of myself!" 

"So?"

"And... so I didn't give her a good impression of me?" Technically that isn't what happened, Callisto seemed to be amused, at the very least? But it still feels like, given what he was saying and doing, that's what should have happened. Even if it worked out ok (which he still isn't totally certain of), he should still be doing a better job for his girlfriend. 

"...but you did though. You did give her a good impression of you. She learned accurate facts about you that make her think favourably of you, what else is a good impression supposed to be?"

"...I mean, okay, fair, I'm still not clear how that happened, but, like... even though it did, I still should have done a better job? What if... I don't know, how did your sister form a good impression of me? But like regardless normally that wouldn't have been a good impression and I'm sorry I didn't do better." 

"???"

What is she confused about? "Like... I don't understand why she got a good impression of me, but by all rights she shouldn't have? I didn't do anything right. I'm... I don't... I don't know why you're looking at me like that." 

"...but... you did make a good impression. And the fact that you made a good impression is not, like, an accident, it's not like you tripped and fell on your face and she's superstitious about nosebleeds being a good omen. You were really flustered but you were sweet and sincere and trying, and she could see how much we care about each other, and most of the ways you could've been bad news would've involved having more control over your presentation so it's reassuring to see you try and fail to maintain composure in the face of my sister having caught us making out on the porch."

Oh, well, at least that explains things. But still "Okay but what if she... didn't like that sort of thing? Or like, wanted me to be better composed. Or something. I should have held it together better? Or possibly-" not made out with you on the porch in the first place, he doesn't say. He doesn't want to make her feel guilty for that even though it was mostly his fault. (Entirely, really.)  "Nevermind?" he squeaks. "I don't know, I guess it worked out but like, I feel like I could have done a better job. Should have. Sorry I didn't." 

"...I have no idea how to explain to you that in this reality, where we live, you did good, and it's bizarre to apologize to me for not having acted in ways that would've made a good impression on the imaginary sister I don't have."

(Technically she has a second sister, doesn't she? Might she not respond differently? This seems like the wrong time to bring that up or try to use it as an argument.) 

"I mean, just because it worked out ok doesn't mean I couldn't have done better? Shouldn't have done better? Like, most people aren't quite so understanding of people they meet getting so flustered and things and I'm probably going to meet more friends of yours? I guess most of them um, won't catch us kissing on the porch. Sorry, um, sorry."  

"????????????"

She's being confused again. "Like, don't you want me to make good impressions on all of your friends and stuff? Which means I should like, actually be able to um, talk and things." And not make an utter fool of himself babbling and shaking hands and talking about the hunger games. 

"...I guess? But... you don't have to feel bad about it? It's fine?? I assume you will eventually be able to use complete sentences in front of Kallisto."

"It would be really bad if I couldn't use full sentences with Callisto! It should be fine next time, I hope?" Man, he really hopes so. It would be really bad if she kept having an impression of him as a bumbling fool or something. "I don't know, I just feel like I could have done a better job if I was more composed, and should have done a better job," like she deserves. 

"...okay. I am going to hug you some more. You didn't do anything wrong and I'm sort of concerned by the fact that you can't seem to hear that, because someday you might insist that you need to give me something that will actively hurt me, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it, and in the meantime, snuggles."

Cozy squeezes.

John feels... mildly offended by the concept that he would ever do such a thing. He wouldn't ever do something like that, right? Like, how would that even happen? He wouldn't ever make a mistake like that, and it would be awful if he did. But... maybe they're not getting anywhere right now? And the snuggles feel good. So he enjoys the snuggles, and snuggles her back in turn. 

The snuggles are very good. And calming. And good. 

Good! Then they are doing their job!