[ Oddly enough, it was precisely the impression she managed to impart with her quiet admission, causing him to gently withdraw his hand, placing it beside him as he lifted his eyes to meet hers. It felt... fair, to state that line, and more importantly, he could not bring himself to disagree with her words, the realization of which leaving him quiet for a moment, as something deep in his chest stirred uncomfortably. ]

Is it... too much? I'm sorry, I would rather not— it doesn't have to continue this way. [ A small shake of his head follows as he continues in a more confident tone... despite the scarf still conveniently obscuring half of his face, which is also the reason why it comes out slightly muffled. ] I will try to control my emotions better, from now on.

[ Physical acts of affection had their own role in all this, but if it was merely for the sake of his own enjoyment, then he would have preferred not to include them at all. Of course, holding hands had become something of a natural gesture, and for that he had no doubt nothing would change - his own response just now had merely been symbolical, if anything.

All the rest, on the other hand? Since he had taken certain... liberties in the past, it wasn't hard to figure out what was that Tear had on her mind, and it pained him to know that he had never stopped to ensure they had both been on the same page.

Though it often did feel that way, feelings were such fickle things, especially so if they functioned far beyond one's comprehension. ]